Disclaimer: I only own my characters and story, Eclipse Phase belongs to Posthuman Studios. So...I know that this section of fnet is mostly dead (or at least appears to be), but here I go. I have absolutely fallen in love with this game in recent months, but cannot find a group of players with the time or desire to play. Instead, I'll sate my creative desire by writing here. Enjoy and feel free to leave a review.

Rating: T (may change depending)

Vo Nguyen Station, Earth Orbit

Marlo sighed as he rubbed his hands against his temple, barely paying attention to the heated discussions around him. Normally he would be in the thick of all of them, trying to serve as an intermediary between the bioconservatives and the reclaimers and steering the conversations from dangerous waters when need be. That was his job as a precautionist: ensure that technology was safe before disseminated throughout the population. But for a week now he couldn't muster the will to care about this. Not when his mind was under such strain.

He was pulled from his musings when a hand tapped his shoulder, stiffening momentarily at the sensation of cold metal. Marlo's head shot up, but he relaxed when he saw it was the face of Carolina. The AGI gestured her head towards the door, message clear. Politely excusing himself Marlo followed her out the door into the empty hallway.

"Tell me what's wrong Marlo." Carolina said in a firm, if synthesized, voice.

"How do you know something is wrong?" Marlo asked.

"I was built for interacting with and processing the emotional states of organic transhumans." She whispered, yellow photoreceptors darting around. Her status as an AGI was a closely guarded secret, her abilities as a negotiator and spokesperson caused most biocons to overlook the steel morph. But if they found out she was an AGI, the greatest sin in their minds, all their efforts would be for not.

"Fine." Marlo sighed. "I've had this splitting headache for a week now. But it's not any headache, it feels like my mind is being attacked by some rabid cat."

"I can't say I've heard that metaphor before." Carolina let out a small chuckle. "I have heard of similar symptoms after prolonged mesh use. But those usually develop after many years of uninterrupted time as an infomorph, and rarely this severe. Do you think its a defect in your current morph?" She asked.

"I don't think so." Marlo replied. "I've already resleeved into this," he gestured to his current splicer morph, "and sent my primary to NeoPlast Futuristics for a complete sweep, but they found nothing."

Carolina hummed, scratching her metal chin. It was amazing how many distinctly human gestures she had adopted. "Have you tried psychosurgery?" She asked.

"I generally steer clear of that kind of thing." Marlo paused for a moment, mouth twisted in a frown. "But I guess I'll take any answer at this point. Got any suggestions?"

"Try this one." She replied, handing him an anachronistic plastic business card. Hai Tuan, MD was written in bright letters across the front, an address on the back in French and Vietnamese. "Best psychosurgeon I now. Real old school orangutan uplift, he should be able to figure out what's what with your ego." Her head cocked back towards the closed door, her enhanced hearing picking up a renewed round of shouting. "I'll go take care of them. I wish you good fortune." She bid Marlo farewell before quickly reentering the room.

"What would I do without you?" Marlo muttered as he took the elevator down into the streets of the station. The sheer multitude of people momentarily overwhelmed him as he trudged through the transhuman swarms. Consulting his mesh map he located the address and made a beeline towards the tram station to the lower levels.

He didn't make it far before he felt the pressure on his mind increase tenfold, forcing him to his knees with a pained groan. His vision blurred and exploded into stars, forming strange nightmarish images as he screamed in pain. His mind felt like it was being torn apart by red hot hooks. His vision continued to swim before a coherent image came to the foreground.

A blue gas giant came into view. Large metallic objects emerged from the surface, writhing as they extended out impossibly far. Their immense bulk wrapped around ships, stations, and planets, crushing them with the jaws that lined their length. Five yellow eyes emerged, a sickening laugh erupting as Marlo screamed as his mind was finally torn.

Conversation between Firewall commander and async experts, section 4-5TU2:

Ruqinzhe: I assume you all got the report from Vo Nguyen by now.

Degar Watts: Yes. Fourth such report we've received. First a high ranking biocon, then two forks of some mercurial activist, now a precautionist negotiator.

Arak: I don't see the connection.

Degar Watts: Think of what they all represent: opposition to unity.

.Hell: Let's not forget the real reason we're even discussing this: what we could recover of their stacks indicated traces of the Exsurgent virus.

Arak: But none were known asyncs, nor showed the usual symptoms associated with recent infection.

.Hell: Does it matter? They were infected, and they paid the price. Nothing more to discuss.

Ruqinzhe: Ah, but the recovery team was able to retrieve an uncorrupted part of the cortical stack of our latest victim.

Degar Watts: I'm guessing we interrogated it?

Ruqinzhe: There was barely enough of his ego left to stuff into a Freeman, but what we found represents a grave concern to transhumanity.

.Hell: Exsurgents?

Ruqinzhe: Not any old exsurgent. Whoever or whatever this was, they've devised a way to transport a modified, incredibly lethal version of the virus through the mesh.

.Hell: Bullshit.

Arak: For once I agree with Scent. That isn't possible.

Ruqinzhe: It doesn't matter what we think, it's clearly possible.

Degar Watts: Do we have any leads on this?

Ruqinzhe: Thankfully yes. From the small amount of it we recovered from the precautionist's stack, we can conclude that the data package containing it originated somewhere within Uranus.

Arak: You mean inside the atmosphere?

Ruqinzhe: Yes.

Arak: Damn, they really want to avoid detection. Who do you think we should send on this op?

.Hell: Definitely DR4KE. Best damn hacker we have.

Arak: We also have an agent currently in Uranus orbit. Haseo Julianas.

.Hell: The ex-Jovian?

Arak: The one. He's got a good relationship with the skimmers and can guide a team through storms in need be.

Ruqinzhe: Any other suggestions? Remember that we'd also need someone for DR4KE to ghostride in, given his...predilection for digital life.

.Hell: I'll never understand those types.

Degar Watts: I'd like to volunteer Prisca Sylvi. Best jack of all trades agent, she'll be able to deal with the unexpected better than the others. And she can host DR4KE.

Ruqinzhe: Then it's decided. I'll contact DR4KE and Haseo, Degar will contact Prisca.

.Hell: Three is an awfully small team for this kind of op.

Degar Watts: I'll inform Prisca that she can hire another individual if she sees fit, she's always had good taste in mercs.

.Hell: Operational security much?

Degar Watts: She can keep a lid on the sensitive info.

Ruqinzhe: Besides, what was it you said to Callosum? Something about doing what's necessary?

.Hell: I hate you.

Arak: Back to the topic at hand, I trust Prisca, and that smart hyena of hers should come in handy. Damn thing is practically a team member on her ops, must've had some extensive aftermarket modifications.