I figure I'll post one chapter a day, until we reach the end of the written chapters. After that, we'll see. Maybe the muse will cooperate, maybe not.

Oh, and by the way I do not own Shadowrun or aim to make any money from them as a result of this story. The setting is used without the permission of the appropriate corps, and is simply an exercise in amusement. Please don't sue me.

CHAPTER 2: MOON KNOWS THE WAY

The filthy water at the bottom of the hole was a mixed blessing. On one hand, it put me out before I could burn to death. The damage probably wasn't bad… Hurt like hell, but I could feel the burns healing. On the other hand, I was drowning. The water was also pushing me along, flowing at a pretty high rate of speed. I was tumbling like a bug in a garden hose, bouncing off of metal and stone, with no real control. I was in a pipe, I figured. Somewhere along the way I'd lost the cylinder. That was annoying, but I had other problems at the minute.

A lot of people will tell you we don't need air, we don't breathe. That's false, we need air just like anyone else. I found that out early on, when Master had a period of time where he enjoyed strangling me. And right now, at that moment in the pipe my vision was starting to fade out just like it had when he'd first choked me to unconsciousness. Not good.

Then the pressure was gone, and I realized that I'd come out into a larger body of water. I tasted salt… I looked around with fading vision, and saw a junk-littered seafloor, with concrete and moldering wood and pieces of boats, and metal struts, and it looked beautiful. Then as it got blurrier, I looked up and saw the moon through the water and if I'd had the time I would have cried at the glorious sight of that big white eye. But my lungs were burning in my chest, and I had no time, so I kicked and flailed, and rose to the surface.

Turns out I'm not very buoyant, but my desperation was enough to see me through. Still, if I had been wearing clothes, then it might have been a near thing.

I aimed for the moon, but fell far short. Still, it felt like I was swimming forever, before my head broke the surface. I coughed out a lungful of water, and drew a ragged breath. It tasted good.

Okay. Now what?

A faint gnawing in the pit of my stomach asserted itself. I was burning energy, burning blood. I must not have gotten much from that ganger's corpse before Pet pushed me away. Couldn't afford to waste any of it dithering.

I looked around, and found myself a few hundred yards from piers, crumbling concrete fingers poking out into the night. Beyond them, nearest shore, a few scattered lights. Above them a skyline, blazing in electric glow. I didn't recognize it. No time to speculate, so I headed toward land.

The good thing about being the way I am, is that repetitive motions don't tire my muscles much. It wears down my store of blood, sure, but even a few drinks will last me for a good long while. Still, I'd been burned, lost a finger, knocked about through a water pipe, and generally forked out of my element. By the time I got to shore the hunger was starting to rise up again.

But it didn't matter. As my bare feet felt their way across the sharp rocks, I sobbed with relief. I barely noticed the cuts the rocks doled out on my feet, that healed seconds later, or the occasional bit of litter that crunched under me as I staggered up the retaining wall. I was free.

For the first time in so long, I was free. Master was dead, my sad savage sisters were burning or buried under rubble, and no one knew I had survived.

I sat on a rock, cold against my bare bottom, and stared up at the moon. As I watched, it grew hazy and vague… The pollution of the city had only allowed it a brief glimpse down, I figured. And it had used its precious time to show me the way out of the water. That was more than coincidence. Thinking it over, I figured it was also a message... The way ahead's only lit so long, if you don't move your ass then you miss your chance, and life continues to suck.

I decided to move my ass. The rest of me went with it, and I headed into the city's night to explore.