Disclaimer: I only own my characters and story, Eclipse Phase belongs to Posthuman Studios. So yeah, it's been quite a while, but with the sudden success of my other story 3 Ripples I've neglected this one. So, updates will be coming but much more infrequently that before, sorry for that. Anyways, enjoy and feel free to leave a review.
Rating: T (may change depending)
Pallas, Main Asteroid Belt
Bones ran some final diagnostics on his computers, making sure his client's vitals were stable. Seeing that they were he turned to his assistant, a young neo-Neanderthal. "Pull her out."
"Yeah yeah." He drawled, yawning as he ended the simulspace simulation. "I'll be upstairs, it's my break." Bones rolled his eyes as his assistant ran upstairs to his quarters as Bones redirected his attention to the awakening customer.
"You back with us Diana?" He asked as she sat up, flexing the arms of her heavily modified bouncer, it's animal and robotic features clashing in a way only a scum would consider possible.
"Sure am doc." She laughed.
"How do you like the new tail and hands? Any problems?" He asked.
"All seems good." She swished her new prehensile tail, grabbing the edge of the table with it a few times. "Guess Tevin wasn't lying about you." She flexed her robotic hands, fingers splitting apart as access jacks and tools popped out. "Best genehacker this side of the Belt."
"Tevin flatters me, I'm competent at best." Bones said humbly, nodding his head as Diana stood, testing her balance. "But tell me, why didn't you get this work done on the swarm? It's probably overflowing with my type."
"There ain't exactly any with that type of sleeve." She laughed, gesturing to his soldier pod. "But I wanted a professional, and you're one of the best who'll accept us." She reached into her pocket, fumbling for credits.
"Please," Bones grabbed her wrist, pulling it away gently, "no need for that. We're both scum here."
"But I know this rock uses cred. You'll need it for-"
"I'm perfectly capable, been around here a long time. Rep will be fine." He smiled, as much as his metal jaws would allow him to. It, plus his flaming orange hair and translucent skin along his arms, in place of the sleeve's normally charcoal coloring, exposing his reinforced bones, put off most people from the inner system. But by scum standards, the crude joining of flesh and cold metal, would be considered restrained.
"Fine then." Diana laughed once more. "I best be getting back to the swarm, we leave tomorrow. Maybe I'll see you around next time we pass by." She blew him a kiss as she exited the body-shop. Bones simply chuckled, walking back to the fabricators and refilling them with the necessary raw materials. The electronic bell of the shop chimed, indicating someone had entered.
"Sorry we're closed for a bit, gotta…" the sentence died as his face broke into a wide grin, for standing there in the doorway was Prisca and her sister Kass. "Well well well, look what scavenging teams dragged back."
"You ain't exactly much to look at either are ya?" Prisca joked as the two embraced. "It's been a while Bones."
"Yes, it's good to see you again." A whine got his attention as the transgenic hyena tried to get his attention, bumping into his leg. "And you two Kass." He said slightly quieter.
"Hey Bones! I've missed you!" Kass said as Bones' muse queed into her mental frequency. "She doesn't let me go anywhere fun."
"Hush now sis." Prisca chided as she flicked the hyena's ear, who snapped in return.
"Now," Bones interrupted, "I doubt this is a purely social visit. What do you need? New implants? Current ones acting up? Body sculpting?"
"No, what we need is your help. THAT kind of help." Prisca gestured to the large seeker rifle hanging from the wall. Bones' demeanor turned more serious.
"I'm listening."
"Well, strictly speaking I'm not supposed to tell you this but fuck it." Prisca said. "I'm a part of a secret organization called Firewall, dedicated to protecting transhumanity from exsurgent threats like the TITANs, from inside and outside Sol."
Bones whistled. "Didn't know I had two secret agents under my nose this whole time." Prisca smacked his arm. "But in all seriousness, given all the strange happenings I've heard happen since the Fall I've always assumed something like that existed. Seems my hunch was right."
"Quite." Prisca replied. "I've been given the ability to hire outside other agents, so that's why I need you."
"What's the job?" Bones asked.
"We need to get to Uranus, there's an exsurgent hiding out there whose been infecting people with Watts-Macleod through the mesh."
"Shit." Bones rubbed his forehead. "I've seen some crazy shit in my day, but infecting people digitally? My mind is running a Light year a second trying to figure out how that'd work."
"How doesn't matter, we've just been told to get in there and take him out."
"Whose we?" Bones asked. "I assume they'll be at least one other agent of this 'Firewall' with us?"
"Yeah, some guy named Haseo Julianus, he lives out on Oberon."
"Then let's cast out there now, I got the equipment here now." Bones offered, booting up the necessary machines.
"There's a catch." Kass stopped him. "They won't cover resleeving costs, and with me," she gestured with her mechanical tail to her sleeve, "that may be difficult."
"Those fuckers." Bones muttered.
"That's what I said!" Kass exclaimed.
"Plus, one agent, some infomorph names DR4KE, is gonna go bodyless, so I'll have to let him ghostride with me." Prisca said. "This whole situation is kinda shot."
Bones' eyes lit up with an idea. "Maybe not. You know that scum swarm that's docked?" Seeing Prisca nod he continued. "Well, I know the person who controls where they go and when, nice woman named Tevin. She owe me a huge favor, drop my name and she should be able to redirect the swarm to Uranus."
"Really? You have that kind of pull with a swarm?" Prisca asked incredulously.
"Listen kid, I've been scum from the very beginning, you make some connections along the way." Bones smirked. "Anyways, how will I know who to contact?"
"Wait, you aren't coming with us?" Kass asked.
"Well, this threat is clearly urgent, and it'll take the swarm nearly two months to get to Uranus. So, I'll cast ahead, meet up with this Julianus fellow, and get us set up with gear and a suitable morph for myself." Bones explained, receiving two nods in return. "Well then, I'll grab my assistant. He'll set up the capture for the ghostrider while I cast out. John!" Bones yelled upwards, to no immediate response.
"Whose John?" Prisca asked.
"My protege. He's been helping me out with the shop." Bones said. "Though he's a tad lazy. John Oldeman! Get your prehistoric ass down here now!"
"What the hell do you want?!" Said Neo-Neanderthal yelled back. "I'm on break!"
"Breaks canceled. Last warning." Bones heard a series of grumbles and choice curses in response as John came down.
"Who is she?" He asked, gesturing to Prisca.
"Old friend of mine. But I need to make a trip out for a while, you'll be running the shop till I get back." Bones explained.
"WHAT?" John yelled. "For how long?"
"About two months, give it take." Bones deadpanned.
"TWO MONTHS?! How the hell am I going to run this place for that long?"
"The same way you have been since you agreed to work under me. Follow the three rules."
"Yeah yeah." John muttered. "Always be accommodating, never charge creds unless you're offered them, and don't disrespect any Night members. I got it."
"Good. Now, hook me and Prisca up. She'll be getting a ghostrider, and I need to cast out to Chat Noir on Uranus."
"Fine." John went yanked forward two cushioned chairs and quickly began inputting the needed information into twin monitors. "Don't know what the hell you need to do in that backwater but whatever."
"Alright, I'll be going now. Talk to Tevin, she'll hook you up with what you need." He said to Prisca as he sat down in the leftmost chair, the exalt taking a seat in the right one.
"Good hunting." Prisca said with a smile as her eyes rolled up into her sockets, her mind entering simulspace as her ghostrider module was prepared for her passenger and said passenger was contacted. Bones felt his own vision shrink and collapse into a single point. He became weightless as he left his body and entered the mesh.
Chat Noir, Oberon, Moon of Uranus.
After several hours of haggling Bones managed to secure himself a cheap synth morph for now, though he was sure to insist that a hand laser be implanted and some additional armor added. Decades of conflict had taught him to always be prepared for a new environment. Prisca's muse had pinged him and let him know that Haseo was expecting him outside the main shipping port.
Flexing his robotic arms as he walked Bones took in the sights of the dome habitat. It's ice tunnels were a marvel to behold, especially with the gaggle of exotic and highly optimized morphs using the decreased gravity to walk along the ceiling and walls of the warrens. Quickly finding himself outside the spaceport he squeezed past a group of heavily armed mercenaries, looking around for his contact.
"You Bones?" A voice asked, by he couldn't see where at first. "Down here mate." Bones looked down and saw an opteryx waving one of its wings arms at him. The 1.7 meter tall synth quickly jumped onto one of the walls, running along it before skidding to a stop beside him.
"I assume your Haseo Julianus?" Bones asked.
"The one and only Jovian pilot extraordinar, that's me." He said flamboyantly, Boeing his head as his tail extends towards Bones, offering a crude handshake which he accepted. "Sorry, ain't exactly the most social morph. Now, let me get you back to my home so we can set up."
"That sounds great to me." Bones said as Haseo lead the way through the winding warrens.
"When are the rest of the team showing up?" Haseo asked.
"They'll be here in two months, Prisca and DR4KE are coming by scum swarm." Bones replied.
"Wait, by swarm?" The opertyx's head cocked to the side. "Why?"
"Prisca lives on the same rock I do. Pallas, nice place in the Belt. Unlike me though, she doesn't have the most cred to spare, and the operators aren't shelling out for sleeping costs."
"Typical." Haseo sighed. "They'll splurge on big things like a skimmer but not for simple things. I assume that's why you're here now?" He asked as they skirted the edge of an immensely large canyon. A few rocks crunched underneath Bones' robotic foot as he stepped, falling deep into the mist that obscured the bottom of the canyon.
"How far down does that go?" He asked.
"Incredibly far. You should try flying down there sometime, the rush is like nothing else." Haseo replied. "But you didn't answer my question."
"Yes, that is why." Bones replied. "I'll be here testing the waters with you, earning some rep and cred and getting some good gear and better morph than this thing." He gestured to his hastily acquired synth.
"Fair enough. Aaaand we're here." Haseo said as he came to a stop, gesturing towards the deep cavern."
"There nothing here mate." Bones said. In response his companion simply grinned and dived off the the edge, speeding towards the ground. After plummeting rather far he spread his wings and slowed himself, small thrusters also stabilizing him.
"Down here." He said as he sailed on a wind towards a hole in the side of the canyon, gesturing with his tail towards a previously hidden rope down as he disappeared inside it. Shaking his head Bones gripped the rope and began his descent, hoping that the rope held. And that the fall wouldn't obliterate his stack.
Finally Bones made it to the hole in the canyon wall and stepped inside. He was surprised to find that the cave opened to a rather spacious living area, with several rooms branching off into various rooms. "Damn, I'm impressed you can have this much space."
"Well, the hab covers this section of the canyon, so atmosphere and pressure aren't a worry." Haseo said as he reentered the main room, carrying a tablet which he handed to Bones. "Plus, we aren't lacking for space out here, and if you pull your weight and chip in with the right people your rep can do wonders."
"Well then," Bones smiled as he took the tablet, "this place is right up my alley. Let's get to work."