The day was a dull ache.
Movement, voices, actions around her were little more than phantoms.
All she could see was in her mind.
Recent memory.
Her face.
Her words.
With the back of her hand she wiped her eyes.
Misei quickly averted her gaze back to her own monitor and sunk below the height of the partition. Linna had come into work like the walking dead. Listless and decidedly downcast. The day before it had been all smiles and joking. Now she had hardly said a word and was barely concentrating on her work. Misei had pointed out some basic errors on a sales figure spreadsheet in time before the Supervisor spotted them. Linna had mumbled something with a shrug. That's the most she had been able to articulate all day.
Boyfriend troubles the coworker thought. Probably dumped her the way she's acting. Poor Linna.
With one eye on her own work and the other occasionally flitting over the partition Misei kept watch on her friend with a heart of empathy.
+++===+++
The day ended.
Linna walked through the crowds taking no notice. Her heels clicked on the asphalt walkway as the stores passed her by.
Usually she did window shopping on the way home if she hadn't ridden her scooter to work. Sighing at the clothes that she could possibly afford and dreaming of ever owning something from Sylia's shop. If she ever could have the figure or dare to really wear one of them.
Even Priss, she had looked so gorgeous.
Priss.
Unbidden tears came to her eyes.
She walked off the main road and came to a rail an leaned on it with both her hands.
What a fool I was. To think that she liked me. Me, a country girl with no clue.
The ache in her chest grew stronger.
Just messing around with me. To get a rise. She said so herself. Just another one of her games.
The bitch.
I don't need her or have to put up with her crap. After all that I did for her, probably saved her shitty life.
Redirecting the self recriminations to Priss didn't take away the pain she felt. It gave her something to blame and push her feelings onto.
She reached into her handbag and pulled out the note Priss had put with the photos she'd given to her. Trembling fingers, she tore the note and scattered the pieces.
+++===+++
Her mobile rang just as she was about to unlock her door.
"Hello?" she answered.
"Linna, get over here right away I've just got word from Nene about a boomer that's jut gone rogue. She's coming over too."
"I'll be right over."
Action.
Something to take her mind away. Something to focus her mind on.
Something to inflict pain on.
+++===+++
"Shouldn't we wait for Priss?" Nene whined.
"We don't need her." Linna snapped.
Nene gave Sylia a worried glance through a wall mounted camera.
Sylia gave Nene her response through the speakers, "Get suited up and don't waste time. The boomer is destroying vehicles on the road but its just a matter of time before people start getting hurt. It's a construction model so be careful of its arms. It will also be well protected so the only way to destroy it is in close combat."
Nene winced. She, as much as she talked herself up otherwise, wasn't the fighter Priss was or Linna was turning out to be and frankly being within meters of a rampaging rogue boomer was frightening. And not having the weapons the other girls suits had was also a problem. Knuckle bombs or Linna's 'pig tails' as she cleverly named them which were well suited for fighting boomers in close. All she had was a dart gun that was suppose to disable or slow down a boomer. Lately it hadn't been doing anything to them. She kept complaining to Sylia to give her more firepower but so far nothing had happened.
"Ready Sylia." Linna announced from inside her hardsuit.
Somehow she was tapping her foot with impatience.
With a dejected sigh Nene slipped into her own suit and locked it around her. The HUD on her visor came to life and she gave a quick systems check. Everything was fine.
"OK girls, into the launcher."
With metallic resonation they stepped into what could only be described as a rail gun instead on the vertical and used to shoot the Knight Sabres high into the city sky.
Linna was in first with a hurry.
Nene wondered what was up with her, she was usually a bit nervous before going on a mission but this time she was acting more like Priss. Who wasn't here and the others didn't want to wait around for her. Something must be going on. The thoughts fled to the back of her mind when her small body was accelerated by magnetic coils through the launcher and into the sky.
+++===+++
The road had been blocked off at both ends by police roadblocks until the ADP arrived. Officers were hunched over the boots and bonnets of their cruisers and had pistols out. They knew their weapons were ineffectual against a boomer but it felt good to have the cold steel in their sweaty grip.
Overhead a pair of Fireflys orbited and illuminated the target with their spotlights. Their attention focused on the boomer on the street below they did not notice the arrival of the APD's arch-boomer-destroying-rivals, two of the Knight Sabres.
"We're here. What's the situation Sylia?" Linna asked. She and Nene were standing on the roof of a building in the middle of the blocked off street. They could both see what the situation was in front of them, the construction boomer pounding on a transit bus amid the destroyed chassis of cars. One of them was burning and a plume of oily smoke obscured part of the road.
"The Police are waiting for the APD who are held up in traffic so you have a few minutes to kill it. People are in the bus the boomer is attacking and they're also worried about the burning car- it may explode and injure people in the buildings near by."
"Got it."
Linna fired her jets and rose into the air.
"Hey wait..." Nene's voice trailed off in Linna's mind even though it was coming in through her speakers. It was replaced with the increasing pounding in her mind of the blood surging through her veins.
She flew through the smoke and landed ten meters behind the boomer.
It was a large one. Painted in yellow and black warning stripes. Lights on its shoulders flashed around and around with a garish orange light that painted the walls in a sickly colour as dusk arrived.
With its pile driver arms it was ripping open a bus like a maniac. One driver after the other slamming into the side of the bus. A rhythm. Smash crash. Smash crash. Oblivious too everything else that was going on around it.
This will be a piece of cake. The grin on Linna's face was more like a sneer. She bunched her hands into fists and broke into a run towards the rear of the boomer.
A flood light illuminated and paced her.
She kept running, building up speed. Her metal feet pounding on the road like the beat of a tattoo.
She pulled her arm back for the strike and screamed out as she rammed into the back of the boomer, "Fuuuuuuuckkkkkkkkkkk yoooouuuuuuuuu!!!"
Openly broadcast the scream sent an almost physical shockwave racing down both ends of the street and knocking the Policemen and spectators back with power.
"Shit, she's pissed." someone commented.
"This's gonna be fun," another.
"Kick it's arse Knight Sabres!"
A ragged cheer from the spectators.
The force of the impact knocked the boomer forward into the bus. Its weight caused the sides and roof to buckle in raising screams from inside.
Screams that Linna did not hear. Her mind was blocking out everything than the desire to release her own anger and stop her pain.
Her fist shot forward and connected with the back of the boomer.
Metal buckled and cracked.
The boomer jerked backwards and let out a screeching metallic wail flinging Linna off of it. She landed cat like and pounced again.
The boomer swung its right driver at the charging Knight Sabre who slipped under it and extended the whips from its head piece.
With a jerk of its head black fluid erupted from the severed limb midway along its length.
The boomer wailed again and the onlookers covered their ears with their hands and looked on in amazement bordering on horror as the Knight Sabre knocked the boomer down and mounted it.
Without knowing it Linna emulated the boomer as her arms rose up and down smashing the chest plate of the boomer. Over and over her fists struck cracking open the plates.
Oil, coolant, splashed up over her visor. She did not stop. Again and again the sounds changing from crunch to a more sickening snap as she broke through and exposed the semi-organic interior of the boomer.
With arms dripping fluid she grabbed the ends of the wound and pulled, tearing the hole wider. Beneath her the boomer screamed and writhed but could not dislodge her reach her, its driver arms unable to cross over its own wide chest.
"Dirty... fucking ... bitch!" Linna repeated over in a mantra of rage and hate. Her hands reached inside the gaping wound and tore and pulled at the insides, deeper and deeper, throwing the insides into the air, deeper and deeper until she reached the core and with satisfaction closed her hand around it and standing pulled the boomers core from its body and held it high into the air.
The boomer gave one last death throw and expired.
"Oh my god" Nene, still on the roof was mortified. She and everyone else had not witnessed the destruction of a boomer but a brutal murder.
"Sylia..." she said weakly.
"Get Linna out of there now, the APD have almost arrived!"
Jolted into action Nene fired her jets and steered towards the green Knight Sabre.
Down her upraised arm ran black liquid. The core pumped in her hand expelling the last of its life and she crushed it. A stabbing pain struck her own heart and she let out a moan. Bits of the core stuck to her arm like torn flesh.
Linna closed her eyes. Her breath came in ragged pants. The pain in her chest increased with each intake. If I don't breath the pain will go away...
She let the remains of the core fall from her now limp fingers and her arm dropped by her side. Inside everything had gone quiet. The rage was gone. The violence was over. The memories however, they were still there. They were always going to be there.
"This isn't what I wanted." her throat constricted.
"Linna, Linna!" Nene grabbed Linna by the bicep and shook, "We've got to get out of here. Are you listening?"
Priss grabbing her arm, throwing her to the couch.
Nene was flung off the boomer and landed on her back heavily.
"Linaaaa!!" she cried.
"Linna!" Sylia's harsh voice penetrated the layers around Linna's mind, "What the fuck are you doing?" the words jolted her into the moment.
"I..."
"Both of you, leave now!"
The communication channel went dead.
Linna hopped off the corpse of the boomer. Nene backed away a few steps and then fired her jets.
"Quick, get them before they escape!" a deep loudspeaker voice boomed.
The ground beneath Linna's feet cracked open and pieces of road flew into the air.
"They're shooting at me!"
"Get out of there."
She did so loosing the eyes of the Fireflys in the smoke.
+++===+++
Nene was out of her suit and sitting hunched over on a chair when Linna returned.
In her bloody suit she stood in the centre of the Pit.
Nene had to look away. Small pools of black liquid formed under the green hardsuit. Scraps of the boomer core were stuck to its shell.
"I'm going Sylia." the diminutive ADP Office and Knight Sabre rose with downcast head and avoiding the green hardsuit completely went into the change room.
Sylia did not move from the console until Nene had left the room. Then she slow measured steps she walked up to Linna and with some distaste lifted a scrap of the core off the hardsuit. She studied it for a moment before letting it fall. She shivered at the grim form that was silent in front of her.
"Get yourself cleaned up." she turned away with a dismissive wave of her hand.
The ringing of metal faded.
Sylia sank down into the chair Nene had vacated. Unconsciously she bit her thumb and stared blankly at a wall.
Something incredibly shocking had just happened. She hated boomers with a passion none of the others knew but this evening she had been horrified at the boomers destruction, the way it had been ... butchered. Death belonged to rogue boomers, but a swift death. Not with the savagery she had just been witness to.
+++===+++
It was Friday night.
No more work for two complete days.
Two nights of being out on the town.
Linna looked herself over in the mirror.
She smiled. She looked good.
Gone where the sweaters. Gone was the old her. The old her hadn't worked. Time for the new her. The new her wore tight slacks and a the current fashion, a tee that exposed some of her flat stomach. One positive thing about being a Knight Sabre, it kept you in shape.
A new her for a new life in the big city. A new style to replace the
She applied some lipstick, a dark rich purple.
A doubt gnawed.
She pushed at it. To get it to leave. This is me now. I'm in charge. I came to Tokyo to take charge of my life and that's what I am going to do. No more needing support.
She dropped the tube of lipstick into her, new, small purse.
The door of her apartment closed behind her with a click.
+++===+++
The streets he walked this night were different from those of many days ago.
He wore no tartan or face piercing and his hair was close to respectable in this conservative society. Conservative on the outside, seriously weird on the inside.
Around him were hordes of the young. All done up in their weekend finery walking the asphalt heading for engagements or looking for the place that was hot for tonight.
All the regular Joes and Janes, or whatever the names were over here.
But no different from where he was. Just the lack diversity of natural hair colour. Uniform black.
He missed Glasgow. It had some serious night life. Real beer. Real music. So much atmosphere it could choke you. Always busy. Locals, backpacking twenty something's with livers of steel. Or none at all.
He couldn't wait to go back. Sit around the bar in the smoke haze and pull a few with his chums. Only a few more days.
Then I'm out of this lit...
His mind, heart, soul skipped a beat.
Recognition followed.
He blinked and she was lost in the crowd.
Damn universal black hair.
+++===+++
Linna enjoyed the looks she got. It gave her a sense of power.
Sure she had to fend some letches off, walking beside her with those "Do you want to be a model or actress?" lines. A city thing. A knee to the groin sorted one out. That made her feel good.
She weaved her way through the throngs with small steps. Her pants came with a level of restriction causing the way she walked to exaggerate her hip movement.
She kept her gaze firmly fixed never letting it make eye contact with anyone.
Not to give an inch.
Because she didn't know this area so well she walked around for a bit. Up and down the streets and getting a feel that this would be where she'd find what she was after.
She noticed a long line of hopefuls out side a club entrance. She crossed the road and went up to the front and read the sign 'Hip Hop Village'. Never heard of it before.
"You want in?"
"Huh?"
A suited bouncer with slicked back hair repeated.
Linna looked down the length of the line.
The bouncer motioned with a jerk of his head, "I'll make an exception,"
The new me.
She smiled, "Kind of you," and with that she was inside.
Inside a new world.
Many times she had been to Hot Legs to watch Priss sing. Once to that awful club where Priss had nearly died. The music was quite different.
A stable repetitive beat. Simple but rhythmic.
The people were different too.
The wore hats. On angles. Inside. Baggy pants barely hanging onto their hips. The men.
Skirts. Patterned. Tight pants. Short tops. The women.
She went over to the bar of all glitz and a hundred different shapes and labels of bottles.
She ordered a drink and handed over some rumpled notes. Expensive. She'd have to get hooked up fast.
"Well hey there fine lady," a hand ran across her rear.
Linna's eyes opened wide and she turned around quickly to find herself close up with a leering basketball shirt wearing homey.
"Ow, even finer from the front view." his gaze was below eye level.
Linna felt her checks flush, "Go away."
Homey chuckled and made some large hand gestures as he spoke, "C'mon baby, how about joining me over some drinks and words." behind him his similar dressed posse nodded and chuckled like the sycophants they were.
His hand came to rest over Linna's waist. It felt sweaty.
Linna frowned and put her free hand over the homeys. He grinned, "That's the way, urk!" she tightened her grip and pressed his fingers together.
"Hey, watcha think your doin'!" one of the posse stepped forward.
Her heart pace accelerated. Just like when she was going to fight a boomer.
Homey snatched his hand back and rubbed the wound. "Lousy dyke."
"That's no way to speak to a lady," the entry of a third party.
All eyes turned towards the entrant.
A foreigner in a suit.
The homey spat out a series of curses in Japanese.
"I can fully understand what you are saying shorty," came back the reply, in Japanese.
The posse deflated.
"I can handle my self," Linna said to her would be rescuer.
"So being a gentleman doesn't earn any points?"
Ignored, forgotten, the posse faded away.
"So," after a silence between them that didn't look like ending, "how is your friend?"
Her eyes narrowed, "She's fine." flatly.
Okay...
Roger took up a space beside Linna.
Just what I need she thought. Someone I know, barely at that, and a man.
"I thought I recognised you out on the street. Almost got run over."
"Uhuh" noncommittal grunt.
This is going no where.
"How did you get in here anyway, dressed like that?" she indicated his suit.
"Back entrance. I'm kinda in tune with them now. Get to know one, know em all." he said with a shrug.
She smiled. "I can't make the match, tartan- that's what you called it,"
"Yes,"
"and now, a suit."
Roger shrugged. "You look, ah, different too." and he was impressed.
She noticed the glimpse with the corner of her eye, "Don't get any thoughts."
From go to no. Roger settled back against the bar. It was all familiar. Just like with Priss. And she ended up in a bad way.
Linna took another sip of her drink. Her eyes carefully scanned the crowd on the dance floor. Looking for a target.
"So is this another of your places to pick up?" she asked.
"Here? Never been before. Hardly been to this area. Why, you after a score?" he grinned.
"Girls gotta have a social life."
"With the way you're dressed that shouldn't be a problem."
"I'm not after that kind of attention," she put the emphasis on 'that'. "I'm looking for something, a bit, different."
"Oh?" oh indeed.
Linna gave a sly grin.
Oh indeed again. Damn. That was another soul stopping moment.
"Hmmm. Don't think I can help you there. I don't like competition."
She laughed. It felt good.
"Oh, I don't think I have much to worry about from you."
"Thanks a lot."
"You're welcome."
A comfortable silence.
"Well, I better leave it to you, don't want to upset your chances or anything. Go out and dance, that'll get the best response slinking up to some smooth leg."
Dancing... something she didn't have a lot of practice with. Not what was going on out on the floor. Maybe I should have thought some more about this...
"Well night then."
"Night."
With a whistle Roger walked away leaving Linna to finish her drink and steel herself.
She never got the chance as her phone beeped.
"Not now," dismayed, but at the same time with a sense of relief she answered the phone.
It was Sylia.
"Linna..., can you hear me?"
"Yes Sylia," she pressed the phone close to her ear.
"We've got another rogue,"
"I'm on my way."
On my way to killing boomers. Wait for me, my substitute for love.
+++ 30 +++
No guessing that the title comes from Madonna's Ray Of Light album.