Right, this update is a bit spicy. It should be fine to post though. I'm trusting you all to behave.
John liked his job.
He was one of the construction grunts that Arasaka kept on payroll specifically to go and clean up the places that Adam Smasher, their chief attack borg, went. It was not a question of if there would be collateral damage, or even if there would be a lot of collateral damage or not.
It was always a question of "how did this much collateral damage happen this time?" and "How many bodies are they going to have to hand off to the trauma teams?". John had been working this job for close to ten years now, and he thought it might be the best job in the world. He didn't get into any trouble, as Adam and the first response guns that Arasaka sent in usually cleared out the area long before they got there.
He didn't have to deal with people trying to shoot him for his stuff, there were enough guards to deter low-level gangers, and big time mercs were always long gone. He got the big bucks from being on Arasaka dime, paid well enough to support his input back home and put his kid through schooling. He even got some chrome to make his back and arms stronger out of the deal.
His input really liked his big, strong, arms. He really liked his input's big, fat, tits. Things were good.
This time the job was a bit unusual, they had to go in and actually pull Adam out of the rubble. He was slightly nervous about that, he knew what kinds of things Smasher got into, but he also knew that the butcher usually left you alone if you were polite and trying your best to help him out. He had seen a lot of dumbasses thinking they could get away with being rude to the borg in this job, and most of them were smears now.
Yes, this time there was way more security around the five-block perimeter as civs and street-trash were cleared out. Adam was still in the area, and currently buried under a parking garage worth of concrete.
John couldn't wait to see how Adam did it this time. He was standing with a bunch of his co-workers in front of a screen. They had snacks and beers in hand, and one of his pals handed him some of both. Corpo policy to manage construction like this was to first review all the camera footage in the area to tell exactly what went down, so the foreman knew what to tell them to do and in what order. It made the work much faster.
So the foreman decided he would let it be a morale booster too, and let the grunts watch the footage too. Every time they got to a jobsite, the foreman would have his netrunner girl put out the cameras in the area and play them on the big screen they got. Foreman told the Arasaka contractors that more eyes on the footage means they might get something he missed, and they signed off on it so long as they made a recording and sent it to PR and the corpo techies.
So every time they got to a jobsite, all the workers got to watch one of the most gore-filled murder fests around. It was better than basically any vid, and they didn't have to pay for either.
Life was good. John took a drink of his corpo-branded beer (it wasn't the best, but it was cold and free, which was the same thing) and watched the camera vids.
Smasher had started off in an alley with his new apprentice (and ain't that just unusual? Adam actually got a kid to teach, and he looked like he was having fun with it. John's little girl, Lily, was a big fan of the Smasher, and was delighted to hear about it.) All of a sudden the footage slows down to 0.1 percent speed, Adam moves in front of the kid (still a bit faster than John could really keep up with). And swings his new sword out, it hits a little soda-can thing coming at him and the two halves fly to either side.
All of a sudden the camera footage goes blurry and shakes, and there are two trenches to either side of him. One of John's co-workers speaks up "Fast fucking bullet, huh?". That's what that was? Smasher cutting a bullet in half? Goddamn that was preem, he had to tell Lily about it.
Then another soda can come out from a bit different angle, Adam moves in front of it too and cuts it in half again. The camera shakes again and then goes out. Some of the guys mumbled as the vid switched to another camera outside of the alley. They realized why the camera cut out when the buildings on either side of the alley started to collapse.
"Fuggen' knockoff brickwork." Another of his co-workers piped up, sipping his beer. John had to agree, those buildings were pretty garbage if all it took was two shots from a big gun to take 'em out like that. Then again, this was scav territory, they don't know proper construction worth jack shit down here. John took another swig.
Suddenly, the kid took off back towards Arasaka territory, and Adam went after the soda-can angle a moment after. Smasher must have told the kid to run to get help as he dealt with the merc that came after 'em. Or maybe he just told the kid to run off and stop slowing him down for the fight. Either was possible knowing the Smashman.
Then Adam proceeded to move fairly erratically, but it didn't seem to matter. The camera's slowed every ten seconds or so and Adam was forced to cut another soda can worth of metal in half. It was fucking impressive watching the borg go, and quite a few of his co-workers whooped whenever he did it another time. It was like watching Lily and her rhythm games, except every time the Smashman did it the buildings in the area lost a bit more structural integrity and a couple of them fell.
Then the cameras pulled out to a wide shot some drone got of the area, looks like this was about when Arasaka got word from the kid (what was his name? David right? He thinks that's what Lily told him.) and sent out some surveillance.
It was at this point everyone watching cheered and let out a few 'goddamn' s. All the buildings in a perfect circle were broken down now. In the center was the lone parking garage. Adam had
used the shots to take out places for the merc to move to after each bullet. The Smashman was like a fox when it came to fighting, crazy but in a smart way. Now the merc was forced to remain in one place as Adam approached him.
It was like something out of one of those blockbuster vids, the Smashman slowly walking forwards through rubble and dust and every ten seconds cutting another railgun shot in half. Lily was gonna love this story.
Eventually the firing stopped for a moment, and Smashman ran into the garage. They had to switch the camera to 0.1 again to see where he went. There apparently wasn't any working cameras inside the garage, as old and decrepit as this place was. It was probably some scav dens, and they don't like having cameras recording them.
Eventually the garage rumbled, two explosions broke out both walls on opposite sides, and then one of the walls broke due to another railgun shot. By that point it was over, and the whole thing started collapsing. The drone flew down to ground level sometime before that, and vid went to 0.1 again.
The last shot was of the Smashman with an arm missing and a giant chrome dog looking thing, it had what was probably the railgun on its back mounted like a tank cannon. The Smashman was performing a lariat on it with a vibrating arm as the building collapsed on them both.
The crew cheered and finished their beers. This was the best show they had gotten in a long time. It was time to fish the borg out of there. The foreman in the middle clapped his wrinkly hands after gobbling down his jerky. A bit of the synth-meat was stuck to his mustache.
"Alright boys, his handler called me and said we got three hours to fish him out of there. Let's try to get him out in two. The rest of the job shouldn't take as long, we're expecting a two-day operation to get all the rubble out and ready for the next crew."
Shouts of confirmation and "yup"s rang out as everyone got into their equipment. Two-day operation meant two 12 hour shifts separated by a six hour break. It was pretty strenuous, but the chrome and exoskeletons made the job quite a bit easier. Besides, this was just a lot of rubble to move around, he could think about other things while working.
Also, the beer was free and cold. He called his input before starting, to tell her when to expect him back.
"Heya Rose."
"Heya yourself John." She giggled out. Man, she was the cutest.
"Foreman said it will be a two-day operation, so I'll be back by around noon."
"Any stories to tell Lily?"
"Oh, she's gonna love this one."
"Alright, I'll try to get a nap then."
John had a devious idea. Mentally he turned a knob up two notches, now to 3. He grinned like the bastard he was when he heard her moan.
"H-honey, that's m-mean.~" She got the words out, he could picture her gyrations now. She'd be ready for when he got back.
"I'll be back in twelve hours, Rose, see you then."
"B-bye John.~"
Another one of the exosuits jockeys came up to him as he ended the call.
"Hey John, talking with yer input?"
"Was, I'm off to get suited up now."
"Right, I'll help you get the suit on if you return the favor."
"Deal."
As they were getting suited up (these exoskeletons were a bitch to put on without someone else there to hold it in place). His co-worker spoke up.
"You know that Smashman made an album a couple days ago?."
"Your fucking with me."
"I'm not, wanna give it a listen?"
As John got to work, he let the album play. Sure enough, the slightly distorted metallic tone of the Smashman came out in a song. John never knew Adam could sing, and the tune was pretty catchy too, if really old-fashioned.
Some people say a man is made out of mud.
A poor man is made out of muscle and blood.
Muscle and blood and skin and chrome.
A mind that's weak and a back that's strong.
You load sixteen tons, whaddya get?
Another day older and deeper in debt.
Oh mama don't you call me, cause I can't come.
I sold my soul for another gun.
Yep, John had to admit, the Smashman wasn't a bad singer at all. He knew what he was going to listen to while digging the borg out from under all this rubble. Oop, he stepped on a corpse. Quickly he called over the trauma team to get rid of it.
—
Valerie liked her job.
She liked power, and she liked people with power, and she liked people with power using it on people who had less power. Nothing else in the world came close to the burning she felt every time she saw it happen. Physical, Mental, Social, it didn't matter, she loved power of all types.
So as her mother chewed out the PR director assigned to Adam Smasher for trying to make Arasaka's butcher less frightening, it was all Valerie could do to hide the perverse pleasure she felt. Her mother was speaking in a cold and harsh manner, ruthlessly tearing into the woman in front of her, using the threat of her position to prevent any counter the mere PR director could possibly give.
Thus was the corporate life. The strong thrive and the weaklings are dominated, as it should be. This was not the best rant she had ever heard from her mother, but it was pretty good still. It got her off just the same.
"...Smasher is many useful things to Arasaka, but family-friendly is not fucking one of them. Do you understand that, you upjumped secretary?"
"But Ma'am-"
"Talk back to me again and I'll make sure everyone in your little feel-good division gets axed."
"...yes ma'am, I'm sorry ma'am."
"Now listen to me you worm, currently our hatchetman is under a pile of rubble, probably because your stupid fucking decision to have him replace one of his key weapons with a camera of all things."
"That and trying to make him shout bullshit while in a fight? Do you think life is some child's vid from a hundred years ago?"
Her mother stepped forwards and loomed over the weakling, glaring down at her with her shining red-chrome eyes. "If you do anything to compromise either the strength or intimidation of our butcher again, I'll mark your entire division down as company saboteurs. I think you know
what'll happen next, right?
"...yes ma'am, I'm sorry ma'am."
"Don't let this happen again, Tanaka. Or I'll make su-"
She was cut off as the elevator opened. Her mother growled and turned, about to yell at whatever fool interrupted her domination of the small woman with the bob-cut.
"Oh, who the fuck is-"
Valerie was pretty mad too, she was so clos-
Adam Smasher was in the doorway. He was glaring at seemingly everything in the room just as he usually does. He was missing his left arm, and his armor plating was dented and scratched all over. He was one of the scariest things she had ever seen.
He stomped forwards, lightly as one who was six-hundred pounds of metal and violence could. He walked right up to Valerie's mother, who was suddenly very quiet.
"Anything to say, meat?"
Her mother hesitantly spoke in response. "Smasher, I was talking to PR Manager Tanaka here. They got you out of the rubble that fast?"
Adam looked at her mother, then over to the timid Ms. Tanaka. He looked back to her mother and growled out.
"The crew does good work. Go talk with Kushinada, like I told you to."
Her mother swallowed and stiffly nodded, before walking over to the elevator and entering. Leaving Valerie alone in the room with the PR division and Adam Smasher. He walked over to the desk next to Ms. Tanaka and tore the camera mounted on his left shoulder off with a scream of twisting metal, before setting it on the desk.
"Your footage."
Ms. Tanaka nodded and bowed to him. She stayed in that position as he started walking away. As he reached Valerie, he stopped for a moment and glared down. She couldn't move, she couldn't breathe, all she could do was stare into his glaring red eyes.
The moment passed, Adam kept walking to the elevator before stepping inside and out of sight. Valerie let out a shaky breath and Ms. Tanaka did the same. Ms. Tanaka looked up and nodded at her. It's understandable, Valerie didn't say anything while her mother was here, and kept a completely blank face the entire time. Tanaka probably thought Valerie didn't approve of her mother's actions, considering she didn't leave with her when Adam dismissed her.
Tanaka was wrong, of course. Valerie liked her mother's dominating words, but loved Adam's dominating presence. Valerie started walking away before pausing and noticing discomfort in her legs. Ah, she needed a change of panties.
It was worth it. This memory would keep her going for weeks.
—
Vee liked her job.
She got to sleep wherever she wanted to, talk to all sorts of people, and make friends with all sorts!
It was the best life a girl like her could ask for.
She wasn't always a girl, sometimes she was a boy, sometimes she was both. Some of her friends liked boys, so sometimes she was a boy. Some of her friends liked girls, so sometimes she was a girl. Some of her friends liked both, so sometimes she was both. She was never a top though, Vee hated that kinda stuff. Vee was meant to be small and cute and breedable at all times!
She was a girl now though, because that hunk from a couple days ago called her a girl. He must like girls, so she got her Midnight Lady re-installed by the doc and her Mr. Stud taken out.
This stuff was, like, kinda expensive on a poor girl's wallet. So Doc had a smart idea to make lots of eddies, and Vee loved it. She would walk around the bad parts, wait for some guys to pop out and try to dom her without paying.
She was, like, a natural sub, so she liked it a whole bunch, but a girl needed chrome too! So whenever they didn't pay, she cut them up and brought all the chrome back to the Doc. Doc would pay her for them, and that made all kinds of eddies. She could afford all sorts of chrome! She could stay cute forever!
Doc called her crazy, but she still installed what Vee asked her to! She was being totes a drama queen.
Where was she? Oh yeah, the hunk, like, totally interrupted her when she was going to make all kinds of eddies! But he was so dreamy, so she forgave him. He even gave her his contact when he saw how chromed up she was, so he must like her too! His big, hard, chrome all over his body was just the best when she rubbed it!
She asked Doc if this was what true love felt like, and Doc called her crazy again. He had a pretty cute guy following him too, and she flirted with him a bit. But his kid had an input! They were mainlines! It was so cute!
Vee contained a squeal, it was totes romantic! She shipped it! Her new OTP! She didn't know what his input was like yet, but Vee was certain she was as cute as he was!
"Hey boys, look! Fresh meat!" A totally nasty voice came from her right. Vee looked over and saw a bunch of grimey looking guys. They weren't anywhere near as dreamy as Mr. Hunk was, but they had a bunch of chrome on them.
Vee put her finger to her lips and wondered how many eddies she was going to make from these dudes, and if they were going to pay or not. She was hoping not, that way she could cut them up and bring them back to Doc. Her knives rustled a bit under her synthskin in anticipation.
Vee liked her job.
—
In a room shrouded in shadows, a small number of very influential people discussed terms. They did not have names in this room, only positions. The head of Arms, the head of Markets, the head of Propaganda, and so on. This was a deliberate decision, for while they were within this room they did not represent themselves, they represented parts of the company.
They were the organs of Arasaka, the components that ensured it thrived in a world full of near-equals that would seek to bring it down.
"...Next on our list of topics, our Oni has claimed another as its successor."
"It's unexpected, but not unfortunate. Another Oni would only be useful for our aims."
"We must ask what prompted this decision. The Oni rarely tolerates the presence of others, and has never sought them out."
"Official record dictates the Oni is feeling his age."
"We have never trusted the official records, not even our own."
"The motivations are irrelevant here. Our Oni is raising another, the temporary setback of being unavailable for missions for a time is more than worth the long term gains."
"Many plans become feasible with a second Oni. Many more will become feasible with a tribe of Oni."
"Agreed, Find subjects similar to the first, and introduce them. We will see if our Oni takes a liking to them."
"If he doesn't?"
"The Lion kills the weak cubs."
"Agreed."
"Agreed."
"Agreed."
"Agreed."
"Our gambit for marketing the Oni. How does it perform thus far."
"Projects are in the works, profits are projected to rise 0.012 percent over the next three seasons, and potentially more beyond that."
"An overwhelming success, continue and expand upon them. Take heed that nothing diminishes our Oni's fearsome mask, however."
"Agreed."
"Agreed."
"Agreed."
"Agreed."
"What of the war dog sent to our Oni, it came close to devouring him in his torpor."
"A dog cannot devour an Oni."
"The Red Sun shines over the Dragon."
"The Dragon strangles the Giant."
"The Giant is sleeping."
"We are within its shadows."
—
Vincent hated his job.
On the roads leading into NC from the south was a gathering of vehicles. The vehicles were in a rough circle, a bristling porcupine of guns pointed in every direction by guards on the lookout for any fucker that might try something.
Vincent wasn't doing that though, he was just a passenger this time around. He was on the road to NC to see his input and do his routine delivery of eddies. It had been more than two years since he had seen her, and he was hoping that she was doing well.
His friend Falco on the other side of the fold-out table dashed those notions.
"...She's dead, huh?"
"Has been for about a year, from what I heard."
Vincent slumped forwards on the table and put his head in his hands. He wanted to cry, but the tears had been dry for a few decades now. This was just another person to be added to the tally of those he failed to keep alive. This wasn't enough to make him tear up anymore.
He was just tired. Tired in ways that sleep couldn't fix. Falco spoke up, continuing his explanation.
"Her son was alive though, and did pretty well for himself."
"Oh yeah? What's he doing now?"
"Well he was an edgerunner, back when I worked with him for a bit."
"And now?"
"Nothing much, just the apprentice of a local merc."
"Any merc I've ever heard of?"
"Maybe, is the name Adam Smasher familiar to you?"
Vincent shot up and looked Falco dead in the eyes. Falco didn't have a smile on his face, he was dead serious. A long moment before Vincent slumped back in his fold out chair and took a long drag of the cigarette in his lips. Breathing it out and feeling the cancer in his lungs grow a little bit more.
That was an exaggeration, he got them replaced with cloned lungs every time he burnt them out. Not cybernetics though, he had seen what folks who got those turn into. They turn into Adam Smasher. The guy who was now apparently mentoring David Martinez.
Just fuck his shit up, huh?
Falco spoke up another time.
"Are you going to tell him this time?"
Vincent wasn't sure, he took another drag of the cancer-stick and kept looking to the ceiling. Falco started glaring and continued.
"The strongest guy without chrome I've ever seen and you're still a goddamn coward, Vincent Martinez."
He couldn't agree more.