Chapter 48: Leeching Life Pt 1
Rebecka looks over her equipment to be in her combat suit and her long green hair tied in a high ponytail. "Okay guys, we are going for the first keycard in a small lab deep within the sewers but there is a problem. There are dangerous creatures like Creepers and Leech Worms down there," Rebecka said.
"Oh boy, more monsters," Rebecca said grabbing her weapons and being in her combat gear.
"So, we need to go down and go through the sewer systems of Haze," Rebecka said as she grabbed her Silver Talon magnum pistol, her DB-2 Testera shotgun, and her Senkoh LX Tech SMG. She loads 2 8-gauge buckshots into her saw-off double barrel to slip it on her back. "Sadly, me and Rebecca will go. It's tight down there, you two will hold the fort here," Rebecka said.
"Well good luck Spitfire," Cortez said as Rebecca kissed his lips for luck.
"Thanks, babe, I will be back before you know it. It's perfect for some sister time," Rebecca said as she cocks her custom Carnage.
"Right, come on. I will lead the way," Rebecka said.
"I think I need to scout out that Militech holdout in that Megabuilding, You coming Stella?' Cortez asked.
"Yeah, why not. Militech here is an unknown element. We need to know their defenses," Stella said as the two groups have different goals. Rebecca and Rebecka are going to get the first keycard while Stella and Cortez scout the remaining Militech forces.
Rebecka and Rebecca go down the elevator first to head off to the sewer. "We can go to the power station underground which will lead to the sewers," Rebecka said to hold onto her magnum pistol.
"Point of Entrance?' Klunk asked.
"Yes, it is. Be careful, Runners could be here," Rebecka said approaching the power station to see several Runners nearby.
"We should wipe them out and swiftly go inside," Rebecka fires her Submachine gun to put three round bursts into the heads of the Runners to put them down. Several of them rush towards them as they fire their weapons to see they are not stopping despite having holes in their bodies.
Rebecca uses a Pyro mini grenade from her Blond Bonds to set the infected on fire and see them drop onto the ground. They enter the power station to see a door nearby. "This will lead us to the sewer system. It will be a ways downward," Rebecka said.
"I can use the exercise," Rebecca said as they kept going to see Runners are down here too to hear their moaning. "Great here too," she aims her pistol to pop them in the head several times but they keep going at them. She thrust her fist to send the Runner flying through the crowd of Runners to crash into a wall bursting into a red strain.
Rebecka fires her double barrel using two shots at the same time to turn the monsters into piles of gore. "Love this thing," she said to slip in more shells into the barrels.
"I hear buzzing," Rebecca said as she saw a Runner getting pouched by a Creeper to rip off its head to begin eating the fresh corpse.
"Eat this bug," she fires her shotgun to strike the beast to knock it away. It gets back up to scream at them to rush at them to dodge incoming shots to spit acid at them.
"Shit," Rebecca grabs her twin sister to pull her down to follow up with a slug that cut into the exoskeleton of the monstrous bug. She fires another one to slice through its skull killing it instantly. "Hate these things," Rebecca said.
"Meet them before?" she asked.
"Yeah, in the Seaside Ravine and San Francisco in the sewer systems there," Rebecca said.
"Interesting, you should tell me more stories. I only know your memories when you almost by Atom Smasher. By the way, a very rookie mistake but not moving out of the way," Rebecka teases her as Rebecca flushes with embarrassment.
"Like I am supposed to know that was Arom Smasher," Rebecca protested.
"And your answer is to stand in the open like a fool and get split in half," Rebecka said playfully.
"Well, it wasn't my best moment," Rebecca said as Rebecka giggled at this.
"I am fucking with you Choomba. Besides I wouldn't be here if that did not happen," Rebecka said.
"Yeah, something good came out of it," Rebecca said as they were wary of Runners, Leapers, and Creepers.
Rebecka knocks Rebecca away for Stealth Creeper and gets out of camouflage trying to pounce. Becka uses her burning blades to slice up the bug to leave it a burning corpse.
"Thanks," she said.
"No problem," Becka said as they found a few Leapers clinging to the walls to begin shooting at them. They begin to jump and bounce around to avoid their gunfire. The Leaper slices Becka to deflect its strike and kicks it away to pull out her tech SMG to blast it in the head with a three-round burst.
Becka slices off the lunging long tongues while Rebecca catches a tongue to pull in a Leaper to grab its head to kick it into a wall to get its head crushed on impact. Becka fires her Senkoh LX to fire full auto to tear into the rest of the Leapers.
"Night City is looking nicer by the day. I never had to fight creatures like this there," Rebecca said.
"You can't be serious. Pain and sadness are what remains there," Rebecka said.
"Miss Rebecca can be quite emotional, sometimes not to her benefit," Klunk said.
"Fuck off tin head," Rebecca protested.
"I just speak the truth," Klunk said.
"What is your story, Klunk?" Rebecka asked.
"Well Miss Rebecka, I was part of an AI project from Militech. Cortez saved me when he went AWOL from Militech. I was made from a bigger AI called Eclipse who was from beyond the Blackwall," Klunk said as Rebecka felt unnerved by the mention of the Blackwall.
"That doesn't sound good," Becka said.
"It doesn't. I don't have a clue where my other twin is. I rather not know anyway," Klunk said.
"Well, good to know you are a friendly one. Those Ais beyond Blackwall such be left there," Rebecka said.
"Are you an AI clone of my brain within a meat suit," Rebecca said as Rebecka looked on with a silly expression on her face.
"Why yes, I am. Better yet, you have two friendly Ais. Lucky you, big sister," Rebecka said.
"Very funny," Rebecca said as Klunk and Rebecka giggled at this.
"I like her," Klunk said.
"Well then you better go on her back," she said.
"Well, I have merged with this body. So, I am as human as you are now, not an AI construct anymore," Rebecka said feeling her own two hearts beating in her chest knowing she's human now.
They go into a waterway to see muddy water all over. "Gee, I don't want to swim in shit," Rebecca said as there is a boat nearby.
"We can use this to ride across the waterways and head for the lab," Rebecka said as they got onto the small boat to head off through the watery tunnel.
"We are very vulnerable here," Rebecca said.
"We don't have a choice. Stay on alert," Rebecka is using the engine on the back to guide it through the tight tunnels. Rebecca pulls out her Blood Bonds to be ready for anything down here.
"Where did you get that gun?" she asked.
"I got it from the Seaview Ravine. A dying borg girl gave it to me," Rebecca said.
"Damn, that got heavy quickly," Rebecka said.
"She was trying to protect her brother who was the leader of a pirate group," she said.
"The Red Tide, I know who you are talking about. That whole area collapsed after you left. Their boss was not happy but he cut his losses," Rebecka said.
"So bad, turning a girl into a weapon like that," Rebecca said.
"Reminds me of being a tool to RGI. Gave me all this training and gear. Turning it back on them," Becka said.
"So, what is the Antarctician Collective like?" Rebecca asked.
"Oh well, it is a nation built by a former icy world due to human activity. It's both beautiful and disgusting. It's a region of extremes with the nation with its ozone layer beyond wrecked. RGI is important to keeping the people safe there," Rebecka said.
"They are the premium source of Bioware besides Biotechnia. That nation is the most genetically modified people in the world allowing them to survive in that broken environment," Klunk said as Rebecca finds this insane.
"That is crazy," Rebecca said as Becka showed her an image within her eyes of purple-skinned people.
"The most significant trait shared by Antarcticians is their purple skin tone due to genetic engineering to lessen the effects of UV radiation on them from the ragged ozone layer and are also engineered to process energy more efficiently. It's a society built on genetic sciences with the RGI being the head of this," Rebecka said as Rebecca was stunned by this.
"Wow, the atmosphere is fucked up that badly," Rebecca said.
"Yeah, human greed makes people do stupid things and don't follow the science," Klunk said.
"Indeed, AC has become very rich in material once trapped within the ice. There are trillions of eddies worth of raw material under that ice. Now, the AC government along with the RGI exploits them to become very powerful on the world stage. Soon they will become a superpower among other superpowers," Rebecka said.
"This is concerning," Klunk said.
"Yes, too many kings and queens on the table. Well, space is always an option to escape that," Rebecka said as Rebecca had a lot to think about.
"Gee, the world is big. I have been in Night City all my life," Rebecca said to be overwhelmed by all this information.
"Yes, there is more to life than Night City. Now you can see all the beauty and ugliness of our broken world," Rebecka said as they went deeper into the sewers.
Elsewhere Cortez and Stella were scouting around the area of the Megabuilding where Militech is held up. "Seems all too quiet, I don't like it," Stella said on the radio.
"Yeah, me too, seems like they are building up defenses," Cortez said as he felt something wasn't right here. "What the hell?" he wondered as he turned around feeling like he was being watched.
"Cortez, what's up?" Stella asked as someone came into the room to aim her Keshin tech pistol at Cortez's helmeted head.
"Don't make any sudden moves, Cortez," a woman's voice said as Cortez had not heard her voice for over 6 years. "You don't want me to use this, do you?" she asked in a playful tone. Cortez raises his hands to grab his pistol on the floor.
"Well, that is an interesting greeting. Jessica," Cortez said as he made slight movements to back up to get closer.
"Hmm, you don't seem surprised. Very interesting," Jessica said as Cortez grabbed her hand to redirect the pistol away from her. Jessica kicks him with Cortez blocking the strike. She draws her pistol but Cortez puts his combat knife to her neck.
"Try using a knife next time, better for close encounters," Cortez said.
"Damn, still smooth as always," Jessica said.
"What are you doing here?' Cortez said, still holding the knife to her neck.
"Oh Cortez, I don't kiss and tell," Jessica said as Cortez backed to put the knife away to disarm her to take the magazine out to toss it away. "Long time no see," Jessica said pulling off her sunglasses and revealing her pretty blue cyber eyes.
Jessica is a 28-year-old woman with long brown hair, blue eyes, light skin tone, and standing 5'2 tall. She is wearing a purple body-hugging sweater dress showing off her slender frame, white tights, purple knee-high boots, and slender black gloves.
"Kind of curious why you are here?" Cortez asked as he returned to being calmer around her.
"I am on a mission from Wellington himself," Jessica said dropping the sunglasses which had a counter on them.
"What mission?" Cortez asked.
"What is it to you?" Jessica said.
"Why are you here and why in a place like this,"
"That is classified, big guy. I heard you got a new girlfriend, she seems nice," Jessica said in a playful tone.
"She is,"
"I hope you don't have to babysit too much,"
"Looks who's talking," Cortez said as all his girlfriends Grace, Jessica, and Rebecca are short petite women who are his type.
"Point taken," Jessica shows a smile as her sunglasses emit a flash of light to blind him. Then all of a sudden the megabuilding implodes due to C5 explosives destroying the support pillars making it collapse and killing everyone inside. Jessica rolls over to her Kenshin pistol to grab to make her escape. "See you later big guy," Jessica winks at her to jump off the window to use a grapple hook from her arm to disappear out of there.
"The fuck just happens," Stella said as Cortez grabs his Unity pistol off the floor.
"I just saw my ex-girlfriend here and she blew up the building," Cortez said.
"Damn seriously, your girlfriends just keep popping up huh," Stella said.
"No kidding. Well, the Militech is dead here, better get back and contact the others," Cortez said as he was suspicious of why Jessica had come here. "I can't believe I would see her again here," Cortez said. They once had a tight bond but it was broken long ago.
Back with Rebecca and Rebecka who are still in the boat are in a large water area with several pipes going in different directions. "Great, we are lost?' Rebecca said.
"We will go that way," Becka said as they were contacted by Cortez.
"Well, the building holding the Militech soldiers was wiped out via C5 blast charges," Cortez said via radio.
"Seriously, who did that?" Rebecca asked, surprised by this.
"My ex-girlfriend Jessica who works for the Wellington Institute," Cortez said as Rebecca sighed at this.
"Another ex-girlfriend huh, do we need to fight her too?" she asked.
"Nope, but we don't know what she wants. Better to do our thing until something happens," Cortez said.
"Okay, keep safe babe," she said to make a kissing noise.
"You too Spitfire," Cortez said as Becka had a teasing look on her face.
"So adorable," she said to play with her as Rebecca was blushing from this.
"Stop it," she said.
"So cute, come on. We are almost there," Rebecka said as something is moving in the dark waters.
"What is that?" Rebecca pulls out her rifle to aim at the shadow to see a large being emerge out of the water.
"Leech Worm," Rebecka said as the large slender worm-like creature leaped out a deep hiss to lob blobs of acid to hit the boat.
"Fuck, it's melting the boat," the two ladies leap out to be on the platform to see the twisted fleshy beast looming over them.
"Damn, it's bigger than a house," Rebecca said as the beast lobs acid orbs with them dodging the attack. The beast lunges forward to slam into Rebecca to knock her into a wall.
"Stupid worm," she slices the side of the body with her burning blades to see blood pouring from its wounds to shriek in pain. She fires Silver Taion to see the 10mm Mag rounds rip into the soft skin. "Are you okay?" she asked.
"I am good, time to put this thing down," Rebecca uses her Blood Bonds to pepper with 4.5mm rounds to cut into its body. The Adult Leech Worm slips into the water to avoid getting hit with gunfire while its tail slams onto the platform.
Rebecca leaps higher to avoid the strike to get on top of a ledge. She lobs all four mini grenades to explode in the water without hitting the Leech Worm. Then the Leech Worm leaps out with its pincer-like fangs trying to grab Rebecca.
"Not so fast," she leaps over the beast to slam her fists onto its head to give it a powerful blow which knocks it down by Rebecka.
"Burn up in hell," Rebecka drives her Manits Blades into its head to tear open a hole. She tosses a grenade inside to back away to see the head of the monster worm explode.
"Goodness, that was insane," Rebecca said.
'Well, big sis. There is more where that came from," Rebecka said to go through the tunnels.
"Great," Rebecca sighed as Klunk detected more Large Leech Worms in the water nearby.
"Without the boat, you are going to take the hard way to the lab," Klunk said.
"Yep, we have to walk to the lab. It's going to be rough," Rebecka said as they went into the damp tunnels to see there were thick amounts of pink organic material all over the walls.
"What is this?" Rebecca asked thinking this was gross.
"Fleshy goo is made by the Leech Worms to make their environment more like home. They block passageways when there is enough of it, makes it impossible to get," Rebecka said as Rebeca touched it for it reacted to shake a bit.
"Damn, nasty shit," she said with all of it being very slimy.
"This can be problematic due to the hardened goo to block power generators and stopping water flow. Very bad to deal with," Rebecka uses her burning arm blades to slice through the fleshy goo to burn it all away. "A little flame fixes everything," she said to open a path to go deeper within the sewer to head for the labs.