Phoenix - the Insilico tales - chapter 24 - "The Shades - part 3"
(originally posted 10/10/2011)
The lower edge of the plasma pistol dominated Phoenix' field of view. "Is this how we do things down here?" She began, gazing at the cyborg intensely, but not attempting to move. "We descend on each other like jackals? Is that why there is no resistance in this city? The corps have you swimming in paranoia. It feeds their agenda. You're doing their bidding as surely as if you were a topside..."
Phoenix was interrupted as the cyborg moved the pistol to one side, and blasted the empty air with white hot plasma, then pointed the now very hot pistol back at her head "Last chance. Who. Are. You?"
"Phee. This isn't a game of information. It's a game of respect." 209's voice rang in her ears.
209's field of view suddenly filled with dashed red lines as thousands of simulations were run, all ending in death. Then they quickly vanished again, save one - marked in yellow. "Phee..." 209 began, her voice tinged with nervous disbelief. "...you can't possibly be serious."
"Numbers don't lie, 209."
Phoenix suddenly launched herself straight up into the air, accelerating to nearly 30 mph straight up in a matter of milliseconds. The cyborg pulled the trigger, and plasma burned a path of molten metal along the bottom edge of her right jaw. It made a mess, but blessedly didn't fuse anything important. She threw a block on the way up toward the ceiling, knocking the pistol free. She rolled, and took the ceiling hit on her back. By the time any of the thugs recovered their senses, the cyborg was on his back, with Phee standing over him with his pistol. Debris knocked loose from the ceiling clattered around them.
She stood over him, gun pointed at his face, teeth gritted, eyes narrowed "My name..." she growled menacingly, her voice transitioning to the vocal tone she used in her original Allure chassis "...is Phoenix."
There were a few gasps from the crowd, mostly simulated from the droids. The cyborg blinked and raised his hand to stop his henchmen from interfering.
"Bullshit." The cyborg muttered flatly.
Phee turned to one of the droids "Zip? You remember the night I found you in an alley next to the bowl? Your hip actuator was down. I helped you to medbay and fixed you up for free, remember that?"
"...Yes..." a small voice answered, belonging to a lanky maintenance bot.
Phee smiled "It's good to see you again, Zip. Was anyone else around?"
"No."
Phee tossed the pistol down a random corridor, and limped jarringly toward another of the droids "And you, E26, do you remember?"
The mechanical noise of nodding could be heard.
"And you, Jaru" She turned to one of the clones. "You fought next to us in the first battle against the droids. You still got that Desert Eagle .50?"
One of the clones grinned, and opened his jacket, revealing a massive handgun. Phee met his eyes and grinned back.
"What happened to your chassis?" Zip interjected.
Phoenix turned back to face him, "I didn't make it out of Tokuma alive. This is an ACS chassis. Purchased from the funds some of you contributed when word reached the streets that Tokuma might not rebuild me after I was blown to pieces. I'm here to try to make right for what I did at Tokuma. I'm here to live a life that Dawn would have been proud of."
The tall android stepped forward, an open, curious expression on his face "Dawn?"
"Me, two lifetimes ago. I'll explain it all later."
The android regarded her for a moment, then spoke "You may have sanctuary here with us. In fact, we could use your help. Assuming of course, Jackson is satisfied?" he peers over at the gruff cyborg, being helped off the floor by a couple of his enforcers.
"She's cool." he reluctantly mutters, giving her a look of begrudging respect before turn his attention back to his own people.
"Then let me properly, Miss Phoenix..." the android began, wrapping Phee's arm around his shoulder for support "welcome you to The Shades."
The lower edge of the plasma pistol dominated Phoenix' field of view. "Is this how we do things down here?" She began, gazing at the cyborg intensely, but not attempting to move. "We descend on each other like jackals? Is that why there is no resistance in this city? The corps have you swimming in paranoia. It feeds their agenda. You're doing their bidding as surely as if you were a topside..."
Phoenix was interrupted as the cyborg moved the pistol to one side, and blasted the empty air with white hot plasma, then pointed the now very hot pistol back at her head "Last chance. Who. Are. You?"
"Phee. This isn't a game of information. It's a game of respect." 209's voice rang in her ears.
209's field of view suddenly filled with dashed red lines as thousands of simulations were run, all ending in death. Then they quickly vanished again, save one - marked in yellow. "Phee..." 209 began, her voice tinged with nervous disbelief. "...you can't possibly be serious."
"Numbers don't lie, 209."
Phoenix suddenly launched herself straight up into the air, accelerating to nearly 30 mph straight up in a matter of milliseconds. The cyborg pulled the trigger, and plasma burned a path of molten metal along the bottom edge of her right jaw. It made a mess, but blessedly didn't fuse anything important. She threw a block on the way up toward the ceiling, knocking the pistol free. She rolled, and took the ceiling hit on her back. By the time any of the thugs recovered their senses, the cyborg was on his back, with Phee standing over him with his pistol. Debris knocked loose from the ceiling clattered around them.
She stood over him, gun pointed at his face, teeth gritted, eyes narrowed "My name..." she growled menacingly, her voice transitioning to the vocal tone she used in her original Allure chassis "...is Phoenix."
There were a few gasps from the crowd, mostly simulated from the droids. The cyborg blinked and raised his hand to stop his henchmen from interfering.
"Bullshit." The cyborg muttered flatly.
Phee turned to one of the droids "Zip? You remember the night I found you in an alley next to the bowl? Your hip actuator was down. I helped you to medbay and fixed you up for free, remember that?"
"...Yes..." a small voice answered, belonging to a lanky maintenance bot.
Phee smiled "It's good to see you again, Zip. Was anyone else around?"
"No."
Phee tossed the pistol down a random corridor, and limped jarringly toward another of the droids "And you, E26, do you remember?"
The mechanical noise of nodding could be heard.
"And you, Jaru" She turned to one of the clones. "You fought next to us in the first battle against the droids. You still got that Desert Eagle .50?"
One of the clones grinned, and opened his jacket, revealing a massive handgun. Phee met his eyes and grinned back.
"What happened to your chassis?" Zip interjected.
Phoenix turned back to face him, "I didn't make it out of Tokuma alive. This is an ACS chassis. Purchased from the funds some of you contributed when word reached the streets that Tokuma might not rebuild me after I was blown to pieces. I'm here to try to make right for what I did at Tokuma. I'm here to live a life that Dawn would have been proud of."
The tall android stepped forward, an open, curious expression on his face "Dawn?"
"Me, two lifetimes ago. I'll explain it all later."
The android regarded her for a moment, then spoke "You may have sanctuary here with us. In fact, we could use your help. Assuming of course, Jackson is satisfied?" he peers over at the gruff cyborg, being helped off the floor by a couple of his enforcers.
"She's cool." he reluctantly mutters, giving her a look of begrudging respect before turn his attention back to his own people.
"Then let me properly, Miss Phoenix..." the android began, wrapping Phee's arm around his shoulder for support "welcome you to The Shades."
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