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[Parsely]

You might want to see about getting those cycles that chased me back a ways, their riders won't be caring about anything anymore. No fuel in them, though, I used it for the car.

+1

[Silcugar]

You might want to see about getting those cycles that chased me back a ways, their riders won't be caring about anything anymore. No fuel in them, though, I used it for the car.

"We'll send someone to 'em." the amiable guard says, leading you to the small car. The of the vehicle inside was nice and clean, but smelled of burning fuel.

"We missed you at Rey's. Helen always said you'd get one between the eyes for your snoopin'. We'll get you up to speed in no time," he says as he drives the vehicle into the city. The buildings were a mess. Patchwork, assembled of the rubble of other buildings, reinforced with metal plates. You could see several children at play in the roads. When the guard honked the horn, the children ran up to the side of the vehicle and followed along. They wore oversized or cut up convict uniforms, and carried metal rods and chunks of chitin.

"Rrrrrr, vroom! You better surrender, Ima raider!" one of the children called out.

"Oh no! Incoming!" another yelled, as he chucked the chitin piece he was holding to the 'raider's' head.

"Hey! Settle down you brats. We don't need anyone else clogging up Doc Alabama's office." the guard says, using the term 'brat' endearingly. "Surfacer orphans. We take care of 'em the best we can, but-- Hey!" he honks the horn again when one of the children hits the car with their steel pipe. "Goddamn... Some of them got no respect," he mutters, pulling into the guard station.

"Blackjack! I'm taking Guy to his second home! Cover for me, will ya?" he yells up the stairs after exiting the vehicle.

"Fuck off!" the man from the radio calls back. Your friend just shrugs and heads out the door.

"Oh, man. We have a lot to reteach you, huh? Just go ahead and ask me something, so I know where to start," he says, leading you down a wide street. The buildings surrounding you were all as makeshift as the ones at the entrance, the biggest one three stories tall. People mill about, most wearing convicts uniforms with varying degrees of wear. Some wore what looked like homemade clothing... but where do they get the cloth? In any case, you seem to faintly recall this place.

[Fr0stByt3]

"Where exactly is... here? What is this place?"

[Parsely]

Who am I?….How do I know you?….Why are the surfacers nuts?

[Silcugar]

"Where exactly is... here? What is this place?"

"This place? This here's Junction 3. There're several junctions 'cross the Project, most held by sane men. But ours is on the edge of Redemption territory. Junctions are a place that mercs and convicts and surfacers can live and work in peace. Well, relative peace. J-1 has them scientists. J-7 has the guilds, and we got the garage!"

Who am I?….How do I know you?….Why are the surfacers nuts?

"You're Guy! dunno your real name, though. Don't tell anybody that, by the way. Keep your real name to yourself. You know me from Rey's Place. You and your buddies are usually there talking about your next big mission or whatever. You're in a little merc troupe, with Ice and Bud and Pat. After you died, they tried to go it on their own. Didn't get far, so they got some stiff from the Omen to replace you. Don't be offended or nothing, they just did that as a temp fix."

"And the surfacers? If anything, they're saner than us convicts. You see, there's convicts and there's surfacers. Convicts are us guys who came on a ship so many years ago. We're immortal, I guess. Least, until we run our sentences through. The surfacers are the sons and daughters of the convicts and civilians that once provided for us. Their descendants. You get me?"

[Parsely]

That makes sense. I'd like to catch up with the guys as soon as I can, so we can head back and give those bandit assholes a kick in the ass. Did I leave anything behind? Anything I can use?

[PyroDesu]

How often does the... WCAI scramble people's brains? Actually, how does the whole "immortal" thing even work?

[Silcugar]

That makes sense. I'd like to catch up with the guys as soon as I can, so we can head back and give those bandit assholes a kick in the ass. Did I leave anything behind? Anything I can use?

"They'll probably be there. I wouldn't recommend goin' after some raiders, though. They'll just come back inna couple months, crazier than before."

"And, uh... you got your place near the east gate. But it was broken into a few weeks back. Some git stole your stuff... or at least, what remained of it. I gotta new lock for ya, though. Once we meet up with Ice, I'll go grab the key."

How often does the... WCAI scramble people's brains? Actually, how does the whole "immortal" thing even work?

"The Warden? She doesn't really do it on purpose, she's just glitched. Your dossier, the data that tells the machines what to put where when they remake you, gets corrupted each time you're reborn. Sometimes that means you'll have no teeth, or a bad eye, or, if you're really unlucky, no memory. Better than losing your sanity, though."

"Anyways, that's the gist of it. You die, the WCAI puts you back together in one of the pods, uploads your brain fulla memories and such, and you crawl outta the facility, pale and hairless." He points to a building a few blocks away. "There's Rey's! Boy, will they be glad to see you." He half jogs the rest of the way to the door of the fabled 'Rey's Place'. You follow him in to find an meager looking tavern. At least, it smells like a tavern. There are a few people at the bar, and fewer sitting at the tables. "Pretty lively, huh?" he japes, walking over to the corner table where one man sits.

"Hey Bud, guess who I found!" the guard says, slapping the man on the shoulder. The large man in the seat turns to see what your friend is talking about. He has a full beard, with black hair and brown eyes. He wears black leather armour, with a makeshift warhammer slung across his back.

"Whosis?" the man says, looking you up and down.

"Give him a second..."

The large man squints at you for a second before the spark of realization lights his eyes. "Guy? Is that you?" The man gets up, and at once you appreciate his full stature. In one quick motion he embraces you and lifts you of the ground, squeezing the air from your lungs. "Guy! I thought the bitch might've taken you for good!" He lets you down, allowing you to breath once more. "You're so scrawny and... pale. And you lost your goatee. Ah, well, the doc will have something for that!"

[Parsely]

Grin. Its good to see you too Bud. I showed up in one piece, though everything's a bit fuzzy, but I'll get back into the swing of things in no time. I wasted a few raiders pretty good on the way up here, so I guess I've still got it.

Catch up a bit. Does anyone know how I ate it? Kinda curious now.

[Silcugar]

Grin. Its good to see you too Bud. I showed up in one piece, though everything's a bit fuzzy, but I'll get back into the swing of things in no time. I wasted a few raiders pretty good on the way up here, so I guess I've still got it.

Catch up a bit. Does anyone know how I ate it? Kinda curious now.

"He's lost his memory," the guard adds.

Bud seems a little taken aback. "That... bitch! None of it?" he asks. He sighs when you shake your head. "I guess we're gonna haveta rebuild... Pat found your body in your shack, a bullet in your head. Someone musta had it out for you, I guess." He sits back down. "Here, you're gonna wanna sit down for this."

"I gotta go. Can't be off duty too long. I'll get your key after my rounds, Guy," he says before departing. You take a seat across from Bud.

"I got some bad news. Our buddies, Ice and Patriot are in a bind. Banner too, but you don't know him. We were doin' a job. Clearing out some raiders east of Jolly... Damn cysts pinned us down. That's, uh, cyborgs, augmented types. They got Banner in the leg and Pat wouldn't leave him. Ice was already captured, I think. A lot of shit happened..." Guilt was thick in his voice. "I know I shoulda stayed, but I thought... If I could get another group of mercs together we'd be able to get them back. But no one wants to fight against the Ace of Clubs. That's what he calls himself, the cyst boss. Clubs is one mean sonova bitch. But he wanted us alive, I know it. He still has them... I dunno what for, but he needs them for something."

"We gotta get them, you and me. We can fight back," he says.

[Parsely]

Those bastards.. No time to waste, lets get to it then! What kind of firepower do we have? I've got a raider car by the gate that I liberated.

[Silcugar]

Those bastards.. No time to waste, lets get to it then! What kind of firepower do we have? I've got a raider car by the gate that I liberated.

"I got Maggy here on my back, and Getty right here," he says, pulling out a sawn off shotgun from its holster. "But these cysts mean business, Guy. He must have thirty guys at his base. Not to mention the gangs he controls. You think we can pull it off?"

[PyroDesu]

Is there anyone besides us two that'll come along? And anything heavier than a shotgun, a warhammer, a pistol, and an SMG? If we're going up against thirty plus, with thirty at least being augs, something tells me we might need more, and meaner.

And who are these cysts anyways? Raiders, I can understand, but what's the deal with cyborgs?

[Silcugar]

Is there anyone besides us two that'll come along? And anything heavier than a shotgun, a warhammer, a pistol, and an SMG? If we're going up against thirty plus, with thirty at least being augs, something tells me we might need more, and meaner.

And who are these cysts anyways? Raiders, I can understand, but what's the deal with cyborgs?

"The cysts are just what we call augmented guys. Their surgeries aren't always complete, and they get a buncha scars and cysts from where their body rejects the augments. That's why we call 'em cysts. Anyways, cysts have a lack of morals. Some say the parts of the brain they get tampered with makes them less human. That's what patriot would say, anyway. But augments aren't anything to fuck around with. If someone has the ada to pay for and fuel their implants, you know they aren't fucking around.

"These guys in particular, the Ace's cysts, they're ganger lords and bandit kings. The Ace really plays the card game angle up. He's got a king, a queen, a jack... All nearly as augmented as he is, and he's a titan of a cyborg. I dunno what he wants. Seems he'd like to rule the whole of the project. Him and the other Aces...

"And, more firepower? Depends. Did you find a tonne of adachrite on your way back here?" he asks. "Sure, the Clubs has enemies. Tons of enemies. But they're all either afraid or unwilling to fight for free. I tried my luck at J-7, at the guilds. Most agreed that Clubs had to die, but none wanted to send their men off to die without being payed first. I have a stash of ada, but not near enough to buy an army. Not even the Omen would send anyone to get their paladin back. Well, Banner's ex'ed, but still..." he trails off.

"But you, you've always been the one to talk us into crazy stunts. I bet you could get a ton a' guys to fight back. Like, rival gangs, or maybe some contacts... but you wouldn't remember them, would you?"

[PyroDesu]

How much adachrite are we talking about? The vehicle I used to get here had a decent amount, enough for getting here and change, and I got a bit more out of a pair of raider bikes that chased after me. No idea how much change from the car, though. I don't hardly remember what adachrite even is, but surely it's much more valuable than these tokens that I got after I was ejected from the pod.

Also, what's the stuff in these syringes? It might be worth something too.