Withmore City Blues, Ep2: Jakes

So, I's doin runs fer Larri, cuz it pays hella lots bett dan SHI, an i's in de Fallout, when dis mass chummer walks in, wearin full jake getup. i c'n see he ain' no jake, tho, cuz he's all dirt'd up, mismatch'd, an wearin dis big freakin cutter on 'is back. I's pretty new in dome, an' di'n no betta, so i starts chattin dis chummer up.

"How you breathe in dat t'ing?" i sez, reff'in ta 'is helmet.

"It has an internal cooling system. fully environmental."

so we starts jabbin, an clickin on work, an' i ask 'im iffin he req's some muscle. "I got a whole gang, chummer. i dont need no muscle."

wow. a ganger, an a top ganger at dat. "Wa's yer name, chummer?"

"Jes call me King," he sez.

dat clicks. top ganger, what else ya gonna call 'im.

He sez he do need som'm. wamme ta clean off de Arts tags on Fuller an' upstreetshe gimme a solver, a tagger, an' after a li'l direct, lemme go.

So's i's cleanin an' taggin, an dis Agent comes outta de Drome, see's me havin a go at de tags an sez, "Snakes don' much like it if you're taggin on their turf."

"nah," i sez, "i ain' taggin. i's cleanin up. i gotsta live here, ya kno."

well, dat click'd som'm wit dis Agent, an he buys me a beer, an we starts chummin an' chattin. he tell me i might make a good Agent. well, i's clickin dat would be pos, gits me offa runnin some frikkin crate, an gimme som'm tops ta do. he tell me ta write up a res, an use 'im as a ref: Agent Kiyoshima

so i'm ofta find a e-note. after a cuppla runs, i trip over dis e-note an' printer, an write up my res, aber i canna fin' dis Agent chummer anyspek, an he no answerin 'is prog.

time goes on...

i'm still runnin crates. still scrapin by. aber i gots me a clone, my knucks, an' a bitta savins. upped my skins, neXus. nice.

comin back from a run, goin inta de rose, an up de stairs. right behin' me is dis Jake. least i's spekkin issa jake. wearin jake skins, an dat big frikkin enforcer strapp'd to 'is back.

i dij de code, pop de hatch, an climb inna my cube. Jake climb in behind.

Frikk. Der's a frikkin Jake stannin in my cube.

"C'n i help ya, Judge?"

i don' mem'm'r what he sed. i's jes a bit ... freak'd? yea. freak'd.

Base he wamme ta be a good cit, sez he wanna check onna mixers, make sure we stayin innour place.

i sez i don wanna be a mixer, i's lookin at bein a Agent, even gots me a ref.

he wanna see my res.

well, i bouts panic, cuz i gots files he shuddna see. i pull out my e-note, quick-like hit de delete onna files of prog digits of some chummers i clickin wit.., an pass i'm de note.

after readin fer a bit, he says som'm about it bein awful, an' he hopes Marie don' ever see drekk like dat. i don' much care for de crit, i knows i ain' smart as some. da's why de holy's blessed me wit muscles. no brain, needs ta comp.

so he spens about 10 ticks or so, an hans me back da note, an i pays 'im a G-chy fer his trubbs, an he walks outta my cube.

yeah. pos def bad, turns pos def good.

time goes on...

so i's standin in de hall, outta my cube, jes hangin, an dis big freakin chummer crawl inna window. he drops some howdy-do as he pads down de hall, an i flip, "jes pickin an' grinnin" back attim.

he stops."What in de blue frikk issat s'posta mean?"

so i tells 'im i's jes gettin by.

"You needs some work?"

"yeah, anyt'ing fer a snake," i sez, spottin da big cobra patch onnis vest. so he take me ta dis shop, buys some paper, an scratches some ad. tells me he canna go ta place ads, cuzza who he is, an wamme ta load em inna sic fer'im. i shrug. sounds like no prob. quick run. he gimme 'nuff chy ta drop de ads, gimme some fer my trubbs, an sez callim when dey's done. he gimme 'is dij's.

so off ta da mag-lev, Soma exit, inna jake central, an dis jake is gettin on da lift. i follows 'im in.

i figger he already punch'd 'is floor, an' i dunno dis place so well, bein a mixer an' all, so i hits '2'.

de lift starts liftin.

dis Jake starts glarin.

de hatch open, an' i givim a smile an step out.

Jake follows.

i still gots no frikkin idea where i's goin, aber i jes start walkin. an der it is. de access term. i take a quick look, it sez on line two, SIC som'm. da's gonna be it.

Jake come up behind. Close.

"Citizen, next time you get on an elevator with a Judge, you let the Judge go first."

"Ok, Judge, pologize. Wasn't clickin. Nev hap 'gin."

"You have a strange accent, citizen. Where are you from?"
Ok, so here i am again. face ta face wit a Jake. Dis one i jes piss off, an he wan' dat on me.

"Vegas, Judge. Walk'd in 'bouts a month ago." Click faster, chummer, save yer ass... "I's crashin inna mix now, aber not gonna stay der. Gots me a res fer Terra. Even gots me a ref."

"Who's your reference?"

"Agent Kiyo."

De Jake stand a bit taller, seems ta lax a bit, "Judge Kiyo, now, citizen."

"Judge? He gets a promo? no wonner i ain' seein 'im aroun."

"Well," Jake sez, "Any friend of Kiyo's is a friend of mine. You play your cards right, I just may be able to put a good word in for you myself."

"Sure, Judge. Whatcha wamme do?"

"I'll think about it. I kinda need someone in Red to do some things for me now and then."

"Sure, Judge." i givim my prog diji's.

"What's wrong with the sic net?"
Prollem wit de sic is i don' 'ave one. *chuckles* kinna skipped dat part at indoc.
"Oh, frikkin blackout zones," he sez.

"yeah, Judge," i sez, "sic inna mix is drekk."

"Ok, citizen. Be more aware of your superiors, and I'll call you when i need you."

"Sure, Judge, an' tell Kiyo congrats fer me, iffin ya don' mind."

Jake nods and leaves.

I drop de 2 ads fer de Dark Shop an jet.

chummer what gimme da run don' answer 'is prog.

time goes on...

i's jes finishin a cuppla runs from Larri, an i spot dat chummer what gimme de run. I clicks i still gotsta report, he slips off, so i calls 'im onna prog.

-yeah?

-hey, chummer. yer ads are placed.

-what ads? i just crawled outta the vats. fill me in.

-just outta de vats, huh? well, de name's Michah, an' yer donor gimme ads ta place fer da Dark Shop.

-Well, Michah, this is Judge Carlito.

Judge Carlito. he's de same jake what fixed de res fer me.

-*laughs* Ok, Judge. ya gots me.

-Were you callin fer *some chickie name* or Snake, cuz *chickie*'s in lockup, and Snake will be soon. Looks like so will you.

-I dunno, judge. dinna git a name, jes paid ta drop some ads.

-Sure. that's what they all say. Michah, give me one good reason why i shouldnt put you next on my drekk list.

-Look, Judge. I's jes tryin ta pay de rent, ya scan? i don' want no trubbs witchu.

-How about you be a good citizen from now on, and SIC me when you see the Snake, ok?We both know that's impossible, but what else am i gonna say?

-Aight, Judge. I's doin dat iffin i sees 'im.

-*disconnected*
Dag. i needsa beer.
Down to da Drome, an' who's in front, but Kiyo.

"Kiyo!" i exclaim, "Long time, ace. Lemme buya a beer."

He looks thru me, hardly even seein me, "You seen Snake?"

"Nah, not fer a cuppla weeks now. C'mon, lets go in an' have a beer."

"I don't want a beer, Michah. I need to find Snake."

He's hardly wearin nuttin but some jeans, no shoes, no shirt. i 'as clickin Jakes slept in der armor.

"SEVEN!!" he starts screamin, "HERE I AM, YOU BASTARD! COME GET ME, I'LL SHOW YOU HOW TO DIE WITH HONOR!"

"c'mon, Kiyo. take it easy. Le's jes go have dat beer, calm down. talk abouts it."

"No, Michah!" he shoves me back, "I gotta do this."

"Kiyo, ace, you ain' wearin nuttin but skins. no plates. Seven gonna kill ya."

Kiyo look at me wit' dese big dark eyes, circles unner 'em. He grabs me by my jacket an pulls me close, "He killed my wife!" he says hoarsley.

I notice a shadowy figure trying to break into a car.

When i focus back on Kiyo, i sees King. He's wearin jake armor what sez 'Volkyre' onnit. stannin behin' Kiyo, lookin menacing. well, kinna menacing. tuff ta tell wit dat helmet on.

dat chickie from de ambulance walks up.S

he stand nexta King, glarin at Kiyo.

King takes off 'is helmet. How bout dat. Is same chummer what gimme de Dark Shop ad job. I dinna know dat.

King gives Kiyo some pic. I catch a flash. is some jap chickie bleedin or dyin or som'm.

Kiyo cruples it up an tosses it off. he's onnis knees.

King pulls dat big frikkin cutter an in jes a cuppla whacks, him an dat li'l inn'cent chickie do po' Kiyo.

"huh.." i sez, "shudda had dat beer."