Private Scattered Like Spider-Roaches

[Reggie]

Tags: Jrurki Liz
Location: Midnight Zone, ETTI IV…

Reggie’s eyes were bloodshot, irritated from blue light exposure and a lack of sleep. He’d been awake nearly every night since the groundquake, scanning hacked street cams, comms channels, CSA broadcasts… anything, everything, to locate his missing Zeros.

The Code was a sprawling network of agents and handlers, and while Reggie was often seen as their de facto leader, he was far from responsible for the entirety of Code Zero. Every district had illusive Corpo handlers who called the shots, ‘Shadow Brokers’ who kept tabs on the Zeros who worked in their district. They see and hear everything from the Abyss Zone to the surface levels. Reggie’s broker was a real piece of work. He was a skeevy Arcona who made moonlighting gigs extremely dangerous to float in District 7.

It was a good thing that all the reports said he was killed in the groundquake, but it was a double-edged sword. That sort of news never stays quiet, and judging by how many of his agents have either ran to ground or went rogue, the broker’s demise had already hit the streets.

Reggie took a reluctant sip of stimcaf, which by now had cooled to a bitter lukewarm. The coffee eased his headache a bit, but his eyes still stung from staring at terminals. “Goddammit,” he grumbled. His scanners should have picked up every Zero in the district, but there wasn’t a single blip.

Reggie sighed, moving his triangulation back to Akira Tower.

“Where’d you go, Das…” he muttered. He knew the mall was her mark, and Das rarely worked alone. One of her biggest vices was bringing ‘fresh meat’ on jobs they had no business doing, all in hopes of vetting new Zeros.

He focused his scanners on Akira Tower, fully expecting to find nothing at all, but a faint signal caught him by surprise. It wasn’t a Code Zero SOS, which was unmistakable due to their advanced encryption and unique IDs, but that didn’t mean it was Das or the others.

“Hmm,” Reg grumbled. He scratched his bearded chin, which had gotten rather wiry from the stress and lack of attention over the last few days. “Worth a shot.” It was all he had, after all. And if that wasn’t enough, the source of the SOS seemed to come from below the tower. None of CZ’s maps of Mondder indicated anything underneath the sub levels, yet the signal he caught was originating from a considerable depth.

“Hang tight, kiddos,” he said, standing with a groan and reaching for his bag. It had most everything he needed, from a slugthrower to a flashlight. “I’m on the way.”

 

[Jrurki Liz]

The more that Rue fought the tears clawing up her throat, the more control over them she lost. In the end, it was frustration that pushed them out of her eyes. There was fear too, absolutely, but that wasn't the only emotion in her body anymore.

She didn't have what it took to be a Zero. Had she or Das been kidding herself for months?

Though Rue's view of her wrist link blurred, she could still see well enough to send off another SOS ping with shaking fingers—a combined effect of adrenaline, emotional distress, and hunger. She might have laughed at the irony of finally craving food at a time like this, had her mind been any clearer.

Blood pumping through her body was all she could hear, but, as she watched an indicator light flash on the comm unit, she tied to will herself to hear its sound too. Closed eyes. Staggered breaths as she tried to extend and smooth out her intakes of air. Her vital sign faded from her hearing into nondescript white noise and finally the ambience of the tunnels.

She had to move.

And find something to eat.

Probably in that order.

She peeked around the corner of the alcove she had hidden in. No people in sight.

Reggie​

 

[Reggie]

Tags: Jrurki Liz
Location: Midnight Zone, ETTI IV…

Things felt like they were looking up when Reggie picked up the SOS, but they only got more complicated the closer he got to Akira Tower. Civilians were still barred from entering the block surrounding the mall, which was patrolled by Espos and cam-droids. It felt very dystopian, even for the CSA, but what really struck Reg was the grab team shuttle; Corporate Grab Teams only rolled out for two reasons, repossessing a busted Corpo’s assets or apprehended a high-value target.

Das’ crew was certainly the latter.

Reggie grumbled a few obscenities as he slinked along the perimeter, eyes wide and alert. Adrenaline had stepped in where the stimcaf was lacking. He was wired and focused. “C’mon,” he buzzed in a hushed tone. He knew the crew hadn’t used the main entrance, and probably not a surface one at all for that matter.

Sewer? Nah, Kivah wouldn’t have cared but Das was too picky. Had to be something like…

“… a mechanical access,” Reggie noted, his eyes landing on a small duracrete shed across the promenade. Unguarded, easy access to the sub levels, and close enough to the signal he picked up. Had to be it. Reg waited patiently for the nearby Espo patrol to mosey along before he dashed in a crouched jog to the door.

It was still ajar, to his surprise. Whether from Das and company or the Espos, Reggie couldn’t tell. Either way, he slipped his slugthrower from his backpack and screwed a suppressor to the barrel. Satisfied he could take out a Corpo without drawing attention, he crept into the maintenance shaft and started down the durasteel stairs.