The7: A CYBERPUNK TALE

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[size=+1]Mitch[/size]

Returning Jackson's embrace, Mitch couldn't help but smile as Jackson went on about some new piece of tail he'd discovered, The man never changed, but he was a good guy as far as the Assassin was concerned... and that meant much coming from a man who had to assume the worst of everyone he knew.

"Been out of town, man. Had a gig up in Washington." He answered as Jackson guided him to his section of the club. Lifting an eyebrow as his friend mentioned LA, Mitch then took a drink from his glass "Her name isn't Janice is it? That girl put Carnies to shame."

Arriving at the table, and chairs, Mitch took a seat, rested his glass down, and lit a cigarette. "Business been good, bro? I see the box is still packed with people handing our their money cards for anyone to snag." Mitch said while holding up a hand revealing Jackson's cards. "You gotta keep an eye on these bro." He then said with a grin.
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[bg=#000000]“Motherfucker!” Jackson exclaimed with a grin as he snatched his cards back, “You gotta stop doing that, bro! Gonna give me a heart-attack one of these days!”

A few of Jackson's friends slurred some hellos towards Mitch, but for the most part everyone was far, far too drunk to even be capable of acknowledging that a new face had just sat down near to them. They'd probably been at this a while, and showed no signs of stopping.

Jackson planted himself on the seat across from Mitch, and one of the girls slid onto his lap with a practised, possibly augmented, grace. Whispering something into her ear, Jackson grabbed a nearby glass and downed it's contents without even wincing before looking back to Mitch.
“Okay, man, you can tell me about your trip to Washington another time, cos I can tell you ain't here to party.” He flashes yet another drunken grin. “I mean, I've seen you party, bro! So what can old Jackson help you with?”
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"Perhaps a little something more immediate is called for, Mr Kobun," Felwin said as he passed the samurai, giving him a friendly squeeze on the shoulder, careful not to dig in with his gauntlet claws. "After all Dionysus, by whose grace we are set to strike the majesty of ages, bestows no grace upon the fairer heart. Carpe Diem, my Samurai friend... Carpe Diem."

He moved through the group, the same claw he had squeezed Kobun with now coming underneath Topaz's chin, lifting her face to smile at it. "And besides, we have among us a rare gift... a candle soon spent but burning all the brighter. This mantis child must have her day, on wings of Eros and Thanatos, daring Hyperion sunlight."

In the silence Topaz smiled, while others either digested or disregarded his poetry. Then Felwin turned, his mask becoming lines of black and silver, honing towards a point. The colours were gone, leaving only the metal of concentration. "Amadeus, my virtual valkyrie... if you will?"

Those present with augmented eyes watched as the digital form of Amadeus hesitated for a moment, as if distracted by a world of other things, before finally realising her cue. She drifted towards Kris, flickering for a moment, before Kris lifted his hand and switched on the holo-projector located in his palm. Amadeus's program displayed in both the virtual and physical world.

It was a picture of the downtown rooftops, at the edge of the corporate sector, with hover-cars speeding in the night sky.

"The Raknar Skyrace," Felwin said as he circled the projection. "No doubt you have each heard of it - the bi-monthly meeting of the major gangs of downtown. Never was there a more nefarious confluence of the cocksure and conspirator. 'Twixt corporate peaks and plebian slumways they ride their colours and their metal beasts, as if with speeding grandeur they might make kings of wheelmen."

His mask swirled again, the black streaks spiralling upwards and pooling into the crimson shape of two eyes. They slanted and focussed on the recording as it zoomed towards a particular rooftop. The footage showed a collection of sleek and souped-up hover cars adorned with dark-faced men and half-dressed women.

"Custom has it... that no gang is recognised in the downtown territories until they have played their hand in the Raknar Skyrace. Anyone who aspires to be someone, must become one in the sky run. An oasis, my comrades... an oasis of leads. They race this night, at the hour of 1."

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"Seems the fun's only just beginning with you guys" Kris chuckled "The Raknar Skyrace is also one of the most Dangerous races this side of the country, and that's before you even get to the starting line. To even arrive there is to dance a fine line of Gang Etiquette, if there is such a thing, you can't just be the best in the race you see, you have to be THE best. Lost races are settled with fists, knives or more...creative measures, most everyone there got there by being the most ruthless son-of-a-bitch you can imagine" he clenched is fist, momentarily concealing the Holo-projection, before he relaxed again "revealing the different cars whirling by at lightning speeds, as well as different driver profiles "Most of these guys are rolling in the dough," his mechanical eye shot to topaz for a fraction of a second second "Might be handy to get a few extra creds off one of them, just in case."
 
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Kobun stared at the race, it had slipped his mind and yet was the perfect place to gather information, and he had been there before, the triads and yakuza all ran very profitable betting circles for the race, not to mention stacking the odds to make sure the house didn't lose out.

"Getting there will not be much of a problem, I know some people we can get through most of the crowd with but once the cars are lined up well be on our own." He stepped forwards and indicated with his finger an area near the start point of the race. This is where the representatives from the gangs running the race watch from." The projection distorted around his finger. "If any gang wants to gain reputation my boasting about a kidnapping this is where they'll do it."

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[size=+1]Mitch[/size]

Mitch took a long drink from his glass, and then set it down. An obvious sign to those that knew him that he was about to get serious.

"I need some information Jackson. Something heavy's going down, and I just happened to get dragged into it without knowing." Mitch's voice has lost that jovial youth that it always carried, and was replaced with a stoic seriousness. "I need to know about Mark Felsworth of the Dionysis Corporation, and his daughter Jessica. I need to know their enemies, their friends, what they have done, and what they're planning to do. Basically I need to be inside their head...." The Assassin then sat back, and regarded Jackson with his piercing eyes as they sneaked their gaze from behind his bourbon colored glasses.

"I also need to know anything about a person called The Boss, but first and foremost is the Felsworth's... I've got business in the city, and you know I'm always good for your help." Mitch finished with tossing a roll of bills that was fat enough to choke a donkey into Jackson's lap.
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