| From: | Can I play with madness <MKNABUSCH@******.BITNET> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | oh what a bloody frag up this is. |
| Date: | Thu, 21 Apr 1994 16:28:08 -0400 |
two. Bewarned, beware, and always call for back up.
Cyberpunk, get over here, we need some Matrix work
done STAT.]<<<<<
- Sabre <13:10:12/04-21-55>
>>>>>[Whats up? Why can't Harlequin do it? I got
a few problems of my own. Namely these Double D's.]<<<<<
- Cyberpunk <13:30:01/o4-21-55>
*****Private to: Cyberpunk
>>>>>[Didn't you see last nights message? Something
got to him. And to Gossymer. She's in real bad shape.
If I didn't know better, I'd almost say she's sulking.
She is refusing to answer commands. I'm sending T.C.
and Styx over in Hammer One. That ought to deter any
DD's. *nasty grin*]<<<<<
-Sabre <13:50:30/04-21-55>
>>>>>[Holy mother of the spirits of my ancestors! I haven't
*ever* seen something that BIG! Ok, gotta get a grip here.
Damn! Nasty piece of work.
*****Begin Deck.Log download*****
The indigo blue of Matrix space appears before your eyes.
Everything looks like the standard normal iconography that
most deckers are used to. A backward glance shows a hammer
with a circle encompassing it floating in place. Almost looks
like an ancient smithing hammer. Also standing there is a overly
large man. A case of an over active thyroid gland and steriod abuse
for sure. Oddly, its hands and feet seem to have been manacled at
one time, but now the chains dangle loosely, a link must have broken
at one point but it must have required almost Hurculean effort to do
so. But this muscle mountain looks to make a child of Hercules.
"Now what the <deleted> is going on?" The voice is Harlequin's.
Mutely the Titan just stands there, red eyes fixed on the icon of
a robotic jet. Those of you who are into japanimation of the previous
century recognize it as an Alpha figher in grey and white tones. The colors
shift to red and white as the rifle is aimed at the collossal figure.
"Aw, hell with it. More will come anyway." The arm lowers the rifle and
the colors change back to grey and white. The Alpha starts off across
Matrixspace at a teeth jarring sprint. It stays in the darker areas of the
Matrix. Very few structures around. Almost as if this were a bad part of
the Matrix. A house of cards shows up in the distance, and the Alpha changes
course directly for it. It stops in front of the seemingly fragile structure
and searches around for a bit. Finally it wanders to another side of the
building and confronts the Ace of Spade card. The head swivels around, giving
you a chance to see a wildly colored man inside the view plate. And you can
see in the distance, still closing, a familiar Titan. A shudder seems to pass
through the metal body before it presses upon the card face. The card pivots
inward allowing the Alpha inside, but the house of cards doesn't even shift.
Inside, Harlequin strides down a brightly lit antiseptic corridor that any Corp
would be proud of. Ahead is a room with a desk and a repceptionist. The
receptionist looks up and smiles at the Alpha.
"Good time of day to you Laughing Elf."
"Hello Metro. Please call me Harlequin. I realise that G.G. thinks its
funny, but the joke has long worn thin. Is Spade or G.G. around?"
"No sir," Metro replies. "Sly was in earlier and left them a message.
They left latter. I must remark it was strange to see him in here. And I
cannot help but call you what G.G. tells me to call you."
"Yeah. I know. Can't do anything but what G.G. says. Sly hates this place.
Not many mages do like it here. Do you know if Condrum is about?"
"About what?"
"I mean is Condrum here."
"No sir."
"Is anyone here?"
"No, anyone is not here."
"I mean, are there any other human/metahuman presences here?"
"No sir. Just you, me, and these here electrons."
Harlequin sighs. "G.G. really aught to increase that repitoire. One joke
really bites. No, no. Don't ask. Forget I said it. I'll go down the hall
and leave a message for G.G."
A door appears on the right hand wall. It opens at Harlequins touch and
gives you a view of another antiseptic hallway. It branches further down and
Harlequin takes the extreme right hand passage until it comes upon a tree
blocking the passage. "I'm going to have a long talk with Spade about G.G.'s
sense of humor in designing this system." The Alpha engages its rocket pack.
Upon entering the canopy, another door is visible. It looks as if a whole house
has been built right into the tree. A slat opens up at the knocking on the
door.
"Who's there?"
"Me."
"Me who?"
"Exactly."
"Exactly what?"
"That's right."
"What's right?"
"Me who and the Exactly what!"
The door swings open at this old interchange of poetry. Its a stark steel
cylinder of a room with a terminal in the middle. Nothing else. The terminal
is active, as always, waiting for input. The door crashes open before Harlequin
could even enter a keystroke. Its the Titan. And its looking pissed and
slightly mussed. A few minor scratches and a small trickle of blood.
"Aw DAMN!" The Titan swings at the Alpha, where its fist didn't connect the
chain on its wrist does. The Alpha undergoes its color change back to red
again and fires its cannon. Shell casings are ejected to the tune of a mad
buzzaw. Most of the expenditure pock marks the wall but a few manage to hit
the Titan drawing blood. The Titan circles around the room as Harlequin's
Alpha changes color again. The green and white scheme lasts only a second
at most before converting back to red. Inside the cockpit a puzzled look
comes across Harlequin's face. His analyze shows this to be part frame part
ICE. He slaps the red button marked EJECT!, but nothing happens. Blindingly
the Titan rushes at the Alpha. Harlequin catches the motion out and reacts
instictively. The armored joint of the knee catches the Titan squarely in the
groinal area. An expression of hatres appears his face as he rips away the
cannon and smashes it. The Alpha lashes out with a fist that connects with the
nose. Reeling backwards, the Titan growls and paws its newly flattened nose.
Harlequin closes with it only to be tackled to the floor. The Titan begins
beating on the metal frame with hands and chains. With each hit, the Alpha
grows slightly smaller. Suddenly chest, waist, and leg ports open up all
over the Alpha. Inside the cockpit a shaken a bruised Harlequin tries to smile.
A confused look crosses the mountain of muscles face. He raises his arm to
continue the fusilade but fire errupts from the opennings. Silver and red
streaks on white contrails fly up over the head of the Titan, only to descend
a moment later. A virtual halo of fire envelopes the Titan. One missile,
however can be seen streaking out the door, then its gone. On the floor, the
Titan is recovering from the mass of detonations. The steel of the floor is
blackened and warped in places. The Alpha has regained its footing and is
backing away. When the Titan stands upright, it now towers twice as tall as
the Alpha. A testement to the damage done. A second volley of missile errupt
outward as the shoulder opens wide. The mayhem of explosions cloud the room.
The Titan, strangly, has yet to utter a word or sound. When the smoke clears
a man in the battle armor of a Cyclone now stands in the Alpha's place. Behind
the Titan is a woman in multi-colored silks. Her eyes are blue within blue and
her hair is pure white. This is Gossymer. And she looks more than angry.
Maybe enraged would be a better word. Sparks fly from her hands to the
oblivious Titan who howls as each touches him. He turns to see this new
assailent and grins. A couple of teeth are missing, the others are in various
states of decay. The pistol in Harlequin's hands stiches a line across the
behemouths back as he advances on Gossymer. Gossymer's sparks are flying out
at an amazing rate. But the juggernaught keeps coming. He reaches Gossymer
and grabs her. But only for a moment as she sails into the wall. The titan
lumbers after the newly found projectile. Harlequin makes a boosted leap
into the oncoming path, but is punted by a massive foot. He too finds the walls
less than soft. Gossymer is back on her feet, bleeding in several places,
when she thrusts her hands out. Lightning scorches chest and hair as a fist is
pulled back. She screams. It connects sending her sprawling into another wall.
Harlequin bounces back into the frey with pistol going on full auto. Red holes
appear over blackened flesh. Gossymer stands up again, looking far worse than
before. Harlequin intercepts another punch with his body and lands beside
Gossymer. Golden bands encircle the Titans arms, legs and body. Gossymer
is straining to keep them from snapping under the strength. Harlequin takes
a moment to get his feet under him. He takes carefull aim with his forarm
launchers. "This ends HERE!" Four mini-missiles streak from his arms to
the Titan. An arm is seperrated from the shoulder buy two explosions, a
third impacts on the head, the last strikes the chest on the breastbone. The
Titan starts to topple, struggling weakly, but at the last second lunges
towards Harlequin. The body hits the ground and slides into the wall,
crushing Harlequin between it and the wall as the glow fades from the corpse.
Then, darkness descends.
*****End deck.log download*****]<<<<<
-Cyberpunk <16:35:08/04-21-55>
