| From: | Brad Shantz <bshantz@****.COM> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | DA and Shields run |
| Date: | Tue, 13 Dec 1994 09:33:10 PST |
last
night.
+++++ BEGIN MATRIX FEED
The IO node glows brightly as a knight in silver armor steps into existence
into the virtual reality of the matrix. He flexes his arms and a shield
appears on the left arm. Turning his head, he watches as the node flashes
again. A dark, foreboding looking bird blinks into reality. Upon looking
closer, the bird is not a bird at all, but a man with wings.
+++++ You know, Dark Angel, I believe that this is the first time you
+++++ and I have worked side by side in the matrix.
The Dark Angel persona floats above the IO node. Wings flapping gently in an
imaginary breeze.
+++++ Shields, I have seen you before, but we this is the first time
+++++ we will have willingly run together.
Shields waves Dark Angel to follow him. In the seamless reality of the
matrix, possibly a microsecond passes and the two deckers are face to face
with the Renraku Arcology. Shields removes his shield and places it in front
of him.
+++++ There's a maintenance node right behind this wall. I discovered
+++++ that a sleaze program gets you in with little problem. There's
+++++ usually a tracer here. Put it there to keep me out. This is
+++++ a common hang out. <<<METALLIC LAUGH>>>
The angel character cringes.
+++++ You need to work on your laugh, friend.
The shield glows softly and shatters into several million fragments. The
fragments begin to dance in a chaotic pattern. The plane of fragments moves
forward to the wall of the Renraku Arcology Construct and form the shape of a
door. Shields and Dark Angel step through the newly opened portal. It closes
behind them.
+++++ Okay, now, we've got a dataline that passes through here in two
+++++ directions. There appears to be an SPU at the end of this one.
+++++ I can't see anything at the end of the other one though.
The knight lifts his visor. (Very odd, there isn't anything underneath. Dark
Angel appears to be a little shocked.) Shields lowers his visor again.
+++++ Dark Angel, you seem shocked. I just wear the visor for
+++++ protection. Had a Flash IC go off in front of my eyes once.
+++++ My screen flickered at a rate that almost fried my brain.
+++++ since then, I keep my eyes covered while I deck. Keep my
+++++ sensors on high. If I ever lose the visor, I'm hosed until
+++++ I knock the vision suppresors off my eyes. Keeps my optic
+++++ nerve safe. Oh, by the way, we want to go the way we can't
+++++ see. That's the entrance to the sculpted system.
The deckers head off at light speed down the dataline into the darkness.
There is a sudden flash of neon blue light and they are standing on a dirt
road in a Japanese Village.
+++++ Hey, Angel, ever been to Chiba? That's where 'Raku's home base is.
Dark Angel is holding a sensor program in his hands, shaped like a dove.
+++++ We got some company. See how this bird's twitching. When he gets
+++++ nervous like this, there's something moving.
A longsword appears in Shields right hand.
+++++ Ninja. There, on top of that building. Four. Two are coming
+++++ around behind us. One will hop down in front. One will be
+++++ on the backside of that water well in the middle of the square.
The dove disappears. Dark Angels hand begin to glow as he prepares for
combat.
+++++ What should I do? You seem to know this pretty well.
Shields turns to face his partner.
+++++ Simple really. All part of the same subroutine. Kill one and
+++++ they all vaporize. The only problem is killing one.
A loud, scream of something in Japanese comes from behind the deckers.
Shields leaps backwards and swings his sword at an oncoming Ninja warrior.
The Ninja dodges his blade and flips over to the other side. Shields turns
and follows the movement. Dark Angel, in a very practiced looking motion,
steps to the side as another Ninja slides past him. He lowers his glowing
hands and the Ninja explodes in a flash of color. Shields opponent simply
ceases to exist. As do the other two.
+++++ Hmmmm. I gotta get me one of those. Nice work, DA.
+++++ Been wanting to try that one. Glad it worked so well.
+++++ The third building on our left on this road is an SPU that will
+++++ get us onto a main dataline into the database section of the net.
Shields' sword vaporizes leaving a little wisp of smoke that then becomes an
arrow floating immediately ahead of the two deckers.
+++++ Wow, nice affect, Shields. How many MP's did that take to get a
+++++ smooth transition?
+++++ It's actually a hardware trick I learned. Wire the main processor
+++++ on a Fairlight to one of the new Fuchi Math chips and you can get
+++++ some intense graphics for low cost and reasonably low pulse rates.
The two deckers follow the arrow to the SPU. Shields opens the rice paper
door. Dark Angel is a little worried that the security seems so lax on an
SPU. However, Shields appears to know what's going on. Upon entering the
building, it grows in size to be roughly the size of a large warehouse.
Shields steps to a door and runs his hand over it. The door glows and reveals
a dataline behind it that leads to a large Bhuddist Temple. There are a
number of Monks pacing back and forth in front of the temple. The knight leans
close to the Dark Angel.
+++++ Five of those six monks are Barrier. One of them is a Trace and
+++++ and Report. He'll stop us and ask questions. Let me do the
+++++ talking. I've been through here before.
Dark Angel nods his head in agreement. They approach the monks. One steps
out of line and approaches the deckers.
+++++ What may we do for you humble travellers?
Shields holds his hand out and a small bag closed with a drawstring appears in
his hand.
+++++ We have come a far distance with an offering for the temple.
The monk takes the pouch and steps back to the other monks. They all gather
round as he opens the pouch and gives each monk a silver coin.
Each monk smiles in turn and then gets a strange look of horror. The monks
become immaterial and all get sucked like smoke into the open pouch. Sheilds
smiles, picks up the bag and closes the drawstring. Dark Angel stands amazed.
+++++ That was really cruel!
+++++ Hey, we're in aren't we?
+++++ Well, yeah, but...
+++++ cope.
Entering the temple reveals a large database.
+++++ Okay, there are a few traps in here, but I think you can handle
+++++ them. Let's split up and find any information we can on the
+++++ following: Earth First, Orks and Whidbey Island, or Fort Worden.
+++++ Anything that might be valuable.
The two deckers split up and begin searching through the data nodes. Shields'
search program looks like an old man who shuffles through the stacks of
documents and looks at each one in turn. Dark Angel however has split his
persona into about thirty other duplicates and they all search through the
documents. One of them grins and holds a piece of paper up which disappears
into a backpack for storage. After roughly 25 minutes of scouring the
databases, the old man trips on a stone in the floor and the unsearched
documents vanish. The old man stands and looks at Shields, then vanishes.
+++++ Woops, sorry, DA. Looks like we tripped an internal.
+++++ Whaddya mean WE?
+++++ Look, you got some data. Let's Jack and we'll scan it later.
+++++ Meet me at Dante's Inferno. Third floor. There's a bartender
+++++ there named Guido. He'll take you to a room behind the bar.
+++++ It's cheap. I'll let him know you're coming.
The knight vanishes. Shields has jacked out. Dark Angel folds his wings and
disappears as well.
+++++ END MATRIX FEED]<<<<<
-- Shields < 08:30:21/12-13-55 >
