บท 102: Terminal
"Cats are expensive..."
"I'd bet, not even the pigeons survive this city. The only reason rats and cockroaches haven't taken over is because people eat them." Ori remarks. "Isn't there a big ass tax for pet owners too?"
Sasha nods, "There is but, I'm not paying it. Milyy doesn't exist, but if she does, she's my hairier-than-normal daughter." she smiles as they both chuckle.
"You figure out what you wanna do yet? Y'know, a goal aside from destroying Biotechnica?"
Sasha shakes her head, "It's hard, I dedicated everything since I was a girl to hit them... Now?... I just want to live, I think...?"
"Well, as good a goal as any. Not that your chosen profession supports it..."
She shrugs, "I'd rather work with you all than jump between people as a solo Netrunner. There are worse things than death for people like me..."
*Knock-Knock-Knock!*
"It's open!" Sasha calls out, allowing Bats to step inside with a large briefcase at his side. He was sweating and out of breath, as if he'd run here.
"That him?" Bats asks, immediately heading to Six without waiting for an answer. He kneels next to him and opens his briefcase, revealing a litany of tools and devices. "Tell me what happened."
"He just, like, dropped... There was no lead-up and he didn't take any damage. His legs just gave out."
"I don't think he's lucid either, he won't talk to us at all." Sasha adds.
Bats nods as he jacks a wire into Six's neck, linking it to his laptop. "I think I know what it is, but I'm gonna run a scan just to confirm-, ah, either of you got immunosuppressants? I brought some but it might not be enough if this is what I think it is..."
"Yes, here." she hands him her own bottle, her face forming a frown, "Do you really think it's 'that'?"
"That?" Ori questions, not getting her meaning.
"Cyber psychosis, Ori." Bats quietly answers.
"Cybe-no way! Six wouldn't let something like that get him!" Ori exclaims.
Bats shakes his head, "You're right, he's too strong to admit he's having trouble. Tell me, have you noticed anything else before now? He's in the early to mid-stages of the condition already..."
"Like what?" Ori asks, his voice tense.
"Murmuring, shaking, hallucinations, clumsiness, violent outbursts... Anything out of the ordinary." Bats lists off, tone neutral.
Ori's throat goes dry, yeah, he'd noticed... Six shaking, beating the shit out of that Tyger Claw ass hole, even noticed him muttering things to himself. He lets out a cold breath, "Why?" is all he could voice.
"Why am I asking?"
"Why, is this happening..."
Bats shrugs and pulls the jack from Six's neck, "There's no 'reason' for it... Too much Cyberware, mental illness, drug overuse... Either way, Six is headed towards the edge." he turns his laptop to face them, pointing out the large brainwave spikes that indicate the condition.
"Is there anything that can be done? A way to reverse it?... That Regina woman said there was research, didn't she?" Sasha asks.
"I don't know. I haven't seen a single case of cyber psychos returning to normal, whether that be suppressed information, or because there are simply no examples. I know drastically reducing the amount of cyberware you have could help but," he glances at Six, "Most of his body has been replaced already, there's no reversing that..." he turns Six's head to the side and feeds him pills, washing it down with water and massaging his throat to get it into his system.
"So, what, he's just fucked then?" Ori questions, attempting to suppress his anger over the situation.
"Ori..." Bats mutters, unsure of what to say, "Listen, I know you're friends but, if this carries on he won't be safe to be ar-"
Ori abruptly stands up, "I need a cig." he growls, headed to the balcony overlooking the river.
...
"That wasn't smart, was it?" Bats asks Sasha, who just nods in response. "I'll check on him..." she says, picking up Milyy and heading to the balcony. She steps out, finding Ori leaning against the railing with his cig already half-burned out.
"Hey,-"
"Don't bother..." he rubs his face, "I'm not angry at Bats, just pissed that shit like this keeps happening..."
...
"You want to talk about it?" she asks, letting Milyy hop out of her arms and circle Ori's feet.
"What's to talk about? Six is dying, there's nothing we can do... In a couple months he won't recognise us, and will probably try and kill us..."
She rests her lower back against the railing, holding her hand out. Ori hands her a cig and lights it, allowing her to take a few puffs. "How'd you and Six meet anyway?" she asks, wanting to get him focused on something else.
...
"My first gig, Judy sent me to work under some ass-hat calling himself 'Spekchoom' or some shit. First saw him and Max in that burger joint," he chuckles to himself, "They scared the shit out of me... Two big ass mercs who could probably destroy me in a second if they wanted to, yet I was working with them, getting paid like I was the same as them."
"Everyone's got to start off somewhere... I was eleven when I got my first gig, some Corpo kids hired me to crack the child-locks on their devices. They didn't even pay me..."
*Meow!*
"That's right Milyy, I got my revenge years later and permanently set all their things on child-mode. Thirty thousand Eddies down the drain... Should've just paid me the one thousand..."
Ori chuckles, blowing some smoke, "I don't think Six liked me all that much when Max took me in. I was just a leech, thinking back on it. Max pulled me along on jobs where I wasn't needed, Six just kept silent, but I could tell it was annoying him... Then, the scavs got Max after I sent him after them." he sadly shakes his head, "I still wonder if Six resents me for it. He wouldn't say so if it did..."
"I don't think so. He's someone who finds it difficult to voice his feelings, in my opinion..." she adds the last part.
Ori sighs, "I doubt I'm even near as competent as Max was... Guy had no cyberware at all and was still very good at what he did."
"Don't think like that. Even if he is-or was, you're still young, you can learn. Besides, you got the rest of us relying on you. I wouldn't follow someone useless, Rebecca wouldn't... Probably... Six definitely wouldn't."
Ori just flicks away his burned-down cig, "Whatever, enough of the pep-talk, let's see how he's doing..."
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