The Deadman

The storm passed over the city. Robert returned to his premium deliveries. His job this time was delivering a customized gun that a certain gang leader had ordered. Boss Pei took the job and since no one wanted to deliver the damn thing.

Robert volunteered to deliver the damn thing to the compound of the Triad who had ordered the gun from Pei. Robert stopped in front of their compound’s gate and sounded his motorcycle’s horn until one of the triad got fed up with him making a noise and came out.

“The fuck do you want?”

“Delivery for Fierce Chu.”

“Give it here.”

“Can’t do that. Biometrics and I need an actual signature. But I can tell you that it’s from Pei’s deliveries and it’s about your Boss’s gun.”

“Okay. Wait and you better drop any weapon on ya, buddy.”

“Sure.”

Robert got off his motorcycle and stored his weapons inside. Not that he needed them when he could still throw a fireball from his hands.

Of course, he’d only used them when he needed to.

The guy that went to check returned.

“Okay. Boss said that you got a delivery for him. I’m going to pat you down.”

The guy started patting him down. He inspected the gauntlet that Robert was wearing.

“What’s this”

“A deck? Don’t get any implants so most of the data is in it. My CIN as well.”

“You one of those Purists?”

“No, I’m just a coward that doesn't want to get his flesh mutilated. Can we go?”

“Bah, got a deadline or something?”

The guy snorted as he led Robert in. The place was quite secured with a lot of triads standing and sitting around. Some were talking, but most were talking about gigs and what they’d do to earn some extra cash.

The second floor of the place was full of street walkers. The kind that handles a lane to sell sex or ones that sell drugs to get high to. Just the smell alone was bad enough.

“Here’s the place. You’re smart so you know what happens if you try something.”

“I’m just the delivery boy.”

“Cool. Boss, Pei’s boy is here.”

“Ah, my package, come in.”

Robert got it and found Fierce Chu looking at his documents. Wearing this tacky white suit with a red shirt. With his hair pulled back and his augmented fingers tapping on the paper.

“Pei’s boy. You got my package?”

Robert read Fierce Chu and his gut told him that questions were going to piss off this man. He took the biometrics and signer and let him confirm the delivery. After the confirmation and arrival of the delivery, Robert opened the package and revealed the customized revolver.

“An introduction. A TRX tech revolver with a .50 caliber. Could tear through plated armor. Has enough recoil to dislodge your shoulder or malfunction arm. First six bullets have enough to pierce through armor and also implode the inside. We also have sample bullets here, a courtesy from Boss Pei.”

“Pei… I like him because he knows how to please while staying in his lane. He’s a fence-sitter. Doesn’t side with no one. But he knows how to run a business and grease some palms.”

Robert kept quiet and waited for him to move. He got up after a few seconds. Robert could tell that he was the kind of guy that took his time. The kind that slowed down to get a reaction. But Robert knew how to be patient.

They got behind the field behind where some of the triads were shooting on targets. Once Fierce Chu was around they scattered and cleared the area except for a few who Chu allowed to stay.

Robert carried the gun for Chu. He stood under the parasol and gave Robert the okay to load the gun for him. Robert reloaded the gun with finesse. Not a single finger movement was wasted.

“Are you familiar with this kind of reload?”

“I am.”

“It shows.”

Fierce Chu took the revolver and lifted his augmented hand up. He pulled the trigger and shot the target square on the chest. His aim was true. The target he shot had its chest imploded. Fierce Chu swiveled his aim, and used the rest on the targets. 

“Recoil is pretty nasty as expected. Now, I wonder what I’ll do to actual targets?”

Fierce Chu said coldly and whistled. A group of four was dragged to the target range. From the looks of it they were rival gang members that stepped on their feet.

“Got a problem with this?”

Robert shrugged and crossed his arms, “I’m just the delivery boy, Sir.”

“And here I thought you were the moral kind, friend.”

Robert chose silence. They say that apathy was evil. That inaction was more evil than doing nothing at all. But it wasn’t his place. He makes a move and the people around get pissed off. He wasn’t going to lose this gig for them, and it may sound cold and heartless. But he had no reason to help these gangsters in the first place.

It would have been different if it was someone he knew being lined up there.

“Do you know what these people did?”

“Enlighten me, sir.”

“They stole from me. The one in the middle stole from a kid who just started. Shattered his hand and now the kid is sporting a mechanical hand that is fifty years old. A spare from one of my men who had one. That one on the right gave one of our working girls a black eye and almost stole her jewels. The rest are fools who think they can set up a show and rise to the top as if it’s like a movie. Ambition is great, but without realism it falls apart and they end up like this.”

“Never thought of slaving them?”

“Expensive. You can never rehabilitate them. They are fueled by their own rage and some are patient enough to wait for freedom.”

“Experienced, sir?”

“Indeed. You cannot change them. Some may say that this is mindless killing. That we are sadists. But if others are watching. If people find out. It will be a double-edged blade that will hurt both sides.”

Fierce Chu changes the setting of his pistol to spread. He aimed at the center of the group and fired. Shredding their skin and revealing some of their insides.

The one standing still had his chrome so he was able to endure the shot. Fierce Chu ejected the bullet casings and then nodded his head.

“The product is fine. Pei deserves praise as always.”

Robert nodded his head, “I’ve confirmed that the product is satisfactory to the expectations. Please ask for our service.”

“I will. You may leave now, Courier.”

Robert left the premises with unhurried steps. He took a long look at the compound they were using. He turned his attention back to his motorcycle, started the engine, and rode out of the compound and back to the main road.

Riding back to the city for twenty minutes. While on the road his eyes went on the daylight holograms that were persistent in making their presence known in the light. He was on the outskirts of the city and here he could get a view of Lux City.

Glass and steel towers scraping the sky. For a city that had been called Lux, it was like there was a looming shadow. The man-made structures have blocked the sky and if those people from back then could see this.

They would have thought that there are giant ghosts appearing in the middle of nowhere.

Robert stopped on the paved shoulder. Cars passed by him and he quietly leaned his foot on the concrete barrier. There were times that he had to adjust his mind and just take a breath. Although, he felt much more like he belonged in this kind of world and era.

There were times that he wished to continue breathing that air. A time that he thought would not be taken away from him. A time that he had taken for granted.

If he knew that he’d be thrown one hundred years forward. He would have appreciated that world. But not everyone gets so much precious time. He had learned that hard twice now.

Everything can be taken away in an instant.

There was no such thing that could last. Flesh rots and machine rusts. It had been a few weeks since he had been living here. This familiarity. This sense of belonging made him glad and sicken.

Even Fierce Chu’s action couldn’t faze him. If anything it was far lighter than some of the things he saw in the past and in his other future.

He had gotten too comfortable here.

The idea of freedom.

Having the ability to do what you want without some supernatural organization dragging by the leash. And without the mark that shredded some of his soul.

He had forgotten how he was.

Robert, despite being a mercenary, still had some of that kindness. But he, who was Kato once, had been molded in a world where he had to be a professional.

“I guess it’s a habit you can’t erase.”

He said as he continued down the road. Driving blankly and finally entering Pei’s warehouse where he spotted multiple people surrounding the area. Just in case he hid his motorcycle and called Gu.

“Any problem on your side?”

“No, just some PMC assholes.”

“Corpsec?”

“Kinda. Been asking a lot and Boss doubles as a guarantee. Lead seems to have questions for the Boss.”

Robert leaned on his motorcycle, “Any idea?”

“Could be about the Killings of the Solar Temple freaks.”

“I don’t follow gang related news.”

“You should. Someone has been butchering them all over the city. Silently without a word. Not a single brag. No one in the local net knows anything about it. There were others who tried to find the killer, but no luck.”

“Hard to believe that no one saw.”

“It is. No trace at all. We suspect that there’s a cloaking involved or it could be Corpsec trying to get rid of them. One thing that creeps me out about all of this is that so far they are sure that this is a work of one guy since fucker’s not hiding how he kills them.”

“And these people are after this one?”

“I don’t know. It’s hard to get, but I guess either they are interested recruiting the fucker or afraid that they’d be next. So far this bastard has been killing Solar Temple assholes. So there’s a chance that they might be worried that it’s them next.”

“That so?”

“Yeah. So far none’s worried because Soltemp is the one getting hit. It’s hard to like those assholes, but with a lot of their hideouts and places being destroyed attracts heat. Some are getting curious and some are hoping to find out so they can make a profit out of it. What I’m curious about is whether this will only stop with the Soltemp boys.”

“It’s fair to be worried. Still, a lot of them are coming here.”

“It’s a visit. And that some of them are buying gear here. It’s a warehouse you know and some of the packages that never make it are sometimes bought in the other warehouse.”

“Never really asked about that warehouse.”

“So, everything went well with Chu?”

Robert went back to his motorcycle.

“It did. Does he have a habit of shooting people like that?”

“Not always. You must have caught him on a bad day. No, it was a weapon delivery, right? Fuck me, poor bastards. Anyway, your query’s delivered so no need to come here with the PMC around. You’re not using our bike so you can go now.”

“Thanks.”

“Your payment will be wired soon. I’ll tell our secretary to wire you your pay. Really, you should just join us instead of being a Freelancer.”

“Like I said, I’m good.”

“Your call.”

Robert got out of the alley and stared at the PMC’s armored vehicles before leaving a trail of smoke.

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