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(Setting) 3X17-C Abandoned Apartment Apartment Unit
| >[ooc: shiney*]
| (Whiney works.)
| >Tuna arrived and waited thirty minutes before entering the building. She then entered and kicked the fifth door's threshold once and waited.
| >The door opens revealing an empty room with a single chair inside. A paper sticky note sits on the seat.
| >Tuna enters and looks at the sticky note
| > 'Lock the door and sit.'
| >Tuna locks the door and sits down
| > The door suddenly gets sealed by an automatic sliding door that possesses two over sized double electric dead-bolt locks. The room then lights up and walls are suddenly covered by projections originating from the ceiling.
>'Scanning biometics and matching identity.' a computerized voice spoke out.
>'Subject recognized.'
>The room's emptiness dissolves before Tuna's eyes. What was clearly a highly detailed hologram faded from her vision.
| > There in that room the walls were covered with maps, plans for objects in development or maybe just sketches of future ideas. There were small six monitor grid of LEDs covering the wall to her right, with a desk covered with materials for modding and other pojects just in front of it. To her left was a hallway that extended and revealed four doors, each of which were of solid steel and had automated combination locks with voice code locks.
| >Tuna was alittle aw struck by the detail put into the room and looked arround alittle
| >In particular the moniters since she knew there was no way the doors would open for her
| "I'm not sure I wanna know how he got that data on me"
| "*Fssht* I'm surprised. You didn't panic at all. Maybe I should have added automatic restraints to that chair."
> Somehow Neon's 'robotic voice' managed to pass amusement despite its usual monotone ring. At first he was nowhere to be seen...but the range of which the sound of his 'voice' came was close. He'd step out of a camohologram behind Tuna and his surroundings reflected themselves against his helmet.
"*Fsssht* So. What have you gotten yourself into?"
| >Tuna turned her head towards him
"Im some comapany's slave. used tp getting poked and prodded. especially with needles"
>Tuna sighed fustrated.
"Our local idiot let me walk into a meeting with some organization out tp get him. Yes I could have turned on him"
>Tuna looks over to the side alittle embarresed.
"But he was willing to help me out so I didn't want to turn my back on him so quickly. I honestly don't know who we are dealing with but they had info on me from the start."
| "Just knew Veria Tech owns my ass and that I was with AM... Shepherd... I guess technically both of them. I was in there crosshairs the second I entered his safehouse. To top it all off, The fucking Idiot won't let m- us help his ass. he dirched me. twice"
| "I mean he was going on about not wanting to see me dead but he sure as hell was willing to let me walk up to this organization thats on his ass and feed me to the dogs so to speak"
>Tuna sighed again, feeling more fustrated as she recounted the situation
| "*Fssht* I really hope you aren't falling for that idiot."
> Again amusement somehow translated to the robotic voice.
"...Hm. For now let him be. Due to his tendencies he won't be hard to find. You on the other hand...You need to lay low for a while."
>Neon wandered over to the monitor desk and several holoscreens spawned around him. A vartiable hoard of them. They all seemed to move and shift on their own as if vying for his attention.
| "I mean why would he care if some random person he just met died anyways? It makes no sense"
| >...or perhaps they were moving at the beck and call of his thoughts.
"*Fssht* We won't be going to that safe house again. They know where it is. They may know where this one is. I had you stand there 30 minutes so my scanners outside could thoroughly search for followers. We'll know soon enough."
| >>112658
"pffft Your kidding right?!" Tuna almost laughed "I never get close enough to anyone for that crapm Everyone turns their back on even their most closest friends for a price. Why bother?"
| >>112662
"Geez this was the last thing I need. I can not do any kind of work with them all over my ass"
>Tuna groaned, annoyed
| >Neon brings up records of the Safe Zone Effort and slides the holoscreen in her direction. [ https://dangeru.us/cyb/thread/100482 ]
"*Fssht* I want you to guess really hard which one was Shepherd."
| "I wanna say... The recorder?"
>Tuna says, unsure of her answer herself
| "Whoever was controlling the drone anyway"
| "*Fssht* No. The idiot that shot the drone."
| >Tuna rewatches the clip
"Damn how could I have missed that"
| "*Fssht* More importantly. After setting off a poton bomb in the middle of a relief effort's working zone and essentially murdering anyone close enough to be caught in the blast, the group whom controlled that drone gunned down everyone that didn't run away directly afterward. The effort dismantled before it could even truly start because of this act alone."
| "*Fsssht* In short...Yes. A lot of people die around that kid. I imagine only more are on their way out."
| "Who was behind the drone then? Did anyone ever figure that out?"
| "Why is this Fenrir group after him so badly?"
| "*Fssht* Yeah, honestly, it's common knowledge at this point. If Fenrir is with Thoth that'd make a lot of sense."
>Neon replied while shifting through his holo-screens and occasionally stopping on one for a while before going to the next.
| "Is there anything we can do about it? I mean probrably you more than me. Im just your common thug. You would think I would have deep info being an informant for Veria Tech but they dose me with amnesiacs so I don't go spreading intel"
| "Sorry Neon. I know im just bombarding you with questions. Im just grateful that for whatever reason your watching my back"
| (bump ba bump da bump)
| "*Fssht* I applaud your awareness of your place, but you'd do well to understand your own worth as an individual. I am watching your back because you are useful."
> Neon replied while still flipping through holograms screens and occasionally adjusting the data on his monitors without anything more than very simple gestures or what can only be assumed soft glances toward the screens.
"You are providing me the gaze of Fenrir without being directly in that gaze."
| "*Fsssht* Further you are able to be the actor behind my actions as proxy. This enables me to move in ways I otherwise would not be able to do because of my place in the shadows."
| "I'll do whatever you need me too. I am in no posistion to argue."
>Tuna sighed.
| "*Fssht* Heh...Were you born in Glitch City?"
>Neon paused, for the first time turning to 'look' at Tuna directly. He waved his hand and all the holo-screens flew backwards and did their work automatically.
| "Honestly I don't know. I don't really know who my parents are and never cared to find out. I been here since I can remember so probrably so..."
| (Have to go to work in two hours will be afk for awhile then -TY)
| "*Fsssht* You think like you were."
> Neon replied before turning toward the door.
"If you had asked I'd let you walk through that door. You could handle everything the way you wanted to and I'd just observe. You could have negotiated even in this position...You just accepted this was the only choice you have. Either your reasoning is lightning fast and you understand the game at a glance...or your will is weak. Perhaps you trust me more than I thought?"
| >Tuna tilted her head to the side
"I have barely any money. The only thing I can offer anyone is my skill set but yours far out weighs mine. To someone like you im probrably just some low life criminal. I can't see a reason for you to screw me over."
| (still at work on break-TY)
| "*Fsssht.* Heh heh heh...Plenty of people would see me as a criminal. Whether I've done anything illegal or not. Especially in this city. This place is an illogical shitpile of pitiful desperation. Anything can happen."
>Neon replied, apparently his laughter was hard enough to make his shoulders shake. He looked toward his monitors and went quiet for a while.
"*Fssht* When I have you leave, it'll out another door. I want it to look like you've never left and bait followers."
| "You can say that again."
>Tuna giggled alittle
"sounds like a good plan about me exiting through a different door. Should we get down to business then?"
>Tuna leans against the wall
| "Actually now that I think about it... doesn't doing that put you at risk?"
| "*Fssht*A calculated risk, indeed. But it will easily begin our deception."
| "True... So... What exactly do you want me to do?"
| (bump)
| >Tuna sighed
"Don't tell me im stuck just sitting on my ass. I already feel stir crazy"
| "*Fssht* No. For the moment we're going to track AnoMeat down and keep tabs on him. Since that's clearly what you want to do anyway. Correct?"
>Neon turned to look back at his monitors.
"*Fssht* I'm just designing a means for you to do that without being easily detected. I apologize but I find your current methods lacking and highly reliant on your appearance. You need more."
| >Tuna looked down at her feet
"Well I've never had to do anything more than what I can before. Honestly it feels like I nose dived somewhere where I don't belong"
| "*Fsssht* How nice. Most people who don't belong have a chance at a normal life. With luck you'll maintain that and clear your debt."
>Neon replied while turning and finally approaching the girl. He aimed a device toward her. It looked like a handheld. Something very similar to a Sone Nee Viva...but it was modded to hell and nearly unrecognizable. It even had a new case that made it look innocent.
"*Fssht* It's not as modded as other iterations...but it'll suit your purposes."
| "*Fsssht* With this I'll be able to track you with an encoded ping. If you need help you turn that on and use the fiber-nanite compartment here to weave you short notice anti-camera and anti-light NanoCamo. If I find this out in the black market I will personally hunt you down."
| >Tuna laughed
"You can't be serious. I am stuck where I was born, in the streets. It's where I will probrably die. Your oddly optimistic for my future"
>Tuna gently took the device
"Warning noted though I can admit I would have if you had said nothing. Little disapointed but oh well."
| > Neon shook his head. Tuna's reflection gazed back at her through his large visor.
"*Fsssht* I doubt that once it saves your life a few times. At any rate I am not an optimist. If you aren't going to take charge of your life and direct your future, then you will do as you say. I just know that unlike AnoMeat you have a future to speak of. Assuming everything falls into place."
>Neon turned and walked back to his desk.
"I'll be contacting you through that. *Fssht*"
| "You can leave this place by trying the Nanite Weaver program I spoke of via the back door. An associate spotted AM at The Tango Down Bar. He was with a Lilim..When I have pictures I will send them to you through that device. *Fssht* If it interests you Towervania: Lament of Heresy is downloaded into that one's memory card."
| >Tuna smiled sadly
"Thanks, Neon. For what its worth your a good guy. Know that ain't much coming from street trash like me but I'll give it too ya anyway. Honestly I don't think I could live an honest life in this city. Maybe some other life."
>Tuna giggled alittle
"Thanks for the game as well. Pretty sure I owe ya a few favors now. Take care, Neon. I'm looking forward to seeing you again. it's always a pleasure"
| "*Fsssht.* Stay alive and it'll happen."
>Neon replied while moving to pick up a backpack. Seemed he was preparing to leave also. As soon as he walked back toward his monitor to turn everything off...the entire room dissolved into its empty space again. The door Neon spoke of was readily available for Tuna to leave now that it was visible. Meanwhile foot steps went toward the doors that were visible only just a while ago...then quietly disappeared. Gone.
| > A message appeared on the handheld 'Lock the door when you leave.'
| >Tuna held the device close to her and exited quietly, The sad smile still gracing her face every step of the way.
| >Tuna locked the door behind her after taking a last look at the room
"Bye, Neon"
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| > Tuna's GPS would lead her here. Most notably the entire block was severely dilapidated, and almost intraversable. Yet the street cameras were pristine and coated in a whiney black. Nearby was a complex one might miss for all the overgrowth and ruin...one that has parts of it that were noticably recent looking if one examined long enough.