Chapter Thirty-Six - A Matter of Trust

    Chapter Thirty-Six - A Matter of Trust

    There are people, real weirdos, who are actual fans of the Antithesis. They make costumes and symbols, they argue over facts about them online. Theyve got bug-sonas.

    Those really deep in those circles worship the aliens. They see them as a sort of divine punishment, or some sort of underdog alien. It doesnt usually make sense.

    Were happy to leave them to their own beliefs, most of the time. Theyre rather harmless.

    --Sergeant O''malley, New New York NNYPD, a week before the pro-Antithesis bombing campaign that took his life. January 2049

    ***

    Im really starting to hate stairs, I said.

    Then kill enough Antithesis and save enough people that you can afford a flight system.

    I rolled my eye. Is that your solution to everything? I asked.

    Of course not. Its a solution to most things.

    Uh-huh, I said. Whats the retirement plan for Samurai anyway?

    A Vanguard can stop assisting against the Antithesis at any time, though youd need to survive with your monthly allowance of points, which is a negligible amount.

    I hummed as I started taking the steps two at a time. The faster I could get to the roof, the faster Lucy and the Kittens would be out of here. And then... and then Id figure something out.

    Ive got two questions, I said.

    Im always listening.

    Creepy. First, should I be getting something. I dont know, armour or better gear. And second, the AA installation, will I need anything for it?

    Its quite possible that youll need some sort of interfacing tool to connect to a Vanguard-designed system. As for your equipment. Yes. Yes you definitely need better equipment. So far every tool youve purchased has been, in a word, lacklustre and of low quality. A proper handgun would cost hundreds of points, armour the same. The issue is that your point total is quite low. Spending it all now on mediocre equipment would make obtaining better equipment later difficult.

    I stopped near an intersection and looked around the corner before answering. That answer came in the form of a shrug. I dunno. You dont feel like some corpo drone, or one of the volunteers at the orphanage, you feel... like you?

    Had the AI been doing something to ingratiate herself? Itself. I guessed so. She even said that she was talking and joking with me to get me to lower my guard. I guess it had worked.

    I appreciate it. Truly. And yes, while I am trying to guide your development with an eye towards long-term gains, I also want to see you doing well in the short term.

    Very sappy, I said. Did my profile tell you how much I hate sappy shit?

    There is a note that your behaviour during the filming of some commercials and PR events centered around the more... disabled members of your orphanage was sub-par. I could infer from there.

    I snorted. Give me my new toys, and lets keep moving.

    New Purchase: Basic Targeting System Mark I

    Points reduced to... 206

    New Purchase: Hydra Autonomous Targeting Mount

    Points Reduced to... 106

    I took in the two boxes below me, one small enough to fit on my palm, the other longer than my arm and nearly a foot thick and tall. I opened the smaller one first to find a small device, L-shaped, with intricate little projectors and some bits that I didnt recognize.

    Press the longer section over your temple, the round ball at the end of the other bar should touch the bridge of your nose.

    I caught on soon enough. It was basically a sort of square, half-rim monocle that stuck to my skin as if glued on. The moment it was in place the projectors fired up and I now had a HUD over my HUD. Thats going to be annoying, I said.

    Youll get used to it, I suspect. Its mostly there to track your eyes motion and its hardware will do a lot of the work that your current gear cant. It will make more sense once you equip your other new piece of gear.

    I shrugged and tried to ignore the impression that I had a lock of hair tickling my nose where the targeting system was pressed.

    The second, bigger, box had a much cooler toy.

    Oh, I said. Then I started grinning.