68. adaptation
The storm has passed.
It was not a real storm that scattered all kinds of pollutants on the ground, but it was the largest storm in nearly 7 years.
White Town is a psycho cyborg terror of the anti-corporate ‘Liberation Front’, and Junk Town is cluttered with hordes of bandits from the wasteland. Public security and public security battle robots are scattered on the streets, gangs and scavengers who have seen blood are hiding, and many alley shops have disappeared.
“There is one good thing, though.”
Leonard muttered as he walked down 11th Street, which was more empty than usual. After a while, I came out to play because I had a lot of money, but various illegal shops including Jack Turner’s gambling hall were closed.
“Because I can save credit?”
Max asked, chuckling. said Leonard, covering his cheeky mouth with candy.
“Because the work is increasing.”
Max rolled the candy left and right and looked at Leonard. The slightly out of focus seems to be reading something with a brain chip. At times like this, I realized that Leonard was not a pure human being.
‘It’s strange that I don’t have a single chip on the ground…’
Max shook off his sense of alienation and asked brightly.
“Has the job come in? Who are you?”
“Rattle Cooper.”
“Is this a corporate request?”
“It’s a request from an entrepreneur. They seem to be looking for a lot of skilled bodyguards.”
There are two industries that have boomed since the psycho cyborg terrorism, one being implant doctors and the other being fixers and mercenaries.
“You can check your own body, but if someone else’s body goes crazy and goes wild, there’s no way to stop it.”
“Can’t you use combat implants?”
“Fighting is not something that can be said to be good for the body. There is no technology yet to replace experience and senses.”
Military robots are severely restricted by society, and street gangs are less reliable than hungry cats, so the ransom of a solver with skills and credibility has skyrocketed. ‘Leonard Walker’ was one of them. Love calls poured in from brokers with corporate sponsors.
“Because if you get entangled with a businessman, you won’t see anything good.”
Leonard closed the message window. Even without a chip in the brain, I could tell from experience.
“Are you not replying?”
“I don’t accept requests like this.”
“why? How much will you give me?”
The pay was fine. It was a bit less than when I asked for a big question like the Wild Kid Gang this time, but it wasn’t bad in terms of a fixed and stable income.
“I’m a free wolf, so I hate a leash…”
“Don’t talk nonsense. Why not?”
Leonard glared at Max, who was cutting his back. It seems that he is now arguing that his hair was a bit thick.
‘is not it? Did you fight from the beginning?’
When I thought so, I didn’t mind it. Of course, it was possible to hit without being offended. right!
“Ouch! evil! Why do you keep hitting me!”
“If you feel unfair, grow taller.”
It was a good height to hit the crown. Leonard chuckled at the euphoria of improving his digestive function.
“And it’s not bullshit. These kinds of requests usually don’t have a promise. No one knows whether it will be in a year or ten years.”
“Isn’t long-term employment good? You don’t like salarymen?”
“I won’t stop you if you do it, but don’t go in when you’re flirting and don’t get arrested. Consider it when you retire.”
“When it’s hard to see the night dew because the wind gets in your joints?”
“Accurate.”
Leonard’s dream was to be in the hotel business, so it wasn’t worth considering unless he gave you 300,000 credits for a three-year contract. No, 300,000 was not enough because I needed credits to build, furnish, and promote.
“Do you have 255,000 credits left?”
Considering the balance, it was fortunate that Jack had closed the gambling house.
Leonard and Max ran all over 11th Street and found a grocery store that hadn’t closed yet. The reason is because a group of scavengers are threatening the owner with an iron pipe.
“A robber in the world these days!”
“It’s a robbery in today’s world.”
It wasn’t Jean Valjean who robbed a shop because he was hungry. It contains high-quality ingredients such as grain packs and powdered milk. It may be the mindset to rob delicious food, but it was not taken into account from the point of view of a ‘citizen’ who pays taxes regularly.
“Shall I kill him?”
Max drew a 9mm pistol from his thigh. Max marksmanship could have taken out at least two at this range. Still, with three left, he would not fight alone, but he firmly believed in Leonard.
“Put the gun in. White Town is nearby.”
I was tired when I got into a fight with a nerve sharp gong. Leonard put his hands in his pockets and trudged to the grocery store. Max hesitated before stowing the pistol.
“Hey, give me the credits too! Send it to the chip here, here! right now!”
One scavenger was greedy. Now, just the ingredients swept into the sack would be worth 1,000 credits, so what kind of cash do they want?
“If I take them all, what will the others do?”
“Who, who is that?!”
Leonard slowly approached the group of scavengers with what appeared to be weapons. To a person who doesn’t know well, it would seem like they were cautious because there were a lot of opponents, but they were only half right.
“Put that down and disappear. Then I won’t report it.”
“Are you alone?”
“Nope? Are there two?”
Leonard parted his lips, then closed them. It was the timing to say the famous line in the movie, but Max interrupted. Well, since it was a movie a century ago, no one would have laughed.
The group of scavengers laughed at the tall Leonard and the little Max every once in a while.
“I have no fear. Hey, give me credit too.”
“T-take off that coat too! Rain, it looks expensive!”
It was natural since it was a scavenger, but it was a cheap artificial eye. If he knew Leonard’s implant body and Max’s armament, he wouldn’t come wagging his stick.
“I heard that one-day puppies don’t know how to be afraid…”
“Tiger? Are you from Tiger Claw?”
Even if you are not afraid of the law, you are afraid of gangs. The scavengers looked at each other.
“Isn’t that your uniform?”
“Will they wear suits 24 hours a day?”
For being trash on the street, his lines were long. Thanks to this, the safety of the store owner was secured. Just in case, I planted a hacking program as a top priority, but I didn’t have to explode it.
“Aren’t you doing that?”
“It’s a hassle to clean up if you pass out.”
Leonard came within range of the iron pipe. The scavenger, who came to the conclusion that whether it was a gang or a nabal, would die if he cut off his head, gritted his teeth and swung the iron pipe.
“Just go.”
Leonard only slightly twisted his head and received it with his shoulder. The scavenger thought it was ‘hit’, but strictly speaking it was ‘blocked’.
Leonard’s body was a high-powered implant, and Leonard’s coat was a bulletproof vest made of cutting-edge materials with shock-absorbing capabilities. Even if he shot it with a rifle, he would hesitate or not, but there was no way he would be damaged by the iron pipe that the low-quality implant scavenger wielded arbitrarily. The one who realized that fact the fastest was the scavenger who hit him.
“Why… why are you fine?”
Leonard kicked the scavenger in the stomach instead of giving a kind explanation. Compared to Noah Lucas, whose whole body is a weapon, or Ryan Bone, who boasts war machine output, Leonard was no ordinary implant. The scavenger floated and flew into the store. No, it got sucked in. It was an unrealistic sight even on the ground where cyborgs prey.
“That’s a gang!”
“Damn it! Fuck it!”
Only then did the four scavengers, realizing that it was not serious, rushed in unison. Leonard removed his hand from his pocket.
There was no need to pull out a revolver or use a hacking module. I hit the iron pipe flying at my temple with my elbow and took a shot at the top of my head. It was on a different level from when he was caressing Max. He sat down with blood spurting from his nose.
The scavenger wielded the knife and handled it a little more roughly. Crossing the elbow and knee, he broke the hand holding the knife and pulled it straight to break his chin.
As the number decreased, it was much easier to deal with. Leonard took a step closer without waiting for the scavenger to attack. He avoided the whipping club with his waist and delivered a one-two punch. It was a neat move that seemed to appear in a boxing textbook. The scavenger’s head swung around.
The last scavenger, feeling that something was wrong, tried to escape, but it was already too late to avoid the exhilarating fixer’s grip. Leonard also knocked out the last scavenger.
“This works!”
Leonard kicked and rolled the scattered scavenger here and there. It’s rough on the outside, but it’s enough to replace a few implants, so you won’t die.
“Stop getting up.”
When Leonard kicked him out of the store, the scavenger, who had been kicked first and pretended to be dead, quietly opened his eyes.
“Take those friends. That’s why I didn’t kill you.”
The scavenger, who was about to bounce quickly, hesitated. I knocked on the calculator with my low-powered brain and kicked off an unconscious colleague. I thought I would die if left here. Not a neglected scavenger, but himself. that was the correct answer
Leonard confirmed that the scavenger gang had moved away and looked at the shopkeeper. His face was covered in blood as if he had been beaten several times while resisting.
“It’s a wild day.”
“I was able to live thanks to it. thank you.”
The shop owner woke up with a broken nose. Leonard smiled and said.
“Give me all the credits.”
“……”
“Just kidding. I am not that kind of person.”
Leonard handed over a cloth that might have been a towel or a rag and cleaned up the stray groceries instead. In the process, a box of grains disappeared, but the busy shop owner didn’t notice. Even if he had noticed, he would have overlooked it because it was a small sum of money compared to the property that would have been robbed. Even in Sodom, that level of humanity remained.
“It’s not good to be in business at a time like this. Well, from a consumer standpoint, thank you.”
“I was going to close the door from tomorrow. It was my fault for believing in the goddamn public security.”
Across the street was White Town. It meant a place where corporate public security patrols from time to time.
“They are busy these days too.”
“To protect the rich.”
I had already packed what I needed, but out of courtesy, I put a bundle of energy bars on the counter. Then the shop owner, who also knows manners, waved his hand.
“Just take it. It is a reward for saving you.”
Leonard put on an extra can of food with a kind smile. The store owner nodded shyly.
“Take that too… stop! stop! Take that far!”
Leonard, who was adding a fruit-flavoured drink and protein mixture, was sullen and only took canned food. The owner of the store even looked after the drink, wondering if it was too much.
“It is said that 21st Street is still in business. The gang releases people to protect the store. If you need anything, go there.”
It was twins too. There was a reason why they became the best gang in Junk Town.
“It’s funny how gangsters are more reliable than public security. I also want to move to the 20th street.”
“You will change your mind if you pay the seat rent. And how long can this situation last?”
“It could get worse.”
Because of the bandit raid, the ‘Liberation Front’ was overshadowed. The Wildkid Gang was still there. Even if the city becomes normal, people’s perception will not go back to the way it was before. The entrepreneur who recruited bodyguards with large sums of money was proof of that.
“I still have to adapt and live. Haven’t you always been like that?”
If the underground was the land of survivors, the ground was the land of pioneers. The shop owner, who understood Leonard’s words, forced a smile.