This is Rom from the Packrat Sprawl, making waves and coming to you live and direct from the streets of Haven 15. I am an The Hole X-rated Magazine Shop today hanging with some hosts but right now we are being holed up by some arsehole Zone Police officers checking host cards on the hosts working the front today. My friend Alex is pissed off as they are hassling him. The Zone Police officer Xander Storm is on him hard. Lets check in on him.
Alex, the young host with dark eyes, dark hair and pale white pasty skin was tapping his foot anxiously as Xander Storm the Zone Police officer hovered in front of him staring at his host card. The host was worried Xander would haul him in because his host card was going to expire tomorrow. Xander ran the edge of the card through his handheld and checked on the ID numbers and encoding. He looked up at the host from under his helmet, the sun sparkling off the plastic covering his eyes and making him seem ominous in the riot gear, night stick attached to his hip and holster at his side with a loaded stun gun that could take you down easily writhing due to an electric shock.
“You know, Alex, your host card expires tomorrow?” warned Xander.
Alex rolled his eyes and crossed his arms in his puffy white coat with a hood. The fabric made a crunching sound as the threads brushed against each other. Xander handed him back the card which Alex snatched up quickly and deposited in his pocket.
“Yeah, I know I have an appointment at the Office of Affairs shortly if you let me get there, Zone Police. Don’t hold me up or I can’t pay my dues for the year.”
“A little arrogant, don’t ya think?” Xander cautioned. “Let me see your Echelons’ ID.”
Alex sighed and went into his pocket. He knew showing his Echelons ID that Xander was about to take it. The first step in getting hauled off to the Kedek Mines for being a delinquent if Xander called the truck. It was a little before curfew at 6PM and Alex would have to get to the Office of Affairs in the next hour before it closed. Alex shoved his hand in his back pocket and took out a wad of fresh credit bills, some of his Johns not wanting to pay with a credit card. He flipped the cash pile open and handed Xander his Echelons’ ID.
“You better get that cash off the street. Someone will rid you of it. That is a score. You must have been busy today. You don’t get your host card updated, no more working tomorrow for you,” barked Xander and took the Echelon’s ID and leveled his handheld over it and scanned the barcode on the front under the name. He put the card in his pocket.
“Can I have my card back?” asked Alex concerned.
“You best get to the Office of Affairs. Get me a renewed host card, then you get your ID back. Well, go…”
Xander waved Alex off who motioned to Rom who was sitting on the ground in front of the large The Hole window and he got up as Alex walked away. Rom followed him down the street.
“Arsehole. The Zone Police knows I am illegal on the street without an Echelons ID on me. He is trying to have me hauled in for hard labor,” barked Alex.
“Xander is a douche but he is fair. He is looking out for you. We can make if to the Office of Affairs before they close and be back in a snap. You have the fee to renew your dues and register?” asked Rom as he pulled his handheld out of his pocket and checked the hours for the Office of Affairs.
“Yeah, two Johns paid me in cash today. It was a good day. Three blow jobs and a screw. Got me credits to last the rest of the week and then some. Feel like taking in a restaurant. I was looking for a treat after we get this done,” Alex smiled.
“Sure, I don’t know if a restaurant will let me in. I must stink like the dumpster I was in earlier searching for food,” sighed Rom.
“Yeah, you kind of smell like shit. We can go to Tram, they shouldn’t care. There are always homeless kids there.”
“Sure, you got a deal. Come on we need to hurry if you want to get your host card renewed.”
Rom and Alex walked the next block and came up to the white Office of Affairs building. They got up to the second floor and signed in at the front counter. Rom threw himself into a plastic orange chair that was cracked and took in the room. There were posters for STD vaccinations ad early pregnancy tests as well as free mental health couseling session times listed near the glass window by the counter. There was a wire stand in the corner with anti-suicide literature and a large box nearby with free condoms. There were about five female hosts, a woman with a young child and three male hosts sitting in the chairs lining the room.
A nurse came out of the side door and called a name, the woman with the child got up and entered the back room with the nurse. Alex asked Rom for his handheld and went about looking up his account information for his credit card account he used for his johns. Rom inquired.
“Why don’t you get your own handheld? Don’t johns want to contact you when you have a gig?”
“Yeah a lot of my johns want me to get a handheld but it is too expensive the monthly service fees and charging the kedek cell every day is a pain.”
“You can charge the kedek cell at Hack the Tech and Ware nightclub for free at the pawn shop window. That is no problem,” added Rom picking his nails. He crossed his legs and sat back, the tails of his yellow trench coat touching the floor.
“Nah, too complicated,” said Alex and grabbed the pager at his belt loop. “The pager is all I need. They leave their name and address and the time I go meet them or they pick me up outside The Hole. No problem. I like it simple.”
Alex ran his credit card through the handheld and then counted the cash on him. There was a depository at the side of the Office of Affairs office that hosts could use to deposit money from their host jobs into an account like a credit union the Office of Affairs could setup for them to work and keep everything legal. Alex entered the amount of cash and then walked over to the depository drawer on the wall. He ran his credit card and put the cash in the slot and closed the drawer. He entered the amount on the screen and then system chimed accepting the money and released his card. He pulled the card out of the machine and went and sat back down running the card through the handheld and accessing his account making sure the money was now available. He handed the handheld back to Rom.
A moment later a nurse came out and called Alex’ name.
“Be right back.”
“Sure, I will wait for you,” said Rom, crossed his legs and settled in launching a game on his handheld to keep his attention. Rom opened the game Darklight and launched the Omnibus virtual avatar that brought up a list of game grids that were in play. A message displayed on the screen that there was a Darklight tournament currently going on in a back alley, an impromptu game area right behind the Office of Affairs. Rom tapped on accept for the invitation and would check it out once Alex came back.
Alex was gone for 15 minutes and came out of the back office waving his black host card. “Got it!” He called out coming up to Rom who stood up.
“You ready?” asked Rom showing his handheld to Alex.
“Yes what you got?”
“Darklight has a tournament going on right behind the Office of Affairs. I wanted to check it out for a minute before we get back to The Hole. Come with?”
“Sure, I just need to ensure I get my Echelons ID back soon otherwise I get caught on the street and they haul me to the kedek mines. Do you mind if I meet you there. I need my card first.”
“Sure, come meet me. I’ll hang until you show up then we can go to Tram.”
“Got it,” said Rom as they exited the building and Alex walked back to The Hole.
Rom took a left and went behind the Office of Affairs. He saw a bunch of people hovered down the alley with a light in front of them. Rom joined the crowd and started to push through to the front. He meandered his way through the crowd shoving his way forward and coming to stand in front of the fray. The 6 armed virtual avatar Omnibus Darklight with her long flowing white hair was hovering in the air and addressing the crowd. She was speaking as he looked down at his handheld and received a check in notice. Rom clicked the check in button an it loaded 120 points to his Darklight account.
“The Virtual Dystopia is around you. Who will step up and join the fray today. Its Darklight Time!” called out Omnibus raising two of her arms and clasping four others. She put her top right hand on her head and pulled a white card from her hair and held it in front of her.
Rom looked down at his handheld as did others in the crowd and wondering in anticipation of who Omnibus would pick to play the virtual tournament. He saw his account come up on the screen with his virtual avatar which looked like in him in a tan trench coat and a mowhawk. He had put special care into creating the avatar to make it as real as possible. His name in the game was “Rom5hack057.”
“Come my pretties. Virtual Player one. Crybaby214.” called out Omnibus and one of the people in the crowd stepped forward and to the left of Omnibus as she motioned with her hand. The kid had his handheld and was short with a skull cap on and dreadlocks shooting out in multiple colours.
“Yes my darlings. Virtual Opponent two. Rom5hack057.” Rom’s eyes got wide as he stepped forward to the right o Omnibus and clicked on the button that showed up on his handheld and joined his account to the impromptu game.
“The world of Darklight is around you. Ready your avatar. You are in for a fight. On me. Blessed are the players one and all. The Virtual Arena starts here,” cried out Omnibus pointing to the first player and then over at Rom. The Omnibus avatar spun around in a circle and then Rom saw his virtual avatar projected in front of him coming from his handheld. It hovered in the air as the other player’s avatar also materialized.
Omnibus brought her six hands up to her lips and held them there then blew out a kiss. “Select your fight!”
Rom keyed in his avatar as a ninja. The other player keyed in his avatar as a Samurai. The clothing for the two virtual avatars changed and Rom’s character was dressed in all black with a sword and a red tie at his forehead with a long tail that flapped in the virtual wind. The other player had a sword draped at his hip in full Samurai armour with a leather mask in red covering his face. Rom pulled the Darklight headgear out of his pocket and put it over his eyes. It lit up the virtual reality game grid in front of him as his avatar projected out so everyone could see.
“Players. Three. Two. One. Ready. Go. Darklight Time!” cried Omnibus and she pulled back quickly as the virtual game began.
Rom settled his feet and put his handheld in his pocket after clicking the “engage virtual psi” button on the screen. He put his hands at his temples touching the sides of the headgear and released his psychic power. The aegis or manifestation of psychic energy swarmed around his hands which he brought down in front of him and separated his fingers. His opponent put his fingers on his temples and the game began.
Alex returned two minutes later with his Echelons ID card and could see Rom engaged in the game with his virtual avatar in a sword fight with another person’s avatar.
Rom held his ground as his avatar was pushed back. The samurai swung his blade and connected with the ninja’s side. The ninja flipped backwards into the air and landed on the ledge at the second story window in the alleyway. Rom needed to ensure his life points did not deplete too quickly. The samurai looked up as Rom’s character threw seven shuriken in succession that hit the samurai in the hand forcing him to drop the sword. Rom’s character took that opportunity to launch into another attack.
The samurai reached for his sword but the ninja sliced into the avatar’s chest armour and downed the character. The opponent was shocked by the headgear and reacted his hands flying up to his temples as he felt the pain.
Omnibus spoke up as the opponent’s life force meter went to half. “Do you yield?”
Rom waited for the opponent to answer.
“Never,” cried the other player, recovering from the shock and Rom had his avatar motion for the player to pickup his sword.
Rom waited as the samurai setup again. Omnibus raised her hands and spoke up. “The next blow decides. There is only one winner!”
Rom circled the samurai with his ninja. The opponent was looking for an opening that Rom would not give. He could tell his opponent was growing anxious by the wait. The opponent blinked diverting his attention as wind blew down the alleyway blowing dust down the street. Rom took the opportunity to attack with his avatar.
A loud noise blew through the alley as a truck came around the corner followed by Zone Police.
“This is an illegal virtual game. Disperse immediately or you will be arrested!” came the voice over the megaphone as the Zone Police stormed the alleyway. Alex grabbed Rom’s arm and ran down the alley as the avatar for Omnibus disappeared and the crowd scattered on the warning.
Rom picked up speed as the alleyway because narrow and the buildings jutted up against each other. Alex slipped through single file with Rom swiftly tailing him, others behind. Rom looked back as he brought his hands up inching through the space. A Zone Police officer grabbed the person behind him and hauled him off. Rom scurried through an exited the alleyway. The ran around the corner and back to The Hole.
Rom leaned over and caught his breath when they were successfully back in front of The Hole window.
“Crap! I was winning. I could have beat him…” droned out Rom and took out his handheld looking at stats for the game.
“We got out of there right in time. The Zone Police will haul them off for playing. Darklight is illegal,” responded Alex.
“No, its not the game. It is the headgear that is illegal. A losing player’s energy blast will render a player unconscious or even kill them. That is what is illegal,” answered Rom and pulled the headgear out of his pocket which looked like a headband with a short antenna and a glass optical sensor.
“Let me see that,” asked Alex.
Rom handed over the headgear and Alex looked at it carefully. He put it over his eyes and didn’t see anything because the game was not engaged.
“It doesn’t work,” remarked Alex.
“It does, only when Omnibus is present and the game is engaged on the handheld.”
Alex handed the headgear back and Rom put it in his pocket.
“Did you get your Echelons ID back?”
“Yes, Xander was a dick about it but I showed him that my Host Card was renewed. He can’t touch me. Not a problem.”
“Hey, you were gonna feed me,” smiled Rom rubbing his stomach.
“Come on, lets go to Tram and get you something to eat. You haven’t eaten anything today, have you?”
“Nothing in 48 hours. I am starving.”
“Sure, come on…” said Alex slapping Rom on the shoulder and they went down the street to the Tram eatery.
