The midday sun's brilliance rose bright over the sprawling city of Sphinx as Ra graced the people of Egypt with his radiance. Great shining skyscrapers shot into the sky in a cascading circular pattern radiating from the centre of the deep Qattara depression. The central structure stood high over the city slinking out of a large lake acting as a landmark for lost and commercial travelers alike. A great beam of green energy constantly pulsed from in between two giant spiral cobras facing the beam with jaws open, it was simply known as Nehebkau-the seat of the new Pharaonic dynasty and a symbol of the duality of the people with their inner selves. A flock of Ibis flew over the city in a southward direction passing over structures of various architectural designs ranging from modern renditions of classical Egyptian-complete with bright fluorescents and smooth décor-to more contemporary angular and flowing designs from around the world. All with an underlying theme of protection and regal compromise. Underneath them, vast highways spanned to and fro within the massive framework, laden with heavy traffic and airways filled with automated drones. The flock-led by a bright red cardinal-dove low into the air over a dilapidated section, aptly named the scar, of the city where blackened ruins scattered across the desert sands jutted out of the flowing dunes and rolling hills. A thick man made canal flowed through this section acting as a barrier between the past and present. It still bustled with merchants and fishing ships and acted as an important artery for the city flowing from the Nile into it's centre.
A large ship with odd angular designs pulsing in a faint red pattern powered through the water at nearly breakneck speed. The waves pushed up from its stern, where a symbol of a snakes head in the shape of an 's' was visible, rocked the small beat up speed boat in pursuit. Barely keeping up the pace with the high class military speeder the old vessel bounced over the small white waves. Two stood upon its deck in wait for the right moment to strike each holding onto the railing upon the edge of the ship. A father and son in the depths of a journey fraught with danger and revenge. They found themselves chasing the home of the data they sought. The data stolen from their family only a week ago. A powerful but loose affiliation of companies that rivaled that of the new age powers. Largely remnants of extremist groups and closed down branches of subsidiary companies.
"Alri' son, are ya ready?" an old grizzled man well into his fifties said in a gruff foreign accent down to the last of his family. Both have been chasers since soon after the boy could walk and talk. Everything the man knew he instilled in his son. He couldn’t be any prouder to see those skills blossoming at the most important time of their lives. The most devastating and saddening time of their lives. The young boy showed promise in almost everything that he set out to do. great speed in running and strength in tough situations. Intelligence enough to lead others in jobs and give sound advice beyond his years. he looked down to his son with a twinkle in his eye. The boy had short hair brushed back but tasseled with the last weeks worth of work and running. simple running clothes designed for aerodynamic speed hugged his young frame where holes didn't show his skin. the designs of the companies they usually worked for stylized across the jackets breasts. a rectangular design with a flowing blue spade shaped design encased inside angelic wings held prominence over his left breast pocket.
The boy stood in contemplation for a moment looking down at a trinket he always seemed to regard before every major encounter. "I have to be pa, these bastards took momma," the object in the boys hand pulsed a strange aura off it that neither had ever seen before. A crystal that sat in the center that was only an egg shape before had opened somehow to reveal an amethyst dragon eye. from the top and bottom of the eye spiraled outward an alternating pattern of different hues of purples and lavenders that came to points about an inch away from the eye. Mimicking that of the Yin and Yang two royal purple wings spread out from the centre. The pulsing and open eye had only begun shortly after the family’s matron was slaughtered for information she had on a rival corporation. The boy resented and despised both companies for their involvement and wanted nothing but revenge against them for what has been pushed upon them, even though his father insisted that it was the ones they were chasing that were solely responsible, "they're gunna pay for it today!" He was letting his anger well up inside and boil in him to let out his fury against the evil that sailed right in front of them. They both knew that they could not let their adversaries reach into the inner city docks. if that happened they would be far outnumbered and outgunned.
"Good, then as soon as we reach that ship, ya jump with all yur might." The two spent all night and day chasing this particular group down after learning of the exchange of data from the very man that committed the heinous act on that fateful night, getting into fight after fight and using their knowledge of backstreets and alleys to keep up with the advanced movement speeds of these "Risers", as they've come to be called. Though they've only dreamt of setting foot in the great city of Sphinx, city designs were all alike save for a few quirks. The backstreets always ended in the same ways and wound around the city like unused Veins. The Risers have been a thorn in societies side since before world war broke out thirty years ago and conspiracies state they were involved in starting it. Most experts have come to agree it would have ended in almost certain doom for civilized society-and still might due to the weakened state the world is in-if not for the rival coalition of companies that rose up to stamp down the superpowers of the world before nuclear war spread.
It's one of the members of this coalition that his mother had info on. She didn't give it willingly, and neither would either family member. So the Risers killed her-with both of them bound and helpless forced to watch them slit her throat-and extracted the information from her brain. A gruesome process-the skull cracked open to reveal the brain and a needle injected into the portion that stores memory to pull out RNA from it to turn into viable data-that left both of them scarred and crying out for their lost loved one. The Risers set fire to their home and left them for dead without ever thinking of the people they worked for. the same night a team of emergency personnel came to douse the flames and free the two. they had urged them to stay put and give a statement but they refused and immediately set out on the trail of the demons in human skin. Revenge was deeply rooted in their minds from that moment onward.
The pilot of the little boat came quickly upon the stern of the Riser ship. The father yelled out a quick "thank you!" before they both jumped onto the aft of the ship. The captain of the small boat, a small time fishermen who decided to help the two, drifted away from the altercation before he could be identified by the Risers. The two landed on the deck with a loud thud and rolled each to a different side. The crew of the Riser ship turned upon them the instant they landed. Black and red security suits overlaid by ceramic plating of various shapes made them an intimidating force. Yet even their advanced visors, with situational awareness, were no match for a father and son seeking revenge. they immediately charged upon the pair with trained and precise alacrity. But were surprised by the response they received from the pair of bedraggled assailants.
The struggle happened quickly, and ended nearly as fast, as the son rolled into the first member of the crew, knocking him flat on his back. His father stepped down onto the visor, cracking glass directly into the man's eyes. The second came up swinging an electric shamshir-shaped baton of moderate length. The father ducked and swung a hard fist into his gut cracking the ceramics and causing the man to keel over. as the man fell to his knees the father gripped his head in between his two hands. with a quick and effortless twist the mans spine cracked with a broken neck before crumpling to the deck lifeless. He looked up to see several other crew members step out of the cabin that contained the bridge of the vessel. They motioned for each other to charge the pair before the elder motioned to the younger.
"Go below deck and find the server son, go! " The boy ran off without so much as a word. he slid down a small ladder into the second deck of the vessel. With fighting still heard up above, he crept down into the belly of the ship. Odd wires and tubes hung from the ceiling in random directions and an effulgent glow of red permeated from fiber optics running along the floor. The inside of the ship was a tangled mess of a maze of electricity and panels. The boy followed the wires deeper inside past a couple of monitors displaying vitals of crew and an interface of some sort. At least four crew members were displayed as incapacitated and three dead. The boy eventually, with little trial and error, came to a large doorway with a huge box-like structure in the next room. Glowing patterns and lights blinked in random orders on its surface and it hummed with an uneasy tone that seemed to creep into the boys mind. Visions of his mother lying bleeding and dead with her mouth reacting to his cries. voices telling him evil things that he fought with believing, "she never loved you! you let her die!" and vile cryptic things such as, "your world is mine rodent! your father will be soon too," with maniacal incessant laughter following each phrase. The amulet he kept in his breast pocket pulsed and the voices sank back into the depths of the glowing red and black box.
Without much more hesitation, the boy lunged past the guard that sat beside the inner doorway and stuck a driver into the server. It pinged on with a small green light. The guard immediately stood and rushed at the boy. "Hey you little brat, come here!" The boy dodged his fist and ducked under a small pipe sticking out of the server. He turned to face his adversary and saw the pipe was labeled "coolant". With a smile the boy stepped back with his hands up. "Hey, I don't have trouble with you man, just who you work for". The guard didn't seem to care in the slightest and inched toward him. He flexed his fists and pushed into the palm of the other.
"I don't care squirt." he charged over the pipe towards him and the boy kicked it as hard as he could. The pipe exploded upwards in a spraying mist of freezing cold chemicals. The body of the guard fell to the floor locked up and frozen. Chunks of hardened plating broke off onto the floor as they began to slowly melt. The advanced and expensive suit's inner workings being the very object of the mans fall. The boy jumped back and ran around the machine to get back to the drive. The small sleek body of it blinked in a faint green light signaling it had finished downloading what it needed to, in exchange for a quick working virus that began to shut the ships automated systems down. The reward of a chase they were hired on to do a long time ago. He pulled it out and began the escape back to the surface. Dodging pipes and wires spurting electricity and flames the boy made it into the hallway yet again. Bright warning lights flashed revolving from the ceiling. several outlets and computers clinging to the walls now spurted flames and sparks. The boy made it back to the top deck. The only thing he noticed among the vast towers and other civilian boats was a dozen Riser airships flying towards them as his father was running towards the helm. Easily ten men lie dead or seriously injured on the deck of the ship.
"Dad we have to move now!" The boy began to rush after his father to the helm. leaping over the bodies of the Risers at his feet and grabbing hold of railings as the ship lurched from one side to the other from explosions rocking it from within. with the virus working they had to make it to shore quickly. "Or we might end up a feast for Sobeks children!"
"I know son hold on tight now," the ship lurched forward as he pushed on the control stick causing his son to stumble back before catching a large pole that would've been a mast on older ships. This seemed to be a transmitter instead. Water began to slosh onto the deck as his father dodged boats and lane dividers rushing headlong into oncoming shipping traffic. As the ship began to slowly capsize with each rock bodies fell into the water below. The boy followed it and watched as a crocodile leapt up from the water dragging the body into the red depths below. A sleek airship passed in front of them and maintained distance ahead of them as it began spurting out loud soundwaves and others began launching torpedoes into the water around them. The torpedoes only exploding near the ship trying to send them flying from its deck. The boy knelt down and began holding his ears against the onslaught before noticing one of the knocked out men at his feet.
He rushed to take the helmet off of the man and put it over his own head. It fit slightly loosely but never the less the sound quickly dissipated and at the same instant the man woke and began screaming and rolling in pain. The boy snatched another and ran up to his father handing it to him. The pain that was visible vanished with his shoulders relaxing as he regained control of the ship. A Riser dropship flew overhead quickly dropping several assault droids onto the deck. The Risers seemed to be getting serious now. Up to this point they've only been dealing with this one crew of Riser employs but now full on assault droids equipped with carbonization beams and individual virtual intelligence have been brought in. This info his Mom had must be highly valuable. The droids were humanoid and sleek with small imprints of where the manufacturers symbol and serial number once sat. A small rectangular symbol with two angled triangles off one side. He worked for that company once to track down some missing files stolen from them about some secret project. The droids were mostly human in figure and looked the part but were unfinished and lacking skin in places. Instead of clothing they wore the same plating as their human counterparts.
One aimed towards the boy and readied to fire. The boy scooped up a Riser lying on the floor and blocked himself with the mans body. The mans chest disappeared in a puff of smoke to the boys amazement. He pulled a pistol off the dead mans hip and fired at the droid, the bullet ripping into the robots chest straight through its nav computer. It walked right off the side of the boat before much longer and a second stood from its fall and leapt at the clear and present threat, its menacing claws ripping through the air at the boy. It pinned him down to the metal plating underneath him and raised a large titanium fist. Red lights blinked from inside its eye sockets with the light bouncing off of the pole beside them. The boy chanced to look at it and saw a loose panel with sparking wires sticking out and a wisp of smoke rising from behind its casing. The grip of the bot was far too strong to wrestle away from so the boy decided to slam his fist into its arm as it barreled downward at his face. Beside from the pain in his knuckles, it caused the metal fist to slam into the viral wires of the ship and electrocute his assailant. His fist stung with pain as a faint pang of fear crept into the boys chest before it was relieved by the droid releasing its grip before the electricity crept down to the boys chest. The bot then stood and attacked one of its allies as green electricity sparked around its frame. The two grappled with each other with speed unknown to common man. the bout between the two lasted moments each landing multiple successive hits on the other before the corrupted one grabbed the Riser droid and flung them both into the rushing waters below. the sound of ships colliding could be heard from the canal ahead of them as several civilians scrambled to get out of the way. Some jumping overboard to avoid a collision with the speeding vessel.
"damn, son I'm heading for that dock hold on tight and be ready to run! " the father exclaimed before lurching the craft to the left directly towards a civilian fishery. The heavy listing pushed the boy back into the bridge next to his father. he leaned against a control panel as he watched the ship speed toward a large warehouse on the shore of the canal. Unsuspecting civilians labored and loitered about the fishery, a man directly in their way was just pulling up a huge net full of fish yelling to dock hand that stood transfixed at the careening ship.
"what? Dad no! " the boy thought he must have been crazy they'll die for sure. To the boys chagrin there was no convincing him before the craft pounded into the side of the building launching them both forward through the windshield of the ship. The remaining droids disappeared into the building at the same time. A few landing near where the boy saw himself launch toward. Everything went black as the boy slammed into the ground beside his father. The last thing heard was the humming from dropships outside and screams from workers of the fishery as footsteps rushed inward towards them. All this just before a huge cracking sound was heard from above and the boy opened his eyes to see a cloud of dust surround him in a darkened room.
There he stood, the sunlight inching up toward high noon, on the banks of the Nile canal. The great city of Sphinx, reaching upwards into the sky as if stretching to the goddess of the sky herself, at his back and the ruins of the past ahead of him. He always felt an odd inkling towards the Scar. It pulled on him like an itch, Never letting go even when he was in other countries. Almost as if there’s something he has to do there. Or someone perpetually in trouble. Or even a deeper issue that words couldn't describe. An evil that permeated all around the Scar. An evil that seemed so severe and menacing that it had to be contained.
The solid six foot tall man stood staring up at the walls that were built to keep the old locked away from the new. A feeble attempt at burying the past. With his wedding in just a few hours Drexx, as his name came to be, felt adventurous and decided to try and map out a small section of it. He made a small time living on mapping out old sectors of the sprawling city or lost ruins jutting out far into the desert and selling them off to companies looking to stake a claim, or to reclaim, in these dilapidated buildings. His eyes darted about the façade looking for any protrusions. large stylized figures of various creatures and heroes stood upon it. Impressions of Horus or Osiris mimicking their ancient tales and legends. In particular several grotesque creatures stood in various places. Writhing snakes breathing fire or monstrous ill shaped ogres with protrusions of bloodied and broken human body parts. They were almost as if they were a warning against intrusion upon the Scar. He finally glimpsed a solid hand hold in the form of a mans hand and began a quick nimble climb over its surface. The man resembled himself in form with loose shoulder length hair and a strong average build. But instead of the modern armour he wore, he was naked save for a crown resting atop his head It was a bit odd of a feeling to have someone depicted on the façade that mimicked himself so well. Especially to be the handhold that he chose to use this time around. He nimbly pulled himself up on the top of the wall where a faint energy could be felt. Almost never did anything escape the Scar save for the more natural creatures such as the Ibis flock that fluttered overhead and past the ruins into the farmlands and fisheries beyond the outer wall. Immediately upon looking into the Scar an air of unease washed away the falsehood of safety. It was always here, no matter how many expeditions he made into the scar. Always scratching into his soul and mind making him want for the comfort of the life outside the ruins.763Please respect copyright.PENANA8mkuW7PPRf
Drexx leapt down off the perimeter wall into the darkness beyond landing with a soft push from his boots releasing pressurized air to soften the fall. He now turned to find he stood below a 10 foot crumbled wall with ivy and moss creeping up it's surface. The kind of creeping moss that made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. It slinked upwards on the wall of the old building and slightly pulsed with a red tinge blotted around it. The ivy squeezed into the rock and concrete surfaces that it clung to and etched an inch deep impression into them. The shadows in between the two walls felt thick. They didn't look particularly dark but it was odd to see shadows in the mid day sun where logically it should have been bright. The urge to immediately escape the surreal scene flushed over Drexx's mind. He darted almost frantically from the shadows with the faint feeling of a presence trying to reach out at him from behind. He turned the corner to find himself in the centre of a dilapidated road atop a hill. He looked out to see that the Scar stretched far into sector three of the old city of Sphinx. Looking downward from the hill he saw myriads of old vehicles and objects sitting lifelessly along the roads. towards the end of the particular road he was perched atop he saw an old car garage. Old cars lay scattered in heaps and destruction still lay the inners of the buildings bare. Looters and scavengers have long since cleaned the structures out of valuables and scrap. Wind blew up from the bottom of the hill and brought a thick foul smell with it. Something like rotting death. Slight movement caught his eye to the left inside the lower levels of a toppled sky scraper. Nothing lived inside the Scar except mutated unfortunates, vagrants, and as Drexx came to learn in his time spent here, an odd assortment of deadly creatures making the Scar their new ecosystem. A very dangerous area for a single man to be wandering around in on his own. But Drexx wasn't an ordinary cartographer he was battle ready equipped with stolen and modded Riser tech.
A full heads up display showing vitals, situational awareness and structural integrity statistics. Health readings pulsed on his forearm displaying oxygen levels and blood counts. Body armour casing wrapped his body with environmental protection from low degree fires or concentrations of neurotoxic gasses. The suit itself was strong enough to withstand most weapons used by the risers themselves, who often patrol the scar for reasons unknown. Putting his hand up to his ear and touching a small sensitive button a visor shot over his face and pulsed a scan of the structure revealing the inside with clarity. Not only did human vagrants and mutants reside in the upper levels but also strange creatures in the darkest reaches. Townsfolk in the outer circles of Sphinx often regale each other with tales of unnatural beings and monsters lurking within the scar. These tales were only just that, mostly tales to the city dwellers. Drexx knew all too well that they were true. He tangled with more than a few of the ghastly creatures in his time exploring the scar. A familiar shape darted through the darkness as it got highlighted by his visor. A small imp-like creature with the body of a long deceased human baby as its vessel. Many lives were lost in the war that caused the Scar to be lost to the city. Entire families' lives lost in instants as the group opposing the rise of the Pharaoh stormed the city in classic blitzkrieg fashion. Yet this creature held in its form more than just the body of a child. Its wings jutted out from its back like a vulture and the things claws were well known to Drexx. Sharp enough to slice through reinforced metal plating and a life swiftly. He decided not to head towards any of the buildings near him and instead held up his hand, palm outward to scan the area and map out its statistics and structures. seeing as this area was infested he would sell the data to the company his wife currently worked for. They had a specific branch for reclamation and environmental renewal.763Please respect copyright.PENANAjS3YxIwBLG
At the thought of his wife a light flashed on his wrist with a quiet ping. An alarm he set for being almost late to his wedding. "Damn," a rolling Coptic accent mixed with a touch of modern finesse slid off his tongue. Quickly turning around he directed his gaze back to the wall separating him from the city proper. It was perfectly smooth without so much as even a bolt holding together plating or grooves where two separate sections met. an insurmountable barrier for the common denizens of the Scar yet for himself it was much less so. He darted toward the sleek surface and bounded upward as he reached its base. propelling himself upward using mobility actuators he was able to cling to the surface somewhat like a spider or an ant. The moment his feet touched the surface of the walls top again he turned back to look down at the Scar. It was almost like a cancer or virus plaguing the city with a dark aura about it. Even as the sun reached high it barely touched the tips of broken highways and shattered lives. Deciding to head back towards his wedding, held in the third circle of sphinx not too far from the Scar, he turned toward the canal and stepped in the general direction he had to go. Not far from where he was a bridge ran across the river to the outer most circle of the city. Addresses were set up in a spiral pattern emanating from Nehebkau being one all the way to the last home built being somewhere in the tens of thousands. On this side where the Scar sat nothing existed except barren desert far into the Egyptian countryside. Several farms and towns dotted the landscape reaching towards what was once lower Egypt. The desert itself has seemed to have changed from the barren wasteland that elders always talk about. The new Pharaonic dynasty has aided in ushering in a new golden age world wide. While still somewhat barren much more life flourished all over the depression. Cresting the horizon in nearly all directions was a large canopy of tropic forest atop the depressions high cliffs.
He leapt off the wall and landed with a light burst of air from his soft fall boots and began to move toward the bridge. Before he reached too far towards the bridge he noticed a chase across the river from where he was. Two figures, one barely a teen, ran from Risers through a thick crowd of people. Knowing the Risen, that crowd could be hurt. Especially seeing the force the two fled from. A full assault fleet hovered overhead dropping troops in their way and even assault droids. Drexx’s distrust and abhorrence for the Risen drove him to choose helping the two rather than ignoring it. He could feel as if another force called upon him to act. Something in his conscious wouldn't let him walk away this time. Something seemed to lock directly onto the boy calling out to his very soul for help. He scanned the river for any other avenue of crossing and his visor lit up several ships that would align perfectly in just a few seconds. A path opening up before him luckily at just the right time and place to allow swift movement across the thick canal.
He quickly shot forward with a boost of speed from his suit and reached the shore just in time to jump onto a civilian cruiser passing in front of him. He pushed through several men and women probably on a tour of the city "excuse me, coming through, look out." he called out to the crowd before air pushed out from his suits propulsion jets pushing him slightly into the air as he jumped towards the next vessel. A ship with green and orange designs running along its bow with a large blue symbol shining from its stern. He didn’t get a great look at it but it was probably a United Corporations vessel. These are in opposition to the Risers who have been largely toying with the populace. The U. C built and owns most of Sphinx but as long as no dirt is dredged up about the Risers operations nothing can be done. An operative on the ship attempted to stop Drexx who just stepped onto restricted territory, "stop there sir! " his hand brushed Drexx's shoulder before he let it drop. The man had a small air of authority about him. But didn't try any harder to apprehend Drexx or get in his way. Following Drexx's path with his eyes the officer must have seen the Riser activity on the far shore.
Drexx waved him off passing in between him and a wall to the cabin of the ship before launching himself towards a fisherman's metal felucca. He could hear the man behind him talking to a superior through his headset something about him being odd and describing the Riser activity on the far bank. Likely that company was going to follow the commotion as well. The man on the felucca immediately jumped up on the deck swinging a fishing rod at Drexx. He dodged it and did a side flip towards the water where just in time a large drone flying low passed under him. He landed on it and used his weight to drive the drone into the right direction directly over the crowd the chase was going to reach in no time. If the Risers reached them casualties would start to rise. Bad for the Risers' reputation of course but if lives could be saved then Drexx would intervene if he could.
As he fell into a clearing in the middle of the crowd several saw him and cleared an area around him. He grunted as he landed and looked towards the pair running at him. The crowd quickly grew aware that they were in danger and began scrambling out of the way. He stood and flipped on the battle suite in the suits mods. Instantly highlighting possible innocents and enemies in green to red respectively. The two individuals stopped short as they saw him standing in their way. He motioned them to move behind him. They were hesitant at first but the younger urged the older to follow the order. He was definitely distant from the idea due to Drexx having on a Riser suit only with different colors. How could they know he wasn't their enemy playing a trick on them. Caution was good in Drexx's mind. it meant that there was something important here. The Risers definitely don't chase down idiots. They usually try any means to get rid of an issue in the dark first.
The Risers giving chase stopped in their tracks and began to close off avenues of escape. "hand them over chaser. We have no quarrel with you." The one speaking stepped forward from the rest with a carbonizing rifle in his hands. Drexx was no Chaser and being assumed so aggravated him. These two must have been Chasers then. He disliked the group as vagrants that hindered progress but regardless, what the Risers had in store was nothing he wished upon others. Especially a kid. and being assumed he was part of them clearly showed the desperation of the Risers who usually are well versed in the situation at hand.
Drexx looked behind him to the pair. They were clearly tired. And beaten. They both had bruises all over them and their clothes were tattered into naught but rags. He could see the emblem of the U.C. on the chest of the younger though. Chasers in the employ of the United Corporations was a bit odd here in Sphinx. They usually kept those operatives to less controlled areas like nearby Benunutet, a farming village. He motioned towards them then shook his head back at the leader. "they're not going anywhere but to safety with me." The leader acted agitated and raised his gun towards Drexx. The man must not recognize his own issue of armor. A simple carbonization wouldn't affect it much more than a slight puff.
"then all three of you are going to die here." He pulled the trigger and immediately a puff of smoke wafted off of Drexx's chest without so much as a sound from the rifle. "what?" And just as Drexx knew would happen the carbonization only penetrated the very outer layer of paint on the torso of his armor.
With a light chuckle Drexx mocked the Riser "You should be more well informed about your enemies Riser." At that the man holstered his gun to his back and charged at Drexx. Risers hated being called that. It was a title of spite and hatred given to them by the people that got affected by them. The awareness in his suite notified him of a weakened plate on the man's left side. It had cracked as if being frozen and shattered. Drexx utilized that opening and blocked the man's first hook punch and wrapped his arm around his back and kicked hard into the man's side shattering the plating there even more and driving several chunks into his flesh. The Riser fell to his knees in pain and yelled out a command to take the three down. Clearly outnumbered and surrounded Drexx jumped to one side whip kicking another in the face shattering his visor and creating an opening. Without hesitation the pair bolted through the opening and Drexx dropped a smoke bomb onto the ground. Even though these guys have tech to see through the dense fog it still takes a moment to register giving the trio vital seconds of escape time.
"Follow me I know the area well," Drexx called back to the two as he dodged into an alleyway lined with restaurant signs and automated grocery stores. Where one would expect filth or ragged homeless was instead a clean artery and drain for water from the canals overflow or rain. Automated grocery drones picked up and dropped off packages and where beggars were seen in ages past instead stood entrepreneurs pushing their wares and taking breaks in the well lit alley. The other two immediately followed suit feeling comfort at finding an ally. Drexx ducked into a small tavern off to one side and barged through toward the back to reach an exit. It too was far cleaner than any the pair were used to. instead of creaking floorboards and dark corners, the floors were brightly polished and the common room was well lit with not an unsavory character in sight. Bright tapestries hung upon the walls and over the windows that let in the midday sun even here at the base of extravagant and tall skyscrapers. The waitresses varied in build as well as outfits. In such an elaborately adorned drinking hall you would expect to find finely clad waiters and waitresses. Which here was indeed the case yet you also found young women working in clothing seen as attractive and showing skin along their legs and waists. Some men would always act upon their base desires to hit on and grope the women. It was for these men, Drexx had learned long ago, that establishments like this one kept loosely clad women around for. The women usually found wearing these uniforms weren't forced into it. Rather it was always the case that these women were more naturally promiscuous. Better to send them to the men they were more inclined to then the women that didn't appreciate that attention.
Drexx led the pair past several tables and groups of patrons as he approached the kitchens and rear rooms. The tables were carved of the finest marble laden with silken table clothes. the mugs filled with sweet smelling liquor of various grades and the patrons reveling in the midday break. Almost none paid and regard to the trio passing rapidly through the room until the Risers burst in behind them bringing the festivities to an end. immediately several other exits saw extensive use as the patrons fled out of them in an attempt to escape the altercation. A burly woman with her hair bunched up in a bun and an apron covered in butchered blood blocked his way and turned to him. "ah so now ya thinkin yur good enough to barge through n pummel me tavern eh Drexx?! " she patted a rolling pin in her hands as she stared down at the trio.
"Bella calm down these two are bein chased by the Risers. Im helpin' em out to safety." Drexx stood anxious knowing the Risers were close on his heels.
"Oi wot's that then? These scrawny pipsqueaks wanted by the Isers eh? Well any enemy o thems a freind o mine go on through. But Drexx ya still owe me lad!"
"I'll make that up to ya Bella. Thanks again" He motioned for the others to follow as a commotion rose up in the bar behind them. Seems the girls were keeping the Risers busy for now. They exited into another back alley and made their way to an under cropping of fences and grasses. His wedding and hired security lay just beyond that. "Right through here guys." He held open a small cut in the fencing for them to pass through. They fit through with ease save for the elder who had to suck in his gut a little to make it in. The underside of the Sphinx sky scrapers all stood upon large stilts to prevent damage from normal flooding from the canals. It was a normal occurrence to allow for better fertilization in Benunutet and the granaries and other farms along the outskirts of the city. The ground was moist and slippery. Drexx rushed the pair along through a mazework of fences and struts. Several large chunks of old stone and ruined outcrops stuck up from the sand and grass in shadowy areas. Sounds of what seemed like full blown warfare trickled down from above them. Something else was going on here other than a couple of Chasers being hunted. Small chunks of red hot metal and a couple bodies of Risers began to fall down around them as they pushed through the underbelly of the city.
As the trio passed into a fenced enclosure the wind picked up around them as a Riser dropship hovered overhead. Several men in more advanced armors dropped down and aimed their weapons at them. Their visors already lit, the smoke won’t buy any time. Drexx stood between the two and the Risers in a standoff. The Risers seemed to be waiting for him to make the first move. The hum of the dropship over them created a deafening din. As the silence grew and the pair behind him became noticeably antsy his situational awareness noticed something else overhead. A second ship drawing near. The Risers didn't seem to take note of the approaching visitor. "get ready to run. That way there's a small opening between the fences." He motioned to a couple of fences jumbled together underneath a large building's support struts. The fences seemed to have been torn open by some small force and some rubble lay scattered around it.
Before long the Riser ship got slammed against the lower portion of a building causing the ground units to look towards it. It was a dropship with the same designs as the U. C boat that Drexx passed across. The three took this opportunity to slip away from the Risers again. This time they didn't give chase due to several troops dropping down and a loud firefight ensued behind them. They could hear explosions and gunfire ring through the area. Fighting had broken out in many areas around them as if they were caught in the middle of a war. Drexx's wedding was being held in a lavish atrium just above them a few stories up. Hopefully safe from harm. Somehow he felt as if he was too late. If there was heated fighting down below there must be something important to have prompted it. An elevator sat not too far from them but was only meant for secure access. He used his suit to get down here so they needed to find another way up. Looking around there was nothing but support structures and fences all around. "damn. All right we’re at a loss here. That elevator wont work without specific access permissions. You guys got any ideas?"
"if Ima seeing correctly thataway there's a maintenance shaft we might be able ta use" the older one said. The younger stayed quite. It must be far. When Drexx looked in the direction he spoke he could barely see the shaft he spoke of. With only a few maintenance lights lit up near it. Footsteps stomped towards them crunching drier grasses and sloshing through wetter mud. Only a couple now when there were at least a dozen Risers back there. That other troupe must have handled them pretty well. Several bullets hailed past the group from behind two Riser soldiers. An explosion rang out from somewhere above them and rubble slammed into to the ground not far from them "looks like we're still bein' followed sir! We move now!" the three immediately ran in the direction of the shaft.
Before long the fences closed in on their route. Only a small opening lay before them through the twelve foot tall fence. Immediately the younger dodged through and almost kept running before turning to see the elder standing with the man in armor on the other side. "dad come on! Come through!" his eyes lit up with expectation and a touch of fear. Drexx turned to look at the man whose face was turned away and lowered to the ground looking at his closed fist. He was lost in thought. The boy took a step toward the fence with an air of unease melding through the air. He gripped his chest with hope in his eyes.
"I can't fit through there son,” Tears streamed down his hard cheeks as he looked through the thin barrier to his son. The boy grabbed the fence and shook it screaming that he can make it. The shaking metal echoed around them. “Looks like this is it," he turned toward Drexx who could feel an air of sorrow wash over the scene. “I'm sure that fancy suit can getcha through somehow," He held out a small flash drive. With a tone of unquestionable confidence and trust in his voice he said "Me n ma wife died for this data. Put it to good use against..." He was cut off as a thick circle appeared through his shoulder. He screamed in pain as Drexx grabbed the drive. "get outta here!” he turned and charged toward the Risers shooting at him. Drexx fought back the urge to chase him down but knew his suit couldn’t handle that mans weight. He slipped the drive into a slot on his armor and looked to the boy who was distraught and struggling to get through the fence as he cried out for his father. Drexx air-jumped over the fence and scooped up the kid who was clinging to the fence yelling at his father. He then turned to look towards the man rushing to his certain death on the other side. He had just dodged the movement from a second blast to the chest and slammed his shoulder into the man pointing the rifle at him. he grabbed the rifle as he drove the mans head into the ground with a heavy stomp. for a moment it seemed he would make it out of the scene when suddenly a Riser ship cascaded down into the battlefield. It crashed down with intense force bringing a large portion of a skyscraper from above with it. The old man was able to dodge the debris as it took the Risers out one by one. A thick plume of smoke and dust washed over the scene with the last glimpse of a Riser hitting the old man in the back of the neck pushing him down to his knees. Drexx began to walk away with a feeling of guilt and sadness welling up inside him.
"no let me go! We have to help him please!" the boy fought with Drexx all the way to the shaft where his father fighting off the Risers was out of sight. The boy kicked and screamed against Drexx's hold. Drexx ignored the boys thrashing to look up at the maintenance shaft. The shaft consisted of a series of ladders and platforms with rust and degradation in abundance. Easily scalable for Drexx but the boy would have to get up on his own. The air-jump wasn’t powerful enough for both. Drexx set the boy down and pushed the visor off. The boy sat distraught in the brown grass and falling dust.
"Hey kid. That was your dad huh? " The boy didn't answer "hey talk to me. My name is Drexx what's yours?" It was Drexx's best attempt at getting the boy to talk to him. It was him and the boy now. Sure he had invaluable data against the Risers but the young boy wasn't about to be left to the wolves.
"Everyone calls me Tutor." The boy responded reluctantly. Clearly he didn’t want to talk about the situation. Both parents were gone now from what the father said earlier.
"Is that because your smart? You must be to be able to take this from the Risers." He held up the flash drive. Small sleek and with designs that seemed familiar to him. Similar to a company he sold Scar data to not too long ago. The same his wife worked for.
"y-yeah," tears started streaming down his cheeks. "why did he...why? " He looked down and covered his face in his hands. The sobs were clear and shook his body, grief washed over the pair as Drexx sat back on his leg giving the boy some time to mourn. The family was very close for this to take effect without them knowing if the father actually had died or not. That was a feeling Drexx envied in the boy. He was orphaned at a young age and left on the doorstep of a monastery in the Himalayas. His parents either abandoned him or were killed off with pity taken out on the young Drexx. He never got to experience the family side of growing up. And watching the boy mourn and scream in mental pain at the loss of a second parent made him long for the experience of family love.
"so you could live on Tutor. I know I don't seem trustworthy wearing the same suit as those guys but don't you worry. I hate those bastard corporations probably more than you do." The boy looked up at him an odd twinkle in his eyes. "now lets get up this shaft. It'll take some work and skill are you up for it?" Loud voices and noises were heard in the distance. "we have to do it quickly. Or his loss will be for nothing."
Tutor stood up and looked up the shaft. It was a mangled mess of loose panels old ladders and broken railings. Perhaps the Scar wasn't the only mark left by the war. Sections of city became left unattended to as the resources became delegated to restoring the Scar. Despite how scary it looked to him the boy nodded toward Drexx. "I have to trust you. Dad seemed to have." He wiped his tears away and contained his sadness behind a quivering lip. He wondered if his dad had saw something he doesn't.
"Good now I have greater reach than you. Let me scan this thing and find your best route ok?" Tutor nodded as Drexx stood putting the visor back across his face. He looked up and scanned for the boys route. A calming voice echoed out from inside his head.
"All routes seem perilous yet the outlined blue path is with the lowest probability of failure given the boys stature Drexx." It chimed off with a ding as always. Drexx never knew what that voice was. He always received it. At least since he was very young and still had a Monk to look after him. They always said it was a great honour to receive the voice yet he didn't feel any different then what he remembered from before the day he first received it. They told him it was the voice of the great Keter. No matter how much prodding he gave to the voice only the name he would get back. And the monks were in pure reverence to its teachings. He didn't have much time to prod them about it before the day he was forced out of the monastery. He pushed the thought away before the memory crept into his sight again.
"I don't see any blue sir. " Drexx looked down to him wondering at the statement. No one else has ever heard what Keter was saying save a few Keter had chosen to be involved. But they were always gifted with Keters presence as well. The boy couldn't possibly have the honor of it all. A pull suddenly sparked between the two. Drexx looked down to the ground in between them where he saw a faint odd connection of blurred movement. he felt compelled to say something to the boy.
"Keter is an amazing thing would you like to see? " Something inside him compelled him to say to the boy that even he was dumbstruck by what the boy implied. That he could hear what he thought only he could.
The voice chimed in again, "I can bless him with my knowledge as you have been if need be Drexx. " Blessed? That was new. It was never called a blessing before. nor was it even implied it was given by Keter directly. it always seemed that it was some force that just happened to some individuals. If it was given then how many were blessed by Keter? It also seemed particularly odd that Keter would do so in this situation.
"Blessed? " the boy seemed confused. A newer age of people seemed to forget or abandon religion. They believed far more in fact and reason. The world that revolved around them was their god. Newer religions even stated it so pulling from several other holy books to teach truth in actions and goodness of heart opposed to appeasing a god by their faith. He had encountered many members of one that was fully all encompassing. It had Christians to Muslims in it working together to spread their faiths teachings in an open minded way. It was so strange compared to the hatred and bigotry he had learned of the world before he was born. This was similar to the monks that worshipped Keter. In fact both had him as a presence in their beliefs. The thought briefly crossed his mind that the monks that raised him could be of that faith. He stuffed the thought away as another shake rocked the ground around them.
“Wait you heard that?” Drexx looked down to the child finally past the small shock. The voice chimed in again almost lifelike and smooth if a bit ragged. “The boy already has the blessed blood. It only needs to be activated.”
The thought of someone else hearing Keter left Drexx stunned. Before too long a faint hum could be heard in the distance along with the sounds of gunfire. Some explosions over head pushed hot air down the shaft. “damn they’re on their way. Ok Keter do it if it’ll help.” At that the link between them shone with a faint light. Almost immediately the boys eyes began to glow a light green.
“What is? I feel,” He paused momentarily before looking up at the shaft reacting to something up there “warm. Ok Keter I see the blue path. It looks scary how do I? Ask Drexx?” The boy looked up to Drexx with an air of wonder and amazement in his eyes. He seemed to suddenly see Drexx in a new light.
“you start after me I’m going to lower that ladder then stay parallel with you all the way up. If you fall I'll catch you don’t worry.” Tutor positioned himself near the ladder in question. Drexx jumped with surprising alacrity into the air reaching the lever to lower the ladder within a few bounds. It shot down as a cloud of dust puffed into the air when it slammed into the ground with a screeching halt. The ladder rattled as it hit the ground with a hard clang. Several rungs dislodged from its frame and hit the ground with a loud clamor.763Please respect copyright.PENANAm1jmpWirLv
Tutor grabbed a hold of the first rung of the rickety bent out of shape metal and began to climb. The ladder barely held his weight as he ascended. As he placed his feet on the platform it was attached to, the bolts holding it in place rolled out and the ladder fell to the ground. The noise of the ladder seemed to attract unwanted attention. Several voices were heard not far away coming closer to them. the pair had to hurry before they would be leaping for safety from bullets rather than only rusty infrastructure. The rest of the way up was far simpler than Tutor anticipated. He leapt and climbed with a new vigor and strength he didn’t know possible. Was this some result of that “blessing”? Or was he simply having fun doing this. He couldn’t be thinking of fun at a time like this could he? He knew that he has just been orphaned and his entire life left in shambles. A pang of guilt struck him in the chest as he reached up for a highlighted outcropping. He suddenly felt angry again at the entire situation.
Gunfire sprayed upwards from Risers momentarily before they were again occupied by the other troops. His hand slipped trying to pull himself up onto the platform and he fell down passing a flight of stairs before catching himself on its lowermost banister. Drexx soon showed up below him standing on a platform ready to catch him. “Can you pull yourself up Tutor?” The boy looked below him to see that he was nearly a hundred metres off the ground. He had no idea he made such a climb so quickly. The area below him was barely holding itself together let alone his weight bounding off of it and climbing over it. All that coupled with fires and explosions he now noticed had sprung up and around the shaft. He would have never made it half way to here before.
He then looked up to see light flooding in from a doorway that the blue highlights ran right into. That had to be the way up onto the highways that crisscrossed the city skyline. “yeah. I think.” He finally replied as he pulled himself up. His arms didn’t even feel tired. They felt refreshed even. How did he get such endurance out of nowhere? Pushing the question from his mind he grabbed the railing and pulled himself into the air towards stairs opposite him, almost to test himself and the newfound strength. He hit the railing on the other side, ten whole feet up and across the gap. That had to be impossible. Especially for someone as young as himself. Drexx seemed to either overlook the newfound skills or just feel like it was normal seeing as he was making several even more impossible bounds.
Just at that thought Keter chimed in again. “This is just a basic change in your body from my blessing young one. Much more is capable if you show strength and the will to change what is around you.” He was holding onto a bar not far from the doorway where Drexx now stood. Drexx was unbelievably quick as well. He had the blessing too from what Tutor could gather but was it really this powerful? To turn a young Chaser into a champion of the run? And what did this Keter mean by change what is around him?
“Come on my people are through here. We'll take care of you. If you'll accept the offer.” The boy immediately thought about avenging his parents. That he couldn’t take on an entire organization alone. Even if he got more powerful. He has to trust this man, this stranger, that came to their rescue. Without him the data would be lost and both him and his dad dead. He made one final leap and landed in Drexx's arms. He trembled as he felt tears stream from his eyes. “Hey its ok. I hate those bastards too. Together, and with my connections, we'll take em down if its the last thing we do.” For a moment Tutor buried his face in Drexx's chest and continued with Drexx petting his head and comforting him just like mom used to. Tutor remembered something from a long time ago. Twice had him and mom gotten into trouble and nearly died when he was a toddler. He remembered one long day where he sat curled in his mom's arms crying trapped in an underwater resort that they were staying in. The sunlight stretched down through the water above them and peeped into the atrium they were left alone with a few others in. The moment was terrifying and lonely. Even though his mother sat with him the entire time. Even the general that had been keeping them alive until then had been distraught and clearly showing fatigue. He had until that moment been very optimistic keeping the spirits of the people up. It ended with a group of rescue operatives barging in and beginning to hand out survival supplies. The same woman had saved him twice. The light shining down sparkled on her face. She was a beautiful battered darker skinned woman in combat armor colored black and yellow with an odd twinkle in her eyes and a strange calming aura about her. She came right up into the atrium. The moment he saw her he sprang up crying and rushed into her arms like they were family. Just like he had done now to Drexx.
After reliving that moment, Tutor felt the truth in Drexx’s arms. He remembered what his mom had told him that day. Her voice echoed in his mind, “There will always be trouble and some day you’ll be needed to rise up and save someone. Don't hesitate son and be the man I know you're destined to be.” He wondered if he would ever meet that stoic woman again. He felt an odd energy from inside his breast pocket before he brushed the tears away. He steeled his emotions and looked up to Drexx, the light from the doorway shown on his face, young yet it seemed eternally older and strong, and together they stepped into the light on the other side of the broken doorway. Tutor looked out onto a part of the city he only dreamt about seeing. Being the third circle of the city, just past multiple embassy and manufacturing buildings, there sat taller skyscrapers reaching upwards into the sky. Their glass panes shining brilliant in the sunlight. They stood just on the edge of a huge highway suspended in the air just above the tops of some of the shortest buildings lying on the outer edge of the city. Cars and automatic delivery drones whizzed by in hair raising speeds darting off in both directions.
The flock of ibis flew overhead, in the opposite direction of before, past the cascading buildings off into the beige Qattara depression. The buildings before them rose in various shapes and stonework facades shot outward from their surfaces creating a refreshing mix of modern and ancient techniques that accented the sky above them brilliantly. A great screen sat across the highway from them. A female face rose on the screen talking about current events. Her face alight with a mix of fear and stoicism. “The united corporations today announced their plans to move their H.Q. Vimana over the city proper. Pharaoh Sekhet-Djer has released a statement about what that means for the citizens of our great city,” The broadcast stated “here is what he had to say." The screen changed to just over a large crowd standing on one of the floating platforms in the Aten lake at the base of Nehebkau. The crowd was bustling and expectant. The drone that carried the camera flew closer to another platform coming close to the crowd. on it was only a few individuals dressed in light leather armor with their chests bare and large leopardess masks over their heads. A tall podium stood in between a male and female of these masked guardians. Tutor was a little surprised to see that the woman's chest was still just as naked as the man that flanked her. The Pharaoh stepped up onto the podium and raised up his hands to quite the crowd. in his left hand he held a long scepter like staff headed wit a motif of jakyl-headed Anubis. "Citizens of Egypt!" His voiced boomed across the crowd without so much as a microphone. Even though they were watching from a screen the two felt a deep rumbling across the air around them. "Our great city is at risk from a rivalry heavily rooted in the companies of the world!" The truth laid out in the open as always with the new world. The Risers probably didn't like that but they had no control over it. "The United Corporations have announced they are moving their headquarter Vimana carrier over the city to better defend against unforeseen threats. They believe forces are at work against us and state that they will defend us as they have since before the great war those many years ago!” It cut the speech off at that as the crowd roared in approval. The station continued on speaking of how the populace should not be afraid and should continue their daily lives in earnest.
Just above and behind it rose odd shaped curved buildings that shone with a light blue tint. A great gigantic structure hovered overhead flying towards the central structure. An odd smooth craft with almost alien like features embossed with many patterns and rolling shapes. Three colors made the bulk of the craft. Its main body a shining metallic green with bright orange metallic structures creating highlights across it’s surface. The same light blue as the building ahead of them lie embossed in a strange symbol glowing brightly off its side. Spade shaped in design yet with the tip being open and a sideways crescent capping it off. Two ends curved outward from within the crescent towards two more points at the mid section of the spade, two more wavy lines travelled inwards pointing at its base with a sphere in between. A circle sat above the sphere with a triangular parallel arch pointing upwards from around the circle. A thick teardrop fell from the sphere at the bottom. The universal symbol of a new age religion cropping up in recent decades. The same one hosting his wedding and ,as he now thought, the monks that gave him his values in life. Drexx also recognized it from the shoulder of that other companies' troops and looking back to Tutor saw it on the symbol on his chest. The Vimana rose almost menacingly over the ever rising buildings and casted a long thick shadow over the city.
Many smaller craft were pouring out from within the shell of the great craft. Several flew directly towards the light blue structures ahead of them. Drexx immediately ran frantically towards a bridge crossing the river of speeding vehicles. Tutor followed soon after yelling after him to wait. A small fire fight erupted from where they stood just moments ago between the opposing companies. The Risers must have forgotten about the pair for now. Fighting had popped up all over the skies above them and emergency protocols started to take effect calling out to residents in the sector of the city to immediately evacuate and report to evacuation zones outlined in their city safety app on their mobile devices. Tutor chased after Drexx quickly watching the man shrink away running at full speed toward the large structure ahead of them. Several small jets flew directly overhead speeding in between to skyscrapers to his right. almost immediately on the other side an explosion pushed out the glass from the windows.
The boy stopped to look out over the highway he now stood over on an overpass. The highway immediately emptied soon after everything began and barricades rose up in place of off and on ramps. Directly underneath him huge tanks rolled up onto the highway immediately underneath him. The screws they rolled upon swung out from underneath them dropping the body of the tanks to the ground and began to rise up upon their wider bases. the armor plating on the tanks rose away from their bodies and expanded tenfold wrapping around the entirety of the tanks creating a solid bunker-like façade around them. Just before the tops closed off the large double barrel cannons rose up over the newly formed bunker and pointed off in the direction of the city walls. They angled upwards and shifted slightly apart to begin firing a barrage of artillery strikes out into the desert and Scar not too far off from here. At the end of the highway a shield wall started slowly rising out of the desert sands cutting off the approach of the Risers. The sand cascaded off the top of the wall like a waterfall creating large piles of sandtraps along the entire base of the wall. Tutor suddenly realized he saw much more than he could have before. Clear vision stretched for several miles more than normal. In the far distance huge ominous craft hung in the air over the canopy of the jungle and got slightly closer the longer he stared at them. Multitudes of small dots poured out from underneath the menacing craft and started swarming toward the city.
A sound of rushing wind rolled up from the battlefield outside as he saw several large objects propel upwards from the area outside. Seeing one coming directly at the new siege tanks below the bridge he stood upon, he immediately ran for the other side where Drexx had disappeared into an empty gateway of huge double doors. The whistling sound like that of a bomb falling grew loud as he stretched his legs farther than ever before racing away from the expected explosion. Debris and rubble pushed him further forward as the bridge exploded in a cloud of metallic and limestone debris pushing over onto his stomach to scrape along the floor for several feet. He rolled over to see a huge metal support strut falling straight at him. He vainly covered his face for the impending crush. Yet instead of feeling what he knew would be his death there was nothing. Opening his eyes and moving his arms from his view he saw a giant armored mechanized infantry unit holding the strut like a spear before throwing it back into the desert. Its colors were of a deep non reflective black with accents of whites and yellows. It turned and looked down at the boy. The head alone stood tall enough on its shoulders to act as a barrier for a full grown man that stood on its back. It waved the boy away and then rushed off into the frontlines of the siege. Tutor stood and ran off after Drexx into the large double doors that closed soon after he entered.
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