From: timk@tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca (Tim Kuehn)
Subject: Silicon: Requisition
Date: 9 Jul 93 22:55:16 GMT


Character List:
---------------
Cognos: 	A big pug-ugly cyber-enhanced male with a serious
		AI problem.

Synthetic and	Cognos's synthetic (non-organic) and
Organic:	natural (organic) brain.

Kirsten: 	Daughter of a mystery man told to "hide" and then
		left her to fend for herself.

Silicon  and the
'Silicon Street Avengers':	Common street thugs (in literary terms
				better known as cannon fodder. :)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
>From the end of "Cognos: Dark Search"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cognos took the kid's waking up as a good sign. At least she could still
feel pain, which meant she might not be paralyzed from the fall, and the
local meatshop wasn't too far away. Picking up the jacket/girl, he was
about to resume his trip to the meatshop when suddenly a band of young
toughs appeared from a nearby alleyway and quickly surrounded him. Looking
them over he could see they were the common local street variety, with
more equipment and attitude than experience, and would've been easily
outmatched with his own experience and equipment -- had it had been
functioning properly. But with his AI not trustworthy, and a kid to protect,
there was no telling which way the odds were leaning. At least his
prodigious strength wasn't dependent on the AI to work properly, so he
had that advantage. Hopefully his knowledge and experience would tell
over the gang's speed and augmentation.

Cognos braced himself for combat.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Begin "Silicon: Requisition"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

The leader of the Silicon Street Avengers was the first to spot the large
man lumbering down the street. Activating the zoom lenses in his chromed
eyes, he could see the man was carrying something in his jacket like a
suitcase. His AI searched its database implants and informed him that
the pattern matched that of a young female, maybe 8-10 years of age.
Further analysis with other sensors indicated that the girl was seriously
injured and close to death.

Silicon smiled. The girl would fetch a good price with an organlegger he
knew was looking for some specific body parts from such a child. Her youth
and apparent good health before the accident which put her in this condition
would make her organs worth even more money. Money which would purchase him
more powerful weapons systems and AIs. Which would bring him even more
power.

Silcon signaled Chips, the gang's implanted weapons specialist to come
forward. Chips approached, looked where Silicon indicated, and then
concentrated on the approaching man. After a moment, he relaxed, looked
at Silicon, and smiled. Silicon smiled in return. Without any activated
cybernetic weapons systems, the big man was going to be easy to take.

Looking over his shoulder to the other 7 members of his gang, he gave
the signal that a target was approaching. Instantly the members of his
group put down what they were doing and moved into position behind
Silicon and Chips. Silicon's enhanced hearing listened in on the man's
footsteps as he approached. When he estimated the man was positioned
right, Silcon gave a signal and  the Silicon Street Avengers rushed out
into the street.

Silicon moved into a position right in front of the man, while his minions
spread in a circle surrounding the man. Athena, X-win, and Rhom made a show
of displaying their implanted equipment, while the other four gang members
showed no emotion except that of arrogance and power.

The man stopped and looked the assembled hoodlums over. His gaze was steady,
not nervous or frightened as Silicon expected. In looking at the man closer,
he concluded that this was the ugliest example of a male humanity he'd ever
seen. However, pretty or ugly the man may be, Silicon intended to have the
kid he was carrying, so it was best get on with things.

Silicon stepped out of the gang's circle and faced the man.

	"Need some help with dat there kid mister?" said Silicon with
	exaggerated sincerity.

As the man returned Silicon's look with an icy stare of his own, his
knuckles tightened on the synthleather jacket holding the girl.

	"Not from a punk like you," growled the man.

Silicon smiled. A couple other members of the gang chuckled. This man was
either stupid or had guts, which meant it this might even be a bit of a
challenge.

Silicon put on his best pout.

	"X-win, did you hear that?" said Silicon.  "This man called
	me a 'punk.'"

Silicon started to walk around the man.

	"I wonder where he got that idea from?"

X-win extended and retracted his subcutaneous blades with an audible
'snick.'

	"Been watchin' too many holo-d's I think," said X-win.
	"Dey say it can rot your brain, it can."

A couple of the gang members guffawed at that.  Silicon stopped circling
around the man. With a back to the wall of a local building, the man had
a better position on the gang and it would be harder for someone to get
behind him and grab the girl, however his gang still had an advantage
in numbers.

The silence spread out over the pregnant period of time. Some blood dripped
out of the jacket and dotted on the pavement.

	"I think you do need our help," said Silicon. "Matter of fact, I
	think dat kid's gotten too heavy for you. It'd be so much easier
	for all of us if you just handed her over."

With a smile, Silicon activated all his enhancements and stepped forward
as if to go for the girl.

The man quickly moved back and placed the girl gently on the ground next
to the wall. Placing himself as best he could between the girl and the
rest of the gang, he said

	"You want 'dis kid, you come get her."