From: g93h7323@warthog.ru.ac.za (MR CG HOUSTON)
Subject: Tequila Cyberpunk
Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1993 17:48:15 GMT

Here's my first attempt.  I'd appreciate ANY comments,
criticism or praise via e-mail or Newsgroups.  The story is
not set in any particular scenario, but is ambiguous enough
for it to fit into almost any.  I write how I believe the
future will be.

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     Tequila Cyberpunk
     ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

It's so much easier now that BlueSteam's out of the picture.
BlueSteam - what a name, he deserved to die.  He looked almost
innocent when i did it, logged on and totally unaware of his
real life surrounds.  His almighty silicon circuitry was no
match for a couple cylinders of lead.  Right in the forehead,
blam blam.  Yeah, I do regret that I couldn't see his eyes
when he died, but his mouth was enough.  A wordless gasp, and
his brains were all over the wall behind him.

I rode to Little Mecca on my Yamaha.  I'd found out where
BlueSteam's login point was from contacts Inside.  There were
a couple of kids about ten years old lying in the alley.
Probably using some newly developed hours-old drug.  Hell,
they probably replicated one themselves.  I almost tripped on
one on the staircase to Bluesteam's apartment.  It was easy to
get in.  I blew the lock away.  His place was bleak.  Really
bleak.  He had a bed, that's about all.  And his System, of
course.  He was sitting on his bed, wired in and wearing just
a pair of blue jockey shorts when I burst in.   He was totally
oblivious to my presence, and seemed to be concentrating
really hard.  I'm glad I didn't stick around a little longer,
I might have not done it.  I wonder who's life he was ruining
then.

BlueSteam was hardcore, no doubt about it.  It would have been
impossible for me to do him from the Inside, and hiring
someone was out of the question.  I had very few connections,
and the one's I did know were either pretty bad or too
expensive.  Anyway, I'm sure none of them would have taken him
on.  He was a god.  Not a particularly legendary one, but he
had a couple of potent killers on him.  I haven't a clue why
Robin messed with him.

It was Brukyu who told me that Robin had been gouged.  I've
known him since before the VirtualNet grabbed him.  "There's
absolutely no danger, Liza" he'd assured me when he was still
getting into it.  Brukyu probably won't fuck up.  He's a
veteran.  He's been on the Net for almost a year.  He said
that BlueSteam had gouged Robin in front of at least three
other people, for no apparent reason.  I heard rumours that
Robin had been trying to do a low level mangle on BlueSteam,
and that it was self defence, but I don't buy that for one
second.  Robin was not stupid, and he knew how BlueSteam
worked.  He'd spoken to me a couple times about him.  I warned
him not to mess with him, but he seemed to think he could gain
godhood by hanging out with BlueSteam.

I had begged Robin not to get involved with the VirtualNet.
We used to mock Cyberpunks when we went out.  He kicked a few
of them once just to see if they would have any reaction.  The
cocks just sat there.  They are not all they're made out to
be.  Heroes of the Technological Revolution my ass.  Drugged-
out antisocial thrill-seekers, more like it.  I guess it was
the hidden lure of Inside.  They say that it can't be
explained to an outsider, you have to try it yourself.  "And
the first one's always's free", sure.  Robin bought himself a
secondhand oldstyle visor and System one afternoon.  Three
weeks later he was dead.

I met Robin one night at a club.  We both hated the music that
was being played, and got into a discussion about the whole
Cyberpunk thing.  We clicked.  What was meant on both parts to
be a one night stand became a regular event.  I only knew him
2 months.

It's funny.  I thought that killing BlueSteam would solve my
problems for me.  But I still miss Robin.  I still hate
BlueSteam.  I've still got the weathered Beretta I bought.
Maybe I'll use it again some day.  Killing people in reality
is much easier.

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Copyright 1993 Christopher Houston
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             | Chris Houston : g93h7323@warthog.ru.ac.za |
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