From: potter@scan2.tamu.edu (SHANE POTTER)
Subject: Continuing effort.
Date: 25 Jun 92 05:51:10 GMT


	In response to all of the disappointment surrounding the sudden
'drying-up' of cyberpunk/chatsubo stories, I have decided to try once again
to put some effort into this idea I've had bouncing 'round my head.  I'm
reposting the first attempt, titled 'I', and including a new chapter, which
I have cleverly titled 'II'.  Please let me know what you think.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                    I.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Oh, Fuck...."

My vision blurred and the ground reached up to slap me yet again.  Instead of
getting up, I just lay there feeling the cold concrete against my face.  The
shouts behind me had long since died off, replaced by the late-night sounds
common to any big city.  I reached up to wipe the sweat from my forehead, and
my hand came away covered with blood.  To my credit, it didn't suprprise me
a bit.  I reached back behind my ear and rubbed my fingers along the crisp,
burnt flesh.  Amazing, I thought, what an overmuscled moron with a live DC
feed can do to a datajack.

In retrospect, I figure it was only because of that moron that I had managed
to get away.  One shouldn't go applying electricity to another's implants when
one isn't careful enough to keep said electricity away from one's own.  I had
never seen what happens when 220 volts arcs across what must have been a
skeleton heavily laced with some amazingly conductive metal.  Sadly it was
about the only thing I remembered.  Hell of a good light show, though.

"Dammit....can't make myself laugh....hurts..."

Sighting a puddle some distance away, I half crawled, half dragged myself to
it, only to be rewarded with the putrid smell of week-stagnant water.  What
the hell, I thought, anything's gotta feel better than this.  Surprisingly,
splashing water across my face felt no better, just different.

"All right....time to get outta here...we've played around long enough,"

And there it was.  The surprise that should've hit me when I found my blood.
I was about to address myself, and for some reason hit a short circuit before
I said my name.  My name.  My mind cried out for my identity, but no answers
were found.  I quickly realized that I couldn't remember anything before Mr.
Universe's amazing pyrotechnic display.  Panic set in, I could feel my
pupils widening.

"No....mistake, there's....not me, not....."



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                  II.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Desperately trying to gasp for breath quietly, I crouched in the darkened
doorway.  The scream that had sent me running slowly faded into a small ripple
of giggles.

"Giggling?  I must be going mad...."

Just to reassure myself, I glanced back into the alley, and watched as a young
couple, stinking blind drunk, ambled towards my position, giggling and pawing
at each other.

"Jesus....I DON'T need this...."

Struggling to maintain my balance and consciousness, I watched as they strolled
unawares past my newly claimed doorway.  They disappeared up the alley, and I
sat with a heavy sigh.  The bleeding on my forehead had resumed, and I wiped
away the blood that ran into my eyes.  Finally calmed, I tried again to recall
my identity.  A sudden inspiration died quickly when I searched my pockets for
a wallet...I was certain it had been taken by the same thugs who had roughed me
up.  If I even had one to begin with.

"Okay, first things first...where the hell am I?"

The surrounding buildings gave no clue.  The alley looked like any number of
alleys I had seen in my lifetime.  All cities look the same when seen from the
gutter.  Noticing an empty wine bottle lying (amazingly unbroken) in the alley,
I snatched it up and read the label.

"Great...Japanese...I could be in any one of forty COUNTRIES, much less cities."

I set the bottle down, careful to make as little noise as possible.  Remaining
counscious was much less of a problem now for some reason, and my gash had
finally stopped bleeding.  Noticeable improvement, I decided.  Glancing around,
I set my sights on the tallest building I could see.  That, I determined, would
be the commercial zone of the city.  Where electronic information processing
was king.  Where I could get much needed information.  I reached back to feel
the skin surrounding my datajack again.

"But first I guess I need some medicine for this, huh...."

I took one last look around the alley and began walking in the general direction
of away, which in this case led towards the tall glass buildings.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
			Direct all flames to :

	Shane Potter, Texas A&M University  potter@scan2.tamu.edu
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------