/monster/ - The Last Bastion of Romance

>>337276

Burgled it right off the bat. Front AND back this time.

>I don't have any extra Vocaloid components floating around my house but with a little googling I find a good enough stand in.

>I approach my synth roommate and realize I haven't had a chance to ask her name yet.

>She writes her name down forme "NE-37"

>That's a little cryptic so I ask her if I can just call her "Neet" for short.

>Neet nods.

>"Neet, I think I found a way to help you talk to me. Do you mind if I use your media port?"

>Neet nods once more and attempts to smile but it her face can't really make it work. She looks away when she realizes her face won't cooperate.

>Using her media port in the back of her neck she can jack into my Gamazon (a google & amazon conglomeration) E-book reader and use it as makeshift voice modulator.

>At least that was how it was supposed to work.

>She opened her mouth and a buzz of static crackled through the E-book reader. Maybe there was a problem with her media port?

>"Don't worry Neet. We'll figure something out for you" I applied a pat to her head. She seemed indifferent to contact.

>She unplugged the E-reader from her media port and looked sullen. She wrote down a short memo for me "Thanks for trying Anon. Please don't worry yourself over it."

>I was frustrated but there wasn't much I could do if plug and play wasn't an option.

>I told her she could have the tablet as a gift. "Maybe you can figure it out? At the very least you'll have something to play with while I work on another solution."

>She attempted to decline the gift. I don't think she wanted to feel like she was stealing from me.

>"Don't worry Neet, I have a couple of those. I actually won that one in a work raffle."

>She reluctantly accepted the 2nd hand tablet and did her best to play with it with her one hand. It looked like she was having some trouble. Maybe there was another reason she didn't want it?

>Feeling as though I was hurting her more than helping I set about looking for a replacement vocaloid for her on Gamazon.

>Gamazon formed when Google purchased Amazon in the mid 2030's and it's pretty much the goto place to shop for anything you could ever want online.

>After making a selection, a drone delivery can take as little as a few hours depending on the weather. I set about searching for the best options…

[ ] After market industrial vocaloid- Used in industrial "dumb machines". It has basic voice modulation capabilities but reviews say you should only use it if you can't afford anything else. It has lots of 2 and 3 star reviews essentially saying "At least it works." -MSRP- 99.99¥

[ ] 2nd Gen synth vocaloid- They're hard to come by since they're not actually produced anymore. Reserved for collectors and fetishistic tech guys searching for the original "sound" of a synth from the early 2040's. While advanced when it was released it's relic by today's standards. Reviews vary. Some swear the sound is better than anything currently on the market but others claim it's better to own it as a piece of history MSRP- (unavailable) Lowest price on Gamazon is 750.00¥

[ ]Sonysoft "pro" vocaloid- After Microsoft acquired Sony In the mid 2030's they became THE brand to choose for electronics. Not only is this Vocaloid cheap but it offers an array of settings and should be compatible with Neet's older firmware. No Nintendo fanboy would ever touch it though. Lots of 3 and 4 star reviews. MSRP- 224.99¥

[ ] Yamaha's Sakura no hana vocaloid- Developed from the forefathers of Vocaloid technology before sentient synths even became a reality. Spec wise it appears to be almost identical to the Sonysoft version with slight differences in sound quality slightly edging it out. Lots of 4 and 5 star reviews on the store page. Many of the higher reviews coming from synths themselves.

MSRP- 299.99¥

[ ] Yamaha's "pro" performance vocaloid- Developed for use on stage this vocaloid has all kinds of features; built-in auto-tuning, multiple audio channel synchronization, and an array of other dazzling features that could turn just about anyone into an idol if they had a decent song to sing. Seems a bit pricey though. Multiple 5 star reviews herald it as THE choice if you want the highest quality voice with additional features. MSRP 599.99.¥

>I only need one but I could purchase additional vocaloids in case one doesn't quite work how I'd like.

current waifu repair budget- 1000¥

Does the MC need a name? Anon works well enough but lemme know what you guys think.

>Heavy thumping footsteps approached from outside.

>I got up to investigate when a fist a punched a hole through the wall.

>A fully geeked out combat synth approached me from the newly made hole.

>terror gripped me and I crumpled to the floor.

>It grabbed me by the shirt collar

>"Where's my vocaloid Anon."

>a female voice?

>she grabbed my hand and began to crush it.

>I jumped awake and startled Neet who was squeezing my hand.

>she must have been trying to wake me up.

>She picked up the tablet to show me she'd gotten a text program up and going that allowed her to transmit her thoughts. "You fell asleep…"

>I had fallen asleep while casually browsing the net for 'surplus' and 'discounted' synth related products. Somehow I got lost down an internet rabbit hole and started looking up all manner of odd things.

These options are more for world-building than actual things to buy but I'll leave them here to show what our MC was looking through. (and what might have inspired his nightmare)

[] dataDyne neural interface and connection ports- dataDyne is renowned for its development of A.I. technology and smart weapons in the early 2020s. In 2023 they were indicted by the federal court with the assistance of the Carrington institute after a plot to kill the president was successfully foiled. The corporation was effectively dismantled and restructured afterward. They were the leaders in A.I. development at the time and their interface ports are still regarded as some of the most reliable on the market today. The full suite Includes media ports, sync ports, mini-usb 4.0 and of course the sophisticated neural jack for advanced connections to intricate A.I. systems for both natural and synthetic organisms.

MSRP- 449.99¥- full suite

MSRP- 49.99¥ - basic suite (neural jack not included)

[] OCP (Omni Consumer Products) surplus, high performance, military-grade combat body armor and endoskeleton- Based on a design from a team at Security Concepts within the company OCP, they were able to utilize this combat exoskeleton with an organic operating system to create the first truly cybernetic organism. While newer and more capable tech has been developed since the early 2020's when this exoskeleton was first released it set the standard for quality in its day. Weighing in at just under 425lbs this combination of armor and technology boasts polycarbonate trauma plates laminated in kevlar with a titanium reinforced endoskeleton that produces locomotion via a combination of high tensile strength nanoweave-fiber synthetic muscles and high performance compact pneumatic motors. The hand on the arm alone can generate 400 foot pounds of crushing strength. (note- Not for sale outside of the U.S., requires government tax stamp to purchase along with a full background check.)

MSRP- 270,000¥ "Full body prosthetic"

[] Cyberdyne systems HAL (Hybrid assisted limb) - Originally established in 2004, Cyberdyne systems were the go-to developer for civilian exoskeleton movement. While the earliest models were designed around medical applications it didn't take long for various militaries to recognize the advantage of lightweight and durable exoskeletons in the field for both combat and engineering roles. Relatively cheap and easy to use, the HAL system is compatible with both natural and synthetic organisms. Originally they worked out of Japan only but now they have distributors in every country.

MSRP- 1,999.99¥- lightweight model- Allows for basic locomotion. intended uses: rehabilitation and simple movement. (only for the legs)

MSRP- 7,999¥- Full body model- Allows for advanced locomotion, intended uses- industrial work & competitive sports.

MSRP- 30,000¥-Military (civilian) model- Based on the full body model; It's compatible with modern weapon systems, it has a reinforced superstructure and is designed for the toughest conditions.

(hue, we cyberpunk now https://www.cyberdyne.jp/english/ )

>>337400

Beanie.

>>337399

<Where's my vocaloid anon

>She asks with a vocaloid

it's right here god damn are you blind stop shouting

>>337400

Beanie

>>337400

>The weather was fairly nice insofar as constant overcast skies and intermittent acid rain were considered pleasant.

>The new vocaloid didn't take long to arrive via drone delivery.

>Before I could install it for Neet I'd need to run diagnostics on her.

>Some of my worst fears were confirmed.

>She had an issue with power distribution so even if I were to get replacement limbs she couldn't power them on in her current state.

>The power distribution issue may also be affecting other things as well but there were so many possible problems woven into one another it was hard to tell where one problem began and another one ended.

>There were numerous warnings citing that internal components were past their warranty and needed to be replaced. Others parts of her's returned a "nonresponsive" status. That meant they were broken or another part they relied on was.

>As I suspected her left arm joint and by extension, her left arm was completely dead. It wasn't even showing up on the readout.

>That would be something I'd have to tackle later.

>Neet tapped my shoulder to show me the tablet "Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

>"Don't worry Neet, worse comes to worse we can take you to a specialist and they can fix whatever I can't. Given the extensive internal damage you have, I think that's what I may need to do."

>The tablet blipped with a surprised noise to get my attention "Won't that be expensive?"

>"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. In the meantime, I should be able to replace your Vocaloid." I touched the metal apparatus where an atoms apple might be on a human. This was her older Vocaloid. It came up as "nonresponsive" on the readout but it was getting power so it was most likely dead.

>Neet's tablet beeped at me, another new message read "I trust you, but please be careful."

>I helped Neet onto my bed and I began my work. I had to snip away her exo-skin around the Vocaloid. I saw her underlying internal structures as I pulled at the synthetic flesh. Normally the vocaloid would be underneath the skin but it looked like her previous one had worn through over time.

>Her vocaloid's connection cables were being difficult. If the connector pins were corroded that would definitely complicate things. It shouldn't take more than a few pounds of pressure to disconnect them…

>'SNAP!' Neet's eyes went wide. I inspected the connection nervously.

> It was good. "Don't worry Neet. Gotta use some elbow grease sometimes."

>I braced my forearm against Neet's chest and it creaked under my weight. I got some better leverage for the other connection and it gave a similar 'SNAP' upon disconnecting it.

>I held up her older Vocaloid "If you don't mind we can maybe sell this for a nice bit of brouzouf. Does it has some sentimental value for you?"

>Neet shook her head, the tablet lit up "We can sell it…"

>Even if it's broken it'd fetch a decent price on gamazon I figured.

>I set about connecting the Yamaha model. It gave me similarly loud snaps as I connected it.

>I looked over at my computer that was connected to Neet.

>No new connections.

>Neet looked over at me and her tablet blipped "Is it working?"

>"Hold on Neet…"

>>337546

>I reached over and jiggled her neck. She gave me a confused look.

>A new component showed up. The Yamaha was active.

>I looked over to Neet and gave a wink and smile "The magic touch! Try talking now!"

>Neet moved her mouth and nothing happened. She frowned.

>"Hmm…oh wait, I got it!" I reached behind her neck and unplugged the tablet from her media port "Okay, NOW try talking."

>Neet opened her mouth "T-test…?"

>I snapped my fingers "Nailed it."

>Neet smiled and spoke not through text on a tablet screen but with her voice. "Thank you Anon! I haven't heard myself for years…"

>"Do you sound like how you remember?"

>"I think so."

>"I was worried there might be a conflict with your older firmware but it looks like everything is working alright."

>Need smiled and nodded. As she nodded the gaping hole in her head reminded me of an earlier thought I had "Hey Neet, try this on." I handed her a festive red beanie with a little pom on top.

>"A hat?"

>"Yea, I think you'd look cute in it."

>"Cute? Alright…" She looked at it before she attempted to put it on.

>She was having some trouble. I noticed her hand was behaving oddly when she reached over her head.

>"Let me help you." I shifted it in place for her so it fit snugly on her head.

>"T-thanks, Anon." Neet smiled as best she could and I noticed her right hand was twitching after the ordeal.

>The power distribution problem is the real lynchpin for further upgrades, particularly when it comes to limb replacement. I'll take Neet to a specialist to get that that sorted out. Afterwards, we can focus on upgrading and fix her further.

>Since she has a voice now talking will be easier. What should we talk about?

[] Talk about her past. How did she become so damaged? So many questions. So few answers

[] Ask her about what she thinks of me. Does she like me? I know I can be a bit of an oddball. I hope she doesn't think I'm weird.

[] Ask her about her hobbies. What does she like? Is there something I can get for her to have fun with and pass the time while she's being fixed?

[] Ask her if she wants me to penetrate her exhaust port. (joke)

[] (perhaps there's an audience request that's more compelling than the options I presented)

I'm surprised no one chose the cosplay wig. That's probably for the best. Sorry my art is so shite,

>>337547

Ask her what stories she carries within her, pic related. Or alternatively word it like a technical request, needed for diagnosis. But I'd much prefer the former.

>Over the next few days we chatted about various topics.

>Whenver I attempted to broach the topic of her past the answers were broken into pieces.

>It was as if chunks of her memory were missing.

>I didn't find this surprising considering the gaping hole in her head probably wasn't just aesthetic.

>Still, something wasn't right. When I ran diagnostics on her earlier there weren't any signs of her memory being damaged so whatever memories she's missing…

>There was no way to know what I didn't know so I didn't bother dwelling on it.

>She was originally constructed in the early 2030's. This was before synths were "grown" in vats so you wouldn't say she was born then but she told me she was constructed on January 23, 2032 if you consider being constructed a "birthday".

>She had worked in what most would consider slave labor conditions for various mega corps up until the mid 2050's.

>She was present at a number of corporate mergers. The last corp she remembered working for was OCP after they'd purchased a majority of IBM's holdings.

>When Synth advocacy came onto the scene in 2054, that's when things get fuzzy for her.

>After a span of missing memories she did her best to get by doing odd jobs here and there. Getting ahead as a 2nd gen synth isn't easy when technology jumps ahead every couple of years. By the time she found herself on the street there was no place for her to go job wise.

>As things got worse she found herself in debt. She hocked her legs for some quick brouzouf. After that, she lived in alleys and subway stations begging for handouts. An altercation with some dorphed up bozos left her head crushed and left arm almost wrung off.

>Her body wasn't built for combat and without any legs, she couldn't even get away so she was basically helpless during the whole ordeal.

>Luckily, a fellow homeless person stepped in to stop them before she was completely trashed.

***

>I had taken her to the synth clinic and I'd gotten some sideways glances from various people seeing a nearly limbless synth in a wheelchair.

>While she was having her power distribution issue resolved I was approached by the head technician.

>The head technician there broke it down for me. "I'll be honest with you, Mr. Omus (my last name is Omus so my full name is Anon Omus), they don't manufacture the parts she needs to be completely repaired anymore. As far as fixing her power distribution issue, we should be able to do that but as you probably know she is in desperate need of new shell. Have you considered transferring her to a new body?

>I shrugged "That would be her choice."

>The technician nodded "Naturally. However, as her caretaker you should help her make the appropriate choice." he handed me a brochure "Take a look at these options here. We have flexible payment plans so if you have any questions feel free to ask."

>>337844

Maybe I am…maybe I'm not. I am though.

As stated in the first post this is a spiritual successor of sorts. The bad ends that the alleged greentext had are still canon. Both the one where the synth dies and the one where the protag died so that she could live. At the same time that was a 3 or 4 post green text thread. A lot of nuances and world building was lost in that scenario.

If you want to pretend that this is the same synth you can but there may be story details or some such shit that doesn't exactly line up persay. Don't let me ruin your personal fantasy though. I'm just letting you know what I'm writing and what I wrote.

speaking of writing…I'm almost done with the next part of this CYOA thread. Hold onto your scarf and prepare for some high impact consentual head patting.

>I'd picked up a scarf for Neet at the gift shop to cover up her neck hole.

>"Thanks…You didn't have to Anon." She wrapped it around her neck and her hand didn't falter like it had before. She seems to have more finesse after her power distribution was fixed.

>I patted her head wiggled her beanie's pom "It looks good on you."

>Neet beamed. "I like it!"

>We made our way home through filthy slush covered streets.

>We weren't accosted by too many dorphers huddled around fire barrels.

>I hurried my pace as I noticed flurries starting to build up on Neet.

>Also you don't want to be out on the streets once it gets too late.

***

>I helped Neet out of wheelchair once we were back inside my humble apartment and her body was ice old. I kinda wish I'd gotten her the fleece piece for myself to make her easier to handle as well as some additional protection from the elements but Neet didn't seem to be bothered.

>I shivered as I turned on a space heater "Aren't you cold Neet?"

>Neet shrugged "My temperature readings don't show any problems."

>"Nevermind." Her idea of homeostasis and mine are worlds apart.

>"Do you feel better than you did before the visit to the clinic?"

>Neet paused for a moment as if to break down my meaning "Feel?"

>Before I could phrase things differently Neet caught onto my wording.

>She then smiled and nodded "I do." With subtle mechanical whirrs and hums, she flexed her hand and moved her fingers independently. She rotated her wrist and extended her arm. Internal components hummed and clicked as she actuated her one working limb. She then squeezed her scarf giving a "vrrrr" noise as she tightened her grip. "It feels like things are more responsive now." She wrapped the scarf aroound her face and she looked like a festive ninja. It was adorable.

***

>>337859

>I'd went online and searched for body transfer services. The actual components themselves weren't too expensive but the process of transferring a consciousness (organic or otherwise) was where the real cost was.

>Neet had what would be comparable to most cyberbrains today. It's an older version, but her brain acted not unlike my own. It was a consciousness. She had the ability to think and solve problems not through a scripted algorithm but through actual intelligence. She had a personality formed through lived experiences.

>While there were several synths that were built like Neet scattered around the world none of them had her memories or her experiences.

>If you'd lived your life as a slave and slavery was all you knew what would you even do with freedom if you got it? Arguably Neet lived a much better life as a slave than she ever did as a "free person".

>Our differences were biological. I was governed by hormones that shifted my emotions and played havoc with my decision-making process. Neet operated on a purely mechanical logic of self-preservation and non-violence. She could never understand the conflicts I had that were born out of fear and anxiety that only come from being a biological creature.

>Her emotions were like herself; synthetic. If she looked sad it was because something bad happened. Not because she actually "felt" bad. If she didn't show any emotion it would be off-putting to biological beings like me that expect those sort of responses. To blend in she projects an expression that matches what she thinks others should think she should show.

>To give such an expression she would have to identify a situation that would make others expect a "happy" or "sad" reaction and give the necessary reaction to said situation.

>In that way, synths like Neet were probably more empathetic than most nihilistic people walking the streets today. Even if that empathy was completely logic driven.

> We both had empathy for one another but mechanically those empathies were different in how they functioned. I was gripped by a deep sadness this realization presented but I didn't want to tell Neet she had inadvertently hurt me without intending to. Besides, this was sadness I induced on myself. It was deep and layered sadness that only comes when you're smart enough to recognize the irony of such a tragic reality.

>I needed to pursue something to help me forget about the painful truth of our existence. I often pushed negative feelings out of my mind by working long hours and delving in to netruns.

>I turned to Neet "I'll be on the Matrix if you need me."

>Neet waved at me with a concerned look "Be careful Anon. Sometimes you spend all night on there. You have work tomorrow you know."

>I slid my headset down and its visor hid troubled expression. "Don't remind me."

>I fell into the matrix courtesy of my company's complimentary neural jack they provided for me behind my ear. I felt my body adjusting to the digital realm. I had smart lenses implanted into my eyes as well. They were useful for delving into systems and fixing technical issues for remote tech support. As long as a client was connected to the matrix I could literally jump into their network and fix their issue remotely. I was hardly "chromed up" but I'd be lying if I said I was fully wetware like when I was born.

>While I played things as a cube (someone who doesn't explicitly break any laws on the matrix) I still liked to browse the shadownet for hard to find toys. As long as I didn't actually buy anything illegal I wasn't technically breaking any laws. Then again, you don't really go onto the shadownet for shit you can buy on Gamazon.

nb42deep4u

>>337846

dat was me without muh tripcode.

>>337860

>As a bit of a bit-head my avatar online was an obscure video game character from a bygone era of pixel art and chiptunes.

>I made my way to a cryto-tech board and made my post.

>"Anyone here know where I can get 2nd gen synth parts for cheap?"

>While I waited for a reply I browsed some truly degenerate porn. You had to be careful when enjoying yourself in the matrix. You can burn your brain getting high off virtual orgasms. It's easy to get addicted to feelings you can only conceive in a virtual environment.

>You can also indulge in nonsentient and totally obedient virtual characters that act like cybersex dolls. It's a pretty pathetic pastime but it's cleaner and cheaper than chasing real women in meatspace.

>My particular fetish was catgirls. The model I was using wore a maid outfit because 'why not?'. I had my way with her and she was complicit with my every request (as her program dictated). I tugged on her tail as slammed into her virtual twat. I didn't care if it wasn't actually real as long as it felt real. That's really all that mattered- was how it felt. I let my more base urges take hold of me so I could better enjoy what was really a corny if not enjoyably horny experience.

>I had grown annoyed by the noises she made and turned her volume all the way down. She definitely felt a lot better than she sounded. I could have ordered her to shut up but there was a whole dialogue tree I didn't want to bother with to make her comply. The experience felt very disconnected for me at this point so I checked up on my thread.

>She froze in place when I paused her performance. She had a silly looking expression on her face that was supposed to be the hight of orgasm but it obviously wasn't meant to be viewed for more than a moment as it was cringy to look at. I brought up the thread and it obscured the poised posterior of my salacious catgirl who was just earlier begging me to finish inside her ass.

>post ID 223fd1a

"Good luck finding them for cheap. You're better off digging around a junkyard chummer."

>post ID d41fc16

"Check at your local hock shop. Most 2nd gen shit is really old now though. Finding something that's not burnt is a miracle."

>post ID 7200cf3

">wanting to fuck around with 2nd gen shit"

">oldfag"

>post ID 1db17f0

"People still buy 2nd gen stuff?"

>>337863

>the thread then gradually turned into people arguing over 2nd gen synths being 'the best gen' and so on. Overall no really valuable information was gleaned from my thread other than advice telling me to explore meatspace.

>I abandoned the thread which had more or less devolved into shitposting at this point and tried to finish up inside my overtly lewd catgirl.

>I unpaused her. She immediately moaned "I'll always love you Anon." A familiar line I'd found my orgasm's peak at multiple times.

>I sarcastically quipped at her as I thrusted "We gotta get you a new soundpack." She sounded like her lines were ripped from some shitty porno. Every time she opened her mouth the immersion was broken for me.

>Her voice recognition wasn't that good and she replied "I love it when you pack it deep inside me~"

>I cringed again and muted her once more. I reluctantly finished the deed and felt awash with shame towards my own feral urges. I'm sure she was now saying some scripted lines about "oooh give me more." or something to that effect but I still had her muted and did not wish to unmute her.

>I then chuckled as Neet was only a few feet away from me and she had no clue about the lurid act I was engaging in while in the matrix. My orgasm was purely virtual. There was no boner or cum to expose me in meatspace. Part of that is what stirred my sexual excitement during my session with the catgirl but the reality was Neet was a non-sexualized being. I could walk around the house naked if I wanted to and it wouldn't evoke a reaction out of her.

>In all honesty, it didn't make sense for me to be excited about her proximity to me during a lurid act. I can refer to Neet as "she" but she doesn't have a vagina or breasts. Her frame, as well as her voice, were feminine but any sexuality she had was what I projected onto her. Even if I were to jerk it in meat space I might only garner a judgemental if indifferent look at most.

>That was my rationalization anyway. Still, I wasn't about to give her any memories I didn't want her to have.

>"Anon don't you think it's getting late?" Neet's voice connected with me through the matrix. How did she find me? I was caught off guard. It was a voice connection only but at the very least she had to be jacked into the matrix to use it. I was hearing her with my virtual ears, not my physical ones.

>The virtual room I was in was closed off. She must have traced me through the line I was using. She couldn't see what I was currently doing but at least knew I was in a closed off room. To be safe I minimized my catgirl sexdoll.

>"I'm just doing some research for discounted parts."

>"I see. You were very quiet. Sometimes I worry about you when you jack into the matrix."

>Then a terrible thought occurred. It was a selfish and lurid thought. It was an absolutely degenerate thought. I only had it for a brief moment before a more benevolent thought took hold.

>We could do anything in the matrix. Be anything. Neet could walk again. Hell, she could fly. The only limit was our imagination… With that in mind, what should we do?

[] We could test out replacement parts in a virtual environment using her regular body as a template. We wouldn't be closed off from one another so at the very least she wouldn't be isolated from me whenever I go on a netrun.

[]Take her on a virtual date. We can visit a time and a place where the world wasn't a mess. She could choose any avatar she wanted and maybe have a taste of normalcy for once.

[] Ask her if she'd occupy the catgirl avatar for me. She's been wanting to repay my kindness lately. I can show her why I stay up late at night sometimes. She might even like it. At the very least she'd enjoy it if she knew she was making me happy. Even if the connection is only virtual…it would be nice if…just once… heavy breathing

[] Playing in the matrix is fun but there's work to be done in meatspace. Let's not escape to some fantasy when reality won't wait. Let's check into some local hock shops and scrap yards.

I didn't think it'd tak 4 posts. Sorry for the longwinded format

Hey, wait a second, this sounds familiar.

>one functional arm

>Hole in her head

>No legs

Oh my god, I just realised something.

EVERYONE, STOP LEWDING THE SYNTH, SHE'S NURSE-KUN'S DAUGHTER BUT IN SYNTH FORM

WRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

>>338219

>"Alright, playtime's over. Let's clean up this mess…"

>I spent the rest of the day fixing the server index and decrypting data. Kitty cleaned up any hostile programs the ram jammers left roaming around.

>It wasn't nearly as thrilling as force dumping deckers out of the matrix and burning their bits but work was work I guess.

>I patched the holes that the ram jammers came through to get into the network but all it takes is one disgruntled employee or someone getting drunk and falling prey to some social engineering to cripple a company's security. Weakest link and all that.

>I messaged Neet before Iogged off from work since she might be on the matrix herself. "I'll be home soon. Call me if you've found anything."

>Kitty approached me. In the same cold and emotionless voice as before she advised me "Scan complete. No hostile programs detected."

>"I don't know, you're pretty hostile yourself sweetheart."

>Of course, she didn't respond. Nothing in her program dictated a response to a comment like that.

>Sometimes I liked to believe there was some sentience under the hood but the reality was I knew she was just a simple script with only a handful of commands. Her avatar and voice gave her the illusion of much more than she actually was.

>If I told her to "kill" she would seek out connections and programs and remove them.

>She didn't derive any joy from it like I did. She obeyed her programming because that's all she was- a program.

>This projection I engaged in may seem pathetic but it helped me cope with the fact I effectively worked alone whenever I dived into the matrix.

>All my interactions with other people at work boiled down to me force dumping ram jammers or listening to my superiors in meatspace chide my ass for not fixing things fast enough or in a way they wanted.

>There was a handful of co-workers I enjoyed coffee with at times but even they knew well enough not to get too attached to anyone.

>Companies like the one I worked for faced mergers and were downsized all the time. The only reason I'd stayed on as long as I had was that I got shit done. I was valuable wetware. That was my position. In a way, I wasn't unlike the program I had control over. The only difference was I was aware of my slavery.

>I was called "wageslave" by that ram jammer I burnt. That was my role in this world. That's what I was.

***

>>338220

>Before I got home I hit up a local pawn shop near my apartment.

> The neon sign gave a dull hue to the thick glass 'Chrome Bone Pawn'. Beneath the larger sign a smaller sign detailed their wares. 'Geeked out guns, gear, and more. Shoplifters will be shot. Play nice or stay the fuck out'.

>I entered. They had a little of everything. Typical for any pawn shop.

>A rough and tumble looking fellow behind the counter motioned to me. His right arm was fully chromed and he probably had some hardware tucked away as well. "Hey, what's a shirt like you doing in a place like this? Did they run out of ramen at the local quick stop?"

>I met him at the counter. I kept it all business "I'm looking for 2nd Gen synth parts or parts compatible with a 2nd gen chassis."

>He whistled "Tall order there shirt." He gestured to a rack of assorted limbs in the back "I don't know about compatibility but that's what I got. You break it you buy it."

>I nodded "Thanks"

>There was all manner of off-brand limbs and assorted parts. Some were as cheap as 40k¥ while others went as high as 150k¥. However you sliced it, they were outside of my immediate price range even if I went for the lower end stuff. That's if they were even compatible with Neet.

>The owner addressed me caustically "You finding everything okay over there chief?"

> I returned to the front counter "Not for a price I can afford. I'll have to come back when I'm I have more brouzouf to burn."

>He rolled his eyes "Well shit, and here I was hoping to take all of your money."

> I dug around in my coat for Neet's old vocaloid, as I did this the shop owner put his hand on a holster dangling from his hip. I produced the vocaloid "What do you think you could give me for this?"

>He took it and looked it over "Mmmmnn. Does it work?"

>I sighed "I think it's burnt."

>He eyed it up and down "Peh, I'll give you 100¥"

>I wasn't about to take that such a pittance and I told him as much "I couldn't let it go for less than 500."

>He shrugged, his mechanical arm whirring with the movement "Take it with you then, shirt. I'm trying to run a business here."

>He continued to examine it and his tone changed "Actually…I'll give you the 500 for it."

>"Why the change in heart?" As I asked this he put the vocaloid back in my hand and opened up the cash register pulling out 500 Brouzouf and putting it on the counter.

>"No questions asked. Take it or leave it chummer."

>An extra 500¥ would be nice but something didn't feel right about this exchange. Why was he willing to give me 500¥ now?

>"If I can fix it would you be willing to pay more?"

> He shook his head. "500¥ is the ticket."

>I decided to get to know him better "Whats your name if you don't mind me asking?"

>"You can call me Tisel, shirt." I nodded.

>"Well you can call me Anon, Tisel. I'll make sure to see you again I'm sure." He shrugged with the same apathetic tone he had when I entered.

>"Alright Anon, if you change your mind on that Vocaloid you come see me first, got it?"

***

>Neet was waiting for me when I got home "Did you have a good day?"

>"It was fun. How as the matrix?"

>Neet nodded "It was nice to have my original body again. I was looking online but I don't think I found anything in our budget."

> I thought to myself " 'our' budget?" I told her "I'll help you look later."

> I'd only seen Neet walk around a little before with her virtual legs before I had to go to work. The model I based her avatar on was a factory fresh version of herself that was undamaged and shiny. She probably hadn't looked like that for more than 50 years. It was all the more contrasted against her real-life self that had faded coloring that was ravaged by time.

>I slipped out of my wage slave outfit and into some comfier leisurewear

>Neet was hooking herself up to a laptop "Would you like to dive with me like we did this morning? I wanted to show you some things I found." She seems to have gotten more energetic since I had her power distributor fixed.

>"Sounds like fun but I've been on a netrun all day. I don't want to end up burning my brain."

>Neet sulked "I…I understand. If you're tired go ahead and rest. I'll be fine."

>I petted her head "I'm sure we'll find some time later."

>Neet grabbed my wrist mid pat and gave it a tentatively tight squeeze "Anon…"

>I was a taken aback by the gesture "Neet?"

> She looked up at me "Would you not…nevermind" she let go of my wrist. I recoiled feeling like I'd been out of step with her before.

>"Neet? I…That is, if you don't want me petting you I won't. I'm didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable."

>Neet shook her head "It's not that. When I touched you I sensed your heart rate, your blood pressure, your temperature; I had a vivid display of your biometrics. I'm didn't mean to spy on you like that."

>She refocused her gaze on me "I'm not used to such interactions is all. But I know you mean well." She grabbed my wrist and tugged gently. I acquiesced and sat beside her. "You don't have to treat me like a child you know."

>I spoke nervously "Alright… I just wanted you to know I cared." I petted her again and felt the warm patch through her beanie where her cyberbrain was exposed.

>Neet smiled as well as her face would allow "Anon, I know you do. I'm glad I was placed in the care of someone so kind. I'll be in the matrix for a while, come and see me alright?" She pressed a few keys on the laptop she was connected to and her eyes glazed over before she slumped downward against my chest.

>"There she goes." I didn't blame her for wanting to escape. Especially if it meant being able to walk again. I laid her gently against the wall.

***

>After eating some junk food I jacked in myself and traced Neet to a private room. "Am I welcome?"

>"Of course!" I was sent a hash code and I joined Neet inside her own little space. Little was the wrong word though. It was a big house. It was several times bigger than our small apartment.

>Her Avatar was that of a similarly framed 5th gen synth. I recognized the avatar from when I was browsing new bodies for her throughout the week. Unlike her 2nd gen exterior, the 5th gen was indistinguishable from a regular human. Had I not been browsing online catalogs I wouldn't have even recognized she was utilizing a synth avatar. The voice was unmistakably hers.

>"Well, you certainly look…different." She had dazzling blonde hair and delicate features. It was a stark contrast to her damanged mechanical exterior I was used to in meatspace.

>Neet gave me a bigger smile I didn't normally see. Another part of her physical body that betrayed her true expressions. She spun around showcasing a summer dress. "I didn't know what kind of clothes you'd like. What do you think?"

>I nodded "You look great Neet."

>"I didn't have much to do today so I decided to make a house for us."

>"I can tell you really put effort in."

>She gave me a tour. The decorations were simple geometric shapes with all manner textures applied to them. The tour kind of felt scripted, but not in the way a thoughtless program might automatically check boxes off a routine, rather it was like someone giving a guided presentation. How long had she been preparing this?

>>338299

Neet 'cheats' by reading subtle facial expressions and biometric data when Anon interacts with her and touches her. Her emotional states are based on the feedback she gets from Anon. She can tell he's suffering but she struggles to help him. Understand that his sadness make her sad since her emotions are based heavily on empathy.

Recall, what is the first thing Neet asks for Anon to fix for her? Her vocaloid. Not her limbs or some pointless aesthetic feature like a new face. She can detect he's depressed and she knows she can probably help him more if she could talk to him. For whatever reason (probably because he's nice to her and obviously sympathetic to downtrodden synths like herself) she finds herself attracted to Anon. Being attracted to him she cares more for him and wants to help him. The irony being that despite Neet being heavily damaged she's probably healthier mentally than Anon is and is the only thing keeping him from burning out whats left of his brain on late night netruns. Notice how after her power distribution issue is fixed she chases him into the Matrix. She probably couldn't do that before so as soon as she was able that's what she did.

The real shamalamadingdong twist of course is…

Anon didn't save Neet. Neet saved Anon. It's a random happenstance of course. He could have gotten any synth with the government rejuvenation program. He just happened to get Neet. In the final long-winded post you find Neet built an entire house virtual house for them and picked out an avatar of a 5th gen that SOMEHOW Anon had at least seen once. Did she dig into his search history? He was away at work all day so at the very least she had time to do some research. Whatever the case she wanted a place where she could spend time and interact with Anon and give him good feels. She is desperately trying to connect with Anon and make him happy because she loves him and she doesn't want to see him sad (or worse dead which may happen if he's constantly spending all night in the matrix). Because as previously mentioned. When Anon is sad, Neet is sad.

As far as giving the story away I think the general consensus has confirmed that we want to "accept her confession". Even if you didn't come to this conclusion via the subtext and only wanted a "good feel" I'd like to believe subconsciously various violated heros picked up on the nuggets of information I hid here and there to piece everything together. Either way, I plan to keep the feels coming.

I appreciate everyone's feedback thus far. I'm piecing together the story for the next arc rite now. May take a little longer for me to put stuff together but I'll see about keeping things coming in a timely fashion.

>>338368

>Hotline Miami

I remember when HLM flavoured cyoas and writefaggotry were ubiquitous on this here fine board. Where are the Snowdens of yesteryear? Also you're doing great, love the Neuromancer vibes going on

>>338696

Ah fuck I forgot my sage. My apologies.

>>338225

>" that was sudden." was my first thought.

>Gradually my mind attempted to process her confession.

>Perhaps it was the cosmic nebula I had just sprawled behind her.

>Maybe it was the touch of her hands grasping mine and the subtle squeeze they applied.

>I couldn't accept it. It wasn't real. Nothing around me was. My mind was trying to tell me it was real but my heart wouldn't accept it.

>I averted my gaze from Neet and searched for the right words.

>Neet continued to squeeze my hands "Anon…?"

>Had it really been so long since I felt a genuine connection with anyone? How far back in my past would I have to dig before I even found a memory that I could use as a reference for this situation?

>Had I really forgotten what sincere love was? It wasn't just Neet, I didn't have any friends or family that I actually cared about. The most meaningful connections I made were passing comments on anonymous message boards.

>I knew I Ioved Neet in the only way I could but it would feel wrong to accept her love in my current state. My mind simply couldn't process it.

>I was trembling now. I had contempt for my damaged brain and anger at my own heart for betraying me. I squeezed Neets hands while I stared at her feet. I searched for the same confidence I had at work where I'd tackle threats in the Matrix fearlessly.

>Why now couldn't I just tell her I loved her?

>I craned my head up to look Neet in the face. Her eyes were soaked with concern.

>She put her hands on my face "Anon, I want to talk to you more…"

>"Neet…I…I can't." I broke away from Neet's touch and left her standing by the swinging chair "I have to…I have to go. Now. I'm sorry."

>Neet was right behind me. "Anon! Wait! Just-" I felt her hand grasp my shoulder as I was logging out.

>I felt the cold sting of dropping out of the matrix back into my chilly apartment. I grabbed my shoulder where Neet had tried to hang onto me. My eyes itched and I felt sadness welling up in my throat. I jerked out the neural jack as I removed my visor.

>I quivered with sorrow and wiped tears from my eyes. I couldn't understand what was wrong with me. I held my chest and tried to figure out why I had this burning feeling in my heart. Why did it hurt so goddamn much?

>I pounded my fist into my desk toppling over empty soda cans and assorted tech sending them bouncing onto the floor.

>I couldn't even bring myself to look at Neet after I ran away in such a cowardly fashion. She was probably still in the Matrix. She wouldn't want to leave her dream house to chase me around after I left the way I did.

>I decided to retire for the night.

>I spoke softly as I approached my bed "Sorry Neet…"

>>338785

> I reached down to pet her head but my hand was grabbed before it connected.

"Anon…would you pick me up please?"

>"O-of course." I moved without thinking. My instinct to care for Neet overrode my own self-loathing.

>I leaned over to pick Neet up and scooped my hand between her legs for good grip. Her one working arm wrapped around my neck with soft mechanical hums and clicks. Her fingers squeezed my shoulder and they tightened their grip with a familiar "vrrr".

>"W-where do you want me to set you down?"

>Neet shook her head "I don't want you to set me down." She buried her face in my neck.

>I sat down on my bed and held Neet close for a while. She didn't have any of the soft fleshy skin or flowing blonde hair her virtual counterpart had but the intimate embrace felt more real for me now than anything ever had.

>Neet broke away from the tight embrace and stroked my face. Her fingers clicked with their subtle articulation as they traced around my puffy eyes. "I'm sorry if I was too forward earlier Anon. I thought that-"

>I interrupted "Neet, you don't need to apologize. The truth is…I want to share your love, whatever that may entail. I'd be happy to accept any love you want to give me. I'm sorry for running away like I did earlier. I forgot what love felt like I guess."

>"Anon…"

>"Thanks for reminding me, Neet." I leaned in to kiss her. Her lips were stiff and had a plastic taste. She immediately winced and pushed herself away from me.

>"Anon no…not with this body. I don't have the sensitivity to enjoy such things." She fidgeted in my lap, her leg nubs squirmed and emitted mechanical whirrs and clicks. "I didn't even feel your lips when you kissed me just now…" She averted her eyes with a shameful expression. Her range of feedback was far more intense inside the matrix. Kisses and similar such activities would be more enjoyable there for sure.

>Large parts of her meatspace body were effectively sensitivity deadzones. Only her hand had a more nuanced range of feedback for her to feel things with. Knowing this I squeezed her hand sympathetically. She smiled and squeezed my hand back.

>"Neet, for now…"

[] Offer to share my bed with her for the night- Her body isn't exactly the most huggable surface in the world and she doesn't seem too excited about being intimate in her current physical form. Furthermore, my bed is barely big enough for myself. It'd be a tight fit with Neet. Still, I want her to know you do love her regardless of what form she happens to have.

[] Offer to take Neet out on another virtual date tomorrow and give her a kiss she won't forget. Next time I won't lose focus.

[] I need to put my effort towards fixing Neet's body so we don't have to run away to the matrix for her to be normal. Apologize for being so forward earlier and kiss her forehead goodnight. Set her back in the usual spot on the floor.

[] Guide Neet's hand to my yet unnoticed erection. Ask her if she can feel that…

>>339060

I'd argue that showing her we love her no matter what her body is like would be good for her, telling her she could be inhabiting a laptop and we'd still want to cuddle, but I'm too busy fuming at you for not saging

>>338788

>"For now, we should get some sleep." At least I would. Neet didn't really need sleep so much as she needed to be near an outlet every so often.

>I reclined in bed and Neet found herself laying on my chest. She wasn't extremely heavy but I wouldn't want her on my chest all night. Her stiff chest frame dug into me and highlighted her artificial body.

>"Anon, I don't want to crush you."

>I shifted underneath her weight and gave her hand a squeeze "I don't mind being crushed if it's by you but…" I continued to squirm around for some position that was comfortable but had no luck "…there's not much wiggle room on the bed."

>"I-I'll get off." she shimmied herself to dismount me.

>"Neet…" I helped her onto the floor. "Would you like to sleep next to the bed?"

>"If you want me to I wouldn't mind." She averted her eyes. This was a tendency I'd gotten used to when I showed her any affection in meatspace.

>"A little enthusiasm wouldn't hurt ya know." I stroked her cheek. She put her hand on mine and looked sullen.

>I remembered how different she behaved in the matrix. She didn't have the same doubting eyes she did now. Her smile there was bigger and more pronounced than anything she'd ever attempted in meatspace and was probably more than her current face would allow.

>I took her hand and pulled it to me "Tomorrow we'll have some more fun in the matrix. You looked beautiful in that sundress. You made me feel…" I squeezed her hand to emphasize my sentiment.

>Neet squeezed my hand in turn and spoke for me "Excited; I detected as much earlier on your lap…"

>I was taken aback. "You detected?"

>Neet shifted her hand downward and gave my wrist a firm squeeze and spoke with a nonchalant tone "An increased heart rate and internal temperature along with subtle changes in your in your-"

>"Okay! Okay! I believe you." I pulled her beanie down to obscure her vision.

>"A-anon!" She pulled it back up gave me the look.

>"Love you Neet. 'Nite" I offered my hand to her.

>Neet hesitated before she took my hand and pulled the beanie back down to cover her eyes "I love you too, Anon".

***

>We talked about transitioning her to a new body. Even the cheapest alternative to OCP's offerings wasn't less than 100k¥ with down payments in the range of 15-20k¥,

>The prospect of getting a new body on loan scared her. She had been in debt before and the thought of getting her body repossessed if she were unable to make the monthly payment wasn't appealing.

>"Don't worry about the money Neet, I'd be the one subsidizing it."

>"I don't want you going into debt to buy me a new body."

> I had about 27k¥ tucked away in my savings for a rainy day and explained I wouldn't mind putting a portion of that towards a down payment for a new shell.

>"Absolutely not Anon. I could not accept that."

>"I want you to be happy Neet."

>Neet nodded "I am happy." She squeezed my hand "I'm happier than I have been for a long time…"

> I looked her up and down closely "If I could get a decent price for your old body to help subsidize a down payment would that change your mind?"

>Neet shook her head "Even if you could, you'd still be in debt after the fact. I don't want to put that kind of obligation on you."

>I was frustrated with her answer and Neet could tell as much "Anon, please don't worry yourself over it."

>A considerate request but I couldn't discard my feelings. As easy as it would be to dump my savings into her she wouldn't have it. Forcing her into a new body to placate my desire to see her whole would be selfish on my part. I'd have to find another way.

>Neet squeezed my hand to get my attention. I'd gotten lost in my thoughts. "…I asked if you want to come with me." She'd jacked herself in. She looked at me longingly. "Spend some time with me."

>I showed my disinterest "I thought you didn't want me spending all my time on the matrix?"

>Neet shook her head and put her hand on my cheek "I don't want you spending your time closed off from others. You told me before you didn't really have anyone you really trusted as a friend. Let me be that friend Anon…"

>I followed her down the rabbit hole.

>>339516

<Somewhere in a dimly lit room we hear one side of a phone conversation. A familiar pawn dealer takes a drag off a bent cigarette before continuing.

<"Yea, I'm sure about that serial number. My question is do you have the brouzouf?"

<"…"

<"He's just some shirt. He shouldn't give you any trouble." He reclined in his chair.

<"…"

<"I don't know if he has the unit. I told him to come to me first If he decided on dropping that vocaloid. I mean, where else would he get the thing anyway?"

<"…"

<"I told you, I don't fucking know, 'next time he comes in I'll be sure to ask. How 'bout that?!"

<"…"

<"yes…yes…I see. Well, when you put it like that I guess I can't really say 'no' then can I? Heheh, shit." He took another drag and blew smoke sideways out of his mouth.

<"…"

< "Heh, well alright then. Pleasure doing business with you." He smiled and ended the call. With a malicious grin, he rubbed the smoldering butt into an ashtray.

***

>Neet and I were nestled close together on a bed far bigger than the one modest twin-size I had in meatspace, our virtual estate being far more accommodating.

>We were browsing various online retailers. Occasionally she'd adjust her avatar to try a new part and see how she liked it. Big bold text with the words 'sample usage only' were splayed across her temporary virtual appendages as she switched between them.

>She continued to swap things around as she went cycling through various body and fashion options.

>And at once she was naked. Obviously an option without clothes

>I shielded my peripheral "N-Neet! Your clothes!"

>Neet turned to me undaunted with her jugs exposed. "Is there something wrong with this look?"

>"You could say that. I can see everything!"

>Neet examined herself and shrugged "I don't get it." She looked annoyed when she went to move my hand out of the way "You look at me all the time outside"

>"T-this is different!"

>"Well what about you? What's with the strange avatar you always use?"

>"What's wrong with Captain Falcon?!" His costume was perfect. I had the helmet and everything. I was not nearly as buff as the Falcon himself in meatspace but I figured I may as well indulge the fantasy of physical fitness while in the matrix. You could say I was real dream chaser.

>She stared at me blankly "Captain…Falcon? I don't believe I'm familiar with him. Is he some war hero from 20th century?"

>I turned away from her embarrassed "Y-yea…he was really famous." I wasn't ready to expose my deep passion classic gaming just yet.

>She snatched my helmet and put it on herself. "I think it looks better on me!"

>"Ahgh-Hey give that back!" she slipped from my grasp and teased a pursuit on our bed. I didn't want to grab her in an indecent manner. I went to grab her ankle but she rolled backward off the bed.

>"Come and get it!" She ran off. I rolled off the bed gave chase without hesitation.

>We both peeled around corners and furniture.

>I gradually closed our gap. My advantage probably came from fact Neet was running on legs she'd never used before. Not that I let that handicap my performance.

>A few laps around the house and I had her cornered. My virtual lungs were venting "No escape." Neet was naked save for my stolen helmet. My blood was pumping for more than one reason.

>Neet taunted "Come on! Show me your moves!" She bounded out of the dead end hallway to get past me. She pivoted to avoid my grasp and spun low. I was quick to react and grabbed her from behind crisscrossing my arms across her chest with my right hand grabbing her left tit and my left hand her right tit.

>"Gotcha!"

>Neet moaned as I squeezed her "…So you have. What do will you do now?"

> "Steal a kiss." I leaned in to for a kissu and Neet reciprocated craning her head back to accommodate me. She shifted to face me and her bosom smushed up against my chest.

>"Is that all you're going to take?" She squeezed me close. She could most definitely feel my arousal. It was hard to take her seriously while she was still wearing my helmet.

[] Take back my helmet. That's the reason I was chasing her after all. I think I've had enough fun for one day. I need to cool down before I do something overtly lewd. I need to log out and take a cold shower.

[] Take back my helmet. Tell her she should put some clothes back on. Running around naked is immodest. We should retire back to the bedroom for low impact consensual snuggling. Perhaps if things continue to get heated we can assume the missionary position and avoid eye contact while making love. Like cyber Jesus had intended.

[] Take her back to the bedroom. Give her the FALCON DICK!.The helmet stays on (for safety reasons?).

>No one even teased at taking the FALCON DICK option.

'Worth a try

>>339567

I had actually thought about that somewhat but I didn't spend too much time on it. I wouldn't worry about that for now since she doesn't even have a real vagina yet in meatspace.

A thought occurred. Would you be cucking yourself if your avatar online was significantly different than your meatspace self? My initial answer was "no" but since your post brought more light to the issue you may very well end up with dream chaser kinda deal where Neet would be used to the FALCON DICK and disappointed with Anon's meatspace member.

On the flip side she's a synth so sexuality doesn't have the same context for her as it would a human. Furthermore even if Anon wasn't the best endowed down there, there are onahole components that cum in all sizes. She could be as tight as a 4th grader, not that she would need to be.

If physical fornication is really that desired we can always search for some 2nd Gen compatible onaholes but I don't think Neet would enjoy such an addition to her aging body. In fact, Anon might unintentionally shake something loose inside her during a meatspace session.

>all of those metal clanking noises as her insides get jostled from secks

>her old exoskin wrinkles up around the onahole addition.

>"A-Anon stop!…I-I'm sorry… I don't think this is going to work…"

>Neet now looks utterly defeated upon the realization her physical body's failing.

Yea it won't work.

>>339578

Fucking in the hallway? Neet is pretty used to resting on the floor. At the very least we can take her to an adjoining room for a bed. If you're wanting to go full FALCON DICK she may need some head protection. Hence leaving the helmet on. That and it would be amusing to fuck her with the helmet on. Most everyone seems to have decided on helmet off though…

I may need to make a non-canon work for my own amusement.

>>341360

>I turned to her "You said you had a surprise for me?" She stepped back and sat on the edge of the bed as she flipped through some avatar settings like earlier. She crossed her legs before looking up at me.

>"Well, while I was cataloging your most used programs and I stumbled across this…" in an instant she morphed into my catgirl maid.

>I jumped back in excitement "T-that! I can explain! You see, it's a program for work that I use for network security. I just dress it up like that because it's funny. Ya know, like a joke?" I grinned to hide my nervous underpinning.

> Neet blinked blankly for a moment before giving me a look that said 'come on now'.

>She leaned forward and her cat tail wriggled to emote her interest. With a smug look on her face, she asked. "You use a program called 'Obediantslut.exe' for network security?"

>"Heheh, that's uh…well you see…" I looked away trying to formulate a sentence to explain myself. I felt my brain locking up. The truth and my lie were far to complex to lay out so simply. There was no way for me to square this circle.

>Neet inspected herself and tugged at her outfit before continuing "Also, isn't this avatar a little young for such a lewd program?"

>I was embarrassed beyond the capacity for rational thought. My network security was top notch. In this case, I was the weak link. I let her onto my network and didn't even bother to hide anything. I never thought she'd go snooping through my files. I never thought my porn might be discovered so easily.

>Neet shook her head with a smile "Your tastes are so depraved Anon."

>"You're the one who was snooping through my files!"

>Neet rolled around and presented her posterior to me, bending over and perking her rear end up. "I guess you better punish me then~" Her tail swiveled and waved to tantalize me.

>I took the hint and grabbed her hips, getting gracious handfuls of her avatar's plump rump "If I didn't know any better I'd think you were trying to seduce me."

>Neet looked at me from over her shoulder and pressed her rump against my groin "Oh? Are you not going to take responsibility for your earlier advances?"

>"I'll take something alright…" I leaned over Neet and ran my hands up her outfit, giving her breasts a tender squeeze.

>"A-anon! you…you don't waste any time…" her tail wriggled and tickled my tummy. I nibbled on her shoulder and had my way with her soft frame.

>Was I being too forward? I didn't feel the need to stop and if Neet wanted me to stop she wasn't telling me to. I let my more savage urges take hold and had my way with her. This wasn't the first time I'd fucked this particular catgirl but I'd never had another cognizant being inhabiting the avatar.

>I grabbed hold Neet's tail and used it as leverage to pull her closer while at the same time I pushed her shoulders into the bed. She emitted moans and pitiful coos that compelled me to ravage her further. I felt her squirm beneath me and I hesitated. She detected my respite and leered at me over her shoulder "Something wrong Anon?".

>"No. Does it feel good?"

>Neet looked away from me " You feel good Anon…"

>We repositioned and our shared posture was a more intimate exchange. Her legs wrapped around my waist and locked me in. I reciprocated by giving her a thorough fucking. I was already at the edge earlier, Neet merely needed to finish me off. I didn't last long against her.

>I slumped against Neet pathetically and she continued to hold me close after the fact. I wasn't about to deny her some post-coitus cuddling.

>I spoke matter of factly " 'love you Neet…"

>I went to give her a kiss but she stopped me.

>"A-anon…s-something is…out-" her body shook briefly before going limp and her eyes glazed over.

>My hud advised me "User 'NE-37' has lost connection."

>"What?"

***

Anyone here that would not immediately rush to save their waifu after discovering she was kidnapped can not call themselves a man.

We need a gun and some faith that OP will allow Anon to infer that the only other people that knew about Neet were the government, who wouldn't have called the cops and wouldn't have given her a home in the first place if they wanted her, and the shady pawn shop guy we almost sold her vocaloid to.

>>341426

>>341439

>>341453

>bumping a cyoa

>>341572

>I had no leads.

>On my way I kept going over the information I lacked.

>Who did it?

>Why did they do it?

>What was in Neet's head that was so important?

>Then it occurred to me. My apartment- the crime scene.

>I was already headed home but my pace quickened. There had to be something at my place.

>Some clue the police missed.

>I had nothing left.

>There had to be something there that would give me an answer.

***

>I stepped under some "POLICE LINE DO NOT CROSS" tape to get into my apartment.

>I guess it was still an ongoing investigation after all.

>There weren't any officers in my room but I had seen some squad cars parked outside.

>Everything looked more or less the same as I left it. There was an outline on the floor in a thin white adhesive tape where Neet's body was found.

>I traced the outline with my fingers before examining my room further.

>"Hang on Neet…"

>Somewhere there were clues that would lead to the truth. I just had to find them.

>>341574

INVESTIGATION PHASE

Alright Looks like everyone is on the same page regarding our robot waifu. We have to get her back. The police are about as useless as they ever were in these kinds of stories. It'll be up to Anon to figure things out. Still Anon isn't psychic. He'll need clues to help him discover the truth. Don't leave any stone unturned. Using your cursor select various objects in the room and Anon will examine them. (Just highlight an object in the picture of this post with a red square. If you're square is too big Anon won't be sure what you're wanting him to investigate so keep your squares relatively small and no bigger than the object you're trying to investigate.)

Examining the objects will provide Anon with evidence to use for questioning witnesses and finding new locations to explore. Even if certain pieces of evidence don't seem overly important at first they may come in handy later or they could help Anon make connections he didn't realize were there. Even if doors are closed off to Anon in meatspace there's always the matrix.

I'd like it if people only chose one object to investigate per post but if things are going too slowly and Anon has already examined the object you selected then feel free to pick something else. Once we've gathered enough evidence I'll proceed with a bump and a choice of what to do and where to go after that.

I was afraid the tonal whiplash might have scared some violated heroes away that were hoping for a robo waifu cuddle fest. Emphasis on the hero part I guess. Some smarter heroes might have figured out things were going to get worse before the got better as early as >>337717 when I mentioned the memory bit. We have now entered the hard-boiled cyberpunk noir detective drama part of the story now. The character establishment is over. Now the real story begins. Glad to see we have so many enthusiastic heroes who want to see this story to the end.

If you guys haven't already figured out I like there to be musical themes to parts of my writing. Sorry for burning up your bandwidth. You may still be listening to the investigation music I posted earlier. Thanks for subscribing to my particular brand of autism. I'll try to use hooktube but sometimes they don't like 8chin's embed.

For our newfriends, make sure the selection you made hasn't already been examined and don't forget to SAGE your posts.

Again how to investigate

step 1- Open this picture up in your preferred picture editing program

step 2- highlight the object you want to be examined in a red square ( no bigger than the object you're trying to examine). Make sure your square's lines are thick enough to stand out against the background, please.

step 3- Check the thread before you post your submission. There's no race here. Make sure no one else has requested that an object be examined and that the object hasn't already been examined by Anon in the thread.

step 4- Once you've posted wait for me to give you details on the object. Once we've uncovered everything we'll proceed to the next part of our investigation.

examining certain background objects may yield funny if otherwise useless flavor text.

>>341585

That thing

Also should we bother with stuff that hasn't been added by you? Is anything that was present in the original picture relevant?

>>341599

>Something in the sink caught my eye.

>it was right around where her remains were recovered…

>It was a shard of Neet's crown.

>I remembered all the times I patted her head and it gave me a smile.

>I examined it closer.

>Strange, there was some blood on the edge.

>Neet doesn't bleed and I never cut myself giving her headpats.

>I did notice the sharp edge her head hole had in the past though…

>Maybe when the perps were trying to take her brain they cut themselves on the jagged edge of her head?

>I smirked.

>Even if they were wearing latex gloves to hide their prints if they punctured those gloves they'd bleed either way.

>I'm no professional CSI kinda guy but I bet the police could use this as evidence. If there's any DNA evidence of the perp on file they could cross reference this to see who was responsible. That is of course if said perp has their DNA on file.

>It's not like every neerdowell voluntarily turns in their blood sample to the local PD.

>My room is pretty cluttered so I wouldn't blame the police for missing this.

>I placed the shard of Neet's skull into a ziploc bag.

>This probably isn't 100% by the book but it's better than wrapping it in a napkin.

>As far as my personal investigation goes this doesn't really tell me much apart from the fact the people who took Neet bleed.

>Doesn't really round down my suspect pool…

My spoiler text should give you the answer to your spoilered question. As long as you're not bumping the thread you can investigate as many things as you'd like. While we don't have to examine every background object there's a set number of objects we'll need to discover before we can continue the investigation further. There may be one or two extra hidden objects that are part of the background but they don't necessarily have to be found to have ALL the clues.

If you'd prefer to let some other heroes search as well don't feel obligated to pick out everything. At least give it a day or so before you search for something else. I'd be nice if everything worth finding was found in a week so we don't spend forever combing over Anon's apartment.

I'll try to stay on top of all the examination requests in as timely a manner as I can. Most of the items I've already written for but I still need to eke out some details for some. I realize part of this is kinda lame but the other part really tickles my autism in a way I don't get to indulge in often.

Also it's a way to hand out (you)s to make people feel special. That's always good. rite?

>>341585

This looks almost like a business card from a distance…

>>341608

That's actually what it is. Stellar guess.Then again what other kind of card would it be? Too bad you lack the dubs to make your post perfect. I'm still working on the flavor text for that examination along with the artwork.

That's one of the vital pieces to the puzzle. There's still more to find though.

>>341608

>Something was in my computer chair.

>A business card?

>I picked it up for a closer look

>Security Concepts?

>That name sounded familiar. I read on…

>Premiere threat prevention solutions at the highest level

> The insignia was a lock with a lightning bolt on it. It was definitely striking if nothing else. hue

>The card belonged to Roy Thurgood. He was the ''lead technical advisor" if this card was to be believed.

> Other contact information was listed on the card and I skimmed it before flipping the card over

>The backside had an enlarged version of the insignia as well as…

>My apartment number!?! Or was it? It was written sloppily with a pen and contrasted against the otherwise clean embossed text of the card.

>My apartment number was 421 but the "1" written on the card had a big nose and might be mistaken for a 7 if you weren't careful.

>Did the perps drop this while they were in my room?

>They must have…

>Maybe they mixed up the numbers somehow? They'd have to be pretty clumsy to turn off the alarm for 427 and then break into 421. Room 427 was next to my room since I was at the end of the hall where it wraps around to the next floor.

>Still, they would need some sophisticated tech to be able to disable the CCTV as well as alarm systems (albeit the wrong one) if they were the ones responsible for that.

> On the card below my room number was a more damning set of digits.

>Neet's serial number; NE-37. The handwritten 7 kinda looked like a lightning bolt.

>I slipped the business card into my pocket.

>Would some low rent thugs really carry around this business card?

>Was this Roy character behind the break in?

>At the very least this was evidence enough that whoever broke in wasn't doing some random smash and grab.

>I had figured as much but this clinched it.

>The police could definitely do something with this but could they work fast enough to save Neet?

>A picture was starting to form for me but I still needed a few more pieces to put everything together.

>>341624

Learn to sage you lazy bastard.

>>341585

This might not be directly related to the investigation but I do want to know why there's a perfectly modern multiscreen set up right next to something that looks like it was used in a 70's era TV station to manually broadcast tapes. retro tech may explain the retrorobowaifu

On the investigation front, once everything is examined, time to use your hacking skills. They got the cameras in the complex but they couldn't have done it outside. Look for people coming and going at right time and cross reference with criminal DB's. Search for places that have the resources to interface with 2nd gen robobrains who don't ask questions. Try and liase with a synth rights organization; a new minority group is not going to be a priority for police, having an advocate group on speed dial will help get them away from the doughnuts and on the trail.

Finally, Remove dead eye, replace with plasma globe. Use to intimidate.

>>341627

>I was looking at the shelf above my monitors.

>I couldn't think of any evidence that might have ended up there but something caught my eye. Literally eye. My other one isn't working.

>I pulled it down.

>It was the OCP brochure I'd gotten at the synth clinic.

>I skimmed through it again.

>I thought about how it might feel to hold Neet again with sporting a new 4th or 5th gen body. I shook my head with a sad smile at the thought.

>I still didn't have the money and somehow even if I all I had was her head she'd still chide me about not going into debt for her sake.

>I went to toss it in the garbage bin not wanting to get lost any fantasies until I got Neet back but I stopped.

>A memory from a conversation I had with Neet before echoed in my mind but I couldn't quite remember.

>I tapped the brochure against my head as if that would somehow knock the thought loose.

>"Neet and OCP…" I spoke out loud. Word association is more powerful than people give it credit for…

>Gradually it came to me. We'd talked about her past before the clinic visit

>OCP was the last company she remembered working for.

>Would OCP maybe be able to fill in some blanks?

>This may not help me find out who took Neet but I can maybe find out why they did.

>Before I completely abandoned this train of thought something else niggled in the back of my mind but I couldn't make the connection.

>I laid all the evidence I'd gathered thus far together to try and see if there was something I'd missed…

Is there a connection between the evidence gathered thus far that Anon has missed? The answers are right in front of Anon if he can find them. Digging into earlier posts and examining evidence may yield a yet unnoticed connection for Anon.

CONNECTIONS

Step 1- Select two pieces of evidence and find the connection between them.

Step 2- That's really all there is to it. If you're still reading this step you're probably making this too complicated. Don't forget to sage.

>>341766

I have a lot to unpack with both flavor text and ideas for Anon but I have work tomorrow so I'll fill in some blanks for you sometime this weekend. I think you'll enjoy the sleuthing the Brochure post has opened up. I can't wait to see some of the wonderful hit and misses we get.

>the eye suggestion

Anon's other eye isn't "dead" it's just the part of his brain that decodes vision from that one. I mean he could still replace both his eyes with cyber eyes if you wanted to go full Batou but most people, usually Deckers and Techies (including our Anon) just use Smart Lenses. They're basically fancy contact lenses that can display a simple HUD and help you with everyday tasks which usually involve computers and assorted tech. They may come in handy later in our story but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Good luck hard boiled heroes detectives.

>>342355

>bumping a CYOA

>>342358

350 sorrows for my failure. Just goes to show, never drink and CYOA.

>>345295

>>345313

I'm not ded yet.

Sorry. I'm out of creative juice at the moment. I was supposed to write two chapters for my bigger writefag story last month and all I managed to do was cobble together the start of a chapter.

I spent too much time being an idea's guy for multiple different threads and not enough time working on my own shit. Most of the stuff I did put together was for this thread last month.

As far progressing the synth girl story I still have everything lined up in my head it's just a matter of taking muh idea guy concepts and flushing them out with creative juice. The only person really on my ass is me and I don't get on my ass enough. I'll see about putting out some content of some sort or another today.

Also, in the meta thread, someone tell that talented drawfag to do a scene from our story. Seeing as how there's already concept art for the various characters floating around it should be easier for them methinks.

Maybe some coveted robohuggies would make a nice picture?

On a somewhat related note. What determines what a "quality thread" is on the main page's quality thread list? I saw my CYOA on it and I wanted to make sure I shouldn't feel any unwarranted self-importance if it's some stupid algorithm.

>>345333

>Not ded

>Over a week ago

RIP OP

RIP Neet

>>348043

Fuck you

Code Monkey fix your shit

>>348043

>>348109

>>346608

>>348043

>>348051

>anons clanking clamoring for more of the robot waifu.

Forgive my absence. Work and vidya have taken some time from me. I know how it feels when the content you want updates for doesn't get updated. Please understand. I do plan on seeing the story to the end.

Soon.

kept you waiting, huh?

>I tried several iterations of my name and her name combined as well as a number of different password possibilities linked to info I knew about Neet.

>As a network security specialist, some part of me was proud of her for not making a password that was simple to crack.

>I racked my brain for a good 10 minutes and tried a number of different password combinations. Given my fairly recent case of getting brain burnt this only exacerbated my frustration as well as a dull headache.

>I attempted to brute force my way in after failing to guess the password myself.

>Still no luck.

>I figured it was some sort of security hash which I'd never break even in a thousand years. Pretty stiff security for personal files….

>I'd have to attack the problem from another angle.

>Admin override. Neet could secure her files as much as she wanted but she was still operating on my network.

>Having exhausted all other options unlocked the file using my superior network privilege. It merely took a few alterations to some registry keys and I was in.

>Don't need to the pick the lock if you can kick the door down.

***

>Data dump. Useless at a glance but I could reason well enough it was some kind of important if Neet went through all the trouble to hide it like she did.

>what was inside?

https://pastebin.com/bhiYA4WD

>Looks like a load of code. Do I really have time to be making sense of it? I guess it was too much to hope for to have it spell out some obvious secret.

[] Time to continue searching for evidence. I don't think there's much left to find but I need to be sure…

[] I've gathered enough physical evidence. Perhaps it's time I venture into matrix to follow some of the leads I have there? Then again, is it safe to do it in my own apartment? I'm vulnerable when I'm jacked in. If whoever wanted me dead came back while I was jacked in and finished what they started I'd feel pretty stupid.

[] I should contact officer Nickel. As much as I want to pretend I'm some sort of hardboiled detective I'm still just a tech guy. He could maybe do more with the evidence I've gathered than I can. Can I really trust him to do whats right for Neet though?

(If a more clever anon decrypts Neet's data and they want to share what they've found please put it in a pastebin to keep it from taking up a lot of space in the thread. That or you can be smug and keep it to yourself.)

>>355787

Do what you have to to get by, folks will still be around.

>Having pieced together the extent of the danger I was in it became clear persisting in meatspace may preclude my existence prematurely.

>I needed a cold room (a place to mask my digital footprints).

>Furthermore I needed someone I could trust.

>I'd contact someone from my old netrunning crew before I went cube for my corp.

<I picked up Neet's scarf and beanie from my bed along with a few other personal belongings I could cram into a backpack.

>My temple throbbed as I ducked under the police tape to leave my apartment. I rubbed my head to ease my dulled perception and I bumped into someone outside the door as I left.

>"Hello Mr. Omus" A trenchcoat-clad gentleman with dark shades. His voice was low and verberated synthetically as if he spoke through a Vocaloid.

>He was imposing to look at and his face was lined with cyber enhancements. He looked intent on stopping me for a conversation. I waved him away. "Sorry, I was just leaving."

>His hand grasped my shoulder and tightened with a mechanical hum to his tightened grip.

>"A moment if you please. I'd like to ask you a few questions about the break-in."

>I dodged the inquiry "I already spoke to the detective about it. I don't remember anything." I broke away from him and continued down the hall.

>He spoke to me as I made my way to the stairs "Lot of trouble for a 2nd gen synth don't you think? She must have had something pretty valuable in her head."

>He had my attention. I turned to him "What the hell is that supposed to mean!?"

>The trenchcoat-clad figure approached me with heavy steps no doubt sporting a fully chromed out body beneath his coat. I would have heard him approaching earlier. He'd snuck up to my floor…

>How long was he waiting for me?

>He slipped his hands into his pockets and smiled "I just read the police report." He smiled "As a representative of OCP's security concepts, this case is very important for me. It's our security system that contacted the police for you after all."

>He closed the distance between us and extended his hand "On behalf of OCP I merely wanted to give my condolences to your friend."

>I didn't return his handshake "You'll have to forgive me if I'm not feeling cordial."

>He retracted his hand and removed his dark shades flipping them closed and sliding them into his pocket. He kept his eyes closed for a moment before revealing their soft blue glow to me. "I understand entirely Mr. Omus. I just wanted you to know you can rest easy. We at OCP will do our utmost to assist the police in their investigation."

>An officer walked by us and into my room as he spoke.

>He handed me a business card. It was styled similarly to the one I'd found in my room. "My card. In the meantime, see that you stay safe Mr. Omus." His heavy steps followed the officer and he disappeared into my room.

>I examined his card. His name- Dominik Kasun. Unlike Mr. Thurgood, he was listed as a "security analyst" whatever that entailed. With the kind of chrome he was sporting I figured he did more than analysis.

>He had a rather creepy vibe to him. A malevolent undertone masked by a benevolent smile if there ever was one.

>I promptly left.

***

>>356096

>Tastey Bitz. A cyber bar. The exterior was unassuming with a simple neon sign illuminating the ally. People came here for budget netrun connections and illicit substance abuse.

>They served nutrient paste along with chems and stims of all varieties to enhance whatever experience you sought to indulge in.

>Digital sound with chirpy tones and an emphasis on the bass wafted through the crowd and I made my way to an old friend.

>A synthetic thot propositioned me for cybersex. I waved her away.

>A weasely fellow in a faux-hawk opened his coat for me displaying all manner of chemical escapes. I brushed past him.

>I tapped my old accomplice on the shoulder. He was hunched over at the bar.

> Noel beastmode Thompson was a meatspace friend of mine since we were kids. He taught me how everything I know about the matrix. Kind of a coward though.

>"I knew you'd be here."

>He shook his head and grunted. He was fixated on a screen in his pudgy hands.

>"C'mon Beastmode. It's Cap."

>He turned to face me. An omni-visor obscured his sunken in eyes as they darted around netscapes provided by his headset. It was the look of a decker who never strayed far from the matrix. A vision of my future self if Neet hadn't come for me perhaps.

>"Falcon?!" His omni-visor changed colors as he got a better look at me.

>I nodded and ran my fingers through my hair "In the flesh."

>"Haven't seen you in meatspace since…ya know." We both recalled a prior session of decking we'd done for some easy if not illegally gained Brouzouf.

>"Yea…I'd reminisce but I've got work to do. I need help Noel. Do you know where PnP and DOSBoss are?" They were skilled deckers. Better than me on my best days. If I could get their help it would make things a lot easier.

>Noel winced and his visor changed color. "Boss OD'd a few months back."

>"Shit! Why didn't anyone tell me!?"

>Noel crossed his arms "You went cube Man, ain't no one talking to you if you're a shirt."

>"Fucking drek…" I couldn't believe Boss was dead. He liked to get high for sure but I always thought he had a good grip on things.

>"What about PnP?"

>Noel turned away "He went dark. Haven't seen him since Boss died. Last I saw he was hanging around pro synth groups on the Matrix. "

>I recalled the crew's disdain for me going cube. They all really did hate me for abandoning them but I'd had enough late night netruns that left me brainburnt.

>"I'm in deep Noel, I need help in the cold room. You want to scout for me like you used to-"

>"No. Whatever you're into it's your business."

>"I can pay you. C'mon, I really need help here."

>He hesitated, his visor glitching somewhat. "T-Two k up front and another k every hour after."

> It was overpriced as hell for the simple job of watching out for me in meatspace but I'd bitch later. "Deal. Let's go."

>The look on his face told me he didn't expect me to agree to it and he grabbed a can of sugary shit from the bar as we went below to the basement…

***

>In the past our group had done some deals with the bar's owner so we had a free ticket inside but security was our responsibility.

>The coldroom was one part faraday cage and one part ice box. Kept tech cool and netrunners hidden.

>You could actually end up getting sick if you stayed down here for more than a few hours at a time with the lowered temperature. I wouldn't be here long so I didn't worry.

>After moving some stray beer kegs aside I plugged myself into a secure connection and reclined onto the morgue like table. "You packing some heat Noel? I wouldn't say I'm marked but it may not be safe around me." I watched my breath rise in front of my face from the chilled air.

>He shrugged "If someone wants you that dead I don't think I'd be able to do much to stop them anyway. I'll give you the signal if someone starts beatan' on the door. After that, I'm bugging out. Fairplay?"

>"I guess that'll do. Thanks again for the help."

>"Just don't forget my brouzouf when you're done." Noel leaned against the door and I felt a jolt as I digitized. My meatspace body was in his hands now.

***

Brief Interlude

I would not want to dissuade anyone from deviating from the choice they made but I would like my fellow cyberpunks to consider something before locking their choice in. If you're one of the "come what may" types that throw caution to the wind and plays things with their gut then know you either made or broke the story for yourself and others based on your decision. I won't say that a particular choice leads to bad ends so much as they change the character in more ways than one. Don't read any further unless you want to peek under the hood for the story in terms of what kind of choice leads to what kind of story.

You've been warned.

This is definitely part of the story that you'd want a save state for. Essentially we'll have two very diametric story paths based on the available choices (or a more floundery "let's hang in the bar" if you want more world building there). Essentially one route is a more hotline miami themed rooty tooty bang bang shooty sort of adventure in our cyberpunk setting. The alternative being a cheeki breeki sneaky cyber-shinobi style story with lots of intrigues and mysteries. I've etched out the details for both paths but right now everyone seems to be keen on the rooty tooty bang bang shooty arc either subconsciously or unintentionally.

>just tell the better story!"

They're both good stories but thematically if we're gearing up to go full NUCLEAR then we'll see just how much of DEMON Anon can be.

I've allowed half and half choices before but this is one of those intersections where you really have to settle on one thing or the other. I wouldn't stress over the decision too much. Don't feel bad if things get crazy based on the selection we've made because no matter what happens things will get worse before they get better. That's just how these things tend to go. If enough people choose lets hang around the bar that will basically tell me "we don't know what arc to pick, you choose" and then I'll step in and make the selection for us. I don't want to say this will be the most important decision we'll make but it will be up there.

Also feel free to ask me about any story elements you're unsure about it. I've been told my writing style can be choppy at times if I'm not careful so I'll gloss over more important details or be too direct with descriptions.

>>356287

This guy is trope aware.

>I'm confident with my choice, spoilers or otherwise.

You don't need to repost anything in that case. Just know that if you go for the gun(s) you're basically forsaking the dead drop route whether you included that in your decision or not. If this alters your decision quote yourself accordingly and don't forget to sage.

I'll go ahead and bump the thread for this since it's a pretty big dealio. I blame everyone but myself for trying to make the story choices a la carte in their posts. I blame myself for not chastising you punks earlier. Whatever decision you make I hope (you) enjoy the story chummers.

>>356400

I don't want to spoil myself, but I do want a sick cyberpunk gun for self defense, and I also want to get in contact with PnP. We can't infiltrate a major corporation like OCP on our own, especially since they know who we are and probably expect us to try and rescue Neet.

I want a lazer gat to smite waiting thief's with. We should pick one up and maybe a mono chainknife.

>>356739

Don't do this shit to me at 4 AM

Sage nigger

>>356739

Fuck you man, are you soliciting a ban? Sage you fag

>>356823

Descriptions courtesy of the shop owner of I can assure you…

[] CMP 150- "An old datadyne special. It was designed before smartlink technology became more widespread. It supports both semi-automatic and fully-automatic fire and utilizes 9x19mm ammunition. It houses a built-in HAAC (Haptic assisted accuracy control) system that allows the user to automatically target foes if they have smart lenses. Should be useful if you've never used a gun before. Comes with three thirty round magazines. Don't mistake its small stature, it's quite deadly I assure you.

cost-1200 ¥

[] Auto 9- "An OCP classic. Based off the Beretta 93r, the Auto 9 fires 9x19mm ammunition in both semi-automatic and three round bursts. The recoil is quite vigorous but the forward barrel extension helps compensate somewhat. It's rather unwieldy. Supposedly it was designed for someone who was already augmented. 'Fraid I can't comment on that. Comes with two twenty round magazines. It supports smart link technology that will assist you in target acquisition but it won't aim the gun for you like that CMP 150. Not unless you're sporting the proper chrome anyway…"

Cost-1000 ¥

[](stolen) detective special- "An eye for quality, hmmm? Looks a little beat up but you won't find a more rare piece I assure you. Fires custom-tooled cartridges capable of punching through lightly armored targets. Packs a mean recoil so be careful or it'll jump out of your hand. If a cop catches you with it you'll be in big trouble as these were only issued to special agents for hunting down rouge synths in an earlier age. Comes with two quick loaders stacked with 6 rounds each of caseless HV-AP (high-velocity armor piercing) rounds."

cost- 1700 ¥

[] Model 1887 Rotunda sweeper- "Perhaps you're looking for a more low tech solution for your defense? Can't go wrong with a shotgun. Holds five shells plus another in the breach. It'll require you cock it after each shot of course. It won't hold your hand like that datadyne special I assure you."

cost 500 ¥

[] Jericho 942- "I see you want something simple right? Well if you want something guaranteed to kill whomever you point it at you can't go wrong with Jericho. Fires .50AE. Not as fancy as HVAP but even armored foes will wince when hit. Comes with two ten rounds magazines. Quite deadly I assure you."

cost-850¥

[]vintage 80's style sheek shades- "You'll certainly want to look the part if you're a proper shadow runner. Tell me, is that eye patch for show or are you really blind in that eye?"

Cost- 200¥

[]Shadowrunner trenchcoat and tac-vest- "If you're going to be getting your nose dirty in wetwork you may want something a little more robust than that jacket you're sporting. The coat has kevlar woven into the layers and the vest has polymetal trauma plates. You won't be invulnerable by any account but you won't die…as easily.

cost-850¥

>what to buy?

>I've never actually used a gun in meatspace.

>I've played enough video games in the matrix but this definitely isn't a video game. Will virtual experience really carry over to meatspace?

>With only 2500¥ on hand I can't go full commando but I can certainly gear up somewhat.

>>356825

Last minute edits always get me. First line should be.

>Descriptions courtesy of the shop owner I can assure you.

Just as well. Here's the kinda coat and glasses you're looking at.

>>356825

We're off to rescue our RoboWaifu, if anything calls for the power of THAT GUN, it would be this.

>>356854

Won't a .50 Jericho just be a (((Deagle))) in all but name anyways?

I wish he had my favorite snowflake gun in stock, but if we bought one of those Neet might have some competition.

I really really want the detective special but >>356831 is right, it's hot. Thinking about it though, any gun we buy will be hot, on account of us buying it off the black market and not registering it, so we might as well buy That Gun.

Changing my vote to the Detective Special and the armor.

We got anything on us that we could swap to make up the price difference so that we could get That Gun and the coat?

>>356825

Hope you're ready for some ''quality' original artwork as well as gratuitous amounts of talking.

>"Quite the caché to choose from…Mister?". I looked at the shopkeeper.

> "Murphy." Murphy wiped down the 1887 with a rag giving it an impressive sheen.

>I picked through the various choices and felt their weight in my hands.

>The detective special felt pretty good but the price tag was exorbitant, to say the least.

>If Murphy could be trusted then it kicked like mad. With only 12 rounds I'd have to make every shot count.

>The earlier run-in with that chromed out OCP grunt left me a bit jittery though.

>With this I should at least have a fighting chance if that guy was as dangerous as he looked.

>If I go for that though, I'd be 50¥ shy of being able to purchase the armor as well. I try to haggle him down.

>"My prices are as fair as they'll get. I can assure you."

> He didn't intend to back down from his stated price.

>I asked him "How about if you upcharged me for something else? I have more Brouzouf in the bank."

>He adjusted his glasses "You seem a little too enthusiastic. Careful that you don't trip over yourself my friend."

>"There's no way I can get the Detective Special and the armor?"

>"Well now that you mention it, I could use some help retrieving some stolen property."

>"Stolen? Have you considered contacting the police?"

>Murphy chuckled and shook his head. "I'm afraid it's the kind of merchandise that requires…ahem, a certain discretion. If you're as talented as I've been led to believe then such a job should be relatively easy for you to complete."

>I questioned him "How do you know what kind of talent I have?"

>He gave me a toothy grin "One doesn't get a 100,000¥ bounty on their head for being easy to take care of. You're some kind of dangerous. Or some kind of unlucky. Maybe both."

>I shook my head in disbelief. That's one hell of a bounty on my head. No time to worry about it now though. I gritted my teeth "What am I retrieving for you and from where?"

>He clasped his hands together "Aha~! You're familiar with the Chrome Bone Pawn are you not?"

>I leaned on his counter and put on my best intimidating face. "I've been there before. How did you know?"

>"I sell more than niceties you know, I also trade in information Mr. Omus. Unfortunately for you, you've gotten the attention of a few different parties as of late.

> I gave him the stare down "Like who?"

>He continued unfazed "Unless you're willing to part with some brouzouf I'm afraid I can't say more. What I will say is the one called Tisel has something we both want. Go to Chrome Bone Pawn, deal with Tisel as you see fit and return to me with my property and I'll see about rewarding you for your effort. As a buy-in you may take the armor with you on this operation. You're probably going to need it."

>I covered my one good eye and groaned.

>Less than week ago I was just some wageslave chasing after a paycheck. Now I'm doing dirty work as goddamn shadowrunner. Should I even bother putting in my two weeks notice?

>"You said Tisel has something I want. What might that be?"

>Murphy adjusted his glasses once more. "You'll have to ask him that yourself I'm afraid. Anything else I can do for you Mr. Omus?"

[] Armor be damned, go for the dead drop. I'll take the detective special. I don't have time to be running errands for shady shop keepers. May as well grab the Rotunda for a little more firepower before I head out. less filler, more Miller. Let's get to the main plot

[] Take Murphy up on his job offer. I mean, this way I can get my hands on that armor and the detective special. That and he mentioned a reward as well. Something tells me I better not ditch the job and just take the armor and gun and run. He seems like the "Come quietly or there will be trouble" type. I probably shouldn't cross him.

[] bwahh! A 100,000¥ bounty!?! This is ridiculous! To hell with running errands, does Murphy have a panic room in here? Because I'm panicking!

>>357453

Well chummer, other runners shouldn't stab you in the back if the bounty was placed by OCP (runners typically don't work for corps, that's a shirt game). There are other groups though that would go for the money, ya know, typical dystopian metropolitan rot; slimly private security goons, merc squads, hitmen, punks, creepers, and various ne'er-do-wells. You can assume Anon would be savvy to such groups being a decker himself and having traveled in circles that would frequent places like Tastey Bitz.

Murphy obviously works with runners given he has gear explicitly for them. He's linked to Tastey Bitz via the bartender who sent us here.

As far as who is actually after Anon there's a number of different eyes on him with differing goals and objectives. If we've all decided on the sidequest then you should note that after dumping our dosh on the gun and armor we aren't going to be able to afford any good tips from Murphy right now.

This first mission is pretty much a test by Murphy to see if we can get the job done. If we prove we're competent and earn his trust that should open up more contacts/missions that allow us to piece together the yet unsolved mysteries.

>>357454

Are you sure about that? Mechanically I've stolen a few different "gamey" ideas from games like Phoneix Wright and any game that has static menus for purchasing gear/upgrades.

Without wanting to spoil anything the side-quests will fill in plot holes and expand our universe. The main plot so to speak is more or less together in my head. Side-quests may augment some of the details but the overall narrative/story I'm trying to tell shouldn't change drastically based on how much of the world we end up exploring.

I'm pretty sure if Neet is still alive she won't chastise us for taking too long if we manage to find her.

>"Anon, I'm glad you came back for me, but what was that nonsense about fighting mutated corpse mongers in the sewer while searching for the lost cat for that synth loli at the orphanage? I mean, that was very heroic of you and everything, I just don't see how that helped you find me faster. I mean, it's not like I've been waiting on baited breath for you to save me or anything…"

^

Obviously, the above scenario is a completely non-canon satirical take on the whole "Are we just felating ourselves?" question.

I'd say to do the sidequest, we could get some useful contacts, besides the fact, I wanna ask the pawn guy some pointed questions, and by pointed I mean hang him upside down and let the point do the asking.

>>357648

Based on what.

>The allure of possible answered questions along with the promise of a reward that could further my investigation was too good to pass up.

>I equipped Neet's scarf and beanie both as protection from the cold nip of the approaching night as well as prying eyes that might want to cash me out.

>By the time I made it to Tisel's pawn shop the night had properly set in and murky mists created by steam vents mixing with the cold night air generated tufts of synthetic fog every 5 or so meters on the street.

>It wasn't dark though. Lights from overhead lamps and storefronts were twisted through the mist and seemed to paint the air with a living glow.

>Too bright for me to feel comfortable in at least.

>I slipped into a back alley and staked out Tisel's shop.

>If I waited I could break in after he closed up and look for the goods then.

>If I were to go in there now and demand the stolen goods that would almost assuredly result in some kind of confrontation.

>I squeezed the butt of gun and weighed the heavy decision of going in there and possibly having to geek him.

>I'd had suspicions about the guy but I never saw myself as a killer.

>The most I'd ever done was steal corp data back in my decker days.

>No one ever died.

>Perhaps I could settle this with diplomacy?

>I didn't have any crisp brouzouf for buying the stolen goods and I doubt he'd want any electronic transactions for illegal sales much like Mr. Murphy

>That further begged the question "What stolen property was I going to get?"

>Murphy wasn't willing to disclose what I was getting but explained that it would be in a small case with an embedded transmitter but I'd only be able to follow the signal once I was inside given the low range frequency.

>I could attempt to sneak around the shop and steal it and simply forgo the interaction altogether but Tisel might recognize me. If I get caught stealing he's definitely the shoot first type based on his attitude.

>My thought process was interrupted by a tap on the shoulder.

>"Uhh hey…"

***

>>357677

>I spun around and reached for my piece.

>A sullen sunken-eyed scantily dressed lady met my gaze.

>Her face was heavily done up with makeup.

>If she wasn't a whore she certainly wore the uniform.

>She continued "If you're not looking for action you need to zog off. You're scaring my usual customers."

>Was it the eyepatch? I pulled down my scarf exposing my face and rubbed my cheek whiskers.

>I was on the money my guess anyway. I attempted to scare her off "I'm a cop so if you don't want to spend a night in lockup, you need to zog off. I'm staking this place out."

>She shook her head "Bullshit. I know the cops on this beat and you're not one of them. Also where's your car officer?" She crossed her arms expectant of some other answer.

>I looked up in the air for an answer "Listen, just,-"

>"No, you listen, lotta girls go missing around here so if you're some creeper you need to leave or I'm going to call a real cop."

>Time for a more cohesive lie from a different angle.

>"Fine you got me. I'm not a cop. I'll tell you the truth."

>She gave me a look like I was full of shit.

>"My girlfriend went missing and I have reason to believe that pawn shop over there has some clues I need my investigation."

>Her expression changed to a more inquisitive look.

>"What was her name?"

>I looked away trying to think of an answer that might make sense.

>"She was an older synth. She didn't have a name."

>"You like those kinds of girls…I see."

>She looked disgusted by my answer. Hard to compete with women who can change their chassis I suppose. I tried to work whatever charm I had from my corp styled customer service days.

>"What's your name sweetheart?"

***

>The name she was willing to give me was Jizzy. I didn't bother broaching further to know what her real name was. I hoped that wasn't her real name.

>Apparently a number of her friends had gone missing as of late and she's been hunting around for the culprit herself.

>She pieced together I was shadowrunner and said she'd be willing to help me if it meant finding who was responsible for the recent kidnappings.

>Cops don't really care about a few missing hookers here and there.

>They weren't on the top of the list anyway.

>The big lie, of course, was that my Neet was involved. She had nothing to do with the kidnappings in this area and there probably wasn't any evidence we'd glean from pursuing my personal mission at the pawn shop that would help Jizzy.

>Jizzy squeezed my hands with a smile having been thoroughly plied by my charm "T-thanks for helping me hunt down the kidnapper Anon. I'll help you in any way I can."

>I put my hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze "Listen Jizzy, this is pretty dangerous business. Here's what you need to do…"

[] Send Jizzy in as a distraction while I search for the goods. Jizzy can steal Tisel's attention. Her face though…I wonder what Tisel's tastes are in women?

[] Have Jizzy stand guard out back while I hack into the chome bone's matrix and disable their security and nab other crucial data. Do I trust her enough to watch over me?

[] I don't need charity from street whores. Tell Jizzy to go home and stay safe and try to find a better line of work. Let a real shadowrunner handle this. I'll pull the fake cop routine again and kick the door in. Before he realizes what's actually going on I can restrain him and search at my leisure. Then again I didn't fool Jizzy, am I gonna be able to fool Tisel? What about CCTV and the alarm system? There's a lot that can go wrong with this approach…

[] I'm a little nervous…ask Jizzy if she'd be willing to polish my knob to boost my confidence. She looks like she has some experience in that field. She did say any way afterall. Then I'll kick in the door.

The story thus far

For new people to the story or old people who are forgetful here's what's happened to catch you up. It's the far-flung future. Megacorps run everything. On the streets people make it by as best they can. Anon, a cybersecurity specialist, opted into a government program to help out downtrodden synths. A heavily damaged synth with the serial number NE-37 (He called her Neet since she didn't have a proper name) became his new housemate. After getting to know one another they formed a bond both in meatspace and the matrix.

Their time together was ended abruptly after a break-in that left Anon for dead and Neet violently abducted and possibly dead herself. It wasn't Anon's time yet and he is currently running in the shadows and gathering clues to piece together the mystery of Neet's abduction. Meanwhile, the ones responsible for Neet's abduction are out to finish the job they started and seek to put an end to Anon's hard-boiled cyberpunk detective story.

Glossary terms for our cyberpunk adventure.

>decker- Another word for hacker.

>wetware- unaugmented parts of one's body.

hardware/chrome- cybernetic additions to one's body.

>cube- Someone who only operates inside the law with their decking

>shirt- Someone who works for a corp. See cube

>smart lens- Lenses that fit over the eye and sync to a smartphone or computer to allow a decker to access systems remotely.

>neural jack- A connection port to one's brain that allows for them to connect to the matrix

>meatspace- real world. Not the matrix.

>ram jammer- a decker that goes out of their way to screw with networks and steal data.

>matrix- A digital environment that feels real to the touch. Sometimes it exists as a closed network, other times it's connected to the internet.

>shadowrunner/runner- Someone who operates outside the law. Usually, they fight the evil that megacorps engage in.

>smart link- A way to connect to tech in meatspace.

Characters in order of appearance.

Anon Omus- Our protagonist. He's a talented Decker who was socially isolated before meeting Neet.

Neet- A mysterious synth who came into Anon's life and gave it new meaning before being abducted.

Tisel-A shady pawn shop owner. Although Anon doesn't yet know it, he played a role in Neet's kidnapping.

Dominik Kasun- An agent working with OCP, a large megacorp that handles the security system for Anon's apartment.

Noel- A childhood friend of Anon. Somewhat cowardly but a capable Decker none the less.

PNP- An anonymous member of the Decking group that composed Anon, Noel, DosBoss (deceased) and themselves.

Murphy- Owner of an antique shop that helps gear up and give out jobs to shadowrunners.

Jizzy- Some street whore we just encountered outside Tisel's pawn shop. She's looking for her friends who recently have been abducted from the area. She decided to help us since we're both searching for lost friends.

FAQ

>what exactly is a synth?

A synthetic human. There are 5 different generations of synths. The early synths were more mechanical in nature but newer synths are grown in vats. Modern synths are essentially indistinguishable from a human on the outside.

>What kind of cyberpunk setting is this?

It's a mish mash of different worlds. Think Blade Runner, Perfect Dark, Robocop (1987), shadowrun, ghost in the shell, the Matrix, and perhaps other bits and bobs from other science fiction worlds. It's all blended together seamlessly thanks to my creative engineering.

>Needs more monstergirls!

I agree. I'll either introduce some in an upcoming matrix drive or get some more synths into our story soon. Anon is a one woman man so thots will be denied.

>What is kitty?

Depends on her programming. The catgirl avatar can be loaded with any number of programs. Programs have limited A.I. and can do little more than follow commands and perform rudimentary tasks. The glorified sex doll program was Anon's only meaningful interaction before getting to know Neet better. He still refers to it as "her" despite it being nothing more than avatar running A.I. scripts. It was a coping mechanism for his extreme loneliness.

>How do I participate?

Choose an option available when I present one. If you have a question or comment about an option or the story feel free to contribute your thoughts. Please remember to sage your posts. I'll go with the option that gets the most votes. I try not to do a la carte picks but as long as it doesn't jumble the story structure badly I try to accommodate everyone.

>>357679 The most recent part of our story with options available.

>I got behind the pawn shop with Jizzy in tow.

>I turned to her "Just message me if things get dicey out here and I'll disconnect. I can help you but not if I'm in the matrix. Don't let me get geeked while I'm jacked in, alright?"

>Jizzy nodded "Good luck Anon." She looked somewhat nervous about standing guard.

>I connected a coil cord neural jack into a service terminal adjacent to the Chrome Bone "Luck has nothing to do with it."

>I fell into the matrix and felt myself digitize.

***

>The trick to decking is finding the weakest link in a system.

>Once you're inside no one except the admin themselves can actually stop you.

>Except maybe some security programs if you're a pleb.

>The pawnshop's network security was nothing special but I still needed to be on the inside to get the job done.

>If I wanted to be fancy I could slip in through a data packet but that takes some finesse.

>I brute forced the router password easily enough but I needed to go deeper.

>I searched for devices connected to the network.

>I couldn't take all day to scour CCTV recordings for something juicy and simply opted to turn them off for the time being.

>The system security was pretty pathetic and I needed only mask my movements through the digital miasma between data nodes.

>The alarm system is a bit tricker, I'd save that for last.

>I texted Jizzy as I poked around Tisel's personal files "Everything okay out there?"

> Sales receipts, short notes, benign correspondence. I needed more time to sort through the data and I wasn't finding the kind of evidence that would give me leverage. I simply snatched all the dox I could figuring I could sort through it later.

>The search continued for anything else on his network that would come in handy.

>I found a wireless firmware updater for cyber limbs.

>I could do something with this but first…

>Time to knock out the alarm.

>That's when my hud displayed " 'Protoman' has connected to the network."

***

> It was indeed Protoman. At least someone sporting his avatar.

>They spun the iconic shield around and struck a pose "Ahh captain! I finally found you!"

>I didn't waste time and summoned Kitty "I don't want any trouble but I'll dump your ass hard if you get in my way. Log off before you get burnt."

>"As if! I'm not going to let my rival escape!"

>Rival? I didn't know anyone who went by the name Protoman or used the avatar for that matter. They spoke in a very flamboyant manner as if they were putting on a show.

>I tried to dissuade him "I think you got the wrong guy. Shouldn't you be chasing Rockman?" Although the thought occurred to me- if you look at their designs Captain Falcon does have a visor and scarf similar to Protoman…

>He shook his head. "That blue bucket head? Naww, he's not my type. You really have forgotten, haven't you? I'll help you remember! A fight should help refresh your memory!" He spun the shield around again and struck yet another pose.

>I didn't have time for this and spoke with an indifferent tone "No thanks. Dump his ass, Kitty."

>Kitty pounced at the would-be Protoman but he responded in turn by vaulting over her and blasting her with a vicious static burst.

>Kitty promptly crumpled to the floor.

>My hud displayed "Program 'kitty' is nonresponsive."

>He landed and struck yet another pose "No programs, 1v1, just like the old days!"

>Goofy antics or not this guy meant business. The only way to the alarm node was through him.

>It had been a while since I'd had a proper matrix fight. May as well enjoy it. I spun around myself and struck a pose "Show me ya' moves!"

***

>>358350

>The neon sign with the store's namesake as well as the one advising that shoplifters would be shot was still in place.

>I entered wearing Neet's scarf pulled up around my face, her beanie pulled down around my head and only my left eye clearly visible courtesy of my eyepatch on the right.

>I approached the counter.

>Tisel looked frustrated as he fiddled with a laptop

>"I'm closing soon so don't spend all day chummer. My fucking alarm stopped working. Gonna have to call the company to reset it I think…"

>I smirked beneath the scarf "That's alright I shouldn't be taking long. I just came here to ask some questions."

>"Well maybe I'll answer em'." He shut his laptop and tried to pick me apart with his eyes.

>"Can you tell me where Murphy's stolen property is?"

>Tisel's face was all at once a mixture of confusion, anger and fear. >Apparently, he got caught off guard by my bluntness.

>He drew his revolver and pointed it at me without hesitation, his chromed arm whirring and clicking as he took aim.

>"Hey asshole, get the fuck out of my store before you say any more stupid shit you'll regret. How 'bout that?!"

>I pulled Neet's scarf down to reveal more of my face.

>Is there something you want to tell me Tisel?

>"Y-you!?! You're supposed to be dead!" He pointed the gun right at my head.

>…

>nothing happened.

>"The hell!?!" He then spun the gun around so the barrel was facing himself and I took it from him.

>He then proceeded to punch himself in the face.

>He then grabbed his own hair and slammed his face through the glass counter.

>"fuah! Unghah!" he collapsed onto the floor knocking over the register. His face was a bloody mess with glass shards protruding from it.

>I stood over him "Gotta be careful with the software for those cyberlimbs Tisel. 'Specially with those wireless updates. Now start talking.

>He spit up blood "Fuck you."

>With his cyber arm under my control I had it put the squeeze on his nuts.

>"FUCK! Fuck you asshole! alright! alright! fuck! Jesus!"

>I waited and kept his arm's vice grip on his nuts.

>"Murphy's box is in the storeroom b-b-behind the counter!"

>I continued the questioning "Murphy said you had some information that'd interest me. Spill it."

>"I don't know what the fuck you're talking about."

>I held his wetware arm down and pressed one of the glass shards into his cheek "You said I should be dead. Talk."

>"Uuuuuaagh! Fuck alright! The vocaloid…the serial number on it…some corp motherfucker was looking for it. P-p-paid me for your details…that's all I know! I swear!"

>That still didn't answer my question. "Why did you think I'd be dead?"

>he hesitated, wincing at his pain.

>I had his cyber arm twist his nuts tight

>"AGH! I know the guys…"

>"Who!?"

>"The ones sent to geek you…they…Omar…they're Omar's boys." He was gasping in pain

>"Who's Omar?!"

>"Kingpin! Crimelord! H-he runs…runs the south bay stack houses and all of drugs traffic in North city."

>I mulled over what I'd learned.

>Yet, I had one more question for him.

>"How much?"

>"wuah?" Tisel looked confused.

>"How much brouzouf to sell me out?"

>…

>"f-five grand…but I didn't know they'd…I didn't think…Please, just let me go okay? Please…I'm sorry." He'd pissed himself now.

>I stared at Tisel coldly letting him know how truly fucked he was.

>"I swear! I didn't know they'd try to geek you."

>I knew what I had to do. "Sorry Tisel…"

[] I could do it. Part of me might even feel some vindication. But it's not who am. I'm not a killer. I'll have Tisel choke himself to sleep. After that, I'll forward his private data to the police. In the unlikely event there's no wrongdoing in there at the very least he was part of a criminal conspiracy to conceal a murder and I recorded as much with my smart lens. He'll go to prison and that'll be the end of it.

[] I can't let him get away with what he's done. To me. To Neet. I'm operating outside the law. I'll kill him. He's too dangerous to let live. If there's even a chance he doesn't face JUSTICE I couldn't live with myself. Have him break his own neck. If it were just me I could maybe forgive him but after what happened to Neet…it just won't stop hurting…

[] Nothing short of absolute agony is too good for this fool. Rather than talk it out he pointed a gun at me and would have pulled the trigger if I wasn't pulling his strings. I have such a lust for revenge. I'll see that he suffers to his last. Have him crush his own face. He can suffer like Neet did. Let him stew in his own juices until he expires.

muh moral choices

>>358536

I get that but with the the gun departure I thought we'd do more hotline miami flavored killing. That being said, I enjoy more open ended gameplay story choices that let you solve problems via dialouge, violence, stealth or some mixture of the three of your choosing depending on the situation.

I was worried people might want to go the full I'm already a demon kind of route with anon. I mean, he did torture Tisel afterall. I imagine most reading are savvy to this genre and it's tropes and are aware of what kind of story they're in wanting to play it safe. Something along the lines of discretion is the better part of valor or something like.

I would play some more deus ex mankind divided but my PC struggles to load stages and play them at a comfortable framerate consistantly. I may need to augment it soon.

>I'd flipped the luminescent "open" sign off. The chrome bone was closed for tonight.

>I raided the upturned register and pocketed 2100 brouzouf.

>I'd shore the remaining 5000 he'd been paid for selling me out by picking through his shop.

>I didn't want to be seen hauling a big bag of loot from the place as that might appear somewhat suspect so I tried to pick out things that would fit comfortably inside my coat pockets.

>While he sold guns the place didn't sell ammunition in bulk.

>Reaching through the hole Tisel's face made in the glass counter I nabbed some small arms.

>The first thing to catch my eye- A chrome finish desert eagle. Recognized it from some classic movies. I racked the slide and felt the weight of it in my hands. I didn't have any ammo for the thing but a piece like this could fetch a nice bit of brouzouf. It's obtusely large frame poked at me from inside my coat.

>While Looking for something recognizable (and by extension valuable) I was careful not to touch anything in a way that would leave prints.

>I ended up grabbing three other small sized pocket pistols of varying calibers figuring Murphy could give me a some brouzouf for a few. I put them into my backpack since they were empty.

>I felt a dumb eyeing the price tags and the part of me that always rationalized piracy had no way of forgiving this. I'd never stolen anything in meatspace before. I was straight up robbing the store.

>I opened up the revolver I'd had Tisel hand me.

>Six rounds, as to be expected.

>.45 caliber. It was an ugly little snub nose Smith and Wesson with a gunmetal black finish.

>I spun the cylinder and snapped it back in place "My little nigger."

>I twirled it around and slipped it into my inner coat pocket.

>Before I could search further the door at the front creaked open slowly. I gripped little nigger.

>It was Jizzy. She covered her mouth upon viewing the scene.

>"What did you do?!"

>Tisel was passed out with shards of glass embedded in his face. It was a properly gruesome scene without the right context.

>"He attacked me. I had to defend myself. He'll be alright. Don't touch him though, you don't want your prints on anything you don't want police to find."

>"He'll be okay?"

>"He should be. I thought I told you to wait outside?"

>"After the yelling stopped I didn't hear anything sound so…" She changed her tune "Did you find out anything about the kidnappings?"

>"Not sure if it will help your investigation but Tisel has ties to a criminal organization at the very least. I'll send you the information I gleaned from his computer. The police will be getting the same information. I'll let them handle him."

>Jizzy nodded "Did you find out about your girlfriend?"

>I grunted "Not as much as I'd like but I at least have a trail to follow."

>I got my hands on Murphy's stolen property, my smartphone identified the frequency it was belching out.

>It was fairly small as far as containers go, no bigger than a lunch box.

>It was time to get moving. I turned to Jizzy "Thanks again for your help. You have my number. If you ever need a favor feel free to call it in. I owe you one."

>"What are you going to do now?"

>"Can't say for sure but it's probably going to be dangerous." I pulled Neet's scarf up around my face.

>"Anon!"

>"Eh?"

>"S-stay safe alright?" Jizzy smiled at me. It was longing if somewhat worried smile.

>I nodded and left the store.

***

>>358639

>By the time I made it to Tastey Bitz I was ready to curl up behind a dumpster. I'd prefer to have some sort of shelter of course.

>I went to the bartender and asked for Darkness.

>He motioned with his eyes to a booth tucked away in a corner.

>"Thanks" The bartender nodded at me and I approached her table.

>Drawing closer I could see she definitely was like no other.

>Dark hair and a dark dress accented by a feathery white fluff that wrapped around her the lip of dress.

>She had big wraparound shades that reflected the ambient glow Tastey Bitz exuded and a bosom that could not be ignored.

>"You'll ruin your eyes wearing those at this hour."

>She looked up at me. "Can I help you?" she had an annoyed tone. She sounded all business. I acquiesced.

>"Are you Darkness?"

>She pulled her shades down revealing her eyes. Solid black, save the red glowing iris. "Are you wanting to die this evening?"

>I returned the simple question with a simple answer but some of my nervousness slipped out "No?"

>She pushed her shades back up before giving me a short command "Sit."

>I joined her booth and she sipped a dark liquid from a tall glass.

>"Not many people know me by that name. Those that do know not to call me by it." she gripped my hand and gave it a firm squeeze. It grew tighter and I got the message she was sending.

>"Murphy sent me."

>"That so?" she proceeded to twist my wrist at a compromising angle.

>She wanted submission but I felt if I submitted further I'd just get more of the same. I'd need to work my charm.

>"Normally, I'd have to tell a girl my name before she'd hold my hand."

>the grip only tightened. My knuckled popped. One last chance.

>I put my hand on top of hers and stroked it gently with my fingertip. Through a wince, I managed "How 'bout I buy you a drink?"

>I managed to coax a smile out of her and she released my now throbbing hand.

>"If Murphy trusts you then you can't be too bad. You may call me Morrigan. Call me Darkness again and I'll make sure its the last mistake you make."

***

>We shared a few drinks as well as some stories until the last call drew closer.

>She was a synth from another age. Not as old as Neet but older than me by a few years at least. She didn't go into detail but underneath her soft exterior she had some high-end cybernetics. She was tooled for CQC but you'd never know just by looking at her.

>She's the madam for a Brothel like Murphy said. She prefers the term "intimate housing" though.

>I told her my story. I told her about Neet and how she helped teach me what it meant to love again. I told her how my life had been completely destroyed over the course of a day. I just got out of the hospital this afternoon.

>I talked about how I had a bounty on my head. She folded her hands together listening to my exploits in the matrix as well as meatspace.

>The drinks dulled my senses as I piled them on.

>For better and worse Morrigan could detect as much. She was holding my hand again, but unlike before she wasn't crushing it. Like Neet, she could monitor my various vital signs. She could probably tell me what level of inebriation I was at.

>"Are you ready to go Sweetie?"

>"Go where?" My mind was slipping. A mixture of being brain burnt, sleep deprived and half drunk left me searching for a coherent thought.

>"They're closing soon. Doesn't matter where you go but you can't stay here."

>I rolled my neck around and pressed my free hand into my working eye trying to stave off the dizziness the boozes had imbued me with.

>"Are you going to be alright?" She leaned forward and leered at me with those dark eyes of hers. I nearly got lost in their red glow.

>"I don't think so Da.." I almost called her Darkness again. I caught myself, if just barely.

>"Morrigan…"

>>358791

>>358952

>>358862

>"…could you take me with you?"

>Morrigan paused and then crossed her arms.

>"Sorry sweetie, you need to find someone else to go home with."

>Well it was worth a try. I nodded at her answer and attempted to get up. I needed to find someone else to take care of me.

>As soon I got to my feet the whole bar seemed to shift below me and it felt like the floor had become slick as ice. I grabbed onto the table to regain some balance

> Morrigan chided me "Don't tell me you're drunk already."

>I waved away the notion but without realizing it, I'd stayed toe to toe with her while drinking and she drank a lot more than I typically did.

>I attempted to step away from the table but felt myself doubling over.

>Tisel's revolver fell out of a loose coat pocket from the awkward angle I was at and smacked on the floor, bouncing under the table.

>Morrigan commented nervously "You dropped something there."

>I felt the bar twisting and turning around me. "I…I got…I got it."

>Slowly I bent over to retrieve the revolver from the floor.

>The Desert Eagle slipped out of an equally loose pocket and crushed my left foot.

>"Agh!" I lifted my foot involuntarily to the pain which was a bad idea because I needed both to maintain balance. The table seemed to jump up and hit me in the face but in reality, I'd simply fallen face first into it.

>All at once I was staring up at the ceiling with a sharp pain in my head. The overhanging lights that bathed the bar in a technicolor wonder mixed together into an entrancing display.

>The last thought on my mind before I blacked out was "I need to get some more holsters…"

***

There he laid on the floor. Morrigan couldn't believe her synthetic eyes. She lifted her shades up to make sure she wasn't mistaken. It happened so quickly she didn't notice her drink had toppled over from the impact on the table. The fairly flammable wild turkey cascaded onto her evening dress. Beautiful she thought sarcastically. She got out from underneath the alcoholic flow and batted at her dress.

>>359213

She exited her side of the booth to check on the idiot. Noticing his various firearms on the floor she took care to tuck them back into his stylish if somewhat overplayed trenchcoat. Placing a finger on his carotid artery she checked to see if he'd went and cashed himself out. Luckily for him, he was still kicking. Unfortunately for her, the commotion drew the attention of some rather unsavory characters.

A group of three; They approached casually but they looked ready to rumble if provoked. A question- Were they the usual crowd or had they come for some ulterior purpose? They were fresh faces for Morrigain in either case. Fresh, perhaps a misplaced term, these guys were mercs if their outfits were any indication.

The alpha goon had a fat face and a body to match. The lesser goon to his right was a scrawny punk and was wearing a coat two sizes too big for his small frame. The lesser goon to his left had a shit eating grin and shitty teeth to match. The lead goon spoke warmly.

"Looks like our friend had a little too much to drink, don't worry we'll take him off your hands for ya'. He's a real lightweight!" The trio laughed.

A kind gesture if there was one but he seemed too eager. She rose, adjusting her shades "He's your friend?"

The lead goon laughed heartily "Yea! That's him on the floor. Sometimes he hits the sauce a little hard. Don't worry we'll take care of him." The two lesser goons went to grab Anon by the feet.

"What's his name?" The alpha goon paused before nudging one of his underlings with a knee. The twig-like underlying dropped the leg he had and pulled up a smart display on his wrist. It showed a picture of Anon on a popular bounty head website. The twiggy goon started to mumble something but the alpha goon took the lead "CYCLOPS! Yea! Ol' cyclops here! We call him that because of the eyepatch. Called him that for years! I was there when he lost his eye!" He laughed even louder than before.

Morrigan flipped her hair with a whip of her neck "Interesting…he told me he just started wearing it this afternoon." The goons' expression changed in unison to one of utter shock.

Morrigan spoke matter-of-factly "I think I'll take cyclops with me." The once jovial tone of the alpha goon changed to one of a more direr inflection before he drew a gun on her. "We're taking him, so mind your own business or you might get hurt."

Morrigan breathed through teeth and spoke through them as well. "Is that really how you wanna play this?"

The goon cocked his gun "I don't want any trouble, now get the fuck out my face."

It was gonna be one of those nights. In an instant, aided by some of the hottest CQC augments on the market Morrigan twisted alpha goon's wrist and directed the barrel of the gun at his face. POP. At this close range, a red mist backsplash coated her face.

Time slowed down. She saw one of the lesser goons going for a gun. "You bit-" Before the alpha had even started to slump downward she directed the pistol again to the aggressing goon. POP POP. Two more spurts of blood smacked at her.

The third goon had drawn a knife and it was already in flight towards her. She deflected it with a chop and grabbed his wrist. With a forceful twist, the wrist snapped like a twig and she further snapped his arm around to punch him in the stomach. A blade built into her forearm extended and skewered the punk in an instant. She pulled downward and gutted him spilling blood and god knows what else all onto the floor. She flipped him onto a table and off her now blood-drenched self. This all transpired in a matter of seconds.

All three of the Mercs lay dead crumpled against booth chairs and tables. Her arm blade retracted into her forearm as she bent over and picked her shades off the floor since they'd fallen off during her quick jerky motions. All of the eyes of the bar were upon her. She spoke simply while pulling her shades down for a menacing glare. "Overdue bar tab." Half of Tastey Bitz rushed to the counter shoving brouzouf in the bartender's face. Meanwhile, Morrigan hoisted Anon over her shoulder and made her way outside to an expensive sports car.

>>359214

Anon wasn't fully cognizant. Still, in a daze, he asked some questions that Morrigan wouldn't bother answering such as "What time is it?" and "Why am I covered in blood?". She told him to hush and slipped him into her passenger seat. She went around to the driver side and groaned at the realization that both of them were going to matt her seats in blood. Too late now.

As she went to open her door she admired her classic yet sophisticated machine. A Dodge Viper SRT-10, 600 horsepower out of the factory but she'd modified the turbocharger to squeeze out an extra 30HP on straightaways. The 8.4-liter V-10 engine was a masterwork of engineering and the rear wheel drive gripped the road like a beast with high-end street racing tires- zero to sixty in less than 5 seconds. Clarkson would be proud.

"I just had this thing detailed so don't vomit in here or I'll cash you out myself, got it?"

Anon groaned in response before slumping over in his seat. He seemed like he was a good guy if there ever was such a thing in this world. At least he acted like one for the most part. She'd find out more on her own time. One can hardly discern another's character over one night of drinks. The Viper snarled to life and then set off.

They were headed towards North City. It was properly night now. Morrigan glanced out the window at the skyline which was lit spectacularly. When you have Brouzouf to burn you burn it in North City. It's a place that will satisfy your every desire. She lowered her gaze to Anon. His head bobbled around like an innocent drunken baby. He had a bump on his forehead where he faceplanted the table but other than that he shouldn't suffer more than a hangover.

Bright lights accosted her from the rearview mirror. They were being followed. Morrigan put her foot down. The Viper growled in response and they jumped forward with the increased torque. She reached across the center console and smacked Anon's face softly. "Hey! Wake up, we got company." Anon stirred awake but he was hardly useful.

They'd have to slow down once they got inside the city and then it'd be game over. She took the exit off the expressway to cut around traffic but she'd be traveling down the gutter row. It consisted of several abandoned city blocks and all manner of miscreant and homeless. There was no posted speed limit there but also no road work was ever done. It was a good place to go if you wanted to die or if you wanted to kill someone.

>>359218

***

They'd made it to her bordello. Morrigan nearly cried after getting a look at the outside of her car. How would she explain this to the insurance?

She breathed through her teeth and growled as she approached the passenger side of the Viper. As she crossed she got a look at the extensive damage to the front end from all the shit they hit driving through the gutter row.

She opened the passenger side door to anon and he nearly spilled out of the car. She caught him and held him up. He was panting and looked about ready die.

"Surry ah…about jer dress…."

She was all kinds of angry at him but he was too drunk for anything she had to say to make it through to his head.

"It's okay, it was already ruined from before anyway."

That's when she noticed he was bleeding. Not from the earlier bump on the table but from his temple. He'd been shot. He was definitely more pasty-faced than she remembered. She ran her fingers through his scalp and pulled her them away to examine the blood.

"We gotta get you inside. Come on, on your feet idiot."

Scantily clad girls inside the bordello covered their mouths at the mess Morrigan dragged in. She immediately began barking orders to her workers "Misty, I need peroxide and the tummy tucker! Dee, get the darkroom ready!"

Another girl got under Anon's other arm to help Morrigan carry him in "Is he going to be okay?"

"We'll see…"

Anon's head was drooping and Morrigan dug her fingers into his shoulder "If you die on me before you clean up the mess you've made I promise I'm going to tear you a new asshole."

Anon groaned and gave shakey handed thumbs up.

***

Morrigan's bosom was pressed up against Anon's neck "Stop squirming!"

Anon moaned "It's too tight…"

"Just stay still, it's almost over. You're going to make a mess if you keep moving."

"I can't take much more of this…"

"Don't be such a baby. We're almost done…"

Anon was at his limit. Morrigan covered his mouth to keep him from making any more embarrassing noises.

"Last….one…"

Morrigan put the final staple in Anon's head with a "ka-chik". It'd leave an ugly scar but his hair should cover it up for the most part.

"Now close your eyes. We gotta disinfect you." The peroxide turned his already blonde hair streaks of near platinum white.

"There we go. You won't die…for now."

They were situated over a sink which had a number of bloody matted hair clumps in the drain. Half an inches more and his grey matter would be coating her dashboard. He got real lucky, the bullet just grazed his temple.

Morrigan stripped Anon down and ushered him into the shower to wash off the mixture of sweat, blood, vomit, gun smoke and whatever mess he'd made in his pants. She was naked herself since she needed to freshen up as well but Anon seemed oblivious to the whole ordeal as drunk as he was. Occasionally, she found herself propping him up against the shower stall to keep him from slumping over.

Eventually, he was in clean enough state that Morrigan didn't mind having him use her bed. The darkroom wasn't her room specifically but it was a good place to hide someone away if the heat was on. After tossing Anon onto the sheets he passed right out. The darkroom, as the name would imply got very dark when all the lights were turned off. Only Morrigan's crimson eyes could be seen glistening in such pure unfettered darkness.

She crawled on top of the defenseless Anon and ran her fingers down his cheek. He could use a shave. She leaned in close and felt around for his neural jack. Thier soft bodies mixed together on the bed and she drew close to him.

***