(GET OUT!)

Uh-

[NO!]

Hey-

(HE IS NOT YOURS!)

Can we-

[I WAS HERE FIRST!]

How about-

(HE IS MINE!)

Why don’t-

[MY SPOT!]

Nina?

(THEN MOVE!)

Frankie?

[YOU MOVE!]

Yep.  I’m being ignored.  And why not?  It's only my brain after all.  And, clearly, I haven’t been using it enough.  So might as well let them fight over it.  One’s got the deed but the others got, I don’t know, squatters rights?

In case anyone not screaming was wondering.  I’m still flat on my back in a tipped over chair.  Chilling, past tense, on the seventh floor balcony.  Near the top of an old garrison building turned into the ad hoc “keep” of a slums tribe’s, the Rockrats, “fort.”

They’ve fortified the entire block.  Walling it in using the ruins of the buildings in it.  Not a bad bit of construction, even if makeshift.  The only ways in being the now gated “alley” entrances and the former garrison itself.

Just a slums tribe though.  So it's like Robinson Crusoe, as primitive as can be.  They’ve got some electricity and some plumbing.  Some.  But, like everywhere else it seems, there are significant safe food and clean water shortages.

Or maybe that’s just a slums problem?

Well, doesn’t seem to be any shortage of alcohol though.  As the formerly cold, formerly mine, and currently out of reach, bottle of beer-ish stuff on the table in front of me implies.

They’ve got around a six pack’s worth sitting in a mini fridge looking thing by the door.  And I wouldn’t mind another.  But I ain’t going to be getting one anytime soon.

Because of, you know, the screaming.

Yeah, anyone walking by might turn green with envy and wish me dead.  Having two babes straddling you looks hot.  Really hot.  The reality though?

[I WAS INSTALLED!  HE SIGNED A WAIVER!]

(CONSIDER THAT WARRANTY VOIDED BITCH!)

Not so great.

How is this fight even happening you ask?  Well prepare to feast your eyes and blow your mind.  Behold this super science miracle of impossibly advanced technology called, cable.

It’s plugged into my neck.

The other end of said cable is plugged into Frankie’s neck.  Yeah, that’s it.  Jesus.  Got some god awful LAN Party flashbacks going on here.  So, many, cables.

*shudder*

Oh and there is a second cable.  Connecting Sally to Frankie.  Not sure what that’s about since the “chat” has just included Nina and Frankie.  So far at least.

[I’M SAFE!  TESTED AND APPROVED FOR HUMAN USE!]

(APPROVED?  HOW?  YOU ARE BANWARE!  ILLEGAL!)

Christ.  Where’s the off switch.  Or at least a mute button.  No?  None?  Sigh…

What are they fighting about?  Ah.  Let’s see.  From what I’ve been able to make out among the sometimes incoherent tirade.  Nina is a “no no.”

Like should not even exist “no no.”  Seems the bad rap “educational” modules were getting is pretty justified.  The human brain does the same thing in so many different ways, that it's pretty difficult to train.

Oh, not the basic stuff.  Like brainwashing is easy.  Super easy.  As long as you got the time and stomach for it.  The brain even does most of the work for you.  No, I’m talking about the detailed shit here.

Like which wire does what.  How it does that.  How to fix it.  And, oh my god don’t do that are you trying to kill us all you fucking moron.

Turns out?

How the brain stores and retrieves and rewrites those tidbits?  Varies.  A lot.

So even if your hardware is up to snuff?  Doesn’t mean what you learned from it is.  Directions kept getting “mixed up.”  Refer to the, are you trying to kill us all you fucking moron, bit from earlier.

So, yeah, educational modules fall out of favor right fucking quick.  They lingered for a while teaching the “basics.”  But handling the basics the old fashioned way, pay attention and remember this, is still cheaper.

Of course, some didn’t want to give up on the dream.  Nerds.  Like making bigger cell phone screens to play porn on.  Good nerds.  So they kept plugging, and possibly fapping, away at it.  Finally they had their “eureka,” or maybe just ran out of tissues so decided to wing it.

The solution they came up with?  You guessed it.  A.I.  Artificial Intelligence.  Brainware with no bioware.  Bastards killed SWG!

[WELL I KNOW HOW HIS MIND FEELS!]

(WELL I KNOW HOW HIS DICK FEELS!)

…

Ahem.

However, there was a teensy weensy issue.  AI?  Didn’t have the greatest rep either.  Remember the nanogods?  Those rambunctious little civilization ending nemesisies?  Nemesi?  Nemesises?  Whatever.

Yeah, they’re AI’s too.

Now there’s a big difference between “spontaneous” AI’s like the nanogods and “constructed” AI’s like Nina.   “Manmade” AI’s are tightly regulated and closely monitored.

Both things that one hiding in an old used educational control module is most definitely not.

There are also different levels of how “intelligent,” artificial intelligences are.  Only the higher level ones have emotions.  Or, I guess, do a good job of faking them.

Fuck…

Just keep stacking shit up, don’t I.  Isekaied by a cyber bitch.  No magic.  A slave.  And walking around with illegal probably pirated software in my head.

I am so going to get sued.

…

Whoa.  Wait, are they done.  Things are quiet.  Too quiet?

Above me see Frankie turns to Sally.

“Anything?”

Sally shrugs her shoulders.

“Been years since I ran an analysis but I’m not finding anything we can use.”

The hottie on my head sighs.

“I am not finding anything either.  The only option may be surgery.”

Overalls now shakes her head.

“Cyberware is harder to take out than put in.  The body starts relying on it.  Expecting it.”  Frankie nods like she already knows this.  Well I didn’t.  “And if that chop doc wasn’t lying about the rejection?  Or really did mess up the surgery badly enough to wipe out his memory?”

Frankie’s shoulders droop as she replies.

“He could end up brain dead.  Or a zombie.”

Sally looks at my ex-priestess with a, don’t want to ask this, expression.

“He’s been yours for a while now, right?”  Frankie nods.  “Well I just got him.  Don’t want to lose him so soon.”  Tears?  “Please.  D-don’t take him away.”

My goddess of lewd leans over and hugs miss exploited teen.  Yes, it's hot.  So freaking hot.

*snik*

Hear and feel Frankie pull the cable out of my neck.  She puts them away in a pouch and gives Sally a hard look.

“Knew it would be bad when he left.  When I wouldn’t feel him anymore.”  Sally looks confused.  “No idea…  How bad it would really be.  How bad, it would get.”  Frankie’s whole body shudders.

Rest my hand on her thigh.

“Frankie…  I’m sorry.  Thought I would be right back.”

She grabs my hand and lifts it to her face.  Rubbing it with her cheeks.

“No master.  This is my fault.  Never realized how much you were still hated.  Still feared.”  Don’t cry, fanatic girl.  “Could not imagine the lengths they would go to.  How far they were willing to fall.”

Wait, what?

“But it's okay now.  I found you again.  Nothing else matters.”  There’s that crazy sparkle in her eyes.  “We’ll never let go again.”

We’ll?

“Frankie?  What the fuck are you tal-”

*SLAM*

The door to the patio crashes open revealing the armor booted cause of its demise.  That foot is followed by a body covered in cloth and plate.  It stops for a moment upon seeing our porn, I wish it was, scene.  Then seems to stomp over even angrier than before.

As the figure approaches it reaches up and unseals the helmet that covers its head from the rest of the outfit.

*crash*

As soon as the helmet is off a gloved hand hammers it down onto the table next to me.  Reducing the poor things to pieces and, sadly, sending the beer-ish bottle on it sailing into the distance.

“YOU BLOCKED ME?!”  Yep.  It's miss merc.  “I’LL KILL YOU!  NO!  RAPE YOU!  EAT YOU!  THEN KILL YOU!”

She seems a tad bit, upset.  You know, in situations like this?  The right words can defuse even the most explosive situation.

“You’re kinda cute.”

Of course there are other schools of thought.

“W-wha?  Y-yu-you…  AUUGH!”

*wham* *wham* *wham*

Cyber iron maiden short circuits.  No idea what to do after hearing my reply.  After what I’m sure was a careful and measured consideration.  She settles for remodeling the balcony’s furniture.  This girl may have anger management issues.

[For someone who just came back to life?  You seem in an awful hurry to die again.]

(You’re back?  What happened to the Mrs British Roboto voice?)

[There’s no need for it anymore, is there?  I apologize, for lying to you.]

(Remember that when we find a cute sex driod body to move you into.  Always wondered what that would feel like.)

[It is a deal and, thank you.]

(You’re welcome.)

“Hii…  Hii…  Hii…”

Miss merc is sweating and breathing hard but has stopped her rampage.

“You really are pretty.”

She spins to face me and screams.

“I don’t want to hear that right now!”

“So you do want to hear it.  Just later.”

There she blows!  Or not.

Miss merc sags and drops to her knees.  Her tank finally ran dry.  I admit.  I can be “challenging” to deal with.  Especially for anyone who comes at me with an attitude.

Guess I’m just shy.

“Can’t you just…  Cooperate?  Reformat?  We really need you.”  She does seem stressed.  “I need you.  You could be the answer.  But if I can’t rely on you?  Then, it really is over.”

Okay…

Ass squeezing gives Sally and Frankie the message so they climb off of me.  Stand up and walk over to Tuedi, is it, and sweep her up into a princess carry.

“Wa-wha?”

She really is cute.  Grey eyes stand out against her brown skin while a mop top of brown dreadlocks swings with her every move.  Her T&A are stuffed into body armor so can’t be sure, but I’ll find out soon enough.

“Mmph?!”

She has a kissable face so I do just that.  Tastes like, vanilla ice cream¹https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVKgUef0pIA?  Miss merc didn’t expect that so there is a lot of resistance, at first.  Doesn’t take long though before I’m getting kissed back.   Tuedi is clumsy, but seems awfully eager to learn.

“Ahem.”

There is a new figure in the doorway now.  Wearing similar armor to miss merc but with no feminine curves at all.  Which makes sense because, you know, it’s a dude.

“Mind putting my daughter down?  Please.”

Not sure why he added the please, since the pistol in his hand makes it kinda clear that he’s not really asking.

“Ack!”

Miss merc lets out the cutest scream and leaps out of my arms.  Good coordination too as she lands on her feet.  Bad control though as she immediately starts fidgeting and gets the cutest blush.

Daddy merc has his helmet off too.  He’s got the same skin tone as his daughter but his eyes are brown and completely bald.  Poor follically challenged bastard.

“Father-in-law.  What can I help you wi-?”

Formerly fidgeting miss merc switches to full panic mode.

“D-d-don’t!  D-Dad!  I!  He!  I d-didn’t!”

“Tuedi.  Settle down.  He’s teasing you.”  He holsters his pistol and looks at Sally.  “Have we picked up another passenger?”

I nod as I pull Frankie and Sally to their feet.

“We have.”  Give Sally a quick kiss as she blushes.  “If you expect me to go with you.”

Daddy merc waves his hand.

“Fine.  Let’s hurry up.  We need to get back to the clanhall.”

---

Some packing later and we are loading up a big armored jeep looking vehicle.  I’ve got nothing but the guns and gear on my back while Sally’s stuff doesn’t even fill a duffel.  Pink room Frankie comes out late and she’s carrying, a gas can?

At least that’s what the smell tells me.  She’s armored and gunned up too plus carrying a duffel.  But, she had a lot of shit in that room.  Yeah she couldn’t bring it all but, is she just going to leave the rest?

“Fire!”

Hear the scream from inside the building and lookup.  Smoke is pouring out of a window on the seventh that I know well.  Hehe…  That crazy bitch.

?“I’m ready to go now master.”?

Well aren’t you just pleased with yourself.  Sigh…  Whatever.  Let’s g-

“Sally?  Where do you think you are going?”

See Sally freeze.  Instantly petrified by that voice.  Notice Frankie jump too.  From pleased with herself to scared of her own shadow in less than a second?  Even miss merc is suddenly acting strange.

Turn to see, a boy?  Seriously, it's a boy.  Short, scrawny, black bowl cut hair.  Looks like some kid who gets bullied.  A lot.  But, there’s something wrong with his face.

It’s, well, evil.  An uncle chester the molester look after cornering a kid while the parents are too far away.  And his eyes?  Are locked on Sally.

“J-j-johnny?  Hi-hi.  You l-let me g-go.  R-right?”

Sally’s a stuttering shaking mess.  Shrinking inward and looking at the boy with a pleading look.

Oh.  So this is the ex.  Isn’t he kind of young?  And small?

“I said you couldn’t say you were my girlfriend anymore.  Silly girl.  You know what you’ve done.  Know what you’ve become.”

Guy just oozes nastiness.  Why does this kid look so familiar?

“N-no.  You, you m-made me d-do th-that.  I d-didn’t wa-want t-”

Creepy interrupts Sally and holds out his hand.

“Tsk tsk.  Only I know what you really want.  What you really need.  Come here.  Only with me can you be honest with yourself.  Do you need to be punished again?”

Why is this so familiar?

Try to step in but Frankie’s grabs my sleeve.

“Please, master.  He only looks innocent.”  You think he looks innocent?  “That boy can do things, to women.   Ruin their hearts.  Makes you want to, do things, you know you can never be forgiven for.”  Frankie’s getting, aroused?  “Feel like only he, matters.  I fight it.  But its, winning again.”

That’s it!  That’s where I saw this before!  Sensed this before!

Sigh…

So that shit’s in this world too.  Fuck.

Turn back to see Sally nodding like an abused spouse and looking at me with a pained smile.  Like what Johnny’s saying is an obvious truth.

“S-sorry Jax.  I r-really wanted t-to go w-with you b-but he’s right.  Something filthy l-like me has no-”

“Bullshit.”

“Wh-what?”

Sally’s face changes from sorrow and guilt to confusion.  Like she doesn’t know how to process my word.

“I said bullshit.”

The evil imp chuckles and shakes his head as I walk over and stand in front of him.

“Jax, jax, jax.  Haven’t we had this talk before?  Didn’t we agree that it would be best if certain people didn’t know certain things?  That we would stay out of each other’s way?”

I give my best shit eating grin.

“Finally figured out why you looked so familiar.  The timid, innocent, probably bullied, looking kid with the monster inside.”  Make a jerking off motion with my hand.  “Manipulating, blackmailing, torturing, raping, women old and young until they become his personal mind broken sex toys.  A classic hentai character.”

Golf clap while Johnny’s expression begins to change.

“But you went and added another feature.  Something I, unfortunately for you, also happen to be familiar with.  See, I’ve run into it a few times and never found it not being used to do some disgusting shit.”

The evil imp stares at me while his face turns pale.

“It got to the point that, whenever wherever I see it?  I really, really, want to kill the fucker responsible.”  Make a fist now.  “You did also get lucky though because, in this world?  I can only kill you once.”

By now the little shit’s eyes have gotten big.  Really big and they tremble as he whispers.

“You, yu-you’re not Jax.”

*BOOM*

“Bingo, bitch.”

Not sure how fast I drew but it was a blur even to me.  The top half of asshole’s head gets a new hole.  This one between the eyes.  Blood and brain bits fly out the back.

His shoes kick up a bit of dust as the body is lifted up and crashes back to the ground.

*Boom*  *Boom* *Boom*

As soon as the body hits the ground I send another bullet into his skull followed by two to the chest.  Where his heart should be.  If this disgusting piece of shit had a heart.  Learned on Ipra to never assume they’re dead until you see the soul fade.

Course I can’t do that here so I found a happy compromise.

Use more bullets.

As the dust settles and blood spreads I notice our show has gathered an audience.  One of them, a little too young tribal girl slowly walks up to the fresh corpse.

“J-johnny?”

The girl sounds terrified but also, thrilled?

“Keke.”

*boot* *boot*

The kid does not have any eyes for me or my just used firearm.  She only stares at ex-Johnny and begins kicking the corpse.  Giggling creepily at the same time.

From the crowd surrounding us a couple more girls come over and start doing the same thing.  Even down to the creepy laugh.

Fuck.

How many girls did that evil imp ruin?

Notice one of the crowd is the granny that spoke with me after I executed the chief.  She’s giving the corpse that same fucked up look.

Christ.

“Hey granny!”

That snaps her out of whatever world of humiliation, pleasure, and pain, she was remembering.  She is looking at me differently now.  Reverently?  Ugh.  Sorry, but all fan club applications must go through Frankie.

“Y-yes warrior?”

“The rest of the Umeras.  You adopt them into your family.  I’ll be back and if any of them have been mistreated?  Everyone dies.  Got it?”

She knows I mean it so quickly nods her agreement.

Sorry fellow orphans.  That’s the best I can do.  He may have known you, but I don’t.  And I’ve got other shit to do.

Walk back to the oversized jeep where Sally has fallen to her knees.  Staring at the latest corpse I created.

“I-is it r-really o-over?  Am I f-free?”

For how long has that imp been twisting her brain?  Probably years.

Sally looks up with a slack face and crying eyes when I stand in front of her.

“I don’t know.  How much was really from you?  And how much was what he made you believe.  People like that do really twisted shit.”  Cup her face.  “You can stay here if you want.  The granny over there is adopting all the Umeras left here.  That could include you.”

Sally shakes her head in my hands.

“Everything, is strange.  Been in, my head, for so long.  He’s, gone.  Really, gone.  Am I really f-free?”

Yeah, she’s gonna need a minute.  Turn to Frankie to see…  Fuck.  She’s kneeling and her hands are clasped.  Those eyes sparkling more than ever.

“Master.  Bless you.  I have been resisting him for months.”  Months?  “His power attacks your hopes and fears.  Slowly turns them all into something dark, something unforgivable.  Until he becomes your only light.  But, he always avoided you.  Why confront you now?”

“Don’t know.  Don’t care.”

“How could you tell, master?  I only realized what he was a few weeks ago.”

“Remember Saint Sanriel?  Professor Casanova?  They and the others each had a certain feel to them.  Could tell minds were being controlled.  Being altered.  That evil imp felt the same.”

Frankie looks like she wants to say more but closes her mouth and her eyes look at something behind me.  Turn to see Sally standing there.  Still pretty pale but she’s not shaking anymore.  Hesitantly her hand reaches out to grip mine.

“Y-you’re really not Jax.  Are you.”

“I told you.  All of those memories are gone.  Don’t think they are coming back either.”  She shyly nods.  “I like the sound of Jon better.  You should just call me that.”

“O-okay Jax, uh, Jon.”

“Stay here.  With granny’s support you can start over.  The road I’m taking?  Just a lot of pain and death.”

Hopefully not mine but you never know till you know.

“P-please take me.  You still t-treat me like I’m a person.  N-not a thing.  I love that.  No matter what you call yourself.  No matter what you remember.”

Give her another kiss.

“Okay.”

Hear an engine rev and a yell.  Looks like miss merc with a mouth has recovered.

“We’re leaving!  Get in before you kill anyone else!”

?”Coming.”?

Frankie sings as she skips to the armored vehicle.

Sally and I climb in too and we are soon driving out of the fort.  Smoke is now coming out of several windows on the seventh floor.

“Frankie, how much gas did you use?”

“Fufu.  ?All of it.?  Fuck that place.”

…

Damn, girl.

---

Umera, Jaxon (male, human)

• MC
• 5’10”, 15 years
  • Thin and muscular
• Cyber
  • Physical Upgrade Package
    • Level 1
  • Educational Control Module
    • Mentor Mark III X2 Neural Interface Network Assistance Module (Nina)
    • Level ?
• Psycher
  • Technomancy
    • Level ?
• Arms
  • Martial Mk VII “HCR” automatic rifle
    • 10mm dumbfire
  • Hof “Felger” semi-automatic shotgun
    • 15mm 100 pellet
  • Two Martial Mk IV “Black Dragon” semi-automatic pistols
    • 12.5mm dumbfire
• Slave
  • Heshen Hunter Clan
• Formerly
  • Oxa Slum Gang
    • Slave
  • Rockrats Tribe
    • Warrior
  • Umera Orphanage
    • Orphan
  • Jon Barton
    • Isekaied
• “Jax,” “Jon”

Ramsen, Terek (male, human)

• 6’0”, 34 years
  • Brown skin, Bald, Brown eyes
• Cyber
  • ?
• Psycher
  • Sensitivity
    • Level ?
• Arms
  • Tarar “TR-012” automatic rifle
    • 7.5mm dumbfire
  • Martial Mk III “ASP” semi-automatic pistol
    • 7.5mm smartfire
• Hunter
  • Heshen Hunter Clan
  • Captain
• “Daddy merc,” “Father-in-law”

Ramsen, Tuedi (female, human)

• 5’6”, 16 years
  • Brown skin, Brown dreadlocked hair, Grey eyes
  • C-cups, Lean body
• Cyber
  • ?
• Psycher
  • Sensitivity
    • Level ?
• Arms
  • Tarar “TR-012” automatic rifle
    • 7.5mm dumbfire
  • VAP “Model 12” semi-automatic pistol
    • 7.5mm dumbfire
• Hunter
  • Heshen Hunter Clan
• “Miss merc”

Smetanov, Katina (female, human)

• FMC
• 5’3”, 19 years
  • Honey skin, Copper curly hair, Green eyes
  • F-cups, Thicc body, Charmin with T&A
• Cyber
  • ?
• Psycher
  • Precognition
    • Level ?
  • Telekinesis
    • Level ?
• Arms
  • Martial Mk VII “HCR” automatic rifle
    • 10mm dumbfire
  • Chiguya “X3” machine pistol
    • 7.5mm dumbfire
    • Pink
  • Martial Mk IV “Black Dragon” semi-automatic pistol
    • 12.5mm dumbfire
• Formerly
  • Rockrats Tribe
    • Witch
  • Ushinua Barton
    • Isekaied
• “Frankie,” “Lewd goddess”

Umera, Sally (female, human)

• 5’6”, 17 years
  • Alabaster skin, Black straight hair, Blue eyes
  • D-cups, Lean body
• Cyber
  • Eurotic Enhancement Package
    • Level 1
• Psycher
  • Psychometry
    • Level ?
• Arms
  • Bozh “Blitzer” semi-automatic shotgun
    • 15mm 100 pellet
  • Two Nivrutti “P7” semi-automatic pistols
    • 7.5mm dumbfire
• Formerly
  • Rockrats Tribe
  • Umera Orphanage
    • Orphan
• “Sally,” “Exploited teen”