siidthedoc

[siidthedoc]

Surprise Is On You.

I’ve started going through the bag of augments. Pretty good stuff really, the hidden knife still has blood on it which is a bit unsettling as to how the Crew actually came to possess these. Best not to ask too many questions about it I think. 

I let everyone know what the capabilities are of the Augments and after a quick discussion it’s decided that the group member who wants them will have to pay the rest of the group for it, the group would sell the augment to the individual at a discounted price. Very fair when it comes right down to it, Nano was a bit hesitant on it though, think she just wants to try and get things for free. But nothing in this world is free, not really. 

All morning and into the afternoon I performed surgery on Nano, Gian, and Spearhead, after Nano’s surgery she also assisted me which was very helpful. She also came up with a form the others had to sign saying they can’t sue us if something goes wrong. Very smart of her. I’m going to start using that for all my clients that come to my door. Though to be fair nothing to my knowledge has gone wrong so far. Still better to be safe than sorry. 

Umm turns out we might have overdone it on Gian’s blood toxicity tolerance levels by installing one too many augments. Good thing Nano made him sign that form. I should have checked with him first, guess I still have a lot to learn. I might have to remove an augment if he chooses not to just take Lukolite or Lyphomight for his newly acquired condition. Which I completely understand. Lukolite is the cheaper option of the available drugs, it's also the most commonly available form on the market. We gave him a complete relief so he’s at least stable for now. Lymophomight is the most expensive form of blood toxicity treatment and is in rather low demand making it much harder to find. 

Sometime during the day, we all get another text from Mr. Chan and the whole crew decides to head over and meet up with him. On our way there we stop in the 54th for some food and find the most adorable little anime shop. I purchased a little mechanical chameleon, and the cutest of little unicorn keychains, it floats and literally holds my keys up. I’m never losing them again! 

So we are on our way once again to see Mr. Chan and get another mission. We meet him and as he is giving us the mission we are surprised by none other than The Washington Street Boys. God, there was so many of them too! We’re guessing they attacked Mr. Chan because on our last mission we attacked one of their compounds and exposed an augment black market trade ring, which is where the bag of augments came from.  

I think lots of people tried to take cover, I say that because that is what I did myself. As I would prefer not to umm, “get my hands dirty” at least not with taking life. I am here to restore it to whoever pays me the most, and right now that’s Mr. Chan. So when I saw he had been shot I rushed to him, Gian or Knight was carrying him, and I just started looking at the wound and trying to see how bad it was. While we were moving all I could really do is apply pressure and attempt to get the bleeding to stop. He was losing a lot of blood and I found that he had been shot at least twice. As I’m working on him we manage to get out the back door and find Mr. Chan’s car waiting ready for a quick getaway. We help him inside and I watch the black car speed away. 

Meanwhile inside there is quite a commotion going on. Most of The Washinton Street Boys are now dead, and Nova has tackled a suspicious character of a man who was pickpocketing people amidst the chaos. I peek my head inside to see what is going on only to find everyone making a beeline for the back door and we all rush into the Van, which I’m not sure when or how it got there. Maybe Nano or Gian brought it over? In any case, we pile in and make our getaway. 

[siidthedoc]

A Bag of Augments

The crew that was put together are pretty awesome people. I gather the mission went well because Mr. Chan placed a very nice sum into my account this morning. I guess this means I’m still part of the crew. I hope they understand... I guess that is just something to deal with later. 

I was wrapping up a client, literally, I was applying a cast because they couldn’t afford to pay for the self-healing nanobot surgery, so we had to kick it old school. I’m guessing it’s not really common practice anymore, but someone needs to be able to patch these people up. Anyways, I got another message from Mr. Chan. He wanted to meet at 7pm (1 hour from when I received the message), I was unsure if the whole crew knew about it, so I sent out a mass text. A package also arrived for me, no note or anything, but inside was a gun. Kato had taken all of his and I’ve never really had a need for one, I guess those times are gone. Kato has shown me how to use one of course. “Just in case” he would say. 

I dug through our closet trying to see if Kato had left behind a holster of any kind, and I was in luck! I strapped on the gun, grabbed my skull jacket, and phone, and walked my client down to the street and made sure they got a cab home.

Then I grabbed a cab for myself and headed down to Gweilo. It was weird going without Kato, hopefully, he is doing ok. Mr. Chan is waiting for us all again, and the same crew shows up. They seem concerned that Kato and left so abruptly last time, which is kind of them. And I mumble something about how it would just be me for now, Kato has other business to attend to. Mr. Chan has a missing person for us to find and return, “K” as she will be known here. Her last known location is at VOID, a new up & coming bar that was gaining popularity. 

I pay for Spearhead, he looks like he lives on the streets, so its the least I can do for the poor guy. Plus I wouldn’t want to cross any of these people really, what a group of badasses. It kinda makes me feel out of place, then I remember I have my jacket and hug myself a little as we walk into VOID. 

VOID is amazing! Music pumps through the whole place, the group grabs drinks (I don’t, never know when there will be a medical emergency) and head upstairs to the dance floor. The group breaks into two; Spearhead, Nova and I remain upstairs keeping an eye on the security room. While the others find another entryway into the security room. 

While I’m dancing with Spearhead I notice that the bouncer is trying to pass out drinks to people with augmentations and I start a group message between us as we figure out what to do, I come with a bad idea that everyone was thinking...Someone has to be bait. Spearhead volunteers, and we wave over the bouncer. He gives Spearhead quite a few drinks the guy really has a tolerance, but eventually, he becomes “dizzying” and “unwell” and the bouncer helps him to a “resting room.” 

*ping*

Ping? The word flashes across my interface, a new upgrade I got with money from Mr. Chan. I’m confused. Clearly, it's a text message. Stupid technology, and integration, migrating my messages into my HUD was apparently quite a job. Maybe I should text less... anyways, I open the message it was from a number I didn’t recognize. 

Kato. What had he gotten himself into now? What rotten timing. I motion to Nova that I would be back and sneak off down the stairs and out of the club. I call a Taxi as I’m doing this. This upgrade for the HUD is really so useful, I should have done this sooner. I rush home to find Kato sitting on the floor in front of our door. He’s holding his side and I can see blood spreading through his fingers and shirt. “Can you stand?” I ask he’s a lot bigger than me I wouldn’t be able to move him myself. 

He nods. “Took you long enough.” He grumbles as he gets to his feet. I help the best I can. 

“Come on, inside, let’s take a look.” I open the door and guide him through the living room to our second bedroom that I had turned into an operating room. Or at least the best one I could do with the resources I have. Kato lays down on the table and I undo his shirt. Three bullet holes through his side. “Good thing you called me.”

He grunts. “Where were you?” I poke a needle into his arm and administer a sleep serum to put him under while I work. I don’t answer his question, it will be a long discussion one that he is not going to like. He just wants me to be safe. I get it. His eyes flutter closed and I monitor him before starting work. I manage to get the bullet out, they were fully intact which makes my job a bit easier, and he only needed one blood transfusion which is really good considering what it could have been. I seal him up and within minutes it’s as though he was never shot. I really love nanotechnology. I put a pillow under his head and a blanket over him so he can sleep for the rest of the night and tap a little control on the side of the table making it transform from operation table to recover bed. I look back over my should as I leave the room and turn down the lights. He came back. 

The next morning I found a cup of coffee waiting for me with a note. “Thanks for the patch up. Sorry I couldn’t stay. Be home soon. -K” I let out a long sigh, and peek at the coffee is smells delicious. 

I sip it when I hear a knock at the door. When I answer it I find yet another package for me. This time it's from the Crew. I place it on the coffee table and with my coffee in one hand I open the box with the other. I’m taken aback by what I see inside: a bag of augmentations. I guess the mission went well, then I check my bank account and sure enough, there was a new deposit in my account. 

Good to know I’m still on the Crew. 

[siidthedoc]

When The Clock Strikes Eight

*ping*

I’m laying on the couch messaging my best friend when I get the oddest of messages. A riddle. I stare at it when I hear Kato’s phone go off in the other room.

*ping*

I hear him shuffling around. He pokes his head out of the bedroom. 

“Did you get a weird text?” he asks, groggily. He must have still been asleep. I nod and he comes over to sit with me, he lifts my legs so they are stretched across his lap. He holds his phone in front of my face, I read his message, it’s different from mine. 

“Should we answer?” I ask him. He shugs and types something into his phone. 

I sigh and reply to the message. 

*ping* 

*ping*

Both of our phones receive an additional text that is exactly the same. Gweilo’s 8pm. “Are we gonna go?” I ask Kato, he shrugs again and continues to scroll through his phone. 

Kato isn’t much for words, though in his line of work that might be for the best. He’s a bounty hunter, and he is always coming home needing to be patched up. Which I admit is worrying, but he always comes home, so I’m good with it. His shugs usually mean yes, so about an hour before we have to leave I go and change and get ready. 

I throw on my favorite oversized T-shirt, some black and neon pink booty shorts, doing a french tuck so that my shorts actually show. I have to dig through our closet to find my favorite worn-out sneakers and a worn leather jacket that has a studded skull on the back. I pull my hair back into two buns french braiding the backs. I grab an oversized pair of round pink sunglasses and check to make sure my eyeliner is a perfect wing. I stuff my cell into the inside pocket of my jacket and head back into the living room to give a nod to Kato that I’m ready. 

We make our way to Gweilo in a cab, nothing fancy, especially heading into district 5. I never want to live in that shit hole again. District 4 is a step up for certain, but it’s still not the best.  We stroll into Gweilo and Kato makes his way over to a gambling table while I order us drinks and watch him. 

We wait until the club dies down. Then Mr. Chan rose and spoke to the few of us left. While Mr. Chan was speaking I noticed Kato texting a client of his, he seemed on edge, it made it hard to concentrate on what Mr. Chan was telling us. What I did gather was that we were to retrieve something that had been stolen from Mr. Chan, and he would pay us well for it, plus a bonus for no deaths and timely retrieval. While I was extremely interested in the proposal, Kato seemed very distraught. Something was clearly wrong. When Mr. Chan had finished and left we were left with the other. A whole crew got up and left, guess they didn’t want to participate. I swapped information with the others that were left and we started to come up with a plan, however, Kato just got up and left. 

Normally he at least sends me a text. He didn’t even do that, clearly, something was wrong. So I politely dismissed myself from the group as well, and then ran after Kato. 

The atmosphere of stress that radiated off of him was intense when I finally caught up with him. “What’s wrong?” I asked him. “It seemed like a good deal, and the group seemed ok,” He turned and handed me his phone. A wanted poster was pulled up. “ESCAPED, INQUIRE FOR PRICE OF RETURN. DEAD OR ALIVE” It was of I think the most ulgy guy I’ve ever seen. “Wait, haven’t you caught this guy before?” 

Kato nodded. “I have to go. It has to be me.” He said. 

“I’ll help you pack.” There is no use in attempting to change his mind, it’s better to just let him go. He always comes back. He will be fine. Breath. We rush home and he packs guns, ammo, anything he might need, and I put together a little first aid kit, and basically a small stash of drugs that would make the best dealer look twice. It’s the best I can offer, not only can I not go with him, but he wouldn’t put me in that kind of danger. He always comes back. 

I also send a quick text to the number that had reached out earlier. While Kato’s away, I’m gonna have to find extra income to keep our cozy little apartment, we’ve both worked so hard to get. 

Kato rushes from the bedroom a bag in hand and I hand him the first aid and drugs.”Be safe.” I say. He nods and brings me in close, kisses me and then heads out the door. Then suddenly I am all alone, he always comes back.

 Breath. 

*Disclaimer: Some names have been changed to protect the privacy of the individual.*

[siidthedoc]

Sup. I’m SIID.

‘Sup I’m SIID. Currently, ’m a bartender in District 4 of San Francisco in 2185. It’s a good job, a nice change of pace, it’s a little bit slower minus the occasional fights that breakout but we have security for that. It makes me thankful that I have my hidden knife just in case. There is no such thing as being too prepared.

Before my current gig I was repairing just about anything that had a motor. It got to be pretty boring which is what made me retire after 20 years. Now I’m just taking it one day at a time. It’s been an adjustment, to say the least. I have found some friends along the way, about the same time that I started bartending I also moved into an apartment with Kato. We get along well enough, we’re both pretty busy with our jobs though. 

Oh so you are probably wondering why my blog is called “What’s Up Doc?” well though out the years I’ve picked up on first aid, and repairing synths, and healing people through random incidents as well as just researching on my own time. I thought that maybe someone out there could learn from what I’ve learned, and I could share my experiences. 

So I guess let’s see how this goes!