Storyline: 7-Alpha-6 - Point: 9

The car went into a sideways slide, as rain soaked tarmac does that for you, especially when the driver is no longer looking out the windscreen and is using the dashboard for cover. I preferred that to the full facial of splintered glass and bullet fragments that suddenly ventilated my vehicle. Unfortunately, the kerb failed to stop the slide, and the car mounted the pavement with a double jolt and it and I became an addition to a shop front. Thankfully, at half past midnight, there was no need to worry about squishing late night shoppers and upsetting the business owner. At least not straight away – he’ll find out soon enough I guess.

+ React: Now: React: Unknown targets: Evade: React +

The carcass I was in was a fit and agile one. A soldier, one of our own – a true volunteer ‘skin’. Reaction times were better, muscle memory gave me the edge, good reflexes. With the car now stationary and covered in debris, I kicked open the driver’s door, rolled out, gun drawn and trusting to my soldier skin’s training.

Angel prompted me too, lightning fast threat assessments flash-burned straight into my cortex, milli-seconds of advantage, that’s almost instantly instinctive. Almost – as the close proximity of incoming rounds, plucking at my coat, helpfully remind me that this borrowed carcass deserves to be returned unscathed – hopefully.

+ Diminished threat: No immediate targets: React +

OK Angel, I can guess I’m safer now, I heard the fools running off into the darkness. And I can follow them with ease. But that’s not the mission objective – the Task to be done.

My car wasn’t going anywhere, neither was theirs, my recent opponents. Luckily the final destination was a half-klick jog further on. Notwithstanding the rainwater everywhere, it was time to press on.

This capable skin pounded the pavements and alleys with ease until the target building came into view. And even without Angel’s warning prompt, I knew something was wrong.

Sixth sense, or déjà vu? Sensory uploads or hard-wired nano-circuitry? Whatever the edge, it was my advantage, my latent ability coupled with Angel as my Grid interface that allowed me to grab any initiative, and defeat anyone who gets in my way. The only trouble is, there’s very little that I can do in a physical form that can defeat the concussive blast wave from a sizeable explosive detonation.

I had no idea who detonated the bomb, or where exactly the bomb had been planted, but night time suddenly became day time momentarily with the ignition flash and the following fireball, but by then the shockwave had picked me up and put me into the wall behind me. That hurt, quite a bit, and I lost the ability to listen to Angel. She was still there, I just found it all a bit scrambled.

I tried to stay conscious, but the approaching blackness just looked too good to resist.

Blackness. No Grid. No voices in my head. Just darkness.