From: yu-d@cis.ohio-state.edu (Moonrise Programmer)
Subject: A Matter of Timing continued...
Originator: yu-d@boa.cis.ohio-state.edu
Organization: The Ohio State University, Department of Computer and Information Science
Date: Sat, 25 Jul 1992 23:03:34 GMT

       
	The night was young and had already claimed one such to its eternal
bosom.  Jake the instrument of the collection had other matters on his mind.
He had killed already tonight.  He shouldn't have but it had felt good.
The U.N. Colonel and her entourage didn't concern him.  He briefly toyed with
the idea of taking them out but rejected it out of hand.  You didn't take on
the U.N. unless you had a real deep hole to hide in.  Sure they couldn't do
that much to you, but they could make things quite uncomfortable.  Sauntering
down the street to Mushito square he stood at the street corner seemingly 
oblivious to the solitary night activity occurring around him.  
	During the day Mushito was the frenetic hub of various transportation 
medium and individuals making their way hither and thither.  By night a 
lethargic sense of movement permeated the ether.  People still hurried to the 
safety of their homey little rabbit warrens garishly lit by pricey bulbs or 
softly illuminated by strip lights.  Either way, the city streets had its own 
illumination, an absorption and collection of bleed over from a multitude of 
sources.  Here in the square the strobing Mushito ads scrolled through their 
paces, delivering their unending commercial messages of meaningless products 
and only incidentally providing the means of sight.
	The third ad interested Jake, only he didn't let on that he was even
looking at the Mushito scroll board.  Flipping the coin through his fingers
he peered at the passerbys while carefully observing the board through the
edges of his vision.  

-Wile's Tanning Cream: Too much cyber time?  Brown now without the Sun!-

Cybertime, yeah, it could only mean deckers.  Jake took a minute to recall the
initial contact, were there any additional instructions given?

	Audio only TeleCom, Jake had wondered about that but tossed aside his
	conjectures.  As long as he got paid.  The instructions were brief and
	a payment was made.  Strange there was never an option to refuse but
	the assignment felt too perfect for Jake to refuse.  The initial 
	observation was easy enough, then following he was to engage in acts
	of termination against a specified group to be named later.  Incidental
	casualties were not a consideration.

	This fit Jake to a T.  He delighted in the wild abandon of sowing
	havoc and death, the progenitors of anarchy among the rigid structure
	of zone life.  An anarchic sociopath at heart, he lived for those wild
	moments of adrenalized action, the killer high.

Now was the time for the nights expectations to bear fruit.  His assignment
didn't make sense, it could only mean that he was to provide a sideshow, a 
distracting display to some hidden viewer.  Then again what was he to worry
about, he had something to do.  The rented locker yielded its inanimate hunks
of plastic and steel, in Jake hands they came alive, writhing with the desire
to inflict death.  The Chatsubo, plenty of deckers hung out there.  Plenty of
deckers.  Jake would be careful though, he liked the Chatsubo, he'd use
anti personnel weaponry only.  It would be a shame to damage the Chat.  Yeah,
still that gave him plenty to work with.  The clicks of weapon safeties echoed
in the street behind Jake.  The familiar and welcome haze of action seemed to 
infuse and uplift him.  It was time, just a matter of timing.

	Elsewhere, a man calmly smoked his last cigarette delicately clenched
between his plastic lips.  His thoughts revealed themselves in his features
as he stared with unyielding intesity at the digital timer.  Soon it would
begin, a conflagaration of violence and destruction across Chiba City, not only
on the streets but in the electronic byways as well.  It had taken time to
choose the unstable personnel to institute the chaotic plan.  Yet this was just
a distraction, to draw the attention and resources of those who were watching.
They would have to respond, their interests were at stake, thereby bleeding
them of watchfulness elsewhere.  It was beautiful, the man laughed in that high
pitched bark of his.  His master would be pleased indeed.


Copyright 1992 by David Yu

*****************************************************************************
Jake is mine.  If you want to knock him around a bit let me know first.
I don't know if this is going anywhere but what the hell.  Anyways all
criticisms are welcome and as always all flames are kindly directed to
/dev/hell.
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Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk.chatsubo