Dark Future: Scrapville (Fan-Fiction)

New York was cold in the winter, not enough for snow, but the rain fell most days and it wasn't always acidic either. across the City the Neon Lights illuminated the rain with an eerie blue glow that seemed to bleach the dirt on the streets a luminous blue, Niko looked out of the window of the car as the signs drifted by in the rain hoping his father was taking him somewhere dry with plenty of food, maybe he was driving to a Fast-Food place 'that would be nice' thought Niko as the last of the Neon glow faded.

The streets seemed gloomier now and Niko wasn't sure where they were, they had left the City center and the last Fast-Food place, beyond the towers of the Industrial District loomed as the car picked up a bit of speed. Niko looked at his father who was staring at the road with a furrowed brow, "where we going dad?" Niko was worried now and it showed in his tone.

His dad stayed silent the only reaction was the tightening of his grip on the wheel, if Niko had noticed he would have gotten scared, but he was young and the act meant nothing to him. He turned back to the window and now the sidewalk was dotted with primitive constructs of wood and cardboard, destitute's huddled among them for warmth and to stay out of the rain, Niko had never been to this side of town before, the slums grew more dense as the car continued along the road.

Eventually the car came to a stop and Niko looked back at his father who was still staring out of the window, "Where are we dad?" Niko asked, but his father remained still for a time before he began to go through his pockets and pulled out a few dollars, "Take this Niko" he said thrusting the money at him, Niko took the notes and looked back at his dad.

"Get out of the car and go to that shelter." he pointed at a Bus Shelter that stood across the road, it was occupied by several homeless who were trying to avoid the rain.

"Why?" inquired Niko looking at the Shelter.

His father didn't answer and instead reached across Niko and opened the door of the car, Niko unbuckled his belt and looked across the road before stepping out of the car, the Black Rain beat down on his plastic hood and he turned back to the car, his Dad looked back at him with tears in his eyes and stammered "I'm sorry son." before pulling off with the door still swinging, Niko began to run after his dad shouting "DON'T LEAVE ME HERE!".

## Part 1

Niko shuffled through the streets uneasy as he eyed the destitutes, his family had abandoned him because he was too expensive to keep, and now he felt like this was the only chance he had, stories of Mutants in the NoGo frightened him, but what could be expected of a 13 year old? A withered looking man approached him and smiled a sinister smile, "you need a place to stay?" He said with his gravely voice, Niko ran, sprinting as fast as he could to escape the fear rising in his belly.

He ran for almost 5 minutes before he realized the man was not following him, perhaps he wasn't in the first place, Niko swung around looking at his surroundings, the Slums were massive stretching well beyond the Industrial areas around him, and here seemed little different from where he was just a minute ago, though he didn't fit in here either, his rain slicker was clean as were his clothes, he even had designer trainers on, and within moments a few of the residents of this place were looking at him with hungry eyes.

Niko began to back away from those he could see until he bumped into something behind him, he turned in fear to look at what he'd just hit, a Robot with old cracked plastic plating was standing there looking at him with its small lens-like eyes, "I Work, I will work for money." the Robot said in its mechanical voice, Niko thrust a hand into his pocket and pulled out the money his father had given him, "Protect Me!" he squeaked holding out the paper. without a word the Robot took the notes and pulled Niko into an Alley where other Robots were scattered around in makeshift homes, but none of them glared at him like the others did.

"Who are you?" the Robot asked, "You lost?" he continued without a pause.

"Uhh... Niko, who are you?" Niko felt no safer here but he was desperate for some help.

"Names Ratter, I used to make cars in the Gentec factory, till they replaced me with those 9 series scrappers." he turned and looked back at the entrance of the alley for a moment "Come with me kid, there's a place back here where you can sleep if you like."

Niko nodded and managed a weak smile at Ratter before following him down the alley, few of the Robots here even looked up at him, but the few that did seemed more curious than dangerous and Niko began to feel more comfortable than he had since his dad dropped him off here.

Ratter came to a stop and gestured to a small shelter made from old boxes and bin liners, it was dirty and smelled of something Niko couldn't place, "You can have this place if you want, Old 88 won't be coming back for it."

Niko looked at the shelter again and then back at Ratter "Old 88?"

"He used to live here, that is until some High Life types came and pulled him to pieces, just for kicks." Ratter turned and began walking back up the alley leaving Niko surrounded by strange Robots, though none seemed to care that he wasn't a machine. He stood quietly looking at the shelter before he crouched down and looked in, in the far corner there was some old rags and some empty cans but nothing else, Niko climbed in and turned around slowly moving rags and cardboard until the floor was at least a little soft before he sat down and looked out at the Robots he could see.

Two lived opposite him that he could see, one was an old service Robot, made to look smoother and more humanlike, but the other had steel framework around his chest and a reinforced cowl over his head, both seemed to be working away. The service robot was bending bits of old wire into simple traps, while the other was repairing his own hand, though he was having a tough time of it, Niko looked at them working and wondered why how friendly they would be.

"Hello." he half whispered at them, the service robot seemed to ignore the greeting but the other looked up at Niko for a moment before responding with a "Hello" of his own.

"Do you need any help?" asked Niko hoping he could at least make another friend here.

"Do your hands work?" the robot asked.

Niko held them up and flexed his fingers "Yes, they do".

"Then could you help an old unit fix his rotten hand?" the robot had stopped trying to fix it now and was looking at Niko with an inquisitive look, his eyes repeatedly focusing and refocusing on Niko.

Niko crawled out of his home and moved over to the robot, his dad worked with robots in the Koyota Factory until it closed, but Niko had never done anything like this before "what do I do?" he asked tentatively.

"Its ok I will talk you through it." the robot began to direct Niko to use the tools and gradually repair the hand, most of the connecting wires were broken and the servo joint had been bent out of shape, but the repair took over an hour, the entire time Niko was surprised that the robot was so calm and polite even when he made a mistake or two, but eventually his hands were sore and his stomach complained as he finally sat back and put the tools down.

The robot slowly turned and flexed the hand, it was far from perfect but it worked, he turned to Niko and held out his newly fixed hand "Ross." he said, Niko took the had and shook it replying "Niko."

"Thank you for the help Niko, I am not really good at repairs, built to carry loads, that's about it." Ross sat back.

Niko smiled and replied "I never fixed a robot before, but it was kind of fun."

Ross stood and looked down at Niko "I will be back soon." before turning and heading further down the alley.

Niko sat there for a few more moments before he turned and climbed back into his shelter, there was little to do and the gloom of the night wore on, Niko curled up on the cardboard floor of his shelter and tried to ignore the rumbling in his belly, but he didn't get long before the thud of something landing in front of him made him open his eyes, an overcooked rat lay on the floor inches from his face and he sat up with a jolt.

"For you." said Ross who was standing over him.

Niko looked at Ross and back at the rat, with only a moment of hesitation before his stomach reached up and pushed his hands to the meat, he took it and stared at it for a moment before biting into it, the meat was dry but it tasted a bit like the burgers from Hydroburger places, as he took a second bite Ross returned to his home and sat down "Thank You." sputtered Niko between mouthfuls.

"You fixed my hand, it seems only fair" replied Ross, "How did you end up here?"

Niko swallowed the meat in his mouth and said "My dad dropped me off and drove away." as the last word left his lips Niko froze as the realization dawned on him, he had been abandoned out here, sadness rose in him for a moment.

"Abandoned? guess its not just robots then." Ross replied.

The sadness halted at this and Niko looked at Ross, "others here were abandoned too?" he asked.

Ross made a tinny laugh and responded "that's basically the story that everyone here has, were the worlds rejects."

Niko stared around himself for a moment before his eyes rested on the rat once more and he too another bite, it wasn't long before the rat was reduced to a carcass and Niko looked around for somewhere to put it, the entire alley was full of debris and dirt, Niko put the carcass into one of the empty cans from his shelter and placed it outside, then he thought for a moment and put two empty cans out to catch some rain when it comes again.

"Thank you." he looked at Ross.

"It is ok Niko, you help me I help you." replied Ross.

Niko moved back into the shelter and curled up under his slicker, though his eyes remained open for a while looking at Ross who was now bending can lids into shapes, before long his eyes closed and Niko found himself drifting into dreams for the first time since his dad 'abandoned' him, and it was all he could dream of.

## Part 2

The sound of movement rose Niko from his slumber, several robots were shuffling past his shelter toward the street, he sat up and looked over at where Ross had been, but he was also gone, before long the robots had passed and Niko climbed out of his home to follow. they were gathering on the sidewalk around a single robot who had large black glassy panels folded out of his back, several robots had power leads connected to him and others still waited.

The morning sun was blazing along the street bright but cold, its light illuminated the street and across from the robots he could see several shelters occupied by humans, most were still sleeping with bottles in their hands, while others had begun to move, Niko retreated back into the alley and walked to his shelter, the leg of a robot sticking out of a Shelter caught his attention and he crouched down to look in, the robot was still and quiet.

"Hello? its morning, the others are charging." Niko said to the robot, but it remained still, slowly he reached out and shook the robots foot but it still did not move, "Hey!" he raised his voice but still there was no response.

Niko stood and jogged back to the street where the robots still waited for their chance to recharge, "There's a Robot back there, he's not moving!" he spoke with some urgency and several of the robots looked over at him before leaving the street, Niko said "This way." he began to lead them to the shelter and gestured at the leg, the robots descended on the body and began to pull him from the shelter.

The robot remained lifeless and they immediately began pulling parts from him, "Wait! What are you doing." cried Niko, one pushed him aside and soon the robot was reduced to a torso and head, even the eyes had been taken and the robots marched back up toward the street.

Niko stood there looking at what was left of the robot he had discovered, not much was left and he began to feel tears rising in him, he steeled himself and took hold of the remains and began to drag them back to his shelter, he quickly returned to the robots old home and searched the space, a few rags and an old raincoat seemed valuable to Niko, but most importantly there was a bar of chocolate, Niko grabbed the things and rushed back to his shelter.

The robots chassis was printed with the code '4S-M12', its wasn't really a name but Niko fancied it meant 'Asmis' and he pushed the remains into the back of his shelter before sitting down on the new rags and opening the wrapper of the chocolate, he revealed the dark brown delight and just stared at it for a while before biting into it and closing his eyes, it was soft and sweet and soon he found himself taking a second and third bite, before he stopped and wrapped it up and hid it among his things.

Niko looked at Asmis "Sorry about what they did, I didn't know." he turned and looked over the robots head, the casing for its computerized brain was damaged but he could see the circuits beyond, he fiddled with the covering for a few minutes until he found a release, he opened the skull and looked in at the mess of wires and parts that constituted the brain of this robot, it was much more complicated than Ross' hand.

Niko carefully lifted the chest plate off and laid it against the wall of the shelter, underneath it were more mechanisms and circuits, it was less complex than the brain but Niko still hand no idea what to do. He sat back and stared at the pieces for a while wishing that he knew how to fix Asmis, he didn't even have tools of his own, Ross had some but he was still out on the street, Niko covered him with the raincoat and sat back in the shelter, all he could do is wait for Ross to return.

It felt like more than an hour before Ross returned to his shelter and sat down, he looked over at Niko "Good Morning."

Niko looked back at Ross and wondered if he would salvage Niko for parts if he didn't wake up one day, "Morning... Ross can I borrow your tools?"

Ross tilted his head "What for?"

"I want to work on something... A project." he replied.

Ross moved closer and peered past Niko at the robotic remains, "I don't think you can do anything for him." Ross gestured at Asmis.

"Some of the others pulled him apart." Niko said coldly.

Ross leaned closer and examined the Robots remains, "Sorry Niko but this is a 3 Series, they only last two or three years, and they stopped making them five years ago, I think it was just his time."

Niko looked back at Asmis and then at Ross, the sadness of the last days exploded in him and he grabbed onto Ross in tears, the weight of life here was so heavy and Niko felt like he couldn't bear all this. Ross slid back holding Niko, he had no idea what to do in this situation, Labor Robots don't need childcare skills, he just sat holding Niko and looking at the remains of a machine that he would once have seen as a robot, but now all he could see was junk.

Eventually Niko ran out of tears and just sat with Ross for a while, he didn't move and Ross seemed to be happy to hold him, but eventually he looked up at Ross "I don't know what to do now..." he whispered.

Ross looked at Niko and examined the streaks on his face for a moment considering what they were for, "All of us feel like that, we just try not to fade away."

Niko looked around at the others here, most simply sat in their shelters, a few were making things, and others still just seemed to be muttering or making gestures like they were working at some factory, Niko finally looked at Ross and considered his future "How long will you live for?"

"Me... I am a Mark 12, so 3 or 4 more years." Ross considered that, most Humans can live to be decades old, but he was only 2 now, was that short he thought, or were Humans able to be ancient?

"And then the others will pull you apart?" Niko asked.

"Yes." Ross considered this, they would, his parts may allow them to live a little longer before they become parts, each time there would be less until they were all gone, Ross looked back at the remains of Asmis.

"I think that's sad." Niko lowered his head again and considered what to do next, there must be something his life can be for now.

Ross carefully lifted Niko and moved over to his shelter, sitting beside the rags that Niko slept on and lowered Niko onto them. Niko looked at Ross inquisitively as he retreated to his shelter and collected his tools.

Ross moved back and pulled Asmis out so that some light shone down on him, "Take these" Ross held out the tools, Niko took them and looked down at the small selection of tools he had been given.

Ross indicated a large mechanism in the chest of Asmis "This is the main balance rotor, its what stops us from falling when we walk." Niko looked at the part and back at Ross, and listened intently as Ross began explaining the parts to him, piece by piece sharing all that he knew of robots and how they worked.

Niko listened and learned.

## Part 3

Niko crouched in his home, though only made of discarded pallets and boxes it had become his home some time ago, the armored busses of employee's for the day shift were just leaving the factory he lived in the shadow of. "Lucky" he muttered to himself as they rolled off toward the high-rise homes where he often dreamed of getting back too, as the gates began to roll closed he took his chance and darted in, scavenging for scraps had become his bread and butter these last few years.

But he was not alone, Ross was pressed against the wall of the Factory looking at a small mirror attached to a pole, he could see the grounds were clear as Niko rolled in and darted over to the large bins for cover, Ross watched the security personnel moving around and whispered into his Com, "The Guards are back on the rounds."

Niko heard the crackling voice of Ross and glanced up at where the small mirror poked over the wall and gave a thumbs up, Niko carefully moved among the bins and under the direction of Ross he peaked into each until he spotted a pile of parts and one ruined robot, it was one of the new Mark 15 models, not the same as Ross but close enough he thought.

Ross watched from beyond the high wall as Niko checked each Bin before he stopped and made the gesture for a rope, Ross scanned the guards for the right moment before he swung the rope high over the wall and it came down by the Bins and Niko.

Quickly Niko grabbed the rope and he jumped into the Bin for cover as he tied the rope around the Robot, he grabbed several more parts and stuffed them into the satchel he was carrying, before tugging on the rope three times.

Ross felt the tugs and scanned the Guards, they were too near the Bin he thought, Ross waited for the right time to recover Niko and his bounty, he knew that Niko would also wait for him. The guards moved back and forth chatting amongst themselves for almost half an hour before the area was clear enough and Ross looked over at Ratter giving him a nod as he did, the two of them began to pull as hard as they could and as quickly as they could.

Niko was holding the rope and sitting on top of the Robot as it began to lift, he kicked the robots leg to clear it from the bin as they rose together quickly toward the barbed wire wall, Niko climbed round the robots body to hang from its underside, as it rose to the wall the body swung over onto the barbs and Niko rode the body over, pulling at it to get it clear, as its body moved over the edge it began to fall and Niko leapt for Ross below.

Ross was used to this and turned as he heard the robot break the wire, Niko was in the air and falling toward Ross, he repositioned himself and reached for Niko, catching him as he fell into the strong robotic arms of Ross, Niko had a grin on his face that showed his teeth, Ross looked at Niko and then at the Robot that now occupied the Alley "We should get out of here!" he exclaimed.

Ratter and Ross rushed over to the body of the robot and lifted it onto their shoulders, Niko had already moved to the end of the Alley and was checking for signs of reaction, the guards weren't stupid and the damaged wire would soon attract them to the alley, Niko waved to them and moved out quickly across the road to the opposite alley, Ross and Ratter moved after him and past the destitute homes around them, soon they made it back to Ratters alley, where they had became friends more than two years ago.

As the group passed Niko's old home he looked at it with fondness, a Diva Droid had taken residence there now and Niko smiled at her as they passed, further down the alley it branched into a junction where the warehouses and factories backed on to each other, here there was a somewhat grandiose home of Ratter, large enough for them all to stand within, many rats now skinned hug from the walls within and a small fire place stood in the corner against the corrugated walls of the warehouses beyond.

"Over Here" Ratter indicated a clear area on the floor, Ross and Ratter moved the robots body over and lowered it to the floor, it was damaged badly, a large crack in the cranium plating and a significant dent in the chest plating had all contributed to the robots current state.

Niko sat on the floor and unpacked his shoulder bag, several other parts he had grabbed looked to be in good condition, though of little use to Ross and his ever closing end, "Do you think you have what you need?" Ross queried Niko.

Niko looked at him and then at the body "Lets see." Niko moved over to the body and began removing plates, Ross had taught Niko everything he knew about robots but now Niko was long past Ross' limited knowledge. Niko looked in and with his tools he began to remove parts of the brain, the damage to the head had ruined the main board and processor but the logic processor was intact, as were several other parts, including the main CMOS which Ross desperately needed, his was growing worse every day and without it he would soon default to 'Ghosting' his old work routine until he died.

Niko looked at Ross and held up the CMOS chipset, "Its our lucky day Ross", he smiled and looked down at the remaining brain "Plus a few parts more for any further issues, its not exactly the same model but I can get this integrated."

Ross sat and let out a mechanical chuckle "Thank you Niko, looks like I may make it to my next birthday after all."

Niko moved over and sat in front of Ross, "Well I am going to need to get into your brain for an hour or so, so when you are ready."

Ross lowered his head toward Niko "I will go offline now and see you soon." Ross began to shut down and after a few moments even his balance rotor went silent, Niko began working quickly, he hated seeing Ross like this and so did Ratter who stepped over to the fire place and began loading some old paper and cardboard into it.

It took almost two hours for Niko to fit the new CMOS, longer than he anticipated and worse still he had noticed something else while he was in there, Ross' main board was showing two errors now, only a month ago there were none and Niko worried for Ross and the state of his mind.

Light returned to Ross' eyes slowly as other systems came online and he began to flex his actuators a little, slowly he ran a check on the CMOS and it was working now, actually a little faster than before so he lifted his head and Niko was still sitting in front of him, though he was smiling it was weak and Ross had come to know Niko's expressions over the years and this was not a good smile, it was a happy but worried smile "How did it go Niko?"

Niko straightened up and looked at Ross with a smile "Its all installed and working, took longer than I expected though".

"But?" replied Ross.

Niko sighed and looked down at the circuit tester in his lap "I spotted a couple of errors in your main board, they are nothing serious but... I... Well it may get worse." Niko slumped a little.

Ross reached forward and put his hand on Niko's shoulder "Its ok Niko, you are amazing with all this stuff, way better than I am, if anyone can fix them its you", he chuckled reassuringly.

Ratter came over and offered Niko some cooked rat, "Here".

Niko looked at Ratter and thanked him before taking it, "Your next Ratter, I got a new reclamator for you as well", Ross rose and headed for the door and Ratter took his place, he was already 2 years past his operational deadline so he wasn't worried for Ross, he could still last a year or more before that.

Niko bit into the rat and began removing Ratters chest plate, no need to power him down for this, just a quick swap out, but it would alow Ratter to conserve more energy so he wouldn't lose power so quickly, the work took just 20 minutes, even with eating a rat, and finally the chest plate could be replaced and Niko gave Ratter the thumbs up.

## Part 4

Ratter shook Niko with some urgency and Niko woke quickly, he had been dreaming of chocolate cake and birthday parties, this caused him to wake with a start and turn to Ratter with his knife in hand, though the familiar face of Ratter put him at ease immediately "What is it?"

"Its Ross, he's not acting right, something's wrong with him I think", Ratters mechanical voice still managed to carry a sense of concern and Niko felt his skin tighten at the statement.

Niko gathered his things, leaving nothing in the shelter, Ross needed help and this problem was not going to be fixed with ease, as soon as his things were together he followed Ratter back to his place, Ross had been staying there for the last week or so, pretty much since his CMOS had been replaced.

As Niko arrived he rushed into the shack and over to Ross, he was laying in the corner looking around and making garbled noises, Niko came to a halt and stared at Ross, "Oh my friend, what's happened?" he muttered as he moved over.

Niko began to power him down and open him up, he quickly put the tester to the contacts on the main board and seven errors popped up immediately, Niko froze as he stared at the list, Ross was in a bad way, he needed parts and not just scrap ones either, he needed a new Main Board, and by the look of things a new voice processor too.

He sat back and let some tears lose for a moment, before he stood and looked at Ratter, "I need to go get some new parts, look after Ross for me, and don't turn him on, it will only make the problem worse..." Niko walked to the door and before leaving he looked at Ratter "Keep him safe, don't let anyone salvage him!" Niko stared at Ratter.

Ratter nodded "Don't worry Niko, he is my friend, I will protect him."

Niko left the shack and began to walk slowly down the alley, there was only one place he could get a new board for Ross, the factory.

Niko moved slowly along the wall looking for any weakness to exploit, he needed to find another way in, without a spotter he had to be very careful, he came to a place where the Barbed wire was still damaged, they probably hadn't gotten to it yet.

Niko threw the rope up and tugged at it, the wire had caught it and it was secure so he began to climb up the wall, it was almost 20 feet to the top and when he got there he hung from the rope and peaked over the wall, the factory was working away as it always does and guards where walking the perimeter, Niko watched for a while, until his arms ached waiting for a moment of quiet.

His chance came and he swung over the wall with the rope and slid down to the ground, he quickly bolted for cover and waited out the next Guard patrol before he could make his way up to the factory wall, along the side there were several containers of completed robots waiting for trucks to take them away, but Niko could not take a board from a complete robot, it would be like stealing a babies brain he thought.

Niko crouched among the containers and watched as an automated loader carried another container out of the factory, it lowered it down to the ground at the end of the row and then turned to enter the factory again, Niko slipped onto its back and rode it into the Factory.

The loading bay was large and manned mostly by robots, though a few Guards were sitting at a small office area watching the events, Niko slipped off the loader as it reached the next container to move and he quickly moved among the containers observing the area, several conveyors carrying completed robots ran into the room and Robots were moving them from the conveyer into the containers.

Niko slipped through the area until he could get to the conveyors, under them was a narrow gap where the belt returned into the main assembly area, Niko grabbed the belt and rode it into the assembly area before dropping off it to the floor, the Assembly area was manned by hundreds of machines, most composed of mechanical arms and computers only, but some where whole robots moving around with various items or jobs.

Niko slipped through the area searching for the component bins, he needed a new Main Board and that would be the best place to look, at least there were few Humans here and even fewer were guards.

He had been searching for more than an hour before he found the area at the far end of the factory where large component bins sat, each with mechanical arms retrieving parts and fitting them into skulls of Robots yet to be, Niko moved slowly here, several Guards and Employees were moving through this area, and all Niko was armed with was a Knife that he had traded a can of beans for.

It took longer to find the correct bin than it had to find the bins in the first place and eventually he found himself hidden behind the bin as mechanical arms lifted parts from the box and fitted them, he watched the arm for a while to learn its routine and then he took his moment to grab a board from the bin, he put it into his satchel and sat there for a moment before grabbing a second.

With the board and a spare in his bag he looked at the other Bins near him, there were other parts here, Ross didn't need them, yet, but it couldn't hurt to grab some more while he was here.

Niko moved slowly gathering some spares for Ross and eventually he felt like he had pushed his luck enough and he began to sneak back through the factory toward the loading bay, he had been gone for hours now and he hoped that Ratter and Ross were ok, but he finally got to the conveyer into the loading bay and this time he rode between two complete robots until he was in the bay, rolling off the conveyor onto the ground he quickly scurried off behind the containers and waited for a loader to carry one out, again he slipped onto the loader and got a lift out into the courtyard.

Hiding among the containers he looked at where he had climbed down, he couldn't believe his luck, the rope had not been removed and he slipped over to the wall and quickly climbed up and over the wall pulling the rope over and sliding down into the alley once more.

Niko smiled and turned to walk away but three guards stood up from the shelters around him all chuckling, Niko backed up to the wall, this was bad.

The guards grabbed him and pulled the satchel from his shoulder "You little bastard, stealing is bad you know!" one of the Guards said as the leered at him, then their fist struck Niko hard in the stomach and he fell to the ground, he lay there for a moment and them fluid began to pour all over him, at first he couldn't recognize it, but then he could smell the Gas and began to panic.

Niko Screamed as the Gas was set ablaze, the Guards stood there laughing as him at first, but soon their laughter died and they stood in silence. Niko could feel his skin burning away and at first he thrashed but soon he was on his feet and running, the Guards didn't follow him as he burst out onto the street, Acid Rain began pouring down and the flames started to die down, but the Acid burned in his wounds, as he collapsed he could feel the world slipping out of sight.

## Part 5

Ratter was growing concerned as he stood there in the entrance of his shack, Niko had been gone for hours now and the night was coming to a close, it would not be long before he would need to join the others for charging, and he felt concerned about leaving Ross unattended while he charged, Niko considered Ross to be his best friend and Ratter knew that, he looked back at Ross sitting in the corner, vulnerable.

Max500 administered the booster to the Human, she was in bad shape when she got here and had paid Max500 well for his services, he had replaced her lungs with a set of cybernetic ones and now she was finished and ready to go, as she began to rouse her eyes fluttered and Max500 fancied that she could see a bootstrapper running before her eyes, but meat people were not so well designed he had come to understand. Finally her eyes opened and she looked at the ceiling of his shack for several seconds before she smiled with relief "Thanks Doc!" she remarked before sitting up, "anything I should know?"

"Well both your lungs were replaced, you are now running a pair of Fusion Factory lungs, they are pretty old, so they are not at full performance." he replied as he began wiping down his tools and dropping them into a bowl of Acid Rain that he had collected, though it was now low and he was looking forward to the next time it rains.

She stood and took several deep breaths "Feel way better than my old junk." she smiled at Max500.

"Well tell your friends, I am always willing to work on your meat if they pay."

She chuckled and stepped out of the shack onto the street, Max500 prided himself on his practice, he rarely lost patients and they were always happy to have woken up, plenty of Chop Docs will take advantage and harvest the odd customer for parts, but he never did. Though he did not like Humans, they were his creator and never let him forget that, arrogant and selfish he thought, he tried not to get involved in their affairs, especially with the gangs, though many of his customers worked for the local Mafia.

The rain began to beat down on his shack and Max500 moved to the door, it was acidic rain, he grabbed a bucket from the shack and put it out into the street, the rain was making Humans run for cover and he smiled a little to himself, the modified facial plating he had fitted gave him a range of expressions that most robots could not make, "Time for a walk" he muttered before stepping back inside, he grabbed a bag and some other bits before turning on his home defenses and stepping out into the night.

The night was pouring with rain that made the Humans scurry for cover and Max500 was out on the street, Robots loved the rain, he began to walk the length of the factories in search of scrap electronic parts when he saw a shape in the road, the rain beat down around it and yet smoke still rose, as Max500 approached he could see that it was all that was left of a Human Child, he normally didn't involve himself in Human affairs but the sight of this abused and abandoned child made him wrap the boy in his coat and carry him home.

He turned and walked back through the dark to his shack, he had managed to grab a couple of circuits but not much, this child was badly burned and he needed help immediately if he was to live, Max500 slipped into his Shack and turned the defenses off before putting the child onto the table, he had been dressed when the fire began and scraps of unburned clothing was stuck to his skin, he was in a bad way.

Max500 pulled his tank out from under his makeshift bed and began to fill it with the blue fluid that would allow this boy to survive a surgery, as soon as it was full he began to carefully peel away the rags of clothing and revealed an old 3 Series robots chest plate, the markings long gone but it had served to save the boys organs from serious damage, he carefully lifted it away and the partly melted plastic had destroyed the skin, some ribs were even visible on the boy.

Soon the body was clear of most of the debris but the boy was fading fast so Max500 lifted him into the tank quickly and put a breathing tube into the boys throat before setting the tank and sitting back, the boy began to stabilize and Max500 smiled, this would get him a big debt if he could find some skin for the boy.

Max500 sat back and relaxed, the boy was stable and he had some time so he decided to relax for a while, though he did not get long before there was a knock at the door.

Max500 answered the door and to his surprise there stood Ratter, he was carrying another robot, Max500 was no engineer these days, his tool arm was largely modified for work with meat not machine "What is it Ratter?" he asked.

"I need your help Doc, Ross is broken and a friend of mine is getting some parts, but I need someone to protect Ross while I go help." Ratter seemed desperate.

Max500 glanced at the tank for a moment and looked back at Ratter, "Well I will hold on to your friend there for you, but I want pay for this."

Ratter looked thoughtful for a moment "What do you want?"

"well I need some Plaskin for a patient, if you get me some then your debt will be clear."

Ratter nodded and moved into the shack, he could see the human in the tank but they were unidentifiable, he put Ross down in the corner at Max500's direction and looked at the body in the tank again "Who is he?"

Max500 frowned "I am not at liberty to give the names of my patients." he gestured to the door "You bring me the skin and your friend will be safe with me."

Ratter stepped out into the rain and looked at the sky... "Where am I going to get some Plaskin from?" he asked the sky, but all it returned to him was the rain beating down, Ratter began to walk slowly toward the factory district, Niko was missing, Ross was out of action. Ratter felt suddenly like he had been abandoned all over again.

As the sun rose the rain began to fade and quickly the clouds themselves grew thin, Ratter stood in line for charging but his mind was reeling, he needed to find Niko, he would know how to get some Skin, maybe he could even make some. Ross would be safe for a week or two if necessary, the Doc was a good bot, but Niko is never away for this long, he came to Ratters every morning for breakfast.

finally Ratter was able to connect to the Solar Charger Robot and he could feel his cells recharging, Ratter considered where Niko could be, there are plenty of factory disposal piles he could be searching, maybe he went outside the PZ? there's a massive scrap yard out there that Niko was always talking about visiting some day. Ratter considered the options.

Ratter crouched behind the perimeter of the Slum and scanned the fences beyond for signs of weakness, here was nothing, the guards manned watch towers and patrol Dogs walked the fence, it was impossible he thought, "how does Niko slip into factories" he muttered. He moved on along the edge of the slum looking for alternatives when a human in the slum called over "Hey!"

Ratter looked over "What?"

"You want through the fence?" the man asked.

Ratter glanced at the fence and back at the Human "Yes, Why?"

The human smiled but Ratter did not like this smile, it was one he had never seen on Niko. "I can get you through if you want."

Ratter considered this for a moment, perhaps this would work "Ok, how?"

"Follow me." the human turned and began moving through the slums, Ratter paused for a moment and then began to follow, the human led him for a few minutes until the reached another part of the slum and the human took a crouched position at the edge of the slums, Ratter moved up and crouched by him, the fence beyond was damaged and there were some guards standing by the hole.

"I will distract them and you can run through, while your out there you get me a Bike engine and I will distract them again for you to get back, ok?" the human looked at Ratter.

Ratter considered the plan, he could get outside now if he agreed, but he wasn't even sure that Niko was out there, he had heard the stories of how dangerous it was, maybe he could even find some Plaskin out there, "Ok." he finally replied.

the human smiled "As soon as the guards leave you make the run ok!" he slipped away leaving Ratter to wait, it took several minutes and Ratter was beginning to get uncomfortable when there was the sound of gunfire from his left, several shots, the guards began to run in that direction, Ratter didn't hesitate and ran for the gap in the fence, he sprinted hard and fast making it through before anyone even noticed, but he kept running for a while longer just to be sure until finally he stopped.

It was a good job his accumulator was repaired he had burned a lot of power in the run and now he was walking in the blazing light along plies of trash, most was empty packets and foul waste, but some was mechanical, scavengers could be seen around picking over the new piles and Ratter began to wonder if Niko was even out here.

Ratter searched for hours for Niko, a Bike Engine, or some Plaskin, he had resorted to digging in piles and by noon he had finally located an old bike, it was pretty badly damaged but the engine looked ok, he eventually heaved it out of the waste, his energy levels were low and he had still seen no sigh of Niko, maybe he had returned to Ratters Shack and found it empty, he may even be looking for him or Ross right now.

He began the walk back to the Fence conserving energy as much as possible while carrying the engine, eventually he reached the nearest cover to the gap and he scanned the slum for the Human, no sign, Ratter watched and waited. It was nearly dusk when he saw the Human and waved while the guards were chatting, the human gestured at Ratter to show him the engine, Ratter lifted it so that he could see the prize, the human smiled that worrying smile again and gestured for Ratter to wait.

after a while the sound of Gunshots rang in the evening and the guards went running, Ratter grabbed the Engine and made for the hole, he was through before any of the guards saw him, but he was still in the open when a gunshot struck the ground ahead of him, he ran hard and dived into the slums, quickly slipping through the shacks until he found a place to hide.

It was almost two hours before he saw the human again "Great work robo." the human chuckled as he looked over the engine, "If you want more work I may be able to hep." he continued.

Ratter was about to say no when he considered the skin, "I need some Plaskin." he muttered.

"Well you wont find any out in the scrap... But your in luck! I know some guys who need some muscle for a little job, you can keep half the bounty you can carry if your in?"

Ratter felt concerned that this would be more serous crime, not just slipping out into the NoGo, this would be much more. "What's the job?" he finally asked.

"Its easy, a truck full of Integrate Parts is going out of the city in two days, we want to hit it before it leaves, if you help carry the booty you can grab some Plaskin and anything else you want." he smiled again "You in?"

Ratter considered it, he had no idea how to get some Plaskin for the Doc, this was his only way, and if Niko was back he could help too, "I know someone else who may be interested, but I am in."

"Excellent, I will meet you at the corner of 88th and 195th tomorrow at 11pm, and we will do this, that good with you?" the man rolled the engine onto a small wheeled board.

Ratter nodded and stood "See you there." he turned and began to walk back into the industrial district, not for home, he wanted to check in on Ross and Max500 first.

## Part 6

Max500 sat in the doorway of his shack, the sun had dried out all the rain from the night and now it was blazing down, his solar collector was sitting beside him and he was plugged in, his batteries were full but it was nice to feel the constant energy of the blazing sun filling him, it was slowly burning away the humans and their lives, but it was the giver of life to robots.

As he sat there he could glance back at the tank and the unfortunate boy within, he was still stable but the tank had a slow leak, and the fluid was not cheap, it would only last a couple of days before there was not enough for the boy and then he couldn't keep him alive after that, still if Ratter returns with some Skin the Boy will owe Max500 a big debt, he hoped it would be worth it.

Ratter finally appeared on the street and Max500 unplugged from the charger and stood, Ratter was not carrying anything and was moving slow as he approached, "No Luck?" asked Max500 as he arrived.

"Actually I will be getting it tonight, but my power is low and I wanted to check in with you and Ross." Ratter replied looking at the charger hungrily.

Max500 stepped aside and gestured at the chair.

Ratter sat and Max500 plugged him in, within moments the energy began to flow into his cells and Ratter began to feel his strength return. "Actually I may have some extras as well if you are interested?"

Max500 smiled and spoke softly "Well if you want something in trade for the parts then I would be happy to help", he walked back into his shack and checked on the boy.

It took less than ten minutes for Ratters Batteries to reach full charge and he unplugged and carried the solar charger back into the shack, Max500 was reading a book, some human fiction about fantasy lands full of myths and hope, Ratter looked at Max500 "I am headed out to check on a friend, I will be back when I have the Skin." Max500 nodded as Ratter left the Shack.

The walk home had been much easier now that Ratters batteries were full but his shack was empty, no sign of Niko, not even a note, Ratter sat in his chair and looked around the room, he had not felt this alone for years, ever since that small scared boy had given him every penny he had to protect him, Ratter stood and walked over to the corner where Niko had left plenty of parts, tools, and even Asmis for safe keeping, Ratter picked up items and looked at them before retuning them to their place, he hoped that Niko was ok.

Eventually the sun set and Ratter donned his heavy coat and grabbed the Shotgun he kept hidden, slung under his coat it was difficult to spot and he felt like he may need it for this job, finally he headed out and walked down the alley, Ross and Niko's old homes had become the homes of others and he remembered showing Niko to Old88's place long ago.

It took almost an hour to get to the corner where he was to meet his human contact, when he got there it was quarter too and he stood quietly and waited, almost to the point of leaving when finally a van pulled up and the back door opened, the human was leaning out and smiled at Ratter "Glad to see you, Where's your friend?"

"He couldn't make it." replied Ratter as he climbed into the van.

"That's ok, we don't need him anyhow!" the human chuckled and sat back, he was not alone in the van, two other humans sat in the front, one driving, in the back with Ratter were four other humans all loading guns and getting ready, they looked like gangers, but not Mafia or Yakuza. Ratter slid his Shotgun out and checked it.

The Humans laughed, smoked, and chatted as the van drove through the streets but Ratter remained silent, he just wanted to get this over with, as soon as he has the skin he can get back to looking for Niko. Finally the van pulled to a stop and the human turned "Hey botboy! were here."

"Ratter" replied Ratter.

"You take the left ok, keep that shooter handy and as soon as the guards are down get in and grab anything you can, we get one load before the choppers and drones arrive, so don't fuck around." the Human opened the van and dropped out followed by several others, Ratter was last though the driver had not moved, ready to speed off as soon as the heist is over.

The truck was standing at the end of a road and was waiting for the light to change when the shooting started, guards on the truck shot back and Ratter could barely move, one of the humans took a shot to the face and blood spattered over Ratter, but soon they were dead and the truck was unguarded, the humans left of the gang ran for the trailer and his contact yelled "Get the Fuck in there!" at Ratter, he spurned himself on and ran to the truck, the others were grabbing supplies in arm loads and running for the van, Ratter jumped in and looked for Skin.

so many trays were barcoded and the humans could not read them, but Ratter scanned them and came upon a container of Holoskin, he grabbed it and put a pack of Cybernetic Plugs and Eyes on top of the tray before he leapt from the Truck, in the distance he could see the helicopters and drones racing this way as he ran for the Van, he jumped in followed by one more ganger and the van pulled away before the door was even shut.

"Yeah!" exclaimed one of the humans holding a case of cybernetic kidneys, Ratter tightened his grip on the cases he was carrying, all the humans had grabbed a single tray each and none were Plaskin, hopefully Holoskin would do.

Ratters contact smiled at him "You did real good... Ratter." he slapped ratter on the shoulder and chuckled.

"Where we going now?" Ratter asked.

"Well we are going to a garage to check the haul and then you get paid and go home, unless you want to join up?" the human replied with that worrying smile again.

Ratter looked at the cases in his lap "No thanks, I just need my share to help a friend."

"No problem, but you know if you want any more work you can find me around." the humans in the van began chatting again, the levity in the van was high even though one of them had been killed, Ratter sat in silence waiting for the chance to get back to Ross and Max500.

The van pulled into a garage and stopped, Ratter moved aside as the human opened the van and they piled out, even the driver lept from the vehicle with a gleeful smile, Ratter climbed out last, all the humans piled up their bounty on the table, in total the cases Ratter had collected made it up to 8 in all, and his human contact began to scan the codes on the cases, adding up the value of it all.

"Great work guys, this is a good haul!" he began to count out dollars into each of the humans hands and they greedily snatched up the cash, finally he got to Ratter and began counting up some cash.

"I want some of the Cybernetics." Ratter said.

the human smiled "Well it comes out of your cut, but pick what you want."

Ratter stepped up and began piling up items from the cases, two sets of Holoskin first then some Cybernetic Plugs and eyes, after that he took a few others until the human spoke "That's your lot Ratter".

He stopped and picked up the bundle "Any cash left?" he was hopeful of even a few dollars.

The human looked at the cash for a few moments "Yea you know I think there is", he rolled out $200 and held it out to Ratter.

Ratter took the cash "Thank you." he turned to leave.

"Yo Ratter!" the human called, Ratter stopped and turned for a moment, "If you need anything, you just ask for Harrison." I always have work for people who can get the job done.

Ratter turned and headed out, as soon as he was out of sight he picked up the pace and began to jog back to Max500's, it was a fair distance from here and it was late in the night, he was barely half way when the rain began, not acidic but black from pollution and smoke.

## Part 7

Ratter knocked on Max500's door with a little urgency, his bundle was valuable and there were plenty of desperate people here, it was not long before Max500 answered "Come on in Ratter."

He walked in and looked straight over to Ross, he was still intact and safe, Ratter relaxed a bit and put the stack of cybernetics down, "I couldn't find any Plaskin, but there is this." he held up the medically sealed bags that contained Holoskin, "I'm not sure if its any good but it said skin."

Max500 grinned "Holoskin is better, its just like Plaskin but it can make the human invisible!" he took one of the packs and turned to the boy, the tank was still leaking but there was plenty of fluid left.

"Well there's also this lot." Ratter dumped the remaining packs on the table.

Max500 examined the parts and took a Plug out of the bundle, "I want to use this now, is that ok, I will pay for it, and the rest soon, but I want to get this kid done, its costing me money every hour to keep him in there."

Ratter nodded "I am going back to my place for a while, I will be back later." with that Ratter turned and headed out onto the street again, headed for home.

Max500 worked slowly the Boys skin was not all gone and what little remained was badly burned and scarred, the Nutrient tank dripped its precious blue fluid as he worked, he rarely needed this much and it was expensive to replace someone's skin, but he thought the boy would be grateful for having his life saved, even if it meant he would owe a favor for the work, and Max500 could do with people owing him Favors.

The sun had long risen by the time the Plug and Holoskin were fitted and he could finally get the boy out of the tank and onto the table, as soon as he was moved Max500 began to drain the tank and store the leftover fluid and finally the tank itself.

The Skin was shiny and silvery on the boy, but once he was awake he could set the default skin colour and with a Plug he could even run some useful software. Max500 collected his Solar charger and headed outside, the sun was high in the sky and Max500 was low on power so he sat down and plugged in, soon the energy of the sun began to fill him again and he smiled.

Ratter got back to his home before the dawn and still there was no sign of Niko, Ratter sat for a while before writing a message for Niko on the inside of a packet, he put it on top of Niko's things and stowed his Shotgun again before heading out to search for him.

He spent most of the day searching everywhere he knew Niko would visit, even staring into the grounds of factories that Niko would loot for parts with him and Ross, but no sign of him could be found, as the sun began to set he walked home and sat in his shack waiting, he didn't know what to do now that he was alone.

Niko could feel a tingling all over his body as he came round, he slowly opened his eyes to look at the ceiling, he was in some Shack and the sun still shone in though it was not bright, he turned his head to look around, and spotted Ross in the corner "Ro... Ross" he stuttered.

Max500 heard the call and picked up the solar charger and headed in, "Ah you are alive!"

Niko turned his head to look at Max500 "Who are you?"

"I am Max500, I had to replace your skin." he replied

Niko lifted his hands and looked at his skin, it was silvery and glossy, but it was extremely smooth, no marks or scars, "Why did you help me." Niko asked it as he recalled the fire and the laughing.

"You are young and I could do with a bit of help or reward" Max500 sat beside the table "You will need more work until you stop growing, this skin is not organic, its Holoskin."

Niko looked at Ross again, "Why is Ross here?"

Max500 looked over at him and back at Niko, "You know him?"

"Yes he and Ratter are my friends."

Max500 looked at the pile of Cybernetics that Ratter had collected, "I think Ratter has been looking for you.. He left Ross here for me to keep an eye on while he looked for someone."

Niko smiled "Where is he?"

"Out looking for you I think, he will be back in the morning, you should rest... and I need to install the control software for your skin." Max50 got to his feet and collected a computer and cables before sitting back beside Niko, "I need to plug into your port."

Niko ran his fingers round his ears and behind his left ear was a small socket, barely a centimeter long and less than half as wide, he turned his head to allow Max500 to plug in the cable, within a few moments of tapping a bootstrapper began to scroll across his eyes and he could see the interface options for his skin, he set the default colour and the skin shimmered and took the colour with ease, though it remained slightly glossy.

"What is your name?" Max500 asked.

"Niko" he replied.

Max500 disconnected the cable and put the computer down, "Well that's it, your good to go, but I want you to rest here for now, I will return soon." Max500 stood and headed for the door.

"Thank you." called Niko as he watched Max500 leave, he knew he would owe the Chop Doc a pretty penny for this work, and he hoped that his skill as a Robotics Repairer would pay the debt quickly.

Ratter could see the sun had set and he was still worried for Niko and Ross, he stood and resolved to go and check up on Ross, he was interrupted when there was a knock on the door frame, Ratter opened the door and looked out, Max500 was standing there with a smile on his face.

"Can I come in for a moment?" Max500 asked.

Ratter stepped back and gestured inside, "What is it?"

Max500 was still smiling when he replied, "Do you know a boy named Niko?"

Ratter suddenly felt his whole body feel light, he had never felt this way before, as though someone had given him wings "Yes, Yes that's my friend, the one I am looking for, have you found him?" Ratter stepped forward, if he could have smiled he would.

"In fact yes, he is at my clinic now, has been for a while it turns out, he was the boy in the tank."

Ratter felt that surge of lift stop as he recalled the state the boy had been in, but then he remembered that the skin was for him "Is he ok? will he live?" Ratter felt fear and joy mixing in him, it was like some strange virus had begun to twist his code around itself into an incomprehensible knot.

"Yes, he will be fine, he is awake and resting at mine." Max500 moved to the door and Ratter rushed after him, and soon they were on their way to Max500's clinic.

## Part 8

It had been barely ten minutes since Max500 left the Shack and Niko got up slowly, once he was confident that he could walk he moved slowly over to Ross, he had been still in the corner the entire time and Niko had recalled the Guards taking back the parts he needed, still Niko had a Plug now so he hoped he could connect to Ross and see if there was anything he could do.

Niko collected the cable and computer Max500 had used to upload software to Niko and sat beside Ross, it didn't take long to connect to Ross' brain, and soon the world melted away from Niko and he entered the digital environment for the first time, Max500's computer was simple but useful, filled with cybernetic software, diagnostic programs, and a host of debugging tools, Niko began working.

Max500 and Ratter walked into Max500's Shack, Niko sitting on the floor by Ross, plugged in, and using Max500's computer. Ratter rushed over and crouched by Niko, gently shaking him, but there was no response. "is he OK?" asked Ratter.

"He is interfacing with Ross, he is fine, but he cannot hear us."

Ratter moved back and sat, Max500 had already sat in his usual spot, and was inventorying the parts that Ratter had recovered, "How long will this take?" Ratter muttered, a skill he had learned from Niko.

"It depends" replied Max500

Ratter turned toward Max500 "on what?"

"On what he is trying to do, it could be hours."

Ratter sat back, and decided to conserve his energy.

Niko worked slowly, this was new ground for him, but he quickly found the errors on Ross' system, and one by one, he began rerouting systems, repairing what he could, and bypassing those he could not, he had no idea how much time was passing, but eventually he activated Ross' Brain, and watched as the Bootstrapper ran, in this strange virtual place Ross materialized, looking confused.

"Ross! How do you feel?"

"I am not sure, I cannot access my sensors, or anything else." Ross seemed pleased to see Niko, but he was clearly confused.

"It' OK, you had several errors,.but I have fixed them, but your body is not activated yet." Niko smiled and began to run some code, Ross watched as likes of code rolled ghostly across Niko's hands. Ross could feel his body beginning to activate, and the scene with Niko and the strange virtual landscape began to fade.

Ratter sat with Max500, saying nothing as the night passed, rain beating down on the shack, as the sun rose, the clouds parted and began to fade away, so Max500 collected his chair and charger, and headed outside. Ratter changed his focus for a moment when Max500 left the shack, but his eyes soon returned to Niko, still sitting silently.

Ross opened his eyes, and realized the ceiling was unfamiliar, but before he could even turn his head, Ratter stood over him looking down, "Welcome Back Ross." Ratter attempted to smile, but his face was ill equipped for such gestures.

Ross looked around and saw Niko, his eyes closed and plugged into a computer, he had never seen Niko plug into anything before, he wasn't sure Niko even had a Plug, "What is Niko doing?" he looked at Ratter again.

"He went into your head, and fixed you!" Ratter moved his attention to Niko.

Niko watched Ross' avatar fade, and smiled again, this place was strange, and Niko felt compelled to explore it more, so he turned and examined the computers programs, most were for cybernetic uses, including the program Max500 had installed on Niko, but Niko still had space in his head, and there were other utilites, he began installing Diagnostic tools, he would need them if Ross, or Ratter needed help again. when he finally left the vivid and virtual world he looked out so see Ross and Ratter, both sitting in front of him.

"Welcome back!" declared Ratter, but before Niko could answer, Ross leaned forward and gave Niko a hug, like he had done so long ago.

"Hey guys, good to see you... good to be back as well." Niko's stomach spoke next, making a dissatisfied rumble.

Ratter produced some strips of cooked meat and offered them to Niko, "Thanks Ratter", and he began to eat them, still in the cold, but comforting embrace of Ross, the conversation attreacted Max500, and he returned to the shack.

"How are you doing Niko?" he inquired.

"Good, no pain, all systems functioning." Niko smiled at his own joke, but he was alone in that action.

Max500 sat and took a serious countenance, "Well all that surgery was very tough, I ws not sure you would pull through." Max500 leaned forward, "And it was not free, cost me a lot."

"Well I don't have much, but I can fix robots."

Ratter inmmediately interjected "I will pay any costs." looking at Max500.

Max500 leant back, and looked at the collection of parts, "I recommend keeping the second pack of Holo-Skin, Niko will need more as he grows." moving it aside, he inspected the remaining parts, "well you certainly have enough here to pay it all, and then some."

"Would the rest pay for you to teach Niko?" Ratter glanced at Niko.

Max500 looked at the plie, and then at Niko, "Yes." Max500 inspected Niko for a moment, "If he wants to learn."

Niko looked at Ratter, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, everything Ross and I have taught you, has given us more life, this teaching will give you more life."

Niko turned to Max500 and with a smile he nodded profusely.

Ratter rose "I will gather your things Niko." before he turned and left.

## References

Niko: The Machinist

Ro55: The Tank

Ratter 8

Max500

## See Also

Fan-Fiction

Index