Word on the Streets, part I: A Prelude to the Raging Storm
Lähetetty: Ti 24.06.2008 18:06
ENSIMMÄINEN TARINANI PITKÄÄN AIKAAN. TOIVOTTAVASTI PIDÄTTE, ETTEKÄ VÄSY HAHMOJEN SLANGIMAISEEN PUHEENPARTEEN.
”Shit it’s still rainin’!” yelled detective Oliver Faro as he walked inside the West Grand Arancy Police Department’s headquarters.
The entire office was noisy, with everyone working on double shifts
Outside, it was pouring like there would be no tomorrow. Detective Rufus Siroch was sitting in front of his desk and reading the latest reports concerning a series of drug ODs that had occurred within the last four days. 746 people had already died and there were over 900 of them dying in the ERs.
He looked into the mirror that was standing on his desk. His face was all haggard again: unshaven and uneven beard stubble, tired-looking eyes and messy hair. Because of the OD –investigation he hadn’t had slept properly in a week. He looked outside. It was still raining, the rain was hitting the windows and he could hear the rumbling in the skies. It was going to be a big storm.
“Hey Rufus, did ya check out those immigrants that was sellin’ downer in the New Overpark?” asked detective Faro across the room, his desk being at least ten meters away from Rufus’s.
Suddenly the noise slightly eased up and many people turned and looked intensely at Rufus. This case had employed half of their detectives. According to one of their sources, some immigrants from another continent had taken up in New Overpark District and began selling obscura and illegal amounts of Lho –sticks. Rufus had a week earlier checked out a clue which, in the end, took down the entire ring.
“Yeah ‘bout that” said Rufus and stood up. “The clue that we got from Pagafys took me straight to the hardcores themselves. Turns out that they was going to start sellin’ hand grenades that were stolen from the 45th PDF regiment two weeks ago. Luckily, just as they was gonna make the sales with some heavy-duty recidivists, some young kiddos from north assaulted the warehouse they were in and slaughtered all of ‘em. After that, all me and the ruffies had to do was to take the merchandise to downtown and file the report”
After he had finished, the entire office erupted in raucous applauds and whistles. Apparently, he had done an OK job.
“Yeah, that’s my man Rufus! When we clock out, the brews are on my tap tonight” Faro said and shook Rufus’ hand.
Suddenly, a small siren rang out. It meant that their lunch –break began. Everybody took their coats walked to the door. Rufus turned around to grab his coat when someone touched his shoulder. He turned around to see who it was. It was Lisa Hashisharin, a detective who had been transferred from the east a couple of months ago. She looked at him seductively and said:
“You gonna join us? We’re going to Luce’s Cucina” she asked and pursed her voluptuous lips in a seductive way.
She was no doubt the best –looking employee in the entire office.
Her black hair was open and so were most of the buttons of her vest, revealing a tight red top that really complimented the shapes of her big breasts.
“Sure” answered Rufus, hypnotized by her beauty and/or her breasts. “I’ll just get my coat and sign a report”
“Okay, but don’t take too long” Lisa said and turned around on her heels. She walked to the door, her hips swinging seductively with every step.
She looked over her shoulder in a teasing way and said:
“I’ll be waiting for you in the staircase”
The office was empty. Rufus, still hypnotized –although this time by her perfect, tight ass- grabbed his coat and turned to head towards the door, saying to himself:
“Shit, I’m gonna get some tonight”
“Don’t get too, cocky kid” someone suddenly said to him from behind him.
Rufus already knew who it was. Not by the sound of the persons voice, but by the reek of booze hanging in the air. He turned around to face Captain Darosi Kelafesai.
The guy was huge, nearly as big as a Space Marine Terminator, and that was all 100% muscle. An urban legend has it that he once wrestled with Space Marine and nearly broke the guy's neck! His hair was slightly grey, although the main color was still brown, and his beard was quite long. He had a long, wide scar on his left cheek and his eyes had a wild glint them. A man wouldn’t have thought that this man was only 53 years old. He looked more like he was 63! He had been the captain for over 30 years, which is amazing, considering his relatively young age and the fact that he was always completely shit-faced on amasec.
“Captain, what’s to it?” asked Rufus in sleepy, irritated tone.
“Nah, just kiddin’ wit’ ya!” I just wanted to congratulate you personally on the immigrant case, and inform you that I put a little extra on your account”
Rufus was dumb-struck. He had always thought that Captain hated him.
“An…extra? How much?” he asked with a stuttering voice.
“Just enough so that you can buy detective Hashisharin a one hell of an evening” he replied with a smirk.
Rufus was even more dumb-struck now. He had thought that he had kept a pretty low profile on the fact he was crazy about Lisa.
“How..?” he started
“Are you kiddin’ me? Everyone knows it. Me, Faro, Hrastoky and Colemhain have a little bet goin’ on whether or not you’re gonna score wit’ that chick. You can just guess which one of the two options I’m rootin’ for”
Rufus didn’t say anything. He was confused as hell. He grabbed his coat, thinking whether he should be angry or amused. A little bit of both, he thought to himself. Outside, the storm was raging like it was the Apocalypse. Suddenly the lights flickered, but he wasn’t surprised about it. It meant that they were putting up the defensive fields around the highest spires of the city that were in harm’s way during storms
There, down in the staircase, she was. Lisa was leaning against the wall, with her hands behind her back. She turned to face him and smiled. Rufus, still reeling from the encounter with the captain, smiled back at her. He was smiling so wide that he nearly opened his mouth. He panicked and closed it shut. Lisa looked at him confused but he just shrugged it off. He opened his umbrella and Lisa grabbed his arm. They walked in to the rain together. Somehow, even though walking down the crime-filled streets of West Grand Arancy, they both felt themselves safe.
“Emperor help me, but this feeling… it’s just amazing” Rufus thought to himself, not knowing of the dark times ahead. Out in the distance, a huge lightning bolt smashed against the spires’ defensive fields, sending sparkles raining down on the city.
Somewhere else, within the humongous Jungles that separate New Overtown and Old Overtown Districts, in the middle of a small clearing a shady figure dressed up in rags slung a lasgun behind his back and lifted a big crate full of melta bombs on to the back of a truck. His face was hidden behind a big scarf, revealing only a pair of NVG –goggles and the number 45 carved into his forehead. The entire clearing was buzzing with the silent sound of low-running engines.
"Migary'thelego!" someone yelled from the truck and suddenly the clearing was full of men running around, loading more crates in to more trucks.
"Ugtehlaso'mbyalosi! yelled a dark-skinned man, whose entire left arm was bionic.
He wore cap and his body was covered in rags. He had a combat shotgun slung behind his back and he had a machete in his left hand hand. His face was badly burned, it's skin in deep grooves and dents, most likely the result of promethium. His right eye had been gouged out and burned shut. Under his left eye he had a tattoo of a knife.
The men loaded the last of the trucks and mounted up. The drivers hit the gas, leaving the clearing in a matter of seconds. Soon, the Jungles were silent again, the sound of engines a distant memory.
And still, the storm raged on.
”Shit it’s still rainin’!” yelled detective Oliver Faro as he walked inside the West Grand Arancy Police Department’s headquarters.
The entire office was noisy, with everyone working on double shifts
Outside, it was pouring like there would be no tomorrow. Detective Rufus Siroch was sitting in front of his desk and reading the latest reports concerning a series of drug ODs that had occurred within the last four days. 746 people had already died and there were over 900 of them dying in the ERs.
He looked into the mirror that was standing on his desk. His face was all haggard again: unshaven and uneven beard stubble, tired-looking eyes and messy hair. Because of the OD –investigation he hadn’t had slept properly in a week. He looked outside. It was still raining, the rain was hitting the windows and he could hear the rumbling in the skies. It was going to be a big storm.
“Hey Rufus, did ya check out those immigrants that was sellin’ downer in the New Overpark?” asked detective Faro across the room, his desk being at least ten meters away from Rufus’s.
Suddenly the noise slightly eased up and many people turned and looked intensely at Rufus. This case had employed half of their detectives. According to one of their sources, some immigrants from another continent had taken up in New Overpark District and began selling obscura and illegal amounts of Lho –sticks. Rufus had a week earlier checked out a clue which, in the end, took down the entire ring.
“Yeah ‘bout that” said Rufus and stood up. “The clue that we got from Pagafys took me straight to the hardcores themselves. Turns out that they was going to start sellin’ hand grenades that were stolen from the 45th PDF regiment two weeks ago. Luckily, just as they was gonna make the sales with some heavy-duty recidivists, some young kiddos from north assaulted the warehouse they were in and slaughtered all of ‘em. After that, all me and the ruffies had to do was to take the merchandise to downtown and file the report”
After he had finished, the entire office erupted in raucous applauds and whistles. Apparently, he had done an OK job.
“Yeah, that’s my man Rufus! When we clock out, the brews are on my tap tonight” Faro said and shook Rufus’ hand.
Suddenly, a small siren rang out. It meant that their lunch –break began. Everybody took their coats walked to the door. Rufus turned around to grab his coat when someone touched his shoulder. He turned around to see who it was. It was Lisa Hashisharin, a detective who had been transferred from the east a couple of months ago. She looked at him seductively and said:
“You gonna join us? We’re going to Luce’s Cucina” she asked and pursed her voluptuous lips in a seductive way.
She was no doubt the best –looking employee in the entire office.
Her black hair was open and so were most of the buttons of her vest, revealing a tight red top that really complimented the shapes of her big breasts.
“Sure” answered Rufus, hypnotized by her beauty and/or her breasts. “I’ll just get my coat and sign a report”
“Okay, but don’t take too long” Lisa said and turned around on her heels. She walked to the door, her hips swinging seductively with every step.
She looked over her shoulder in a teasing way and said:
“I’ll be waiting for you in the staircase”
The office was empty. Rufus, still hypnotized –although this time by her perfect, tight ass- grabbed his coat and turned to head towards the door, saying to himself:
“Shit, I’m gonna get some tonight”
“Don’t get too, cocky kid” someone suddenly said to him from behind him.
Rufus already knew who it was. Not by the sound of the persons voice, but by the reek of booze hanging in the air. He turned around to face Captain Darosi Kelafesai.
The guy was huge, nearly as big as a Space Marine Terminator, and that was all 100% muscle. An urban legend has it that he once wrestled with Space Marine and nearly broke the guy's neck! His hair was slightly grey, although the main color was still brown, and his beard was quite long. He had a long, wide scar on his left cheek and his eyes had a wild glint them. A man wouldn’t have thought that this man was only 53 years old. He looked more like he was 63! He had been the captain for over 30 years, which is amazing, considering his relatively young age and the fact that he was always completely shit-faced on amasec.
“Captain, what’s to it?” asked Rufus in sleepy, irritated tone.
“Nah, just kiddin’ wit’ ya!” I just wanted to congratulate you personally on the immigrant case, and inform you that I put a little extra on your account”
Rufus was dumb-struck. He had always thought that Captain hated him.
“An…extra? How much?” he asked with a stuttering voice.
“Just enough so that you can buy detective Hashisharin a one hell of an evening” he replied with a smirk.
Rufus was even more dumb-struck now. He had thought that he had kept a pretty low profile on the fact he was crazy about Lisa.
“How..?” he started
“Are you kiddin’ me? Everyone knows it. Me, Faro, Hrastoky and Colemhain have a little bet goin’ on whether or not you’re gonna score wit’ that chick. You can just guess which one of the two options I’m rootin’ for”
Rufus didn’t say anything. He was confused as hell. He grabbed his coat, thinking whether he should be angry or amused. A little bit of both, he thought to himself. Outside, the storm was raging like it was the Apocalypse. Suddenly the lights flickered, but he wasn’t surprised about it. It meant that they were putting up the defensive fields around the highest spires of the city that were in harm’s way during storms
There, down in the staircase, she was. Lisa was leaning against the wall, with her hands behind her back. She turned to face him and smiled. Rufus, still reeling from the encounter with the captain, smiled back at her. He was smiling so wide that he nearly opened his mouth. He panicked and closed it shut. Lisa looked at him confused but he just shrugged it off. He opened his umbrella and Lisa grabbed his arm. They walked in to the rain together. Somehow, even though walking down the crime-filled streets of West Grand Arancy, they both felt themselves safe.
“Emperor help me, but this feeling… it’s just amazing” Rufus thought to himself, not knowing of the dark times ahead. Out in the distance, a huge lightning bolt smashed against the spires’ defensive fields, sending sparkles raining down on the city.
Somewhere else, within the humongous Jungles that separate New Overtown and Old Overtown Districts, in the middle of a small clearing a shady figure dressed up in rags slung a lasgun behind his back and lifted a big crate full of melta bombs on to the back of a truck. His face was hidden behind a big scarf, revealing only a pair of NVG –goggles and the number 45 carved into his forehead. The entire clearing was buzzing with the silent sound of low-running engines.
"Migary'thelego!" someone yelled from the truck and suddenly the clearing was full of men running around, loading more crates in to more trucks.
"Ugtehlaso'mbyalosi! yelled a dark-skinned man, whose entire left arm was bionic.
He wore cap and his body was covered in rags. He had a combat shotgun slung behind his back and he had a machete in his left hand hand. His face was badly burned, it's skin in deep grooves and dents, most likely the result of promethium. His right eye had been gouged out and burned shut. Under his left eye he had a tattoo of a knife.
The men loaded the last of the trucks and mounted up. The drivers hit the gas, leaving the clearing in a matter of seconds. Soon, the Jungles were silent again, the sound of engines a distant memory.
And still, the storm raged on.