So, tomorrow ended up turning into 3 days later. That rain I was telling
you about? Yeah, well, it didn't stop until last night, and I spent
a good part of the past couple of days trying to figure out where to
direct the excess...
Ended up directing it into my neighbor's tanks, but now, we share our
feed, and hopefully, it wont happen again.
At any rate, got my arse down to my hookup. I needed the break after the
past few days of working to clean stuff up, and help some of the folks
that live in Terminal. And, while I'm out? I'll try to find some food,
which the cupboard has been running low on.
There's a room in Overtown that you can reach from the upper levels in
Undertown, near the outskirts of Terminal. It appears that section of
Overtown above Terminal is pretty desolate. I've ventured out to explore
once, with my dad before he died in a tunnel collapse. We used to get
metal cans filled with what he called "food" (but tasted quite terrible,
if you ask me). I still venture up here to get food, but there's no
cans anymore. But, he also taught me how to catch raps in the tunnels,
using some cord. He called it a snare trap.
But, these snare traps work well to catch bounders in Overtown, too.
Bounders are bigger than raps, and not nearly as nasty to kill. And,
I know an area to set up a few snares at, and I can come back tomorrow
to get them.
Once I got to the upper room, I had to make sure the place was empty.
Being in Overtown without a permit is a sure fire way to get taken away
by the enforcers. Nobody really knows what happens to undertowners who
get caught by the enforcers, but we never see them again, that's for sure.
I took a look around, and it looked empty. Stepping to the bench, I
looked out through the holes in the walls where windows used to be, and
as far as I could tell, it was clear. Not a soul in sight. There's a
tree nearby that I've had good luck with these snares in the past.
Stepping outside, I looked up at the ash grey sky. My father told me
the sky used to be blue, with whispy, white clouds. But that was before
even he was born, and I'm not all that sure it's true. How could the
sky be blue with the grey clouds there?
Regardless, I saw the tree. Right next to it, there's a smooth, stump.
Long ago, there were some carvings, and it looks like time took it's
toll on the stump, as it was broken about 1 meter above the ground.
There's some kind og flyer face and half of some other face, which I
can't tell what it is.
Nevermind, started to ramble there. The snares. So, I get them set up
at the tree, and I hear something nearby. A bounder? No, those things
are quiet, you never here them. Runner? I don't think there have been
runners since before my dad was born...
I circled around, to check the area out. Nothing. Alright, have to
get back to Undertown, and back to my vocom spot.
Chapter 5
Back down into Undertown, it felt eerily quiet again. I always get
this sensation whenever coming back down to Undertown, like a pressure
on my ears. Things all sound a lot louder too.
While making my way to my vocom spot, I heard it again. Definitely not a
bounder or a runner... Not in Undertown. I turn the next corner, there's
a way to double back here, I know, but right when I turn the corner,
I stop, and not hearing anything now. At this point, something might
be following me, but I can lose whatever it is, by taking a convoluted
way to the spot.
Took me a couple of hours to get there, but I didn't hear anything else
after the turn.
Time to lob this packet out, and grab anything new, which usually took
a minute or so. Today's load took 10. That should have been my first
clue something important was going on. The last time packets took longer
than a minute to swap was when the newest pvocom code was released.
BEGIN NEWS FEED
FR: tigger!albany!spence!binghamton!primary_tutor!rochester!
DT: 0403211102
We're getting lots of Overtowners coming down here. Some from Overtown
here, and some from outside of the district. Not sure what is going
on, just getting scraps of stories from people. Anyone else heard
anything new?
Seeing what tigger is seeing too. Mostly coming in from District Albany,
via Overtown. Sounds like something big started a couple of days ago,
and these people thought they could com to District Saratoga Springs.
The first few who arrived got taken by Enforcers, so then they started
finding ways to Undertown. Whatever it is, it's big.
I had to kill my transfer coming in from District Albany, packet was
taking way too long yesterday. But I haven't gotten anything in since
then. Really weird, seeing what all was going on as far as I did capture.
Any more news coming out of District Albany?
nadia, I saw the same thing. nada from DA since yesterday morning.
~~~
END NEWS FEED
BEGIN PRIVATE FEED
TO: drake!buffalo!primary_tutor!rochester!sammy!albany!
RE: sorry
We're hearing rumors that Enforcers are cutting vocom lines, trying to cut
off Albany from the rest of the megacity. There something about their
money that is making it hard to get food, so people got really angry
and started attacking food suppliers and then Enforcers. That's when
the other people wearing the badass armor and gas canisters showed up.
They call those people "Armies". I'm going to be straight with you: I'm
scared. I hope I can get your next packet, even though haven't heard
back yet since my last one. But, that's how dirt digger's life is, right?
END PRIVATE FEED
Chapter 6
What the hell is going on in District Albany? I'm going to level with
you, sammy doesn't know this, but her and I have gotten pretty close since
I got onto pvocom, and I have a bit of a like for her. She's actually
the one who told me how the private feed works, and how to use it.
Her private messages aren't usually so short, and neither are mine.
And, to boot, she doesn't frighten easy so whatever it is, well, is
pretty odd to say the least.
I need to get back to my home, and compose a reply. And, no way will not
get back here tomorrow night at the latest. I don't care what happens.
On the way back home, I couldn't shake a feeling of dread. And, it felt
like eyes were on me the whole way back.
My luck, I was about 10 minutes from home, and saw a crew of thuggies
hanging around my tunnel. I figured I'd camp out, in a cubby I discovered
about a month after setting up shop for a couple of hours... Well,
that turned into overnight. I woke up, saw they were gone, but it was
a few hours longer than I would have liked. I could tell by the extra
chill I had in my bones.
Got to my home, and it doesn't look like it was ransacked, so I went
ahead in. For some reason, I felt like I had eyes on me while going
inside. Looking around, didn't see anyone, but in the dim light, that's
not a shock. I locked the door behind me.
Now, to get my new packet ready, and reply to sammy.
