Kate- Shivers from the cold.

  Out of purgatory, straight to Paradise’s underbelly...

  “Ambient temperature?”

  Cere- Officially? Two degrees Celsius.

  Kate- Smokey breath in the cold.

  And in the real world?

  Cere- Slightly below freezing, probably minus two.

  Kate- Exhaling tortured baby angels... bad sign. The algorithmic gods probably decided this place was too costly to fix. About time I switch to living in another dump. Pipes should start to burst in a few days. Then, gangs will take over; Just a question of time now before this place becomes Pandemonium.

  Condensation drops in the nose.

  *Sniff... sniff*

  Damn, guess that’s what sleeves are for...

  Wipe the tip of her nose leaving a runny watery stain on the faded green cloth.

  Cere- Charming!

  Kate- Hey, only fancy rich fucks can use consumables for questin’.

  Cere- If you say so, princess! If I may, Your Majesty’s wisdom is implacable.

  Kate- You’re a real thorn in my crown, you know that?

  Observes a blinded security camera.

  Cere- It’s still covered with paint from last time. That’s good; we won’t have to get more paintballs.

  Kate- Not like we can afford any right now anyway... Not so good though, if we’re already at that point corpo gave up the pretense of caring; Players will notice. Damn place could get wild any time; Keep an eye out!

  Hunger cramp, head spinning from vertigo, misses a step.

  Fuck me!

  Cere- Be careful not to show weakness, Kate. With the cameras down, the police wouldn’t see your body drop.

  Kate- Reaches a darker corridor.

  As if they’d care. The best those things are for is delayed vengeance; That, and leaving breadcrumbs for crawlers.

  Cere- Why the anger? Don’t you use their services for the job?

  Kate- Sure! It doesn’t mean I like having them get all creepy-crawly over me though. Never know if they deal on the Dark Side of the Moon, sell my shadows to some gooner or freak I sent to the big box. Bottom feeders, all of ‘em real leeches.

  Cere- I have six junkies in low light, on the right.

  Kate- Steps left to avoid passing too close.

  Cere- Three two-bit thugs. The one in the middle is enhanced with cheap wires. The one on the right is a leftie, and the last one is tweaking hard, some kind of speed I think.

  Kate- Take a strong posture, incisively glaring at the three thugs, looking them in the eyes, hand near her pistol, makes no sudden moves.

  Thugs- Observe, steer clear, and get past Kate.

  Cere- The next charming gentleman is a known arms dealer, he’s cyberjacked to the navel.

  Kate- Anything interesting to sell?

  Cere- I don’t think so, looks like cheap junk pieces for the gangoons to me.

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  Kate- Already trying to corner the local market now that Alabaster is cutting costs, quick little rat. Keep an ear out, some of those guys double as second-hand cybernetic resellers when they can bonk opportunities on the head.

  Cere- Garbage mound...

  Kate- Keeps clear.

  Watch for ankle biters. Cesspool's going to Hell fast; Might be a big shark in a small pond for now but even sharks struggle to swim in mud and blood.

  Reaches a brighter section. Crosses paths with a tall and gaunt man with an avoident gaze.

  Shifty.

  Cere- Good eye, that guy has a bounty.

  Kate- Charges and how much?

  Cere- Debt run, fifty.

  Kate- Small fish then, no point shitting in the bed for now; not worth the risk. Still want to keep the pad for a little while.

  The world spins.

  “Woah”

  *Crash*

  The ground tastes like bad life choices and rancid puke.

  Cere- Your glucose levels are low!

  Kate- “I can see that!”

  Tries to rise back on her feet, only to fall back on the ground. Sees three pairs of feet as she looks up.

  Teen1- “Look at the drunk bitch!”

  Kate- Makes a second attempt and falls again.

  Teen2- “Think it's just drinks?”

  Teen3- Pat his dick.

  “I bet she would be willing to take bigger things too!”

  Kate- Heaviness in the shoulders, electric jolt from the base of the spine.

  Fucking lost generation...

  Teen2- “Ugly skank like that will pop us on the cheap, twenty each top!”

  Teen1- “Twenty each? You crazy, twenty for all of us top!”

  Creeps closer to Kate.

  Kate- Hot flash in the face. Rises on her feet, and pulls out her badge and gun.

  “YO TRASH! Go manskewer each other somewhere else! 'M a fucking tracker on the job! So, unless you wanna take turns spinning on my fucktoy here, better find another dark corner to crawl into.”

  Waves vaguely her heavy-duty pistol.

  Teen3- “Old bitch’s a reaper, she stacks iron!”

  Teen2- “Shit! Let’s scram!”

  Teen1- “Sorry! I’m sorry! We weren’t gonna do nothing, I swear!”

  Kate- Waves the piece lazily.

  “Fuck off...”

  Teen1- “Yes...? YES! Thanks mam! ... SORRY MAM!”

  Kate- Kids these days, I swear...

  Cere- Maybe you should have shot one. Scare the rest of the monkeys.

  Kate- I think they got the point.

  Cere- You’re getting weak, you need to eat something now or you’ll go dark.

  Kate- Not much choice around, I’m thinking Old Pork Market, Ma’s local place.

  Cere- I’d keep it at Nutrishake, I have two reviews added recently about long-pork meat buns instead of vat-grown pork in these parts; No busts recorded.

  Kate- Don’t worry, I’ll stick to the usual Soylent Green.

  Cere- Real funny Charlton, this is pretty serious though.

  Kate- Worst-case scenario I get long-pork Moo Shu and an excuse for a great bust. Win-win really!

  Cere- Baby meat merchants tend to pack lunch though, heavy ones. Be careful.

  Kate- Ma’s place is safe enough. Stop freaking out over nothing.

  Cere- Safe as plastic noodles and wild salmonella.

  Kate- I’ll stick to the broth. So? Where to?

  Cere- Seriously? We’ve been there like ten times already! You humans have lost all directional instincts since you invented us. *Sigh* Your hunter-gatherer ancestors would be proud... Just follow the arrow or the water main.

  Kate- Rightoooo!

  Cere- You should try to learn these things. That place is what? Four turns from your apartment?

  Kate- Why should I bother? I save brain-space for useful stuff only. Ain’t as if I can forget to bring my brain implant when I go out, now can I? No, seriously! Asking for a friend.

  Cere- Useful compared to what? Dildo formats? The only thing you can find lately is your G spot!

  Kate- Nods manicly.

  See! You get it, useful shit only!

  Cere- I’d conceded the point if you actually enjoyed any of it.

  Kate- Shakes slightly from withdrawal and hunger.

  Yeah... well, at least it releases some tension.

  Cere- There are apps to climax on demand if you want. I even have a free version to offer you right now!

  Kate- Le’me guess, paying DLCs?

  Cere- ... They have a value pack?

  Kate- Scoffs. Walks unsteadily for a few minutes, and reaches a steam-filled corridor.

  Black market cook- Cooking something on a crudely taped steam vent exhaust plume. Looks at her warily.

  Kate- “Ling’s noodles?”

  Cook- Relaxes somewhat and points toward the back.

  Kate- “Thanks!”

  Need to stop coming here. Someone’s bound to start noticing I’m living nearby. ‘Ll totally get knifed in the clouds and end up as a steamed meat bun one of these days.

  Arrives in front of the noodle shop, a decrepit caricature of East Asian street food culture.

  Cere- Always loved the aesthetics of this place: broken Chinese fortune cookie proverbs on red-and-gold banners, forever-chemical plastic tanuki and cats, desecrated Buddhas...

  Kate- Takes her badge out and puts it as an offering in front of a Buddha with a pinprick camera eye.

  Ling- The old, defaced compandroid appears from behind a blue plastic curtain spitting a thick fog of steam.

  "AIYOOOO! Kate! Look at you, wobbling like drunk bullet casing! Still alive, surprising! I thought someone would shoot you, burn you, or put in garbage. But no, here you are, crawling. Nine lives? No, you no cat, you no land on feet. Ten lives, maybe? Like cockroach! Harder shell than nanocarbon, always back for more stomping!"

  Kate- “Hey Ling, you should tell Ma to put some Paradise in the seats. Can feel the splinters.”

  Ling- “Ever heard of augmented reality? This is to augment experience, more authentic! Clients love splinters! You just difficult.”

  Kate- “She’s around?”

  Ling- “Always watching, you know that!”

  Kate- “Good... hum... I need a favour, times are kinda lean right now.”

  Ling- “I can see, soon not even good enough for bone broth.”

  Kate- Slight pressure on the mind, accelerating heartbeat.

  “Hey, maybe you should ask Ma to fix that face of yours. Bet you’ve got to pay professionals just to eat here with you. That kind of job? Even old roadies wouldn’t take it!”

  Ling- “Is this how children ask for favours today? So unfilial, no respect for your elders! Maybe I should close shop for today. So old, maybe broke my back.

  Kate- “Hey! You started this!”

  Ling- “So what? You come, you beg. Why should old Ling listen to you?”

  Kate- Shakes harder from withdrawal.

  “You know I’m good. Can pay...”

  Ling- Cuts her abruptly.

  “Look at you, all shaky, starved. Nothing else to give, you no good investment. Hui says no, I agree. No help, go look somewhere else! You got perfectly good mother, go ask her.”

  Kate- Shaking hard, stares, eyes empty toward the ground.

  Ling- *Long sigh*

  “The shaking, your ClareX?”

  Kate- Heart flutters a second only for the feeling to get crushed by a cold gut feeling.

  “Yeah, I... I won’t get to the Asstro without a dose and probably lunch.”

  Ling- “So, ready to go back home now? To Asstronaughtty?”

  Kate- Guts twist, heart clenches for a brief moment.

  Have to go back...

  Then, a release of all muscles, her body finally unwinding.

  “Fuck... yeah, I'll do it.”

  Ling- In a breathy soothing tone.

  “Good, now Ma tells me it’s OK! You good for it now, yes? Enough to get there and more. Here!”

  Pulls a bag and puts powder packets, water bottles and pills on an aluminum tray from under the counter.

  “One week of ClareX, Nutrishake, best ones, no Dead Possum or basic formula, and enough water for both.”

  Kate- Grabs the aluminum packaging and pops a pill rattling the plastic tray like a maracas. Takes a water glass from Ling’s hand, her fingers get wet by the sloshing and splashing. Swallows the medication quickly with a gulp. Nearly chokes on the tablet but pushes it back down.

  “What do I owe Hui?”

  Ling- “She says: you tell Cherry that Ma Hui says hello, she took good care of you, OK? Good deal!”

  Kate- “Fuck, she’s going to be pissed...”

  Ling- “That’s for you to smooth out. Go to a New Year's family party maybe? Kate, mothers don’t always stay forever. So unfilial...”

  Kate- Mixes and drinks a Nutrishake in an old canteen.

  “Don’t want to hear it Ling, not from a gunrunning compandroid, not from anyone.”

  Ling- Shrugs.