Part 1
We were cruising along at about a hundred or so weaving in and out of the traffic. Jams were a fact of life in downtown, like being hungry or the rain. Most of the time you'd just sit it out and wait, but we were on an important BPN, so I put pedal to the metal and trusted the civilians self preservation skills were honed enough to get them out of harms way whenever I mounted the sidewalk. Driving on BlazeUV is one of the most dangerous activities you can partake in on Mort, but this was practically an emergency. Besides, The Car was one of the new big red Augustus Apocalypse models and people would be disappointed if they didn't see it in action. Just then, there was a growl from my left. My Doctor was peeking out from between his fingers and curling up into a ball, so the fact that he is a 400 pound Stormer 313 complete with tail and teeth modifications would indicate either we were just about to slam into Salvation Tower, or someone had jumped the gun and started making heavy inroads into the Alice. I glanced out of the window just in case, but we were safe.
One of those moments of clarity jarred in as it always does when BlazeUV drops out, the red mist cleared out and I was left cold and empty with a sore jaw and the shakes - time to take stock of the situation, and get some rain on my face.
I slammed on the brakes, relying on Morts natural aquaplaning road surface to save the tires. We skid about 40 feet and rotated 45 degrees giving the group of kids in front a perfect 3-quarter view of The Car as it charged towards them. Their screams of delight matched our tires as we came to a halt a couple of feet in front of them. I stepped out of The Car and dismissed their cries of thanks with a hand as I lit up a Feelgood. We have a certain obligation as Operatives to keep the civilians interests at heart, but it's best to make sure the lines are drawn at the beginning... we are here to do a job, not shake hands and sign autographs. I stepped up to the boot, as I said: it was time to take stock of the situation, and see how much damage my Doctor had caused. We had burned our finance cards to keep our auto injectors happy and you need sundry mood alterants to stop the nastier combat drugs from driving you over the edge completely. We had: 6 vials of BlazeUV, 5 each of Rush and Beat an ounce of Flip 6 shots of Drum for that four in the morning we-need-to-be-up-at-six panic and a couple of shots of Lumo for when we get the sillies. The Doctor had taken three quarters of the Alice leaving two vials (I took those straight away, you can never trust a Stormer with hallucinogenics). We also had 200 tablets of Glowgood 100 tablets of Hyponock 24 cans of Slosh 4 Streak (for me) 180 Feelgood and 4 doses of plain old UV Ścos when you have to go for a day non-stop you can't beat the classics.
We didn't need all of this stuff, but when you start filling your auto injectors, it's hard not to push it as hard as you can.
I grabbed the Glowgood the Hyponock, some Slosh and the Feelgoods... I'd damn well have to be high and happy by the time the Alice kicks in.
I opened The Cars' door on my Doctors side.
"Move over" I said, "You're driving".
"Am I?" growled my Doctor, "How the fuck did the steering wheel get over there?"
"Move it you idiot!" I screamed between clenched teeth, "We gotta get ourselves into a hotel and undercover before the gangs clock us". I waved the BPN in front of his face; his eyes followed it back and forth with his head only a second or so behind. The fact he was looking at it at all meant he was coming down.
"We have to be undercover so we can follow this KT meeting and report what's going down. I'm a respected Media and I can't be late! Think of the SCL decrease! We spent nearly all of our cash financing this little adventure and if we don't come up trumps we'll be ruined! Back to Blues I tell you! Blues!"
"As your Doctor I recommend you think of your blood pressure and calm down" he said, his hand covering his eyes and forehead. "...And that I drive very fast to the Hotel. The reservations have already been made, man. We just need to check in."
He screeched the car into the road narrowly missing the wall and narrowly hitting one of the kids, who obviously loved getting to touch the car. He was driving fast, like only a biogenetic killing machine can - his superhuman reflexes and utter disregard for human life giving him the edge over any other road or sidewalk user. The streetlights blurred and the roar of the engine drowned out the sounds of the street.
I mumbled thanks as I crunched up three or four Glowgood and washed them down with half a can of slosh. Every time I breathed in I could feel the Alice washing through my chest, I was at that point when you know your coming up and that it was good shit, but you just have to wait for the drug to work it's magic. One of the reasons why I like SLA is the reliability of the drugs. You know the bus is going to arrive you sooner or later, you just have to be patient. I was going to be really twisted soon, but I knew I could rely on my Doctor to look after me, and make sure everything is going to be all right.
"Oh, by the way, man. This hotel isn't SLA friendly so make sure you stay straight Ścos we are going to have to check in undercover."
We were fucked.
--
Whitt.