Maniac’s Mayhem: A guide to being a corporate slave

I wake up kicking.'Fuck, where am I?' As I scan my environment, I find that I am on a bed in a room with greyish walls and a window. How fancy! It's too bad the only thing visible is a hologram advertising some new synthetic beef jerky that should taste like the real thing.

I get out of bed and notice that I still have my maniac hoody on. A quick check, and yes, the mask is still there as well.

‘Lyssa, are you there? Where are we?’ I subvocalize

Pinging your location on the satellite networks puts you in your new building. It's also the biggest bedroom in the space you bought, so it looks like they like you.

‘That is good. But how did I get here? What happened?’ I subvocalize.

After defeating the model 13, you went into some kind of panic attack. We could not get you out of it, so Liquid Catalyst put you to sleep. Then she drove you here. Also, since you are now sitting at 575 points and 1 token, can Lyssa recommend some purchases?

‘Lyssa, we should work on your timing.’

Lyssa's timing is always perfect. You are not under attack or in any danger; we don’t have to go anywhere, and there are two active samurai in the kitchen right now.

‘Well, I guess. What do you suggest then?’ I subvocalize while walking towards the door to see the other two

Lyssa would recommend the springtail we discussed and a surgery robot that can install it. The rest depends on whether you wish to continue using melee weapons or not.

‘I don’t know how I feel about the drugs, but going melee is fun. A range option would be nice to have though. Maybe a bow and arrow. No, that feels a bit clunky to drag around. I need something faster. Thoughts?’ I say to my brain rot while walking through the corridors.

Your rejection of the stimulants is sound but unneeded. With the addition of the springtail, Lyssa would be perfectly capable of monitoring your internals for any side effects.

‘Sure, but I wish I could be strong without needing enhancers.’

Considering your suggestions and wants so far, Lyssa would like to suggest the Stoneheart catalog.

‘Okay, what is that? I kind of like my heart. I mean, it could be better, but I feel like that is not my limiting factor at the moment.

The Stone Hearts are a race of creatures with tougher skin and are generally taller than humans. Because of this, gunpowder weapons are not as effective and, therefore, underdeveloped. They excel at melee weapons and cybernetics, among other things, which are two categories that fit your needs.

‘First of all, you should know that I am not tall. Second, though I love cybernetics, any upgrade I get should be invisible, since people will start asking questions if they aren’t.’

Your concern is unfounded. Stone hearts enjoy aesthetics, and their natural skin is usually more durable than cybernetic replacement, so the upgrade won't be visible when not in use.

‘I see, what are you suggesting then?’ I say, while already getting excited.

Lyssa would like to suggest that you get the Fulgurite Launcher Mark 3s. It replaces some parts in your right hand and forearm. When activated, it creates an electromagnetic field in your hand, allowing you to throw metal weapons with increased force.

I stop at that. ‘you are telling me that you want to turn my hand into a rail gun. That Is fucking amazing! When do we start?’ I say while bouncing around on the spot.

That is a rather inelegant way of putting it. You can start right away. You do have all the points. Lyssa would recommend talking to Deatnite and Liquid Catalyst before we start, though.

I start walking again, almost running, trying to make it to the kitchen as fast as possible. Protectors, this place is enormous. Looking over the plans for the property I bought, I see that it spans the entirety of the 54th floor of some mega building. Looking at the plans and permits, it was supposed to be some kind of cheap hotel, but with incursions, and vacations being all but abolished, the business never took off. Now, it is full of dust, but the walls are intact, so it will do for now. It just needs an army of vacuums. After some minutes of walking, I make it to the kitchen.

“Ooh, boy, we have an entire canteen now!” I shout out while observing the massive kitchen. I don’t even know how to cook, but I am still excited.

I spot Bubbles talking to a guy at one of the tables nearby. And by guy, I mean a guy guy, like if going to the gym had a spokesperson, kind of guy. His ethnicity looks to be Asian, and he has short black hair with brown eyes. Both of them have stopped their conversation and are looking at me now. Well, now I feel awkward, so let's just smile and wave.

“Hey, you have finally woken up,” the man says. “Nice to meet you. My name is Jason, but most people call me Deatnite.”

“Maniac, how are you feeling?” Bubbles ask me

“Yeah, I am fine. I just took a drug that had a bad effect on me. I think I will lay off them for a while.“ I tell Bubbles, before turning to Jason, “Hello, by the way, I am Maniac. It is nice to meet you.”

He gives me the same look that all the other people had given me when I told them my new name.

“You know what, Bubbles, I think I will never be able to make a good first impression again,” I say.

“Wait, you were making good first impressions before?” she asks.

“Okay, wow, who pissed you off?”

“Ooh, I'm not mad. I'm just wondering because when we first met, you tried to hack me.”

“I am never going to live that down, am I?”

“How about we all sit down and talk?” Jason suggests while gesturing at one of the tables.

As we sit at our table, I notice some of the girls further in, staring into outer space and scrolling through some Media feed.

“Well, they seem to have settled in well.” I say.

“Yeah, I upgraded all of their aug gear, so they should be able to learn English now.” Jason says.

“Ooh, thank you so much. What do I owe you?”

“Nothing, don’t worry about it. I was just trying to help out,” he said. “Talking about them though, you know what she did?” he said while pointing at the woman that had the assault rifle before. She is currently watching us like a hawk.

I gave her a little wave: “You mean the burning down of some companies in China? I don’t see how that is any of our problems as long as she does not commit any crimes while being here; I don’t see the issue.”

“Wait, what?” Bubbles asks. “You don’t care that she is an arsonist?”

“I mean, I plan to burn down a company, having an expert might be useful.”

At that, Bubbles just gives me a look. ”Well, you will clean up after her then.”

“She is not a pet. She can clean up after herself,” I retort, then look at Jason. “What do you think?”

“I think you are right. But if she lives under our roof, we should at least set some rules.”

“Our roof ?” I ask him, “You are in?”

“I was not trying to assume; I just thought you needed some help.” he says while looking guilty.

“Ooh, no, it’s not a problem, just a nice surprise. More people are always great.” I say, trying not to make him feel bad. “Does that mean you also have some plans for this place? It is stupid big, after all.”

“Well, not now, but it’s a big space, and people tend to get displaced during an incursion. It would be nice if we could give them a temporary home.”

“I see. That sounds great, but I still need one of the rooms here. I plan on getting some cybernetics, and putting the surgical machine here is more convenient.” I say, “I guess that makes it easier for one of you guys to use it as well when you need it.”

“Well, if that is the case, as your senior, let me get a proper one for you guys as an investment in this building,” Jason offers.

“If you are sure, I need every point I can save right now.”

After that, we set up some ground rules for food and hygiene and decided to buy some robot vacuums with credits. At some point, the gun girl also joins us. It turns out her name is Yun Min. I can’t believe I actually went that long without knowing that. She seems receptive to what we have to say even though we have to use Jason as a translator. About an hour later, I am standing in a room with some kind of chair that has the entire horror movie catalog of torture implements attached to it.

‘So Lyssa, do we need anything else besides the railgun and auto-injector?’

You don’t need anything else, but since we did not have to spend points on a surgery setup, Lyssa would like to recommend you get an internal lung filter.

‘Why do I need that? Is the air that bad here?’

Well, it's not that bad, but the level of carbon dioxide is concerning. If you want to work more with Liquid Catalysis in the future, proper protection against her chemicals is advised.

‘I see. Well, get me one of those as well, then’ I subvocalize.

I then slowly take off my mask. I am kind of starting to hate how it feels when I don’t wear it. It’s a lot colder, and I don’t feel protected anymore. It's like I am naked. Talking about being naked, I dump my top and bra as well. I prefer it if my clothes are not going to get anymore fucked than they already are, thank you very much. Finally, with great dread, I lay down on the seat.

Evelin, are you ready?

“Yes”

Class I Stone Heart unlocked!

Points reduced to... 475

New Purchase: Fulgurite Laucher Mark 3s

Points reduced to... 375

New Purchase: Spring Tail G3 Umbra

Points reduced to... 325

New Purchase: Ydra Auto Oxygen Enhancer

Points reduced to... 295

And with that, the arms start to move. A mask is placed over my mouth, and the next thing I know is the blackness of sleep.

I wake up after what I assume is the right amount of time. I am still lying down, but Vlad's chair is not moving anymore. I check myself, and I am in no pain. There are no weird spots, and my arm feels okay. It’s a bit strange. It’s like I have been lying on it for a while, and I am just about to get my feelings back into it.

I examine myself for a bit longer, and after finding that nothing is wrong, I try activating my new arms. Some hidden channels pop open, and several coils appear out of them. Some kind of line pops open in the palm of my hand as well.

I look around for a second and find a tray to the side with some discarded scalpels. I grab the least bloodied one and try to activate the program. Then I throw the scalpel at the door. There are flashes of lightning and a small thunderclap. When the knife impacts the door, it punches straight through it, leaving a fist-sized hole.

“Holy fuck!” I hear someone scream from the other side. Then, some rummaging and Bubbles opens the door. I should have probably locked that. We stare at each other for a while. I decide to deactivate my arm. You really can’t see anything.

“I am sorry,” I say. “I was just testing the new arm. Should have probably done that in a safer area.”

“You’re naked,” Bubbles says.

“Wait, that is why you are staring,” I say while covering myself up with my hands.

“Sorry,” she screams out quickly, turning around. “Tell me when I can look again.”

I chuckled at that, grab my blouse, and put it on. “You can look again."

“Okay, good,” she says while turning around. She continues to examine me with a red face. “You are really pretty.”

“You're starting to sound like a pervy old man there.”

“Ahh, gosh, sorry, I was just... the door suddenly exploded. I was expecting danger, not you sitting there topless. I don’t know what to say.”

“Ahh, it is fine,” I say while putting up my mask back on. “I will be going home now though, it is late, and I am super tired.”

“Yeah, right, let me walk you out.”

With that we walk to the elevator. All the while, I am trying to assure Bubbles that she is in no trouble at all. When we reach the lobby, I give her a hug and make sure she is okay once more. Then I step on the elevator and leave for the hotel.

It takes me about an hour to walk to my place, but I have to stop in a dark alley to remove my mask and hide it in my clothes. The closer I get to home, the worse the neighborhood gets. You can tell by the slowly disappearing hologram advertisement, which is replaced with a bunch of neon signage. I finally make it to the new Hope Company employee lodge.

I unlock the door to my apartment and can just about find the strength to put on some pajamas. As I lay on my bed, I wonder about today, for however shitty it has been, I am a samurai now; I have real power.