I wish I weren't BLONDE...

[Thamar]

Had I known the hair and the brains were a matched set... I'd have chosen differently... but that doesn't tell my story.

When the assignment was handed to me, I could barely read it. My knees were knocking together so badly, my whole body shook... THE SANDPIT !

But SIR! - my voice going from saprano to dog whistle... I'm just a fresh recruit, a buck private... Sir - I'm a NOOB! The scowl under his Katara's and above his neckless body didn't inspire even a hint of reprive... so I went out and spent 25k on a new Nova to replace my worn out Kalinkalov... and my very last IP in the simulator improving my sneak. I had just enough credits left to insure myself at the cheapest place in Omni-Ville... the Bronto Burger in Galway Shire. With my last meal eating away the lining of my stomach I headed for the bridge.

I made it to the Galway Crossroads without incident and was feeling remarkably cheerful for a doomed woman. I loitered there - hoping someone with more brawns than brain would notice me and feel sorry for me - but I had no such luck... the moment I mentioned my destination, everyone suddenly had other plans. So I set out, alone and very afraid.

I was nearing my goal when I saw something I will never forget... Someone who outranked my by at least 15 levels was running, pel mel out of the sandpit with nearly 20 demonic beasts hot on his tail. Luckily for me he went right and down the hill to Galway Castle. He died near the lake and a bronto catcher cleared his remains - ugh... gross! But I wasn't going to let him die for nothing... he'd managed to clear the sandpit of almost everything in his mad dash for freedom. I made it in the gate, hooked a right and stayed near the perimeter fence until I got near my door, a massive rock with a blast door in the face of it... MAN ! The thickness of those doors didn't inspire ANY confidence... then I wondered - was it to keep something OUT OR IN???

I stood near the door, wracked with indecision when I heard my NCU set off a proximity warning. A slasher scorpiod had been alerted to my presence. Possible death within was nothing compared to certain death without, so in I went.

The foyer was dark and dank. I heard noises I knew belonged to lizards with the ocasional whosh of clanners buffing for battle... I loaded my weapon and one by one, took down my foes. Most went down easy and I was surprisingly at my best. My aim was sure, my surprise attacks yeilded high damage, and I managed to clear the mission in no time. Drunk with my sucess, I checked my statis board.. A token for a job well done, and my pockets full again... an only 100 exp's from my next stripe. "LEVEL 15 - Here I come!" was my battle cry as I ran out the door.... then I remembered where I was. The click of the door locking behind me sounded like an atom bomb exploding in the twinkly darkness.
I stood there a moment with my eyes closed, accepting my fate, bravely waiting for death and when it didn't come, I cracked open lid. A flash in the darkness told me what was up. I grabbed my low light scope and held it, trembling, to my eye. The insignia of my hero flashed with every one of the shots from his muzzle... 30 levels above me and taking on every beastie in the pit SINGLEHANDED!

I snuck around by the fence anyway - just not to push my luck. I ran down the road whistling, assured now that, THIS DAY, lady luck had dialed my number. All I needed was to clobber a rat and I'd have my next stripe, but more importantly - I'd be drawing the PAY !!!

DONG!

"Proximity Warning !" I spun around... I had wandered too close to a nest and a Hammer Broodling had mistaken me for his dinner. I ran. I then remembered there was a GRID ACCESS just 50 yards down the road. The hammer was gaining on me fast as I punched in the simulator's number for an emergency allocation of computer literacy... NOT ENOUGH IP said the nasal voice on the other end of the line... click.

I died so fast I didn't even feel it. I guess I can be thankful for that. My last death had hurt something aweful. There is nothing worse than being slowly digested by a plant. He had rooted me just out of my weapon's max range. I can see scars from the acid still on my face but my friends tell me I'm just mental. Well - they would be too had it been them instead of me...

Now if my Sarg would just stop laughing. Actually I could stand that noise he makes when he's feeling particularly sadistic if it wasn't for the blonde jokes... I HATE blonde jokes.

[____________Mechanix]

Keep it up.