Liberate

[_____________Minolin]

Part One-
Minolin's hand slammed the top of the clock before the alarm was heard. Sitting up, she yawned and reached for her cigarettes and lighter from the table. Opening one eye to watch the end of the cigarette burn, she screamed "Ah jesus! Lights off!" The lights mounted on the walls dimmed slightly. She opened both eyes and walked over to the small coffee pot ontop of her mini-fridge. Making sure the pot was actually in the machine she walked back over to her couch.
"News." A screen appeared on the wall as she said this and began to scroll down the daily headlines. She watched as it reached the "Voice of Freedom" headline.
"Stop." The scrolling stopped as she read.
"Blah blah blah, normal bull. Messages." The news screen was replaced by another one listing all the messages she had received in her sleep. Nodding she picked up a small device and put it to her ear, a microphone near her mouth.
"Aka you there?" She spoke.
"No. What do you want?" a female voice replied. Minolin smiled.
"Good morning sunshine. And what are we up to this morning?" Minolin got up to get the fresh coffee. She heard Akashha screaming and shots being fired.
"Oh same ol' same old. So when you coming to the political zone? We need to liberate some people. HEY YOU COME HERE OMNI!" Minolin laughed. She walked over to where her armor and coat lay in the corner. Nodding to herself she sat back down on the couch.
"Well, let me drink this coffee. I need to get dressed and such. Which one are you at? Don't tell me you are at 2 Holes. Because I got screwed the last time I was there. Couldn't keep any food down because of the rez shock."
"Yeah, yeah. You always complain. No we are at MMD. Dealing with a few Omni who find it amusing to disturb the peace. Hell ya! I got him!" Akashha replied.
"Well, leave it up to Aka to protect Rubi-ka from evil doers. I gotta go, see ya later." Minolin put down the ear piece. She heard Aka's voice before she turned it off, screaming something about liberating these poor bastards.
Minolin sighed and sat her coffee cup down. Walking over to her armor she began to put it on piece by piece. It was a miserable process for her. She was a nanomage. Small and frail, the armor weighed more than she did, and wearing it all day made her body ache. Still it was something she had to do. Being a clanner she felt she had the responsibility of keeping the political zones north of 2 Holes clear of all Omni-Tek employees that would kill you on the way to the Grid. It was still a hard job, which left her too tired to think at the end of the day.
The armor she wore was black and sleek, worn by most Omni-Tek guards. It had cost her life savings to buy it. And had she had to be the enemy for a day to get it. Still, she found complements from most of her friends. Some wouldn't speak to her after she had turned back.
Picking up the shotgun she adored she made sure she had enough shells. Nodding she looked around.
"Am I forgetting anything? Smokes, ah smokes. And the communicator. Don't forget that. Okay. Am I ready? Crap, my coat. Okay, now I'm ready. Well, " she spoke to her plants as she did often, "I'm out of here guys, see ya later." She walked out the door.
The storm blew threw Tir quick and by the time Minolin stepped outside, puddles were the only thing left. She walked outside of the backyard and went into downtown Tir. People wandered about, guards patrolled the streets. It was the same thing everyday, she thought as she crossed the bridge, it will never change. She walked along the same path everyday, to the very center of Tir then around the lake to the Grid. It was full of people as usual. Most just stood around and talked, others were getting out guns for trades and others were looking for something. Minolin groaned. She would have someone ask her to make an implant, she knew it.
"Hey Minolin, can you make this for me?" A man's voice asked from behind her. She stopped and turned around.
"Oh, nevermind. You're Omni." He raised his eyebrows and walked away. Minolin smiled and laughed. Hey, this is working out well. Just pretend I'm Omni and they leave me alone. She thought.
She walked up to the terminal and pressed a button on it. Closing her eyes tightly she waited for the grid to envelope her and turn her into code and data. She hated this moment. It felt as if she was ripped apart and poured into a mold. She opened her eyes, she was in the grid. Willing herself forward, she felt movement and headed to the arrow pointing up. She arrived on the second level and headed to the terminal. Willing herself to jump and closing her eyes, she felt herself being ripped apart again and then poured into the mold that was her body. She opened her eyes.
"Ah there you are!" She heard a familiar voice. Shaking her head she almost lost her balance.
"I'll never get used to that." Minolin mumbled. Turning around she saw Akashha standing before her. Short and thin, the small opifex woman was holding a rifle one would think would tip her over. She wore a blue armor coat with matching armor. "Fashion," Akashha had always said, "Is as important as protection. If you can't look good while dieing, what's the point?"
Minolin thought of this now and smiled. For some reason she wasn't feeling up to a fight today. Shaking her head, she turned her attention to her friend.
"Alrighty, I know there's an Omni by the grid. Hey, why don't you go take him out. Pretend you're one of them or something. It might work." Akashha was already plotting the demise of the Omni-Tek employees who stood around.
"And I'm gonna get you," she pointed to an Omni who glared at her, "And you. And I think you. Yeah I can take you." Akashha said laughing.
"Mino? What's wrong?" She asked, a blanket of concern on her face when she realized Minolin had not talked.
"Oh nothing," she replied blankly. Akashha stepped back and cocked her head to the side.
"What's wrong?!" She asked again.
"I don't know Aka, I feel I'm getting too old for this. Ya' know? Like what's the point? It's the same thing, everyday. We get up, we come to some place out in BFE and make a whole bunch of people sick for the day. Rubi-ka won't have peace until we get rid of Insurance Terminals." Minolin sat down and took off her helmet.
"Hat hair. Anyway Mino, it's for the cause. Cope. We all do. We are all tired. But the only way to keep your sanity is to make light of the subject. I don't know what else to tell you." Akashha sat down beside her. Minolin looked far into the distance and sighed.
"Aka, let's leave Rubi-ka." Minolin said.
"You can't. Your a nano-" Akashha was cut off.
"I know I can't, but you can. Why don't you leave? I know you have the cash for it. Hop an ICC ship out of here. I never will. Get out while you can Aka, because some of us can't." Minolin abruptly got up and walked north, to Mort. Akashha turned and sighed, she always did this. She always wanted to leave.
"Poor kid," Akashha said getting up, "Okay who's next Omni Scumbags?"

[________________Dubh]

<NT>