Axel Maverick twisted the key, bringing the car's engine to a halt with a satisfying purr. He reached out and pulled the old door latch, the metallic clink echoing loudly in the quiet street.
Stepping out, he pulled the hood of his jacket over his head to shield himself from the cold wind, which made him lean back with every step.
'Man, that metal beast from the nightmare is still in my mind.'
He don't remember much apart from his broken car and the mechanical beast on top of him, staring right at his crimson eyes with its mechanical eyes.
He shudderd and rubbed his hands together for warmth.
He glanced back at the car one more time, realizing he had spent all his money on it and was now completely broke but nonetheless happy.
The 1969 Boss 429 in metallic black wasn't merely old; in Arcanum, it held the revered status of an ancient relic. Sporting a powerful V8 engine, it roared to life with an impressive 375 horsepower.
And on another hand, it has been a month since the world ended, or at least began to die, according to the internet weirdos on the street. The news did mention something, but it didn't carry the weight it should have, as no one paid them any mind.
Axel dismissed it as mere rumors until he witnessed it firsthand, personally experiencing it with his own eyes.
He recalled other oddballs with cardboard signs screaming about how cyber augmentations were the source, predicting doom and all that nonsense. He couldn't help but laugh at that time.
Until he saw some weird ass man with white eyes bite off an ear of a man, then watched in horror how his victim had white eyes too and both attacking and eating anyone on sight infront of him like crazed animals.
'White fucking eyes!'
He shuddered as he recalled it.
"Don't go running around, Byte"
He patted the black cat perched on his shoulder.
Nano Byte was half organic half technology. He had found her on an extraction mission, two months before the world ended.
The bastards were toying with her, cutting off her limbs just to reattach them later, inflicting pain for their sick amusement.
Axel had discovered her in a broken and battered state, and he nursed her back to full health. He equipped her with four new carbon-fiber legs, enhancing her speed and agility.
The Ripperdoc, Viktor, an old friend of his, had also outfitted her with cyber-enhanced lenses that tracked targets with precision. These lenses provided excellent night vision, ideal for darkness.
She also had a harness, that doubled down as a storage fecility for Axel. A little, secret compartment.
Byte purred in response. She adored her friend, the one who had saved and cared for her, never subjecting her to experimentation or harm.
He halted in his tracks, a metal wire gate blocking the entrance to what appeared to be a small shed equipped with numerous cameras and turrets.
Within the enclosure, dozens of dead bodies lay piled up. Dead bodies of the dead.
This place hadn't always been like this, but with the rise in attacks by the Necro-bots (a name coined by the masses for the undead), it had become the new normal.
He lowered the hood and crouched slightly, aligning his eyes with the small rice-sized Bio-Signature reader.
A technology even the Authority was unaware of.
In a fraction of a second, a clanking sound resonated, signaling that the door was unlocked. He cautiously opened it and stepped inside, his gaze wary as he observed the turret.
Any erratic movement, and he's as good as dead.
The direct path to the shed was devoid of any Necro-bots.
However, the area surrounding it bore the scars of previous attacks, evidenced by bullet casings littering the ground and damaged trees where Necro-bots had attempted to breach the facility, only to be mercilessly mowed down by the turrets.
But now Rusty Ridge is completely free of Necro-bots. The residents have made sure of that.
The door to the shed was already unlocked, so Axel pushed open the shabby wooden door before him, the hinges creaking loudly in protest.
He stepped inside and closed the door behind him. A moment later, a beep resonated, and the previously silent world was instantly flooded with music.
The once empty space was now packed with people dancing and reveling, lost in their own world of merriment and indulgence.
People were too engrossed in their revelry to notice Axel's entrance. He surveyed the scene, his cyber eyes analyzing the crowd in seconds, pinpointing his destination directly in front of him.
This place is called "Shabby's Little Heaven." Yeah, the name might be shabby, but it's 'the' place.
If you want a job, you come here. If you want to cool off, you come here. If you want to escape the shit reality, you come here. Anything illegal or shady, you do it in this place.
The Authority has no knowledge of its location or the owner's identity, making it a welcoming haven for anyone with illegal backgrounds.
Growl
He clutched his stomach.
"I know, Byte, you're hungry. I'll feed you later."
Byte looked at him with a ridiculous expression and slapped his face with her little paw, as if saying, "It's your stomach that's crying wolf, dumb fuck, not mine!"
"Ouch!" he rubbed his cheeks. "Let's pay a visit to Shabby, shall we?"
He walked past the dancing people, observing the diverse crowd.
There were all types of individuals present: humans, augmented humans, synthetics, and other cybernetically advanced species with skins of various shades.
It was a small place filled with a multitude of people from every corner of society.
He ascended the stairs and headed towards the room at the end. Two guards, both synthetics wearing military grade armour, flanked either side of the entrance.
Synthetics were basically humanoid robots, with robotic parts and organic parts integrated, designed to perform specific tasks or roles, often serving as security personnel, workers, or assistants in various industries.
"Axel," one of them greeted him.
"Dimitry," Axel responded, acknowledging the android with his organic yet sophisticated accent. "Is the boss free?"
Dimitry shook his head.
"Fixer?" Axel raised an eyebrow.
Dimitry nodded once more in affirmation.
"Welp, your boss is in luck. The best augmented human in the entire New World is hungry right now and is here to seek a job. Is he gonna get one, my friend?"
Axel asked smugly, though Byte, having witnessed this scene many times, wasn't too amused.
She yawned and licked her paws instead.
Dimitry waited a moment, seemingly seeking confirmation from Shabby, his boss.
After a brief pause, he knocked on the door and nodded to Axel, giving him the green light to enter.