Jaxx

[Mirridi]

Jaxx i)-Bar

One of the little robotic skimmers that so often flew around the city soared into the bar, and wove between the drinks arranged down the bar. It came to rest on a tall glass of a vaguely purple drink. I say vaguely, since a few minutes before the very same drink had been a deep sea green.

Three more skimmers flew in, dipping their wings and generally showing off. One found an unused games table and skidded to a halt on it’s finely polished surface. Another landed on the back wall, easily at rest in a light fitting. The last skimmer perched daintily on the barman’s outstretched hand.

Outside, a woman in dark glasses was leaning against the establishments’ wall. Her pocket chirped. She reached in and fished out a small black box, and pushed an inset blue button on its underside. Inside the bar, the four skimmers sprouted talons and dug into their positions. This caused the barman great pain.

She lifted the box to her mouth, and gently whispered into it.

“Phosphor flare.â€￾

A huge intensely bright light blasted out of the bar, fractionally brighter than the sun. It subsided after a few seconds. She walked inside and began sorting through the unconscious bodies until she found the one that she was looking for, because when she happened upon it, she drew a pipette from her pocket, and dripped a green liquid into his eyes. The virus worked quickly, repairing his optical nerve that the flare had fried. She then slipped the little black control box down the back of his shirt, and waited for the hiss as it burned into the victims’ skin.

At a hand signal, the skimmers took off again, and flitted after her as she left, calmly as if nothing had happened.

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Jaxx i)-Arena

“GO!â€￾ The familiar green wireframe formed around Jaxx, and she smiled. Across the featureless arena, her normal opponents had formed. Lynch and Theo, with their favourite tools. Theo jumped on his bike and started to roar round to the left, while Lynch brandished his morning star, and padded to the right.

“Shotgun,â€￾ Jaxx stood, and smirked. The familiar shape of an under-over developed into her hand. Her first shot punctured Theo’s rear wheel causing him to drop his speed, and the chain that he was swinging. She pinwheeled and loosed the second shot at Lynch. It only clipped his arm, but she could see that his movements were pained.

“Harpoon,â€￾ She fired the harpoon at Theo. It lodged and she swung him round. His momentum pulled him round in a circle, the harpoon holding his course. Lynch happened to have backed off into the oncoming bike. By the time Theo had removed the cable, Lynch was out of the game, since he had been crushed several times by the manically rotating bike.

It was Theo’s turn. Jaxx had gone to pick up Lynch’s Morning Star, so it wouldn’t go to her weapon count, when Theo smacked into her, using her back as a ramp, propelling the bike high into the air. Electro-feedbacks kicked in, and her body convulsed with electricity, but she scooped up the morning star, and started to run towards Theo, a blood rage rising through her body. Operating without conscious thought, she jumped at Theo, catching onto the back of his bike, and proceeding to beat his head in with swing after swing of the brutal spiked ball of the Morning Star. After a few minutes, he too was removed from the game, along with his bike, which if it were real, would be a write-off for sure.

The wireframe disappeared, along with the arena. As the console opened, Jaxx glimpsed Tallith’s face.

“Ready for another go, Jaxx? I’ll re-incarnate Theo and Lynch, give them a programming boost, and I’ll give you a more interesting arena.â€￾

“Sure.â€￾



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Jaxx i)-Awakening

Lying in a park with no memory of most of the previous night’s events was how Jaxx greeted the morning sun, and strangely, a Mk. 83 Consolidated Arms missile screaming towards her. She leapt up and ducked away, rolling down the hill to try and avoid the incoming unguided missile. As the bomb impacted, it sent shards of half-molten metal scything through the air, trees, houses and two unlucky or possibly just unobservant innocent bystanders.

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[IBBoard]

Nice you should get bored more often