The Perfect Run

When the locals said that Rust Town was walled off, they weren’t kidding.

As he drove as north as possible, Ryan began to see the fortifications separating the district from the rest of New Rome. They weren’t so much walls as a mix of tall steel cylinders, wired fences, mounted cameras, and surveillance systems. Trained Genomes occupying watchtowers pushed back clouds of pollution away from the touristic areas and into Rust Town with wind manipulation, so rich people wouldn’t breathe the same air as the lower classes. Since they all seemed to produce currents of air, Ryan assumed they used the knockoff elixir marketed as ‘Tempest,’ that gave its user minor aerokinesis.

As he drove around the fortress in search of an entrance point, the Genome put on Dynamis Radio, listening to the news.

“—we received confirmation that the explosion in Little Maghreb yesterday was the result of a short duel between our beloved protector Wyvern and the criminal Genome known as Vulcan.” Ryan immediately raised the volume. “Vulcan, formerly known as Urban Guerilla, briefly served as Wyvern’s sidekick before joining the criminal syndicate known as the Augusti. Reports indicate Vulcan was forced to flee after causing great collateral—”

Oh, so that was why Vulcan didn’t contact him this time. Little Maghreb was probably close to the Augusti’s hideout, and he—or she? Ryan didn’t remember—decided to ambush Wyvern when the opportunity presented itself. They probably took heavy wounds and Ryan fell off their radar afterward.

Would the courier have to change hotels again? No, better to stay in the first hotel until Wyvern contacted him, and then switch places to avoid the assassination attempt that ended the last loop.

“—the Psycho cryokinetic known as Ghoul attempted to escape containment by the Private Security early yesterday, but was quickly recaptured by Il Migliore,” the radio continued. “Enrique Manada, manager of the superhero team, stated that ‘as long as Dynamis remains strong, warlords and madmen will never gain a foothold in New Rome.’”

At least warning Wyvern did make a difference. She probably relayed his tip about the Private Security being compromised to her team, who intervened in time.

Then again, it must have been hard for Ghoul to run away without his legs.

Ryan eventually reached a border checkpoint guarded by three Private Security guards. All of them carried riot gear and laser rifles. Their chief made Ryan a sign to stop, and the Genome did his best to look innocent.

It was pretty hard with the mask and full Quicksave attire, but it was the attitude that counted.

“Halt,” the guard said. “No entry without proper authorization or work permit.”

“I’m just visiting,” Ryan said. “I heard they have a zoo.”

“It is a zoo,” the guard grumbled. “Look, citizen, this is the frontier of civilization. Beyond is the untamed urban wilderness, and we’re the only people standing between New Rome and the hordes of barbarians who would tear it down.”

“Well, when I see you, I do fear for civilization.”

“You should,” the man replied, missing the obvious sarcasm. “So if you want to pass with proper authorization, you will have to contribute to our community’s mutual defense.”

“Sure,” Ryan replied. “You aren’t going to check my car for drugs, weapons, or anything dubious? I swear, I’m clean as the day I was born.”

“Depends on how much you contribute to the community.”

No wonder that the Augusti and Meta could get in and out so easily. Since the guards weren’t even trying to hide their corruption, they probably had very few surprise inspections.

The second he passed the checkpoint, Ryan understood why they called it Rust Town.

First and foremost, the air quality dropped drastically, even worse than the harbor; the smell of rust and chemicals was so pervasive, the courier wondered if someone dumped toxic waste out in the open. Ryan had to raise his car’s windows and activate his mask’s air filter just to make it bearable.

Almost every house and three-floor apartment buildings had fallen into a state of disrepair, windows were broken, cinder block walls were covered in graffiti, some even crumbling. The neighborhood was positively claustrophobic, narrow streets forming a labyrinth of alleys almost too small for his car to move in, fire escapes casting them in shadow in spite of the daylight. Streetlights didn’t work well, and a thick layer of smog colored the world in sickly yellow. Every piece of metal seemed to rust, probably due to the pollution.

Even Ryan, who had seen it all, felt appalled by the locals’ living conditions. Squatters had overtaken everything, dealers openly peddled Bliss to homeless people, and the locals avoided Ryan’s gaze when he looked at them. They all wore scarfs, face masks, or other protections against the gas, even the children.

At one point, the driver drove past a corpse, left to rot in muddy waters due to an overflowing sewer entrance. A pack of wild dogs waited nearby next to a pile of trash, perhaps waiting for Ryan to leave to feed.

Ryan had made jokes about everything, but he couldn’t muster the energy for humor today.

Seeing a dealer who didn’t avert his gaze, he lowered his window to ask where he could find Genius-made tech. The local gave the directions for a place called Paulie’s Shop, although not before trying to sell Ryan a gram of Bliss for an outrageous sum. It appeared prices had gone up since the Meta started hitting the local dealers’ suppliers.

Ryan didn’t have any trouble finding Paulie’s Shop, mainly because he had garish neon lights on his establishment’s sign; although the man could have chosen a wider, dead-end alley for his establishment. The Genome parked his car in front of the door, grabbed his coil gun just in case, and then walked in.

“Here’s Johnny!” Ryan shouted, opening the door without knocking.

made of accumulated junk. it was a true and poorly-ventilated wilderness of tools; scavenged car parts hung from the

could identify these strange creatures on sight. In response to his unforgettable entrance, the shopkeeper had immediately raised a rocket launcher

A flash of recognition flashed in Paulie’s

so happy; he had become so famous, people recognized him on sight! “Are you one of my fans?! I knew I had

almost choked, aiming the weapon at Quicksave’s face.

did that?” Ryan

plane on it, and then you gave me a letter!” Paulie snarled. “You had been hired to deliver my mail, and you said you wanted

it did sound like something he would do. Ryan observed

…

No.

Nope. Nothing.

shrugged

don’t remember,” Paulie asked,

personally than I ever did.” When he realized the poor man may have been forced to live in this dump because

in rage. Apparently, he didn’t want Ryan’s money. “Get the

I can

replied. “Once it’s locked, the nanomissile keeps pursuing the target

have taken the hint and left the shopkeeper alone, but he had a mission to fulfill. His coil gun lowered in one hand, Ryan searched in

out

the sight of this white, beautiful rabbit plushie, Paulie’s face lost all colors. “You know what this is,” Ryan said, wagging his

in an enclosed space, and you

preparing to activate the switch on his WMD’s back. “I’ll

Paulie threatened

“Imma do it!”

away. “Fuck,” he said, dropping his weapon on the counter. “How could you do that to a plushie? The most adorable thing,

Quicksave argued, putting the plushie back in his coat

Paulie laughed, happy to be as useless to Ryan as possible. “You couldn’t have picked a worse moment! The Junkyard is

the weapon Paulie wielded was shoddy and ready to crumble after firing a shot. “I’m looking for a very specific technology. Bathyspheres used

“Like Len’s tech?”

the gap between the counter and himself in the blink of an eye. “Paulie, Paulie, Paulie,” the Genome all

the shopkeeper replied

“Then tell me everything.”

a sigh of disgust. “Black

yes,” Ryan replied, more and

girl, then. She arrived in Rust Town six months ago, calling herself the Underdiver.” Ryan never heard of that nickname. To his disappointment, Quicksave and the Underdiver didn’t sound well as a comedic duo. Maybe Q&U? The Undersavers? “Just one of the Geniuses trying to do business without Dynamis or Augustus recruiting them, see what I mean? There used to be a big black market here for Genomes like her, who don’t have enough resources to be self-sufficient, but wanted to remain independent from

entirely focused on the shopkeeper. The rapturous attention seemed to disturb Paulie, but it only encouraged him to speak

looked like an Old World JIM diving suit. She kept asking me for parts to maintain it, so

it have a minigun?”

made a strange face.

he knew her perfectly.

You must know that she was… very passionate?” Ryan nodded knowingly. “She

Always with that strange, almost cute sense of justice, obsessive

Security attacked her workshop and caught her. I heard rumors that the Augusti broke her out, but nothing from

be favored, although… the fact the Private

more information he had learned since... since forever. Ryan was in a good mood. An exceptional mood. “For

shopkeeper frowned in

man of culture in this dissolute city! “Of course not, I can only grant

to blow him off, before marking a short pause. A thought crossed his mind. “You aren’t kidding? You

matter how many tries. Quicksave always

it.” Paulie put his hands on the counter, joining his fingers. “You know a Psycho gang moved

want me to

every day. The Genomes, they kill ‘em and drain their blood; the normies, they abduct straight off the street. I don’t know what