Junction Pt. 01

As such when I leave here both those units will be flagged for examination by the Commerce Commission, Vince Smith. They will condemn and impound the vehicles of course as you listed them for sale with that kind of damage."

Vince Smith groaned and scanned Jace. He was not subtle about it. He shook his head, "What do you want, Jace?"

Jace looked at Vince, "A level 5 diagnostic of these 2 other vehicles at no charge for starters including all service records."

Vince Smith shook his head, "Does not work that way, 'military man.' Vehicles are sold as-is and if you want a diagnostic you have to pay for it after you put down a non-refundable deposit."

Jace shook his head, "No you crook. That is the way you want it to work. I just sent the message off to the Commerce Commission and am awaiting their arrival. I have a direct weave connection. I will pay them the 1 DC to scan your entire inventory for more products like that. You'll lose those 2 vehicles regardless now. You will be out of business in an hour."

Jace sent his message to the Commerce Commission.

Vince Smith pointed, "Get out of my shop now while you still can. I have connections and the commerce committee won't step foot in here."

---

Sylvia sent him a message, "Just wait." Sylvia contacted a representative of the Commerce Commission. "You have been trying to close down Vince Smith's used transports for years now. Jace just sent in a request to scan his fleet. I am Sylvia from CGR. I can link in the Defence Minister if you like, but we recommend you just do your damned job and go to the site."

She ended the call before he could respond. He pulled up the main page from CGR and sighed, "Vince, today is your unlucky day."

---

Jace smiled and waited. "You are free to try and throw me out while I wait. I could just snap you in half if you try that though."

An inspector showed not 10 minutes later and looked at the owner, "You may have some connections, but his connections are better, Vince."

The owner looked worried now and back at Jace, "What do you want? To make this go away?"

Jace smiled, "A Corvin 2-man Sportster, new. Paid for by you."

He looked across the way, "That is a 100 DC vehicle!"

Jace nodded, "125 with the options I want. You have hundreds of used vehicles on this lot and I cannot trust a single one. Your action told me that, Vince Smith. Are you ready for them to be inspected? You know he only has to find 5 out of your inventory to impound your whole business. He has 2 to take with him already from the report I filed."

The owner got up and walked across the street with the inspector as Jace followed. Jace signed for the vehicle which Vince paid for and left. Jace looked at the inspector, "You still have the 2 vehicles to take away with you. Those are death traps."

The inspector shook his head, "The closest I have come to being able to shut him down and you let him off for a new vehicle."

Jace looked at the inspector, "You have 2 solid evidence vehicles. You can use them as proof upfront and then past cases in the last year of vehicles that he has sold and put him out of business. I gave you what you needed to do YOUR job; I just want out of the crossfire first. I will cause enough headaches for others soon enough."

The inspector chuckled, "It might take a year to shut him down going that route and he would come after me if I pursued that course or his friends would. Fine neither of us wants to end up dead."

Jace looked at the salesman, "You can pull the tracker, or I will and shove it up your ass. Inspector, I could have killed him where he stood. The man and his supposed friends don't scare me."

The salesman looked shocked, "What makes you think there is a tracker?"

Jace smiled," Because I can pick up the signal from it and I can scan the vehicle for any other defects before it leaves your shop."

The vehicle was more of a two-man enclosed motorcycle that was half as wide as a car, but it was easy on fuel and very maneuverable. It had a trunk that could hold a to-go order from a restaurant but that was about it. His bag would have to go in the back seat but would still have room for some other supplies he wanted. Just not a lot.

The salesman went back and spoke to his mechanic who went in and pulled the tracking device. He walked forward, "These are used when a vehicle is on a lease or being purchased over time."

Jace nodded, "Also by those who want to track the owner of a legally bought transport. Hand it here."

The mechanic handed it over and Jace looked at it, "It had been activated on a straight sale, no reason for that to occur, and your department would have had to do it."

The mechanic sighed, "The owner of the other business is my slime of a brother-in-law. You're not the first who managed to strong-arm a deal out of him. You have been cleverer about it. Way more cleaver than a military guy should be."

Jace nodded, "Former Military Captain. I started as a private. Not bad for 2 years."

The man's eyes lit up, "He did not say anything about you being a military fast burner. You must have had a hell of a stint in the service."

Jace nodded, "I earned my way up the ranks. I ensured I was skilled enough to live and I did not do border skirmishes or guard duty. Spec-Ops."

The salesman showed him the scan and the mechanic just nodded and walked away slowly. Jace got into his new vehicle and headed into the city. He stopped and ate a few hours later and rigged up the tracking device to a battery and put it into an empty sealed bottle. He chucked it into a sewer grate and drove away. "Let them follow that if they want."

Jace hated the idea of going further into the city but the list of contacts he had obtained all lived in different parts of the city. He drove to a local police station and walked up to the desk sergeant. "I am here to get a bounty hunters license."

He sent the officer the filled-out form sighed by the Minister of Defense. The officer went and saw his supervisor and he came forward. He pointed at the scanner. Jace put his chipped hand into the scanner. The Captain looked at the sealed file and his identification number with a file photo.

He walked back and checked it through the Weave. He even tried to get access to his file from an outside source named Gordon Salvo. He sent back a message, "Your fucking crazy if you think I will try and break that file. That is sealed by the royal family and beyond my fucking abilities."

Jace stood there as he came back with his identification file. He pointed, "Move over to that one so we can add to your file." Jace moved toward the file writer and looked at the man, "I want to see a copy of what you are adding to my file first Captain, or should we start talking about Gordon Salvo and your attempt to hack my military record?"

The Captain looked at him and showed him the pad. Jace shook his head, "Full bounty hunter status. Lethal force authorized including street-legal guns. Not this candy-ass shit of no firearms allowed. You give that to a kid walking off the street, not a military veteran. Who's form was signed by the Minister of Defense."

The Captain changed the file and showed it to him. Jace held the pad stuck his hand under and transmitted it into his chip and handed it back. That added his new last name as well. He looked at the Captain, "You ever see 'sealed by the royal family' again you better not try this shit on them. They will likely work to take your job or your life. Maybe both at the same time."

The Captain gulped hard and nodded. He was a man of few words but his body spoke plenty. Jace scanned the Captain who ran at a 140Ki right now. The desk sergeant was at 75Ki.

Jace looked at the Captain. "Now there is the fine to deal with. I want you to transfer 15Ki to the desk sergeant. Yes, I have a bio scanner and vamp unit and I can do it for you if needed 2 units at a time. You probably have a larger one running at 140Ki at the moment."

The Captain sighed and walked over to the sergeant. He transferred it 5Ki at a time. The absolute max for a non-corporate sponsor.

Jace looked across, "I have friends who will be monitoring if you try and pull it back of harm the sergeant. That also goes if you make any other inquiries about me. The penalties for that will be steep."

Jace knew he had a 25Ki vamp unit installed but let the Captain think he got away with something for the moment. Just to see what he would do. The Captain stepped back and headed for his office. Jace called out and stopped him in his tracks, "That 25Ki vamp unit is corporate-sponsored. Is that not against police protocol?"

Jace saw 6 officers draw down on their Captain after hearing that. The Captain pulled his vamp unit out and destroyed it. He looked over, "What vamp unit?"

Not everyone could pick up that on a scan but the bio-monitor he added with his 910 processor could pull up a lot more detailed information than that monitor alone would allow the average person to have. The officers put their guns away.

That Captain knew he had been made and while he could try and deny it, Internal Affairs was going to be 'up his ass' with a microscope in an hour. They would check all of his enhancements. He was fucked unless he quit. He got to his desk and submitted his retirement paperwork.

Jace monitored this while he got into his vehicle. His boss, a police commander, came out and took his weapon and badge from him. He did not smile, wish him well, or anything. He just pointed at the door. Jace was 12 blocks away when an unknown vehicle pulled up and grabbed the former Captain.

No plates, no corporate logos, the black van had lift jets and got them off the streets. Jace shook his head, "Corporate retirement. They will pull anything from him that ties him back to their company. Even if it kills him, or should I say especially when they kill him."

He watched the net and inquires on him started flying in from a small firm that was a subsidiary of Sands Industries. A manufacturer of implants and weapons. With rumored drugs and prostitution ties. 'Nothing ever stuck to Sands' was a common saying in the news.

Jace hacked into them. The return message sent back to them stated, "Stay the fuck away from Jace."

That came from the devil he knew, Sylvia. All inquiries stopped. He sent her a message, "See you are keeping Sands in line."

She sent one back, "Your tech does not allow you to monitor my traffic. How would you know?"

He smiled and responded, "The security on the other end is ill-equipped to handle your level of security. They were easy to infiltrate and monitor as soon as they sent the first request out on me. I just saw your response to them."

She sent one back with an audio and vid message with her laughing. He could tell she was pissed. It was a wicked laugh. She would likely take action.

---

She was pissed that Jace knew what she was up too because a corporation's security sucked. She made a call to Sands Industries president. The president even took that call; while in the middle of a board meeting.

She sighed, "Carmicle Ross. You have a serious security issue you need to address with your covert subsidiary, Mickelson Security. They can be hacked far too easily for being a part of your company. They made an inquiry on Jace Rivers. He settled on that last name it appears. For now, anyway. You get any more inquires on him they should be routed to you. Then to me directly. He is strictly hands-off. Do you understand me?"

The man gulped, "I understand and will look into that security shortfall before this meeting is over."

The call ended. She smiled at the power she held over several of these corporations. She only wished she had it over more of them. She had enough information to crush Sands if she chose to do it. Her protected status made her untouchable to them and she used a lot of their implants and was a 'valued' customer. She was something they had to suffer.

She watched the communications go from the boardroom to a board member who fired a message down to his business and they shut down communications. Another was sent to another board member who ordered the system inspected, security software upgraded, and the technician on duty to have his employment terminated immediately.

She shook her head as a signal was sent to the 'black van' that swooped in and picked up another former employee to extract any upgrades. She knew they did not employ surgeons for that activity. Their bodies would be found somewhere. A warning to other employees.

Another board member sent an encrypted burst transmission across the city. She found that curious. She broke the encryption as it was not very strong, she did not have Jace's computer skills. It was a warning to not mess with Jace Rivers but to report back any other interactions any of their 'employees' might have with this man.

She nodded to herself and sighed out loud, "They are staying hands-off but they are now monitoring him. He will be known soon as Jace just rented a van transport from one company. He ensured the tracker was on but sitting in his personal transport he left behind. Something tells me he is on a mission. I wonder what he is up too?"

She went to work and returned to her terminal 12-hours later when he showed up at a different police station with 6 stunned and 6 dead bounties to collect on for 95,300 DC's across the board. Sands was sent the report from the station from another police informant.

She shook her head. "Police corruption is everywhere."

Jace returned and reinstalled the tracker in the van and dropped off the keys in the night box. She watched the security camera. He looked straight up into the camera and nodded. He knew she would be watching. She was dripping wet at the fucking killing machine she got to unleash on the city. She had 3 fingers in her pussy as she stared at the screen.

Sands lost 4 of their top agents, 3 of which were still alive, but not for long. She came loudly as she peaked from her masturbation session. She enjoyed watching her stud perform. Sands paid local bounty hunters and cops a monthly fee not to pursue their assets. Most companies did. This independent who took out 12 in a day concerned them. 3 other corporations sent out inquires on this Jace Rivers.

Carmicle Ross at Sands Industries sent one back to one of the companies they did business with him, "Stop all inquiries on the subject. Do nothing but monitor his activity. He has friends in extremely high places and a military file sealed by the Royal Family. Do not fuck with this asset is advised. Sylvia is involved, proceed at your own peril."

That message was quickly shared with the other companies. Not all of them worked together but some had crossover as some board members sat on more than one of their boards. She hacked into Jace's processor diagnostic readout.

She could not hack into his main computer core, issue any commands, and or access his data stores. Those were segregated and off the weave by military design. The built-in transfer unit on the 'dark side' allowed him to pull or send filed onto the weave.

She knew he would detect it, She checked the status of his expansion unit. She sighed, "Damn it. He upgraded it again and filled it in one day! A 1,000Ki unit full!"

He smiled at the camera and got into his vehicle. Sylvia sighed, "He has enough Ki to live over 250 years and DC credits to go just about anywhere when he decides too. Damned, I made him damned near perfect."

She thought, 'He is perfect, the Royal family just sees his one 'abnormality' as a disadvantage.' All while She saw it as a key to a larger plan.

---

Jace knew she hacked his processor and that his expansion unit was full. What she did not know was he pulled another 12 expansion units from the subjects which had another 6,943 extra Ki left in them. Or the small arsenal he amassed for his efforts.

He turned on and off his comms as needed. To check someone and then back off again while he worked to shield what she could see of his work through his own comms. She wanted to watch, she would have to fucking work at it with local cameras or hacking into his targets.

The weapons including a military-grade laser submachine gun that had not even been released to the military yet. He took that off one that yet lived. They all had 50Ki on them by the time he was done. The 40+ men and women these people had working for them were alive...mostly.

There were 7 exceptions as they were persistent in trying to shoot him; some were just barely alive. He drained out their Ki from there smaller expansion units along the way to repair up.

Some had warrants but not enough to make multiple trips worthwhile. He only had so much room available in that van. He seized all of their weapon caches. He had 87 weapons now in his bag. He had enough Ki on him to live over 1,000 years beyond what she could pick up with her scan and that counted his current upgrades annual costs.

He went to a high-ended cybernetic shop he scoped out weeks ago on the weave. He disabled his comm chip before walking in to keep her out of his head. He had the gold, DC cred chips, and weapons he had amassed. He walked back to a technician. The technician smiled, "Hello there, Bill Ross is the name. I am the owner. Any cybernetic implants you are looking for? Perhaps an upgrade?"

Jace looked at Bill, "I have a lot of stuff to trade. You got a backroom?"

Bill nodded, "All areas have security monitoring, but if we are talking big transactions, I got another room to work from."

Bill took Jace back to the other room, "This room is monitored by a private security feed and multiple laser turrets. Local security on-site as well."

Jace nodded, "As long as it is off the Weave."

Bill nodded, "It is."

Jace smiled, "I have a Drisen crystal. I am looking for one that blocks up to 50% dragon tracking."

The man looked at him, "That is over 30,000 DC's."

Jace nodded, "I expected as much."

He sat down and laid out upgrades he pulled from the six dead men including another Bridian crystal that would block 25% dragon blooded humans. He looked at him, "You have someone with over 25% Draconic blood tracking you?"

Jace chuckled, "More like watching over her investment is how she would see it. I took it offline before coming in here. She likely knows I came here, but not what we are saying unless she taps into your feeds."

He shook his head, "Off the weave as I stated. Hardwired to a security firm that monitors this place, except for backrooms and they have their own monitoring that has local security as well. Redundant security as we are open 24/7 and do a lot of high-end business."

He went through everything Jace laid out, "Because these are used items, all still serviceable based on scanners, that would be 18,000 DC's in credit, including your installed Bridian crystal."

Jace noted he was using a 900 series processor with a bio-monitor. Jace shook his head, "Without the Bridian crystal I have installed; you can have the spare crystal. I can upgrade this myself later. You are about 1,000 DC's below fair market value."

The man sighed, "18,700 then."

Jace nodded. He pulled the DC credit chips set them on the counter. Some still had blood on them. Jace looked at the worried man. Jace saw a reader and stuck his hand under it, "Licensed bounty hunter. Lethal force and guns authorized."

The man looked at his ID, "This says it was issued today."

Jace nodded, "I had a good first day."

Bill chuckled and went through the first 2 and had enough to pay for the chip. The man sighed, "You looking for any other upgrades?"

Jace smiled, "Can top a 910 series processor?"

The man looked up, "Those just hit the market, mine is only a 900 series. It would be another year before the next upgrade is out 'officially.' Especially to an unentitled person like yourself. You are not on the entitled roles, Jace Rivers. But I could see you managing to get there eventually."