Rift - Random 2

Well it's late again, and I felt like writing. Ciara has been encouraging me to do so. This is a bit continued from the last Random Rift segment, since it was kindof a cliffhanger. So we'll see how this turns out. Also, I edited the last post to give a better description of the city, if you'd like to check it out.

Series: Rift

Segment: Random - 2

Stage: Rough

Times Through: 1

Rift's heart pounded in his ears as he blitzed through the sparse pedestrians with the Enforcer hot on his heels. It would be on him in a moment or two, he had to do something. No! He thought to himself, I can't open up like this just yet! Ducking down side allies and streets he kept a fragile distance with the wailing air-car. The ghettos of the Cyber cities were the best places to elude Enforcement. Thin streets and even more thin ally ways made it tough for an air-car to navigate at full speed, which gave a fugitive on foot a fighting chance. It helped that the Cyber government was in such neglect of the ghettos that they did not even have ground forces based in the lower parts of the city; any foot or ground vehicles had to be flown in. The Enforcer was shouting something over the speaker, but his attention was too focused on escape to hear.

Rift looked like a shade sprinting through the streets with dim holographic light passing over his cloak almost reluctantly. Rift had to come to a screeching halt as a green plasma bolt lanced over his shoulder and struck the building to his right. Debris and garbage exploded outward in a fatal barrage. Falling to the ground he covered his head as the shrapnel passed over. The white Enforcer vehicle sped closer at his pause and he had to dive out of the way as it swooped low and a black-armored Enforcer leaning out swung at him with an electrified stun rod.

The vehicle landed in the ally past the debris, blocking the way. Two Enforcers stepped out, almost invisible in the night excepting the green eyes of their helmets. The black armor was plated and segmented, leaving space at each joint for maximum flexibility. A black mesh that could stop a vibro-knife was worn under the plating, filling in the spaces so not a single bit of flesh showed through the suit, if the cyborgs had any flesh left. The two upholstered their sidearms and slowly approached Rift as he stood coughing.

"Citizen, you are under arrest for lack of proper ID-tagging, and will be detained until you have received your chip." The foremost Enforcer said, his voice deep and mechanical through the helmet.

Rift turned to run and beheld another Enforcer air-car setting down on the opposite side of the ally. He was boxed in. I was hoping I wouldn't have to do this. He thought. Turning to face the Enforcer he stood with his hands out, in feigned surrender. With his mind he reached out to the space around him. Beyond the flashing lights and Enforcers, beyond the massive city, beyond the world as most knew it, he touched the fabric of space. Brushing lightly upon it with a familiar touch, it rippled gently around him, distorting his image like the heat from flames.

The Enforcers paused at the bizarre spectacle. The first turned to the second, "I think my optics are on the fritz, are you seeing something strange?". The second nodded in reply. The pair from the second air-car had just stepped out, and were staring at Rift quizzically. One gave a hand signal, and all four slowly approached.

They'll have radioed in already, more will be coming, I need to be brief. Rift thought. Though he had every reservation about it, he had to reveal himself. He focused on the space around his his right fist. The rippling air intensified for a brief second, and all Hell broke loose.

Lunging forward he swung at the empty air. A massive shock-wave erupted from his fist and caught the two Enforcers before him. The two looked as though a freight train had caught them in the chest and flew backward, slamming into their air-car with a deafening crunch as the metal bent inward and the vehicle flipped into the air with the Enforcers embedded within its hull.

Rift turned to the second pair before the air-car landed. With a yell they opened fire. Green bolts sizzled through the air. Focusing on the space around him even before they fired, he deflected the bolter fire with a solid shield made from rippling space forming a hemisphere in front of him. Green plasma fire bounced off and blasted the buildings to either side of Rift ripping apart the stone and metal.

With a mental shove Rift threw his shield forward blasting both Enforcer's off their feet landing several meters back. Before they could fully stand Rift swung his arm in an arc in front of him, whipping a shock-wave with it. The base of the building to his right ripped out explosively and the wall of pure force caught the two stunned Enforcers and slammed them into the wall of the ally. The stone cracked as their armored bodies crumpled up against it. A moment of silence followed as blood leaked out of their broken suits onto the mucky floor. So they were still at least part human. The red flashing light of the remaining air-car was the only thing that disturbed the dark stillness.

They will have seen that on the car's cameras. No point in hiding it now, I need to move before more come. Rift leaped to the building next to him and planted his feet on the wall for a split second. A shock-wave fired at his feet, launching him up the side of the sky-scraper and breaking out a small segment of the wall. With long bounding leaps he flew up the side of the structure, leaving small indents with every step. Quickly cresting the massive building, he deftly landed on the roof and blasted forward to the far edge with a single bound. With a massive shock-wave he launched into the silvery night sky. It was done, he had begun his war.

That's all, post your thoughts, comments, suggestions!

Rift - Random

This segment is me late at night, listening to good music, and feeling like writing. This bit will be about Rift, and really it will be a stream of consciousness, though I'll attempt to set him in the place I would hope the storyline would take place.

Series: Rift
Segment: Random
Stage: Rough

Times Through: 1

Rift contemplated his drink for a long moment. Water; pure water. It seemed such a strange phenomenon within the twisted and warped world around him. Everything was changed, altered, polluted. But here in front of him, in the simplest of substances, he found purity, amidst the storm of alcohol and synthetic drinks the bar served. Studying the other patrons about him, all clad in dark earth tones to match the depressing air and poor light of the bar, he discovered he was the only present with the beverage. He turned back to his drink, smiling in understanding. He too felt like an island of the untouched, surrounded by a tempest of false images of happiness.

"How long are you going to contemplate that before you drink it?" Zatz asked, startling Rift out of his thoughts. "It's not poison, no nanites or anything, I don't think the bartender knows you're a fleshie."

Rift cast a half smile at his cybernetic companion. The left side of Zatz's fair face was metallic and rough with a red synthetic eye gazing acutely at Rift. Sandy blonde hair fell over the edges of the metallic modifications that came up to the left side of his crown. His natural blue eye smiled with his lips as he suppressed a chuckle.

"I swear, I'll never understand you fleshies, you seem so clueless to what's happening around you." He said, and then added, "Well, except you. You seem more like you're sizing up the planet for a fight."

"I have to be on edge; if the authorities found me they would try to throw me in a laser-barred cell." Rift replied, gazing once again at his water.

Zatz laughed quietly. "Really Rift, I don't know what you're about, but I doubt you're that valuable...wait where are you going?"

Rift stood and quickly downed the small glass before setting it softly back on the steel bar-counter. Deftly he wrapped his dark cloak about him and pulled over the cowl. "That simply reminds me," He said, "I've been in one place for too long, it's time I moved on." With a small gesture of farewell, he headed for the door, almost becoming invisible as the dull ambient light of the holographic dancers above them blurred the figures below.

Zatz nearly lept after him, barely catching the hem of his cloak, "Now hold on! We just barely sat down, what are you so scared of?"

"I enjoy our talks Zatz, it's nice to have someone I can come chat with that doesn't treat me like a freak." Rift said, pulling his cloak from the cyborg's hands and passing through the hologram that served as a door.

Zatz followed him onto the street cursing quietly. The pair stepped onto a filthy street, broken machinery and filth lay mixed in with the lowest of the city's inhabitants. The perfect place to hide from Enforcement. Massive skyscrapers covered in neon light and holographic advertisements almost completely obscured the sky. The mucky roadway was lit only by the menagerie of colors above. The full moon was barely visible, drowned by the city smog, casting wilting rays of silver moonlight onto the filthy street that became lost amongst the neon. The hum and buzz of air-cars and hover-trams filled Rift's ears. The quiet of the open country seemed all but a distant memory to him. He felt like retching every time he walked amongst the towering structures. But if he did not do what he must, there would be no home or open country to return to.

"Now don't get me wrong, I still think you're completely bizarre; but that intrigues me and I thought at least I'd learn more about you. You're the first natural I've known!" Zatz said shattering Rift's thoughts again. "What you're doing in the Cyber Cities is a complete mystery to me."

Rift turned and faced his friend. As a reply was on the tip of his tongue his eyes glanced upward. Red flickering lights from an Enforcer air-car were approaching from the sky, almost aimed perfectly for him. Damn! He thought, I thought I'd have at least a few more minutes. With blinding speed he turned and sprinted down the street, deftly flowing amongst the occupants. Small gusts of wind washed over Zatz at his departure.

What was that about? Zatz queried silently, That was fast even for a cyber. He puzzled for a moment and nearly lept from his skin when a wailing siren erupted from the Enforcer vehicle directly above him. Red lights flashing in a fury it barreled down the road only meters above the pedestrians. Zatz's eyes widened at the spectacle. What in blazes are they after him for?

Well that's all for tonight, I'm tired. Lemme know what you think