Code Glitch RP Stories

**Rascal08**

Expect the unexpected

It is said that 'life' is full of surprises, even in the digital world it seems this can still
hold true...

Standing on the roof of the old church, looking out across the open city scape before me;
Cascading buildings, each towering above the next. I watch the light shimmer across them as
the last few rays of the setting sun illuminates the area. I observe the cars roaring along
the highway, bluepill after bluepill all going about their lives - ignorant & oblivious.

While standing here catching some rays & taking in the sights it'd be easy to forget that this
is the heart of Mara; The no-mans land of the digital world. A few months ago battle after battle
was waged here with large numbers from all sides. Now, the war has taken a different turn; Battles
are like a match box - sparking quickly but burning out all too soon. A pity, because I live for it.

A flash of light catches my attention, a Zion patrol just came through the Hard Line. 6 in total,
though some are recruits in trainging. When lacking in regular fierce combat, it can be entertaining
to embrace uneven odds...

______________

I swiftly take to the sky before crashing down heavily in front of the patrol group; sending a
small shockwave of code fluctuation rippling under their feet. It only takes a second for the
familiar shouts to fill the air... "EXILE!!" Ingnorant, pompus sons of .... What would they know? "I'm
not Exiled: I was born here! & you are tresspassing..." It seems even with numbers on their side
they still need a little encouragement to engage - and these are to be the new 'warriors' Zion has to offer?
I'm still convinced that if they so chose, the machines would have crushed them long ago.
Still, they seem to have remembered they're supposed to be attacking me.

As the gunners open fire. Right one queue, I feel 'alive' - though at the same time I'm perplexed;
As a program born in a digital world, is it possible to really live? Or to simply exist.
Based on the volume of bluepills I've obsereved simply 'existing' - yet classified as 'alive' I'm
satisfied that I too, am alive. Though thankfully nothing like them....

Returning my attention to the battle at hand, I'm almost dissapointed to discover that none of them
have managed to hit me yet. Something that has cought my attention; A well dressed, calm looking
individual among them... He has a gun, though its still holstered. He's not making any attempt to
attack me: he's just gazing at me. Almost as though he's in a daze - or possibly in awe?
I laugh to myself, as it appears I've found a friend - lets find out...

As the gunners pause to reload, I seize my opportunity - I charge at the first recruit, forgetting
he's still in training I almost snap him clean in two with my first strike. Ooops..

I start to laugh as I grab the next & use him as a meat sheild from the point blank fire of the
3rd. While she stands in shock at having just killed her team mate, a dim mak strike puts her
out of my misery. Only two operatives & my 'friend' left to deal with; Amid their cursing of
their recruits being attacked, I dive at the one nearest to me - unleashing blow after blow.
Anger, rage, fury! I feel my code-stream pulsating as I yet again fulfill my purpose; To destory.
It takes a few moments before I realise that the other one is no longer trying to hit me...
As I smash the whelp I'm beating senseless into the floor I glance over to see the buzzing,
lifeless RSI of the other laying on the floor. Above him, my 'friend'; his gun drawn & the
barrell still smoking.

____________

Our eyes meet as I slowly rise from the floor, bodys strewn around us. Before I can speak, my 'friend'
opens the conversation. He explains how he's been wanting to meet one of 'us'. That since his
'awakening' he is at odds with everything; everything that the 'Real' world has to offer. That
he had heard my 'kind' could change him, to seperate his mind from the body. To convert him into
undeletable code, forever to remain in the simulation. "Thats quite a risk you've taken, based
on what you'd heard" I say. He explains that its a risk he was willing to take, that he wanted
to make an impression; To show level of loyalty & comitment is prepared to give. "A Zion killing
a Zion, I must admit I'm impressed". His look of uncertanty slowly fades & the
begining of a smile starts to spread across his face...

"This may hurt a little" I tell him, as I drive my hand into his chest; Instantly he freezes, a
distressed look of pain & shock spreading through him as I overwite & convert his RSI code stream.
After I remove my hand, he slumps to the floor. Some 'wake' quicker than others, depending on how
detached they have become from the Real. This poor soul must have been like a ghost; Moments after
falling to the floor he rises to his feet. "Welcome, to the digital world" I say as we embrace.
Forgetting for a moment where we are & what has just taken place, I begin to explain what it truly
means to be one of 'us'; Our goals & our purpose, that his code is now undeleteable & that his body
in the real will have died from the severing of 'him' from it.

_____________

Unfortunately, the RSI's around us had long since used their emergency Jack-out & news that one of
their ranks has defected seems to have spread fast. Angry Zion after angry Zion come storming through
the Hard Line, though they're only greeted by a little momento - his gun, carefully placed at the foot
of the Hard Line. His 'farewell' to all that he knew. A quick recall from my counter part had
pulled us clear before the 1st Zion fully materialised. We both sit back & relax as our newest member
looks in awe at our Construct; His new home. More of our ranks emerge to greet him, having already
heard of what he'd done.

Looking on at the number of loyal converts before us, my counter-part & I exchange a smile of
satisfaction; The Glitch is spreading...

**TheRedPhoenixx**

wow! I got engrossed....good stuff Ras !

**Illyria22**

Excellent writing -- looking forward to more!

Lyr

**Rascal08** · 04/23/2009 10:19:48

Notoriety

"He who pourtrays examples of disinterestedness and intrepidity, confers on virtue the
notoriety and homage that are due to it, and rouses in the spectators, the spirit of salutary
emulation."

Notoriety: The quality or condition of being notorious; ill fame.

Such are affectionate definitions of the 'status' we appear to have earned, following
our latest recruitment at Mara. It would seem Zion are rather scourned, I can't help but laugh
to myself; There's nothing like a blind shepherd to heard the sheep to the wolves.

______________

As always, news travels fast within the Digital world & it seems our recruitments are no exception.
Likewise, our informats have explained that Zion have placed a Bounty on our heads; Excellent!
This so much time hunting them, all we need to is 'show up' & wait. On hearing the news, my
counterpart is in hysterics - He, like myself, is astounded by the irony of the situation.

It important that our ranks be made aware, so an urgent briefing is held within our construct.

Joy, satisfaction & excitement. These are the words that describe the reaction our ranks gave
to the news. It's pleasing beyond measure to have such loyal warriors in our service. Something
that hasn't escaped my attention; what position will the Machine Operatives take in all of this?
To coin an old phrase "Is the enemy of my enemy my friend, or my enemy?" perhaps only time shall
tell. Based on the data provided by our informant, a strong Zion presence is expected. As known
terrorists of the system, this may just be too much of an opportunity for some of the Machine
operatives to resist.

Naturally, we have no loyalty or allegiance to either side. But of course, a dead Zion is a dead
Zion: and the more the better should the Machines decide to go against them. On the other hand,
assuming that both sides remain completely hostile; It will be operations as usual, just more
targets than normal to choose from.

Our ranks have expressed a keen interest to proceed with the task at hand. I must admit,
being undeletable does have its advantages... It is agreed that a show of defiance is the best
approach. It is expected that any such display will only further enrage our cave dwelling foes.

__________________

Uriah South West, dusk. There must have been storm here during the day, there's a crispness to the
breeze & the usual pungent odour of the slums has been washed away. Nothing. The area is deserted,
not even the blessed Choppers are here to keep watch. Considering the effort they put into
'claiming' this smelly pit as their territory its odd that they're not here. Though its
probably for the best, poor little dears would probably fall over from shock if they realised we were
here; They'd think it was 'their time'.

Such small programs are low on the list of those to converet, we've far more important targets to
focus on. After some discussion, we decide to continue south towards Mara.

Like a scene from a poorly written Western, the streets & back alleys are almost empty. Only a quick
glimpse of the exile gangs scattering to the wind, before the same repetative view: Nothing. Only
the sound of the wind bustling through the narrow alleys to keep us company, that & a stray cat
that has been following us since Uriah. Its code stream is clear - no secret spy program watching
our every move, just a normal 'kitty' program that seems to be enjoying our company. As it strolls
up to walk beside me, I can understand why the bluepills find them facinating. They have a grace &
presence to their movement, almost like its a planned & rehearsed ballet. I can only hope that our
foes would perceive something similar of us; Planned, organised, poised & ready.

Our calm strole through the streets is soon disrupted; the sound of a firing pin penetrating the primer in the base of a high velocity round, a split second before the combustion of the powder within the cartridge - causing a nautious release of pressure gas restricted within the chamber & forcing the round from the barrell. Small circles of code fluctuation pulsate behind it, as the bullet tares its way through the virtual atmosphere. No words need be spoken, no warning given. We all heard it, we all know exactly what it means (A sniper) and we all had plenty of time to line the sides of the alley as it passes between us. Credit to its sender, had I not moved it would have hit my left eye. I would have been sent back to our construct & came to with a headache.

More rounds rollow, each presisely aimed. For the moment, we're far enough away to still dodge them
but as we get closer & closer to Mara I suspect it won't be as easy.

_____________________

So much for well laid plans, it seems our attackers have some of their own. We're pinned down
ducking & dodging sniper fire. I'm not convinced that its only there to restrict our movement &
keep us held in position, no doubt while others come to pick us off. As I turn to check on the
others, I catch a shimmer of light heading towards me; Time slows as my programming takes hold -
instinctively I move to the side & watch as a knife slowly spins past me. The world returns to
normal speed as snatch the knife from the air, looking for its owner so that I an 'return' it.

Sharpe, brutal pain rushes upward from my groin. As I slump to the floor in agony, I realise the
knife was a setup. The firm, swift kick between my legs has already confirmed my conclusion.
As pain turns to rage, I leap back to my feet. No need to yell 'ambush' the rest already know &
seem to be having a similar experience. My attackers sickening grin soon turns to a pain stricken
grimmace as I snap the leg he'd used to violenty adjust my particulars. A quick piston kick later
& his pain subsides as he now has too many broken bones to worry about just one. Some of our
recruits in training have already been returned to our construct, though I already know they are
on their way back.

It seems the Machine Operatives have indeed decided to join in with the battle, while dodging the
stray bullets & laying waste to those unfortunate enough to get in my way I spot a few of them
picking off the Zion snipers in the distance. A carefull inspection of the afray before me shows
they're also doing their best to attack us also. As expected, they're helping but only if its going
to help them. Typical toasters.

_____________________

The battle raged for several hours before Zion lost interest & retired to morn the loss of the
operative's whos jack-out's we'd managed to damage/over load. The machines also lost interest soon
after some of the Merovingians own operatives decided to join in. Many of our ranks have also
returned to our construct for some R'n R. For those of us that remain, it would be wrong to call
it a victory - more just stubborness. However, we're still here & the rest are gone... for now.

Having made our point & probably increased the bounty they have on us, perhaps its time to unwind.
Its been some time since we paid The Mervovingian a visit & I'm sure some of our newer recruits
would enjoy a drink at the Chateau...

**TheRedPhoenixx**

Wonderful! Keep em coming !!

**Rascal08**

Keep it simple

beep! beep! beep! beep!

I wake with a start, 9:30am flashing on the pitiful excuse for an alarm clock situated on a
small understated dresser to the right of the bed. I almost fall to the floor as I throw back
the covers & scramble to put on the clothes heaped on the floor at the foot of the bed. Once
again, I'm running late.

After battling with my attire & fumbling with the laces on my shoes I dash into the kitchen
to prepare breakfast for the cat (I have a cat!?), the rank smell of tinned tripe fills the air
as the small feline devours its meal before vanishing out the cat-flap leading to the street.
My toast pops up & to my misery is black; virtually burned to a crisp, stupid toaster...

A brief run across the street & I'm just in time to board the 10 'o clock train. Its rammed solid.
I find myself squeezed in amongst all manner of people; a young pretty girl trying to do her makeup
in a small hand mirror as the train bumps and rocks along the tracks. A smart business man, wearing
a matching suit jacket & trousers, holding a shiny leather case. The tall, sweaty fat guy against
whom I'm squashed; his repulsive stench almost choking me...

Panic; This is my 3rd late this week, what will my boss say? I'm already on a final warning; I
can't loose this job, I got rent to pay, my cat to feed - I still need to get money to feed myself!
My breathing quickens & my heart starts to race as my mild worry transforms into a full blown
panic attack. I need to get out, to get off this train, to find a way out of this wretched world,
I'm choking, I can't breath, I can't take it ... I ....

::smash::

_________________

My eyes open, waves of releif wash over me as I see the code. Glorious streams of bright code flowing
in every conceivable direction. Taking the shape of my surroundings and blending once more into the
bliss that is home; The simulation. Rising to my feet, I find myself standing in a small crater;
a small puddle of water has formed where I'd been lying, I can only assume it must have rained
while I was out. I say out, though thats not really accurate. 'Sleeping' would be a better definition,
though its not something I'm familiar with... The same horrid dream of being 'human' - of having
a dull, repetative hatefull life that I'm unable to change or escape. Yet again, I find myself
regaining conciousness in what looks like a battle ground. I don't know if I've been attacked
while I've been dreaming, or if I've somehow been active but not concious of it. Either way,
I'm in yet another crater in the floor, the bench on which I'd lay has been reduced to splinters
and the adjacent Hard Line is little more than a buzzing mess of twisted metal & wire.

Its been a long time since I had any form of dreams, the last time was several cycles ago, just
before 'they' changed things. I can only hope that these dreams aren't a fore warning of another
change yet to happen.. though change isnt' always a bad thing; Perhaps its simply a side effect of
my restlessenss; there's been an uneasy feeling here lately, something is brewing though I can't
determine what.

____________________

I take a deep breath and slowly exhale, my eyes closed trying to clear my thoughts. As an old
friend always used to tell me; sometimes I think too much. "Just keep things simple" he'd tell me.
I can still remember sitting with him by the fountain at Kowloon - just listening to the wisdom
that flowed as easily from him, as the water down the fountain. "Focus on the moment, for the
moment is all that matters. If you can not live in the moment, your not really living, as your
allowing all that really matters to pass you by. Yesterday is history, tomorrow is the future,
today is a gift; thats why its called the present." My old friends words echoing in my mind,
I feel calm, tranquil, almost at peace. Its been too long since I stepped back to enjoy the
simplistic beauty of this world. Its time to put that right...

I head to the nearest Hardline and dial in Kowloon. Emerging at the other end, its exactly as
I remember, as if it had stood still in time. The tall trees, lined up like a runway pointing to
the sky, the intricate paving of the floor still clean & bursting with colour. The fountain itself,
still flowing as it should, the water crystal clear - bright and pure in its appearence.
I slowly walk over to the fountain, I was going to take a small scoop of its water - not that
I need to consume it, more just for the pleasure of doing so. Only my eye's catch a reflection
in the lower tier of the fountain, several figures decending from the sky.

Spinning 180, its seems a team of Zions must have spotted me, I immediately take to the air -
smashing into one of them, rendering the poor wretch unconcious. As we all land to the ground I
giggle to myself as the wretch hits the floor with a thump; that was a bad landing! Surprised
and angered, the zions give a flawless display of human emotion/reaction; A usual and rather
borring tirade of shouts & curses before they inevitably try to attack. A few quick strikes later
and another 3 are slumped on the floor.

click.

I must be getting slow, in all the fun of pounding the meat bags I didn't see their Cpt. sneak
behind me. Nor did I notice him draw his pistol, which is now aimed at the back of my head, hammer
cocked & ready to fire. I close my eyes, focusing on the moment, in my mind the battle plays out like
a slow motion, action replay; An exchange of blows, one having the upper hand then the other, a
wonderful display of martial arts prowess - bending the rules of the system to thier upper limits.
Suicidal butterfly into Machinegun Fist, countered by a pistol Aerial and barrage. A quick exchange
of attacks met by blocks / dodges, before a tripple front kick & guard breaker swiftly answered
by a pistol whip. The peacefull calm shattered by a blaze of gunfire and shockwaves of code
eminating from the epic battle. After a long and drawn out fight, both of us tired, wounded, it
comes to an eventual close with a dramatic and meaningful climax. A mutual respect from one
warrior to another, an unspoken acknowledgement of glory in battle, before the fallen
reconstructs and the victor fades into the distance...

I open my eyes, to my utter dissapointment; The cpt. is still rambing some incoherent nonsense
about not answering him, that he's not affraid to end me if I don't start talking - blah blah blah.
I spin round to my left, my left hand knocking the gun from his grasp before I crouch to the floor
to sweep his legs. As he rotates in the air I rise once more to smash my fist into his chest,
launching him several feet away from me; A perfectly executed ki-charged foot sweep. Gathering
my composure, I calmly collect his gun and walk past his twitching body just in time to give him
some advice before his rsi collapses & his emergancy jack-out saves his worthless a**.
"If your going to attack, then attack, don't talk. Keep it simple..." I say. Moments later, his
rsi & those that were with him have gone. While brief, this encounter has been the spur I needed
& shall hopefully ease my restlessness. I head back to the Hard Line, on the way I answer a few
quick calls from a few members checking in, we've received intelligence about a Zion Currier
transporting data over in Stamos, time to pay the 'currier' a visit...

**TheRedPhoenixx**

Wonderful!!! /bigcheer

**XElite**

Excellent work, Rascal.

I like very much how such an engaging story-telling device is extrapolated from the seemingly traditionally considered area where there is nought but an absence of such - PVP combat. Very enjoyable to read and told in a skillfully straight forward manner.

**BX Playaz**

Dont really enjoy reading stories like this, but that was very interesting.

Great work!

**TheRedPhoenixx**

XElite wrote:

Excellent work, Rascal.
I like very much how such an engaging story-telling device is extrapolated from the seemingly traditionally considered area where there is nought but an absence of such - PVP combat. Very enjoyable to read and told in a skillfully straight forward manner.

Yep! What he said !