The V.I.C.I. Diaries: Valley of the Damned (Part 20)

[DukeNukem 2417]

"...so when were you going to tell me you were on this mission?"

Leah shook her head. "I wasn't supposed to tell you, Vicki...everything that was used to rebuild me was more or less designed to be high-end prosthetics, not combat-grade cybernetics. The only way I could go on this mission involved me getting zipped up in this suit and hooked up to it---it's all that stands between me walking out of here on my own two feet and me getting carried out." She paused; "Okay, I just made that sound a lot more dire than it is," she realized.

"You could've told me something earlier," Vicki protested. "I mean, we saved each other after the Rigelitan incident---I mean, who else could say they went up against the hazmat weirdos and survived---"

The deafening report of a shotgun firing cut through the air like a whip, ending the discussion.

"AGENT LAWSON!" A figure, loaded down with weapons and bandoliers of ammo, strode forth from the shadowed end of the hallway. "WE HAVE UNFINISHED BUSINESS, YOU AND I!"

"Can this guy get any cheesier?" Leah whispered.

"Shut up," Vicki muttered, trying not to giggle. "You're gonna make me laugh....this is just like high school---"

Another shotgun blast tore through the stillness of the chamber, wiping the smile off the gynoid's face.

"You nearly ruined my life back in Dawley," Björn Aaberg called out. "All because of your vendetta against an associate of mine....Matthew Emmerich Hannsen.....because of his actions, you chose to make my life a living Hell---"

"I hate to break it to you," Vicki shouted, "but your life didn't even mean anything to me!"

Aaberg froze in his tracks, nearly paralyzed with rage at the remark.

"Not the smartest choice of words there, Vicki," Leah admitted. "Maybe a bit too harsh---"

"YOU DESTROYED MY LIFE'S WORK!" Aaberg shouted. "YOU NEARLY BROKE SOME OF MY BEST OPERATIVES! And all for what?! To avenge some stupid bitch?!" He fired off another shotgun blast, the pellets hitting a light fixture.

Almost instantly, Leah noticed Vicki tensing up. "Don't let him get to you," she pleaded, "just try to---"

She stopped, feeling Vicki's hand on her shoulder. "Leah," the brunette gynoid murmured, "I've got this." She turned to glance at the cybernetically enhanced girl, who found herself rather shocked to see that the Field Agent was smiling. "Sticks and stones, and all that stuff....it doesn't get to me....but maybe it's time we see what, exactly, gets to him." She jerked a thumb in Aaberg's general direction. "And don't worry about me going overboard on him," she added with a wink. "He's not worth it."

That last phrase was uttered loud enough for Aaberg to hear---just as Vicki had intended.

His response was.....predictable.

"HOW DARE YOU!" the arms dealer bellowed. "HOW DARE YOU CLAIM THAT I AM 'NOT WORTH IT'!" He fired off another shotgun blast, not even managing to hit the floor next to where Vicki stood; "I have been insulted by many, foolish girl," he growled, "but NEVER BEFORE in my LIFE---"

"HEY!" Vicki called out. "Are you going to be done with your little tantrum any time soon, diaper baby, or---"

Like her last insult, the effect of the "diaper baby" remark was all too predictable.

The Taurus 608s cleared their holsters faster than the brunette gynoid had expected---not that it did anything to help Aaberg's aim. Had he taken the time to properly sight the target, even if it meant just aiming down the barrel and firing, he might have scored one or two hits; instead, the idiot fired blindly and randomly, sending shots everywhere but their intended target.

"I'd say the old 'missed me, missed me, now you gotta kiss me' thing," Vicki called out, "but in your case---"

Her words were drowned out by an enraged roar---which only grew in volume with the introduction of the Uzis into the fight. Is he trying to hit everything except me in here?! With every shot that hit the floor, the walls, the ceiling and every other surface in the room, the gynoid Field Agent knew she'd exposed Aaberg's Achilles Heel: He hated being mocked. As much as I hate playing "break the haughty" in times like this, she mused, it'll probably be for the best if I keep him off his game for as long as possible....at least, until I can get close enough to just knock him out!

By the time Aaberg had stopped firing, the Uzis' clips were half-emptied, the room had become pockmarked with bulletholes from every stray shot, and Aaberg himself was still furious.

What happened next did nothing to ease his mind.

"HEY, BJÖRNEY! Vicki called out. "YOU MISSED ME....YA BUTT!"

An unintelligible stream of half-words, syllables and swear words in Romanian, Finnish and German resounded throughout the chamber, accompanied by the unyielding rhythm of the Uzis firing.

Just imagine this as being a tryout for the Starlet Dolls' newest music video, Vicki told herself, dodging gunfire with backflips, rolls and acrobatics that most backup dancers would've given anything to pull off in such a seamless fashion. The gunfire's just pyrotechnics, and Aaberg's just one of the audience members screaming their head off at the awesomeness of the performance... Even with the running processes in her CPU directing every move within the slightest fraction of an inch, she still preferred imagining herself in a more positive scenario instead of forcing herself to focus---which, as she reminded herself, was yet another benefit of her upgrade after July 9. One of the many joys of being me---

"VICKI!"

Leah's pained cry stunned the brunette gynoid enough to almost make her trip over her own feet; she dropped into a crouching roll just in time to avoid landing on her face, coming to rest behind a shelf as Aaberg swore and threw the now-empty submachine guns to the ground.

"Vicki," Leah echoed, more quietly this time, "I....I think I've been hit."

All thoughts of the Starlet Dolls, pyrotechnics and screaming crowds vanished from Vicki's mind as she headed for her stricken colleague; "What happened?" she whispered. "I thought Aaberg was shooting all over the place, not even trying to hit anything---" She stopped, her words fading into a gasp as Leah shifted enough to reveal a hole in her side. "I think one of his stray shots hit me," she winced. "I...I was just trying to stay out of the way....I didn't---"

"It's not your fault," Vicki quietly assured her. "It's Aaberg's...we just need to get you out of here." She moved to help Leah up, but stopped; "Ah, Leah," she murmured, "that....that fluid leaking out of you...that wouldn't happen to be vital fluid, by any chance....would it?"

The cybernetically-enhanceed girl nodded tearfully.

Damn.... "Well, then, I'll just have to beat Aaberg as quickly as possible---"

"No," Leah gasped. "I....I can survive for another three hours, even with a leak this size...I'll be fine."

"I don't want to have to leave you here, Leah," Vicki insisted, "it....it's not right....." Even as she spoke the words, part of her realized that her old fears of "not being herself" were, by this point, completely unfounded: If she was willing to save someone else instead of fighting Aaberg to the finish, there was no doubt that she was, in all manner of fact, still the same Victoria Ann-Smith Lawson who'd "died" on July 9. "I don't want to let you die just because Aaberg's being a moron...."

She felt something wet on her cheek, and for a moment, the possibility that one of Aaberg's shots had grazed her and potentially ruptured a myogel line passed through her thoughts....except it's coming from my eye...

Either her own expression was showing what she couldn't say, or Leah could tell what she was trying so hard not to let loose. "You don't have to cry, Vicki," she whispered, smiling through her own tears. "Just go---"

An explosive roar split the calm, followed by the telltale sound of a shotgun being cocked.

Leah pulled Vicki in close. "Go kick his ass," she managed to growl, smiling as she leaned back.

In that instant, the brunette gynoid composed herself. "I will," she replied, returning the smile. "I promise."

Even as her enhanced hearing picked up the subtle tones of Aaberg reloading the Ithaca Model 37, Vicki knew that he'd never have enough time to actually use the thing---she could clear the room and get in his face in a matter of seconds, and if she really wanted to screw with him, tearing the gun from his hands and twisting it into a ribbon or any other shape would be almost stupidly simple. Of course, there's the small matter of not turning this into another Dawley incident....

Something about that thought prompted a smirk from Vicki. She knew exactly why she'd gone over the line doing what she'd done to Hannsen, and why it scared her so badly, but Aaberg....well, he wasn't anywhere near as bad as Hannsen---even the shot that wounded Leah wasn't a major problem. So to recap, he hasn't made it personal, and he doesn't pose an immediate threat....and Leah did say she could survive for three more hours without any ill effects.... More strings of foreign swear words registered in the brunette gynoid's range of hearing, serving as a rather amusing (if vulgar) reminder that Aaberg was, in fact, still a problem that needed to be dealt with.

And it's a problem that still has a pair of Benellis and a Steyr AUG.....yay, me.....

Despite the fact that Aaberg hadn't yet deployed either of the pistols or the AUG---and that he'd already proven himself succeptible to being goaded into wasting ammunition and firing at nothing---Vicki knew that relying on taunts and evasion wouldn't be nearly as effective as getting up close and personal to deprive the arms dealer of his weapons. Which begs the question of how I can get close enough to him to take his toys away before he shoots me---

A single shot split the silence---and shattered a light fixture overhead.

"NOW, THEN, AGENT LAWSON," Aaberg bellowed, "let us see how well you can fight....IN DARKNESS!"

This time, the brunette gynoid didn't bother trying not to grin---is he actually doing what I think he's doing?! I mean, if he wanted to make it more difficult, he could just cycle all of the lights to a pure white spectrum and overwhelm my ocular sensors...but this is just making it too easy!

Just as Aaberg shot uot another light fixture, Vicki ducked behind a stack of crates, shaking her head as the now-screaming arms dealer/hitman stormed off in the exact opposite direction of his would-be prey. Either he's already lost it, the Field Agent realized, or he's very close to losing it---either way, all I have to do is just out-maneuver him, and it'll be that much easier for me to get close enough to take those stupid guns away and slap the cuffs on him.

Again, the gynoid grinned. And I thought this was going to be a hard mission.....
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[DollSpace]

More great story-telling from ya! Looking foward to the last part!

[Uhoh]

Aaberg's really underestimating her abilities... considering he still thinks he has a chance for things to go his way. He'll find out soon enough...
great piece , on my way to 21