21 Awakening and Debts (Part 1)

It was few months after I have found out about bounty on my head. It was pestering me, having to deal with Sasquatch and Animals. At the moment I am under protection of Trauma Team but that may not last forever as well as that protection is not 24/7. I need to get stronger and as soon as possible. I need to make a lot of money in short period of time so I signed up for a lot shifts even without my team.

I even had to agree on some babysitting contracts provided by Trauma Team. Diplomats, businessmen, celebrities. Anyone who can afford to have one of Trauma Team services or whom company considered valuable ally or client. My reputation and Trauma Team logo was good deterrent so clients felt safe when I was guarding them.

Another good source of income was promotions and other marketing campaigns that provided me with a lot of money. Collaborations, photosets, ad shootings, Everything that could make me money.

This however had a cost. Constant tiredness, emotional burnout, injuries and wounds. I have ended up in hospital bed more often during those 4 months than I did before. My relationship with team and other Trauma Team staff started to deteriorate thanks to bursts of anger and other emotional problems. But I kept working, just to achieve my target to make enough money. Even Jorg started making comments about me having gold fever of gold diggers of the past and that being a very bad sign. I just shrugged that off. Not now, when I am so close.

However, I still need a lot of money if I plan to become stronger. I have earned enough to pay off all debts but still lack money to afford training. I need at least another 400,000 to be able to get elite training. That moment I got contacted by Sasha. One of mercs that helped us with Scavenger Black Ops. She asked whether my words about owing her are true and not joke. Sigh, why did I say that, but I can't go back on my own word otherwise I can't respect myself.

She asked me to help her out with one particular job. Her team needs another weapons specialist since they got a job requiring to bring back something stolen from Cytech by nomad gang called Wraiths. I agreed to help her out as long as they provide me compensation for bullets as well as ensure anonymity due to my official work.

So now I am sitting in a minivan driven by guy named Falco. He is my driver for today's job and I am gonna be responsible for providing fire support for Maine and his gang. Plan was simple, Maine and his gang will try to sneak in and get back the stolen thing. In case they need to distract enemies me and Falco will do drive-by shooting. In a worst case scenario me and Falco have to help Maine and co. get rid of chase. For this Maine got us machine gun with turret in the back of a van and Nekomata sniper rifle for long-range. I have no idea how I am gonna manage sniper rifle at 80+ mph due to lack of experience, but maybe with my implants I can at least do something. Anyways, no need to think about that now. It's too late for that, let's just kill as many as possible and make it back in one piece.

"This is Maine. We got stuck. Need distraction. Falco and Sonic, start the show." - Maine contacted Falco and me. Yeah, my codename this time is Sonic due to speed of reaction. Nothing better come up to my mind.

"Roger. Will start in 20 seconds." - Falco replied to Maine and started accelerating towards nomads base.

"Falco, get us as close as possible to their cars near petrol tank." - I said to him and he nodded at me while I started getting Nekomata.

We stopped not too far away from our target and I got out of car and started aiming at Wraiths cars and fuel tank using minivan roof as a prop.

I try to balance my breathing pattern and listen to my heartbeat. When I feel that my hand is steady and nothing can cause a miss I start charging rifle. I see indicator quickly reaching 100% activate Kerenzikov to be sure about my aim and after few secs pull a trigger. Loud electric pop sound and next moment I see a small explosion. Fuel tank exploded damaging nearby cars. But that is not enough. Wraiths still have a lot of cars so this time I aim at car engines.

I managed to make at least five shots before Wraiths started chasing us. I have missed few times but at least three cars couldn't start. Not too bad. But we better get out of here.

"Falco! Drive! They are really angry!" - I shouted putting sniper rifle to my back and running to the back of minivan to prepare machine gun.

"Sonic, they are approaching us! They got some fast off-roads there!" - Falco informed me.

"Let them come." - I replied prepared to kill them all using machine gun.

When I heard sounds of bullet hitting a car I opened a back door and started firing. Militech machine gun started spitting bullets non stop. But after another long burst it started overheating. Fuck, Maine where the fuck did you get that piece of shit? Have you bought replica from Budget Arms or found it in a junkyard.

I had to take out Sniper rifle and start firing at Wraiths. Even with my implants it was not an easy job. Road bumps and other things made it hard to hit enemies. But when my bullet reached its target enemies had some hard time. They have stripped their cars of excessive armour for the sake of speed, so my bullets pierced their cars like thin paper damaging them and drivers.

"This is Maine. We got what we need and ready to leave. Meet at rendezvous point in 5 minutes. We will prepare some land mines and activate them after you." - good news, I was getting worried.

Our deadly rodeo continued and I had to keep firing until we saw rendezvous point and small metal road sign with red cloth attached not far from it. We just need to pass that road sign and we are safe.

After we made it to road sign I saw a lot of explosions from land mines. Explosions created a fire wall between us and Wraiths. Enemies got terrified and decided to back off. Good, that damn rodeo was getting too dangerous and I had enough of bullets flying around for today.

I closed a door and just sat down, relaxing. Falco kept driving us until we meet with the other mercs. I got out of a car and started walking towards others that surrounded a container.

"Hey, what is going on?" - I asked.

"Just wanted to find out what is inside." - Maine replied.

"Client might get angry at you for that."

"Not this time, Wraiths managed to crack it open so we are clean on this one. Client can't blame us for that."

"Alright, so what is inside?"

"Another brainwashing device from Cytech. This one seems to be a new prototype."

I stepped closer to container and my eyes widened up. They gotta be kidding me. This is just another Electroencephalography device, it is used to make brain scans.

"Nah, you are wrong. This is just another brain scanner thing."

"I am not joking Sonic. This is one of devices that corpos use to fuck up someone's brains. This thing is technological hypnotiser one. Check for yourself, it even says it's name on papers and container." - Maine sighed and pointed at internal part of container.

I got closer and read what it says. Behaviour Modulation and Suppression Device. Mark 1-B. Prototype.

"What the fuck?!!!" - my mind went on turmoil mode. I started reading documents within container and started checking internet about that thing.

Fuck, fuck, fuck. I am fucked up. This device was initially planned to be used on convicts and criminals to re-socialise them via weird mix of hypnosis and brainwashing.

"Maine. I will pay you 10000 eddies if you allow me to use it and provide help of your netrunners. Another 2000 eddies if you can provide safe place and bodyguard me." - I said quickly thinking of the way out of my problem.

"Why?"- he asked.

"I might have been brainwashed."

"Are you sure? This is just a prototype and you seem to be alright."

"Maine, just say yes or no."

"Alright, transfer half of the money and it is all yours for a whole night."

"Good. Now I need to contact someone who might help me with my brains."

I started calling Jorg and Rogue Amendiares. I didn't tell much to Jorg except that I need urgent help and it must be secret. With Rogue I hired a good brain specialist-ripperdoc. It was not cheap thing but in my situation I was ready to use them all, my life was at cost.

Jorg arrived first and I greeted him. After we went into a safe house, Maine knocked him out and tied up.

"Wake up Jorg. Wake up" - I shouted at Jorg pouring water at him.

"What the fuck is this? Are you completely out of your mind?" - Jorg replied at me angrily glaring.

"Jorg, I am in a very shitty situation. I need answers and depending on them we will remain friends or I will have to kill you."

"What do you want?"

"Just answers."

So I told him about whole situation and me getting hypnotised-brainwashed. To make sure that he will not lie to me I had netrunners monitor his condition. To my relief Jorg didn't know anything about my brainwashing. He was also quite shocked especially after I told him that this is updated version and there maybe more people like me who got fucked up brains since I remember that other people also had been tested via this thing.

Finally, brain doc arrived and after I explained him that I need to check my brains for any signs of brainwashing or hypnosis he started testing me. After 30 minutes he told me that I have definitely been brainwashed and hypnotised, according to particular signs company wanted to ensure my loyalty and turn me into a lapdog. They had enhanced feelings of gratitude towards Trauma Team while supressing critical thinking aspect. Moreover the whole thing with debt was like an anchor or fail-safe mechanism. If I started questioning my debt situation too much they would see it as sign that hypnosis is getting weaker and I need another session to maintain my loyalty.

Shit. I am not just nose deep in shit. Shit already got up into my brains. I need to do something with that. But I need to find out who are my true allies and friends and who are my enemies.

I paid doc extra to run checks on Jorg as well. Jorg was also eager to find out whether he is also brainwashed. Another brain checking session and we have found out that Jorg also had minor brainwashing, to be more precise at early stage.

We both started thinking about the whole sitaution since now we were safe to trust each other. None of us wanted to end up slaves. First, we need to get rid of that crap in our heads. Second, need to check our team members. Third, find out whose initiative it was to brainwash us. Fourth, find that cunt and get rid of him as well as exposing that shit to Trauma Team staff. But we need evidences in the first place.

So our first target is Jeremiah Waters, head of HR. He is either involved in this thing or also had brainwashing. Anyway we will get answers we need.

However, before going for his head we need to get our own heads back.

"Doc, start cleansing. I want to be free of those chains. Jorg, in case, let others know."

Doc put a device on my head and started process. My head started exploding from headache. But I kept holding. I want to wake up from this nightmare."

A.N - Hope you enjoyed it. my pat reon account. -> (pat reon.com/AbiDaulen) Come and support me there!

Also after finishing this small arc I start posting advance chapters on pteon first and only then on webnovel.

Also more stones. Let's see how fat/far can we get!