Guns for Hire - Script Thirty Four

World Events - May 2016 to July 2016

Ecuador

Following events in & around Puyo, September 2015, rumours had eventually, June 2016, hit mainstream US news channels, suggesting the enforced quarantine measures were not in fact as a consequence of a endemic viral infection but as a result of an escaped rampaging genetically altered species, reports from unofficial sources had also suggested the hybrid creature was multiplying to a point where matters were beyond control.

On 12/07/16 Ecuadorian President José María Velasco Ibarra issued a formal statement to the citizens of Ecuador that no further civilian air or road travel would be permitted in or out of the province of Pastaza & further that this was to be enforced not only by Ecuadorian forces but with assistance from neighbouring Colombian & Peruvian military resources. It was also confirmed from what few reliable local news sources still existed in Puyo that local quarantines measures had collapsed, panic had overrun any remaining local law enforcement, military or otherwise, & all province borders with Orellana, Napo, Tungurahua & Morana Santiago had officially been closed. Leaked sources also went on to suggest that anybody attempting to leave Pastaza who even so much as voiced opposition to these these measures would find themselves facing a shoot to kill policy.

By 15/07/2016 little if any news reports or any non military communication was to be had with any person within the borders of Pastaza, general opinion within the world media was that anybody who had not already fled the border was likely dead. US news reports now contained, in the main poor quality, digital recordings of carpet fire bombing as well as fleeting images of a bipedal creature moving at speed across the desolated landscape. Active USAF intervention was now openly in view with any pretense of this being unrelated to national security dropped.

 

On 18/07/2016 the US, with the full support of, & in conjunction with, the Ecuadorian, Peruvian & Colombian air force, launched a full scale Neutron detonation on Puyo.

On 20/07/2016 a joint US/Ecuadorian statement was rolled out confirming that whilst it had been with significant regret that such action had been instigated it had in practise been a near complete success with only limited mopping up operations remaining. On the back of this statement it was also announced that estimated combined fatalities relating to both the "El Extranjero" infestation & the subsequent neutron subjugation were around 138,000.

 

Night City

Prior to the "Flash Forward" incident, 15/05/2016, the efforts of MilKor to enforce law & order on the streets of NC were in the main proving relatively successful. News reports have included infrequent but regular reports concerning the trial of various ex NCPD officers who were involved in alleged criminal activity relating to the attempts to disrupt the MilKor negotiations.

Like most of the rest of the populated world that had been awake at 8.58am on the morning of the fifteenth chaos, at least in the short term, remained. By 22/07/2016 much of the long term destruction to the cities infrastructure, like elsewhere, was reduced to a simple but costly rebuilding exercise, enforcement of the law in NC had been swift &, in the eyes of cities media, brutal. Like most regions of the so called civilised world the "Flash Forward" incident dominated all walks of media albeit briefly interrupted by events in Ecuador, but NC, like most US states, quickly forgot such far flung destruction particularly under governmental assurances that all was now well with the world.

Flash Forward

This world wide monumental event continues to dominate the worlds media, speculation & accusation are rife as to it's origin or cause, to date no country or organisation has publicly produced any credible evidence as to why or how it happened, or in fact if it will happen again. It has however generated a whole new industry on the back of it's apparent forecasts of the future as well as a significant spate of suicide as well as an increase in crime amongst those who lack of vision suggested no future existed. From anecdotal evidence so far collated in the US by the federal authorities it has been established that the future point in time "witnessed" during the flash forward was August 14th 2031, 3.37pm. In the US a government sponsered group "Mosaic" has been set up to collate peoples experiences via a public access net site & investigate the cause/perpetrator's.

It is estimated that nearly 2.9 million world wide were killed in the initial black out or from injuries received as a consequence of event.

Clone Self Awareness

Almost lost in the hubbub of "Flash Forward" & the Ecuador "El Extranjero" incident is an ever increasing concern to the confirmation that Somatic Cell Nuclear Transferal or cloning for short has progressed to the point where human clones with full self awareness can be manufactured, if leading conspirator proponents are to be believed then clones are already living amongst us.

SkyNet

Senator Gregory Paccagnella of Utah on the back AI developments by MicroTech in 2013 presents proposals to congress for future SkyNet development & announces that a contract has been placed for joint development between USDOD & Cyberdyne Systems, estimates suggest that trials will go ahead sometime in 2019.

 

Moose Jaw, 11.27am - 17/07/2016

A couple of months had slipped by since the worlds population, well at least the half awake at the time, had suffered the unprecedented indignity of seeing their own future, or in many cases, the lack of any future. Whilst the western hemisphere busied itself in burying the casualties of the two minute seventeen seconds sleep Mariusz, accompanied by Skinpin, who'd confessed to Mariusz as having the hots for Roxy, had managed to haggle tickets on one of the first flights to depart north from NC after the runway was freed of the flash forward fall out.

Some four days later & several thousand dollars lighter, Mariusz & Skinpin eventually reached Moose Jaw. It was reunion tinged with some sadness, as Mariusz smothered both Kissy & the twins in his arms he learned of the death of father, Wojciech Boronski, who'd been delivering post when the flash forward struck & he'd been hit by a careering lumber truck.

 


Skinpin, trying to show some respect, couldn't help however but share a toke with Roxy & confess his lust.

After several weeks with Mariusz's family Skinpin, ever restless, suggested it was probably time to head back to NC however for Mariusz the joy of his daughters as well as Kissy's persuasive tongue in the bedroom , tinged with grief for his old man, finally convinced Mariusz that maybe he'd hang around Moose Jaw a while longer, Skinpin, dragging himself from between Roxy's thighs eventually put a call into Vrasten to tell him of mariusz's decision said his goodbyes & with promises to return soon headed for the airport, as mariusz watched Skinpin's plane disapear into the clouds he couldn't help but wonder about the cripple he'd seen in his flashforward, shaking his head he put his arm around Kissy's shoulders & pinched her left nipple,

"Lets go home babe, yeah, time enough for the future"

Forlorn Hope, Night City 9.48pm - 21/07/2016

Skinpin, absentmindedly scratching his balls at the thought of Roxy, smiled & signaled to one of the Forlorn Hope's new girls for another round of beers & dropped a couple of photographs of Mariusz on the table with Kissy &the twins,

"Got to say, never seen the guy so happy"

Alex, Vrasten & T-Bird brought Skinpin upto date on NC happily confirming that they'd actually done pretty well sincethe Flash Forward collecting on outstanding & new bounties courtesy of NC's recovering judicial system, all told Vrasten reckoned they'd picked up maybe $85K less expenses.

Sheepishly Vrasten muttered about having spent a tidy sum of mullah improving his much maligned driving skills as well as considerable time enhancing his melee skills most noticably with the katana, grinning T-Bird added that he blown a pretty wad on mastering rotor flight although to date none of the others had had the balls to go fly with him.

After all the niceties were dispensed with Vrasten ordered another pitcher of beer & dropped a buff coloured A4 envelope on the beer stained table,

"It would appear people that MilKor have found a nice little job for us, two million dollars worth if I read this right"

 

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