Deus Ex: Cosplay Revolution

Here's the checklist as I was looking at the little canister of nanites.

Was I alone in the car? Yes.

Was I ALONE in the car? Yes.

Was this actually an augmentation canister from Deus Ex? Considering I was in a land with people-ponies, some with flashlights on their heads, some that can fly, and I'm fairly certain there's magic, I'd say fuck yes.

Fuck it. This was just ironic, or coincidental, or something of the sort. Some guy named "I" giving an augmentation canister to a JC Denton cosplayer? How the hell did he know my name, anyway? I went by Billy half the time I introduced my self, so how the hell did this guy know my name?

Gah, I'd get a headache if I thought about it too much. Might as well see if this canister was the real deal.

I looked at the display. There were two buttons next to the options, one for Speed Enhancement and for Run Silent. Considering the flyers, my lack of skill regarding up-front combat, and the fact that I was gonna be keeping low, I'd probably stick with the latter.

My thumb mashed the digital button, changing the screen. Two more buttons, marked "Automatic Installation" and "Manual Installation (Advanced Users Only)"  popped up. I went with Automatic Installation.

The screen changed again, a little cord with a syringe at the end popping out of a slot. "Please insert the cord into a vein" flashed the screen. I never liked getting shots, but I'd humor this "I" guy even if it meant I got high.

Sighing, I rolled up my sleeve, took the little syringe, and very slowly, very surely, stuck it in there. It pinched, it hurt like a crab pinching your toes, hurt like hell, but an icy feeling numbed it. Moved up the vein, down through my chest and into my legs until I could feel a little tingling chilliness leftover.

Soon as it happened, another box popped up on the canister. "USAGE of RUN SILENT: remember the mnemonic phrase "Stalker Silence". This augmentation has a LOW Bioelectric drain. A bioelectric meter has been installed, as per Protocol Five. Use mnemonic "Revolution Butterfly" to move it, appending the area you want it moved to at the end."

I read that tiny text, then I looked at my sleeve when a little burn shot through my wrist. There, just looking at me like it was supposed to be on my arm, was a tattoo that wasn't there before. A tattoo that was essentially a yellow bar, a green silhouette of a body with six sections divided in it, and a black flag.

Must've been the "Bioelectric Meter" thing the canister was saying. If the "Revolution Butterfly" thing actually worked, then I wasn't going to mess with it now. But... Hm, might want to try out the Stalker Silence thing...

The bar on my arm flashed. I watched as it started draining. Did that mean it was on? I stood up, started walking, but only after a minute of pacing did I realize that my heavy footsteps weren't making a single sound. Almost surprised me, but what was I expecting? With the same thought, I turned the augmentation off and sat back down, rolling down the sleeve and hiding the ninety-five percent full bar.

I'd have to mull this over when I got time.

Some indeterminate amount of time and window-staring-out-of later, the train squealed to a stop. The doors on the sides of the carriages opened, first letting off the riders.

I went through one of them, collar up. The cold air blasting my face caught me by surprise. Smart of me, to roll my sleeves down, but they didn't cover my hands so I jammed them in my pockets. Would be easy to go unnoticed, considering I looked just like the natives at a glance. The only guards were at the arched entrance, and far as I could tell the only security measures taken was a quick search of luggage and a pat down.

Those two looked silly, in Roman Centurion armor and handling spears, but who was I to tell them what to wear? I was dressed as Denton, with a bandanna over my face and a recent drought in terms of showers. Might as well have them tell me what to wear.

Would've liked to catch the lady who gave me the canister, but it was hard enough back home. Everyone here looked the same, and I'd likely have to bring attention to myself if I looked for her. Goddamn it, couldn't even catch a name. Going to the guards at this point would get me odd looks, and I'd not like to risk that, not when they probably had Detect Evil and Detect Intention or whatever neckbeard spells they had.

First thing I did was go to the restroom. Went into the one marked "Gentlestallions" or whatever, tossed my bags on the counter and took the mask and shades off.

In... what, two days? Hell, felt like a week. In that time, I'd knocked a chick over the head, committed two acts of burglary, and boarded a train without a ticket. Then the "I" guy came into play. Did that back home, I'd be tossed in jail for a year. Here? Here I was just trying to find a place to settle in, figure things out. Then "I" comes into play. Probably a mysterious entity, probably very powerful if he can conjure up nano-augmentation canisters. God, this was already crazy enough.

Almost didn't look like me in the mirror. Dark eyes, dirt on the face, greasy hair- fuck, I looked like a bum. Would definitely get a good look at from the authorities, and when they found the odd assortment of materials on me... Damn, I'm fucked if I go out that way.

Wait... was there a vent in here? No, probably too small for me to sneak through. Videogames and movies always lied. Half the time, vent shafts were for air, and not people. Only thing you'd find up there would be rats.

Fuck, I needed a plan. Could go through the guards and risk them finding the baton and my lack of license or ticket. Could burst straight through them, probably sparking a scene.

Fuck....