Hello peeps, i've been a long time lurker in this section and have finally decided to take the plunge and put something up that i've been working on for a long while.

In perusing this section I find that there are very few (if any) science fiction works which is one of my personal favorites and I hope to fill that gap.

I willl upload bits and pieces of my Fan Novel on here while I put finishing touches before it goes live online.

The title for the work is The Arasaka Contract and it is set in a city and America of the near future where the protagonist, a high tech cyborg mercenary must complete a mission for his employer and unravel the mastermind behind shocking theft which leads him on a trail of greed, deception and death.


Snippet 1: Arasaka Corporation


Arasaka Corp, a huge Japanese Zaibatsu headed by a megalomaniac CEO obsessed with turning Japan into a worldwide superpower.
#TheArasakaContract

Snippet 2: The Solo

A Solo is a modern day Mercenary for the MegaCorps of the world. They are Enforcers, Bodyguards, Assassins and anything else that their employers, the MegaCorps need them to be... for a price.

#TheArasakaContract

So wat happened.. continue na

Snippet 3: The Netrunner

Netrunners are the computer hackers of the new world,thier hacking skills augmented by cybernetic brain implants. They surf the digital pathways of the Net living on the cutting edge of the electronic world.

#TheArasakaContract

I don't understand, are u writing a story or wat? cos I don't c any

Snippet 4: NightCity

The city of the future, a sprawling Megalopolis of cutting edge technology ruled by the Corporate elite who live life to the best while the populace fight for scraps.

#TheArasakaContract

P.S Next update will be the Story Prolouge

I have bn waiting since to c and read d story but seems u ain't ready to post it abi?

@joanee20

I currently do not have access to a laptop & upload from my phone is not ideal. Still working on an alternative.

Thank you for following up on my posts.

PROLOGUE

The year is 2022.It is the time of the 4th corporate war. Arasaka and Millitech , two giant worldwide Mega corps are engaged in a secret conflict that threatens to explode into all out warfare.In this uncertain time, spies, mercenaries & dealers of all types make their fortunes working for the highest bidder.

My name is Gibson...Sam Gibson. I'm a full body cyborg soldier commonly known as a SOLO under covert contract to the Arasaka Corporation. I've been doing this so long I barely remember any other life before this one, hardly surprising since i also happen to have a bad case of what can best be described as ''selective amnesia'' .

You see as best as i can remember at one point in time i was a regular flesh & blood soldier fighting in the South America Cyberwars but then i got hurt bad on the field...like at the point of death Bad. Then Arasaka agents pull me out of the battlefield straight to their hi-tech cybernetics lab where their doctors save my life by plugging me full of cybernetic implants, synthetic organs, tissue and cutting edge nanotechnology.

By the time they were done well over 95% of my original body had been either been replaced or altered and augmented and my memory was shot to hell but whether it was as a result of my wounds from the war or from the transformation procedure I'll probably never know. Anyways after that Arasaka set me up as one of their covert assets, with my military background it wasn't too hard for them to designate me as a SOLO.
I carry out covert missions and activities that they can't afford to have traced back to them and in exchange they give me everything i need to maintain my new cybernetic body and a nice stack of credits in my account to boot.

Now for most people this would seem like a pretty sweet deal and in my case for a long time it was just that but sooner or later no matter how good the gravy train is, the shits gotta hit the fan someday.

It all started just over a week ago when i took that last contract fom Arasaka Corp.

Finally

joanee20:
Finally

@joanee20

Sorry to keep you waiting Chapter 1 update tomorrow.

CHAPTER ONE

Do cyborgs dream of electric sheep?
Sam Gibson's safe house
NightCity, 2000 hrs

Darkness...it always begins in darkness ,then come the sounds ,muted and faraway at first then clearer, louder but it's the images that haunt him the most. Surroundings that are familiar and yet oddly unknown, sounds and voices from the past seeking recognition but none is found. The faces...oh god the faces,dancing in and out of his view , men and women ,young and old ...some smiling while others are twisted in anger or pain.

''Oh god, who are you people? How do i know you? Where are you now? I don't know , i don't remember''.

The faces shimmer out of sight to be replaced by a single solitary figure...a man standing in the distance looking at Sam.
The experience begins with darkness and it always ends with this man standing before him, looking at him with those eyes, those pale blue eyes.

Frustration wells up in Sams chest ,eager for release.

''Who the hell are you?''

The man does not answer, in all the times he had tormented Sam he never answered, he just looked at Sam with those damn eyes.

''Do you Know about my past?''

GIBSON!...

''If you know about my past then stop screwing around and just tell me!''

GIBSON!...

''Just tell me Goddamn you! ''

GIBSON!...

Sam sat up with a jolt, his hands reaching for his twin Arasaka handguns, synthetic adrenaline pulsing through him.

His eyes quickly took in his environment in the space of a few seconds.

''The safehouse...I'm at the safehouse''

Sam holstered the pistols and set his feet down from the bed, disconnected the wires from his cranial nodes and placed them beside the bioscan monitor on the deckstand.

''A dream , another damn dream''

In the old days Sam would never have thought full body cyborgs to be capable of dreaming and yet he couldn't think of a betterword to describe what he had just experienced. Tonight would be the third time in as many weeks and there wasn't anything to say it would change anytime soon.
Sam's eyes made a cursory sweep of his safehouse lingering for a few seconds on familiar areas ; the crimson twilight filtering in through the window ,a munitions cachebox in a corner holding various weapons, attachments and ammo clips.
The closet which held several change of clothes occupied the wall facing him and not too far from that was the door leading to the other rooms of the safehouse.
His eyes finally came to rest on the deckstand and his com' unit which was flashing brightly in the near darkness of the room.

Sam reached over to pick it up and place it to his ear.
The com' units display screen showed the digital I.D ofthe person trying to reach him but Sam didn't bother to look because only one person in the world knew the digital I.D of his personal line.

''Kaena, i'm here...what's up?''

A husky but decidedly feminine voice responded on the other end of the line.

''Well it's about time you answered was actually starting to think i had called a wrong number! What took you so long?''

''Uhn...sorry about that. I just came out of sleep mode a few minutes ago, guess i just needed a little time to clear the cobwebs from the ol' clock...heh heh''

Kaena was silent on the other end of the line,Sam had not told her about the dreams (How could he?He had only just admitted to himself that they were dreams tonight!) but in his usual manner Sam had tried to deflect Kaena with an attempt at dry humor.If Kaena could see through his facade she did not give it away.

''Yeah...whatever! I called to remind you to drop by my place for the new fix i've been telling you about and the sparring session you promised me.''

Sams lips formed a smile, Kaena was giving Sam lessons on console hacking and data extraction but in return she asked (demanded more like) that Sam drill her in hand to hand combat. Sam had finally agreed to this bargain when Kaena argued that a chain was only as strong as its weakest link and that their partnership would be strengthened by an exchange of their skills. Sam would attain basic netrunner skills and Kaena would learn how to take on opponents twice her size.

''Right...Don't worry i'll be there like I promised.''

Another few seconds of silence from Kaenas'end of the line
''Gibson ...is everything ok?''
Translation; is there something wrong you're not telling me about?

''I'm perfectly fine. I'll see you in a little while ok?''

The lie came out smoothly enough. Sam wasalmost surprised at himself.

"Ok Gibson...Don't be late.''

The line went dead from Kaenas' end as she terminated the call. Sam removed the com' unit from his ear, placing it back on the deckstand and got up off the bed.

Moping around in the safehouse wasn't going to do him any good ,just need to get out and about. He walked over to the closet and picked out his biker jacket from a hanger, slipping it on quickly.

Reaching into the jacket pockets he fished out his black gloves which he put on one after the other,his tactile sensors told him that the gloves fit snugly which was further confirmed by the straining sounds produced when he made his hands into a fist.

Sam moved over to the munitions cachebox and entered the unlock code. The cachebox clicked open to allow Sam access to the rows of ammunition clips store, He selected several clips for his twin Arasaka handguns, slipping them into the pockets of his combat trousers.
Satisfied that he was now adequately armed,Sam moved through the door into the next room which was almost empty except for a large full length mirror and another deckstand . Sam retrieved a roll of credit notes and his shadow account card. Unlike credit cards used by most residents of nightcity ,Sams credit card would not be flagged by conventional E-security programs installed on a majority of Nightcitys credit card consoles, allowing him to access his shadowaccount funds without detection or trace but even with this advantage Sam refused to leave home without raw cash in his pocket. The average citizen of nightcity might well be satisfied with paying for goods and services with a standard credit card but nothing motivates a streetkid to act first on your behalf and never ask questions or an underpaid corporate security gaurd to look the other way while you slip in through the back door of a guarded building to carry out a termination contract on an unsuspecting corporate boss like waving a hand full of credit notes in their faces.

Sam started walking towards the door but just before reaching the exit he passed the mirror and stopped dead in his tracks.
The reflection that stared back at him was not hisown but of that man, the one from his dreams.

To be Continued...

Nice intro. I guess as time goes by people can relate much. I love anything tech, so keep it coming.

hmmmm..

Chapter One (Part 2) update tomorrow.

The man stood there were Sam's reflection ought to be and for the first time Sam could view him up close.

He was the same height as Sam but with a smaller build. The man was dressed for combat; Armour jacket, ammo clips hanging from his utility belt, combat trousers and face was oval shaped and looked young, maybe early twenties with ears close to the side of his head which was framed by smooth dark hair.
His lips were closed in a straight emotionless line but his eyes glinted with an emotion that Sam could not quite identify.Sam closed his eyes with a frown.

''Goddammit, what's happening to me!''

It was bad enough that he was having dreams after putting his cyberbody into sleep mode but now he was dreaming while on full active mode.
Sam slowly opened his eyes again and looked into the mirror however the man was gone; replaced by Sams own reflection.

''Dammit Gibson, pull yourself together!''

Sam took another quick look at the mirror before reaching the door and opening the lock to let himself out of the house, quickly past the dusty hallway and down a flight of steps. He passed through a darkened alleyway to a row of secure garages where one of Sams prize possessions was located. He reached his garage and entered the unlock code into the door which opened to reveal the single large object bathed in the glow from the fluorescent lights in the ceiling.

The Mitsubishi 2020 power bike was truly a thing of beauty and function; a two seater with power steering,metalic alloy body and an engine that pushed the bike from 0 to 100 mph in 10secs flat.
Sam settled himself into the seat and activated the engine which came to life with a low pitched kept the Mitsubishi finely tuned and the control display showed all systems were good to go. Sam wheeled out into the alleyway, closing the garage door behind him and gunned the engine till the alleyway echoed with the sound of the metallic beast emerging from its lair into the cold night.

Sam looked out past the alley to the skyline of nightcity, the city coming to life against the backdrop of a crimson sunset.

''Ok Nightcity...ready or not, here i come.''

Sam cut loose on the engine and the Mitsubishi shot out of the alleyway like a bulletout of a gun barrel towards a major highway leading to the heart of the sprawling metropolis.

The next part will come by next week I guess..

@ Joanee20

updating large chapters from my phone not easy or ideal will update by today.

CHAPTER TWO
Running on the Edge.

Downtown District,
NightCity 0700 Hrs,
Earlier That day

Kaena Murphy's alarm clock had gone off at 5 am that morning and she had woken up with astretching yawn; a consequence of putting in another late night surfing the Net.

Getting out of bed she padded over to the bathroom ,brushed her teeth and splashed her face with cold water from the faucet underneath the bathroom sink.

Mopping off her face she looked at herself in the mirror, Kaena saw herself as an above average beautiful woman with reddish brown hair,straight nose,high cheekbones,soft full lips and striking blue eyes, this in addition to her athletic 5'6" frame got her a fair bit of attention walking down a busy street,

Mainly the once over from men and jealous glances from other women but the few men who had decided to make a pass at her upclose had noted something else as they came closer. Cranial nodes and the microcircuitry veins that gave off a silver glow ,clear evidence of cybernetic implants.

The men usually lost intrest after seeing this, not that it bothered Kaena all too much, getting involved with someone who didn't run with the same crowd she did was as dangerous for her as it was for them due to one particular reason
Kaena Murphy is a Netrunner.

Leaving the bathroom, Kaena slipped out of her nightwear into her exercise gear and grabbed a few protien bars from the fridge and started munching on them. She didn't go for large breakfasts,doing her morning extreme running would be rather difficult if she did and speaking of which she'd better get moving.

Stepping out of her apartment, she made her way to the nearest hoverbus station and boarded the next one to her favorite startoff point.

Soon Kaena was standing on the rooftop of a highrise building that was 20 floors up from the streets . She had finished her deep breathing and stretching exercises now all that remained was for her to decide where she wanted the run to end.

"I think T9 should have my package ready by now and the cafe is a good place to pick up the latest info'." Kaena said,thinking out loud.

With that decision made, Kaena turned to the west then tensed her body like a coiled spring and took off in a running sprint towards the edge of the rooftop,building speed with each step until she vaulted into the air.

For a moment time seemed to stand still as the dual forces of Kaena's forward jump and the ever present law of gravity competed for control of her body, as usual,the law of gravity won.

Kaena is falling...cartwheeling her arms and legs for maximum distance, just enough...Kaena lands on the opposite roof,bending her knees at the last moment to absorb the impact into a forward roll and then she's on her feet again,pumping her arms in a steady rythm. The leap of faith had kicked the andrenaline into her system,now she was gonna keep it there.

Kaena moves through her urban obstacle course over the rooftops, executing various maneuvers along the way.
A 'tiger vault' over a low barrier,the running wall climb to the top of an inclined ceiling and then sliding down to the other side.

The final destination was in sight now and Kaena was digging in deep for the strength to make the last jump, pumping her arms and legs for momentum . She made the jump over to the last rooftop with a front flip and landed with a skidding halt.

Kaena rose to a standing position,breathing in precious muscle in her body ached with a dull throb but Kaena sucked it in.
Netrunning forged her mind but it was Extreme running that forged her body.

"No pain ,No Gain Kiddo."

That's what her mentor would've said if she were here. It had been a little while since Kaena had allowed herself to think about her time as an apprentice under 'Spider' or about her time in the Orphanage and the NightCity streets after that. It all seemed so surreal,like it all happend to somebody else and she was watching it on the news or reading it on the Net.

"Hey you! You daydreaming again?"

Kaena's thoughts snapped back to the present with a jolt, she turned to see a middle aged man standing beside an open doorway of the Roof.

He was fairly tall(Taller than her anyway) and dressed in a blue overall with all manner of tools and gadgets sticking out of the hard soleboots on and a red baseball cap pulled low,T9 cut the picture of a man who was handy with machines.

"It took you a whole five minutes longer to get here than it did last time. You're getting slow darling."
T9 said with a smile on his face that made him look younger than he really was.

"Hah! Says you old man."
Kaena replied while partially zipping down the front of her exercise top to increase air circulation and further aid her body in cooling down.

"Old Man! I'll have you know that i'm still young enough to get busy with a pretty little lady like you darlin'."

T9's eyes made a slow,deliberate trail from Kaena's face down to her neck before resting on the soft swell of her cleavage.

"Eeww! I take it back you're not just old,you're a dirty,sex crazed pervert!"

T9 broke out into a bout of laughter and Kaena joined him with smiles and giggles.

"How are you doing Ka'? You're here to collect the NetKit right?"

"Yes, is it ready?"

"Sure is,I'll get it packaged for you. Go on down to the cafe and check back with me at the tech lab in a littlewhile, you still remember my access code right?"

"Yeah i do,i'll be right back."

Next Update, Chapter 2 part two

Chapter Two part 2

Kaena and T9 both used the rooftop access way to exit the roof but while T9 ducked through another door to ready her package,Kaena proceeded to the NetConsole Cafe on the ground floor.

The Cafe was full of customers at thier various consoles surfing the Net,watching videos and chatting with thier friends. Kaena waved to the the Cafe attendant who knew of her friendship with T9 then moved to an empty booth opposite two other customers that Kaena easily identified as Netrunners from thier cranial nodes,Micro circuitry veins and the subject of thier animated discussion.

"I'm telling you Trask it's the truth,they're making a new one."

"You're so full of shit,how the hell are you so sure?"

"Cuz another buddy of mine is friends with this chick that's banging an Arasaka Exec'.
One night he gets really stoned an' starts running his mouth off about how the New Dreadnought Prototype is almost ready. How he's gonna make enough creds to buy her stuff to last a lifetime."

Despite the earnest tone of Buzz's voice,Trask remains skeptical.

"So let me get this straight,This buddy of yours gets his prime intel from some airhead bimbo and you swallow it hook,line and sinker? Even if i believed you,what good is it to us?
The Arasaka Corp databank is protected by top grade Black ICE ,ain't nobody but nobody gets past that kinda ICE. The last time i heard of a runner messing with that, he ended up braindead, is that how you wanna end up?"

Buzz absorbs his friends words with a deep sigh "Nah,i guess you're right but you have to admit a runner putting the specs for the new Dreadnought Prototype up for grabs would make one helluva payday."

"Take my advice Buzz,Keep your dayjob at the Mall and stay away from Arasaka Corp,you'll live longer that way in this town.Come on,let's go get a beer."

Trask and Buzz promptly make thier way out of the cafe leaving Kaena who has overheard thier conversation with quite a bit to think about.

Hmmm...it might be something and it might be nothing but i guess a little research won't hurt.
Kaena activated the NetConsole in her booth and typed the key words 'Arasaka Corp' and 'DreadNought Prototype' into a Data SearchEngine which came back with 1,345,980 results,she clicked on the first result and was taken to a Network News 54 page with a bold headline

'ARASAKA CORP UNLEASH NEW WEAPON'

Under this was a picture of what apeared to be a large sophisticated weapon in the middle of a battlefield.
Speedreading through the writeup on the page,Kaena was able to learn that the Dreadnought was a bipedal walking tank that was first put to use during the South America Cyberwars and quickly gained a reputation as a harbingerof death.At the end of the war,Arasaka Corp made a killing on sales for thier new weapon as it became a prize item for Military Goverments,Militia groups and generally all manner of individuals who instigate,love and profit from war.

Kaena closed the NetPage with a worried sigh,if there was anything the world didn't need more of it was weapons of war.
She logged out of the NetConsole and made her way back upstairs to T9's tech lab,tapping the access code into the door lock she strolled in to lab to meet T9 at his workstation.

"Here you go Darlin',all nice an' ready." T9 said handing over the package "I rigged it so that even a walking tinman like your partner can use it,by the way,How is that chrome head doing?"

It was easy to tell from T9's attitude that he really had a thing for Gibson.

"He's just fine and by the way, he loves you too." Kaena replied smiling.

T9 responded by simply rolling his eyes in disgust and turning his attention to a gadget on his workstation.

"Hey T9 ,i wanna ask you somethin'.Have you heard anything about Arasaka Corp developing an upgrade to one of thier weapons? Something called the 'Dreadnought'?

Next update Chapter Three conclusion.

Chapter Two part 3


T9 stopped fiddling with the gadget in his hands and his eyes suddenly had a faroff look in them but it only lasted for a few seconds.

"Nothing more than what you've probably heard already from your Netrunner , rumours but nothin' solid."
T9 suddenly raised his eyes and fixed Kaena with a quizzical look
"Why do you ask? You thinking of makin' a Run at Arasaka Corp?"

"No i'm 's just that i thought you might have heard somethin' solid from your old techie buddies."

T9's voice now had a rough edge to it

"I'm an independent now Kaena,You know reason i left the MegaCorps is becuz i don't like 'em and i don't much hang out with folk that work with 'em."

Indeed, hence T9's somewhat tense relationship with Gibson,a MegaCorp decided to let it go at that,she had probed far enough for one day.

"Thanks again for the NetKit, i'll make the payment into your account as usual."

T9 tipped his baseball hat in salute
"Glad i could help."

With the package tucked under one arm,Kaena was halfway out the door when T9's voice stopped her in midstep.

"Hey Ka' ,you know that ol' sayin' ,about people 'running on the edge'?"

Kaena still had her back to T9 and she didn't answer so he continued.

"The thing with people like that is sooner or later they either fall off or they get cut."

Kaena suddenly found her mind transported to a memory from long ago.A moment between a young apprentice and her 's reply came forth,not just from her mind but from the depth of her heart.

"I'm different from those 'people' T9. I'm not running on the edge..."

Kaena turned her head and locked eyes with T9 "i AM the edge."

Without waiting for a reply Kaena walked out the door with T9 watching her leave,the expression on his face was a mixture of worry and awe.

The sun was high in the sky now as Kaena made her way from T9's cafe to a hoverbus station to catch her ride home.

In her apartment ,Kaena laid out the package and ran a complete security scan on the NetKit for malware. It wasn't that she didn't trust T9,she did but crosschecking was something she did by force of habit.

"Check,Crosscheck then Triplecheck, Kiddo."

Another mantra handed down to her by Spider. The Scan came up negative for Malware and Kaena finally stripped off her exercise gear then had a cold shower before cooking up a little lunch for herself.

With a full stomach, Kaena settled down in front of her flatscreen TV and browsed the channels.

A music channel showed that the Rockerboy songs 'Chippin' In' and 'Never Fade Away' were still top of the charts,a second channel decried the rising crime rate in a notorious area of NightCity and the third was running a story on Zetatech Corp.

It seems investors in the company were on edge due to rumors of an alledged Cyberattack on the Global HQ of the company in NightCity that brought all it's activities to a grinding halt. The PR Officer had issued a statement refuting the allegations but the Corporations stock had plummeted to an all time low.

Kaena switched off the TV and walked over to bed. She reached for her alarm clock and adjusted the alarm for later in the evening when she would upgrade Gibsons NetWare before have a sparring session with Him.

The only thing that bothered her now was that Gibson had a habit of being late. She made a mental note to herself to call Gibson and remind him of thier appointment then settled into bed for much needed rest,it was going to be a long day.

Chapter 3

Happy Hour
Downtown District,
NightCity 2100 Hrs

NightCity is a dangerous place to begin with on most days during daylight hours but the more colourful characters usually come out after dark.

Most are non-threatning,trying to scratch a living from the bottom of the Citys scum filled Hustlers looking for an easy mark, Peddlers trying to fence illegal or stolen items, Hookers offering the pleasures of thier flesh in exchange for a fistfull of creds.
Then there are the more dangerous Black Market Dealers,Gangsters ,Assassins and Fullbody Cyborgs...like Sam.

Sam cruised the Mitsubishi through the freeway traffic with practised ease, the wind whipping through his snow white hair and biker nightride was a good idea after all,focusing his attention away from the doubts of his mind and giving him back a sense of balance...if only for a while.

Sam cut out of the freeway into the streets of downtown NightCity, the flickering neon lights from the street lamps along with the outdoor adverts cast a kaleidoscope of colour down onthe adjacent buildings and pedestrians.Sam brought the Mitsubishi to a stop beside what appeared to be an entertainment was confirmed when Sam raised his eyes and readthe prominent signboard some distance above his head.

LUCKY DRAGON BAR
Happy Hour Night

'Sure ,why not? What have i got to lose?' Sam thought to himself.

He switched off the engine and dismounted in one smooth activating the Antitheft device on the bike,Sam walked up the outer steps of the Bar to the large size double doors and pushed them stepped into a short corridor leading to another set of double doors that would open to the Bar proper.
Sam paused at the faint sound of music and human activity from the other side could be heard.

'And what do we have behind door number one?'

Sam pushed to doors open and stepped musicturned out to be a haunting melody in chinese mandarin spliced with heavily accented English and the human activity was a barfull of NightCitys Most Dangerous ; drinking ,dancing and gambling the night least that's what they were doing before he stepped in but now all activities had stopped and all eyes, sensors and scanning devices were on him.It was a good bet that by now those scanning him had established two , that he was a Cyborg and Second ,that he was armed.Silence...It was so thick you could cut it with a laser knife. It wasn't hard for Sam to guess what was going through their minds.

Friend or Foe?

Chapter Three part 2

Sam took measured steps towards the Bartender at the far end of the room, walking past the patrons on the expansive dancefloor who instinctively cleared a path for him.The bartender was in front of him now, a tense look in his eyes that matched his body language.
Sam managed what he hoped was a friendly smile and said in a loud voice.

"I'll have a six pack of your best beer, ice cold please."

Sam watched the bartender release the breath of air he had been holding in and swallow nervously.

"Yes Sir,just a moment. "

Just like that, the tension in the air eased up.The music started up again ,the patrons resumed thier dancing and the gamblers refocused on thier cards.

That's right folks ,nothing to see here.Just another barcrawler looking to drown his sorrows away.Go about your business and leave me to mine.

The bartender came back with the drinks and Sam paid him with a roll of credit notes.With a flick of his wrist,he opened the first beer can and chugged on the content with big gulps.In no time Sam was on his fifth can of beer and was considering ordering another six pack when a distinct voice spoke to him.

"Welcome to my humble Entertainment Centre, honorable sir.This is your first time here ,Yes?"

Sam regarded the man in front of him with wary eyes.He was smallish in stature wearing a Mandarin gown with a golden dragon emblazoned on it.He had slick black hair combed back,almond shaped intelligent eyes and small lips.Sam had noticed him earlier when he was ordering his beer,marking him out as a possible threat and covertly watching him while he drank his beer.

"Yeah,my first time here.This is your joint you said?"

"Indeed honorable sir.My name is Mr Chan and you are most welcome to the Lucky Dragon Bar.I make it a duty to welcome all first time customers myself."

Yeah right or maybe you just wanna know if i'm another raving psychopath off the streets in which case you'll probably never let me set foot in here again.

"You are a man with great many worries?"

Mr Chan was talking again ,gesturing to the empty cans of beer by Sam's side.

"Same as everybody else in here."
Sam replied with a casual shrug

"Ahh...but what troubles you in particular tonight honorable sir."

'Oh, where to begin' Sam mused to himself.

"I am a question without an answer.A ship without an anchor.A tree without roots."

Mr Chan's eyes watched Sam thoughtfully as he scratched his chin.

"Ahh...Most unfortunate honorable sir.Long ago ,a wise man say 'if you don't know where you come from then you can't know where you are going'."

Sam's lips formed a melancholic smile.Yup ,that's me allright.Regular chaff in the wind.

"Wise man also say that journey of thousand miles begin with the first step."

Sam eyed Mr Chan quizzically
"Sorry, not planning on taking a long trip anytime soon."

Mr Chan gave Sam a knowing smile.
"All of life is a journey my friend.It has a beginning and it has an end."

Sam considered the words for a moment,staring at the beer can in his hand.

"What happens when the journey has no clear beginning and no clear end? What happens when you live your life from job to job,night after night?"

That had never been a problem in the old days.Ever since the day(or night) Sam had opened his cybernetic eyes for the first time in the Hi-tech Arasaka Lab where he was made(or remade),He had been told in very clear terms that he was now the 'property' of Arasaka Corp.They had even drawn up a Contract which pretty much said so in black and white.

'You owe us a debt of Honor,Sam Gibson' The Arasaka Official had said 'We trust that you will repay by serving us efficiently and with excellence.'

Funny thing is after all these years ,my 'debt' to Arasaka Corp never seems to get paid.In the old days Sam had never mulled over his existence, He had embraced his new form and function pragmatically.Sam Gibson ,MegaCorp Soldier, Solo of Fortune.
Sam would take on the Hardest jobs,the ones with the highest risk of failure and he would succeed again and again.In short time, his name became legend in the shadowy backstreets of NightCity,Sam is the number one Solo and everyone in the streets knew it.Being a Solo wasn't just a job now to Sam,it defined him and he had not asked for anything more... until the dreams started.
Now Sam found himself haunted with doubts and distractions he could not afford to have.

Sam chugged down the rest of his beer and pushed the empty can aside with the rest.This was one of those few times that Sam wished he could get drunk but thanks to his cybernetic body which would break down the alcoholic beverage into its constituent parts three times faster than any normal human body, he wouldn't even have the pleasure of a Hangover.

"It is as i said before sir ,to have any hope of predicting the end of your journey you must first know your beginning."

Mr Chan was still regarding Sam with thoughtful eyes.

"To try to live any kind of life otherwise is simply foolish."

Sam was taking time to digest the words again.In honest truth Sam saw the wisdom of Mr Chan's words.If his dreams were a result of 'unfinished business' from his past then it only made sense that the best course of action would be to identify the conflict and resolve it once and for all.

"You've given me quite a bit to think about Mr Chan, thanks for the pep talk."

Sam raised his eyes to look Mr Chan in the face but Mr Chan's eyes were looking past him,at something or someone behind him.
Sam suddenly became alert to his enviroment at once.The music had stopped again and a hushed silence had descended on the bar,just like before when Sam first stepped in.

Shit! I got so wrapped up in my thoughts that i let my gaurd down in a barfull of NightCity's most dangerous.How careless could i get?

Sam realised he would have to berate himself later as a huge figure blocked out the light and cast an ominous shadow over him.

"Gibson! Sam Gibson!!"

The voice was guttural,filled with loathing and contempt.It was a voice that Sam recognized all the same from that incident two years ago.Talk about your past coming back to haunt you.

Sam was standing now and slowly turned around to face his antagonist.

"Hah! I knew it.I knew it was you.I'd recognize that face anywhere.I really hope you enjoyed your beer asshole cuz it'll be your last. I'M GONNA KILL YOU !!! "

And just like that,Sam's night had gone from confused to depressed to mortally dangerous in quick succession.With a certainty that came from many years as a Solo, Sam knew immediately he looked at the towering mass of hatred before him that the night would end in bloodshed.

Only one of them would walk out of the Lucky Dragon Bar alive.

TO BE CONTINUED.....

So there we have it, the stage is set and the players are on the scene.

Will Sam Gibson survive his night out at the Lucky Dragon Bar?
Will Kaena Murphy dig deeper into the dealings of Arasaka Corp and bite off more than she can handle?

You can find out when you 'Accept The Contract' by following on Twitter @ManFila_SP and drop a comment using the hashtag #TheArasakaContract.

looking forward to hearing from you!

Hey peeps, The Arasaka Contract in now LIVE!!! ON OkadaBooks Download it Now !!!

https://www.okadabooks.com/book/about/the_arasaka_contract__adult_only_18/15206

Hello peeps, The Arasaka Contract is live on Okada Books, GET IT NOW!!!

https://www.okadabooks.com/book/about/the_arasaka_contract__adult_only_18/15206