The Wake-Up Call

By TAD

Introduction

The epic story about a small time criminal living in a high-tech, drug and crime-infested world continues in this issue of Hugi. It has been a while since any new chapters appeared and new readers might not understand the story, so here is a very short recap of events so far.

The story so far

Hetch was employed by a sleazy low-life called Mewco who was a notorious gunrunning, drug dealing, contract-killer/mercenary turned businessman to become a courier and take a metal case across the city. Along the way he has met various dangerous situations and been injured in every imaginable way from burns to beatings. He has seen the body of his boss Mewco, used his face as a disguise and met the stewardess on a transit shuttle. She turned out to be working with some other criminal elements and wanted the case for her-self. After escaping from an apartment fire, falling down a venting system shaft he met the mysterious "Seven" clones.

Along the way a paranoid tech security and hardware hacker Splice and his assistant Trimble attacked Hetch and got the case. Large pockets of the city are erupting into riots and gang warfare. The various military factions are amassing huge piles of hardware and clearing block after block of the city. Bombings are breaking out at regular intervals.

Hetch has risen from the dead after being shot with a tranquilliser dart. He woke up in the McKaffs' Aurora Complex building and saw Trimble shot dead by Dakk, the most violent of the three McKaff brothers. Hetch and the stewardess were fitted with armbands fitted with explosives and a timer. They left and went searching for the case. After a gun battle between a gang of bikers and troops they met Janice, a "narco" user; a terrible drug that consumes its users.

Splice survived an assassination attempt by an unknown mercenary. Hetch and the stewardess also cheat death after a horrific taxi-pod crash landed on a rooftop. They attempt to escape down a rusty ladder but the ladder breaks and the steward falls to her death. Hetch is rescued by Splice. They make their way through the Newport Colosseum and Josh Weller, an old flame of the stewardess', gets a visit from them.

Splice and Hetch are trying to stay one head of the McKaffs and considering a killing of their own on the three brothers.

Read on...

TAD