PMC1 - Hex and Maxwell

[just_hex]

It was after midnight and outside there was a miserable rain, too hot to be refreshing. Hex sat inside the People's Med Center 1, a free clinic for folks without credits, or perhaps some legal reason they couldn't go to the actual Hospital, and once in a while a genuine emergency. Tonight he'd seen a woman who's baby had a bad cough and a man whose implant had gotten infected. It was black market, of course.

Hex had helped them both, then settled into his chair behind the desk to wait and watch the old CRT TV hooked to an ancient VCR. The phone was a corded landline. Even the computer they kept records on was a dinosaur.

The Center was set up that wa in purpose. Most people, the ones that knew it existed at all, assumed they lacked funding. The funding wasn't the issue. Security was the issue.

They'd been thrilled to have Hex come aboard. The field medic knew how to do most anything with the lowest tech possible. And he liked doing it. Helping people without options was something he could do in a world where he saw so much wrong in the system.

Comments

[511v3r_h4mm3r]

Max considered him for a long moment. He supposed if the man was planning to hurt him, he could have done so last night.

"Thanks," he said again. "Don't really know where I'm going though. ...Boyfriend chucked me out last week."

A lie, but he couldn't exactly tell a stranger that what had actually happened was that his boyfriend had beat the shit out of him- And so Maxwell had lodged a hammer in his skull.

[just_hex]

"Yeah? I've got a sofa you can use until something better comes along," he offered.

[511v3r_h4mm3r]

"Shouldn't invite a stranger into your home. Dangerous," Max said, frowning slightly. Hex seemed nice, a decent man- A rare thing. Max didn't like the idea of him opening his door to a thief.

Or worse. ...A killer.

[just_hex]

Hex chuckled softly, his smile bright.

"I'm not scared," he assured him.

He lifted his cup to take a sip. Hex’s own mods weren't obvious, but he had upgrades. Military nano augmentation for speed and agility, skeletal reinforcements, obvious only to those who knew to look.

His most obvious oddity was how new and soft the skin the knuckles of both hands was. Barely healed and still pink.

[511v3r_h4mm3r]

Max had clocked the implants, but he knew first hand that those sorts of things could be overridden, disabled, shorted... He'd done it. All these men who thought they could treat others like shit- Because they were rich, because they were strong...

He pushed those thoughts away, reminded himself he was done with revenge.

His gaze flicked back to Hex. "I'm not a whore," he said softly. "In case that's what you're hoping for. I don't- I don't do it for pay."

[just_hex]

"I'll keep that in mind,” he smiled.

"You don't have to if you don't want to. But I have a shower, food, and locks on the doors. You could get some real sleep. You look like you could use it."

[511v3r_h4mm3r]

Max wanted to say no, knew he shouldn't get near anyone. Not now, never again. ...But he didn't have many options. He'd thought after the last man he might take his own life, but it seemed he wasn't so bold.

"...If you're sure," he said finally.

[just_hex]

”Bang-gon,” he smiled.

”Alright, Hex. I'm all set,” Sally said as she returned with a small bag with some food and supplies for Max. She set it in front of him, but was looking at Hex.

”That means get out,” he smiled at Max. "Let's go. It isn't far."

[511v3r_h4mm3r]

Max nodded a little, thanking her and taking the bag. He was in no position to turn down food.

Following Hex outside, he struggled with the glaring sunlight, even through the smog.

"You're a medic then? A nurse or something?" he asked as his eyes slowly adjusted.

[just_hex]

"Yeah," he said. "Got me training in the water wars, and now I'm doing something good with it."

There was so much there in such a short statement. The front lines were brutal, the wounds that veterans survived were horrifying. A medic there was enhanced for speed and strength to grab the wounded and run them to safety if necessary.

And doing some good now spoke volumes about how he viewed his role in violence.

[511v3r_h4mm3r]

"Gruesome," Max said, before realizing that wasn't the appropriate response.

"War, I mean," he clarifide, looking annoyed with himself. This was why he didn't say much.

[just_hex]

"You're not wrong, mate. Don't be sorry," he said.

They crossed the street to a chip shop. Hex didn't go in, though. He opened the door past the window to a stairway.

"Mine's on the top," he said. "A bit of a climb. Come on."

[511v3r_h4mm3r]

Max followed along, and it was hard not to admire Hex as they climbed the steps. He was fit and broad, a handsome face to match.

The thought made him look away. Watching his feet as he climbed the steps instead. Hex seemed too gentle a soul, Max only danced with monsters.

[just_hex]

On the third floor, Hex opened the door blocking the stairway.

Inside was a museum. Old tech from bicycles to fans to ancient stereos were all around. The whole floor was his, clearly.

"Make yourself at home. I'm going to wash up, yeah?" he said. "The bed is through there if you want to lie down..."

He vanished into the loo.

[511v3r_h4mm3r]

It was a bit overstimulating, and Max wandered to the bedroom in hopes it was a bit more empty in there. It was all fascinating, but Max struggled when there was too much going on.

Sitting on the bed, he put the bag on the floor and touched the bed and it's linens.

[just_hex]

Hex was our of the loo in five minutes, almost on the dot. He came out with a towel wrapped around his waist and headed straight to the kitchen to grab a protein shake.

He listened carefully, sure when he didn't hear anything that Max had taken his offer to sleep.

[511v3r_h4mm3r]

Max was awake though, not sure what to do with himself. Eventually he emerged, taking in the space again, then looking at Hex himself.

"Why are you so nice?" He asked bluntly.

[just_hex]

Hex looked at him and gave a shrug.

"The world is shitty enough. Kindness is radical, yeah?" he said.

[511v3r_h4mm3r]

"Perhaps," Max said, though he didn't seem convinced of that fact. In his opinion, kindness was often a weakness.

[just_hex]

"You'd be surprised how right I am," he chuckled.

[511v3r_h4mm3r]

Max only hummed, not willing to argue with him. He was being offered a place to stay after all, and he had no interest in being ungrateful.

[just_hex]

"You ready to sleep? I'm dead," he admitted, downing the shake. "Come on, the sofa has a spring. Just come lay down. I'll keep me hands to meself, I swear."

Hex tossed his cup in the sink and nodded for Max to join him in the bedroom. He shamelessly dropped the towel to pull on some pyjamas, then melted into bed.

[511v3r_h4mm3r]

Max nodded slightly, following along.

Hex was so chatty- It was nice. Max never said much himself, but he sort of liked listening to others speak. It was a reminder that the world wasn't only made up of bastards.

Without thinking too much about it, he started to undress, leaving his clothes draped over a chair. Pale skin was marked with old wounds and fresh bruises. Scars and marks wove a tale of a violent past, from what looked like small burns, to what was definitely a healed bullet wound. It also put a few of his enhancements on display, including an old fashioned cart port. A tiny thing just above his hip that once had been used to run fantasy programs at the sex clubs in New Soho. They had been banned years ago, replaced with sex bots, holograms, and augmented reality. Maxwell had apparently never had his removed though, and given how long it had been since they'd been banned, he'd likely had it installed quite young.

[just_hex]

Hex watched him undress and noticed the port. His eyes widened.

"Say, those are rare," he said. "Is it still functioning?"

His interest had little to do with using it. He had shelf space for a port like that...

[511v3r_h4mm3r]

Max put a hand over it, almost defensive.

"It works perfectly," he said quietly.

It also explained his miss-matched upgrades. Everything installed had some kind of backwards support for the banned port- Even if some had to be activated manually.