Chapter 4: First Ally

"By the way, You never said your name" Kassix turned and looked at the guy expectantly.

"My name is Dahr, how about you friend?" Dahr looked at him with a smile.

"My name is Kassix. Good to meet you Dahr."

While saying that He had a silent resolution, "I always ask someone name after I'm already involved with them. I'll have to fix that habit."

"Now I'm going to be honest with you, I have no clue what I'm looking for. I don't know how to tell what is junk and what is treasure." Kassix admitted while crouching at the pile of junk he had thrown about the alleyway.

Dahr crouched down at the pile as well, and rummaged through some of it. He seemed to pick through some of the pieces and examine them for a couple seconds before moving them to the side.

After going through most of the junk that Kassix had thrown around, he found a small piece that at first glance looked ruined. He took it apart carefully to reveal wires and some undamaged electronics. He then held that up to Kassix, "This is what you want to look for generally to make money. This stuff can be broken down for parts and sold, but its not worth that much. Generally you'd need an entire pile of these to be able to afford a food-tube."

Kassix took the part and looked it over, learning how Dahr took it apart and nodding after a few moments. "So at the moment these are useless since we have to find something that still works."

"Yup!" Dahr had an innocent smile as he took the part back and stashed it.

"Lucky for you, Kassix, there is a disposal area not far from here. If we go there I'm sure we will be able to find something for you."

Kassix was a little taken aback by the sudden change of options. "I thought you said it'd be hard and we would need a lot of luck?"

"Disposal areas are hot spots for companies to drop off defective, outdated and unsold gear that it would be more expensive to reprocess. That means there's good money to be found there for scrappers." Dahr trailed off at that hoping Kassix would catch his meaning.

"And I assume it's someone's turf."

Dahr only nodded in response to this. Clearly these groups did not take kindly to people invading their areas, as Dahr wore a grim look as Kassix seemed to get excited.

"Well, lead the way" Kassix grinned as he said this.

"Better to risk some turf squatters than to starve to death." He thought as his stomach continued to let out painful growls.

Dahr grimaced and made a motion to follow him. He led Kassix deeper into the pit away from the elevators. Instead of the amount of people thinning however, it seems this was a path more often traveled.

It was clear people looked down on Dahr, and as the two of them walked they earned a many stares from others. Kassix felt many of them aimed in his direction, and decided to glare back and whichever was closest.

The thugs in this section seemed to be annoyed at his audacity, but they were still weary of them. There was no telling what kind of mods the new face had hidden under his jacket. It just seemed like a new bully came into this part of town and took everyone's favorite chew toy.

The two intruders walked until they came upon a guarded entrance to a section that opened up. Behind the two guards mountains of scrap and junk could be seen. Dahr didn't even look in it's direction but kept going until he turned into an alleyway nearby, only stopping once he was out of earshot.

"That was the disposal area, guarded and populated." Dahr seemed to be trying to dissuade Kassix from continuing by showing off the guards. To his horror, however, Kassix didn't seemed that phased.

"So is there a way to sneak in?" Kassix asked without skipping a beat.

"What? No! Didn't you see the entrance?" Dahr looked incredulous. This guy saw the guards in the front and all the people inside and still wanted to sneak in.

"Even if you did sneak in you'd have to search the very tops, or bases of those piles for anything new that has been dumped! You'd be right in the open!"

Dahr was almost shouting at the point, and quickly looked back to make sure no one had heard and was coming to investigate.

"If there were actually no hope, and no way in you wouldn't have brought me here, Dahr. At least I hope you wouldn't waste out time like that." Kassix turned to him with a serious look. If this was his best chance of surviving he couldn't just ignore it.

Dahr looked depressed at that. It was true that there was a couple ways in, but all of them were dangerous.

"Alright, you don't look like you plan on giving it a shot at all so at least tell me about the area and I'll try to come up with an idea." After seeing Dahr's face Kassix didn't plan on forcing him to help him get in, but at least his information could be helpful.

Dahr seemed to appreciate that, and sat down against the nearby wall and began describing the area.

This area was around the size of two football fields, with three chutes above the three mountains that rained down the metallic treasures. The only ways in were an entrance at each cardinal direction, and above.

To get in you'd either have to distract or sneak past a group of guards, or come in from above. The only times there wasn't guards was when a rain siren went off, or if there was a peacekeeper squad coming through.

If and only if you could get past the guards, then you'd have to actually find something worth selling while trying to remain unspotted by all the people inside who are also scavenging for their own group.

Every once in awhile the chutes would let out a horrific banging sound as they open and deposit their garbage into the pit.

"It rather sounds like it's impossible to sneak into there then." Kassix said this after letting Dahr finish his explanation. Sneaking in, getting loot, and sneaking back out would be a monumental task. "But you said all the people in the group are inside scavenging right?"

Dahr nodded in response to his question. "In that case, I do have an idea but depends on our luck, how often does that chute actually open?"

"It'll open anywhere between every week to up to staying closed for a month. It just depends on how quickly whichever company is connected to this chute builds up their onsite containment." Dahr expecting Kassix's next question continued. "The last time it opened I believe was around two weeks ago."

Kassix couldn't help but wear a grin when he heard that. "Wait here then, I'm going to get started with my plan."

Kassix walked back into the alleyway and walked back the way they came and leaned against the wall next to some of the people that were staring at them before. "Are you guys interested in making some cash?"

They stared at him with no small amount of hostility, but still asked, "Wha've got in mind?"

Kassix explained that he intends on gathering those who are interested and storming the disposal area. It would be risky, but if there are able to actually force their way in, even if that gang has better mods they can at least grab a couple things and get out. If they are able to actually force the others out that would be even better though.

"Ya know, that kindo talk will get you beaten and lef' to starve, not to mention just grab a couple o' things? most of what's in there is still scrap" The much larger man turned to face Kassix and stared him down intimidatingly. "Also, I could just toss you in there and let em know your thoughts, they love rewardin folk that get rid of would be usurpers."

"You've got one of the bigger groups out here, if we manage to toss those guys out of there, you'd be able to setup as the new leader, not to mention my plan to storm it would only take place when the chutes open." Kassix had picked the scariest looking group to approach first, because of their apparent hostility they didn't seem happy being stuck rummaging through random scrap. They also would have the backup to prevent others from doing exactly what he threatened.

"You tryna make me the new leader of this area? I guessed you just our help to take it yourself. What are you plannin?" The guys hostility faded quite a bit and was replaced with a mix of confusion, and now expectations.

"I'm just here for a bit, and don't have the patience to waste my time digging through random scrap." He was trying to make himself sound more important than he was, but the guy seemed to take it a different way.

"Hah! Young-n-reckless, aight, I like the idea a helluva lot more than I like those stinking squatters over there, but what're you plannin on gettin outta this? Name is Spike by the way" Spike's attitude had taken a 180, he even clasped his hand on Kassix's shoulder on a friendly way. Overall he seemed far too easily enticed by the thought of taking over the disposal area.

"I just plan on taking some scavenge as it happens and move along." Kassix's cold sweat receded a bit as he realized that his risk worked. He didn't come off as a strong outsider like he had intended, but if reckless young noob worked too he wouldn't complain.

Kassix continued along, and with the help of Spike's men convinced no small amount of people to go along with the plan. Some, Spike's men intimidated and forced to agree instead of tipping off the guards, so Kassix was thankful for recruiting them first.

Once they had quite a large number of people who had agreed, and had agreed on the signal being when the chutes start screeching their incoming deposit, the only thing to do was to wait.

Kassix returned to Dahr, who had been waiting anxiously not knowing what Kassix had gotten up to. He explained to Dahr the plan and how it worked out. Once he had finished explaining Dahr looked sick, just the thought the risk Kassix took to recruit those people made him queasy.

Kassix stashed his chimera box nearby and went back to wait with Dahr. He'd let more people go in first so he could bail if it didn't look like they'd be able to get in at all.

10 hours passed and it started to feel like there wasn't much point in waiting since it could be anywhere between now and two weeks that this chute opened. Kassix stomach pains had only gotten worse and even he was having second thoughts until-

Bang!

It started with one loud bang and it continued to build up, as the screeching of the chute opening began to be heard. Kassix ran to look around the corner to see if people were rushing in yet.

To his horror no one had moved, no one except Spike and his small group. People had been watching them, wondering if the plan was actually going to happen. Spike walked right up to the guards who were distracted by looking back at the chutes opening.

Once he reached them, one turned noticing their presence for the first time with a little shock, but it was too late. Spike grabbed him on the side of the head and slammed his head into the other guards. A sickening crunch was heard as the first one's caved slightly under the other guards head modifications.

They both dropped like sacks of potatoes, and Spike roared out a warcry. The people behind him only watched with wild eyes, that turned into greedy ravenous eyes as they saw the loot cascade from the chutes.

The crowd rushed in, those that agreed and disagreed were both taken in by the idea of getting rich enough to escape the pit.

Kassix and Dahr followed the crowd right in.