The one thing that
doesn't change in the Underhive is that things change. At least,
that's what Dwice Necrofago's uncle Malky always said back in Old
Bedlam Town. And uncle Malky knew all about change – after he took
a flamer hit full in the mug, folks switched to calling him Ghoulface
on account of the horrible scars. So horrible...
'Hey, Dwiceman. You was
saying?'
Dwice snapped back into
the moment. Murgen and Skew, two of the Hi-Viz Jackers' new recruits,
were staring at him along the stoop where they were sitting outside
the gang's habhole headquarters.
'What was I saying?'
said Dwice, eyes roving across the bustle of the tunnel market that
was Nu-Bedlam's squalid main drag.
'I dunno,' said Murgen.
'Telling us something we already know about change, like? Then you
just tailed off and looked queasy.'
'Get to the point,
man,' said Skew. 'We ain't green hivers after all.'
'O frag, yeah,' said
Dwice. He was trying to tough it up in front of the new boys, trading
on his experience in Hacked Knee. It wasn't going as well as he'd
hoped.
'So things cooled off
in the domehood, and some of the bad ol' crews cleared off cos there
wasn't enough violence for them. There's still some of them round and
about one way or another... Anyways, point is turf's switched round.
The old genny at Poxtown Switch got cut off but a new one got hooked
up. The hot stuff cache at Cansbury ran dry and our, uh, good buddy
Doc Scratch moved in and set up his Body Chop Shop there. Thing is,
mostly it's the Power Guild, see – they're falling out and messing
with - '
'Like I say, kid, we
ain't green hivers,' said Skew. 'Gangs and guilders feuding. So far,
so downhive.'
Dwice waved down Skew's
objection. 'Hey hey, there's a point to this, I swear. So turf's
still changing hands, but mostly by barter or gambling or simply when
zones got left empty. So that's how the Jackers got control of the
Cans...'
'That collapsed dome?'
cut in Murgen, to Skew's annoyance. 'Why's it called the Cans again?'
Dwice grinned. 'Because when you're crawling through there looking for loot,
feels like you're being squeezed into a can of starch rash. Anyways,
this is the point: sure, Guilders squabble, but the big boys running
the lecs, heat and air here in H8? Ooooweee, they mean to go at it
like two hungry rad-rats in a fighting pit until one of them comes
out on top.'
Skew shrugged. 'And so
they're getting the gangs to act like their enforcers, and that's
where bossman Vints is now – parlaying with some Guilders. Yeah, I
seen this pict before.'
Dwice's opinion of Skew
was heading sumpwards by the click. 'Look, man, I'm just trying to -
'
But Murgen cut in
again, pointing down the drag. 'Hey hey, boys, speak of the
sumpdevil....'
There was Vints
himself, accompanied by another of the Jackers' new recruits, veteran
ganger Edzra Macbacta. They were shoving through the crowd, Vints
making a big show of greeting those he knew on the way, gobbling up
any crumb of offered acclaim.
'Howdy, jacks!' beamed
Vints as he approached the stoop. 'Have we ever got news for you!'
'Things go good?' asked
Dwice.
'Indeed they did, young
Dwice, indeed they did,' said Vints. 'Did some heavy talk with Lord
Quincy Postlewaite himself - who of course remembers the solid we
did him on the day of the Hiver March – and I can confirm we're
gonna be representing in the sector on behalf of the Ba'Kings!'
Vints spread his arms
and grinned. Edzra wasn't giving much away, but Murgen and Skew
looked impressed. Dwice, knowing Vints better, pressed on.
'So boss, who we gonna
be gunning alongside?'
'Well,' said Vints.
'From what Lord Q was saying, there's three other gangs signed up
with them. The Blitzkreig Boppers, the Hooded Men, and the Violent
Beauregards.'
Dwice recognised two of
the names, but not the third. 'Who're the Violent Beaure-whats?
Sounds Escherlike.'
'That they are,' said
Vints. 'Some of them are what's left over of the Savage Kittens...'
'Hey!' said Dwice. 'Is
that Kes still knocking around? Ya know, the juve that clobbered you
that time when we went for Whitecap Hole?'
Vints glowered and Skew
chuckled at this.
'I dunno, kid,' barked
Vints. 'Never mind all that. We gotta get ready. Go get the rest of
the crew together.'
'We going a-gunning,
boss?' said Murgen.
'Aye,' said Vints. 'I
wanna snag some turf off of the Hooded Men.'
This took the Jackers
aback.
'Uh, boss,' said Edzra,
'ain't they on our side?'
Dwice snapped the
fingers on his good hand. 'Ah I remember – they're the fellas who
killed yer dog, ain't they, boss?'
'Shut it, Dwice,' spat
Vints. 'All of youse, get your guns – come shift's end, we go
hunting!'
Vints stormed into the
habhole, visibly annoyed. Skew chuckled again. Dwice figured maybe
Skew wasn't so bad after all.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
[ADDITIONAL: Archive Pict Cap of Malky 'Ghoulface' Necrofago, Veteran Ganger of Old Bedlam Town and The Charred Cross]
