<div class="floatleft">(https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/4/4c/Cyberpunkette.jpg)</div>Synth was a wirehead. Straight into the hypothalamus. With ancillary connections to the cerebral cortex, the medulla, the tegmentum and the pineal gland. That kind of biotek was expensive, but to Synth it was worth it.  She was one of the top ten Runners in Pacifica at the moment. The Megacorps paid good money for her services. So did the various contacts from her hang, the Voodoo Boys-- several, in fact. And the Yakuza, which was sort of redundant with Megacorp. Anything that had to do with the datanet, from individual machine controls to the global dataplex, if it dealt with the flow of data, she could hack it.<br/><br/>You want a bank account adjusted? No problem. You want stock prices influenced? Easy. You want to know your competitors' latest trade secrets? That'll cost you more. You want military research? That'll cost you a lot more.  You want access to an off-grid dark lab? Sorry. Synth preferred to stay above room temperature.<br/><br/>So she wasn't surprised when the hot brunette in the big bust approached her in the Afterlife. The hole-in-the-wall dive was one of her offices and no one found her there if they hadn't been referred. Clancy, the bruiser of a bartender, made sure of that. And she knew why she was there. She'd been vetted. Thoroughly. Or she wouldn't be meeting with Synth. The one variable they couldn't control for was what else she -- or her employer -- wanted. Hence the face-to-face.<br/><br/>"Mr. Fireman?" Synth asked as she reached the table. Her contact was obviously already teamed up with some chromed guys and girls, and she herself just arrived a bit late. She always arrived late, just to observe and be sure there was no trap. A little bit of paranoia never hurt.<br/>Her gorgeous face was enhanced by those cocksucker lips she got from her original genes, that gave her plenty of success with men, and some girls. But she also always seemed poutty with those, and the sophisticated long and wild hairstyle, something between a mowhawk and a model-styled hairstyle, added to her tribal nailed leather clad covering suit, and trenchcoat were fitting her. She wasn't wearing any makeup but it was clear she took great care and pride in her attractiveness.