DateTime Data
June 28th, 2077, 12:15 PM
Once the three entered the medium's salon, they could overhear the end of a conversation that was in motion before they entered.
"…Mmm, your heart chakra looks a little out of whack, babe. I can release it for you, but you'd have to watch out for negative energy fields…and avoid mean reds, anything red." Misty said while tending to Jackie in one of the salon's massage chairs. She was kneeling on the left side of the chair, chin resting on the armrest.
Morgynn seemed fascinated by all of the mystic talk, having an open mind and wanting to know more, as was her personality. Alex seemed…apprehensive towards it, seeing it as a waste of time for the most part, but on a free day, could drop by and see what she said. Sam, just didn't really care, he'd seen this kind of parlor trick all across the country. Despite their varying opinions on the matter of the psychic world, they all saw Misty as a good girl, and friend not willing to harm a fly if it meant the world.
The three approached the two and Jackie smiled, coming out of his relaxed trance. Misty looked up and saw us before getting to her feet and silently grimaced at Alex's red in his jacket, having all of her apparent work undone by his mere presence, to which he just gave her a "whatcha gonna do?" look, and shrug.
"Guys! Yo, listen up! I talked to Dex while you were in with the doc." Jackie said, pointing to Alex. "He's waiting in his ride. For you, Morgynn. Ain't but a hop to where he's parked, next to Gramsci Burgers."
Morgynn's face showed a bit of anxiety in that moment, obvious that the pressure of meeting Dex was starting to eat away at her. But she quickly resumed a strong face, if for no one else but the others.
"Alright then, do my best to talk us up." She said to the boys before leaving the salon and walking up the alleyway, back into the populated sidewalks to where Dex would be parked.
A few minutes of walking were had before she came upon a large man in sunglasses and a tacky mahogany-stained leather coat outside of a luxury car. She knew she'd seen this car before…
She remembered it had been in one of Sam's weekly car-enthusiast screemsheets, "Motophile" or something. She'd only looked over a couple of interesting models, this being one. If she remembered correctly, it as a Chevillon, that much she knew…every wannabe hotshot gangbanger in their barely in their mid-twenties just had to have one. But this model was specific, it looked like the Chevillion Thrax 388: "Jefferson". But with a lift kit on it – making it all the more over-the-top.
The bodyguard seemed to recognize her and turned his back to politely open the back door of the car, gesturing for her to enter.
Song Choice: Professional Rapper – Lil Dicky, Snoop Dogg
I sat in the completely black leather seating and nodded to the guard to shut the door. I was immediately assaulted with the smell of cigar smoke. looking to my left, I saw a heavy man who possessed a dark complexion. I'd assumed this to be Dexter, his eyes were covered by thick sunglasses, his right arm seemed to be half-replaced with a gold-plated prosthetic. Since it was not a full replacement of the entire arm, shoulder-down, I assumed it was some kind of blow-off accident. I looked back to his face and saw a somewhat unsettling grin on his face, a sort-of menacing smile, though without the sight of his eyes, I couldn't be sure.
"Yo, Ms. Herrera. A pleasure." The man said with a deep, relaxed voice, full of gravitas. But there was no time to be spent with astonishment or observation, it was time to get down to business.
"Dexter DeShawn in the flesh. Ample, indeed." I said, half joking as the bodyguard got into the driver's seat. To show a humorous attitude, even when faced with a situation like this, one of high pressure, was to command respect, I knew how these kinds of deals went down. I was raised around them, day in, and day out.
He laughed my joking off and leaned up to the driver's seat in front of him.
"Heheh…Let's roll." He said, commanding the driver to move.
The car began to move and Dex leaned back in his seat and let out a relaxed sigh.
"Mind if I ask you somethin' right of the bangle?" He asked, as I responded with slight shake of my head. "Would you rather live in peace as Ms. Nobody, die ripe, old and smellin' slightly of urine? Or go down for all times in a blaze of glory, smellin' near like posies, 'thout seein' your thirtieth?"
I had to think on this for a bit, it was obviously a test, that much was certain. He was seeing what kind of woman he as dealing with, someone who would be willing to put their life on the line for success, or just some average ganger trying to make ends meet. But the question struck deeper than that for me. I'd always believed that it was the strong who survive, the people who grab for nothing less than the greatest, most expensive wine, most exotic bitches, and most luxurious pads. Those were the people who make greatness, but also the ones whose fire burn's too bright, and just end up turning to ash at the end of the day…this city eats up and shits out success every other Tuesday.
"You're either somebody or you fizzle out into nothin'. Night City don't let you choose." I responded.
"Oh, but it does. See, in my line of work I choose to be Mr. Chill. But folk who try to take advantage, well, they see the beast inside…" He said, which made my mind turn to what Viktor had just warned us about before…I'd need to watch were I stepped around this guy, we all would.
We drove bit longer in silence, I just sat looking up and out the window, until Dex once again broke it.
"A'ight, listen close. Scannin' a serious job, now. Plain gargantuan compared to smashin' a scav haunt."
"Lemme hear it – what's the job?" I said, somewhat antsy to see the detes.
"There's this…prototype tech – a biochip, to be precise. Job's to grab it. Simple." Dex said, grossly oversimplifying the actual job.
"Yeah…? Huh, guessin' it belongs to a corp." I surmised. Shit like "biochips" aren't kept in some Six-Street's spare gun case.
"Mhm – Arasaka." He said after taking a long drag of his fat, brown cigar and exhaling pale exhaust all around the car's chamber. "Surely that's not problem?"
Again, he was testing me. It was getting tiresome…what was he so jumpy about? If he really was the best fixer in all Night City, shouldn't he be more confident about who he fingers for a job? Unless this job was far crazier than he as makin' it sound.
"Corps don't deserve special treatment." I said, reaffirming my commitment to the idea of the job.
"Shit. Heh, you ain't playin' around." Dex responded, letting me know I'd passed his testing for a second time.
He leaned up from his seat and over to me.
"Got a fellin' this could be the start of a beautiful friendship built on heaps of eddies." He continued.
"You work any of this out already? Got a plan? 'Cause me and mine? We'll be ready, just need the detes." I said, urging him softly to the point.
He put up two fingers," "Two things. First's a conundrum with the Maelstrom boys. Needs active resolvin', that. Second's a rendezvous. Simple. Client who brought the job's anxious. She wants to parley with one o' the team, couple if you can, just to give her that extra confidence so we can go about our work, unimpeded."
"What's the issue needs resolvin' with Maelstrom? Got a beef?" I asked, not at all fazed by it, being raised in the Valentino territory and all.
He put his cigar in his left hand and reached into his sweatpants' pocket and pulled out a datashard.
"Slot in the shard." Dex ordered as he handed it to me.
I took it and slotted it in just below my ear. The data's appearance was immediate. Dex began to speak as the images appeared before me.
"Got a classic tale for ya. Psychogang, doin' its thing two weeks back, jumped a Militech convoy, got away with the gear. Corp don't even know Maelstrom's involved. Now see, convoy was carryin' the Flathead – a little combat bot, a prototype. And I need be that bit o' high grade military tech. 'Cause if we don't get that bot, we don't get no 'Saka chip. An' e sure as hell don't get no happily-ever-after. But don't get excited, it's a single-use toy." He paused for a moment, letting me intake all of that info, and process the images. "Now, I flat out purchased the damn thing form Maelstrom. Problem is, I did so from a gent went by the name of Brick. I say "went" 'cause Brick was the leader. Three days after we'd sealed our deal, his friend and gangmate, one Simon Randall, AKA Royce, plain dropped his ass. Royce is in charge now. And I got no way of knowin' if he aims to honor his predecessor's word." He paused again, making sure I was still paying attention, assumedly. And honestly? I was having a harder time than I thought keeping up.
He decided to command my attention back with a little joke.
"To add to this "shitstrom", one Meredith Stout of Militech has developed an interest in said convoy." Dex finished as I saw an image of an entirely appropriate-looking dirty-blonde corpo woman.
"Who's the prima donna?" I asked, trying to fish for just a bit more information.
"Corpo agent. Internal affairs. Been skittin' 'round town askin' after the convoy as if her life depended on findin' it... The one lead she's got is zip-tied in her trunk. Stick up her ass ain't growin' any shorter, so she must be getting' desperate. Be wise to think how you could use that." Dex advised, giving me the perfect idea. " 'Course to do so you'll need that frazzled cat's info. Sendin' it now." He finished, sending the holophone data though his internal link. I could tell by the bright blue glow that shown even though his sunglasses, though dimmed.
"Alright, on to the Client. What's her thing? Why's she need to meet?" I asked shift the subject to it's inevitable location.
"Woman's named Evelyn Parker. Vettin' her wasn't easy. Put the word out I was lookin' for any kind of intel…" Dex trailed off.
"Right, and…?" I asked, bringing him back on topic.
"Some brothas from Pacifica got back to me. Tol' me to stop lookin', end of convo, heheh." He chuckled somewhat nervously.
"Anyway, our client insisted on meetin' with someone with skin in the game – you know, who'll be there for it all." He said looking over at me. "Yours truly will be remote, T-Bug ain't no people person, and Jackie's only good at some things – I know you know what I mean." He joked, with a smile. "Pretty much just leaves you-and your other two boys."
I thought about it for a few more minutes in the car. Dex didn't question my silence, so I guessed he knew what I was doin'.
"Think I got everything. Time we got to work." I said, finishing processing the information, and what would be required of us.
"Why that's just music to my ears. I'll set up the meet with Miss Parker at Lizzie's Bar. Flathead, though, that's gonna be all you." He replied, just pawning off the job harder job.
We drove for a bit and until the driver pulled up by the curb and Dex said, bidding me goodbye.
"Later, now. Oh, and be sure to tell your boys to call when the job's finished—if they participate."
I nodded and opened the car door, getting out. I immediately pulled out my phone and called Jackie, he needed to be the first to be filled in on the detes, and it would save me the hassle of calling all three of the guys.
The holophone rang for a bit, but Jackie's face popped up as a hologram soon after.
"Jackster. Talked to Dex." I said, getting right down to business.
He laughed a bit and replied,
"Heheh. Gordito's a big deal – literally and not, yeah?"
"Claimed to wanna check our pro cred. But to me it feels more like he tangled us up with Maelstrom and Militech." I said, voicing my frustration…and my suspicion. "There's this combat bot, military prototype. Maelstrom klepped it. Then Dex paid to take it off their hands just before the gangoons had a switch-up in management."
"Right, right, heard about that. Royce versus Brick – hostile takeover." Jackie responded summarizing my information.
" 'Bout sums it up, yeah. Dex wants us talkin' to Royce. Gave the dates of some Militech agent too, and we could send Alex to meet but… dunno how much help she stands to be." I said, giving more details.
He shook his head, exasperated, "Huh, chingón…"
"Then there's the other thing. Gotta meet the client who put the job on the table. Evelyn Parker." I said, resulting in a surprised look on Jackie's face.
"You?! Well, what's Dex gonna do – ride around in his limo, chat chicks up on the holo?" Jackie responded.
"Parker wants to meet someone on the crew. Dex gave me the nod, but I'm thinkin' of takin' Sam with." I added.
"Must know what he's doin'… So how you wanna play this? Maelstrom or Parker, what's first?" Jackie asked, I guess wanting me to call shots since I'd gone through the meeting with Dexter.
I thought for a few seconds, or at least pretend-thought, I already cooked up a plan long before he'd asked.
"Maelstrom. You and Alex clean that shit up, and then it's easy street from there on." I said, putting them two on the job together, the big, buff, dual-wielding merc, and the lean, former-corpo, melee specialist, perfect team.
"For you…" I heard Jackie mumble as he fake-pouted, "In that case I'll head to All Foods, put my nose to the ground, sniff around, and shoot Al a call. In the meantime, you and Sam find the client lady, see what she's about. Hasta luego." Jackie said, hanging up the holophone as I scrolled though to find Sam in my contacts though my optics. It was time to get to work…