THE CITY OF DREAMS:

NIGHT CITY NOMAD

PROLOGUE PART 1:

A NEW BEGINNING

V wiped the filth off the mirror and stared at the woman looking back at her. The mirror didn't lie. Five foot ten, 175 pounds of toned tanned muscle, long straight thick black hair. Cyber augmentation around the face and eyes. A full artists gallery of body tattoos from her neck downwards. Twenty three years old and looking good. Fresh enough for a new start in Night City.

She was wearing black as she often found herself doing lately. Black lipstick. Black eyeliner. Long black nails. Black t-shirt cut off showing her toned tattooed stomach Black leather trousers. Black sleeveless nomad jacket. Black combat boots and a black combat jacket in the car. And a pair of goggles to protect against getting sand in her eyes on the dusty roads of the Badlands. Talking of dusty this was the same as every other dusty town in the Badlands that she had seen these last few months since parting with the Bakker nomad family. She wondered where the welcoming committee was that always showed up to tell a lone nomad you're not welcome here in my town.

She washed her face and let the water trickle down her cheeks. She tore the nomad Bakker patch off her jacket and stared at it for a moment before throwing it on the floor. No going back now she thought with what must have been relief.

"Electric coupling module." The mechanic said as she turned towards him looking around the garage workshop.

"You said it was nothing serious when I came in. You said you were sure." V replied wondering if he was trying to get her to pay more than they had agreed.

"Guess I was wrong. Can always find another shop where they won't ask why a lone nomad is hugging the border."

"That's my business. Are you going to help me or not." V replied loudly and noticed a hint of excitement or fear in the man's eyes. The bastard was checking her out. His eyes were on her breasts and she felt him undressing her with those hungry eyes.

V looked around. Just a typical mechanics shop. Nothing out of the ordinary. She could play games too. Question was how far was she willing to go with this asshole before she had to stop him in his tracks by whatever force was necessary.

"I'm gonna pay you what we agreed. Not one enny more." V said testing the man for weakness.

"Huh. For that you can borrow my tools and fix it yourself." The man said with a smirk.

"That's fine. Step aside." She replied and pushed him away from the car and moved to stand in front of the car looking at its insides under the hood.

"What? Got any idea what to do?" He questioned surprised by her sudden show of bravado.

V mumbled to herself and replied "I'm thinking, I'm thinking."

Mhm. "And?"

"And your chirping is not helping. I'm gonna bypass the coupling and rig a hotwire."

"Compressor'll run on and on. Could seize up."

"Did anyone ask your opinion."

"You've got some mouth on you girl. Always with an answer. I bet I know what you need."

And here was what she had been expecting all along.

"And what would that be?" She questioned playing along with the idiot.

As she bent over the car and wrestled with the wires she felt his hands on her waist as he pulled her back into his crotch.

"Hey wait I don't even know you..." She complained.

"Doesn't usually stop you nomad bitches."

She felt him rise and realized he was not messing about this old bastard was going to fuck her if she let him. She smiled to herself not willing to let the game end yet. She backed into him and felt him push against her. His hands moved around to the front of her trousers and began desperately wrestling with her zipper. She had to be honest she was actually enjoying herself. And suddenly thought how long had it been since she had felt anyone touch her. It must have been months on the road.

Instead of controlling what was happening she found herself going along with it. His greedy paws found there way inside her trousers and she was hungry for something. It didn't matter who he was or how he looked in that moment.

When they were finished they felt a new found respect for each other though both hoped they would never meet again. They quickly dressed and V went to get in the car. She couldn't believe she had let herself enjoy something for a change. Perhaps it was the close proximity to Night City and this really was a new beginning for her.

"Ok. Lets see what happens." V said as she started the car.

"It's like I was telling ya." the mechanic replied as the car failed to start.

She tried again.

"Nah." The mechanic said.

She tried again and this time it worked and the car started.

"Not shabby at all. Question is how long it will last ya."

"It'll get me to Night City. I'll figure something else out there." She said satisfied the car would indeed get her to where she wanted to go.

"Right." The mechanic said sarcastically.

"I'm looking for someone. Jackie Welles. Have you maybe seen him."

"Nope."

"That's only a temporary fix you know. May as well have used spit and duct tape." The mechanic warned.

"It worked. That's what matters." She replied confidently.

She took out her radio and tried tuning it to the right settings.

"Antenna on this heap doesn't seem like it packs a punch. Not likely to hear much." The mechanic explained.

"You don't say."

Then the mood changed as her expected welcoming committee arrived. A man in a sheriffs uniform opened the garage main door and walked into the workshop. V knew this was going to be a problem.

She quickly put the radio away before the sheriff noticed. And readied herself to leave at a seconds notice should the need arise.

"Hey Mike didn't know you had a customer." The sheriff said to the other man. She had a name at last, Mike, it suited him.

"Uh ro-rolled in a few hours past. I thought she would have at least come in to see ya." She was struck by how nervous Mike was around this sheriff.

"Don't you sweat it Mike. We're gonna hash it out." The sheriff replied reassuringly.

"Don'tcha know you owe the sheriff a word when you pay his town a visit. To tell him what's brought you here. Maybe even over a cup of coffee." The sheriff seemed upset that she had broken his rules.

The car door was open and the sheriff rested an arm on the roof revealing a dirty great sweat stain. She caught a wiff of his body odor and promised herself this disgusting pig was not going to touch her even if she had to put a fucking bullet in him.

"No need to worry. I won't be staying long." V replied annoyed at the man's tone.

"Didn't answer my question now did ya? The name's Andrew Jones, probably heard of me." He said smugly.

"I can't say that I have." V answered.

"Served in Spec Ops during the last war. Silver Shoguns, ring any bells?" He asked with a proud tone.

"I can't say that it does." V said with hidden glee at the thought of making this prick mad at her.

"Don't like to get along do ya?"

He walked around the front of the car and put his foot on the bumper.

"That a Nomad vehicle? Might have expected that."

"If you have a problem I'm willing to hear it." V said in frustration.

"Let me tell you what my problem is. Nothin' boils my blood like a fucking stray. Where'd your clan pitch camp?"

"Are you one of those who believe everything the talking heads say. That nomads are the worlds greatest evil."

"No I'm a man that respects order. Corps brought us that order and I intend for it to stay that way."

"The corps pay you and have you on the leash like a dog. You know that?"

"Mhm. But you don't want to see me bare my fangs. So I'll ask again where's your clan?"

"There is no clan. There is no camp. I'm here alone."

"Ain't buyin' it. Nomads always stick to their packs."

"My family is in pieces. That's why I'm headed to Night City."

"Makes you an outcast among outcasts. Sure as hell hope you'll be on your way before long."

"I heard this place was famous for its hospitality. Aw just glad to see it wasn't just rumors."

"You're damn right we are when people come along who know how to behave.

"I saw a broadcast and comms tower on my way in. My antennas down and I need to radio someone.

"What you need is to hightail it out of here without another word. Ain't got no mind to see you drifting around these parts. Got it?"

"You like the sound of your own voice don't ya?" V replied amused at this clown.

"What's that drifter what are you on about?" The sheriff questioned not quite hearing her whispered words.

"Nothing. Nothing at all."

Mhm. Ye, best that way." He muttered as he stood there with his hands on his hips looking like the complete prick he was.

V pulled out of the garage waved to Mike and blew him a kiss then gave the sheriff the middle finger when he wasn't looking.

The dusty road ran through a dusty town with dusty mobile homes and dusty people. She would never allow herself to get trapped in a dead end fucking shit hole like this cesspit on the backside of humanity. Ok maybe she was overstating it but that fucking cop was the typical piece of corpo trash renta-cop that she had always hated.

She spotted the broadcast tower and made her way through what passed for streets. Then pulled off the main track onto a lesser track and hoped the car would hold together long enough that she could reach Night City. She pulled up ouside a fenced off area surrounding the tower and what looked like a small power station.

V got out of the car and walked up to the gate giving it a good kick as it swung open under the force of the kick.

She searched the area and found a few useful odds and ends but nothing of any significance, excrept a border guard ballistic vest on the roof of the power station. V climbed the tower and forgot how much she was not comfortable with high paces. When she reached the switch box she noticed the warning sign 'do not open risk of electric shock'. She ignored the warning sign and opened the box. V took out her radio and placed a cable from the box into the radio tuning it to the desired station.

"Hello."

"Come in. Come in. Ah, raised you finally". Said the man on the radio.

"Willie McCoy. It's good to hear your voice."

"V. Wish I could say the same."

"Why can't you?" V questioned.

"You abandoned the clan. I can't help you anymore."

"Never knew you to be so cautious."

"Try loyal. Rules are rules. The system won't work without em. It can't. Nomads get the work in these parts because its nomad turf. Wouldn't be a problem if you were still a Bakker. You shoulda stuck with em and joined up with Snake Nation like the rest."

"The Snake Nation can kiss my ass. I need your help one last time."

"One last time, again?"

"I have to find the client with my payload. But I don't know where he is."

"H'm. Right place at the right time. You were there?"

"My car gave out. The electric coupling. It's a miracle I made it here. Maybe the client left a message. Could you check for me?"

"Sure. Last time though. I mean it. Clients name?"

"Jackie Welles."

"Huh. He actually left a message. He's waiting on a farm. Flickin you the geoloc data."

"Thanks Willie I owe you one."

"You do. Just don't get yourself killed. And don't call again."

V climbed down the ladder and got back into the car. She turned and took the path back to the town. She didn't dare look at the speed as she raced through the center at full blast. The sheriff was going all kinds of crazy. She raced past and was soon clear of the town. Twenty minutes later she founf the farm. It was a broken down old caravan in the middle of nowhere. She cautiously walked into the caravan and their he was…

Jackie Welles.