Chapter One:
"Pretty reckless dont'cha reckon, Choom?" Mottly said via our neural link.
"Mottly I don't pay you for skepticism," I return back with loading up the pistol with ammo.
"Ha you don't pay me at all!"
"Don't forget the deal, you offer me your eyes and ears and I give you the show of a life time. Also as a bonus, we get to smash Saka scum." I relished.
Drake Mastiff- Incoming Call.
"Ryan I hope the detes I sent you are clear." Drake said dryly over the Holo.
"Not as clear as those eddie's I'm expecting. The only reason why I accepted this shift gig from a third rate Fixer is because your ambitious aligned with mine." I grumble back.
"Whatever gets the job done, and the tech in my hands. Proxy should be sending you a shared about... Now!"
A drone emerge from it's cloaking capabilities hovering over head. It's rare to see this type of tech, especially floating around Watson. Hence the cloak. The drone drops the shard on the container crate which I sit upon. This place used to Maelstrom haunt, up until Maxtac swarmed this part of the docks, when a Maelstrom gonk ripped his friends apart in a bit of Cyberpsychosis.
Now scavs frequent the area. I avoid them, and they avoid me. It's a happy medium.
"Shard received." I said blankly readying to input the blasted chip. "If that's everything I really need to Delta.
Drake Mastiff- Call Ended.
My vision went blurry as the images loaded onto my retinas. Details mapping out the location and the head of security, what the tech looks like, and what time the exchange was meeting up.
"Arasaka is teaming up with Kang Tao to get at Militech."
"There just an ends to a mean, in the end they burn everything and everyone just to cover their asses, it's the Saka way!" Mottly said with anger swelling.
"Right you are, but c'mon we got a meeting to smash." I say trying to cheer him up.
Tiffany Dinner 2.8 Miles Outside of N.C.
This was Nomad territory, it's wise not to go crossing hairs and stepping on toes of the tribe and their head chieftain. Boarder Passing is always a bitch, they love pulling over helpless Chooms trying to enter or leave the city.
I for one aren't a fan of arrid weather, the humidity is just tolerable. But the rustic back drop isn't with out it's views that are ganic and natural compared to the neon hellscape of Night City.
"I told you to get the the A.C. fixed you ass." Mottly scolded.
"Fuck you bitchin about, your an A.I. construct attached to me by the hip." I let out laugh as I park my rust bucket.
"Yeah but you'd be lost without me. Sides you love me."
"Like a tapeworm loves EEZYBEEF."
"Fuk- Shush listen, there a lot of chatter south of the Border. First it's like static but the scanner begins to pick up the radio chatter.
'まもなく集合場所に到着します。地元の遊牧民が問題にならないという確信はありますか?'
"What are they saying?" I ask Mottly.
"Soon we shall arrive at the meeting point. Are you certain the local, Nomads aren't going to be an issue?"
'あえて私に質問しますか？ご注文は荒坂宏さんからです。私に質問することは、彼に質問することです！'
"Do you dare question me? My orders are from Hiroshi Arasaka. To question me is to question him!"
"Just who is Hiroshi Arasaka anyways, name doesn't ring any bells." I ask as we listened to the chatter.
"Hiroshi from my understanding. He's Saburo illegitimate son from his hidden consort born sometime before or during the fourth corporate war."
"So no one of to much concern?"
"An Arasaka is still an Arasaka, he might not be born from their 'noble' linage but he's still a dangerous person. You can say he's the head family retainer. He deals with the mundane day to day stuff the head family has no time for." Mottly informs me.
"But a dog on a leash, is still a dog on a leash? I shoot back.
"Doesn't mean his bite isn't any less dangerous. Now hush."
'Dispatch three armored Trucks are just leaving city limits.'
'Understood.'
Soon more foreign chatter broke through the speaker.
"当我们到达时，我想要绝对透明，荒坂不是一个公平竞争的人。但是他们来找我们是为了技术，所以我们占据了优势。
"Is that Mandarin? What it's mean?"
"Must be Kang Tao, one sec translating now!"
'When we arrive I want absolute transparency, Arasaka isn't one to play fair. But they came to us for technology, so we hold the advantage.'
Tap Tap Tap. Suddenly I turn my head to see a man in a tall hat, beige uniform with a golden badge protruding from his chest. Shit local law enforcement.
"Can I help you officer?" I say with a fake smile as I open the door partly with one foot swung out.
"You've been parked here for the last quarter hour, I'm afraid I'm have to write you a ticket for loitering. If you ain't about to enter this here fine establishment." He said with a wide toothy grin, the sun light reflecting from his shades.
"My mistake officer, I was on the Holo with my mother, you now how mother's are, love to talk your ear off."
"That's sheriff Lee to you." He said with a hint of superiority. "But alas mother's what can you do about them?"
"Exactly, my poor old Ma, she just worries. Told her I was going to the Badlands for a weekend, now bless her heart, she done gone bribe me with homemade Cobbler if I just turn back around."
"I'd take warm Cobbler over this dusty hell any day of the week, but what brings some one as young as you out these part's?"
"I'm photographer or studying to be one, just working on building an portfolio, so I can go off to a good school." I say retaining my lie air tight.
"Son, now hear me out it. It might not be homemade, but you get yourself a slice of Coffee cake and cup of Joe, you'll find that spark to find what you're looking for. Tell'em old Joe said put it on his tab."
"Mighty kind of you sheriff." I watch and waved him off as he got into his patroller car and peeled off. Walking inside the old diner, I ordered the cake and Joe just like he said and enjoyed my mid-day snack.
"Way to go with the local beat over here."
"Ah that, was nothing. Night City and the Badlands operate differently. Respect and common decency will get you a long way out here."
"Especially with the little part about you mother, priceless."
"Well can't lie about someone you don't know, can you?"
"Pose so."
"All I know is she left us when I was born. Dad always used to say, you can take the Nomad out of the Badlands but you can't take the Badlands out of the Nomad."
I quickly got those thoughts out of my mind, I couldn't settle with emotions while on the clock, once my hunger was situated I got back into my car and pulled out back into the long stretch of road. It was time to get to work.
A/N: Please read and review tell me what you like and where I can improve.