Chapter 39: Space Oddity
Far below the ground of Night City, Jericho, Hildegarde and Asher sat comfortably in the Laboratory. The magical place where Jericho created all of the technological wonders that new controlled the world they'd created. Only one little problem separated them from absolute victory and that was the European Space Agency. Following the Second Collapse and the Fall of Corporations, the ESA with its base of operations in space, had remained untouched by Janus and its control. The ESA's actual headquarters had been obliterated several months ago, having been blasted out of the sky by Janus' control over the many Mass Drivers that it had been able to commandeer from Arasaka. That hadn't stopped some of their top executives from relocating to the Crystal Palace, however. They couldn't blow the space station up either, since that would mean a downfall of terrible publicity from the world and a possible uprising against Monarch if they did.
The ESA also wasn't particularly happy with Monarch or the Crown for buying up every corporation planetside, either. Their earthly sister-company, the EEC, also didn't like the fact that London was currently floating around the world freely with a set of Mass Drivers of its own aimed at everything that wasn't British. The Soviet Union was caught right in the middle, taking neither side and attempting to reinforce itself after their own corporations fell to the Crown and ultimately Monarch. The massive country had fallen back to the stone age, unfortunately and offered no help to either the EEC or ESA. Their fears that another Corporate War would occur weren't unfounded either, the populace that rejected Monarch's absolute rule were also willing to fight back against the Monopoly that had been created after the Fall of the World.
Armed with this information, Jericho had a plan of his own. Janus would not only take over the Net, but the entire universe as they knew it as well. The Singularity would continue into its finality and Humanity as a whole would be ushered into immortality. The unknowns of their world would be known. The galaxy would be theirs to explore. The future shined brightly. But only if he was successful in uploading Janus into the Crystal Palace's mainframe and Inter-Planetary Relay between Earth, Mars and the Moon. Depending on how many reinforcements V decided to bring this would either be excruciatingly simple or somewhat difficult. His questions were answered as the elevator chimed and deposited V and his crew into his Lab.
V, Johnny, Rogue, Trace, Jackie and Squama all stood in the hallway. They all walked carefully down it and met up with Jericho himself. This would work nicely. Two teams, one goal. It couldn't be more perfect. Jericho just stood up and welcomed his new crew into his base of operations and got down to business.
"Hello. I'm sure you're wondering why I've called you all here."
"Uh, ya think?", Johnny mused.
"Well, I've got something that needs to be done in space, at the Crystal Palace. You've assembled quite a team, V. I applaud you."
"We're all here and we're all ready. What are we doing?"
"We are taking a trip to space. I need access to the Inter-Planetary Relay on the Crystal Palace. I am not expecting resistance, but you should be prepared regardless. We will fly onboard a Monarch Orbital Shuttle and dock with the station. From there, I will seek the Relay itself. The rest of you are to provide a distraction. The ESA controls the Crystal Palace and will not like intrusion. Janus will be unavailable there."
"A distraction? Like what, a drunken brawl in the casino?", Johnny noted.
"If you choose. You will most likely be caught and imprisoned for causing a scene, however. We will free you when we're done with our own business, so you needn't worry."
"Preem. I'll be drinking and punching rich gonks in their faces!"
"I suggest two teams. Johnny, Rogue, Crispin Weyland and Trace Santiago-Silverhand on one team. V, Jackie, Asher and Hildegarde on the other. I will go alone to the Relay."
"I'm in charge of you plonkers.", Hildegarde noted.
"Not arguing with that... Just don't get us killed for fun.", V added.
"I'll try. Really, I will."
V just shrugged. He'd dealt with worse. Him and Jackie were both Engrams and presumably had back-up copies somewhere. Asher was still human and Hildegarde would use her usual approach to things. If he died, then he'd just wake up back here, right? Same with Jackie. He was ready, regardless. Death was no longer an obstacle, but just an annoyance. This was what Jericho had planned for the world wasn't it?
"Before you say anything, Jackie. Yes, she'll put you on the ground. She's a lot stronger than she looks...", V whispered to his rambunctious friend. Jackie just pouted and looked sad for some reason.
"Preem. Legendary Merc leading us, I can't wait!", Jackie added.
"Yes, I am. Remember that.", Hildegarde added.
"Johnny Silverhand, you are in charge of your own team. You will do as you please. Enjoy the Crystal Palace. See the sights, enjoy yourselves and cause a distraction. V, you will be clearing security for me. I will require a clear and clean shot towards the Relay. Failure is not an option. Failure will result in a swift death via airlock."
"Noted.", Hildegarde noted.
"Preem, we've got the run of the place, then! Can't wait to bring my music to those rich fucks in space!", Johnny shouted. "Hey, you guys any good with music?"
"I can play the guitar.", Trace added.
"Drums are mine.", Squama added.
"I'm good with a keyboard...", Rogue noted.
"Great. Samurai in Space!", Johnny announced. That would actually be the perfect distraction. Nobody had seen that coming.
"Well, now. Now that we're all settled, prepare yourselves and meet up at the Spaceport tomorrow morning. I will not be waiting for you. If you are late, then you are left behind.", Jericho concluded.
V and Johnny just looked at each-other. Time to fly. Time for another heist. The really Big Leagues awaited them. Why exactly Jericho needed an Inter-Planetary Relay was unknown, but it didn't matter. This would be easy, well-planned, and simple. Get up there, cause a distraction, get paid, leave, and go live their lives as Legendary Mercenaries. Easy.
The group just gathered up and headed back into the elevator towards the garage. It was time to prepare for the most epic of heists. Not Arasaka, Not Konpeki Plaza, the motherfuckin' Crystal Palace! Jackie just stared at his own guns, La Chingona Dorada, the pair that he'd customized and used in his last big heist. V checked his Monarch 3516 and Archangel. Johnny spun his Malorian. Squama checked Prejudice, his custom sub-machine gun. Rogue just checked Pride and made sure it was ready for a gunfight if it happened. Trace just checked his Malorian Arms Overture. It was time to go. Time to fly. Into Space, the final frontier.
Inside the elevator, Johnny smashed the 'Stop' button bringing the elevator to a halt. Why even leave to go back to their homes? He had a penthouse on the upper levels of Monarch Tower. There was a shopping center just above the main lobby. The whole crew could prepare themselves and stay right here without missing their launch tomorrow morning.
"Why don't we all just stay here? I've got a penthouse.", Johnny noted.
Everyone just nodded in agreement before the Rockerboy hit the button for his penthouse level, causing the elevator to shoot up the shaft towards the upper-most levels of Monarch Tower eventually depositing them in the the humble abode of Samurai. Kerry, Denny and Henry were missing, a note had been left stating that the rest of the band had headed off into Night City to prepare for their next concert, which would be held at the Red Dirt once again. The next concert would be in less than five days.
"Hey, you think this is going to be a long gig?", Johnny asked to V.
"Nah, knowing Jericho, this is going to only take a few hours, days maybe. We'll have enough time to enjoy the sights before we're flying back down to Night City."
"In a spaceship, right?"
"Ya know, I don't really know."
"Well for your sake, I'd try not to piss off Hildegarde."
"Wasn't planning on it, but sure."
V just threw his arms up in the air and sat down on the couch in the middle of Johnny's living room. Jackie took a seat next to him with Johnny, Rogue, Trace and Squama on the other side of the rounded entertainment center. Rogue pulled up a holographic image of the Crystal Palace on the center holo-screen.
"Alright. Crystal Palace is the headquarters of the European Space Agency and Interpol. We're walking directly into a heavily guarded and near police-state utopia. I'd be on your guard. If and when we get caught, we'll be imprisoned and held for trial. Our trials will be short, and we'll subsequently be executed via air-lock.", Rogue noted, pulling up details of the toroidal station. "We'll be docking on the main ring, from my information, the Relay that Jericho needs is located on the central spire at the 'north' end of the station. It's heavily guarded both with soldiers and with 'bots. There's a security checkpoint when we land, so take any weapons that can be easily concealed. Using a firearm on a space station will likely get us all killed, so I'd use non-lethal stun rounds."
"How'd you get this information?", Johnny asked.
"Many of my connections have been planning a heist on the Crystal Palace for a long time. Ever since the ESA relocated to the station, those plans have been put on an indefinite hold."
"Preem. Long as we don't break any international laws, we should be fine."
"Yes, Johnny. That includes your proposed 'drunken rampage'. Keep to misdemeanors or petty crimes and we won't end up in jail."
Jackie just turned to V. He looked anxious for some reason. "V, this is huge. I just called Misty, she wishes us well. She hopes we make it out alive."
"We will, Jackie. And even if we don't, it's not like dying will even affect us."
"What do you mean?"
"We're Engrams. We'll just get uploaded into another body."
"Oh, right... Kinda strange thinking of it like that. I used to be afraid of dyin', now... I still am, but I shouldn't be, right?"
"We were human, Jackie. It's part of our nature. Fear death, because this is the only chance you have... Except it isn't anymore. We've become something greater... Something beyond human and Jericho planned it all."
"Crazy, right?"
"Yeah. Never thought I'd even make it this far, to be honest."
"So, amigo, tell me what happened with the Relic?"
"Okay... But it's a long story..."
V just sat with his best friend, Jackie Welles and recounted his journey starting with his awakening in the massive trash piles outside of the city and the many hoops he had to jump through with Johnny Silverhand stuck in his brain. He sighed and recounted the problems that the Relic had caused with his own biology and the time limit that had been imposed on him to find a cure. He recounted the assault on Arasaka with the Aldecaldos and then the life he lived with them for a few months before he met up with Jericho. He recounted the time he traveled with the Nuclear Nomad and the revelations that had been revealed. He sadly recounted his final assault on all of the corporations, his 11th hour betrayal, his subsequent exile and how he had been brought back kicking and screaming to Night City to become more than he had ever imagined. Jackie just sat in awe.
"You're a legend, V. We both are."
"That we are, Jackie. Even more when we crack the Crystal Palace."
V just stared off into the distance, staring at the skyline of Night City from the inside of the tallest building in the city. From where he sat, he could see far out and away from the city itself, the highways stretching out for miles and miles. Soon he would be even higher above the city and then the earth itself. Tomorrow, he was going where no street-samurai had gone before. The Crystal Palace.
The next morning was a busy one and V and his friends all climbed aboard another Rayfield Excalibur AV and flew over to the Orbital Launch Platform in Morro Bay. Everyone just sat in silence, they were all going together. To space and beyond infinite. As the AV landed, the misfit bunch of mercs stepped out and walked towards the massive arrow-head shaped orbital shuttle. Jericho and Hildegarde just stood waiting for them.
"Time to go. I hope you have prepared sufficiently.", Jericho noted.
"And if you haven't, well then that's just too bad.", Hildegarde sighed eyeing them.
V's crew just headed onwards onto the orbital shuttle. They had to prepare for zero-g and donned space-suits for the short flight to the station. The space shuttle was pressurized, but if anything bad happened, then having the space-suits on would prevent them from dying a slow death in the cold void. The only one not wearing a space-suit was Jericho, who presumably could function in an airless environment due to his nature, or he was just insane.
The entire crew buckled themselves into their seats and shuddered slightly as the shuttle was lifted up into a vertical position. A countdown began just before the orbital shuttle launched from its docking platform, the vehicle shaking as it flew higher and higher above Night City. V just stared out the window, Night City looked so small down below as the ground shot away from them. He soon could see the entire coastline, an object quite a bit farther south stood out to him; he could see the Albion and London as it continued on its route around the world. Soon a layer of clouds obscured his vision as the shuttle continued on into the black void of space. A few seconds later, V could see the entire US continent as the blue pearl he called home began to shrink. Space. He was in space.
"Hey, lookit that!", Jackie noted.
V just looked over, the Crystal Palace shone brightly like a jewel not far from their shuttle. The toroidal space station slowly rotated in geostationary orbit. Farther off, he could see the moon. They were nearly at their destination and he could hardly wait to set foot in the place. This was where the elite hid, where the legendary mercs went for vacation, and where nobody he knew back home had ever seen with their own eyes. It was beautiful.
"We'll be docking in a few moments. Asher had prepared our documents and we will be allowed access with our weaponry. We are ambassadors from the Crown and we are here to meet with the head of the ESA.", Jericho noted. V just sighed. He'd packed nothing but non-lethal stun rounds and only his Monarch 3516.
"Yeppers! I've got everything prepared! We're all set to have a fun time on the station too!", Asher exclaimed. "Oh, I'm Asher, by the way!"
"Hi, Asher.", the group noted.
"Cool beans! I'm a NetRunner, so I'll be covering us with a Veil. As long as you don't cause any trouble, we'll just be another group of Upper-Class visiting for pleasure!"
"How much trouble can we cause? Asking for a friend...", Johnny noted.
"Uuhhhmm... Not a whole lot? Don't kill anyone! Or steal anything! Uhm... Just use common sense?", Asher stuttered. "If you think it'll set off alarms, don't do it and don't blame me if it does!"
"Because if it is your fault, Asher... You'll be getting some new chrome when we get home...", Hildegarde noted, staring at the shorter girl.
"Eep!"
"Right, got it. Cause a distraction, but don't break any laws while doing so.", V noted.
"No, just don't get caught.", Hildegarde added. "You know how to fake an accident right?"
"Yeah, we can do that. No problem!", Johnny boasted. Hildegarde just stared at him.
"If you get caught by the authorities, we'll come and get you, but not immediately. You'll be fine eating prison slop for a few weeks...", the plum-purple outlaw mused.
Johnny just shut up, the last thing he needed was to end up in an interstellar prison for several weeks while everyone wondered where he'd run off to again. He didn't bother to tell anyone about this little heist and it would just look like he'd absconded to somewhere else again. Nobody would trust him and his reputation would suffer when Kerry found out he had been up in the Crystal Palace causing chaos like he usually did. Not good.
V was about to say something else, but the docking procedure interrupted him. The shuttle flipped sideways, its belly facing towards the outer ring of the station as it slowly began to dock with the long tubular entry shaft to the station itself. A few moments of intense shaking passed before the shuttle was locked into place on the station itself. Gravity began to affect them as the shuttle began to spin with the station as it orbited the planet.
"Time to go. I'll be in contact if you have any questions.", Jericho noted as he got up and just casually walked out of the shuttle and down the ramp that led into the mezzanine.
Hildegarde looked a bit worried for some reason, but followed behind Jericho. Everyone else quickly unbuckled their seat-belts and headed off down the corridor behind their two leaders. The entry shaft was a basic tubular-shaped walkway with windows overlooking their shuttle and the station itself. Gravity was weak and every step caused them to bounce slightly.
"Hrrm... Only thing separating us from the void is thin bit of metal and glass... What a way to go...", Hildegarde sighed quietly, V hearing her grumbling. She wasn't wrong, for as beautiful as it was to behold, they were incredibly vulnerable at the moment. Even a stray rock would send them hurtling off into the void never to be seen again.
"Are you afraid of outer space, Hildegarde?", V asked.
"Yes, V. Obviously. Aren't you?"
"So you can experience fear after all..."
"Taking the piss again, are you? You're the one who should fear the void, V. Since you cannot die like a human, you'll just live out there forever... All alone... Drifting through space... While your engram is uploaded into another body without a single memory of drifting aimlessly through space forever."
"Yeah... That would be pretty terrifying..."
"And your core will last for eighty-thousand years, too. You'll be awake for every moment of it as Earth gets farther and farther away... You'll go absolutely mental in a few months... I, however, will simply suffocate in the void and be spared of living forever in sheer nothingness."
"I'm just going to keep walking..."
V just shut up. Hildegarde was right again, even if she feared being shoved out of the airlock, her fate would only be death. If V went out the airlock, he'd just drift into orbit or worse, into deep space and never be found again. Jericho would upload the saved copy of his Engram into a new body and that V would just continue where he left off, living his life and doing what he did while in reality, he drifted through the stars like a satellite. He thought for a moment, how did he know that there wasn't already another V somewhere back in Night City? It would still be him, since he was an Engram. There would be no difference between the two of them and neither would believe that the other was the real V. In fact, how many times had he died? Had he died more than the few times he could count or were there multiple V clones lying in shallow graves around the world? He decided to stop thinking about this existential conundrum and focus on the mission at hand. As long as he thought that he was the real V, he was the real V and that's what he was, the real V.
Farther back behind V, Trace just looked around in awe. He had his Media Drone active and was recording everything he was seeing. The entry to the Crystal Palace was enigmatic and he could see both the shining jewel of Earth and the monolithic space station on either sides of the viewing ports. His parents walked along in front of him with Crispin 'Squama' Weyland just behind. Squama seemed nonchalant and didn't show much emotion, but his eyes were wide as they neared the entrance itself. Johnny and Rogue nudged each-other and conversed about how ridiculous it was for the two of them to have lived this long and gotten this far. Trace just continued to record, this would be for his own personal use, a memory that would never fade away.
Both groups just stopped as the main doors opened slowly. The whole group soon found themselves arriving inside the Docking Ring of the Crystal Palace, a zone that despite being the equivalent of an airport, was still lit brightly with neon signage and advertisements reminiscent of Las Vegas.
"Jericho! Do you know where you're going?", Asher asked as the cyborg began to walk off.
"I do. Let me do what I need to do. Have some fun. You'll know when I'm finished. Remember, we're technically supposed to be here on behalf of the Crown. Enjoy yourselves and do what you think is right.", Jericho noted as he continued off into the station. He soon disappeared and left the two groups standing in the mezzanine.
"Alright! Game plan. Me and Rogue are going to go and get drunk, gamble a bit, maybe cause some chaos and perform an impromptu Samurai concert.", Johnny noted as he pulled his own group off towards the Entertainment District.
"Right... So, what should we do?", V asked.
"We're going to use my reputation to cause a little stir... A spot of bother at the local merc hangouts. I'm sure they'll be incredibly pleased to see me.", Hildegarde noted directing her own group of gonks off in the opposite direction. The Crystal Palace was a huge place with multiple districts for various libations.
The two groups would split up for the moment. Jericho would be successful. Even if V wanted to chase down the cyborg, he had no way of knowing where to go or how to get there. Rogue's rundown of the station's layout had been brief and their mission was not to stop Jericho's plans. For now, V would treat this like a fun vacation. He had someone to find, after all... T-Bug...
V, Jackie, Asher and Hildegarde simply walked into the seedier area of the Crystal Palace, the floating utopia still had its bad parts as it seemed as they walked directly into an area that was vaguely reminiscent of the Afterlife bar only on a much larger scale. This ring was designed for Mercenaries and the hiring of said Mercs for various jobs. It also contained a smattering of various bars, pubs, nightclubs, brothels and hang-outs. Most of the establishments had signs posted that listed off various high-tier jobs that were located either on the station itself or on other planets like Earth, Mars or even the Moon.
Hildegarde the Genocider was drawing the attention of several dozen Mercs from various gangs as the group continued through the ring. She walked with a swagger in her step and made sure that all eyes were on her as she made her way to an upscale-looking bar with a large chromed-out bouncer standing in front of it. The bouncer just stared down on her.
"No entry.", the bouncer noted.
"Really? Even for me? I'm sure you've heard of me, haven't you?", Hildegarde sighed, cracking a grin.
"My scans indicate that you are Hildegarde. You were killed several years ago."
"Well, you're wrong... I'm alive..."
Hildegarde just grabbed the bouncer by the throat, heaved the larger man upwards and tossed him bodily through the front door, the larger man crashing onto the ground and drawing the attention of everyone inside. She simply stepped forwards into the bar, walked up to the bouncer and smashed her boot down on his face, partially caving his skull in. He didn't move and only twitched violently.
"Anyone else? I guarantee you, I am the real deal."
V and Jackie barely had time as almost the entire bar got up and began to approach them. These Mercs weren't like the Afterlife Mercs who had stayed out of direct conflict, instead all of them began to raise their weapons towards them. They'd just stepped on a hornet's nest as it seemed. Hildegarde just cackled as they ran towards her with guns drawn.
"Have you ever wondered why they nicknamed me The Genocider?", Hildegarde asked to nobody in particular. The Mercs just kept on coming, some of them with high-tech blades drawn as well. "Well, you're about to find out..."
Hildegarde just punched forwards inhumanly fast with her enhanced reflexes. None of these gonks had Chipsets, so this was going to be an absolute slaughter. Her first blow hit one of them squarely in the throat, the Merc falling to the ground gasping for air. Her second kick caved in the chest of another Merc, her foot nearly impaling the poor sod. Her third melee attack struck the next hapless Merc in his chest and face as she tossed him over the bar itself, a few bottles crashing to the ground as his body fell. She just pulled out her rail-gun and aimed it at the oncoming storm. One bullet fired killed one Merc. You got a bullet, he got a bullet, she got a bullet everyone got a bullet and everyone died instantly. Blood flowed freely. A sea of corpses lay in front of the plum-purple clad outlaw as she just stepped onto the fallen bodies and walked farther into the bar. V and Jackie just stayed behind cover for the time being. Asher stayed behind the two of them.
"Stop this!", a man called. He was Japanese, most likely from Arasaka judging by his outift and sat in one of the booths. "We know who you are. Why have you come to the Crystal Palace!?"
"Oh... Arasaka? I thought I'd wiped your kind out like a rodent infestation. But here you are, happily living in space..."
"I was Arasaka... I am nobody! I have no ties to them anymore!"
"Name? Who are you, mysterious Arasaka flunkie?"
"I am Goro Takemura. I am an exile... I run this bar and I send Mercs on jobs. I make my living and I wish for you to leave me be."
"Hey, V... Look, it's your old friend! Takemura, was it?"
"Goro? Wh-Why are you here? Oda said you'd killed yourself...", V noted.
"Vee... It has been a long time... You have caused all of this... I was wrong to trust you. But, nonetheless, you must leave. I have decided to do what I must to survive without Arasaka. And even now, Arasaka is gone... Killed by the Nuclear Nomad and his accomplice, Hildegarde the Genocider."
"Not going anywhere, choom. We're here on behalf of the Crown."
"I can see that, V. You have sold out to Monarch. The corporate rulers of the world. The same future could've been yours with Arasaka, but you refused. Why did you decide to give in? Why Monarch?"
"Had to, no way around it."
"Liar... Leave me, V. You are dead to me."
V just shrugged. Takemura was of no use to him right now. There was nothing he could do and there was nothing he could do to change the old man's mind. "Hildegarde, we should just let him go."
"For once, I agree... Let's let him live out his life knowing he was an absolute failure to everything he stood for... A punishment worse than death..."
Hildegarde just spat on the floor and turned around. Goro Takemura made no attempts to stop her. The old man just looked at V in disdain before returning to his drink. He'd take care of this mess in his bar eventually. For now, he had failed once again, this time letting his faithful mercs die for a pointless cause.
"A fate worse than death?", Takemura added. He pulled out his pistol and aimed it at the Outlaw.
"Yes. Dying is too easy for you. Give up, you had your time. Just let go and live in squalor like the rat you are."
"I suppose you are right...", Takemure just aimed the gun at his own skull before flipping the pistol around now aiming at Hildegarde and pulled the trigger. "I'll see you in hell!"
Takemura shot at the infamous woman, cursing the plum-purple outlaw, Hildegarde just stepped out of the way and returned fire, hitting Takemura in the face and blowing his brains out. Oh well, whatever, nevermind. Those wacky Arasaka goons and their Seppuku rituals and shit. Whatever. Who cares? She just stepped on the bodies again and walked out of the door where Jackie and V stood. A job well done, now onto the next bar to make her presence known to all onboard the Crystal Palace.
"Oh, oh! Can we go to the Hive? It's a NetRunner bar. I've got a friend who hangs out there and she's there right now!", Asher asked as Hildegarde rounded the corner.
"The Hive? Sure, Asher, why not?"
"Cool beans! You'll like my friend, she's funny!"
"Who's your friend, Asher?", V asked.
"Oh... It's umm... Tanya?"
"Oh... So, nobody I'd know, right?"
"Sorta? She used to go by T-Bug back in the day... Buuuut, now she's just Tanya."
"Cool. Beans.", V noted gritting his teeth.
"Yeah, I know right? Cool beans!"
"Eyy, Whatever happened to not killing anyone?", Jackie mused.
"We're in the Mercenary District. Don't worry, nobody important died.", Hildegarde sighed. "The local law enforcement will have this cleaned up before you can say 'bollocks'."
"Ehh... I'm not so sure, chica...", Jackie added hesitantly. They were supposed to be here on 'Official Monarch Business' and that didn't seem to be happening right now.
"You're an Engram in an artificial body. Why should death stop you? The only ones with their lives on the line are myself and Asher. Just cover us and shut the hell up.", Hildegarde chided. She wasn't wrong.
Jackie just shut up. He was supposed to be the 'Muscle' of the group. V was also here to provide cover. Asher was just Asher. They were following whatever the murderous outlaw wanted to do right now, and an impromptu mutiny was out of the question right now since Hildegarde would just kill all of them and if Jericho found out he'd probably just vent all of them into space remotely from wherever he was at.
Far across the station, at another popular bar, Johnny and friends sat in a booth and got absolutely hammered. Not only was the bartender taken aback at Johnny's odd resurrection, but after mentioning that Monarch and the Crown were here for 'negotiations', suddenly all of the drinks were on the house and top-shelf liquor began to pour down their throats like milk from the gods. Trace just stood up and postured around wildly to his Media Drone.
"Hey! Trace Silverhand here! Johnny Silverhand himself is live on the Crystal Palace! Is he here for a concert or is this justa look into the life of an international superstar!"
"Sit down and shut up, Trace...", Johnny sighed as he nursed his drink. It wasn't as good as what Monarch had to offer, but it still got him incredibly drunk. Rogue just leaned on his shoulder and Squama sat on the edge of the booth keeping a watchful eye out.
"Ah... Okay...", Trace noted shutting off his Media Drone and taking his seat next to his father. "What's the plan?"
"Get drunk and cause chaos."
"Oh."
"Or we just wait until V fucks this up and shit goes sideways like it usually does. Just wait until you hear the sirens and then grab something and hit the person next to you- Not me, someone else."
"Okay..."
"I mean, I'm too drunk to even remember half of the lyrics to Archangel right now. Just sit back, relax and think of Night City."
Trace just did exactly that. They were in space. He could see the moon from the window. He could see Earth and the tiny sparkling lights of Night City on the ground far below. What a world they were living in.
Meanwhile, back at The Hive, Hildegarde had just unceremoniously burst through the front doors pulling all of the attention of the patrons inside who knew who she was immediately and quietly tried to ignore her lest something bloody happened. They were all NetRunners, physical fighting wasn't their specialty. The plum-purple outlaw just nabbed a barstool seat at the end of the bar and ordered a drink. V, Jackie and Asher went over and grouped up next to her. Loud hard-bass blared through the sound system.
"So... Where's your friend?", V asked, looking around for the bald-headed woman who had sold him and Jackie out.
"Oh she's over there! Hey, T-Bug!", Asher called. A woman baring T-Bug's vague appearance glanced over, she had a fluffy afro-like hairstyle and wore an ornate Corpo-Style uniform.
"Asher? What the hell are you doing here!?", T-Bug replied in mild shock. Asher, her kinda-best-friend just sat and waved at her happily.
V and Jackie took notice and made their way over to their wayward coworker.
"Hey, Bug...", V noted casually.
"Long time...", Jackie added.
"Oh... Hey... V... Jackie... You're looking good. I guess everything went well for you?", T-Bug hesitantly noted.
"Yeah, about that... Let's have a little chat...", V stated pointedly.
"Over there...", Jackie added.
The two rather pissed-off edgerunners just grabbed T-Bug by the shoulders and heaved her out of her barstool and across the room.
"Look, it was just business! Arasaka had a better deal! You know this, V! You plotted against Dex with Evelyn, how'd you think this would go? It's survival of the smartest!", T-Bug stammered.
"Yeah. We know.", V and Jackie noted.
"Hey, there's no reason to be hasty... We could just-" T-Bug was cut off midsentence as V's fist met the side of her head knocking her silly. Jackie's fist then met the other side of her skull, the impact from the larger man knocking her onto the ground in a daze as V and Jackie's boots began to rain down onto her body. Hildegarde just stifled a laugh as she watched T-Bug get her comeuppance. The rest of the bar glanced over for a moment before turning back to quiet conversation as T-Bug was promptly beaten seven ways to sunday by her 'old friends'. The repeated punching and kicking briefly synced with the bassline of the loud music of the club with T-Bug' body used as the drumset.
"Uhm... Do you think she'll be okay?", Asher asked to Hildegarde.
"Sure... Probably. There are a lot of things a person can survive..."
Several moments later, V and Jackie returned to the bar, leaving T-Bug in a barely conscious and whimpering ball of pain and mangled limbs in the middle of the floor. They had been told not to kill anyone and they hadn't. T-Bug would learn from this, probably.
"Gimme a beer. Don't care what.", V ordered. The bartender just served him a lager. Jackie sat down and ordered his namesake drink, but had to tell the bartender what it was since he was unknown up here. "Shoulda fuckin' killed her..."
"Yeah... But... We all kinda survived in one way or another...", Jackie mused.
"Tell that to Dex."
"No, Dex should be dead."
"He is."
"Well, that's good."
V and Jackie just sipped their drinks sparing a few glances back to where T-Bug lay. The wayward NetRunner eventually regained consciousness and crawled away from her 'old friends' and into a booth on the far side of the bar. She deserved this, definitely, and just slumped down on the table to nurse her wounds. There would be bruises for weeks after this, but it was probably still better than being killed horribly in the middle of the bar.
"Hey, Hildegarde, any idea what Jericho is doing?", V asked.
"He's bringing about a new age, as usual."
"How?"
"Should've asked him..."
"Goddammit..."
V sighed. No way to stop this train. He was about to say something else when every alarm in the entire station began blaring. The front doors of The Hive shut suddenly, a large blast-door rising up from the floor and sealing them inside. A warning message blared from the speakers, the loud hard-bass cutting out and leaving everyone in a deafening silence.
"Lockdown Initiated. Stay in place. Please wait for further instruction."
"What? What the hell?", V asked to nobody in particular.
"It begins... The beginning of all things to end...", Hildegarde noted with a sighing breath.
V knew that Jericho had achieved whatever it was he was doing. He just didn't know exactly what that was and for some reason, he felt the need to do something about it, except there was nothing he could do since he was locked in a bar with Hildegarde. This was not what he had been expecting even though he actually was subconsciously. The only thing he could do was watch and wait and hope that the air supply wasn't suddenly vented, not that it would have much effect on him. Only time would tell.
Chapter End.