"Hey! What the hell is going on here? And why the fuck is my arm meat again?!"
"Fascinating."
Anders Hellman wasn't sure what to expect when he was called in today. The guard that came to fetch him told him that he had orders from the very top and that Hellman would be wise to obey. Never one to call himself a foolish man, Hellman followed.
When he saw the dirty-looking screaming man strapped to the chair inside a quarantined room, he thought there had to be a mistake. Or maybe Hanako was playing a joke on him for once. But that opinion changed when he was shown footage of a four-armed monster on the street of Santo Domingo, alongside news of a monster bursting out of a small clinic. A clinic that the man inside the room owned.
"He is not responsible for the monster. We have already confirmed that hours ago," the guard explained. "However, we also confirmed that his right arm used to be a cyber implant."
But it was purely organic right now. Hellman could clearly see that fact through clean glass.
"That doesn't answer why I'm here."
Hellman's work was supposed to be on the constructs. Arasaka wanted that done as soon as possible, as they always told him. And while he did find this new phenomenon fascinating, he didn't know how it related to his field.
"You have new orders. The constructs are to be put on hold for a moment. Whatever it was that turned that... doctor, into a monster, you are to find out. And if possible, replicate the process in a more photogenic fashion."
Hellman's eyes shot wide. "What? I've spent years on this project. It's my life's work. Why would...?"
"The orders come from the board itself. They cannot be ignored."
Saburo. Whenever anyone mentioned the top, it was always him they referred to. Even if Kei was technically in charge, everyone important knew that the old man still pulled all the strings.
But the guard had more to say.
"He believes that whatever this is might be able to help with your current project. Do not consider it a downgrade, consider it a new possibility. He wants to know if you can learn anything that could help with the Relics."
That certainly made the change in focus easier to swallow. Even if Hellman didn't like being moved, at least it was for a good reason.
"Call to ask for whatever you need. But it is suggested that you begin immediately."
With that said, the gaud left the room, leaving Hellman to figure out how to please Arasaka and figure out this new problem.
Inside the room, Doc was just pissed. He agreed to give a kid a Sandy (not that he would tell anyone here, he wanted that payday for himself), but he never agreed to pass out waking up with a stupid meat hand attached back to him. How did that even happen? Ha made sure to cut right through the bones when he got his implant all those years ago. This wasn't a reattachment, there were no stitches or scars. He couldn't have just regrown an arm. Could he?
Struggling in the stupid chair, Doc tried to focus on the current issue. That being his imprisonment. He knew that the Arasaka suits would come in soon to question him, but he wouldn't give them anything. Not for cheap anyway.
Spotting a drain on the floor nearby, Doc did remember a punch he had gotten earlier when he refused to cooperate. He could still taste some blood.
He spat into the drain, watching as the bloody saliva streamed into the holes. The blood went to the sewer, where it would also soon enter the city's water supply. Blood that was full of metal.
Santo Domingo...
The sandwich was... less than decent. That was the best thing that David could say about it. The produce from the store had been just as depressing as the cashier. The bread was pretty stale, and the ham was dry. Not to mention that David was pretty sure mayo was supposed to have a taste.
Still, it was food. And unlike the stuff he would get from the vending machines, David could actually feel something solid going down his throat. So it might have been shit, but it was at least useful shit.
"I have completed my task."
Alpha suddenly appeared in the chair across the table. David just raised a brow at him.
"What task? You didn't tell me anything about that."
"I informed you at the restaurant that I was constructing blueprints for new weapons. Additionally, I have also found the most suitable location in which to test the new machines."
"Really? Where?"
"The safest and most suitable location in Night City."
The Next Day...
The safest place in Night City was outside of Night City. David would have commented on that, but he was busy getting used to the new environment. This was the first time he had ever stepped foot outside the city. This was his first time stepping on something that wasn't concrete.
"Damm. it's hot out here."
"Deserts tend to be in higher temperatures."
"I know that. I should have just left my hoodie back at home."
A part of David considered just finding a spot to leave the black fabric, but he decided against it. Even if he wasn't inside Night City, he knew how easy it was for things to get stolen. He was used to seeing two homeless people fighting over things they didn't own. He didn't want to risk one of the few bits of clothes he had, so he just pulled up the sleeves.
"So what's the plan for today Alpha?"
"Keep going further, David Martinez. We must be out of the city reach before we can begin."
More walking sounded hot and annoying, but Alpha had a point. He was pretty sure the city walls had cameras, and he didn't want to get caught in them. So, being glad he bought a water canister, David continued walking. He walked. And walked. And walked a bit more. The sound of sand crunching under his shoes was the only indication of progress since Alpha didn't say anything the whole time.
"You may stop here. It should be far enough."
Stopping his steps and looking back, David realized that Alpha's definition of "enough" might not be the same as his. Night City looked like a model city from a distance. Like something that a guy with weird hobbies might make in his spare time. But since he was already all the way out here, he didn't see the need to complain.
"So what are we doing first?"
David allowed the warmth from the junkyard to course through his hands along with the circuits. In an instant, the black-and-gray metal gauntlets from before formed around his arms.
"Anything to do with these?"
"The time will come to test the capabilities of the arms further. But today, we will focus on the new blueprints."
The arms came undone. David was a little disappointed, but he was curious as to what Alpha had come up with.
"So what's first?"
"Another simple design. Close your eyes and focus on your legs. I will build the rest."
Wanting to see what came next, David closed his eyes and waited. It didn't take long for the warmth that previously enveloped his arms to spread down to his legs. And as the circuits took form around David's knees and below, he began to see what the machine would look like. Like the blueprints were being sent into his mind.
That's when they began to form.
Similar to the gauntlets from before, this pair of twin machines was very simple in concept and design. Just a pair of giant metal boots. But they added over five extra feet to David's height, and they both added not a lot of weight to his height.
"Holy shit..."
"These boots will serve a similar simplistic function to the gauntlets. They are capable of..."
"... is this what being tall feel like?"
Alpha paused. Out of all the responses he could have received from David Martinez, that was not one he expected. Though now that he heard it, he should have.
"These boots will allow for an increase in leg defense, speed, and agility."
"Agility?"
"Yes. Try jumping with them."
Jumping. With the giddiness that David was already feeling over his new height, he had plenty of energy to jump. So he took a few steps back, made sure the water canister was in his hand and charged forward a bit. When he felt that he had a good momentum built up, he stepped hard on both metal legs and pushed up.
And he went up.
David had never done all that great at PE back at school. Turns out all he needs was some good enhancement. Because not only was he clearing the school records, but he was pretty sure he just cleared some world records. The rocks from below all looked like pebbles to him from the height he was reaching, and he could feel the stronger wind on his face and hair from where he was currently.
When he landed back on the ground, both boots created small craters around themselves, digging fairly deep into the ground. Stepping out of the craters, David's feet wobbled for a second when the boots came undone and his legs returned to normal. He was too busy smiling to care about that.
"Woah. That was awesome!"
"I'm glad you think so David Martinez. And we still have more machines to examine."
David's smile reached both ears upon hearing that.
"What's next?"
"After reading through the history of your city, I realized that a purely offensive machine would be a necessity. That is why I designed these."
The warmth went through David's arms again. But it was different this time. Instead of encompassing his entire arms, the circuits only went from his elbows to his fingers. The heat was also less intense, but more focused around his palms. He realized why when the metal appeared and the machine formed itself.
It looked like gun turrets built directly into his arms. They were obviously black, and when David looked at them closer, he saw that the seven sights on each gun were all glowing red.
"Yo."
"Find a sufficiently large rock, and I will demonstrate the power of these firearms."
David did exactly that. Scanning around for a bit, he quickly found a boulder that would work for his purposes. Once he saw it, he aimed both arms at it.
"I'm aiming."
"Prepare for fire."
David could hear the guns powering up. And he immediately got excited.
The excitement was warranted. Once the guns started turning and firing, the boulder was already dead. Instead of bullets, it looked like the turrets were firing miniaturized lasers at the big rock. Each one tore and burned through the gravel, reducing it to scorching pebbles in an instant.
But just because the rock was gone didn't mean that Alpha was done.
"Activate the central sight."
The gun design had six sights going around in a circle, with one being in the center. And when he looked down at it, David could see that center sight glowing brighter and hotter than the rest.
"Do not stare at the light David Martinez."
"I wasn't!"
Pointing the guns at what was now rubble, David waited to see what would happen next. He got his answer when the area suddenly got a lot hotter.
Clouds of red flames shout out of the guns. They incinerated the rubble and left the ground as nothing more than a streak of scorched earth.
"A flamethrower?"
"Usage of the nanites, especially extensive usage, can lead to an increase in heat. Simple physics. As I do not wish to overheat your organic body from the inside, releasing the excess heat as energy seemed both functional and useful."
David had only half-listened to Alpha's explanation. The rest of his focus was on the fact that he had guns with built-in flamethrowers.
"You keep this up Alpha, and I'll have to call you a choom."
"I don't know what that word means."
"How do you not know what that means? Didn't you spend a whole night inside the internet?"
"Yes. But the word choom was not important enough to add to any official dictionary. I found one source for a definition, but it was untrustworthy."
That kinda made sense. David had never seen any of the slang he knew in any dictionary or word source. One of his old English teachers had said that slang didn't enter the popular consciousness until... something big. He always passed English, but it was never his best subject. Though it might have to do with the people who made dictionaries accepting the words.
"Choom is just another word for friend Alpha."
"Am I not your ally?"
"Pretty sure those are two different words Alpha. Also, you're just the computer ghost that lives inside my head," David explained. "But a few more cool machines might help to change that."
"If that is the case, I do have one more design to show you."
"Great. What is it?"
"I would suggest hydrating yourself first. You were very close to the flames moments ago. And this next machine might dry your throat even faster."
It wasn't until Alpha pointed it out that David realized just how dry his throat really felt. He tried swallowing some saliva, but that just made it feel stickier. So he took a chug out of his water canister and closed the lid when he was done. He tried not to let any of it spill.
"Ok. So what's next?"
"Watch your feet."
David looked down, and he saw the circuits and felt the heat appear exclusively below his ankles. And when the metal pieces began to materialize and click into place, David's eyes and smile widened to a great degree.
Once the machine was complete, David wasn't standing on the ground anymore. He was standing on a metal board that was levitating a foot off the ground. It was shaped like a wrench, with both sides having T-shaped ends. It had harnesses around his feet, likely to keep him from falling off. It was black with silver, and there were red lights and circuits all around it.
And David loved it already.
"You made me a hoverboard?"
"Essentially. There were online tutorials explaining how to create hovering vehicles. After seeing the board inside your residence, I adapted the technology and improved upon it."
Steadily and somewhat giddily, David began to move the board around. It seemed to respond to both his mental commands and the shuffling of his feet. If he thought right and trudged his feet right, the board would move in that direction.
"What kind of improvements are we talking about here?"
"Speed, distance, and height. That way if we are discovered, none of the enforcers sent after us will be able to catch up."
He had a hoverboard that was faster than a squad car. He could outrun the NCPD now.
"How fast is this thing exactly?"
"Unknown. Would you like to test that?"
David didn't even wait for Alpha to finish his sentence. He had already thrown off his hoodie, tossed his water canister on top of it, and focused his mind on a single thought.
Forward.
The board rocketed ahead instantly. David was caught off guard for a moment and did flail his arms a bit, but he soon regained his balance as he got used to the board's speed. And man, there was a lot of speed. His hoodie and water were too far away to even be specks in his eyes anymore. And it had only been a few seconds since he moved.
The same could be said for anything that he passed. Rocks, cacti, and tumbleweeds all disappeared from sight almost immediately after he passed them. His hair was blown to the back of his head, and his eyelids were kept open by the wind as he kept moving forwards. He felt the g-force and momentum of his flight through every muscle and nerve in his body.
He wanted more.
Without consulting Alpha or even fully considering it himself, David turned his focus to a new direction, shifting his feet to match.
Up.
The board instantly slowed down and rotated. Its front was pointed to the sky now.
"David Martinez, I have some concerns about what you intend to do."
David ignored him. Alpha had told him that the board could not only go faster and farther, but it could also go higher than any of the hover cars in Night City. And those cars were designed to go to the top of Arasaka Tower, which was 150 stories tall. Over fifteen hundred feet tall.
He was gonna beat that height.
Without stopping for a second to think about it, David subconsciously activated the booster in the back of the board. So he was now going towards the clouds at even greater speeds.
"David Martinez, there are many, many issues occurring here. I highly suggest stopping so that..."
"Shut up Alpha. I'm flying here."
And flying he was. He kept making pace toward the clouds that he had only ever stared at. The wind picking up in his ears cut out any complaints Alpha might have about his actions, and David preferred it that way. He liked Alpha just fine right now, but he didn't want anyone getting in the way of this. He was doing something that no one else in Night City was able to do, and he was going to be better than any of them.
"You wanted me to get to the top of the tower mom," David thought to himself. "Look. I'm going even further than that now."
Risking one look down, David saw a desert that was beginning to resemble a sandbox the further up he went. And that excited him. He wanted more. He wanted to go further. Higher. The flame at the end of the board was getting hotter and bigger, its power increasing to keep up with David's command.
In a corner of his eye, David could see the moon. And he wondered, for a moment, if he could reach it if he kept flying.
The board malfunctioned the very next moment. David didn't even notice at first. It wasn't until a small fragment of metal hit him in the nose that he looked at his board. A board that was breaking apart piece by piece.
"Shit."
The board was too damaged to keep flying. It broke apart completely. And that left David dangling in the air. Hundreds of feet in the air.
"Oh FUCK!"
David's outburst came just as gravity began to do its job and force him back down to the earth. The elation and excitement from before were turned to fear and dread as he started to freefall back to land.
And it was mixed with a little bit of annoyance once Alpha showed up in his fire ghost form.
"Are willing to listen to my suggestions now? Or do you want to try and see how fast you can hit the ground? Who knows, you might set a record."
"Screw you! How do I survive this?!"
Alpha simply shook his head.
"Point your feet down. I'll take care of the rest."
Trying the keep his eyes in his socket and his panic from overcoming him, David did his best to follow Alpha's suggestion. It was hard to be steady at all, but he could point his feet to the ground. That wasn't impossible. But nothing happened when he did it.
"Alpha?"
The ground was getting closer, and David still didn't know how he was supposed to survive this. He tried calling back the board, but the wind smashing into his ear and the dread in his chest must have been blocking him. He couldn't call for any machine.
"Optimal descent reached. Enjoy your landing David Martinez."
The big boots suddenly appeared out of David's legs. He hadn't called them, so it had to be Alpha. Which was fine, because that gave him a chance to survive.
But not unscathed.
Since he had already built up a lot of momentum on the way down, David didn't land on the ground so much as crash land. When he finally got to the ground, a crater was born among a cloud of dirt.
"ugh..."
David, his legs buried in sand and surrounded by metal scrap, groaned inside the crater as he tried and failed to move. Everything below his waist was sore, and his chest felt bruised from the landing. Not to mention that his hands wouldn't stop shaking from the rush, both good and bad, that he had.
He didn't want to move. And Alpha took advantage of that. Floating directly in front of his face.
"Perhaps next time you'll listen to my advice?"
"Shut up. Just let me suffer here in peace."
"Of course. I have plenty of things to do while you wallow in your own failure. Maybe I'll try knitting."
Groaning even louder, David hoped that Alpha would just go away. he didn't want to listen to the computer ramble.
But unfortunately, Alpha could be just as impatient as David sometimes.
"There is one more machine I wanted to present. Are you interested?"
David pulled himself out of the rubble.
"Sure."
Santo Domingo...
When David got back home, he was sweaty, dirty, and probably smelled like mud. He almost died, so he was doing pretty well all things considered.
He was also happier than he had been in years. He could only compare it to the little party his mom had thrown when he got accepted into Arasaka. he hadn't cared about the school then, but he was glad to see his mom happy. She even used some of her savings to order good food for the two of them. It had been a good day.
Today was a bit different.
"I take it you are satisfied with the performance today?"
"Very."
David let his back sink into the couch as he lifted his feet to rest them on the table. His mom would have called him a cochino desgrasiado for doing that, but he felt like he had earned it today. After all the exercise he just went through, sitting down, relaxing, and eating a possibly expired candy bar with a definitely expired soda was just what he needed.
"In regards to my question from yesterday, have you found a goal?"
David's joy turned to confusion as he stopped chugging.
"What?"
"At the restaurant yesterday, I asked if you had any goals for the future. Neither of us could answer. Have the events of the day in any way affected your answer?"
David hoped this wouldn't be a regular thing. He hoped Alpha wouldn't keep interrupting his good mood with sudden existential questions.
"No. To be honest, I hadn't thought about it all that much."
"It may be best to give it deeper through David Martinez. The funds left over from your mother will not last more than four months at best. And I do not believe homelessness would suit either of us. Believe me, it is not pleasant."
It didn't sound pleasant. While this apartment was shitty and surrounded by homeless people, it was at least a warm and safe space for him to sleep at night. He didn't want to lose that. But since he had no chance at getting an office job, he would look elsewhere for eddies.
"What about becoming a merc? We could do a lot with the machines you give me."
"Perhaps. But mercenary work seems a little..."
"Dangerous?"
"Mundane. And besides, not only would it take time to establish a reputation, but it could lead unwanted eyes in our direction. I don't need to inform you of the potential danger of our discovery."
"Experimentation. At best," David muttered as finished his candy and threw the wrapper at a random corner of the room. That was one idea gone. And to be blunt, it was the only one he had.
"Putting finance aside for the moment, what about goals beyond survival? Have you considered anything?"
"Can't come up with anything."
"Really? No desire? Nothing that you seek?"
There were a lot of things David wanted. He wanted to have enough money to not have to worry about it. He wanted to know what good real food tasted like. He wanted to know what it was like without the fear of death or theft hanging over him every day. He wanted to be able to live his life without feeling weak. He wanted...
He wished his mom was still with him. Even when she was stressed or pissed as all hell at him, she was able to help. She knew how to get through to him, she knew him. And she was gone. All because she couldn't pay for healthcare. Healthcare she needed because a bunch of gangbangers decided to shoot a limo on the highway. She was gone, and it was all because of the fucking...
David crushed the juice can in his hand as an idea suddenly popped into his head. An idea that he would have considered impossible and asinine just a week ago. But now?
"Hey Alpha? Do you think you could find someone in the city? Maybe a group?"
Materializing in front of David, Alpha's white eyes narrowed as he inspected David.
"That should be in my capabilities. Why?"
"Because I think I just figured out a goal for us."
This is where I will stop for now. David and Alpha have some more machines to use in the future, and both of them have a single short-term goal to work towards. Whether or not it will work out is anyone's guess, but it ought to be entertaining.
Also, in regard to the character of Anders Hellman, I don't know much about him. I know he's from the game, and I know he eventually turns on Arasaka. But as I've said before, I never played the game. So my knowledge is secondhand at best. Just know that he'll be playing a role in this story similar to Rylander from the show.
This may not be the news that you all would want to hear, but updates on this story are going to be slower in the coming months. The reason is that I am making progress in work IRL, so I'll have less time to focus on this story. I will definitely get back to it as much as I can, and I have no intentions of abandoning it.
Also, in case I didn't explain the gun weapons well enough, look up a character named Gargomon. That should give you all an idea.
In any case, please leave reviews, tell me what you all think, and I will see you all next time.
Bye!