First Steps
"Berkeley?" To say that David was surprised about that the letter was from the University of Berkeley was an understatement.
"We wanted to surprise you, but..." His amá drifted off before her smile returned again, the fires of happiness stoked alive again as she pressed onward.
"Your dad collected a few favours, got the principal to check your grades and -" The grin was something her face could barely contain anymore, pride bursting out of her every fibre. The mere sight of it made David's gut do somersaults.
"Decided to give you this stipend. Once you're done with Arasaka you'll be able to continue on at Berkeley which ever field you want."
David leaned forward his elbows on the living rooms dining table, processing what his amá had just told him.
He looked back up, trying to contain the revolution rising up at the sight of that thing's arm around her shoulders. The sea in that thing's eyes warm and shining with joy.
"Your mother and I, did some talking and we agreed that it would be best to broaden your chances for your future."
"Indeed, you'll be at the top. And the world would be your oyster. Free to live the good live the way that you want."
He remembered her hands on his cheeks, the moon growing ever further away behind her pale hair, tear stricken face. With his lucidity returned clarity and with it an irrefutable truth. He felt his cybernetic arms and legs of his exo and for a moment could've deluded himself into thinking they were one and the same. Fused together into iron shackles as the city dragged and pulled his body back down into it's jealous embrace.
"But you still have a dream to stick around for."
'What dream do I have?'
David rose to his feet.
"M-Mom what about a walk, I feel like I need to get some fresh air in you know."
"And you want it to spend with dear ol' me? I'm honoured. Desten, will be a dear today and take care of the housework while you and I," Nimbly his amá hooked her arm with his, her face bright. A sense of dread started to build up within him.
"Go shopping together."
'Fuck.'
-
David watched the house grow further and further away. The only flaw in that scene was that thing at the doorstep, waving them off with a grin on his face. He blew out a sigh he wasn't aware of holding as they rolled down the hill. Past the immaculate front yards, the grass green and wet unlike anything he had ever seen before.
'It's like I'm on a different planet.'
Slowly the greenery gave way to sandy hills and desolate rocky outskirts, funneling them into narrow, long and winding roads. Towards the steel towers growing ever closer as if rising from the very ground below. Stretching into the sky like grasping fingers.
'I had been there. Between the gaps but always in its grasp.' With tapping fingers and a rocking knee David steeled his heart, pushed the memories of that night into the depths and turned to his amá.
"So, that man?"
His amá sighed, her hands tightening around the wheel as they drove ever deeper into the waiting palm of the city. For a moment the car was quiet, only the noise of the surrounding traffic and the radio keeping them company, but when she spoke her brown eyes burned with an iron resolve.
"Desten Martinez is your father, David."
Almost immediately his mind leered back, revolution coursing through him at the very idea but his amá pressed on.
"He loves you. With all that he is. I admit he's rather, difficult with words but that's why he let's his actions do the talking. Teaching you to ride a bike, how to shoot a gun."
'We never did!' David felt like he would pull out his own hair the longer his amá went on. He had seen the pictures, but he knew these moments never happened.
'I've never experienced them!'
He had experienced the lonely times when it was just him and the empty apartment while his amá worked herself to exhaustion. Witnessed the quiet moments of sorrow where she thought he wasn't looking or paying attention, to see her shoulder slump and her face sag with an empty look in her aimless gaze.
With words already in his throat, he raised his head and felt his tongue die in his mouth.
There was smile with crinkled edges reaching all the way to her eyes. But it was her gaze that knocked his breath out. They were bright and lively with joy.
"Thinking back to that day, he was like a knight in shining armour from the old myths and legends. All dashing and stalwart."
He watched, mouth agape, as his amá giggled and swooned for that, thing. For that stranger that claimed to be his sperm donor.
'She's so happy.'
David's fingers scratched his palm, a series of emotion to complex swirled within him as his heart burned with a warmth he hadn't felt in a long time.
So he swallowed his words, bit his tongue until he felt a bitter coppery taste and smiled.
"In recent news, the colonization of Mars is in full progress. Director Dr. Strauss from Militech is optimistic that the first wave of colonists will begin to settle the surface at the start of January 2076."
It never ceased to amaze David. To witness the art of his amá's driving. Her sense of orientation was impeccable, guiding them through streets, avenues, alleyways finding impossible shortcuts in this maze of a city with the same ease as one would draw a breath.
A welcome distraction from the pulsating turmoil in his mind. He had listened to her stories and tales, how the stranger had saved her in the nick of time with nothing but a sword and she had to interpret for him because he couldn't speak the language.
"Really half of the people we've met at the beginning thought he was mad and the other half was scared shitless!"
It felt, nice. And yet as he was guided through the many layers past dead ends and loops of Night City, a heavy emptiness.
'She's happy, so why am I not?'
His unaugmented arms and hands felt light, fleshy and hollow. It reached deep into his bones and nested comfortably alongside regret and doubt.
David grit his teeth.
"Mom, why Berkeley?"
He licked his lips and pressed, knee bobbing up and down ceaselessly.
'Is it just Arasaka tower in a different paint job!?' The thought alone made him scratch his palm raw as he struggled to remember. To recall a single moment where he had a dream, a vision, a goal for the future he could call his own.
"You always wanted me to be in Arasaka, to be at the top of it so, why? Why now?"
They came to a halt at the plaza, the beating heart of the city, looming over them. He noticed the way his amá stared at Arasaka tower for but a moment.
'It takes exactly 15 seconds to reach the ground from the top of Arasaka tower.'
David kept his tongue intent on taking this knowledge with him to the grave as his amá replied.
"Because you are my everything mijo. And this city has a tendency to eat up everything from the people. Chew them through and spit out bones and blood. It's a maze, easy to get into but difficult to get out of." She bit her lip eyes flitting over to Arasaka tower again, before suddenly shaking her head, strands falling out of her messy bun.
"I want the best for you. To be at the top of the world. Living a good life safe and sound and happy. To live a better life than your father or I did."
She turned then, grasping his face between her hands, gently stroking his cheek with her thumb.
"And that's the thing. The thing that is most important, the most precious thing in the world is always going to be your happiness. Where ever you may go or want to do all I want is for you to be happy." David felt her fingers tap his chest where his heart was in a state of melting into its atomic components. His throat too clogged up to form a single word as he listened.
'When was the last time I was this happy?'
"Follow your heart and never know sorrow. That is my wish. So," She breathed deeply as if steeling herself and when she continued her eyes were soft and warm.
"If you don't want to go to Berkeley, it'll be okay we'll find something else! Your grades are great and you'll have plenty of other opportunities -"
She didn't get any further as David reached over and pulled her into a hug.
He had to stop her now. Now when his mind merely buzzing from the feelings cooking off inside of him.
"Thank you." Was all he could mumble out as he felt something running down his nose and eyes.
"I'll always be by your side, mijo. No matter what happens."
-
David walked the familiar streets of the plaza, aimlessly but uniquely light on his feet for the first time since he has come back in time. Beneath the light of the koi fish holograms, with a flurry of bright commercials assaulting his gaze where ever he would look, David walked amidst hundreds of others going about their daily life. Purpose beating soundly within his heart.
'I will make this miracle count. No matter what. This second chance I will live to its fullest!'
And immediately crashed into a familiar black haired girl rubbing her head in an exaggerated manner.
"Oh my! David! Didn't expect you to be so forward!"
There was a smile on Sasha's face, more akin to cat having caught her next meal, bursting with pure smugness.
'Oh god, she is one of these. Even her icon is that of a cat!' Hastily David moved to help her up dusting of the dirt without thinking to a bemused looking Sasha.
"Sasha? What are you doing here of all places?"
"Just wandering about, looking for some fun, fancy letting go of my hand?" Startled David followed her bluish-pink eyes to their the connected hands, his gently holding hers.
He let his hand fall to the side, giving her one last look to see if she was alright, only to see a slight pout on her almost as if she was disappointed by something.
"I know I had a feeling you were a gentleman but I didn't know you were the real deal." A smirk was quickly back on her lips. David could only shrug and sheepishly rub his neck.
"It's all thanks to mom, I suppose."
He looked at her taking in her strange strange right pink bodysuit with a raised brow. In his time with Maine's crew he had never encountered her nor had he ever heard of Maine mentioning someone like her.
Rolling his shoulders and broke the ice with an unsteady footstep.
"So you run with Maine's crew?"
Just saying his name David felt like he was peeling skin of his heart, the pain raw and deep.
'They're alive now. They all are.'
It was all he could do to focus himself.
"Yeah I do. Did your mom tell you about us? I hope it was only the good stuff." There was that look again but David didn't know what to make of it, excitement dancing on the tip of his tongue.
"No. I know -" David's eyes widened, air drew through gritted teeth before he hastily corrected himself.
"Y-yes she did."
Sasha merely nodded humming merrily as she slung her arm through his and across the park towards where the braindance club Empathy.
"How about we talk a little bit more over yonder, just the two of us for now. I'm sure Maine and the others would love to meet Gloria's boy."
"Just keep running." His eyes were, wide alive but empty. Dorio next to them, limp and bloody on the improvised funeral pyre.
David swallowed thickly, with his heart in his throat, a bright if bittersweet grin found its way onto his face. He nodded and let himself be led towards the club in the bowels of Night City.