It was like time stopped just for me. Night City stood still as the Caliburn's tires grabbed and pushed the pavement behind me. Anyone crossing the street knew to jump out of my way. I guess they finally learned that jumping IN my way never works out for them. For the last 24 hours the shard in my pocket has been the only thing on my mind. Today is no different.
Nothing around this scroll makes any sense and when that happens my curiosity becomes a freight train that even Panam and the Aldecaldos couldn't hijack. I could easily hand this over to Rita, collect my spec and be done with it but the last chip I spent this much effort on landed me in the crosshairs of the most powerful organization in the world. For her safety and against her wishes I have to see for myself. The way Kirk wouldn't let go of the chip made me uneasy. Cartels or not, he keeps the worst company.
At the most ungodly hour any night has to offer Judy answered my call. "Jude! Are you home right now?" I was hoping she wouldn't be at Lizzie's. Rita's on the clock tonight. "Yeah." She said. "What's going on?" "I need you to get your tech ready. I'm coming over." Judy asks, "What do mean? Wait! Did you find the scroll?" She knows me too well. " I'm about 99% sure. I need to confirm it but it's a raw BD and I need your skills." I guess she could hear the intensity in my voice and the squeal of my tires and said, "I'll be ready."
Sure enough by the time I made it to Judy's she had everything set up. I wasted no time. I hopped on the chair and grabbed the headset. Judy asks me, "Are you sure you wanna do this cause I don't think I am. I'm only doing this for you." I empathized, "I don't feel great about it either but what's on it is not important to me. It could be something as small as a conversation, a sex tape or fuckin aliens for all I know. What I do know is that this BD is highly coveted. If Rita is in some kind of trouble she is not gonna tell us." Judy couldn't argue with that. She'll be damned to lose another friend. "Ready when you are, V."
As I put on the headset we made a plan. I decided to watch in first person while Judy scans the area in edit mode. "Fire it up, Judy." The little light show on the LED flashers did their thing. Judy says, "Here goes nothing." My mind goes numb. I drift towards the light and,I'm in.
From the perspective of a man in a chair I see him reaching over to turn up a boom box in a sleazy hotel room. Judy (in work mode) asks "Want me to scan for an address?" I said "Nah let's see what's going on first." The new song by US Cracks and Kerry is blaring on the radio and I am using all my might to drown it out. Whatever is on this scroll, I'm not going to let it ruin this song for me. I focus on the excitement from the man when someone else in the room walks in my line of sight.
It was a young woman I didn't recognize standing in the center of the room like she's on display wearing almost nothing but a black leather jacket. She's smiling all giddy-like and twirling like a schoolgirl with a crush and giggling at every word he says. I was this close to logging out and accepting that it's just a porn until I got a good look at her. I noticed the glow of cheap neon light glistening on her porcelain skin. Judy gasps, "Is that, Rita?" Couldn't be. Her hair looks shorter and the smile is all wrong but I'm only saying that because she never smiles. I knew that it was her but I just couldn't believe it and neither could Judy who said, "I've never seen her like this. It's kind of freaking me out." Then I hear the man laugh and say "Do it again!" and my blood started to curdle. I know that voice.
In a high-pitched voice I definitely don't recognize she giggles and says, "Ugh! Agaaaain?" He pleads, "Yeeeess! Come on. One more time. For me?" She says, "Jake, I just did it." Judy asks , "Who's Jake?" I answered, "A lying asshole name Kirk. Long story." He continues, "You know I took care of everything. I did my part, called in the favors and pulled all the strings. It's in the bag. What's one more for me? Come on!" Then Rita with an evil grin and her hands on her hips starts to turn slowly to her right. Kirk begins to coax her "Thaaaats it. Thaaaats it." and I am dreading what's about to happen. I am essentially him so I can feel his excitement as well as what is going on in his nether regions. Rita turns away from Kirk and stops at an angle then bends over sticking her butt out as far as she can. She jerks her head back at Kirk and with the highest pitched voice she could muster she shouts, "TASTE THE LOVE!!"
Kirk was cheering but I sat in silence. Till this point I tried to be professional but I lost my composure and yelled, "WHAT THE FUCK AM I EVEN WATCHING?!!!" Judy chimes in, "I, Uh, I got nothing." That's when Johnny appears leaning on the wall behind Rita laughing so hard he can't even smoke. "Ha! I got to tell you, V. I did not see this coming. Ha Ha! Now, that's fuckin Shimra!"
Kirk pat his lap and tells Rita to come over. While slowly making her way over she dances and lip syncs to the song playing and nothing can wipe the smile off her face. Judy (stunned) says' "I always took her for a metal head." Kirk begins the smothering, "They're all gonna love you, baby. My team, the crowd, the bands, Everybody!" Rita (working her magic) hopped on his lap face-to-face and then wrapped her arms around him and says, "Fuck all them. I am in it for the Cracks baby. All the way."
Still smiling she stares into his eyes and straight into my soul. I asked myself if this could get any more uncomfortable. My question was answered when Kirk started rubbing her thighs and scanning every inch of her. "Easy there, choomba." Rita said with a giggle, "I told you we ain't going there." Kirk interrupts saying, " I know. I know. I'm just making sure I'm getting everything." Rita's expression changes. "Getting, everything?" I could feel Kirks panic and so could Rita when he says,"Uh, you know,like…." Then Rita (with a voice I definitely recognize) yells, "ARE YOU FUCKIN SCROLLING RIGHT NOW?" then reaches her metal fist back and POW! My nose was on fire. I guess Judy didn't catch it in time. I felt like I deserved it anyway. Rita reaches behind Kirks ear and the scroll ends.
I followed Judy over to her favorite windowsill where she turns around and asks, "What did we just watch?" I laid it out. "Kirk played her like a fiddle. Us Cracks just signed an endorsement deal with NiCola. They're promoting a contest to find a real life stand in for the NiCola girl mascot. The winner gets to go on tour with the band. Kirk must've convinced her he was a judge." Judy adds, "She must have thought she could tease her way to the prize. Damn. I guess she was too embarrassed to tell anyone she was a fan. She's always playing it tough. So anyway, why would he steal back the scroll?" I answered, "We can rule out blackmail. I didn't realize it at the bar but I saw it in his eyes. Rita was his obsession. I guess he stalked her to find out what hers was and exploited it. He wanted to keep the BD for himself and relive the good parts. Ugh, taste the love indeed…..Wait! Taste the……THATS IT!" I texted Jackie's secret ingredient to Claire.
Before we called it a night we turned to the window to get one last look at that damn city. I pulled out Evelyn's smoke case and lit one up. Judy says, "I didn't know you smoked." I took a puff and said, "I don't."
The sky was the color of a brain dance I never should've seen…….
The End