Author's Note: I have a very hard time trying to think of something that could be a better alternative to Pyramid Song. It was a wonderful quest, and a beautiful point in the relationship between FemV and Judy. This is my attempt at adding some more thoughts and emotions on V's side to it, but I can in no way top that game experience because it was simply amazing. Thank you, the wonderful developers at CD Projekt Red.
WARNING: Contains elements of graphic violence, questionable use of hacks, as well as descriptions of sexually explicit nature.
Depths, peaks, and everything in-between
Spoilers for the Pacifica arc of the main quest. Set some time after "Piranhas are fish, too."
As I left Cyberspace and returned to the reality I had been much more familiar with, the first thing I felt was the cold. Everything was so cold. I felt like I was about to freeze when I stumbled out of the ice bath and onto the ground, fighting for quick, shallow breaths. The smell of burned flesh, some of it still sizzling, hit me quickly and hit me pretty hard. I looked around and I realized that I was the only one still breathing in the room.
Was it NetWatch? Was it Alt? I wasn't sure if it mattered. If it was NetWatch, then I was glad I decided to talk to that agent and see for myself that I was being played. If it was Alt, well, the gang's hope of finding some sort of mythical salvation beyond the Blackwall was as good as gone.
Even Brigitte didn't survive the overload. I took a good look at her. Even though her face was concealed in the recording Judy had found in Ev's head, I recognised the back of her head and her hairstyle. The attitude was there, too. If I weren't so damn cold, perhaps I would have felt relief. Or maybe it was the cold that made me feel very little, that made this sense of... cruel, yet vindicated satisfaction wash over me. I wondered what Judy would say if I told her about my adventures there. I definitely intended to do that, if an opportunity presented itself.
I hugged myself, feeling my teeth clatter. I had to keep moving, otherwise the chip could get damaged even further... or I could just plain die, and that really wasn't a welcome option. The servers that filled the underground room generated enough heat for me to finally stop shivering, but I was still far from alright. I knew that more gang members would arrive, sooner than later, alarmed by a lack of connection with their peers.
Without a lot of time on my hands, I gathered my equipment and took a coat from one of the fried VDBs to stop myself from going into acute hypothermia. I had to keep moving. I was moving through the abandoned maglev train when I heard a conversation between a few gang members. They were still in one of the maze-like halls of the underground, giving me some time to hide.
My passive translator picked up on their exchange, they were alarmed about the rest. I wondered if my 'guide' to Pacifica was amongst them. To say we did not get along was mild and diplomatic. Something told me I would have to get out of those catacombs over his unmoving body, and with that expression of utmost contempt finally wiped off his face. By none other than a ranyon, at that.
I made my way past the patrols. They were grunts. Gangoons like any other in Night City, needing something to kill or destroy, reckless without someone above them to exert control. But they didn't wrong me. Not directly, at least. But that hulking, brooding asshole? Oh, he was getting what was coming to him.
Finally, I felt warm enough to move and think comfortably. I made sure to seal the door that connected the chapel to the underground tunnels to keep the common gangoons inside. I didn't want to be interrupted, and I doubted they would manage to hack it before I was done with him. Placide was a man of very few words, keeping me on a strictly need-to-know basis for the duration of this job. He even forgot to mention that I got a virus from the VDBs to go with my mission. I decided to respect that and stop trying to have a conversation with him. Heard his heavy footsteps move towards the pillar I was hiding behind, so I cut off his motor functions with a quick hack. It was as if he got stuck in molten asphalt or quicksand, waving his hands to push himself away, keep moving, but couldn't. They infected my system with cyber-poison, so I decided to respond in kind. I could hear his pained groans, his features contorted with pain as the more toxic elements included in cyberware were released into his system. It forced his tall, imposing form to bend over in agony. His motor functions were gradually returning, and I had to pick my options quickly before my RAM was going to run out on me.
"I know you're here! You won't leave here alive!" he promised me, tearing pieces of wood from the pew as he staggered towards me, balling his massive hands into fists. I recalled the moment when he took me by my clothes and lifted me off the ground with unbelievable ease. I did not want him to get anywhere close to me.
I scrambled between the pillars and focused on applying the final hack. Perhaps it was cruel. It was definitely petty and an exaggeration, but it didn't matter. It was vengeance. As I finished applying the quick hack, his expression changed. He seemed almost... indifferent. No longer there. In a moment like that, watching was hard, but I wanted to make sure the deed was done
He growled, helpless and unable to resist all the pain, and grasped the backrest of one of the pews, shuddering as his body was giving up on him. Best netrunners in town my ass. There was still a chance he may have shaken out of it, so I drew my gun, just to be sure. Placide took his shotgun and rested it against the pew, the business end of the barrel was pointing at his head. I remembered the police recording I had found at Clouds when looking for Evelyn. How she threw herself around like a helpless doll, puppeteered by one them. How they kept calling her 'that whore', how she was just a tool for them, just like I was. I saw his finger press down on the trigger and I closed my eyes, hearing the shot ring out, quickly followed by the heavy thump of a lifeless body. For Evelyn Parker, motherfucker.
When I left the chapel after a few moments, the street and complex around were empty, as if the people of Pacifica had it drilled in them to retreat inside when certain things happened. My vision was starting to swim, so I quickly made my way to the transit hub and waited at the stop to catch a train away from that place.
Finally, one arrived, and I stumbled inside and sitting down with my side to the backrest as I watched the unfinished skyscrapers become more and more distant. Johnny was standing in front of me, rambling something about how the corps were ruining Pacifica. I wanted him to shut up and I couldn't quite focus on what he was saying, but I kept the conversation going, more to keep myself conscious and let it pass than to entertain his ideas about rising up to entropy itself, or something similar that only a rockerboy could have come up with.
Johnny finally left me alone after some good old-fashioned ranting, but I stayed on the train, trying to make sense of what I learned in Cyberspace, and what had transpired in Pacifica. I had the BBS address of a Night City legend gone... sort-of-AI? And I may have just made Mr Hands' business in that district a hell of a lot more difficult, plus now NetWatch possibly had their eyes on me, but maybe in a good way. I curled up on the seat and decided to head home. I really, really needed a nap, it was almost as if the sun slowly setting on the city was reminding whatever was left human of me that we had circadian rhythms for a reason.
I disembarked at H10 and took the elevator to my pad, leaning against the screen, half-conscious. I wasn't even hungry, because every time my stomach cramped with the need for some food, the image of Placide after he pulled the trigger pushed itself into my imagination. I wanted to wash it off. I wanted to believe that I've done the right thing by exacting vengeance for Evelyn. Most of all, I wanted Judy to hug me, hold me close, and tell me things were going to be okay. I missed her so much.
Home sweet home. I dressed down to my underwear and refilled Nibbles' bowls, before I decided I was going to go have that shower. Some time later, I was in bed and staring at my phone like a hopeless case. It was time to put on the cheerful V.
V: [Hey Judy, how's that super secret thing coming along?]
Judy: [Hey V! Getting impatient? ;)) ]
V: [You bet. Gotta prepare well for that one. I'm in bed for the night though.]
I just wanted to inform her about having called it for the day, I really did. After a moment I realized it may have sounded a lot more suggestive than I had intended. Fuck.
Judy: [Awwh. Long day?]
V: [Yeah. I just wanted to tell you I'm okay. And I've got news.]
Judy: [Wanna call?]
It would be such a joy to hear her, see her on the holo. But I really didn't feel like moving to put on some semblance of decency, and calling her half-naked would have been a worse case of cognitive dissonance than putting in ocular implants that mismatched with two different versions of firmware.
V: [Would prefer to tell you in person when we meet.]
Shit. What if she wants to come over? Pretty bold of me to assume she would want to, but still. Quick. Say something. Type faster.
V: [Hopefully soon?]
Judy: [First you need your beauty sleep ;)) But my plan is almost done. Got a wetsuit?]
V: [No, but I can get one?]
Judy: [Nah, don't worry. Don't want you spending eddies on some shoddy brand. Can't tell you all yet, but I'll tell you one deet – we're going diving!]
V: [What else should I keep in mind?]
Judy: [Jeez, chill, merc V. No guns, ok? More info tomorrow. Sweet dreams ;)) ]
V: [Can't wait. Sweet dreams, Judy]
They would be, if she was in them, I thought to myself. That smile, those hazel eyes, that cute voice... But what was she planning? Diving? No guns? I was too tired to come up with ideas about Judy's plan, but she lingered on my mind, and as moments passed, I almost regretted not calling her, not inviting her over. I started feeling selfish, needy, in the most basic of ways. I wanted her by my side, next to me, close to me. It wasn't just me being mushy. I didn't want the world to see me that way. I turned off the lights, pulled my blanket over my head and closed my eyes, taking a moment to guide my body back to the ability to form reasonable thoughts. And once I was capable of forming such, I pulled my cover down partly, listening to my own breath settle down.
Fuck, after the last few relic fiascos that I somehow ended up surviving, I needed to go and see Vik about it. I didn't even know if diving was a thing I should be doing in my current state, even if I didn't really mind getting my feet or my hands wet from gig to gig. Even if there wasn't much he could help me with when it came to making sure I was going to be safe underwater, getting a check-up from Vik never hurt. Whatever Judy was planning, I couldn't fail her. Not this time. Not after having a fucking nosebleed in front of Maiko. It was decided. Sleep, then a trip to Vik's.
I woke up feeling much better than the day before, and as I was on my way to the garage, Judy must have seen I went online on the holo because she called me. I could see her smile, and that made my lips curl up in a happy expression as well.
"Hey, V," there was something... cheeky to her tone. I couldn't quite place it, but I could tell she was in a good mood.
"Hey, Judy, I was just thinking when you were gonna call me," I replied, shooting her a smirk.
"Oh, so do I got amazing timing or are you always thinking about me?" she quipped. Was she... was she actually flirting with me?
"I could be cursing your name in my thoughts, you know. Or just wondering what that surprise is, the one you're not telling me, the super secret mission for a merc who said she'd do anything?" If she wanted to play a bit, I was definitely up for that game.
"Alright, alright... The dam past Rancho Coronado, know it?" she asked and I hummed in acknowledgement, "There's a cottage there, right by the water. Meet me there by sundown. No weapons needed, just a wetsuit, but I got one for you" she explained, but for some reason I felt none the wiser.
"That it? No more deets? Is this retrieval, are we diving for treasure...?" I asked, frowning more in concern than annoyance.
"You'll see. Are you in?"
"Well, I gotta warn you, I look great in a wetsuit..." I grinned at her in the holo.
She tilted her head to the side, shooting me a rather intrigued smile. I felt like I was about to come up in flames, "Believe it when I see it... So are you coming?"
What was she planning? Why was she being so obtuse with it? Wait... her smile, her tone... was she..?
"I'm in, of course I'm in. I don't go back on my word. But I gotta ask, umm... Judy, is this a date?" I asked, deciding to take a different angle in my search for information.
"You're gonna have to find out. We'll have to," she replied, smiling sheepishly, "I'll meet you at sundown. See ya, V!"
We disconnected and I let out a big sigh, leaning against the elevator as it arrived in the garage level. I saw Barry, my downstairs neighbour, come in with a box. He gave me a look and smiled, "Hey, V. Looking good. You been on vacation?" he asked. He held the box in a very protective way, which made me wonder what was inside. Or who.
"No, no. But I might take the evening off," I smiled, it was probably a lot more telling than I wanted it to.
"Oh... okay, okay. Have fun, girl! Oh and," he motioned for me to come closer. I did and he opened the lid of his box. Inside was a turtle, probably young, kind of small. He was munching on a leaf of lettuce.
"I'd like you to meet Andrew the Second. I don't care what Mendez says. And when you and I talked about him... I realised I really miss the company, so here we are," he smiled proudly and closed the lid, checking if the holes on the sides weren't obstructed.
"Hey, that's nova, Barry. I'm really happy for you and your friend," I smiled at him, "I gotta go, though, catch you later, man," with a wave, I left and found my car, getting in to make my way to Vik's.
As I drove, I couldn't help but wonder about what Judy said. We were gonna have to find out whether this was a date or not... I would have to find out. No pressure, V, just don't be a gonk. It was a challenge around Judy, and I really didn't want to fuck up whatever she had in mind. All the more reason to get a check up.
When I arrived, I greeted Misty, seeing as there wasn't anyone in Esoterica, not at this hour, I decided to have a chat with her, since she mentioned Viktor having a client. I had time to kill until sundown, after all.
"What's new, Misty?"
"Hey, V. Good to see you. Not much, really. Except for the fact that Mama Welles... I think she decided to adopt me. I keep getting invited over to dinner."
"Well, that's good, right?" I raised my brows, leaning against the counter as I took a seat on the chair across Misty.
She hesitated for a moment, "At first I thought she finally, you know, changed her mind about me. But she keeps making roast. I don't eat meat and she knows that! And she keeps saying I'm too thin."
"No wonder Jackie grew into such a big guy," I chuckled. Memories of him were always fond to me, even if he was gone. I looked at Misty and she nodded, though there was sadness behind her eyes, maybe bringing Jackie up wasn't the best idea, "What if you told her you can cook one time? Or suggest chili sin carne? It's still her cuisine, but you can both eat it?" I suggested.
"I just might. Who knows, maybe it'll be a compromise. Next time she invites me... maybe you could come with? Please, V, I sometimes feel she wants to smother me with her newfound affection for me," Misty pleaded and I nodded.
"Fine, sure. If I'm around and in a state to go, sure," I agreed, smiling.
Misty spent a moment looking at me, very, very carefully. She hummed and rested her chin in the palm of her hand, "You know... it's really interesting. You have a bit of a green tint to you. Green and orange," she said, and I saw her smirk. It wasn't something that occurred often.
"I'm... not entirely sure what you mean?" I raised my brow at her.
"Your heart chakra and your sacral chakra. These are their colours," she explained, as if that was supposed to tell me everything. Well, the heart one kinda did, "I suppose that Magician card I drew for you some time ago came to fruition," Misty spoke, a gentle smile played on her lips.
"Fruition is a big word. But, uh. I'll let you know. I don't wanna jinx it," I shrugged and put my hands in the back pockets of my trousers. She probably didn't need to know about chakras to tell I was acting a bit juvenile.
"Alright, V," she smiled, "I won't push you about this. Just... try and let your heart forget about everything that's going on. Let it thrive," she added after a moment, then looked over her shoulder, as Vik's previous client was just leaving the Esoterica.
"Well, that's me. Thank you, Misty. You're a treasure," I nodded at her and made my way to the basement. Viktor was watching a re-run of some boxing match, it had added commentary and there were a few retired veterans in the studio talking about all the techniques.
"V, still alive and kicking! Good to see you, girl. What can I do for you?" he swung on his stool towards me, leaning back against one of the counters.
"Good to see you too, Viktor. I'm here for a check-up. I wanted to see how things are, maybe just... don't tell me how fast I'm dying, okay?" I chuckled nervously. It was a topic I had trouble approaching, but laughter seemed to be a good solution for it, "I got a gig that involves diving, I wanted your opinion on that, maybe advice if you have any."
He nodded, then pointed to the chair. I took a seat in silence, letting the comfy syn-leather creak around me.
"Diving, you said. I'm assuming that's with some appropriate gear, not just jumping into the water like that, no protection?"
"I know a wetsuit is involved, so I'm guessing the whole thing, oxygen tanks and all," I shrugged. Judy didn't mention that specifically, but I remembered the gear she had at her pad, and that was some expensive, preem stuff.
"Then you should be fine," Viktor said, "Just be careful about oxygen supply and avoid fighting mutated sharks underwater, and you won't have any trouble. If anything, the water should be cold enough to keep the biochip stable. Of course, the diving suit will isolate you so you don't get too cold, but you know what I mean. Favourable circumstances, except for the water being completely unusable," he said as he pulled up his diagnostics and began the check.
"I see that Stephenson deck is coming in handy," Viktor raised his brows, then inclined his head, "And you have some pretty nasty things loaded up in there. Jesus, V..." he almost sounded uncomfortable.
I did not change my setup yet after going through Pacifica for answers, so I hummed, "I had a score to settle. With people who really did a number on someone's mind."
"Well, you know best how to do these things, if you think someone deserves that..." he said but I shook my head.
"I don't know if anybody does. But I didn't think about it in that moment. I just wanted payback," I frowned and felt my jaw clench.
Viktor just nodded and grew a bit silent for a moment. He must have been considering something seriously but his expression finally moved from a frown to a more neutral one, "I don't know how much longer you can go on, V, but whatever happens, don't let the Relic take you away from you. Not like this. Don't turn into a terrorist," he said as he finished his diagnostics run.
I never thought of it this way, not until he mentioned it. But what if he was right? What if my methods had been changing because of Johnny? What if there was more and more recklessness in my actions because of Silverhand acting as a psychopath prompter inside my head? Funny, Misty had just asked me to not think about death and everything falling apart around me.
"I won't, Vik. But thank you for the food for though. Appreciate it," I nodded and looked up at him. He nodded in return, showing that we were on the same page and on good terms, and that was enough for me.
"Well, have fun diving, V. Let me know if you find some old ship with ancient canned meat that's somehow still edible," he chuckled, offering a change of subject.
"I have no clue what we're looking for or what I might find, but I was told no guns, so here's hoping it's actually a simple retrieval. Maybe a bit of urban exploration," I shrugged. I still kept wondering what Judy had planned for the 'maybe-date-maybe-not'... "Edible canned meat, though? Damn, Vik, I didn't take you for that much of a risk taker," I shot him a grin.
He shook his head, chuckling, "Some of it was quite good, or so I was told by my grandparents. My grandpa swore by some sort of canned ham he'd put on his sandwiches, with pickles and all. Alright, I think I need lunch," my ripperdoc patted his abdomen and gestured quickly, showing I could move from the chair and that he was done checking my systems.
"Alright, thanks, Viktor," I transferred him the usual fee for a check-up, even though he tried to protest. He was a master of his craft and even though he never had too few clients, I wanted to show my respect to his skill and didn't think I needed or wanted any form of preferential treatment.
I left the clinic and said bye to Misty before heading out into the street. It was a clear day, not a common occurrence in Night City, but one to enjoy, for sure. I took that as a good sign. When I asked Judy whether our meeting was going to be a date, she didn't give me a straight answer. Heh, I scoffed at my own little joke. I wouldn't want a straight answer either... But the important bit was that she didn't deny it. After a moment of consideration, I came to think it was a good approach. A healthy one. Yes, there was something there... and I definitely wanted to see if we could... find a common ground in the matter, but making assumptions was bad. We'd have to see, just like she had said.
With still a few hours to kill, I decided to take it easy. I headed down to the outskirts of Night City, through Arroyo and Rancho Coronado. I busied myself with a simple job for the local fixer there – Dakota Smith. Something about drones that were getting intercepted, nothing that involved too much trouble, or getting my hands dirty, just some intel and observation, mostly. I was glad, because I really didn't want to arrive at the dam all bloodied and battle-worn. But I couldn't sit still either, so small jobs were keeping me sane, and keeping my thoughts away from trying to imagine what was going to happen at the dam.
I tried really hard to not assume anything. It's been a while since I'd gone diving, but swimming was pretty much like driving. Wasn't something I'd suddenly forget how to do... Besides, judging from the gear and approach alone, it seemed like Judy knew what she was doing, so she'd guide me, for sure. Maybe even take me by the hand, and then... I was being hopeless. Completely hopeless. I was glad it was almost sundown and I could start making my way to the dam.
As I got out of my car and approached a cottage with a small pier, I could see Judy. She was already suited up, sitting on the hood of a car, humming a song to herself. She seemed to be in a good mood and shot me a smile when I approached.
"Hey, V. Looking good," she eyed me up and down, there was... a certain boldness to it. Almost as if the past few days gave her time to think about something and come to a conclusion... maybe?
"Hey, Judy. Thanks," I smiled and joined her on the hood, leaning against it as I looked at her, "I try my best, despite everything," I looked around, "So... why here?"
"You'll know in a sec. I'm really glad you came," she grinned.
"Always happy to see you, you know that," I replied, the tone of my voice turning oddly soft as I looked at her. God, she was so cute in the way she looked away for a moment. Maybe I was being too forward, "So how are things at Clouds? Anything new with the Moxes?" I cleared my throat and decided to change the subject. That immediately made her turn more serious... maybe even sad?
"Nothing new. Nothing worth talking about, really. And the Moxes are Moxes, still there, they sometimes piss me off," she shrugged. Something was definitely off.
"Jude, are you sure you're okay?"
"Yes, V. I just don't want to talk about gangs, dolls, or the world going to shit, Arasaka, Militech, all that crap... can we leave it behind for now? Please?" she looked at me and I couldn't possibly say no.
"Alright. What's the sich, then? Why are we here?" I decided to agree with her. Besides, it was also what Misty wanted my chakras to do... if I recalled correctly.
"So, I found a way to scroll two actors' experiences at the same time," Judy began to tell, going into details about isolating certain sensations and setting up two neural tracks. I didn't exactly understand all this, but it sounded intriguing. And she wanted to involve me in it, so I was definitely interested.
"Okay... And now that you're actually telling me a little somethin'-somethin' about this mystery plan of yours... why here, out of all places? Is that cottage haunted or something? Yours, by the way?" I didn't really think Judy was the type to have a summer home near a toxic dump, but then again, she was full of surprises.
"This cottage used to belong to someone I know. I use it sometimes... But that's not important. We're gonna scroll underwater. It's gonna be awesome, you'll see. So... are you in?" I could see that hopeful uncertainty in her hazel eyes. They were begging me to say yes.
"No, we're not going in there. Forget it, V. Let's just head back to the city," was that... panic that I heard in mighty Silverhand's voice? Oh I could bubble with wild satisfaction at that realisation.
"Something the matter, Johnny?"
"Tell her to find some other yes-woman. Or get her out of that suit and hope she forgets about getting wet in other ways," he kept on trying.
"Wow, you can be so disgusting sometimes..." I sighed inwardly.
"I'm being practical. Why do women always have to drag everything out? Are you even listening to me?" he shook his head.
I looked at Judy, "Hell yeah, I'm in!"
Johnny threw his hands up and turned around dramatically, "Why do I even bother?!" I recalled those were the precise words his own ripperdoc had said to him, decades before. Oh, how the tables have turned...
"Okay, so, get suited up and I'll set up all the things," Judy moved from the hood of the car and up to her computer. I couldn't help but glance at her in that wetsuit. I instantly touched my skin above my upper lip. Thankfully, there was no blood coming from my nose. She looked incredible in that wetsuit. I wondered if there was some ulterior motive in her wearing that... and knowing I'd wear one, too.
I could always go behind Judy's van to change, not that I was a prude or anything... And we were both women. I really didn't have to make this more difficult than it appeared. I'd strip to my underwear and change into the suit while Judy was setting it up. No biggie.
"Do this often?" I wondered as I took off some of the outer layers and laid out the wetsuit.
"What, make other girls put on skintight wetsuits?" she quipped and I had to do a double take at her. She was smirking again.
"Meant diving," I replied, aware that I was giving her a bit of a 'hobo in the headlights in Heywood at night' stare.
"As often as I can," she confessed and turned back to the computer. I took off my trousers and socks and slipped into the lower part of the suit before proceeding to take off my t-shirt.
"As for the rest... I'm picky about my girls," she said, almost as an absent-minded comment, but it was to make me slowly inhale and tell myself that I wasn't asleep and this was happening. She could have meant girl friends. As in female friends. Girls. Not girlfriends... I could try to curb myself. Or I could try to see how she responded to something similar. After all, I saw her in the corner of my eye, glancing over her shoulder as I was putting on the gear. I didn't say anything, I didn't feel like I had to. Especially that I didn't mind her glances. At all.
"You're looking pretty damn fine in that wetsuit yourself," I complimented as I finished zipping up and walked up to her temporary BD battle station.
"Should see me in my MaxTac uniform. I won one in a bet. It's in my closed, waiting for the right occasion..." she gave me another one of those sheepish, yet not entirely innocent smiles, then looked back at the screen.
"Gonna hold you to that," I nodded. The game was on, and I didn't even realize the moment she pulled me into the little exchanges. I was glad that the water was going to be cold, I needed a sobering factor, because I could feel my hands itch with the need to touch her and hold her in my arms. But we were about to scroll a BD together. I had to focus.
"Alright, we're good to go, I see," Judy hummed and checked my gear, making sure everything was safe and working. We ran a few tests and made sure the hardware was fine, and then she put a BD scroller on my head, "Just don't descend too fast, alright? The currents oughta be safe, but let's keep close," she said and briefly caressed my cheek. I nodded, shooting her a coy smile, "I'll be careful," I assured her and she smiled, walking away to put on her own scroller and helmet on. I smiled and combed my hair to the side, so they wouldn't get in the way with the headgear on.
I jumped into the water first, Judy joined me after a moment, establishing a voice connection. I wanted to make sure I stayed focused, so I offered a subject that was less distracting but still very important. Besides, I was really curious about her response.
"BDs aren't just a way for you to churn out eddies, right? There's more to that," I asked as I started to find my bearings in the water.
"Of course not. Paintings, music, all of that is supposed to provoke an emotional response. But braindances are so much more, they're emotion in near pure form. And that's pretty amazing, if you ask me. Recording those emotions, shaping them."
I couldn't help to agree. The wetsuit and all the gear was pretty insulating, so I didn't feel how almost freezing the water was, but it was nice and cold, keeping my thoughts sober, as much as it was possible in her presence. I followed Judy as she dropped a few glow sticks, marking our path. We got to something like looked like an antenna, or some kind of a periscope.
"Okay, now we gotta check whether everything is working as it should. Circle around me, swim," Judy said and I nodded before moving in a sort of a circle around her. I couldn't help but glance at her from behind and I could almost hear her amused giggle before she spoke, "Oh, someone's enjoying the view."
"Because the view is great... But I better watch my oxygen supply. My ripperdoc told me to be careful and try not to wrestle sharks underwater," I joked, making Judy chuckle.
"Alright, now come here, I'll hum a song and you tell me what the title is," I nodded, knowing all too well that my humming wasn't very good. But I didn't mind, and Judy complimented me, the charmer she was.
"You ready?" she asked me as we both gripped the mast. I nodded and grinned, "I can't wait to see what you've been so mysterious about."
"Prepare to have your mind blown. In the best of ways," she sounded excited, and with the way we were synced, I could almost feel her smiling, even when I wasn't looking at her.
It was a surreal experience, to say the least. As we got closer and closer to the bed of the artificial lake, I realized that there was... a town down there.
"So, what do you think?" Judy sounded proud of herself as I looked around, my eyes wide and my jaw dropped.
"Jude... this is incredible... What is this place?" I asked, not even trying to hide how amazed I was.
"Our own, personal Atlantis," she chuckled, then proceeded to explain, "Around fifteen years ago this was called Laguna Bend. It got bought out and flooded, so folk had to move to the city or live elsewhere," Judy explained and let out a wistful sigh. I knew that this wasn't everything. There was more to this place for her.
"Did you... You grew up around here, didn't you," I connected the dots as I took a better look around.
"Bullseye, V. Am I that easy to read?" she scoffed, sounding amused. But there was a certain kind of approval for my deduction skills, there, too.
"No, I just... somehow, I felt that this place means a lot to you. Must be the sync?" I admitted.
"Well, you're not wrong... This is my neighbourhood. Or at least, it used to be, a long time ago..." Judy replied.
"How come you never came here before?" I wondered, looking at her as I joined her, swimming a bit quicker for a second.
"I dunno... it never felt right. I didn't have the time, the scratch, the gear, stars didn't align... Besides, would be strange to come here on my own, or with some rando," Judy admitted. Which by extension made me something more than a rando. I felt appreciated.
"Why bring me here, then?"
"This place is special to me. I have a lot of emotions related to this place. They're a mess. And the way you react to them will be pretty great for the BD, I think," Judy explained. That was actually a brilliant idea. Not anything simple, but that girl set the bar high for her craft, and I adored her for it.
We floated around the town, much like astronauts exploring some forgotten ruins on an alien planet. Except it wasn't that alien. Judy told me about the burgers served at the local diner, next to the house where she used to live with her grandparents. I could almost feel a trickle of tomato ketchup run down the corner of my lips when she mentioned how they were the best taste of her childhood. It took me back to my own hazy memories of family meals, of special treats we'd get for holidays. Of how I sometimes felt alone, far far away from everything and everyone, even though I thought I was pursuing a dream, actually believing in something.
I heard ghostly echoes of children playing, some of them having exchanges with Judy, calling her by her last name... All those little moments that were familiar, but somewhere far, far away, yet intimately close, the moment her memories stirred. I could smell petrol, it wasn't an unpleasant aroma, but it was weird to feel it fill up my nostrils just because I could hear cars passing by and children playing in the street, the unmistakable sound of roller blades on asphalt... The conversation between Judy and another girl, the turmoil in her heart, how she wanted to be noticed, how she wanted the girl to be her friend...when in fact it was her crush.
That was a gut punch. My own puberty was a constant battle of perception. How would I know if a girl was being friendly, just a friend, how would I know she was being interested without scaring her away? Judy must have felt that, because she motioned for me to swim away and head towards the church. I found it amusing how she said it looked as if it fell down from outer space... perhaps we were astronauts after all, and this was an alien exploration op. Something about reliving Judy's days of innocence made me feel like I was a little kid again.
Judy told me about how the bell was cracked, and it had some sort of an atonal sound to it, and as she described it, I could hear it, too... It was uncanny, how her memories, her emotions were bleeding into mine. I could tell that this was a big deal to her. And I felt honored that she decided to share it with me, choose me as her companion for revisiting her past.
We found a side passage into the church, and Judy told me how she snuck in and stood at the altar, wondering how the padre could possibly know so many things about the different people, then began to check the acoustics. I couldn't help but smile and took a good look around the church. The altar, the pillars, the pews...
"V, what was that?" Judy gasped, sounding alarmed, "It... it sounded like a shotgun blast," I could hear the fear in her voice. That made me realize that for a moment, I was back in Pacifica, and Judy's innocent childhood memory turned into my own recent nightmare of an encounter. The score I settled for Evelyn.
"This was... it was my memory. I'm sorry you had to hear that, Jude," I said quietly, my voice shaking, "It what I wanted to talk to you about... But now I don't know if this is the right time. It's your memories. Your childhood."
"V...? Did you... Please just tell me. I'm fine, now that I know it was just a memory," she replied.
"Are you sure?" I asked.
"Yes, I'm sure. Come on, don't treat me like I'm some fragile princess that will faint at the news," she sounded impatient, so I decided to share the news.
"I know who was behind the attack on Evelyn," I said, looking at her for a reaction.
There was a moment of silence as she processed before looking at me. She wanted to know more, "Oxygen's almost halfway... Let's head back to the shore," she said and turned around to head out of the ruined church, following the trail of glow sticks back from whence we came. Mostly in silence. I felt guilty for killing the mood, but the thing about synced emotions was that they couldn't be just turned off. And that memory was painfully fresh.
We resurfaced and sat down on the little pier in the suits, next to each other. I told her how I got to Pacifica, how I was given a really weird job by this guy who was contempt personified, with almost no deets on why I was doing it, how it turned out they were using me and gave me a virus. I told her about NetWatch, and how a fucking corpo helped me out of the VDB pickle. I told her about Brigitte, how I realized that she was the woman from Evelyn's scrambled recording, how the church was the same, and how something in Cyberspace caused the VDB netrunners to flatline.
"I could have just disabled him somehow, just let it go. But I kept seeing Ev, everything she went through, everything that happened to her... and I wanted payback," I admitted, my fists clenching.
Judy listened, nodding at times, humming. She was processing, this wasn't easy for her. At that point I was pretty sure that I ruined what could maybe have been our first date. I almost started to think that Johnny was right.
"I'm tired. I don't wanna head back to the city. We should crash here," she said finally.
"Stay where, camp out here at the shore?"
"No, V, at the cottage, here for the day. Or night, rather," she said, looking up at the darkened sky.
"Sure, why the hell not," I stood up and followed her inside.
The cottage didn't look as abandoned as I expected. It smelled clean, recently tidied, I think. There were blankets on the sofa and some packaged food on the counter... Judy had prepared for this. It made me smirk. Planning for different outcomes, was she? Shame I had to fuck it all up by shoving the story of my Pacifica adventure between our cute exchanges. Fuck, V. Such a talent.
"It's cold, I'll make us some coffee," Judy offered, "How do you take yours?"
"Milk and sugar, please," the morning ritual was supposed to be pleasant, not a mouth-contorting act of suffering.
"Going all in, huh?" Judy seemed like she was slowly moving on from what I told her. Or at least she sounded that way.
I felt that was the moment. I wanted to walk up to her and hug her, tell her something good for a change. The lights fizzled, making me think twice.
"There's an auxiliary generator outside, could you turn it on, please?" Judy asked softly. Almost as if she somehow knew what I wanted to do. We were still linked, and my heart skipped a panicked beat. Shit.
I quickly made my way to the generator and turned it on.
Speaking of harm's way, do you know what I see when I look at you? Walking, talking corpses...
The words Judy had said to Evelyn and me, that first time we met at Lizzie's, to watch the Konpeki BD. Why did they come to her? Was it because of what I had done? I rushed back to the cottage. Judy was nowhere to be seen, but the previously open bathroom door was locked. I knocked on it.
"Judy, are you alright? We're still synced, I heard you..." I said softly.
"I'm okay," she replied, but it sounded very flat. I wasn't convinced at all. She unlocked the door and I saw her, sitting on the edge of the tub, she just got out of her wetsuit and looked... completely down-trodden for some reason.
"Judy, what's going on? I heard that thing you said to me and Evelyn..." I sat down next to her, concerned.
"Clouds has... gone to shit. Tyger Claw nonecks took revenge for Hiromi and the rest. There was a firefight. Tom's dead. Roxanne barely got out alive. House's closed until further notice. Rather not talk or think about it. I didn't wanna tell you... Wanted this to be just our day, I-I wanted..." she explained, and leaned in closer to me after the last few words. Oh, Judy... Poor thing. I reached out to put my hand on her shoulder.
"Why didn't you say anything earlier? I don't get it," I gave her a pained look and moved my other arm, pulling her into a hug. She held onto me, shivering with anger and helplessness.
"What good would that have done? You'd just think I was blamin' you... Blame myself already. That's enough," she broke the hug but remained close. I could feel her warm breath on my lips. I wanted her to be this close. Even closer. It was going to be our day.
"Forget it, Jude," my hand moved to her cheek, cupping it gently, "You're right. That's enough. Let's make it our day," I whispered, moving my hand slowly along her cheek and chin, touching her skin without haste, just happy to be this close to her. She exhaled and looked away for a moment, leaning into my touch. She moved her hand to my wrist, and for a moment I was afraid that she was going to tell me to stop, but she didn't.
We laced our fingers and she stood up, pulling me with her. We shared a smile, only confirming that this was what we both wanted, and that there was no place we could hide from it any more. Her fingers moved to the zipper of my wetsuit and she pulled it all the way down to then help me get out of it. I was shivering, but it wasn't from the cold. She led me to the bedroom, sheepishly glancing over her shoulder from time to time, as if I was going to disappear, as if she wanted to make sure I was still there. The only thing I could do was smile back at her. The bedroom door closed behind us, the rest of the world out there could burn, for all I cared.
Judy walked up to me and wrapped her arms around me. We glanced at each other's lips, we both wanted it. I hugged her close and she leaned in to kiss me. Her lips felt so soft on mine, I kissed back, keeping my eyes closed, just to savor this moment. We spent a few heavenly moments just tasting each other's lips without haste. It was pretty obvious that this wasn't where were going to stop, but the fact we didn't hurry made it all the sweeter. We helped each other out of underwear and ended up on the bed. The sheets smelled fresh and clean. Abandoned cottage my ass. She prepared for this... and I loved her even more for it.
The night wasn't the warmest, and we were both still shivering, not just from the dive, but from the building excitement. It was as if in that one moment, everything became clear and obvious between us, and a boundary was finally crossed. We lay down on the bed together, cuddled up, idly exploring each other's forms, drawing lines on arms and back, and sharing more and more kisses. Every one of them felt like it lasted longer, felt bolder, more certain. The cold quickly stopped being an issue, and we both knew we needed more.
I wanted to put my lips in the crook of her neck, feel her arch her back and hear her breathing pick up the pace as I propped myself on one hand and explored her body with the other. I traced the symbols on her skin with my fingers, every letter of every word that was inked on it, every red string of the web tattooed around her breast. I felt her hand on my shoulder, the other in my hair, keeping me close, urging me on. I leaned down to rub my nose against her nipple before let my tongue have a taste of it. I could hear her moan softly, it was all the encouragement I needed, I knew I was on the right track.
I kept exploring her ink until I reached the stocking on her leg, moving along it with my thumb before my hand slid up along the inside of her thigh. I wasn't impatient, but there was no need to wait at all, I could feel she wanted my touch as much as I wanted to touch her. Besides, I would do anything to hear more of those cute sounds she was making.
I took my time. My wrist rocked in a slow dance with her hips, as I carefully watched her reactions. She was beautiful... Sensual... Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were half-closed and she kept looking at me, nodding to let me know I should keep going. I did. The room shrank even more. It was just the two of us on the bed, making the most of our night. I thought I was going to melt when I saw her arch her back and close her eyes as I felt her find her release. I let her ride it out before I moved back up to kiss her and hold her close, rocking her gently in my arms.
We parted for a moment so she could light a cigarette. She took a drag and offered the cigarette to me. I accepted, making an exception for the occasion. It did feel like a lot of tension just left me, knowing how she felt about me, at least for this to happen between us, without unnecessary words. I took a drag and exhaled the smoke away from her, but I couldn't keep my eyes off her for more than a moment. She looked at me with this uninhibited affection, and I smiled at her, completely charmed, happy, and disarmed.
Judy moved to straddle me, making my heart skip a beat. This was hot, extremely hot. She could probably see my eyes go wide, but I was the last to complain about that development and moved my free hand to her hip. She leaned in to kiss me, then shot me a grin, moving to my neck, and further down along my body, until she nestled between my thighs, making her intentions obvious. Misty was right. Judy was the Magician.
The night became a blur of touches, kisses, and whispers. We held each other close, and gave in to the pent up need, over and over again. I imagined that, quite a few times. But I never thought we'd both make it so beautiful. Then again, it was with Judy. I should have known. We found sleep, tangled up, sharing a blanket and a newfound kind of certainty about what we had. There was nothing to fear and nothing to doubt.
