So, shout-out to A Terrific Acorn – they're one of my long-time… creators? Co-writers? I'm not sure about the terminology. But hey, they're a cool person.
This chapter took a while to do because I didn't really have a plan, but also… I really wanted to get the dialogue just right. I hope that comes across.
20:29 11th August 2089
Los Lobos St., The Glen, Heywood
In Night City, there was nowhere you could walk without being seen. Not on the main streets anyway. With the cops' Militech wyverns zipping about overhead, scanning everyone, it was hard to take two steps without your face coming up on someone's screen.
Kali took a drag of her cigarette and walked down the street, activating a failsafe brakes program on two cars and ignoring their blaring horns as she crossed the road. The building was a tall block of cement and iron. She stuffed her hands in her blue jacket pockets as the doors opened to the red lobby of the building. Autumn-orange lights and plush red seating – it was a step up from the Megabuildings, that was for sure.
"Excuse me, ma'am?" The receptionist looked up from her desk to watch Kali strut towards the elevator at the other end of the lobby. "Ma'am? Can I help-"
"Yeah, trim your nails and go fuck yourself," Kali said, barely turning her head as she opened the grate of the elevator and stepped inside. She activated her Kiroshi and, a moment later, the elevator whirred and began to ascend.
Kali began to examine her own nails before glancing up at the graffiti of roses and skulls beside a golden 'V' on the back of the wall. "Fuckin' Heywood…" Kali shook her head and turned back around to see the elevator slowing to a halt. She wrenched open the grate and stepped into the apartment – a nice apartment. Easily bigger than her place in the Megabuilding. So much of the room was just windows – so much warm and natural light. A punching bag hung beneath the wrought-iron staircase (he had a staircase!). Iron columns held up an upstairs portion, where Kali guessed the bed and bathroom was. She glanced to her left and, built into the brick wall was a small aquarium (absent of any fish, of course).
She walked over, spinning the back of a chair as she peered at the three screens set up around a keyboard. There was another staircase to her right, leading up to a bookcase and a beanbag chair.
A fucking beanbag chair.
Kali shook her head and sauntered back through the apartment, activating the large, flat-screen TV with a blink of the eye. Some ad about an Us Cracks tour – Kali hadn't listened to them in, like, a decade or more. She stood there for a moment, glancing back at the black L-shaped sofa before the TV and a coffee table, littered with magazines.
The walls were adorned with modern, abstract paintings, adding a touch of sophistication to the space. The floor was covered in a dark wood laminate that complemented the neutral color palette of the furniture.
Looking to her left, Kali found a small, but well-equipped kitchen. The counters were made of sleek black granite, with stainless steel appliances that included a refrigerator, an oven, a microwave, and a dishwasher. A small bar counter separated the kitchen from the living area, which was equipped with bar stools for seating.
She'd not seen a fridge in an apartment for a long time.
She walked closer to stroke a hand of the gold detailing of the fridge and nearby counters until she came to a large series of shelves. Probably for displaying bottles and, much to Kali's surprise, she didn't find any. Not a single bottle of tequila or rum or whiskey.
It was somewhat shocking, of course, but… well, it didn't change Kali's mind about anything. It didn't prove anyone has changed.
The elevator whirred and dropped back down to the lobby. Odds were that it was someone else arriving home, but… well, Kali wanted to be sure. She activated a remote control program on one of the monitors and after sidestepping a few firewalls, she was looking through the cameras, cycling through each of them as if she were batting an eye. Finally, she found what she was looking for – the receptionist stood at the elevator in the lobby, talking with a tall, burly man, with thick hair tied back and a great bushy beard. He held up a hand to her and shook his head before stepping into the lift and pulling the grate shut. She cycled to the next camera, in the corner of the elevator. She watched as Cas straightened his jacket and turned around to face the camera, giving a slight nod.
"Smug mother-" Kali disconnected from the cameras and walked over to the fridge, opening it up and looking through what he had.
The elevator doors slid open and Cas opened the grate, stepping into his home. He looked around, his eyes falling on the television, then darting back to Kali, at the fridge. "Are you watching that?"
"No," she said, closing the fridge door and idling over to the gold coffee machine.
"Well, y'know, if you ain't watchin' it, you might as well turn it off…"
Kali slid a small ceramic cup under the coffee machine. "Where's the other shit-head?"
Cas shrugged off his brown leather jacket, embossed with the red oni of Samurai, and tossed it over the sofa. "At Embers."
"Trust him to stay there on his own? Touching."
"Weren't my call…" Cas perched on the back of the shoulder and clenched his jaw, looking around the room.
"What's wrong? He leave you before you could fuck him over?"
"Enough, Kali…" Cas murmured.
"No, not enough," Kali said, storming over to him, "it'll never be enough. Not after the shit you did."
"I've apologised-"
"I don't want, or need, your fuckin' apology, Cas," Kali hissed. "We ain't family, we ain't friends. I've wasted enough of my time talkin' to you," she turned back around and walked over to the kitchen area, picking up the ceramic cup of coffee and taking a sip.
Cas sighed deeply. "You… you lookin' after Esma?"
"The fuck did I just say?" Kali scowled at him. "Keep her name outta your mouth."
"I just… I know I fucked up, I just wanna…"
"What?" Kali asked, her hand tightening around the cup. "Go on, tell me how you're gonna make up for it!"
"I'd try, but you ain't lettin' me get a word out!"
"Because I hate hearing your voice!"
"Yeah, and I hate-" Cas stopped short, closing his mouth and rubbing his jaw.
"Go on," Kali scoffed.
"I hate that this is the only way we-"
"That ain't what you were gonna say."
"Look, it's hard to keep calm when you're angry-"
"I'm not angry-" She struggled to bring her voice back down, "I'm hurt."
Cas nodded. "I know. I know I was…" Cas cleared his throat and took a deep breath, looking over to her. "I'm just real sorry about it. I'd been to war, I'd gotten this implant-"
"Oh, Jesus…" Kali muttered, tossing the cup into the sink and walking towards the elevator.
"Well, I'm sorry, Kal, but all I can do is-"
"Just gimme the fuckin' money."
"No, I just want to explain-"
"You ran outta chances nine years ago."
"I want you to understand-"
"Understand what, exactly? What difference do you think you're gonna make right now?"
Cas took a long breath and rubbed the tired bridge of his nose. Fuck, he didn't know what to say, he just… he knew something needed to be said. "I fucked up, Kal. Okay?"
"You fucked- big understatement." Kali flicked her tongue across her teeth.
"I'm just sorry for-"
Kali began to pace. "Wha- y'know, I'm sick of hearing you say you're sorry," she cast her hands over her eyes for a moment. "So fuckin' what? You think that changes anything? You deserve to feel 'sorry' for the rest of your pathetic life!"
"I know!" Cas barked. "I'm just… I wanna… I'm tryna put things right-" Kali cut him off with an actual chortle. "Best I can, I mean-"
"You're a piece of shit, Cas. Mom recognized that, so she left. Carlos ain't here with you – did he recognize that as well?" Cas remained completely silent as he stared down at his feet.
Cas reached into his pocket slowly and produced a small credchip. He reached out and offered it to her. "Take it. All of it. Maybe you and Esma could… do somethin' with it?"
Kali's Kiroshi activated, burning a bright orange as she scanned the chip. No visible malware, and it seemed pretty authentic. She walked over and snatched it out of his hand, marching back towards the elevator.
"I'm still your father, Kal-"
"You were barely ever a father," Kali cut him off as she wrenched the grate of the elevator open. She spun back around and gave one last look to the man's old, bow-breaten face. It was hard, keeping her voice steady, but she couldn't shake the flashes of her childhood. "I think it would've been better if you never came back from the war."
She felt a measure of satisfaction, seeing Cas' face crumple, shame and guilt and pain written plain as day in his eyes. She slammed the grate shut and thumped the panel, sending the elevator into a whirring descent. She looked back down at the credchip in her hand. That was the last she'd see of that bastard – she and Kali could leave Night City for good.
They could leave everything behind.
Opening the grate, Kali exited the elevator, barging past the residents that waited outside. She slotted the credchip into her port and looked at the numbers – she'd never seen that many zeroes before from a single job.
She could buy a house with Esma. They could live somewhere nice – maybe in Europe? By the sea – somewhere where there weren't landfills and smoke. Somewhere without the sandstorms.
A zero disappeared. Kali frowned – maybe it was just a glitch? She smacked her port and shook her head and watched as another zero disappeared.
"No, no, no, no-" Kali exited the front door and leant against the concrete wall, blinking rapidly as she watched the numbers disappear until a single zero remained. She hadn't just been hacked, had she? No… no fucking runner could do that to her – she was the best.
Arasaka? Double-dealing, scum-sucking megacorps always screwed over pawns. Cas? Well, he was a scumbag, but he wasn't good with tech.
Kali slid down the wall until she was slumped down on the floor, scratching the back of her dark hair. She couldn't have just lost that payment – not a chance. At that moment, the last zero disappeared and, instead, white text began to type itself across her vision:
THANKS, B3DBUG!
HEX
Well, that's this chapter done. Only two more chapters to go! Drop down a review of your thoughts and I'll see you for the next chapter!
R.
P.S. I have some roles open for when this story will continue, so, if you're interested in submitting someone, let me know!