Yo, back with another chapter. I'm glad you guys are enjoying it so far, it's been a blast to write. If you wanna chat about this story or any others I've got, feel free to send me a PM on here or join the discord server. The server would probably be the easiest place to reach me or a number of other talented writers. I'll leave the link down below for you guys.
DeZrFBPH
As far as clubs went, Totentanz was far from being one of the most luxurious clubs in Night City but even still it drew in quite a crowd.
The first two floors seemed empty at a glance, but Cloud knew better. Maelstrom members were likely crawling through the area, watching, waiting to see who their next kidnapping victim would be. The elevator dinged, alerting him that he'd made it to the third floor where the actual party was being held.
Stepping out, the merc walked up to a single Maelstrom member and was promptly let inside. Even now when the sun was still out, the floor was almost at full capacity. Men and women both from and out of Northside were enjoying themselves whether it be dancing or simply knocking drinks back.
Cloud gently shoved a drunken man aside, ignoring the dirty look the man threw his way.
"Hey, asshole, what's the big deal?" The man slurred.
His posture was off and his body was seemingly having a hard time keeping him upright. The amount of chrome that littered the man's body also seemed to be hampering him more than it was helping.
Cloud's eyes drifted behind the man down to the stool where he sat. Across the bar, 8 empty glasses sat unattended with another having been placed by the bartender.
Any regular bartender would've cut him off long ago, but this wasn't a regular bartender.
"Hey, you deaf? I'm talking to you." The man continued angrily.
The merc could feel his irritation bubbling within him but he pushed the feeling down and continued walking. He could already feel some eyes on them from that little display. Stealth was the key to this gig. It would've been easy to cut that guy in two, but that also ran the risk of a gunfight breaking out.
Tattoos littered the man's arms, one of which was a large yellow-colored number six within a large skull. A member of the sixth street gang. A group formed by veterans, Cloud saw them as no real threat. However, if he were to start something that could make his everyday life even more of a hassle when doing jobs in their territory.
Ignoring him was the best course of action. He continued walking until he made it to the end of the bar which gave a good view of both the front door as well as the hallway that led to a staircase to the second floor.
The world around him shifted, changing from bright vibrant colors to an almost dark green with red lines appearing on any person or object he set his sights on. His optics traced the faces of everyone quickly, identifying them as a civilian or in the case of gang members, their identity and affiliation along with any bounties they might have on their head.
Most of the gonks in the room were worth at most 400 eddies, hardly enough to make him acknowledge their existence. He was sure if he took everyone in the room down he wouldn't have enough for a month's worth of rent.
His eyes kept scanning to no avail. Turning the scanner off, he began tapping his fingers against the wooden bar top while the bartender finished with his current customer.
"Never Fade Away?" The bartender asked, giving him a look out of the corner of his eye. "Nice to know the young ones are still listening to good music."
Cloud blinked before he realized that he'd begun tapping the main guitar riff of the song without having noticed.
"They were a good band. Ahead of their time I think." He replied honestly.
"That they were. Too bad their message flew way over people's heads." The man said with a shake of his head. "Anyway, what can I get ya?"
"Something strong but not overly so." He replied. His eyes took note of a small camera situated above the bar, slowly gyrating from left to right. Using his optics, he noticed multiple red lights aiming at different people constantly.
The bartender nodded and began mixing drinks together with practiced ease. Without even needing to measure, he began pouring into a large silver cup which was then topped with another before shaking.
The result was a dark blue drink served in a small glass with a single spherical ice cube.
"Here you are."
Cloud raised the glass in thanks and put a handful of Eurodollars on the countertop.
The bitter taste of alcohol assaulted his taste buds but oddly enough, the drink was smooth. Raising it up to eye level, he inspected the drink once more to see if there were any flecks that could give him an idea of what had been added for the texture.
Finding none, he downed the rest and gently placed the glass back on the countertop. "Good shit." He complimented.
The man smiled politely. "Always a pleasure to be complimented on my skill."
"It's well earned. If you don't mind, I have a question for you. I'm supposed to meet Tom Ayer here today. I borrowed some Eddie's a while back and today was the deadline to pay. Said to meet him here."
The bartender shook his head with what looked to be disapproval. "Classic Ymir trick. Let some gonk borrow money and then have them meet somewhere they don't have access to. He's somewhere on the fourth floor but only people on the list are allowed in."
Cloud looked in the direction the bartender was facing and saw a large man standing in front of a sliding door. He had a patch of chrome on the left side of his face and a large assault rifle hanging off his back.
"My guess, he's waiting for time to run out." The man finished.
"Let me guess. Even though I'm here technically I'm late."
Another nod. "That's right. That's how he operates. Typical maelstrom strategy."
Cloud raised an eyebrow at the man's clear distaste. "You're not with them?"
"Fuck no. I'd sooner chop off my cock before I joined those freaks. I only work here because for all the bullshit they do, at least they ain't cheap with the help."
Cloud nodded behind the man where a young woman was trying to wave him down for attention. Seeing another customer, the bartender excused himself before prepping some more drinks.
Pulling up his contacts from his optics, he scrolled down until he saw Sombra and quickly dialed. The familiar red window popped up in his vision, and the purple haired woman stared back at him with a raised eyebrow.
"Didn't take you for one to go clubbing. Could've at least invited me, you know I like to dance." She teased.
"I don't dance." He replied silently.
"We used to dance all the time before you met Gloria. It was a different kind of dancing but still."
Cloud sighed to himself but didn't let her words get to him. "It's the job for Wakako. I need your help finding Ayer. He's somewhere on the second floor, but I don't have the time to search every room."
The woman smirked and made chastising clicking sounds with her teeth. "A simple cyberdeck would have allowed you to do this yourself, you know? Give me a moment."
Cloud asked for another drink to keep the appearance of a man just having a sip intact. He couldn't look like he was concentrating too hard or it would arouse suspicion.
A 3D model of the building appeared in front of him although no one else would be able to tell. A single blue dot in front of a bar pointed at him while a red dot up above indicated Ayer.
"First room on the left after going up two sets of stairs. He's not alone, he's currently busy with a joy-toy." The woman said with mild disgust. Everyone was entitled to their vices but she could have gone her whole life without seeing chrome on someone's scarred ass.
"Alright. Loop the camera feed and cause a distraction. Anything to get the guard away from the door." He ordered.
"What then?"
"I'll sneak up, knock out the joy-toy and Ayer then make my way out. No one will know he's gone until it's too late."
Sombra nodded and began typing rapidly, a series of codes was reflected off her eyes and soon, she smiled.
"See the choomba on the dance floor? The one trying to get handsy with the pink haired girl?"
He nodded minutely.
"He's about to pick a fight with one of the maelstroms. Hack in progress…" she muttered.
Cloud kept his eyes on the man and stood up just as a spark ignited from the man's neck. Whatever cyberware he had installed had short circuited and the drink he was holding on his left hand was splashed on the back of another.
Unsurprisingly, the maelstrom member didn't take kindly to that and let off a hard left hook. It connected but wasn't enough to take his opponent down. He stumbled and crashed into another who shoved him elsewhere.
A domino effect began and soon more than ten people were throwing hands. A small circle formed with the men in the middle, each busy trying to take the other down.
Glancing to the guard, he almost smiled in delight when he left his post and bulldozered his way into the impromptu ring.
When the bartender looked back at Cloud to get his thoughts on the fight, he was surprised to see the merc had disappeared without a trace.
His footsteps echoed with each step on the metal stairs. His eyes were fixed upward scanning the vicinity for anyone who would know he wasn't supposed to be up there. He made it up the first set but quickly took cover behind a metal crate situated on the stairs.
Two Maelstrom members idly chatted about some bullshit as they walked by, completely unaware that someone was there with them.
He kept himself hidden until their steps stopped echoing in the area. Glancing up the stairs, he continued slowly until he finally made it to the door. Even with the slight vibrations and sounds of the people partying on the floor below them, Cloud could still make out the distinctive moans and grunts of two low lives going at it. One for money and the other because they could.
Gripping the door handle, he slowly began to turn and mentally shook his head that they hadn't bothered to lock the door. It was understandable to do something like this on your bedroom door but at a club? Foolish.
The Sandesvistan pulsed in response to his will. Every part of him jolted as the nerves and cells in his body adapted to the change around him. His body tensed and the world around him changed. Pushing the door open, he dashed inside.
His target and his per hour companion were unaware of what was happening. To them, only a split second would have passed but in reality, Cloud had infiltrated the room and knocked both of them out. Ayer was pistol whipped in the side of the head while his joy-toy was short circuited courtesy of Sombra.
The chrome powered down and the world returned to its regular speed. His right hand shot out and grabbed Ayer by the neck before he could collapse on top of the woman.
"Got you." Cloud muttered to himself.
Without care, he tossed him to the side and scanned the room for anything he could use to cover him up. The thought of carrying a naked chromed out junkie wasn't appealing in the least bit.
The only thing that could be of use was an old dusty cover being used to cover some crates. Dust filled the room once he pulled. His hands waved in an attempt to shield himself from the particles.
"What are you doing?" He heard Sombra ask in his head.
"Wrapping him up. I'm not carrying him butt ass naked on my shoulder."
Sombra rolled her eyes and cut their connection, though not before reminding him she'd need a cut for her assistance. She knew he had it under control.
Placing the cover on the ground, he rolled Ayer's limp body until he resembled an unappetizing burrito from a place down the street from his apartment. As if he weighed no more than a feather, the merc tossed him over his shoulder and exited the room.
Cameras around were still down meaning he'd have nothing to worry about until he reached the third floor. Fortunately for him, no guards were in the hallway leading back to the club. The bouncer was back at his post overlooking the area.
His eyes flashed briefly and a display window with lines of code began running across his vision rapidly. His vitals were still stable and his body was in perfect condition for prolonged use of his cyberware.
Setting the dilation of time down by another notch, he activated the Sandevistan once again. Time seemed to move slower than before. The dancing had seemingly ceased, however, if one were to look closely they'd see people still moving only now it was at a pace slower than a newborn snail's crawl.
Cloud pushed his way through the crowd making sure to avoid Ayer's head taking damage. Once he'd made it out the door, he was forced to speed up and turn the corner where the elevator was luckily already in position.
The world returned to normal just as the pair entered the elevator. The small pad next to the door only had one option available and that was to the bottom floor. The pad changed from blue to yellow as the option was selected and the elevator began its descent.
"Only one person on the ground floor Cloud." Sombra's voice echoed in his head.
Reaching into his pocket, his hand gripped an EMP grenade and pressed the button, holding it down in place. The doors opened with a loud ding, and he was on the move again. There was one more turn to make before he'd see the last remaining Maelstrom member. Pressing his back to the wall, he tossed the grenade around the corner and waited until he heard the familiar sound of an electrical shortage.
Without bothering to activate his chrome, Cloud dashed out of the building and across the street in less than two seconds. Making sure to stand on the side of the car where the sidewalk was, the passenger door opened automatically.
"We'll take it from here." The driver said.
Ayer's body was placed in the seat and buckled up. He was already wrapped up so the worry of him waking up and attacking was mitigated.
Cloud closed the door and stepped back as the car drove away. It wasn't until two minutes later when he was back in the driver seat of his car that Wakako gave him another call.
"Cloud. We've received Ayer in almost perfect condition I'm told. Excellent work. I can definitely see why Rogue almost has a monopoly on your services." Wakako praised with a straight face.
"I take my work seriously. As long as the Eddie's are worth it, you'll always have your job completed."
The woman nodded. "There was never any doubt. The funds will be transferred over within a few seconds, with a nice extra for a job well done. We'll be in touch. Contract, closed."
Within seconds of the holo closing, a notification appeared in his vision alerting him of a money transfer. In typical Wakako fashion, she didn't skim him on the money and he was now 22,000 Eddie's richer.
Turning the key, the motor came to life. The car vibrated as the power from the engine was beyond that of a regular production car. He looked above the stereo as he began changing stations and took note of the time.
Only two hours had passed. The impending trip with David came back to him and with a simple thought, his eyes lit up and the holo came to life.
A simple tune played while the call tried to get through until finally someone picked up.
"Cloud, good to hear from you again. What's going on?"
"Vik." Cloud greeted him with a light grin. "You got any biz going on tonight?"
The man on the holo shook his head and turned his attention away from him for a moment to type something on his computer.
"Should be a quiet night as far as I know. Why? You looking to swap chrome?" He asked in a serious tone. Vik was one of the few people Cloud trusted not only with his chrome but with the information about its origins as well.
As an established ripperdoc, Vik knew just how dangerous the cyberware he was packing was. Stressing the importance of being careful and knowing his limitations was a common occurrence between the two men.
Fortunately, Cloud wasn't the type to lose his cool by hearing the truth. He was fully aware of the risk powerful cyberware posed. If Vik gave a recommendation, he would follow it.
"Nah, I'm good with what I have. I'm hoping you can look at someone though. Won't bore you with the details but the kid went to a sketchy ripperdoc and got a military-grade Sandevistan installed."
The rising of the man's eyebrows was the only indication that the man had been paying attention. The glasses he wore usually kept his eyes well hidden, making it difficult to get a read on what was going on. If there was something that usually broke that facade, however, it was when cybernetics were involved.
"Have you checked it out yourself?" Vik asked with a frown.
"I have. The spine was ripped out and replaced with chrome."
"God damn it." Vik muttered angrily to himself. "It's half assed pieces of work like that that give us rippers a bad name." He replied.
Cloud let the man vent his frustrations, it was only fair. After all, Vik had been the unfortunate choom that had to listen to him in the past whenever jobs went wrong or clients tried to pull a fast one.
Vik took a calming breath and stared back at the merc with his usual aloof expression in place. "Bring him by tonight. I'll do a biometric scan on him and then see how badly this ripper fucked him up. You seen him use it?" He asked, referring to the Sandevistan.
"No. I know he's used it already, I just don't know to what extent. He seems coherent, no signs of cyberpsychosis, and he seems to be able to move without issue."
The ripper took notes on his computer and nodded to himself looking somewhat relieved. "Alright, that's good. I'll run a few tests and we'll have a better idea of what we're working with."
The blond agreed and nodded once in affirmation. "How much?"
"Let's see how much work the kid needs and we'll go from there. I'll see you in a bit."
The holo disconnected and Cloud was left to himself once again. There was still plenty of time before he needed to pick David up so he had a few things he could do in the meantime. He could see if Rogue had anything easy she needed dealt with, but that was unlikely. Stopping by Gloria's place was another idea but with her son present he doubted there was much to do.
His fingers drummed the steering wheel one at a time as he mulled over his choices. Now that he thought about it, his choices were rather limited. Putting the car in gear he decided to just head home and get a bit of sleep. With his job done and Gloria safe, the exhaustion had finally caught up to him.
xxxx
A couple of hours later he was awoken by the familiar tune going off in his head. Behind his eyelids, his eye color had changed to gold while the caller waited for him to answer.
Pushing the blue sheets off of himself, Cloud sat up and rubbed his eyes to get the small bit of built up crust out.
"Yeah?" He asked out loud, answering the call.
Once again Gloria appeared at the corner of his vision with a teasing smile on her face.
"Good morning sleeping beauty." She greeted, poking fun at his disheveled appearance.
Standing up, Cloud took a few steps to the bathroom and saw that his usual spiky hair now lay flat in some parts while others seemed to struggle to stay up. The bags under his eyes had diminished somewhat but the tired look on his face was still somewhat present.
The automatic faucet registered his hands under and let out a stream of water which he caught in his cupped hands. Leaning down, he allowed the cold water to splash over his face before wiping it away with a small white towel situated on a hanger.
"You tease me for listening to music from the early 2000s and here you are using references from 1959." Cloud said with a triumphant smirk.
"I don't watch it every day or use it to prepare for the day though." She shot back without losing her smile.
Cloud frowned, how did she know about that?
"Plus, you know exactly the year it was released? Someone a fan?" She continued.
"Nope. So what's up?"
"What time are you coming by for David? It's already 8:30."
The merc's eyes blinked owlishly. He'd only meant to take a nap for an hour, two at most. Tapping a small button next to his window, the blinds opened revealing the bright lights of Night City illuminating the streets below. The sun had long since disappeared over the horizon leaving only the night owls of the city to roam freely.
"Have him ready in 20 minutes. I'll be there."
The call died and after a quick shower and change of clothes, he grabbed a different set of car keys and made his way to the garage. Vik hadn't given a specific window of time but he'd rather not show up later in the night.
The car blasted through the streets of Night City. At this time, most people were already in clubs, bars, or with their joy-toys so he was able to make great time. The streets of Santo Domingo weren't bustling with life either and within minutes he was in the southern parts of Arroyo.
Megabuilding H4 came into view and outside with his hands tucked into Gloria's bright yellow EMT jacket, David stood waiting. He seemed to whistle at the car as he approached, no doubt unaware of who was behind the wheel.
Coming to a stop directly in front of the young man, the door opened automatically, much to David's surprise.
"Come on, let's go." Cloud instructed. He couldn't help but take a worried glance at the piece of chrome that was visible peeking out of the top of the jacket on his back.
David broke out of his stupor and quickly hopped in and buckled up. "You have a Rayfield Caliburn? Nova!" He said, taking a moment to inspect every part of the interior.
Cloud smirked, glad someone thought it cool. He'd picked up Gloria in it once and while she was definitely impressed with the speed, the attention it drew was a drawback.
For the next few minutes, the two men sat in silence, one enjoying the music playing while the other was focusing on the buildings passing by. Though they could both agree on one thing, the ride was awkward.
Cloud glanced over at the young man and decided he would act like the adult he was and break the ice. He was serious about the kids' mom after all, so might as well get to know him.
"So…" Cloud began before pausing. He hadn't thought of a question to ask. "How's school?" He asked lamely.
David's head turned slowly to meet the older man's gaze as they stopped at a red light. "I dropped out."
"Oh…"
An awkward silence once again fell over the pair. Cloud's one attempt to make a connection had been shut down instantly and now he was unsure of how to approach. This was new territory. Infiltration, capture, recon, assassination and the like was what he excelled in. Forming a connection with a teenager was beyond him at the moment.
To his relief, David was the next to ask a question. This one, he could answer.
"So who exactly are we going to see?"
"A friend who can hopefully fix you up." Cloud replied.
David hummed to himself and reached back to touch the cool metal that had replaced his spine. The feeling of the Sandevistan felt right. He could even use it more frequently than most of what Lucy said was to be believed.
"Did doc really fuck it up that bad?" David questioned. "I mean I can understand the spine thing but I really don't feel much different than before."
"Trust me. Once we're done here, the difference will be night and day."
The rest of the drive wasn't as awkward as the beginning. David's mind raced with the possibilities that this meeting would result in. All he knew was that it had something to do with his sandy, but other than that he was going in blind. He took comfort in the fact that Cloud also had one, and would likely know a far greater deal than him.
Cloud for his part hoped Vik could help. He was the best there was in his eyes, and if he couldn't help, no one could.
After a twenty or so minute drive to little china in Watson, Cloud parked the car along the sidewalk and stepped out with David not too far behind him. Being careful not to step in one of the small puddles, the two pushed open a small gate and found themselves in a well lit red light district looking area. Though in this city it was almost safe to say every area was a red light district.
David's eyes were drawn to a club on their left hand side where three very attractive women were dancing. Their clothes left little to the imagination and the way their bodies rocked from side to side captivated the young man.
"Not worth it David. Total waste of money." Cloud said as he began walking in front of him.
"I wasn't thinking of anything." David replied with a small blush staining his face. "And how would you know it's not worth it?" He shot back with a smirk.
Cloud looked over his shoulders and glanced at the women. "I went there once when I was younger with some colleagues. They said I needed to lighten up. Once you realize it's never leading anywhere the novelty wears off really quickly."
David could see the reasoning in that, but there was still one flaw in that logic. "This is Night City though, you know nobody gives a damn about rules."
"Knowing that, how many men do you think the women that don't care about the rules have slept with? Would you trust them to have been safe about it?"
It wasn't to say that all of them did it, far from it. But with the situation as bad as it was in the city, it was for both men and women to be convinced to do more than they applied for if it meant filling their pockets.
"I guess not." The young man finally replied. They walked further away from the club and turned into a small back alley behind a place called 'Misty's Esoterica'. There, they found an unlabeled white door which Cloud pushed open.
A set of stairs led downward to a dark room with only two sources of light providing any illumination. The first was at the base of the stairs where a man a few years older than Cloud. He wore a blue button up which had the sleeves rolled up above his elbows. David noted that the man's entire right arm was covered in tattoos he couldn't quite make out.
On his desk was a medium sized monitor playing what seemed to be a livestream of two large men in a cage circling around each other. Gazing upward, David saw a number of gold trophies each pertaining to a different period of time, but all of them for the same thing. Boxing. The man had golden gloves alongside 8 different cups.
The man was definitely built for the sport, at least at a glance.
"Vik." Cloud called out, getting the man's attention.
The man looked at the older blond and stood up. "Cloud. Haven't seen you in a while." He said, giving the man a firm handshake. "What happened to your partner? Heard you were rolling with someone these days."
Cloud nodded once. "He made his way to Atlanta. Looking to make a better life for himself."
"I see. So you're running solo then? Or is this your new partner?" Vik asked, looking over at David.
"This is the kid I told you about. The one with the Sandevistan."
David stood up straighter upon seeing the man giving him what seemed to be an appraising glance. While he seemed kind enough, Vik gave off a vibe even more imposing than Maine, and Maine was definitely one of the most intimidating people he'd met.
"David, meet Viktor Vektor, the best ripperdoc Night City has to offer." Cloud said.
"You can just call me Vik for short." The man replied with a grin. David held a hand out and gave the firmest shake he could muster. He had no idea if Cloud's words were true but just at a glance, the area already seemed much better than his ripperdoc. The chair on the other side of the room reflected light due to how clean it was. There were even a few robotic components attached to the chair that he wasn't really sure what they were for. What he did notice was that there was a lack of a bar to bite down on.
"David Martinez." The young man introduced himself.
Having gotten the pleasantries out of the way, Vik sat himself down and stared at David with a stern look.
"It's my understanding that you went to a sketchy ripperdoc to get a military spec piece of chrome installed. Have you had any problems? Nausea? Shakiness? Headaches? Visions?" The man questioned rapidly.
David shook his head but stopped shortly after. "I passed out after using it a few times after getting it installed."
"How many times did you use it?"
Cloud sat himself down on the metal table next to the screen and crossed his arms. He wouldn't say anything but he was definitely curious about the use. He himself could use his chrome plenty of times over the course of a day, though that could change depending on the time dilation that he set it to. David, according to him, didn't even know what he meant by that.
"I'd say about eleven times?" The young man replied in an unsure tone. He'd lost count already.
Vik and Cloud shared a glance and both men knew the kid was crazy.
"How long each time?" Vik probed.
"A few seconds at a time. I was able to keep it up for about a minute once, but after that I collapsed." David admitted.
That made sense to both men. The body was capable of a lot but counted on two things, nerves signaling to each other in tandem, and having an adequate amount of blood supply with enough oxygen and nutrients to keep the user going. However, when it came to people who were no longer completely organic, the amount of blood and oxygen needed would have to be adjusted. David's body had likely been in a state of anaerobic respiration which allowed him to move at incredible speeds but only in short bursts, that would explain why trying for longer than a minute resulted in his body collapsing.
"Alright kid, face down on the chair. I'm gonna run a biometric scan on you and find out just how bad the damage is."
Cloud pushed himself off the table, leaving behind his giant blade. Vik rolled over on his chair and began typing away on a small computer next to David. He gently reached over and had David jack into the computer in order to begin the procedure. Soon, the data began to appear on the screen and Cloud saw Vik's eyes beginning to widen in surprise.
"Jesus kid." Vik muttered. "How did your brain not turn to mush after using the Sandevistan the third time?" He questioned, not really expecting an answer.
"What's the damage?" Cloud asked, peering over the living legend's shoulder.
Vik muttered a few words under his breath and shook his head before continuing to type. His fingers glided over the keyboard, continuing to bring up schematics and opening up different windows with a multitude of settings in each.
After about two minutes of typing, he stopped and moved aside so that both Cloud and David were in his line of sight.
"Not as bad as I imagined, to be honest. In part it's because David's cyberware compatibility is off the charts. It's almost like the thing was meant for him." Vik explained. Briefly turning around, he grabbed a dark pink shard and handed it over to Cloud to insert into the port on the right side of his neck.
Putting it in the slot, an entire model of David's body appeared looking almost like an X-ray. The muscles along with the nerves were highlighted depending on what part you wanted to study. The model glowed blue before dimming down to only focus on the spine, which then had a label named "Sandevistan".
Compatibility 104%
"While his model isn't as advanced as yours, his body took to it much better than you did, and this is without proper calibration." The man continued. "Once we dial him in, I'm certain the drawbacks he faces now will drastically reduce."
Cloud almost whistled in amazement. He hadn't met anyone with the capability to handle such powerful chrome to this extent, even during his tenure in Militech. For someone so young to be this compatible was both incredible and worrying.
Incredible because his potential with the Sandevistan could match or surpass his own. Worrying because if word about this got out, there was a chance both Arasaka and Militech would try to get their hands on him in an attempt to make another or a new Adam Smasher.
"So, Vik." David called out, looking back over his shoulder. "Does this mean my body takes chrome well?" He asked, trying to keep any excitement from seeping into his tone. Vik definitely took his job seriously and seemed like if he even suspected someone would become addicted to chrome, he would terminate his services.
"No." He shot down quickly. "It just means your body adapted to this specific piece really well. That doesn't eliminate the threat of cyberpsychosis. Believe me, kid, it's easy to believe that you're special, that you can add all the chrome you want and be alright. I've seen it happen plenty of times and none of those people are here anymore."
Cloud nodded. He'd seen a fair share of people who believed they were the next big thing eventually lose their mind because their brain couldn't keep up with the information the cybernetics provided.
"Got it." David said wearily. He wasn't quite sure how Vik knew what his train of thought had been but he'd easily shut it down. His vision of having more cybernetics had shattered once he heard the seriousness in the man's voice.
"Alright let's see…" Vik continued. "For the time being we'll have your time dilation to 30% with a max time of 18 seconds. Once it shuts off, allow one minute for cooldown before using it again."
"Will that always be how I use it?" David questioned. On one hand he liked that he was able to use it freely but he also understood the dangers that came with it.
"For the time being. I'm making sure your body can react correctly to the change in time, though you'll probably need Cloud's help to get a feel for it."
"What do you mean?"
"What he means…" Cloud interjected "Is that you'll learn how to change the dilation of time by yourself. But before you do that, you'll need to have an idea of what the change feels like so that your body has a chance to adjust beforehand. That means how much blood your body needs to pump, the amount of oxygen to take in, things like that."
David blinked. He didn't realize that much stuff went into simply activating the Sandevistan.
"Alright let's do it."
Vik chuckled. "Alright, kid gimme a second."
Cloud observed as the man went about essentially programming David's body. He was relieved that he wouldn't need to break the news to Gloria that her son had irreparable damage.
In only an hour, the ripper doc had essentially saved David's life. Had the kid used his chrome for more than a year, he was likely to begin experiencing the symptoms of cyberpsychosis. And that was on the off chance that David didn't get any more cyberware.
The Sandevistan had completely replaced David's spine, meaning that the signals it sent to the rest of his body didn't have the organic limitations that the rest of his organs. Had Vik not calibrated the cyberware to work in tune with David's body, he would be receiving signals to the brain faster than it could keep up with which would result in added fatigue, nosebleeds, and stress. All of which slowly build up to the inevitable cyberpsychosis.
Other than calibrating the Sandevistan, Vik was also competent enough to adjust the young man's Kiroshi optics to better focus while the Sandevistan was in use. Although things like tunnel vision had almost become a thing of the past, not everyone would be fortunate enough to get their hands on a military spec piece of chrome that accelerated one's movements, in that case, if the optics weren't up to par the users vision could diminish in the process.
"How do you feel?" Cloud asked as he saw David flexing his hand and doing a few small hops after getting out of the chair.
"Incredible." David said with a grin. "I don't even feel the Sandevistan anymore. It's like I have my own spine."
The two older men chuckled to themselves before Vik spoke up once more. "Just remember the rules kid. One minute cooldown, though it's subject to change once you begin messing with the dilation of time."
"Got it." David replied. He turned to Cloud but soon froze in his tracks when he realized something and turned his attention back to Vik. "Um, how much do I owe you for this?"
"1000 Eddie's. Don't worry about it though, pay me back when you can." Vik replied while sending his contact information to the young man. "Come see me in a week to make sure everything is functioning properly."
David grinned and nodded. "Preem. Thanks Vik."
The man waved him off. "Don't mention it. Anything to stop a kid from ending up like most others in this city. Also, before you go.."
The living legend opened up one of the many drawers on his desk and pulled out a small orange cylindrical container with a white cap. Inside, about twenty-eight or so small pills rattled around while he moved about. Packing them in a brown bag along with what looked like a modified inhaler, Vik tossed them to David who easily caught the bag out of the air.
"Immunosuppressants." Vik clarified, seeing the look on David's face. "I've done enough that your body won't fuck itself up while the chrome is in use, but these will help your body accept the cybernetic implant a little easier. Take two pills in the morning after you've had breakfast, and take a puff of the inhaler once before you go to sleep for two weeks." He instructed.
David pulled out the orange vial and was glad that there were also directions on the label. He glanced at Cloud quickly and muttered thanks. Had he not brought him here, he would have gone about his day risking his brain being turned to mush.
The only sign Cloud gave that he'd heard the young man was a small inclination of his head. "Don't worry, I'm sure his mom will make sure he follows directions."
Vik laughed and took a seat back in front of his monitor so that he could finish watching the matches. He had a few eddies on the defending champion after all. Knowing there was nothing left to do, the two Sandevistan users said their goodbyes.
They climbed up the stairs and were once again in the bustling streets of Watson. This time, David paid the women no mind as he made his way back to the car. If he was confident about passing his test with Maine before, he was all but sure now.
"So what did you think of Vik?" Cloud asked, taking his spot in the driver's seat.
"Cool choom. Really knows his shit. Thinking I'm gonna come here from now on."
Cloud nodded once. Everything had worked out just as planned. Even though David would be rolling with Maine and his crew, he couldn't let him be without his own contacts. What if something happened to Maine in the future? What would he do then? No, if one wanted to make it as a runner in Night City, they needed their own network. Hell, if David showed that he had what it took, maybe he'd even put in a good word with Wakako and Rogue in the future.
"So where to now?" David asked. "Vik said something about you helping me with adjusting?"
"I think I can help with that."
Both men looked down to the car stereo. That wasn't a voice David had ever heard on the radio. Maybe it was some new interactive gig?
Cloud sighed. "Sombra. Why did you hack my car?" He asked in an exasperated tone. His hand let go of the steering wheel and unsurprisingly, the car began to drive in a different direction on its own.
"The best way to help the kid now, is with a custom BD." The woman said cheerfully as she stepped on the gas. It was not lost on either man that she had completely avoided the question.
"And where would we get one of those?" David asked politely.
"I'm glad you asked. There's no one better at this than my cousin. You'll meet her soon." Sombra's voice disappeared from the radio and was once again replaced with a familiar host detailing some new conspiracy theory about the trauma team.
Cloud leaned back in his seat and exhaled deeply. He was glad to have someone like her on his side but times like these made him question his choices in partners.
He supposed it wasn't all bad though, it would increase David's chances of survival. And if Sombra herself was present, that would be another connection for the kid.
"Might as well get comfortable." Cloud told him. "We're in her hands until we arrive."
David tried unlocking the door only to find it unwilling to respond. The older man wasn't seemingly worried so he followed suit and stuffed his hands in his pockets. On the outside, he looked somewhat uninterested, but on the inside he was anxious.
The first person he'd been introduced to had done an amazing job, and he could only wonder what this person would be like.
As he watched the large buildings pass him by, he spared a glance at the blond. All things considered, his mom had found someone alright in his book.