That Berlin metro is something else. Seattle was supposed to be still kinda orderly in some places and the wagons weren't this clean or, more accurately, so little dirty. It moved fast too...Or maybe I've just fallen asleep.

Stepping out on Alstadt Spandau station, I've looked around and saw bright graffitti around doorframe leading into adjent room. Cartoonish bunny in a hat and stylized edges of a hole made it the rabbit hole if there was ever one. Walking into the nigh empty space I saw an arcade machine, very old type that was all the rave around 2020, model dragged all the way from Japan probably. To see it working and not stolen was curious. Unless...

Staring at the pixelated screen, there was a command error spouting about missing memory card. Huh...That front port looked ordinary to most but for a techie nerd like me who liked to hang around game arcades around London, this was not an entry point for any memory device.

Amsel's credstick fit perfectly though.

Pixelated 16-bit visuals are repalced by razor sharp sight of dim-lit office being cross of stereotypes about detective's and hacker's safehouse. Would laugh if not for grim circumstances and icy-cold stare from mathematically perfect-shaped woman smoking thin cigarette.

"We're on your dime, friend...Tell me what you're looking for." She spoken cooly, professional courtesy and nothing more.

"Adrian Vauclair. I need you to find him for me." I cut to the chase, making sure there's no way to swindle out or turn my words against me.

"The dragonslayer? Hmm...Haven't heard about him for a while." Alice replied and I've felt something ticking me off. She looked young, really young, but spoken as if she knew Vauclair personally for decades. Something was wrong in here...

"Funny you recognized him."

"Trivia is a hobby of mine." Alice shrugged, taking another puff of cigarette. During that motion there was a blink that shot right through my mind. It was a glitch really, a little something that my nerdy inner sherlock holmes of decking caught subconciously. Before I could stop my bad side, my cursed big mouth begun flapping...

"Speaking of trivia, Alice. I think I know who you really are."

"Oh? Well please do tell me." Alice grins with challenge that will cost me fortune and parts of body if I was wrong.

"There was a member of Echo Mirage Team, calling herself Alice. Real name Alice Haeffner. She supposedly died back in 2029 fighting Crash Virus but rumor says she still exists in the Matrix...And continues to live on as The Alice." I recite. God have mercy upon me, to remember so much useless stuff...I was a fan of that group honestly, would make hell of a vid-show about group of US-funded cyber-commandos fighting through, what later became the Matrix, against Crash Virus. At least, for enthusiasts like me.

Alice leans back in the chair and takes a long drag, insultingly prolonging the moment. "Cute theory. Unfortunetaly I don't think you have the money to cover for my service of debunking it."

"Duly noted. But back on the business at hand..."

"I'll tell you how this works, Raidan Wallace..." hearing Alice speaking my full name gave me mix of fear and anger. Recently, last person knowing it have died in my arms in undergrounds of Harfeld Manor. "When you'll give me a go-ahead, I'll start collecting information for you. Once I'm done you'll give me credstik encoded with encryption I'll give you and 50 grand on it. Not one nuyen less. Money for intel, you give you get. Clear enough for you?"

"Alright, it's a deal...Even Neo-anarchists like to kick up a price like old-world profiteers huh?"

"You should know best, serving five years in old-world army, aren't you Sergeant?" Alice's retort turnes me into sculpture. Okay, that's enough. Good game team, hit the showers. I'm going far away from that woman who knows things that my own mother wasn't fully aware of.

"Just ping me when you'll get the intel. I'll get the money you want." I cut this short and receive a triumph grin from Alice.

"I'll be in touch. Ta." Screen winked and went back to 16-bit sprites from before.

Feeling like my hair lost natural black and dyed red in favour of white after that talk, I've dragged myself back to Kreuzbasar.

"Did you made the contact?" Paul welcomed me.

"Yeah...Also learned to not poke the bear. Ever." I shiver at the thought of who else might be having a fat file on me. I hope nobody will ever mention that incident with a bowl of curry and ten bottles of root beer...

"I can imagine she was exhilirating, she usually is...What was her price?"

"Just my spleen and soul of firstborn...Fifty grand. And we need it fast I think."

"I've expected around this sum. Could've been worse." Paul failed to cheer me up "While you were gone I've arranged contacts with certain clients. Details about the contracts are on the computer...You might want a moment to recharge before diving in."

"I'll rest when I'm dead. Which can be really fast, all things considering..."

"None of that thinking, please. Rai we've already lost Monika and we will not pull through if we'll lose you."

Great, add the peer pressure, old man...

"I will ask around about Firewing, the old fashioned way through contacts and observation, not even touching the Matrix."

"Wise."

"Also, Mallit is working on recovering other discs from Winters. It will take time but it may give more clues about Vauclair."

"Here's hoping...I'll see you later Paul, happy hunting." I nod goodbye to the fixer and with cup of coffee in hand I seat myself in front of the console, beginning to scroll down the list of available jobs.

"One more thing before I'll leave, Rai..." Amsel's voice made me twist my neck and look at him. "Samuel Beckenbauer asked me to relay that he has a job for you but will discuss it only with you."

His worried gaze made me realize he recalled last time somebody wanted to deal around Amsel and Monika died.

"This guy is solid, not the sleazy type like Winters. He runs a shelter and helped an addict I've picked up from Drogenkippe. After donating him some cash for his shelter he wants to be my best friend." I explain, trying to ease Paul up.

"That's a relief but still-"

"I'm watching my surroundings Paul. And I'm not going onto any mission without ironing out details with you and the team."

Amsel nods, little more relaxed than before and leaves safehouse. Sometimes I've forgot he had actual home, unlike rest of us.

Opening the menu again I see glowing icon of incoming message. Opening and seeing sender labeled as *WITHELD* I want to withold myself from opening this sure can of worms but...I need money and if they're paying...

Uh-huh. Uhhh-huh...Cafe Cezve, Luca Duerr...We would like to extend invitation...Great. Shady one percenters. High risk, high pay. I still have time to get to this meeting so let's look at the other, more reasonable jobs.

Uh-huh. Alright, I can deal with morally questionable...Going in guns blazing, that's little rough...uh-huh, eliminate the threat...So get into base on full alert, shoot our way in and kill instead of extracting agent the employer sent into that facility before. Hmmm, fiteen grand is good money. Five grand off mission costs and salary for the guys so that would put us one fifth in with Alice.

Let's see the other job. From Beckenbauer...Humanis Policlub. Uh-oh, that's not good. These guys are straight up neo-nazis, all about 'pure race' and things like that. I don't wanna think what and where they're sticking into each other for measuring 'purity', but I won't ignore if there's a threat from psychopaths like them. Click, job accepted, let's talk to Samuel...