I thought the station I was at previously was bad, but this was something else. The first thing I spot is a squid bastard throwing someone off a ledge, kind of similar to what I did when I was after the ship. This area smelled like piss, and there is the unmistakable sound of gunfire nearby. It kinda reminds me of home, only needing a few cyber psychos and corpos to be just like Night City.
I was struck by the dinosaur, mostly because it looked like he knew what he was doing. I might be beginning to go into cyberpsychosis, but I'm not stupid. This place is dangerous, and my hand is resting on my pistol. they're too damn calm right now, there's definitely something off right now. What it is, I can't put my tongue on, but it sure as shit ain't good.
'You know, I think I could easily see you playing here. Dingy, old, and most importantly, a shithole.' I tried joking with Johnny to calm my nerves, but it only made things worse for me as it colored in how bad shit is here, though seeing the old rockerboy flipping me off gave me a chuckle.
The dinosaur seems to stop for a moment, with him touching his wrist computer. Now that I have some time to think, I'm curious why he came with me. Something to do with honor? Being a good person? Or maybe he just sees me as a pawn to use. I'm not sure, and not knowing makes me uncomfortable.
After he put the thing down, we walked to an open-air market. Kinda reminded me of the street vendors in Kabuki. He and I sat in a booth area, where I lit up a smoke, and I noticed an ashtray. The bastards actually have cigarettes, thank fuck! I'm saved! Hallelujah and holy shit! I had to keep myself from screaming out in excitement.
While I get excited at the prospect of more nicotine, a blue lady comes in. She looks fairly standard for them, minus the fact she's wearing full body armor. The main thing I notice is her tinkering with the wrist holograms and another tentacle head popping out as a hologram, with tattoos, a white jacket, and a face that screamed 'I know better than all of you'. While the one here is quiet and reserved, she looks ready to order our execution. I should've known this would've been where my luck ran out.
The dino talks in what sounds like a hushed tone, with his head bowed to her. Considering he was more than willing to scream at the crew of my ship, this isn't anything good. Ms. Jacket seems to have her eyes focused on me, but I'm trying to play it cool. Johnny is sitting next to me, and he appears to be trying to do the same as me, and I'm doing as well as him, I'm failing.
The messenger began to reach for me, which made me point my piece at her, though I tried being subtle about it. Push comes to shove, I can take it out and gun her down in just a few seconds, but then the station would more than likely be after my blood. The most I can do is give a threatening glare.
My eyes suddenly start going haywire, and before I know it I'm no longer in a dingy bar, but instead smoking with Jackie, the next my blood is spilled on the ground from an operation gone wrong, then I spot Jackie in the car after he had bled out, with there now being Takemura standing above me with Viktor. I see River making Jambalaya, before finishing at my final assault on Arasaka, where I had died.
When the flashes finally finish, I find that I can't stop shaking. That was anything but pleasant, there was a reason I hid that from myself goddamnit. I pull my pistol and have it centered on the bitch's head. The dino joined me in threatening her, and she put her hands up and stated something that shook me to my very core.
"Please, don't!" I halt what I'm doing while staring at her. Did she just speak English? Like, actual fucking English? The fuck? She read my fucking mind or something?!
"THE FUCK DID YOU DO?!"
"I just melded with you, Aria wished to speak to you! Please don't hurt me!"
With a sneer, I lower my iron, but Dino still has it trained on her. I sit down on my couch and stare at the hologram. Guess she knew something like this might have happened. The hell's this newly christened Aria planning? She starts speaking to my man, and he responds back. They start talking for a few minutes before she turns to me and begins to speak to me. I can't understand anything, but miss mind reader speaks up for her.
"She's asking what you are."
"Hmm… I'm a merc from somewhere you probably don't know jack shit about. Before you even get any ideas, the people there are willing to fight to the death over kibble, so any plans would definitely not work."
"Kibble? Do you mean pet food?"
"You didn't hear it from me."
The translator is speaking to Aria, while I give Dino a look. His mandibles are moving, but I can't tell shit from that. I can read the blue bitches here, but not weird lizard people, though the gun tells me he still thinks they're a threat. More than likely, this is a fixer, and something tells me this person is more powerful than your average fixer.
"The reason we are here is that Aria wishes to hire you."
"Hire me? What for?"
"Anything she needs to be dealt with. You would be rewarded handsomely. Enough to where you could buy an entire fleet. All you have to do is give your word."
"How exactly do I know you'll keep your word? I've already dealt with enough people to know a promise is worth jack shit."
"Well, you can choose between that and death if you wish." That's it, I'm killing this gonk.
"I see, if you don't mind I just have a question for my friend. Does the ship have any weapons?" She began to translate for Dino, and the words I heard from blue bitch made my plan clear.
"He says you were fast asleep for this, but he and the other crew found an elevator that led to a second floor. It mostly appeared to have the quarters, the engine, and more storage. Though they did find what looks to be stuff for boarding along with a shuttle."
Hmm… not what I was hoping for, but it'll do. I take a drag from my cigarette and relax my body, hand still ready for the draw. Getting up from my seat, I pull out the Malorian and put two rounds in the gonk's head. Can't have her spread English to other pieces of shit. Besides, she worked with Ayla or whatever the fuck's her name is and threatened me, so fair's fair. I motion dino to follow me as I toss the bartender a pack.
While we began to near the ship, a group of squid faces tried surrounding us, though the moment I punched my fist through one of them and ripped out the bastard's heart, the rest scampered off. I really could use a drink or two. Though the drink I had an allergic reaction to is still in my mind, so maybe stay sober while figuring out what exactly it was.
When we entered, I relit my cig and smoked what was left while motioning for the suit person to get on the controls. I would very much wish to say this is the first fixer I pissed off, but the last one kinda killed me so I shouldn't be that surprised. Thinking about it hurts my head too, and I just wish I was the one to put the bullet through him instead of Takemura. Oh well, beggars can't be choosers.
Right now, I got three main goals. First, I need to find a way to be able to communicate with the folks on my ship. I can't exactly be a captain without giving orders. Second, get more men. This ship is already pretty big for just this small amount of crew, and getting just a few more folks would do wonders with helping time, considering everyone around me is running to their stations pretty damn fast. As for the third…
I pull out the little memento Misty fashioned me, and it looks somewhat worn, though the blood is still clearly visible. Heh, this thing's been with me for so long, and yet it's the only real reminder of Night City. The parasite that only takes from decent people and turns them into monsters. It took Jackie's childhood, Judy's friend, Jefferson's good nature, and so much more from so many people. I look at my hand to find I've crushed it into a fine powder, with it slipping out onto the ground.
I'm tired of hiding who I truly am, hiding as nothing but a merc with a sliver of morality, and not as a man who is now free. I'm not going to stand by while others take the freedom from others either. But before I could, I needed a symbol, something for people to unify under. The dinos are currently around me, staring at me when I pull out a simple knife I had dug up from a crate and carved a symbol. A simple V to show as a symbol of freedom.
I used V as a moniker to hide from my own past. To run from all I've done, well not anymore. I'm not going to hide from what I've done anymore but instead, confront them head-on to actually do something good for once. I turn to the dinos and raise my right hand into the air, with Johnny's pistol in my hand.
My name is Vincent Arjen Kers, son of Earth and freedom fighter! Tell me, will you join me in my crusade against the oppressors of old or allow them to simply stay in their seats?" The cheers I received answered the one question I had for them.
