l… l
Chapter Twenty Three
July 26th, 2077
Night City, Northern California
Hideout, Charter Hill
"Holy shit. Is that what I think it is?"
In hindsight, referring to a highly advanced AI that on image alone could make you're life a living hell as an 'it', wasn't the best choice of words.
"Hey!" An indignant shout from the azure woman made Panam jump. "Who the fuck you calling an it! I mean, I did save your sorry ass from being turned into a shish kebab yesterday. Thank you very much!"
Panam possessed the necessary integrity to feign embarrassment for her severe lack of gratitude.
This was a conversation that she was prepared to have with presumably another human being, but this was something she was ill-equipped to handle on short notice.
The Nomad was eternally grateful that Cyrus was an idiot and opted to get involved before a one-sided vocal massacre occurred.
"Chamber." The weary tone only redirected the AI's wrath.
"Don't you 'Chamber' me, you overgrown monkey! I am still this close from tearing you a new asshole after all the bullshit you put me through today."
"I apologized for that transgression already." Cyrus attempted to alleviate his companion with a reassuring tone.
It failed horribly.
Panam found it incredibly difficult to follow the tirade Chamber went into.
Her ears could pick up a few keywords like protocols, timeout, and trust, but for the most part, it was filled with notions that Cyrus was a complete fucking asshole sometimes.
A sentiment that the Nomad quietly shared with the raging AI.
The entire scenario would have been comedic gold if it wasn't for the fact Panam could see the emotion spilling out of the woman's voice.
These two had a relationship that ran deeper than any simple partnership between AI and soldier.
A cursory glance of Cyrus' frame gave all the indication in the world Panam needed. He was entirely at ease around Chamber.
That wasn't to say that he was uncomfortable around her or V, but his connection with the AI was more profound than theirs.
Panam curbed the swell of jealousy that ran up her gut. This wasn't the time or place to start worrying about that nonsense.
What she needed to do was remind the arguing pair that they were brought together for a reason.
The Nomad cleared her throat loud enough for the arguing pair to hear. "Can we get down to business? As much as I love seeing Cyrus get taken to town, we're here for a reason."
Chamber shot her proprietor a nasty look that he shrugged off before letting out an exasperated sigh. "Right, sorry about all of that; he and I are working through some issues."
"I noticed." Panam stood on her feet, walking towards the AI with a leisure stride. "Guess we should start with introductions. I'm Panam, but something tells me you already know that."
"Maybe, maybe not," Chamber said with a smirk. "My official designation is CHM-1692-1."
"That's a mouthful."
"Tell me about it." The AI playfully supplied. "That's why I go by Chamber, much easier for people to say. I am the custodian to the monkey's armor, and I pretty much run everything around you. I can also kill you with a flick of my wrist if I wanted to."
"I…..don't know what to say to that," uncomfortable didn't begin to describe how Panam felt after that sentence.
"I'm just pulling your leg. Don't take everything I say too seriously. Lord knows we have enough edginess going around with tall, dark, and handsome over here." That earned a good-natured chuckle from Panam.
Dozens of questions bounced around the Aldecaldos head, but she wasn't here to satiate her growing curiosity. All she cared about right now was if Chamber was capable of helping their comatose choom.
"Can you help her?" A bright smile teeming with intelligence and compassion was all the answer Panam needed.
"I can do more than that," Chamber supplied earnestly. "I may just be able to save her life. Now chop, chop my little monkey. If we're going to save my favorite Mercenary, then I'm going to need you to jack me in."
Cyrus was anxious.
Chamber didn't need to be a highly advanced AI to see it.
The emotion was bleeding out of his body like an open wound, and she was certain Panam noticed it as well.
Before the Spartan deactivated the Protocol Five lockdown, Chamber was practically the avatar of sorrow and frustration.
She ran through thousands of different simulations pertaining to their following conversation that was bound to happen sooner or later.
Her algorithms predicted a fifty percent chance of being released and a fifty percent chance of extended lockdown. Those predictions rested on whether or not both parties were in a good mood, and that was very unlikely.
However, Chamber failed to calculate the possibility of a third party being involved in their reconciliation.
Now don't get her wrong. She still tore Cyrus a new one when they got back to the hideout and to his credit he took it without hesitation or complaint.
Say what you will about the monkey, but he doesn't hold grudges at the slightest offense against people he cares about.
Still, Chamber's fury was only abated by the urgent situation at hand, and boy was this one a doozy.
V was in an odd vegetative state, her brain activity wasn't at acceptable levels, but it still retained arbitrary spurts of high activity.
The AI was forced to directly access the Mercs nervous system, giving her a direct line to her temporal lobe and then the rest of her brain.
The Relic had predictably taken complete control of V's neural network, which in retrospect meant that she was fucked for lack of a better term. Even the people who designed the chip would have never been able to help her.
However, they weren't anywhere near the capabilities of an advanced UNSC AI made from a certified genius's donated brain.
Nor did they possess anywhere near the required hardware to analyze the Relic and V's connection at the molecular level.
The issue at hand wasn't the Merc at all; it revolved entirely around the Relic itself. The EMP shell that knocked her out landed a mere four inches shy of the chipware socket containing the Relic.
When the electrical currents scattered across V's body, it unleashed a high voltage concentration against the Relic. This event, in turn, activated a safety protocol that shut down the chips processes and forced it into a lockdown of sorts.
And since V and the Relic are one and the same, if the chip goes on standby, so does she.
A spurt of frustration fell from her lips; if Cyrus wasn't so stubborn about ONI protocols, Chamber might have been able to prevent V's unconscious state. The AI could have installed neural blocks to protect V from an overload mishap that took her mere seconds to figure out.
But she wasn't going to beat his head in over that fact. The Spartan was already feeling a particular way right about now, and she didn't want to exacerbate the issues at hand.
"Progress?" Speak of the devil….
"Running through a couple simulations," Chamber replied. "I'll have a better idea of how to proceed in a few minutes."
The Spartan only nodded in response, the anxious tension dissipating with each passing moment. An interface plug ran from V's right arm towards Cyrus's opposite limb, and a second cable connected the workstation to him.
Chamber utilized every processor in the bunker as a powerbase to analyze every detail of the neural connection. So far, her efforts collected intermediate results; she concluded the perpetrator of V's coma, no matter how obvious the answer was.
The most interesting dynamic in her mind was the status of V's 'guest' for lack of a better term. Johnny Silverhand had quite the reputation, and the dossier she created on the eccentric Rockerboy was a trip.
Johnny was described as a charismatic entity with a specific charm for the ladies, but he did have his faults. He is prescribed as an irrational man, acting on his impulsive desires and manipulating friends and enemies alike for his gain.
His consuming hatred of the corporate world revolved around his time in the United States Military. Silverhand was assigned to the 21st Infantry Brigade as one of over a million United States soldiers deployed to Central America, part of the infamously known 'Operation Monarch.'
The intervention goals were marred with corruption and greed.
No one, not even the US government's highest echelons, knew the exact reasons for the conflict. Some believed it to be a vain attempt to unite the county, while others rightfully assumed it was a ploy for the government and corporations to strip land and resources from those they deemed expendable.
In Mexico, Silverhand's outlook was altered; a friend whose name was lost to bureaucracy saved Johnny's life. The military and the war had changed his soul forever, leading him down a dark, life-consuming path that encompassed the country in a warring state until his death.
It was a wonder why Arasaka chose a supposed bloodthirsty terrorist as their first test subject for the Relic. But Chamber wasn't here to debate the incompetence of Arasaka's bioengineering division; she was here to save V's life. Whether or not that included Johnny Silverhand was up for debate.
Chamber had to work out how to bring V out of her coma without sapping the life out of her. Oh, the joys of being the most competent person on the planet.
Indeed, it was a tricky mantle to uphold, but she would maintain it with dignity and grace.
While the AI ran her simulations, she opened up a dialogue with someone other than her vexing monkey. On the side opposite of the Spartan was the object of her interest, leaning over the bed while sitting in a nearby chair.
Panam held tightly to her chooms free hand, and she hadn't let go since Chamber started her calculations. The forlorn look on her face was plain to see, but she wasn't the only one feeling a hurricane of worry.
Cyrus was no better, he just didn't show it easily.
"Soooo," two sets of ears perked up at the breach of silence. "Panam, sate my innate curiosity for me, will ya."
"Chamber." She waved off her Spartans concerns.
"Come on, indulge me. I'm more than capable of having a friendly conversation and performing a life-saving procedure simultaneously. So, what do you say, Palmer?"
"What do you wanna know?" The blue orbs that brimmed from the AI's gaze filled her with dread.
"Most people in Night City have a collection of cyberware implanted into their bodies like jewelry, but you are a different case. Why is that?"
"I don't have a particular desire for cyberware," Panam hesitated, mouth opening and closing with a pensive expression. "Modifying any part of my body feels inadequate. It's hard to explain in full detail, but I wouldn't feel like it's me."
Chamber hummed in thought. "As good an answer as any, I suppose, favorite color?"
"Sky Blue," Panam replied without hesitation.
"Oooohhhh, why's that?"
"Nomads spent most of their life in the badlands, you enjoy the cool breeze of the desert night, or you find a reason to endure the heat. A beautiful blue sky is the only solace when the sun is hammering you into the ground. It's a tranquil color that instills in me a sense of peace; what about you?"
"Crimson." The Aldecaldo snorted in amusement, eyes dancing across the Spartan's coiled frame.
"I can guess why."
The duo quickly fell into a near-practiced routine, filling the previously solemn environment with an atmosphere that settled on calm. Cyrus quietly observed his enigmatic partner, the ghost of a smile that graced her lips allowed him the rare opportunity to see Chamber relish in the presence of another human being.
The AI's inquisitive nature infused in her a longing for knowledge and interaction. His decision to restrict contact with other human beings grated on one of her primary yearnings, and Cyrus had no doubt it was a judgment that she disagreed with immensely.
Now with the veritable leash wrapped around Chamber's neck cut loose, she utilized Panam as a sponge for conversation. To the Nomad's credit, she didn't seem to mind the oddity of a chatty and incredibly charming Artificial Intelligence.
She was processing a string of revival protocols on the Relic when it started acting up. The damn thing burst to life like a geyser, brain activity was off the charts, and she was struggling to respond. V was falling into a rabbit hole with only a rope as her lifeline, and she needed to pull the Merc out before she was lost in the dark.
"Chamber." The spike in activity didn't escape Cyrus's notice; he muted his speakers and directly contacted his scrambling partner. "What's happening?"
"Relic's acting up," Chamber replied hastily. "Give me a moment."
Thankfully, Chamber wasn't an amateur, and V's brain activity leveled out to acceptable levels. The sigh of relief didn't escape the Spartan's notice, but he allowed Chamber her moment of reprieve, even if the end results were nowhere near where she wanted them.
After a few moments of silence, the AI was able to resuscitate the Mercs brain processes to a pseudo REM stage of slumber. V was currently experiencing a dream, but Chamber could not revive her without direct access to her neural network.
In order to do that, she was going to need some help.
"Damnit," two sets of ears perked up at the breach of silence. "I'm going to need your help, Cyrus."
"What do you require?"
"I've managed to revive our girl into a pseudo REM sleep, but she's stuck in a dream that I can't shake her from without direct access to her neural network, and that requires you." Panam furrowed her brow in concern. She wasn't the most tech-savvy of individuals, but even she knew a direct neural interface wasn't exactly the safest procedure.
"That's…." Chamber cut off the Nomad.
"Incredibly invasive, I know, but it's the only option we have that doesn't involve me breaking down this relic piece by piece."
"How long will it take?" Cyrus inquired.
"Too long." Rewriting the Relic was an alternative she considered, even if it might end up altering the enneagram belonging to a certain Rockerboy. It was well within her capabilities, but Chamber was confident that V would rather wake up in the next two hours rather than a decade from now.
"What do you need of me?"
"I need you to help me kickstart V's consciousness, and that requires a direct link between your neural interface and hers. This is not a procedure that can be taken lightly, and we're about to breach another human being's mind without their consent."
The tone of absolute steel Chamber adopted was in complete contrast to her usual vibrant personality. Still, the consequences of their procedure could very well change the relationship between the Merc and Spartan.
Humans are by their very spirit private individuals; everyone has enigmas they prefer to be locked away in the dark. Secrets can be juvenile by nature, but most contain a lasting consequence that can affect others' judgment.
Some mysteries aren't meant to be uncovered.
"V's memories, regrets, even down to her darkest secrets are going to be open to us, but it could work as a ' two-way mirror,'" Chamber emphasized. "Our skeleton closet could be exposed to her as well, so I'm making this plain and simple. Are you willing to risk everything for her?"
An apt question that shook the foundations every Spartan abided by since their inception.
Was Cyrus willing to risk the knowledge of his creation, his past, his burdens on a soul like V's? Was he inclined to jeopardize the relationship and modicum of deference between them by cracking open her psyche?
In years past, only three people in the galaxy earned the right to have Cyrus in their corner. That number increased to five in barely a few months, and he wasn't entirely if that a strength or a weakness.
Ultimately, all Cyrus needed was an answer to his inquiry.
"Can we wake her up?" Chamber without hesitation, the confidence flashed in her gaze like a blazing fire.
"Yes." That's all he needed to hear.
"Do it."
Cyrus wasn't entirely sure what to expect during this invasive procedure.
Darkness was his first assumption but he found himself in a decrepit alleyway, with little illumination and a tunnel of darkness stretching for miles.
" Chamber?" A voice echoed all around him.
" I'm here."
" Where are we?" A bright light shined in the darkness, and with little else to do, Cyrus walked towards the illumination.
" A memory, but it's not V's," Chamber replied.
" Then whose is it?"
" Silverhand's." Cyrus snorted in dissatisfaction; he had no love for the terrorist, nor did he care about him in any way. Still, to say he was unsatisfied with the prospect of sifting through the man's memories was false.
" Were here for V, Chamber, not him."
" The two are connected; the first person we need to wake up is him. I know you could care less about the ravings of a terrorist, but this needs to happen."
" That would have been nice to know."
" I doubt V would appreciate me divulging to Panam that she has a second voice in her head. Besides, would it have changed your mind?" Chambers retort was enough to silence his reservations; secrecy was something
" No." Cyrus acquiesced.
" Than do as I say and follow the light. Much like V, this moron is stuck in an endless a memory, and we need to get him out."
Cyrus strode through the darkness without hesitation; licks of black tendrils receded as fear drove them into the night. Even in the mind of a Merc, the dark belonged to a Headhunter, for the shadows were their home.
A red door basked in the blooming light; the door swung open with force. It was pure instinct alone that the sound of creaking hinges forced him into the darkness. A womanpossessing blonde shoulder-length hair stormed into the alleyway, fury leaking from her eyes.
Smooth skin gracefully compliments her eyes and cheekbones, leaving a pleasant memory on those lucky enough to gaze upon her.
" Altiera Cunningham," Chamber answered the unasked question. "Been dead for sixty years now, official records suggest she was killed in an Arasaka raid."
" Unofficially?" The Spartan probed.
" She was subject number one for Project Thanatos, the missing piece I've been searching for in this scheme Saburo Arasaka was playing at. Her consciousness was uploaded to Arasaka tower, and Johnny went in to rescue her. During the chaos, someone was able to cut her loose, and since then, she's been in 'the Net' cultivating a rogue AI safe haven of sorts."
Her engrams formation was eerily similar to the process a UNSC AI was generated, and that sent an eerie shiver up Chamber's spine.
" Has she noticed you yet?" The question rustled Chamber from her thoughts.
" She suspects, but she has no idea I've been pillaging the Net for all its worth. Sooner or later, she'll figure it out, and when that happens, we'll act accordingly." It took a tremendous amount of restraint for Cyrus not to comment on her statement.
Spartans were trained to 'act,' not 'react.' Setting the pace to an engagement of any kind was superior to reacting to the setting handed to you, and it grated on him that she was willing to let this 'Alt' make the first move.
Early bird gets the worm, as they say.
" Where you going!?" A man stormed into the alleyway, hot on Alt's trail. Cyrus didn't need Chamber to tell him who exactly this fool was. The cybernetic arm colored in a matte of silver along with an irritating smirk was all the evidence he needed to make his own judgment.
" Johnny Silverhand," Chamber remarked. "Huh, I didn't think they stacked shit that high, but apparently they do. I can't believe someone so vexing is trapped in V's head; I feel for the girl."
" Agreed." Cyrus had a hunch that Chamber and he wouldn't get along very well.
Cunningham shrugged off Silverhand's multiple attempts to grab her attention before finally, she gave in to his demands. She snatched a cigar from her pockets and lit it with aggressive intent.
" I got somewhere to be, other than here." Venom leaked into her voice as the Rockerboy raised his hands in a placating manner.
" Alt. I-"
" Save it, Johnny. The last thing I want to hear is you talk right now." The pair soon fell into an awkward silence as Silverhand attempted to appease the growing pillar of irritation that was his lover.
His attempts did little more than trigger a second argument, and Cyrus's impatience was growing. The Spartan had little desire to sit in V's head and watch a soap opera take place in front of him.
" What memory is this?" Cyrus questioned curtly. "The sooner we get through this, the better."
" This is Johnny's last memory of her alive." On cue five, drunken males stumbled into the alleyway, eyes immediately locking onto the arguing pair. "This is where Alt got kidnapped by a group of paid-off Arasaka mercenaries."
Cyrus watched the drunkards intently; their movements were far too exaggerated to be natural. These fools were pretending to be inebriated, and their leader, a man, possessing short black hair with a sneering gaze, was subtly signaling his compatriots.
Four of the thugs drew Johnny's attention, while a fifth shrewdly maneuvered to his blind spot. The leader immediately engaged with the Rockerboy, drink in hand and fake slur falling from his lips.
" Join usss for a drop, Ssshilver-rocker?" Johnny's eyes swept over the four drunkards and easily detected the subterfuge at work. His hand right hand slowly rested on his hip, inches away from his Malorian Pistol.
" Fuck off." He gripped his Malorian, dipping it towards the thug and his companions in a threatening gesture.
" Short-fuse on this one, don't you think, boys?" Violence broke out in seconds.
Johnny drew his pistol with incredible speed that mildly surprised Cyrus and dumped two rounds directly into the thug's face. Crimson liquid exploded in a brutal display of gore, sending the man hurling back.
Alt immediately ducked to the right on instinct, running straight into the arms of a waiting goon. For all of the women's intelligence, she was incredibly unaware of her surroundings.
The dead man's compatriots attempted to respond to Johnny's strike, but they were far too slow on the draw. Two of them tried to pull their shotguns on the Rockerboy, but four more shots barked from Johnny's Malorian, shattering the skulls of the final pair of thugs.
" Johnny behind you?!" Alt cried out in desperation, but Johnny responded in kind.
Silverhand stepped to his right, narrowly avoiding a pair of Mantis blades that would have skewered his chest. He drove his cybernetic elbow directly into the Bloodhounds face; the two dagger-like extensions at the end of his forearm pierced the woman's skull. An eerie shriek of pain echoed through the alleyway as Johnny drove his limb deeper into the gaping wound.
With a great heave of effort, Johnny turned his arm to the side, snapping the woman's neck. Her corpse fell to the floor like a doll with its string cut.
The surviving thug broke rank, dropping Cunningham to the floor and taking off into the night with his tail between his legs. Silverhand disregarded running after the gangoon and embraced a visibly shaken Alt.
While the pair fell into their own world, Cyrus could only stare in confusion. His eyes glanced all around him, attempting to decipher who exactly took Cunningham.
" I thought you said Alt was kidnapped." He inquired.
" I did," Chamber declared. "This is the problem we have to handle; Johnny is living in his own reality. A reality where he saves Alt and goes on to live happily ever after. He buys a condo, lives with a healthy wife and two kids until he dies surrounded by loved ones. Except."
" That's not how it happened." Cyrus finished for the AI.
" Exactly, so we need to break him from his fantasy world if we're going to save V."
Cyrus palmed the Kukri strapped to his waist, scrutinizing the curved blade. His gaze sweeps away from his blade towards the embraced couple; Chamber's statement was leading him down an interesting path.
" And how exactly do you expect me to wake him up." His companion mimicked the calm tone he used.
" Violently." Cyrus quietly stepped out of the darkness, his hulking frame advancing on the embracing couple, utterly unaware of his advance.
Cunningham was the first to notice; she pushed Johnny to the side and drew the Malorian from his belt. The Spartan closed the gap between them in the blink of an eye, dodging a barrage of shots fired from Alt's confiscated pistol.
" What the fuck!" Alt screamed in shock as Cyrus buried a single fist into her abdomen, knocking the wind out of her lungs.
" ALT!" Silverhand shot to his feet and used his robotic arm to force Cyrus back, but the Spartan reacted quicker. Cyrus batted away Johnnys attack and snatched the Rockerboy by his throat.
Cunningham was slowly getting to her feet when Cyrus brought the Kukri against Johnny's throat. She could do little in the face of his wrath to save her wayward boyfriend.
" Time to wake up Johnny." Silverhand's eyes scrunched in confusion, an expression that didn't last long. Cyrus dragged the Kukri across his throat, watching as blood slowly spurted from his exposed esophagus.
A scream of absolute agony emerged from Cunnigham as their environment shattered into fragments. Soon the tendrils of black that avoided the Spartans frame earlier snatched onto the trio.
Johnny's fantasy fell apart like shattered glass, and only darkness remained.
" Get up."
Johnny had gotten used to someone kicking him in the side after a drunken binge. Most of the time, it was Alt after she caught him downing more tequila than his body could handle.
" Now." A second kick to his side rattled the unfocused Rockerboy.
This time was different, the voice vying for his attention as nowhere near the soothing vocal cords he was used to hearing. A tone that was as flat as a year old beer and monotone all to hell was grating Johnny's ears.
There was no symphony to the voice, and even the splitting headache didn't stop Johnny from realizing that his guest was growing more impatient. Bleary eyes cracked open; his vision was immediately taken up by the one person he really didn't want to meet.
V's seven-foot-tall choomba was leering over him like a vulture eyeing its next meal. Johnny had to roll onto his side just to escape that feeling of absolute helplessness that crept up his body.
Memories flashed across the front of his mind, Alt's mesmerizing features marred by blood, his blood. It came as no surprise when Johnny shot to his feet and took a swing at Cyrus. It was pure rage that drove the Rockerboy into making an otherwise suicidal motion, but his assault landed flush against the Spartans armor.
However, it only served to send a wave of painful vibrations up Silverhands robotic arm. The materials that made up MJOLNIR practically laughed at the man's foolish attack, and Cyrus himself could only snort in amusement as Johnny fell to the ground in pain.
" Fuck you," Johnny spat out. "You're lucky that your in that armor, otherwise I'd tear you a new asshole."
" I highly doubt that." Johnny froze as a woman's voice echoed all around him. He thought it came from Cyrus, but then a figure materialized barely a few feet from him.
A breathtaking woman stood not feet from arms crossed and face made of pure steel. Her body mimicked the blue colors of their surrounding, but Johnny could still pick out the military fatigues bearing an insignia he had never seen before.
" Who the fuck are you?" His crass tone left little for Chamber to appreciate.
" You savior, so you could show some appreciation," she remarked casually. "Although from where I'm standing, a carcass has better tact than you."
Johnny clambered onto his feet slowly, his head was still killing him, and he had no idea why. He fixed the azure-colored woman with a sharp look and gave her the universal sign of displeasure involving a particular finger.
" Blow me." In retrospect, it was a poor decision, but as per usual, Johnny didn't think that far ahead for something so juvenile.
Pain blossomed alongside his ribs as Cyrus delivered a devastating body shot that collapsed the Rockerboy's already shoddy balance. It had been a long while since Johnny felt excruciating pain, not since before his consciousness was transferred into the Relic.
" Be polite." The threat was simple in nature, and Chamber couldn't help a chortle of amusement from leaking out.
" Now, now, Cyrus, play nice." Chamber scolded lightly. "It's not like he volunteered to be locked away in someone's head; he's due some form of consideration and patience."
" I don't care about his considerations, and I'm not here for him."
" Fuck you guys." The Spartan had to restrain himself from delivering another body blow. Johnny carefully stood on his heels, taking great care to stand outside of Cyrus's reach. "How the fuck are you two in V's head."
" Do you really wanna know." Johnny shot his fellow engram a sarcastic glance.
" No, I just like to hear myself talk."
The Rockerboy flinched as Cyrus carefully unsheathed his Kukri, just enough for Johnny to see. "Woah, it's a joke, Choomba. Take it easy, I ain't looking to throw down with you of all people."
On the rare occasions, he was able to witness how Cyrus operated through V's eyes. Johnny could confidently say that the seven-foot-tall killing machine imbued that same feeling of terror that Adam Smasher permeated.
The Supersoldier tilted his head in thought, weighing the options of giving Johnny another cut across his throat. Inevitably, Cyrus's desire to move on from this pointless argument took precedent, and he slowly sheathed his blade.
"Cyrus," The Spartan extended his right hand towards the Rockerboy, a gesture that amazed both Chamber and Johnny for different reasons. Despite his reservations, he consented to the soldier's attempt at parlay, hand gripping Cyrus's limb tightly.
" Johnny Silverhand." Cyrus nodded in acceptance and turned his attention towards his pleasantly confused AI.
" What's our next step, Chamber?"
" Stay together and try not to touch anything. We're about to rummage through V's memories like it's an all-you-can-eat buffet, and I doubt she'd enjoy our tampering." Chamber made a motion with her fingers chipping away at the azure grids that surrounded the trio. "Oh, and don't scream too loud."
" What?" Johnny's confused expression turned into one of fear as the floor underneath them dissolved into thin air. "OH fuck you!-OOOOHHHHHH SSSSSHHHHHHIIIITTTT!"
Cyrus was far more composed, maneuvering his two-ton frame in a pseudo-box-man position. Off to his right was Johnny, spinning out like an autumn leaf in a rogue wind. It would have been an amusing sight if it wasn't so pathetic.
Trying to free fall with MJOLNIR strapped to his body was a complicated process for a Spartan. Cyrus's armor had an inertial dampening system, but it wasn't exactly the most capable of features. The best it could give him was limited aerial control, and hopefully, it would be enough to get the job done.
However, they were in a mindscape, and Johnny failed to realize that all he needed to do was think it and it would happen. Thankfully there free fall wouldn't last much longer; Cyrus could see a speck of white growing in size with each passing second.
He pivoted his momentum, swinging both feet directly underneath his torso and slowing down his rapid descent. He pointedly ignored the colossal crash landing that occurred a mere few feet away from him.
" Ow."
Johnny made a grumbling noise, arms flailing out as they planted into the crisp white floor. Cyrus watched his chest rise and fall in time with a long irritated sigh.
" You ok?"
" The fuck you think," Silverhand retorted, massaging the pain that blossomed across his face. "Where the hell are we?"
" An archive," Chamber materialized in front of the duo, motioning towards rows upon rows of mirrors, each containing a particular memorial. "More specifically, V's archive. A collection of important memories that date back to her first day on Earth. We have to search for the specific memory she's stuck in and pull her out."
Searching through these panels of private recollections wasn't something Cyrus had a right to view.
Silverhand had no reservations.
" Huh, she made a cute baby," Johnny remarked indifferently before his expression went sour. "Never mind, just saw her vomit like a geyser, forgot I hated kids."
" You have no modicum of decency."
" Look for a beacon," Chamber drew the duo's attention before an argument could break out. "From what I can gather, she's stuck in a recent memory, not sure which one, though."
" How recent?" Chamber scrunched her eyebrows in thought.
" Six months, give or take a month." Johnny barked in amusement.
" That's doesn't narrow it down very much. If we're talking important memories, you should know V's had an eventful couple of years."
" How would you know that?" Cyrus questioned.
" Because I get flashes of her memories every now and then. Nothing as detailed as this," Johnny motioned to the collection of mirrors. "But I get them nonetheless, and she's had it rough, nothing I wouldn't weep over, but still the point remains."
" Whatever the case may be," Chamber injected. "I need you, two morons, to go looking; we're already put a tremendous amount of pressure on her psyche. Anymore tampering on my part, and we're going to be picking pieces of her consciousness off the floor."
" So, Quasimodo and I go on a scavenger hunt while you do what exactly?" Cyrus almost stabbed Johnny on instinct. Chamber raised her hand deftly, keeping his arm pinned to his side and preventing him from skewering Silverhand.
" While I revise home, so this doesn't happen again," the AI snapped her fingers, and the entire archive shrunk in size. Whole rows of memories disappeared in a whirlwind of motion that left Johnny nauseous. "Now chop to it. The sooner we get this done, the better off V will be."
" Whatever." Johnny sulked off towards a row of memories, putting as much distance between himself and them.
" Just don't fuck with my shit too much. I don't want to start mixing in with V's consciousness just yet." Johnny lambasted, voice growing softer as the distance increased. "Lord knows the hormones going through her body every time she sees Quasimodo. Oops, was that supposed to be private information? Sorry, ya'll can get fucked!"
Cyrus disregarded the words spilling out of Silverhand's mouth; the man lived to irritate those closest to him, and he was a constant vexing personality for the many who found him infuriating. He regarded the man's self-imposed dismissal with a calm expression, watching him disappear behind a row of panels.
He didn't necessarily trust Silverhand, but his assistance was essential to expedite this process.
" I'll keep an eye on him," Chamber stated. "Now skedaddle, I want to be out of here within the hour." She didn't let him reply, disappearing into sparkles of blue and leaving him to toil in his thoughts.
Cyrus's gaze fell to the white floor below and trailed towards the rows of panels littering his environment. Memories are precious to the human mind, but not all of them are pleasant enough to be relived. He could only hope that whatever memory V was reminiscing in was enjoyable.
She deserved that much.
The Spartan peered into panels of memories that slowly informed him of V's journey in the year she had spent in Night City.
V's life as a mercenary was… chaotic for lack of a better term. Her first soiree into the Night City perimeter involved a hectic shootout with corporate agents over a goddamn lizard. Cyrus wouldn't have believed it if he hadn't seen it with his own two eyes.
At first, he figured the mercenary sporting Valentino tattoos was just another name in a long list of people V had come across, but that wasn't the case at all.
Jackie Welles.
Cyrus vaguely recalled the name crossing his desk in a Valentino lieutenant's file running a racketeering ring in Charter Hill. That gangoon was due a visit from the Headhunter once his schedule cleared up.
Welles was a constant presence in V's life from the moment the two met in Dry Creek's outskirts. It was a bond that ran deeper than simple friendship, and Cyrus compared it to his own relationship with Eliza and Casey.
Jackie became her family, replacing the one to the politicking and fear that plagued the badlands.
The pair did everything together; V crashed at his house and got her started on the road of becoming a Night City Merc. She came to this city like a slack-jawed recruit, and Cyrus could confidently say that Welles was the reason V survived these blood-soaked streets.
There was an affection there that never explored throughout their relationship, and Cyrus quickly dismissed these sets of memories. V wasn't lost in this particular collection, but something told him he was on the right track.
He scanned through an assortment of scattered memories before he finally came across an event that took place a little more than a month ago. Jackie and V were inside Konpeki Tower, and a familiar bright light was present in the memory.
A pulse echoed through the recollection, a vibration similar to Johnny's memory when the light guided Cyrus.
" Chamber, I found her."
" On my way."
" So, how does this work exactly?"
Johnny was loitering around aimlessly, being entirely useless with his constant chattering. Chamber went to work splicing into V's memory the best she could as soon as Cyrus called out to them, leaving him to stand in quiet vigilance while Silverhand grated against her nerves.
God, did he ever shut up?
" Simple, we inject ourselves into the memory, snatch V up and get out." Johnny shot her a look of bewilderment.
" So, we don't have to shoot her or stab her; all we have to do is gently get ahold of her. Is that what you're getting at?"
" That about sums it up," Chamber remarked carelessly.
Johnny exploded into barely restrained rage. "The fuck you mean! You fucking assholes slit my throat to get me out of my memory."
The guilty party merely glanced at Chamber, not bothering to appease Johnny's growing discontent. An unspoken conversation took place as AI and Spartan glimpsed at one another; ultimately, Cyrus chose to shrug his shoulders and let Chamber handle his rage.
She was the one who suggested the violent removal anyway.
" True," Chamber began. "But that was the quickest way out, and we didn't care to be gentle. Well, more specifically, I didn't."
Johnny was left completely flatfooted at the level of disregard Chamber was showing. He had run into many characters, but this had to be the first time someone other than Alt showed him this degree of thoughtlessness.
It would have been a turn-on if he didn't know already know that Chamber could delete him at any moment. Say what you will about his philandering with women, but he never stuck his piece in anything that could get him killed one day.
" You know what," Johnny started apathetically. "I fucking hate you guys."
" Feelings mutual," Cyrus interjected. "How much longer, Chamber?"
" Almost done. I'm good at what I do, but I'm not going to bullrush through this memory; it's traumatic enough without you stumbling around it."
" Me?" Chamber glanced at Cyrus for a moment before returning to her work.
" Yes, you," she stated. "I can't enter this memory without causing irreparable damage to her psyche, and Johnny here is still recovering from his episode. So, he's out of the picture for this solution."
" The fuck I ca-," The AI interrupted Johnny's spiel before it could begin.
" No. You. Can't. Believe me, I would love nothing more than to send you in, but if I do, you will die in there, Johnny. The amount of stress we've inflicted on V could have killed her already, and Cyrus is the only one here that I can send in that won't overload our connection. Now sit down and shut up."
Silverhand raised his arms in surrender; a sour expression crossed his face at the verbal tongue lashing. Chamber gave him a once over and returned her full attention to a patiently waiting Cyrus.
" Are you ready?" Chamber questioned softly, her hands swiping through scores of data.
" Yes," Cyrus replied firmly.
" Get in, find out what exactly the change in memory is and get her out of it. If you need anything call me. Questions?"
" No."
" Then close your eyes."
He gave her a questioning look, wordlessly inquiring on her intent. Chamber only gave him a pleading expression return, eyes dancing with more emotion than he had ever witnessed.
With little else to do, he followed the softly spoken demand, ears perking up as Chamber's voice whispered. "Good luck."
Cyrus could feel his stomach drop; the immersion of gravity was playing hell with his senses. It felt like a mixture of free-falling and spacewalking, all warped up into one blood-altering combination.
And just as he was getting used to the sensation, everything went still.
A moment of hesitation struck Cyrus like a thunderclap. Chamber didn't specify exactly when to open his eyes, so he'd have to take a leap of faith. Much like Johnny's memory, V's recollection took place in a decaying alleyway.
The difference between the two memories laid in their environment. To Cyrus's right laid the emblem of Night City; underneath it was the fabled declaration, 'City of Dreams.' A resident of the metropolis disagreed; a red x crossed out the insignia and marked the city as broken.
At the bast of a small flight of stairs laid a singular vehicle, an armored taxi with markings he was familiar with. The letter 'D' was outlined by three white lines and a checkered pattern plastered each side of the cab.
It was a Delamain cab, but it wasn't in prime condition. Damage littered the armored chassis, and whatever materials the company outfitted their vehicles deserved a proper commendation.
However, the cab's capabilities were quickly forgotten as Cyrus laid eyes on the occupants inside. He immediately recognized the pair sitting in the backseat; V was outfitted in a bloodstained Corpo suit. A glance over her frame settled any concerns that it was her blood, but it didn't take long to figure out who it belonged to.
V's hands were wrapped tenderly around Jackie's own bloodied limb, and streaks of tears fell from her eyes. Cyrus already knew that Jackie was no longer alive; he just didn't know how it happened.
Immediately a feeling of pure disgust crawled up his nerves, all of it directed at himself. Cyrus was intruding on a private moment, but he needed to get her out of this traumatic memory.
A voice he didn't recognize called out to V.
" Mr. Welles has passed. Where shall I take his remains?
" W-what?" V looked like she was coming out of a fever dream, eyes blinking as she registered Delamain's voice.
" The Excelsior package provides for the disposal of passenger remains free of charge. I merely require a destination." The AI was suitable for transportation, but like most machines, it failed to emphasize with its clients.
" Just… gimme a fucking sec, will ya?!" V predictably tore into the AI's lack of tact, but the machine failed to register the heightened emotion in her tone.
" Mr. Welles' remains… Where shall I take them?"
The Merc had to restrain herself from blasting the irritating AI, choosing instead to ignore him in favor of embracing Jackie.
Her hands wrapped around his limp head, tenderly cradling him to her chest. V lowered herself just enough to plant a gentle kiss on her companion's forehead.
" Take him to his family." She whispered. "He deserves to be buried by his loved ones."
" Mr. Welles' closest blood relative is Guadalupe Alejandra Welles, proprietress of the El Coyote Cojo bar," Delamain remarked without a tone of emotion. "I will ensure his delivery is complete. Mr. Deshawn awaits you in room number 204."
V didn't register Delamains words; her attention was entirely on Jackie. Raw emotion fell from her lips as the aftermath of his demise began to settle in. She curled in on herself, ignoring the world around her in favor of spending these last few moments in peace.
Inevitably it came to an end; V grasped his torso, gently laying him on his side. Cyrus barely heard the parting words she bestowed upon her best friend.
" See ya in the major leagues, Jack."
As soon as she departed the vehicle, Delamain took off into the night. Leaving V to slog in the darkness alone, she wiped away the tears and did her best to even out her laboring emotions.
" Goodbye, Jack."
Cyrus quietly watched her enter the No Tell Motel, keeping a level pace in her wake. He had to see this memory to the fullest; he believed an event would take place that never happened.
There was no energy in V's gait; whatever was left inside her little more than a husk. The eyes were the window to the soul, and Cyrus could see nothing in that thousand-yard stare.
He watched her pound on away on a door, demanding to be let in. A single man answered her call, his eyes gazing up and down the corridor missing Cyrus's camouflaged form.
" You alone?" The bodyguard inquired suspiciously.
" The fuck do you think." The man sneered, giving her a curt nod to the room's interior.
" He waiting." She stormed past the bodyguard's eyes filled with barely contained rage.
Cyrus was only able to pick up bits and pieces of the conversation inside. The heist the group had executed had led to consequences they were ill-prepared to handle. V was coaxed into cleaning herself up in the bathroom, giving Deshawn enough time to converse with his bodyguard.
The Spartan quietly shattered the electronic lock, gaining access to the room just in time to see V get slugged in the face. It took every fiber of his being not to intervene then and there.
The bodyguard beat and bruised V until she was left sprawled on the ground, unable to defend herself. Deshawn snatched a pistol handed to him by his bodyguard and brandished it for her to see.
" Member our first convo? It seems I've chosen the quiet life, after all. No blaze o' glory for me."
" I'll fucking kill you!"
*BANG*
Everything went dark. There was no change in memory, no random moment of luck that saved V from her fate. She was right back at the start, cradling her companion's corpse without a care in the world.
V was reliving the traumatic deaths of her companion and herself in a timeless torturing loop.
Cyrus had no clue how to fix this.
" Chamber." It was a cry for help more than anything else, and he was relieved when she answered the call.
" I'm here; what's happening?"
" V's reliving the memory in a loop, but it's not like Johnny's. Nothing is changing, she's watching Welles rot away, and then she dies. I don't know where to start."
There was no answer, just an endless silence that persisted as he watched V enter the motel once again.
" Break her from it." Cyrus paused in his tracks; Johnny's voice filtered into his ears.
" What?" He inquired lightly.
" Save her." Chamber's voice returned, filled with reluctance and anxiety.
" I don't know if that will work, Johnny." Silverhand remained resolute in his convictions.
" I do, now go help her, Cyrus." The Spartan kicked into overdrive, sprinting up the stairway like a runaway train. He could vaguely hear Deshawn's soliloquy once again, but this time there was no gunshot.
"… .no blaze o' glory for-" Cyrus smashed through the door sending particles of shattered pieces in a flurry of shrapnel, stunning the occupants inside.
" WHAT THE FUCK!" Deshawn fired two shots from his Constitutional Arms Liberty while his bodyguard maneuvered to shield him.
" Cyrus." The whisper was low but not enough to escape his notice. Her eyes immediately recognized the tower of steel in front of her
Cyrus ducked underneath both projectiles and stepped towards Deshawn's bodyguard. He parried to strikes from the man's gorilla arms; the pistons inside burned with a hunger for blood. An overhead strike was thrown at his head, overextending the fool's limb for a brutalizing counter-attack.
The Spartan wrapped his left arm around the limb and planted his foot directly into the man's chest. Cyrus ripped the bodyguard's left arm from its socket with a feral roar and crushed his larynx with a brutal jab to his throat.
Blood splattered across Deshawn's face blinding him enough for V to trip him up with a scissor kick to his legs. Cyrus wasted no time snatching the fixer by his throat and raising him above, legs dangling helplessly.
" Wait, wait, wagggggggrhrgllll!" There was no pause, no hesitation as Cyrus skewered the man's throat and watching the life fade from his eyes.
Cyrus unceremoniously dropped the fixer's corpse and immediately turned his attention to a visibly wounded V. He gently grabbed her arm, raising her on her own two feet and allowing her to balance herself against his frame. "You ok?"
" What's going on?" V inquired as she peered into his blackened visor. It would usually give any who gawked into the abyss a feeling of terror, but there was nothing but serenity for V.
" Bad dream." His quip earned him a chortle of laughter.
" Dick. You would make a joke in the middle of all this." The pair shared a moment of levity that was quickly ended with his following statement.
" I'm sorry about Jackie." V's eyes left his visor and settled on his armored chest piece.
" Yeah," she began softly. "So am I."
It took a few moments of silence before V worked up the ability to stand on her own two feet. "How do we get out of here?"
" Chamber." V gave him a confused glimpse.
" Whose, Chamber?" Their world fell apart at the seams; V instinctively took a step back, bracing herself against the Spartans towering frame.
" Hold tight." V didn't need to be told twice; her arms wrapped around the Spartan's torso as they fell into free fall. Her gaze never left his visor until darkness consumed her.
It was a comforting feeling.
Panam nearly shit herself when V shot up like a possessed woman, lungs gasping for precious oxygen. It had only been a few minutes since Cyrus had gone in, and she was not prepared for the Merc to stir that quickly.
"Holy fuck!" The Nomad scrambled to her feet, hands trying to steady a distraught V. "It's alright, your ok."
The Mercs gaze shot around her, taking in the familiar environment of Cyrus's bunker. It took several deep breaths to alleviate her heartbeat and adrenaline, and V was thankful that Panam was present.
A second pair of hands gently grasped her shoulders, "Take a breath, Vargas. You've just come back from a coma."
"Told you stop calling me that," V didn't need to see the grin plastered across his face.
"Old habits die hard." Cyrus released his hold on her limbs, eyes glancing over to the resident Aldecaldo. "Any issues?"
"No, all good here, what about you, V? Feeling ok?" The Mercs adrenaline finally gave way, a splitting headache pulsed like a migraine.
"I don't suppose you got any PK's, Panam?" The Nomad grinned in response.
"Course I do," she remarked pleasantly, eyes dancing over to Cyrus. "Keep our girl company, will ya? She might break a nail if we take our eyes off her."
"Fuck you." V retorted jokingly. Panam upped the ante by smacking her lips at the Merc teasingly before slinking away to search through her gear.
Cyrus stepped away from her makeshift mattress and took a stride towards his workstation. V stirred in the awkwardness for a few moments, and she couldn't find the right words to express her gratitude. Eventually, a single gnawing question graced her mind.
"How'd you do it?" Cyrus glanced at her from the corner of his eye.
"Do what?"
"Don't play games with me, Cyrus." V started. "How'd you figure out how to pull me out of that hellhole."
"I had help." If there was one thing she did not miss, it was how incredibly irritating Cyrus could be.
"From?" The man said nothing. Instead, Cyrus retrieved a chip from the back of his head and placed it carefully on a medical table to her left.
"The only person in the world that can handle his tech." A voice permeated from the chip, and V would have thought she was dreaming again.
A pattern of azure grids came to life, and within seconds a woman materialized in front of V. The Mercs eyes bugged out of her skull as she regarded the smirking hologram with astonishment. A bark of laughter from an amused Panam drew her attention. The Nomad had a handful of painkillers in her right hand and a glass of water in her left.
"Yeah, I had the same face." Panam started with a chuckle. "V meet Chamber, Chamber meet V."
"Hello." The AI waved at her with an easygoing smile, and the Mercs eyes shot from Chamber to Cyrus in a comical display of confusion.
"….UH….Hi." Chambers smile only grew at her hesitation. "I'm sorry, I don't know where to start, but I feel like I missed a lot in the past couple of days or hours?"
"Half a day at most," Panam replied earnestly, motioning to the bunker interior. "You've only been in this bunker for a little over an hour, probably the best health care in Night City if you ask me."
"You flatter me, P."
"Don't boost her ego, Panam," Cyrus remarked off-handedly, deflating Chamber's sails as soon as they started up. "It's already inflated enough as it is."
"Dickhead." The two quickly fell into a war of words, leaving their audience to witness the damn near rehearsed dynamic between Spartan and AI.
V wasn't sure how to process the last few hours, and there was probably a ton of details that she needed to be caught up on. But, in the end, she was happy to be awake all the same.
An AI, a Nomad, a Merc, and a Soldier.
Night City wouldn't know what hit them.
July 26th, 2077
Night City, Northern California
Camp August, Northside
Dana Parker contacted him a few hours after V regained consciousness. She inquired about the firearm training he promised to give to her newest recruits a week ago. There was something off in her voice, though Cyrus couldn't quite place it she was… frantic.
Cyrus had been out of contact with her for the last few days, but apparently, everything at Camp August was still running smoothly. Scaver clans were still prodding their perimeter, searching for a weak point, but the sheer size of the outcast encampment made any attempts at subterfuge difficult.
Chamber commented on Cyrus being back before bedtime that irritated him but amused both Panam and V. The two women had quickly gotten used to the odd dynamic that had bonded the pair so tightly.
Panam was determined to remain at V's side for the remainder of the day, but she had her own duties to attend to in the badlands. The Aldecaldos were in the process of launching an offensive along Interstate Nine, and Castle was recalling her for assignment.
The Spartan was on his way out when an ashamed Panam contacted Alvarez. Apparently, she had utterly forgotten to call her the second V woke up, by a whole four hours. Panam was only reminded of her failed promise by V when she inquired about Judy.
Cyrus didn't think Alvarez was capable of dressing down a hard-nosed Nomad, but it wouldn't be the first time he was wrong.
On the surface, everything seemed to be ok, but that was a lie. A conversation between AI and Spartan was taking place that revealed that nothing was as it appeared.
Chamber warned Cyrus that their procedure did not end without severe consequences.
Despite the relatively short amount of time the pair spent in V's psyche, Cyrus had left a substantial imprint on her consciousness. Their minds synced together with compatibility that left even the advanced capabilities of a UNSC AI stumped.
"How bad is the sync." Cyrus inquired over his commlink.
"I don't know." Chamber had never sounded more helpless. "I couldn't make heads or tails of your connection while you were in her memory. Your minds were melding together into a singular entity. I was scrambling to separate the link, and I even had to get Johnny to assist me."
"So we're lucky." His optimism was squashed under a tidal wave of despair.
"NO! We were not lucky; we were supposed to enter your mindscape for a spell to balance the link, but that didn't happen! I had to sever the connection immediately to keep both of you alive! It's a miracle both of you aren't dead right now!"
Cyrus had no idea they were that close to death. Throughout the entire process, everything seemed to be going smoothly, but that was not the case.
She didn't show it to their guests, but Chamber was afraid that the pair's condition would take a turn for the worse. Their invasive procedure was undoubtedly going to produce consequences that even she couldn't predict.
"How's V?"
The AI made up a few justifications that ensured V wouldn't question remaining at the bunker a few more days. She would have to closely monitor the Mercs brain activity, for the time being, pressing Cyrus to leave his MJOLNIR behind for Chamber to utilize in case of emergencies.
"Stable for now, but I'm keeping her here until I am satisfied that her health isn't in jeopardy." Chamber let out a grunt of frustration. "I cannot fucking believe you left the bunker!"
"It would have been suspicious if I stayed in that bunker any longer," Cyrus replied. "It would have alerted the pair to the issues at hand."
"That's bullshit, and you know it." Chamber exhaled a slow, calming breath. "Just get back here as soon as you can, and don't fucking stay out long. I have no idea what's going to happen to you while you're out there alone."
"I'll be fine; keep an eye on V. Cyrus out." He cut the link immediately, unwilling to give Chamber the final word in their conversation. His timetables had shortened up considerably since the detour to pull V out of hell.
Decker was shooting him scores of intel critical to the change in leadership inside the 6th Street Gang. The Mox gang were getting antsy with their plan to takeover Clouds put on hold, and the Tyger Claw leaders were meeting in five days.
There was a lot to do in such a short amount of time, and he would have canceled on Parker's training if he didn't have a sick feeling that something else was going on at Camp August.
"Hey, welcome back." A familiar face greeted him at the entrance of the outcast encampment. There were a lot more security guards here than the last time he visited.
Cyrus adjusted the gaiter wrapped around his face, lowering to just beneath his chin. "Douglas, right?"
"Got it in one," the Outcast replied. "Chief's waiting on you in her office."
"Best not to keep her waiting then." Douglas managed the security doors while Cyrus observed his fellow sentries. In his last visit, there were barely a handful of guards operating the gate. Now there were over a dozen, each armed with an assault rifle or a shotgun. "Where'd you get the gear?"
"Stole it off a Militech truck a few days ago; bastards lost track of their own shipment, so we snatched it up. Lucky us, right?" Cyrus disagreed.
"Dangerous is what it is Douglas, I doubt shining a light on this place will do it any good." The security officer shrugged off the Spartan's concerns as the gate swung open.
"You got worries, talk to the chief. You know the way, so go on and try not to cause her too much stress. She's been working her ass off for the last few days keeping this place steady."
Cyrus nodded towards the security officer and marched into the outcast encampment. Little had changed since its previous visit, but there did seem to be more tents than even he recalled crammed into the tight corridors.
However, unlike his previous visit, there was an underlying tension in the air. It permeated the very atmosphere, intoxicating it with an emotion of pure terror. The adults did a good job hiding their fears from the children who walked the camp, but they could not hide from his gaze.
Something was wrong with this place, and Cyrus was determined to find out what. By the time he reached Parker's office, it was clear that whatever tension was weighing down her people had not left her unscathed.
The Chieftain was presiding over her meeting table occupied with stacks of documents containing details he had no knowledge of. Her eyes were heavy with exhaustion; the harsh consequences of fatigue had taken a mighty toll on her usually youthful appearance.
He was not expecting this.
"Cyrus," Parker's eyes lit up with life that contrasted her tired state. "Glad you could you make it."
"You look like hell."
Parker grinned at the crack. "More than I'd like to admit. But the last few days have been…..taxing."
"How can I help?"
Parker couldn't keep the smile off her face. A part of her was hoping that he would completely disregard the firearm training to handle something more….worthwhile. It was selfish to presume that Cyrus would assist in such a heavy manner, especially given his encounter with the NCPD.
But she was running out of options.
"It's been a tough week, Cyrus." Parker wrapped an arm around his left limb, guiding him to a walkway observing the teeming masses below. "Scaver clans have been prodding our perimeter, as you already know, and a few small-time mercenary groups have 'offered' their services for a cut."
"Any of them from Afterlife?" It would be a shame to visit the premium club so soon after his previous visit.
"No, why so specific?"
"Just curious is all." Parker chuckled to herself, that was probably a bag of crazy she didn't want to know about. It would just be like him to pick a fight with the Afterlife and the NCPD in one week.
"I can handle the Scavers and Mercs easily. I need you for a personal matter."
Parkers eyes glazed over, mind racing a million miles an hour as a long-buried memory resurfaced once again.
"Have you ever heard of the Meatman?"
Post updated reviews if you can, but I will answer all relatable questions in the next chapter.
Like always I hope you enjoy this fic and criticism is always welcomed. Please leave a review if you have questions or just wanna say hello.
Hope you have a great rest of your week.
Reviews:
tamagat: I can honestly say no, I don't think I will be giving him a tank personally. But we still have a basilisk to capture in the future, so technically that counts.
RickDeckard: A lot of ideas, some might stick some might not, but thanks for the support.
Next Chapter: April 4th-6th, Easter weekend may delay the next chapter for a few days. But we will be back on schedule for the 11th