Chapter 2: Afterlife
Inside the shop, Vik worked with precision, the buzzing of his tools filling the room. V hovered nearby, watching over David's unconscious form. Unlike Johnny, who had been tied to V and limited by his presence, V had the freedom to move around—even while David was out cold. It was liberating, but strange. He felt disconnected from David, almost as if he were anchored to something else entirely.
Wait. V blinked, suddenly aware. How was he seeing anything if David wasn't awake?
"D?" he called out, half-expecting a response. But there was only silence. More questions, still no answers. He sighed, turning his attention back to Vik, who was already hard at work.
"Time for a reinstall," Vik muttered, his voice barely audible over the hum of machinery. V drifted closer, eyes fixed on every movement, alert for any sign of trouble. He wished he could intervene if something went wrong, but he knew he couldn't. He was just a ghost here.
Vik began pulling and adjusting wires. At first, V felt nothing. But as Vik disconnected a cable, a strange sensation rippled through him—like something vital being yanked away. With each wire Vik removed, a creeping emptiness spread inside him, piece by piece.
By the time Vik had unplugged the last of the cables, V felt... hollow. His presence, already tenuous, had all but vanished.
Then Vik reattached the Sandevistan, and with it, a spark of awareness flickered back to life. The cold metal and wires felt foreign, yet as the Sandevistan clicked into place, V could feel a connection surging through him again. Stability returned, and the shadows that had threatened to consume him receded, light flooding back into his being.
V flexed his hand, trying to grasp something—anything—to remind himself he was still here. It was an enlightening experience. The truth became clear: he wasn't tied to David, but to the Sandevistan itself.
The realization unsettled him, but it also made a twisted kind of sense. A piece of cyberware carrying an engram? Yeah, that sounded exactly like something Arasaka would cook up.
When David came to, he wasn't expecting to feel better—much better.
"Well, that was fast." Vik's voice came from behind a screen. "Most people are out for at least ten, fifteen minutes."
David raised an eyebrow. "How long was I out?"
"Three minutes after I finished up." Vik stepped around the screen, gesturing at a monitor displaying the status of David's cyberware. "Now, I had to install some extra gear to handle the Sandevistan. I won't ask where you got it, but my advice? Don't tell anyone."
David nodded but froze, his mind racing. How was he even going to pay for all this? He opened his mouth to speak, but Vik cut him off.
"Don't worry about the bill. Instead, I'm sending you my contact info. I train over at a gym nearby. Show up, and I'll teach you a thing or two each week. Consider it part of the payment."
V phased into view beside David, throwing up his hands in exasperation.
"Hold up. So you're telling me all I had to do was flop around like a fish outta water, and Vik might've taught me?" V grumbled, half to himself. David glanced at him, which caught Vik's attention.
"Psychosis? This early?" Vik's brow furrowed as he stepped closer. "Tell me, kid, are you seeing hallucinations? People you know? Hearing voices?"
David hesitated, casting a quick glance at V, who gave him a nod.
"Yeah… but not people I know. Just some random gonk."
"Gonk?" Vik raised an eyebrow.
David rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah. It was right after my mom... passed. I heard a voice, then I looked up, and there he was—a full-blown guy standing in front of me. At first, I thought he was an intruder, but then he phased through my couch. He's the one who told me to come here."
"Huh." Vik scratched his chin. "He tell you his name?"
"V," David replied.
Vik chuckled. "Just a letter, huh? Well, whoever he is, sounds like he might've saved your life. Doesn't seem like Cyberpsychosis, but we'll need to keep an eye on it. Before we hit the gym, I want you back here every week for a couple of scans. And if anything feels off—anything—you contact me immediately, got it?"
David nodded, but V was staring hard at Vik, confusion plastered across his face.
"What the hell? He doesn't know my name?" V muttered. Then, turning to David, he asked, "Kid, what year is it?"
David blinked. "Uh... he's asking the year now?"
Vik shot him a puzzled look. "It's 2076."
V's eyes went wide. "I… what the—? I'll be back." He disappeared before David could react.
"Did he just… disappear?" David asked, glancing at where V had stood.
Vik nodded slowly. "Strange case you got, kid."
He handed David a small container of meds. "Take these twice a day. This'll last you about a month. Understood?"
"Yeah," David replied, pocketing the meds. Without another word, he headed out of Vik's basement clinic, ascending the stairs to Misty's section of the building.
Entering the shop, David was greeted once again by the soothing scent of herbal tea and dried leaves. The air was warm and still, wrapping around him like a comforting blanket. He spotted Misty setting up a small table in the corner, her hands working methodically as she arranged a deck of cards under the soft glow of candlelight.
She looked up and waved him over with a smile. "You still want that reading?" she asked, her voice calm, almost meditative.
David hesitated for a moment, then nodded. He wasn't sure why he felt the need for this—something about the idea of a tarot reading had pulled at him earlier, but now that he was here, he felt a strange nervous energy.
Misty motioned to the chair opposite her, and he took his seat at the table. The tarot deck in her hands seemed plain enough, the cards worn from use but unassuming. She shuffled them slowly, deliberately, like each card held weight.
"I'm still learning," she said with a small laugh, her gaze focused on the deck. "So, don't take anything too seriously."
David chuckled back, though his nerves remained. "Yeah, I get it. Not sure what made me ask for this, anyway."
"Sometimes the cards know before you do." She said this lightly, but something about her tone made David's stomach flip. She finished shuffling and laid the deck before her.
The first card flipped over.
"The Fool." Misty smiled. "That's you."
David raised an eyebrow. "Should I be worried?"
Misty shook her head. "The Fool's not being a gonk or anything like that. It's about beginnings. The Fool is on a journey, stepping forward with an open heart but also with a lot of uncertainty. He's optimistic, maybe even a bit naive, but that's part of the path. It shows you're on the brink of something new, but you don't fully understand what you're getting into. There's excitement here, but also risk."
David leaned back in his chair, thinking. His life had been flipped upside down recently—he could definitely feel the sense of walking into something unknown, with no idea where it might lead.
"That... makes sense," he said quietly.
Misty nodded, her hands deftly turning over the second card.
"The Devil." The card showed a figure with horns, towering over two chained figures, their faces downcast.
David's heart sank slightly at the image. "That can't be good."
Misty's expression grew more thoughtful. "The Devil's not always as bad as it looks, but it does represent being trapped—whether by something external or your own choices. It's about temptation, control, and even obsession. Sometimes we find ourselves stuck in patterns, bound by things we don't even realize are holding us back."
David exhaled slowly, absorbing her words. Trapped. He thought about how events had been spiraling out of his control lately—how he felt boxed in by forces beyond him, by decisions that weren't fully his own.
Misty glanced up at him, her voice soft. "It's a warning, but also a reminder. You can break free, if you recognize the chains."
David nodded, mulling over her words, then watched as she turned over the third card.
"Death."
His breath hitched. The skeletal figure on horseback dominated the image, holding a black flag as it rode past a fallen king.
Misty saw his reaction and smiled gently. "Don't worry, it's not literal death. The Death card is about transformation. It's the end of something, sure, but it's also the beginning of something new. Change is hard, but it's necessary. Sometimes things need to end in order for something better to grow."
David stared at the card, feeling the weight of her words. Change. He'd been through so much of it lately—losing his mom, getting pulled into a world he wasn't prepared for. Everything in his life felt like it was ending, yet somehow, he was still standing, still moving forward. But the uncertainty of what lay ahead gnawed at him.
Misty tilted her head, her voice gentle. "You're going through a major shift, whether you realize it or not. Old parts of your life are falling away, and something new is coming. It might be painful, but it's part of the process."
David let out a long breath, trying to absorb everything. The Fool, The Devil, and Death—three cards that seemed to speak directly to where he was, even if he didn't fully understand what that meant yet.
"Thanks, Misty," he said, his voice quiet but sincere.
She smiled softly, gathering up the cards. "The cards are just guides. How you deal with what's ahead—that's up to you."
David rose from the table, feeling the weight of the reading settle on him as he headed for the door. The scent of herbs and incense lingered as he left, but the real heaviness sat in his chest, where the future seemed both open and uncertain.
The NCART rattled along its tracks, the hum of the city outside muted by the thick windows, but the flickering neon lights of Night City still bled into the train's interior. David slouched in his seat, staring blankly at the floor, trying to make sense of everything Misty had told him. He could still feel the weight of the cards—the Fool, the Devil, Death—pulling at the edges of his mind.
V phased back into existence beside him, as casually as a passenger boarding the train, his translucent form flickering into view like a glitch in the world's code. David barely reacted, though he couldn't help but glance around. The other passengers, lost in their own world of holoscreens and distraction, remained blissfully unaware.
"How was the card reading?" V asked, his tone half-serious, half-mocking.
David sighed, his shoulders slumping further. "Gave me more panic than reassurance." He muttered the words under his breath, careful not to draw attention.
V rolled his eyes and tapped the side of his head. "Talk in here, D. Unless you wanna look like a gonk talking to yourself in public."
David grimaced but mentally repeated his response, focusing inward, sending the thought toward V.
"The Fool, the Devil, and Death."
He could live with being the Fool—that part made sense. He was stumbling through life, right on the edge of a cliff, no idea what came next. But the other two? Those just made him paranoid. The chains of the Devil, the finality of Death—it felt like his life was unraveling faster than he could understand.
V let out a low chuckle, turning his gaze toward the passing city outside the window. "Oh yeah, those do suck. But hey, at least you pulled some interesting ones. Could've been worse."
"Reassuring." David's mental voice was dry, tinged with frustration. He glanced at V, watching as the ghostly figure stared at the blurred landscape of Night City.
David shifted in his seat, narrowing his eyes at the engram. "Your turn for questions. Where the hell did you disappear off to earlier? You knew Vik and he didn't know you?"
V didn't answer right away. He continued staring into the dark, neon-lit abyss outside, his expression distant, almost haunted. After a long silence, he finally spoke.
"I needed time to think."
David frowned, unsatisfied with the vague response. "About what?"
V's gaze remained fixed on the horizon, the lights of the city reflecting in his eyes. "Tell me, D… what would you do if you could change things? If you could go back and prevent the worst moments of your life from happening? Set everything in a better direction?"
David blinked, caught off guard by the question. He wasn't sure how to answer, but his mind immediately drifted back to his mother. The painful weight of her death pressed into his chest. He thought of the Sandevistan—the implant he'd thrown into his body out of desperation. It wasn't just about Katsuo anymore. He had failed his mother's last wish, and now everything felt directionless.
"I'd..." David paused, struggling with the answer. What would he do? Bring his mom back? Undo all the pain? He didn't even know where to start. "I don't know, man. I'd change everything if I could. But I can't. It's too late."
V finally tore his gaze away from the window, turning to David. His eyes were hard, sharp, burning with something deeper than anger—something like regret, but hotter. "I would too, kid," he said, his voice cold and deliberate. "And I've been given that chance now."
David stiffened at the intensity in V's words, his heart quickening. "What do you mean by that?"
V's gaze darkened, and for the first time, David could feel the weight of whatever burden V had been carrying. There was a gravity to his presence now, something far heavier than the usual sarcasm or laid-back bravado. The NCART rattled on, its mechanical hum filling the silence between them.
"You know what it's like," V said slowly, "to lose everything. To watch the world chew up the things you care about and spit them out like trash. And if you had the power to stop it—to stop all of it—you'd take it. I know you would."
David swallowed hard, V's words sinking deep. He had lost everything—his mother, his sense of direction, even his grip on reality felt tenuous at best. But whatever V was hinting at, it felt dangerous, like he was standing on the edge of something much bigger than himself.
"So what?" David asked, forcing his voice to stay steady. "You think you can just… change everything? Fix the past?"
V didn't answer immediately. His form flickered slightly, a sign of his fading patience. His jaw clenched, and his fists tightened at his sides, like he was holding back something too big, too heavy. Finally, he spoke, his voice lower, almost dangerous.
"Tell me then, David Martinez," V said, his tone sharp enough to cut through the hum of the NCART. "If you knew how it ended for you—if you saw your own death—would you still want that change? Would you want to live?"
David frowned, his eyes narrowing as he turned to fully face V. "What are you talking about?"
V's expression darkened, his gaze locked on David, the air between them thick with something unspoken. He wasn't joking anymore; there was no sarcasm or snark in his voice, just raw intensity. The other passengers on the train were oblivious, but to David, it felt like the world had stopped moving.
"You die, David," V said bluntly, his eyes hard, unflinching. "This year. 2076. That's when it all ends for you."
David felt a cold wave of disbelief wash over him. He blinked, shaking his head, trying to laugh it off, but the words hit him like a punch to the gut. "What? No. You're messing with me. You've gotta be."
But V didn't flinch. His stare stayed steady, his form flickering again, a ghost caught between anger and sorrow. He leaned in slightly, his presence pressing down on David like a weight.
"I'm not messing with you, David. You go out in a blaze of glory, fighting Adam Smasher. Sure, you're remembered. People call you a legend, a martyr, whatever makes them feel better. But the truth is, you die young. You go down hard." He paused, his eyes searching David's face for understanding. "And it happens this year."
The name Adam Smasher echoed in David's head like a bad memory, even though he'd never met the man. He knew of him—everyone in Night City knew of Smasher. He was Arasaka's brutal enforcer, a walking tank with barely anything human left inside him.
David's chest tightened, his breath coming in shallow gasps. "I die... fighting him?" The disbelief hung in his voice, but underneath it, there was fear—a fear that V was telling the truth.
"Yeah, you do," V replied flatly, his voice tinged with something close to bitterness. "You don't even stand a chance, kid. Not against someone like him. He crushes you. Leaves nothing behind."
David stared at him, his mind spinning. The whole world felt off-kilter, like the ground had shifted beneath his feet. "No, no, that can't be right," he muttered, his voice shaky. "I'm supposed to be—"
"Supposed to be what?" V cut him off, his voice sharp, almost angry. "Different? Some legend? Some savior? That's not how it works, D. This city doesn't give a damn about heroes or legends. It chews people up and spits them out—especially guys like you. It fucking remembers you by a damn drink in a bar at your death. Not what you did in your life but how you went out."
David's hands gripped the edge of his seat as he tried to steady himself. His heart pounded in his chest, his mind racing to make sense of it. Could this really be how it ended for him? Could he really die this year? He thought of his mom, the promise he made to her, the plans he still had. It couldn't end like that. Not so soon. Not like that.
"Why are you telling me this?" David asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
V's gaze softened, just a little. "Because I've seen it, David. I've been there. I know how this city works. I know what happens when you try to take on something that's bigger than you, something that's designed to crush you. But—" he paused, and for the first time, there was a flicker of hope in his eyes, "—I'm giving you a chance. A chance to change it."
David stared at him, his mind whirling. "Change it? How?"
V leaned forward, his presence somehow growing stronger, more real. "I'm asking you, David. Do you want to live? Do you want to change how it ends? Because I've been given a shot, and I'm offering it to you. You don't have to die fighting Adam Smasher. You don't have to end up another name on Night City's casualty list."
David's heart raced. He could feel the weight of the decision V was putting in front of him. This wasn't just about surviving—it was about rewriting his fate. The promise of a future, of more time, of not going down in flames like he was supposed to.
"I..." David hesitated, the enormity of the choice pressing down on him. Could he do it? Could he really rewrite his story? He thought about his mom, about how he'd failed her. He thought about all the things he still hadn't done, the life he was just beginning to live.
V's voice broke through his thoughts, quieter now, but no less intense. "Tell me, David. Do you want to live?"
David looked up, meeting V's gaze. There was fire there, but also something deeper—a kind of desperation, as if V wasn't just asking for David's sake but for his own. Like he was asking David to do what he couldn't.
"I want to live," David finally said, his voice barely audible, but the conviction was there.
V nodded slowly, the flicker of hope in his eyes growing just a bit stronger. "Then let's make sure you do." He faded away, seemingly planning their move.
For a long time, the NCART ride was quiet after V's shocking revelation. David stared out the window, lost in thought, his mind racing with the weight of everything V had told him. Could he really die this year? Could he actually change it? The city blurred by, neon lights flickering through the darkness, but David's focus was miles away.
Then he felt something—or someone—tugging gently at his sleeve. He blinked, turning around to find a woman standing behind him. She had striking white hair that seemed to glow under the train's dim lighting, her eyes downcast for a moment before meeting his.
David's heart skipped a beat. It was her. The girl he'd noticed a dozen times before on the NCART, the one who always seemed to appear just when he'd managed to pull his head out of his own problems. Her quiet beauty had caught his attention every time, and now she was standing right in front of him, as real as the rumbling of the train beneath his feet.
"Uh, can I help you?" he stammered, feeling the heat rush to his cheeks. No way—this was the girl he'd been secretly admiring for days, and now she was actually talking to him. His mind scrambled for something to say that didn't sound completely gonk.
The girl smiled softly, brushing a strand of white hair behind her ear. "Hey," she said, her voice steady but soft, almost hesitant. "I've seen you around here before… I'm Lucy."
"David," he replied, still trying to process the fact that this was really happening. There was something about her—something both captivating and familiar. His nerves crackled like electricity in the air between them, but there was also a strange comfort in her presence, like he'd known her far longer than a few NCART rides.
They stood there for a moment, the noise of the train and the quiet hum of Night City in the background. Her gaze never left his, and for some reason, David felt at ease. More at ease than he had in days.
Lucy, too, felt the weight of the moment. It was him. The person who had saved her. The person who had died for her. The person she couldn't save. His adorable, earnest eyes locked onto hers, completely unaware of their shared history—unaware of the sacrifice he'd made. And yet, here he was, alive, standing in front of her like a dream she didn't want to wake from. Every time she looked at him, the memories from after his death seemed to blur, like a distant nightmare she could barely recall.
As they continued talking, Lucy felt a calm settle over her—a peace she hadn't known in a long time. Just being near David, in this moment, made her feel like she belonged. But part of her mind kept racing, caught between the past she knew and the present she was living.
"So, what do you do?" David asked innocently, breaking the easy flow of their conversation. His question was casual, but Lucy's heart skipped a beat. She froze for just a second, her mind scrambling for the right response. How could she explain what she really did? How could she tell him she was a netrunner who worked dangerous jobs for mercs without plunging him back into the world he had once escaped?
David noticed her hesitation and immediately regretted asking. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Uh, sorry—stupid question, huh? You don't have to answer."
Lucy shook her head, her smile returning, though there was a hint of something hidden behind her eyes. "No, it's fine. I was just trying to think of how to explain it."
She thought quickly, crafting a lie that felt safe but plausible enough to avoid deeper questions. "I work on the Net, with a group," she said carefully. "It's… complicated work, and I can't really go into detail."
David raised his eyebrows, impressed. "That sounds nova!," he said, genuinely intrigued. "Must be nice, working in a group. I've been more of a solo act lately."
Lucy nodded, swallowing the guilt that rose in her throat. He didn't remember. Of course, he wouldn't. This version of him didn't know the future they once shared, the pain he had endured, the fate he'd met. But every time she looked into those bright, hopeful eyes, she couldn't shake the images of what had happened—the blood, the pain, the sacrifice.
And yet, here he was again, standing before her. It felt like a second chance.
"So, what do you do?" Lucy asked, turning the question back on him, hoping to shift the focus away from herself.
David hesitated, his eyes darting toward the window for a moment. His life had been anything but stable lately. He thought about the Sandevistan, about everything Vik had said. "I'm, uh… trying to figure that out," he admitted, a small, self-conscious laugh escaping his lips. "Kind of been through some stuff recently. Still trying to land on my feet."
Lucy smiled sympathetically. "I get that." And she did. More than he could possibly know.
For a moment, the two of them just stood there, side by side, as the train continued its steady path through the city. The connection between them hummed in the silence, something unspoken but undeniably real. Lucy found herself wanting to stay in this moment, to forget everything she knew about his fate, about the danger that surrounded him, and just live here, with him.
But she knew better than to get comfortable. But yet she would.
The NCART screeched to a halt, the overhead lights flickering for a moment as the train doors slid open with a hiss. It was Lucy's stop. David almost wished it didn't end, as if the moment could stretch on forever, suspended in the easy flow of their conversation. His nerves had settled a bit, and it felt like—for once—things were going right.
But then Lucy turned to him, her voice soft, almost casual, but with a glimmer of something else. "David," she said, pausing just enough for him to feel the weight of her words. "How about you come over?"
David blinked. Everything around him seemed to freeze, like time itself had stalled. His brain scrambled to process what she'd just said. Did she really just ask me over? A girl, one he'd been secretly admiring for days, was asking him to her place? He could barely hold back the blush creeping up his neck. There was no way this was happening.
"I—uh..." he stammered, searching for the right response but finding nothing that didn't make him sound like a complete gonk. His mind flashed through reasons why he shouldn't go—he barely knew her, V's voice in his head telling him to stay sharp, the fact that he had enough on his plate already.
But then he met her eyes, and all the hesitation crumbled. Lucy wasn't like anyone he'd ever met. There was something genuine about her, something that made him feel grounded, like maybe he didn't have to worry about everything for once.
"Yeah," David said, his voice steadier now. "Yeah, I'd like that."
Lucy smiled, and for a moment, the quiet chaos of Night City felt miles away. She turned and led him toward the exit, her white hair catching the flickering light as they stepped off the train. David followed close behind, trying to keep his cool but feeling his heart thudding in his chest.
As they walked through the city, the noise of the streets buzzed around them. Neon lights flickered from above, casting shadows across the cracked sidewalks. Lucy led him down a few quieter streets, the high-rises towering overhead, each one blending into the next, before finally stopping in front of a sleek, nondescript building.
"This is my apartment," she said, swiping a card across the door's sensor. It clicked open, and they entered the dimly lit lobby.
The elevator ride was silent, but it wasn't uncomfortable. David found himself sneaking glances at Lucy, still in mild disbelief that he was actually here with her. The soft ding of the elevator pulled him from his thoughts as they stepped out into a narrow hallway.
Lucy's apartment was small but neat. It wasn't flashy like most Night City pads—no neon lights lining the walls, no obnoxious holo-ads flashing from screens. The place was simple, understated, and for some reason, it felt like a sanctuary in the chaos of the city.
"Make yourself at home," Lucy said as she walked toward the kitchenette. "Want something to drink? I have water, tea... something non-carbonated?" Her tone was casual, but it struck David oddly.
He blinked, the offer catching him off guard. How did she know? He hadn't told her he didn't drink carbonated stuff. It was such a specific thing. A small coincidence, maybe, but still...
"Nah, water's fine," he said, brushing off the thought as he sat down on the couch. His eyes wandered around her apartment, taking in the details. It was cozy, more lived-in than he'd expected. He noticed a small collection of plants by the window, a few personal touches here and there that made the place feel warm, almost comforting.
But what really caught his eye was the wall at the far end of the room. It wasn't like the other bare walls. This one had something striking—a wallpaper of the moon, large and glowing, casting its serene light over a dark, empty landscape.
David couldn't help but stare at it, the image pulling at something deep inside him. "The moon," he murmured aloud, half to himself, before glancing at Lucy as she handed him a glass of water. "What's that about?"
Lucy paused, her expression softening as she followed his gaze to the wall. For a moment, she didn't answer, like she was debating whether to tell him or not. Then she smiled—a small, almost sad smile.
"You want to see it up close?" she asked, the weight of her words lingering in the air.
David's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"
Lucy set down her glass and nodded toward the door to the next room. "Hop into a DB with me."
David stared at her, unsure what to make of the offer. A Dive into the Braindance? Now? He hesitated, his mind flashing back to everything he knew about BD trips—how they could mess with your head, how sometimes you didn't come out the same. But there was something in the way Lucy said it, something gentle, like this wasn't just any BD. It felt personal.
"Come on," she urged, her eyes steady on him. "I promise it's nothing heavy. Just... trust me."
David exhaled slowly, the moment stretching out between them. It wasn't like he didn't trust her, but everything felt so surreal—the way she seemed to know him without really knowing him, the moon wallpaper, the sudden invitation into her world. It was all happening so fast.
But then again, everything in Night City was fast. Maybe this was how things were meant to be.
"Alright," he said finally, nodding as he stood up. "I'm in."
Lucy's eyes brightened slightly, and she led him into the next room, where the DB setup was already prepared. He sat down in the chair, the familiar, sleek hardware wrapping gently around his head. Lucy moved beside him, sliding into her own chair, and with a soft click, the room began to fade.
The Braindance started slow, flickering to life around David. At first, it was just darkness—soft, quiet, like being wrapped in a comforting blanket of stars. But soon, the scene expanded. He was floating, weightless, in an endless expanse of space, the stars stretching infinitely in every direction. Above him—no, below him, he couldn't quite tell—was the moon, huge and glowing, bathing everything in a gentle, silvery light.
David blinked, realizing he could feel the lightness of his body, the way his feet barely touched the ground. He pushed off slightly, and his body floated up, weightless. A laugh escaped him, quiet at first, but filled with genuine joy.
The sensation was nova.
He glanced down, his feet hovering above the lunar surface, the subtle pull of the moon's gravity just enough to keep him anchored. Each movement felt like a slow-motion leap through the air, graceful and free. He pushed off again, feeling the soft resistance of the moon's gravity as he soared higher, the stars spinning around him.
He couldn't help but laugh again, louder this time. "This is wild!" he said, his voice echoing in the vast expanse of space.
Lucy appeared beside him, her feet gently planted on the moon's surface, but she wasn't jumping around like he was. Instead, she watched him, a small smile playing on her lips. Her white hair floated softly, as if it, too, was weightless in the low gravity. She looked calm, serene—like she was seeing something familiar but still enjoying the novelty through David's eyes.
"Enjoying yourself?" she asked, her voice soft, but there was a warmth to it.
"Yeah," David said, grinning as he floated back down, his boots lightly bouncing off the surface. "This is nova! I've never felt anything like this before."
Lucy's smile widened as she watched him. There was a quiet joy in the way he moved, like he was completely lost in the experience. For a moment, she just stood there, observing, soaking in the rare sight of David's genuine happiness. The weight of the real world—the Sandevistan, the pressure, the danger—seemed to melt away in the gentle gravity of the moon.
David pushed off again, this time launching himself higher, flipping slowly in the air as he let the moon's pull guide him back down. He landed lightly, the soft gray dust kicking up around him in a slow-motion cloud.
"This is unreal," he murmured, glancing back at Lucy. "You ever get tired of this view?"
Lucy shook her head, her eyes tracing the stars above them. "No," she replied softly. "Not of this."
The two stood in silence for a moment, floating just above the surface of the moon, the vast expanse of space surrounding them. It wasn't the eerie kind of silence that usually came with a BD trip; this was peaceful, calm. The kind of stillness that made David feel like, for the first time in a long while, he could just be.
He pushed off again, slower this time, letting himself drift in the gentle gravity, and then turned to face Lucy, who was still standing there, her feet lightly touching the ground. There was something about the way she watched him, something familiar and comforting. She wasn't jumping around, but he could tell she was enjoying this—enjoying him.
"Why the moon?" David asked suddenly, as he gently landed back on the surface beside her. "What's it mean to you?"
Lucy hesitated for a moment, her eyes drifting upward to the stars, their distant glow reflected in her gaze. "It's... peaceful here," she said finally, her voice softer, more introspective than before. "A place far away from everything. Far from the city, far from... all the noise. I always thought the moon looked so lonely, but at the same time, it felt like somewhere you could escape to."
David floated beside her, weightless in the low gravity of the Braindance. For a moment, he simply listened to her words, letting the quiet settle between them. He could sense there was more she wanted to say, but she seemed to hold back, as if the thought was too personal to share.
Then she added, almost as a whisper, "But I realized something. If you can't experience it with someone you love... then what's the point?"
The vulnerability in her voice caught David off guard. He turned to look at her, really look at her, and saw the hint of sadness in her eyes—the kind that comes from years of holding onto something too painful to let go. Her words lingered in the air, and for a moment, he wasn't sure how to respond.
He nodded slowly, letting her words sink in. "Yeah," he said quietly, thinking about everything they'd been through in their short time together, the chaos of Night City always threatening to tear them apart. Up here, away from all of that, it was easy to forget. "I get that."
The weight of her statement pressed down on him, but it didn't feel heavy in a bad way. It felt like the truth—one he hadn't let himself acknowledge until now. What was the point of it all—running, fighting, surviving—if there wasn't someone to share those moments with?
Lucy's eyes stayed on the stars, and David found himself looking up too, the vastness of the sky making Night City feel impossibly far away. Here, in this peaceful, artificial moon gravity, everything felt different. The constant noise and pressure were gone, and for once, there was nothing to worry about.
"It does feel like an escape," David said softly, his voice almost a murmur as he let the tranquility wash over him. "Like we're the only two people in the universe up here."
Lucy smiled faintly, but there was still a distant look in her eyes. "Yeah... it's nice to forget, even for a little while."
David watched her, feeling a strange mixture of joy and sadness. Joy because this moment—this connection—felt real in a way that nothing else in his life did. But sadness, too, because he could sense that Lucy was holding something back. There was something she wasn't saying, something she wasn't letting herself fully experience.
"Maybe... you don't have to do it alone," David said quietly, his words tentative, unsure if he was stepping too far into something personal. "We could share it, you know? This... escape."
Lucy's gaze softened as she looked back at him, and for a moment, the distance between them seemed to dissolve. She didn't say anything, but the way her eyes met his told him everything he needed to know.
The peaceful, weightless atmosphere was infectious, and David couldn't help but smile again. "You ever try this?" he asked, nodding to the space around them, inviting her to join him in the light-hearted fun. "It's not as fun being the only one jumping around."
Lucy tilted her head, a playful glint in her eyes. "I've done it before," she said, a small smirk forming. "But alright, just this once."
David grinned, pushing off once more, and this time, Lucy followed. She moved gracefully, launching herself higher than he had expected, twisting gently in the low gravity as they both drifted through the moon's soft pull. The weight of the world—or at least, Night City—felt a million miles away as they floated together in the ethereal space of the BD.
As they landed back on the lunar surface, David couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this free. It was like he'd left everything behind—the Sandevistan, the pressure, the looming threats—and for now, all that mattered was this quiet moment with Lucy.
He caught her eye again, and she smiled at him, this time more openly. There was still something hidden beneath that smile, something she wasn't saying, but right now, it didn't matter. For the first time in a long while, David felt like things were simple. And maybe that was enough.
The soft, tranquil melody of the Braindance floated in the background, growing just slightly more pronounced, but still calm. The music felt like a part of the stars themselves, drifting along with them in the weightless sky, as David and Lucy floated through this shared dreamscape.
Word Count: 6657
Song: Afterlife by Nothing but Thieves
Fun chapter no? It is really packed with information so I might do a rewrite of this chapter later but I think overall I think it is pretty decent. Introduction to a couple different characters, Vik, Misty, and Lucy. I hope I got the lore right, what I do know is that Misty didn't have the tarot cards before Jackie so that's a tweak (minor detail but I felt like I should've included.)
Hopefully Lucy's introduction is to your liking, as we explore more of her character. If you can't tell something is off with this Lucy, should be fairly obvious, give the song a listen if you don't get it.
Review and follow! Thanks!