Out of Town, BRB

Jun

When Jun came home to an empty apartment free of Motoko's music, tinkering, or other noisy activities he figured that she was out with her friends or on a gig and she'd back by morning. He was a bit too tired to after the busy day to consider anything else and headed straight to bed, passing out as soon as his head hit the pillow.

When he woke up the next morning and headed for the kitchen, he found that his burrito stash was disturbingly low...

"Dammit Motoko, I swear if this is a prank..." he growled as he was forced to eat an energy bar instead before turning on his agent, having not done so since yesterday since he was busy and didn't want any calls to interrupt his work.

He quickly noticed the message his little sister left him, dated yesterday, and pulled it up.

*Hey Jun! I figure you're busy with TC stuff so I didn't bother trying to call you and just left this message instead.

Anyway, a nomad friend of mine is going solo and hired me on as security for a transport gig of hers. We're heading up to Seattle and should be back in a week or so at the latest.

Will message you again when back in NC's call range!

PS: I took a bunch of your burritos as emergency food rations. Pray for me that I don't need to use them.*

Jun nearly choked on his energy bar as he read the message.

"Seattle! The hell?! Motoko!" Jun yelled as he instantly tried to call her with his agent, only for it not to connect. "Dammit! She'd already out of range..."

A large part of Jun wanted to hop on his bike and chase her down.

What was she thinking?! She has never left the city limits before, and for good reason?! Everything between the major cities was nothing but wastelands, dangerous mutated wildlife, Raffen Shiv bands, and dozens of other hazards?! And she planned to take that all on with only two peple?!

Jun had to physically stop himself from running out of the apartment, breath in deeply, and recall those meditations of Sensei's to think things through.

"There's no way I can catch up on just my bike, I don't know the outside of Night City unlike her nomad friend, I can't just dip out for who knows how long from my job to chase her down, and Motoko... Motoko is tough as hell..."

He still hated to admit that, not that he didn't believe it but just because as her big brother should haven't to be and the thought of her doing dangerous stuff still scared him.

He thought he'd be used to it by now, and he like to think he was, but the Badlands were a different beast from Night City, to say nothing of another city like Seattle.

All Jun could do was sigh and hope for the best... and once she was home he was gonna ground her so hard!

Ichi

After Ichi was done with his thing, which his friends thankfully didn't dig into too much, he finally noticed he go a message from Motoko on his agent and read it.

*Hey Ichi! Hope your super secret stuff is going well!

I'm gonna be out of town for a while helping a nomad friend drive a package to Seattle, which itself is hush hush so don't tell no one about it!

Should be back in a week or so at the latest, so you guys stay out of trouble!*

Ichi could only blink in shock at the message.

"Who the fuck willing goes out in the Badlands and across state lines... Motoko. Motoko definitely does," Ichi sigh. "Seriously, we just got paid too, so its not like she needs the money. Still, if this nomad is her friend that would explain it."

Motoko's loyalty and willingness to drop everything for a friend, no matter how huge the problem, was one of the many things that Ichi admired about his friend/boss. Hell, it was cause of those traits that Malcolm was even alive!

Still, it was kind of hurt she didn't ask the rest of the team if they wanted to come along... then again, given it was the Badlands maybe that is why she didn't. She wanted to look out after them.

"Dammit Motoko, why is your gonk self so damned earnest?" Ichi sighed.

Well, knowing her she'd be just fine and make the Badlands her bitch.

Malcolm

Malcolm was happily covered in oil stains as he worked on his Caliburn for felt like only minutes but he was sure was hours.

His dream car! How can he not be in the zone over it!

Even his parents were excited for him! His dad all but begging for a spin in it, which Malcolm turned naturally turned down but gave him the Hella instead as a good family car, and his mom happy to have another good car around for the family in general if needed.

Still, this was his baby and he'd be the only one driving and taking care of it. He had been reading up on Caliburn repair, maintenance, and modding for years after all! And he had the eddies to do so!

Speaking of which, he really did need to thank Motoko somehow for saving his life and helping get back at the asshole who tried to kill him in the first place... he still felt it sometimes, his hands going to where he was shot...

Malcolm shook his head.

He was alive, and that gonk was dead. That was all the mattered.

Maybe Motoko could take his baby for a drive, she'd treat her right with her granny driving, and maybe look under the hood with him. Hiromi mentioned she was good with vehicles too, which was no surprise at this point.

He idly noticed he had a message on his agent from Motoko, remembering ignoring it while he was tinkering with his baby, and quickly pulled it up.

*Malcolm! Hope you haven't had sex with your new ride yet, lol!

Seriously, hope you've been enjoying your new wheels. I'll be out of town for a bit doing my own road work.

Nomad friend of mine needed some extra security for a transport job up to Seattle, so I'll be gone for like a week or something.

So yeah, don't go getting shot again while I'm gone, you hear? Just focus on your new ride!

PS: Don't get into any drag races either yet. You want a good second and pit crew for those, after all.*

Malcolm was shocked. Seattle?! Did Motoko just have to keep one upping herself?!

More importantly though...

"Dammit! A road trip to break in my baby would have been awesome!"

Hiromi

Ugh, school...

Hiromi grumbled to herself as classed finally ended and she was free.

Like, she didn't mind the actual learning part, she was finding it very useful in helping Motoko run Section 9 after all, but most of her classmates were still total gonks and were no fun to hang out with.

She had more business knowledge and experience than all of them combined at this point!

One of these days she would need to bring in a report on Section 9's profit margins just to show them just how- Oh! A message from Motoko!

Stupid Academy rules on agent use in class! They even had a localized jammer to enforce it!

Hiromi brought up the message while she silently raged and walked over to her parked bike.

*Hey Hiromi. Likely won't get this till you are out of class, so sorry about springing this on ya.

Panam, that Aldecaldos nomad you met a bit ago, called me up to help with a transport job to Seattle since she has split off from her clan for personal reasons.

Gonna be gone for awhile, maybe a week and change, and out of touch, but we'll be alright.

Call you up when close to home, so have fun with your studies in the meantime and look after the boys for me!

See ya later! Love ya choom!*

Hiromi had several feelings run through her at that point.

First, shock at the sudden news that her best choom was no longer in the city and maybe even the state! Worry about the fact she'd be in the wasteland and facing who knows what without them. Assurance at fact that Motoko was herself and would likely be alright. A bit of a blush at the whole 'love ya' comment, and finally...

The realization that her best choom and secret crush was gonna be on a road trip all alone for days with an older hot cool confident nomad with an awesome ass!

"Noooooo! That should be meeeeeee!"