 Hey, yo, B. How about a round or two? What do you say? Wait, who's talking to me? Is that you? No, no, I'm just- Oh, who's talking to me? Wait, what the hell? She's huge! What the- How you like my new punching bag? Just gave me a next-gen ass whooping. He did. I'm curious to see how he handles the likes of B. Uh, sure, why not? Let's do this. They put bolts on this so homeless people can't sleep on it. That's hilarious. What do you say? Wait, really? You mentioned something about fighting. I've seen you landing blows in the ring. They've got sharp instinct, good edge. You can go far, especially if you get chipped. These fights, let's just say they aren't leaked. But they're looped. Yeah, lucrative for who? You or me? Both of us. I get a small percentage of the total winnings, you know, as your agent. You get the rest. Sounds fair. Sounds fair. It's like I said, good instinct. Fights happen in different parts of the city. You choose where you want to go, down your eddies, and start swinging. You win, you take home the pocket. Managed to drop every last one of them, you get a chance to fight in the grand finale. That all clear? Crystal. Good. Oh, except you won't be setting foot outside or what. Not yet. You can start in Kabuki. I believe in you, V. Time to show this city what you made of. Okay. I tried to leave, but I had to sit. Well, this is awkward, because I was trying to get out of here. How do I leave? Get out. MPCD scanner hustles. The MPCD will pay you to help fight crime. Sick. Gigs. Fixers will contact you to approach a gig's location. I got a cop that's just... He's giving them a ticket for loitering while there's an armed individual. All right, Jackie, what's up, man? I mentioned something about a surprise yesterday. Am I remembering right or just how to bring forth? Probably both, because you usually forget shit. But it just so happens, I think I might have bagged us a sweet-ass J.O.B. Go on. I mean, maybe it's not as big as that, but... Just that he's fronted by a little-known someone named Dexter Deshaun. Only the top fixer in Nightfuckin' City. Fat-ass Black Jesus of the afterlife. 300 pounds of partly gold-plated coup. What's the job? We meant to come out in one piece? Our Lord and Savior wants to tell you everything himself. Face to face. No pressure, but, uh, his whole deal? He's riding on you now, is he? Why me? Why do I gotta go? You and T-Bug draw straws without me? T-Bug and Dex go way back, and my face is yesterday's news. Dex says he needs to check you. Look, V, it's his job, his rules. I can't blame him for taking a personal approach. And it ain't as bad as you think, okay? Trust me. I guess I got no choice, though. Dex is a real deal when it comes to fixers. Don't get me wrong. Don't got nothing against the Padre or Wacaco, but... Dex is only his own. Not a real one. Oh, really? No. It's always the same story. You land on fresh turf, local fixer waves his dick around, but he's smiling, saying you'll be up to your neck in gigs and eddies. Still, all you are is another name in their little black book. Nifty tool for getting them a fat slice of whatever half-baked shit by their client put on the table. Sure, you crack jokes over drinks, but in the end, it's biz. Gracias, por lleno. China! Get your wheels. Give them to my guy yesterday to smooth over the dents after our dust-up with the scabs. Thanks, Jack. Much appreciated. The top notch work Miguel did. Rides like it looks. Factory new. We'll see about that. So we rolling or what? Let's feel this factory new ride. All right, factory new. Wait, I'm sick. Look at him butt-sliding the car. First stop, at Holmes. Easy on the gas, huh? I just ate. All right, come on, V. Not only to you. Hold your mechanical eyes, have resisted the temptation to... even within us. Your joys, your worries. That's so funny. That's amazing. You suggest I gouge out my implants? Do you truly believe that those who have sold you your mechanical eyes have resisted the temptation to peek through them? Cameras are all around us. Even within us, your joys, your worries, your life. For them it is all mere spectacle. Dude, that's amazing, dude. Should I just gouge out my optics? Thanks, but no thanks. You are beyond salvation. But not the children of the future. Life untainted by surgery of the sacrilege. We can yet save them. Dude, that's amazing. May the fathers instill their hatred for Crowe. Dude, I want to be in a video game. That's amazing. That's so funny. Why the titans of entertainment in Alpha Centauri? Wretchedness. They placate their weary and oppressed masses by putting our laughter, our tears on food. I was trying to punch him. Hold on. Punch him, hold on. It doesn't let you punch him. It won't let you punch him. Bring your wipes, bear the truth. Let those with ears listen. I was trying to punch him. It doesn't let you punch him. It doesn't let you punch him. It doesn't let you punch him. It doesn't let you punch him. You deserve that. A snap is still if you arrest him for government. Thank you for the 20 months. Open your mind before it is too late. Go garnish, thank you for the 20 months. I did deserve that. I wanted to see what let me punch you. It doesn't let me punch you. That's so funny. That's my first time playing this. Is there any more dialogue with him yet or no? My friend later. Okay. Okay. I mean a little kitchen up to do you look pleased Cuz I am always makes me easier living but We got a new job lined up From a big hitter at the afterlife. Oh, is it gonna be dangerous? Don't you worry me or more? We're bulletproof. Okay. I'm going to the river dock Wait, is that cat pet the cat? Wait, she called me a loser Wait, why does that kid have a gun? Is that a child? The bank is happening You know, it'd be crazy if whatever you wait, what wait, what what the frick? Why are the cops shooting into a crowd of civilians? You're in a crime scene. I thought it was like a hologram. I thought it was a video I might be coming to a Tennessee game this year for tailgate by the way, so we might see you there Get in okay Gelato steal the name of the tier one You're mr. V a pleasure Ample indeed Let's roll I Starts and just like Rick Ross starts playing rather living pieces mr. Nobody die ripe old and smelling slightly of urine or go down for all time I mean a blaze of glory smelling near like posies without seeing your 30th Is this some kind of test is some sort of test Yeah, just a pet topic of mine. I mean riddles No, I'm I'm Talachi. All right, listen close Scanning a serious job now Playing gargantuan compared to smashing up a scav home the job Wait, why meet me? Why the show hang on? I got a question my own now Why all this don't you know a tier three upgrade? Thanks, dude. Go to had Jackie Could have just done this on comms Call me old-fashioned, but I like to look anyone I do bends with in the eye Had the pleasure of meeting the Jaxter in the past and sweet tea bug help this brother out two years ago So here we are Sides all that got a special little pre-mission just for you, but we'll get to that. Let me hear it. What's the job? There's this Prototype tech a bio chip to be precise jobs to grab it simple Yeah Guessing it belongs to a court Mm-hmm Arisaka surely that's no problem Hello, I'm thinking That's a death sentence. No, no problem just a death sentence NC's our stock is turf. Nobody fucks with them here What can I say mr. V how risk I reward first rule of the afterlife? Size that I'm no leadhead ain't gonna leave no trace for them to follow cuz we're gonna do this clean and on the hush hush We understand each other You work this out got a plan Two things first a conundrum with the maelstrom boys needs active resolving that Second to rendezvous simple client who brought us the job's anxious. She wants to parlay with one of the team Client tell me about her of mr. V line Why she needs to meet Woman's names Evelyn Potter reading the Right and Some brothers from Pacifica got back to me told me to stop looking in the convoy Anyway our little client assisted on me and someone was getting the game, you know who'd be there for it all Yours truly will be remote T bug ain't no people person and Jackie's only good at some things. I know you know what I mean Pretty much leaves you What's the issue needs resolving with Maelstrom got a beef Chailurys are the shot Thank you Got a classic tale for you Psycho gang doing his thing two weeks back jumped a military convoy got away with the gear Corp don't even know Maelstrom's involved Now see convoy was carrying the flathead a little combat bot a prototype slapping I need me that bit of high-grade military tech Because if we don't get that bot we don't get no soccer chip and we sure as hell don't get no happily ever after But don't get excited. It's a single use toy Now I slide out purchase the damn thing from Maelstrom Problem is I did so from a gent went by the name of brick. I Say when because brick was leader three days after we'd seal our deal his friend and gangmate one Simon Randall aka Royce playing dropped his ass Royce is in charge now, and I got no way of knowing if he aims to honor his predecessors work To add to this shit from one merit of stout of military I've never been interested in said Corporal woman's a corp agent corporal agent. What's she playing at? Hell if I know been skidding around town asking after the convoy as if her life depended on finding it The one lead she's got zip tied in her trunk Sounds like she was waiting on the transport got stood up Monochrome in the bags probably her chief suspect got nothing from him or on him So she's keeping them just in case She needs to find the stolen gear before her boss is learned. She fucked up Well, mr. V. That is some impressive deduction Naturally use that intel as you please preferably well Course to do so you'll need that frazzled cats info Sending it now Well, I need I think I got everything Time I got to work Well, that's just music to my ears I'll set up the meat with miss Parker at Lizzie's bar flathead those gonna be all you one more thing mr. V Yes quiet life or blaze the glory Later now hello guy do we have to wait to give us up? You don't have to welcome to the stream You could do it now So you can either do a tier one and a gifted or you can do two gifted Tier one plus one gifted or two gifted sub for in games like they 400 meters go to Lizzie's bar between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. So right now it's 433 Wait did I bump it in her? We're getting mad at me. Can I steal this bike? Oh, I can wait I'm not gonna shoot you guys. It was an accident. It's not. No, it's a misunderstanding Officer no I hit F to talk to him. I'm into have to talk to him, and then I would hit F again the After cancel Okay, you know what we're just gonna How do I get out of combat? So good, dude This is so funny Can I get a ride? Hey, okay, am I getting the passenger side? What no, I didn't mean to wait where'd the other guy go wait the door didn't even open. Oh No, it's a huge misunderstanding like Vehicle has been located details have been sent. Oh You're closed wait They just stopped the hell they just gave up dude this game is hilarious Shut up idiots Looking a little put out there input interest you in a pre in BD What is BD? Not my first time Don't remember you Said I didn't get in through the front Huh, get low to this one brain dance, right? Rules are simple Someone catches your eye. You do not grab them. You find them in the catalog ask for a BD and get yourself a box No recording no copping feels when the guards ain't looking in you go Welcome to Lizzie's Oh, look at that. Look you can play with these going in or stand out. I'm playing with this safe area Okay, so I can't punch here Hey, hey, get you something. There's Lizzie still work here. So Curies the name Lizzie's is that the owner? Not for a long while. No It's not too sweet a story Now I'm just flat interested Real Lizzie ran a strip joint out of this place back in the day Lizzie's bar Those were paid right short and had decent security good spot all alone until Let me guess it didn't last No, Tiger claws took care of that Tiger beat one of Lizzie's girls real bad ones. No hesitation. Lizzie blasted the guy's balls off Liz was done Tigers gave this place up to the mocks in the end. Oh, didn't they? Sort of I knew how to make a deal. Well, luckily they kept their heads organized quick Big boss now is Susie Q but the science stayed up out of respect Biz booms to this day. Well, I'm looking for Evelyn I'm looking for Evelyn Parker. You know if she's here Who's asking a big tipper? Do I give him a big tip a big tipper generous when I get the answers I'm looking for Appreciate the gesture truly, but afraid I don't get paid to talk Opposite, it's all right Mateo Who's that? Evelyn Parker. I knew it was you. I can't rotate my neck enough. I'm freaking neck problems in game Drink my tequila of choice Sense on only tequila I drink Hmm. How would you know? I like to know everything about the people I work with Either that or it was just a lucky guess. Why meet here. Wait, what is that six? Why we meet in here any particular reason actually doesn't seem much like your thing this place Hmm, I'll take that as a compliment. Come on Ears won't prick up to listen We'll be in the lounge Mateo Anyone asks we're not here. Thank You Mateo Indubitably I've learned a VIP room. Nothing's wrong. Really? Why don't you just tell me the truth? I just told you The Sorry Dex had a load to say about you called you professional effective and Trustworthy Yes, but I hope you wasn't overselling Wait, how come everybody in the future smokes so much? I feel like in the future you would know that smoking is bad Um I'm waiting Look, I'm the best. What can I say? I'm good at what I do got a solid crew in my back, too Never once botched a job You do realize I expect more of you than scraping street corner data terms By the way, you work together long you index What are you writing Dex's bio you writing Dex's bio Hate to disappoint, but I just don't know much in other words. You hardly know each other Yet he fingered you for this job Huh curious Like if you got any doubts just ring Dex shit buzz Dex right now if you're getting cold feet I can wait I Doubt he'd add anything. I haven't already heard Anything I'd really like to hear for that matter There's only one other bunch. That's worse than fixers in that respect Used car salesmen. I'll go with my gut for now. Okay. Well, let's talk business. Let's cut to the chase the door What do you got for me? your Target I Trust you know what it is Relic secure your soul trinket. He tech in the program actually We're tangling with our soccer Making this heist one dangerous risky motherfucker out of soccer's poured billions into personality transfer technology But me I just want the data on this one the chip is tucked away inside come pecky plaza the hotel You ever been I'm familiar with the franchise our soccer seems have quite the touch with that hotel chain Franchise say come pecky in Tokyo still leagues above the rest Two are Identical to each other Japan staff Service can't be beat Singapore Paris Washington All the rest act like charity case cousins by comparison Where's this chip hiding exactly In a suite on the top floor the rooms occupied by your a nobu Arasaka You're a nobu Arasaka I got to Guess the scream sheets weren't lying this time It's on the lips of everyone in the city Saburo Arasaka's only surviving son heir apparent to the Arasaka Empire in town Please could it be emperors prepared to seed his throne after 150 years Only a handful of people Arasaka's real plans are Telling me you're one of them seriously that guy's my target. So we're not jumping the corp We're jumping yarn over Arasaka himself You're a nobu is a puppet. He lost all his cards years ago when he failed to do daddy's bidding Saburo's had Yuri's balls and a vice for years He might just Turn the screw and crush them outright if he learns his son's up to no good again Even so still your a nobu fucking Arasaka Your a nobu did what to our sake no, that's his name. Oh Oh This should make your prick perk up Your a nobu recently swiped the chip from an Arasaka laboratory He's made a deal with net watch Ames to sell it to them Have you spotted my ace yet or do I need to spell things out? Where does your a nobu keep the rog? Fine, so no Arasaka security on the device because you're a nobu whisked it away its secret Now where's he hiding it? Likely in a specialized container One that mimics an organic neural and cyberponk on the outside. It looks like an ordinary briefcase in the cases That's not how that phrase works provided. We're done gossiping about the Arasaka's Stand okay. What's next? Now comes the best part Follow me got something for you should help you plan Brain dance from come pecky plaza. How's the brain dance supposed to help me fax not thrills Think BDs are only good for fondling virtual tits Jacking off to in those boxes Wait, what it can be a very useful tool good for analyzing details human perception even boosted doesn't grasp Exactly what you need like anything else. So what's on the tape you left your wall? Nobu sweet the glorious and I left my wallet you'll need to locate the relic yourself Hey, we weren't finished. Oh my bad. My bad. My bad. Hold up mean to say you recorded this Mm-hmm BD wreck implant Why you object? No no objection. No not at all. Let's see this brain dance Judy'll help. She's a mox too besides we go back years V this is important Judy's always been there for me. I always helped out I Trust her, but she's a mox not the latest member of your crew Try not to forget So you'll be a good boy Dread like me and keep that tongue on a leash Relax, believe it or not. I'm no stranger to tact In biz or life guys you base Judy. You don't got she girls. Okay got she's not used for women Appropriates Yo, you're fall days. No, you are This is V. Is it? And V. This is Judy best brain dance editor right now enough already Got quite the setup setup need all this to process brain dances Mm-hmm analyzers sensory sick amps acoustic and emotive wave monitors facial expression Translators Judy All right. All right Compiled your BDF What do you think will it do? Still pretty raw, but yeah ought to do Mm-hmm V needs to get deep inside. That's most important So let's calibrate tune it to him Believe me have dealt with worse should see the jig jig street porn We got to contend with sometimes. How about it V raw brain dance Ever taken a dip before the hell is this a streamer look at her set up What's so raw about it? What do you mean by raw? How's this differ from the ready maids? Huh Ready maids provided their well-made should feed you feelings and impressions You'd never have the chance to experience yourself in real space But it's mass market shit, so it's precrafted hard-coded fenced in and manageable a raw one Well, it's more like a virtue in viral get to move around look at things in detail Editors use those layers to fish for juicier emotes and impulses then use them to pad the BDs that go to market Sit down settle in and we'll get you going. Oh my gosh. Look at this dude This looks like the classic like you have an office chair and you haven't replaced it like five years You know what I mean like I think I bought this chair at Walmart and I replaced it like five or six years Got to create your sensory profile first What profile a what profile now? Model of your perceptions and emotional responses need to adjust that so the Robby D won't overwhelm you If I don't best case scenario, you'll get nauseous as soon as you're in probably barf like you wouldn't a shoddy virtue in viral Mm-hmm and worst case Your synapses sizzle like locusts in a deep fryer, but we're not about to let that happen Okay, profile away Okay Hit me just promise me it won't hurt It wants not this time to be dirty Plans simple do nothing odd don't get creative you go in snatch the cash Get out and we sell the BD to go cycle freaks from your studio. Got it got it And remember everything on full blast. They'll spot us extra for a wicked adrenaline high on you go Okay everybody Underground what I see you kissing the foreign money now where I will fucking drop your shoulder God Whoa, yeah Now before I blow your fucking head off slow deep breaths Your court is all an adrenaline spiked, but the soft activated your hormone blockers nothing happened You're alive and well back a little warm drink warned me that flash of intense shock Can still feel it. I remember Fuck that last second could have warned me how much it hurts to die Trust me real death hurts much much more not so sure about that. Does dying hurt or do you just cut? This is just gonna happen I'll sever the link to the BD roller sensory array. You'll be able to look around freely All scenes yours Full cam control and analysis mode so move around zoom in and out whatever else you come up with Think of it as your own little sandbox So analysis mode you control playback can even pause when you feel the need Then you use the editor console You go in snatch the cash get out and we sell the BD to those cycle freaks from the studio Cream is hell right? Well, that's not all you can speed things up or rewind whatever you like Give it a try Rewind roll it back Wow Hey V. What's happening? Well glisten. I got some useful footage from Compeky Plaza. It's a brain dance Come pecky. Oh Thought as much Someone there with you Judy and Evelyn Judy and Evelyn. They're chill. They helped me work through this BD All right You gonna tell me what this is about Listen need your help got no clue what to look for once I'm in All right, see if I can walk you through it jacking into your tech now You've got to give me access opening port one seven seven nine secure protocol Good, I'm going in Should be getting my request Now Got it. You ready? I'm Milisek Already over 9001 Think of the tier one ice and we're clear ready to dance Fire up Judy Flashback RV eyes open got to find out where you're a no who's keeping the relic Terminator oh you Evelyn she I felt a fear You got it under control quick, too. I said no They'll have my head for this then you shall perish for a good cause But let me let me go back here. Let me let me Let's check the clues Military grade cyberware motion sensor camera Shit cameras packed with new tech motion sensors heat sig activators. I ff You skilled enough to kill it all Mucho more than enough just need access to their subnet. So cybernetic modifications means that it's Like 96% means 4% human extreme danger Alarm system alarm firmware is fresh But saw excited birds chirping on a BDS something about lots of seeds fall into this sieve Let me generate keys. I can forge their six No I said no Then here in a drone ventilation and cooling Servers gotta be but make yourself comfortable. I need a minute. Listen in on that conversation V could be something important I need a minute to finish the program is still in the trial phase. We cannot take it to market as is We'll see you soon enough Please speak with your father. He's taken a particular interest in this project He can certainly explain the rest of my father's the tired Visualist old gray beard who thinks nothing's nice and he'll live forever. He is tiny frozen bubble I should not even be listening to such things. You will listen to this Subroy is an adult despot oddly removed from reality Stuck in some fossilized vision of a world that no longer exists of a world that may never have existed We have not seen I do I for the past 20 years. I Am quite sure we want now Read the documentation carefully the relic requires specific storage conditions. You must Heard that Relic Docs got to be around here somewhere look for them. Sorry to make you wait Business Can be stupid. Hmm. It wasn't long not even long enough for me to grow bored Is everything all right? Hedgy a moment it won't pass Just one condition you wish to make demands of me only one Focus ah Automated turret Automated turrets latest scanner model systems all connected to the server You there's so many freaking wiener ads Okay, Scanners old liberty Good to know though once you're in there, don't forget about that iron Okay, I'll go over here. He didn't say right grab the heat sig matches the spec in the Docs Oh Your know who's got the case here guaranteed Mm-hmm. We've got it. Good work. Looks like we got everything we need Quit out of the editor. I think we've heard of on that really Yeah, that's kind of out of the way for where your characters get everything you need Yep, that'll do. Thanks, Judy. We got it later T bug Nice work today. So mark Tific towel keep it. I'll put it on evs tab Portable device for handling BDs. I already uploaded your calibration settings Not as sophisticated as what we got here, but you do the trick and it keeps you out of harm's way clever, so what now V Do this job for me. I mean me alone No splitting the payout with anyone else no middleman no decks So she is telling me to betray join go with your gut feeling I mean I feel like I shouldn't betray decks Why does she want me to betray decks? That's what I want to know Like what what's the deal here? You want to haze our fixer? Well, you want to fuck over. I think I knew something was up Decks is a middleman and useless one at this point Evelyn you don't mess with fixers That's the one rule every merc in this city knows and actually follows But if we're smart doesn't matter mistake like that'll cost you your rep Without a rep you're nobody You're sure you want to do this Better ask yourself that question Do you want to spend the rest of your days blasting scabs? Or become a legend overnight Your choice I feel like typically I wouldn't I wouldn't want to betray somebody you know, but at the same time Maybe maybe we play maybe we play this one a little bit differently. I'll think about it if I agree They'll be held to pay for sure. I know Whatever you decide get things that's good advice I can offer 50% Eddie's enough to do whatever the hell you like. I'll be finished Dex won't forgive a dirt move like this Dex isn't the only fixer in town But my offer is the only one you'll ever get Let me think about it Mm-hmm If you need me call, I'll send you my number. Okay Good luck Now go I need a few words with Judy I'm looking good recording from come back. He was worth our time Beautiful debug already calls said she's working her magic and the flathead Nothing yet on it now T-bug says no chance of that ship without that by to work