Little China

  December 4th

  2069

  Sophie waved goodbye to Misty as she walked down the stairs to Vik’s clinic. The older girl had been overjoyed to see her and though she felt awkward, Sophie had accepted their interactions as something she needed to do. It didn’t hurt that she didn’t mind being around Misty. She was incredibly kind after all. A bit too keen on the hugs though.

  As her mind wandered, she found herself stepping through the flimsy gate that protected the main area of the clinic. Vik was in his chair as usual, watching something on his TV. He looked up when she walked in before giving her a smile.

  “Sophie!” He got up before giving her a hug. She frowned slightly before accepting her fate, returning the gesture with a pat on the man’s back. The ripper pulled back a bit, his hands on her shoulders. “You here for those upgrades we talked about?”

  She nodded. “Mmm. They ready yet?”

  “They sure are. Arrived yesterday in fact. Go, sit down. I’ll bring everything over so I can explain.”

  He strode away while Sophie made her way over to the surgical chair. A few minutes later, Vik returned with a case. He cracked it open and turned it around so that she could see into it.

  “Alright. First things first, I’ll be installing this little thermal module into your eyes. A simple command will allow you to switch to thermal optics. Super easy.” He put it back, then pointed to the rest of the cyberware in the case.

  “Now, these are the pieces you requested. To be honest, I’m glad you did. Too many people go straight for the muscle or bone upgrades. It’s nice to see someone upgrade the parts that hold you together first. This is a full set of joints, tendons and ligaments. Significantly more durable than your biological ones.”

  “Any other features?” She asked, sensing he wasn’t finished.

  “Well, you’ll be able to move slightly faster, jump a bit higher and absorb more of an impact. I will say it’s not going to be particularly noticeable. You don’t have the bones nor the muscle to complement the increased strength in your connective tissue.” She furrowed her brow in disagreement and he saw it, elaborating.

  “Look, you’re a fit girl. All your merc work has been fantastic for building your strength and stamina. But there’s a certain limit that you’ll reach without actually dedicating time to working out. You’ve either reached it already, or are pretty close to it, which is impressive in its own right.”

  Sophie nodded slowly. Hmm, maybe I should take Ursa up on that offer to start working out? At least until I get some artificial muscle and bone lacing. “Alright. I won’t expect too much from it.”

  He breathed a sigh of relief that he didn’t have to argue with her. “Good. What you will notice however, is that you won’t be feeling much exhaustion in those areas. You’ll still get soreness in your muscles but the artificial nature of these replacements mean you won’t have to worry about joint pain or anything like that.”

  “I don’t tend to feel much of that anyway.” Her skills were good enough that she knew the proper ways to walk and run, not to mention her Parkour skill that helped her avoid many of the dangers associated with extreme movements.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  “Well, you won’t feel any of it anymore. Anyway.” He then pointed to the final item in the case. “Now these. These will make a big difference. In fact, I’d bet you’ll notice it right away. Artificial lungs make many parts of life in Night City easier. General breathing for one, because of the pollution filters. I think you’ll also experience the benefits when your lungs aren’t getting tired during a long fight.”

  Sophie nodded. He saw that she was ready to begin, quickly getting himself set up. When he was ready, he stepped closer with an anaesthetic gun.

  “Alright. It won’t take too long but I’ll need you to be asleep for some of these. Sleep well, kid.”

  With those words she felt a brief sting on her neck as the anaesthetic pumped into her bloodstream. Within a minute she was out cold and Vik could begin his work.

  -----------------------

  Stepping out of the clinic a few hours later, Sophie took her first deep breath with her new lungs. The difference was immense. Basic pollution filters meant that she was no longer breathing in the worst of the environmental hazards, not to mention the fact she could take in significantly more oxygen.

  She also tested out her thermal vision, confirming that it worked. Fantastic. This’ll allow me to use my smoke pellets more effectively. She also paid close attention to how her new connective tissue upgrades felt.

  Like Vik had warned her, they didn’t seem to do much for her movement speed. However, she could feel that her knees would fare better when performing fast movements even though she was only walking.

  Sophie climbed into her Mackinaw before starting her journey home. She didn’t have any work to be doing, so she wanted to take the opportunity to get used to her new chrome. Vik’s earlier words lingered in her mind too. I guess I could try a basic workout when I get home.

  However, just as she was leaving Watson a call came through. She answered promptly.

  “Padre. You have a gig?”

  “Something of the sort. Come see me as soon as you can. And bring your car.” He hung up and Sophie mentally switched into work mode.

  He wants me to bring my car…Please tell me it’s not more bodyguard work. I guess it could also be a transport gig. Although there’s no way I’m helping him move drugs, if that’s what this is.

  She was a bit miffed that her best chance to test her new chrome had been thrown out the window but at the same time the work was a good opportunity to recover some of the money she just gave to Vik.

  -----------------------

  Sophie parked outside of Padre’s normal spot and jumped out, hurrying forward. As she approached her eyes spotted the typical Valentino presence, but there was an unknown girl seated at Padre’s table.

  The client maybe? Hmm, she looks a little older than me. I don’t think she’d be able to pay for it herself.

  As she’d observed, the unknown girl was maybe a year or two older than herself, with blackish-purple hair that fell just past her shoulders. Her eyes were mostly blue, with a tiny ring of pink around the iris.

  Aside from that though, she seemed to be a pretty average teenager aside from the fact she didn’t seem to be carrying any weapons. Most people in Night City carried around some form of weapon, whether it was a gun or a knife.

  Sophie stepped up to the table and Padre gestured for her to sit. She did, staring at the odd pair before opening her mouth to speak.

  “So? What’s the job? Am I guarding her? Taking her somewhere?”

  Padre raised his eyebrow at her. “No. I would like you to bring her with you for a gig.”

  Sophie stood abruptly, slamming her hands on the table. The girl flinched slightly but Padre continued to stare at her placidly.

  “Are you fucking kidding me!? I don’t want to babysit another fucking civilian!”

  “Sophie. Please, be calm. I’m not asking you to babysit her. She’s just starting out as a merc. I believe you’re the best person to accompany her in this initial period, considering you’re both girls of a similar age. She also possesses skills I believe will open up many doors for you and I trust that you won’t sell her out or betray her.”

  Sophie stared at the man. “...Which of my skills are you questioning? I’ve never failed a gig you’ve given me, Padre. I’m good at what I do.” While she argued her case, the unknown girl looked incredibly uncomfortable, seemingly wanting to say something but unsure how.

  “That’s not what I meant. We both know you have the skills, but they lean more towards elimination and stealth. And I know you’ve been working on your netrunning but I believe having a dedicated netrunner to work with would allow you to take some trickier jobs.”

  “Oh please,” Sophie spat. “Padre, she’s wearing regular clothes, not even something appropriate for combat. If she was a good ‘runner she’d at least have a suit.” The girl flushed slightly and her head drooped. Sophie felt a bit bad for the harsh words but being insulted was better than being dead.

  “There’s no need to be rude, Sophie. She doesn’t have the eddies to buy a suit at the moment. She came to me because she needs money, and her skills are well-suited to this line of work.”

  “You’re not gonna let this go, are you?”

  “I will not. If you don’t fit well together then I’ll have you work separately, but for now I’d like you to be her guide as she starts her mercenary career.”

  Sophie stared at the man and he stared back. Eventually, she looked at the girl. Her face was easy to read, a mixture of hope and nerves. She sighed. “Fucking fine,” she muttered. “Introduce us. And tell me what the job is.”