Wellsprings

  October 31st

  2069

  The morning sun hung low in the sky, casting a soft amber glow over the streets of Wellsprings as Sophie made her way to the villa. She’d spent the previous night thinking about the interactions with Ophelia and Benjamin. Her conclusion was that they were weird. Their moods, specifically Ophelia, switched at the drop of a hat and she couldn’t get a good read on their personalities.

  That conclusion had forced her to think about the brief interaction she had with their daughter, Lily. The girl had seemed kind, or perhaps friendly but otherwise fairly quiet. Sophie certainly hoped her impression was correct. She wasn’t sure if she could handle someone with the same energy as Ophelia. At the very least though, she was praying that the girl would be a decent person. If she had to babysit a brat, she’d want to tear her hair out.

  She cut off her thoughts, realising she’d find out what the future would hold soon enough. Sophie suppressed a shiver as she approached the villa, the building towering over her ominously. She approached and, just like the previous day, the robotic guards patrolling the perimeter didn’t spare her a glance. The same hidden speaker chirped to life as she approached, Ophelia’s voice coming through. Her heart sank, realising she’d likely have to interact with the bizarre woman again.

  “Good morning, Sophie!” The cheerful voice made her wince slightly. “Come on in. Lily’s waiting for you!”

  The doors slid open with a soft hiss, and Sophie stepped inside. She was greeted by the same luxurious living space she had seen before. The polished black marble floors gleamed under the morning light that filtered through the massive windows, and the room carried a faint scent of fresh flowers.

  Before she could gather her thoughts, a blur of movement caught her eye. A girl practically bounced into the room, and Sophie instinctively tensed, her hand brushing the grip of her pistol before she recognized the girl’s eyes. Lily.

  Lily came to a stop a few feet away, clasping her hands together as her face lit up. “Sophie! You’re here!” she said, her voice bubbling with excitement. Sophie’s stomach sank, realising her fears had come true. Still, she nodded politely before observing the girl she was meant to protect for the day.

  She hadn’t taken the time to really look at Lily when they first met, her focus back then solely on getting the girl and other captives out of harm’s way. But now, in the spacious villa, she took in the details.

  Lily was modestly tall, looking around 16 or so and with a body most models would envy, alongside a youthful energy that made her seem approachable. Her fluffy blond hair cascaded past her shoulders in soft waves, catching the warm light of the villa and giving her a faint, halo-like glow. The hair alone made her appear almost like an angel.

  Her most striking feature, however, was her eyes. They were big, ocean blue, and sparkling with a brightness that was hard to ignore. Around them, thin silver filigree lines of cyberware stretched from the corners of her eyes to her temples and down her cheeks, clearly inspired or perhaps chosen by her parents.

  Similarly, she was dressed casually in a simple white tank top and pale blue shorts, her feet encased in a pair of white sneakers. It was, in Sophie’s opinion, a baffling choice, considering how much trouble it would attract in the city, along with the sheer impracticality of it. Where was she meant to hide a gun or a knife? How was she going to ensure she wasn’t hurt with all the skin she was revealing? The merc couldn’t understand it.

  While her thoughts drifted, she realised with a start that the girl was still chattering away, despite not receiving any responses.

  “Seriously, it’s really nice to see you again!” Lily said, her words coming in a rapid stream while she practically vibrated in place. “I’ve been waiting since, like, forever for you to show up. Oh, and I wanted to say, I’m so sorry about how quiet I was when we first met! I didn’t mean to be rude or anything, I swear. I was just... you know, there was a lot of blood, and it was kind of scary, and I didn’t know what to say, and-”

  Sophie raised a hand, her expression flat. “It’s fine,” she said, her voice firm. “You don’t need to apologize.”

  Lily stopped mid-sentence, her cheeks flushing a faint pink. “Oh. Okay. But I still feel bad,” she admitted, her hands fidgeting nervously.

  Sophie exhaled softly, feeling the beginnings of a headache. The girl, though seemingly older than her, now appeared like a child that had done something wrong. Still, she forced herself to remain polite. The girl didn’t deserve her irritation. “You were in a bad situation,” she said. “In truth, I was surprised you even said thanks. Most people don’t say a thing, not immediately at least.”

  Lily’s eyes widened. “Really? Oh, thank goodness. I was so worried you thought I was ungrateful or something. I mean, you totally saved my life, and I couldn’t even say anything because I was just a bit intimidated by all the blood and-”

  “Lily,” Sophie interrupted. “It’s fine. Really.”

  Lily’s mouth snapped shut, though the smile on her face never faltered. “Got it,” she said, giving a mock salute. “No more apologies. Promise.”

  Sophie nodded, glad to have at least that much settled. But before she could relax, Lily’s energy returned full force. She began chatting again, her words tumbling out so quickly that Sophie struggled to keep up. She talked about the villa, the weather, the latest fashion trends, even the robotic guards outside. Sophie could only respond with short, polite nods and the occasional “mm-hmm,” hoping Lily would eventually run out of steam.

  It didn’t take long for Sophie to realize that was wishful thinking. Lily’s enthusiasm was endless, and Sophie found herself wondering if the girl ever took a breath. Her stoic mask stayed firmly in place, though she could feel her sanity slowly slipping away. The girl didn’t even seem to care that she was the only one speaking.

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  Finally, Sophie managed to steer the conversation back on track. She raised a hand slightly, cutting through Lily’s chatter. “Lily,” she said, doing her best to keep the annoyance out of her voice. “What’s the plan for today? Where are we going, and what are we doing?”

  Lily paused, her mouth open as if she was about to launch into another tangent. Then she seemed to catch herself, tilting her head with a thoughtful expression. “Oh! Right, the plan!” She paused dramatically.

  “I want to go shopping,” Lily declared with a wide grin. “And exploring! Night City’s supposed to be this incredible place, right? I’ve barely seen any of it since I got here and the last time I went out by myself well…” Her voice trailed off briefly, and her expression faltered for just a moment before brightening again. “But now’s the perfect time!”

  Sophie raised an eyebrow, her arms still crossed. “Shopping,” she repeated flatly.

  Lily nodded enthusiastically. “Yep! And exploring. But shopping first. You’ll come with me, right? I mean, of course, you will; you’re my friend after all!”

  Sophie didn’t correct her and instead sighed, glancing toward the window. “Fine,” Sophie relented. “But we’re staying in the City Center. Corpo Plaza, maybe. It’s probably the safest area in Night City, and we’re not taking any risks.”

  Lily beamed, clapping her hands together. “Perfect! Let’s go!”

  Sophie waved her hand. “Stop right there. I just said we’re not taking any unnecessary risks. Go inside and change your clothes. Put on some pants and an actual shirt, unless you want people to make a pass at you?”

  “Huh!? What’s wrong with my clothes? These are normal!”

  “No, Lily, they’re not. Not for someone of your status at least. You’ll draw unwanted attention like that. We’re not going anywhere until you change into something different.”

  Clearly, unhappy, the blonde pouted before turning around and walking back into the villa. A few minutes later she reemerged, this time wearing long track pants and a hoodie.

  “What about this? Will this draw unwanted attention?” She was still unhappy about being forced to change and Sophie couldn’t help but wonder if she’d overstepped. Regardless, the girl had changed and that was good enough for her.

  “Hmm, no. I don’t think so.”

  “Great! Let’s go then!”

  “Sure. Where’s the car?” She got a funny look in response.

  “Why would we take a car? I want to walk.” Sophie opened her mouth to protest but saw Lily’s face quickly becoming grumpier. She sighed. I feel like I shouldn’t have cared about the clothes. If she’s only gonna let me get one win, I would have preferred to take a car. If I’m gonna continue protecting her, I may need to get one myself so that she can’t protest it as easily.

  “Fine. We’ll walk. But if I tell you something is too dangerous, you’d better listen.”

  “Okay!” The blonde had reverted to her previously cheerful demeanor and clearly wasn’t taking her seriously, much to Sophie’s chagrin. This is gonna be a long day.

  The walk from Wellsprings to the heart of the City Center was fairly short and uneventful, though Sophie stayed hyper-aware of their surroundings. Her sharp eyes scanned every passerby, every alley, every shadow, her hand never straying far from her weapons. She had to, considering the way her charge was behaving.

  Lily moved through the city like a tourist on her first visit, which Sophie suspected was the truth. Her head constantly turned as she gawked at the towering megabuildings, the people and anything else she could lay her eyes on.

  When they finally reached Corpo Plaza, Lily’s excitement seemed to reach new heights. The shining storefronts, polished sidewalks and general quietness all seemed to attract her attention. And despite looking strange, considering her current outfit, Lily seemed right at home amongst the corpos that wandered the streets.

  Sophie, however, felt completely out of place. Her ragged combat gear made her stick out like a sore thumb, not to mention walking around with exposed weaponry. She was sure some of the people they passed also had some iron on them, but it was all hidden and there was nothing to the level of a katana. Corpo types and well-dressed shoppers gave her wary glances, some stepping aside to give her a wide berth.

  Lily didn’t seem to notice though. She darted from store to store, dragging Sophie along as she picked out everything from stylish dresses to neon-hued jackets. Sophie kept her responses limited to curt nods and the occasional “looks fine,” doing her best to fade into the background.

  After what felt like hours, they finally exited a weird, vintage boutique with Lily clutching several bags. They found a store with available storage lockers nearby and the angelic girl deposited her new belongings. Afterwards, she twirled in place, her grin as blinding as ever. “Okay, so I’ve got clothes covered. But now I want to go somewhere different.”

  Sophie narrowed her eyes slightly, not liking the sound of it. There was an ominous feeling, deep and unsettling, that accompanied the statement. “Different how?”

  Lily hesitated for a moment, biting her lip. “Lizzie’s Bar,” she said finally.. “It’s supposed to be the place to visit in Night City. You know, a real hotspot. That’s what all my friends in DC said.”

  Sophie ignored the reveal of her previous home as her frown deepened. She had more important things to worry about. Specifically, preventing a fool from getting herself killed, or worse. “Watson’s a war zone right now,” she said firmly. “The Tygers and Maelstrom are tearing each other apart. Lizzie’s is smack in the middle of it. It’s not safe.”

  Lily’s shoulders drooped, but only for a moment. Then she straightened, her expression determined. “I’ll be fine. You’re with me, aren’t you? And I really want to go. Please?”

  Sophie shook her head. “It’s not a good idea.”

  Lily’s lips twisted into a pout. “If you won’t take me, I’ll go by myself.”

  She stared at Lily, searching her expression for any hint of bluffing. But the girl’s determination was clear, her ocean-blue eyes locked on Sophie with clear, innocent resolve.

  “You don’t know what you’re asking,” Sophie hissed. “If you get caught by Maelstrom they’ll tear you apart slowly until you’re just a pile of meat to be used in one of their sick rituals. And the Tygers will either turn you into some kind of freakshow or sell you to someone that’ll do worse. These are seriously violent people, Lily.”

  “Surely it can’t be that bad,” she said, crossing her arms. Sophie growled before pulling up a photo of the chaos and sending it to the girl. She made sure to pick a photo that showed some of the fighting and the aftermath.

  “Here! Look at that! Do you understand!? This isn’t a fucking joke! Watson is dangerous!”

  Lily didn’t budge. “I’ll be fine. I promise.”

  Fucking fool of a girl! And I’m no better! Why did I agree to this job!? If I don’t go with her and something happens, her parents will kill me!

  Sophie sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Fine,” she muttered. “But we’re not taking any chances. Call a Delamain.”

  “What’s that?”

  “...A special taxi. I’m sure you can afford it.”

  Lily immediately shook her head, pouting at her. “No way! I want to take the bus.”

  “No! Lily-”

  “Bus,” Lily repeated firmly, already heading toward the nearest stop. Her behaviour left Sophie with no choice but to follow, unless she wanted the girl to die a horrible death.

  The bus ride was tense, for Sophie at least. Lily sat beside her, practically glued to the window as she marveled at the passing scenery. She pointed out buildings, billboards, and people with the enthusiasm of a child on a field trip, completely oblivious to the tension her bodyguard felt.

  Sophie, on the other hand, kept her attention focused on the other passengers, her gaze flitting from one face to the next. Most of them looked harmless; an elderly man clutching a worn briefcase, a tired factory worker slumped in his seat and a couple chatting quietly in the corner. But she refused to let her guard down, not when she was protecting the innocent girl beside her.

  As the bus moved from the relative safety of Heywood into the chaos of Watson, the atmosphere grew noticeably darker. The streets were marred by recent violence, with burned-out cars and crumbling buildings serving as grim reminders of the ongoing gang war. Even Lily seemed to pick up on the change, her chatter fading into silence as she stared out the window.

  When the bus finally stopped, Sophie and Lily stepped off onto the cracked pavement. The air here was heavier, tinged with the acrid scent of smoke and the faint hum of distant gunfire.

  “Lizzie’s isn’t far, right?” Lily asked, her voice a little quieter now.

  Sophie glanced around, her hand instinctively resting on the grip of her pistol. “That’s right. Stay close,” she said. At the same time, she flicked a message to Rita, asking whether the Mox stronghold was safe.

  They began walking, the streets empty save for a few shadowy figures lingering in the distance. Sophie’s senses were on high alert, every sound and movement drawing her attention. Despite the quiet journey, Sophie’s instincts were screaming at her. Unfortunately, all she could do was hope their luck would hold. After all, she had no desire to be handicapped by Lily’s presence if a fight occurred.