《Shinigami - Cyberpunk 2077》
01 - New Life
The void was silent, stretching in all directions like an endless ocean of ink. The woman¡¯s soul floated, disembodied, yet conscious enough to realise that she was no longer alive. Her memories were a scattered haze of fleeting images, fragmented emotions, and the unmistakable sense of a life that ended far too soon.
Then, out of the pervading gloom, three wheels appeared before her. Each was massive, eerily reminiscent of the challenge wheels those YouTubers used to use. The light that covered the wheels cast a faint shimmer across the dark expanse around her. They turned slowly, drawing her attention like a magnet.
"Guess this is it, then," she muttered, finding her voice surprisingly intact. She¡¯d often read about reincarnation from various fan fictions and novels but had never imagined it would happen to her. Still, she was grateful for a second chance, an opportunity she could use to live a better, more fulfilling life. Whatever that would look like in her new world.
The first wheel began to spin.
The World Wheel
The names and brief glimpses of each world flashed past as it began to spin. She saw hundreds, possibly thousands of worlds; some she recognised from popular media in her past life while many others were entirely unfamiliar. Every possible type of world passed before her eyes. Dark cities, forests, deep space, and ancient sprawling empires. Each world seemed unique, both in locale and in danger.
The wheel began to slow, and her heart, or whatever semblance of feeling she still retained in her current state, fluttered in anticipation. As it clicked to a stop, a familiar skyline appeared on the wheel¡¯s face: towers of concrete and steel, dazzling neon lights, and streets filled with danger and opportunity.
¡°Cyberpunk 2077?¡± she said, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Night City, huh?¡±
She¡¯d played the game in her previous life, though calling it ¡°play¡± didn¡¯t quite cover her dedication to the game. It was a beautifully horrible world, one that had grabbed her and never fully let her go. It was a world that gobbled up everyone that happened to enter, only to spit them back out, never in the same condition as they left.
It was a place where trust was scarce and survival was gritty and raw. Not exactly what she had thought of for a new life; it was certainly not a fresh start with clean skies and open fields, but it was a world she understood. A smirk crept onto her face. She wouldn¡¯t be totally out of her depth.
¡°All right,¡± she murmured. ¡°Bring it on, Night City.¡±
The Power Wheel
Without waiting, the second wheel began to spin, seemingly brighter and faster than the first. This wheel held symbols that glowed with a fierce intensity: powers beyond her imagination, each one promising a different kind of strength. All were things she had never even thought of, things that transcended anything she¡¯d ever known.
This wheel spun longer, as if deciding on something particularly challenging. She wondered what power would suit her in a world like Night City. Different powers flashed through her mind. She would love to be able to fly or fling magic at her enemies. Yet, that was the kind of thing that would land her in a corpo lab within a day. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
When the wheel finally stopped, the words ¡°Mercenary System¡± glowed softly in silver letters.
She raised an eyebrow. ¡°Mercenary System, huh? That sounds¡ a bit vague.¡±
A screen appeared next to the wheel, showing a brief description: the Mercenary System would grant her missions, each with different difficulties and rewards. She¡¯d get access to classes and a store, though the specifics eluded her. The system seemed like a source of power and a taskmaster rolled into one, designed to take a regular girl and turn her into a legend.
She let out a dry laugh. ¡°Of course. The one thing Night City respects; competence for hire. At least I have a clear career path ahead.¡±
A system might be a blessing, she supposed, especially in a world where personal strength and connections could mean the difference between life and death. But it would be dangerous. Night City never gave anyone a break. It would be a fine balance between doing enough to stay alive and not getting roped into something she couldn¡¯t escape.
¡°Still,¡± she murmured, her lips curling into a grin. ¡°Better than no power at all. Guess I¡¯ll be making my name on the streets.¡±
The Body Wheel
The final wheel began to spin, slower and heavier than the others. This one held faces and forms, each passing in a blur. Bodies in all shapes, sizes, and genders flashed before her eyes¡ªsome barely more than children, others honed and hardened by life¡¯s trials. She felt a twinge of apprehension. Would she be someone new, a stranger to herself, or would she retain some part of who she¡¯d been?
The wheel came to a gradual halt, revealing¡ her. Not as she was in her last life, but as she had been in her old gaming avatar, the one she¡¯d spent hours crafting and perfecting. She felt a strange sense of recognition, a flash of connection to that digital self she¡¯d once inhabited.
She looked closer, her heart giving an odd, sentimental flutter. It was a comedic avatar she had made using mods. Designed similar to her favourite Cyberpunk character, Rebecca, the avatar was small and pale. Around 165cm with a face that focused entirely on cute, snarky features. Inky black hair fell to the small of the avatar¡¯s back and red eyes that looked like small rubies shone as distinguishing features. However, there was one part that the woman now deeply regretted adding. The hefty pair of breasts that dangled off the avatar¡¯s body.
¡°Well, it could be worse I suppose,¡± she whispered, a hint of resignation in her voice. She¡¯d loved this avatar once, though now she wasn¡¯t entirely sure if she appreciated her past self¡¯s choices. Yet the universe, or whatever power was running this whole reincarnation thing, had given her a chance to live in an entirely new body. And she could always get her body modified if she needed to, given what kind of world Cyberpunk is.
It felt like coming full circle, random choices she had made in life now reflected in her future.
There was a final flash, and the wheels faded. She found herself suspended in the void once again, but now, something was different. She could feel a weight to her existence. Her new body. She looked at her hands in wonder before pausing. Her hands were small. Very small. Why was everything so big?
A screen appeared before her, illuminating the darkness.
WELCOME TO NIGHT CITY.
¡°Status?¡±
Name: N/A (Awaiting Host Choice)
Age: 8
Class: Available
Profession: Available
Traits
N/A
Skill
N/A
Cyberware
N/A
Store: Available
M-Coins: 0
*Welcome Gift Box Available*
While the screen was interesting, one line in particular stood out.
Age: 8
¡°Motherfucker!¡± She swore as she looked between the screen displaying her age and her tiny body. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll figure it out.¡±
When she opened her eyes and began to take a look around, a laugh bubbled up inside her. Everything was real and here she was, in the City of Dreams itself. Murky streets, the smell of smoke and filth and the blinding lights of a city that thrived on chaos.
She looked down at her hands, flexing her fingers.
¡°I better get to it then. Let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve got, Night City,¡± she said.
02 - Night City
Name Chosen: Sophie Mortimer
Y/N
The now named Sophie confirmed her choice before continuing on her journey, making sure to stay as far away from people as she could.
Rain fell in heavy sheets as Sophie made her way through Japantown on the hunt for somewhere to stay for the night. Considering she had no money, connections or really any idea where exactly she was, Sophie wasn¡¯t exactly confident she would find somewhere safe. Still, somewhere she could rest for a moment is all she really needed. She didn¡¯t plan to squat in poverty her whole life afterall.
Squinting, she took in the familiar neon lights and towering structures of Night City, the obnoxious colours somewhat muted by the drenching downpour. However, Night City never stopped glowing, even at night and in the rain. In a place like Japantown, lights flickered and buzzed no matter the hour, fueling a constantly moving city and its people. In some ways, it was kind of beautiful. Sadly, that beauty was just a facade for the city and its gritty, savage environment.
Sophie moved around the streets amateurishly, her inexperience visible to anyone that bothered to look at her. It was at this time however, when one of the benefits her small frame carried made itself known. She could slip through gaps easily and quietly, something she noted for later in the event she ended up in danger.
As she wandered, she became aware of just how loud Japantown was; advertisements blasted from every corner, AI voices promising everything from high-grade chrome to ¡®unmissable¡¯ street food, while holographic dancers twirled and beckoned people toward their clubs. The whole district was a mix of glamour and grit. It was a place that blended neon lights with sharp shadows. But Sophie realised it was likely going to be her home from now on, at least until she was making enough eddies to afford an apartment.
Sophie ducked her head as she passed a row of street vendors, trying as hard as possible to avoid making eye contact. A few sold fried skewers of¡something or little boxes of noodles. She briefly thought about making herself look hungry, in the hope one of the vendors would take pity and throw her a scrap before realising it was a bad idea. She¡¯d be more likely to get chased off rather than fed.
Around an hour of wandering later, she finally passed one of the district¡¯s most noticeable landmarks, the Cherry Blossom Market. More importantly, it was somewhere she recognised from the game. It was the biggest open market in Japantown, stretching through a couple of blocks.
It was one of her favourite spots in Night City when she played the game, though a quick look inside had her running in the opposite direction, away from the massive crowd of Tyger Claws. She decided however, to return sooner rather than later, as she may be able to find an opportunity in the crowded market place.
Nobody batted an eye when she bolted past. People were always busy in the city, and most of them didn¡¯t look twice at a stray kid. It was weird though, that the whole area felt safer than even the idea of venturing into the upper Westbrook areas, where corpos walked around with shiny, pressed suits and cold, assessing stares.
When she finally stopped her mad dash from the market, she found herself under the looming shadows of the larger apartment complexes in Japantown. Some of the apartments she could see had banners written in Kanji or traditional patterns and paper lanterns strung across balconies. It was slightly nostalgic, a feeling that clashed with the underlying grime and decay that blanketed the city.
Sophie eyed one of the apartment buildings across the way, watching the people moving in and out. She was tempted to try her luck with one, yet she knew the inhabitants would be suspicious of any unfamiliar face; even one as small as hers. Still, it was a better option than the alleys.
She slipped around a corner and barely managed to avoid bumping into two passing men wearing the classic menpo and biker jackets of the Tyger Claws. They looked busy, talking in low voices as they traded small packs of unfamiliar powder that Sophie didn¡¯t recognize. She quickly walked away, wanting to put as much distance between herself and the gangers as possible. The Tygers ruled Japantown with an iron grip on everyone and everything. They were strict about keeping the public in line and would hammer down on any nail that happened to stick out too much. That meant Sophie wanted nothing to do with them.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
She continued moving deeper into the district, and finally, Sophie found her way to a quieter block. She spotted an abandoned laundromat and decided it would be a good place to lay low for the rest of the night. The building was faded and forgotten, its glass windows cracked and the neon sign long since burnt out.
Sophie slipped in through the front entrance, crouching behind one of the broken machines that still gave a faint soapy smell, though it hadn¡¯t been used in years. She huddled there, her gaze wandering around the room. The rusty pipes and graffiti that covered the walls, most of it tagging from the Tyger Claws and a few colourful lip logos from the Mox, scattered across the area in quiet defiance. The Mox graffiti made Sophie think about going to them for help in getting started, though she ended up pushing that thought aside. She wasn¡¯t sure what year it was or how long it had been since the death of Lizzie Borden.
It was as Sophie explored the laundromat that she finally loosened up a bit. She¡¯d found shelter for the night. Now she could finally have a proper look at her system and begin to plan out her days in Night City.
¡°Status.¡±
Name: Sophie Mortimer
Age: 8
Class: Available
Profession: Available
Traits
N/A
Skill
N/A
Cyberware
N/A
Store: Available
M-Coins: 0
*Welcome Gift Box Available*
¡°Name and age are simple,¡± Sophie muttered, ¡°a system store will hopefully be useful, and I assume that the M-Coins are a system unique currency. I wonder if the system can talk? Hey system, can you explain my status to me?¡±
Class/Profession: You may pick one class at a time. Each class comes with 4 skills and one Trait that unlocks at max level. Every class maxes out at level 100. When you reach level 100, you may evolve your class further along the same path or you can choose to start a new path. For example, the ¡®Gunner¡¯ class evolves into the ¡®Markswoman¡¯ class. You can however choose to take the ¡®Thief¡¯ class first before taking the ¡®Markswoman¡¯ class.
All classes that are unlocked and maxed will remain no matter what. Some classes require multiple classes to be completed before becoming available. For example, the ¡®Assassin¡¯ class requires the classes ¡®Queen of Thieves¡¯ and ¡®Gunslinger¡¯ to be completed.
Professions are similar to crafter classes or focus on specific skills, such as the ¡®Driver¡¯ profession. They follow a similar progression system to normal Classes.
¡°Right¡I think that makes sense. What about the rest?¡±
Skills: Each class will provide 4 skills. Skills have a maximum level of 10. They must be maxed out, otherwise you cannot choose a different class.
Traits: Awarded upon successful completion of a class, Traits are typically connected to whatever class you have completed. For example, the Trait associated with the ¡®Soldier¡¯ class is ¡®Steady Hands¡¯, a perk that makes it easier to aim under any circumstances.
¡°And how exactly do I level my classes and professions? Do I have to kill people and farm exp that way?¡±
Classes gain levels when levelling the associated skills at a 1:1 ratio (1 skill level for one class level) or by completing actions that would be associated with such a person. A ¡®Thief¡¯ stealing would level the class.
¡°That shouldn¡¯t be too hard. Can you explain the store and M-Coins as well?¡±
The System Store allows you to buy almost anything you could possibly want using M-Coins. M-Coins can be earned through completing system missions.
¡°How do I get missions then? I don¡¯t seem to recall being given any.¡±
Missions will overlap with any jobs or gigs you obtain in the world. They may also appear randomly, be spawned to provide a challenge or be given as guidance. Here is your first mission.
Mission
Explore Night City: Visit every district in Night City.
Difficulty: Easy
Reward: Weapon Loot Crate (Contains 1 random weapon from the Cyberpunk universe).
Bonus Reward: Every visited district provides 100 M-Coins, 1000 Eurodollars.
¡°Huh, that¡¯s pretty nea-preem. Gotta fit in girlie.¡± Sophie spoke while clapping her hands to her cheeks. ¡°Can I open the Welcome Gift Box now?¡±
Opening¡ You have received the following:
- 1 God Tier Custom Cyberware Token
Immediately after the screen appeared, Sophie felt a weird sensation in the back of her mind.
It was the imprinting of a new ability. That ability allowed her to become entirely invisible to any form of visual technology. Considering how many people had cybernetic eyes and the cameras around the city, this ability alone would provide Sophie with a massive advantage.
Trait: Ghost - Become invisible to visual technology at will. (Does not affect Cyberspace)
Luckily, she could distinguish between pieces of technology, meaning allies would be able to see her, but enemies would not. She was quickly thankful however, that she could turn the ability off if she needed to. Unfortunately, she had nobody to test her new ability on, so she decided to put her faith in the system for the moment.
¡°Now, what can I do with the token?¡±
Custom Cyberware Tokens allow the host to personally design a piece of Cyberware and install it with system assistance. The quality of materials and abilities of the cyberware are entirely dependent on the level of the token. The God Tier Token you have received allows you to use any material and power you desire to create whatever piece of Cyberware you wish. Considering your current state, please be advised that not all Cyberware will be fully functional and may have limiters in place to avoid excessive damage to the host. Would you like to use your token?
¡°Well, when you ask so nicely, how could I refuse,¡± a smirk appeared on Sophie¡¯s face, her mind quickly developing a perfect idea for her new piece of Cyberware.
03 - Chronos and Class
Sophie felt her consciousness shift, suddenly finding herself in a massive workshop. Piles of unknown metals filled the walls, along with hundreds of shelves all containing different electronics and parts. Unfortunately, Sophie had no idea what any of the pieces did and many of the metals were odd looking. Deciding to ignore the strange workshop, she turned her attention to the system.
¡°System, can you show me a catalogue of available sandevistans?¡±
Opening Catalogue¡
¡°Right. That¡¯s not actually that helpful. Can you set up a basic sandevistan project?¡±
The screen in front of the girl shifted, becoming similar to a hologram.
¡°First, I want it to be installed like David Martinez¡¯s. A full spine replacement.¡± The hologram rippled, then displayed a spinal implant. ¡°I want to be able to displace myself through time, backwards and forwards.¡± The implant began to glow a soft blue.
Warning: Successful construction, installation and usage of this implant is 0.5%.
¡°What!? Why!?¡±
The materials used in the construction of this implant cannot support the immense amount of time energy being infused. Please change the materials.
¡°Right. That makes a lot of sense actually. What materials would make it as strong as possible?¡±
Adamantium and Enchanted Uru from the Marvel Universe, Element X from the DC Universe are recommended. They can be blended together into a special alloy known as Kraetis. Kraetis combines the durability, strength and magic affinities of each base metal to form one of the strongest materials in the Omniverse.
¡°Sounds great. Can I use that?¡± The system didn¡¯t respond, instead changing the holographic implant. The soft blue glow disappeared only to be replaced by strange looking runes. The entire spine was now home to a line of these runes, each shining with blue time energy.
¡°Hmm. It would be pretty hard to explain this thing if someone saw it. When it¡¯s not being used, can the runes not shine? I don¡¯t want to be known as Sophie Shinyback. Also, I¡¯d like it to be completely DNA locked to me and for it to grow with me as I get older,¡± she paused, ¡°also add in a function that allows it to automatically install itself and assimilate into any cyberware I may install in the future. If I become a full ¡®borg I don¡¯t want to lose access to it after all.¡±
Sophie continued to add functions though unfortunately she was quite ignorant and wasn¡¯t actually doing much. The system had to make up for its host¡¯s deficiencies, implementing as many of the features as possible.
Warning: Successful construction, installation and usage of this implant is 50%
¡°How can I get it higher?¡±
50% is as high as you can go for now. Construction and installation can be completed. However it will be nearly impossible to use in your current state.
¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±
Your body is that of an eight year old. Your brain, nerves, skeleton, organs and muscles are not tough enough to withstand such intense stimulus. You will have to be at least ten years old before you can even use this sandevistan. Alternatively, you can replace parts of your body with additional cyberware which will allow you to use it. Even at that age however, there will be severe limitations placed on your usage and advanced functions will be locked until further notice.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.
¡°Why is it so damn hard to use this thing!?¡± Sophie cried out in despair.
This implant is tagged as a God Tier Relic due to its abilities. Such things are supposed to be used by Gods, all of whom are immensely powerful beings. You are currently a basic human. Would you like to install this sandevistan?
¡°Wait, one more thing. I want to be able to learn netrunning as well. Is that possible with the current version?¡±
Editing¡ Now it is. There will be an area for further modifications around your neck, including space for a Cyberdeck.
¡°Whew,¡± Sophie was aware that installing the sandevistan now was a risk, but she believed it would be a necessary advantage, even if she wasn¡¯t able to use it for a few years. ¡°Go ahead and install it.¡± With those words, the space around her fractured and all she knew was pain.
-----------------------
Sophie struggled to her feet in the abandoned laundromat. It seemed that the system didn¡¯t bother with anaesthetic, instead choosing to painfully remove her spine before stuffing the sandevistan in.
Red liquid had pooled around her when she lay on the floor, on the verge of unconsciousness. As she stood, more droplets spilled onto the floor. She could feel it stuck to her face, yet wiping it didn¡¯t seem to make it any better. It was only when she found a piece of broken glass did she realise she was crying blood. She had also bitten her lip, hard, so that too was spilling blood all over the room.
The small girl sat down and leaned against the wall, wincing when the cold metal of the sandevistan clinked against the concrete.
¡°Status,¡± she whispered.
Name: Sophie Mortimer
Age: 8
Class: Available
Profession: Available
Traits
Ghost
Skill
N/A
Cyberware
Chronos Sandevistan: Unavailable (Requires Interface System Cyberware) (God)
Store: Available
M-Coins: 1000
¡°Heh. Fuck. Can¡¯t even see what restrictions there are until I get a basic IS.¡± Sophie sat on the cold ground for a few minutes, then made her choice. Shaking from the pain, she stumbled over to one of the washing machines. It was a fairly large model, so Sophie opened it up, checked it over and, once satisfied with its cleanliness, jumped in. Leaving the lid cracked, she quickly fell asleep, deciding to finish her system business the next morning.
-----------------------
Sophie woke the next morning feeling significantly better. Huddled in her washing machine, she decided to finish looking over her system so that she could properly start living her new life.
¡°Alright system, can you show me what classes I have available?¡±
Current Classes Available¡
The list scrolled on and Sophie was completely overwhelmed by the number of choices.
¡°Alright, stop. Show me classes that fit this world. No magic or anything.¡±
The number of options dropped sharply however there were still hundreds of available classes. Sophie spent the next hour narrowing down her options, eventually finding four classes that she was interested in starting with. Thief, Gunner, Apprentice Swordswoman and Amateur Netrunner.
¡°Hmm, I can''t do netrunning yet. I need money for a cyberdeck and some soft¡¯. Gunner and Apprentice Swordswoman sound good but are reliant on weapons. I could get a weapon if I run around the city but I¡¯m not confident in doing that any time soon. I guess I¡¯ve really only got one choice then.¡±
Class selected: Thief
Skills Unlocked: Quick Hands, Parkour (Basic), Stealth (Basic), Thievery (Basic)
Quick Hands: Lvl.1
Increases the dexterity and agility of the hands.
Parkour (Basic): Lvl.1
Grants basic knowledge of Parkour.
Stealth (Basic): Lvl.1
Grants basic knowledge of Stealth.
Thievery (Basic): Lvl.1
Grants basic knowledge of Thievery.
As soon as Sophie confirmed her choice, a rush of knowledge entered her head, quickly making it ache. A few minutes later, Sophie was standing in the middle of the abandoned laundromat, marvelling at the new knowledge the system had given her.
¡°System, can you explain what just happened?¡±
Many class skills are entirely knowledge based. Only when you start taking more advanced classes do skills become more unique. Every time you level a knowledge skill, more knowledge will be provided. Once your class is upgraded, different types of skills become available.
¡°Right. What about the ¡®Basic¡¯ tag? I assume that there are higher levels of those skills? How do I level them up?¡±
Yes. Those skills are contained in more advanced classes or can be bought in the system store. Knowledge skills are levelled up by utilising the knowledge the skill provides. By doing parkour, you will level up the parkour skill.
¡°What about the ¡®Quick Hands¡¯ skill? My hands are all tingly and I can move them around in ways I definitely couldn¡¯t before.¡±
Skills such as ¡®Quick Hands¡¯ are like passive skills. They will boost your performance in class related activities.
¡°I see. This system is pretty interesting huh. Do you have any missions for me, or shall I figure this city out myself?¡± The influx of knowledge had provided a great boost to Sophie¡¯s confidence, along with hope in her chances for survival.
Mission
First Robbery: Successfully steal an object from someone.
Difficulty: Medium
Reward: 100 M-Coins, 500 Eurodollars, 1 Thief level.
04 - First Robbery
Japantown''s Cherry Blossom Market was crowded as Sophie strolled in. Bright lights reflected off puddles, a result of the drenching rain the previous day. The air smelled of grilled meat, spicy noodles, and something faintly metallic that Sophie couldn''t quite put her finger on. She stood at the edge of the crowd. At only eight years old and with dirty, wet and bloody rags as her only set of clothes, Sophie blended in perfectly. Nobody would look twice at a random scrappy kid scurrying through Night City¡¯s streets.
But Sophie was on a mission. She wanted new clothes. Her sandevistan, currently unusable, was a magnet for trouble and she desperately wanted to change her torn shirt in order to properly hide it.
Part of her was quite disappointed in the ragged clothes she had arrived in this world in. Her filthy shoes, filled with water after the rain the previous day, squelched faintly as she shifted her weight, scanning the market. Rows of stalls stretched out before her, vendors hawking everything from knockoff electronics to bootleg braindances to clothes.
Sophie didn¡¯t want to be picky, but she also didn¡¯t want to keep running around looking like the poster child for a charity ad.
She was also hungry. Her stomach had been growling all morning, but she ignored it. Food could wait. Clothes were more important.
The knowledge skills she had received from the Thief class were put to use as she looked for a target. Stealth techniques, parkour tricks, and tips for pulling off a successful robbery offered the ability to slip in and out of the marketplace without being caught. Unfortunately, she had never put any of it into practice, and she was nervous. Taking a deep breath, Sophie pushed her way into the crowd.
As she slipped into the throng of people, she quickly set up her Trait, Ghost. Considering she had no allies or friends in the city, she ensured no electronic devices would spot her. That was why she targeted a clothing store who¡¯s owner had obviously cybernetic eyes.
The vendor was an older woman, attentively watching her wares on the display table. A thin metal stand behind her held more clothes, and Sophie could see a black jacket swaying in the breeze.
Perfect.
The small girl slipped behind a food vendor''s cart, keeping an eye on the old woman. When she turned slightly to face a customer, Sophie activated Ghost. She reached the jacket and, just before she could take it, the older woman turned, heading directly towards her. The woman reached out her hand, a hair¡¯s breadth away from Sophie''s face before grabbing a garish red shirt and pulling away. With a quick sigh of relief, Sophie grabbed the black jacket.
Quick Hands showed off how helpful it was as her hands didn¡¯t shake; they moved precisely and rapidly had the piece of clothing off the metal rack.
Before she left, she spotted a grey t-shirt and, ensuring the woman was still looking away, Sophie grabbed the shirt as well. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
The young girl slowly backed away, her prizes clutched tightly in her small hands. She was almost clear when she heard a shout.
¡°Hey! Stop right there!¡±
Fuck. Sophie didn¡¯t stop to think. She bolted. A brief glance back showed a man with organic eyes pointing at her as he shouted.
Pushing her way through the startled crowd, she slipped both pieces of clothing on and sped up as fast as she could. Behind her, two men, both dressed in Tyger Claw apparel, chased after her. Fortunately, it seemed only one of them could actually see her as he kept directing his friend in towards her, slowing them down significantly.
Her feet pounded against concrete as she darted into a back alley behind the market. The shouts faded quickly, and she glanced back. She¡¯d managed to lose her pursuers. Still, she continued moving to put more distance between herself and the angry Tygers. Finally, she reached a narrow gap between two buildings and paused to take a deep breath.
She ran her fingers over the black jacket she now wore, her lips twitching into a small smile.
She looked back toward the market, her smile fading slightly. She¡¯d be more careful next time.
Mission Complete
First Robbery: Successfully steal an object from someone.
Difficulty: Medium
Reward: 100 M-Coins, 500 Eurodollars, 1 Thief level.
A small datashard appeared in her hand, something she assumed carried 500 eddies.When she brought up her status, her thoughts were confirmed.
Name: Sophie Mortimer
Age: 8
Class: Thief - Lvl.2
Profession: Available
Traits
Ghost
Skill
Quick Hands: Lvl.1
Parkour (Basic): Lvl.1
Stealth (Basic): Lvl.1
Thievery (Basic): Lvl.1
Cyberware
Chronos Sandevistan: Unavailable (Requires Interface System Cyberware) (God)
Store: Available
M-Coins: 1100
Sophie realised she hadn¡¯t actually looked at the system¡¯s store, but before she could do so, her body grumbled, clearly hungry. The small girl blushed to herself, then set off on a quest for some food.
-----------------------
Sophie eventually found herself in another abandoned store after deciding to only stay a night in one spot before moving on. She¡¯d managed to swipe a small box of noodles that had been left on a food cart while the owner was turned and although they were terrible, Sophie was just glad to have found food.
She settled into a corner of the store, facing the single entrance. Rain had once again begun to fall heavily across the city and the girl was glad to have stolen the jacket. It offered some warmth in the cold, hostile city.
¡°System, show me the store please.¡±
Her system panel suddenly expanded, turning into a massive page reminiscent of a shopping website. Sophie quickly realised that the system hadn¡¯t lied to her. There was so much on offer. Skimming her eyes over different options, she spotted dozens of items that intrigued her, each with an absurd price tag.
¡°God Potion? A potion that would just turn me into a god? Wow, that¡¯s way too many zeros.¡± Similar to when she was creating her Chronos Sandevistan, she began to filter things such as magic out. Then she filtered by price.
¡°Right, this is¡not much. Extra Special Ramen? Fancy Toast?¡± Turning away from her own perusal, she decided to ask her system for recommendations. It hadn¡¯t led her astray yet and she had such a small amount of purchasing power. She wanted to make the most of it.
It is recommended that the host purchase a basic Interface System Cyberware. It will serve many purposes, including the ability to digitally store your money rather than keep it in on a shard.
Sophie quickly located a few options for the Interface System Cyberware, all costing around 600 M-Coins.
¡°Hmm, the ¡®Secure Interface¡¯ cyberware seems pretty good. Makes my digital profile slightly harder to hack. Let¡¯s go with that one. It seems like they¡¯re all pretty similar at this level anyway.¡±
Confirm Purchase: Secure Interface (Interface System Cyberware)
Y/N
Accepting, she was greeted with another prompt.
Would you like to install this cyberware?
Quickly arranging a good sleeping position, Sophie clicked yes, asking it to install the cyberware while she sleeps in the hope it wouldn¡¯t be as painful.
05 - Two Weeks
It had been two weeks since Sophie arrived in Night City and while she¡¯d had a few close calls, almost getting caught after stealing food, clothes or money, she¡¯d managed to escape each time.
It was this record that had instilled in her a confidence that she could do more. After only a handful of levels in her Thief class, and only one level in her skills, she decided to try something more challenging.
That¡¯s why the girl now found herself tucked into a slim gap between buildings, watching a group of Tyger Claws as they waited for Sophie¡¯s target.
She was watching for Tasha, a woman playing at fixer, though from the smattering of information Sophie had gathered, she was little more than a street thug. Tasha had a reputation for working with all kinds of people, no matter how disgusting they were.
Sophie had overheard some of Tasha¡¯s men talking in a noodle shop earlier that day, laughing about the latest job she¡¯d picked up; a set of data for the Tyger¡¯s being handed over that night. Thus, she had followed the group of thugs all evening until they showed up here. Sophie didn¡¯t really have a plan, she just wanted to see if there was anything she may be able to get her hands on.
As Sophie waited, she felt the rain soak through her recently stolen hoodie. It made her shiver, but she stayed hidden in the shadows. She had quickly become sick of the rain as she was constantly soaked by it, considering she had no home. While she thought about the rain, her eyes caught sight of a woman in a long black coat, with broad shoulders and hair slicked back into a tight braid. Her target for the day.
Sophie felt the now familiar surge of excitement bubbling up. The woman crossed the street towards the girl¡¯s hiding spot, her bodyguards lumbering behind her. She activated Ghost and stayed as quiet as possible.
¡°You, go and grab the shard from the car. The Tygers look like they¡¯re getting impatient.¡± The woman gestured at one of her lackeys, a man who quickly ran in a different direction. Tasha moved towards the Claws. Sophie ignored her and followed the goon.
She crept along the edges of the wall, moving quietly as the man got closer to the car, a sparkly new Mizutani Shion. The man popped one of the doors, reaching around and fumbling for the shard. Sophie had an epiphany. With Ghost active, she stormed towards the man.
The slapping of her feet against the wet ground caught the man¡¯s attention but it was too late. Although she was small, planting her fist in the man¡¯s jewels stunned him, allowing Sophie to grab his head and slam it into the side of the car multiple times. She was lucky the man didn¡¯t have any significant chrome in his head, otherwise it would have been significantly harder to attack him. His skull left a trail of blood on the car as it fell to the ground. Sophie wasn¡¯t sure if he was dead or just knocked out, but the adrenaline pumping through her didn¡¯t let her stop to think.
She swiped the car¡¯s key chip from the man¡¯s neck, confirmed the datashard Tasha wanted was still in the vehicle and then jumped in. The key was slotted into her neck and she quickly set a course for an abandoned warehouse she had squatted in the previous week via the autopilot system. As the car door slid closed and the engine purred, her rapidly beating heart started to slow.
¡°Holy fuck. What did I just do? What am I gonna do with this ride?¡± As the streets of Night City flashed past, she quickly realised that her impulsive decision to steal both the car and the data that Tasha was selling was monumentally stupid.
The young thief realised she would likely have to dump the car, but she wasn¡¯t in a rush. Sophie decided to check the datashard she¡¯d stolen. Slotting it into one of the ports on her neck, the data appeared in her vision. Her thoughts briefly questioned how that worked, considering her eyes were organic but she moved on. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
The amount of data was pitiful but the more she read, the paler her face became. Accessing the car¡¯s autopilot mode, she changed her destination to Lizzie¡¯s Bar, home of the Mox. The gang itself had only been recently established, a fact Sophie discovered after realising she¡¯d arrived in the Cyberpunk universe during 2067, around 10 years before the game is set.
-----------------------
Sophie¡¯s stolen Mizutani Shion parked itself down the street from Lizzie¡¯s Bar, the small thief slipping out and running towards the Mox stronghold after locking the car. As she approached, she spotted a young version of a familiar face. Rita Wheeler. The purple haired Mox bouncer stood at the door, baseball bat in hand. Her sharp gaze deterred a number of street thugs who loitered around the front of the bar.
Sophie ran directly towards her, slipping past drunkards as they stumbled around the parking lot. Unfortunately, she had severely overestimated her endurance, coming to a stop in front of the tough bouncer and almost keeling over, sucking in deep breaths. She took a few moments, then looked up, only to be met with an amused face.
¡°Well kid, you ran over pretty quick huh,¡± she spoke slowly, her voice oozing amusement as she looked at the small streetrat. ¡°But you look a bit young to be partying. You need somethin¡¯ from me?¡±
Struggling to get any words out as she huffed, Sophie instead responded by handing Rita the data she stole. The woman took the shard, glanced between it and the girl, then shrugged and slotted it in. Not even a few seconds later, her face grew stormy, a near palpable anger radiating from her. When she finished, she looked at Sophie.
¡°Fucking bastards. Come on kid, I¡¯ll take you to Susie. You¡¯ll need to explain everything to her.¡±
Without giving the girl time to answer, the bouncer turned and entered the braindance bar, two other Mox members moving to cover the door. Sophie followed closely behind her, looking at the bar that looked slightly different to the version she had visited so many times when she played the game.
-----------------------
Rita walked briskly and Sophie had to pump her small legs as quickly as possible to keep up. The purple haired bouncer stormed into Susie Q¡¯s office angrily, handing her the data Sophie had provided. Meanwhile, the girl in question tried to make herself smaller at the growing anger of the Mox leader. After all, while her confidence had grown after spending a few weeks in Night City, this was pretty much her first proper interaction. Considering she had brought bad news, she was finding her current situation very nerve wracking.
While Susie looked at the data, Rita seemed to notice Sophie¡¯s reaction, her face softening.
¡°Sorry for the outburst kiddo. I haven¡¯t introduced myself yet. Rita Wheeler, at your service,¡± she started to stick her hand out for a handshake but paused, then plopped it on Sophie¡¯s head instead.
¡°I uhh, I¡¯m Sophie. I¡¯m a thief.¡± The moment the words left her mouth, Sophie realised what she¡¯d said and blushed, mentally berating herself. Why would I say that?! Stupid Sophie! Just because Rita¡¯s really cool and a total hottie doesn¡¯t mean I should tell her I steal things for a living! She lowered her head even further, shrinking into her jacket in a pitiful attempt to hide her blushing face.
A bark of laughter interrupted her spiralling thoughts as Rita ruffled her hair. ¡°Well little thief, thank you for getting this data to us. Can you tell us where you got it?¡±
Sophie looked up, finding both older women now looking straight at her. Calming her nerves, she spoke.
¡°I uhh, overheard some thugs talking about a deal their boss, Tasha, was making with the Claws tonight. She seems to want to become a fixer or something, but her rep is terrible ¡®cause she works with anyone, even Scavs,¡± before she could continue, Susie interrupted her.
¡°I¡¯ve heard of that bitch. We¡¯ve spotted her with the Claws before but didn¡¯t think much of it. I¡¯m guessing there¡¯s more?¡±
¡°Mmm, I went to the meeting place, some back alley in Japantown and found a bunch of Tygers waiting. Eventually Tasha arrived and sent one of her goons to a car for the data I gave you. I assume she was selling it to the Claws. I also, uhh, stole her car.¡± Sophie gave a sheepish grin when she mentioned the car. Both women looked at her strangely before Rita burst into laughter again. Susie just looked bemused, then turned serious.
¡°Well Sophie, on behalf of the Mox, thank you for getting this to us. I assume the Tygers wanted a list of our people and their information to cripple our operations. You klepping it from under their noses and giving us a heads up has possibly saved hundreds of lives. The Mox owe you now.¡± Rita nodded in agreement.
¡°If you need anything, just gimme a buzz. I like ya Soph, it¡¯d be a shame to see you in an early grave.¡± Sophie¡¯s interface lit up, Rita¡¯s contact info sliding into her empty contacts list.
¡°I appreciate that. So, about that favour? I¡¯d appreciate some work. Stealing things to be precise.¡± Considering how the Mox had treated her, Sophie quickly decided on what she wanted.
¡°Well, I¡¯m sure we can find something for you to do.¡± Susie and Rita smirked at her.
06 - New Chooms
A month after Sophie¡¯s first meeting with the Mox, the girl was cruising around the city in the Mizutani Shion she stole from Tasha. She¡¯d asked for help in ensuring the car couldn¡¯t be tracked and Rita had immediately offered assistance. Ultimately, she, nor any of the other Mox, could find anything that would allow Tasha to track the car down. It was now her mobile home, allowing quick getaways and giving her a roof over her head until she could get money for a proper apartment.
Since she couldn¡¯t reach the pedals in the car, she was driving through the city via the automatic driving system, intent on completing the first system-issued mission she had received. Visiting every district of Night City. She had visited everywhere but Watson in the last month, mainly due the presence of Maelstrom, the gang that freaked Sophie out the most now that she was living in Night City.
After all, who wouldn¡¯t be freaked out by a bunch of spider eyed, borderline cyberpsycho gangers who enjoyed filling kidnapped people with mismatched implants. They were a group Sophie wanted nothing to do with in her current state. She would only consider getting involved with them in a couple of years, when her Chronos Sandevistan was finally accessible.
Chronos Sandevistan: Unavailable (Reach ten years old or install more cyberware) (God)
It had frustrated the girl to no end over the last month, having such an incredible piece of technology installed yet being unable to use it until she got older. She consoled herself by thinking about the Unification War that would occur around the same time as her 10th birthday. At least it would be available by then.
The car rolled into Watson, meandering its way to Little China. At the same time, her system chimed, informing her of the quest''s completion. Eagerly collecting her rewards, she watched her M-Coin total rise by 600. Wait. 600? Aren¡¯t there 7 distri- right, Dogtown doesn¡¯t exist until the end of the Unification War. She appreciated the extra money as well, but her attention was quickly drawn to the true reward of the quest. The weapon crate.
Sophie had distinctly felt her lack of weaponry over the last month. Unfortunately, she simply didn¡¯t have enough money to spend on them and she wasn¡¯t confident in stealing from one of the gang. The other issue was that she had no training in handling weapons. Thus, she was desperately hoping for a gun. At least it was fairly simple to use, in her mind. Inwardly praying for something like a Unity pistol, the weapon crate opened to reveal¡a katana.
¡°What the fuck!? What am I meant to do with a katana?¡± Despite being upset, she carefully held it in her hands, running her fingertips along the blade. ¡°Well, at least I won¡¯t need to buy ammo for it.¡±
After admiring it for a few minutes, Sophie set about trying to find a place to hide the blade. Unfortunately, it proved harder than she expected. Due to her current stature, the katana was around the same height as her, meaning she wasn¡¯t able to tuck it away under her clothes.
¡°Why couldn¡¯t it have been a knife??¡± The small thief¡¯s aggrieved voice complained as she gave up trying to hide it in her clothes. Her Stealth (Basic): Lvl.3 luckily included some methods for hiding weapons. One method was viable, but she¡¯d need some help. Inwardly complaining, Sophie quickly rang Rita.
¡°Hey, if it isn¡¯t my favourite little thief! What can I do for you? You lookin¡¯ for more work?¡± The cheerful voice of the Mox bouncer entered Sophie¡¯s ears.
¡°Not today Rita,¡± her abashed reply caught Rita¡¯s attention. ¡°Any chance you or any of the Mox have an old bag available for sale? Something around the size of a uhh, katana? Just as a reference obviously.¡±
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Silence answered her before being broken by Rita¡¯s cackling. ¡°Kid, did you beat up and rob some of the Claws? Where did you get a katana from?¡±
¡°No! I¡¯m not that stupid! I¡¯ll lose any fights I get into with my noodle arms! I just found it, I swear!¡± Flustered, Sophie tried to come up with an excuse but was interrupted.
Still laughing, Rita replied. ¡°Sure honey. I¡¯ll check with the girls. I¡¯ll send you the detes if someone¡¯s willing to sell. I gotta go now, I got some punks causin¡¯ trouble. Look after yourself kid.¡±
Sophie sighed as the call disconnected, then smiled. Rita had been incredibly kind to her since they met and Sophie enjoyed the older woman¡¯s presence. It helped that she was also her first friend in Night City. The thought of friends brought her mind back to the present. Hopefully she¡¯d gain an extra two friends by the end of the day as her car stopped outside a diner in Little China.
The small girl jumped out and immediately started making her way down the road to a very familiar store. She poked her head in the door and immediately saw a messy bob of blonde hair. The girl stood in front of a weird shrine thing, her back to Sophie. Seeing that, the thief knocked softly on the entrance wall. The girl jumped in fright, turning around and revealing Misty Olszewski, the proprietress of Misty¡¯s Esoterica.
The younger version of Misty, one of Sophie¡¯s favourite in-game characters, brought a smile to her face.
¡°Hi! I¡¯m Sophie.¡± She stuck her hand out, looking at the older girl expectantly.
Gingerly shaking the offered hand, Misty replied, ¡°Hi? I¡¯m Misty. It¡¯s nice to meet you Sophie. Can I do something for you?¡±
Sophie ignored Misty¡¯s confusion and replied, ¡°Yeah, I want to be friends! I heard about you from the Mox and thought your whole spiritual thing was interesting! Can we be friends?¡± Misty recoiled from the intensity in the small girl¡¯s eyes, then rubbed her own at the illusion of steam puffing from Sophie¡¯s nose, similar to a bull. She smiled gently.
¡°Of course, I¡¯d love to be friends with you.¡±
That was how Sophie obtained her second friend.
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Over the next few days, Sophie would visit Misty every afternoon to hang out after doing some odd jobs for the Mox during the day. The elder of the two girls didn¡¯t seem to mind her constant presence considering her store didn¡¯t get many visitors. Finally, after nearly a week, Sophie encountered the other person she wanted to meet.
The two girls were sitting together, Misty elaborating on tarot cards and Sophie telling stories about her day. They were interrupted however, by an older man who wandered in the front entrance, hands full with a massive box. Misty quickly got up to help but he refused, instead eyeing the young girl that returned his stare.
¡°Who¡¯s the kid?¡± He spoke to Misty, despite not breaking eye contact with Sophie.
¡°This is Sophie. I met her about a week ago and she¡¯s been coming over every evening since.¡± She turned back to the thief, ¡°Sophie, this Dr Viktor Vektor. Just call him Vik. He¡¯s a Ripperdoc, so if you need any work done in the future I highly recommend him. He¡¯s just started renting the basement behind the store.¡±
Sophie grinned. ¡°Nice to meetcha. Say, you got any eyes for sale?¡±
He laughed and said, ¡°Y¡¯know, I think we¡¯ll get along just fine Sophie. Come on down and I¡¯ll show you what I¡¯ve got in stock.¡±
Misty watched in amusement as her small friend followed the older doctor down the stairs.
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¡°So Doc, what have ya got?¡±
¡°Well, it depends on what you¡¯re looking for. You have anything in mind?¡± He set the box he was carrying down and Sophie peered inside. A jumble of random cyberware entered her eyes, all looking clean and pristine.
¡°Well, I¡¯m a thief for now. Got anything that could help me with that?¡±
¡°Hmm, let me check.¡± Saying that, he quickly disappeared and Sophie heard him rummaging around out of view. A few minutes later, he reappeared holding a canister.
¡°Now, I gotta be honest with you. I¡¯m not too keen on someone as young as you getting much chrome. However, looking at you, I suspect you wouldn¡¯t listen and I¡¯d rather be the one doing your installation and maintenance. Don¡¯t want you going to some back alley Scav ripper. Promise you¡¯ll come to me for your chrome?¡±
¡°Sure! So, what have you got for me?¡±
¡°Well, these are basic Kiroshi Mk.1¡¯s. They¡¯ve been out for a few years but they¡¯re still pretty solid. They¡¯ve got built in scanners and zoom functions, which might help with your¡activities. It¡¯ll be 3000 eddies for both. That doable for you?¡±
Instead of answering, she transferred the money, the older man cracking a smile at her actions.
¡°Alrighty, let''s get started. On the chair please.¡± Sophie followed his directions, chattering about what kind of design she was going to pick.
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Sophie walked to her car, happy about her brand new eyes but deeply saddened by her empty wallet. As she walked, she practised using the zoom function and scanner. Vik had also entered an NCPD wanted list to the eyes, meaning she wouldn¡¯t accidentally target dangerous criminals. As she slipped into her Shion, she decided she wanted to show off to Rita, quickly setting a course for Lizzie¡¯s.
07 - 6 Months
Sitting in her Shion, Sophie focused her eyes on a group of Tyger Claws across the street. Apparently there was supposed to be a prototype weapon handoff between them and an Arasaka agent and Sophie was interested in swiping it.
The corpo squad pulled up in an unmarked car, terribly cliche yet surprisingly effective at hiding illegal activities. Considering Arasaka remained unwelcome in Night City until 2070 when Lucius Rhyne personally invites them back, the deal must have been important enough for the megacorp to risk their agents being caught.
Sophie continued watching, her Kiroshi Optics tracking the movement of the weapon prototype. The whole deal was going smoothly until a heavily armoured group of combatants pulled up in an armoured truck. The Arasaka agents were immediately neutralised, having been targeted first. The Tyger Claws managed to organise a defence, the scene quickly devolving into a shootout between the two parties.
In the chaos, Sophie watched as a Claw slipped away, the prototype tucked under his arm. He sped off on a bike and the thief immediately began trailing him. She chased him for over five minutes before he pulled into an industrial area in East Watson. Giving her car a mental nudge, she was pushed back in her seat as the car roared.
When she was close, the car braked and Sophie threw herself out the door before the Tyger could react. She lunged at him, immediately utilising her most powerful move. Her lack of combat skill and small stature had turned low blows into her go-to attack when needed and it worked just as well as always. The man immediately collapsed and she snagged the valuable weapon. She stood above him, debating whether or not she should kick the man in the head to knock him out. Ultimately, the heavy-duty helmet he wore discouraged her and she settled for his guts and balls, kicking him until he stopped moving.
She slipped back into the car and sped off, leaving behind a Tyger that would be crippled in bed unless he could get a nice, high quality implant. She wasn¡¯t worried about the gang coming for revenge. She always had Ghost active when she was working after all.
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Thief has reached level 100!
Class: Thief has reached maximum level.
Thief Trait: Thief¡¯s Instinct has been unlocked
New Class available!
Sophie smiled as she received the notifications. Over the last six months she had been stealing nearly everything that she could get hands on in an attempt to level her Thief class as quickly as possible. Now, with her most recent robbery, she had accomplished her goal, unlocked a new class and finished a mission she received when she started her grinding.
Mission Complete
First Class: Successfully max out your first class within a year of arriving in Night City.
Difficulty: Medium
Rewards: 1000 M-Coins, 5000 Eurodollars, Custom Weapon Token (Legendary)
The currency rewards were great, but Sophie was far more invested in the token.
Custom Weapon Token (Legendary): A token that allows the host to design any weapon they desire. Some materials and abilities will not be available due to the grade of the token.
It was an incredible item and Sophie already had an idea in mind for what she would create with it. The legendary grade attached to the token allowed her to access Vibranium from the Marvel Universe. The grading system was something she had questioned the system on extensively over the past months. She was, after all, keen on understanding the extent of the system¡¯s power. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.
The grading system for items was quite simple, which Sophie was glad for. The rarities were:
Common ¡ú Uncommon ¡ú Rare ¡ú Epic ¡ú Legendary ¡ú Mythic ¡ú God
The material she had used to create her Chronos Sandevistan was known as Kraetis, one of very few materials that reached god tier. The metal itself was named after Kratos, the God Slayer and was the strongest metal in existence, above Adamantium, Enchanted Uru and Element X which all sat at Mythic tier. It also didn¡¯t occur naturally, having been synthesised millenia ago by a divine blacksmith. Sophie had inwardly thanked her past self for her smart decisions when using it to create her sandevistan, even if it remained unusable.
Ultimately however, she resisted the temptation to use the token immediately. Considering her lack of experience with weaponry, she didn¡¯t want to make a mistake in her design. Thus, she wanted to hold off using the token until she took a weapon focused class like Gunner.
¡°That reminds me,¡± Sophie mused, ¡°What¡¯s with that trait I got for finishing my Thief class?¡±
Trait: Thief¡¯s Instinct - Instinctively pick out valuable items and targets. Instinctively know whether a plan/situation is good or bad.
¡°Hmm, it''s a bit vague.¡± Her eyes wandered to the case containing the Arasaka weapon prototype she had just stolen. Part of her mind seemed to light up, screaming at her that the weapon was bad news. She clicked open the case, finding it to be a small, unfamiliar device. Realising that she had absolutely no clue what it was, she cracked her window and decisively threw it out of the car. As she drove away from the discarded case, she watched it light up in a fiery explosion.
¡°Right. So that¡¯s what Thief¡¯s Instinct does. I think I¡¯m gonna go to bed now.¡± Despite her calm words, Sophie¡¯s heart was beating rapidly. It was the closest she had come to death since arriving in Night City and if not for her brand new trait, she¡¯d be in a million pieces. Setting her car¡¯s autopilot navigation for a quiet place, Sophie got ready to turn in. She¡¯d finish her system business the next day.
-----------------------
Nestled in her car¡¯s seat, Sophie pulled up the system and checked over her class decision. She confirmed her choice and was inundated with system messages.
Class selected: Master Thief
Skills Unlocked: Sleight of Hand, Parkour (Intermediate), Stealth (Intermediate), Thievery (Intermediate)
Quick Hands: Lvl.10 ¡ú Sleight of Hand: Lvl.1
Sleight of Hand: Lvl.1
Unless directly focusing on them, people will struggle to keep track of your hands and will be deceived more easily. Retains all previous effects from Quick Hands Lvl.10.
Parkour (Basic): Lvl.10 ¡ú Parkour (Intermediate): Lvl.1
Parkour (Intermediate): Lvl.1
Grants intermediate knowledge of Parkour.
Stealth (Basic): Lvl.10 ¡ú Stealth (Intermediate): Lvl.1
Stealth (Intermediate): Lvl.1
Grants intermediate knowledge of Stealth.
Thievery (Basic): Lvl.10 ¡ú Thievery (Intermediate): Lvl.1
Thievery (Intermediate): Lvl.1
Grants intermediate knowledge of Thievery.
Then the knowledge appeared. Like a flood, the gates opened and Sophie discovered how big the gap was between basic knowledge and intermediate knowledge. First of all, the influx of knowledge was extremely painful, as though someone had hammered a bunch of nails into her brain, then scrubbed it clean with a metal brush. Secondly, her previous self now seemed like a complete amateur when it came to thief related activities.
Comparing them, the basic knowledge had already given her a significant edge over most street rats and even many older kids. Now however, she possessed knowledge on par with most adult thieves. And the gap would only increase further as she levelled her new intermediate skills. After her near death experience the previous night, Sophie was eager to go out and test herself. She had new techniques to try out after all. Ultimately however, she had one last bit of system business to take care of.
Pulling up her status, she quickly confirmed how many M-Coins she had.
Name: Sophie Mortimer
Age: 8
Class: Master Thief - Lvl.1
Profession: Available
Traits
Ghost, Thief¡¯s Instinct
Skill
Sleight of Hand: Lvl.1
Parkour (Intermediate): Lvl.1
Stealth (Intermediate): Lvl.1
Thievery (Intermediate): Lvl.1
Cyberware
Chronos Sandevistan: Unavailable (Reach ten years old or install more cyberware) (God)
Kiroshi Mk.1 Optics (Common)
Store: Available
M-Coins: 5000
¡°System, make the purchase.¡± Her voice wavered slightly as her M-Coins disappeared but her sorrow was quickly replaced by happiness. During her time exploring the system and its store, Sophie had lamented the lack of an inventory. She had then been stumped by the fact she was required to purchase it for 5000 M-Coins. Even then, it wasn¡¯t a massive, infinite storage space. It was only 1m x 1m x 1m in size. The next upgrade, 5m x 5m x 5m cost a whopping 50,000 M-Coins and Sophie could only despair at the massive increase.
Regardless of her complaints, having access to an inventory, even a small one, was a big boon for her. Retrieving her katana, the reward for visiting each of the districts in Night City, she stored it. It disappeared from her hands as if it was never there. With a thought, it reappeared, as if it had never left. She spent some time testing it and was very satisfied. She could make an item appear anywhere she wanted, as long as it was touching her body. It would be immensely valuable, especially for jobs that needed a disguise. Who would suspect that she could instantly swap clothes after all?
¡°Well, now that all of that lovely business is over, I¡¯ll go ask Rita if the Mox have any work for me. I want to put my new knowledge to the test after all.¡±
08 - Birth of a Master Thief
Sophie walked out of Lizzie¡¯s Bar at a brisk pace. Rita had come through with a job, however the contents had the young thief feeling an immense anger. Apparently, a new group of scavs had started operating out of Little China. The Mox weren¡¯t entirely sure where their den was, but they had some leads. Thus, Sophie was on her way to investigate and hunt down their little nest. It would take some time, especially if she wanted to be thorough, but the info she had would narrow down her search considerably.
-----------------------
Night City¡¯s casual chaos entered Sophie¡¯s ears as she bunkered down in her Shion. An entire day stalking the streets of Little China had yielded enough clues to find one of their vans, a vehicle used to grab people off the street and take them back to their human harvesting shop.
With honking horns and loud music as the backdrop, Sophie sat outside an old, decrepit warehouse in Little China. Her small hands rested on the wheel as she stared at the building in the distance. I need to get closer. She slipped out of the car and quickly moved to the other side of the street, scaling an abandoned construction site for a better vantage point.
The warehouse itself was a rusting hunk of steel and grime, nestled among graffiti-tagged walls and the skeletal remains of old, broken factories. She scanned the scene, letting her eyes move between entrances, guards, and vehicles. Inwardly, she was incredibly thankful for the zoom and tagging function her Kiroshi Optics carried. It allowed her to track the number of scavs she saw and find hidden pathways she could use for her infiltration.
The main entrance was guarded by two scavs. One was armed with a shotgun, though she wasn¡¯t sure what type. He was pacing around nervously. Meanwhile the other leaned casually against the wall, smoking and laughing at some crude joke while on a holocall, his eyes glowing. A side entrance saw occasional traffic, mostly Scavs unloading crates from a battered van. Sophie didn¡¯t want to know what was in the crates. She was positive it wouldn¡¯t be anything good.
Her sharp gaze followed the van¡¯s path until it turned into an alley around the corner. There, a loading bay opened into the side of the warehouse. Unfortunately, she wasn¡¯t able to see what they loaded into the van and she could only hope it wasn¡¯t people. The alley was less guarded thankfully, just one distracted scav with glowing optics scrolling through her messages.
Finally, Sophie¡¯s attention shifted upward as she searched for a way inside. The second floor had a smashed window, barely illuminated by the flickering overhead lights inside. From her vantage point, she saw no guards on the upper level. While the broken glass of the window made her nervous, it would be the best way in.
Her higher vantage point allowed her to spot a stack of metal crates near the side of the building. From there, she could jump to a ledge, then shimmy up a series of pipes to reach the window. The knowledge in her head clicked into place, a map of the upcoming climb forming in her mind. She was incredibly grateful for the considerable amount of new information her intermediate skills provided. She wouldn¡¯t have found that path otherwise. As she confirmed her route, she received a surprise system message.
New Mission
Data Retrieval: You have spent the last few months doing basic work and odd jobs in Night City. Now, you have your first proper gig. Steal the required data from the Scavenger den.
Optional: Don¡¯t raise any alarms.
Difficulty: Hard
Rewards: 2000 M-Coins, 3000 Eurodollars, 4 levels in Master Thief
Bonus Reward: 1 level in Stealth (Intermediate)
Satisfied with the rewards, Sophie put the message out of her mind and began her operation. She crept towards the metal crates, hoodie pulled tight over her head to prevent any of the guards from seeing her pale face. She crept past, the guards at the main entrance missing her as she pushed further into the area. She scrambled onto the first crate, her small hands gripping the edges as she pulled herself up. The metal was cold and wet from recent rain, but Sophie moved with relative ease, following the advice of her knowledge skills.
From the crates, she jumped up to the ledge. Her fingers caught and scraped on the rough concrete, but she ignored the stinging pain as she hauled herself up, legs swinging briefly before finding purchase. She didn¡¯t pause to catch her breath, instead pressing onwards to her goal; the pipe hanging above.
Gripping the pipe with both hands, she pulled herself up and began to climb, her small frame making the ascent look almost effortless. However, even with her small size, the pipe creaked under her weight and for a moment, she froze, heart hammering heavily in her chest. But it held, and Sophie was able to continue upward until she finally reached the window.
She eased her way through the shattered window, accidentally adding a few tears to her clothes. The small thief ignored it and slipped inside, landing with a quiet thud on the floor. Sophie pressed herself against the wall, listening for any signs of movement. Only when she heard nothing in her vicinity did she move on into the main area of the warehouse.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
The air inside was thick with decay. Sophie wrinkled her nose as the stench of rust, oil, and rot filled her lungs. It was the worst thing she had ever smelt and she nearly gagged as tears threatened to burst out of her tear ducts. From her elevated position, she could see the heart of the Scavenger operation below.
The ground floor was a horrific demonstration of humanities brutality. Discarded limbs; both cybernetic and human, were piled haphazardly in bins. Bloodstained benches lined the walls, surrounded by trays of tools more suited for torture than surgery. She spotted more than one object that looked like a cleaver. On a different wall, dozens of cages held captives. Squashed in like cattle, their moans of pain were audible even over the voices of their captors. The scavs¡¯ efficient, callous behaviour as they went about their grim work was horrifying.
Sophie¡¯s fists clenched at the sight. Her blood boiled in anger, but she forced it down. She was too weak. Her current skills weren¡¯t enough to actively save the victims. For the first time, she lamented the fact she didn¡¯t pick a class with a combat focus. As her thoughts spiralled, her Thief¡¯s Instinct alerted her to something.
Moving through the upper level of the scav den, Sophie kept her profile as small as possible. She ensured her steps were as silent as possible while sticking to the shadows. Her eyes searched for some kind of central building, knowing that¡¯s where she would find the data she needed. At the same time, she kept an eye out for whatever had triggered Thief¡¯s Instinct. She managed to locate a room that looked like an office first. It was on the other side of the second floor, where she currently was. Its glass front overlooked the gruesome scene below.
Creeping closer, she was blocked by a glass door that required a keycard. If she had access to netrunning, it would be easy to get in. Unfortunately, she¡¯d have to find a keycard herself.
Poking her head over the second floor railing, Sophie¡¯s eyes zero¡¯d in on a specific scav. Her Thief¡¯s Instinct suggested he had value. Checking him over, she saw a keycard clipped to his belt. That was what her trait had been alerting her to. He was in an easily accessed position, down some stairs from her current position and watching over the ground floor operations.
She waited until his back was turned, then darted in. She was slightly concerned, due to the position of the card at the front of his pants. However, Sleight of Hand, the new skill that came with Master Thief, showed its value. Her small fingers unclipped the card in one fluid motion, completely unnoticed. Immediately, she retreated into the shadows so that the man wouldn¡¯t turn around and spot her suddenly. Even with Ghost active, she didn¡¯t want to risk the man having organic eyes. Her heart raced as she moved back toward the office.
The keycard worked, and the office door hissed open. Sophie slipped inside, and it closed behind her quietly. The room was cluttered with garbage, half-empty bottles, and stacks of blood-streaked paper. An old, dusty terminal shone faintly on the desk, its screen covered in dirt.
She inserted her personal link, a freebie from Vik, into the terminal and initiated the download. Data flooded the screen; maps of victim transport routes, hunting zones, and communications. While it downloaded, Sophie examined what was on the computer, quickly discovering that this scav operation was far bigger than originally thought. Luckily, the data would be more than enough for the Mox to dismantle their operation.
As she finished copying the files, footsteps sounded outside. Sophie stiffened, eyes darting to the door.
Sophie ducked and rolled under the desk, holding her breath as the door creaked open. A scav stepped inside, cursing under his breath as he searched the room.
The young thief stayed perfectly still, heart hammering in her chest. The scav¡¯s boots stopped a few centimetres from her hiding spot, but he didn¡¯t look down. After a tense minute, he left, slamming the door behind him.
Sophie let out the breath she was holding. She wouldn¡¯t be able to get out the same way she came in. She needed a different path. Looking around the room, Sophie eventually glanced at the ceiling. There, a slightly open skylight was visible.. A series of steel beams crisscrossed above her, leading to salvation.
She climbed onto a filing cabinet and leapt to the first beam. Her hands caught it easily, and she swung her legs up, balancing on the narrow surface. In the warehouse, the scavs continued their gruesome work, entirely oblivious to her presence.
Sophie moved swiftly, jumping from beam to beam with expert precision. Each landing was near silent, though her movements were rather strained. The gap between the beams was quite a hurdle for her body¡¯s current size. Finally however, she reached the skylight and pushed it open, escaping the bloodied warehouse.
The roof was a maze of vents and antennas. However, it offered a brief reprieve from the gruesome area she had just escaped from. The cool night air washed over her as she caught her breath. She surveyed her surroundings, spotting a drainpipe on the far side of the building.
Sophie slid down the drainpipe, her small hands gripping tightly as she descended. Halfway down, a scav stepped into the alley below, lighting a cigarette. She froze, pressing herself flat against the pipe.
Eventually, the scav muttered something under his breath, taking a long drag before flicking the cigarette away. He disappeared into a side door, and Sophie continued her descent, landing softly on the pavement.
No guards were present as she dashed out the alley. She beelined straight for her car and, once in, set a course for Lizzie¡¯s. As she drove in silence, she sent Rita a heads up that she¡¯d be arriving soon.
-----------------------
Sophie walked out of the Mox stronghold with Rita.
¡°Y¡¯know kid, that was really well done. Sneaking in and out of a heavily guarded place like that isn¡¯t easy. You¡¯re a damn talented thief. I appreciate what you¡¯ve done today.¡± Rita spoke, then gestured around her as dozens of Mox arrived and flooded into Lizzie¡¯s. ¡°That info will make dismantling their operations a breeze. Go get some rest Soph. You¡¯ve earned it.¡± With a wave, the bouncer quickly disappeared back into the bar, leaving Sophie to wander back to her car.
Mission Complete
Data Retrieval: You have spent the last few months doing basic work and odd jobs in Night City. Now, you have your first proper gig. Steal the required data from the Scavenger den.
Optional: Don¡¯t raise any alarms.
Difficulty: Hard
Rewards: 2000 M-Coins, 3000 Eurodollars, 4 levels in Master Thief
Bonus Reward: 1 level in Stealth (Intermediate)
She felt the familiar rush of knowledge as her stealth skill levelled up before opening her full status page.
Name: Sophie Mortimer
Age: 8
Class: Master Thief - Lvl.6
Profession: Available
Traits
Ghost, Thief¡¯s Instinct
Skill
Sleight of Hand: Lvl.1
Parkour (Intermediate): Lvl.1
Stealth (Intermediate): Lvl.2
Thievery (Intermediate): Lvl.1
Cyberware
Chronos Sandevistan: Unavailable (Reach eight years old or install more cyberware) (God)
Kiroshi Mk.1 Optics (Common)
Store: Available
Inventory: 1m x 1m x 1m
M-Coins: 2000
Y¡¯know, maybe I should get myself an apartment. Sleeping in my car is getting really tedious. I wonder if Misty has something available?
09 - Apartment and Profession
Misty was rich. Sophie had known she owned different properties around Night City but her assumptions were shattered after the third apartment building the older girl showed her.
¡°Hey uhh, Misty. How many buildings do you own?¡±
¡°Hmmm,¡± she paused to think as they rode the elevator to the top floor. ¡°Not too many. I¡¯ve got a few apartment buildings, some stores, a warehouse or two and a couple of other random places. Obviously I¡¯ve also got my shop and Vik¡¯s basement. I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯ve got around the same amount as most people my age, right?¡± Sophie stared at her.
This girl is something else. What do you mean you have the same amount as most people your age!? How the fuck did you get all of that!?
¡°Right. Sure. Let¡¯s just look at the apartment.¡± Sophie stopped thinking about it. As spiritual and clever as Misty may be, she could be incredibly weird and oblivious sometimes.
Sophie had high hopes for this apartment after the previous two. The others were nice but they didn¡¯t quite fit with what Sophie wanted. She wasn¡¯t even nine, so she was wanting a place that she could comfortably live in as she grew up. Considering her current location, a nice place in Charter Hill, she was keen to see her potential home. Walking in, she immediately decided she wanted it.
The door slid shut behind the two girls with a faint hiss. The air inside was undisturbed, the city noise fading away. She shot a questioning look at her friend.
¡°The whole place is soundproof up here. You¡¯re the only one on the top floor.¡±
Sophie nodded. There was a faint trace of disinfectant, a smell the thief assumed meant Misty had the place cleaned before they arrived. The young girl was pleasantly surprised, however, that she could smell old wood. Maybe it¡¯s just an air freshener? She scanned the main living area, taking in the muted tones. The main colouring of the apartment was a mix of blacks and greys. Wooden browns broke it up in certain places, though she wasn¡¯t sure if it was real wood.
Her attention was drawn to the large, fully glass wall. It offered a decent view onto the street, although she doubted she¡¯d spend much time looking out of it. Still, it was nice and it lit up the main, open plan room of the apartment.
¡°The glass is bulletproof,¡± Misty said, lingering by the door. ¡°It¡¯s standard anywhere with such a big window. Although don¡¯t rely on it to block heavy calibre rounds. We both know they¡¯ll get through regardless.¡±
Sophie stepped further into the living room, her shoes making soft noises against the faux-wood flooring. The whole living area was open plan. A grey couch, slightly faded in places, sat in the centre of the room, facing a wide holo-screen mounted on one of the walls. Beneath the screen, an empty shelf was available for use.
The kitchen was tucked into an alcove off the living space, separated by a low counter that looked sturdy enough for leaning but not much else. Sophie stepped into the narrow space, inspecting the steel fridge and handful of cooking appliances. Considering very few people cooked in Night City, even having appliances made the place stand out.
In the same corner stood a small metal table, surrounded by matching chairs. Sophie ran her fingers along the edge of the table, feeling the cool, polished texture.
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¡°Appliances work,¡± Misty offered as Sophie opened the fridge to multiple empty shelves. ¡°They¡¯re nothing special but they are reliable.¡± She smiled. ¡°Though knowing you, only the fridge will see some use.¡±
Sophie nodded absently, running her hand across the laminate countertop. Misty was right. There was no luxury here, but it was functional, something that suited Sophie perfectly.
The next stop was the bedroom. Built above the main living area, a set of stairs led up to it. It wasn¡¯t a large space but it had most of the essentials. A low bed sat flush against the wall, and a built-in closet took up most of the other side. Sophie pulled the closet door open, finding it completely empty but still in good condition.
A separate hallway led away from the entrance and main living space. It connected to four different rooms, all devoid of any defining features and fairly small. Sophie stepped inside, her mind churning.
¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to find a use for them all,¡± Misty said.
¡°Hey Misty, you own this place, right?¡± When her friend nodded, Sophie continued, ¡°Any chance you¡¯d let me knock a few walls down? These rooms are a little small by themselves but without the wall in between I could do a lot of things with them.¡± Misty thought about it for a moment, then shrugged.
¡°I don¡¯t see why not. It might actually make the place better. Could always put up temporary walls if needed.¡± With that said, the walls could only despair as their fate was sealed by a small girl with too much time on her hands.
However, Sophie could see the potential in the rooms, even if the emptiness now made them look and feel useless.
The bathroom was narrow but practical, lined with simple black tiles. Sophie was very glad that the apartment had a shower. She was tired of stealing Misty¡¯s or finding a public shower, considering how filthy they always were. A glass door separated the shower from the rest of the space, and a simple sink stood beneath a clean mirror. Sophie turned on the tap and let the water run, pleased when it came out clear.
¡°Hot water¡¯s available, though don¡¯t use too much. The water company is a real pain to deal with.¡± Misty complained and Sophie chuckled, quickly pacifying her.
¡°This apartment also comes with a private garage. It is the penthouse after all.¡± Sophie followed the older girl back to the elevator, riding down in a comfortable silence.
The garage was easy to access and any vehicles could easily be driven in and out. Inside, a soft light flickered above, illuminating the surprisingly large space. It was easily big enough to house two cars with plenty of room to move around. Shelves along the walls would provide storage for various knick knacks, tools or spare parts. The largest wall housed a workbench, a feature that Sophie knew she would take full advantage of.
¡°It¡¯ll be perfect for your Shion.¡± Misty said and Sophie had to agree.
She ran her fingers over the workbench, lost in her thoughts. Her Shion definitely would look good parked here. The other half would also look good when it had something in it, though the thief wasn¡¯t quite sure what kind of thing she¡¯d steal to fill it. Misty¡¯s voice broke her out of her daydreams.
¡°So, what do you think?¡± Sophie spun around to face her friend.
¡°I love it. When can I move in and how much will it cost me?¡±
They spent some time haggling, but Misty gave her a good discount considering Sophie¡¯s age and their friendship. Still, the rent meant the thief would need to take on better paying jobs from the Mox. Her savings quickly dropped as she transferred money to her new landlord.
-----------------------
After Misty left, Sophie brought her Shion over and parked it in the garage. She then moved her meagre belongings up to the apartment and flopped onto the couch. The long day of apartment hunting had been exhausting. Yet as she looked around, it was all worth it. She also decided to finally choose her first Profession. She¡¯d held off because she wanted to have a proper space to learn in. The garage was the perfect space and she quickly locked in her choice.
Profession selected: Mechanic
Skills Unlocked: Mechanics (Basic), Problem Solver
Problem Solver: Lvl.1
A passive skill that allows you to solve problems easier, faster and with better results.
Mechanics (Basic): Lvl.1
Grants basic knowledge of Mechanics.
As she read the system messages, she noticed a few differences between professions and classes. However, before she could ask the system, an immense amount of basic knowledge flooded into her head. It took nearly 15 minutes for her mind to recover and even then, the intense headache prevented her from thinking properly.
¡°System, can you explain what the differences are between Professions and Classes?¡±
Professions follow the same upgrade structure as Classes. Using the knowledge or abilities will level up your skills, providing more knowledge or boosts. Unlike Classes however, Professions have fewer skills. The tradeoff is that Profession skills have a maximum level of 50, rather than 10. To change Profession, you must reach a maximum level of 100 by maxing out all associated skills.
¡°I see. I guess that makes sense. Might as well lump all of the relevant knowledge together into a single skill rather than having a bunch of overlapping skills. She asked a few more clarifying questions, then headed off to sleep in her new bed, her head still thumping from the influx of knowledge. As she crawled in, she idly realised it was the first actual bed she had slept in since arriving in Night City. It was nice.
10 - A World at War
Sophie arrived at her apartment and slumped onto the couch. Over a year ago, she had discovered that her liberal use of the Ghost trait was slowing down the speed at which her skills levelled. She¡¯d had to make the tough choice to stop using it, only to discover that her thievery missions became multiple times harder. However, her efforts were finally rewarded when she received the system message she had been waiting for.
Master Thief has reached level 100!
Class: Master Thief has reached maximum level.
Master Thief Trait: Ambidextrous has been unlocked
New Class available!
She felt a rush of cool energy flow through her body and moments later she was moving both hands around at once. Her left hand now moved smoothly, none of the rough, janky movements it previously performed. She marvelled at the change for a bit, then checked the trait description.
Trait: Ambidextrous - The natural ability to move both hands smoothly and simultaneously without restraint.
It was good. Really good. It would also pair perfectly with the class she would be picking next. The Unification War had started just a few weeks ago and Sophie desperately wanted the means to protect herself. That led her to choosing an offensive focused class.
Class selected: Gunner
Skills Unlocked: Shooting (Basic), Gun Combat (Basic), Gun Knowledge (Basic), Quick Reload
Quick Reload: Lvl.1
Reload any gun faster.
Shooting (Basic): Lvl.1
Grants basic knowledge of Shooting.
Gun Combat (Basic): Lvl.1
Grants basic knowledge of Gun Combat.
Gun Knowledge (Basic): Lvl.1
Grants basic knowledge of Guns.
The surge of information entered Sophie¡¯s brains and she grimaced at the headache that began to form. However, as the knowledge settled she nearly jumped for joy. It was exactly what she had wanted. Her time collecting guns whenever she could hadn¡¯t gone to waste. She¡¯d be able to practise with a broad range of weapons, hopefully allowing her to speed level the new class.
Name: Sophie Mortimer
Age: 10
Class: Gunner - Lvl.1If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.
Profession: Mechanic - Lvl.88
Traits
Ghost, Thief¡¯s Instinct, Ambidextrous
Class Skills
Sleight of Hand: Lvl.10, Parkour (Intermediate): Lvl.10, Stealth (Intermediate): Lvl.10, Thievery (Intermediate): Lvl.10, Quick Reload: Lvl.1, Shooting (Basic): Lvl.1, Gun Combat (Basic): Lvl.1, Gun Knowledge (Basic) Lvl.1
Profession Skills
Problem Solver: Lvl.44, Mechanics (Basic): Lvl.44
Cyberware
Chronos Sandevistan: Available (1 short use (5 seconds) per month. Further body modifications will increase limit) (God)
Kiroshi Mk.1 Optics (Common)
Store: Available
Inventory: 5m x 5m x 5m
M-Coins: 75,500
Sophie grinned as she looked at her growth over the last year and a half. As she went to close the page however, her eyes snapped back to the cyberware section. Available!? I can use my sandy now!? When did my birthday pass? Her enthusiasm was slightly curbed by the harsh conditions to use it. However, the fact that it was now active after sitting dormant in her back for years was cause for celebration in her book.
She wanted to test it out. She also had a new class to experiment with.
New Mission
You have lived in Night City for over a year, spending much of that time sneaking around in the shadows. That is an achievement itself. Now however, you have the means to confront your enemies head on. Extinguish someone¡¯s life for the first time.
Difficulty: Easy
Rewards: Custom Weapon Token (Mythic), 1 Gunner level
The mission stopped the girl short as she stared at the difficulty. She¡hadn¡¯t really thought of it much. It hit her pretty hard that killing someone was considered ¡®easy¡¯. The fact she was planning on killing someone to progress her personal power didn¡¯t make it any better. She slowed her short walk down as she headed to her personal armoury. It was an idea she had come up with, inspired by the Stash that the future V would use.
She had knocked down the wall separating two of the empty rooms to turn it into an armoury. Inside, the walls were covered in weapons, each with their own special indent. She¡¯d also made sure to collect plenty of ammo during her heists as she wasn¡¯t keen on buying it herself.
She looked at the wall of weapons, deep in thought. Her stomach churned at the thought of killing someone. Yet it was something she had to do. She lived in Night City and wanted to be the best damn merc around. She retrieved a Liberty pistol from the wall. The instinctive knowledge from her skills allowed her to handle such a simple weapon with relative ease.
If she was going to kill someone for the first time, not by accident but with true intent, then she would do it up close. Killing from afar with a sniper may be easier, but it was impersonal. No, she would choose a scumbag, someone nobody in the city would miss and end them as personally as possible.
-----------------------
Parked in her Shion, she stared at the lone Tyger Claw eating at a noodle stand. Rita had sent her his details when she asked for targets. He was a disgusting, murderous psycho, a man the Mox wanted dead. Sophie had spent the last few hours following him. He finished, didn¡¯t pay and wandered off towards his bike, parked a couple dozen metres away in an alley. Sophie got out and followed him.
As he got closer to the bike, Sophie pulled her gun out of her inventory. They were in an alley with no cameras or people around. She didn¡¯t forget to activate her sandevistan. The world froze. Sophie could feel the ability to rewind her steps and return to her car. She could also feel the ability to move right behind the man while he was frozen. She used that power, positioning herself behind him. She raised the gun to the back of his head and pulled the trigger. Nothing happened. She realised it was the fault of her Chronos Sandevistan. The bullet couldn¡¯t leave the chamber of the gun until her timer ran out.
The world snapped and time returned to normal. The bullet left the chamber, finding its way straight into the man''s skull. It exploded like a gruesome firework. He crumpled to the ground with a wet thud. Sophie gagged and quickly fell to her knees, vomiting. The blood pooled around the man and quickly reached her clothes. She staggered to her feet, belatedly realising that her use of the sandevistan had significantly weakened her body. Pushing her way through time was not to be taken lightly. Her body was far too weak to handle the immense strain time itself put on it.
She went to pass the man¡¯s body, then stopped and fished out a chip from the back of his neck. She slotted it in, then sent a command to her newly stolen bike, directing it to the garage below her apartment. It drove off while Sophie slid into her car, directing it along the same path. Laying in the seat seemed to take the edge out of the gradually intensifying pain in her body.
As the car drove, she groggily listened to the car¡¯s radio.
¡°The first conflicts between the NUSA and the Free States of North America have erupted. Both sides are currently locked in a stalemate. It is expected the war will wage for some time.¡±
The announcement made Sophie realise the beginning of the Unification War had arrived. It meant things in Night City would change soon, although she wasn¡¯t sure how much she¡¯d be affected. The news spokesperson continued to speak, but Sophie was entirely drained of energy, quickly falling asleep.
11 - Weapons and Chrome
Having dragged herself out of her car and up the elevator to bed, Sophie woke up the next morning still feeling like she¡¯d been run over by a train, then had said train reverse over her again and again.
¡°Fuck me, this sandevistan is no joke. I can barely walk, let alone go out and start levelling up my new class.¡±
She checked her system messages, finding her mission completed.
Mission Completed
You have lived in Night City for nearly a year, spending much of that time sneaking around in the shadows. That is an achievement itself. Now however, you have the means to confront your enemies head on. Extinguish someone¡¯s life for the first time.
Difficulty: Easy
Rewards: Custom Weapon Token (Mythic), 1 Gunner level
She focused on the weapon token. She had previously received a Custom Weapon Token (Legendary) and she¡¯d already had a plan for it. Fortunately, the arrival of this token would allow her to implement her plan even more effectively. She quickly used it and arrived in the same space she had used to create her sandevistan, around two entire years ago.
Sophie had had plenty of time to figure out what kind of gun she wanted over the past year and quickly got to work. As she designed it, she decided to try her luck and push the boundaries of the token.
¡°System, I¡¯d like to create a set of Dual Pistols. Is that allowed?¡±
Yes. As long as both are identical and designated as ¡®Dual Pistols¡¯, you can use this token to create both.
Internally jumping for joy, Sophie was able to finalise her designs within half an hour.
Two sleek, black and silver pistols floated in front of her. Unfortunately the token was only of Mythic quality, meaning she couldn¡¯t access anything like Kraetis. Thus, she had settled for a combination of Adamantium, Enchanted Uru and Vibranium. The outer shell was made using Adamantium, preventing the weapons from being damaged externally. Internally, the guns were made from Enchanted Uru. The Uru parts each carried enchantments that allowed the pistols to reach a level significantly higher than any modern gun, increasing the speed and power of the bullets.
The barrel of each pistol was laced with Vibranium. The energy absorbent properties of the super metal meant that the energy stored from each shot would be used to boost the following bullet. If Sophie fired the entire magazine, the final round would be over 20x more powerful than the first. However, she also had to consider when she would use these weapons. Thus, she added sound dampening enchantments to each pistol, rendering them completely silent.
Finally, her masterpiece was the way the magazine worked. Each pistol had a set of 20 bullets, all of which were made of similar materials to the guns themselves. Inscribed on each bullet were runes that would transport them back into the magazine after they stopped flying. This meant she had an essentially infinite magazine for both weapons. Finally, she had added an ability that meant they would be bound to her soul, unable to be used by anyone else.
Congratulations! Your weapons have a 100% chance of being constructed and utilised.
Sophie returned to reality, pistols in hand. A description of them appeared in front of her, showing her the attributes of her new weapons.
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Item Type: Dual Pistols
Effects
Infinite Magazine
Silent
Power Increase
Unbreakable
Sophie held them in her hands, staring at them lovingly. She still wasn¡¯t over the feeling of taking a life the previous night. Yet she adored her new weapons and she wouldn¡¯t let her feelings get in the way of her progress. She couldn¡¯t. She stared at the pistols and finally firmed her resolve. She would climb a mountain of corpses to reach the top. Yet she would do her best to avoid involving innocents in her path to power.
-----------------------
Sophie set up a small firing range in her apartment, wanting to test out her beautiful guns. The empty rooms she still hadn¡¯t filled, even after all these years, were the perfect place to test out her shooting. She let her basic knowledge of shooting correct her posture and held one of her Talons, aiming at the can of NiCola. Subconsciously, she felt something was wrong but she ignored it. She wanted to put her new babies to the test.
She pulled the trigger and multiple things happened. First, the can exploded. Good. Second, the wall gained a new hole. Good? Third, her arm exploded. Bad. Fourth, she dropped to the ground in pain. Very bad.
Sophie had not at all accounted for the immense recoil such powerful weapons would have. Thus, her right arm was entirely shattered and bleeding heavily. It was by far the worst injury she had ever received and she started to panic. She managed to get a few rags around it, unable to find proper bandages, then called Vik as she hurried to her car.
¡°What¡¯s up kid? You don¡¯t often call, you normally just swing by.¡±
¡°Hahh, I fucked up a little Vik. Are you available right now?¡± Sophie was breathing heavily. Her Shion sped off into the city as she spoke.
¡°I¡¯m free. What do you need?¡± His voice had turned serious.
¡°Need an arm doc. Current one¡¯s fucked.¡±
¡°Alright, I¡¯ve got something in stock. It¡¯s nothing high end but it should hold up until you can get something better. Will that do?¡±
¡°Yeah Vik, that¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll work on getting something better later.¡±
¡°Alright, get here as fast as possible. Also, come through the side. Don¡¯t let Misty see you hurt. I¡¯m gonna set up.¡± The call cut off and Sophie breathed a sigh of relief. Vik would definitely chew her out, especially when she told him how it happened. But Sophie knew it was just his way of caring. She glanced at her arm, relieved that it didn¡¯t seem to be getting worse, even if she was getting woozy from the bloodloss.
-----------------------
Sophie sat in Vik¡¯s chair, an abashed look on her face. The surgery had gone fine but unsurprisingly, Vik was not happy.
¡°Promise me you won¡¯t do anything so reckless again?¡±
¡°You know I can¡¯t promise that. But I¡¯ll do my best. Now, I think it¡¯s a good idea to test whether the new arm will be able to handle the recoil,¡± Sophie flexed her new, metal fingers. ¡°Can I do that?¡±
Vik stared at her disapprovingly, then sighed. ¡°You¡¯ll do it anyway. Better you do it here so that I can check for damage. And see what kind of gun shatters someone¡¯s arm like that, even if it was noodly.¡± He smirked at her as he said the last bit and Sophie pouted.
She feigned going to her car to grab the gun, instead just ducking out and retrieving it from her inventory before waiting a moment. She walked back in and Vik appraised the pistol. He shot her a look, eyebrow raised as if to say ¡®really? Is that it?¡¯. She pointed it at the wall, one that Vik said was solid concrete for a good 10 metres. She pulled the trigger and luckily, her new chrome arm didn¡¯t explode into pieces of shrapnel. When Sophie looked back at Vik, he nodded, understanding what had happened.
¡°That kind of kick reminds me of a Burya. Let me run some diagnostics.¡± While Vik did his thing, Sophie played around with her new arm. It wasn¡¯t ideal. Unfortunately, it was the only appropriate thing Vik had available on short notice. There were some squeaks which Sophie cringed at, dreading trying to be stealthy until she could replace it. She decided to check out the system store and see if it had any better options. Everything in her price range was something that could likely be replicated by the technology of this world.
She eventually found a basic cyberarm costing 100,000 M-Coins. It was similar to the arm of Bucky Barnes, Marvel¡¯s Winter Soldier. Made out of Adamantium, it had no extra features other than being indestructible. It was mostly a beautiful silver colour with thin lines of black running across it. Still, it would suffice until she had the ability to make something better. Sophie was a little grumpy however, that she would have to spend 200,000 M-Coins to get a pair of arms.
While she was there, she checked the store for cyberlegs. A similar pair of legs would cost 300,000 M-Coins, 150,000 each. Clearly, she needed to start taking some harder jobs to earn more coins.
¡°Alright, I¡¯ve had a look. I¡¯m gonna be honest. Don¡¯t use that gun until we can get you something better. A single shot has done some damage to the internals of that new arm. It¡¯ll fall apart entirely if you fire it a few more times. There¡¯s also some really deep damage across your whole body, although I¡¯m not sure where from¡±
The girl grimaced at the last part, realising he must have found evidence of her using her sandevistan. Additionally, the news she couldn¡¯t use her new guns made Sophie incredibly sad. She should have expected it. After all, her Talons were incredibly powerful, so it was no surprise that using it would be hard, just like using her sandevistan.
¡°Alright. Thanks Vik. I¡¯ve got an idea of where I can get a new arm, it¡¯ll just take me a while to get access.¡± Sophie made to leave, already brainstorming how to quickly collect funds.
¡°Be careful out there Soph. None of us want to see you in an early grave.¡± She looked back at him and smiled.
¡°Don¡¯t worry Vik, you won¡¯t get rid of me that easily.¡±
12 - Grinding
Sophie stood in her personal gun range, firing a basic Unity pistol. After the disaster with her soulbound pistols, she¡¯d decided to properly turn the empty rooms in her apartment into a shooting range. The magazine clicked as it emptied and Sophie put it down, picking up an assault rifle. She continued the process until all the guns she had were emptied, then set about trying to reload them as quickly as possible. Once she finished loading them, she took a break, checking her system messages.
Gunner has reached level 85!
¡
Gunner has reached level 87!
¡
Gunner has reached level 90!
Skill: Quick Reload has reached level 9!
Skill: Shooting (Basic) has reached level 9!
Skill: Gun Combat (Basic) has reached level 7!
Skill: Gun Knowledge (Basic) has reached level 8!
It had been six days since the accident that cost Sophie her arm and she had spent every waking moment training her Gunner skills. However, she had reached a point where being at the gun range simply wasn¡¯t cutting it. She needed to go out and actually get into gun fights with real people to level her skills up if she wanted to reach her goal of finishing her class within a week of getting it. She had a suspicion that doing that would be incredibly beneficial.
¡°I¡¯ve got plenty of targets. I¡¯ll rest for an hour or so, then I¡¯ll head out.¡±
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Her destination was Maelstrom territory, specifically up in Northside. It was an area that Sophie had mostly avoided over the years, still creeped out and slightly frightened by the psychotic gang that controlled the area. However, it was that very gang that Sophie now wanted to hunt, along with any scavs in the area.
She managed to find a group of Maelstrom gangers harassing a storefront. There was plenty of cover around, courtesy of concrete road barriers and traffic was almost non-existent. Additionally, Watson wasn¡¯t patrolled by NCPD too often. Sophie wasn¡¯t afraid of them giving her any trouble.
She parked a distance away from where she knew the fight would break out and began walking over. Her hands held a pair of Liberty pistols, complete with silencers while holstered at her waist was a pair of Nues. She strolled up to her targets, all of them too busy with their looting to notice her. She raised both pistols and immediately began firing. Over a quarter of their number dropped, blood blossoming from the heads and necks before someone noticed. By that time, Sophie had emptied her clips and pulled the Nues out.
Shouts of anger at the spontaneous deaths of their friends were interrupted when Sophie opened fire. The barks of her pistols turned their shouts into screams. Another quarter fell by the time the rest managed to organise resistance. The young girl ducked for cover and waited for the return fire to slow. When it did, she popped back out, targeting the leaders of the group. They fell just like their friends, crying out in agony. She also saw one break away from the group, dressed in all black with a mask the same colour. He cocked a shotgun as he moved closer to her position.
Using the knowledge Gun Combat (Basic) provided, Sophie backed away, finding new cover as the shotgun wielder blasted her previous position. Nothing happened for a moment, then a loud crack resounded. The man fell to the ground, half of his head missing and brain splattered across the floor while Sophie holstered an Overture revolver. She was blasted with gunfire, most of which she was able to avoid. Unfortunately, some managed to draw blood and one round slammed into her metal arm. She didn¡¯t care.
Her mind was in a state of constant motion as she ran through the most efficient ways to eliminate all of the remaining Maelstrom members. It didn¡¯t take her long to do so, smashing her way through them with any gun she could get her hands on, including the weapons of the fallen. By the end of her small massacre, Sophie was breathing heavily and feeling slightly nauseous by the intense scene. She¡¯d just killed well over a dozen people. Even if they were scum, they were lives she had personally taken. Her body was sore as well. Recoil was painful.
Then she saw the shop owners. Both had been beaten almost to death, groaning amongst the dead. Sophie¡¯s heart hardened. She quickly grabbed anything of value from the corpses then left the scene. As she drove, she heard the faint sound of sirens, the NCPD clearly taking their time to reach the site of the gunfight. It didn¡¯t matter though. She¡¯d covered her tracks and destroyed any cameras in the area after the battle. She¡¯d only received a few levels for her actions. She only had a day to complete her task before the week timeline was up.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
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Sophie committed a few more massacres, each time ensuring she used her skills as much as possible. She was on her way to a scav den, intent on wiping them out when she noticed a pair of vans trailing her. Grabbing her guns, she quickly changed direction to a more deserted part of Watson and set the car on autopilot. She shuffled over to the passenger seat of the Shion and watched in the mirror as the vans closed in.
Opening her window, she stuck the barrel of her gun out. As soon as the van opened its sliding door, revealing a trio of Maelstrom gangers, she fired, quickly filling them with holes. Another two quickly replaced their fallen friends and Sophie was forced to cover her head with her right arm. Still, a few rounds managed to bury themselves in her torso, puncturing the car door.
She returned fire with little success due to the moving vehicles so she switched targets. A bullet quickly found its way into the skull of the more stationary driver. He slumped and the van immediately veered off the road, smashing into a building before exploding. Still, Sophie couldn¡¯t relax. On the other side of her car, the second van had opened fire in a similar way, peppering her Shion with bullet holes.
She quickly searched her inventory and got her hands on a Militech Saratoga submachine gun. She emptied the clip at the van, noting with satisfaction how multiple of her attackers sported wounds. Finally, she grabbed a Unity from her inventory and pumped their heads full of lead. Firing into the driver''s window, she watched the van follow in the footsteps of the previously destroyed van, crashing and exploding against a building. She grinned, then winced as the few bullets that had hit her shifted around inside her. Then she received her system notifications and suddenly it was all worth it. She turned and headed home, deciding to put the heavily damaged Shion back in the garage.
-----------------------
Sophie sat at her apartment, looking at her rewards. She was glad to see her theory was indeed correct, that the system did have hidden missions.
Hidden Mission Complete
Fully complete a class within one week.
Rewards: 150,000 M-Coins, Iron Resolve (Trait), Full Body Subdermal Armour (Epic)
She also had a bunch of notifications for her class levels and the final message saying her class was complete.
Gunner has reached level 100!
Class: Gunner has reached maximum level.
Gunner Trait: Recoil Reduction has been unlocked
New Class available!
The week of intense grinding had certainly paid off, providing her enough funds to buy both arms she had been looking at, two traits, an additional piece of cyberware (that Sophie suspected was chosen after she¡¯d been shot multiple times) and maxing out the Gunner class. Obviously however, she didn¡¯t pick a new class immediately. She was still bleeding from the bullet wounds, though she had attempted to apply some basic bandages.
She jumped on her bike, the Yaiba Kusanagi she had stolen from the first man she killed. It was her first time driving it, which meant she drove slowly, like a granny. She didn¡¯t want to take the Shion covered in bullet holes. Still, it gave her time to purchase the two cyberarms and look over her new traits.
Trait: Iron Resolve - Boosts willpower and pain tolerance. Negative mental effects are less likely to affect you.
Trait: Recoil Reduction - You can better handle or even outright negate recoil from your weapons.
The first would help immensely the next time she got hurt while the second was something she could have used before she shattered her arm trying to fire her custom pistols. Regardless, it would be helpful in the future.
It wasn¡¯t too long later that she arrived at Vik¡¯s clinic, poking her head in to see if he was available. When she saw that he was alone, she quietly walked in, waving to get his attention. Her other hand carried a case containing the cyberarms. He took one look at her, spotted the bloodied bandages around her torso and quickly rushed her to his chair.
¡°Honestly Sophie, you need to take better care of yourself. Stop scaring me, coming in here all bloody like that.¡± Sophie laughed nervously in response, then waved a hand at the cyberarm case.
¡°I uhh, just klepped the arms I was looking for. Unfortunately things got a little dicey at the end.¡± She lied through her teeth to explain where exactly she¡¯d gotten the cyberware. ¡°Oh! There¡¯s also some Subdermal in there. That¡¯ll stop me from bleeding all over your floor, won¡¯t it?¡± She chirped at him. That was not the right thing to say.
¡°Well, I¡¯d rather you didn¡¯t get shot to begin with. But I guess that just means I¡¯ll have to stick around to patch you up every time you get hurt.¡± He grabbed the case and opened it, looking at the cyberware Sophie had brought with her. ¡°Hmm. I don¡¯t recognise any of these. Well, they¡¯ll still fit you fine.¡± Quickly checking them over, he confirmed they were all good
¡°Right then, time for you to go under. I¡¯ll make sure all this has settled in, then I¡¯ll let you go.¡±
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Sophie woke up feeling slightly drowsy. Vik noticed and rolled over on his chair, handing her an inhaler.
¡°Take a puff of that, it¡¯ll wake you up.¡± She followed his directions and it certainly did what he said. It was like a shot of pure caffeine, only multiple times stronger. ¡°So,¡± he started speaking again. ¡°Surgery all went well. Limbs took to you like they were made for you and the subdermal is settling in well. I¡¯d advise you not to do anything too strenuous for the next week or so. Let me run you through a few tests though, just to make sure you¡¯re functioning properly.¡± He paused again before continuing.
¡°I did try and run a full body scan, just to make sure everything had settled in correctly but it seems my machine¡¯s malfunctioning at the moment. It¡¯ll take me a little while to get a new one, so I want you to let me know if anything happens before then. If something comes up, I¡¯ll do a proper scan. Sound good?¡± She nodded.
Sophie let him run her through a series of tests and by the end of it, he was looking at her strangely. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anyone take so well to such a large amount of new chrome. You¡¯re showing no signs of cyberpsychosis, which is great. Just remember to give me a call if you start feeling anything unusual, especially around your new cyberware. Go home and get some rest now.¡±
Sophie thanked him profusely. She appreciated all of the care he gave her and decided she would do her best to get him some more clients as an appreciation gift. As she headed out the door, he called after her, ¡°Oh! I¡¯m gonna send Misty around tomorrow. Spend the day with her, take a break from all the chaos you seem to love throwing yourself into.¡± She nodded and said her goodbyes, slowly riding back to her apartment. She would take the time off like Vik said, then she¡¯d finish her business.
13 - Markswoman
The following morning, Sophie was running through some exercises that Vik had given her. Even though he was pretty confident she wouldn¡¯t run into any cyberpsychosis issues, he was still worried. Thus she was following his directions. Admittedly, she quite enjoyed them, even if she didn¡¯t think they would actually do anything. She¡¯d asked her system about the risk she would go cyberpsycho and the answer was quite positive.
Your risk of cyberpsychosis is dependent on both body compatibility and willpower. The better your implants suit you, the less likely you are to succumb to related mental issues. Likewise, an increase in willpower will ensure you don¡¯t face any mental problems.
Sophie was quite happy with that, especially after she had received the Iron Resolve trait. Apparently it could be upgraded further through facing challenges and persevering as well. Considering she had a challenge that would be arriving soon, Sophie figured she would need all the mental strength she could muster. After all, Misty was coming over to visit, something Vik, the sneaky old bastard, had organised.
Unfortunately, Sophie had avoided telling Misty about the accident that caused her to lose her original arm, then also the danger she had been in when she was grinding out her Gunner class. Her thoughts came to a crashing halt when the elevator sounded. The subsequent knock on the door brought her back to reality and she quietly padded over to it, cracking it slightly.
¡°Sophie? Can you let me in?¡±
¡°Hey, Misty! Uhh, why don''t we chat like this? I hear it¡¯s a real preem way to talk.¡± Misty pushed harder on the door.
¡°Sophie. Let me in. Vik told me to come over and spend some time with you. Have you done something stupid?¡± Although she could have closed the door, considering the strength of her adamantium arms, Sophie decided not to. Misty was one of her closest friends and it wouldn¡¯t do to push her away over something stupid like her injuries. She let the door open all the way, only to be greeted by a gasp.
¡°Sophie! What happened!?¡±
As the young girl explained and Misty berated her for her stupidity, Sophie only had one thought. Maybe I should have closed the door.
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Sophie felt like it took an eternity for Misty to stop fussing over her. The older girl was slightly mollified by the promise that she would spend the week resting but was still concerned. Eventually however, they moved on to lighter topics. Misty started telling her that she had run into an old friend chatting to Vik and that they were reconnecting. Sophie had a suspicion that it was someone she knew, but ultimately she decided not to go chasing him. Though she did tell Misty to introduce them if they were ever in the same area.
¡°So, what are you going to be doing after your week¡¯s break is over?¡±
¡°Ahh well, my Shion ran into a bit of trouble. It¡¯s all shot up and I¡¯m pretty sure Maelstrom is gonna be lookin¡¯ for it.¡±
¡°You¡You¡¯re such a trouble magnet. I can only worry how bad it will get once you¡¯re older. So? What are you going to do about your car?¡±
¡°I was thinking I¡¯d give it to Rita after I get a new one. I¡¯m planning a trip into the badlands to see if I can get my hands on a Wraith¡¯s car. Hopefully I¡¯ll be able to find a Quadra out there. Although, would you like my Shion? You¡¯ve never shown much interest in cars before, so I didn¡¯t think to ask you.¡±If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
¡°I¡¯ll pass, especially if it¡¯s got Maelstrom¡¯s attention. They won¡¯t risk antagonising the Mox but they¡¯d be willing to get rid of me.¡±
¡°Ah. Yea, I didn¡¯t think that through too well huh,¡± Sophie scratched her cheek. The rest of the day passed quickly, the two girls spending their time chatting and relaxing. After they had dinner, Misty left with promises to check in every day or so and although Sophie had fun, it was exhausting. Different to the exhaustion from massacring a small part of Maelstrom but exhausting nonetheless.
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A few days into Sophie¡¯s break, she was wandering away from Lizzie¡¯s, Rita beside her. The Mox bouncer was gushing over Sophie¡¯s new arms, a stark contrast from Misty¡¯s reaction. After hearing that Sophie was taking time off, Rita had decided to drag her back to her place. It was Sophie¡¯s first time there, and admittedly it wasn¡¯t quite as nice as her own apartment. When she had some excess cash, Sophie decided she¡¯d deposit some in Rita¡¯s account so that she could get a nicer place.
¡°Alright! Come on Soph, I¡¯ll show you how to make mud sculptures!¡± Rita was very passionate about her sculptures. It was something she had been doing for years and Sophie got to see a rare side of Rita where she was simply happy. Considering how much shit the woman dealt with everyday, it was nice to see her so free.
Sadly, Sophie was not good at sculpting. In fact, by the time she stopped trying, Rita¡¯s whole face was twitching as she looked at the mess her young friend had made.
¡°Well. I think it may be better to stick with what you¡¯re best at.¡± To prevent Sophie from continuing her muddy mess, Rita sat her in a chair and started making her own sculptures while the two girls chatted.
Rita mentioned that Maelstrom had been real quiet after Sophie¡¯s adventure, making her realise she may have gone a little overboard. It did, however, remind her to offer Rita the car.
¡°Hey Rita, my car is pretty hot right now and I¡¯m looking to get rid of it. But I¡¯d prefer not to scrap it or sell it. Any chance you¡¯d like it? With the connections the Mox have I¡¯m sure you¡¯d be able to modify it enough that Maelstrom would never know it was the same car that I used to flatline their chooms.¡±
Rita sat back and thought about it. ¡°It¡¯s not a bad idea and my rust bucket Supron is pretty junky. I¡¯ll check with Suzie later but I reckon it¡¯ll be fine. But if you get rid of it, what are you gonna use? You can¡¯t always use your bike after all.¡±
¡°Yea, I¡¯m looking to get my hands on a nicely modified Quadra. It shouldn¡¯t be too hard, just a little bit of danger.¡±
¡°Well, I¡¯m sure Night City¡¯s resident master thief will get her hands on it. I¡¯ve not seen anything stop you yet.¡± By the time they hashed out the details it was late. They went out for dinner together, then Rita headed off to Lizzie¡¯s for a night shift while Sophie went home.
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As her week of rest began to wind down, Sophie sat down and started dealing with her system business. The first thing she did was pick out her new class, Markswoman. Just like Master Thief was a direct upgrade from Thief, Markswoman was a direct upgrade from Gunner.
Class selected: Markswoman
Skills Unlocked: Rapid Reload, Shooting (Intermediate), Gun Combat (Intermediate), Gun Knowledge (Intermediate)
Quick Reload: Lvl.10 ¡ú Rapid Reload: Lvl.1
Rapid Reload: Lvl.1
Reload any gun significantly faster.
Shooting (Basic): Lvl.10 ¡ú Shooting (Intermediate): Lvl.1
Shooting (Intermediate): Lvl.1
Grants intermediate knowledge of Shooting.
Gun Combat (Basic): Lvl.10 ¡ú Gun Combat (Intermediate): Lvl.1
Gun Combat (Intermediate): Lvl.1
Grants intermediate knowledge of Gun Combat.
Gun Knowledge (Basic): Lvl.10 ¡ú Gun Knowledge (Intermediate): Lvl.1
Gun Knowledge (Intermediate): Lvl.1
Grants intermediate knowledge of Guns.
New knowledge flowed through her mind, building on her previous foundations. Admittedly, it was a feeling that Sophie was beginning to enjoy. Once she had finished digesting the large amount of new information, she opened up her full status page.
Name: Sophie Mortimer
Age: 10
Class: Markswoman - Lvl.1
Profession: Mechanic - Lvl.88
Traits
Ghost, Thief¡¯s Instinct, Ambidextrous, Iron Resolve, Recoil Reduction
Class Skills
Sleight of Hand: Lvl.10, Parkour (Intermediate): Lvl.10, Stealth (Intermediate): Lvl.10, Thievery (Intermediate): Lvl.10, Rapid Reload: Lvl.1, Shooting (Intermediate): Lvl.1, Gun Combat (Intermediate): Lvl.1, Gun Knowledge (Intermediate) Lvl.1
Profession Skills
Problem Solver: Lvl.44, Mechanics (Basic): Lvl.44
Cyberware
Chronos Sandevistan: Available (1 short use (5 seconds) per 3.5 weeks. Further body modifications will increase limit) (God)
Kiroshi Mk.1 Optics (Common)
Raven¡¯s Claw Cyberarms (Legendary)
Full Body Subdermal Armour (Epic)
Soulbound Weapons
Talons (Mythic)
Store: Available
Inventory: 5m x 5m x 5m
M-Coins: 25,500
Sophie loved that she could track her progress so clearly. She was very satisfied that the cooldown for her Chronos Sandevistan had shortened due to her new chrome. It may have been a bit rough but the last couple of weeks had massively improved the young girl¡¯s power.
Hmm, I think I¡¯m gonna steal a car tomorrow. That shall be my reward for being on my best behaviour the past week.
14 - Desert Ambushes
Sophie was speeding along the highway outside of Night City, heading into the Badlands for the first time. She had avoided the place out of consideration for how horrible she suspected the sand would be. She didn¡¯t have any particular place in mind, she was just on the hunt for a small group of Raffen Shiv.
There hadn¡¯t been any luck with getting intel from the Mox and her research suggested that Dakota Smith, the nomad fixer V meets in 2077, was only just beginning to establish herself. Thus it was up to Sophie to locate her targets.
It was hours of aimless driving before Sophie finally found a possible target. She pulled up in the shadow of a rocky outcrop, hiding her car with a sand coloured tarp. Clothes of similar colouring adorned her body. She wanted to perform a clean operation which meant she had spent hours deciding what to bring with her.
Sophie stalked towards the location she wanted to attack and began to scope it out. Arrayed in a loose semi-circle, a small fleet of six cars had stopped, their occupants setting up camp. A brief scan of the vehicles showed none were the type she wanted. Still, she might be able to find data on other groups if she attacked this one. Or maybe they would come to her.
New Mission
Assault the wraith camp. Leave no survivors.
Difficulty: Medium
Rewards: 2500 M-Coins
She ignored the quest. The rewards weren¡¯t anything special and she planned to eliminate them all anyway.
Sophie found an elevated position that looked directly onto the Wraith encampment. She pulled out a Nekomata, one of the many weapons she had stolen, and settled in. She counted 12 Raffen, all of them armed. One of them even had an HMG resting nearby. Looking at him closer, she could tell he had quite a large amount of chrome typically used in construction. It was likely this that allowed him to wield the HMG. He would be the first target.
The second priority targets would be the enemy snipers. If she allowed, they would be able to suppress her while the remainder assaulted her position with their own weapons. She confirmed that none of the other Raffen seemed too important so Sophie settled in for a long wait. She needed the best opportunity she could get if she wanted to perform well.
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It was a few hours later, after night had fallen, that Sophie found the perfect moment. The HMG wielder was roasting something in the fire they had built and one of the snipers was on the other side of the camp.
Sophie lined up her scope, the crosshair coming to rest directly on the HMG wielder¡¯s head. She squeezed the trigger, holding it as she let the Nekomata charge to the limit. With a crack, the silence of the night was shattered as a metal spike pierced directly through a Raffen¡¯s skull, splashing blood across the ground. The Wraith¡¯s, obviously not expecting an attack, took a moment to react. A moment was all Sophie needed as another shot pierced through the closest sniper.
As the second man fell, the camp descended further into chaos, each person scrambling to grab any weapon they could find. Sophie spotted the third sniper arrive, scanning the area for the girl¡¯s position. He spotted her moments before a metal spike arrived, tearing through his throat before he could warn his comrades. The fourth and final shot from the railgun sniper Sophie held dropped a fourth foe. While Sophie could have reloaded and continued to rain death on them from afar, she saw her current situation as the perfect situation to properly test her soulbound weapons.
The Nekomata disappeared into her inventory as she rose and sprinted towards the Wraith camp. In her hands, her Talons appeared. She ducked behind a tent, all of her targets searching the horizon for her. Footsteps appeared to her right and a man turned the corner, staring directly into the barrel of a gun. His eye disappeared silently, Sophie catching his body before he could make a sound.
The girl dove out from behind the tent, firing another two bullets before rolling behind a car. Shouts from the remaining five entered her ears, giving Sophie their locations. She peaked out from behind the car, guns raised. All of her targets were in the same area, which made Sophie¡¯s job very easy. Five bullets later, five blossoms of blood painted the ground red as the bodies fell. Still, the girl didn¡¯t relax. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.
She may have stalked the camp for hours but there was a small chance she had missed someone or something. However, a thorough search of the camp suggested that she hadn¡¯t. Once she confirmed it was safe, the thief set about the rather grisly task of looting both the camp and the corpses. The only valuables she managed to find however, was the HMG, spare weapons and some communications data. She stored it all away, then checked the battlefield.
She was incredibly satisfied with the performance of her akimbo pistols. Sophie found no bullet remains from the pistols, meaning the special bullets had not, in fact, been damaged and instead they had ended up back in their respective magazines. She also hadn¡¯t had any trouble firing them, her Adamantium arms and Recoil Reduction trait allowing her to deal with the intense recoil.
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With that camp being a bust, Sophie started searching for one of the camps listed in the communication data. She managed to find them in the middle of the night. Just like before, the young girl found a vantage point to observe the group from. However, she almost got caught immediately due to a sniper, perched atop the same rock she was scaling. In fact, the only reason she didn¡¯t get caught was by using Ghost, an ability Sophie had been desperately trying not to rely on.
The Wraith, after seeing nothing was wrong, turned away. Sophie quietly breathed a sigh of relief before creeping up behind him. Her left hand wrapped around his face, grabbing the right side of his jaw while her right hand grabbed the back left side of his head. She twisted, snapping the man¡¯s neck in a way very similar to V in Cyberpunk 2077. However, she could feel how sloppy the execution was when she compared it to her other skills.
In fact, she was sure the only reason she managed to execute the manoeuvre was because, despite having no additional features, the sheer strength of the Adamantium in her arms rendered the Wraith completely unable to resist. However, regardless of her musings, Sophie was on a mission. She cleared her head, then took up position, scanning the camp.
She took note of the significant increase in enemy number. There were more than twice as many Raffen in this camp than the one Sophie had hit earlier. However, she was able to spot her prize. Amongst the many cars in the Wraith¡¯s possession was a modified Type-66 Quadra, the exact car Sophie was hunting for. The Raffen Shiv decal was admittedly quite ugly, but she could always get it painted. There was only one problem. She had no idea who the car belonged to which meant she either had to identify the owner or she could battle and flatline everyone in the camp. Obviously she chose the latter. She needed to take every opportunity to level up her skills after all.
With over half of the camp asleep, Sophie took her time devising a plan. She found four priority targets, just like she did with her previous attack, then found a more suitable position to infiltrate the camp during the chaos her opening salvo would cause. She opened fire with her Nekomata, rapidly blasting sizable holes in four Raffen. As expected, the group was immediately kicked into a frenzy like a nest of angry hornets.
By the time everyone in the camp had woken up and grabbed their weapons, Sophie was already upon them. Her soulbound pistols fired, entirely silent apart from the thud each body made when it hit the ground. The silent deaths of their friends clearly sent the remainder into a frenzy but Sophie didn¡¯t stop. One of her Talons had built up sufficient energy from previous shots to start doing incredible damage. She pulled the trigger at a small group of Raffen that had just arrived. Instantly, three of them fell to the ground. Well, their heads and legs did. Their torsos had been completely obliterated by the bullet.
Sophie grinned, then turned her guns on her next opponents. She continued firing, a fact her enemies could only despair at. However, she was forced to stop when a hail of bullets erupted from her right. Obviously she had missed the man now wielding a HMG when she¡¯d scouted the camp. Bullets slammed into her, yet they didn¡¯t do anywhere near enough damage to put her down. Her new subdermal armour had protected Sophie from most of the damage, though she still had a few new holes across her body.
She raised her second Talon, the gun faintly humming with barely restrained energy. Like his friends before him, the HMG user dropped to the ground in a pile of limbs and blood. At that point, Sophie decided it was time to leave. While she could have left, if any stray bullets found their way into the holes left by the HMG rounds she might find herself in deep water.
The girl raced to the Quadra, the vehicle she had started this fight for. Inside, a man had just turned the engine on. Well, this makes things easier. She ripped open the door and pulled the man out of the car by his collar. At the same time, her deft fingers grabbed the key chip from his neck, courtesy of her thief skills. Sophie shot him, then jumped in the car. If they were smart, they¡¯d let her leave. Obviously, these people were not smart. As her freshly stolen Quadra roared and sped off, the remainder of the camp quickly followed in their own cars.
The sound of gunfire plinking against the side of the car, not even making a dent, made Sophie smile. She set the vehicle to autopilot, then opened the window and stuck her body out. Her pistols created beautiful art across the desert. Raffen cars exploded, Wraith¡¯s died and within a minute all of her pursuers had been turned into broken corpses, strewn across the bleak landscape of the badlands. Sophie thought for a moment, then turned back and returned to the camp. She might as well loot it after all.
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After returning to her apartment in Night City, Sophie set out at midday the next day, Rita in the passenger seat of her new Quadra. They were going to pick up the young thief¡¯s Shion, abandoned after Sophie took her new semi-bulletproof monster home.
The girl was slightly nervous driving through NC in the Quadra. It wasn¡¯t too bad the previous night, mostly because it was dark and people couldn¡¯t see the Wraith decal all over the vehicle. However, driving around looking like a Wraith during the day? That earned her many suspicious looks from the locals, whether they were gangers or not. In fact, she was pretty sure an NCPD patrol car had been following her until she left the city. Definitely got to get this baby painted before it gets me in trouble.
Rita was gobsmacked when they passed the trail of broken vehicles and bodies. ¡°Fuck me. Since when was little Sophie so scary?¡± The Mox bouncer¡¯s words were almost too quiet for Sophie to hear. She didn¡¯t mind though, instead smiling happily to herself. They grabbed the Shion, with Rita driving it back to NC. They parted ways and Rita looked like she had gotten over her shock, seemingly happy that the previously weak little thief had finally grown some fangs.
15 - New Car and Maxed Mechanic
Sophie stood in her garage, staring at the Type-66 Quadra. Truthfully, she hadn¡¯t really spent much time examining it. Now that she was, Sophie was baffled by the behaviour of the Wraiths. Considering they were very similar to nomads, their cars being incredibly important to them, the previous owner of the Quadra that Sophie had flatlined was terrible at maintaining the car.
The entire thing was caked up and buried under layers of sand and grime. She didn¡¯t even want to think about the ugly Wraith graffiti scrawled across its panels. Surely fixing this baby up will be enough to finish off my Mechanic Profession.
Sophie started by stripping the car down to its bare frame. The hood, doors, and even the fenders were removed and set aside, revealing an interior that Sophie was hesitant to go near. Sand had infiltrated every crevice, from the suspension joints to the engine block. Just from the outside, she was concerned moving the engine would do more damage than keeping it in. Still, she couldn¡¯t let that stop her.
It took nearly an hour to carefully drain fluids and disconnect hoses, removing the engine piece by piece. The tangled mess of wires and tubing had Sophie realise the previous owner was definitely not a good mechanic.
¡°What the fuck have they done to this poor car,¡± Sophie muttered, pulling out a hose that had been poorly sealed, likely causing leaks. She marked it for replacement, a list that was already immensely long. She¡¯d be spending quite a large chunk of her savings to get her hands on good parts. She wasn¡¯t wealthy enough yet to be spending M-Coins on car parts so she had to settle for Cyberpunk tech.
Once the engine was fully disassembled, she discovered warped pistons and a cracked manifold. Following that, she moved to the suspension. The shocks were completely blown, and the springs were misaligned from incredibly rough driving. To be more precise, the rough driving of someone that should not be behind the wheel.
With the chassis exposed, Sophie could see a place that finally seemed untouched by the old owners. However, it seemed that some bolts were missing in key structural areas, and the frame itself had stress fractures from repeated impacts. It was likely the latter resulting in the former.
Once the core parts of the car had been torn apart, Sophie attacked the interior. The seats were stripped, revealing a foul smell that nearly made her vomit. She tossed the old upholstery into the garbage. The dashboard was next and Sophie was also forced to throw the entire thing out.
Before leaving to go shopping, Sophie gave all of the parts she kept a deep clean. She peeled off layers of gritty sand, then scrubbed every part by hand to ensure no dirt remained. She was then faced with a different challenge. As the grime disappeared, the full extent of the Wraith paint job was revealed; ugly red and blue streaks along with skulls covered the entire car. She guessed it was meant to look intimidating. Sadly, it just looked goofy, like someone trying way too hard to look cool or edgy.
¡°Definitely not staying,¡± she said, making a note to grab painting supplies.
Her attention turned to the tires, which weren¡¯t in terrible condition. Still, Sophie would replace them all. She was already replacing pretty much everything in the car, doing the tires as well wouldn¡¯t hurt.
Finally, she stepped back and looked at the dismantled husk. Her shopping list was very long and she would need help collecting all of the parts. So she called Vik. They had chatted about cars before, so Sophie figured he wouldn¡¯t mind being there when she rebuilt her beautiful monster. Well, that and Misty wouldn¡¯t be interested while Rita was too busy showing off her new Shion to the Mox.
-----------------------
The shopping took the better part of the next day, with Vik helping Sophie unload all of the parts during the late afternoon. As expected, the young thief was terribly low on funds, both M-Coins and Eddies. However, it would all be worth it in the end.
Vik stayed for a while, watching and helping but ended up being called back to his clinic for an emergency surgery. He left while extracting a promise for her to bring the car around once it was finished. Sophie worked overtime that night, replacing every part of the engine and ensuring it was up to scratch. She took a brief nap, then got straight back to it.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
After she had all of the internals rebuilt, she started putting the internals of the car back in. New, high quality seats were put in, made from special, fancy foam and syn-leather. A new dashboard was put in, a more recent Quadra model she¡¯d managed to grab for a good price at a shadier store. She ended up spending a small fortune on a set of military grade tires, the kind that were used in convoys. They were almost entirely bulletproof, something she did indeed test before she bought them. That had given the seller quite a shock. Even better, they could traverse any environment she could think of.
Eventually, she had most of the car put back together. The only thing left were the externals. First and foremost, Sophie wanted the car to protect her. It didn''t need to have crazy offensive power, but she wanted it to have defence like a tank, or close enough. She stuck very special, lightweight ballistic panels, designed for cars, on the inner layer of the externals. On the outside, the original external panels were actually some of the best that could be bought. Nothing short of a sniper round would puncture them and hopefully the new internal defences would stop anything that did get through.
Finally, the paint job. It was actually the thing that took Sophie the longest. She simply couldn¡¯t decide what she wanted to do with it. It would be black and silver, just like Talons, but she wasn¡¯t sure what kind of design she wanted. After spending nearly an hour debating, she threw black on the whole car, with silver highlights around each edge. After nearly two entire days of work, she had completely changed nearly everything in the original. In fact, the only thing she didn¡¯t touch was the crystal dome tech that made her windows bullet proof and gave excellent visuals of her surroundings.
She ran her hand along the hood, feeling the cool, smooth surface. Sophie loved it. It was beautiful and it was hers. Of course, she needed a name for it. Thus, the Raven came into existence.
All she had left before she could go and sleep was to test the engine. She slipped into the driver¡¯s seat, loving the comfortable feel of the interior. Trusting her own knowledge and skill as a mechanic, she activated the car. The engine purred, a deep, rumbling sound that was unlike anything Sophie had ever heard. And just like the rest of the car, Sophie loved it. Her Raven was perfect.
And it was time for bed. She was tired.
-----------------------
Sophie blinked the sleep out of her eyes as she gradually woke up.
After her intense frenzy, completely rebuilding her Raven, she was still exhausted. Then Sophie remembered her system messages.
Mechanic has reached level 100!
Profession: Mechanic has reached maximum level.
Mechanic Trait: Structural Intuition has been unlocked
New Profession available!
Sophie pulled up the trait description.
Trait: Structural Intuition - You can identify structural weaknesses and failures upon examination.
It was a fantastic ability, especially when Sophie decided to get more into the RnD side of things to develop her own equipment. Finally finishing Mechanic also had the added bonus of unlocking her next profession. Originally she had planned to pick up Engineer, however the development of the Raven made her think twice. Locking in her choice, she received more messages and an influx of knowledge.
Profession selected: Driver
Skills Unlocked: Driving (Basic), Vehicle Combat (Basic)
Driving (Basic): Lvl.1
Provides basic knowledge of Driving.
Vehicle Combat (Basic): Lvl.1
Provides basic knowledge of Vehicle Combat.
Suddenly feeling energetic, Sophie jumped out of bed, keen to go show off the Raven to Vik. She¡¯d promised after all.
-----------------------
Pulling up outside Misty¡¯s Esoterica, Sophie flicked Vik a message, letting him know she was outside. Her Quadra was receiving quite a bit of attention from people, a fact that made the mechanic¡¯s chest puff up with pride. After a few minutes of waiting, Vik and Misty both came out. The Ripperdoc whistled, staring at the car in clear appreciation. Misty on the other hand came over to fuss, checking her smaller friend over for any injuries.
¡°I¡¯m fine Misty, I swear! Vik¡¯s already checked me over the other day!¡± Indeed, the doctor had been greatly dismayed when he found her with bullet wounds, even through her new subdermal and had forced her into surgery to get fixed up. She had made a point though, that it could have been much worse if not for the subdermal armour she¡¯d gotten installed along with her arms. That had mollified some of his grumbling, though not all of it.
¡°You¡¯ve done a fantastic job here Soph. Looks far better than the first time you showed me it.¡±
¡°Haha, thanks Vik.¡± She blushed slightly from the praise. They spoke a bit more but before Sophie could leave, Vik spoke.
¡°By the way, I¡¯ve just gotten my hands on some new Kiroshi Optics. Are you interested? They¡¯re brand new, recently released so I¡¯ll give you a friend''s price of 10,000 Eddies.¡± Sophie stared daggers at the man.
¡°You know I have no money you bastard. Come on, cough it up. You¡¯ve got a job for me right? If I do it, you¡¯ll give me the eyes?¡±
¡°Well, I¡¯ve gotten news of a covert corporate transport. Supposedly it¡¯s transporting a heap of high end cyberware out to a military base in the desert. If you could hit it and grab as much of that chrome as possible, I¡¯d be able to put it to good use. And of course, I¡¯ll pay well.¡± He seemed a little embarrassed he was asking for help, but Sophie was willing to consider it, she just needed a few more details.. Who knows, she might grab something that she could use.
¡°How big is the transport?¡±
¡°My source says it¡¯s only a single truck. With your new car and chrome, I figured that shouldn¡¯t be too much of an issue, right?¡±
¡°Should be easy, yeah. Send me the detes and I¡¯ll get to it.¡±
New Mission
Assault the Militech convoy and obtain the cyberware for Vik.
Difficulty: Medium
Rewards: 2500 M-Coins, 1 Driver level, 1 Markswoman level
Well, it¡¯s a good reward I guess.
16 - Transport Assault
The Militech convoy rumbled along the dusty expanse of the Badlands. A line of Militech Behemoths were escorted by circling combat drones and multiple escort vehicles, each sporting mounted turrets. Inside one of the vehicles sat a group of soldiers, bearing some of the best gear Militech¡¯s regular troops could be equipped with. Their chatter was barely audible over the thundering engines. Despite being alert, they were fairly relaxed and confident. None of them believed a group would be foolish enough to assault such a heavily armed convoy. To some degree, they were correct. No group would dare attack them. Unfortunately for them, a young thief hadn¡¯t gotten the memo.
Sophie lay flat atop a ridge overlooking the road. Her Nekomata was aimed at the leading escort vehicle. Her car, the Raven, waited nearby. This would be the first opportunity for it to show its worth. She had studied the details Vik had on the convoy but was slightly confused as she observed her target. Did Vik give me the wrong info? There¡¯s way more security on this thing than the data he gave me suggested. But¡ I promised him I''d do it, so I will.
She had to act quickly however, before her opportunity slipped away. Eventually, she decided that she had to cause chaos amongst their ranks if she wanted to succeed. It would have to be a quick operation, no more than ten minutes. That¡¯s how long the thief suspected it would take before support showed up. If she couldn¡¯t take all of her targets down within that time, she would have to retreat to avoid Militech reinforcements.
Inside the leading car, one of the soldiers was casually chatting to the driver. A crack rang out and the driver¡¯s head turned into a red mist. The vehicle swerved violently, slamming into the convoy¡¯s lead truck before exploding.
The guards didn¡¯t have time to react as Sophie had already leapt into her Raven, flooring the accelerator. The car roared to life, erupting onto the road with a sinister growl. Her hands tightened on the wheel as she raced towards her targets.
The rear escort vehicle spun to block her path, its turret winding up as it tracked her. A hail of bullets rained down, but the Quadra¡¯s reinforced armour held up. For a brief moment, there was a slight worry that the crystal dome tech wouldn¡¯t hold up. When it did however, Sophie grinned, proud of her handiwork.
Utilising her new driving skills, she manoeuvred the car into a controlled drift, dodging the worst of the incoming turret fire. From her seat, she opened the door and fired multiple rounds from one of her Talons. The bullets, each more powerful than the last, tore through the rear escort¡¯s tires and engine, leaving it to explode into a flaming wreck that swerved off the road.
The drones swarmed her as she returned to her pursuit. They were fairly small machines but each had multiple small-calibre machine guns and a basic rocket system. Their bullets pinged against the Raven¡¯s armoured external plating. Sophie ignored them, seeing as they weren¡¯t doing any damage. The occasional rocket they fired was easily dodged as well. It seemed drone technology hadn¡¯t yet reached the same level as it did in the game.
As she caught up to the main transport trucks, Sophie leaned out the driver¡¯s side door, trusting the autopilot to keep her hands steady despite the chaos. Her Talons fired in unison. One guard slumped over the side of a truck, his rifle clattering to the ground. Another fell as her bullets punched through the woman¡¯s helmet. She had to duck back into the car to avoid a hail of bullets directed at her face.
Sparks flew as rounds impacted off the car¡¯s reinforced exterior. Sophie swerved erratically, narrowly avoiding a rocket from one of the drones. The explosive missed her Quadra, instead continuing directly into the back of the transport truck. The rear of the truck was instantly torn apart, as were the enemies that had been firing at her.
One of the transport trucks veered off course, trying to escape the chaos the crazy girl had caused. Sophie gave chase. She pushed the Raven harder, its tires quickly chewing up the distance. As she got closer, the truck¡¯s rear doors flew open. From within, a turret emerged, spitting bullets in her direction.
Switching tactics, Sophie slammed on the brakes and slid her Raven sideways. The truck continued to create distance, but it wouldn¡¯t matter. She grabbed her Nekomata and rested it out the window. She lined up her next shot. The tech sniper buzzed as it charged. When she pulled the trigger, the round pierced the turret, causing it to detonate. The shrapnel instantly shredded the back of the truck.
With the rear turret destroyed, she picked up speed and rapidly closed the distance. She clipped the back of the behemoth using a pit manoeuvre. The impact sent the vehicle into a violent spiral and Sophie seized the opportunity. Trusting her autopilot, she climbed out of the Raven and then on top of the vehicle. She sprinted across the roof of her moving car, and leaped into the back of the truck.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
The guard on inside barely had time to react before Sophie¡¯s barrel was slammed into his face, a bullet sending his corpse tumbling onto the road below. She slipped through an opening, landing in a crouch amidst crates and a group of stunned soldiers.
Two of them raised their weapons, beginning to fire. A few bullets buried themselves in her while some sparked off her shiny chrome arms. However, while she was attacked, the young girl retaliated. Her Talons fired again, dropping both guards to the floor with holes in their chests. The bulletproof vests they wore didn¡¯t suffice to stop her pistols. A swift kick to the balls crippled the resistance of her last enemy before a bullet to the head ended his life.
She found the truck¡¯s driver, a panicked soldier struggling to keep the vehicle steady. Sophie aimed one pistol at his head and fired, flinching slightly when blood splattered across the interior. The thief watched the surroundings of the transport truck before making her way back to the Raven.
The last remaining transport truck tried to make a break for it, clearly aware that it would find no more success than its friends if it stayed. Sophie peppered the back of the truck with bullets but they did little.
When she got close enough, Sophie rammed the transport truck at an angle. The driver overcompensated and was unprepared for the second collision. The Behemoth was sent crashing into a nearby boulder, the front of the transport crumpling. All of the surviving guards spilled out, disoriented from the crash. They impressed the thief though, as they gathered themselves quickly. Weapons, whether they were guns or knives, were drawn in preparation.
Sophie slipped out of her Raven, pistols drawn. She hunkered down behind the car when bullets were fired. Her enemies tried to advance on her position. A quick shot crippled one of them, blowing out his knee. One of the soldiers, wielding a Militech Crusher shotgun, burst around, staring directly at the young girl. Sophie activated Chronos. If she didn¡¯t, that shotgun would have ended her. It was going so smoothly up until now too. Well trained bastards. Rising from her position, the girl executed a fierce counterattack.
With time briefly frozen, she advanced with methodical precision, executing each guard with a single bullet to the head. Sophie¡¯s gaze barely wavered, a benefit of the Iron Resolve trait. Still, it wasn¡¯t something she particularly enjoyed. Time snapped back to normal, the sounds of bodies thumping onto the sandy ground while the girl winced at the intense pain radiating across her body. However, there was more to do, so she pushed past the burning sensations as much as possible.
With the convoy¡¯s guards neutralised, Sophie got to work. She searched the trucks thoroughly, finding crates of weapons and of course, the cyberware that Vik had asked her to steal. She stuffed as much into her inventory as possible, then piled the remainder into her Quadra.
By the time she was finished, the sun had begun to set. Her final task was to erase the evidence. Bodies were piled into the intact vehicles before their fuel tanks were set on fire. A series of beautiful explosions erupted behind Sophie as she drove away, intent on delivering her cargo to Vik. She wanted to go home and clean out all the sand from her body. It felt as though the grains had managed to wedge themselves in every crevice.
-----------------------
The next day, Sophie arrived to get her new eyes installed. She¡¯d dropped off the cargo on her way home and Vik had scheduled her surgery for the next day. The thief was quite excited as she entered the clinic. Her basic Kiroshi¡¯s had served her very well over the years, so an upgrade was very welcome. She also had some other minor surgeries she planned to ask him for.
¡°Hey! If it isn¡¯t my favourite little merc!¡± Vik saw her and immediately gave her a hug. ¡°You know, those implants are gonna make a really big difference. People will be able to get some good quality chrome because of you. But enough of that, you¡¯re here for the new eyes, right?¡±
¡°I¡¯m glad I can help Vik. And yes, I¡¯d like the new eyes thanks. I¡¯ve also got a few other things I¡¯d like you to do.¡±
¡°Oh? As long as it isn¡¯t too big, I¡¯ll throw it in for free.¡±
With that, Sophie explained her grand makeover, a plan she had been developing for well over a year.
-----------------------
Sophie checked herself out in the mirror, immensely happy with Vik¡¯s work. Her new Kiroshi Mk.3 Optics shined a bloody red colour. Her skin¡¯s paleness had been slightly increased, though it was somewhat difficult to tell considering she was already rather pale. She opened her mouth and pulled at her lips. Two of her teeth were now similar to that of a vampire, sharp and somewhat sinister looking. Her hair was a mix of black and silver, a colour palette Sophie had decided she would claim as her own. After all, her car and dual pistols carried that colour, why not her hair too.
As Sophie stared at herself, she had to admit that she was very beautiful. I really hope I don¡¯t turn into a narcissist. She cupped her chest. Well, she tried. There was still nothing there, but Sophie hadn¡¯t yet gone through puberty. That was likely to be when her breasts started to grow. Overall, she was extremely happy with her current looks.
She checked her status, noting with satisfaction the small increases to her abilities.
Name: Sophie Mortimer
Age: 10
Class: Markswoman - Lvl.3
Profession: Driver - Lvl.5
Traits
Ghost, Thief¡¯s Instinct, Ambidextrous, Iron Resolve, Recoil Reduction, Structural Intuition
Class Skills
Sleight of Hand: Lvl.10, Parkour (Intermediate): Lvl.10, Stealth (Intermediate): Lvl.10, Thievery (Intermediate): Lvl.10, Rapid Reload: Lvl.1, Shooting (Intermediate): Lvl.1, Gun Combat (Intermediate): Lvl.1, Gun Knowledge (Intermediate) Lvl.1
Profession Skills
Problem Solver: Lvl.50, Mechanics (Basic): Lvl.50, Driving (Basic): Lvl.2, Vehicle Combat (Basic): Lvl.3
Cyberware
Chronos Sandevistan: Available (1 short use (5 seconds) per 3.5 weeks. Further body modifications will increase limit) (God)
Kiroshi Mk.3 Optics (Rare)
Raven¡¯s Claw Cyberarms (Legendary)
Full Body Subdermal Armour (Epic)
Soulbound Weapons
Talons (Mythic)
Store: Available
Inventory: 5m x 5m x 5m
M-Coins: 30,500
17 - Arrival of the Colonel
Time passed and 2069 came to an end. The Unification War continued to intensify and Sophie decided to take advantage of the brief time period before Kurt Hansen¡¯s arrival. Thus, the young mercenary was travelling through the nearly abandoned area of Pacifica that would soon become home to Barghest.
It was completely lawless, even more so than the rest of Pacifica and was perfect for Sophie¡¯s current needs. She was using the various criminal groups in the area as targets for her Markswoman class, which she was fairly close to finishing.
She was stalking a group of human traffickers, wanting to find their base of operations. It would be her third similar group in the last couple of days. After nearly an hour, her targets returned to their base.
It was a long abandoned storefront and if not for the fact she followed them there, she would never have believed a trafficking organisation had set up shop there.
Impatient after the long wait, Sophie burst straight in, catching them with their pants down. Quite literally in one case. Her DB-2 Satara shotgun discharged, the thunderous noise deafening those in the building. Two traffickers fell in a spray of blood. She turned to the door on her left and fired preemptively. Another fell, chest riddled with holes. She dropped the shotgun back into her inventory, pulling a Nue out. The pistol dropped another criminal. The area quietened, only the faint sounds of nervous breathing telling Sophie there were still people to take care of.
Shattering the quiet, a man burst through the walls, instantly catching sight of Sophie. He charged and flicked his arms out, revealing a pair of mantis blades. They swung at her neck, intent on removing her skull.
¡°Die bitch!¡± He screamed. Then he screamed some more. The blades broke on her Adamantium arms and her hand closed around the fool¡¯s neck.
¡°Go to hell!¡± Her words were accompanied by multiple shots from her Nue, all pumped directly into the man¡¯s chest. He collapsed to the ground, coughing blood. She hunted down a few stragglers, those that had hidden away in the hopes their boss would save them. Unfortunately, their boss had choked to death on his own blood.
She searched the base, hoping to find any leads on other criminal groups in the area that she could target. As she left the base, she checked her system notifications from her past couple of days hunting down scavengers and other scum.
Markswoman has reached level 94!
¡
Markswoman has reached level 96!
¡
Markswoman has reached level 98!
She was very close to finishing it. In fact, it would likely be within the next couple of days. The thought brought a smile to her face. She checked the time and decided there was enough to go on a final hunt. Maybe it would even earn her an extra level.
She set off in the direction of the Black Sapphire hotel, the place that would eventually become the HQ of Barghest. It was a massive hotel, easily of a similar size to the ones in the centre of Night City. Sadly, it had been abandoned and was now occupied by various groups, all of whom ran a number of disgusting businesses.
Overhead, a number of loud noises reached Sophie¡¯s ears however she didn¡¯t think much of it. After all, there was constant air traffic in and around Night City. It was probably some high ranking corpo arriving with their retinue or something. However, when the sound didn¡¯t stop and in fact became more intense, Sophie looked up. Filling the airspace around her current location was a massive fleet of AV¡¯s. An estimate suggested there were at least 200 of them and Sophie quickly spotted the Militech logo on them. The blood rushed out of her face.
Militech, one of the only groups in the world capable of dispatching so many aerial craft, had done so during the Unification War. The fact they had arrived in Night City confirmed Sophie¡¯s thoughts.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
¡°Motherfucker! I didn¡¯t think Hansen would show up for a few more weeks at least!¡± The young girl ran. She had to get out of the area before it devolved into a combat zone. The locals wouldn¡¯t let go of their criminal stronghold so easily. Even as she had those thoughts, the AV''s began blaring an alert.
"All civilians! Vacate the area immediately! You have 15 minutes! Anyone that remains in the area will be treated as hostiles!" The message played on repeat, the AV''s hovering in the sky ominously.
"15!? That''s nowhere near enough time!"
-----------------------
She didn¡¯t make it. Hansen¡¯s troops dropped in and secured a basic perimeter far before Sophie could even get close to escaping. Already the merc could hear gunfire as the elite unit began cleaning out the area. Before she could spiral into a panic, her mind lit up. Her current skills were very good. Against regular people and gangers she could even be considered a master. But her abilities didn¡¯t reach the level of Hansen¡¯s soldiers. So, she would have to reach that level.
She made her way to the nearest gun fight she could hear, quickly finding a vantage point within a half built apartment complex. Below her, a group of Barghest soldiers rained bullets upon a group of scavengers. Admittedly, the locals of Night City¡¯s underbelly put up a fierce fight, not through skill but sheer determination. Although, Sophie did catch a few running away with their tails tucked between their legs.
Metal spikes pierced through their backs courtesy of Sophie¡¯s Nekomata though it went unnoticed by all except the Barghest troops. They likely thought it was one of theirs. Quickly, she turned her attention back to the chaos below. She trained her sights on Hansen¡¯s troops, specifically those closer to the back of the squad.
She only managed to take out two of the twenty man squad before they realised they were being targeted. Half of the Militech troops smoothly broke away from the battle, beginning to hunt for the elusive sniper in the abandoned building.
Sophie didn¡¯t give them a chance. Activating Ghost for the first time in a long time, the girl attacked. She didn¡¯t hold back either, using her Talons to get the job done as swiftly as possible.
Ambush tactics ended up working surprisingly well. However, even though they weren¡¯t able to see her and she was ambushing them, they were still a pain to take down. They could clearly figure out her general position every time she fired simply based on the way their teammate collapsed. Sadly, that wasn¡¯t enough to get rid of her. Invisibility to technology really is way too powerful in this world.
By the time she finished her battle, the gun fight between the Barghest troops and the locals was over. Only six of the original twenty remained, all of whom were cautiously approaching the building that had swallowed their comrades.
As they entered, they were greeted by two charged shots from Sophie¡¯s Talons, blasting through the high tech armour they wore with ease before punching through their bodies, even with the significant amount of chrome they possessed.
Markswoman has reached level 99!
The girl grinned and left the area, eager to hunt down anyone she could in order to progress her class.
-----------------------
¡°You¡¯re telling me two entire squads have vanished?¡±
¡°Yes sir. We¡¯ve had no contact from them for nearly five hours. We assume they have either been captured or eliminated. We are currently unsure who it may have been.¡±
¡°I see. Tell our men to be more careful. If there¡¯s a group lurking in the shadows hunting us we must be on guard against them. Also, increase the regularity at which the squads are checking in.¡± Colonel Kurt Hansen spoke to one of his aides who quickly ran off. He looked at the battlefield map from his makeshift command centre curiously, thoughts unknown.
-----------------------
While Hansen and his troops were feeling a deep sense of unease, the person responsible was groaning against a wall.
Markswoman has reached level 100!
Class: Markswoman has reached maximum level.
Markswoman Trait: Precision Shooting has been unlocked
New Class available!
She had received a new mission after finishing her class as well, one that concerned her deeply.
New Mission
You are trapped in the Night City combat zone as Colonel Kurt Hansen establishes a forward operating base. Escape before his troops find and capture you.
Difficulty: Hell
Rewards: Unknown
Sophie had never seen a ¡®hell¡¯ difficulty before. Clearly though, it meant her escape from the area would be incredibly difficult. She couldn¡¯t even spare the energy to worry over the unknown rewards.
Closer examination of the quest suggested however, that she simply needed to escape and avoid capture. With an available class, she quickly selected the evolution of Master Thief.
Class selected: Queen of Thieves
Skills Unlocked: Thief¡¯s Hand, Parkour (Advanced), Stealth (Advanced), Thievery (Advanced)
Sleight of Hand: Lvl.10 ¡ú Thief''s Hand: Lvl.1
Thief¡¯s Hand: Lvl.1
The Art of Stealing Things
Parkour (Intermediate): Lvl.10 ¡ú Parkour (Advanced): Lvl.1
Parkour (Advanced): Lvl.1
Grants advanced knowledge of Parkour.
Stealth (Intermediate): Lvl.10 ¡ú Stealth (Advanced): Lvl.1
Stealth (Advanced): Lvl.1
Grants advanced knowledge of Stealth.
Thievery (Intermediate): Lvl.10 ¡ú Thievery (Advanced): Lvl.1
Thievery (Advanced): Lvl.1
Grants advanced knowledge of Thievery.
The immense knowledge that came from the advanced skills had caused Sophie to groan out and collapse in pain. There was just so, so much. However, it was one skill in particular that the young thief desired. Her newly upgraded Stealth skill, now at the advanced level, would hopefully provide Sophie with the ability to escape her current predicament unharmed.
18 - Trapped
In Sophie¡¯s experience, a basic skill from the system put her on the same level as an experienced street kid. Obviously the skills she received were far more broad, covering multiple facets of a skill but the highest level still only reached a level anyone with time and dedication could reach.
An intermediate skill went a step further. From a street kid, the skill jumped to the skill level of a high ranking ganger or a lower level corporate soldier. Her knowledge was still far more complete, and it remained that way even into the advanced levels.
The advanced levels of skills, a height Sophie had only just reached, put her at the same level as a soldier entering the special forces. Sadly, the Barghest unit she was currently facing all sat comfortably at the higher levels of an advanced skill. If she had to estimate, pretty much every soldier she saw would have a variety of level 7 advanced skills. Even worse, they were equipped with some of the best cyberware and gear in the world.
Ghost may remove all visual traces of her presence from technology but it didn¡¯t hide her smell or her sounds. Even with her stealthy movements, some sound was still generated and the Barghest combat unit had a number of individuals that specialised in tracking.
Hence, Sophie was being put through the wringer, unable to stay in one spot for more than an hour. She had already tried to break out of the area but Hansen¡¯s forces had locked down the entirety of the area. Some of the locals still fought back but there was simply no stopping the highly trained soldiers.
She had returned to roaming the area after her failure to escape. However, it had already been two days since Barghest arrived and she was exhausted. Even worse was that communications had been jammed, meaning she wasn¡¯t able to get a signal out to her Raven. For now, her last hope remained in the abandoned EBM Petrochem Station. Sophie had to believe there was a way out through it, one that wasn¡¯t controlled by Hansen¡¯s men even though it was now crawling with Barghest soldiers.
-----------------------
Sophie slipped into a defunct elevator at the base of the stadium. Its doors had been jammed open and she used it to her advantage. Pulling a classic spy movie move, she opened the maintenance hatch at the top of the elevator with some difficulty. She was short after all. Once it was open, she clambered up into the maintenance shaft. Hauling herself up the thick metal cable was a struggle. The strain it put on her shoulders and back made Sophie decide she needed to replace parts of her skeleton. Her organic body was simply too weak.
She reached the top of the elevator shaft, finding the elevator doors at the top closed. In her current position, dangling off the cable by her legs, she simply couldn¡¯t get enough leverage to force the doors open. Punching them was also a bad idea. The noise would more than likely alert a patrol who would turn her into a sieve as soon as she got the door open. On the brink of despair, she spotted what might be her salvation.
A ventilation shaft sat against the opposite wall to the elevator doors. Sophie reached out with one of her cybernetic limbs, grabbing the cool metal grate. With a tug, it distorted, screws twisting out of their sockets. Another pull and it tore out of the wall with a horrible screech. The girl tossed it down the elevator shaft, inwardly cringing at how noisy she had been. Still, she had a possible path to escape now.
Twisting her body into the right position to enter the ventilation shaft took a few moments but eventually she got her upper body in. Thank god I¡¯m so small! Sophie may have had complaints about her size but it was these moments that made her love it. She dragged the rest of her body in, now firmly positioned in the small metal shaft.
She began to move but stopped quickly. Her bare cyberarms were clanging against the inside of the shaft. It wasn¡¯t a problem yet but if any patrols were nearby they would certainly find her. From her inventory she retrieved a few spare clothes and coiled them around her arms. Moving forward with her arms wrapped successfully muffled the sound, meaning she could continue her search for an escape route. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.
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Sophie was lost. Hopelessly lost. She¡¯d been crawling around the ventilation system for hours and felt no closer to finding a way out than when she began. She¡¯d even had a nap, taking advantage of the situation to catch up on some much needed sleep. When she awoke however, a different biological need arose. She was hungry and she had no food left. Her inventory didn¡¯t magically freeze time inside, though it was an available upgrade. The food she kept in there were things like packaged nutrient bars, enough for a day or two without restocking. She hadn¡¯t imagined she would get stuck and be unable to restock. So, she had to get out of the vents. She had passed by many possible exits but had ignored them as they weren¡¯t particularly safe options.
Backtracking to the closest exit, Sophie peered out of the grate. It was a hallway, filled with piles of junk and trolleys that carried building materials. There was also a small patrol of Barghest soldiers. One at each end and one in the middle, coincidentally right below Sophie¡¯s current position.
How the fuck am I meant to get out with this fucker standing there!? Unable to proceed, she hunkered down to wait. After an hour of observation, she had a plan.
From the inside of the vent, she pulled apart the bolts keeping the grate attached, catching it before it could fall. Then she waited.
The two guards at either end of the hallway turned, switching sides and checking for anything that may have been missed. They passed the guard directly under Sophie and took up their new positions. The girl made her move.
She slipped out of the vent towards the ground, drawing and firing one of her Talons. The bullet cut through the man¡¯s throat, a small splash of blood hitting the floor. As he fell, Sophie dove and caught the body, making sure there was as little sound as possible. She hid the corpse under a nearby tarp, then made her way to one end of the corridor.
She repeated a similar manoeuvre two more times, hiding both corpses. She slipped out into a new area, confronted by an occupied room. Newly installed cameras were perched atop the wall and two guards were busy moving heavy boxes of a trolley and into piles.
She crept through the room, making sure there was always something between the guards and herself. Sophie slipped into another hallway, although there were no guards this time. The process repeated itself multiple times but Sophie was able to get closer to the ground floor as she travelled.
Once she got down to the second floor of the stadium, everything started to change. There were significantly more patrols and she spotted multiple soldiers strapped into a Centaur exo-skeleton standing at key positions.
The more she saw of the stadium¡¯s second floor, the more trouble she realised she was in. Hansen¡¯s soldiers were rebuilding and modifying parts of the building. Exits were being sealed and new security measures were being installed.
From her hiding spot she could see into a large, open room. Turrets were being installed around the area and she nearly had a heart attack when a pair of Minotaurs stomped past. She even spotted Kurt Hansen as he walked further into the stadium with an assistant.
Moving across the room was painfully slow. If she made too much noise, one of the roaming soldiers would hear her. Even with Ghost active, she didn¡¯t want to risk being found. These guys could probably fire on her position as long as they had coordinates, even if they weren¡¯t able to actually see her.
She watched one of the doors in the room open, a man in very different gear entering. She wasn¡¯t too sure who he was until he turned around. On his back was an antenna and Sophie¡¯s blood ran cold. At the same time, the man froze. He turned and started scanning the area, stopping on the girl''s position. Fuck! Netrunners can find me through Cyberspace!
¡°Enemy contact!¡± The shout was enough for the entire room to pause. A second later, all of the soldiers were up in arms. Sophie bolted, heading for a staircase that would take her further downstairs. As she ran, the girl looked for the netrunner. She spotted him and summoned her Talons, attempting to take him out. Sadly, he had already ducked behind cover. In the meantime, the man had organised the troops in the area and was directing them to fire on her. Clearly he had figured out nobody could find her except himself. Fuck fuck fuck! I was so close!
Sophie reached the stairs, only to feel an impact throughout her body as she began descending. An electric shock ran through her system, courtesy of the netrunner. The discharge caused all of her muscles to seize up, prompting her to collapse down the staircase. She tumbled, bouncing off each stair like a cartoon character.
She hit the bottom and tried to move. Her body screamed in protest, muscles still spasming from the residual electricity. Gritting her teeth, she managed to move despite the pain. She managed to stagger to her feet just before a wave of bullets blanketed her back. Pain blossomed across her body, made worse when a wave of heat erupted from within. Fucking net nerd!
Sophie grit her teeth and activated Chronos. The world ground to a halt as the time energy contained in her implant was released.
19 - Escape
Pain continued to wrack her body as the Overheat quickhack rushed through her. It was only the world that would freeze when using her sandy, not her body. It was a good thing to know, even if the circumstances were terrible.
Sophie managed to struggle around a corner and into a corridor before time resumed. The world exploded in pain again, far worse than before. Her already heavily damaged body was hit by the recoil caused by using Chronos, making her feel as though she was being put through a blender. It felt as though her brain was drowning, her nerves were on fire and her bones had been shattered by a hammer.
The girl faintly heard sounds behind her, belatedly realising her enemies were closing in. For a brief moment she thought about giving up. Maybe they would have mercy on her? She nearly lay down to accept her fate. But if I let them capture me, I¡¯ll never see my friends again. I¡¯ll never fall in love or achieve my goals. No. No, I can¡¯t stop now. A pained growl forced its way out of her throat as she staggered to her feet. I¡¯m getting out of this place even if its the last fucking thing I do!
Frantic eyes scanned around, spotting an open window. Fluttering in the air was a thin metal cable. As boots thundered towards her, she threw herself out of the building. Her Adamantium arms caught the cable. Clearly however, the cable wasn¡¯t able to support her weight.
With a startled scream, she plummeted, almost going splat against the ground below. Just above the ground, the cable went taut, her shoulder almost being yanked out of its socket. As she let go, another surge of electricity pumped through her, courtesy of the runner. She stumbled as her feet hit the ground, shaking from the electrical charge. All around her, Barghest soldiers swarmed. She was briefly confused, then realised Ghost had turned off at some point. I must have blacked out earlier. She reactivated it, watching with a small, pained smirk of satisfaction as they lost track of her.
From above, she heard a voice. ¡°She¡¯s right in front of you! Shoot her you fucking idiots!¡± It was the same bastard netrunner that had put her in this position. She stared at him, committing his face to memory. If she ever got the chance, Sophie would gladly exact her revenge. At that moment however, she had bigger issues. A wall of bullets flew towards her. She covered her face with a metal hand, drawing one of her Talons with the other.
At the same time, she realised that she had escaped the range of the signal jamming device. The wounded girl quickly sent an order to her Quadra. She just needed to stall for time until it got closer.
A loud explosion interrupted Sophie¡¯s thoughts. A rocket had detonated a small distance away from the main group of Barghest soldiers. In the distance, Sophie could see a group of crazy Haitians speeding towards her location. One of them was reloading the rocket launcher, leaving no questions as to who had attacked.
The distraction the Voodoo Boys provided gave Sophie some space as over half of Hansen¡¯s soldiers moved to intercept them. It seemed the VDB¡¯s had decided to take full advantage of Sophie¡¯s presence. There were multiple trucks filled with gangers and Sophie watched as a trio of netrunners took control of a nearby minotaur, turning it on the softer targets around.
Regrettably, around a dozen Barghest troops remained in the area. The netrunner that had been Sophie¡¯s bane was half distracted by the attack but continued to direct his comrades to her location. It seemed the only silver lining in the situation was the fact the Voodoo Boys didn¡¯t see her as a threat. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
Sophie made a beeline for the exit, a gap in the wall Hansen¡¯s men had been building to block off the stadium. Anyone that happened to get in her way was quickly dropped by a silent bullet, courtesy of her Talon. She felt more painful impacts across her back but continued forward. She had to get out.
At that point, her body was running on fumes. She managed to slip straight out with little trouble, all of her enemies distracted by each other. Sophie ignored the chaos that continued to intensify behind her. She checked the location of her car, only to see it nearly 10 minutes away.
Why the fuck did I have to take the Metro here!? Just because I didn¡¯t want my baby to be stolen by the Voodoos. Stupid Sophie! It was easily the biggest mistake she had made and it was also the entire reason she¡¯d gotten stuck in the combat zone. Just gotta avoid Hansen and his men for 10 minutes. Shouldn¡¯t be too hard.
Her thoughts seemed to betray her as an AV flew out of the stadium, heading in her direction. She groaned. Before she could be spotted, she dove into a nearby store. It was a decent place to hide from the search party. Inside, she collapsed behind the counter. Her mind was fuzzy and her body was burning up. Mentally, she tried to call Vik but the digital interface seemed to slip away from her grasp.
She settled for forcing herself to stay awake. It felt like an eternity before she heard a familiar rumble approaching her position. Sophie grimaced as she struggled to stand up. Eventually she managed, leaning against the wall until she was outside. She slumped into the open door of her Raven, falling unconscious. The last thing she did was direct the car to Misty¡¯s shop.
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Misty was manning her shop as usual. However, her absent gaze and drumming fingers suggested her mind was occupied. Around three days ago, Sophie had vanished. Normally Misty wouldn¡¯t have been worried, just thinking she was busy. However, after the second day, she had asked Sophie¡¯s other friends if they knew where she was.
It was easy to ask Vik. Apparently he hadn¡¯t seen or heard from her for a while either. Misty then went on a short trip to Lizzie¡¯s in order to ask Rita Wheeler. Unfortunately, the Mox bouncer also hadn¡¯t heard from her in a while. The girl¡¯s apartment was empty and her prized car was still in the garage.
After the third day had passed, Misty had started thinking about hiring someone to search for her missing friend. Before she could do so however, a familiar rumble filled the air. The older girl rushed outside, finding Sophie¡¯s Quadra as expected. Breathing a sigh of relief, she walked over to give the thief a good scolding for disappearing.
The door of the car opened and a body flopped onto the pavement, a soft groan escaping her lips.
¡°Sophie!¡± Misty cried as she ran to the girl¡¯s side, picking her up. She was in terrible condition. Her whole body was covered in dirt and her clothes had been shredded. Barely any of her beautiful, pale skin was visible, caked in blood as she was. The worst part was how shallow her breath was, almost non-existent.
¡°Vik! Emergency!¡± Misty barged into Vik¡¯s clinic, holding her friend''s broken body. The older man, about to question her, turned serious as he took in the sight of the bloodied young girl.
¡°On the chair, now.¡± Misty did as she was told, the doctor immediately getting to work. A tense few minutes passed before Vik spoke again. ¡°She¡¯ll live. Truth be told, she should already be dead. Honestly I¡¯m not sure how she¡¯s alive. But she¡¯s clinging to life and that¡¯s a good sign.¡±
¡°What happened to her?¡±
¡°She''s been shredded to pieces by gunfire. However, that¡¯s not the main issue. She must have been hit by a netrunner, multiple times at that. Her implants have discharged a significant amount of electricity and her body shows signs of overheating.¡± He paused. ¡°Beyond that? An immense force was applied to her whole body, including her internals after she had taken all that damage. There¡¯s also signs of sleep deprivation and she hasn¡¯t eaten for at least a day.¡±
Misty nearly burst into tears. Sophie was weird and could sometimes be annoying. But she was like a little sister and Misty hated whenever she got hurt. Seeing her in such a state though, was a first and it nearly broke the older girl¡¯s heart.
¡°How long will it take for her to recover?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll have to put her in a coma for at least a week. Her body needs time to recover. I¡¯ll also have to replace some of her organs. It¡¯s a good thing we¡¯d already gone through some of her desired chrome so I know what to put in her.¡±
¡°I see¡Take care of her, Vik. I need some air.¡±
¡°You¡¯re not the only one that cares about her kid. I¡¯ll fix her up. That¡¯s what I''m here for after all.¡± Misty nodded, slowly leaving the basement while Vik turned back to the small troublemaker.
¡°What am I gonna do with you kid,¡± he muttered. He looked at her exposed back. To be more precise, the full spine replacement, an operation he certainly didn¡¯t perform. ¡°Always getting into mischief.¡±
20 - Recovery
Sophie¡¯s eyes gradually opened to a familiar roof. Surrounded by a soft red light, she knew she had made it safely to Vik¡¯s. A small sense of relief escaped her. Then she heard footsteps. She tried to turn her neck but couldn¡¯t, stopped by something holding it in place. Vik¡¯s face appeared in her vision, a frown turning to a small smile when he saw her open eyes.
¡°Welcome back kid,¡± he started fussing around and with a small click, he removed a brace from around her neck. She tried to speak but all that came out was a series of croaks. He rushed off, bringing back a small can of water. She took small sips until her mouth and throat were no longer dried out.
¡°Thank you, Vik. I¡¯m sorry for all the trouble.¡± His face softened before he sighed.
¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m here for. Someone¡¯s gotta keep you patched up with all the trouble you get into.¡±
¡°How long have I been out?¡± She could tell it had been a little while. Her body was completely stiff and there were sharp spikes of pain radiating across her body.
¡°It¡¯s been a bit over three weeks. It took a few days to stabilise your condition before I could operate. The rest was recovery time after the surgeries.¡±
¡°I see. Is Misty okay? I¡¯m sure I gave her quite a fright when I showed up.¡±
¡°She¡¯s fine. Worried but fine. She¡¯s spent at least a few hours everyday looking after you. Rita too.¡± He pulled a chair over and sat down next to her as he spoke.
¡°Rita¡¯s been here too?¡±
¡°Came as soon as she heard the news. She was pretty distraught seeing you in that condition.¡± Sophie didn¡¯t know how to respond. She had a lot on her mind at that moment. ¡°Look, there are a few things we need to talk about.¡±
Sophie turned her attention back to Vik. She nodded slowly, and he continued.
¡°You¡You¡¯ve got people that care about you Soph. Misty, Rita and I all care about you. None of us want to see you get hurt. Obviously you¡¯ve shown up injured before. Hell, I¡¯ve seen you shrug off more damage than a lot of grown men. But you¡¯re not invincible. This time, you were a hair¡¯s breadth away from leaving us forever.¡± He paused. ¡°Once you¡¯re home, you need to take a moment to think about what you¡¯re doing with your life. Take the time to figure out what you want.¡±
Sophie felt something wet trickle down her face. It took her a moment to realise she was crying. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry Vik. I¡¯m so, so sorry.¡± He looked at her, then leaned in and gave her a hug.
¡°I know you are. You¡¯re a good kid. Just don¡¯t want to see you fly too close to the sun.¡± He leaned back. ¡°Now, there¡¯s a few things I need to tell you before I let you go home.¡± Sophie nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve had to replace a few things that were too heavily damaged to keep. Your lungs and liver have been replaced, but I was able to get the MoorE type that you wanted. I¡¯ve had to replace your shoulders and collarbone however. Whatever you did, they were almost entirely shattered.¡±
Sophie thought back to her pursuit by Hansen¡¯s goons. Must have been when I jumped and grabbed that cable. The way it went taut just before I hit the ground might have broken my shoulders. Her thoughts were interrupted by Vik¡¯s voice. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
¡°Lastly, I stripped out the subdermal on your back and replaced it with cyberware. It should have a similar amount of protection but obviously you¡¯ve lost that ¡®human¡¯ look. There was simply too much damage for me to redo the subdermal.¡± Sophie nodded as he spoke, then froze. ¡°That¡¯s the last thing I wanted to speak about.¡±
¡°Ahhh. I¡¯ll uhh, answer what I can.¡±
¡°Since when have you had a sandevistan? I know it wasn¡¯t me that installed it but I¡¯ve known you for years now. Not to mention it¡¯s a full spine replacement.¡± Sophie hated that she had to lie. Sadly, there was no way to explain the existence of the system without sounding like a lunatic.
¡°I¡¯m not really sure when I got it. My best guess is some corp stuffed it in me when I was younger, before meeting you and Misty. But I don¡¯t remember anything. I just woke up, my memories were gone and I had it in my back.¡± He didn¡¯t look particularly satisfied by that answer. ¡°Is that the reason for the unusual amount of stress I found across your body?¡±
¡°Probably. I¡¯ve only used it a few times and every time, it drains me of all my energy. It normally takes me a bit over-¡±
¡°Over three weeks to get back to normal. That fits with how long it took for you to recover. Will it improve? The recovery time I mean.¡±
¡°Yeah. The more chrome I¡¯ve got, the shorter the recovery time gets. Like when you replaced my arms and put in the subdermal. The recovery time dropped from a month to about three and a half weeks.¡±
¡°Fuck me,¡± he breathed. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a sandevistan like that. I could attribute part of it to your age but still. A month between uses? How long does it last when you activate it?¡±
¡°Five seconds at best.¡± Clearly, that wasn¡¯t the answer Vik was expecting. He started muttering to himself.
¡°Alright, well. Be careful with that thing. Whichever corp put that in you must be paying close attention to it. I¡¯m not gonna ask for specifics because I don¡¯t want to know. Now, Misty will be here shortly. I¡¯m gonna run a few scans, make sure you¡¯re alright to go home but she¡¯ll take you back. And please, Sophie. Rest for a bit. Think about what I said before. Figure out what you¡¯re doing with your life.¡± The girl hated lying to him like that but she appreciated the concern he had for her safety.
The silence of the basement was eventually broken by Misty, who practically stole Sophie away from Vik and bundled her into a car.
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The car was silent the whole ride to Sophie¡¯s apartment. She had looked at Misty a few times but was discouraged from speaking due to the white knuckle grip the older girl had on the wheel.
Once they arrived, Sophie was once again picked up and brought into the apartment. Vik had told her she would need at least a day to recover from the week of bedrest hence she wouldn¡¯t be able to walk for a while.
Misty took her straight up the stairs and lay Sophie down in bed, then sat next to her. The injured girl waited for her friend to speak. A few minutes later, she began.
¡°Whatever you were doing. Was it worth it?¡± Misty¡¯s voice was soft, almost afraid of the reply.
¡°No. It wasn¡¯t worth it at all.¡± That was the truth. She had been in the pre-dogtown area to level her Markswoman class faster, thinking she had plenty of time before Hansen would arrive. Ultimately, he arrived earlier than she thought he would.
¡°Where were you Soph? What happened?¡± Thus, Sophie explained where she had been and the events that nearly led to her death. Once she was finished, Misty spoke again. ¡°Are you going to keep doing things like this? Are you gonna keep making me worry about you, that I might never see my precious little friend again?¡± As she spoke, tears started running down her face. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to disappear Sophie. You¡¯re my best friend in this damned city.¡± Sophie started crying as well.
¡°I¡¯m sorry Misty. I really am,¡± she sniffled a bit. ¡°I¡¯m gonna keep doing stupid stuff. I can¡¯t stop, not if I want to be the best damn merc Night City has ever seen. But, I¡¯m going to take some time to figure out a better way to do it. I keep hurting you and Vik and Rita. I don¡¯t wanna see you crying, not because of me.¡± She paused. ¡°I¡¯ll do better from now on. I promise.¡±
¡°You¡¯d better.¡± Misty stood up. ¡°I¡¯d better let you rest now. I¡¯ll come by tomorrow, check on you. Take it easy for a little. You¡¯re still a kid, you don¡¯t need to push yourself so hard.¡±
¡°I know Misty. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll look after myself from now on.¡± The older girl gave a murmur of acknowledgement. Before she could leave, she stopped and looked back.
¡°I¡¯ll do my best to support you Soph. Always. If you need help, you can come to me. Don¡¯t forget that.¡±
¡°You too Misty. You too.¡± The girls said their goodbyes. After Misty left, Sophie lay in her bed, wondering about what kind of changes she could make.
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The following morning, Rita showed up. The Mox girl began checking her over, as if she was worried Sophie would suddenly shatter into a million pieces.
¡°Y¡¯know Soph, you really had me worried for a while. You always seemed so¡invincible. Seeing you knocking on death¡¯s door like that was scary. Don¡¯t you worry though. I¡¯ll keep a much closer eye on you from now on. I¡¯m not gonna let you go galavanting off without any help.¡± Sophie was stunned by the change in demeanour. ¡°But for now, how about you tell me all about your little adventure.¡± Ah. There¡¯s the Rita she knew. Sophie smiled, telling her the same story she had told Misty the night before.
21 - Mentality and Rewards
It took Sophie around a week to return to normal under the combined care of Misty, Vik and Rita. In that week however, she had a great deal of time to think. Something had to change. Ever since the incident when she accidently blew up her arm firing one of her Talons, Sophie had been acting fairly recklessly. If she was on her own, with nobody to care about her, she wouldn¡¯t have noticed how odd her behaviour was.
At some point, increasing her personal strength had become an obsession, fueled by the existence of the system. Obviously she wasn¡¯t going to start ignoring it. That¡¯d be stupid as it was an advantage over everyone else in the dystopian world she now lived. But she had to stop obsessing over it.
The whole reason she¡¯d been in the area Hansen attacked was to level her class quicker. Not to obtain something, meet someone or do something. She had merely wanted to expedite a process that wouldn¡¯t have taken long to complete anyway. A needless risk for a small boost in progress. How stupid.
The other thing she had been thinking about were her goals. It had been a startling realisation, the fact she didn¡¯t actually know what she wanted. That she had never sat down and figured it out. However, she had already subconsciously chosen a path. The path of a mercenary, of an edgerunner. To be a living legend. There was no point being a legend if you were dead after all.
Now admittedly, Sophie had begun to love her work. The thrill of stealing something or pulling off a smooth operation. Even spilling blood had become something she seemed to enjoy. It disturbed her to no end that she had grown fond of killing. It was only the discovery that thinking of harming an innocent was nausea-inducing that convinced her she wasn¡¯t a complete psychopath. A bit crazy but at least it was only directed at the world¡¯s scum. The true psychopaths.
So, she had spent the week planning, figuring out how she could continue to walk the bloody path she had stepped onto. Her conclusion was that she needed stability. Over the years, Sophie kinda just¡did whatever? Sometimes she would do a job for the Mox and she loved helping them out. But other times, she was doing things all by herself. Finding opportunities, planning the mission and then executing her plans. But there was a special type of person that specialised in the first two parts. Fixers.
She hadn¡¯t worked with any actual fixers before. For a long time, any fixer that she could have worked with would have been like Kirk Sawyer, the small-time fixer V meets in the street kid lifepath. Now though, she had real skills. Skills that would grab the attention of the bigger players. Thus, she had one part of her future plan mapped out. Getting the attention of one of Night City¡¯s fixers.
However, that was only the first part of her master plan. The second? She needed some chooms. To be more precise, she needed to find a person or two that she could work with on a gig. Sadly, it would be up to chance if she could discover the right people to run with. Having a crew was a big part of her plan to stay out of trouble. Working with people meant the burden could be shared around and more work possibilities would open up.
Sophie could only hope that these things would lessen the amount of trouble she got into. Still, she had a plan now. The first step would be to impress a fixer and Sophie already had one in mind. If she wanted work, why not get it from Night City¡¯s best?
Before she leapt back into work though, she had business to attend to. During her recovery period, she had avoided looking at the system. Sophie was worried that if she looked at it before she was ready, she may slip back into her obsession. However, it was now time to look at the results of her escapades.
First, she brought up the description of the trait she had gotten from completing Markswoman.
This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
Trait: Precision Shooting - Within 50m, you have almost perfect accuracy.
It made sense coming from a class called Markswoman she supposed. And it was incredibly powerful too. It meant she could create a ¡®deadzone¡¯ around herself in which any foe that entered could be eliminated. She moved on to the next order of business.
Trait: Iron Resolve has evolved into Trait: Iron Will
Trait: Iron Resolve - Boosts willpower and pain tolerance. Negative mental effects are less likely to affect you. ¡ú Trait: Iron Will - Significantly boosts willpower and pain tolerance. Negative mental effects are far less likely to affect you.
Obviously this had happened at some point during her escape from the Barghest troops. There wasn¡¯t much difference in the descriptions between the two traits. Sophie wondered just how much of a difference the new wording would make.
Before she could move on however, she received a new message from the system.
The Trait: Iron Will can be evolved further by using a Trait Challenge Token.
¡°Okayyyy. What exactly does that mean?¡±
Upon use of the token, you will have to undergo a challenge. Successful completion of the challenge will naturally evolve the Trait while failing it has a 50% chance to remove the trait from the host. In this case, you would lose the Iron Will trait.
¡°Yeah, I think I¡¯m alright with avoiding that for now.¡± Sophie shoved the brief conversation to the back of her mind.
Second to last on her agenda was the Queen of Thieves class and her skill upgrades of which there were pitifully few.
Queen of Thieves has reached level 5!
¡
Queen of Thieves has reached level 10!
¡
Queen of Thieves has reached level 15!
Skill: Stealth (Advanced) has reached level 2!
Wow. That fucking sucks. I went through all that and got barely anything. Unfortunately, there was nothing she could do. Thus, she turned her attention to the final set of messages she had to look at.
Mission Complete
You are trapped in the Night City combat zone as Colonel Kurt Hansen establishes a forward operating base. Escape before his troops find and capture you.
Difficulty: Hell
Rewards: 500,000 M-Coins, Free Inventory Expansion (10m x 10m x 10m), 2x Cyberware Modification Token (Mythic), Class Experience Boost Token (1 Year), 5 Queen of Thieves levels, 1 free skill level.
The rewards were incredible. Not worth the near death experience but they would go a long way to avoiding a similar experience in the future. Just the chunk of M-Coins was valuable. The inventory expansion was similarly very good as it saved her having to spend 100,000 M-Coins on it. The levels were also good, specifically the free skill level. She immediately dropped it into Thievery (Advanced), easily the hardest skill she currently had to level up.
However, the real prizes were clearly the tokens.
Cyberware Modification Token (Mythic): Customise a piece of cyberware up to the Mythic level. (If you use this token on an arm, you can only modify the arm. An arm cannot be turned into a leg)
Sophie thought about it, deciding to keep the tokens for the future. She¡¯d recently chipped in new chrome, so she wanted to take her time getting used to it before doing anything else. Finally, the girl looked at the item she was most interested in.
Class Experience Boost Token (1 Year): Boosts the rate at which classes can be completed. Lasts for one year.
It was a simple effect but it was incredible. All of her training would increase in effectiveness for an entire year. With her Queen of Thieves class at level 15, it would be perfect if she could complete it within a year, possibly moving on to a new class before the end of 2070.
Name: Sophie Mortimer
Age: 11
Class: Queen of Thieves - Lvl.15
Profession: Driver - Lvl.95
Traits
Ghost, Thief¡¯s Instinct, Ambidextrous, Recoil Reduction, Structural Intuition, Precision Shooting, Iron Will
Class Skills
Thief¡¯s Hand: Lvl.1, Parkour (Advanced): Lvl.1, Stealth (Advanced): Lvl.2, Thievery (Advanced): Lvl.2, Rapid Reload: Lvl.10, Shooting (Intermediate): Lvl.10, Gun Combat (Intermediate): Lvl.10, Gun Knowledge (Intermediate) Lvl.10
Profession Skills
Problem Solver: Lvl.50, Mechanics (Basic): Lvl.50, Driving (Basic): Lvl.50, Vehicle Combat (Basic): Lvl.45
Cyberware
Chronos Sandevistan: Available (1 short use (5 seconds) per 3.4 weeks. Further body modifications will increase limit) (God)
Kiroshi Mk.3 Optics (Rare)
Raven¡¯s Claw Cyberarms (Legendary)
Subdermal Armour (Epic)
MoorE Simple Lungs (Common)
MoorE Simple Liver (Common)
Titanium Back (Epic)
Soulbound Weapons
Talons (Mythic)
Store: Available
Inventory: 10m x 10m x 10m
M-Coins: 700,000
She had a lot of coins, Sophie realised. Still. She was in no rush to use them. It would be a while before she chipped anything new in. For now, she had a very special fixer to impress.
22 - Queen of the Afterlife
The Afterlife was quiet in the early afternoon. It would only really start to get busier later that night.
Sophie leaned against her Raven, the sleek Quadra parked in the furthest corner of the car park. She was waiting for her target to arrive. A few days of stalking the area suggested she always showed up around 1pm, thus Sophie was lying in wait.
She didn¡¯t have to wait long. Rogue Amendiares was punctual to a fault, pulling into the car park in her custom dark green Quadra. The ¡®Mistral¡¯ was nice, but Sophie didn¡¯t think it compared to her Raven.
Rogue barely gave Sophie a glance as she made her way toward the doors. To her, Sophie was a nobody. A kid her age wouldn¡¯t have anything to offer. But that casual dismissal suited Sophie just fine. If all went according to plan, the woman wouldn¡¯t think that way for long.
Her optics tracked Rogue¡¯s movements, locking onto the iconic pistol holstered on her hip. Pride gleamed in the dull daylight. When she played the game, Pride had been one of Sophie¡¯s favourite weapons. Unfortunately, it was a pain to get. But in this life? Sophie prided herself on her abilities to obtain things she shouldn¡¯t.
The timing was perfect. The Queen of Fixers had passed by, completely ignoring the younger girl. Sophie straightened and slipped into step behind the woman, activating Ghost. The thief¡¯s feet hit the ground at the same time as Rogue¡¯s, masking any sound that may escape her stealth. She had to make an impression.
Rogue stepped through the entrance to the stairway. As she reached the first step, Sophie made her move.
One of the things the girl had done over the past few days, outside of stalking Rogue, was test out one of her new abilities. Namely, Thief¡¯s Hand. It was¡magical. It retained all the abilities of Sleight of Hand, but it was so much more. To be precise, she simply had to move her hand close to what she wanted. Then she could just will the item from its location to her hand.
Hence, her hand moved towards the pistol¡¯s holster. With a brief flex of willpower, Pride was hers. She stopped moving as the older woman continued, careful not to make any sounds.
Once Rogue was gone, she didn¡¯t linger. Her steps carried her away from the Afterlife entrance. A small smile crept onto her face as she leaned back against her car, the pistol now in hand. She turned it over, admiring the intricate design. It was funny though. She didn¡¯t think it was very special anymore. Not compared to her Talons.
Her curiosity satisfied, Sophie perched outside the Afterlife, casually twirling Pride in her hand. Now she just had to wait. Hopefully the woman would realise her weapon was gone soon. The thief didn¡¯t want to spend all afternoon waiting after all.
-----------------------
Inside the bar, Rogue made her way to the back, where Crispin ¡°Squama¡± Weyland waited. The bulky man leaned against the wall of Rogue¡¯s personal booth. His arms were folded over his chest as he waited for his boss.
¡°Rogue,¡± he greeted with a curt nod.
¡°Squama,¡± she replied, taking a seat.
His gaze flicked to her hip. ¡°You leave Pride at home today?¡±
Rogue¡¯s brows furrowed. Her hand instinctively went to her holster, but it was empty. Her expression darkened. A subtle edge of confusion crossed her face.
¡°It was with me earlier,¡± she muttered, scanning the room as though the pistol might reappear if she willed it hard enough.
Weyland smirked, his amusement poorly concealed. ¡°Getting sloppy?¡±
Her glare silenced him. ¡°Not a chance.¡±
She rose, her movements stiff with frustration. ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡±
Rogue stepped outside, the tension in her shoulders unmistakable. Her sharp eyes swept the car park. They landed on Sophie.
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The girl sat on the hood of her car, casually spinning Pride in her hand like a toy. A sly grin played across her face as she met Rogue¡¯s annoyed gaze. There was a small hint of relief in the fixer¡¯s features though.
¡°You¡¯re bold, I¡¯ll give you that,¡± Rogue said, striding toward her.
Sophie tilted her head, flipping the pistol in her palm before holding it out. ¡°Looking for this?¡±
Rogue snatched the weapon, inspecting it carefully before sliding it back into her holster. Her expression was unreadable as she scrutinised the younger girl. She took in the pair of cyberarms, though they were a completely unfamiliar design. She could also see chrome across her collarbones that descended down her back. The woman furrowed her brows.
¡°What¡¯s your angle, kid?¡±
¡°Simple. I want work. And I want it from the best. That¡¯s you.¡± Sophie leaned back against her Quadra. The grin she bore never faltered. ¡°And I don¡¯t want to be someone you pass off random jobs to. I want to be part of your inner circle, someone you give the good jobs to. I want to be someone who¡¯s already trusted.¡±
Rogue tilted her head, the faintest smirk playing on her lips. ¡°You think you¡¯re ready for that kind of responsibility? That I¡¯m gonna let any random schmuck reach the top so easily?¡±
¡°I do. You wouldn¡¯t even be entertaining this conversation if you weren¡¯t somewhat interested.¡± Sophie spoke without hesitation. Rogue was a difficult character to work with. If she wanted the woman to respect her, she couldn¡¯t back down in any way.
¡°What¡¯s your name, girl? I¡¯d like to know who I¡¯m speaking with.¡±
¡°Sophie. Sophie Mortimer.¡± She stuck her hand out. Rogue took it gingerly and shook.
¡°Well Sophie. You got any experience with merc work?¡± Her tone had changed and Sophie realised she was being interviewed. Now impress her and the job is yours Soph!
¡°I do. I¡¯ve been doing work for the Mox since I was around eight. I¡¯m eleven now. Whenever I don¡¯t have work from them, I find it myself. I normally target the gangs or scavs.¡± She paused. With a sly grin, she added, ¡°Though maybe you¡¯ve heard about a little commotion in the camp of everyone¡¯s favourite new colonel?¡±
Visibly, nothing showed on Rogue¡¯s face. Mentally however, she was reviewing the information she had gathered about the incident with the Barghest troops over a month ago. The Voodoo¡¯s had attacked them suddenly and it was only after a bit of digging that Rogue¡¯s people found more info. Someone had stirred up the hornet''s nest, but their identity and current status was unknown.
¡°Here¡¯s the deal. I¡¯ll verify what you¡¯ve said. If it¡¯s all true, you¡¯ll receive an invitation to join me here tomorrow morning. Word of warning kid. I don¡¯t like people that lie to me. Now scram. I¡¯ve got better things to do than entertain a rookie like you.¡± Despite her words, there was no real hostility in the woman¡¯s voice.
¡°Yes ma¡¯am!¡± Sophie said with a mock salute and a wide grin. Rogue waved her away, then turned and made her way back into the Afterlife. Sophie, feeling her mission was successful, happily jumped in her Quadra and sped off.
Down in the bar, her bodyguard spoke to her, eyeing the retrieved pistol holstered on the fixer¡¯s hip.
¡°Well? What happened?¡±
¡°I met someone interesting. I¡¯ll find out later if they¡¯re really worth my time.¡±
-----------------------
Later that evening, Rogue was reviewing the information her netrunner, Nix, had gathered about the strange girl she¡¯d encountered earlier in the day. Very good working relationship with the Mox. Impeccable record. Specialising in data and item acquisition. High capabilities in stealth and infiltration. In recent years she has demonstrated a significant level of skill with guns. She paused and rubbed her temples before continuing. Has demonstrated on occasion skilled driving abilities. Personally modified her car, a Quadra Type-66 she acquired from a group of Raffen Shiv.
She continued reading, noting that the girl really did have some serious skill. Especially for her age. She recalled the unfamiliar cyberarms. ¡°Maybe some kind of corpo experiment? Worth looking into I suppose.¡± She muttered to herself. As she reached the end of the data, she found the thing that most interested her. Along with a note from Nix that simply read ¡°Very little footage found. Footage uncorrupted. Suspect unique prototype cyberware or equipment.¡±
Rogue watched the footage of Sophie¡¯s escape from Hansen¡¯s troops. It was impressive to say the least. Just from the small amount of footage she could see, the girl¡¯s injuries were severe. The willpower to push through that¡Safe to say, Rogue was interested. Very interested. Specifically, her ability to vanish was unlike anything she had ever seen. Optical Camo certainly didn¡¯t do such a good job. She sent out a few messages. The girl would get her chance. But she¡¯d have to prove herself. Prove that she deserved to work under the Queen herself.
-----------------------
The next morning, Sophie wandered down the steps of the Afterlife for the first time. Outwardly, she tried to portray a sense of calmness and maturity. On the inside however, she was squealing with excitement. It was a chance to truly step into the world of mercenaries. As Jackie Welles would say, she had gotten a chance to step into the major leagues.
The bouncer at the door wasn¡¯t the one Sophie remembered. Instead, it was a burly woman. Her frame and general appearance however, screamed that she was part of the Animals. She gruffly directed the much younger girl over to Rogue¡¯s booth. Standing in front was a familiar face. Crispin ¡°Squama¡± Weyland looked at her with undisguised curiosity.
¡°Let her through Squama.¡± Rogue told him. He moved aside, still eyeing her. She grinned at him and waved. He was slightly taken aback, then returned the smile and wave. Sophie liked him already. The girl took a seat opposite the Queen of the Afterlife.
¡°Well kid, I¡¯m interested. Doesn¡¯t seem like you¡¯re lying about anything and the Susie Q had a lot of good things to say,¡± she paused. ¡°But, I haven¡¯t seen enough. I¡¯ve got a job for you. If you can complete it, we¡¯ll have further discussions.¡± She pulled out a shard and placed it on the table. ¡°Go on. Have a look.¡±
Sophie picked it up and slipped it into one of the ports on her neck. The gig details opened up in her eyes and she began looking through it. There wasn¡¯t much, a fact Sophie suspected meant things were being hidden from her. A test then.
¡°How important is it that you get your hands on this data?¡±
¡°Very. Not confident?¡±
¡°It¡¯s not that. I just want to know whether you want to reduce the chances the op goes south? I can get it done myself. It¡¯ll be harder but it¡¯s not impossible. But if I had a netrunner, it would probably go much smoother.¡± Rogue smirked at her.
¡°I want to see what you can do by yourself. If you can¡¯t even do this, I have no use for you. You¡¯re not that useless are you?¡± Sophie could tell the woman was trying to poke her pride, to force her to behave impulsively. If that¡¯s how she wanted to play it, Sophie would oblige.
¡°Fine. We¡¯ll do it your way. But don¡¯t be too surprised when I get back. You¡¯re leaving this to me, so I¡¯ll do it my way. You¡¯ll have your data tonight.¡± Sophie got up to leave.
¡°Y¡¯know, for what it¡¯s worth, I¡¯ve got high hopes.¡± The young girl stared back.
¡°I won¡¯t disappoint.¡±
23 - Gig: Data Acquisition
The Kang Tao Research Centre didn¡¯t look like anything special. In fact, if it weren¡¯t for the Kang Tao logos painted on the high walls that surrounded it, the building would have looked like any other. Sophie had been surprised at its location, close to the place that Arasaka Industrial Park would be built in the future. The thief was crouched behind a low concrete wall on the other side of the road, her eyes locked on the main entrance. She had used the Class Experience Boost Token when she arrived to ensure she got the best gains for her Queen of Thieves class.
Two guards stood at the entrance on either side of a raised barricade. Above them was a camera and pair of active security turrets hanging from the arch that loomed over the guards. Sophie was less than pleased at the data Rogue had given her. In fact, the only good thing it contained was the full layout of the compound and the number of guards. 15 of them to be precise.
It was enough to formulate a basic plan at least. She was finalising her path when a Kang Tao transport rolled in. Sophie almost rushed over, wanting to use the truck to disguise her entry. Sadly, it was too late for her to do so.
Her failure turned into a blessing however, when a series of scans were performed on the vehicle. Sophie didn¡¯t want to risk Ghost exposing her. Rogue¡¯s data hadn¡¯t said anything about a netrunner but after her encounter with the goon from Barghest, she wasn¡¯t taking any chances. Once the truck was through the scanning, the thief made her move.
The guards had relaxed after no problems were found with the transport and the scanners had to be manually activated. They weren¡¯t permanently on. With Ghost, slipping past the two guards was a breeze.
She followed the transport from a distance until they reached an open area. Four additional Kang Tao guards jumped out of the transport, bringing the total number in the compound up to 19. Sophie winced when they started working together to haul stuff out of the truck instead of leaving. That¡¯s a problem for future Sophie.
She mentally checked her location against the layout provided by Rogue. She ducked in the direction of her first objective. Separated from the main building was a small storehouse. At least, that¡¯s what it was marked as on the map. Secretly, the surveillance and security room was hidden underneath it. This was where Sophie believed the netrunner would be.
She made her way over, noticing multiple robot guards. Dammit Rogue. You didn¡¯t think to mention the fucking robots!? Each one carried Kang Tao G-58 Dian smart SMG. Fortunately, Sophie wasn¡¯t particularly worried about the robots. They couldn¡¯t see her with Ghost active so there was no need to be afraid. Still, it was annoying Rogue hadn¡¯t mentioned them.
It wasn¡¯t long before she made it the ¡°storehouse¡±. The merc slipped inside and found the hidden staircase detailed in the data. She crept down, coming face to face with a door. Sophie took a peek through the small window in it and spotted her target. Distracted by the computer in front of her, the netrunner didn¡¯t have time to react before a silent bullet punched through her skull, splattering blood and brains all over the wall. The body fell forward with a wet thud and the woman¡¯s killer cringed at the gross noise.
Sophie hurried in while dismissing her Talon. She grabbed the corpse and looked around. She spotted a cupboard in the corner. With a bit of struggle, the netrunner corpse was nestled inside. The door closed and Sophie took a deep breath. The first part of her plan was finished.
The girl tried to access the computer but had no luck. Inwardly, she decided to pick a netrunner class next so that she wouldn¡¯t have a similar issue again. Grumbling, she made a quick purchase in the system store.
A shard appeared in her hand, a one time consumable that could unlock basic security systems. It was only 100 M-Coins, so Sophie didn¡¯t feel terrible about the purchase. Once the shard was in, the girl watched in fascination as it melted like ice cream in the hot sun. Abruptly, the computer opened up. Perfect.
The thief quickly disabled all of the alarms, cameras and security systems around the compound. Once she was satisfied with her work, she left the security room to begin phase two of the operation. Silently eliminate every guard in the building.
The guards were the natural first choice. The robots wouldn¡¯t notice anything suspicious unless they directly saw it. Sophie ran out from the surveillance room, heading for the back of the main building.
Pressed against the back wall was a cargo container. Sophie climbed up, then jumped onto the roof of the building¡¯s first floor. She took a running leap and managed to latch her hands onto the lip of the second floor¡¯s roofing. She entered the building from the available door.
Once inside, she began stalking the upper floor of the building. She was able to locate three guards on the second floor. The first was taken out easily and Sophie hid his body in a remote corner. The second was similarly easy. However, as she was dragging the corpse to a large, empty storage container, a new guard appeared behind her. The man had just come up the stairs nearby.
The pair froze, one in shock at seeing his dead colleague, the other in surprise she had missed the man. Still, she retrieved her Talon, silently eliminating the new arrival before he could alert the base. That was a little scary. Where did that motherfucker even come from? Sophie stashed both bodies in the storage container before moving on. The last of the original three guards was taken down quietly and shoved into a janitor¡¯s closet. Thank you Cyberpunk, for giving me so many good spots to hide bodies.
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The ruthless and efficient elimination of the human guards inside continued until none remained. The main building had been emptied and each corpse hidden in the event some rando came in. At that point, there were only supposed to be four more human guards scattered around the compound, excluding the two gate guards and the four from the transport truck.
Not even ten minutes later, all four of them had been hunted down, their bodies stashed away. She had seen something slightly concerning when she was hunting in the form of a Minotaur mech. After she took out the four transport guards, she could go searching for the person controlling it.
The young merc took some time to observe the four people unloading boxes from the transport truck. Unfortunately, there were no clean methods to eliminate them. Thus, she settled for a simple solution.
Sophie leapt from the first floor of the building, falling towards her targets. Her Talons fired quickly, causing all four targets to crumple to the ground. The Precision Shooting trait showed its worth as it ensured all of her shots were precise and clean. A problem arose however, when she realised there was no easy way to hide the bodies. Eventually, she stuffed them all into the back of the transport truck. That¡¯ll do I guess. Time for the Minotaur.
Sophie searched all over the compound, carefully avoiding the robots but also noting down where they all were. It took nearly 10 minutes to find a hidden room, one that wasn¡¯t in the data Rogue gave her. Inside, the Minotaur pilot was resting in a very comfortable chair. A bullet to the head meant the man would be resting in comfort for the rest of his life.
Finally, it was time for the robots to go. Admittedly, she didn¡¯t need to get rid of them. But she wanted Rogue to take her seriously, which meant sending a message. Sadly, that was also where she got stuck. Her Talons probably wouldn¡¯t work on them like they did humans. The robots could continue functioning unless their entire system was fried or they were totally destroyed. So, she turned to knowledge that had never been intended for use in combat.
The knowledge of mechanics that she had allowed her to put together a very simple taser after tearing apart a few computers and other electronics. The entire thing had the durability of a stick of pasta but it carried an extraordinarily high electrical charge. Sophie just hoped it would be enough to short circuit the robots.
It was. The Robot Poker Mk.1 as Sophie called it sent a surge of electricity through the last robot, meaning Sophie had eliminated all of her targets in the compound. She was leaving the two gate guards alive. Killing everyone silently but leaving the two at the front alive? In Sophie¡¯s mind that was much scarier than simply killing everyone. After all, it meant someone had snuck in and silently eliminated all but the front two.
With all of her opponents down, Sophie proceeded to the main computer. She downloaded and transferred the data to Rogue. Once she disconnected her personal link, the gig had officially been completed. Now she just needed to exfiltrate, something that wasn¡¯t particularly difficult. On her way out however, Thief¡¯s Instinct caught her attention. She followed her instinct, discovering a fancy case nearby. Cracking it open revealed a smart SMG of unknown design. Sophie happily stashed it away. Maybe Rogue would pay more for it?
The mercenary left the Kang Tao compound the same way she entered. The two gate guards had no idea that a massacre had occurred in the area they were meant to protect nor that the culprit had wandered past them and out of the compound. A street over, the thief slipped into her Raven, speeding off in the direction of the Afterlife.
-----------------------
Rogue had set aside her regular business that night, instead opting to watch the footage of Sophie¡¯s gig. The girl undoubtedly interested her, hence she wanted to watch the op live. The young girl¡¯s act of targeting the netrunner and surveillance systems first was a positive. Though Nix had still been able to get footage from the cameras at her behest. She made sure that it was all wiped afterwards though.
What really made an impact however, was the way she went about getting the data. There was something slightly disturbing abouting watching someone collapse, spraying blood across the wall before being dragged or carried away by an unseen figure. But it was impressive.
The trick with the makeshift taser was clever, and demonstrated that the girl had skills and knowledge far beyond her years. Overall, Rogue was very satisfied. The girl had demonstrated some truly terrifying capabilities, especially considering she was so young.
However, she had a use for such skills and Sophie didn¡¯t seem like she was unstable. Instead, she appeared quite friendly. Rogue even suspected she¡¯d grow to enjoy the company of the young merc. The playful behaviour was a nice change to the rather serious company the Queen of Fixers tended to keep.
-----------------------
It was later in the evening when Sophie arrived. She got quite a few odd looks as she walked down the steps, considering she was currently around 110cm tall. She was hoping her growth spurt would start soon so that she wouldn¡¯t look like a lost child wherever she went. The people that watched her, smirking as she approached the door, were gobsmacked when the bouncer stepped aside and let her in.
As she walked further in, a few brave souls tried to follow, thinking the rules might have changed. They were greeted with a stern Animal, refusing them entry. Sophie ignored it, heading in Rogue¡¯s direction.
Squama gave her a grin as she approached.
¡°Da boss is waitin¡¯.¡±
She nodded. Rogue¡¯s booth was empty aside from the woman herself. As she stepped in, Sophie could feel the intense stares from across the room.
¡°Ignore them. Never seen anyone as young as you in here. Bet they¡¯ll get a real shock when they realise you¡¯re a new member of my crew.¡±
¡°Oh? I take it I passed your little test?¡±
¡°Definitely. Admittedly, your extermination of almost everyone in that compound will draw attention but I¡¯ll deal with that. Don¡¯t want a little killer like you to get grabbed by one of the mega corps.¡± Her optics lit up and Sophie received payment for the job. ¡°Consider yourself officially invited to the Afterlife kid. Normally I¡¯d tell you to go have a drink¡Ah fuck it, if you want a drink you can have one.¡±
¡°Thanks but no thanks. You got anything for me now? Oh, I also grabbed this, if you want it.¡± She placed down the weapon prototype, which Rogue examined.
¡°Sure. I¡¯m sure I can find a buyer for it. And no, there¡¯s nothing at the moment. Swing by tomorrow, there are some things we should go through now that you¡¯re working for me.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t wanna do it now?¡± Rogue gave her a dry look.
¡°Kid, I¡¯ve spent more time on you than I would for most up-and-coming mercs. I have work to do.¡± She waved her hand at her, ¡°go on, scram. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡± Sophie laughed as she got up, wandering out of the Afterlife with a swagger. As she got in her Raven, a system message appeared.
Hidden Mission Complete
Impress Rogue.
Difficulty: Hard
Rewards: 100 M-Coins, Shinigami Menpo
Sophie looked at the facemask that appeared in her hand. It was black and silver, her favourite colours. It would only cover the bottom half of her face, similar to the menpo that the Tyger Claws liked to wear. The design was simple, a skull like mouth and nose along with some artistic patterns.
She checked, finding it had a description.
Shinigami Menpo (Iconic)
Item Type: Cosmetic
Effects
Unbreakable
Damage Transfer
Resizing
Sophie checked the Damage Transfer effect.
Damage Transfer - Attacks that strike this item will pass through it, damaging the wearer.
It threw out the idea she could use her face to block bullets. Still, it would be part of her signature look in the future so the girl didn¡¯t mind it too much.
¡°A Shinigami, huh. Sure. That¡¯s what I¡¯ll be.¡± With that, Sophie placed the mask on, feeling the comfortable fit. Thus, Night City¡¯s very own Shinigami was born.
24 - Beginning of a Crew
Sophie arrived at the Afterlife and headed straight for Rogue. Her menpo sat snugly on her face. Squama had outright laughed when she¡¯d walked in wearing it the first time, though Rogue had just assessed the look quietly.
¡°That supposed to be a Shinigami?¡± She¡¯d asked. When Sophie confirmed, Rogue had called it fitting. Thus, her official title was born, though it was kept quiet for the most part.
Squama saw her coming and called out to her.
¡°Heyyy, how¡¯s little Gami doin?¡± Sophie wanted to punch his grinning face. Eventually she gave him a light tap on the belly before replying.
¡°I¡¯m good, Squama. You¡¯re looking as annoying as ever.¡±
¡°Oh you wound me,¡± he said, clutching his heart as though he¡¯d been shot. Sophie burst into laughter and he quickly followed. ¡°Alright, go on in. Da boss isn¡¯t busy at the moment.¡± The big man spoke, pretending to wipe a tear from his eye.
Said boss was watching the interaction with a small smile. Sophie sat down.
¡°Well? What can I do for you?¡±
¡°What? I can¡¯t just come and hang out with my favourite fixer?¡± Rogue looked at her blankly. ¡°Oh alright. You¡¯re no fun, jeez.¡± The girl grumbled. ¡°I feel like it¡¯s time I started looking for some people. Y¡¯know, form my own crew, that way I can do some bigger jobs for you.¡± The older woman thought about it for a moment.
It was something Sophie had been quite surprised about, when Rogue said she could build her own crew. However, Rogue really only had one main rule for her inner circle. Always check with her before taking a job. The Queen of Fixers had even taken the initiative to send the young merc to other fixers in the city. Of course, they were aware that Rogue had to be informed of what kind of work Sophie took but it wasn¡¯t too bad of an arrangement.
¡°You¡¯ve been doing fine as a solo so far. Why the sudden need for company? Feeling lonely?¡± Sophie shot her a dirty look for the last comment. She¡¯d never admit it but that was partly the case. Misty and Vik had both been fairly busy lately and the Mox were on the brink of war with the Tyger Claws, meaning Rita was busy as well. That led to the young girl feeling, as Rogue had so accurately guessed, lonely.
¡°You¡¯re right, I won¡¯t deny that. But I¡¯m not stupid. If I had someone that could cover my weaknesses, I¡¯d be able to do a hell of a lot better. We both know this so don¡¯t play dumb.¡±
¡°Alright kid, I¡¯ll have a look for someone. Any requirements?¡±
¡°Hmm. Admittedly I¡¯d feel more comfortable if they were female. If they were a netrunner that would be even better. It¡¯s my biggest weakness at this point in time.¡± Rogue nodded along, clearly agreeing with her.
¡°I¡¯ll let you know if I find anyone. Now, I¡¯ve got a call to take,¡± she said, allowing her eyes to light up. Sophie didn¡¯t find the dismissal rude. The woman worked pretty damn hard to keep things running for Night City¡¯s top mercs.
-----------------------
A few days later, Sophie received the message she had been waiting for: ¡°Get your ass down here, I¡¯ve got someone for you. Better get along with her as well, it was a pain trying to find a good candidate.¡± The girl smiled wryly at the words.
When she arrived, she found an unforgettable face sitting next to Rogue. Who could possibly forget the tragic netrunner, Sasha Yakovleva, after all? The woman wore the same outfit as she did in the music video, a full body netrunner suit with no sleeves and small slits on the side of her legs, showing off her thighs. Over the top, she wore a pink mini jacket that didn¡¯t even cover her breasts.
Sasha was also slightly younger than what Sophie remembered, and her body didn¡¯t seem to have as much chrome. Still, the younger girl¡¯s brain had been slightly fried after looking at her. Fuck. She¡¯s so hot.
The netrunner looked at her as she passed Squama, settling in beside Rogue.
¡°This is who you want me to work with? Sorry Rogue, but I¡¯ve got no interest in watching a young kid die. I thought you were better than that as well.¡± Sasha got up to leave, making Sophie curse at her own youthfulness.
¡°Sit down Yakovleva.¡± She obeyed. ¡°Now, Sophie here may be young. But I can guarantee that she¡¯s good. And for the record, it was her that came to me for work.¡± The netrunner¡¯s face showed blatant skepticism before turning and scanning over Sophie¡¯s form. The younger girl blushed and started fidgeting. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
¡°Hmm, she doesn¡¯t look that impressive.¡±
¡°I can guarantee that you¡¯ve done less merc work than she has. She¡¯s more experienced and if it weren¡¯t for her desire to cover a weakness, plus her own specifications, I¡¯d be pulling someone better to work with her.¡± Rogue paused, ¡°this isn¡¯t an interview for her to join you, it¡¯s an opportunity for you to be part of Sophie¡¯s personal crew.¡±
¡°What!? How has this kid got more experience than me!?¡± Rogue didn¡¯t reply, instead tossing her a shard. The woman took it and slotted it, making Sophie raise a brow. Rookie move, taking a shard and not questioning it. The younger girl shot Rogue a look.
¡°Your mission record. No details, just everything you¡¯ve done. It¡¯ll be better if she sees you in action personally.¡± With that answer, Sophie could only hope the netrunner would give her a chance. Sasha was a brilliant netrunner, one that Sophie believed had been held back by Maine. If she could rope the netrunner to work with her instead, she would be ecstatic. While her thoughts whirled, a defeated sigh was released.
Sophie looked over, finding the hot netrunner staring at her in disbelief. She slumped back, clearly trying to process the small bit of data she¡¯d seen. Finally, she started speaking.
¡°Alright, fine. I¡¯m not gonna pretend I¡¯m happy about it but if that record is true, I can see why Rogue likes you. However, I want proof of your skills.¡± Sophie looked at Rogue, begging her with her eyes. The woman sighed.
¡°I¡¯ve informed Padre that you¡¯ll be swinging by. He¡¯s set aside a few smaller jobs that¡¯ll test how well you two work together. That should suffice as a demonstration of each other¡¯s skills. If you finish them and aren¡¯t happy with each other, I¡¯ll separate you both. All clear?¡±
¡°Yes boss,¡± Sophie spoke teasingly, as she rose. She looked at the gobsmacked netrunner, ¡°you gonna sit there all day?¡± With that, the thief continued walking. Sasha spluttered, grabbing her bag and hurrying to catch up.
As they walked, the older girl continued to stare at Sophie. Eventually, she asked her question.
¡°What¡What the fuck was that!? She just lets you speak to her like that!?¡± Sophie looked at her and grinned.
¡°I¡¯m special.¡±
Once the pair had exited the Afterlife, Sophie walked towards her car. Sasha realised and quickly tried to stop her.
¡°Hey come on, we can¡¯t just steal someone¡¯s car!¡± The younger girl who had just been told not to steal her own car, slowly turned her disbelieving eyes to her new partner. Rather than speaking, Sophie had the Quadra¡¯s doors open while staring at the netrunner. The look on her face was priceless as the thief slipped in, then she sighed.
¡°Alright, I guess we¡¯re meeting there?¡± As she spoke, Sasha turned and began walking away¡Sophie realised something and called out, her voice teasing.
¡°Oh? Does someone not have a ride? Well, I suppose my benevolent self could allow you to ride with me.¡± Her partner froze, then turned slowly. A faint dusting of pink rested on her face as she quietly walked back. She hopped in the passenger seat.
¡°Thank you.¡± She spoke quietly, clearly embarrassed. Sophie, satisfied with her minor victory, grinned at her but didn¡¯t continue to tease her. The car lurched forwards, quickly picking up speed as the two girls headed to Padre¡¯s typical spot.
-----------------------
It was Sophie¡¯s first time meeting Padre and she wasn¡¯t entirely sure what he would be like. She hoped he would have a similar personality as the one he had in-game. When the pair of girls arrived, they made their way over to a table where Padre sat. He watched them as they approached, curious and assessing.
The fixer greeted them first.
¡°You must be Sophie,¡± Padre began, his voice warm and kind, ¡°Rogue speaks highly of you. And this must be Sasha. New blood, yes?¡±
¡°Something like that,¡± Sasha replied, her tone was friendly.
Padre nodded and got straight to business. ¡°I¡¯ve got two tasks for you. Simple enough. For the first, a shipment of medicine has been stolen. It needs to be found and returned here. For the second, my client wishes to have a certain document retrieved from a rival business. Deal with both for me.
Sophie and Sasha exchanged a glance. ¡°Any details?¡± Sophie asked.
Padre handed Sophie a data shard. ¡°Everything you need is here. I expect results soon.¡±
The pair nodded and left, climbing into Sophie¡¯s Raven. The thief gave Sasha the shard first. ¡°Tell me where I¡¯m going, then look through the rest of the data.¡± She paused, then added, ¡°make sure you scan the shard before you slot it. Can never be too careful.¡± The netrunner nodded in understanding, scanning the shard. After she found nothing, she slotted it in. After a few moments, Sophie had the first destination, a rundown motel in Santo Domingo.
-----------------------
The first job, retrieving the stolen meds, was rather simple. A small crew of thieves had intercepted the shipment and escaped. The pair of girls simply needed to slip in and find the items. Padre had, however, offered an additional reward for the successful neutralisation of the thieves. Apparently, it wasn¡¯t the first time they had klepped something they shouldn¡¯t have. Sophie was happy to oblige.
When they arrived, the pair discovered that it was going to be fairly easy to get in. The girls linked up via holocall and Sophie gave Sasha permission to make a link to her optics. The younger girl wanted her partner to see how skilled she was.
The netrunner stayed in the car, meaning Sophie approached the motel on her own.
¡°I¡¯m in their systems. Seems like there are six of them, spread through the building. You¡¯ll have to sneak past them to grab the meds but the cameras and alarms won¡¯t be an issue.¡±
¡°Guide me to each one.¡±
¡°What? Aren¡¯t we just here for the meds?¡±
¡°Padre wants them dead, Sasha. That means they die.¡± There was no reply for a moment. When it came through, the netrunner¡¯s voice was shaking slightly.
¡°Alright. The first one is¡¡± Within a couple of minutes, all of the targets had been taken down, allowing Sophie to walk out with the re-stolen meds casually.
When she got back in the car, she could see that Sasha was slightly pale. It took her a second to realise what had happened.
¡°Sasha¡Have you not killed anyone before? Or even seen death like that?¡± A shaky nod in reply had Sophie mentally facepalm herself. ¡°Okay well, that¡¯ll be my responsibility from now on. However, you have to be willing to protect yourself. Understand?¡±
¡°Yeah. I get it. I won¡¯t let you down.¡± Sasha¡¯s skepticism towards Sophie had vanished, replaced by both respect and fear.
¡°Good. Let¡¯s do this next job quickly, then we can go out and get to know each other better. How¡¯s that sound?¡±
Sasha smiled at her, accepting the invitation.
-----------------------
The second job went just as smoothly as the first. Sasha ran interference, ensuring Sophie had a clear path to the target documents. Ultimately, it only took two minutes total to get in and out, with nobody in the building aware of the theft. The girls dropped everything they had stolen off with Padre, then headed to Lizzie¡¯s.
They spent the rest of the evening there, getting to know each other better. Sasha¡¯s initial reluctance had disappeared and the pair had found that they got along well. Sophie loved it, enjoying the feeling of making a new friend and spending time with them. Rogue had asked them to see her the following day, thus Sophie dropped her partner off in the early hours of the morning, leaving a promise to pick her up later.
Today was a good day. A very good day indeed. Sophie mused to herself as she drove home.
25 - Gig: Hunting a Thief
A month after they met, Sophie and Sasha had grown significantly closer. Work was always available, a fact the two girls took advantage of in order to improve their teamwork. Having kept track of them, Rogue had mentioned how impressed she was with the skill the two of them were showing. Said skills were also why their current job had been handed to them.
The girls were heading to a classic corpo apartment, located in the City Centre. It was a gig neither of them had any experience with, considering they had to investigate a robbery. Sophie figured her own thievery skills were the reason behind Rogue¡¯s choice. Even so, she was puzzled. She didn¡¯t have any investigative skills. In fact, normally she was the one committing the robbery. The thought made her pause, a light bulb blinking on in her head. Right. I¡¯m supposed to use my own skills to find clues? Might be fun.
Once they stepped into the apartment building¡¯s lobby, they were greeted by a member of security. The man handed over a shard containing all of the details their client, Darius Lang, had provided. Obviously it wasn¡¯t too detailed, the man was an upper exec at Petrochem after all. Still, they had his schedule, the suspected time of the break in and the various security measures employed in the apartment.
However, when the pair stepped into the man¡¯s home, they turned to each other in disbelief.
¡°You¡¯d think people this rich would know better than to flaunt it.¡±
¡°Probably just a show off,¡± Sasha replied from behind her, ¡°You know how corpo types are.¡±
¡°Yeah, well, he¡¯s showing off his incompetence alright,¡± Sophie shot back, her tone dry as she moved further into the apartment.
¡°What a dump,¡± Sasha mocked as they looked around.
¡°Right?¡± Sophie replied, her tone deadpan. ¡°Who even has a personal sushi bar anymore?¡±
Sasha snorted, gesturing to the untouched plate of real sashimi on the counter. ¡°It¡¯s like the gonk was begging to be robbed.¡±
¡°Well, someone took him up on that offer,¡± Sophie said, dropping to one knee. There was a small dot of red on the white marble floor. Interesting.
After snooping for a few minutes, they wandered over to the location of the stolen item. They found a heavy-duty glass case, empty of the painting it was supposed to contain. Sophie examined the case.
¡°Sasha, can you scan this lock?¡± It was mangled, clearly the result of someone forcing it open. Still, Sophie wanted to see if there were any clues. A moment later she got a reply.
¡°Definitely shows signs of having a device used on it. It just wasn¡¯t strong enough to break through the ICE. Must be why they smashed it instead.¡± Sophie hummed in agreement. ¡°You keep looking around, I¡¯ll take a look at the surveillance.¡± The netrunner wandered off, leaving Sophie to continue the search.
¡°Hmm? What¡¯s this?¡± The thief-turned-investigator examined more red drops, similar to the one she had found earlier. She activated the scanners in her optics. It came back with a reading. ¡°Cow¡¯s blood? Someone that works with fresh?¡± Sophie moved on, mentally filing away the clue.
She walked away from the empty case, beginning to map the thief¡¯s path through the apartment. There was a small trail of similar drops, leading all the way to the balcony. Sophie stepped out onto the balcony. Almost immediately, she was able to find faint scuff marks. Before she could investigate however, Sasha appeared behind her. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
¡°I checked the cams, they were switched off for exactly one and a half minutes.¡± Sophie frowned.
¡°That¡¯s very quick. Did they capture anything?¡±
¡°Nope. No sign of the culprit.¡±
¡°Which means they managed to get in, grab the painting and get out in that timeframe.¡± Sophie examined the scuff marks on the balcony railing. ¡°Well, it looks like they used some kind of tool to get in and out. I¡¯m unfamiliar with what it is though.¡± She thought about it for a moment. The younger girl retrieved the client¡¯s schedule. She scanned through it, mentally matching the information of the break in to where the client was.
¡°Oh? How interesting. Sasha, can you get the detes on Mabo¡¯s Steakhouse? I think I¡¯ve got a lead.¡± Not even a minute later, Sasha sent over everything she could find. ¡°They do indeed specialise in fresh. I think I¡¯ve got our culprit, partner.¡± Sophie turned to look at her friend, noting her excited gaze.
-----------------------
The pair of girls made their way to the restaurant. It was located in a tall shopping building and the entrance was strictly regulated. So, they had to find another way in.
¡°Any chance you can take control of their security?¡± Sophie spoke to the netrunner.
¡°Already in. You need me to find you an entrance?¡±
¡°Please.¡±
Sophie continued to observe the entrance of the restaurant while Sasha worked. ¡°Alright, there¡¯s a ventilation shaft you can crawl through that will lead into a janitor¡¯s closet. Sending you the info now.¡±
Once she received the details, Sophie left her partner behind. It wasn¡¯t difficult to locate the vent she needed to use. Activating Ghost allowed her to slip in without arousing suspicion. Then, it was a simple path into the restaurant. The thief arrived in the closet, then poked her head out to scrutinise the area. Sasha began offering her directions to the meat processing room, the place Sophie believed the thief worked.
With the two of them working in tandem, reaching the target location was laughably easy. Sophie peered through the door, looking at the pair of butchers preparing the fresh meat. ¡°Can you get me the schedules for all of the butchers that work here? Compare their schedules with the schedule that Darius gave us. Who wasn¡¯t here when it happened?¡±
¡°There are only two butchers and both were here when it happened.¡± Sasha paused, digging deeper into the restaurant''s records. ¡°However, one of them, William Doth, took a break for 10 minutes during his shift. The break happens to match the suspected time of the theft.¡±
¡°Fantastic. Any chance you could get Doth alone? Separate the two butchers so I can interrogate our suspect.¡±
¡°Give me a moment.¡± A brief pause, ¡°alright, the other butcher is taking a break to ¡®speak with the manager¡¯. You¡¯ll have a minute or two to get a confession.¡±
¡°Truly, you are the most magnificent partner around Sasha. What would I do without you?¡± Sophie joked, grinning at the giggle she got from the older girl. It was slow going, getting Sasha to be more open and happy, but she was making progress.
Once the second, unimportant butcher had left, Sophie made her move. She slipped into the bloodied room, wrinkling her nose at the stench. Her target, William Doth, was busy carving apart a meaty leg. He froze when cold metal was suddenly pressed against the back of his skull.
¡°Were you involved in the robbery that occurred at Darius Lang¡¯s apartment a day ago?¡± The voice was female, that much William could tell. But it sounded quite young, so he tried his luck in turning around. The gun pressed harder into his head.
¡°N-no. I could never rob someone? I¡¯m just a regular old butcher.¡±
¡°You¡¯ve got one chance Doth. If you don¡¯t tell me the truth, your brains will be joining the rest of the meat hanging on the walls. I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want that to happen.¡± The man sighed in defeat. A brief look at the man had revealed he carried no sign of combat training, so she wasn¡¯t surprised when he folded.
¡°Fine. Yes, I was the one who stole the painting. But I didn¡¯t work alone. Marc, the chef that normally serves Lang, was involved too.¡±
¡°Where¡¯s the painting?¡± The voice demanded. He provided the address. ¡°Consider yourself lucky Mr Doth, that I wasn¡¯t hired to eliminate you as well.¡± Nothing more was said and when the sweat-soaked butcher turned around, there was nobody there at all.
-----------------------
Sophie sent the recording she took of the interrogation to Rogue, who would send it to the client. She met back up with Sasha and the pair headed to the Afterlife to celebrate another successful gig. A surprise system notification appeared.
Queen of Thieves has reached level 50!
Skill: Thievery (Advanced) has reached level 6!
She quickly asked for clarification. A jump of five class levels and two skill levels was entirely unexpected.
The host studied another thief¡¯s actions and solved a thievery related case. These actions are in line with the theme of the class, hence an increased reward.
Sophie could only mutter quietly, musing that there were still functions she was discovering in the system. She could only sigh and move on, changing the way she approached her leveling in the future.
On the way to the Afterlife, Sasha brought up a personal request she had. Obviously Sophie accepted and after hearing the details, the younger girl found herself looking forward to the next few weeks.
26 - Helping Sasha
Sophie was cruising along the brightly lit streets of Night City, Sasha accompanying her in the passenger seat. Her friend had asked for assistance in becoming a better merc, so Sophie had devised a plan to improve Sasha¡¯s abilities in every way. Specifically, they were heading back to the young thief¡¯s apartment after she picked up the netrunner.
¡°So uh, you¡¯ve never really told me where you get all your gear. You got a special supplier or something?¡± Sasha asked curiously.
¡°I stole most of it.¡± The blunt reply caused the older girl¡¯s jaw to drop as she stared at her friend. Sophie flashed her a smirk, ¡°what, you really think I¡¯d waste my money on that stuff?¡±
¡°That¡¯s what normal people do!¡± Sasha cried out, ¡°you¡¯re not normal! You¡¯re weird!¡± Sophie cackled in response as they pulled into her garage. It was the first time since they¡¯d met that Sasha was coming over and the younger merc had to admit it was nice seeing the netrunner¡¯s surprised face.
¡°You can leave your stuff wherever you want,¡± she waved casually. ¡°Come on, follow me.¡± Sophie wandered into her personal armoury, the weapon collection having grown a significant amount over the years. Sasha stepped in, immediately in awe of her young friend. Well, that¡¯s what Sophie thought at least.
¡°Is this all stolen? It¡¯s¡well it¡¯s a lot.¡±
¡°Hmm, most of it is stolen. Oh! Except this katana!¡± She held up the katana she had retrieved from her very first system mission. ¡°I found this one!¡± She chirped.
¡°Rightttt.¡± Sasha¡¯s expression suggested she didn¡¯t believe the small kleptomaniac at all. Hey! I¡¯m not that bad! Sophie cried internally.
Recovering quickly, the thief offered the netrunner her choice of weapon. With Sophie explaining the pros and cons of each gun, Sasha eventually settled on the expected choice; a Militech M-76E Omaha. The very same pistol the woman would use at the time of her death. Well, Sophie would do everything she could to ensure that her friend wouldn¡¯t meet the same fate.
¡°Sooo, what now?¡±
¡°Now I teach you to shoot! I¡¯ll do that and when I eventually get myself a cyberdeck, you can show me the basics! How¡¯s that sound?¡±
Sasha smiled and agreed. Then paused.
¡°Wait¡Does that mean we won¡¯t continue to work together? Why do you want to learn my skills?¡± Sasha¡¯s voice was slightly shaky. She would never admit it but working with Sophie was enjoyable and the older girl had already begun to see the thief as a younger-sister figure. She didn¡¯t want that relationship to disappear, like her mother had when she passed.
Sophie looked at her strangely. Then, in a rather stern voice, spoke. ¡°No. Sasha, I have no intention of leaving or replacing you. I want to learn both out of general interest and a desire to better shield myself from enemy runners. You¡¯ll always be the true netrunner of the team.¡± Her voice softened. ¡°I can tell you¡¯ve got some anxiety, I assumed something related to your family?¡± Sasha¡¯s eyes widened slightly but the girl continued.
¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere. Even if I do, I¡¯ll make sure to bring you with me. Got that?¡± Turning so that the younger girl couldn¡¯t see the tears that threatened to spill out, Sasha got herself under control. She would place her trust in her partner. That was her conclusion.
After the brief emotional episode, they made their way over to Sophie¡¯s personal shooting range, once again baffling the netrunner. I really need to stop being surprised by this girl. The older girl looked at her partner with a fond smile. Sophie spotted it and started grinning stupidly. A quick ¡®bonk¡¯ on the head changed that, an aggrieved look replacing it. The look of betrayal made the older merc giggle. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.
Grumbling about being bullied, Sophie began demonstrating various basics for shooting. It ended up being a rather fun day for the pair. In fact, they ended up practising well into the night. By the time they realised how late it was, both of them were mentally exhausted. Sensing an opportunity, the younger girl offered to let her partner stay over.
¡°Y¡¯know, that¡¯d be great Soph. I¡¯ll take the couch?¡±
¡°Absolutely not!¡± Sasha was dragged upstairs to the bed. It was big enough for two adults, let alone an adult and a child.
¡°Are you sure? I¡¯m fine with taking the couch.¡± The netrunner tried to argue.
¡°Nope! This is my first sleepover and you won¡¯t ruin it for me!¡± Sophie declared, triumphantly raising her fist in the air with a grin. Sasha relented under the intense look her friend was giving her.
Moments later, both were wrapped in comfortable nightgowns. Once they were under the covers, Sophie quickly snuggled up to the older girl.
This is nice. Sasha thought, looking at the small figure wrapped around her like an octopus. They fell asleep like that, only waking up in the later hours of the morning.
-----------------------
¡°So, what exactly are we here for?¡±
¡°To get you a bike!¡± Sophie replied happily, scanning the small casino they were targeting.
Rita had provided the location, thankful that Sophie was willing to distract some of the Tyger Claw forces. The younger girl had felt bad about her friend¡¯s busy life, combating the aggressive attacks the biker gang was launching on the Mox. So obviously she had offered her assistance considering she¡¯d be targeting them anyway.
Right! I should have known we¡¯d be stealing it. This is Sophie after all. Sasha thought to herself, even as she began breaching into the casino¡¯s security. There wasn¡¯t much, just a few alarms and cameras. With no Tyger netrunner already in the system, it was a breeze for the older girl to disable the security.
¡°All done. I¡¯ve jammed their communications as well, so we don¡¯t have to worry about reinforcements. It¡¯s just the five of them inside, plus the one outside.¡±
¡°Sounds good. Can you send me the positions of the ones inside?¡± The data came through immediately. ¡°Are you willing to handle the one outside? I¡¯ll clear the inside.¡±
¡°Sure, I can do that.¡± Although she said that, there was a small tremor in her voice. Sophie ignored it but realised she would have to have a conversation with her friend afterwards.
Having the positions of her targets made wiping them out easy. The young merc burst in the doors, her Talons already firing. Two crumpled instantly. She changed targets, taking down another pair. The final Tyger tried to run, but he collapsed with a bullet through his head. Sophie didn¡¯t stay, instead heading out to Sasha¡¯s position in the back alley, where her target was.
Sophie stepped back into the alley, only to find Sasha slumped against the wall, sobbing. Her hands trembled and her face was pale, eyes jittering.
¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Sophie asked, though she already knew.
¡°I¡ I killed him,¡± Sasha whispered. ¡°He was just standing there, and now he¡¯s dead,¡± she waved her hand at the corpse. Multiple bullet wounds from the netrunner¡¯s gun adorned his body.
Sophie crouched down, placing a hand on Sasha¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Look at me.¡± She did. ¡°Killing someone isn¡¯t easy the first time,¡± she said softly. ¡°And that¡¯s a damn good thing. Taking a life should never be easy.¡± The younger girl paused again, letting her words sink in.
Sasha looked up, her eyes wet with tears. ¡°How do you deal with it?¡±
Sophie gave her a grimace before replying. ¡°The first time I killed someone, it took me a while to recover. Not even a year ago, I discovered that I had become disturbingly fond of taking lives. Since then, I¡¯ve made a promise that I¡¯ll only take the lives of truly deserving people.¡± Sasha looked at her questioningly.
¡°A corpo soldier, a gang member, a murderer or a rapist. Or maybe it¡¯s someone that orders those things to be done. These are people I have no problem killing. But I¡¯ll never kill someone who is defenceless or someone that has done no wrong. I¡¯m a killer, yes, but I hope I can be a killer with some morals.¡± Sophie gave a self-deprecating smile. ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll fuck it up at some point, though hopefully by accident and not on purpose.¡±
¡°I see¡I think I understand what you¡¯re getting at. As long as the people are scum, you have no problem killing them?¡±
¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m no saint but there are people hundreds of times worse in this shithole of a city. Now, come on. Let¡¯s get you your bike.¡± Despite the tear marks running down her face, Sasha smiled at her. She still needed time to resolve herself, but Sophie could see it happening soon. It was something she was glad to see, even if she hated having to put her friend in such a situation.
-----------------------
As the two girls entered Sophie¡¯s garage, Sasha riding her new bike, the younger girl quickly pulled up her system and made a selection.
Profession selected: Engineer
Skills Unlocked: Engineering (Basic), Designer
Designer: Lvl.1
A passive skill that allows you to create better designs when crafting.
Engineering (Basic): Lvl.1
Grants basic knowledge of Engineering.
Her Driver profession had maxed out a few weeks ago and Sophie had been putting off taking a new one. However, with Sasha¡¯s bike needing some modifications, it was the perfect time. She looked at her partner, watching as the netrunner parked her new bike next to the old Yaiba Kusanagi that Sophie had almost never touched. Maybe I need to modify two bikes this time.
The trait she got from the Driver profession was a very good one as well.
Trait: Enhanced Reflexes - Your reflexes are enhanced.
27 - Class Finished
Sophie focused on the small holoscreen in front of her. It was currently June of 2070, meaning there was an important event currently being reported on.
¡°Reports state that the Arvin Accord has just been officially signed, ending the Unification War after around one and a half years. The war was primarily signed due to the appearance of an Arasaka supercarrier in the Del Coronado Bay. The NUSA, backed by Militech forces, did not wish to escalate their conflict into a true corporate war.¡±
So, the Unification War is over. And as expected, Hansen has refused to leave, instead bunkering down. It was a monumental moment for Night City, as many things would soon change, not to mention the emergence of Dogtown, Arasaka being allowed back into America would have repercussions across Night City.
With her thoughts churning, she turned to the only other person in the room. Well, the only conscious person.
¡°What do you think Vik? You worried about Arasaka¡¯s reappearance?¡± The man paused for a moment, the tools he had stuck in Sasha¡¯s arm no longer moving.
¡°Honestly kid? Not much. Don¡¯t get me wrong, things will change. I¡¯m sure many of them will be terrible but at a certain point, having four or five mega corps in the city isn¡¯t going to make much of a difference.¡±
¡°Yeah. Yeah I guess you¡¯re right.¡± Sophie shook her head to clear her thoughts, wandering over to where the ripperdoc was continuing to install new chrome for Sasha. ¡°By the way, I wanted to ask about some new chrome for myself.¡±
¡°Go ahead, I¡¯ll try and give you some good advice.¡±
¡°Thanks Vik. I wanted to know how long I should wait before I get anything new done? It¡¯s been about six months since I came back nearly dead and you had to chip in my lungs and liver.¡±
¡°Well, everyone¡¯s different. Some people should be waiting over a year to get anything done. Others can handle rapid installation of specific cyberware up to a certain point.¡± He paused, giving her an assessing look. ¡°Your situation is a bit weird. Normally I would never say a kid should have so much chrome but you seem to take to it like a duck does water.¡±
¡°So? Does that mean I could be getting some upgrades?¡± Her eyes shone, clearly eager about the prospect of new chrome.
¡°It depends on what you¡¯re looking for. You got anything in mind?¡±
¡°I¡¯ve got a few things actually. I was hoping you could source a better set of lungs and a decent cyberdeck. However, I¡¯d really like some bone replacements and some leg modifications. Would that be possible?¡±
¡°That¡¯s definitely doable. With the sudden end of the war, there¡¯s a flood of new implants that were produced but not needed. The lungs and bone replacements should be easy, and I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if Arasaka throws out some of their lower level cyberdecks. What kind of leg modifications were you thinking?¡±
The girl had been thinking about it quite a bit actually but had struggled to choose. ¡°Well, I¡¯d really like to be able to move around better. Faster sprint speed, higher jumps, that kind of stuff. Oh! Some Lynx Paws would be fantastic as well.¡± Vik looked at her strangely.
¡°Why the hell would you need Lynx Paws? You have any idea how quiet you already are?¡± The comment caused Sophie to blush in happiness.
¡°I might be quiet already but I¡¯d prefer to make sure of it. Also, the extra weight of the new chrome would make being stealthy a lot harder. The Lynx Paws would help with that.¡± Vik sighed.
¡°Alright, I¡¯ll have a look around, see what my contacts can find. It might be expensive though, so be prepared for that. Before I start looking though, do you know if Sasha here has anything that she wants to chip after all of this?¡± He waved his hand at Sophie¡¯s unconscious friend.
¡°Hmm, what¡¯s she getting right now? She didn¡¯t give me any details.¡±Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
¡°She¡¯s got herself a new deck and some accompanying netrunner chrome. Standard things like extra RAM. I¡¯ve also put in a couple of heatsinks. That way she¡¯ll be able to throw around larger hacks without the risk of getting fried.¡±
¡°What about her arms?¡±
¡°Well, a new piece of chrome recently hit the market. They¡¯re similar to mantis blades but they create a long blade on each finger. They¡¯re called ¡®Rippers¡¯. Oh, she also asked for a bit of cosmetic work, so I¡¯ve installed some threading.¡±
I guess she¡¯s destined to be cat-like. I wonder if I should suggest she gets cat ears? Sophie thought about Vik¡¯s original question.
¡°I guess I¡¯d like her to have a bit more protection. She¡¯s a little squishy at the moment. Actually, a set of Lynx Paws for her as well would probably be fantastic. She might deny some of it but I¡¯d rather she have the option available.¡± Vik nodded.
¡°Well, I¡¯ll put out some feelers, see if I can find what you¡¯re looking for. Don¡¯t forget though, if you can get your hands on chrome you want I¡¯ll chip it for you. Saves me the hassle after all.¡±
¡°Sure Vik. I appreciate it. How long till the kitten wakes up?¡±
¡°Not too long now, I¡¯m just doing some final checks on the Rippers.¡±
¡°Alright, I¡¯ll leave you to it then.¡±
-----------------------
Later that day, the two girls grabbed a gig from Rogue. It wasn¡¯t anything that difficult, just a routine data acquisition job. However, both of them were eager to do it, each for their own reasons. Sasha wanted a chance to test out her new chrome, although she wasn¡¯t able to use her Rippers. Sophie, on the other hand, was excited because she could tell that her class was on the verge of being completed.
Queen of Thieves had been a pain in the ass to level, considering it really only leveled when the younger girl took on specific jobs. Hence, when they finished Rogue¡¯s gig, Sophie was ecstatic to receive the message that she had maxed it out.
Queen of Thieves has reached level 100!
Class: Queen of Thieves has reached maximum level.
Queen of Thieves Trait: Escape Artist has been unlocked
New Class available!
She pulled up the description.
Trait: Escape Artist - You are able to escape any situation more easily.
The trait was admittedly a bit of a let down. Sophie tried her best to ensure that she was never caught, meaning the trait would hopefully see very little use. However, it was better than nothing. She decided to hold off selecting her next class, opting instead to spend the evening at Lizzie¡¯s with Sasha.
It was early in the evening when they arrived and the thief was pleasantly surprised when she met Rita at the entrance. She was excited to introduce her to Sasha, knowing they had never met. However, something weird happened when she tried to introduce her two friends.
¡°Soph, who¡¯s this cutie you¡¯ve brought with you? She your girlfriend or something?¡±
¡°Rita!¡± The girl blushed, trying to explain. ¡°She¡¯s my partner!¡± The bouncer¡¯s cheshire grin grew, much to Sophie¡¯s despair. ¡°Not like that!¡± She whined. Behind her, Sasha giggled. Sophie turned and stared daggers at her. ¡°Tell her it¡¯s not like that!¡±
The netrunner stepped forwards, introducing herself.
¡°Sasha Yakovleva. I suppose you could consider me something like Sophie¡¯s older sister?¡±
¡°Hmmmm? Oh honey, you really think you deserve that title? If anything, I¡¯m her big sister.¡± The two older girls began bickering about who was more deserving to be Sophie¡¯s older sister, much to her shock.
¡°Alright! Enough, both of you.¡± The youngest of the three girls spoke, her stern voice struggling to hide the amusement she felt. Immediately, her two older friends grew embarrassed. Once they had recovered, Rita introduced herself.
¡°Rita Wheeler. Sophie considers me her big sister. I¡¯ve been looking out for her over the last few years.¡± Sparks began to fly between them again, much to Sophie¡¯s dismay. Eventually, she had to push her netrunner friend into the bar, leaving behind a grumpy bouncer who took her anger out on anyone unfortunate enough to cross her path.
They spent the rest of the evening at the braindance bar, chatting about the past and the future. Sasha seemed oddly keen to show off her new chrome, specifically the Rippers. Sophie jokingly commented that she should get cat ears installed, then sweatdropped when the older girl began to seriously consider it.
Eventually, the thief voiced a request.
¡°I was thinking of getting a cyberdeck installed soon. Any chance you¡¯d be willing to teach me?¡± Sasha¡¯s face visibly lit up.
¡°Of course! What kind of deck are you getting? Oh! You¡¯ll also need to pick up some soft¡¯. I can take you to my normal spot if you¡¯d like?¡±
¡°That sounds great! I was kinda hoping you¡¯d be able to give me some advice on what deck to get. Just remember though, I¡¯m not looking for anything super high end. I don¡¯t intend to focus on netrunning, that¡¯s your realm of expertise.¡±
¡°Well, you¡¯ve got plenty of eddies. I¡¯d skip past the basic versions then. Maybe the Stephenson Tech MK.2? It handles quickhacks really well, which is a good quality for a learner. Unless you plan to go deep diving into the old net immediately?¡± The look the experienced netrunner gave her was one of warning, seemingly of the belief that Sophie would do that. I guess I do have a track record of doing stupid stuff.
They reached an agreement to go shopping the following day. However, as they left the bar under Rita¡¯s grumpy stare, Sasha received a call. A few minutes later, she turned her teary eyes towards Sophie.
¡°I¡¯m gonna be homeless!¡±
Sophie rolled her eyes at the dramatic behaviour before prompting the girl to explain.
¡°Apparently my apartment complex is being bought by a corp. It¡¯s being torn down and rebuilt on their orders. My landlord said I had to be gone by tomorrow night. What am I gonna do!?¡± The pitiful look on her face returned. Sophie sighed in exasperation.
¡°Come on then. Let¡¯s go get your stuff. You can crash at my place until we work something else out. You don¡¯t mind sharing the bed again, do you?¡±
¡°Thank you Sophie! You¡¯re the best!¡± The younger girl complained to herself. Why do I feel like I¡¯m the elder here?
28 - Netrunning 101
While Sasha was busy setting up for Sophie¡¯s first netrunning lesson, the girl in question was looking over the notification she received when she chose the Amateur Netrunner class.
Class selected: Amateur Netrunner
Skills Unlocked: Programming (Basic), Cyberwarfare (Basic), Quickhacks (Basic), Breach Protocol
Breach Protocol: Lvl.1
You can learn to breach systems easier.
Programming (Basic): Lvl.1
Grants basic knowledge of Programming.
Cyberwarfare (Basic): Lvl.1
Grants basic knowledge of Cyberwarfare.
Quickhacks (Basic): Lvl.1
Grants basic knowledge of Quickhacks.
As soon as her choice had been confirmed, the immense amount of information had rushed into the young girl¡¯s brain. There was simply so much to learn about the net. Sophie reached up to the back of neck, feeling the recently installed cyberdeck. She had, of course, followed Sasha¡¯s advice, picking up the Stephenson Tech MK.2. Her thoughts were broken when the experienced netrunner spoke.
¡°Alright! We should be ready to go!¡± She came over, sitting down next to her new student. ¡°We¡¯ll start with really basic stuff, turning a screen on and off through your deck.¡± As she said that, Sasha sent over a small data packet. The basic knowledge her class provided let Sophie understand its purpose.
Mentally activating her new cyberdeck, the younger girl processed the data packet. Once she was done, she looked at the wall-mounted holoscreen.
¡°Now, you need to find an entrance into the screen. While you¡¯re learning the basics, you¡¯ll need to use your optics. The scanner function in them will allow you to find the access point.¡±
¡°I think I¡¯ve found it. Now what?¡±
¡°That was fast¡Anyway, now you have to look at the code the screen runs on. The data packet I sent over should explain how to spot crucial parts of it. Things like the on/off function.¡±
Sophie wasn¡¯t sure whether it was her new netrunning knowledge from the class or the simple exercise but it didn¡¯t take long at all to familiarise herself with the holoscreen. After about ten minutes, she was able to turn it on and off or change channels. This is actually pretty cool, huh.
¡°You¡¯re doing fantastic! Try and do it with a radio next.¡± The inexperienced netrunner did so, finding it to be even easier than before.
For around an hour or so, Sophie practised breaching into basic devices, helped along by Sasha¡¯s advice. None of the apartment¡¯s system¡¯s were able to hamper her progress. However, she did receive a surprise once she took a break.
Skill: Breach Protocol has reached level 2!
System? Care to explain?
Multiple factors contribute to the rapid experience gain. Firstly, basic classes are inherently easy to level up in. Second, you have an experience boost currently active. Third, you are under the tutelage of a higher ranked netrunner.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
So being taught by someone who actually knows what they¡¯re doing means I can level up my classes faster?
Correct. The skill level of the person teaching you also matters. In this case, an intermediate netrunner will provide less results compared to an advanced or master netrunner. Additionally, exchanging experiences with people of similar levels can help in leveling a class faster, as can teaching the subject to someone of a lower rank.
Wow. I probably wasted so much time with some of my classes. What rank would Sasha be?
Sasha Yakovleva would possess skills equivalent to middle ranked Intermediate.
That feels pretty low, I thought she¡¯d be advanced at least.
She possesses high potential but does not have the resources nor drive to continually hone her skills.
Huh. I wonder if I can change that? Lots of things to think about now. While Sophie was scheming about pushing her friend to improve, said girl was completely oblivious, trying to figure out how to continue teaching. The lesson she had thought would take all day had been finished in under two hours, so she was frantically trying to come up with something to avoid embarrassment.
¡°Alright! Now that you¡¯ve done that, I¡¯m going to breach the same device. We¡¯ll take turns countering each other''s hacks. This will give you a safe first experience of netrunner combat.¡±
¡°Sure! That sounds fun!¡± Of course, the next five hours resulted in a complete loss for Sophie. Sasha didn¡¯t take it easy on her at all.
¡°HA-HA-HA! You cannot possibly hope to defeat me!¡± The older girl laughed maniacally as she crushed Sophie¡¯s pitiful attempts to take control of the holoscreen.
¡°Grrrr! I¡¯ll have my revenge, you dastardly Kitten!¡± The younger girl¡¯s retort was accompanied by an angry fist shaking in the air. The two girls paused for a moment before bursting into laughter.
¡°Y¡¯know, you¡¯re seriously brilliant. The speed at which you were improving there¡I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be long before you surpass me.¡± Sasha¡¯s voice was slightly melancholic as she spoke. The defeated girl caught the tone, inwardly beginning to panic. She didn¡¯t want to make Sasha feel inferior. After all, Sophie was cheating with her system.
¡°Hah! That¡¯s not true at all! You¡¯ll always be better than me at netrunning. Well, as long as you keep practising.¡± She poked her friend at the end.
¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. Tomorrow I¡¯m gonna go dump the rest of my eddies on netrunner materials. I¡¯ll make sure to stay ahead of you. Although, I¡¯ll definitely be broke for a while. You don¡¯t mind if I stay for a bit longer, do you?¡±
¡°Not at all. You¡¯re welcome to stay as long as you like.¡±
-----------------------
The following day, Sasha did as she planned, purchasing a heap of advanced netrunning materials. Sophie took one look at them and immediately turned away, feeling like her head was smoking. However, the older girl continued to teach her the ways of the net.
¡°Right, so you¡¯ve got the Ping quickhack. All you¡¯ve got to do is breach a system and upload it. Simple, right?¡±
¡°Sounds easy enough.¡± As expected, uploading Ping into the holoscreen was easy. Lines of green light burst out from it, each leading to a device that was connected to the same local-net. ¡°Yep, that¡¯s pretty easy.¡±
¡°Great. How about we move on, try breaching some harder systems?¡± In agreement, the two left Sophie¡¯s apartment and headed out into night city. ¡°So, you should try and breach into a vending machine. They have better ICE than your holoscreen but it¡¯s not great.¡±
Her words were true. It took Sophie around ten minutes to get into the vending machine, even with her experience from the previous day. Once she had full control over it, her teacher spoke again.
¡°Now, try and upload Ping.¡± Just like with the holoscreen previously, green light burst away out of the vending machine. However, there were far more lines leading to other devices.
¡°Wow. That¡¯s a lot of green.¡± Sophie had to cut her connection to the vending machine to give her eyes a break. Next to her however, Sasha was doubled over, cackling.
¡°Oh, it never gets old watching new netrunners get overwhelmed by a massive Ping.¡± She said, still wheezing.
¡°Oh fuck off.¡±
The pair continued their walk around the city, Sasha guiding and developing her protege. Once they returned home, the girls resumed the miniature netrunner battle they had fought the previous day. As expected, the younger of the two lost every time, much to the glee of her friend.
After a few hours of that, the older girl set Sophie a new task. To create her own version of the Ping quickhack. The small girl was finally able to put her basic programming knowledge to work. She found that it was quite enjoyable, more so the previous exercises, even if she did enjoy having fun with Sasha.
To make her own version of the quickhack, she first had to dig through the one she was already using. The problem was the amount of filler code it contained. A brief estimate suggested that more than 90% of the original hack was complete junk.
Sophie began pulling out the actually important parts of the hack, leaving behind the garbage. Once she had all of the components, she could figure out what they did. This part was easy, considering how simple the program actually was.
Once she had it figured out, she put the hack together. It ran smoothly, but the girl noticed an issue. It would only cause problems if she used it in larger areas, but the burgeoning programmer would prefer not to encounter an issue in the first place.
Simply put, the range of the original hack was low. It wasn¡¯t able to stretch over a large area. Trying to ping something across buildings was absolutely impossible. Thus, Sophie had to boost the range. It wasn¡¯t a difficult modification, so it was done fairly quickly. She packaged it and sent the hack to Sasha for feedback.
¡°This is pretty good, considering how new you are.¡± She pointed out a few inconsistencies but the younger girl was quite proud of her first program.
Skill: Programming (Basic) has reached level 2!
Sophie grinned.
29 - Brawler and Chrome
It had been around three months since Sophie began learning netrunning. With the combination of multiple factors, she was able to finish the Amateur Netrunner class in that timeframe.
Amateur Netrunner has reached level 100!
Class: Amateur Netrunner has reached maximum level.
Amateur Netrunner Trait: Enhanced Mind has been unlocked
New Class available!
Trait: Enhanced Mind - All facets of your mind are enhanced, allowing you to process things faster and gain a better memory.
As soon as she got the message, her brain felt like it was set on fire, then frozen, only to continue burning. It was a horrible sensation and the young mercenary was glad she had her Iron Will trait to get through it all. Once the pain faded, it felt as though she was able to see the world in a completely different manner.
The time it took her to make decisions had decreased and when she tried to hack something, it was far faster and smoother than previously. Sophie was sure it would show more advantages in the future.
She had also picked up her next class, Brawler. It was an unarmed focused class and there was one main reason she had chosen it. Vik was an incredibly skilled boxer. After learning from her experience with Sasha that learning from someone can increase how fast a class progresses, she decided to ask Vik for help learning unarmed combat. Sophie figured it might come in handy if she wasn¡¯t able to use her guns for some reason.
Class selected: Brawler
Skills Unlocked: Striking (Basic), Grappling (Basic), Environmental Combat (Basic), Flow
Flow: Lvl.1
Your movements and actions are smoother during combat.
Striking (Basic): Lvl.1
Grants basic knowledge of Striking.
Grappling (Basic): Lvl.1
Grants basic knowledge of Grappling.
Environmental Combat (Basic): Lvl.1
Grants basic knowledge of Environmental Combat.
Flow and Environmental Combat were incredible skills. Admittedly, it would be hard to level up the latter by training with Vik but that just meant she had to invest some time into it during her gigs.
Now, she was being put through her paces by the old boxer. A punch sent her back to the canvas of the boxing ring and she groaned, rubbing her tender nose.
¡°Come on kid, get those hands up next time.¡± Vik motioned for her to get up and she begrudgingly did so. Not even 10 seconds later, she was back on the ground, clutching her stomach in pain. ¡°Hmm. You¡¯re definitely not a boxer.¡± He paused for a moment, ¡°Let me check if I¡¯ve still got those shards.¡± The man wandered off, leaving Sophie to turn and stare at someone desperately trying not to laugh.
¡°Not. A. Word.¡± The younger girl said, staring straight at Sasha, who immediately burst into giggles.
¡°But it was so funny! You kept standing there and then suddenly, wham! You¡¯re on the floor!¡±
¡°Your time will come, Kitten, your time will come.¡±
¡°Hey! Don¡¯t call me that! I¡¯ll be forced to come up with a nickname for you!¡±
¡°Go ahead, try me. I¡¯ll take anything you can throw at me.¡± Sophie flashed her a smug smile. Before the older girl could respond, Vik returned, this time carrying a shard. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.
¡°This is the only one I can find. It¡¯s a martial art called PanzerFaust, designed specifically to combat ¡®borgs. You probably won¡¯t be able to use it properly, considering you¡¯re not a ¡®borg yourself but it might still help. However, you can look at it after. For now, let''s see if I can¡¯t help you develop a better style than boxing. Can¡¯t make any promises though.¡±
¡°That¡¯s fine Vik. I appreciate you teaching me what you know.¡±
¡°Good. Come on, let''s see you throw some punches this time.¡±
-----------------------
The following day, Sophie and Sasha both arrived at Vik¡¯s clinic. It was time for some upgrades, which the younger girl had been looking forward to.
¡°Alright Soph, here¡¯s what I¡¯ve got for you.¡± He waved his hand at the pile of cases, each containing a new piece of chrome. ¡°Firstly, your skeleton. The highest grade Titanium Bones I could get my hands on. They¡¯re extra special because they come with a DNA adjustment. I¡¯ll be taking a few drops of your blood and putting it in them. Once they¡¯re installed, they will grow like normal bones until the height you would naturally reach with your genetics.¡±
Sophie nodded, pricking her finger with the offered needle and dropping the blood into a vial.
¡°What else have you got for me?¡±
¡°Well, as expected, there was a significant amount of military grade chrome that hit the market after the Unification War ended. You¡¯ll be getting a set of lungs that even the NUSA SpecOps wouldn¡¯t ignore. Same thing with your Lynx Paws. Additionally, your ligaments, tendons and ankles will all be replaced. You¡¯ll be able to jump higher, run faster and endure more stress in your legs.¡±
¡°Sounds good doc. Can¡¯t wait to see how good it all feels.¡± She turned to Sasha, ¡°you staying?¡±
¡°I might as well. I¡¯ve still got a heap of netrunning knowledge to cram. I can¡¯t afford to have slacked off when you come begging for more lessons.¡± She smirked at the younger girl, who rolled her eyes in response.
¡°Alright Vik, let¡¯s get to it.¡±
¡°Sure thing kid.¡±
-----------------------
Sophie looked at her new status page as she rested at her apartment. With all the recent improvements, it was the best time to have a look.
Name: Sophie Mortimer
Age: 11
Class: Brawler - Lvl.5
Profession: Engineer - Lvl.20
Traits
Ghost, Thief¡¯s Instinct, Ambidextrous, Recoil Reduction, Structural Intuition, Precision Shooting, Iron Will, Escape Artist, Enhanced Reflexes, Enhanced Mind
Class Skills
Thief¡¯s Hand: Lvl.10, Parkour (Advanced): Lvl.10, Stealth (Advanced): Lvl.10, Thievery (Advanced): Lvl.10, Rapid Reload: Lvl.10, Shooting (Intermediate): Lvl.10, Gun Combat (Intermediate): Lvl.10, Gun Knowledge (Intermediate) Lvl.10, Breach Protocol: Lvl.10, Programming (Basic) Lvl.10, Cyberwarfare (Basic) Lvl.10, Quickhacks (Basic): Lvl.10, Flow: Lvl.2, Striking (Basic): Lvl.2, Grappling (Basic): Lvl.1, Environmental Combat (Basic): Lvl.1
Profession Skills
Problem Solver: Lvl.50, Mechanics (Basic): Lvl.50, Driving (Basic): Lvl.50, Vehicle Combat (Basic): Lvl.50, Designer: Lvl.10, Engineering (Basic): Lvl.10
Cyberware
Chronos Sandevistan: Available (1 short use (5 seconds) per 3 weeks. Further body modifications will increase limit) (God)
Kiroshi Mk.3 Optics (Rare)
Raven¡¯s Claw Cyberarms (Legendary)
Subdermal Armour (Epic)
Militech SpecOps Lungs (Epic)
MoorE Simple Liver (Common)
Titanium Back (Epic)
Titanium Skeleton (Epic)
Reinforced Tendons (Uncommon)
Reinforced Ligaments (Uncommon)
Fortified Ankles (Uncommon)
Soulbound Weapons
Talons (Mythic)
Store: Available
Inventory: 10m x 10m x 10m
M-Coins: 800,000
There were a lot of changes, all of which Sophie was very happy with. The fact her Chronos Sandevistan had once again reduced in cooldown made her incredibly happy. There had been no opportunity to use it since the Barghest incident, something the young girl felt incredibly grateful for.
Her eyes fell on the amount of M-Coins she had. 800,000. I could do quite a bit with that. But I may need them. I¡¯ll keep saving them for now.
She decided to pull out the PanzerFaust shard Vik had given her. She slotted it in, immediately being transported to a small virtual world. In it, a mannequin began to perform the various movements of what Sophie assumed was PanzerFaust. It seemed to revolve very heavily around grappling and manipulating the immense force ¡®borgs could produce.
After watching the demonstrations performed by the mannequin, Sophie went looking for Sasha. As expected, the older girl was lazing around in bed. With her new Lynx Paws helping muffle her footsteps, the thief crept up on the netrunner, who remained painfully oblivious to the girl behind her.
With a shout, Sophie leapt at her prey.
¡°Ah! Sophie! What are you doing?¡±
The thief didn¡¯t reply. Instead, she began trying out some of the non-lethal movements of PanzerFaust, making sure to include a healthy dose of tickling. Sasha immediately broke into a fit of laughter, unable to handle the rapid assault.
¡°I told you that your time would come.¡± The younger girl spoke triumphantly, standing over her defeated friend.
¡°You¡little¡shit!¡± The netrunner spoke between gasps, still trying to get her breath back. Sophie giggled in response.
¡°Wanna come with me to test out my chrome?¡± She said, offering Sasha a hand up.
The cat-like girl¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Absolutely!
-----------------------
The pair found themselves in an abandoned industrial warehouse in Watson. There were plenty of platforms and things that Sophie could climb.
¡°Go!¡± Sasha cheered. The younger girl sped off, her new leg modifications allowing her to reach double her previous maximum speed with ease. Her eyes locked onto a stack of crates and the metal beam above them.
Her new ankles allowed her to skip all of the lower crates, directly taking her to the top of the stack. From there, she was able to leap up and grab the metal beam, quickly pulling herself up. Sophie continued to bounce around the warehouse, far above the ground. Once she felt like enough time had passed, she dropped straight down.
She landed in a crouch, her legs absorbing the impact with ease. The girl ran over to her friend, who was looking at her with shiny eyes.
¡°You have to teach me how to do that! Do you know if Vik¡¯s got any more of the chrome you got?¡±
¡°No idea but I¡¯m sure he¡¯d be able to find it easily enough. Going for the full set of cat abilities?¡±
¡°Yeah! It¡¯d also be really cool to join you when you¡¯re running across the rooftops and stuff. Opens up more possibilities for our jobs too.¡±
¡°Well, let''s go and ask him. I¡¯m supposed to be training with him today anyway.¡±
30 - Apprentice Swordswoman
Finishing the Brawler class took around the same amount of time as the Amateur Netrunner class had, close to three months. With Vik¡¯s teachings and the PanzerFaust shard, it wasn¡¯t too difficult for her to earn levels regularly. Thus, it was time for Sophie to take the last basic class she wanted.
Class selected: Apprentice Swordswoman
Skills Unlocked: Sword Techniques (Basic), Sword Combat (Basic), Footwork (Basic), Quick Step
Quick Step: Lvl.1
You can dodge singular attacks more easily.
Sword Techniques (Basic): Lvl.1
Grants basic knowledge of Sword Techniques.
Sword Combat (Basic): Lvl.1
Grants basic knowledge of Sword Combat.
Footwork (Basic): Lvl.1
Grants basic knowledge of Footwork.
Quick Step sounded like it would be an incredible skill, especially when used against small groups of enemies.
There was also the trait she had gotten from the Brawler class.
Trait: Stable Footing - Your footing is significantly more stable, meaning you are much harder to be knocked off balance (unless you choose to be).
It was a very good trait and it would prove to be immensely useful for her new class.
Sophie was very satisfied by the multitude of skills she was collecting. Obviously, however, her new class needed to be levelled up. In order to take advantage of a mentor bonus, like she had done with Sasha and Vik, the girl was standing outside of a dojo. Specifically, a dojo that Rogue had recommended after being asked.
It was located about halfway up one of the buildings in the City Centre. Whoever ran it clearly had resources, considering the use of actual wood. The design appeared quite traditional from the outside, and neither of the two girls thought it would be any different internally.
¡®Y¡¯know, Soph, I really don¡¯t think I need to be here.¡± Sasha was desperately trying to escape, not looking forward to training alongside her younger friend.
¡°You do. You¡¯re struggling to use those Rippers of yours. They may not be blades but I¡¯m sure the trainer will be able to come up with something. Rogue did recommend this place after all.¡±
The netrunner¡¯s pitiful gaze didn¡¯t faze Sophie, who dragged her inside without a second thought. They were greeted by a receptionist, who guided them to an almost empty room. As suspected, it looked every bit the traditional dojo the pair imagined. Tatami mats covered the floors, there was a small shrine on one wall and multiple weapons adorned another.
In the centre of the room, an older, clearly Japanese man, sat in a seiza position. He wore a black gi and lying across the floor in front of him was a katana.
¡°You are my two new students?¡± He asked quietly.
Sophie bowed, pushing Sasha¡¯s head down as well before speaking. ¡°We are. I am Sophie and this is Sasha.¡±
¡°Hmm. Welcome. You may call me Arakawa Sensei for now. You were sent here by Rogue, yes?¡± His voice had a slight edge of approval, likely at the younger girl¡¯s gesture.
¡°That¡¯s correct, Arakawa Sensei.¡±
¡°And what do you wish to learn from me? I would think Edgerunners such as yourself would prefer more destructive tools.¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
Glancing at her friend, who still seemed unwilling to speak, the younger girl replied again. ¡°I wish to have at least basic mastery of as many different skills as possible. However, I am very interested in learning more about the sword.¡± She nudged Sasha.
¡°I¡¯ve been dragged along. Sophie says I need to learn how to use these,¡± her Rippers appeared, ¡°properly.¡±
¡°I see. I am unfamiliar with the use of such weapons, however I believe I can still assist. However, I will attend to the young one first.¡± As he spoke, Arakawa Sensei stood, returning the katana he had to a space on the wall. A wooden blade that Sophie recognised as a bokken was retrieved. He gestured the young girl forward before presenting her with the practice blade.
She took it, then looked at the man, confused. He didn¡¯t say anything, instead walking around and examining her.
¡°Take any stance you know. Allow me to see what I am working with.¡± The mercenary did as he asked, finding herself in a stance that her basic sword techniques suggested. Immediately, the elderly Japanese man hummed in approval. ¡°This is not bad.¡±
Although he said that, Arakawa Sensei began nudging her feet, adjusting her arms and changing her posture. Once he was done, he spoke again. ¡°This is better for you.¡±
Skill: Sword Techniques has reached level 2!
Sophie didn¡¯t allow any of her surprise to show. Internally, she could feel the small amount of new knowledge click with what Arakawa Sensei had changed in her posture.
¡°Now, perform an attack.¡± She did so, executing a basic downwards slash. The extra level in the Sword Techniques skill allowed her to perform slightly better than she would have beforehand. ¡°That was good. There is much to improve on, but for now you just need to practice your movements.¡± The man ran her through a few more basic manoeuvres, then left her to practise on her own. He turned to Sasha.
¡°Come, demonstrate how you utilise your claws.¡± As he spoke, a wooden post rose from the floor, surprising both girls. ¡°Attack it.¡± The netrunner didn¡¯t need to be prompted. A wild barrage of slashes followed, though they only left faint marks on the post. What the hell is that thing made of!? Considering Rippers were capable of tearing through metal, the lack of damage on the wood was startling.
¡°Alright, stop. I have seen enough. You use your claws like a wild animal. Any inexperienced opponent would fall. Against anyone with a modicum of training however, you will find yourself vulnerable.¡±
The man¡¯s eyes flashed and only a few moments later, the receptionist appeared, carrying a small box. She handed it over before exiting again. Arakawa Sensei opened the box, retrieving ten small objects. He carefully slipped them over his fingers. Once he was finished, both girls could see the small set of claws that adorned his hands.
¡°These are a weapon known as Neko-te. I believe they should serve as a suitable substitute for your own claws. Allow me to demonstrate.¡±
On the same wooden post that Sasha had attacked, the man left several deep grooves as his hands struck rapidly. He finished his demonstration and looked at the netrunner. She was staring at the marks in fascination.
¡°How did you do that?¡± She asked.
¡°You attacked with raw speed. There was little power in your strikes, nor was there precision. Follow my movements with your own.¡± Having said that, the pair of claw users began to move in sync. Meanwhile, Sophie continued her own practice. Once Arakawa Sensei was finished with his demonstration, he began watching and correcting the movements of his new students.
By the time they were done, multiple hours later, both mercs had improved significantly. As they were leaving, their sensei spoke.
¡°You have proven yourselves worthy of being my students. From now on I am your sensei and you will address me as such. I expect you both to return tomorrow.¡±
The girls shot each other a look, then spoke.
¡°¡°Yes Sensei!¡±¡±
-----------------------
While the pair of girls went home, Sophie was intensely questioning her system.
How come I¡¯m almost a fifth of the way through my Apprentice Swordswoman class already? That¡¯s ridiculously fast.
Arakawa Ichiro is considered a ¡®Master¡¯ by the system. His skills with the sword approach the pinnacle of what is achievable in the Cyberpunk 2077 Universe. In addition, he has decades of experience as a teacher, allowing him to impart knowledge and skills to you significantly easier.
This is the first time I¡¯ve heard anything about a ¡®Master¡¯ rank. Can you explain that to me?
¡®Master¡¯ is a rank given to someone that truly understands and utilises their skill effectively. The basic, intermediate and advanced ranks are all focused on providing knowledge and ensuring you understand a skill. The ¡®Master¡¯ rank is about your utilisation and experience of that knowledge.
Like muscle memory?
Correct. Muscle memory of the correct movements is a form of mastery.
Right¡Is there something above ¡®Master¡¯, then?
Above the ¡®Master¡¯ rank is ¡®Grandmaster¡¯. This is a complete and total change of the skill. Often it involves the fusing of multiple skills or the development of a completely unique ability based on the skill in question.
I assume I¡¯m still pretty far off that point then. However, I¡¯m confused. Why didn¡¯t Vik rank as a ¡®Master¡¯ for the ¡®Striking¡¯ skill?
Viktor Vektor focuses entirely on boxing. If he had trained to strike with all parts of the body, he would have mastery over the ¡®Striking¡¯ skill. He does, however, rank as a Master for ¡®Boxing¡¯.
Is that so¡ lots to think about now.
The idea of ¡®Master¡¯ ranked skills was exciting for the young girl. Sadly, they were still quite far away. Instead, she needed to focus on her current situation. ¡°So, what did you think of Sensei?¡±
¡°It was different than I expected. I feel like I¡¯m actually learning proper techniques now. I¡¯ll admit, I was skeptical when you told me about it. Sensei taught me a lot of things so I¡¯m grateful to him. What about you?¡±
¡°He was nice! Having someone teach me things makes everything so much easier to learn. I¡¯m really excited to go back!¡±
¡°You really are strange Soph. You work so hard and you¡¯re so talented at everything. I¡¯m a bit jealous to be honest.¡± The netrunner shot her friend a strange look, one that Sophie returned.
¡°Don¡¯t be. This will probably be the last of my foundational skills. Once I get the basics down, I¡¯ll start improving on them all. If you¡¯re jealous, you just need to do the same. Branch out a bit from what you already know.¡±
¡°Hmm, I guess you¡¯re right. I¡¯ll find something that I¡¯m good at. Can¡¯t let you shoulder everything yourself after all.¡±
Sophie grinned at her partner. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let you be a lazy cat all the time.¡±
31 - Birthday Brawl
Sophie was woken up when an excited cat jumped on her.
¡°Happy birthday Soph!¡± Sasha squealed, hugging her tightly.
¡°Gah!¡± The smaller girl choked, limbs flailing as she desperately tried to escape the hug. ¡°Sasha! Can¡¯t breathe!¡±
¡°Oops! Sorry! Didn¡¯t mean to choke you!¡± Despite her words, the older girl wore a grin. Sophie grumbled in response, shooing her away.
¡°What did you get me up for? Actually, what time is it?¡± When she checked, the mercenary nearly tripped. Her head spun around, staring at the netrunner in horror. ¡°Who are you!? Sasha would never wake up at six in the morning on her own!¡±
¡°Hehe.¡± She smiled sheepishly while scratching her head. ¡°I was just excited for your birthday.¡±
¡°Bah! It¡¯s just another day. No need to celebrate it.¡± That was clearly not the right thing to say.
¡°Nope! We¡¯ve already got plans for today! I had to scrap my original idea because Rogue wants us for a gig. But! After that, everyone is coming over.¡± She paused, ¡°even that bitch Rita.¡±
Sophie could only sigh. The relationship between the two older girls had only gotten worse since the first time they met. Her attempts at mediation had been met with total failure, causing her to give up. ¡°Oh alright. Let me know when we have to leave. I¡¯m gonna get some work done on our bikes in the meantime.¡±
¡°Sure! I¡¯ll come get you when it¡¯s time!¡±
Seriously, why am I the more mature one of us? For the umpteenth time, the younger girl could only resign herself to the immaturity of her roommate.
Once she got down to the garage, she headed straight to the pair of Yaiba Kusanagi CT-3X¡¯s. Sophie hadn¡¯t been able to modify them all in one go, like she had with her Quadra. Instead, it had been a gradual process. Now, however, they were nearly done.
Both bikes had been fitted with a slightly modified engine, courtesy of the engineering knowledge the girl possessed. Admittedly, an extra 1MPH didn¡¯t make much of a difference in the grand scheme of things, but it was still nice. However, the engineer had replaced most of the outer shell with higher quality materials. Unless someone managed to slip a bullet into the internals, the bikes were bulletproof, meaning the two girls didn¡¯t need to worry about them blowing up during a fight.
With the general modifications done, the thief grabbed her painting equipment and got to work.
Obviously, Sophie¡¯s motorcycle received the same paint job as her Quadra. Black with silver highlights was her go-to palette. Sasha¡¯s bike, on the other hand, made the younger girl want to cringe. Just the memory of the request brought out a grimace.
¡®Can you paint mine bright pink? With cat stickers? Please?¡¯ Thus, the cat-mobile was born. Everything was painted pink. Everything, even the tires. Sophie hadn¡¯t even known tire paint was a thing, yet Sasha had gone out and found some. There was one silver lining to it though. When she sent the netrunner a photo of the new paint job, the older girl wasn¡¯t a fan. A call came through.
¡°I think that might be a little bit too much pink.¡±
¡°Oh really? It¡¯s almost like that¡¯s what I said when you asked for it. What do you want me to do with it?¡± Sophie replied with a snort.
¡°Maybe some navy blue? Or black? Sorry for not listening to you earlier.¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll do black, that way it shouldn¡¯t look too bad. I can always change it later.¡±
¡°Thank you! Love ya Soph!¡± The call disconnected, leaving the young mechanic to her work.
She eventually settled on doing all of the internals black, including the tires. The rims remained pink though. After she was done repainting, it was time for the stickers. Sophie covered the whole thing in Hello Kitty stickers that she bought for 5 M-Coins. She could only hope Sasha would like them.
She did. As soon as she saw the bike, the older girl began asking questions about where they came from. Obviously she couldn¡¯t explain but it gave the younger girl a good idea for a present when the netrunner¡¯s birthday came around.
¡°Well? Are you ready to go?¡±
¡°Yep! Can we take the bikes?¡±
¡°Hmm, the paint should have dried already, so sure¡±.
-----------------------
¡°So, what exactly is this gig? I assume it¡¯s something to do with Maelstrom?¡± Her guess was based on the fact they were driving through Northside, home of the borged out psychos.
¡°That''s right! A group of them has been going crazy recently. They¡¯ve been kidnapping anyone they can, including corpo kids. Apparently they¡¯ve split from the main branch of the gang because of all the attention.¡± The holocall fell silent, the sounds of the wind being the only audible noise.
¡°So we¡¯re being sent in to wipe them out?¡±
¡°We¡¯re supposed to eliminate them all and figure out what exactly they¡¯re doing with all of the missing people. If the corpo kids are still alive, we¡¯re supposed to save them too.¡±
¡°Great¡Nothing better than rescuing a bunch of assholes from the cyberpsychos. Do you know how many there are?¡±
¡°According to the intel, there¡¯s a minimum of 20, all heavily chromed. They¡¯re holed up in an empty trainyard.¡±
¡°Fuck me. You finished that hack of yours?¡±
¡°Yep! Not too long ago actually. I¡¯m pretty proud of it¡±.
¡°Well, that¡¯s something at least.¡±
The one thing Sophie had pretty much no experience fighting were chromed out borgs. She wasn¡¯t entirely sure whether or not her Talons would suffice to deal with them, so she was slightly worried about this job.
-----------------------
The two mercs pulled up outside of the trainyard. It was a fairly enclosed space, with only a single, wide entrance. Sadly, they weren¡¯t able to see inside, due to the cargo containers and burnt out train husks.
Sophie entered first, creeping between the cargo containers. Sasha, on the other hand, traversed the tops of the containers, her recently installed Lynx Paws allowing her to move just as quietly. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
Eventually, the younger of the two laid eyes on one of the gangoons. 10 minutes later, she had breached his ICE undetected. Sasha, the more experienced netrunner, piggybacked off Sophie¡¯s entrance to slip in as well. Ping revealed a dense net of connections.
¡°Looks like there are more than 20, huh.¡±
¡°And there¡¯s definitely a ¡®runner. Can see him moving around in the network.¡±
¡°Any chance you can get me his location? I¡¯ll take him down first so you can drop your hack without any obstructions.¡±
¡°Give me a minute, Soph.¡± In that time, the younger netrunner prepared her own quickhack, Overheat. ¡°Got it. He¡¯s on the other side of the trainyard, inside one of the shipping containers. I¡¯ve marked his location for you.¡±
¡°Thanks Kitten. I¡¯ll find a way to get to him.¡±
Ghost activated and Sophie began making her way around the trainyard. Maelstrom¡¯s obsession with spider-like optics proved beneficial to the merc that crept past them. However, she did take note of three individuals and the main area as she made her way to the Maelstrom Codefreak.
¡°Sasha, did the data say anything about these bastards having Centaur exoskeletons? Or the fucking Dragoon that¡¯s standing around?¡±
¡°Huh!? No way! Where did these freaks get gear like that!?¡±
¡°Your guess is as good as mine. The good news though, is that I think I¡¯ve found out what they were doing with all the kidnapped gonks.¡±
¡°Oh? Anyone alive?¡±
¡°No. That¡¯s the bad news. Well, outside of the equipment they¡¯ve got. Looks like they¡¯re performing some kind of ritual? Lot¡¯s of weird chanting and the ground is painted with blood.¡± Sophie looked closer, then realised she had a vague recollection of something similar that occurred in 2077. ¡°Fuck me. They¡¯re trying to summon something from beyond the Blackwall!¡±
¡°Shit! Soph, you need to drop that ¡®runner fast! We can¡¯t let them succeed!¡±
¡°On it!¡± The girl raced towards the netrunner¡¯s location, no longer caring if she was discovered. In only a couple of seconds, she managed to cover the remaining distance to the enemy netrunner. When she laid eyes on him however, the merc stopped dead in her tracks.
Her target, the Maelstrom Codefreak, lay dead in his netrunning chair. His entire body was charred and smoking, as though he had been put in an oven for slightly too long.
¡°Hahahahahehehehehe!¡± A mad laugh erupted behind her. Turning, she watched as the Dragoon, previously standing still, began to move. The creepy laughter continued and a chill ran down Sophie¡¯s spine.
¡°What was that laugh Soph?¡±
¡°I was too late. Whatever they were trying to summon, it¡¯s here and inside the Dragoon body.¡± She paused briefly. ¡°You need to fry as many of them as you can, Sasha.¡±
¡°Got it. Once I Short Circuit them, upload Overheat as well. If you can hold off the big guys, I should be able to neutralise all of the regular gangers before joining you.¡±
¡°Sounds good. Let me know when you¡¯re done.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve already done it. Most of them are infected. Overheat them, quickly!¡±
Sophie didn¡¯t need to be told twice. Calling on her basic netrunning abilities, the girl dropped an Overheat quickhack into the Maelstrom local net. At the same time, Sasha¡¯s Short Circuit triggered.
In an instant, all of the Maelstrom goons within the merc¡¯s field of view began spasming. Their implants discharged massive amounts of electricity, generating numerous pained screams. Not long after, the Overheat hack began, further damaging all of the goons. The only enemies that seemed to be mostly unaffected were the two centaurs and the Dragoon.
¡°Little bugs! You dare to disturb the great Queen Lilith¡¯s arrival!? Minions! Attack!¡± I knew it! It¡¯s the same insane AI from that one cyberpsycho hunt in the game! Unfortunately, Sophie didn¡¯t get much of a chance to think about it.
The pair of Centaurs began firing their thermal weapons indiscriminately. The heat waves burned holes through cargo containers and even some of the incapacitated Maelstromers. The young girl had to duck and weave under several heat waves. Fortunately for her, the centaur exoskeleton had a major flaw.
After several shots were fired from the thermal weapon, the exoskeleton would overheat, leaving the occupant vulnerable. She would likely only be able to take out one of them before drawing the attention of the crazed AI but it would be worth it.
Sophie watched as one of the Centaurs stopped moving and immediately took the opportunity. She fired multiple shots from one of her Talons, unsure whether a single bullet would do the job. Ultimately, it did. The head of her target exploded, bringing a brief smile to the girl¡¯s face.
¡°Found you!¡± The AI screeched. A miniature machine gun appeared on the Dragoons arm, whirring up before spitting bullets in Sophie¡¯s direction.
¡°Motherfucker! Sasha! How long until you get here!?¡±
¡°I¡¯m almost there! Just hold on a little longer!¡±
¡°I¡¯m trying, dammit! When you get here, keep the centaur busy! I¡¯ll find a way to handle the Dragoon!¡±
There was no more time for conversation. A barrage of heat waves and bullets assaulted the girl¡¯s position, forcing her to change positions. She attempted to hack the Dragoon but was batted away by the extreme ICE it possessed.
Fuck, this is bad. Really bad. An AI can calculate where I am, it doesn¡¯t even need to see me. While she was trying to plan, heavy thuds entered her ears. Only a second later, the massive Dragoon body appeared in front of her. She paled, quickly crossing her adamantium arms in front of her.
The punch that hit her smashed her across the trainyard. She was able to twist herself and land on her feet but there were still aches across her body. If that thing hits me, I¡¯m toast. At least my arms can withstand those attacks. And thank god I got my bones replaced.
¡°Sophie! I¡¯m done! I¡¯ll drag the Centaur away, just be careful!¡±
¡°You too! Those heat waves are crazy dangerous, so make sure to let it overheat before you try anything!¡±
With Sasha distracting the centaur, Sophie was able to focus entirely on the AI-piloted Dragoon.
Alright Soph, what do I know about this thing? The AI can calculate my position, but I¡¯m sure Ghost will still help. It has a machine gun mounted on one arm, but the other three limbs are unaccounted for. The body itself will be extremely hard to damage and pain won¡¯t do anything. Netrunning, at least at my level, also isn¡¯t doing anything. As she thought about the situation, she was able to figure out that it was truly dangerous.
¡°First, I need to either get rid of that machine gun or find out what other weapon systems the bitch has.¡± She spoke quietly to herself as she made her plan.
¡°Insect! Let me squash you!¡± The AI¡¯s ravings continued, as did the steady stream of bullets coming from the machine gun. Sophie¡¯s eyes lit up as she watched the belt fed gun. It was connected to a box on the back of the Dragoon body. If I can shoot that, maybe I can trigger an explosion?
¡°Hey psycho! Come and get me!¡± She shouted at her opponent, who immediately took the bait. Thank god it¡¯s insane! It¡¯s not as smart as it should be. The massive metal frame careered towards her. At the last possible second, she slipped out of the way. As the Dragoon missed her, she locked onto the ammo storage on its back. A bullet from her Talon pierced it, instantly detonating all of the stored ammunition.
The resulting explosion engulfed the metal monster in a cloud of fire and smoke, but Sophie wasn¡¯t about to let up. Instead, she managed to fire three more bullets. The fourth bullet that she fired in a row carved a massive chunk off of the Dragoon¡¯s body due to her Talon¡¯s special ability. Specifically, the arm that carried the machine gun was blown clean off.
Nice!
¡°Arghhh! I¡¯ll kill you!¡± As it said that, the Dragoon¡¯s remaining arm sprouted a sinister looking mantis blade. It leapt at the mercenary, attempting to slice her in half. Sophie ducked away, though the blade drew a line across her cheek. Lilith had clearly determined a close-quarters battle was the more appropriate choice as it refused to let her disengage.
Considering her less than ideal hand-to-hand skills, all the girl could do was defend against the incoming attacks. It was made even harder when a pair of blades sprouted from the Dragoon¡¯s legs. At that point, she was desperately dodging, waiting for an opening.
A brief opening appeared amidst the onslaught, but that was all she needed. Her left arm came up, catching the arm-mounted mantis blade. The immense force of the attack met the unbreakable adamantium, cleanly snapping the weapon. The damage caused Lilith to roar, clearly infuriated by the loss of another weapon.
Sophie was forced to dodge two kicks. Taking advantage of her movement, the AI lashed out with a punch. The girl was able to block it, just like the previous one. However, she was once again sent flying.
This time, she was thrown all the way out of the trainyard, in full view of the public. The upside was that a significant distance had been created, which the merc took advantage of. Both of her Talons were raised, firing in sync.
She first targeted one of the legs in an effort to reduce the Dragoon¡¯s mobility. It took a few shots but the leg came off. The AI staggered, struggling to stand on a single leg. Sophie then took aim at the second arm, wanting to remove one of Lilith¡¯s remaining weapons. It too, was blown off. The girl breathed a sigh of relief.
¡°You disgusting insect! How dare you do this to me, the great Queen Lilith! I will have my revenge!¡±
¡°Shut the fuck up! Crazy AI bitch! Go rot behind the Blackwall!¡± She fired bullet after bullet into the Dragoon body until it finally went still, a great cloud of smoke erupting when the internal battery was destroyed. Finally, it¡¯s ove-Sasha! Fuck!
Sophie raced off, though she didn¡¯t forget to store the broken Dragoon in her inventory. She could learn a lot from studying it, even if it was extremely damaged.
-----------------------
The girl watched in shock as someone flew out of the old, abandoned trainyard. They landed, allowing her to witness as they fired on a giant, black ¡®borg. The bullets tore the metal monster apart.
The following execution of the cyborg garnered an excited gasp from the girl. ¡°Holy shit! That was fuckin¡¯ nova!¡± Unfortunately, the smoke that erupted from the dead monster obscured her view. When it was gone, both the corpse and the killer had vanished. Obviously, she didn¡¯t linger.
¡°I''ve got to tell bro about this!¡± With that thought in mind, the girl scampered away.
-----------------------
It turned out Sasha had managed to deal with the remaining Centaur by herself, taking advantage of her quickhacks and the overheating nature of the thermal weapon. With all of the hostiles dead, the investigation began.
When the two girls performed a closer inspection of the ritual site, they struggled to keep themselves from vomiting.
¡°Fucking sickos.¡± Sasha¡¯s words were met with agreement from her partner.
¡°Even for Maelstrom¡This is disgusting.¡± The area was covered in blood, haphazardly splashed around in the vague form of a pentagram. The worst bit however, was the body parts, scattered around in piles. Children, elderly and adults, nobody had been spared. The two mercs suspected at least 50 people had been chopped apart.
The only thing they found was a computer. Inside, the details on ¡®Queen Lilith¡¯ were stored. Obviously the device was wiped clean, then destroyed. The girls could only hope that the device held the only copy of the data.
¡°Alright, I¡¯m sending Rogue our report. That should be enough to close the gig.¡± Sophie spoke softly, aware that Sasha was struggling after witnessing such a brutal scene for the first time.
¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s go home, right?¡± The netrunner gave a weak grin when she replied.
32 - Samurai
Sophie examined her recent class progress while she took a break from sparring with Sasha.
Class: Samurai - Lvl.40
Skills
Sword Techniques (Intermediate): Lvl.4
Sword Combat (Intermediate): Lvl.4
Footwork (Intermediate): Lvl.4
Dodge: Lvl.4
A few weeks prior to her birthday, she had finished the Apprentice Swordswoman class, immediately picking the direct upgrade, Samurai. Her training under Arakawa Sensei had provided a massive boost to her progress. The trait that she had received from the first sword-focused class was also incredible.
Trait: Quick Attacks - All bladed attacks are faster.
The trait sounded simple but it proved it¡¯s worth everytime she trained. I¡¯m growing, even if it is rather slow.
¡°Alright girls, take your places again.¡± Sensei¡¯s voice pulled Sophie from her thoughts as she hurried back to the centre of the room. Sasha did the same, the pair of mercs standing across from each other.
¡°Begin.¡±
Sophie moved first, stepping forward with her katana in a smooth arc aimed at Sasha¡¯s side. The older girl deflected it with a swift flick of her Rippers, the sharp clang of metal against metal ringing out. She immediately countered with a piercing thrust, her claws closing in on Sophie¡¯s midsection.
She twisted to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack. ¡°Not bad,¡± she said, a faint smirk tugging at her lips.
Sasha grinned. ¡°Don¡¯t give me that, shorty. I only missed because you¡¯re so small.¡±
The netrunner darted forward, her claws cutting through the air in a series of wild strikes. Sophie parried each attack, her blade moving fluidly despite the intensity. The sound of clashing metal filled the air as they exchanged blows.
¡°Go on the offensive, Sophie,¡± Sensei said from the side. ¡°Your movements are clean, but you¡¯re relying too much on evasion. Use your footwork not just for defence but also to attack. Control the space, not just escape it.¡±
¡°Got it,¡± Sophie replied, stepping back and taking up a different stance.
Sasha grinned at her. ¡°Come on, Sophie. Don¡¯t make me look too good in front of Sensei.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll be on your ass soon,¡± Sophie shot back, lunging forward with a quick overhead slash.
The blade swept toward Sasha¡¯s shoulder, but she dropped to all fours, like a cat and narrowly dodged it. She lunged, countering with an upward swipe of her claws. Sophie sidestepped, twisting her body to avoid the strike, and brought her katana down in a diagonal slash.
¡°Better,¡± Sensei said, nodding at Sophie¡¯s adjustment. He turned to Sasha. ¡°Sasha, your aggression is effective, but you overcommit. Stop committing so much to your offensive. Focus on finding a balance between offense and evasion.¡±
¡°Balance, huh?¡± Sasha muttered, straightening up for a moment.
¡°Come on kitty, where¡¯s all your energy?¡± Sophie prodded, grinning as she tried to rile her sparring partner up.
Sasha gave her a playful glare. ¡°Oh I¡¯m so gonna get you.¡±
¡°Looking forward to it.¡±
Sensei¡¯s voice cut through their banter. ¡°Enough talking. Continue.¡±
With a nod, they began their clash anew. This time, Sasha shifted her movements, feinting more often and using her longer reach to probe Sophie¡¯s defenses. Sophie adapted to the change, keeping her movements tight. Every attack was deflected and countered with precision.
The older girl lunged again, her claws aimed low at Sophie¡¯s legs. Sophie jumped back, twisting mid-air to bring her katana down in a sweeping arc. Sasha rolled to the side, narrowly evading the blade, and sprang up with a quick jab that Sophie deflected just in time.
¡°What a trickster. You got pretty close there,¡± Sophie said between breaths.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
¡°I¡¯ll get you soon. You won¡¯t be able to escape these claws.¡± Sasha replied, grinning despite the sweat on her brow.
Their sparring session ended when Sophie managed to trap Sasha¡¯s claws with her blade, holding it steady against Sasha¡¯s forearm. Both froze, breathing hard but smiling.
Sensei stepped forward, gesturing for them to lower their weapons. ¡°Good. Sophie, your movements have improved but you stay on the defensive too much. Attack and evade more while being ready to counter without hesitation.¡±
¡°Understood,¡± Sophie said, nodding as she loosely held the katana in her hand.
Sensei turned to Sasha. ¡°Your speed and offense is commendable, but you still lack control. You continue to waste too much energy in your attacks. Focus on conserving your movement and not overcommitting.¡±
Sasha sighed but nodded. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll definitely win the next spar.¡±
Sophie chuckled as she sheathed her blade. ¡°Sure you will. Want me to stand still, give you a free attack?¡±
¡°Funny,¡± Sasha retorted, retracting her claws. ¡°I¡¯ll remember that when I¡¯m the one standing over you.¡±
Sensei raised an eyebrow. ¡°If you¡¯re done jesting, perhaps you¡¯d both like to face me? You may, of course, attack together.¡±
Both girls exchanged a glance, and Sophie grinned. ¡°I¡¯m game.¡±
Sasha groaned, rolling her neck. ¡°Alright, alright. Just don¡¯t get too cocky, shorty. We both know Sensei is stupidly skilled.¡±
Though neither of the girls had sparred against their sensei, they were more than aware of how skilled he was considering how quickly they had grown in such little time.
-----------------------
The dojo was silent, a tense atmosphere pervading the space. Sensei stood in the center, a katana in one hand and a wakizashi in the other, his face expressionless. Sophie and Sasha stood opposite him, their weapons ready.
Sophie gripped her blade tightly, fidgeting slightly. Sasha flexed her fingers, tipped by her Rippers. Her body was low to the ground, a position that allowed her to burst into movement immediately. Both girls were very much aware of the difference in skill between them and their master.
Sensei studied their stances, then spoke. ¡°Begin.¡±
Sophie made the first move, using her footwork to perform a quick slash aimed at Sensei¡¯s shoulder. The strike was precise but lacked the speed to catch him off guard. With a flick of his katana, he deflected the blade, redirecting it harmlessly to the side.
Sasha used the opening to dart in from the flank, her claws slashing in a tight arc toward his ribs. Sensei pivoted smoothly, his wakizashi meeting her claws in a sharp clash. Sparks flew as he twisted his wrist, pushing her off balance.
He didn¡¯t press the advantage, instead stepping back to avoid a sweeping blade, courtesy of the younger girl. His calm composure didn¡¯t break in the slightest, something that slightly unnerved his two students.
Sophie adjusted her footing after the failed attack, narrowing her eyes. She lunged again, this time feinting high before bringing her blade low. Sensei didn¡¯t fall for it. He sidestepped the attack and countered with a precise strike aimed at her side. Sophie barely managed to parry, though her arms were more than capable of withstanding the force of the blow.
Sasha circled behind him during the clash. She launched herself forward, aiming to strike his back with a piercing thrust, but Sensei spun, his wakizashi intercepting her mid-swing. His katana moved in tandem, pushing Sophie back as he kept both opponents at bay.
The spar heated up, both girls becoming more intense in their actions. Sophie¡¯s blade traced sharp arcs through the air, testing the older man¡¯s defense from different angles. Sasha¡¯s claws glinted in the dojo¡¯s dull light, the vicious weapons constantly seeking a blindspot.
Unfortunately, Sensei deflected every attack with ease. The dual blades moved in sync. His katana parried Sophie¡¯s strikes, while his wakizashi tangled with Sasha¡¯s relentless claws.
Sophie gradually began to feel the exhaustion however her synthetic lungs were doing an excellent job of supplying her with oxygen. Every time she thought she had an advantage, Sensei closed the gap with a precise counter or a step that threw off her rhythm.
It was even worse for Sasha, who didn¡¯t possess the kind of chrome her younger partner did. Still, she pushed harder, her claws continuing to strike swiftly. She dropped low, aiming a slash at his legs, but Sensei stepped back, the katana coming down in a swift slash that threatened to remove her head. The netrunner was able to twist away just in time, her Rippers sparking against the floor as she regained her balance.
Sensei¡¯s voice broke the silence, completely calm despite the fact he was battling two of his students at once. He even had time to comment. ¡°You¡¯re both doing too much on your own. Coordinate your attacks if you wish for me to take you seriously.¡±
Sasha locked eyes with Sophie, who gave her a small nod. They moved together this time, each coming at their teacher from a different angle
Sophie struck high while Sasha aimed low, forcing Sensei to split his attention. For a moment, it seemed they might overwhelm him. But then his wakizashi deflected Sasha¡¯s claws with a sharp clang, and his katana twisted to knock Sophie¡¯s blade wide.
¡°Better,¡± he said, stepping back to create distance.
Sophie adjusted her grip, her mind racing through the knowledge at her fingertips. Brute force wouldn¡¯t work, but neither would their technique. Sensei¡¯s experience outmatched theirs by decades, maybe more and it was he who had trained the pair.
The younger merc shifted her stance subtly, changing her positioning to invite an attack. Sensei¡¯s eyes flickered with recognition, but he didn¡¯t take the bait. Instead, he advanced quickly, his blade slicing through the air in a heavy downwards slash. Sophie responded with a parry, only to find herself forced to dodge a follow-up strike from his wakizashi.
Sasha capitalized on the distraction, launching herself at him with both claws slashing in an ¡®X¡¯ shape. Sensei met her head-on, his katana sweeping low to disrupt her charge while his wakizashi turned her claws aside.
For the two girls, time felt like it stretched endlessly as the spar continued. Sophie¡¯s organic muscles burned, but she refused to let up. Each strike became more careful, her focus narrowing as she sought to find any weakness in Sensei¡¯s defense.
Sasha¡¯s approach, too, changed. She incorporated more feints, and her attacks stopped being so intense. Instead, the older girl darted in and out like a predator testing its prey.
Still, Sensei held the upper hand. With such a long time spent honing his craft, it was no surprise. For his two opponents, it felt as if the man was an impenetrable wall. Only by working together were they able to achieve anything, yet any time he turned to the offense, they struggled to survive the onslaught.
In a sudden movement, the man executed a rapid attack against the younger girl. His katana sliced toward Sophie in a wide arc. She barely blocked it, only for his wakizashi to follow immediately, forcing her to retreat.
Sasha stepped in to cover her, her claws swiping at his midsection. Sensei parried with his wakizashi and spun, his katana coming down in a controlled strike that stopped just short of her shoulder.
¡°Enough,¡± he said, stepping back and sheathing his blades.
Sophie and Sasha both lowered their weapons, breathing heavily despite the relatively short spar.
¡°You¡¯ve both improved significantly,¡± Sensei said, his tone steady. ¡°But you still lack harmony in your movements. When faced with a single foe, you must work together perfectly in order to truly oppose them.¡±
Sophie nodded, wiping sweat from her brow. ¡°Got it.¡±
Sasha smirked faintly, despite her exhaustion. ¡°We¡¯ll get there.¡±
Sensei gave a small nod. ¡°Good. Rest for now. In the next lesson we will repeat this exercise. I expect to see improvements, otherwise I will not be so forgiving.¡±
By the time the girls left, Sasha was complaining about her lack of endurance, making the decision to chip in a set of synthetic lungs, similar to the ones Sophie had. Of course, the younger girl was very happy her best friend was making that choice.
¡°Let¡¯s go see Vik! He might have something already.¡±
¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go Soph.¡±
33 - Time Passes
Time flew by with the city being fairly quiet. Two years later, Sophie was lounging around in her apartment, waiting for Sasha to return with dinner. While she waited, the girl looked over all of the progress she had made in the last few years.
Name: Sophie Mortimer
Age: 14
Class: Bladerunner - Lvl.85
Profession: Mechanical Engineer - Lvl.20
Traits
Ghost, Thief¡¯s Instinct, Ambidextrous, Recoil Reduction, Structural Intuition, Precision Shooting, Iron Will, Escape Artist, Enhanced Reflexes, Enhanced Mind, Parry, Durable Creations, Quickdraw
Class Skills
Thief¡¯s Hand: Lvl.10, Parkour (Advanced): Lvl.10, Stealth (Advanced): Lvl.10, Thievery (Advanced): Lvl.10, Magic Magazines: Lvl.10, Shooting (Advanced): Lvl.10, Gun Combat (Advanced): Lvl.10, Gun Knowledge (Advanced) Lvl.10, Breach Protocol: Lvl.10, Programming (Basic) Lvl.10, Cyberwarfare (Basic) Lvl.10, Quickhacks (Basic): Lvl.10, Flow: Lvl.10, Striking (Basic): Lvl.10, Grappling (Basic): Lvl.10, Environmental Combat (Basic): Lvl.10, Evasion: Lvl.8, Sword Techniques (Advanced): Lvl.8, Sword Combat (Advanced): Lvl.8, Footwork (Advanced): Lvl.8
Profession Skills
Problem Solver: Lvl.50, Mechanics (Intermediate): Lvl.10, Driving (Basic): Lvl.50, Vehicle Combat (Basic): Lvl.50, Designer: Lvl.10, Engineering (Intermediate): Lvl.10
Cyberware
Chronos Sandevistan: Available (1 short use (7 seconds) per 2 weeks. Further body modifications will increase limit) (God)
Kiroshi Mk.3 Optics (Rare)
Raven¡¯s Claw Cyberarms (Legendary)
Subdermal Armour (Epic)
Militech SpecOps Lungs (Epic)
MoorE Simple Liver (Common)
Titanium Back (Epic)
Reinforced Tendons (Uncommon)
Reinforced Ligaments (Uncommon)
Fortified Ankles (Uncommon)
Soulbound Weapons
Talons (Mythic)
Store: Available
Inventory: 10m x 10m x 10m
M-Coins: 2,000,000
Samurai had been finished fairly easily, after which she took up the Gunslinger class, the advanced upgrade to Markswoman. It was easily the longest class she had ever trained in, mostly because she didn¡¯t have any kind of boost like a teacher. Once she finished it, she picked up Bladerunner, the advanced version of Samurai. It was a requirement for the first combined class she would take after all.
Class: Assassin
Requirements: 1 Advanced Stealth Class (Completed), 2 Advanced Combat Classes (1/2)
Obviously finishing those classes provided the corresponding traits.
Trait: Parry - You are incredibly skilled at parrying incoming attacks.
Trait: Quickdraw - Massively increases the speed at which you can draw any weapon.
Trait: Durable Creations - You are skilled at ensuring all creations are more durable.
The final trait came from the Engineer profession, which she had also completed, taking up the Mechanical Engineer profession afterwards.
Sophie¡¯s eyes turned to the large number of M-Coins she possessed. Constant jobs from Rogue had provided her a steady stream of the system currency, however she still had no idea what to use them on. There was a niggling sensation in the back of her mind, telling her to hoard them in case of an emergency. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Sasha¡¯s arrival. The older girl walked in holding a box of takeaway.
¡°I¡¯m back! I got all our favourites!¡± As she spoke, the girl dropped her package on the table.
¡°Nice!¡± Sophie opened the box, revealing a few boxes of noodles and some skewers. They were nothing special but they were far better than most of the street food in Night City.
As they ate, the girls chatted about the progress they had made in their respective fields. Sasha had been hard at work over the years, building up her netrunning skills. In fact, the system was very close to recognising her as a Master in netrunning.
¡°I¡¯ve managed to create a program that will trigger involuntary movements so far. It¡¯s my first step to creating a proper Suicide hack.¡±
¡°That¡¯s honestly pretty scary. Just remember not to share it around. We don¡¯t need random runners forcing people to blow their own brains out.¡±
¡°Bah! I wouldn¡¯t show it to anyone. You¡¯re the only one that knows what I¡¯m doing anyway.¡±
¡°True. Oh?¡± The conversation was interrupted when Sophie received a call. ¡°Rogue? What¡¯s up?¡±
¡°Sophie,¡± the fixer greeted. ¡°I need your skills. Come see me as soon as possible.¡± The call cut out, leaving behind a bewildered merc.
¡°Right¡I guess we have to go see the boss.¡±
¡°Huh? Why?¡±
¡°No idea. She didn¡¯t give me any details, just told us to go see her asap.¡± Sasha shoveled a final mouthful of noodles into her mouth before standing up.
¡°Let¡¯s go then!¡±
-----------------------
The two mercenaries headed straight for Rogue¡¯s booth once they reached the Afterlife. Nobody batted an eye, even at Sophie, when they walked past. Two years had allowed the pair to develop a significant reputation, largely due to the trail of corpses they left behind. The sight of the younger girl¡¯s signature menpo now actually meant something to many of the city¡¯s mercs.
¡°Good, you¡¯re here,¡± said Rogue, throwing them a data shard each. ¡°Check the detes.¡± Both slotted the shard, beginning to read through the info.
Dozens of missing mercs? All across the city too. No bodies were found either. No connections between them. This doesn¡¯t actually tell me much. ¡°Can you tell me anything else?¡±
¡°The first crew, a group of six, went missing over a month ago while on a job related to Militech. I received no communication from them and assumed they were dead. A few days later, I gave a similar job to a different group. They went missing too.¡± Rogue rubbed her temples as she explained.
¡°That doesn¡¯t explain the numbers.¡± The woman sighed.
¡°I sent out multiple crews afterwards. One of them took a Militech related job while the other two investigated what happened to the missing crews. All of them disappeared as well. After that, well¡every crew I¡¯ve sent out has gone missing. I¡¯ve had to stop sending out groups of more than three people.¡±
¡°Okay, so what exactly are you wanting Sasha and I to do?¡±
¡°I trust you both are able to defend yourselves. Investigate the disappearances, see if you can find a culprit. If you can find the missing mercs, let me know.¡±
¡°What do you want done with the culprit,¡± Sasha cut in, having finally finished reading the data.
¡°Inform me. I¡¯ll make a decision based on who it is.¡±
The two mercs looked at each other. ¡°We¡¯ll get going then. Talk later, Rogue.¡±
New Mission
Identify and locate the person/people behind the disappearances of the mercenaries. Bonus rewards for discovering what happened to them.
Difficulty: Hard
Rewards: 10,000 M-Coins, 100,000 Eurodollars, Crow Optics (Epic)
Bonus Rewards: Custom Talon Holsters
-----------------------
Their first stop was the apartments that belonged to the original missing mercs. Considering there were six to check, the girls split up. It was only at the final apartment Sophie checked that she found a clue. The whole place was a mess.
¡°Sasha, I¡¯ve got something here. Come over when you can.¡±
¡°Got it. I¡¯ll be there soon.¡±
The call cut off, leaving the mercenary to examine the apartment. Most notable was the significant damage done to the walls. Bullet holes and blast marks covered every side of the room, a clear sign that whatever happened was not peaceful.
These shell casings look familiar. Militech branded¡Ajax¡¯s? All of the shells she was looking at were at the entrance of the apartment, suggesting it was the Ajax wielders that attacked. On the other side of the room however, a random mess of bullet casings and blood splatters were present. It suggested that the merc who lived in the apartment wasn¡¯t alone, possibly with the rest of their crew.
Right. A group burst in, launching their attack. The mercs fought back but must have been overwhelmed by the ambush. There¡¯s no bodies though. Either the mercs were taken or they escaped¡I doubt it¡¯s the latter.
Sophie continued to look around the room but wasn¡¯t able to find much, only surprised at the massive amount of firepower used to deal with the mercenaries.
¡°Sophie! I¡¯m here!¡± Sasha¡¯s voice carried over to the younger girl, who stood and wandered over to her. ¡°What have you found?¡±
¡°Not much, sadly. Looks like these guys were kidnapped. Only clue I can find is these Militech casings. Think you could check the cams, see if they left any traces there?¡±
¡°Sounds good,¡± she paused. ¡°If they¡¯re this professional though, don¡¯t expect much. They probably had a runner with them.¡±
¡°I know, but we still have to check.¡±
Unfortunately, a thorough sweep of the building and street cameras revealed that all the footage had been wiped, leaving the two girls with nothing.
¡°What do you think? Move on?¡±
¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s go check out the places that these crews were for the gigs, then we can check the apartments.¡±
¡°You think they were grabbed while on the job?¡±
¡°That¡¯s where I would do it, personally. Much harder to find clues in a place that¡¯s been so heavily damaged by combat. It would also explain the lack of contact with Rogue. They just never got the chance.¡±
-----------------------
One of their stops was in Santo Domingo, where a crew Rogue had sent out was hired to eliminate a group of 6th Street members. That was a few weeks prior. Thus, when the girls got to the location of the battle, it wasn¡¯t surprising that the scene had been pretty heavily disturbed.
¡°Alright, I¡¯ll have a look around. Get into the cams around here, see if you can find something. If you find anything suspicious, send it through.¡±
¡°Got it. Can I get you a drink with that?¡±
¡°Oh fuck off, Kitten. You know what I meant.¡±
34 - Gig: Investigation (Part 1)
Sasha wandered off, searching for an access point into the surveillance systems. Sophie, on the other hand, began scanning the area using her optics.
Unfortunately, there was a massive amount of additional tracks, making it much harder for the younger merc to actually find anything. However, even though it was hard, she was able to discover a few things.
The very first thing she was able to find was the exact same bullet casings as the ones at the apartment. Someone or multiple people were using an Ajax here. All with the same Militech branded shells too. Obviously, she also found a number of other random bullet casings. Revolver cylinders, shotgun shells and¡more rifle casings. Are these from the mercs? 6th Street? Older, maybe.
¡°The Ajax use here might just be a coincidence,¡± she muttered. Sophie turned her attention to footprints, hoping she might find something odd. To her surprise, she did. Six different footprint sizes, but all with the same patterns. Two women, four men, unless some of the men have identical feet sizes. Maybe more than six then. All found around the area with the Ajax casings too¡Well, it¡¯s certainly a clue, but it doesn¡¯t really help me all that much.
¡°Even the footprints might not be accurate. They¡¯re pretty scuffed after all. If the mercs have been kidnapped, there must have been a getaway vehicle. I¡¯ll look for tire tracks then.¡±
She began scanning the nearby roads with her optics, looking for tracks that would belong to a large, heavy vehicle. Something like a Behemoth would make sense. Heavily armoured and large enough to transport multiple unconscious mercs. However, her search came up with nothing. Sophie continued to examine the area, hoping she would spot something that¡¯d give her a clue. As she searched, her interface lit up.
¡°Sasha? What¡¯s up? Have you found something?¡±
¡°Not sure. The cameras all around here were blinded when the mercs went missing. Oddly though, the audio is still available. I¡¯m sending you through something now, dated for the time our missing mercs were completing their job.¡± The data came through and the younger girl listened carefully.
There was a large amount of gunfire. Once it died down however, there was an odd whooshing noise. It stopped and more gunfire erupted. Sounds like an bunch of Ajax¡¯s. It stopped and then a minute or two later, the whooshing sound reappeared.
¡°So they were ambushed after the battle with 6th Street. But what was with that sound? Any thoughts?¡±
¡°Well, it definitely wasn¡¯t a vehicle. It did sound familiar though. Outside of that? No idea.¡±
While Sophie stood in thought, an AV flew overhead. Normally that wouldn¡¯t have mattered, it was a fairly normal thing in Night City. What drew the girl¡¯s attention, however, was the sound.
¡°It was an AV! The kidnappers arrived in an AV and left the same way, taking the mercs with them. It would explain the lack of tire tracks as well.¡± She paused. ¡°Motherfucker! How are we meant to track an AV!?¡±
¡°I think the bigger issue is who. A group that uses an AV for their missions has to have some pretty powerful backers. It¡¯s either a megacorp or a group backed by one.¡±
¡°You¡¯re right. Still, we have to find them at least. You know of any way to track an AV?¡± Sasha thought about it for a moment.
¡°I can think of a couple of ways, but they¡¯re all extremely time consuming. I think it¡¯d be better to contact Rogue. I¡¯m sure she¡¯d have a better idea.¡±
Sophie did exactly that, quickly ringing the fixer.
¡°You have something for me?¡± The woman said impatiently.
¡°Not yet. We need to know how to track an AV.¡±
¡°All AV¡¯s, at least the legal ones, have to be tracked. All of the flight data is stored at NC Aerial Control. Sending you the location now,¡± a pause. ¡°Do you suspect an AV was involved?¡±
¡°Yeah, it¡¯s the biggest clue we have right now.¡±
¡°I see. Report back when you have more info.¡±
¡°Thanks Rogue. Speak soon.¡± The call cut off, leaving Sophie to check the location of the Aerial Control facility. She made her way over to her Raven. Sasha joined her and the pair headed towards the City Centre.
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-----------------------
The Night City Aerial Control (NCAC) facility remained lit, even in the early hours of the morning. However, the lights from inside, spilling out onto the surroundings, created a rather sinister and shadowy feel. The place was important which meant there was a heavy guard presence. Most important corpo reps travel by AV. Night Corp simply couldn¡¯t leave much to chance when it came to air traffic control.
Sophie crouched on a rooftop across the street, her optics observing the facility''s entrances and guard patrols. Sasha was beside her, also examining the building.
¡°Security is tight,¡± Sophie muttered. ¡°Guards everywhere, overlapping cameras... It¡¯s gonna be difficult to get in. You stay out here, get into the network and guide me where I need to go. Sound good?¡±
¡°Not possible this time. If we want that data, I need to get it myself. You don¡¯t have the skills to extract the data silently yet.¡± Sophie sighed.
¡°Alright, but make sure you follow my lead.¡±
Sasha smirked, ¡°let¡¯s move.¡±
The pair descended to street level, darting across the road and into the shadows of the facility. They reached the electric fence that surrounded the building and made their way to a specific spot. Sophie had found a perfect section of the fence, an area where the patrols didn¡¯t overlap perfectly and there were no cameras.
Sasha got to work, finding a control panel for the electric current running through the fence. Unfortunately, it was some distance away and impossible to reach. Sophie looked around, her gaze eventually settling on an overhead streetlight. With a small running start, the girl leapt upwards, her reinforced ankles allowing her to jump significantly higher than normal. Her limbs wrapped themselves around the pole and she shimmied up.
Once she had pulled herself on top of the streetlight, Sophie sprung over the electrical fence, rolling twice to dissipate the momentum. She was inside.
The merc made her way over to the control panel, taking great care to avoid any possible patrols. She opened it, then put her engineering knowledge to use. Rewiring the panel cut the electrical current to the fence and she made her way back to Sasha.
Sophie lifted the section of the fence just enough for her partner to slip through.
¡°Nice job,¡± Sasha whispered.
The pair moved quickly across the open ground, sticking close to the shadows cast by massive cargo containers and smaller structures.
Reaching the facility¡¯s wall, Sophie found a maintenance panel and pried it open.
¡°Half a minute,¡± Sasha said, slipping into the system.
Sophie nodded, turning her attention to a nearby patrol. A guard passed within twenty feet of them, his flashlight sweeping lazily over the area. Sophie held her breath, prepared to take him out. Fortunately, the guard moved on without noticing anything amiss.
¡°Got it,¡± Sasha whispered as the maintenance hatch clicked open. They slipped inside, closing it behind them.
The interior of the facility was cold, its corridors lit with a faint white glow. Sasha stopped at a data port near a security panel, jacking in with her Personal Link. She closed her eyes, locating the building schematics.
¡°Server room is on the third floor,¡± she whispered. ¡°Lot¡¯s of cameras but they¡¯re blind for the next three minutes.¡±
Sophie nodded. ¡°Display the path for me.¡± A map of the building appeared in the younger girl¡¯s vision, showing her where she needed to go.
They climbed a set of stairs, footsteps muffled by their Lynx Paws. On the second floor, they encountered an issue. A pair of guards were chatting as they came down the next stairwell.
Sophie held up a hand to stop Sasha and pointed to a small alcove nearby. They slipped into it, pressing themselves against the wall.
The guards¡¯ conversation drifted closer.
¡°¡heard something about another AV going missing,¡± one of them said.
¡°Again? The brass needs to get their act together,¡± the other replied.
The two eventually moved on, their voices fading down the corridor.
Sophie let out a slow breath. ¡°Let¡¯s keep moving.¡±
On the third floor, they reached the server room. The heavy, reinforced door had a biometric scanner and keypad lock.
¡°Think you can handle it?¡± Sophie asked.
¡°Please, who do you think I am?¡± Sasha said, jacking into the device.
While the netrunner worked on bypassing the security, Sophie kept watch. The floor was quiet, but every now and then, she caught the faint sound of footsteps or distant voices. Still, she remained on guard.
¡°Got it,¡± Sasha said as the door slid open with a hiss.
They stepped inside. The room was lined with servers, their LED indicators blinking in the dim light. Sasha went to work immediately, jacking into the main terminal.
Sophie stood by the door, her ears straining for any sign of trouble. Even if this was one of the less vulnerable parts of the job, the girl refused to take any risks.
¡°How¡¯s it going?¡± she asked softly.
¡°Almost there,¡± Sasha replied. ¡°This system¡¯s ICE is harder to crack than expected but I¡¯ve got it handled.¡±
A few moments later, a faint beep sounded, and Sasha grinned. ¡°Got it. Flight data is downloading now. Give me thirty seconds.¡±
As the data transfer began, Sophie¡¯s ears caught a faint sound; footsteps. She tapped Sasha on the shoulder.
¡°We¡¯ve got company,¡± she whispered.
Sasha didn¡¯t respond, her focus entirely on the download. Sophie positioned herself next to the door, tensed for action. The footsteps grew louder, then stopped just outside.
Sophie¡¯s pulse quickened. If the guard came in, their successful infiltration would be blown. Night Corp would know someone had broken in if a body was found after all.
The guard mumbled something unintelligible for a moment, then continued down the hall. Both girls let out a quiet sigh of relief.
¡°Done,¡± Sasha said, joining her partner at the door.
¡°Let¡¯s get out of here.¡±
They retraced their steps, moving quickly. Sasha reactivated the camera loops as they passed through each floor, ensuring their movements remained undetected.
As they neared the maintenance hatch, another close call nearly derailed their escape. A drone hovered into view, its sensors scanning the area.
Sophie grabbed Sasha¡¯s arm, pulling her into a nearby storage closet. They watched through the small gap in the door as the drone paused, its scanners sweeping over the area.
After what felt like an eternity, the drone moved on.
¡°Too close,¡± Sasha muttered.
¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Sophie replied.
They slipped out through the maintenance hatch and back across the open ground. The fence was still disabled, and they crawled through without incident. Once outside, they rushed to Sophie¡¯s car.
Sasha slumped into the passenger seat, letting out a deep breath. ¡°That was intense. I don¡¯t know how you do that stuff so easily.¡±
¡°Lot¡¯s of practice,¡± Sophie replied, starting the engine. ¡°But we got what we came for.¡±
Sasha grinned, holding up a small data shard. ¡°Flight data, courtesy of Night Corp. Let¡¯s see where our mysterious kidnappers went.¡±
Sophie chuckled, pulling the car onto the road. ¡°We¡¯ll go home now. While you check the data, I¡¯m gonna get some sleep. When you¡¯re done, leave the data on a shard and join me. I¡¯ll check it when I wake up.¡±
¡°Sounds good. I hate working at these hours.¡±
Rewrite has been released!
Chapter 35 - Gig: Investigation (Part 2)
Sophie woke up just before midday. Sasha lay beside her, snoring away without a care, causing the younger girl to smile. She slipped out of bed and quickly got herself ready. The flight data that the netrunner had pulled sat in a shard on the table. The merc popped it into her neck, reading through the info.
The AV had departed from an unremarkable building in Downtown and flown around the city, seemingly with no destination. When it passed over Santo Domingo, in the area that the two girls had investigated the night before, there was an incredibly brief stop. Only four minutes afterwards, the AV was flying away and the brief pause had been flagged as ¡®maintenance¡¯.
So the kidnapping only took four minutes. Who owns the AV? Sophie answered her own question. Registered to a Militech exec, huh. All of the evidence is pointing towards Militech but something about it seems strange.
With her thoughts racing, she checked out the other, extra data that Sasha had collected. The same M.O can be seen multiple times elsewhere, all with different AV¡¯s? Yet all of them point towards Militech. Very suspicious. All of them stop off at a different location, identical to the locations the merc crews disappeared. Then they all end up at one particular building.
¡°Mornin¡¯ Soph,¡± a voice behind her called.
¡°Morning Kitten. Sleep well?¡±
¡°Yeah. How¡¯s the data?¡±
¡°Very helpful. I¡¯ve got the location. Once you¡¯re ready, we¡¯ll get going. I want to scope it out, see what¡¯s there. The building is unmarked according to the data, so we¡¯ll be going in blind.¡±
¡°You talking about the place all those AV¡¯s stop off at?¡± She asked, yawning.
¡°Mhm. My guess is they take the captured mercs there, then transport them somewhere else.¡±
¡°So, another infiltration mission?¡± Sasha said with a groan.
¡°Don¡¯t worry, you can stay outside this time,¡± Sophie flashed her a grin, only making the older girl groan even more.
-----------------------
Sophie¡¯s Quadra purred as she zoomed through the streets of Night City, heading Northwards into Watson. Not too long later, the pair of mercs pulled up at the end of a street and got out, making their way over to the target location.
As was routine, the younger girl climbed a building on the other side of the street in order to scout it out. Meanwhile, Sasha was looking for a camera to breach into.
¡°I¡¯m in, Soph. I¡¯ll cycle through the cams, see what I can find.¡±
¡°Sounds good. I¡¯ll monitor the externals.¡±
They watched for hours, slowly piecing together a plan of action. During their observation, they had discovered an absolutely ridiculous number of guards in and around the building. At least 50 of them were stationed across the facility, which told the mercs all they needed to know.
¡°Whatever¡¯s going on here, it¡¯s a big deal. This is the kind of guard presence I¡¯d expect from Arasaka or Militech. Strange that none of the guards have an identifying mark on them.¡±
¡°Whoever they are, they¡¯re well equipped. I¡¯ve found a number of security turrets around the place,¡± said Sasha. ¡°I also haven¡¯t been able to find any sign of the mercs. The only suspicious area is a stairwell that leads to nowhere and has no cameras.¡±
¡°Might be on a different network. Means there¡¯s a hidden space under the building.¡±
¡°That¡¯s what I thought as well. You confident you can get in?¡±The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be able to. Just need you to keep an eye on things via the cams.¡±
¡°Nice and easy. You¡¯ve got a good opportunity now, are you going in?¡±
Sophie scrambled down from her vantage point, sprinting over to the building¡¯s fence. With her enhanced jumping ability, she leapt over the barrier, activating Ghost at the same time. ¡°I¡¯m in now. Tell me where I¡¯m going.¡±
Sasha began guiding her through the building. It was trivialised with the Ghost trait, considering she had set the netrunner as someone that could see her even when it was active, an ability the younger girl rarely employed.
¡°To your right is a guard. You¡¯ve got to get past him if you want to reach the stairwell.¡±
¡°Which way are they looking?¡±
¡°Away from you.¡±
Sophie poked her head around the corner. The guard was easily found, standing at the top of the stairwell. There was a door beside him, which the girl became interested in.
¡°What¡¯s behind that door?¡±
¡°No cams inside, so it¡¯s probably just a storage closet.¡±
Perfect. She crept closer to the guard, drawing a katana from the sheath on her back. The blade whipped out, slipping straight through the back of the man¡¯s neck. The thermal edge ensured no blood escaped the wound. Sophie caught the corpse, hauling it over to the door. Inside, as predicted, was a number of cleaning supplies. The body quickly found itself a new home amongst them.
Honestly, Night City buildings are so good for hiding corpses. While she thought that, her feet carried her down the stairs. She ran into a significant issue however, in the form of a door.
¡°Kitten, can you get this open?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll breach through your optics, shouldn¡¯t take me too long. Be careful inside, I won¡¯t be able to guide you.¡±
¡°No need to worry, I¡¯m sure I can find an access point to get you in the system.¡±
¡°I¡¯m through.¡± The door slid open, allowing Sophie to creep inside.
It was significantly different from the previous area. The grey walls of the above-ground building had been replaced by cold white walls, reminiscent of a science lab. The thought made the girl shudder. Still, she wandered around, hunting for a terminal. When she found one, Sophie slipped her Personal Link into it, allowing Sasha to work her magic.
¡°Soph, this is some serious ICE. Whoever we¡¯re dealing with here, they¡¯ve got a lot of resources.¡±
¡°Normally I¡¯d agree but this whole thing feels weird. I feel like there¡¯s more to this gig than we think.¡± Once the netrunning merc was in the system, they continued on. The younger girl wandered into a room, immediately stopping dead in her tracks. ¡°This is why it feels weird.¡±
In front of her were stacks of crates, all labeled with Militech logos. She cracked one open, finding it to be full of Ajax assault rifles. Another was filled with ammo.
¡°Why¡¯s this weird? Doesn¡¯t it mean we¡¯re dealing with Militech?¡±
¡°I think that¡¯s what the culprit wants us to think.¡±
¡°You saying someone¡¯s trying to frame one of the biggest megacorps in the world?¡±
¡°Militech¡They¡¯ve got some of the best troops in the damn world. I¡¯d know,¡± she whispered the last bit, memories flashing through her mind. ¡°The whole thing feels like someone is trying to make it look like a Militech op. But if it really was one? There¡¯d be no tracks or at the very least, there¡¯d be nothing pointing directly at them.¡±
¡°Huh. Fuck.¡±
¡°Exactly. But enough of that. Have you found anything interesting through the cams?¡±
¡°I have. There¡¯s a garage. Seems to be the only occupied area too.¡±
¡°Lead the way then.¡±
-----------------------
Following Sasha¡¯s instructions, Sophie quickly made her way to the underground garage. Once inside, she began hunting for a good vantage point. It was over two stories high, with structural support beams crisscrossing near the roof. As quietly as she could, the girl parkoured her way up to them, jumping from a parked truck and catching her hands on the beam. She hauled herself up and began her reconnaissance.
All around the edges of the garage, an assortment of vehicles were parked. Guards were spread out across the area, each armed with a rifle and pistol. However, it was the centre of the room that caught Sophie¡¯s attention.
A small fleet of Behemoth trucks were lined up, complete with drivers and guards.
¡°Soph, you¡¯ve got incoming. An AV has just landed on the roof.¡±
¡°Who is it?¡±
¡°I¡¯m checking the cams,¡± she paused briefly. ¡°Looks like these might be our kidnappers. Eight of them, all heavily armed. One looks like a netrunner as well.¡±
¡°Make sure the ¡®runner can¡¯t find you in the system. Anything else of importance?¡±
¡°Yeah. They¡¯re carrying bodies. Look like mercs.¡±
¡°Alright, I¡¯m calling Rogue. We¡¯ll see what she wants done.¡±
¡°Wait! There¡¯s another AV!¡±
¡°What? Who is it?¡±
¡°Hmm,¡± Sasha hummed. ¡°Looks like a corpo rep¡Zetatech. So you were right. Zetatech must have wanted to frame Militech. He¡¯s also got a tough looking bodyguard with him.¡±
¡°Send all the evidence to Rogue while I call her.¡± Sophie cut the call, immediately ringing the fixer.
¡°Sophie. I trust you have something for me?¡±
¡°Sasha should be transferring you some data now.¡±
¡°Give me a moment,¡± a minute passed, meanwhile Sasha was describing the movements of both the corpo and the kidnappers. All of them were heading to the garage. Eventually, she spoke again. ¡°I know this rat. He¡¯s the Zetatech rep that the Afterlife deals with. Fucking scum! I¡¯m sending you support. I want everyone in that facility dead, except the corpo. Squama will be your contact.¡± New contact details appeared in Sophie¡¯s system.
¡°Sasha and I can do this by ourselves, there¡¯s no need to send anyone.¡±
¡°I have my reasons. I¡¯ll be there soon as well. Good luck, Sophie.¡±
¡°You got it boss.¡± The merc didn¡¯t dare act playful with the fixer. Fuck, she¡¯s pissed. The call cut out, allowing the younger merc to contact her partner.
¡°Rogue¡¯s pissed so she¡¯s sending us some extra hands. I¡¯ll need you to coordinate with them when they arrive. Also, you¡¯ll need to deal with that ¡®runner because they¡¯ll probably be the biggest threat.¡±
¡°Sounds good. What are you gonna do now?¡±
¡°I¡¯m gonna stir up some trouble.¡±