“Faster…”

  Mom…? Dad?

  “Scream…”

  Jackie? I’m cold…

  I’m so cold…

  No… stop it… Why are you doing this?!

  Help… Somebody help me…

  –

  “GAH!” I shouted, shooting up out of bed– bed? Bed… Wait… no. No, no, no…

  Where am I?!

  Izanami… Where’s Izanami…?

  God… my head…

  “Johnny…?” I mumbled out-loud, “Johnny, where am I?”

  I… I can’t hear him…

  “Johnny?!” I frantically called out, stumbling off the chair I was in–GAH!

  Fffff…Fuck… What happened…

  I was… I was in a battle…

  The, uh… The Chimera. I broke my sternum, slashed my face, dislocated s-shoulder… Then Scars… uurggh… What happened…?

  Wait… I think… didn’t Scars go cyberpsycho…? Yeah, th-that’s right… She stabbed me… Why did she stab me?!

  Let me think… I was, uhm… I was looking for someone to watch Myers and called her… Then I went to Hansen, I saw Songbird… Uhm… T-then Scars stabbed me… No. No, there was something else… Some sort of a building, or room, or… I don’t know… Fuck…

  Alright, just… just take it easy. Where am I…

  Some sort of medical facility, by the look of it. Night Corp hardware. Mix of bandages with different levels of absorbency – a hospital, perhaps? No… I lost my TT Platinum when I was fired from Arasaka. Transparent door with electronic locks, restraints in the chair, yet I’m not a prisoner… Mental ward? Wait, is this even Dogtown? Place looks too clean for that… Doesn’t smell like Dogtown, either. It smells corporate… City Center? Maybe Trauma Team Tower in Watson?

  Is there anything around here I could use to get out… Some sort of shim for the door? No… It locks electrically… Fry the circuits, perhaps? Maybe it’s got some sort of override…

  “Mmmrrgh…” I slowly rose out of bed, resting my body weight on my legs and tiptoeing a few steps… Nothing. And no sword, either… Fuck…

  My hair fell in my face… TechHair grows quickly. Probably a couple weeks' worth right there. Unkempt and bedraggled… No one tended to me that whole time, I imagine, save for maybe bathing and- oof. Yeah, judging by the smell, maybe not even bathing beyond the bare necessities…

  What else do we have… Militech crate in the back of the room. Looks like medical supplies. Some sort of an observation lab, definitely not the typical hospital. Nothing on the walls – no biohazard disposal bins, no emergency medical supplies, no cyberware storage containers…

  Wait… So I went to see Hansen… Scars flipped out over something. Then what? I… I went back to the safehouse. Yeah, then we had the fight and… And she dragged me outside. “C’mon, Sarge…” she grumbled to me, dragging me out… I kept falling in and out of consciousness… Blood loss, maybe? And there were others… Trauma Team? No… MaxTac…?

  She was picked up by her unit?

  Of course… Right, that makes sense… She was injured, so her vitals would’ve shown up on the grid. I think she mentioned something about some kind of interference in the hotel… uhm… I don’t remember… But then we left and she had a clean signal. They must’ve picked her up and brought me here… Wait, here… Is this an NCPD station or something? MaxTac HQ, perhaps? No, I hear voices outside… bustling. It’s some sort of hospital wing. Too busy to be MaxTac. And not secure enough…

  Let me check the laptop on the counter, see what this says…

  ‘LOG 13.9.2077

  ‘Brain scans indicate large amounts of metallic lattice structures within the cerebral cortex and left hemispherical frontal and parietal lobes. Further analysis indicates extensive neural degradation stemmed by advanced nanosurgeons. Programmed by what?

  ‘Addendum: It appears that the Relic housed in the nape of her neck is of unknown model. Electrical manipulation apparently stimulates the nanites. Hypothesis: the nanites follow the instructions of the Relic, altering the subject’s neural pathways in real-time, thus overwriting her consciousness. Perhaps this is some sort of experiment to create a perfect drone or sleeper agent? What better way to train a potential infiltrator than to effectively overwrite one personality with another? And what personality is on the chip, anyway?

  ‘LOG 14.9.2077

  ‘The subject’s body heals remarkably quickly. An FBS revealed an advanced nanosurgeon implant in place of the appendix with ample protein and collagen storage. Other traces of foreign matter have also been detected; it appears to be some sort of experimental bioware designed to heal traumatic injuries. She had access to top-shelf equipment, that’s for sure. Oddly, most of her internals are natural. She doesn’t even have a functional cyberdeck, and all of her enhancements appear to be mechanical.

  ‘She was admitted with a variety of ailments, including: four gunshot wounds blocked by subdermal armor, shattered collarbone, punctured subclavian artery, multiple right arm muscle tears, broken sternum, six broken ribs, partially torn meniscus, strained quadriceps, multiple shrapnel punctures, several ripped facial muscles, and multiple stab wounds.

  ‘Her condition is stable and recovering rapidly. She should thank her lucky stars for whomever gave her that concoction. We should sample her blood, might be able to reverse-engineer this.

  ‘Addendum: MaxTac have released her weapon to us for further tests. X-ray scans indicate advanced microprocessors and heating elements estimated to reach the thousands of degrees centigrade. Electrical blades are becoming more commonplace, but thermal blades, far less so. Goes a long way to explaining her extremely specialized implants, as well as the massive battery units in her forearms. The real question is whether Arasaka designed the weapon for her, or designed her for the weapon?

  ‘LOG 15.9.2077

  ‘No new developments. We’re sending a plainclothes team into the building to search for additional clues. Rumor has it that a MaxTac operative went missing around the same time, though no records exist substantiating such a claim. Dead-end there.

  ‘We’ve also figured out the mystery behind this woman’s identity: Captain Valerie Tokai, a former counterintelligence admin for Arasaka. Why of all people would someone like her be inside Dogtown? Does this have anything to do with Space Force One being shot down?

  ‘Addendum: I brought up this point to my colleagues. Surprised to see no one laughed me out of the room. We even checked Arasaka’s wanted list and, sure enough, she shows near the top. This leaves us at an impasse. There’s no way it’s coincidence that the NUSA President falls off the grid and this woman, a high-level Arasaka counterintel agent, happens to be nearby.

  Addendum 2: Out of curiosity, I checked her logs with one of our Arasaka contacts. Woman’s a certified warrior. She did two full tours during the Unification War, a tour during the Middle East campaign, and stints in the Free States, the Soviet Union – Hell, she was even recommended to go to Hong Kong at one point. Plus, she’s apparently some sort of noblewoman – a samurai by lineage, explains her connection with her sword.

  ‘That settles it. This isn’t some chance encounter. We have to consider the possibility that BARGHEST is working with Arasaka.

  ‘LOG 16.9.2077

  ‘We’ve taken everything into consideration. This decorated veteran pumped with the latest and greatest tech that money can buy, being within Dogtown’s borders during Space Force One’s crash, goes far beyond statistical improbability. Someone brought her there. The real question is, where is Myers? And what does she know?

  ‘She’s undergone brain imaging sessions, revealing the presence of some sort of facility buried deep underground. Moreover, footage apparently shows President Myers laying dead at the hands of an unknown MaxTac officer - presumably the same one who went missing.

  ‘Something doesn’t add up here. None of our team reported any such facility, nor have they discovered the body of President Myers – or, indeed, anyone else in the building. In their words, it was as if no one had been there in decades. Their description was quite detailed – a long tunnel running to a partially-collapsed passageway with nothing of note inside except rubble. We even double-checked the footage and cross-referenced it with the memories we pulled from Tokai’s banks – nothing. Something strikes me as odd about that place, but it’s beyond my paygrade to ask anything else.

  ‘LOG 17.9.2077

  ‘Tokai’s broken bones have all set. Strangely, the nanite lattice structure revealed several major changes since the last time we imaged her brain. It’s as if the nanites themselves are behaving like nerves – to the point where they’re experiencing neuroplasticity. I’ve requested a brain biopsy, awaiting approval tomorrow.

  ‘I’ve also called in a detective to help with this case. I just can’t shake the feeling that we’re missing something here. Not to mention that there’s no sign of Myers anywhere, and MaxTac hasn’t exactly been forthcoming with information, either. If she really can't recall a thing, then we’re looking in the wrong place.

  'Addendum: We've identified the woman as Sergeant Naira Skara, a MaxTac border patrol operative who was deployed at the time. Like I said, dead end there. As for Tokai, her body and brain is a veritable goldmine of medical research. At least something good will come out of this… Still, I wonder why she imagined a MaxTac officer at the building? Is there a connection? We need to wake her up and soon, before the lead goes cold.’

  Interesting… And damning. If all this is true, then I’m nothing more to them than some sort of fucked up medical experiment. Scars is liable to be executed or put in a mental facility. And we’re on the brink of a Fifth Corporate War, to top it all off… Plus, what is this about Scars' deployment? Did they mess with her records? Great. I wonder how this day could get any worse…

  Well, let’s find out. First thing’s first, gotta figure a way out of here… I could just play dead until one of them happened in here. But there’s no telling how much security they’d have brought with them, and with no weapons, I’m defenseless. No, I have to get out now… Find Scars. Let’s see…

  Mm… Could do that trick of bridging the circuit panels for the door lock mechanism to the computer, run a current through it… Let’s see…

  Wire… Got it. And connect the positive, then run the negative here…

  And open sesame. Heh, haven’t used that trick since I was about 16.

  Looks like a hallway… Nondescript building. No cover. Wait until we have a clear pathway. I don’t see any cameras, either… Unsecured facility? I suppose they wouldn’t need much security for me, I’m injured and not exactly brimming with cyberware…

  Left side clear, right side clear… Alright…

  “…No, I’m tellin’ you, she’s not the type to do that,” a distant voice spoke… Deep, gruff, male voice, “The footage doesn’t add up, you said it yourself. We have to interview her, get her take on it.” Why do I recognize that voice…

  “And I’m telling you that what you see doesn’t lie. That footage was pulled directly out of her subconscious. We would learn more by– GAH!”

  I see I’ve made my presence known… “River?” I said as the tall, built Native approached me with a woman beside him, “River… G-uughh…”

  “V?! Jesus Christ, what happened?” he shouted, “When did you get up? How did you get out?”

  “Get out of where? Where am I?!”

  “You’re in the low-security wing of the MedCenter, I was called in to–”

  “To use me like some fucking lab experiment?! I saw the logs!” I screamed right back, “Who the fuck are you people?!”

  “Hey– HEY!” the woman put her hands up, “Everyone calm down!”

  “Oh, don’t you tell me to calm down!” I lashed out, “I’m not in the mood to be dealing with someone who wants to carve up my head!”

  “Okay– okay, no one’s going to carve up anyone!” she quickly returned, “Just relax. You’re safe.”

  “Safe… SAFE?! Wha-Where’s Izanami? Where’s Scars?! Is Sergeant Skara okay?!”

  “Who?" River asked me, clearly perplexed, "V, take it easy, we’re here to help–”

  “HELP?! I… I nearly died and woke up here. All I want is my friend and sword back. You want to help? Help with that!” I fired back, “And who the heck are you?!”

  The woman appeared clad in the latest medical cyberware. A surgeon, no doubt. “I’m Doctor Yawen Packard,” she replied calmly, “Neuroscientist with Trauma Team. I’m the specialist in charge of your case.”

  “Yawen here’s developed a braindance interface that allows the user to view someone else’s memories.”

  “Heh, that’s an… oversimplification,” she mused, “I imagine you have a lot of questions. Please, come into my office.”

  Yawen ushered me along, though I kept my guard up the whole time. We passed by numerous laboratories filled with workers in clean suits, alongside numerous other rooms housing other patients in various states of consciousness. “Don’t worry, V, you’re in good hands,” River reassured me.

  “Wait, why are you here?” I asked him.

  “They looked at your background, saw that we worked together. Few higher-ups thought I might be able to help fill in some of the blanks.”

  “Higher-ups with whom, exactly…?”

  “NCPD,” he replied bluntly, “A high-ranking MaxTac operative going off-grid for a couple hours, then popping up critically injured? Gonna raise a few red flags in the system. They found her dragging you on the ground before collapsing, herself. You both are lucky as hell to be alive.”

  “Oh? Where is she, anyway? You said NCPD HQ?”

  “Mhm,” Yawen interjected, “MaxTac’re handling her. No idea what that means, not exactly my department.”

  Fuck… she could be in serious trouble. I never meant to potentially cost Scars her job… I should never have involved her in this. Any of this. “And what’s this about brain biopsies on the laptop? Scans, footage, what? I’m confused.”

  “I imagine so,” she continued, directing me to a room in a small alcove down the hallway, “In here, please.”

  I wordlessly obeyed, entering what appeared to be some sort of a recording studio…? Looks like a children’s playpen on the other side… “What the heck is this place?”

  “My office,” she said with a light sigh, “Normally I deal with pediatric neuropsychology. Analyzing neural differences in children with nonverbal autism. I’m developing the braindance technology in the hopes that we can peer into their minds, understand them, maybe even communicate at their level. Many of these children are unresponsive, even hostile, to outsiders. Being able to augment their natural brainwaves would improve their quality of life immeasurably.”

  “An interesting goal…” I pondered, “So you’ve been using that same technology on me? Why?”

  “In short, your brain is unlike anything we’ve ever seen,” she elaborated, “A lattice structure of nanites moving and fluctuating like nerves, themselves, obeying the commands of this shard. Where on Earth did you get it?”

  I stopped her with a raised hand. “No, no. First, I’d like some guarantees,” I demanded, “Am I free to go?”

  “Legally, yes,” River explained, “Your memories won’t hold up in court since all this’s still experimental. And we checked the building out – nothing was there. No bodies, no blood, nothing.”

  “Nothing…?” I mumbled, utterly perplexed… I could’ve sworn…

  “As for the circumstantial evidence, well…” Yawen continued, “You’ve been bailed out of that. A steep price was paid somewhere, to someone. Orders came from up-top. Seems you have friends in high places, Miss Tokai…”

  Nice to be needed… Yorinobu or Hansen, I presume? “Here, let me get you something to cover up,” River said with a smile, opening up a locker– Izanami?! “Oh, and your sword, too. Knew you were connected with your weapon, figured I should save it.”

  The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

  “What?! I mean– Thanks, River,” I calmed down a bit, strapping my sword to my waist and donning the hoodie and boots he gave me, “You’re a good soul.”

  “Heh… Much appreciated.”

  Yawen interjected, “But yeah, River was saying, you’re a free woman. We were just hoping for a moment of your time, now that you can actually, you know, speak.”

  “No.”

  “Uh…” she paused.

  I simply shook my head at her. “No.”

  “May I ask why…?” she said with a raised forehead, her eye cyberware eliminating her brows altogether.

  “Do… Do I really have to explain?” I started walking off to the door with a scowl painted on my face.

  “Look, I know how this seems, but I–”

  “I said no,” I repeated, “What part of that do you not understand?”

  “I… of course, I’m sorry,” she mulled, “To be honest, you’re a unique case, Miss Tokai. Your brain is unique. We’ve never seen such a program before.”

  “Really?” I looked back and tilted my head a little, “Well I guess you have your work cut out for you.”

  "V, please," River stopped me, his voice tinged with sincerity, "Yawen's okay. She's just trying to help."

  "Help?! That'd be nice, but she just said she never saw anything like this before. What could she possibly tell me that I don't already know?"

  “I mean, I can tell you how it works,” she divulged, “The Relic is a construct designed to house an engram – a copy of someone’s personality. But the one on your head is entirely unique. It–”

  “Yeah, I know, it’s a read-write program, designed to overwrite one’s personality with the one on the chip,” I finished her statement, “I’ve done my research.” I started to walk out before she spoke again.

  “I– uh… Yes, that’s exactly right… You have a structure of nanites embedded in your brain, co-opting your nerve endings. Imagine, hm…” she thought to herself briefly, “Imagine taking a tree and bending its branches a certain way, so it looks like another tree.”

  “And it’s doing that to my entire brain?” Alright, fine, I'll bite.

  “No, not the whole thing…” she paced around with a steady frowning expression, “It’s slowly spreading, like a virus.”

  “Again, I’m aware of that. I read through the project schematics,” I told her.

  “Really?! Mm, what I wouldn’t do to get my hands on that…” she said through a stifled grin, “Anyway–”

  “What did you mean when you said the structure was changing?” I finally pressed.

  “Well, exactly that – it’s changing. See, the construct on your chip is itself an AI, at least that’s what I think. The reason why I think that is because AIs are constantly evolving, just like you and me. When a brain does that, it goes through a process known as ‘culling,’ basically specializing in one thing. Neuroplasticity is a symptom of culling. Imagine taking that same tree and trimming dead branches – old memories, things you forgot, skills you didn’t practice. And other branches become healthy and strong. Those are your core memories that you continuously reinforce. Culling is a natural part of human evolution, but the keyword here is ‘human.’ It’s not typically something we’d associate with an AI, which has entirely different brain processes.”

  “So why do you say it’s an AI if it doesn’t look like one?”

  “The construct in your head follows coded instructions sent by electrical impulses. The Relic is an architect laying out a blueprint for the AI to follow. It’s just that the blueprint is… well, human. And like any other human, it learns and grows. It experiences neuroplasticity, too.”

  “V, how long’ve you had this thing in your head?” River interjected.

  “Since the end of May,” I shrugged, “My ripperdoc said I’d be dead by June.”

  “Jesus Christ…” he frowned, turning away from me and rubbing his temple with his cyberhand.

  “I assume you want to disable the device?” Yawen continued.

  “Um, yes,” I quickly nodded, “That’s been my entire motivation for the past several months.”

  “And I assume that you haven’t found an off-switch of your own, otherwise you wouldn’t be here.”

  I silently agreed with a gesture for her to go on.

  “Well, my working theory, and this is just a theory, is that the only way, and I do mean the only way, to shut it off would be to allow it to fully overtake your brain.”

  “…Excuse me?!” I recoiled back in shock at her admission.

  “If the Relic is a mere computer program, then it will keep attempting to take over, no matter how much you fight back,” she elaborated, “Neuroplasticity will only take you so far. There is simply no easy answer here. But the truth is that, like any computer program, it only wants to finish its installation. And it’ll keep booting until it does. In short… your fate was sealed the moment it was turned on. I’m sorry.”

  “Yeah, I don’t know what I expected,” I sighed deeply, “Thanks anyway… Am I still free to go?”

  “As far as I can take you, yeah,” River said somberly, “At least for now. Don’t leave town though, okay?”

  “Oh?”

  “At least, not until we know where Myers is,” he finished his statement, “You’re good to go home, but–”

  “But I can’t go home when I have a target painted on my back, now can I?” I sneered at him, “Fuck… How long was I even out, anyway?”

  “Two weeks,” Yawen said bluntly.

  “Yeah, that’s what I thought when I saw the logs…” I grumbled… Judy and Rita must be worried sick… Fuck, I promised I’d call them…

  “Do… you have anywhere to go?” River asked with a genuine concern in his voice.

  “Oh, what do you think…” I glared down at the floor, “Look, just do whatever you have to do. Give me a GPS ankle monitor or whatever. I have to get back to Dogtown before someone slips a dagger in my throat while I’m sleeping. This place is woefully underprepared.”

  “Hah, that’s the first time I ever heard anyone say that about Trauma Team,” Yawen laughed a bit, “But a deal’s a deal. You’re free to go.”

  River opened up another two lockers, revealing the clothes I was wearing that night… My stealth suit. Great, more tech in the hands of the NUSA… “What’s her deal, anyway?” I asked him, now able to speak privately after she returned to her duties.

  “Who, Yawen?” he smiled a bit, “She’s, erm… passionate about her work.”

  “Oh?” I pressed a little, “Something going on there?”

  “Heh, I wish… Not for a long time,” he confessed, “We worked together a lot, emphasizing on the ‘worked,’ not so much on the ‘together.’ Guess that’s what happens when you got a detective working nights and a TT surgeon working ten-hour shifts.”

  “Damn, I’m sorry.”

  “Nah, it’s okay. I think we’re all just lookin’ for our own way, y’know?” he said with a light-hearted sigh, “Life pulls us in unexpected directions. And a lotta the time those directions don’t go to the people you were hopin’ for, s’all.”

  All I could muster was a bit of a frown as I glared down at the ground, then back up at him. “Yeah, I guess…”

  “Hey… For what it’s worth, I’m sorry. Truly,” he gave me a pat on the back, “You didn’t deserve this.”

  “Heh, oh, I know a few people who would argue it’s exactly what I deserve…” I took a deep sigh, “By the way… You wouldn’t happen to know where my car is?”

  “The old Nissan? Yeah, it’s in the impound lot,” River said casually, “I’ll drive you there. Should be able to sign it out with the usual fee.”

  “Thanks. A fresh change of clothes wouldn’t go unnoticed, too.”

  “Sure, we’ll stop at the store down the street. As for the car, well, don’t mention it,” he smiled at me, “Wouldn’t want to see such a beautiful vintage car go up for auction.”

  That thought would haunt my dreams, I just know it…

  We walked to the car in total silence, but it took River all of about two minutes’ worth of driving before he opened his mouth again. Not too surprising. “Okay, off the record, V… What the fuck happened?”

  “It’s… uh… it’s a long story,” I confessed.

  “Well spill then, it’s a long car ride to Santo Domingo.”

  I rested my head in my palm, glancing out the window. “To be honest, I… I just need to message my loved ones first.”

  “I… ugh…” he sighed, “I get it. Do your thing.”

  Opening up my phone and seeing the ‘9+ Notifications’ message made my heart sink. Everyone was worried about me… Judy, Rita, Mamá… Fuck. Judy kept texting me over and over… She was scared shitless, looking for me… Saw that I was in the hospital. God, what have I done… I… I don’t know how to respond to this…

  “I’m alive. I’m sorry,” was all I could manage in her and Rita’s group chat…

  Maybe they’re better off without me…

  “V, you okay?” River asked me, “Looks like you’re about to tear up over there… Want a bite to eat? Car’s not goin’ anywhere.”

  “Maybe something a bit… uh, stronger, if you don’t mind,” I frowned.

  “Yeah, sure, I got just the place in mind.”

  –

  “So you mean to tell me your memory just, what… blanked out during that whole ordeal?” he asked me quizzically.

  “Pretty much,” I shrugged, turning back to the bartender, “Another of the same, please.” Megabuilding H6, huh… Didn’t know they had this sprawling marketplace on the second story. I smelled a mix of cultures – Italian, Indian, Greek, Japanese, Korean… But I was in the mood to get fucking wasted.

  “Fuck…” River said through a side-eye, “That doesn’t leave us with a lotta options, V.”

  “You mean me? It doesn’t leave me with a lot of options,” I corrected him, “It’s been what, two weeks, you said? A-and how am I not under arrest right now?!”

  “What, you wanna be?” he chided back, “Like Yawen said, you got friends in high places. High enough to be beyond our paychecks, apparently.”

  “Apparently…” I mumbled, taking a swig of the fresh sake the bartender handed me, “So what now, we go our separate ways again, me back to Dogtown, you to the next case?”

  “Nah, gotta finish this one up first… Something’s been buggin’ me about it.”

  “Oh?”

  “Well, for starters, we saw you and Sergeant Skara come outta the building, right? So then, where’s the evidence that you were there to begin with? Cause there was none. As in, none.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Okay, pop quiz. What do you expect at a crime scene where two people are critically injured? Blood marks leadin’ up to the fight. Scratches on the walls. Impact points… Nothin’ turned up on the scans, not a fuckin’ thing. And Sergeant Skara claims she doesn't remember anything, either. Said she was on a mission with her team, not with you.”

  I furrowed my brow. “Odd…” Why would Scars lie about this?

  “Oh, it gets better,” he continued, “The sweeper team sent in? Guys had ties to Militech… This goes deep, V. I’m talkin’ grand conspiracy deep.”

  “What?” I shot back immediately, “Why?”

  “Because no badges in Dogtown, ‘member? Only way to get us past the gate was to get Militech plainclothes involved. They recorded the whole thing and sent it to us – broad-spectrum analytics. Thermal scans. Hell, they even brought in a sniffer dog. I know what you’re thinkin’, cause I was thinkin’ the same thing. These guys meant business. As well they should, with the NUS President involved. I doubt they’re jerking us off. Not when their interests align with ours.”

  “Right, so what, you want me to go back into Dogtown, see if I can recall anything?” I pressed, “Well I hate to break it to you but no force, manmade or divine, will get me in that building again.”

  River shuffled around a bit, accepting a beer and taking a swig. “Mm, frankly I don’t blame you… Place gave me the creeps, too.”

  I quickly finished off my third shot of sake, looking back at him and silently nodding my head. “Yeah… So, where’s my car?”

  “Let me show you.”

  –

  We drove a couple blocks down the road to the prison. Sunrise crept in when we weren’t looking… Quite the nice sky, as a matter of fact. “Should be in the parking lot, I told the guys to expect the owner… Yeah, here it is,” he said, pulling up beside Miyoko… Thank the gods it’s okay…

  “So, what, do I just pay inside and go?”

  “Look, I don’t mean to be a drag,” he stopped me, “Whomever bailed you out, well, let’s just say it’s enough to get you a head start. It won’t be enough for whatever comes next.”

  “Sure, I understand–”

  “Wait, hang on!” he suddenly shouted, drawing my attention to the radio, “I know that voice…”

  “…I know you have a lot of questions, but let’s start with the obvious. Yes, for the past two weeks, I was in Dogtown…”

  “Myers?!” we both yelled in unison and utter disbelief.

  “Now, I’m sure you’ve all heard the stories, maybe some of you even witnessed it yourself. Yes, Space Force One really was shot down over the border. Yes, I was aboard. However, thanks to the quick and decisive actions of Kurt Hansen’s soldiers, my life was saved.”

  “Excuse me,” the interviewer spoke in-kind, “Saved from whom, exactly?”

  “Well, like any government, the one established in Dogtown has its dissidents… A faction of weapons smugglers, in this case. One of whom got a hold of a surface-to-air missile launcher with the idea of disrupting peaceful negotiations.”

  “Sorry, Madame President, negotiations?”

  “I can’t say much, of course, But in short, I think it’s long-overdue since Colonel Hansen and his men had their contributions to his country formally recognized. It took days of debating, but ultimately I think we’ve come to an agreement. Thank you, that’s all I’m able to say at this time.”

  The newscaster in charge of the program chimed back in. “You heard it here exclusively on N54 News. What could this mean for the future of Dogtown? The NUSA? Are we finally going to see formal peace brokered between the two factions? Stay tuned to listen in on Acting Mayor Holt’s perspective, along with other leaders of the Devolutionist Party. Coming up after–”

  I flicked off the radio immediately, my eyes widened so much they felt like they were about to fall out of my head. “…No…” I muttered out-loud, “What the f… What the fu…”

  “Well, I guess that answers that question…” River pondered to me, “I thought you said she was dead?”

  “She is dead!” I shouted insistently, “I saw the body! I– I don’t remember what happened, exactly… B-but I saw her!”

  “V, listen to me,” he turned to face me, “Are you absolutely sure it was her?”

  “River, she was mutilated, practically beyond recognition… But yes, I knew it was her…”

  The burly man glared back at the steering wheel in deep contemplation. “And to think that this woman might be able to broker peace between Dogtown and the NUSA… Fuck, imagine that…” he trailed off, “Militech rollin’ into Pacifica, doin’ what they’ve been wantin’ to do for the past, what, half-century?”

  “I don’t know… I just… what the fuck is going on…” I whispered to myself in frustration.

  “Look, V… My advice? Pick up your car, go and get some rest, okay? You got any place to stay?”

  “Not really, no… I’d, uh, rather not involve anyone else in this…”

  River produced a smile and looked at me again. “Here, I got a free bed. Can get your wits together for the next couple days. Whaddyou say?”

  “I… uh…” I mumbled under my breath, still horribly bewildered, “I’ll think about it, okay?”

  “Sure, sure, take the day to yourself. Get some fresh air, maybe a haircut and something good to eat. Give me a call if you need someone.”

  “Y-yeah… uh… yeah.”

  I wasn’t about to tell River where I was going, but he was right about one thing… Something smelled off about this. What the fuck happened in that building? I had a sinking suspicion that all my answers rested in there, just waiting to be discovered… yet everyone else seemed to think so, too, and no one found a trace. Now Myers shows up out of the blue? What on Earth is going on?!

  I sped off back towards Dogtown, unsure of what exactly I’d find there… Probably nothing good. But I had to try… Just one dilemma to work out.

  Miyoko hummed along in fifth gear down the freeway while I dialed the one man I should’ve called long ago. “Mr. Hands?” I asked after he picked up.

  “Ah, if it isn’t the lone samurai. To what do I owe the pleasure this fine morning?”

  “I… uh, need to get into Dogtown.”

  “Heh, well there’s a request I don’t get too often,” he said with a chuckle, “But I understand your predicament. Still wanted by Arasaka, found herself in Dogtown during one of the most pivotal events of our lifetimes… Ring any bells?”

  “Wait, you knew I was in Dogtown?”

  “Please, V, it’s not as if you’re that hard to track down. Only so many screamsheets that say there’s a swordswoman running around carving people up like fish before you start to sniff out a pattern,” he replied with a hint of sarcasm. Alright, fair enough… “Let me see what I can do. But you might owe me a favor or two further down the line.”

  “Done.”

  One thing’s for sure… Whatever answers there were lay behind that wall. I just… I just have to know. Is it the Relic…? Am I going insane? Am I already insane?! Is this all some sort of terrible nightmare?

  “Fuck me, finally,” a familiar voice echoed from the passenger seat, “Felt like I was under for months.”

  “Johnny?!” I shouted out-loud, “What– where the hell have you been?!”

  “Got put on mute again… In case you hadn’t noticed. So I had to figure out how to un-mute myself. I had to… improvise.”

  “Improvise?” I’m afraid to ask more…

  “You ever, I dunno… just close your eyes and lose yourself to a thought? So much so that you end up relivin’ an experience as if you were there? Takes concentration, patience… Had to focus like that. Will myself back in. Took me a few tries, to be sure. Then I heard your voice screaming out, like a familiar nail on a chalkboard… So I followed it. And here I am.”

  “Mm…” I pondered, “So… Could you do it again? To, you know… mute yourself?”

  “Oh fuck you.”

  “Fuck you too, Johnny,” I laughed, “Good to see you.”

  “Good to see you too. Glad you made it outta that facility in one piece. Door was fuckin’ weird.”

  I nearly threw my car off the road. “Wait… facility?”

  “Yeah, y’know, go to the basement, check out what’s behind Door Number One. Did you ever get through it, anyway?”

  Facility… “T-there was a door… You were yelling at me not to go in for the longest time… Then you changed your tune and wanted to check it out for yourself, so I can save my life… You kept trying to get me to go in…”

  “Fuck’re you talkin’ about, V?” he retorted, “I told you it was bad news. Why the fuck would I encourage you?”

  W-wait… is that how it happened…? No… No, it couldn’t have been… I went down there… And then what? There was some sort of door…

  Some sort of door…

  And Johnny said to me that I needed to see what was inside…

  I went in, and… And then what?

  Then… Myers dead? No, that doesn’t make sense… Something’s wrong here… I do remember Scars was there, too… Maybe she’d know.

  “Sarge?” she picked up the phone quickly, “Hey, been a while. Sorry but I’m on duty.”

  “Wait– really?” I asked her, “I thought you were at NCPD HQ.”

  “Yeah, I am. Was about to get my kit to deploy. Something up, or is this a social call?”

  “No, this isn’t a social call,” I stated plainly.

  “So, what, you just calling me out of the blue for what, a favor?”

  “Oh, I, uh… thought we…” I paused for a second, thinking back to the incident again… She carried me out after stabbing me – after we stabbed each other… And… and then I woke up on the bed. “Wait, when did we last see each other?”

  “Um… you okay, Sarge?” she asked semi-sarcastically, “Airport, sword… Yes, no? Anyone home?”

  “Wait– no, you’re injured.”

  “No…?” she asked quizzically.

  “Yes, you are – two weeks ago, we had a fight… We stabbed each other.”

  “What? What the fuck are you smoking? Yeah, I’m injured, but it was in a cyberpsycho attack, had nothing to do with you, choom,” she quickly retorted, “Look, I gotta go. Talk later.”

  “No, wait–!” And she hung up…

  Fuck! What is happening to me…

  “Maybe the Relic’s finally gettin’ to you,” Johnny interjected again, “It’s not like it’s, what, two and a half months since Vik’s predictions have–”

  “Yeah, yeah, I know,” I frowned, hitting the steering wheel out of frustration – sorry, Miyoko… “You know how they say that the actual crazy people don’t realize they’re going crazy?”

  “That what you’re worried about? Think you’re tryin’a close the barn door after the horse already bolted there.”

  “What? What do you mean?”

  “I mean, V, you’ve been coping with havin’ your personality overwritten since June. And look at where you are now. Started off so promising, what, with Takemura, Yorinobu – Hell, even Evelyn.” Johnny’s sarcasm was so apparent even I could detect it. “Now we’re drivin’ into the middle of a fuckin’ warzone to satisfy your curiosity. Sure, let’s just stop by the Middle East next, why the fuck not, right? Go on a world fuckin’ tour, we got all the time in the–”

  “Alright, I get it!” I shouted at him… And here I thought I was missing him… Maybe I really am going insane…

  Well, here’s the stadium… No matter what happens, I still need back into Dogtown. If Arasaka catches me now, I’m as good as dead. And besides, it’d be nice to know the truth. I simply could not believe she’s alive…

  “I seriously don’t buy this, Johnny…” I muttered to him, “The fact that you saw something the team didn’t? And I absolutely hired Scars before all this happened… Hell, I have the phone messages to prove it. I mean… why wouldn’t she remember?”

  “Could just try askin’ her. Maybe her memory’s just as fucked.”

  “Yeah, maybe…” I conceded, “Just… none of this makes any sense. And I got the feeling that it was because of whatever was behind that door…”

  “That shouldn’t even be on our radar, though. What was it the scientist bitch said, ‘above our paygrade?’ Same thing applies here, V. If your mind’s turnin’ into a sponge, the last thing you need’s more delays. Let’s get back on target and focus on Songbird.”

  “Heh… Songbird… She’s not exactly been forthcoming with information, either.”

  “She doesn’t have to be. All she’s gotta do is give us the cure, ‘member?”

  “Yeah, I remember,” I sighed, “Gods, I feel like I saw her just recently, too.”

  “Well, you did. Black Sapphire.”

  “Right, right… But I mean, like, talk to her…” I thought hard to myself, “It was sometime after I went back to the building… Said something about computers, a mainframe… I-I have no idea…”

  “Yeah, cause when do Spider-level netrunners talk ‘bout computers, ‘sides always. And we already know she likes to fuck with you.”

  “Mm…” For some reason, just as I thought about her, about the last time we talked, I got this overwhelming sense of dread. Like I’d done something terrible, or… no, it was like meeting someone terrible. Like meeting someone who’d kill without a second’s hesitation, and I look and just see that dead, glazed-over stare in their eyes and it fills me with shivers… It’s that same feeling. Like I know that something is fundamentally, just, wrong with this person.

  The closer I went, the more the feeling grew… It was this deep-seated feeling of unease. Something inside of me knew that there was just… that it was just wrong. And it killed me that I knew it was likely because I was just going insane and psyching myself up…

  None of this makes any sense. Someone, somewhere is making a power play out of all this. There’s too many strands that lead nowhere, and I have no idea what the truth is. I mean, fuck… with Songbird’s bridge burned– no, wait, it’s not burned… Hang on, what was I doing…

  “Let me think… I went to Hansen myself. Spoke with him about Songbird. I wanted to parley with him… We made a deal. Songbird for information hidden behind a… door…” Fuck me, so there was a door… “I’m not making this up, am I?”

  “Nah, I was there for that,” Johnny confirmed…

  Alright, that leaves me with maybe two people who know what’s going on here… Hansen and Songbird. If Scars doesn’t know anything, then… maybe Myers? Wait, if Myers is alive, then what happened to me? Did… Hang on. Scars said that she had an assignment to deal with a cyberpsycho…

  Oh… Oh my God… She must’ve gotten called to me…

  I… I’m actually going insane…

  I’ve failed… It’s too late.

  My ringing phone suddenly snapped me back to the present. “V, guess what?” Hands was on the other line… Great… “Found a permit from a recently vacated spot. Made a phone call, got the tags swapped to your car. You should be able to drive in through the front gate if you wanted.”

  “Really? That’s great… thanks,” I mumbled.

  “Just remember, you owe me a favor when the time comes. Hope your day improves.” Yeah… if I make it that long…

  I would’ve liked to have seen Japan again… Just once…