Watson, wonderful place for just off the ship immigrants. Here you can see people of various origins, skin, faith and language. But after a while you start realising few things. Poverty, crime and dirt. Yeah, just in such order. First, you get stripped of all your savings via taxes, permits and so on. Then you will have to work for pennies at some horrible factory or workshop. Anything you earn goes to pay for rent and food to eat. Any little you save will lead to next problem. Crime, gangsters, thieves and robbers will circle around you like vultures. Pay for protection or get beating to death and robbed. Even protection fee is not omnipotent. It just means you will not get beating up or harassed this month, you still can be robbed at daylight by some skilful pickpockets. And finally, dirt. Sometimes it feels like this place will become new Pacifica. City just does some basic maintenance, just to keep this place going. Only this prevents this district from being covered in garbage and overpopulated with rats and insects.
Wonderful eh? But even here you can find exceptions. Some areas have good infrastructure and security. Oasis in the middle of a desert. But still, Watson is Watson. Few steps out of this safe zone and you are back to dirty streets and criminals hunting around you.
However, in my case this is the best I can get. Sasha send me some info in advance and now I am browsing via Net looking for place to rent while waiting for her in some small coffee shop. God, that crap tastes horrible. I should have thought about bringing some coffee from Columbia instead of drugs. I am more than sure it will sell here at much higher cost than drugs.
"Hi Markus!" - I heard Sasha's voice and turned my head. She didn't change after since our last meeting last year.
"Hey, Sasha. Glad to finally see some familiar face here. Let's start or you want to have some coffee?"
"Nah, you face already tells me that it is quite bad. I better get some soya milk from vending machines on way."
"Alright, let's start looking for place."
We started walking towards nearest option and chatted on a way.
"So how was life after that event?"
"You mean when thanks to us and you Trauma Team had one hell of a time?"
"Well we can call it so." - I chuckled at this.
"Ah, nothing interesting. Same solo work. Netrunning. Running. Netrunning. Shooting. Running. Celebrating. Netrunning."
"You just made a dream job of most of kids in Night City sound as boring as some accountant work."
"Maybe I am a bit overexaggerating but for netrunner of my level this is how it feels. It is more interesting going free roaming in Net."
"Our simple physical world is too rigid and boring for you?"
"Kinda. But really interesting things are heavily guarded which makes it difficult to have some fun. Never mind, just another netrunner grumblings."
So we kept chatting where I have told her about my training and some fun moments. She really laughed when I told her about our situation with nicknames during mission. We have visited few places but they are so so.
Finally, last option, H10 Megabuilding. It is quite strange building in my opinion but pretty normal by local standards. The lower you are the shittier is your flat while penthouses at top seem more natural to be at Westbrook and not in Watson, as if someone carved out and just quick glued it to here.
To my big disappointment I couldn't afford to buy or rent penthouses. It was not just a matter of money but rather of reputation, well, at least that's what I got in my mind during discussion with renting agency representative.
However, I have managed to rent one of better flats near the top. Good place to stay for few years. So without much hesitation and need to twist balls of rep in order to find a trap or something suspicious, thanks to Sasha doing some her netrunning magic, I got keys and signed contract.
"So what do you think?" - Sasha asked me looking through window at Night City.
"Good place, but I want to have good old style furniture from wood and leather. Fed up with over futuristic plastic fashion style."
"Haha, you are funny. You will need a lot of money for that."
"I know, I know. But really. I want to have a nice chair and soft Persian carpet. Just imagine, late evening, you are sitting on a soft chair with a cat and reading a book. Sipping a glass of good whiskey. Sounds tempting right?"
"I agree on that. Sounds really warm and cosy. However that will require a lot of money. And just in case, cat will cost you much more than your sofa and carpet combined."
"What?!!!"
"Tax on pets. Why do you think cats and dogs in Night City are rare? And the cats you see outside let's call it on communal care. Not many people can afford to have a cat so they have to "share" ownership."
"....now I really start hating Night City even more."
Just the moment I finished grumbling about taxes and cat really becoming a luxury, Sasha had a call from Maine. He is finally over his handgover.....hmm celebration. Now he calls for a meeting at Afterlife. Sasha started apologising for having to leave me but I just told he that I also have a meeting at Afterlife. So we ordered a taxi and moved towards the club-bar.
Upon arrival we had to part our ways since she has to meet her team while I need to wait for Ron in specially booked meeting boot. Why such precautions and paranoia? Because I am back in corpo life and such precautions are necessity. I have been a lucky fool but now I am too well aware how dangerous some information and wrong words can be.
Ron arrived just 5 minutes before the deadline. He changed a bit. Red from tiredness eyes changed into red and a bit fatty cheeks. Haha, seems old veteran started metamorphose into bureaucrat. This was my first thing I told him after a hug.
He just smirked at that saying that with greater responsibility comes greater obesity. We started laughing and then started exchanging news and stories. Almost a year after my departure but not many things have changed. Trauma Team saves people and makes money. Same issue of overworked and angry personnel. Same infights amongst managers. The only exception is that Ron had to also get involved into this fight although he just aligned himself with Jeremiah Waters. Our Ex-HR manager got really high. Right into board of directors. Purge got a lot of free positions while optimisation in form of taking away all belonging of failed coup participants.
The only issue is that now Trauma Team started dividing itself into two camps. One is Jeremiah and his allies during purge. Second is Carrie Lachanan and her sidekicks. One hell of a bitch according to Ron. Oh shit, here we go again. But what do I really expect? Unicorns and higher ups running around in circles holding hands.
However, this situation provides a good opportunity for me. Let's start testing the waters.
"Ron, what if I will take side of Jeremiah and his allies?"
"I say that will be a great boon for him. You got good reputation yourself even before the whole story with brainwashing. Now with your official and acknowledged completion of training course you are really one of elites. So yeah, you are one hell of precious ally to have."
Good, now let's talk about what I will gain except good backing at Trauma Team.
"Then can you organise us a meeting where I will discuss that with Jeremiah? And to be honest I have my own demands. Just let him know."
"Hmm, that is acceptable. I will pass him a message. But what exactly you want and what will you do in case things go sour?"
"I want to create special team with Trauma Team. I am fed up of having to deal with situation when we lack raw firepower and either have to flee under under hail of bullets or wait for reinforcements with high risk of losing our or clients lives."
"So like Max-Tac but from Trauma Team?"
"Kinda, except we will not accept ex-psychos or with excessive cyberware."
"But how it fits with our Modus Operandi. You must know that we are mainly paramedics and not some bunch of gun-ho."
"Ron, have you forgot about cyberpsycho or that heavily implanted brute that almost crashed me down? We need our own hard hitters. Also, as cherry in top, my team will be like premium above premium. Only really rich and reputable ones can afford such level of protection."
"Sounds not too bad but still many ifs and maybe. Although, I still pass that to Jeremiah. However, you still have to tell me what is your plan B in case of decline?"
"Simple, I just go solo. Rogue can drop me some jobs or just join Maine and his pokemon team."
"Hahaha, not bad for plan B. But in my opinion Guardian Angel sounds much better thank Pikachu or some shit."
"Totally agree, but usually nicknames choose you rather than you them."
"Yeah, now let's celebrate your return to Night City."
"Cheers."
"Now, listen here you little shit. I have fed up with paperwork and all that shit so today I plan to get so hammered that even Dionysus will give me thumbs up and say, amazing! do it again!. So prepare yourself for one hell of alcohol run!"
"Hah, that's the spirit. Let's go to bar, wanna try famous Johnny Silverhand! Hurry up old dinosaur, we have a city to burn!"