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Outgoing Video Call - Delamain Taxi Service
Call Accepted - Establishing Connection
"Greetings from Delamain Service. How may I assist you?" The AI's cheerful voice responded, awaiting the potential client's request.
"I'd like to confirm a booking under the name Mikhail Volkova. Do you still have a car available for me?"
"Certainly. Our transportation company is ready to serve you. Do you prefer the vehicle to be AI-driven or operated by a human?" the AI asked, maintaining a formal tone.
"I'd feel more at ease if you could take care of us during the trip, Delamain," Mikhail replied politely.
"Very well. Please await your vehicle. Estimated arrival time: four minutes and thirty-eight seconds. I would like to remind you that you have an 'Excelsior' status, which includes the standard service package, plus full medical insurance, active medical scanning of passengers, combat mode, and free body disposal in case of client death." At the last part, Mikhail frowned and quickly ended the conversation.
"Thank you, Delamain. We'll be waiting. Sending you the meeting point now. End of transmission." Mikhail sent the data packet and immediately cut off the dialogue, not wanting to prolong the conversation.
Call Ended - Connection Terminated
"Hirako, insert the jammers, and let's head down. You take our son; I'll cover us."
"Misha, be careful." Hirako approached her husband and gently stroked his hand.
"Always," Mikhail smiled at her before his face returned to its cold, determined mask.
They had to leave the apartment in a hurry, taking along his personally modified revolver. Night City was a dangerous place, and a weapon could deter any would-be robbers — especially those foolish enough to think that the implanted armor plates in their bodies could stop a bullet from his Malorian.
The old, reliable pistol, designed primarily for cyborgs, had significant recoil and tremendous stopping power, but Misha could handle it thanks to his strong physique and the prosthetic in his left hand. He managed to grab all the essentials and even left a little surprise in the apartment — a bomb without any electronics, the perfect gift for Biotech agents who might try to storm his home. The knowledge he'd gained in the military proved invaluable, though Mikhail still hoped he'd never need to use it again. Unfortunately, it seemed that hope was just a foolish dream that wasn't meant to come true.
The building hadn't been cordoned off yet, and the young couple, with their child in tow, was already waiting for their taxi. But unfortunately, Biotech's transport arrived ahead of schedule, forcing the former soldier to improvise on the spot.
"Hirako, take Alex and head to the rendezvous point alone. I'll stay behind and distract them," Mikhail ordered, firing off a few rounds, wincing at the powerful recoil. The people nearby panicked, scattering in all directions, unintentionally providing the couple with decent cover. The area was crowded today, which played right into the Volkovs' hands.
"Take care of yourself," Hirako smiled at her husband before dashing toward the parking lot where Delamain was expected to arrive.
Mikhail didn't watch her go, instead focusing on the corporation's lackeys who weren't about to let their "assets" slip away so easily. Even the mere thought of that term sent a sharp pang through his head, and the only remedy for it was the death of another Biotech employee.
Blending into the crowd, the former soldier carefully made his way toward the disabled transport, where an injured passenger was struggling to get out. A shot had shattered the man's left arm, but thanks to stimulants, he was still conscious. Not wanting to prolong the "living corpse's" suffering, Mikhail fired another shot, ending the man's life. Reinforcements for these guys were already visible in the distance, so Mikhail knew he had to make some noise to buy Hirako even more time...
***
The young, beautiful Japanese woman, carrying her child, hurried toward the parking lot. She tried not to think about the possibility of losing her husband today, but deep down, she knew she might be seeing him for the last time. Mikhail's final words had tragically imprinted themselves in her mind. Despite this, Hirako believed in her husband, and as long as she lived, she would remain loyal to him until the very end. Even if she were to die today, she was determined that their child would survive. Little Alex was her treasure, who had received the best gift possible from his father.
"Finally," the brunette sighed, her tired eyes catching sight of the approaching taxi, driven by artificial intelligence. She quickly made her way toward it.
"Welcome to Delamain Service..."
"Please, don't waste time. Just take us to the destination," Hirako interrupted, cutting off the AI's scripted greeting.
"Understood." The AI fell silent and proceeded to the given address without further conversation.
"Everything will be fine, sweetheart. Mama and Papa will handle everything," Hirako murmured, not realizing she was speaking to her son in Japanese. Whenever she was anxious, she instinctively reverted to her native language — a trait Mikhail had always found endearing in his wife.
"Ka-chan (Mama)," the boy stirred in her arms, drawing her attention to him.
"I regret to inform you that your son's condition is unstable. His body temperature is rising. Scanners indicate that multiple mutations are occurring within his body. If he doesn't receive help soon, there is a high risk of death," Delamain's synthesized voice reported.
"Hold on..." Hirako placed her hand on her son's burning forehead, gently stroking his sweat-dampened hair. "I hate to ask this, but could you go faster?"
"Of course, as the customer wishes..."
***
"We have arrived at your destination. Thank you for using our service..."
Hirako wasted no time, briefly thanking the AI driver before quickly exiting the car. Alex's condition was worsening, and if he didn't receive anti-inflammatory treatment soon, he might not survive the changes happening within him. Nearby was a decent clinic run by one of the Tiger Claws gang's ripperdocs. Although the local doctor seemed like an unpleasant character, Hirako wanted to believe that Mushi could be trusted. He had once helped her, hiding her from Arasaka's pursuit. It was through his connections that she had secured her job at Biotech.
"Hold on just a little longer," she urged, quickening her pace as she activated her map implant to plot the fastest route. The Kiroshi implants were among the world's leading products, and the software that came with them was worth every eddie.
Upon reaching the clinic, Hirako stopped in front of the entrance, just about to go in when the door unexpectedly opened. A member of the Tiger Claws gang stepped out, eyeing the Japanese woman and the child in her arms with interest.
"Miss, do you need help?" the man asked in Japanese, surprising Hirako with his unexpected politeness.
"I'm looking for Mushi-san. Is he in?" Hirako asked, gently rocking her restless child.
"He's with patients right now. I'm afraid you'll have to wait," the green-haired gang member replied with a shake of his head.
"My son is dying — I don't have time..." Hirako pleaded.
"Alright," the man responded after a brief pause, "I'll try to convince him to see you ahead of the others."
"Tell him that Hirako Volkova is asking for help. Mushi-san will make the right decision."
"Just a moment... Luck smiles upon you, Hirako-san. The doctor is ready to see you..." The man's last words carried a suspicious tone, but Hirako was too grateful to notice. She bowed in thanks and prepared to enter.
Just as she was about to step inside, she felt a blade pierce through her stomach. Slowly turning her face, she looked back in shock and disbelief at her attacker, the same man who had been so polite just moments ago. The gang member showed no concern for nearly killing her.
"Why?" Hirako asked, her voice filled with confusion.
"There's a good bounty on your son. We figured a few eddies wouldn't hurt," the mafioso shrugged, as if it were just another routine task.
"Damn you..." Hirako rasped.
"We're all damned here in Night City," the man replied calmly, as he carefully withdrew the blade and caught her falling body. But he hadn't considered that the weight of the child in her arms was too much for a dying woman to bear. Hirako's fingers, which had been holding her son tightly, weakened, and the child slipped from her grasp, hitting his head on a protruding stone. "That's bad," the man muttered, tossing her body aside and crouching down to check the boy's pulse. With regret, he realized the child was dead. The blow, though not particularly strong, was enough to push his mutation-ravaged body to its limit. In frustration, the Japanese man slammed his fist against the cold, wet floor before slowly rising, only to be immediately addressed by the clinic's operator.
"Goro, what's going on out here?" Another gang member emerged from the building. "What the hell, couldn't you have handled this more carefully?! No one's going to pay us for two corpses!" Mushi snapped, glaring at the two dead bodies with frustration. The analyzer in his eyes confirmed their deaths — nothing could be done now.
"My apologies, Mushi-sama," Goro said, bowing deeply, avoiding eye contact.
"Forget it. They would have been too much trouble anyway. Hirako Arasaka and her little gaijin brat were dangerous assets. Dump their bodies in the alley." The old ripperdoc pointed to a nearby dumpster. Finding a corpse in a trash container was a common occurrence in this city.
"The Hirako?" Goro couldn't believe his ears.
"It doesn't matter now. Move it. Biotech's corpos are actively hunting them down, and those guys don't waste time talking — they shoot first."
Goro sighed tiredly, grabbed the woman's leg, and dragged her toward the dumpster. Along the way, he couldn't resist taking the expensive necklace from around her neck and stuffing it into his pocket. A few hundred eddies might still be salvageable. There was a pawnshop in the district under their protection, run by a guy named Chen, who wouldn't pass up the chance to buy a pricey trinket for next to nothing. Of course, Goro would haggle fiercely, but even then, he couldn't expect more than 500 eddies for it.
"Done," Goro muttered, dusting off his hands and tossing the valuable pendant in his hand. Inside was a small photograph of the Volkova family, taken near North Oak Hill. "Damn suits," the green-haired Japanese man sneered, shaking his head before slamming the dumpster lid shut.
Some time passed before there was a slight movement inside the container. The small boy's body had finished its transformation, and now, Alex's mind was slowly regaining clarity. Waking up in total darkness, he tried to get his bearings, but the overwhelming stench made him clamp his nose shut. A thin beam of light seeping through a crack gave him a point of reference, and with a bit of effort, he managed to push the lid open, tumbling out into the fresh air. Taking another look around, the boy muttered something uncharacteristic for his age:
"Where the hell am I?!"