"Think she liked you." I tell Jackie as we move past the barricade into Watson.
"She was impressed by my devotion. I'm loyal, stable in my affections." Jackie says. He isn't wrong though.
Oh shit I know that noise. I duck down in the car as Maxtac arrives, picking off a couple regular hangers in seconds. Can't let myself get spotted by my former colleagues. Faking your death and dropping off the radar with proprietary tech isn't exactly something the most ruthless killing force in Night City lets you get away with.
"Fuck choom. You really used to run with those guys?" Jackie asks me.
"Yeah I did. Unlike my ex-psycho friends though, I only did what I felt I had to do to keep people safe." I reply. Maxtac isn't all ex-freaks. Some of us just want to be able to handle the outliers, psychos and gangs who think they kill anyone they fucking want in broad daylight cause the NCPD is so damn corrupt. I thought Maxtac was above that. Turns out they just have higher price tags.
"They're done. Let's delta."
It doesn't take long for us to park across the street from Vik's alley. We move over to Misty's Esoterica, past that rambling nutcase. Think his name was Gary or something.
*Ring*
Misty's got an old bell on the door. Adds to the aura she said. I really don't get half of what she says. "Hey baby! Oh, and hello to you too V."
"Hey Misty. Need to see the doc. Is he in?" I ask.
"Yup, watching some old fight out back, I'll open the door for you." She answers.
As Jackie starts his bumbling flirting with Misty, I make my way out the back into the alley. Can't forget to pet the cat, as usual. One of the only cats still left, at least in Night City.
I can hear the sound of Viktor tinkering on some chrome while he watches an old boxing match, just like he always does when there's no patient on his table. That's about to change though.
"Hey doc." I call out to Vik.
"Oh, V. What brings you here?" He asks me. You'd think he's the straight to biz type, but he's really not. Just concerned. We're friends, but usually people only pop in on a ripper unscheduled when they got a problem.
"Nothing major Vik. Just had a gig earlier, rescued this chick from a scav den and I think I caught something when I was jacked into her." I tell him my problem.
"Well that I can deal with in a couple of minutes. Sit down, how've you been?"
"Doing pretty good Vik. Jobs like these make me feel a little hopeful for this shitheap of a city of opportunity."
"You know, I have to ask. Why do you still have so much chrome? Your Maxtac days are behind you, said so yourself. But still, you're walking around town a behemoth on legs. You could wind down, get some synthetic limbs that would actually let you feel things. Cut the chance you lose your mind or burn your synapses by half." Vik asks me. It isn't the first time, and just like every time before I have the same answer.
"Night City is why."