Bab 28: Chapter 28: Nobodies I
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Chapter 28: Nobodies I
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Therefore, it wasn't that much of a walk, soon being able to see the neon-filled streets of Little China and hear the sound of sirens as well as some familiar cries, right by the clinic... He saw Blood On Metal.
The people of Night City, most of them hope for just a decent life, and most of them don't even get that.
The people of Night City, some of them hope for a happy ending... Wrong City for such an imaginary dream.
It's an imaginary dream because some people want and seek destruction, but most seek glory and riches.
Such people have conflicts, regularly. As a ramification of those conflicts, innocent people die.
Every now and then, a stray bullet hit someone. Today, it hit Marrie's little brother.
Marrie is one of the homeless people living by the clinic, usually staying by the staircase with her brother.
They once got into trouble, a while ago when Johnson came to the clinic, all due to the gun the little kid was playing with.
It's of course Marrie's gun, for protection. She had lost her gun before so she must've got her hand on a new one.
She still let her little brother play with it... After she unloaded it of course.
That same gun the little kid was playing with is in the hand of the only officer on the scene, the police seemingly not attaching much importance to the incident.
That's what usually happens when the incident involves gang violence. The cop must be here just for formalities, putting the gun in an evidence bag.
The gun was thoroughly bloody, having been submerged in the kid's blood for a while now, and it was certainly not the reason he died.
The kid's death was the result of a stray bullet. He didn't die protecting his sister, nor did the gangsters kill him because they saw the gun in his hands.
In fact, they likely didn't see him at all, just another unknown victim of Night City, a city that makes sure you know goddamn well that you're a fucking nobody.
It leaves your loved ones to grieve for you, to sob for you, only to likely harvest their life soon after.
That's the case of Marrie right now, sobbing uncontrollably, on her knees beside the kid, shaking him in the hope of seeing any sliver of life in him.
There was none, the pool of blood is evidence of that as no non chromed up human can survive so much blood loss.
"Please... Please... Co... Come back," Marrie couldn't help choking her words, her voice sounding hoarse, a testament to how much she cried.
X zoned out a bit, barely listening to the voices in the crowd, mostly the homeless people around who came to check what happened.
He could see Garry sitting to the side, his expression speaking of nothing but depression.
Vik was by the staircase leading to the clinic, adorning a frown on his face. He must've seen a lot of death.
Misty was crouched near Marrie, trying to help in any way, but not a word she spoke could cool Marrie's mood in any way.
"X," Marrie was in a trance, her throat having run dry, but she was still able to see X standing before her, having taken his mask off.
Marrie stood up, unable to shed more tears than she already had. She reached out for his free hand and held it before mumbling as her mouth shivered, "C-Can you do something? Please, anything."
X blinked tracing his eyes to the body, and keenly capturing where the bullet wound was, the kid's brain.
It must've been an instant kill, or else Vik would've done something, "I'm sorry..."
"Noooo..." She couldn't muster up the power to cry aloud, only able to let out low desperate mumbles, "Why... Why."
She fell into X's arms, almost falling to the ground if he didn't react fast enough and catch her... She lost consciousness, "Vik! Can you carry her inside?"
X was holding a bag in his right hand, and Vik keenly realized that his condition was abnormal, so he took her inside, X following after them.
Misty remained on the scene, calling Jackie to help with the body and funeral, not having any expectations from the cops to do anything.
Vik gently placed Marrie on the couch in the back room and covered her up with a blanket.
He went back to the operation to find X lying on the operation table, having already put his bag to the side and taken off his upper clothes.
And he was now in the process of taking off his gloves, something he seemed to be having trouble with.
X had used his gloves to block his blood from spilling out, so he tightened them lots, resulting in all of that blood coagulating as it dried, causing it to stick to the fabric of the gloves.
When taking off his gloves, he felt like he was ripping off his flesh, yet strangely, he didn't feel much pain, or at least, his expression said so.
X let the blood leak onto the plate on the side table as he said to Vik, "I think I have a broken rib and my hands... Well, you can see for yourself."
"Just what have you gotten into?" Vik asked as he eyed X's hands, the all sliced-up hands.
If X wanted to answer that, Vik didn't give him a chance as he shook his head, "Never, don't tell me. I don't wanna know... Relax your hands."
Vik got to work, starting with analyzing the injuries, "Deep cuts... Broken bones... Detached finger bones... Broken rib... Lacerated skin."
"Why would you put yourself in so much risk? You're very talented, and all you need is time. Why risk your life?" Vik questioned as he started by disinfecting and stabilizing the wounds to prevent infection.
"It wasn't much of a risk... I knew I would be injured, but the likelihood of death was extremely low," X shook his head. It wasn't the Maelstroms that stumbled upon him, it was he who waited for them.
"Do you not feel pain," Vik asked with wonder for X seemed eerily calm.
"A little... No need for any anesthetic," X answered, seemingly unwilling to delve further into the issue.
Vik shrugged and used a very strong antiseptic spray to clear out any bacteria or debris from the cuts.
"Are you used to death... I saw that you didn't react much," Vik asked.
"I do feel something... I feel my memories burning bright, reminding me of some remembrances I lost... Yes, I am used to death," X nodded.
"You're not alone... Night City makes you feel dehumanized and numb. It drives you so numb you become half-asleep, half-forgotten, half-alive." Muttered Vik.
Then there was silence, only the sound of Vik working his magic left in the place.
X's flesh in some places was way too open, necessitating stitching the wound, and there are many ways to do so.
Vik opted for dermal sealing. This method uses a specialized adhesive that bonds skin tissues together, combined with regenerative agents to accelerate healing.
Dermal sealing is faster than traditional stitching, and it minimizes scarring, making it quite the popular option.
Just to be safe, Vik applied a layer of biogel over the wounds. This regenerative gel helps speed up the healing process, reduce inflammation, and prevent scarring.
The biogel would also act as a protective layer over the sutures or sealed areas, reducing the chance of infection and allowing the wounds to heal more smoothly.
Vik then used a bioplastic that hardens into a protective shell, giving extra stability for broken bones and healing cuts.
He then tended to X's broken rib which wasn't much of an issue, just like the laceration.
"Done, you can take some time off, and don't go fucking around before the damage is fully healed." Said Vik as he took off his gloves.
"How long would it take? To fully heal?" X asked.
"We can do Nanobot-Assisted Bone Healing to reduce the time necessary for full bone fusion to two weeks max," Vik suggested.
"Let's do that. Take out the cost from my next paycheck," X nodded.
Vik didn't argue with X about that and just nodded. X clearly didn't want to owe Vik more than he already has.
"What about Marrie... What should we do?" X wondered.
"I will take care of her till she feels better," Misty joined them and said, having heard X's question.
Misty is truly the kindest of spirits, "Let me know when she wakes up... Tell her to call me," Said X.
He walked, finding a few of the homeless still around, chattering about the incident.
"What a shit day, man."
"What a shit week... Ralph also died just a few days ago and now this... So bullshit."
"Honestly, this is why new gangs like Little Monsters thrive... Fucking gangs funding the rise of other gangs."
"Isn't that a fuckin' cult?"
"Gang, Cult, what's the fuckin' difference? Comparin' horse shit to dog shit!"
The body was nowhere to be seen, having been taken by Jackie and some of his friends.
There was, however, the pool of blood left there, swimming through the cracks of the alleyway... X followed through the cracks of this godforsaken city to his home.
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Bab 29: Chapter 29: Nobodies II
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Chapter 29: Nobodies II
...........
There was, however, the pool of blood left there, swimming through the cracks of the alleyway... X followed through the cracks of this godforsaken city to his home.
"Welcome back," The feeling of going back home to find someone awaiting your return... It isn't so difficult to make happen when AIs like Joi are all over the place for cheap.
"What happened," Joi frowned as she eyed X's hands which were covered by bioplastic bandages.
"Work," X plainly replied as he directly lied down on the couch, just contemplating things.
"Are you okay?" Joi sat down by his side and asked.
"..." X stayed silent a while longer, and Joi waited till he finally responded, "You know, there is this kid and his sister that stay by Vik's clinic."
"I'm not that close to them by any means. The kid was more like the mischievous neighbor, taken care of by his older sister."
"I'm used to having a chat with them here and then... Now, the kid is gone and the sister is left mind broken," X explained.
"Are you sad for them?" Joi curiously asked.
"I'm sad about the state of this world," X muttered.
"The state of the world?" Joi needed a bit more than that.
"Humanity has become disposable, with lives valued only by what they can contribute to the corporate agenda."
"Freedom, love, even individuality are under constant threat from oppressive surveillance, social engineering, and engineered societal decay."
"Crime is rampant, with gangs serving as both rivals and pawns to corporate agendas, fueling an underworld where information, organs, and even memories are currency."
"The people have given up on the idea of a future altogether, embracing nihilism as a survival tactic in a world that's lost its humanity."
"Even nature seems to have abandoned this world, with toxic rain, smog-filled skies, and polluted waters."
"Environmental collapse is a forgotten disaster; people are too busy trying to stay alive to notice the planet is dying."
If this world has one rule, it's that nothing; neither the environment, human rights, nor morality; has any value unless it can be exploited for profit." X gave her more.
"What are we going to do about it?" Joi asked the most important question in her mind.
"I can not change the world... Change is too difficult, nigh impossible. Destruction is easy," X stated before closing his eyes.
The answer brought joy to Joi as she silently slow danced in the room, not making a sound lest she disturb his peace.
X did seem very tired, which is why he quickly delved into the lands of dreams, again finding himself in his restaurant.
"Are we truly sad about the state of the world?" Y asked a very confusing question.
"We are... The world is missing a very vital piece... Us at the top," Z nodded.
"I must admit though... I'm a bit sad about how easily I give up on things around me, leaving them behind like nobodies." X plainly muttered.
"That's called emotional desensitization or compassion fatigue, witnessing so much death, trauma, or suffering makes one become numb to it."
"Over time, they lose the ability to feel empathy or concern, which allows them to cope with a harsh reality but at the cost of their own emotional well-being and humanity." Z seriously explained.
"Is that truly what we have? I mean, we've seen much death, but aren't our problems bigger than that? I can feel plenty of emotions but there are these urges that drive me to forsake them just to reach my goals," Said X.
"We are mind broken, are we not?" Y thought that was common sense.
"Yeah, we are... And in this world, we're also physically broken. Even with our mental capabilities, I found it difficult to keep up with a few lowly Maelstrom grunts," X pointed out.
"We wait a while to heal. We meet Wakako, then get our money and enhance ourselves. Otherwise, we can not compete with the capable individuals of Night City," Z agreed.
"Why do we need to compete with them physically? We should use our minds instead of putting ourselves in dangerous situations," Y questioned.
"Just in case," X.
"Just in case," Z nodded.
"I'm quite tired... Good night," X yawned before truly falling asleep.
"Good night." "Good night."
X wouldn't be able to use his hands for about a week, but fortunately, there is something such as an Interface plug in this world, allowing him to link to things and operate them without using his hands.
The interface plug was intact, and X was someone who hates wasting time and just not working in general.
Therefore, he went back to the clinic only after two days, linking with the mechanical arms and using them as his arms.
Vik could only shake his head at X's dedication and didn't even try to stop him knowing that he couldn't stop him from working.
Another unfortunate news was that Marrie isolated herself, suffering from depression. Misty did the best she could to soothe her mind, but nothing worked.
Well, things just moved on from there. Such are things in Night City, people just people.
The little kid was just another nobody losing his life in a world where many nobodies lose their lives every single day.
The interface plug also allowed him to link to his computer and continue his studies in the field of medical tech.
After the last fight, X realized just how valuable being a Ripperdoc can be in his future endeavors.
The Ripperdoc line of work would not only allow him to make connections, but it would also allow him to know and understand his enemies, their makings, and what cyberware they have.
X also heard of the Maelstroms snooping around, although they didn't seem to have figured out who killed their boys.
That was reasonable, X went above and beyond to make sure he eliminated his traces.
He didn't allow the Maelstroms to see his face, because he knew that their cybernetic heads could give feedback of what they see back to their headquarters.
Still, just to be safe, he went through some minor cosmetics, such as turning his hair blonde.
And it wasn't just temporarily turning it blonde, but truly changing his natural hair color from black to blonde.
There are many ways to do so such as Nano-Dye Injections, Bio-Hack Genetic Reprogramming, Chromatic Augmentations, and even introducing Chemical Modulators to the Bloodstream.
X also used Cosmetic Lenses which are Completely aesthetic, offering various holographic effects, patterns, or even animated scenes within the eye, like swirling galaxies or glitching pixels.
He had also used them when facing the Maelstroms, knowing that it's easy to detect you based on your eyes.
Just like fingerprints, the cornea has a unique pattern. Advanced surveillance systems can use high-resolution imaging to scan corneal details from a distance and match them with stored records.
It's very difficult to go unnoticed in Night City, thus why X took all those precautions.
Now, however, he wants to be noticed, thus his planned visit to Wakako, a more dangerous endeavor than his fight with the Maelstroms.
Therefore, he had to be ready, establish some connections, make some calls, prepare for the worst, and write some codes and malware.
Most importantly, he has to cook something up, something that will at least increase the chances of his survival if things go south.
No, there is something way way more important, and that's to investigate Wakako Okada and her boys.
The operation is just too risky... I have to study her psychology, then make a personality construct of her and talk to her... Will you listen to my voice, Wakako? Will you answer?
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