Cyberpunk 2021

April 15, 2021. 01:49. Burnaby.

"Where? Where is the gun broadcasting to?" I ask with a low voice. My heart rate soars as the possibilities of who might be listening in skyrocket. 

Shock hesitates, checking the data feed. "Uhh, back to the Richmond docks. That's… weird. And I think it's broadcasting our voices."

The van falls into an uneasy silence as the revelation sinks in. Whoever built this weapon knows exactly where it is—and where we're taking it.

"What do we do?" Tetra asks, his voice breaking the tension. "We can't just keep driving with this thing—"

"We disable it," Mister states flatly. "Shock, can you shut it off?"

Shock nods. "I can, one sec." She rapidly types in the air, finishing with a flick of her finger. "Done! It's completely off. Now what?"

Azure frowns, her gaze fixed on the box. "I don't think… we should let this slide." Her tone has traces of fear, one that hints she is familiar with this. "We need to investigate this." She looks back at us. 

Mister exhales sharply, gripping the steering wheel. "Fine. Artemis, can you let Wissen know about this? We'll figure out the rest once we're in Richmond."

I nod and pull out my phone. "Give me a bit." I set aside my unease and type a message to Wissen.

"Got the railgun. But there's a tracking device inside. Investigating it right now. Give us a bit." 

Wissen's response is immediate.

"Understood. Meet outside the Dead Kings' HQ once you're done. Dante and I will be waiting."

Satisfied, I set aside my phone. "Alright, he's been notified." 

Mister nods, his focus shifting back to the road as he accelerates forward. Tension remains in the air, as each member of the group is lost in their thoughts. 

I peek at the railgun one last time. The faint glow of the weapon calls to me. It's beautiful. The tracking device remains in Azure's hand for some reason, but I think nothing of it. I tighten my grip over my duffle bag, instincts telling me to prepare for anything. I knew this mission was off. 

…

April 15, 2021. 02:08. Richmond.

The van rolls to a stop just outside the Richmond docks. The familiar hum of the engine dies, replaced by an unsettling silence. I'm on edge, yet I make no show of it. I stare out the window, scanning the scene. 

We file out, the party's footsteps crunching softly against the ground. My hand rests instinctively on my pistol. The docks are eerily quiet, just as we left them. What's odd, however, is how strangely clean the area is now. The wreckage from before is gone. No bullet casings. No pools of blood. No signs of the chaos that unfolded earlier. Odd, weirdly pristine.

Shock is the first to break the silence. "Uh, is it just me, or is this place like… way too clean?" Her voice is hushed, her usual casual tone replaced with unease. She tilts her head towards a nearby security camera attached to a wall overlooking the parking lot. "Lemme see if I can find out what happened." 

I narrow my eyes. "No, it's not just you.." My gaze flickers to the water, the gentle waves lapping against the docks. No police. No gang presence. Just… nothing. What the hell? The unease is impossible for me to pretend. First Surrey, now this. Azure stands close by, and there's a strange look in her eye. Her eyes dart around, tension evident in her shoulders. I lightly nudge her in the arm. "You good?" 

Azure stiffens before waving it off. "Yeah… let's just, focus on finding the receiver." She walks past me, towards a nearby warehouse building. Her head occasionally swivels around, looking for something nearby. 

I raise an eyebrow but don't press her further, but the dismissive answer only deepens my suspicions. I've seen this kind of behaviour before—someone hiding something, and they're not doing a great job at it.

With the snap of her fingers, Shock's eyes glow and a faint hum emits from her bag. "Okay, the signal's coming from… there." She points toward the edge of the docks, near the water. "Weird, a bunch of people came here earlier and just took away everything." 

Tetra furrows his brows and shakes his head. "The hell? Wasn't there nothing there last time? Like… no one?" He folds his arms and rubs his hands along his biceps. "Also, what do you mean that a bunch of people came here earlier?"

Azure interjects, her voice much quieter than usual, reduced to a simple whisper. "I think I know why."

Before she can elaborate, the faint sound of humming reaches my ears. My head snaps in the direction that I hear it from and the group freezes as well. Their eyes locked on to the source of the sound just a few moments after me. We say nothing but I hold my hand, gesturing for them to stay still. Instead, we silently creep forward, inching our way to the sound. The cold wind blasts by us, as if urging us to move. 

Standing at the edge of the docks is a woman, her long, dyed silver hair catching the faint glow of the moonlight. Cybernetic lines run across her pale cheeks, faintly pulsing with light that seems almost alive. She wears glasses, and her calm, casual demeanour is deeply unsettling. She sways slightly as she hums, as if she's the only one in the world, waiting for something to happen. Weird. 

As if sensing our presence, the woman turns to face us. Her movements are smooth, almost mechanical. She smiles warmly at us, an expression that feels out of place in this eerie silence.

"Ah," she says, her voice soft and melodic. "Hello! Nice to meet you."

The party tenses, instinctively reaching for their weapons. My hand hovers over my pistol as well, my eyes narrowing as I study the woman. 

Tetra speaks first, his voice uneasy. "Uh… who the hell are you?"

The woman tilts her head, her smile never faltering. "Oh, where are my manners?" She adjusts her glasses with a delicate motion. "I'm Jenny. It's a pleasure to meet you all."

Her calm and polite tone sends a shiver down my spine. There's something extremely weird about this woman—something I can't quite put into words. My grip on my pistol tightens, instincts screaming at me to be ready for anything. But nothing happens, instead, the docks grow even quieter. Jenny clasps her hands behind her back, waiting patiently for a response.

We remain silent for a moment, tension thick in the air. Jenny's calm demeanour annoys me, her smile never faltering as she waits for a response. It's obvious she's related to Autumn Blade—to some degree at least, but I'm not sure how to handle the situation. 

Mister steps forward, his movements deliberate and controlled, as always. "Jenny, is it? What exactly are you doing here?" His tone of voice is even, but there's a slight edge to it, like a blade hidden in plain sight. I'm certain Mister also suspects Jenny of being an affiliate of some kind but isn't throwing accusations around for the sake of politeness. 

Jenny tilts her head slightly, her silver hair shimmering in the faint moonlight. "Oh, I'm just… enjoying the view. The water is calming at night, don't you think?" 

Azure shuffles beside me, her hand brushing against the edge of her jacket as if to steady herself. Just what the hell is going on with her?

Tetra looks at the water, then back at Jenny. "You're… 'enjoying the view'? At two in the morning?" He frowns and his voice is laced with suspicion.

Jenny chuckles softly. "Mhm!" She carefully adjusts her glasses with a delicate motion. "I'm kind of a night owl and someone that isn't from here."

"'Isn't from here'?" Mister presses on, his tone still sharp. "You're beyond the local area?"

Jenny's smile widens, and she brings her hands behind her back. "Yep! I'm here on vacation. Let's just say I have an interest in your city."

Shock whispers behind us, and I feel her place a hand on my shoulder. "Y'all, this is getting really weird. Should we—" 

Jenny's voice cuts through Shock's words. "Oh, and please, let's keep this civil. I'd hate for things to get messy." She continues that smile of hers while her eyes gleam behind her glasses. For a brief moment, there's a faint glow to her cybernetics, and I know for sure that isn't just the moonlight.

The group tenses instinctively. My hand hovers near my pistol, but something about Jenny makes me hesitate. She exudes a confidence that can't be found from arrogance, but from knowing she holds all the cards.

"Alright," Mister says, his tone is steady. He shows the palms of his empty hands to Jenny. "I'd rather not escalate things either then. If you're not here to fight, then what do you want?"

Jenny's smile softens slightly. "Honestly, I told you, I'm just here visiting the city. But, if we want to make things a little fun…" Her eyes dart between all of us. "If you can answer a riddle, I'll happily tell you everything I know." 

"Sure. What is it?" Mister crosses his arms while the rest of us are dumbfounded. 

"Why is it," Jenny begins, her voice dropping to a lower, almost hypnotic tone, "that winter always follows fall?"

The question hangs in the air, and the group exchanges confused looks. The fuck? And then I see it, the pale face of Azure. She takes a step back, her hand gripping her jacket tightly. No words leave her mouth, and her breathing is ever so slightly irregular. 

"What kind of riddle is that?" Tetra asks, his brows furrowing. "Never heard of that one before."

Jenny chuckles again, the sound carrying an unsettling edge. "A simple one, really. But if you can't answer it, well…" She spreads her arms in a gesture of mock helplessness. "I suppose I'll have to leave you to ponder it. Don't worry—I'll be back later."

Without waiting for a response, Jenny turns and begins to walk toward the edge of the docks. Her movements are unnervingly fluid, like she's gliding rather than walking. I tilt my head, this mental gymnastics headache is getting to me now. No one in the party dares to stop her, a combination of fear and confusion is what prevents us from doing so. Instead, we watch her step into the shadows of a nearby alleyway, her figure blending seamlessly with the darkness. 

A heavy stillness falls over us, broken only by the faint sound of the water striking against the docks. The party breaks apart, unsure what to do. Remi casually flicks on his phone, Tetra and Shock look around to find more clues, and Mister stares out into the water. That just leaves two of us left. 

"Artemis," Azure whispers, her trembling voice audible only for me to hear. She leans in closer, her tone barely audible. "We can't just let her leave like that. She's dangerous."

I stare back, noting the tension in Azure's features. Her eyes dart towards the direction Jenny disappeared. "And what do you want me to do?" I keep my voice low and firm. "Chase her down and start a fight we don't need?"

Azure's expression tightens, her eyes sharpen and her lips press into a thin line. "She's not someone we can just ignore. You saw her—she's not normal." It's weird to see someone so playfully calm turn into someone wreaking paranoia. I snort and brush her concern away. 

"And none of us are either. We've got enough problems to deal with. Chasing after her isn't worth it. Unless you can give me one good reason why I should." I straighten my back and make it clear to Azure that I'm not budging unless I'm given a damn good incentive. 

Azure looks like she wants to argue but stops herself. She exhales sharply, frustration is evident in her voice. "Fine, I just had a bad feeling. That's all," her gaze drops to the ground. But I catch the flicker of fear in her eyes before she turns away. Liar, you're scared—really scared. If she was an actual friend or if this was related to acquiring the railgun, I would've asked by now. But it isn't, and I have no desire to pry further.

Some time passes by, and the rest of us regroup. We exchange uneasy glances. Nothing else of value has been found. Mister finally breaks the frightening calm. "Let's head back. We've wasted enough time here."

Reluctantly, we pile back into the van. The engine hums to life and the docks fade into the distance. I sneak one more look at Azure. She sits stiffly, staring out the window, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of her jacket. 

Whatever Jenny is—or whatever she represents—has rattled Azure more than she's willing to admit. It's a surprise none of the other party members caught on, but I suppose they were too distracted by everything else. It's not that they're incompetent, it's just that I have an easier time detecting this. But for now, I lean against the nearest window and watch Vancouver return to view.

…

April 15, 2021. 03:15. Vancouver.

The van slows to a halt outside the Dead Kings' HQ. The building is a welcome contrast to the cleaned-up Richmond docks. Despite the area being riddled with graffiti and scars from countless confrontations, it was a familiar area with predictable people, unlike the complete mystery that is Jenny. The neon lights continue to buzz faintly, casting the same glow I've familiarized myself with over the cracked pavement.

We step out of the van, and I can feel the exhaustion kick in now. My feet ache and I bat away the urge to nap. Fuck, I miss my bed right now. I pinch my thigh as hard as I can. As I do, I notice Azure's still unsettled look. It's annoying, but she keeps quiet, her jaw tight and eyes focused anywhere but on the rest of us.

Wissen and Dante are already waiting by the entrance, their expressions neutral but watchful. Wissen raises a hand in greeting as we approach. "Welcome back." Mister nods and gestures to Tetra and the large case he has in his hands. 

"Sorry we're late. We took longer than anticipated, but we have the railgun. We tried tracking down the receiver and ended up with a dead end. We met a woman that is related to the weapon but she seemed too much trouble to investigate further." 

Wissen's eyes move to the case with sharp precision, a hint of approval in his gaze. "You made the right call. Don't bother with anything else related to Autumn Blade. The complications aren't worth it."

"One thing to keep in mind," Tetra strides over to Dante and hands him the case. "The railgun, uh, uses a battery. So, it's got limited shots." 

Dante slowly nods. "Thank you, I'll keep that in mind. Was this intentional?"

"Yeah," Azure chimes in, her voice dry and lacking in life. "It's an incomplete weapon. Whatever you plan on doing with it, keep in consideration that this is a prototype."

"I see, good to know." Dante bows his head and carries the railgun case into Wissen's limo. There's a sour expression written on his face. No doubt, he was hoping for a complete weapon. "I'll make sure my family knows about this… development." 

Wissen watches Dante disappear into the limo before turning his attention back to us. "Do let me know if you need a ride back home or wherever you need." Right… forgot about that. I shake my head and use my phone to recall my vehicle to a nearby street. Mister shakes his head at the offer.

"I'm afraid we have a little bit of business left. We promised Blake we would also report back to him."

Wissen nods and his eyes glow blue. "Alright, then we'll let you be on your way. Credits will be transferred shortly." He turns around and walks heads into his limo. There's a slight pause but then he gives us all a wave back. 

I check my account for incoming transfers and I guess my teammates do the same. I get a second wind of energy as the beautiful confirmation of €$10,000 is transferred into my account. It won't buy anything new, but it'll keep me stocked on essentials for quite some time. I breathe a sigh of relief, though the tension of the night lingers faintly. At least it's almost over. 

"See you." I wave at my departing friend, earning a faint smirk from Shock. I raise an eyebrow and all she does is giggle. Wissen's limo drives off with both him and Dante. I watch the vehicle turn around the corner and then step inside, following Mister.