Cyberpunk 2077 - The Ballad of Lost Souls

V is sitting on a bench in the middle of Night City, sipping a cup of coffee. Suddenly a red Thorton parks in front of him, stepping onto the sidewalk. V gets up, leaving the cup on the bench, heading to the car.

V opens the door and sits in the passenger seat, next to him is a man with a bionic eye, wearing a brown jacket with a large fur coat.

Man: Hey, V.

V: How you're holdin' up, River?

River: Been better. Probably not too hard to tell.

V: So… What happened?

River: Needed someone to talk to.

V: hu-uh?

River: First, take a look.

River begins to upload data to the interface of V. When the upload is completed, a news broadcast starts to play.

News Anchorman: Hello, my name is Arif Iqbal, and this is WNS news. Today's story… A routine roadside inspection led the NCPD to the trail of a dangerous abductor and murderer. The incident occurred at the intersection between 7th and 15th avenue. The following police footage was captured at the scene.

The video keeps going, showing a patrol car pulling up behind another one in a dark alley. A pair of officers surround the vehicle from which a man with dark hair gets out with his hands in the air. Suddenly, from the passenger seat, a child falls lifelessly to the ground as the man begins to run away, being gunned down by the two officers.

News Anchorman: The boy in the footage is LeVar Martinez, age sixteen. His parents reported the disappearance one month ago. Unfortunately his body cannot withstand the severe septic shock he suffered. Autopsy report revealed that the teenager was given dangerously high levels of hormones, anabolic steroids and stimulants. Genetic material of seven other missing children was found in the car belonging to Anthony Harris. Unfortunately their fates remain unknown.

The video ends as V looks back at River.

V: What's the problem if they've got the guy?

River: My nephew, Randy… Disappeared not long past. And what you just saw… The kid was wearing Randy's shoes.

V turns away from River's eyes, sorry.

V: Oh Jesus… And what, they've figured you'd get emotional and kept you off the case?

River: More like a restraining order…Won't let me near it.

V: No way I'd let this lie.

River: I know, that's why I'm asking your help.

V: What do we do?

River: Can't interrogate the guy, cause he's a veg, but… We can view his dreams.

V: I'm sorry… dreams?

River: You heard me. C'mon, I'll explain on the way…

Suddenly River gets out of the car, as V follows him.

V is sitting on the passenger seat of River's Thorton, as he's driving nervously through the hills outside Night City.

River gives in to the tension and slams his metal hand on the steering wheel.

River: Damn it, let this work!

V turns to the man, trying to reassure him.

V: Gotta work, River. Done more in two days than the NCPD accomplished in weeks.

River adjusts himself, moving around on his seat, as his Thorton speeds toward the Badlands outside Night City.

River: Not hard to do but, yeah. You're right. Thanks V, for everything… If only… If I'd only knew sooner how he felt, what was eatin' him…

V: This isn't your fault…

River: I'm his UNCLE, V! And I wasn't there for him… FUCK!

The faint lights of the few street lamps on the side of the road disappear into the night, as the asphalt gives way to the flat fields of the farms outside Night City, illuminated in the distance.

River: Grab somethin'!

River begins to accelerate and with a quick turn, knocks down the gate of one of the farms. V begins to look around, dazed, as River abruptly opens the door.

V: This is it. This is the farm, we got it!

River: I know, let's get to the barn, quick!

As soon as V gets out of the car he is hit by a burst of bullets, River quickly draws his revolver, taking cover behind the driver's door, while V runs for cover behind an old shed.

V: SHIT!

River: V, the house, LOOK!

On the other side of the land, there is a small wooden cottage protected by a pair of automatic turrets. V quickly opens his interface and by launching a pair of ICEs, manages to disable them both.

River: Damn.

V comes out from behind the wall as River catches up with him.

River: Are you ok?!

V: Yeah, but it's not over. Look.

V points at the large industrial shed, protected by another pair of turret, on the left of the wooden house.

River: Randy must be there, c'mon V!

V: NO!

V grabs River's arm just before he can start running toward the shed. After a moment of confusion, River lowers his gaze to his boots, the ground in front of him appears to be completely covered with red LEDs, as if they were a blanket.

River: Wait… are those?!

V: Yeah. Stay close if you don't want to explode in a million bits.

V and River slowly walk toward the house, crossing the porch and opening the sliding door. V begins to walk into the living room while River follows with his gun drawn.

River: There must be something here, have a look!

V starts rummaging around, lifting a pile of clothes deposited on an old sofa. After a while he goes to the kitchen, where he finds a pile of dirty dishes and a Shard titled "The joy of influence".

River: Found something?

V: Nah. Seems like Harris was tryin' to become a psychologist or something like that.

V reads the shard with his interface, then drops it on the floor.

V: There's nothin' here. Let's go check the second floor.

V and River leave the kitchen and climb old wooden stairs that creak under their footsteps, reaching the second floor. To their right is a dark room filled with monitors, connected to a thick tangle of cables.

V gets near the monitor, there is a long list of messages between River's cousin and Harris.

V: Son of a bitch.

River: What?

V: There's nothing up here. Just the same messages we saw on Randy's computer.

River: Damn.

V and River return to the hallway, noticing a window wide open in front of a small bathroom.

V: Time to see what's in the shed.

River: Following you.

V and River exit the window, walking on a wooden walkway from which the huge industrial shed can be seen.

River: By the barn, two more turrets. That front gate's a death trap.

V: Leave it to me.

V's optics begin to light up intermittently, after a short while some mines on the ground go out, creating a pathway.

V: Stay close.

V and River jump down from the catwalk, cautiously walking through the passageway that V managed to create, finally reaching a ladder on the outer wall of the shed.

As soon as he climbs to the roof, V looks for an opening to get inside, until he finds a wide open window.

V: River c'mere, QUICK!

He jumps through the window, landing on a metal walkway. After leaning on the handrail, he sees a huge hallway filled on both sides with beds, enclosed with cages, each with a tube connected to the ceiling.

V: The fuck?!

V jumps off the walkway, walking cautiously in the darkness, broken only by the yellow lights coming from LEDs near the cages and from a window through which moonlight can get in.

Suddenly, V hears some kind of moaning coming from a small room on the side of the hallway. After leaning out, V sees a giant monitor projecting a repeating cartoon with a farmer with a sinister smile on it and cows attached to machinery similar to those in the hallway.

River: RANDY!

V turns and runs toward River, who is fidgeting near one of the cages.There is a boy lying on the bed inside the cage, wearing some kind of mask connected to a tube.

River: He's hanging in there, we made it! V, shut down the machine, can't unlink Randy otherwise.

V runs to a control panel near the machines. while River activates his communication interface.

River: Ten-Fiftytwo. I repeat, I've got a Ten-Fiftytwo in a farm south of the city.YES SEND THE FUCKIN' SQUAD! Yeah, sending the coordinates now.No several at least, QUICK! Oh and watch for automated defenses on the site.They're substantial.

V presses a button on the control panel, disabling the shed's machinery, then begins to run between the cages, disconnecting the boys from the huge tubes attached to the ceiling. After pulling the mask off one of the them, the boy begins to wriggle around, desperately trying to breathe.

V: Easy there, easy. It's over.

River: V, help me with Randy!

V runs back to River, who is pulling on the metal cage that holds Randy attached to the bed.

After getting near River, V pulls with all the strength he has, opening the cage. He then grabs Randy's head, removing the black mask that connected him to the pipe. Randy slowly begins to move his mouth and opens his eyes, while River covers his face with his hands, leaning against a metal handrail. 

V smiles as Trauma Team's sirens can be heard in the distance.