Cyberpunk 2077 - The Ballad of Lost Souls

V gets out of his tent and sees all the other Aldecaldos running around, frantically packing their stuff in panic. V pushes some of them away, trying to get to Mitch.

V: MITCH! MITCH!

Mitch: Yeah, what is it?!

Mitch is packing his tools on a table inside a giant tent, moving all over the place.

V: Did you finish packin' your things up, already?

Mitch: Yeah, almost. Quite busy right now.

V: Look, uhm… I want to give you my new holo number.

Mitch stops and turns his head.

Mitch: For what?!

V: I'll contact you once I've found Pan.

Mitch: Sure.

Mitch gets back at packing his tools, throwing them inside a backpack.

V: Do you know this asshole's number?

Mitch: Who are you talking to?!

V: Nothing, he's just…

Mitch: Know what?! Nevermind. I gave up on trying to understand this nonsense.

Johnny: You could've just asked nicely.

V transfers his holo number to Mitch through his interface.

V: Thanks Mitch. For everything.

V gets out from Mitch's tent and sees Garrison approaching.

Garrison: So you're V, right?

V ignores him and walks toward Mitch's car.

V: Not now, Garrison.

Garrison: I want to talk about a thing.

V: Go ahead, then.

Garrison: I'm not sorry for what I said. But I do care for Pan. If you can…Please find her.

V gets into Mitch's car, turns it on, and rolls down the window, looking at Garrison.

V: Would have done the same. You're a good person, Garry.

V rushes off into the desert, covering Garrison with sand.

V: So this is the moment, uhm?

Johnny: What?

V: Where we're heading to a probable death scenario and you start sayin' how stupid it is. You and me to Nix…

Johnny: …

V: Like an Eurodyne lyric?

Johnny: Yeah.

V: Why can I just hear you… But can't see you, like before?

Johnny: It's not the same. We are linked via a buffer, not via the Relic.

V: I see… So is this how you saved my life?

Johnny: Copied your engram via Link, just in time before your death. Do you remember that day in the Mikoshi? When ALT used the Soul Killer? You became data too…

V smiles and nods, holding the steering wheel.

V: Right, so I actually died three times by now.

Johnny: Good for you! Most of the people die everyday, goin' by the rules of this fucking society…

V: This is the Johnny I know and love.

Johnny: V... I don't want to distract from your personal quest, but ALT… She must be stopped. Time is not on our sides.

V: Know it damn well. What's your plan?

Johnny: We need more time, that's for sure.

V: Maybe I have the answer. Biotechnica.

Johnny: Explain yourself.

V: A good friend of mine told us about an old Biotechnica project… Synthetic humans, or something like that.

Johnny: Dead end, trust me.

V: Why?!

Johnny: If they had that kind of technology they would have already found a way to exploit it, to make a profit from it. Corpo bastards never change… Same shit, different names.

V: So what do you want me to do?

Johnny: I say we go back to Night City, find a way into the Net before this body rotes away and put an end to ALT, once and for all.

V: ARE YOU MAD?! You want me to go back to that hell hole?! NO WAY!

V suddenly brakes. His eyes quickly fall to his feet in disbelief.

V: What the hell?!

Johnny: V, you don't understand… I'm not asking you. I'm letting you find Pan and that's it. Think of it as a courtesy from an old friend. But I do need to know that we're both on the same team, otherwise…

V picks up the Malorian on the passenger seat and aims it at his head.

V: JOHNNY?! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?! 

Johnny: I can take back control whenever I feel like it and put you to sleep with that other one. This is much bigger than you, me, Pan or the 'Caldos. I need to know that you'll help me.

V: JOHNNY! PLEASE…

Johnny: SAY IT!

V: I… I'LL HELP YOU… PLEASE!

Johnny returns control to V, who lowers his gun, frightened.

V: FUCK!

Johnny: Now drive.

V toss the gun on the passenger's seat and get back to driving.

The car approaches the Neon lights of Nix's sprawl at night. Big spaceships float above the city displaying advertisements, hovering over the skyscrapers of Central District, that tower upon everything else, projecting a big beam of light up in the sky. The old factories in the suburbs spew their poisons from tall smokestacks, engulfing the entire city in a perpetual fog.

V parks the car on the road just outside the city, in a neighborhood populated by low buildings from the last century.

Johnny: Why are we here?

V: I have to meet an old friend.

Johnny: We have no time for that.

V: You want me to find Pan or what? He's the only connection I've got in the city.

V stands staring at the small white building lit by a white neon sign with a cross on it, then enters through the sliding doors.

The clinic is a small but clean shop with a corner in front of the door and a door on the left, on the white walls ads for implants, no personal insight, except for the receptionist.

Receptionist: Sorry, the clinic is closed until tomorrow.

V: I need to talk with Doc.

Receptionist: Is it an emergency?

V: Yes it is. Tell him I'm V.

The receptionist stares at V from behind glass, then slowly picks up the phone.

Receptionist: Doctor there is a patient here… uhm… his name is V…

The sliding door on the left opens.

Goodwill: V?! You…You are not V! You are one of them! REBECCA CALL THE SECURITY!

V: NO! IT'S ME!

Johnny: Here we go again…

V: I have no time for this!

V pushes Doc Goodwill inside the room, shutting the door close behind him.

V: DOC IT'S ME! I'M V! 

Goodwill: Bullshit…You're one of them! I can see your eyes, V is DEAD! 

Goodwill looks at him with wide, fearful eyes. V grabs him and slams him into his chair.

V: You don't understand, THEY TOOK HER! Santiago, "El Loco" or whatever the fuck is called, he got Panam!

Suddenly loud noises can be heard coming from the door. Both of them turn around.

Johnny: V, they're trying to get in!

V turns back to Goodwill, holding him by the jacket with both hands.

V: Where can I find him?!

Goodwill: What kind of person do you think I am? I don't know…

V: WHERE CAN I FIND HIM?!

Goodwill: Near… Near Eastlake, between 1137 and Van Burren. The old Softsys building...

V lets Goodwill go, throwing him over the armchair.

Johnny: Quick V, the backdoor!

V gets out of the clinic from the back door, just in time before the security comes in.

V: Fuck! They've got the car!

V starts running into the alley behind Doc's clinic. He suddenly stops, holding his head.

V: AAAAHHHH!

V falls to his knees, in excruciating pain, while bleeding from his nose.

V: My…head…

Johnny: Told you, buddy. Limited time.

V: No… Not now… AAAAHHH!!

Johnny: C'mon V, almost there! Find a place to rest.

V reaches the end of the alley, limping. Eventually he arrives on the street.

Johnny: Here you go. Just sit, ok?

V leans on a wall, slowly sliding on the ground, exhausted.

V: Goodwill… How did he know?

Johnny: Your eyes, V…

V: What do you mean?!

Johnny: Your eyes are blue. They're blinking you know?! Doc must be old enough to remember…

V: What?!

Johnny: The rogue AI, that's what. Before the Blackwall some AI escaped into the real world exactly as I did. Doc must have recognized the glow… Smart man, let me tell you.

V: So it's not some kind of implant?! Can you shut It down?

Johnny: I'm afraid not.

V: Fuckin' great.

V tries to stand up, grabbing the old brick wall of the building behind him. After staggering for a moment, V loses his balance again, tearing a piece of paper off the wall with his left hand.

 V: Fuck. SHIT!

Johnny: C'mon with those knees. You look like my fuckin' grandfather.

V opens the crumpled piece of paper in his hand and recognizes a familiar face in it, widening his eyes.

V: The fuck?!

The crumpled poster depicts Panam's face, taken from a blurred image, probably from a camera. 

Johnny: What did you expect, V? This is the old west. Here the concept of justice is very elastic. If she's worth two millions eddies to some shitty fixer, imagine how much for 'Saka.

V stares at the poster, increasingly incredulous, clutching it with both hands.

V: Why her?! I mean..

Johnny: Why not?! Certainly looks better than you do… Don't tell me you're jealous, V.

V tears the poster in half, gritting his teeth in pure rage.

V: SHUT THAT SEWER UP!

Johnny: Sure, blame me. Told ya it would be a mess, but you didn't fuckin' listen…Did you think you could take a little sightseeing tour inside the tower without even gettin' a souvenir?

V puts his hands in his pockets and starts walking with his head bowed.

V: Talkin' to you is like yelling at a mirror. It really doesn't do any fucking good...