Interdimensional Scientist, Starting from Cyberpunk

The homeless population in Night City has always been a major issue.

The most recent economic crisis was triggered by the Unification War waged by New America, which left Pacifica in ruins. Investors pulled out, corporations fled, and what remained was a complete mess.

Faced with the inescapable economic collapse and the existence of Dogtown, Mayor Lucius Rhyne took an active approach to solving the problem:

He simply excluded Pacifica's crime statistics and other relevant indicators from Night City's annual statistical report.

Call it an art, but Mayor Rhyne had mastered the craft of statistics.

With this adjustment, Night City's crime rate plummeted overnight.

Now, he was set to introduce an even more drastic policy: Eliminate the homeless!

Yes, the policy was exactly as it sounded—a literal eradication of the homeless population.

This became a major point of attack from his opponent, Jefferson Peralez, in the upcoming mayoral election.

To fully understand the implications of this policy and assess the potential risks, the best person to seek out was none other than candidate Jefferson Peralez himself.

After a quick check on the status of their hideout and finances, Leo and V set off on their return trip.

Resting an arm on the car window, V yawned, looking bored.

"Ugh, feels like all we did was take a scenic drive."

"What, you expecting a shootout every day?"

The car started, and Leo turned on the radio, tuning in to Body Heat Radio. The speakers played Night City.

[TN:the best station it plays the best song in Edgerunner]

As the electronic beats filled the car, V raised an eyebrow.

"Fitting. So, are we about to get involved in the mayoral election? Sounds like there's money to be made."

"Politics is usually more trouble than it's worth. Less money, more headaches. Politicians are way worse than you think."

"Can they be worse than you?"

Leo shot her a helpless look.

"Can you pick a different comparison?"

"No can do. You're the shadiest bastard I know. If we are getting involved, who do we back?"

"Tell me what you think."

"Me?" V thought for a moment.

"Holt is a piece of shit; nobody's voting for him. Rhyne's a scheming fatass, but at least he's done something useful.

Peralez? Talks a good game, but people say he's a Militech puppet trying to bring Night City under NUSA control. At the end of the day, he's just another corp dog.

[TN: He sure is someone puppet, for who we shall never know]

And anything a corp dog says is bullshit.

Wait—hold on. Why the hell are we talking about elections? We getting too big for our boots?"

In Night City, elections existed, but they operated under a unique centralized democracy.

This democracy worked like this: The ten biggest megacorporations in Night City elected representatives, who then selected the mayor.

In other words, the election process had little to do with ordinary citizens.

On paper, at least. A smart politician, however, would recognize that the system required the ten most powerful corps headquartered in Night City to participate.

That meant corporate investments and policies affecting citizens directly impacted corporate revenues—and thus their democratic influence.

That said, given the sheer scale and control of these corporations, the average citizen's role in democracy remained incredibly limited.

So saying elections had nothing to do with the people wasn't entirely wrong.

Leo shook his head.

"We're somebodies now. If we don't have a say, then people in this city really are just numbers."

"So, Rhyne or Peralez?"

"You say that like my choice alone decides the outcome—

Screw it. Rhyne. Considering what I went through in Atlanta, I should probably thank him. Someone like me? Only in Night City could I make a name for myself."

"Ain't that the truth."

V glanced at Leo curiously.

"That humble now?"

"Of course." Leo grinned.

"If not for the legendary V, I wouldn't be where I am today."

"At least you know it." V smirked, shifting in her seat and reclining further.

"If only he were a bit more honest like Peralez…

Why do we always have to pick sides between assholes?"

The car crossed the Santo Domingo Bridge, entering the Glen. Here, the lights brightened, the towering corporate skyscrapers blotting out the sky, replacing stars and moonlight with artificial glow.

The music's intro faded, and a robotic female voice spoke:

"Good morning, Night City."

V relaxed, stretching her long legs onto the dashboard—

Leo glanced over and used his cybernetic arm to push her feet back down.

"Hey! What the hell?"

"You already don't wear a seatbelt, and now you're pulling stunts?"

"You're such a control freak."

The Next Morning

Leo and V showed up at Mama Wells' house to find Jackie—

The big guy looked radiant, making Leo suspicious.

"Jackie, you didn't pull some crazy Thirsty Thursday shit last night, did you?"

"Thirsty Thursday? Nah, Wolf Beer Fest, mano!"

Jackie patted his motorcycle inside the garage—an ARCH Nazare, painted red and black.

"You're in a real good mood." V clicked her tongue.

"Besides drinking, what else did you get up to?"

"Ah~" Jackie waved a hand dismissively, then shifted his body slightly, casually revealing something on the wall behind his bed.

It was a handmade ornament—a circular frame woven from branches, with an intricate web of fine thread in the center, decorated with colorful beads and dyed feathers.

Leo raised an eyebrow.

"A dreamcatcher?"

"¡Damn! You got an eye for things, hermano! How'd you know Misty gave me this?"

Jackie grinned, slinging an arm around Leo's shoulders.

"Nice, huh? Only good dreams pass through the web, flowing down the feathers. Nightmares? They get caught, trapped, and then—pfft—burned away by the morning sun!".

As he spoke, Jackie lifted his other hand into the sunlight, blowing a playful puff of air.

Gotta admit—he really did look like a kid showing off his favorite new toy.

No doubt about it. The big guy hadn't just spent last night drinking—he'd taken Misty for a little joyride.

Jackie put his arm around Leo. "Good brother, you should start thinking about these things too. Otherwise, what's the point of making all that money—"

Halfway through his sentence, Jackie suddenly froze. Leo was practically broke.

V stood behind them, watching their exchange. "The dreamcatcher is nice and all, but shouldn't we be talking about our next job?"

Jackie let go of Leo and scratched his head. "You're right. What's the next move?"

Leo replied, "We're going to meet our mayoral candidate, Peralez. He might have a job for us."

"Once we meet him, I'll figure out how we proceed. I'm guessing this candidate has a lot to say to us."

Jackie sat on his motorcycle and said, "There are three golden rules about mayoral candidates on the streets. First, the number one rule of taking a 'classified' job: Don't take it."

V shrugged. "Second, the number one rule of working with politicians: Don't work with them."

The two exchanged glances and, in perfect unison, said the third rule: "Third, the number one rule of dealing with cops: Don't deal with them."

V added, "But we have someone even more cunning here."

Jackie nodded. "This job better be paying well."

Leo's face darkened. "Wait, do you guys have some kind of misunderstanding about me?"

The two looked at each other and shook their heads.

"..."

Leo seemed momentarily at a loss for words but quickly moved on to the next topic.

"Whether it's profitable or not, we'll find out once we meet him. But this job will likely involve dealing with corporations and gangs. We might find ways to make some extra cash."

"If no one has any objections, I'll reach out to Peralez and figure out our next move—"

"So, vacation's over. No objections, right?"

Jackie flexed his arm, full of energy. "Of course not, mano!"

V looked at the fired-up Jackie and Leo and suddenly asked, "Lately, I haven't been feeling as motivated as before. Do you guys have any idea why?"

"Not motivated?" Jackie was puzzled. "What's up with you, chica? Do you have a house yet? A car? And—"

Leo raised a hand, signaling Jackie to stop, then turned to V. "Don't worry. You'll feel motivated soon enough."

[Contact: Jefferson Peralez]

[Burger King: Heard you were looking for us.]

[Jefferson: You guys sure are busy. It's not easy getting a hold of you.]

[Jefferson: Yes, I have a job I'd like to entrust to you.]

[Jefferson: I've reserved a spot at Embers. Let's meet there.]

[Jefferson: I'm looking forward to our conversation. We have plenty to discuss.]

[Jefferson: Oh, and I know you have a rather… impressive ride. If possible, please don't bring that car to the city center.]

[Burger King: Got it. See you then.]

V crossed her arms. "Now I really want to hear what you have to say."