Ghost in the City

The bipedal remote controlled robot smashed into the dirt as it stepped off the large container truck and started spooling it’s HMG’s up looking for whoever was attacking.

Yeah no.

Fuck that.

I instinctively tried to slip a weapon glitch in, but the Minotaur had amazingly good ICE that fought me off.

Worse it alerted the driver to my location. He turned towards me, and I ran. Leaping off the other edge of the building as dual HMG’s roared into the night, absolutely shattering the old concrete as it sprayed the roof.

“YOU CAN’T HIDE! THIS IS TOP OF THE LINE!” The man who was driving the damn thing roared out and I just scoffed.

I couldn’t attack the Minotaur, but the pilot was literally right there.

I considered drawing my Burya and just punching a few rounds into the container where his light was pointing, but…

I kinda wanted it.

I slipped into the building and slid through the shadows reaching the other side and peaking through an old window to see what was going on.

Ah. The Driver wasn’t a total gonk. He was wandering around in front of the container. Probably not caring if he gave away his own location as getting past a Minotaur wasn’t going to be easy.

I checked my webbing but I only had frag grenades. An EMP grenade would be a nice addition for the future.

I moved my hand away from the explodey bits though. I didn’t want to destroy the thing. It wasn’t on the short list of what needed to be returned to Arasaka after all.

I jerked as it started firing. But to my amusement, he was shooting at one of the Wraiths trying to drive away. The Smart HMG round pelted the fleeing vehicle until it gave in and just rolled off into the brush.

Kill steal!

I looked towards the light leading to the pilot and shrugged. His Minotaur might be protected, but was he? So I assaulted him again with a Short Circuit, wondering if it would work. Then I started running.

Instantly the building was filled with buzzing bee-like rockets that went wild as they entered the building without a direct lock, and I slipped back out the other side again. Putting a whole building between us.

I glared as I watched my upload be blocked.

Yeah the driving system of the Minotaur must have some good Arasaka ICE as well.

I ignored the continued yells from the pilot as I looked around for something.

Then I spotted it.

Isaac’s Mizutani Shion was parked right there. The one with the Rocket Launcher on top.

I definitely heard the pounding of my heart in my ears, and felt some drool slipping down, but shook it off. No! I wanted my stompy bot!

But… It could be a good distraction.

I had klepped the guys' shards downstairs. I searched my pockets until I found his key and slotted it. Annoyed that my Neural Link was getting a bit full. Gonna need an upgrade soon.

Then I ran over to the car and slipped into the driver's seat.

I still didn’t want to blow shit up… But a distraction… Could I do that? I considered it, and then shrugged. It should be possible. I slipped into the car's navigation computer, and quickly set out a few GPS coordinates that it should drive to going max speed, removing the limiter that kept the autopilot from refusing to go too fast. Then I jumped out, and booked it.

The Shion’s wheels ripped up dirt as it took off into the night. I raced to the building, jumping from ground to trash pile to the roof and then raced across. I was trying to outrun a car, and I made it just in time. The Shion raced pretty close to the Minotaur, causing the bot to jerk over and spool up its weapons before it simply didn’t fire.

Yeah shooting at your boss? Quick way to get flatlined. I leapt. Arcing into the night while the bot was distracted and landing on top of it, then leaping again. Sending me careening right into the storage unit on the truck. I grunted as I hit crates of junk, but I didn’t let the pain slow me.

I could hear the roar of the bot as the driver realized what had happened, and I jumped again, sending me over the crates, and into a small cubby section that a gangly fuck was fully distracted by the headset he was wearing.

I didn’t shoot, instead reaching out and ripping the headset off, causing him to scream and as he lost his control.

The knife sunk deep into his neck as he desperately tried to fend me off.

“Nice try choom. You gave me the most trouble out of all your people.” I offered him. A weak platitude as he slumped bleeding out from his torn apart neck.

“Robo getto!” I proclaimed grabbing the headset and then sighing as I put it back down.

I didn’t have time to figure this out. I walked back out. To hunt down the last few gonks that were still alive in the camp.

—--

I was sitting up on top of the building waiting for my chooms to arrive as I looked over my system alerts.

So many alerts!

I felt my smile spread across my face, stretching from ear to ear.

I hadn’t just gained one level.

I had actually gained two.

*Level up achieved!*

*One Stat Point Gained.*

*One Skill Point Gained.*

*Level up achieved!*

*One Stat Point Gained.*

*One Skill Point Gained.*

That gave me three stat points to play around with, and seven skill points.

Although a large part of me wanted to keep them either for future chrome, or to put them into Adaptation now. I think…

I think it was time to go beyond.

Intelligence 10 (14) Due to Cyberization, Maximum value has increased by 4.

That was what my stats currently looked like with Intelligence.

Three stat points…

I shook it off, seeing the van and my Quadra driving down the road. I would do it. Soon, but not right now. Who knows what going beyond 10 would do to me.

I stood up and waved at my chooms as they turned and drove through the destroyed camp to park not far from the building.

I leapt as soon as they were parked, landing with a quiet puff of dirt as I rushed forward grabbing Ichi in a big hug.

“We did it!” I cried out delighted, spinning him around like he was a doll, before attacking Hiromi who was next closest.

Her eep of surprise was very cute as I twirled her around a whole bunch before setting her back on her unsteady feet and then leapt over the van to assault Malcolm, who tried to fend me off, but his reflex was far too low to stop me!

I laughed in delight as he groaned at my affection.

“Motoko! Look at this!” Ichi finally responded, looking around the camp at the massacre.

“Yeah it’s great! We got almost all of them! Fuck Wraiths!” I called out happily, arms shooting up in the air, and Hiromi as always was right there with me, thrusting her arm into the sky as well.

Of course that is when I turned and grabbed Malcolm in a bear hug.

“What’s with you shooting my Uragan huh!?” I demanded squeezing tightly far tighter than he could have expected, as his breath left him in a rush.

“Oh… That was me.” Hiromi called in from behind me and I eased up on Malcolm to look at Hiromi who was looking a little bashful. “I just thought it would be a good addition. It certainly stopped them from wanting to eeeee!” She squealed as I scooped her up and squeezed, pushing the air right out of her with my bear hug.

“Punishment hug!” I proclaimed as Hiromi’s legs kicked and her face went red from lack of air.

“Alright Motoko, leave Hiromi alone. She’ll die if you keep that up.” Ichi called out as he was looking over a dead Wraith kicking the corpse a little to make sure it was dead.

I let go of Hiromi listening to her whoop for more air as I walked over.

“Don’t worry. I double checked, everyone that didn’t run is dead.”

“Preem.” He said a little blankly, so I nudged his shoulder.

“These are bad guys, and think of all the eddies. We need to start gathering everything. Car shards. Eddies. Weapons. We can bring it all back to Night City and sell it off.

“That's… A good… Idea!” Hiromi called out still gasping for breath.

“Oh! And we got the big truck we can use!” I called out pointing at the massive semi that was pulling the cargo container.

“Oh nova. A Militech Behemoth.” Ichi said, looking at it for a minute. “Only one problem. I don’t know how to drive that thing.”

I blinked looking at my chooms. Hiromi and Malcolm both gave me negative looks at my questioning glance.

“I… Might be able to?” I whispered, thinking about it. I was pretty sure I knew how. My Driving skill was pretty comprehensive after all.

“Really?”

“Yeah.” I nodded, confidence growing. “I can do it. Well we should start looting. Everyone take a section!” I called out as I walked towards the first corpse. A few moments of rummaging I found the Unity the guy had, as well as his car's key shard. Then I moved onto the next body, and the next. When my arms were full of loot I ran over to the storage container and dumped the guns into a pile.

Of course then I noticed the Minotaur that had slumped over, standing still… I was gonna have to get that thing back in the container too…

I sighed. I would mess with it later, just like I was still ignoring the listening post below us. So much work to do.

—--

The dust cloud of approaching vehicles had caused all of us to prepare for the worst, but thankfully as the vehicles topped the little rise and then came down into the area we all relaxed.

Nomad Markings, not Wraith.

Well I only half relaxed. Wearing nomad colors as a Wraith would be perfect camouflage to get close.

But at the first big truck pulled to a stop, Dakota stepped out and I did finally relax.

The older woman was looking around the camp with a sharp eye taking in the sights of slaughtered Raffen.

The guards she had with her, were looking a bit nervous, each of them holding rifles ready to shoot.

I ignored that though. My amazingness did make some people nervous after all!

I giggled to myself at the joke as I approached Hiromi joining me, as Malcolm and Ichi both got back to work looting.

“Dakota, we weren’t expecting you.” I called out, and the woman took a moment to grab her oxygen mask, taking a deep breath of it, before speaking.

“I wouldn’t have come. Not my usual, but I had an usual guest show up at my door, begging for help. An old friend who fell into working with the Wraiths. Told me the camp he was at was attacked by an army if you can believe it.” He said, looking around at the devastation.

I just laughed at the idea. “Well I’ve never been called an army before!”

“Hmm.” The woman replied without saying anything further. “Tell me. Did you kill Isaac?”

“Yep. He got a bit explody with a Rocket though. Saw him die myself.” I said lying outright. While he was dead, it hadn’t been a rocket, but I wasn’t telling Dakota about the listening post.

She nodded at accepting that. “Well girl, you did more than I expected. Maybe too much. The Wraith will be stirred up after this.”

“Maybe, unless you let the truth leak out. That after Isaac hit an Arasaka AV, Arasaka decided to take him out to retrieve some of their stuff.” I offered and the woman looked at me for a while before nodding.

“Might work. I’ll leak the information.”

“Preem. We are still looting the place, but since you are here. Interested in some new vehicles? Most of them don’t even have bullet holes in them… At least they don’t have fresh bullet holes.”

“Now that is something we can discuss.” She nodded her head at her men, and they broke off to look at the cars. Of course I quickly fled the ensuing haggling between Hiromi and Dakota.

—--

We were all exhausted by the time we got everything loaded up. I discovered piloting the Minotaur wasn’t as easy as I expected, but with some effort I got it on board the truck.

Then we piled into separate vehicles, me driving the big truck and Malcolm proving his car obsession was getting out of hand, as he had found a Mizutani Shion that he decided to drive back.

It was slow going at first. Even with my Driving skill, the truck was a bit of a lumbering thing, especially with how loaded down it was, with an entire Arasaka AV full of stuff and everything we could stuff inside.

But as rough as the roads were, the roads were still roads, and the Behemoth was practically made for this sort of thing. I eventually got to a good pace and just cruised through the desert, my chooms all driving around me.

Like a badlands convoy.

I was actually surprised that we made it all the way to Dakota’s garage without any issue. I had totally expected a Wraith attack on the way or something.

Regardless once the Behemoth was parked up. Hiromi had the package we needed to deliver to her dad, an Arasaka computer that had important files I guess?

I didn’t know, nor was I going to poke my nose into it.

But first we had something even more important to do.

There was a reason I hadn’t made a certain very important call while we were by the electrical substation.

The listening post wasn’t just monitoring traffic, but some communication logs as well. NUSA listening to phone calls? That doesn’t sound like any American government I ever heard of…

Anyway I couldn’t make a call near it, as I simply wasn’t sure if the data was being sent somewhere, and if Militech might roll in while we were loading up.

Now that we had some distance, I sent a text to V.

*Motoko: Hey V, I need you to meet up with me. Super important, not a personal matter. something Big A is going to want to know about. Can’t discuss it over a line. Just answer y/n if you can meet. Cords attached, come in casual wear. Please. Trust me.*

I sent the text off as we were settling in, and didn’t get a prompt response. I just shook it off. I would show V now, or later, even if I had to drag her out here.

Regardless, while we had done some prep for this gig ahead of time, we were certainly loaded up with more equipment than we ever could have expected. Which is why Hiromi was on the phone calling storage places, and potential buyers for some of the loot. While Ichi and Malcolm fucked around with all the stuff that had been left behind after the first raid.

Ichi’s van had been emptied out to fit the HMG’s after all. And so now we had an extra load of junk we needed to pack up again.

Since I wasn’t getting a response from V, I mostly just hung out with Ichi and Malcolm helping them move and arrange stuff.

“Did you see the armor we picked up?” Malcolm asked as he hefted a box full of something back into the van adjusting it to Ichi’s whims.

“Not yet! I was too focused on the Minotaur pilot the first time I went into the container, and I’ve mostly just been dropping stuff off in there. Are they cool?

“Well it’s the good stuff! Full sets. I think they were used though. That AV that got taken down… You think it was like a black op group? Coming back from some secret mission.”

“Well it’s Arasaka so I think all of their missions tend to be secret, but probably something like that.” I answered as I hefted a stack of guns in my arms as I waited for Ichi who was glaring at his van as he tried to figure out the best way to order things.

Ichi was very particular about his van.

“Yeah but like… Arasaka black ops! We could be using their equipment! How huge is that!?”

Considering what I knew about Arasaka Black Ops. They didn’t tend to wear armor. More suits and massive amounts of cyberware. But I wasn’t going to mess with Malcolm by saying that.

Besides, I was excited for the new equipment as well!

Ten minutes later, I finally got a late response.

*V: y*

I smiled.

—--

Considering I was waiting for V to show up, and that could take hours as we were pretty far out of the city. We had a lot of time on our hands, and of course after we sorted everything into the van and then ended up idling…

Well it was sorta inevitable wasn’t it?

“WOOoo!” The voice came out of the Minotaur as it stumbled around drunkenly. Hiromi, Ichi, and I were watching as Malcolm took his turn trying to drive the Minotaur and it was going as well as Hiromi’s had.

Badly!

“That still looks super fun.” Ichi offered and I nodded. Even if I hadn’t gotten a chance to play with it, I had still gotten to try it.

“I’m so happy I killed the operator and not the Minotaur. I’ve always wanted a kill bot.” I told him, and he scoffed out a laugh.

“You would say that!”

“I’m going to be the only Arasaka Academy Student with a Minotaur.” Hiromi sighed, not paying attention to the two of us, fully in her dreamworld, she had fallen into after her turn.

Apparently it would look good on her resume.

Haha, that’s silly though Hiromi, because that baby is MINE.

“So, Motoko… You want to explain what’s going on? I mean, you refuse to let us head back to the city despite the fact we are all packed up.” Ichi asked suddenly and I stilled before nodding my head.

“Yeah… Yeah I guess we are good now. Malcolm! Pull out choom, we need to chat.” I called over.

“Awww, C’mon Hiromi had like so much longer with it!”

“It’s not going anywhere, and you need to be part of this conversation too.” I responded rolling my eyes.

I mean, I get it. I too dreamed of being a one ton kill bot of steel and chrome. I mean, who didn’t?

Man the only issue with the Minotaur was no hands. Who designed a kill bot without grippy hands?

How were you supposed to pet kitties? Pick up your chooms and carry them around? Rip a full borgs head off his over reinforced frame and use his biopod as a cudgel?

The important stuff!

Maybe I would do an upgrade on the minotaur? I mean. I now had a lot of equipment I could tinker with. Truckloads of it.

Yeah! It was time to grind some tech once we got home! I settled back as Malcolm disengaged from the Minotaur. A dangerous conversation was going to happen, but honestly? Today… Today had been a good day.

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