Chapter 50

I wasted some time at the Ramen bar eating and watching the news on the TV there, but eventually I paid and slipped out, heading home, actually walking back to the apartment just to enjoy being able to go outside again.

 

Jeez it made me remember just how long it had been since I was able to just go on the street for a walk.

 

Since the kidnapping.

 

As I walked through the horde of people walking through the market I felt paranoia slowly amping up. It wasn’t like I was far from where it had happened. The crowd was thick. I would have trouble escaping if someone attacked me. I had my Burya, but what if I didn’t bring enough ammo? What if I didn’t have enough Max-Doc’s?

 

What if?

 

But no.

 

I wasn’t going to live like that. Morgan Blackhand had mentioned paranoia was a good thing for a solo. There was literally a segment in his guide about constantly moving, sleeping in different locations, and never falling into habits that someone could use against you.

 

Good advice, but also a good way to spend your entire life living in utter fear. Or sleeping in cardboard boxes in alleys just to throw people off your trail.

 

No thanks.

 

I let a drop of cold blood wash away the paranoia. I was in control of myself, and I wasn’t about to let my fear control my life like that. I would just have to get so amazing in everything that I could build a doom fortress or something.

Seriously Morgan, your advice is good, but also kind spastic.

 

So instead I pushed my shoulders back, my head up and started stalking. I wasn’t tall enough to cause the crowd to break around me, and while I was armed, so was everyone else, but it made me feel better. Made me confident as I walked home.

 

No Maelstrom jumped out of the shadows to attack me, no one even noticed me.

 

It made me scoff at my own paranoia.

 

I made it home without anything happening. A reminder that in the grand scheme of things I wasn’t some super important character.

 

I was just Motoko, and I wasn’t that important. Yet.

 

I raced up the stairs of the apartment enjoying how easy it was to run up the four flights of stairs. As I slipped into the apartment I could hear the quiet snoring of Jun still coming from his room.

 

Silly Jun. But I guess I had literally kept him up all night on my hunt for that killer.

 

I made sure to keep quiet as I settled in. I had a few hours until Hiromi was free from school, so I set an alarm in my hud and grabbed my ICE laptop.

 

Let’s do some casual grinding while I wait.

 

—–

 

I was waiting in front of the Arasaka building when Hiromi came out. Sure I had gotten some weird looks, and Arasaka security looked like they were keeping a close eye on my all black ride, but I didn’t care.

 

I wasn’t doing anything nefarious.

 

Finally the crowd of teenagers headed out, almost all of them heading to private vehicles, a few of the truly rich didn’t even leave the front of the building instead getting into AV’s and disappearing into the sky of Night City. A place only the ultra rich and powerful were welcome to.

 

Hiromi though stalked out of the building practically stomping on her way out. Her direct path towards my car was interesting as some people had to literally get out of the way as she stomped up to the car and flopped in.

 

“I hate morons.” She said practically growling as I nodded along with her. Hiromi was super mad, I wasn’t about to start poking her until she was ready. I pulled out into traffic and started heading for her home. A minute later she finally spoke.

 

“That fuckin gonk Tomaru. He pulled some shit, tried his stupid power play shit again. Fucker.” Hiromi ranted glaring out the window as I just nodded along.

 

“Want me to kill him?”

 

The silence in the car stretched on for a moment before Hiromi chuckled. “No. It would certainly make my life easier.” She admitted actually breaking through her anger and chuckling a bit. “Sorry, I should have said thanks for picking me up Choom.”

“It’s fine. School is the worst!” I offered earning a snort from Hiromi.

 

“Motoko you literally never went to school. I bet everything you know about school comes from some cartoon or something.” Hiromi teased, and the fact I couldn’t just argue against that, my ‘amnesia’ and past life made anything I could say come out wrong.

 

So I just flushed and tried to ignore the way Hiromi’s smile was turning shark like.

 

“When we stop at your place, how about I work on your bike? I can probably fix it up tonight.” I interrupted whatever teasing Hiromi was about to do, trying to avoid my chooms assault.

 

“Fiiiine. I’ll let you change the subject. That would be great, do you like, need anything?”

 

“Nah. I have my toolbox in the trunk, should be everything I need. Hang out with me while I do it?”

 

“Definitely!”

 

—–

 

Hiromi’s Kusanagi was in rough shape. She hadn’t damaged the frame or anything, Kusanagi, even the stupid Mizuchi with all the modifications going into it, that she owned. Most of it was just panel damage, although one of the magnetic brake calipers on the front wheel was bent a bit. I ended up needing to disassemble the front brake array, and with a bit of work with my auto fab and a bit of time I had a new brake caliper re-attached and the front wheel spinning as it should instead of grinding and stuck.

 

“You’re way better at this than I thought.” Hiromi muttered beside me. We had been out here for a few hours and Hiromi had gone from standing around, to sitting to lazily laying against her bike after I had put it on its side to fix the brakes.

 

“I’ve been practicing with tinkering and stuff! Did I show you my gadget?” I asked perking up a bit when Hiromi shook her head. Despite my hands full with one of her side panels actively undenting the piece of metal, I reached into my hip pouch and pulled out my distance mic.

 

“What is it?” Hiromi asked curiously as I passed it over, she figured out the earpiece quickly enough but I had to reach over and tug on the actual microphone before she realized the wires were set into a little assembly.

 

I tugged it out and let it go watching as it was pulled back inside. A moment of fiddling and she had it extended out. The microphone I had to instruct her to tie around her finger with the little strap on the end.

 

“Point it at me.” I said as my hands continued on their task of fixing the dented plate. Only once she did so did I start humming quietly, purposefully keeping the tone low.

 

“Oh! It’s a directional mic!” Hiromi chirped, figuring it out. After all, for her this wasn’t some weird tech that is rarely used, it’s tuesday, it’s normal. I’ve seen plenty of TV shows, and even cartoons mention gadgets like this all the time. Hiromi had grown up in a world where technology was easily accessible, and practically skewed towards corporate espionage.

 

“Yeah. I ran into a problem at one of my gigs, the Maelstrom were having a conversation and I couldn’t hear what they were saying. That right there is step one on fixing the problem. I uh… Still need to go into some programming for it. I want it to be able to focus on a conversation and ignore music or something.”

“Hmm. Arasaka has a Cyberware that does that.” Hiromi said tapping at her lips.

 

“I suppose I could find a piece and see what the programming is like, but I kinda want to do this all on my own. To see just what I can do… You know?”

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Hiromi just gave me a smile as I admitted this was more of a challenge to myself than something I needed right then. “I’m sure it’ll be great Motoko. It’s way more than I could make already. You’re making me look bad over here.” She told me poking me with her shoe as she teased me.

 

“Eh. It’s just time and work. You have school, and ‘rents, and stuff to deal with.”

 

“Yeah cause you don’t have Gigs, Jun, and all sorts of crazy stuff you are doing. I’m waaaay lazy compared to you.”

I just huffed. “Maybe, but you’re still my best choom. I wouldn’t want anyone else at my side.” I told her flashing a smile before going back to my work.

 

I never noticed her flush at my compliment.

 

“Done!” I called out suddenly as I pulled the newly repaired side panel off the floor looking it over. The paint was still ruined, but that was a much easier fix than the massive dents in the thing.

 

“Really? Already?”

“Sure. Easy peasy. Help me re-install it?” I prompted Hiromi who jumped to help, and with her helping to hold it in place, I was able to use a small power tool to put it back together and pull her bike back onto its wheels.

 

“Ugh. Done!” I grunted as the bike was righted. “Want to give it a drive around the block?”

 

“Yeees! C’mon Motoko!” Hiromi said, jumping onto the bike and patting behind her.

 

“Nooo way Choom.” I denied holding my arms up in an X. “I have to clean up my tools, and I don’t want to be anywhere near you driving if I can help it.”

 

“Moootooookooooo!” Hiromi whined at me eyes wet and lip puffy. Hiromi used Puppy Dog Face. It’s super effective.

“Fiiine.” I grumbled, taking a minute to grab my tool box and load it into the Quadra to make sure it was secure, before climbing in behind Hiromi.

 

The screech of wheels going way too fast had me gripping my choom a bit tight but thankfully Hiromi didn’t complain.

 

Despite just needing a ride around the block to make sure everything was working, Hiromi headed out into the city seemingly just happy to have her freedom again.

 

While stopped at a red light, which I will admit I’m shocked Hiromi actually stopped at. The first two times Hiromi had just blown through them without a care.