Chapter 88

I ended up stuck watching over the lot for an entire week as Hiromi wheeled and dealed. Selling off chrome to anyone and everyone willing to buy.

 

Considering the amount, it was almost lucky that the TC were interested in so much of it, because offloading it was not easy for Hiromi.

 

We definitely flooded the market for civilian chrome to rippers and the like.

 

In the end there wasn’t any trouble. Sure we had a few people sniffing around, but they all gave up when they saw the TC guys guarding everything.

 

Nothing big.

 

No kids sneaking around trying to steal it. No TC grunts trying to swipe a crate.

 

No Scavs showing up to get back their chrome.

 

Nothing.

 

It was quiet.

 

At least not toward the lot. Because I was so busy I had to pass on a gig that Jackie had been given by Wakako, which sucked, Wakako hadn’t been pleased that I wasn’t able to join in, but considering I hadn’t heard anything Jackie must have succeeded.

 

After we sold everything, or at least enough of the chrome that the dregs left behind weren’t really something we were going to worry about. I was able to stop lurking over the lot.

 

For my chooms it was a week of running around selling like crazy. They were forced to protect, transport, and sell the chrome without me as I watched over the hoard.

 

A week before Jun’s increasing grumpiness at me not coming home ended as the chrome was finally gone.

 

A week before we all finally met up to celebrate our success.

 

“Cheers!” Ichi called out and raised a glass. I raised my own to click with his, as Malcolm and Hiromi both joined in.

 

We were at the Ho-Oh Club celebrating.

 

“Heh! You should have told me about your little act of Piracy Motoko!” Akari whined as she downed her own beer.

 

“Akari let them enjoy their success.” Jun said with a roll of his eyes. Practically holding the borg back from jumping into our little group.

 

We were at the Ho-Oh club, because Jun wanted to basically throw a party for my success and he picked the location. Akari had somehow found out about it and decided she wanted to join.

 

I hadn’t had the heart to tell him I wasn’t a fan of this place, considering the old management.

 

But it was still a TC club, and now that it had a second floor open, that is what Jun took over for the party.

 

At least the second floor was nice. A bit higher class than the BD bar down below. It was more like an actual club. The couches were comfier too.

 

I leaned back as Jun and Akari bickered, as Hiromi continued to look super proud.

 

She had been on Cloud 9 since we had sold the last of the chrome. Utterly thrilled with all the work she had done.

 

Honestly we all were.

 

I was just more anxious about the repercussions. The looming threat of what the response could be. Which is why I was happily hanging out with the chooms to relax.

 

“Motoko! When is the BD gonna be ready?” Ichi asked, suddenly pulling me back into the present.

 

“Ah. I haven’t dropped it off yet. I’ve been a little busy.” I reminded them with a sigh. All my chooms nodded, unlike Jun. Ichi, Malcolm, and Hiromi had all been super relieved that I had taken up watching the loot. “I’ll go visit Judy soon.” I assured them.

“You know you could go to a TC editor.” Jun offered looking grumpy at the mention of my Mox friend.

 

“Nah. Judy’s preem.” I denied instantly, besides. The longer it took the BD to release the better. I had actually been really tempted not to make one of the recording. Tempted to kill the two women that Bart had been with as well.

 

If there had been no survivors, it would have been quieter.

 

But the SLS had seen, the TC had known. It would have gotten out eventually. So instead I was going to be blatant about it. Show how dangerous I was, by being almost overconfident.

 

Yeah I had stolen the Scav shipment. What were they going to do about it? Fight me?

That last bit was the reason I was worried.

 

I liked my life in Night City. I didn’t want to have to worry about even more knives in the dark.

 

I shook it off.

 

That nagging feeling of danger wasn’t any of my skills or knowledge.

 

It was just paranoia. I took a deep breath and exhaled.

 

“So what is everyone going to do with your eddies?” I asked and suddenly my chooms went silent as they all considered their wealth.

 

We had made enough eddies to put all four of us into a new economic bracket. At least until we spent it all, but it wasn’t like street kids like us normally had tens of thousands of eddies we could blow as we liked.

 

“Oh, well. I’m gonna save most of it for my Grandmother just in case. I mean, maybe look into some chrome.” Ichi offered with a casual shrug, although I noted that the last bit was less a maybe and more a definitely for the teenager.

 

“Oh I’m getting some better chrome too. I’m thinking some subdermal… Just so I don’t have to worry so much about getting shot up.” Malcolm offered. “Otherwise… Maybe a car of my own. I wouldn’t mind having my own ride.”

“Oh! I’m going to invest it into some quality flash chrome!” Hiromi happily cheered. “I need to look the part. Father offered to take me to an Arasaka medical clinic for some real corpo chrome.”

 

“Oh fancy!” I said smiling, considering the Arasaka aesthetics… Yeah that would look pretty preem on Hiromi. It might change her style to a more goth style, but I bet it would look cute on her.

“What about you Motoko?”

I shrugged, I had a few things I wanted. I still wanted to get a Kusanagi Yaiba of my own.

 

Motorcycles were cool after all.

 

But I also wanted to get more chrome, and I would need to set aside thirty, maybe forty grand for a future plan.

 

Then I needed eddies for my engineering XP grind…

 

And I could do well with an even newer Cyberdeck…

 

I snorted. “I have so many things I have no idea!” I told my chooms earning laughs from Hiromi and Jun chuckled at me too. So that was nice. But Jun reached over and pinched me!

 

“Ow! Jerk!”

 

“Get some more chrome Motoko. You don’t have to take something from the chrome you klepped, but go get some upgrades. Promise me you’ll at least get some subdermal, Maybe a pain editor, and biomon as well. Just fit yourself out.”

“I… I’ll get the Subdermal.” I admitted and all my chooms cheered and Jun nodded pleased. I really didn’t need a pain editor. Cold Blood did an amazing job of that already, and a biomon seemed silly.

 

I didn’t need a damn health bar.

 

“Good, you should protect yourself. Is there anything else you’ve been thinking about?” He asked prodding me and I did have to nod. There was lots of stuff!

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

 

I really wanted a Sandy after all! And Optical Camo! Going invisible would be so preem! I wanted to be even sneakier! Maybe some Lynx paws of my own so I would be even quieter! I mean, sure I probably didn’t need that last one, but I could get some jumpy ankles…

 

Was it time to get some leg chrome? I had to consider as my mind actually remembered it was a thing.

 

Yeah. It might be.

 

I would have to talk to Vik about it. He would give me Dad level advice.

 

—–

 

I woke up the next morning in my actual bed. I had decided to take a full eight hours of sleep, just to reset myself.

 

It felt nice to wake up refreshed and feeling good. I guess in the end I couldn’t complain about what the future would hold.

 

I would just deal with it as it came, and keep preparing just in case it was dangerous.

 

So that was exactly what I was going to do.

 

I got up and headed out. Jun was already gone, he must have been tired when he drove into work this morning since he stayed up so late partying with Akari. Who was entertaining at a party while also incredibly annoying. So the usual.

 

The sky was falling like crazy and I noticed the streets were semi flooded.

 

I avoided the oncoming traffic as best I could due to all the puddles and the tendency of people in NC not to give a shit. So it took a bit longer than usual before I piled into my Quadra and headed out into the streets safe from the rain.

 

The streets slick with oil painting the entire road a rainbow as I drove through the traffic towards Viks.

 

I parked outside Misty’s Esoterica like always and rushed inside to get out of the rain, earning a laugh from Misty as she watched me pull my jacket from over my head.

 

“What? It’s rainy out there!”

“I know you gonk, usually people bring an umbrella when it’s raining.” She teased pointing out her own neon umbrella resting in the corner.

 

“Pshht! I don’t need it!” I said, although the fact I was still wiping water out of my hair had Misty giggling.

 

“Sure you don’t. Here to see Vik? I don’t see any bullet holes this time.” Misty offered and I grinned at her tone.

 

“Nope, just a visit. I was too busy doing guard duty to see him after he put in the order for all that chrome I picked up.”

 

“I heard about that. Vik mentioned it… You going to be okay Motoko? That was a lot of stuff you dropped off I hear. More than usual.”

“Yeah…” I muttered still wondering that myself. “I did a really big gig. I found out this rich playboy guy was working with Scavs. Holding onto their chrome in the hold of his yacht… So I klepped it. You know, thinking about it. The NCPD will have to put Piracy on my rap sheet… That’s pretty cool.” I muttered I would have to go check the NCPD sheet on me soon.

 

Misty just snorted at my muttering and pulled me into a hug which was nice.