Chapter 8: Black Jesus giveth
"Dex is parked over by Gramsci Burgers. You can meet him there. I'm gonna head over to Misty's" Jackie tell me where to meet Dex.
As I'm driving over to the meeting point, I get a holocall from Watson's fixer, Regina Jones.
"Hey V, I've got this sensitive matter, it's why I called you. Now, this probably isn't news to you, but the number of cyberpsychos is on the rise in Night City. You and I both know there's treatment for this kinda thing. If I get a tip about a possible attack, I'd appreciate it if you could handle them carefully, before your Maxtac chooms hit the scene." Well, this gig hits home. I'll make it a priority. Though with cyberpsychos, you never can tell how badly their humanity has been broken until it's too late.
"I'll see what I can do for them Regina." I hang up the call. I can see Dex's limo parked now under the overpass. His huscle is there to open the door for me. Some shootout spooked the pedestrians so I just park on the sidewalk and make my way to Dex's ride.
I get in the limo and there smoking to his lungs content is Dexter Deshawn.
"Well hello Mr. V."
"Dexter Deshawn, in the flesh. Ample indeed."
"Heheh. Let's roll." And with that exchange of pleasantries, he signals his driver to start the car.
"Mind if I ask you something right off the bangle'? Would you rather live the peaceful life, die some old nobody smellin like urine? Or go down for all times, blaze of glory style 'fore ever seein your thirtieth?"
"Honestly, I just want to be known for who I am. If a blaze of glory is what it takes to make an impact then light me the fuck up." I would do anything to live long enough to see something different in the world. A change in course. And if that doesn't come.
Maybe Silverhand had a good point with those nukes. Just overestimated the blow they'd deal to Arasaka.
"Now that's some youthful ambition. Respect." He takes a puff.
"Alright listen close. Scannin' a serious job now. Plain gargantuan compared to shooting up a scav haunt." Huh, haunt, fitting term.
"Jackie told me you just recently got back. Big is exactly what I was expecting. Gotta show everyone that the reputation you built back then wasn't for show. Need them to see you leaving was good business sense and not cowardice."
"Now. Seems you get what this is all about. I like that. Job's simple. Kleppin a prototype. A biochip."
"As in Arasakas biochip? The relic thing with the billboards all over the place?"
"Yup. But before that, there's two things that need settling. First, hit a snag with maelstrom. Needs active resolvin'. Seconds the client, Evelyn Parker. Client's anxious, wants to meet with one of the crew actually doing the groundwork."
"Alright, what's the clients deal?"
"Don't really know. Couldn't vet her all that well. Put my ear to the ground and some brothers from Pacifica told me to stop looking. Yours truly will be remote, T-Bug isn't much of a people person, Jackie's only good at some things if you know what I mean, which pretty much leaves you."
"And the Maelstrom sitch?"
"Here. Slot in the shard." Dex pulls out a shard from his jacket. Good. Shard usually means solid information.
The shard shows me the outside of the old all foods plant. Makes sense for Maelstrom to show up there. "Gotta classic tale for ya'. Pyschogang doing it's thing two weeks back. Hijacked a Militech convoy, got away with the gear clean. Now see, convoy was carrying a flathead - a prototype combat bot. And I need me that bit o' high grade military tech. Cause if we don't get that bot, we don't get no Saka chip. An' we sure as hell don't get no happily ever after. But don't get excited, it's a single use toy."
The shard show something different now. Profile for a Maelstrom leader.
"Now I flat out purchased the thing from Maelstrom. Problem is, I did so from a gent went by the name of brick. I say "went" cause Brick was the leader. Three days after we sealed our deal, his friend and gangmate, one Simon Randall, AKA Royce, plain dropped his ass. Royce is in charge now and I got no way of knowing if he aims to honor his predecessor's word. To add to this "shitstrom," one Merideth Stout of Militech has developed an interest in said convoy."
Shit. Fucking Militech.
"Not touching that woman with a ten foot Mr. Stud. Me and Militech have a personal history. Something of Arasaka's became something of theirs, became something of mine. And they both think I'm dead."
"You on their shitlists?"
"Not right now, but they catch a wiff of me and the hunt is on."
"Now that could complicate things. But it shouldn't matter. Nothing more than a blip on the radar."
"All right then." I tell Dex. "That's all I need."
"Good to hear. Evelyn Parker'll meet you at Lizzie's Bar. Flathead though, is all you."
"One more thing Mr. V. Quiet life or Blaze of glory?"