Chapter 4

I made my way over to El Coyote Cojo the day we were supposed to meet up and head over to Vik's Ripperdoc Clinic. I was dressed as usual, except I now wore my Armored Vest over my usual Santa Muerte shirt. At the same time, I had my normal weapons replaced with the stuff I'd tinkered up and had my various home-grown Chrome Enhancements ready to be slotted into me by Vik once we actually made our way over there.

Thankfully, I didn't run across any gun battles between the Valentinos and Sixth Street as I made my way over to the bar. I thought about checking in on Carmen as her Second Amendment Franchise but realized that she'd only be pissed at me for checking in on her. Carmen was a big girl, she could handle herself if any Sixth Street Gangoons wanted to Slamit On with her. Besides, it wasn't like she was affiliated with the Valentinos or anything. Sixth Street shouldn't go gunning for her just for living and working in the neighborhood, and if they did, she'd call me.

No, I made my way over to El Coyote Cojo without stopping and was surprised to find that I wasn't the first member of our little group to show. V's Ortiz Yacatecuhtli was parked out front and as I entered, she was seated at a booth with a NiCola Sakura and a plate of Tetelas Oaxaca. I slid into the seat across from her and gave her a nod. V returned it and my breakfast order soon went out, Enfrijoladas and Agua de Jamaica, cold, with a shot of Centzon Blanco.

"Tequila? For breakfast? You sure about that?" Questioned V.

"It's just a shot." I shrugged.

"If you say so. Where's Jackie?" Queried V.

"Cabron probably woke up late. We'll have plenty of time to finish breakfast before he gets his happy ass here." I chuckled.

"Preem. You've used that word before, Cabron. I thought it was supposed to be an insult?" Asked V.

"Depends on the context, Choom. When you're close like Jaquito and I? You can use it endearingly. I wouldn't suggest trying to use it that way with folks you just met, though." I explained.

"Huh. I guess you learn something new every day." Remarked V, taking a sip of her drink.

"What about you Choom? You got any Nomad slang you wanna lay on me?" I questioned.

"Mostly we use the same sort of stuff used in the Cities. It depends on the Nation, though." Informed V.

"And which Nation were you?" I queried.

"I was with the Snake Nation via the Bakkers. We used to be independent before merging into the Snake Nation. I only stayed for a bit over a year after the merger. I didn't like the way things were going out there, too many Bakkers dispersing into the Snake Nation, leaving the family, so I decided to cross the border near Yucca to make a new life in Night City." Relayed V.

"Yeah? How'd that go?" I asked.

"Not great. Wound up smuggling something into Night City for a Client who wound up getting zeroed before I even managed to enter the city limits. A damn Live Iguana, if you can believe it. Anyway, the Gonk I was smuggling it in for got zeroed by some Saka Ninjas and I'd been forced to lose a bunch of Corpo Cylons that'd started tailing me with a chase around the outskirts. Wound up parking my Yacatecuhtli in an abandoned garage and killing the engine. It worked, but my job got zeroed when the Client did. I was lucky that Padre agreed to take me on in exchange for the damn Iguana." Sighed V.

"I'll bet. Tio Padre always did have an eye for talent, though I've been wondering where that Iguana he's been keeping in his office came from. Do you know he named it?" I questioned.

"Oh? What did he name it?" Queried V.

"Apparently it's a girl iguana. He named her Juanita, apparently, he thought it was funny. I would have gone with Juanna for maximum effort if he was gonna give her a funny name, but Tio Padre liked Juanita better." I answered.

"Juanna the Iguana?" Asked V.

"It rhymes, ok?" I grumbled.

Before V could tease me more, though, my breakfast arrived and I downed my shot of Tequila, chasing it with what was effectively a glass of hibiscus tea, before I dug into my Enfrijoladas. For a few moments, nothing happened except V and I eating. El Coyote Cojo's chefs may not be as good as when Mama Welles was working the kitchen, but they were no slouches either. This was just the sort of breakfast I'd need, especially as I was about to get a bunch of my nervous system replaced with some Preem Experimental Chrome of my own design.

"Ay! You guys ordered breakfast without me?" Came Jackie's Voice as I was almost finished with my food.

"You snooze you lose, Choom." I offered.

I reached for the last bite of the Enfrijoladas on my plate, only for Jackie to swoop in and snatch the last bit of refried bean-covered tortilla out from under me. He popped it in his mouth chewing the last of my damn breakfast! He swallowed and shot me a shit-eating grin.

"Pendejo! That was my breakfast!" I growled.

"You snooze you lose, Choom." Chuckled Jackie, shit-eating grin widening somehow.

"You know, you two sort of remind me of brothers. Are you sure you're not related?" Demanded V.

"I mean, we might as well be. Big E and I grew up in the same neighborhood, our folks knew each other, we even joined the Valentinos around the same time." Shrugged Jackie.

"Tio Padre got me out after a couple years to work for him. He and Campo Orta go way back, so it was pretty easy for me compared to some." I added.

"Lucky him. Padre just goes to have a talk with Campo Orta and asks for Big E here to be let off the hook no problemo, for old time's sake. Do you know how many Eddies I had to fork over to get my release? Of course, that was a couple years later, but you know how it goes." Groused Jackie.

"Privileges of seniority, Jacquito. I'm a year and a half older than you." I grinned.

"Mierda, privileges of seniority? Privileges of your Tio being the damn Padre." Scoffed Jackie, though there was no heat in it.

"If he weren't, you wouldn't be benefitting from the biz he tosses my way." I pointed out.

"He's got you there, Choom." Added V.

"Whatever. Let's just finish up here and head to Vik's. I need a damn massage." Griped Jackie.

"You know, you can get Misty to give you a massage at your place off hours, right? I mean, she's your Mainline, you don't have to wait till her shop is open." I intoned, paying my bill.

"That's not really something I'm trying to encourage, Choom. If my Girl is gonna give a massage, she's gonna get paid for it." Insisted Jackie.

"Jackie, you don't pay her." I blinked.

"I'll have you know I take her out to lunch every time we do this." Huffed Jackie.

"Whatever you say, Choom." I nodded, rolling my eyes.

"Boys, can we get going?" Demanded V.

"Yeah, yeah. Just for you stealing my breakfast, you get the back seat, Jaquito." I smirked, getting in the passenger seat of V's Yacatecuhtli.

"Ay, no fair, Ernesto!" Protested Jackie, using my full name to annoy me back after I'd just done the same to him. I didn't let it show, though.

After all, I couldn't hear him from all the way in the back seat. . .

XXXX

Vik's Clinic was in Watson, specifically, in Little China, which was a place that was effectively a Red Light District within Night City. Casinos like Kashuu Hanten, Dollhouses like Gomorrah, and Nightclubs like Riot all were located in Little China, sharing space with all manner of shops, restaurants, and residential buildings. Interestingly, you'd think that with a name like Little China, the Tyger Claws would be all over this sub-district, but you'd be wrong. Little China was a free space where a bunch of different gangs with turf in neighboring areas agreed to share. The reason for that? The Afterlife.

The Afterlife, technically the Second Afterlife, after the Original location was abandoned a few years after the end of the Time of the Red due to Gentrification, had a long and proud history of serving Solos and Mercs. Anyone who was anyone in Night City's vast community of Fixers, Mercs, Solos, and Gangs, frequented the Afterlife at some point or another. Morgan Blackhand had been a well-known customer, as had Johnny Silverhand, Shaitan, Alt Cunningham, Spider Murphy, Nomad Santiago, and any number of folks who'd made this city into what it was.

Having a place like that in the sub-district tended to foster a spirit of cooperation among the gangs. Nobody wanted to be responsible for fucking up business for the afterlife because they couldn't control their greed. The number of Solos and Mercs that Rogue Amendiares, the Queen of the Afterlife, could call on to rain a shitstorm down on the Gonks who'd decided they could slamit on in Watson and fuck up her business were uncountable. It was no wonder that Little China was, effectively, nobody's territory when you took that into account.

It also meant that Little China was a pretty good place to do legitimate business too. Vik and Misty opening up their Clinic and Shop respectively in Little China had a lot less to worry about than say, Carmen or Mama Welles did operating Second Amendment and El Coyote Cojo in the Glen and Vista Del Rey. For one thing, Sixth Street wouldn't have started shit with the Valentinos if a place like the Afterlife was around to enforce peace.

Mind you, Night City was never a hundred percent peaceful, even in places like Corpo Plaza. The violence just got more Clandestine or was kept to a lower level. Little China may be far away from being a Combat Zone, but as V Parked her Yacatecuhtli in front of Misty's Esoterica, I was reminded of that fact by a lone Gunshot ringing out from somewhere to the northeast. No follow-on shots, however, seemed to prove my point.

"Come on." I remarked, getting out of V's Yacatecuhtli and heading inside.

Misty's Esoterica was located on a fairly busy street in Littel China called Urmland Street. Urmland Street didn't just have Misty's Esoterica or Vik's Clinic, the latter of which wasn't something the general public knew about but also had a Zetatech Store that carried the latest Chrome coming out of San Francisco, a SoftSys Service Point for Electronics Repair, and the biggest draw of the street for the average Gonk, the Gomorrah Dollhouse.

Gomorrah was, effectively, the second-biggest Dollhouse in Night City after Clouds, and was the more affordable of the two. The Average Middle-Management Corpo wouldn't be able to so much as sniff at Clouds, but they could afford a few hours at Gomorrah. It also was run by the Animals, the musclebound Gang wasn't really interested in causing trouble unless you fucked with them first, and when they did want to start something, they'd tell you to your face they were about to beat the shit out of you. It was honestly pretty refreshing in a city where most of the Corps and Gangs would Haze folks in a heartbeat if it served their interests.

Mostly, the Animals ran the Underground Fighting Scene in Night City, along with dealing Juice, a sort of super-growth hormone that built muscle to superhuman levels, to the point where a fully juiced-up Animal often hit just as hard, if not harder, than someone with Chrome specifically meant for that purpose. A Dollhouse wasn't exactly their normal venue, but it worked for them, and honestly? More power to them for branching out like that.

Regardless, Misty's Esoterica was actually across the street from Gomorrah. A New Age Shop that was dimly lit by a combination of candlelight and specially-made, softly-glowing, lamps meant to resemble some sort of mystical torch. Along the walls, all sorts of crystals and books on mysticism were displayed on shelves, including things like Crystal Skulls, Books on Meditation, Tibetan Salt, and so on. It was, in short, a standard shop catering to the gullible.

"Hey, E! Jackie said you'd be by and bringing a third!" Called out a Blonde-haired, Goth in a spiky collar and long, purple, sweater.

"Misty. Yeah, you remember V from the other night?" I nodded.

"I do, though I'm surprised you remember the other night. You were pretty trashed." Pointed out Misty.

"it'll take more than that to put me away." I shrugged.

"Chinga tu madre! Your back seat isn't for me, Choom! A guy needs leg room, you know?" Complained Jackie as he and V entered Misty's Esoterica.

"What happened with you?" I questioned.

"That Back Seat is evil. If I have to ride like that again, I'm gonna go short-circed! I'd rather ride in the flatbed, Choom!" Scoffed Jackie.

"It wasn't that bad. I've been back there a bunch of times and never had a problem." Huffed V.

"You're not my size, Chica." Insisted Jackie.

Before V could retort, however, Misty slipped out from behind the counter and enfolded Jackie in a great big hug. Jackie's expression went from faux-pissed to smiling shortly after that. I couldn't help but crack a grin of my own. Misty and Jackie really did work together as a couple and it was never as apparent as in these moments here.

"I missed you." Mused Misty.

"Missed you too." Muttered Jackie.

"It's only been a day." Snorted V.

"Let him have this one." I chuckled.

"Right, you and V go on ahead. Vik's shop is out the back and down the stairwell across the courtyard. Tell him you're with me and he'll get you started." Informed Jackie.

"What are you gonna do while we get Chipped In?" Queried V.

"I'm gonna see a lady about a massage." Smirked Jackie.

"Come on, V." I sighed, rolling my eyes.

Together, V and I headed around the counter and out the back toward the small courtyard Plaza in the rear of Misty's Esoterica. As we entered the Courtyard, we ignored the elevator flanked by red, Chinese, Paper Lanterns, and headed for the stairwell that was bathed in a green glow from the LED Lighting that was set into the tile. Along the way, I reached down to pet a stray Sphynx Cat that lived in the area which Misty left food out for and who, in another life, might be adopted by V and named Nibbles.

Not-Nibbles-Yet let out a contented purr as I scritched behind his ears while he devoured the wet food that Misty had left out for him. Apparently, the Synthetic Protein Meats that Corps like Biotechnica had started cloning in response to the food shortages of the Time of the Red were all right by cats, which made me suspect that the genetically engineered stuff that even today made up around twenty percent of the diet of the Average Citizen of Night City had initially been meant as a Cat Food Formula by Biotechnica and had been pressed into being fit for human consumption when the market potential had materialized.

Shaking my head to clear the thought, I straightened up. Not-Nibbles-Yet let out a trill that was both plaintive and inquisitive all at once, as if he was confused at the scritches stopping and wanted to know why. I couldn't help but let out a chuckle at that and feel a bit bad that I had to go, but I had more important things to deal with right now.

"Sorry, Gatito. I've gotta go get some new chrome put in. I'll be back later if you're still here." I spoke.

"Mrrrh." Trilled Not-Nibbles-Yet.

"Yeah, sorry. It is what it is, though." I responded.

And with that, I headed down the steps into Vik's Ripperdoc Clinic, V following right behind me, snickering at the byplay between me and Not-Nibbles-Yet. I guess I didn't exactly give off the image of someone who would be fond of cats, a big, tough, Solo like me, with ties to the Valentinos. Most folks would just assume I wasn't a guy who'd be nice to animals, I supposed, but the Joke was on them. I'd loved animals in my old life before I'd been chosen to hop Multiverses in a Divine Contest, and I doubted that was going to change any time soon.

Vik's Clinic was, much like Misty's Esoterica, darkly lit. This time, however, instead of spreading the light evenly across the whole area, there were two specific areas that were lit while the rest of the clinic was effectively cast into shadow. The first was the operating theatre, where a number of surgical tools surrounded a Ripperdoc's Chair. That area was bathed in bright, white, UV lights meant to kill germs dead during operations. The other area was less brightly lit by neon lights. That was Vik's desk area, where light illuminated a number of books, files, and folders, along with a series of boxing trophies lined against the wall.

The Man himself was tattooed, with a full sleeve on one arm. The other was covered by a Ripperdoc's Exoglove, meant to add precision to Ganic Hands instead of replacing them outright. He wore black pants and dark blue surgical scrubs, along with a pair of Glasses, and his black hair was slicked back with some sort of grease or pomade.

"So, who are you two Gonks? Looking for some chrome?" Queried Vik.

"I'm E, and this is V." I introduced.

"Right! Misty said Jackie'd be bringing you two by. Something about a big job from a legit fixer and needing to tool up. I don't see Jackie though?" Frowned Vik.

"He's upstairs, getting a massage from Misty." I admitted.

"Why's he need that?" Asked Vik.

"Apparently, my back seat isn't big enough for him. Not my fault he wanted to ride with E and I." Grumbled V.

"Yeah, that sounds like Jackie. So, what can I do you for? Got some Kiroshi Optics in the other day that are top-of-the-line. You won't even notice your eyes aren't Ganic anymore till you need to magnify something and then you'll be glad you switched to Chrome." Offered Vik.

"Actually, I was hoping you'd install a few things I brought." I intoned, reaching into my pack and pulling out my own designs of improved Cyberware.

"Are those what I think they are? That Chrome looks experimental, but I know a Sandy and Kerenzikov when I see them. Is that a Newton Module too?" Questioned Vik.

"They are. Why do you ask?" I queried.

"Chipping In experimental Chrome isn't the best of ideas. I know folks who did it and paid the price for it. Are you sure you want me to do this?" Asked Vik.

"It's all my own designs. I'm confident they'll work." I insisted.

"All right, it's your funeral. If your experimental tech Short-Circs your Brain, Zeroes you, or Hexes you, though, I assume no liability." Warned Vik.

"Agreed. Let's get on with it." I concurred.

"All right, hop on up into the chair and I'll see what I can do." Nodded Vik.

I did so, and soon enough found myself unconscious as Vik got to work installing my custom Chrome. They were all the sorts of stuff that dealt with the Central Nervous System, designed to work with my current set of cranial implants, and made using out-of-context knowledge that most Corps would kill to have to themselves. Even a bad Ripperdoc should be able to install them easily enough, much less a Ripperdoc with Vik's reputation and abilities. I wasn't worried that Viktor Vektor of all people would screw this operation up.

It would turn out that I had every right to have faith in Vik. I awoke not three hours later, according to the internal chronometer attached to my basic set of Mechanicus Cranial Implants. I grinned as I realized that was half the amount of time such a surgery would normally take. Vik was already putting a bunch of surgical equipment into his autoclave as I awoke. V, meanwhile, was sitting on a chair, paging through a catalog of Cyberware on offer here at Vik's Clinic.

"I don't know what you did or where you learned to do it, but that was the easiest surgery I've ever performed." Spoke Vik as he put the last of the batch of tools he'd used on me into the autoclave and turned around to face me.

"How's performance?" I questioned.

"Why are you asking me? They're your designs." Queried Vik.

"Are you trying to tell me you didn't do a diagnostic and brain scan afterward?" I asked.

"Good instincts, or maybe you've worked with Ripperdocs before. That eyepiece and the implants you already had certainly indicate that much." Smirked Vik.

"Well?" I pressed.

"This stuff is beyond cutting edge. If you weren't as fit as you are, I'd say you'd need to replace some of your Ganic bones and muscles with Wetware or Chrome first before trying to push that stuff. You are fit, though. Extremely so. I honestly don't know if you're on some sort of new type of Juice that gets you to peak human physical fitness, but I'd tell you to knock it off if you are." Admitted Vik.

"I'm not." I refuted.

"Well, I guess it's not really any of my business. I would pay you a premium for any chrome you might be able to manufacture, though. If you're capable of making stuff like this, I know folks who will pay big eddies for it all." Tried Vik.

"Send me your detes and I'll let you know," I acknowledged.

"Right." Nodded Vik, his contact info being sent over wirelessly to my Implants.

Vik then turned to V and they started talking about her own wants for Chrome she could chip in. I tuned them out, though. I'd wanted Vik as more than just a Ripperdoc I could go to, I'd wanted him as a business contact as well. One who I could buy new Chrome to reverse-engineer and improve off of. This was a big step toward that. As V opted for a set of Kiroshi 'Stalker' Optics, a Ballistic Co-Processor, a Zetatech Mark-Three Sandevistan, and a set of Subdermal Armor, I couldn't help but appreciate how much having Vik as a business contact would help.

"Hey, Vik. Before you do that, would you mind selling me a set of Subdermal Armor in-box?" I questioned.

"I could do that. Can I ask why?" Queried Vik.

"Don't worry, I promise you that you'll benefit from this too." I placated.

"How?" Asked Vik.

"I'm gonna reverse-engineer and improve it, of course, the same way I did for the Sandy, Kerenzikov, and Newton Module you just put in my brain. I'll make a few copies of the new Chrome, have you put in one for me, and then you can sell the others. I'll even only take forty percent of the profit as payment." I answered.

"Hmm, I see. I guess that'd be all right if you'll throw in the right of first refusal on all your Preem Chrome for the next five years." Intoned Vik.

"Sure, Biz is Biz, I get it." I agreed easily.

"Right. Here." Called out Vik, pressing a quartet of boxes into my hands.

"What are these?" I questioned.

"Subdermal Armor, Scarab Bone Sheathe, Reinforced Bionic Tendons, and an Adrenaline Booster. If we're in Biz, then we'll be in Biz all the way." Explained Vik.

"I can't buy all this off you now, Vik." I pointed out.

"Sounds like your forty percent cut just dropped down to thirty-five percent, then." Shrugged Vik.

That was a good deal for me since it wasn't like I was going to be spending my entire life on Cyberpunk Earth anyway. Plus, I'd get models for myself too, which I was more than happy to take a massive drop in the number of eddies I'd get as my cut for. It honestly was more than I'd hoped for when I'd floated the deal to Vik, to begin with. Regardless, we stayed at Vik's most of the rest of the day. By the time we were ready to head out, the sun was setting and we'd gotten here after breakfast. I should have figured that getting Chipped In was an all-day affair when things weren't abstracted out as part of a game.

Unfortunately, the Badges had closed down the way into downtown and Corpo Plaza from Watson due to some sort of brawl that'd broken out in Downtown between Scavengers and the Maelstrom that'd wrecked a block of older Conapts. The whole City Center was locked down while the Lawmen chased down the culprits.

That forced us to detour through Kabuki and Japantown to get back to Vista Del Rey. As we did that, we would be confronted by a group of Tyger Claws who seemed to attack us apropos of nothing, seemingly for no other reason than Jackie and I were wearing Valentinos Colors in an area where the Tyger Claws were the Kings of the Underworld.

When it happened, I couldn't help but have the sneaking suspicion that this was part of the intel-gathering efforts I'd seen my opposition pay for in my dreams. . .

XXXX

AN: All right, so here we have Chapter Four. Big E, Jackie, and V are Chipped in now, and Big E's got Cyberware far in advance of anything anyone else has currently, along with an arrangement with Vik to produce more advanced Cyberware for him in exchange for materials, a thirty-five percent cut of the profits of sale, and installation of custom Cyberware free of charge.

Unfortunately, now they're going to be facing off against a bunch of Tyger Claws that, while they will mop the floor with them, also helped Wakako get the intel that Aleksander Yurinov, Champion of Flidais, and Big E's real opposition in Cyberpunk Earth, paid her for. At the same time, there's no way that Arisaka isn't going to get a copy of whatever intel report Wakako puts together. The Tyger Claws and Wakako are in their pocket, after all.

At any rate, the next chapter will be the fight. I'll have Character Sheet Changes done before then as well.

Stay tuned. . .