Cyberpunk 2077 - The Ballad of Lost Souls

V stands in front of the Bandolero Bar, a small building from the last century, illuminated by a big red neon light depicting a guy wearing a sombrero.

V passes trough a bunch of parked old muscle cars, into the wooden porch and finally getting inside, going through a pair of small wooden doors. The bar smells of beer and mold, the rotten wood of the pavement almost breaks under V's footsteps.

The bar is small and crowded, drowned in a cloud of smoke. On all four walls there are worn green leather couches with a bunch of wooden tables, while in the center there are two pool tables. On the right side of the room there is a bar with a mirror, in front of which is a wall of bottles.

Barman: What can I give you?

V: Anything but Tequila.

Barman: Beer?

V answers the bartender in a dull voice.

V: Yeah.

The barman puts a beer on the counter, while V sits on an old stool, he starts drinking, looking into the void.

V: Looking for somebody.

Barman: Really… Who is it?

V: An old friend of mine, but he's difficult to find.

The barman looks at him suspiciously for a while in silence, then he talks.

Barman: Try askin' to that woman. The one sat at that table. Have to warn you though, she ain't cheap.

V: Thanks, pal.

V stands up and starts walking toward the corner sofa at the end of the room, pushing some people along the way. Lying down on it, there is a woman in her mid forties wearing a black net runner suit, smoking a cigarette.

V: Hi.

Woman: Not Interested.

V: Don't you wanna hear my offer?

Woman: Buddy no offense, but you don't look like the guy who can afford my services.

V keeps looking at the girl, she has brown eyes and black hairs, shaved on the sides revealing a cyberware interface. The woman keeps smoking, looking at a TV, tuned on a Quotifax channel displaying some images of Night City.

V: Can I sit?

Woman: Sure, buy me a drink.

V: If you can offer me a cigarette…

The woman turned a package of cigarettes to V, still looking at the TV. He lights up a cigarette and starts smoking.

Johnny: Are you tryin' to buy my respect back? You're a sneaky bastard, V.

V: So, wanna hear me or what?!

Woman: Actually? No.

The woman briefly looks at V's face and then turns back to the TV.

Woman: Your face… though day?

V: Tough day, tough week, tough life.

Woman: Welcome to the club, buddy.

V puts out the cigarette on the old, worn-out wood table. The woman turns sharply toward him as her optics glow red for a moment. The woman then closes her eyes and grins.

Woman: Fuck, you must have a huge pair of balls to show up here…

V opens his mouth, stunned.

Woman: Detective.

V smiles, reassured while the woman gets closer, leaning toward him.

Woman: Glad you're happy. You know that I could fuck your implants so bad, you'd shit your pants in pain? 

The woman sits back on the sofa.

Woman: Now fuck off.

V: Look lady, I just need your services. Looking for somebody. Need a place, an address, whatever.

The woman bursts into a fat laugh.

Woman: Wha…What kind of detective are you?!

V: The kind that could make the Netwatch forget about your existence. That's who.

Johnny: Bravo V, fill her with bullshit. She would do the same if she needed to.

The woman lowers her gaze while giggling, still smoking.

Woman: So, apparently I'm on Netwatch's radar... Interesting. If I may ask, why would they bother somebody from Night City?

V stares at the woman with a straight face.

V: You're just a face on a record, that's all I know. You find me who I am looking for, I delete the file. Simple as that.

The woman puts out her cigarette on the table, then stares V in the eye, crossing her arms.

Woman: Listen to me carefully, fuckface. I have absolutely no use for Netwatch forgiveness. I'd still end up in your fuckin' database within a week at most. Look around, in the lucky event you'd survive my ICEs, there's a bar full of people ready to vent their hatred for the corporations on your ass.... That said, if you have the eddies, you can order me a double Mescal and tell me who you came looking for.

The woman lights another cigarette, with a mocking smile.

Woman: Wait don't tell me... Is it Panam Palmer? Or maybe it's V... No I got it... Is it Morgan Blackhand, maybe?

V: I'm looking for Eric Maxwell. Biotechnica engineer, you know him?

The woman quickly changes her expression, becoming serious, as if something has clicked. After a moment, the woman slowly grabs the cigarette she is smoking and nervously puts it out on the table next to the last one.

Woman: Don't know him. But for the right price I can find him.

Johnny: Bullshit, V. She's lying.

The woman suddenly stands up, looking right at V.

V: Aren't you thirsty anymore?

Woman: No. Come with me, I've got my equipment in the back.

Johnny: I don't like this a bit.

V follows the woman across the bar, in a dark room next to the counter. The only thing illuminating it, is the light of a bunch of monitors, casting reflections of both of them on the wall.

Johnny: V…

V: What?!

Johnny: She didn't tell us the price.

The woman quickly closes the door, then starts raising her right hand in the air, holding a knife. V is able to see her reflection and quickly turns around, just in time to defend himself from the attack of the woman, who manages to pierce his left hand and the top of his shoulder.

V: AAAAHHHH! YOU FUCKING…

The woman keeps pressing the knife, helping herself with the other hand while her face full of anger reflects in V's eyes.

Johnny: Dammit, V! Use the fuckin' arm!

V wraps the woman's head inside his right hand, pulling her hair. She quickly grabs V's hand with her's, trying to stop him.

Johnny: C'mon! FRY THE BITCH!

V releases an electric wave through his right hand into the woman's head, then he proceeds to open it up, releasing the woman, who falls violently on the floor.

Johnny: She quite literally tried to backstab you. God dammit. You should start looking for a MaxDoc.

V starts slowly extracting the knife from his shoulder, then from his hand. A large amount of blood starts dripping on the wooden floor.

Johnny: Slow but firm, V.

V is eventually able to remove the knife from this hand that falls on the ground, then he starts searching the woman's body, looking for a MaxDoc. He found a photo, a wedding ring and a phone instead.

Johnny: What is it?!

V: An old photo.

Johnny: I haven't seen one in years…

The picture shows the woman and a man hugging in a forest, happy. V flips the picture to see its back, staining it with blood.

Johnny: What's on the back?

V: A note. To my lovely Lady Byte. E.M. summer '42

Johnny: It's fuckin' incredible! V, take out the ring! Does it have some kind of engraving or somethin'?

V: Uhm. Let's see… To the love of my life. E.M.

Johnny: How fuckin' amazing is that?!

V: Don't get it…

Johnny: E.M, V. I think she's the wives or the fiancé or the fuck I know of Eric Maxwell.

V: Or It could either be a coincidence…

Johnny: Sure. You mentioned him and the bitch went cyberpsycho on your ass. All a coincidence.

V starts looking for a bandage or a cloth in the room. He finds an old towel and starts patching up his hand, when suddenly somebody knocks at the door.

Barman: Is everything alright in there?

V walks to the door panting, trying to catch his breath.

V: Yeah! We're just talking.

Johnny: Look on her phone, maybe she's got a car.

V: She does.

V picks up the woman's knife and puts it inside his coat, then he carries her on his shoulder and starts moving toward the room's exit into the alley behind the bar.

Johnny: You're a sentimental one.

V: Shut up. The car probably is fingerprint activated.

Johnny: Tsk. Yeah. At least I hope it's a Quadra.

Two big beams of lights start illuminating both V and the woman's face, projecting two shadows on the wall behind them.

Johnny: It's a… 

V: Yeah it's a fuckin' Colby Minivan.

Johnny: C'mon, get in.

V uses the woman's hand to open the big minivan's door and carefully lays her down on the car's back seats, then he proceeds to get on the driver's seat and starts the van.

Johnny: Checkout her last destinations. Maybe we can find an apartment, a hideout or something like that.

V: Yeah.

V starts closing his eyes.

Johnny: NO! V, it's not time to rest!

V: Just some… just…

V's head falls on the steering wheel while the car starts driving by itself.