Cyberpunk Vigilantly

The deck hummed in my hands, as I sat cross-legged, my focus solely on the screen in front of me. Futaba hovered at my side, her excitement contagious as she scanned the interface, her fingers twitching in the air as if she could touch the data herself.

"This world… this tech," Futaba whispered, her wide eyes locked on the scrolling code. "It's incredible."

I nodded, trying to stay focused on the task. Basic hacking, she said. Nothing fancy, just small things to get me used to the system. But even the small things felt like navigating a minefield.

"Okay, start with something easy," she suggested. "Vending machines are everywhere. They're usually connected to a really low-level network, so they're the best way to practice. Plus, free snacks." Her grin flashed mischievously.

"Alright, vending machine it is," I muttered, adjusting my grip on the deck. I sent a ping to the nearest machine, feeling the hum of the connection as it tethered to the network. Data streamed in, a mass of raw information that Futaba somehow understood immediately.

"Okay, see that? That's the access point," Futaba said, pointing to a string of code I could barely keep track of. "We can crack this. Just input a basic bypass command here… and here. Then run the code. Don't overthink it."

Easy for her to say. My fingers moved clumsily, inputting the commands she directed, and I could feel sweat beading on my forehead. The deck whirred, the connection shaky, but after a tense second, the machine chirped in response.

"Got it!" Futaba cheered as the vending machine lit up. I watched as the selection panel blinked, every item now listed as free. The door clicked open, offering its contents.

A small victory, but it was enough to make my pulse race. "That worked?"

"Of course it did!" Futaba laughed, her enthusiasm spilling into the quiet alley. "You did great, Yumi. But we're still playing in the kiddie pool. So try getting into the Street cams," she replied, eyes practically glowing with excitement. "We can access those to get a better sense of how this city ticks. Trust me, they're everywhere. Start small, though, we don't want to trigger any alerts."

Street cams. Right. Simple enough.

I found a nearby camera and latched onto the signal. I could see the connection was stronger, the encryption more than a basic.

Futaba was already analyzing the streams of code, her voice steady. "This is a bit trickier. The encryption's light but layered. You'll need to peel back each one, step by step. I'll guide you."

Her instructions were rapid but clear, and I struggled to keep up. "Just focus on the patterns. See that?" she pointed at a cluster of symbols. "That's a weak point in the encryption. Break it there."

I leaned forward, fingers flying across the keys. I followed her lead, inputting the necessary strings and there it was. The camera feed flickered to life on the small screen, showing a grainy view of the street. 

I exhaled a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. "Got it."

Futaba grinned at me. "See? You're getting the hang of it."

I glanced back at the feed, watching the people come and go, oblivious. For the first time, I felt a real sense of what this deck could do.

The hum of the vending machines quieted, and I couldn't help but glance at the stack of snacks and drinks spilling out of them. Without thinking twice, I opened my system storage, mentally pulling up the interface as I stowed away thirty of each—drinks, snack bars, even a few energy shots I knew I'd need for the long nights ahead. The icons blinked into existence in my inventory, organized neatly, just like I liked it.

"System storage, huh? That's super convenient," Futaba mused, floating beside me, her fingers still tapping at invisible keys, even though the work was done. "I wish I had that back home. I could've carried around so much more loot."

I smirked. "Yeah, it's handy. Keeps my hands free for other things."

"Like hacking," she added, the light in her eyes sparkling. "Ready for the next challenge?"

I pushed the last drink into my storage with a flick of my wrist and nodded. "What's next?"

Futaba's enthusiasm was still bubbling as she scrolled through more nearby networks. "Let's up the ante. Street cams were easy, but let's try something a little more advanced. There's a network connected to some parking meters over there. They're usually light on security, but it'll be a step up from what we've been doing."

I shrugged. "Parking meters? Sure, why not?"

We pinged the network, and almost immediately, I felt the difference. Where the street cameras had been lightly guarded, this felt… denser, more complex. Layers of encryption that made my head spin. Futaba noticed my hesitation.

"Don't worry," she said, her voice steady. "It's just layered. You've got this. Start by peeling back the first level. It's like cracking a safe, one dial at a time."

I bit my lip and focused. The commands she rattled off were more complex than before, but I input them carefully. Slowly, one layer of encryption gave way to the next, but the deeper I went, the more my connection lagged.

"This might be to advance for this old deck," I muttered.

"Yeah, it's tougher, but you're doing great. Keep at it," she urged, hovering closer. "We'll need to get past at least three layers before we can access anything useful."

I tried to steady my breathing as I broke through another layer. But then, a warning flashed on my screen, an alert.

"Uh, Futaba?"

She was already on it, her eyes wide but focused. "It's okay. It's just a low-level security ping. It's probably nothing serious, but it means we're getting close to their firewall. You've got maybe… ten seconds before it kicks you out. Move fast!"

Panic surged through me as I scrambled to break the final encryption. The code blurred in front of my eyes, and I couldn't tell if it was the pressure or the complexity that was making me stumble.

"Come on, Yumi, you're almost there!" Futaba's voice was sharp, but not panicked. 

I input the final command, and—snap—the connection broke. My screen went dark, and the deck hummed softly in my lap.

"I… I didn't make it," I breathed, my heart still pounding.

Futaba shook her head, but her smile didn't waver. "No, you didn't. But hey, that was a tough one. You got closer than I thought you would. Not bad at all for your first real challenge."

I exhaled sharply, frustration gnawing at me. "We need better equipment. We're hitting walls."

"Yeah, but that's part of the process." She shrugged, her casual attitude strangely calming. "You learn by failing. Plus, we're not trying to crack high-level networks just yet. We'll stick to what we can handle until we're ready for the big stuff. Right now, street cams and vending machines are our bread and butter."

I nodded, I needed to get better, fast my fingers were still slow to this. Futaba must've seen the look on my face because she leaned in, her voice lowering. "Hey, don't be too hard on yourself. You'll get there. With time and some practice, you'll be able to take on way more than a parking meter."

I gave her a small smile. "Yeah, you're right. Thanks."

She grinned, her excitement bubbling up again. "No problem! Now, how about we head to Lizzie's Bar you were talking about? It might be worth seeing if the Mox can help you out."

I stood up, the deck still warm in my hands. "Good idea"

The shadows of Night City shifted as I made my way through the alleys, the neon lights bouncing off the wet streets, reflecting in every puddle I passed. My mind buzzed with the events of the day, what I'd learned, what I'd failed at. Futaba floated alongside me, looking at everyone with cybernetics.

Lizzie's Bar was as loud and chaotic as ever, the neon lights flashing above the dance floor, casting a rainbow of colors across the crowd. The music pounded through the room, vibrating in my chest as I made my way past the bar.

Rita spotted me from across the bar and waved me over. As I approached, she gave me a nod, her gaze steady.

"Hey, Yumi," she said over the music, her voice cutting through the noise. "heard you did a run for us, you got your pay right?"

I nodded, offering a quick smile. "Yeah, thanks for sending the eddies. though how did you guys know how to send it to me?."

Rita returned the smile "one of our girls hacked you to get the information so we could send you the pay."

I swallowed, the reality of what that meant. "Yeah.… well, I found a shard on a girl who was killed. It has details on a shipment, Tiger Claws. I need help leaking it." Choosing to ignore it as there wasn't much I could do right now and it bothered me that I was hacked and didn't even notice.

Rita's eyes flickered with interest, and she motioned for me to follow her. "Come on. You're going to want to talk to the boss about this."

Without another word, I followed her through the bar passing people in private rooms getting dances, or some just wearing weird glasses and leaning back, we walked down a set of stairs to the back. The noise of the bar faded as we entered a quieter room. Sitting at a table in the corner was a woman I recognized immediately, Judy Álvarez, My brother would go on and on about this character. Hell he even played a female character to be able to romance her. Next to her, leaning back in a chair with her arms crossed, was the leader of the Mox, a tall, dark, intimidating woman. 

Rita motioned for me to sit, and I did, my pulse quickening as the one who seemed in charged eyes sized me up. Judy barely glanced up from the screen she was working on, her fingers flying over the keys.

"So," she started, her voice low and commanding. "Rita says you've got something on the Tiger Claws?"

I nodded, pulling the shard from my pocket and placing it on the table. "Yeah. It's a weapon shipment. I thought it was something big…"

Judy finally looked up from her screen, reaching over to take the shard. She inserted it into her neck, her eyes illuminated by a soft blue glow as she scanned the data.

There was a moment of silence before she spoke, her tone casual. "Weapon shipment. Standard Tiger Claw stuff. Not bad, but nothing we haven't seen before."

The lady raised an eyebrow, glancing over at me. "This is your first time dealing with something like this, huh?"

I felt my face heat up. "Yeah, I thought it was more… important."

Rita let out a small laugh, shaking her head. "Don't feel bad, Yumi. It's still useful. We can hit this shipment, no problem."

Judy nodded in agreement, her eyes still fixed on the screen. "Yeah, we can make this work. but it's worth a bit of coin, Suzie ill send you the Info." She tapped a few keys. "We'll pay you for it. Fair deal."

Suzie leaned forward, her eyes locking with mine. "The Mox and the Tiger Claws don't get along, as I'm sure you know. This shipment's nothing new, but we appreciate you bringing this to us kid."

She reached into her jacket and tossed a small cred chip onto the table. "That's for your trouble. 500 eddies. Should cover what you went through."

I blinked, surprised at the payment. "Thanks," I said, taking the chip and sliding it into my pocket before they could change their mind, which they seemed to notice.

Judy's gaze shifted to me, her expression thoughtful. "If you keep running into stuff like this, bring it to us. There's always work to be done, and we pay for useful info, might even have a play for a girl like you in our ranks if you keep proving useful."

Suzie nodded, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Just keep in mind, If you come across anything bigger than this, you come straight to me."

I nodded, feeling the weight of her words. "Got it."

With that, the meeting was over. Rita gave me a quick nod as she escorted me back out of the room and ruffled my hair, the pounding music from the bar growing louder as we returned.

"Good work, Yumi," she said as we walked. "You did right bringing that to us. You ever need help or more work, contact me." She gave me small device that looked like a phone but it didn't flip open like the one I had in the past.

I offered a small smile, as I took it. "Thanks, Rita. I appreciate it." The pounding bass of the bar buzzed under my skin as I leaned against the wall near the entrance, taking a second to soak in the scene as I ate. Bodies moved to the rhythm, and the air was thick with smoke, booze, and the hum of chatter.

Just when I thought the night couldn't get any wilder, a loud *thud* came from the center of the room, followed by a string of muffled curses. I craned my neck to get a look, pushing through a small crowd gathered near the bar. There she was, the girl with the electric blueish green hair, and blue skin I had seen before, the one who flipped me off Now, she was wailing on some poor gonk who'd made a terrible life choice.

"Touch me again, choom, and I'll rip your arm off!" she snarled, punctuating her words with a kick to the guy's ribs. He groaned, blood trickling from his busted lip as he tried and failed to defend himself. It was obvious he'd grabbed something he shouldn't have.

A couple of the Mox were quick to rush over, pulling her off him before she could finish the job. One of them, a tall woman with tattoos crawling up her neck, called out, "Rebecca, chill the fuck out!"

*Rebecca.* That was her name.

She shrugged off the Mox with a scowl, her hands twitching like she was ready for more. "Fucker had it coming," she spat, eyes blazing as she wiped her nose with the back of her hand. "Nobody grabs my ass."

That electric blue ponytail swung around as she moved, and the glow of her cybernetic eyes only made her seem more interesting. My eyes traveled down her figure, guess since didn't matter in a world of cybernetics.

I kind of got why the idiot had touched her, even if it was the dumbest move he could've made in this place. Still, I wasn't stupid enough to follow his lead.

As the Mox dragged the groaning guy away, Rebecca turned and caught me watching her. A grin crept across her face, sharp and dangerous. She flipped me off again, just like the first time, but there was something playful in her expression now. Maybe she had seen me with Rita earlier.

"Take a holo, it'll last longer," she called over, her voice cutting through the noise. 

I smirked, shrugging one shoulder. "Don't know what that is but you put on quite the show."

Rebecca laughed, a short, rough sound, coming closer. "Careful, choom. You might end up like that gonk on the floor if you keep staring."

"Maybe," I replied, my own grin forming, as a spark of confidence ran through me. "But I don't plan on grabbing without the person asking nicely."

She snorted, clearly amused, before rolling her neck and cracking her knuckles. "Funny."

Just then, one of the Mox pulled her back again, this time with a little more force. "Come on, Rebecca. You've had enough fun for tonight. Let's not make any more enemies than we already have."

Rebecca clicked her tongue but relented, her eyes flashing one more time as she gave me a final look, like she was weighing whether or not I was worth her time. She flipped me off a third time.

"Catch you around, choom," she said with a wink before being dragged away into the crowd by the Mox.

I stood there for a second, watching her disappear into the neon haze, the buzz of the bar pulsing all around me. My heart was still racing, though I wasn't sure if it was from the adrenaline or from that brief interaction. Probably both. A fist fight with someone like her would probably be a quicker way to become friends.

Either way, I couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't the last time I'd run into Rebecca. Not by a long shot. I decided to head home for the night, Neon lights flickered over the wet pavement, and the sounds of Night City's nightlife buzzed all around me, but my focus was on the old building across the street. My hideout. My home, if you could call it that.

I crossed the street, slipping between a few parked cars before stopping at the foot of wall in the alley. I glanced up, eyeing the wall. I grabbed the nearest ledge, pulling myself up with a grunt, my arms burning from the effort. The deck in storage since I wasn't going to use it. I pushed through the pain, my boots scraping against the rough surface as I reached for the next hold.

One ledge at a time. Finally, I pulled myself over the edge of the broken window, the cool night air rushing past me as I crouched down for a second to catch my breath. 

I slipped through the busted door and stepping into the dark hallway beyond. The dim glow from a nearby streetlamp filtered through the cracks in the walls, casting just enough light to navigate by. I moved silently through the hallway, my boots barely making a sound against the cracked tiles.

I passed by a few other rooms, and eyeing the ones that were still closed. Finally reached my door. I pulled it open with a low groan, the sound echoing through the quiet hallway. I stepped inside and slid it shut behind me, the noise fading into silence.

The room was as I left it. I glanced around, nothing was missing and the radio was still going which was great. I'd have to clean it tomorrow. Tonight, I didn't have the energy for anything other than sleep.

I kicked off my boots and pants. Before dropping my jacket onto a nearby chair. My limbs felt heavy, every muscle aching from the climb and the day's events. Without thinking, I collapsed onto the mattress, Thank god it was soft. 

The ceiling above me was in great condition, and the distant sounds of the city filtered through the walls, but I barely noticed. My mind was already slipping into that hazy space between exhaustion and sleep. Tomorrow was another day.

For now, I let my eyes drift shut, my body sinking into the bed as the sounds of Night City faded away. Sleep came quickly, pulling me under. And for the first time in a long time, I didn't dream of anything.