Cyberpunk: XYZ

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Chapter 29: Nobodies II

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There was, however, the pool of blood left there, swimming through the cracks of the alleyway... X followed through the cracks of this godforsaken city to his home.

"Welcome back," The feeling of going back home to find someone awaiting your return... It isn't so difficult to make happen when AIs like Joi are all over the place for cheap.

"What happened," Joi frowned as she eyed X's hands which were covered by bioplastic bandages.

"Work," X plainly replied as he directly lied down on the couch, just contemplating things.

"Are you okay?" Joi sat down by his side and asked.

"..." X stayed silent a while longer, and Joi waited till he finally responded, "You know, there is this kid and his sister that stay by Vik's clinic."

"I'm not that close to them by any means. The kid was more like the mischievous neighbor, taken care of by his older sister."

"I'm used to having a chat with them here and then... Now, the kid is gone and the sister is left mind broken," X explained.

"Are you sad for them?" Joi curiously asked.

"I'm sad about the state of this world," X muttered.

"The state of the world?" Joi needed a bit more than that.

"Humanity has become disposable, with lives valued only by what they can contribute to the corporate agenda."

"Freedom, love, even individuality are under constant threat from oppressive surveillance, social engineering, and engineered societal decay."

"Crime is rampant, with gangs serving as both rivals and pawns to corporate agendas, fueling an underworld where information, organs, and even memories are currency."

"The people have given up on the idea of a future altogether, embracing nihilism as a survival tactic in a world that's lost its humanity."

"Even nature seems to have abandoned this world, with toxic rain, smog-filled skies, and polluted waters."

"Environmental collapse is a forgotten disaster; people are too busy trying to stay alive to notice the planet is dying."

If this world has one rule, it's that nothing; neither the environment, human rights, nor morality; has any value unless it can be exploited for profit." X gave her more.

"What are we going to do about it?" Joi asked the most important question in her mind.

"I can not change the world... Change is too difficult, nigh impossible. Destruction is easy," X stated before closing his eyes.

The answer brought joy to Joi as she silently slow danced in the room, not making a sound lest she disturb his peace.

X did seem very tired, which is why he quickly delved into the lands of dreams, again finding himself in his restaurant.

"Are we truly sad about the state of the world?" Y asked a very confusing question.

"We are... The world is missing a very vital piece... Us at the top," Z nodded.

"I must admit though... I'm a bit sad about how easily I give up on things around me, leaving them behind like nobodies." X plainly muttered.

"That's called emotional desensitization or compassion fatigue, witnessing so much death, trauma, or suffering makes one become numb to it."

"Over time, they lose the ability to feel empathy or concern, which allows them to cope with a harsh reality but at the cost of their own emotional well-being and humanity." Z seriously explained.

"Is that truly what we have? I mean, we've seen much death, but aren't our problems bigger than that? I can feel plenty of emotions but there are these urges that drive me to forsake them just to reach my goals," Said X.

"We are mind broken, are we not?" Y thought that was common sense.

"Yeah, we are... And in this world, we're also physically broken. Even with our mental capabilities, I found it difficult to keep up with a few lowly Maelstrom grunts," X pointed out.

"We wait a while to heal. We meet Wakako, then get our money and enhance ourselves. Otherwise, we can not compete with the capable individuals of Night City," Z agreed.

"Why do we need to compete with them physically? We should use our minds instead of putting ourselves in dangerous situations," Y questioned.

"Just in case," X.

"Just in case," Z nodded.

"I'm quite tired... Good night," X yawned before truly falling asleep.

"Good night." "Good night."

X wouldn't be able to use his hands for about a week, but fortunately, there is something such as an Interface plug in this world, allowing him to link to things and operate them without using his hands.

The interface plug was intact, and X was someone who hates wasting time and just not working in general.

Therefore, he went back to the clinic only after two days, linking with the mechanical arms and using them as his arms.

Vik could only shake his head at X's dedication and didn't even try to stop him knowing that he couldn't stop him from working.

Another unfortunate news was that Marrie isolated herself, suffering from depression. Misty did the best she could to soothe her mind, but nothing worked.

Well, things just moved on from there. Such are things in Night City, people just people.

The little kid was just another nobody losing his life in a world where many nobodies lose their lives every single day.

The interface plug also allowed him to link to his computer and continue his studies in the field of medical tech.

After the last fight, X realized just how valuable being a Ripperdoc can be in his future endeavors.

The Ripperdoc line of work would not only allow him to make connections, but it would also allow him to know and understand his enemies, their makings, and what cyberware they have.

X also heard of the Maelstroms snooping around, although they didn't seem to have figured out who killed their boys.

That was reasonable, X went above and beyond to make sure he eliminated his traces.

He didn't allow the Maelstroms to see his face, because he knew that their cybernetic heads could give feedback of what they see back to their headquarters.

Still, just to be safe, he went through some minor cosmetics, such as turning his hair blonde.

And it wasn't just temporarily turning it blonde, but truly changing his natural hair color from black to blonde.

There are many ways to do so such as Nano-Dye Injections, Bio-Hack Genetic Reprogramming, Chromatic Augmentations, and even introducing Chemical Modulators to the Bloodstream.

X also used Cosmetic Lenses which are Completely aesthetic, offering various holographic effects, patterns, or even animated scenes within the eye, like swirling galaxies or glitching pixels.

He had also used them when facing the Maelstroms, knowing that it's easy to detect you based on your eyes.

Just like fingerprints, the cornea has a unique pattern. Advanced surveillance systems can use high-resolution imaging to scan corneal details from a distance and match them with stored records.

It's very difficult to go unnoticed in Night City, thus why X took all those precautions.

Now, however, he wants to be noticed, thus his planned visit to Wakako, a more dangerous endeavor than his fight with the Maelstroms.

Therefore, he had to be ready, establish some connections, make some calls, prepare for the worst, and write some codes and malware.

Most importantly, he has to cook something up, something that will at least increase the chances of his survival if things go south.

No, there is something way way more important, and that's to investigate Wakako Okada and her boys.

The operation is just too risky... I have to study her psychology, then make a personality construct of her and talk to her... Will you listen to my voice, Wakako? Will you answer?