My shiny new arm glistened as the myriad lights from the busy Night City nightlife shone through the windshield of my van. It was three days until the meeting with Michiko, and I was back in action. The R&R for a few days has done me good, and my body was more or less at full capacity. Seeing the sign for Zocolo Street, I turned left into a busy intersection and megabuilding H10 in the background.

As per usual with NC, the street was packed with cars. It took a minute and cut off some cars, but eventually, I turned into the garage of the megabuilding after weaving through some heavy traffic. Driving into the parking lot, I meandered through the levels until I found an empty spot near one of the elevator entrances. After putting the van in park, I pulled up my messaging app and contacted V.

"I just got here. I'm parked on the third floor of the garage. Turn left after you get out of the elevator, and you'll see my van."

Not a moment later, a reply came.

"Nova. Getting my iron sorted. I'll be down in a sec."

Seeing V's response, I put away my phone and turned up the radio to enjoy the new sound system in my van. And it wasn't just the sound system. Damn near the entire vehicle has been either modified or renewed. While recuperating from my injuries, I finally had the time to get the Aldecaldos to sup up my van, and they did not disappoint.

The old drive train was pulled out, and a new engine and transmission from a Thorton Mackinaw truck were installed. The engine's stock components were replaced with forged parts and sequential turbos to boost power on both the top and bottom end. Combined with new headers, a more aggressive camshaft, and high-flow exhaust, the van was now faster than anything except racers with a dedicated tune.

To increase the protection, the van also got a new stainless tube chassis running throughout its frame to stop the vehicle from crushing in on itself in a crash. The panels were then lined with bulletproof aramid sheets that could stop anything less than a full-blown cannon round. The windows and windshields were replaced with a bulletproof glass of the same rating and tinted so no one could look inside.

The suspension was switched out for a coilover air bag hybrid system to deal with the extra weight added by the roll cage and armor. The Wheel arches were then enlarged so fatter tires could be fit underneath. Breaks were also swapped out for the largest ones that could fit under the wheels for better stopping performance.

Since I wanted the van to be able to slip under the radar, the exterior was left pretty stock. To sell the 'everyday car' look, I even added decals that made it look like the windshield had small cracks. The only things I had the Aldecaldos add outside were brighter headlights and a low-profile light bar on the roof. I had considered adding a weapon station like Panam had on her truck, but there wasn't any way to hide such an addition, so I decided against it.

The interior was spruced up as well. New comfier leather seats were fitted, and the AC was thoroughly serviced and cleaned. There was even a battery and fridge in the back. Functional upgrades included screens that replaced all the buttons and dials, which could also control a powerful sensor suit that took up some cargo space. Now I could decrypt codded radio messages and listen in from the comfort of my vehicle.

While the Aldecaldos were modifying my van, I took the time to sort through all the intel I got from the various listening devices. I used to go through everything every few days, but I've neglected that aspect of my life for the last week for obvious reasons. Most of the recordings were useless clutter, but there was a good amount of information that I could use to my advantage later.

The most interesting is related to Wakako, the main fixer in Westbrook. The veteran fixer was having problems with a man called Taki Kazo, one of the newer, higher-up Tyger Claw bosses. Apparently, Taki thought Wakako was redundant and that he could run Japan town without her influence.

His faction has recently been making aggressive plays on Wakako's turf, and tension has been growing between the two. Considering the type of influences Wakako has, helping her might help me weaken the Tygers, making helping Yumi with her revenge and takeover easier. The problem is how to clue Wakako in on that I wanted to help. It'll seem suspicious if I just came barreling in telling her I knew her worries.

While enjoying a cola I grabbed from my fridge and thinking about how to approach Wakako, I heard knocking to my right. Looking over, I saw that it was V and unlocked the car for her. I guess I'll figure out the whole Tyger thing later. Hearing the door unlock, V got in before closing it behind her.

"Hey, V. Good to go?"

V settled into her seat before throwing a finger gun pointed forward, showing she was ready.

"Yup. Hit it, Choom."

I quickly pulled the car out of the spot and drove out of the garage. Once out of the megabuilding, I turned onto the street before turning north toward Watson. My destination was Totentanz, which is the bar where the Maelstrom liked to hang out when they weren't making demonic sacrifices or whatever crimes tickled their fancy. Frankly, I didn't want to deal with them, especially after the run-in with Zaria, but I needed those parts to fix the Surveyor.

The meeting was set for Konpeki Tower, which would have been fine if it wasn't for the fact that V was technically banned from Konpeki and our two other star witnesses were on a list of high-priority targets. The good news is that we can work around that if we can get the Surveyor back up and running. Arasaka exclusively uses most of the top floors, and the Surveyor can take us straight to the private landing pads. Don't have to worry about security and people in the lobby recognizing three of Arasaka's most wanted people if you don't have to go through the lobby at all.

"V, you got a better feel on Brick than I do. What's your take on how things'll go with 'em?"

"I only met Brick once, so I wouldn't say I got a good handle on the guy. Also, I might have saved his life, but me and Jackie wiped out everybody else, so I can't exactly say I'm on his good side. Honestly? 50/50 this ends in a gunfight."

"Well, considering it's the Maelstrom, that ain't too bad."

We shot the shit for the rest of the ride, catching each other up on anything we had going on in our lives. V had spent most of her time doing random jobs, getting her name out there, and building street cred. Occasionally, she'll check in on Hellman and Evelyn to ensure everything is ready for the upcoming meeting with Michiko.

Suppose the upcoming meeting with Michiko goes well. In that case, we'll finally be able to offload Hellman, and Evelyn won't have to watch her back constantly. And hopefully, we'll be able to solve V's problem sooner so the chip doesn't mesh with her brain too much.

Fifteen minutes later, we found ourselves in a parking lot in Old City Center. Getting out of the van, I looked up to see a decrepit building worn down from an evident lack of maintenance. Windows were either broken or boarded up, and the sign saying 'HOTEL' had broken lights with the letter L almost falling off the bracket.

I nodded at V to show her I was ready, and we both walked into the seemingly abandoned building. We were immediately greeted by what used to be the reception area with bits of concrete in front of it. Looking up confirmed that it was from the collapsed ceiling above. The area was dimly lit, with the only lighting coming from light bars and the glowing red eyes of maelstrom symbols.

Two Maelstrom members were up front, one sitting on the reception desk smoking a cigarette and the other on an office chair with his feet kicked up on the tabletop. The one at the desk noticed us first and asked who we were with her distorted voice.

"Who da hellz are yous?"

Before I could say anything, V took over.

"Name's V. We're here for biz' with the bossman."

The woman stared at us with the six red slits in place of her eyes, taking a drag on her cigarette. She flicked it after burning up the last bit of smoke and blew a huge cloud into the air. Deciding that we were legit, the Maelstrom member pointed at a set of stairs to the right and gave us instructions.

"Go up theres and follow the railing. First thing on the right iz the elevata. Third floor will take yous to the club. Take a right after yous get out and follow the hallway."

We followed her instruction and soon found ourselves in a rickety elevator that shook every two seconds. Just as I thought the damn thing would give out and drop us to our doom, the elevator shook before locking into place. A 'ding' later, the doors opened to the muffled sound of heavy bass and techno.

We followed the bouncer's instructions, taking a right and following the ever-growing sound of music. Once we walked past some transparent plastic sheets, we found ourselves on top of a overwalk with the perfect view of the dance floor. There I saw even more of the human equivalent of creepy crawlies raving to the music and grinding on each other.

"Hey, that's the bitch that iced Royce!"

One of the fanatics guarding another door noticed us and recognized V as the person who killed one of their bosses.

"Yeah, that's me. Miss 'em? Cause I can arrange a meeting."

The group tensed, and right as I thought things were about to break into a fight, the door opened, and a red-headed Maelstrom member walked out.

"All of you, get the fuck out, now!"

One of the Maelstrom guards spoke up, trying to point out that they had unsettled business with V.

"That's the gonk that hit All Foods..."

"I fuckin' know who it is. Out. Now!"

The guards made an annoying gurgling, growling noise before all turning around and walking into the club. The redhead then focused back on us.

"Follow me."

She turned around and walked through the door, not waiting to see if we were behind her. V and I shared a look before I shrugged, and we both chased after her.

We followed her down a set of stairs and into the mosh pit that was the main floor. I didn't know what a group of sweaty dancing Maelstrom would smell like, but now I knew it was not dissimilar to a mix of week-old sweat-soaked clothes and used engine oil. We carved our path through, shoving people off us until we got to the other side and went up another set of stairs.

If you are reading this, it means that you are reading a novel stolen from the original author. If you want to support me, the original author, and read ahead for free, you can find me on scribblehub under SPS4.

We were now on a private balcony clearly meant for VIPs. Sat in the center of a large leather sofa was a large man that was more chrome than person. Most of his face has been peeled off in place of eyes and a nose where several red lights and cables run out of the cheek. His skin was wrinkly, a common side effect of having so much chrome and wires running underneath. The only thing that was normal about the guy was his crew-cut hair.

"Thanks, Pat. I got it from here. Go down and enjoy yourself."

The redhead sneered at Brick's blatant attempt at getting her to leave.

"What? Don't trust me to listen in on your deals with fucking normies?"

Brick's attitude changed from faux kindness to tyrannical leader in the blink of an eye.

"Bitch! If I tell you to fuckin' leave, Patricia, then you fuckin' leave. Get the fuck out of here before I rip your ribcage apart."

The two stared at each other briefly before Patricia curled her lips and turned around. Once it was just us, Brick motioned for us to sit down, and I and V took our seats on the old couch.

"Sorry, you had to see that. Gotta keep 'em in line every now and then, though. You know how it is."

No, Brick, I do not, in fact, 'know how it is'. I didn't run a gang comprising mainly cyberpsychos or people bordering on cyberpsychosis, so I'm not sure I can relate. Smartly, I decided to keep that thought to myself.

"You're Basil, right? V told me about the part you're looking for. Turbine shaft from a military-grade AV, hard to find. We still got it, but it's going to cost you."

"How much you lookin' for?"

"50,000 Eddies. No bargaining."

After hearing how much Brick wanted, I almost choked on my spit. Mitch said the thing was worth 15,000, max. Brick was asking almost three times as much. I mean, that had to be a bullshit price, right?

"You want 50,000 for somethin' that's worth at most 20k. Come on, Brick, stop fuckin' with me."

Brick leaned back into the sofa and spread his arms across the top.

"Fifty. Thousand. Eddies. Take it or leave it."

There's no way the Aldecaldos would be willing to pay that much. I bit my lips, considering my options. I could cover the difference, but I really didn't want to spend almost all my remaining savings on this. But if I walked, would we be able to find a suitable replacement in time?

Brick must have read my face because he then grinned and leaned back forward.

"Of course. I would be willin' to give it for free. But I would need somethin' done for me, of course."

Fuck, that's what he really wanted, isn't it. He never intended on selling the fucking thing. He wanted to leverage it and get us to do some dirty work. Either that or this is a trap. But I didn't really have any alternatives, did I? We only had three days left, and that was just barely enough to install it. Shit.

"Fine, let's hear it. What are you looking for?"