Making It in Night City

It was almost seven at night, and I was driving Panam to the Afterlife after the deal. The first potential buyers the Nomads contacted fell out, but they then introduced this buyer to us. Besides the buyer and his friends, Scorpion also showed up, and he would not stop teasing Panam and me.

Panam was giving me the cold shoulder when I first showed up, and I couldn't figure out why for the life of me. Then Scorpion started laughing and explained the situation. Everybody back at the Nomad camp saw all the hickies on Panam, and they did not stop poking fun at her. Apparently, she had a reputation for playing hard to get, and people were just surprised that anything happened between us.

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.

It was cute watching Panam get all embarrassed after Scorpion spilled the beans. It was also a bit of a relief to find that she wasn't actually pissed with me. A simple hug and apology later, we kissed and made up, which was just in time before the buyer showed up.

The new buyer ended up being some kid that struck it rich in the stock market and decided to blow a large chunk of his cash on a nice ride. He was smart about it, however. He brought someone knowledgeable about Rayfields on the test drive and had the Caliburn checked out at a custom car shop.

Murk Man didn't want anyone to be able to track his identity through his Caliburn, so there was almost no documentation on it. Scorpion said that legally, it didn't have an owner until someone registered the car. This meant we could move it through more official means, netting us a higher profit. After the stock broker kid confirmed everything was good to go, we walked out 200K Eddies richer.

The money hit my account, and I immediately transferred 115K to Panam. 100k for half of the Caliburn sale and 15K for her half of the job for Rosa's family. Once the buyer left, Panam and I bid goodnight to Scorpion and left for Afterlife.

As I finished reminiscing about the last couple of hours, we pulled into the parking lot of the Afterlife and picked an open spot. I was surprised to see free parking since this was a night bar in Night City, but then I remembered that the only people allowed here were mercs with a reputation.

I followed Panam down the stairs and into the mortuary-turned-bar. The entrance was blocked by a bouncer. For a second, I was worried that he would stop me. But he stepped to the side to let us into the club when he saw Panam. That would have been awkward if I wasn't allowed in since quite a bit of my fake story with Panam was based on me being inside the Afterlife.

"Hey, Em. Need to see Rogue. She free right now?"

Emmerick Bronson, or Em for short, then put a finger to his ear and whispered something into his sleeve. A second later, he looked back up and confirmed that Rogue was waiting for us.

"She's in her usual corner."

"Thanks, Em."

Panam walked past the entrance, and I followed behind her after giving Em a quick nod. The inside was exactly as I remembered. Claire was behind the bar using the body coolers as fridges for drinks. Strange tubes of liquid with girls dancing inside them. Solos sat around dressing tables while discussing gigs. Strange techno music playing in the background. It was our version of the Mos Eisley Cantina.

As we walked past the masses, I noticed how mercs of all affiliations were in attendance. People who should hate each other's guts stayed respectful since the Afterlife demanded some sense of civility. It just goes to show how Rogue likes to run a tight ship and the unspoken power she holds in this city.

This was actually the second Afterlife bar. The first one was set up in the earlier years of Night City, which is why the one in Johnny's memories looks so different. After the city started receiving more investments and the city center began getting residents that didn't like a bar full of armed solos, Rogue found another morgue in Watson and moved the bar here. The move didn't seem to hurt business since Afterlife was still the premier solo hangout, and Rogue was still the most prominent fixer in town.

After navigating through the melting pot of mercs and gang members, we found ourselves standing in front of a private booth. The only occupant was a relaxed Rogue with her left leg crossed over her right and a drink in her hand. Her eyes shined a faint blue, hinting she was in the net looking for something. Panam also noticed the eyes and loudly coughed to get Rogue's attention.

Rogue's eyes returned to her usual greenish blue after hearing the obvious attempt at getting her notice, and she turned her attention to us. Seeing that it was Panam, Rogue that a sip out of her drink and set it down on the table.

"Why if it isn't Panam? I heard you managed to take care of that little Nash problem by yourself. Here to yell some more at me?"

"Nope. Getting screwed ended up being a blessing in disguise" Panam then not so covertly squeezed my ass, "I'm just here to hear about the details on a gig this one has coming up."

Panam let go of my butt, then sat on the sofa and relaxed. Rogue lifted one of her eyebrows inquisitively after seeing that interaction and focused on me. Recognizing me for the research she must have done after our call, she leaned forward and let her head rest on her right hand.

"Basil, of course. Why don't you sit so we can talk the details about Hellman?"

I then took my seat next to Panam, reached behind her neck, and wrapped my arm around her shoulder.

"Let's start with the information on Hellman. What do you have on the route he will be taking."

Rogue took a shard out of her pocket and slid it across to me. I picked up the shard and slid it into the slot in the back of my neck. My vision was momentarily disrupted by static, quickly replaced by multiple windows of information on Hellman.

"I'm not sure how you got the information, but it was good intel that Hellman is defecting to Kang Tao. Cut my workload substantially. We found a report on him on a QianT database, a Chinese subsidiary of Kang Tao. We also got news about a possible transfer happening three days from now."

The windows on Hellman then disappeared, and a screen of Kang Tao AV flight plans popped up. Then the screen zoomed in on a specific AV, and Rogue continued.

"We managed to track a Kang Tao AV with no manifest and a passenger list. A full complement of Kang Tao security and one VIP transfer from QianT."

The image zoomed out of the AV, and then two large circles popped on the map.

"Problem is that the AV will stay in Night City and Kang Tao airspace for almost its entire flight before leaving into South California. If you try anything while the AV still has eyes on it, both NCPD and Kang Tao forces will be baring down on you armed to the teeth."

There was a slight pause, followed by glass dragging across a tabletop. A few seconds later, a slight *clink* could be heard as Rogue placed her drink back on the desk. The image scrolled further south until the Souther Badlands mostly filled it.

"You're best bet will be hitting it here. Jackson Plains is the only stretch of land where you won't see an immediate response. That doesn't mean they won't respond, however. Kang Tao will be able to reach Jackson Plains with a tactical team within thirty minutes. If you want the job done clean, you'll need a native. Hmmm... I see why Panam is here now. You've thought ahead."

I took the shard out of my neck and passed it to Panam, who loaded it up and reviewed the information for herself. Once she was done perusing, she removed the shard and gave it back to me.

"Can it be done?"

"Easy job. I already have the plan to get the AV out of the air. If we do this right, we walk away with your guy AND everything else."

I pulled her towards me and gave her an appreciative kiss on the head.

"That's what I like to hear."

"As much as I appreciate stupid young love, what about my payment?"

I stood up from my seat with Panam in tow and looked back at Rogue.

"In due time. But as a sign of goodwill, I can give you something else. The name Jeremiah Grayson rings any bells?"

"Smasher's right-hand man? Yeah, I might have some unfinished business with him."

"Smasher put the gonk in control of his personal container ship. On that ship and within Jeremiah's possession is Johnny's Malorian and his Turbo 930."

Rogue's eyes lit up at the mention of Johnny's iconic pistol and car, which she quickly hid again behind her poker face.

"It's nice, but it's also not what you promised. I want a shot at Smasher, and some old Samurai Paraphenelia isn't going to cut it."

"Baby steps, Rogue, baby steps. And I never said this wouldn't help with taking that psycho down. Smasher also has a private stash on the ship, and it's very well secured. A lot of valuables are inside, but more importantly, is a set of cybernetics he's hiding just in case. If you can break into it and take everything inside, it'll make life much easier later."

"Wait, let me see if I got this right. Not only are you not letting me in on how to get to Smasher, but you're also giving me a job to klep something? You're asking me, the best fixer in the city, to do something a fresh off-the-street solo would do."

"Yes. Oh, wait! I also forgot to ask if you can give me a merc called V's number."

Hearing what I said, Rogue gave me an incredulous look. I stared back at her, trying to act as confident as possible. I didn't want to antagonize Rogue, but if anyone could break into Smasher's stash, it was her. Having a copy of Smasher's cyberware could help me prepare for when I do have to fight the cybernetic hulk of a man. Figure out the specs or any glitches and weaknesses that could be taken advantage of.

The seconds rolled by as Rogue and I continued our silent stare-off. I have to say, I see why everyone respects her so much. There's gentle intimidation behind that glare that communicates, 'you're fucking with the wrong person'. I could try to break into it myself, but having Rogue do it would be much faster. It would also free up time for me to do other things, like save Evelyn or meet with Michiko.

I thought I had a pretty good feel for Rogue's personality, so I was confident she wouldn't take my request too harshly at the start. She does get to kill Jeremiah, piss off Smasher, and retrieve Johnny's old stuff. But that feeling of her willingness was quickly going away. Right before I caved into the pressure, Rogue sighed and picked up her drink to finish it.

"You're lucky that it's me your doing this with and not some other fixer. Fine, give me the information, and I'll see what I can do."

I then flicked the info on the Ebunike and the Northside Docks to Rogue and left after she gave me V's number. Panam and I left the cold underground hand in hand and surface in the parking lot. The moon was now high in the sky, and checking my phone told me that it was almost nine.

"Have you eaten yet, Panam?"

"No. Why?"

"You know, it's getting pretty late. How about I take you out for dinner, and you crash with me after?"

Panam looked at me and waggled her eyebrows.

"And what will we do once you get me back at your place?"

I laughed at her antics and answered her after pulling her into a hug.

"Maybe we can open up a bottle of nice whiskey I bought, put on a movie, and see where the night takes us."

"I like the sound of that."

We shared a quick kiss and then got into the car. I pulled away from the Afterlife and drove to my favorite Chinese place while under the neon lights of Night City.