Chapter 18: The Trip 2
Pov of Sora
"[♪ Keep you in the dark ♩]"
"[♪ You know they all pretend ♩]"
"[♪ Keep you in the dark ♩]"
"[♪ And so it all began ♩]"
As they repeated the first verse of the song, I climbed out the window, climbed on top of the truck, making the air hit my face and body shaking me as I stood up, making my heart pound harder.
Interrupting as I walked on top of the truck enjoying it, I received a call from IDn from Judy's, which I accepted.
[IT CANNOT BE, THAT YOU ARE JACKIE, you're lying, I give you that you sound something like him, but I've been in your room you only have one guitar, you're just pulling my leg like you always do, you can't possibly be JACKIE!!!, you don't have the same shape as the one in the videos either, nor has Eco told me anything .....]
[Oi, I alter my voice to sound older, it's normal that you don't recognize me, also you don't know how Jackie's figure is, since in the videos it's a shadow with a background that I like, while I play the guitar, as for my room..... you haven't been in my mancave where all my instruments are and I record the videos. ...hehe....it looks like you asked Eco very general questions, and the code you wrote is really cool, making Eco smart enough to find loopholes to your stalker questions, to protect the secrets of her favorite creator].
[.....]
"[♪ Send in your skeletons ♩]"
"[♪ Sing as their bones go marching in again ♩]"
"[♪ They need you buried deep ♩]"
"[♪ The secrets that you keep are ever ready ♩]"
Leaving what looks like a Judy speechless, I arrived at the hole in the end at the back of the fire truck, where the water cannon was installed, activate the screen that was in the middle of the cannon controller, activating the pressure pump to 50% power.
"[♪ Are you ready? ♩]"
Coinciding with that verse of the song, making me smile and in turn my jaws also made the same animated expression. My hands were shaking... but not from fear, but from excitement.
"[♪ I'm finished making sense ♩]"
"[♪ Done pleading ignorance ♩]"
It's not that I hate the NCPD, sure there are some who joined because they wanted to do something good like, Barry Lewis or River Ward the bad thing is that they are very few within the group of bullies, corrupt and corporation dogs of Night City that make up the proud members of the Police Department.
After living 14 years in this city, I came to the conclusion that they are not that different from any of the Night City gangs. well, not so much....
"[♪ That whole defense ♩]"
"[♪ Spinning infinity, boy ♩]"
"[♪ The wheel is spinning me ♩]"
At this point the Barneys inside the cars already knew what was going to happen seeing the water cannon pointed at them and seeing my animated smile.
One of the NCPD cars sped up, I tried to pass in the adjacent lane to head towards the front of the truck.
"[♪ It's never-ending, never-ending ♩]"
"[♪ Same old story ♩]"
`HAHAHAHA let's make this trip UNFORGETTABLE' I thought as the lyrics infected my mind and I started singing along too. Aimed at the NCPD car that invaded the lane of the road next to ours trying to overtake us when.
"¡¡¡¡FSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!(Open Water Cannon)"
"[♪ What if I say I'm not like the others? ♩]"
"WHAT IF I SAY I'M NOT LIKE THE OTHERS?"
-
"[♪ What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays? ♩]"
"WHAT IF I SAY I'M NOT JUST ANOTHER ONE OF YOUR PLAYS"
The water shot out crashing into the NCPD car that wanted to overtake us specifically on the windshield, causing it to slow down a little bit because it couldn't see anything with all the water, I kept going like that for a few seconds until....
"[♪ You're the pretender ♩]"
"YOU ARE THE PRETENDER"
"[♪ What if I say I will never surrender? ♩]"
"WHAT IF I SAY I WILL NEVER SURRENDER"
!!!!!!BAAAM!!!!!!!
Crashed into the back of an expensive car that was in our adjoining lane, in the same lane that the cop was trying to overtake us, pulling what looks like a corp in expensive clothes and his very pissed off bodyguards, towards the car that hit them..... poor cop. making me laugh out loud.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH fuck it why not" I shouted excitedly while also drenching the corpo making him fall by the water pressure and his bodyguards. Calming down a bit after that funny scene I said to Judy.
[1 DOWN 2 TO GO]
[You're crazy Sora.... you're going to get us KILLED YOU KNOW THAT, Hpmhaha(muffled laughter)]
She seems to have been amused by the way I have watered the corpo.
[Of course you're having fun too, you know, I think you're the one who's a bad influence on me, a shy Asian guy who likes robotics.....]
[Sora, fucking shameless!!!, I swear I'll-]
[JUDY, TURN ON TOWARDS LITTLE CHINA] I yelled cutting off Judy's tantrum.
"[♪ In time or so I'm told ♩]"
"[♪ I'm just another soul for sale, oh well ♩]"
"[♪ The page is out of print ♩]"
As I kept dropping water on one of the two police cars chasing us.... for the moment, I went back to pointing at the windshield, Judy started swerving with the fire truck to take the exit as I told him to, while the NCPD car I couldn't see the turn we made nor what was on the road when ANOTHER one was heard.
BAAAM!!!
Against the guardrails separating the road from the turn off we took coming down from kabuki towards Little China.
[ FUCK YEAH, hehe, only 1 left, good job, bad influence!!!]
[Hpmhahahahaha(not-so-silenced laughter) Sora.... I swear, If we get out of this, without getting killed by the police or our grandparents, I swear I'll kill you, for today and all your FOOLISHNESS]
"[♪ In time or so I'm told ♩]"
"[♪ I'm just another soul for sale, oh well ♩]"
"[♪ The page is out of print ♩]"
"[♪ In time or so I'm told ♩]"
"[♪ I'm just another soul for sale, oh well ♩]"
"[♪ The page is out of print ♩]"
"[♪ We are not permanent ♩]"
"[♪ We're temporary, temporary ♩]>
"[♪ Same old story ♩]"
When we finished going through the detour and entered the center of Little China, attracting the attention of all the people who passed by on the street, even people recording us with their pads, cell phones or eye implants that made their eyes light up, well it was easy since we had music playing at full blast sounded by the sirens of the fire truck. As I kept shooting water at the only NCPD car that was chasing us at the moment.
"[♪ What if I say I'm not like the others? ♩]"
"[♪ What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays? ♩]>
"[♪ You're the pretender ♩]>
"[♪ What if I say I will never surrender? ♩]>
"[♪ What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays? ♩]"
"[♪ You're the pretender ♩]"
"[♪ What if I say I will never surrender? ♩]"
"Screeeeech! BAAAM!!!"
With the sound of braking the last NCPD car could not see the curves of the road with all the water, it went off the road going up on the sidewalk crashing into the poles generating holographic billboards with advertising on the streets of Little China. Creating a spectacular scene for anyone who saw it.
"HAHAHAHA" Judy laughed out loud.
"HEHEHEHEHEHE FUCK YOU PO-PO"
I shouted making people look surprised to see us and hear us laugh, riding on fire trucks fucking police cars with the water cannon of the truck. Seeing their shocked expressions on some others shaking their heads at the scene others cheering seemed to like what they saw, however, I didn't care much about them, I just focused on pain in my chest and making it last, as long as I could.
Judy's crazy driving snapped me out of my thoughts.
Realizing where we are was in front of the H10 mega building, where in about 8 years V will live, next to Johnny`s ghost, my dad.... I wonder how he will react if he knows he has a son...fuck him...not that I care what that old man thinks.
As we passed Tom`s diner, it made me realize the route Judy had chosen and what lay ahead. Making me.... scream with FEAR.
[BEWARE, I DON`T KNOW IF THERE IS ENOUGH HEIGHT FOR THE TRUCK TO PASS, OIIIIIIIIII JUDY, BRAKE FUCK, YOU`RE GOING TO KILL ME WOMAN!!!]
[...sure we'll get in...me at least....hahaha] say Judy.
Feeling the truck speed up, in response to my screams, as we sped down, down the subway road of Little China, and as I huddled in the hole of the water cannon control making myself as small as I could, to save as much of the `SORA' as I could.
As we passed, the roof of the road came within inches of my face, but not close enough for the truck to shoot sparks from the roof as we sped past.
[!!!JUDY that was insane!!!]
[HAHAHAHAHAHAAHA, how does it feel to get a taste of your own medicine demon?]
[I was joking before, but...you really are a bad influence.]
[Say what you want, tell me Sora do you hear your heart beating? ....Hpmhaha..... tell me did you find it good as a guide? I've made it last...Buhahahahahaha]
<`-´> With that come back I could hear Judy's laughter making me sulk as he laughed at my newfound beliefs, at my few times I get serious and don't make jokes.... Is that how Grandpa will feel when I make samurai jokes?
"[♪ What if I say I'm not like the others? ]"
"[♪ What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays? ]"
"[♪ You're the pretender ]"
"[♪ What if I say I will never surrender? ]"
As I got back to my feet after exiting the subway section of the road, we came upon an NCPD roadblock blocking the street with two NCPD cars together almost touching, four police cars chasing us from behind.... it's getting out of hand...HEHEHEHEHE
As I was cursing AND laughing in my head, I noticed the truck speed up and Judy said.
[HANG ON, SORA]
"[♪ I'm the voice inside your head ]"
"[♪ You refuse to hear ]>
"[♪ I'm the face that you have to face ]"
"[♪ Mirroring your stare ]"
Fearing what this unbridled woman was thinking .... I grabbed what I could as the truck accelerated towards the two police cars that were stopped cutting us off and when we were seconds away from reaching the barricade.
Judy stepped on the brake of the truck while turning the steering wheel.
Making me wet my pants in fear. metaphorically. because of the position the truck was doing that made my little heart beat so hard that it felt like it was playing the drums of the song.
The reason was the position the truck was in with half of its wheels up while leaning to the side of the turn making me see the ground from an angle close to tipping over.
When the turn was over and we were still almost tipping over in process, we were nearly touching the NCPD cars but now we were parallel to them, after Judy's homicidal maneuver.
Immediately she sped up again pulling the truck into the alley in front of us, generating sparks again as Judy crashed into the narrow walls of the alley, the policemen, who had left their cars as a barricade, remounted and joined the 4 NCPD cars that were following us.
[SHHHHHHHH(whistle impressed) incredible maneuver Judy.... from now on you will be the getaway driver...]
[HAHAHAHAH have you seen the look on the cops faces when they thought we were going to ram them, hahaha they were pissing their pants] they weren't the only ones, I thought as I heard the excited Judy.
Bang!
With that first gunshot sound, they interrupted our conversation.
[Judy, be careful it looks like the Barneys have run out of patience, duck as low as you can while driving, take us to the road that borders Watson, but don't take any bridges, especially towards corporate center, as we put a foot or a wheel in this case, in the ground in that part of town, the drones and turrets will shoot to kill not like the Barneys who seem to be going for the wheels]
"[♪ I'm the voice inside your head ♩]"
"[♪ You refuse to hear ♩]"
"[♪ I'm the face that you have to face ♩]"
"[♪ Mirroring your stare ♩]"
Judy did as I said and headed for Watson's outside, while I increased to 70% the power of the water output, and now I was starting to fuck up the police cars, I wasn't breaking them, but the pressure was enough to was starting to make them brake, or if he changed the target's shots with the hose he made them swerve, knocking the cars off balance and hitting each other.
"bang! bang! bang! bang!"
They started shooting at the wheels of the truck, I'm glad that NCPD are not so vicious as to shoot exemplary teenagers like us to death.
"bang! bang! bang! bang!"
"[♪ I'm what's left, I'm what's right ♩]"
"[♪ I'm the enemy ♩]"
"[♪ I'm the hand that'll take you down ♩]"
"[♪ Bring you to your knees ♩]"
When we got to the road that borders Wattson, we were on the road that separates Kabuki with Little China, towards Little China, when I noticed, we had 7 NCPD cars and an Av, flying over us, for a second I was scared as shit, thinking it was the police, but it turns out it is from Network 54, and it seems that they were recording our chase with the police. I could only be happier for Judy's gift.
[HEHEHE, look Judy we're going to be on TV] I said over our call as I sent her a screenshot of the Av from News 54.
[SHIT, I hope our grandparents aren't watching the news].
--
Unknown Point of View
"AHG!.... what a shitty day" I said out loud as I sighed thinking about what a rotten day it has been today, with jobs being fucked up by both the mercs who take them, and the corps who send them.
Today I had sent my best group of Mercs that I had as Fixer to do a job, that got fucked, the one who ordered the job, a corp, wanted to steal data from an Engineer of another rival corporation, Militech in this case, the one in charge of the job, also gave us a chip, to copy directly all the information that the Militech Engineer had in his head, without having to interrogate him, hack him or torture him to get it, a so-called experimental data extraction chip ....
When my group of Mercs, managed to capture the engineer after 'clearing' those protecting him as he left his lab, they took him to a safe place and when they put the chip in his neck port...when it started to work ..... his head exploded, leaving everyone present wearing the insides of that poor guy's head ..... don't know if it was the chip or some anti-data mining method the engineer had installed in the jar, blowing his head off, but out of a team of 6 of my best Mercs only two survived the ensuing Militech attack to retrieve what was left of their chief engineer
The ones who survived from my Mercs was the second in command of the group and her partner.
And all that shit leads to me the Fixer, the one who gets a job from the white collars or whoever can afford my services, and I choose someone capable of doing the job. The problem here is when the job goes to shit, and you have to put up with, in this case a pissed off Corpo, because the job he ordered was probably fucked up because of his fucking fault.... and obviously he pays it to the one who sent the job.....Me the fucking Queen of the Fixerx of Night City....as I miss the old days, when I recognized myself in the mirror when I looked at myself, I was proud of what was reflected.... When all the others were still together, when HE was still alive....
Sighing and lighting a cigarette, I hear two people come up behind me, knowing who they were I didn't turn around and just looked at the cars passing by on the road bordering Watson passing in front of the alley.
"YOo Rogue, I know we screwed up, with the job and I understand you don't want us to work with us anymore, I have talked to Dorio and we are going to form our own team, I have also contacted Faraday to take over our jobs from now on..... I JUST want to say that I'm sorry for the job going to shit, all of them, Taylor and dave, Chris and Franz, they have always been professionals that I have learned a lot from them..... I just hope you don't hate them, for them you were their role model"
With what Maine said with a tone of fear at the beginning and almost in tears at the end, I felt a knife in my heart as I thought of those who died today for a job that was destined to fail because of a fucking corp that played me, and also asked for compensation for the failed job, but I didn't change my cold and indifferent expression, remembering all the shit I've done, to get to where I am, when I was about to answer them to get out of my sight, something interrupted me, the 3 of us turned to where we could hear gunshots, NCPD sirens and what seems, music?
Hearing this weird mix of police sirens, gunshots and music, I got a smile on my face, as I remembered, someone, who also liked to cause the same combination when, doing some prank, or going out partying and getting drunk, of music, NCPD sirens and gunshots, when being chased.....
Remembering that my mood improved a bit, that mix also drew Dorio and Maine's attention to what was happening on the road, and the three of us headed down the street to see it.