Making It in Night City

I exited the cab carrying Yumi into a Little China kept alight by colorful street signs and neon lights. I quickly walked across the sidewalk and found a small secluded entrance into a passage. I opened the worn-down metal gate, careful not to hit Yumi, and entered the hidden alley on Urmland Street.

Yumi stayed unconscious the entire way, which worried me slightly. I considered going to a closer ripperdoc but decided Vic was the most reliable and trustworthy option. Which is why after I got away from the Kabuki Roundabout and was sure the cops didn't know where I was, I called a cab and had them take me as close to Vic's clinic as possible.

The back alley was segregated from the main street, so the noise of the cars and people had a more challenging time penetrating in. Weird silences like this in a loud place like Night City always gave me the creeps. I pushed those thoughts to the back of my mind and hurriedly carried Yumi through the connecting tunnel and down the stairs leading to Vic's clinic.

Once I entered the clinic, I saw Vic at his operating table, cleaning his surgical tools while listening to music. Since I had my hands full and couldn't open the gate, I banged on the metal scissor doors to get his attention.

"Vic! Help me out over here!"

Vic swiveled over to me, and I could see he was about to give me a sharp retort before getting serious when he saw that I was carrying around someone unconscious. He hurried over and opened the door for me. I walked past him and settled Yumi onto the chair at the center of the room. Vic grabbed his chair and swung it around near Yumi, immediately working on fixing her up.

"What happened?"

I found a spot near the workbench and leaned against it for a well-deserved break.

"Blunt force trauma to the head. A Tyger clocked her on the side of her noggin with a bat. I ran a quick diagnosis on her, and she's got a concussion, a fracture, and some internal bleeding. I don't think it's anything significant, but better to have you check on her to be sure."

Vic stopped for a second and gave me a pointed look.

"Yeah, I can see that she's hurt. I am a doctor, after all. I'm talking about who she is and why you brought her here."

Right. I rubbed the back of my head in embarrassment and tried my best to explain the situation.

"I was doing some gigs the NCPD threw my way. A group of Tygers was harassing this poor lady down by Kabuki, and right as I was getting ready to stop them, this girl came out of nowhere and attacked one of the perps."

Vic's headlamp flicked on, and I watched as he used the fine edge of his surgical exoglove to slive into and remove a body panel on Yumi's head. Vic pulled a cord from a fancy-looking machine and plugged it into the interface behind Yumi's neck. While Vic was digging around in her head and running a thorough diagnostics, I continued telling him what had happened.

"I was stepping out right as she knocked the donk on guard. I was scared she would also go apeshit on me when she saw me, but she just froze instead. One of the Tygers inside took advantage of that and knocked her unconscious. I carried her out, and now here we are."

Vic grunted at my story before pointing at all the tattoos covering Yumi.

"And what about those?"

"She's got ties to the Tyger Claws, but the last thing she was wanted for was intimidation, and that was a long time ago. I think the girl's trying to go clean. If she is, I can't leave her at a crime scene for the cops to scoop up, now can I?"

"As long as you're careful and know what you're getting into." 

I watched Vic maneuver a screen attached to some mechanical arms next to Yumi's head. The arms were similar to those that a dentist would have connected to their light, and the screen was a super compact X-Ray machine. 

"She's not hurt that bad. I'll drain some fluid, so the Hematoma has room to expand without causing pressure on her grey matter. She'll be mostly fine within a few weeks and should fully recover in a month or two."

Vic then picked up a small drill and poked a hole into Yumi's cranium. He placed a small tube with a suction cup on the spot, and a red-pinkish color started draining out.

"So, did you contact her family? Friends? Who's going to look after her?"

"Uhhhhhh..."

Vic looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

"You haven't thought that far?"

"I haven't thought that far. But to be fair to me, she doesn't have any emergency contacts, and her phone is locked. It's not like I can go to the police and treat her like a lost child."

A sigh escaped from Vic as if he was a father tired from his child's shenanigans. He focused back on Yumi and took the tube out before quickly plugging the hole and applying some plaster-like substance to prevent further liquid from escaping.

"I guess. She needs someone to monitor her and bring her in at least once daily to check if liquid is pooling in her skull."

The Aldecaldos will attack the Shivs two days from now, and I was planning to grind out some levels and prepare until then. Looking after Yumi would really cut into that time, so ideally, I wouldn't have to look after her. Maybe Vic could look after her in his clinic.

"Since she has to be back here daily, can you just look after her for a few days? I'll pick her up two days from now and drop her off somewhere safe. I have some things to do in between."

Vic stopped what he was doing and looked at me as if I had just proposed something massively dumb.

"..."

"I mean, of course, I would pay for it."

"..."

More silence followed, and I started getting a bit of cold sweat from the way he continued to stare me down.

"Uh, I think I'll hide her in my store and find someone to look over her when I'm out."

That seemed to satisfy Vic, and he returned to working on Yumi.

"*Grunt* You do that."

Vic picked up the body panel for the head and wedged it back into place, making sure that it was secured correctly and wouldn't fall out by accident. Once he finished fixing Yumi up, he unplugged all the monitoring hardware and got up from his chair. Vic walked over to a cabinet and pulled out a small bottle of pills.

"You're a good kid, Basil, and I like you, but I'm not a daycare. If you really won't be able to take care of her, ask Misty. She lives for that shit."

+NEW JOB

NURSE THE STRAY

• Help Yumi recover from her injuries
• Ask Misty to help keep an eye on her when you can't (Optional)

Right, Misty. I could probably get her to babysit Yumi while I was grinding. The problem was that I didn't want Yumi to wake up and start freaking out. Misty's a tough gal, but she's not exactly what I would call a fighter. Maybe some restraints would be for the best.

After Vic got what he was looking for in the cabinets, he grabbed his chair from the operating area and dragged it over to me. He placed the bottle next to me and explained what it was.

"This is an anti-inflammatory medication for brain edema. Once she regains consciousness, have her take it once a day with food. There should be enough pills inside to last two weeks."

Vic then pulled out a small paper pad and started writing on it. Once he was finished scribbling, he ripped the paper loose and slid it to me. Picking it up, I realized it was a prescription for if I needed to refill the bottle. I picked up the bottle of pills and shoved the paper and medicine into my pocket.

"Thanks, Vic. What do I owe you?"

Vic removed his surgical exoglove and waved his hand at me dismissively.

"Don't worry about it. Just keep returning to be my punching, and when you need your chrome updated."

"You got it."

I walked over to Yumi and gently lifted her in a princess carry.

"You're a lifesaver, Vic. I'll see you later."

I bid farewell to Vic and walked out of his clinic and through the alley into my store. It was late at night, and Urmland street's nightlife was in full bloom. I got some weird looks from bystanders on the way, but no one called me out or tried to stop me. Once I was back in my store, I dropped Yumi on the couch I used to sleep on.

I wrapped her in an old blanket of mine and wedged her in with some pillows so she won't toss around and accidentally hurt herself. Once satisfied with her situation, I exited my shop and returned to Urmland Street. Loud music, bright lights, and working girls were in their element and occupied most of the area.

I walked past several strip clubs, brothels, and bars to find myself outside Misty's shop. Misty's Esoterica and Chakra Harmonization was the premier spot in Night City to get a wide variety of spiritual goods and superstitious services. I personally didn't put too much faith into that kind of stuff, but even I would have to admit that some of the oriental medicine Misty provided were very good at their jobs.

The doorbell jingled as I pushed open the door and stepped into the store. The first thing I noticed was the calming smell of incense. It was a very woody scent and had a slight cinnamon fragrance as well. The inside of the store was lit mainly by candles, which gave a warm glow and made the surrounding very comforting visually.

I found Misty beyond the spiritual statues and trinkets, picking up some heavy boxes from a pile next to a shrine and moving them into a closet. I walked to her while she struggled to lift two heavy boxes simultaneously. Hearing the doorbell, she confused me for a customer and told me she was closing soon.

"I'm closing in twenty minutes, so you'll have to make it quick. If you need a tarot reading, it'll have to be a three or four-card reading. Let me sort out these boxes, and I'll help you with what you want."

I grabbed the top box she was trying to move and helped lighten the load. Misty could lift the weight once it was cut in half and more manageable. It also removed what was blocking her sight so she could see that it was me.

"Oh! Hey, Basil! Which wind blew you in?"

I smiled at the small girl with frazzled hair and an eccentric fashion sense.

"Had a favor to ask. But let's first help you get these boxes sorted away."

"Thanks!"

With both of us working on moving the collection of boxes, it only took five minutes before everything was inside the closet and sorted correctly in their place. Misty then had me sit while she made some tea for both of us. She returned with two small china cups and a pot of what she explained to me as chrysanthemum tea. I enjoyed a few sips of the clear yellowish liquid before talking to her about why I was there.

"Thanks for the tea. I wanted to ask if it was ok to have you look over someone during the day for the next two days. Her name's Yuki, and she got knocked out. I can't find any contact information for her friends and family, and since her getting hurt was partially my fault, I wanted to make sure she recovered."

I then told Misty about how Yumi must be brought into Vic's clinic once daily for a checkup and the pills she must take.

"And I should say this upfront, I'm pretty sure she used to be a Tyger Claw, but as far as I can tell, she's trying to turn her life around. I'm telling you this now so you aren't in the dark and so that you know if Yumi wakes up in your care, she might get violent. I'll probably put some restraints on her whenever I drop her off. Of course, I'll pay for your time, so you're not just being a free nanny."

Misty finished her cup of tea and placed her empty china on the table before filling it up again.

"You don't have to do that. I've taken care of plenty of people that blacked out from various things and woke up hallucinating a storm. Trust me; I know how to take care of myself and calm them down."

She took a quick sip from her cup before continuing.

"And as for the payment, I need you to get something for me. I know you've been moonlighting for the NCPD, and that muscle will probably come in handy."

Favor for a favor. That's only fair.

"Sure, what's the deets."

"A shipment of mine never made it out of Watson, and the NCPD is too busy to give a damn. It would have supplied me for the next month or two, so I need to get my hands back on it. Think you can track it down for me?"

"Sounds easy enough. I'll see what I can do."

+NEW JOB

LOST GOODS

• Help Misty find her lost cargo

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.

Misty smiled a little, probably just happy that her problem finally got some attention. It's situations like this that keep solos in business. If you can't get the NCPD to help and you're too poor to afford corpo security, your only option is to find a solo willing to take the job.

"Thanks, Basil. How about a card reading before you leave? On me."

"Why not?"

We both got up, and Misty went to her desk while I stood on the other side. She reached into her drawer and pulled a deck of cards out. The design on the back was six orange, gray, or black triangles pointing towards a white hourglass. She shuffled the cards a few times before spreading them out in front of me.

"I wasn't expecting to do a reading for you today, so I will use a general-purpose deck and let you pick your own cards. Pull whichever four cards you want out of the line and keep them facing down. Take your time, and let the cards speak to you."

I tried my best to be receptive to Misty's suggestion and let my hands hover over the cards while waiting for a response or feeling. It never came to me, so I picked four random cards from the spread. Once I made my choice, Misty swept away the remaining cards and pulled the four together.

She flipped the top card over, showing a man with a long white beard sitting on a throne. In one hand, he held a golden sphere, and in the other, a strange scepter that reminded me of Egyptian symbols.

"The Emperor. The first card serves to show who you are. You feel confident that your desired success and achievement are just around the corner. It could also mean that a leader of great importance will soon lend you a hand and offer steady support."

That's... Surprisingly accurate. Every day I grow stronger by fighting crime, and I feel that I've become more and more prepared for the future. Everything has gone so well with meeting with Michiko and the plan to stabilize the Aldecaldos that I feel closer to my goal of evading the Fifth Corpo War day by day. Could the leader be Saul? Or maybe Michiko. Regardless, if true, both would be a great help for the future.

Misty then turned over the second card, showing someone in black armor riding a white horse. Upon closer inspection, the person inside the armor was a skeleton, and it was holding a flag with a five-pedaled rose. Under the horse was a corpse with a crown lying to the side of its head. Kneeling in front of the horse were three people, a child, a young woman, and someone that looked like a priest. Off in the distance was a boat flowing down the river.

"Death."

I instinctively flinched at the name of the card. Misty must have seen that as she quickly continued and gave a reading.

"Not necessarily a bad thing. This card represents what you want in life. Death indicates transition and transformation. It represents your desire for radical change, to start anew. Embracing what comes ahead will help you grow in wisdom and experience."

Misty's explanation was definitely more reassuring than what that card looked like on the surface. And it was applicable too. The obvious connection would be overthrowing Yorinobu and having Hanako run Arasaka instead. It could also be about my promise to Panam to try the nomad lifestyle after removing the Shivs.

The next card was upside down, so I couldn't get a good image of what it was. From what I could see, it was a woman with a crown sitting on a throne with two lions. In one hand was a sunflower, and in the other was a staff with sprouts growing out of it.

"The Reverse Queen of Wands. The third card describes people around you. The reversed Queen of Wands could represent a jealous lover. Someone might believe that they aren't receiving the entitled attention they deserve. They might trust their intuition to fix their envy, which could damage a relationship if not handled appropriately."

This is the first card that I felt missed the mark. Other than not meeting each other as much as we'd like, Panam and I are in a good place, and I dare say our relationship is healthy. She's probably the person I'm closest to, and there's no reason for her to feel jealous. I guess I'll just generally be mindful of my actions.

Finally, Misty revealed the last card. The final card was a tower being struck by lightning. The force of the lightning bolt was so great that it blew the top of the building off and set it ablaze. Two people could be seen falling out of the window, presumably plummeting to their death.

"Hmmm... The Tower. The Tower represents upheaval, sudden change, and an awakening. It suggests that in your future your sense of safety will soon be upturned, and you might experience significant loss. But the loss can be good. It could represent clearing your path of what no longer serves you and overcoming obstacles that will mold you into a better, more capable person."

I don't know how I feel about the loss part, but improving myself is always appreciated. Then again, this assumes that any of this holds any impact beyond the cards on the table.

"Thanks for the reading, Misty. I'll try to keep an open mind and think about these things. I'll drop Yumi off tomorrow morning and start working on your shipment."

Misty picked up my four cards and shuffled them back into the deck before putting them away.

"Don't mention it. Let me know when you're coming over, and be careful out there, ok?"

"You got it," I gave Misty a thumbs up, "Later."

I walked out of the calming environment of the store and back into the chaos that is Urmland street at night. I shuffled my way past the groups of thrill-seekers and worn-out workers and into my store. Yumi remained motionless on the bed, so I left her alone and returned to my room. It was almost midnight, and I was beginning to get tired. I quickly undressed and slithered into my bed to catch some Z's. I needed to rest; I have missing goods to track down tomorrow, after all.