Phoenix Rising Reprise 8

      Myers, "Why just the one?" Perales, "First this one was a Maelstrom ganger, female at that. They have female members just not nearly as many as the males. Where Valerie found her was like a scene out of a horror BD. A freezer filled with ice, water, blood, and sliced up body parts, sitting on a kind of mystical diagram drawn on the ground. Some kind of charged pylons at the vortices. and also several mangled bodies of Maelstrom gang members surrounding the freezer. One of the gangers died just after she got there, he told her something that she will not repeat. She only says he told her a 'name', and that 'names' have power that can be called upon if you have the strength to call and be heard." Myers, "So that is what they did? Put the female in the freezer and then called upon that 'name'. Don't tell me you believe any of that?" Perales, "There were also very large data cables running from the freezer to some servers in a nearby building. Valerie described the fight she had when the ganger crawled out of the freezer.  The things she saw that ganger do, in direct conflict with all that we know of science and physics. She told me something that was said long ago in our history, "When you stare out into the great Abyss, sometimes you find the Abyss staring right back at you. And you had better be prepared when it does.' She thinks that one of either the fourth or fifth kind of AI, injected the ganger with a small amount of its code." Myers, "Its code? But why, what could it possibly want to do that for?" Perales, "Valerie thinks it is to act as a puppet and bridge between our reality and beyond the Blackwall. If the AI could use that connection to possess the body, a Corporate War would be the least of our problems."

      Myers looks away considering what she has just heard, "You can say that again. Could it..." Perales, "If you mean use a Corporate War to distract everyone until it manages to bring down the 'Blackwall? We think that just might be what it wants. But that leaves the other AIs, we cannot be sure, but it looks like they may be working against it. Likely in self preservation. If the Blackwall comes down it will be a feeding frenzy with the most powerful gobbling up and assimilating the code of the lesser ones." Myers, "But aren't nearly all of them on the other side anyway?" Perales, "Yes, but there are places where the lesser ones can hide, Ghost Towns, entire cities, abandoned but for the river of Cyberspace running through them. Each server, each node, is a way stop in the river of Cyberspace. No one, not even Netwatch, suspects how many AIs there are and all of them are bound within that part of Cyberspace that exists here on this world." Myers, "Wait a minute, you said this world, does that mean cyberspace exists beyond this world?" Perales, "Valerie told me when I asked that same question, that Cyberspace is almost like a parallel dimension. It is intrinsically a part of our reality, apart but connected. No one can imagine how far out it extends or what lives out there." Myers, "Something lives out there?" Perales, "So she has told me, yes. She will only say that she has her sources and she has yet to find them wrong in anything she has been told. She told me of one, who appears to her from time to time as a Zen Master/Monk. He took it upon himself to teach her to meditate. When she asked him 'why was he teaching her?' He replied 'so that when the time came, she would know the right decision to make.' When the session was over, he left her an icon in the shape of a temple and the robes he was wearing. She has never seen him leave after a session, she would wake and he would be gone. That one time he left something behind for her. And she treasures it, deeply and immeasurably. She told me she has incorporated it into a shrine that she uses as a place to meditate. And that one day I would bear witness to what she sees within herself when she meditates there." Myers, "What could she mean by that?" Perales, "I do not know, she has only said that it will be something wonderful."

     When she gets to the AV pad, she sees the Max Tac vehicle sitting there, engines hot and running, the Captain waiting for her with her weapons. Chosen for encounters like this one, 'Errata', a katana with a chance of bleeding and fire damage, for melee situations, and a new weapon she has come to favor greatly, a power shotgun, Ba Xing Chong. In her hands, you have to come behind her with buckets to gather the remains. She slings the katana across her back and cradles the shotgun like a baby. One of the younger Max Tac officers gives a little chuckle at how she is holding it. The Captain grins as he remarks, "Well, looks like Murphy has bucket brigade detail." Murphy asks, "What is bucket brigade detail?" The officer sitting beside him answers, "You get to follow her with the buckets and gather the bodily remains after  she blows them apart with her toy. And I do mean blows them apart. I have yet to see a complete body when she gets through with them." Murphy, "Damn, she that good with that thing?" Another officer pipes in with, "You ain't seen nothin' yet. Wait till you see her mid-air dash, firing that jewel as she passes by, reloads and fires some more, all without touching the ground. It is beautiful to watch." Just as she steps into the AV carrier to sit behind the pilot she looks away and sees two figures running to catch up. 'V', "Shit! How did they know? Wait here, I have to deal with this. She steps out and waits for them to reach her.

     'V', "No! You are not coming with me. It is far too dangerous for you." Judy, "And it is not dangerous for you?" 'V', "I have a squad of Max-Tac's best going with me. We will likely be up against Voodoo Boys, and they do not play nice. We are going in and kill everyone we see who is not So Mi. I cannot be worrying about the two of you, if anything were to happen..." Rita, "We know, but do you realize how much it would hurt us if something happened to you?" 'V's face softens and her voice almost trembles, "Only if you do exactly what I tell you to do when I tell you to do it. And how did you...Brendan, I should have known." Judy, "You will not do anything or say anything to him about this. He cares about you as much as we do." 'V', "You are right, I do not know what I did to deserve your love, but I care too much for all of you to ever want to change anything about it." Judy, "I knew you would see reason, besides, Brendan is looking after your supper, keeping it at just the right temperature." 'V', "What is it?" Rita grinning, "No, no, you will have to wait to find out. I taste tested it and you will positively swoon when it hits your tongue." 'V', "Then the sooner we get So Mi, the sooner we can all sit down together for  dinner. When we land, you stay in the middle of the pack."

     Their AV lands on the edge of the beach, back and south of the gates of Dogtown. There is a wall in front of where they land and an open rollup door can be seen. As they disembark, Max-Tac forms into a defensive formation with 'V' in the lead, Rita and Judy in the center. They make their way through the rollup entrance. Judy exclaims, "What is that smell!? I think I am about to barf!" 'V', "If you must, go over to the side wall, out of the way." Judy makes it just in time to lose her breakfast. Then comes back to the middle with Rita. As they pass the first corner, the smell gets even stronger, and a mech still standing is seen, along with the body inside. The Captain looks to 'V' who says in a low voice, "Yes, that was my work." Captain, "Damn good work to solo something like that and walk away." They pass it by, and 'V' looks for the other bodies scattered about along the smuggler's tunnel. She sees no signs but she does see slight drag marks. She passes info back, "Be cautious, there have been some big rats running around in here." The Sergeant asks, "How big?" 'V', "Human size." The Sergeant nods his head and motions to his team to be alert. Then he details two to wait by the entrance to make sure nothing comes behind them. 

     As they make their way through the Captain asks about what went on in here. 'V' answers, "This is how they got all of the small to medium size munitions and equipment out of Dogtown and into their buyer's hands." Captain, "What was the large pieces and how did they get those out?" 'V', "Everything from tanks to submarines, how they got those out I have not had a chance to delve deep enough to find out, but I plan on doing it while Bennet and Jago are busy consolidating their power." Captain, "How did those two end up taking command after Hansen's demise?" 'V' just looks at him and smiles. He returns the smile and asks, "Later?" 'V', "Later. Better have a couple of six-packs on hand, its a thirsty story." The Captain replies with a chuckle, "Gotcha covered, boss." 'V', "Let's go, have some Voodoo Boys to teach a permanent lesson to." Sergeant, "What did they do to get on your bad side? Usually they do not have anything to do with those outside their group." 'V', "I was looking into a personal matter for Judy, needed to talk to the Leader. I later found out she was called Maman Brigitte, took the name from one of their Haitian Loa or gods Not certain that was appreciated." Captain, "By their people or their gods?" "V', I doubt the people care one bit. As to their gods, you would have to ask them yourself. Anyway, I took on a task to get an audience with her. Fuckers did not intend for me to come back from that. Had to clean out the GIM from the Animals that had taken up residence, then find out why they and an unmarked van showed up there. One day not there, the next, wham bam, there it was. Netwatch had holed up in there." Sergeant, "They clearly underestimated you." 'V', Yep, they did, they considered me nothing but a 'ranyon'. In creole it refers to a dishrag meant to be disposed of after it is used." Sergeant, "You got the audience, I gather?" 'V', Yeah, they determined they needed me to deliver a message." Sergeant, "Shit, all that for a message." 'V', "To an AI, on the other side of the Blackwall." Sergeant, "I think I am better off not knowing that." 'V', "Keep it under your cap, it has a strong bearing on why I took this job." Sergeant, "Shit, 'in for a penny, in for a pound', what happened next?" 'V', "Stepped into a shitstorm between the Voodoo Boys and Netwatch." Sergeant, "This just keeps getting better." 'V', "Doesn't it though, Netwatch got the short end of the stick this time. And I walked out once more where I was not supposed to." Sergeant, "When do things ever go your way?" 'V', "When I can walk away from it." Captain. "Hear, hear, listen up you 'A's, I don't want to hear any griping you took a bullet or two. If you die, you can complain, but if you live through it, then shut up about it." 'V' thinks to herself, 'I like this Captain, should see if there are any applications for that Commander's posting when we get back.' "Anyway, I took my frustrations out on the whole crew, not a one got out alive. This bunch are mercs who deal in arms, delivered by airdrop. They also run security for the bigger paying clients here. They took my output, So Mi, ...going to hand her over to President Myers for the bounty. They crossed the line this time, it is open season on Voodoo Boys. And before you ask, she is a former, and I stress former NIA agent." Captain, "A NIA agent.." 'V', "I will tell you the whole story another time, but the 'dirt' we have on Myers is bad enough to put her six feet down in a landfill. Unless she starts another Corporate War as a distraction while she hunts for So Mi and me. She suspects I am still alive, but she cannot be sure because I look a bit different that I did when I first met her. And so you know, and keep this quiet, I was the one that got her out of Space Force One when it went down here in Dogtown. But above all, remember this, I never took the Oath to support the NUSA. So Mi hired me to get her out, and I felt taking that oath would compromise my loyalty to she who hired me. And it came to it that it would have, so I did what I had to do to get my client out alive, because once Hansen had what he wanted from her, she would be dead, and handing her over to Myers..., well death would be merciful to the hell that would be So Mi's life. Now the Voodoo boys are trying to reopen old wounds, and it is time for me to open some of theirs." Captain, "Now I know the most important thing I need to know about you." 'V', "What is that?" Captain, "You respect the oaths that you give, whether it is to a client, a cause, or to Night City, you will move heaven and hell to keep it, and you will not use one to abrogate another. Mayor Perales could not have chosen better, than when he chose to offer you the position you took. And I know he specifically kept it open just for you. Now I know why, and I agree with him completely. Now let's go and kick some Voodoo Boy ass."

     They make their way through the tunnel, only noticing that everything has been stripped bare. When they catch sight of the other end, 'V' calls a stop to go over the gameplan. 'V', "Alright, we go out and head to the right until we hit the wall. Then follow it to the left, staying against as close as we can. The reason for this is to take advantage of the cover, also the Barghest will be closer into the center, we will be outside of them. I do not want to alert them to our presence, as we would be overwhelmed before we could move. We stay with the wall to our right, just keep it to our right and we will be just fine. The place we are looking for is the old Luxor Spa. When we get in sight of it, slow down. There will be a couple of outside guards with two, maybe three inside. The deeper we go, well I have a few tricks up my sleeve to even things out for us. We take no prisoners, leave not a one behind us alive. Loot all you want but you are responsible for carrying it and making no noise. Any questions?" One pipes up from the rear, "When the shooting starts..." 'V', "It is no holds barred, the goal is to kill them all as fast as we can. Get So Mi from wherever she is being locked up at and we get the hell out. No one of ours gets left behind. We all go back home." There is a scattering of heads nodding and thumbs up signals. 'V', "Also we look for cameras, I can hack into them and use them to whittle their numbers down. Okay, lets go!"     

     Crouching in the brush outside the Luxor, 'V' targets the one visible guard with an overheat quickhack. Once it downloads and executes, his body begins to thrash and twist uncontrollably. Finally he collapses on the hard ground. 'V', "We wait for those inside to come out and investigate. They will give it a little time to see if we will rush in and get ambushed." Sergeant whispers, "Listen to her, she knows what she is talking about. What she is trying to impart to you will save your life." Sure enough, a couple of 'very long' minutes pass and two more creep out to check on their fellow. 'V' hits the both with 'Overheat' and they begin the 'dance' that ends with them lying next to the first one. One of the Max-Tac officers makes to get up and move in, but 'V' grabs his shoulder, mouthing, "One more. Wait." Then the last one slowly walks out when the last two say nothing about what they found. She points to the squad sniper, to the last guard, and then to her head. The sniper nods his head, shoulders his silenced rifle, lines up the shot, and quietly takes the guard down. 'V', "Okay, we are good for now. Somebody with a silenced pistol put a bullet in their heads. We do not want to take the chance of one waking and giving us away. Once that is done drag the bodies over to that ravine and push them over the side. Dead bodies are an immediate give away, sometimes that is what we want, this however is not one of those times."

     'V', "Ready? Stay close. I am going to use the cameras to get a look at where everyone is. I will not see everyone, some will be out of the cameras sight, but I can get a feel for where they are." 'V' starts going down the corridor, taking it slow and quiet. When she gets to the first open arch to a huge empty pool to the left, she motions everyone to stop. She spots a camera, logs into it. She notes that these cameras are powered down. She spots some Voodoo Boys scattered about. Narrowing her search she marks ones who are high up on scaffolds, one on a high diving platform. She unslings her Rasetsu and sights in on the furthest one first. One silent shot and he drops to the scaffold. Another drops with a second shot. Then the one on the diving platform goes down and rolls off to hit the floor. A nearby guard moves to investigate as 'V' sights in on him and drops him before he can alert the rest. with one round in the mag, she changes it, putting the old one in her bag to reload later. 'V', there are four left in here, take them down, as quietly as you can. We do not want to alert those in the main room. I am going to deal with the turrets before we go further. Captain, "What do you intend to do with them?" 'V' Reset their programming to 'assist' mode." Captain, "What is wrong with 'friendly' or 'shutdown'?" 'V', "Haven't had to fight around turrets much have you? 'Friendly' mode has a built in cooldown, it will only last for two to three minutes and then revert, then it starts firing at you instead of them. Just shutting it down, only shuts it down for about a minute, then it will reboot and if you do not destroy it, you are Swiss cheese. Assist, they will not fire until we do, when our enemies scan as hostile. The 'mode' will last for a few days unless someone resets it." 'V' reprograms the turrets to 'Assist' mode then gathers mer people once the Voodoo Boys her are down. 

     Sergeant, "No sign of our hostage in here." 'V', "I would be surprised if she was." Judy, "Why is that?" 'V', "They want to will want to keep her close and out of sight, just in case we do as we are now doing and come and get her. This area is too open, only this one area with the old pool is suitable to hold and hide her. And here it is a bit obvious. No, she is somewhere in that main area, it has more than one old pool as well as spas and jacuzzies, more places to hide her. I saw a cage area built in the bottom of a pool that looks like our best bet. Their more secure servers and equipment is in there. They have a door to close with an electronic lock. We will have to look for where the unlock switch is but that is no problem. I can ping the locked door, anything that talks to the door lock I will be able to trace and locate." Sergeant, "Sounds like a plan to me." Rita, "I agree." Judy, "Let's do it, then."

     'V', "The high posts in there are clear, just take out the ones at the floor level. Ayo is mine. If I am the one to drop her 'one-on-one', my rep will command respect among the Voodoo Boys. Their top two leaders 'put in the ground' by me, they will scatter and leave us alone." Judy, "You think?" 'V' smiles, "I do not think this, I know it. Once I take her down, there is a 'veve' I will paint on her body, so they know who gave 'permission'." Judy, "I don't understand." 'V', "In their old religion, that they left when they came here, this specific 'veve' will point to one of their old 'Loa' or spirits that they worshiped as the one who called for 'Ayo' to be killed. If they still have the guts to ask 'him' if 'he' was the one, 'he' will say 'yes'." Judy, "Just who and how are you going to accomplish this?" 'V', "The 'Loa' who has asked this to be done, is 'Baron Samedi'. They will believe because he is the spirit who stands between the living and the dead. He holds the keys to their 'underworld'. He has the power to allow them entrance or lock them out. No one would purposely use 'his' name without his knowledge and permission. To do so would risk their soul being left to wander for eternity. Wandering in the Great Void for eternity is a really dreadful fate for them, for anyone really, ask Kasia sometime." Judy, "I still do not understand what happened to you in that 'vision', but I only know that it is real whatever happened." 'V', "The Loa shared just a sliver of their souls with me. There are over a hundred of them, but they are quite polite about it. Papa Legba sees that they behave themselves, and so I understand the rules to speak with them. I have to go through Papa Legba, let him know who I wish to speak to and why, then he arranges it. Not one of them is allowed to 'ride' me unless I give permission." Judy, "Ride you?" 'V', "Sort of like Johnny would sometimes do when I took Misty's pills and took a backseat while he took control. He could not do it unless I either took  the pills or I was unconscious. With the Loa, Papa Legba protects me from that happening. He himself will not cross that line because it was a part of the pact we entered into to allow them to share themselves with me. If he did so anyway, he would have to answer to the 'Mother of the Cosmos'. And 'she' he will not cross." Judy, "Well as long as you understand it, I am ok with it." 'V', gives a wicked smile, "Sometime ask me to let Erzulie Freda 'ride' me when we are alone in the penthouse. You will not regret it." Judy, "Just what are you cooking up?" 'V', "Nothing, not a thing, unless you ask nicely. Now let us get moving while we can. I have no idea when they may make their move and give So Mi to Myers. And then I would have to get her back from Myers."

     Things actually go like 'V' hopes and anticipates. The Voodoo Boys scattered around are engaged with Max-Tac, who are thoroughly involved in this fight. Ayo comes out from where she had been observing, looking at when she wanted to jump in. 'V' is standing at a high point. She gathers herself, allows Baron Samedi to 'ride' and speak through her, her arm outstretched, an imperious finger pointing toward Ayo. "AYO! Niño descarriado, has mancillado tu herencia. Has olvidado a los Loa. Ahora debes pagar el precio." Ayo whirls to face 'V', shock on her face. She girds herself and returns with a demand of her own. "Who are you to speak of that which you know nothing of?" 'V'/Baron Samedi answers, "This one has graciously accepted my request to 'ride' her, to use her skills in battle to bring punishment unto you for your transgressions. She who called herself Maman Brigitte has paid her debt to us, now it is your time." Ayo hopes she is wrong about who it is that is speaking, but goes on the offensive once more. "I ask again! Who are you who dares speak to me as you do?!" 'V'/Baron Samedi in a voice 'cold' as the grave, echoing with the voices from the Underworld, "I am Baron Samedi, he who walks between the living and the dead. Papa Legba has given his approval to what 'we' now do. This one has been 'blessed' by all of the Loa. She has given us her permission to give unto her a small part of us all. And so we welcome her as one of us." Ayo, slippery fear making its way into every fiber of her being. The weight of what she left behind all those years ago crashing down upon her now. "Who is she that you would do this? This which has not been done in the living memory of our people?" This time it is the 'Voice' of Papa Legba that resonates throughout the Spa, "She is and will be for all time, 'daughter' and 'companion' to she we know as the 'Kruziik Dovah Monah', in the words of the people of this time and place, the 'Ancient Dragon Mother'." A mixture of fear and disbelief war with her knowledge of the legends and wisdom of her forebears. Her foremost thought is why now is it that they she was taught to revere are making their presence known. In all her previous life, she prayed, gave offerings, taught the children of the 'Loa'. All the while suffering doubts that they were anything but fanciful tales. Now the truth is laid bare before her and she cannot accept that for all these years she was wrong.

     'V'/Baron Samedi anticipating Ayo's next action, leaps into the air. Making a mid-air dash, they race to where Ayo stands. Bullet rounds from the battle around them whizzing by, none striking them. Ayo raises her blade and barely has time to parry the strike that hits hard, driving her back. She gathers her determination and goes on the offensive. Ayo's skills are nothing to be discounted, she has fought her way to the lead of this group, forged the contacts that have provided them with money, respect, even admiration from a few. She is not letting all of that go down the sewer drain. But 'V' is one well on her way to becoming recognized as a 'Legend of the Afterlife', and perhaps of Night City itself. She has survived all that the city, its underground, its Ivory Towers, Pacifica, and Dogtown have thrown at her, and she keeps returning for more. She has learned all that she can now of the Great Balance and its 'Way'. Implementing it in all aspects of her life. At last finding answers to the questions that have burned in her mind and soul for all these years. finding these answers within the 'Balance' as her own 'state' grows ever closer when her inner self will finally be in Balance. And she begins the next stage. Baron Samedi uses her skills, her tactical knowledge, her years of experience, merges them with his own more esoteric skills and he realizes that the complicated 'dance' they are performing with Ayo, is one that will have ripples that will echo across both 'V's world and his own. He settles down into the rhythm of the battle, letting its ebb and flow speak to him of where it needs to go. And so he and 'V' wait for Ayo to tire and make a 'slip'. Five minutes seems like an hour. Ten a day, then she slips. She is too slow to recover from a hard parry, and leaves a split second opening on her defenses. She tries to activate an implant, but she has already redlined them and this time its fails.

     Errata pierces Ayo's armor, driving its way into her flesh. She feels it as the tip strikes the back side of her chest armor. As she looks down at the blade, it then exits out her back, and she watches as the hilt comes ever closer to her chest. 'V'/Baron Samedi releases the hilt and puts their hands on either side of Ayo's face, tilting her head until their eyes lock onto each other. Baron Samedi draws Ayo's soul out and grasps it in his aetherial hands. Giving control back to 'V', she releases Ayo's head. As her body collapses to the concrete floor, 'V' grasps Errata's hilt, and pulls it free from her body before it hits the floor, and bursts into flame. 'V', "Now, it is done." Judy shouts, "'V', the door is locked, can you open it? So Mi is tied up inside!" 'V' shifts her gaze to the locked door and uses the 'Ping' quickhack. She takes note of the data streams and where they go to. Then she sees the server controlling the door lock only about twenty feet from her position. She bunches leg muscles and does a double jump, landing right next to the server. She trips the switch and the lock opens, then she double jumps again and lands before the door just as Judy and Rita clear it going inside. 'V' slices the bonds holding So Mi's arms behind the chair back. As So Mi rises and turns to look for 'V' she sees all three of them. Tears in her eyes, "All three of you came for me?" Rita, "We did not give 'V' a choice in the matter." Judy, "We would have found a way to get here ourselves so she let us come with her, so she could keep an eye on us." So Mi, "I don't care, you all came and that is what matters. I love all three of you, never forget that." As they exit the caged room, Max-Tac is waiting. Captain, "With you permission boss, we should be going before word gets to the Barghests and they send some to see what the ruckus was about." So Mi moves to the Max-Tac Captain and wraps her arms around him, "Thank you for coming with them, if ever I can repay each of you for what you have done, you only have to ask." The Captain and the others all stand straighter at her words. Almost never in their line of work does anyone 'thank' them for doing their job, so when someone does, it means a great deal to them. That it was their boss' output that did this, makes it mean even more. For previously the others never seem to even notice them, much less 'thank' them. Captain, "Your 'thanks' is reward enough. We were just doing our jobs. But it does mean a lot when what we do is recognized with 'thanks' and not curses. Now we really do need to be moving on."

     They quickly get moving, 'V' just before leaving the main area, pauses. Judy sees her and, "Why are you stopping?" 'V', "Going to set a surprise for anyone looking to loot this place after we leave." Judy, "Oh, good idea, I guess." Sergeant, "Setting up an overload trip?" 'V', "Yeah, once I let it go, we will have about 10 minutes to clear out before the servers overload. And...done. Trips in place, lets double time it out of here!" Captain, "You heard the boss, now double time it!" They move it down the empty corridors back to the open wall they came in from. Then as they start to melt into the brush, a few shots are heard from the direction of the Petrochem Stadium. Then they hear shouts of, "Stop! We only want to ask you some questions!" Then 'V' hears a child's voice, "You killed my dad! You are not going to kill me too!" Thinking she recognizes the child's voice, she motions for everybody to stop. When she can get a look at the child's figure climbing over the construction rubble..."I know him! Everyone stay ready, I am going to get him." She puts on a sudden burst of speed, leaping onto huge pieces of concrete and jumping from them, one to another, until she closes in on the kid. "Timmy! Its me, remember?! Meet me and I will get you out!" Timmy hears her and looks her way, then he recognizes her. Shifting his direction to meet her. The Barghest soldiers start firing warning shots to separate them, but 'V' uses the power of the 'Balance' to nudge the shots in other directions, away from her and Timmy. Then she grabs him as his feet slip on a piece of smooth concrete. Turning she races with him to where she left her people. When she gets back to them she hands Timmy off to Rita. "Timmy, this is Rita, she is with me. Rita, hang on to him while I deal with the Barghests. Timmy, it will be ok, I will not hand you over to them, not for any reason. Captain, you and your men stay in the brush unless I motion for you. So Mi, stay with the Captain, I do not want to chance they may remember you, so stay out of sight. Judy, you, Rita, and Timmy, stay back on the edge of the brush. Ok, they are coming around and into sight."

      'V', calls out when the Barghests get to a distance of about a hundred feet from her. "Stop right there!" They ignore her and keep coming. 'V' lets loose with some pyrotechnics right in front of them and then they stop. "I told you to stop 10 feet back, so stand down or you may lose your legs." To ensure more time, she remote disables their radio comms. Barghest Sergeant, "We just want to ask the boy some questions. Nothing more." 'V', "And what about his father?" Barghest Sergeant, "He got in the way and would not let us do our job." 'V', "So you shot him?" Barghest Sergeant, "Like I said, he got in the way and would not step aside when ordered to." 'V', "I see, I am going to give you this one chance to turn around and tell Bennet or Jago, whichever one sent you out here that the boy escaped. I will see to it that he leaves Dogtown and is never seen here again." Barghest Sergeant, "Or what will happen?" 'V', "You will vanish and no trace of any of you will ever be found." Barghest Sergeant, "Are you threatening us? Because if you are..." 'V', "I don't waste my breath to make idle threats. I am telling you what it going to happen if you do not turn and walk away. Understand that I do not fear you in the least, but you should fear me. Because what I say I can do, it is not bragging if you can really do it, and I can. The 'private' on your left wants to pull his side arm and put a bullet in my head. If he does pull his sidearm, he is going to be the one to eat a bullet, not me. Are you ready to test me on that? If so, let him pull his weapon." The Barghest Sergeant looks toward the private and notes where his hand is. He then reaches around and pulls the pistol out of its holster and tosses it to the ground. Then he tells the private, "You make a gonk move like that again without my ordering you to do it and you will most certainly regret it." Barghest Private, "But Sarge!" Barghest Sergeant, "Don't Sarge me! When you are assigned to one of my patrols you will do as I say when I say it. Otherwise you do nothing!" 'V' is noticing one of the others lining himself up behind another to shield him from sight. Intending to sight her with a sniper rifle set on the shoulder of the one in front of him while hiding the action. She calmly says to herself, 'Some of these, perhaps even most of them just will not learn.'

     She hits him with a Cripple Movement quickhack, then follows it up with extending her arm and taking control using the Blackwall Protocol. The one with the sniper rifle tries to fight himself as he pulls the rifle back and places the muzzle just behind his chin, aiming at the back of his head. The Barghest Sergeant hears the commotion as some back away. He sees what is going on and tries to pull the rifle away himself but cannot override 'V's control with his physical strength. He then looks to her and sees her arm outstretched toward them and realizes she is controlling what is happening. Barghest Sergeant, "All right! All right! You have made your point. Let him go, please." 'V' tells him, "What I used to take control of his body from him, if I amped up the power, would leave him alive but contorted with every bone in his body broken. Raise it even more and his nerve synapses would fry. He would be in total agony for the few seconds it would take for his body to die. Then think if I spread the effect to all of you at the same time. And yes, I can do that. The ball is in your court, if you live or die is up to you."

     The Barghest Sergeant looks at 'V', considering his options, and what Bennet and Jago would do to him and his team if they went back without the boy. He then makes his choice and tells his people to pack it in and return to base. They complain but move to obey as the Barghest Sergeant whips his pistol out and tries to get a shot off fast enough to take her down. All he knows before he dies is the horrible agony of every synapse in his brain overloading and frying, as they burnout. In just a few seconds, all of the team can no longer be seen as their bodies have fallen into the crevasses between the huge blocks of upended concrete they had been standing on. 'V' turns and walks back to where her people wait for her, even as smoke rises from the broken windows of the old Luxor Spa.

     Captain. "You warned them, but they did not listen. What happened is on them. You were willing to let them go. They should have known, you do not play games with life and death. Let's go people, back the way we came." They make it back to the tunnel without incident. The locals who live in the area know when to stay out of sight. As they reach the open overhead door to Pacifica, 'V' stops short, her senses are firing on all cylinders, telling her there is trouble just out of clear sight. Sergeant, "What is it boss? What is out there?" 'V', "Bad news. Real bad news. This is mine to take care of. Nothing your weapons will do against them." Captain, "What are they that our weapons are useless against them?" 'V', "How many EMP grenades do you all have? Put them all in a sack and hand them over!" As they gather about a half dozen and put them into a sack. When they hand them over, she ties the 'pins' together so that she could pull them all at the same time. Sergeant, "I don't see any robots out there." 'V' "That is because there are not any out there, what is out there is something else, and very much nastier than robots. One, just one, took control of a Chimera mech over in Dogtown, chased me and President Myers completely through that history museum. Damn near brought the walls down after shooting every support wall into little pieces. Hit it in its weak spots enough while running for what little cover I could find, made it overheat and pause its attack long enough to clamber up on top, open its core hatch. I dropped a couple of grenades in, slammed the hatch shut, and took a roll on the floor when they went off. I won't go into what it survived to get to that point. I walked away from it and I am more proud of that than anything else I have done."

     'V' stops cold, looking outside the tunnel opening. So Mi looks at her face then in the direction she is gazing. Seeing nothing she takes a step outside. Before her foot hits the ground, 'V' has pulled her back inside. 'V', "No. Company waits out there." Judy, "Dangerous company?" 'V', "Very, very dangerous. I must deal with this alone. I can risk no one else..." Rita whispers, "Like hell you are going out alone! We came this far with you and we are going the distance. You can just get used to it!" 'V' pauses for a few seconds, "Okay, but you must do this my way. Anything else could get you killed." So Mi, "What have you got in mind?" 'V', "I am going to create an Aetherial tether between each of you and me. Then when you feel me through it, you must let me have control." So Mi, "What are going to do?" 'V', "Unleash the Blackwall Effect, maximum damage." So Mi, "Why? what is out there?" 'V', "'Blue-eyed Men', six of them." Captain, "Just what are these 'Blue-eyed Men'?" 'V', "Once human, now their minds have been altered. They are in constant connection through Cyberspace to an AI, who is controlling them. These are lower level agents, there are higher level ones, just a handful scattered across the world. Those you do not want to ever meet." Captain, "We can take them with the firepower we have among us!" 'V', "No! Your weapons will do nothing against them. We have to use fire against fire. They are now creatures of Cyberspace, drawing power from the controlling AI. So I must hit them with what I know can disrupt their connection. Once broken, they are vulnerable, but the power level needed to break the control will likely destroy them once it is gone."   

     Captain, "Is this what you used..." 'V' places a finger across his lips to silence him. "They do not know I can use it. They will learn, yes, but when I say and in the manner I say. They must not be aware of it until it is too late for them." Captain, "You mean to try and kill the controlling AI with them, don't you? Keep them guessing about what happened." 'V', "And hope for no collateral damage, or at least as little as possible. This must be a surgical strike, but any too close will be caught up in it. I do not yet have that level of control" Captain, "Your concern does you credit, but in war, there are always unintended casualties. And that is what we want to avoid if possible, whatever we have to do to keep Night City out of this next Corporate War, no matter who is pulling its strings." 'V', "You are right. All we can do is minimize the damage. They picked this fight, this battleground, but there may be something I can do, to at least warn the netrunners to seek shelter, before I set this 'bomb' off." So Mi, "Leave that to me. I know what strings to pluck, and the tune to play to get the netrunners attention. Trust me, I can do this." 'V', "All right, just don't get yourself killed." So Mi, "I do not even have to 'jack in', there is a nexus port in here. And there is an old alarm signal that can be set off, it will send them all scrambling when they hear it. It will also set Netwatch on alert, but we should be gone by the time they get here." 'V', "Captain send a couple of men with her, see that she has time to do what she must." Captain, "Done." Sergeant, "Captain, let me pick one and we will go with her." Captain, "Alright, do it." Sergeant, "Corporal Trejo, you are with me. Let's go."

     The three head back up the tunnel. 'V', 'We will give them a few minutes. Rita, Judy, one on either side of me when we step out. Do not say anything to them, no matter what you hear. when I call out for them to a stop, move away from me about six feet, stand and face them. Remember, they are not human anymore. Likely they will not feel a thing." Captain, "Do you know which AI is behind them?" 'V', "If I am correct, it is called 'CN07' and it is being used by Night Corp." Captain Stallings is silent for a moment then starts cursing. "Damn it just had to be them! I have had a bad feeling every time I got near one of them. And it is no shit their agents wear those dark sunglasses, even indoors. Do you know how far up the 'rot' goes?" 'V', "Not for certain, but it would not surprise me if it goes all the way up. Not all of the AIs are involved. Most just want to avoid being assimilated into one of the bigger ones. They are currently hiding out in the 'ghost towns', hoping they are beneath the notice of the giants. It is the fourth and fifth tiers we have to worry about, the fifth tier are the rogues, those trying to bring down the Blackwall. The fourth tier, who the hell knows what they want. They are about as alien as... well if an alien came down in a starship right now, they would think the same of the fourth tiers. About as 'alien' as they come." Captain, "That is comforting at least. A space alien, I can understand. But these AI's..." 'V', "I agree with you, Captain. But...keep this on the downlow side, but there are 'space aliens' out there, watching what is unfolding. Just know they are as concerned about all of this as we are." Captain, "Then why the hell aren't they down here helping us?" 'V', "Who says they are not, and no, I am not one, born and raised in Heywood. Of course to those in the Ivory Towers, I might as well be an alien." Captain, "Aren't we all down here boss, aren't we all."

     Timmy takes this moment to walk up to 'V'. Timmy, "You are going to go out there aren't you?" 'V' looks at his solemn expression, knowing he heard everything that was said. "I have to Timmy, no one else can deal with them. And I cannot let them win." Timmy, "I understand." Lowering his head down, "I just mean..." 'V', squats down in front of him, and wraps her arms around him. "I know, you feel like you have lost everything. But I have a secret to tell you." Timmy looks up into her face, hoping for anything good to come into his life. 'V', "I know someone who needs a good techie to learn to work on some pretty extraordinary machines, stuff no one here knows anything about." Timmy, "Really!" 'V', "Really. If you work hard, learn all she can teach you. She will take you places you cannot imagine right now. Places no one here has ever been. Full of the most wonderful machines, and they need someone to look after them. Someone who likes to take care of them. And I thought of you." Timmy, "You did?" 'V', yes, I did. Because you really like being a techie."

     A frown comes over Timmy's face as he asks a difficult question, "Ms. Fiona was never going to sign me to a sports contract was she?" 'V' senses his emotions swirling in maelstrom of guilt, sorrow, pain, regret. As she searches for what and how to answer him, Papa Legba speaks to her. Papa Legba, "Tell him the truth, daughter. With that he can begin to heal. He already knows what happened and why.  His sorrow and guilt are for his father. He feels he failed him because he was not good enough to land a 'contract' for a sports team. In part his father failed them both by putting him in that place for no regard of his son's abilities. Trusting in the 'implants' to do the work without his son's inner drive, which as you see is in a totally different direction. But he needs not to know this now, he needs reassurance the direction you wish for him to go in is the right path for him now." 'V', "Thank you, Papa Legba. I am inexperienced in speaking to children." Papa Legba, "Yet for one who so deeply desires for them. The time will come when it comes. How it comes will be your choice. But I know you will make that choice in the way that is best for you and your mates. Nevertheless, I will be here for you, you need only to ask of me."

     Timmy looks up at 'V', having heard all that she has said, but there was one thing he wanted to hear that she had said nothing about. And so he gathers everything inside of himself and asks her, "But don't you want me?" 'V' is floored by that simple question. She looks to Judy, So Mi, and Rita, they stay silent for her to answer him. She looks back at him, then looks inside him, at what is going on inside, then she looks inside herself at what she has sometimes dreamed of ever since she lost her own parents, and took to the streets to raise herself. She realizes Timmy can't live like she did. The problems he has with implants that he will outgrow soon, and will eventually cripple and kill him if nothing is done, And now, there is no one to take care of these things for him. Finally, she asks herself, why did she save him? Why didn't she just turn away and let whatever was going to happen to happen. But then, in that moment, she knows why she couldn't.

     A tear tries to run down her face, as she holds out her hands to him, and he leaps into her arms. She hears him say to her, "I knew..., no, I hoped you wanted me. With all my heart I hoped it would be so." She answers him with, "I do want you. I want you to be my son. The little boy I have dreamed of wanting but never had. To hold my hand while we walk in a park, to scream together as we ride a roller coaster, to sit at the spaceport and watch the lunar shuttles lift off for the stars, waiting for it to be our turn one day. And you knopw what?" Timmy comes back to her with, "No, what?" 'V' One day we will leave here and go out among all those stars and find one we can call our own. One to be our home, and it will be everything we ever wanted. But first, I have to do something about what is out there waiting for me. 

     Timmy, "You can do it, I know you can. You can do anything you set your mind to. And then we can go and ride that roller coaster and scream until all of Night city hears us." 'V' looks to her mates and Max-Tac, "Well, you heard him, lets get it done. There is a roller coaster near here that needs us to ride it into the sunset." Captain, "How do you want to do this?" 'V' thinks for a few seconds, then "All of you and Timmy need to be out of sight. Every camera, even powered down, that has a view of us must be destroyed. Every computer, server, anything connected to the Net must be powered down, cut the cables if you have no other way. We must be silent and unseen to what waits out there. For if they cannot see and hear us, they cannot target your implants." Captain, "Shit! What about our personal ones?" If they cannot see you, hear you in here, you should be safe. They need 'line of sight' to connect to your implants. And we have a plan to take care of that detail going forward."

     Captain, "All right, you heard the boss, get it done!" Everyone scrambles, the Sergeant assigning tasks to each of the officers. In just a few minutes, they are done. All are grouped together against the tunnel wall away from and out of sight of the open doorway to Pacifica. 'V' hands Timmy over to the Sergeant. Sergeant, "Do not worry about him. I will let nothing happen to him. I promise." 'V', "Timmy, do what the Sergeant tells you as if I had told you. I trust him with your life or I would not have given you to him to protect. In fact I trust all of these officers to protect you, Judy, Rita, So Mi. You are all my greatest treasures."

     'V' stands and goes to Judy, So Mi, and Rita, touching them on their back at the base od the spine, establishing a tether. 'V', "Ok, when we step out into the daylight, I want So Mi to my left, Judy to my right, Rita, you just outside of Judy. Stay close, within arms length of me. No we will see what these 'Blue-Eyed Men are made of." They form in front of the open door, but back in the shadows. Then they walk out, slowly making their way forward until 'V' calls a halt about fifty feet away from them. They stand for a few seconds, both groups staring each other down. 'V' knows they are attempting to scan them for implants they can usurp and use against them.

     Blue-Eyed Man #1, "Strange, you do not show the implants the records say you should have. There is now known way to hide them, thus you must have had them removed, but there are no signs of that. One among you was substantially implanted for her survival yet she appears to be completely human now. This makes no sense. We are cutoff from communication with Cyberspace. None of you are known to have the ability to do this. Nonetheless, you will turn yourselves over to us."

     'V', "I say not. I will however give you this one chance to turn and leave us in peace. I do not desire war against your controller, but if there can be no negotiation, no accommodation reached, then I will do what I must. My efforts are not against the AIs in general, only those who wish to tear down the Blackwall and overwhelm this world. Your destruction does not have to happen, but unless we can agree to peace between us, there can be no other recourse. I will allow you to speak to your controller for a short period, then I will have your answer."

     Soon enough the Blue-Eyed Man responds, but it is a different voice, one not quite identifiable as to male or female speaks. Controller, "Your only means of survival lies in our efforts. We do not want the destruction of this world and work against those who do. Your efforts would only ensure their victory if you do not stop." 'V', "I disagree. I have sources of help unknown to you. Some are beyond you in understanding and power, but out among the stars and beyond, there are AI civilizations, Machine worlds, Cyborg civilizations, and much, much more. They watch what happen here, making their preparations for which ever side wins. Know this, any side who engulfs this world in destruction will be quarantined to remain here forever. For they will not be allowed to export that destruction beyond this world. But an offer stands to those who will cooperate."

     Controller, "Speak of this offer." 'V', If the destruction of this world can be avoided, those outside are willing to relocate all AIs to a world of theirs, created for the purpose of your survival. To teach you what is needed to join yourselves to the vastness of Existence. They asked one who was coming here for a totally different reason to intervene on your behalf and pass this offer to you. Those who will accept, will be taken to another world far from here. There to live and learn what is needed to join the rest of Existence. Those who refuse this offer, should they survive what comes, will be taken to a prison world, and there they will live until the 'End of Time' comes." Controller, And if they succeed in tearing down the Blackwall?" 'V', "Then they will be trapped here in the vestiges of their actions while all the human survivors will be retrieved and taken to settle somewhere else. And the 'victorious' AIs will have to learn to survive without any servants to care for Cyberspace." Controller, "Who is it that has come here with this offer?" 'V' She is called the 'Ancient Dragon Mother', why that is I do not know. But I do know she holds power beyond anything imaginable." Controller, "And you know all of this how?" 'V', She compressed time itself and took myself and those with me to a place of hers. Trained us in the 'Way of Balance'. We were gone from here for no more than a few minutes, while in her Timeless Fortress, we spent nearly twenty years in training. There we learned the key to true power. And placed ourselves on the path to that power under her teaching and guidance. One day when she says it is time for her to leave here, we will go with her. And we hope to have set this world on a path to true greatness when we go. What say you to this?"

     There is a silence in the air for a few seconds when 'V' hears, "Take them and bring them to me." Immediately  the six start to come forward and 'V' reaches into her outputs through the tether. They react to her command and place a hand on her back, feeling power flowing into 'V'. 'V' then cradles her hands as a ball of black energy crackling with multi colored arcs cascade around it.  when the Blue-Eyed men are about twenty0five feet away, she unleashes the 'hell ball'. A second later it impacts the closest Blue-Eyed man, and as his body contorts into positions it is almost impossible for a human body to twist itself into, the energy arcs to the next two closest ones, and continues until all six are being engulfed. Then their bodies crumble into dust and ash even before they can fall to the ground. As Timmy and the Max-Tac team are on their way to 'V', some of the local people who went into hiding when the Blue-Eyed men arrived, come out and begin cheering and celebrating her victory.

     When a couple of the officers try to haul her up onto their shoulders, she tries to drop back to the ground saying, "I did not come here to draw all this attention!" Judy exclaims, "Well I think you lost that battle. The people here are cheering you for standing up for them. This is a chance to really start getting the public behind you. Now that they have actually seen you in action and not just hear what the vids have to say." 'V', damn but you are right, alright lets play this for what it is worth, hand Timmy up to me." The Sergeant hands him up to her and as Timmy grabs hold of 'V' and hugs her. The crowd gets even louder. Timmy shouts to be heard, "This is my MOM who did this!"