Chapter 12: Vik
In Night City, where everyone's chasing chrome and a quick euro, ripperdoc—known simply as Vik—was one of the rare ripperdocs who still had a conscience. While most ripperdocs didn't blink before selling out broke clients to Scavs for spare parts, Vik refused to play that game.
If you couldn't pay, others might knock you out, strip your implants, and sell you piece by piece to organ traffickers. But Vik? He'd give you a second chance.
"Kid," Vik muttered, giving Kay a once-over, "you're in decent shape. Not bad, actually. Got a fracture on your right knuckle that hasn't fully healed. What's your story? Corpo runaway? You don't look like some gutter-trash or a boosterganger hopped up on Black Lace."
Kay smiled calmly. "Relax, Doc. I'm not here to scam you. Name's Kay."
Vik paused, frowning. "Kay, huh? Sounds familiar. You one of those edge runners making a name for themselves?"
"Not yet," Kay said with a smirk.
Vik snorted and tapped his scanner. A list of available implants and mods blinked into a holo-display above the surgical table.
> Installed hardware:
Basic Kiroshi Optics
Standard-grade Neural Interface
> Available Upgrades:
MilitaryTech Sandevistan Parallel Line-2
Camillo Cortex Memory Processor
Bioconductor Overdrive
RAM Management Suite
Titanium Bone Lacing
Gorilla Arms
Syn-Lung Adrenal Boosters
SmartLink Hand Interface
Reinforced Tendons
Subdermal Armor
"Look," Vik said, rubbing his temple, "I'm not trying to cramp your chrome dreams, but you can't just slot all this at once. You're not a Borg or a hardened solo. Max two upgrades. Anything more and your body's gonna scream. I've seen enough kids flatline trying to go full borg overnight."
He looked Kay in the eye. "Also, just so we're clear—everything I install is clean. Salvaged, not stolen. These aren't mint-condition off-the-rack from Arasaka, but they won't kill you. Fair?"
Kay nodded. "Understood. Start the install. If my body rejects it, shut it down. But I need this, Doc. No time to wait."
Vik sighed, then gestured toward the operating table. "Fine. But when this is over, you better not come crying if your synapses light up like fireworks."
He prepped the syringe and leaned over. "Alright, time to count backward."
---
As the anesthetic hit, the world faded into a cold blue.
Then came the data.
> [System Alert] Mechanical Interface Detected. Running Diagnostic...
Hardware Identified: MilitaryTech Brain-Computer Interface v2
RAM Boost: +16
Access Nodes: 4 Puppet Entry Ports
Note: "Puppet" — slang for remote access exploit chip, similar to Netwatch ICE bypasses
> [Scan Complete] Camillo Frontal Cortex Processor Installed
> [Cyber Pioneer Protocol: Activation Detected]
Progress: 20%
Perk Unlocked: Mechanical Mastery
Effect: Accelerated comprehension of mechanical systems and enhanced compatibility with cyberware
> Progress: 40%
Blueprint Unlocked: Cyber Succubus – Neural Manipulation Suite
Allows alteration of cognition through neural override
Additional Blueprint: Neural Accelerator — Boosts reflex arcs and mental clarity
> Progress: 60%
Skill Unlocked: Digital Soul Interface
Consciousness upload enabled
Ability to manifest within the Net as a virtual lifeform
Kay's thoughts spiraled as the data flooded his neural pathways. Cyber Succubus? Neural tampering? It sounded a lot like the Relic Chip tech—mind control through cognitive override. He'd heard rumors about Blue Eyes using it on politicians and corpo execs.
Was he becoming... a walking AI?
---
Four hours later, Kay's eyes flickered open. His vision was distorted—digitized, HUD markers blinking in the corners. The real world came back in fragmented waves of visual data.
"Yo, Kay," Vik said, stubbing out his cigarette, "you good?"
Kay sat up. His fingers flexed with newfound power, synced perfectly to his nervous system.
"I feel... enhanced."
Vik grinned. "Good. I tossed in a little something extra—on the house."
> [NCPD Database Integration: Complete]
You now have access to open warrants, bounty data, and public criminal records
"What, I'm a bounty hunter now?" Kay asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Freelancer," Vik corrected. "The NCPD's been contracting folks under the table. With that new optics suite, you can scan perps, ID bounties, then neutralize and call it in. Clean kills or live captures, both pay."
Vik gave him a serious look. "Just don't forget—dead men don't spend eddies."
Kay nodded and stood, cybernetic limbs adjusting as if they'd always been his.
"Thanks, Vik. What's the damage?"
Vik popped up the invoice:
> Gorilla Arms: 16,500
MilitaryTech Neural Interface: 19,800
SmartLink Upgrade: 7,800
Surgical & Anesthetic Fees: 36,400
Total: 80,500 eddies
Kay winced. "Uh... I've only got 30K on me."
Vik just laughed. "Relax. I ran your ID while you were under. You're tagged in the NCPD system. I trust you'll pay it back. Go handle your biz. Your crew's probably wondering where you are."
Kay stepped down from the table, glanced once more at the grizzled doc.
"Thanks, Vik. I'll square up soon."
Vik waved him off. "Just don't get yourself flatlined before you do."
---
Outside, Night City's rot was on full display. Homeless clusters huddled around trash fires, babbling about lottery deaths and corpo power plays. Kay passed through them like a ghost.
He wasn't just chrome now.
He was something else entirely.
Time to make it count...