Several days later, Rebecca and Pilar once again drove that Goodwood—initially reinforced and tuned by Falco, no longer belching black smoke—bouncing into the abandoned town.
This time, their mood was completely different from their previous escape. Though still nervous, there was more anticipation and curiosity.
The car carefully stopped outside that garage converted into a workshop. The servo-skull was already silently hovering in mid-air, crimson optical lenses locking onto the vehicle, conducting quick scan identity confirmation before emitting a slight click—a greeting of sorts—then guiding them inside.
The workshop interior was more "orderly" than when they'd left. Various discarded parts and materials were categorized and neatly stacked. Though still crude, it radiated an efficiently operating atmosphere. Cairo stood at the central workbench, a mechanical tentacle deftly manipulating a laser welding pen, performing precision welding on a complexly structured arm armor, sparks flying.
"Boss! Goods delivered!" Rebecca jumped from the car, voice carrying barely detectable excitement. She and Pilar dragged out a heavy metal crate and a bulging fiber bag from the back seat.
Cairo stopped his work, crimson lenses turning toward them, flickering slightly. "Efficiency acceptable. Place on scanning platform."
The two complied, lifting the crate and bag to a cleared area beside the workbench. A slender probe tentacle immediately extended from beneath Cairo's robe, tip sensors emitting soft blue light, rapidly scanning the delivered materials.
«Item list confirmed:»
«-High-energy battery pack, one unit, remaining charge approximately 32%, shell with dents and slight electrolyte leakage traces, internal structure basically intact.»
«-Various scrapped circuit boards and processors totaling seventeen, mixed models, some with physical damage and burn traces.»
«-Unknown alloy fragments approximately 3.5 kilograms, composition requires further analysis.»
«-Low-quality synthetic lubricant, two cans.»
«-Data chips, three units, contents unread.»
"Battery meets requirements. Others... mostly low-grade scrap, impurity content too high, recycling efficiency below expectations." Cairo's voice was steady and flat, impossible to tell satisfaction or disappointment. That probe tentacle especially lingered over those seemingly worthless circuit boards and alloy fragments, sensor light subtly changing.
Rebecca scratched her head a bit embarrassedly: "Uh, time was tight, good stuff's hard to get... these are the most decent things we could find from several abandoned repair shops and garbage dumps. That battery—Pilar almost got spotted by Maelstrom getting it!"
Pilar quickly nodded, touching his neck with lingering fear.
Cairo didn't evaluate much, as if his attention was more attracted by those "scraps."
He extended another tentacle, carefully gripping a scorched circuit board, meticulously observing a unique, spirally distributed nanometer-level circuit pattern.
"Interesting arrangement... sacrifices some stability for extremely high instantaneous data throughput. This world's electronic warfare technology leans so extreme?" He picked up a dull alloy fragment. "Amorphous metal? Self-repair coating? Though crude craftsmanship, the approach..."
He fell into brief contemplation, as if seeing from this garbage another tech tree's unique developmental path.
What was useless waste to Rebecca and Pilar was precious samples for understanding local technology's underlying logic to this Tech-Priest.
Moments later, he seemed to remember the other part of the transaction.
He turned, retrieving a long rectangular metal box from a storage compartment under the workbench. The box body was riveted from rough steel plates, completely lacking aesthetic appeal yet radiating solid reliability.
"This is the agreed compensation." Cairo opened the box.
Inside lay a pistol, but its design was completely different from any ballistic or energy weapon common in Night City.
It was larger, heavier, lines carrying that Warhammer universe's unique brutal aesthetics born for practicality and power.
The dark metal body was inlaid with precision heat dissipation fins and energy conduits, barrel broad, inner complex coil structure vaguely visible.
The grip seemed made from some high-temperature resistant polymer, conforming to the palm, with a small adjustment knob on the side.
"Portable projectile weapon based on plasma principles," Cairo introduced, tone like introducing an ordinary tool. "I limited output power within safe threshold and rewrote energy control protocols to ensure stability.
It fires high-temperature plasma clusters, effective against unprotected targets and lightly armored vehicles.
Note: continuous fire may cause barrel overheating, recommend 1.5-second intervals."
He picked up the pistol, handing it toward the more interested-looking Rebecca.
"Adapted to your common universal energy interface, can use high-energy batteries or directly connect to vehicle power for charging. Try it."
Rebecca almost held her breath receiving this heavy weapon.
Cool sensation transmitted, a powerful feeling naturally arising. She clumsily fiddled with it, finding the safety and sights under Cairo's simple guidance.
"Whoa..." she softly exclaimed, green optic implant glowing with excitement, "this thing... looks like it could blast Maelstrom's junkers sky-high!"
Pilar also leaned over, curiously watching: "Plasma? For real? Those in corporate labs are still unstable..."
"Initial transaction complete. You may leave." Cairo issued dismissal. His attention had returned to those "interesting" scraps, a tentacle beginning to dismantle that scorched circuit board.
"Next time, I need more varieties of alloy samples, and... as complete as possible cyberware parts with new-model neural processors. Compensation will increase accordingly."
Rebecca and Pilar, clutching that plasma pistol traded for materials that looked incredibly powerful, left the workshop in a daze.
Only after driving some distance did the two excitedly discuss.
"Did you see that gun's structure? Completely unseen design!"
"But he really traded us this for that junk? Will Maine believe it?"
"Once the boss sees this thing's power, won't believe it has to believe it!"
Returning to Maine's crew's warehouse, when Rebecca presented the riveted metal box containing the plasma pistol on the table like a treasure, the reaction far exceeded their imagination.
Dorio picked up the pistol, weighing it, brow furrowed.
Falco immediately pulled out a portable scanner, but scan results made him more confused: "Energy... very peculiar... absurdly stable, but structural principles can't be fully analyzed."
Maine silently picked up the pistol, walking to the shooting range temporarily set up in the warehouse corner—where several scrapped armor plates hung.
Following the extremely simple operation method Rebecca relayed, he aimed at the target and pulled the trigger.
No deafening gunshot, only a deep, powerful humming sound, as if air was instantly ionized.
A blazing white-blue plasma cluster shot out, instantly hitting the target.
Blinding light flashed briefly, accompanied by a slight "sizzle."
The heavy scrapped armor plate was directly melted through with a fist-sized hole, edges showing twisted forms of high-temperature melting then re-solidification, even surrounding metal was baked blue and hot.
The warehouse instantly fell silent.
Everyone stared dumbfounded at that still-smoking hole.
This power, this bizarre attack method, far exceeded their understanding.
Even military-grade weapons rarely had such clean yet destructive effects.
Maine put down the pistol. The barrel still emitted wisps of smoke and the ozone smell after high-temperature burning.
He stared at that melted-through hole for a long time, then slowly looked at Rebecca and Pilar, gaze extremely complex.
"He..." Maine's voice was somewhat hoarse, "that tech solo... what else did he say?"