Cairo's purely technical appreciation attitude toward these bloodstained "spoils of war" made everyone except Maine and Dorio feel a trace of chill.
Pilar unconsciously touched his own neck.
"You've fulfilled the agreement." Cairo put down the cyberware, turning to Maine. "As agreed, this is your compensation."
He walked to the weapon rack on the workshop's other side, retrieving a peculiarly styled weapon.
It had an elongated, somewhat heavy barrel, body cast from some dark alloy with archaic even somewhat clumsy lines. The rear had a massive hammer requiring manual cocking and complex capacitor structure, looking more like an old-fashioned flintlock from a museum or some steampunk creation, completely at odds with Night City's popular streamlined, high-tech firearms.
The weapon's surface was covered with fine heat dissipation grooves and energy conduction patterns. The grip was covered in non-slip black composite material. The trigger guard was wide enough to accommodate gloved fingers. The whole thing radiated a mixed scent of ozone and cold-quenched metal.
"Portable directed energy weapon based on electro-thermal principles," Cairo handed this rifle taller than Rebecca to Maine. "I call it the 'Voltaic Rifle.'"
Maine took the rifle—heavy and ice-cold in hand.
He carefully examined this strange weapon, brow furrowing slightly, obviously somewhat surprised by its retro appearance.
"It doesn't fire traditional projectiles, but specially made alloy needle rounds." Cairo explained, a tentacle passing over three peculiar bullets length comparable to fingers, shimmering with silver-gray luster, tails with stabilizing fins. "Warheads contain built-in superconductor coils and micro energy buffers. Upon hitting target, impact fuse triggers all electrical energy stored in projectile body, conducting instantaneous ultra-high-intensity electromagnetic force burst."
He paused, crimson lenses sweeping across everyone: "Effect similar to detonating small electromagnetic pulse grenade inside target, but energy more concentrated. Can instantly burn out unshielded electronic equipment. For organic bodies causes annihilative neural system damage and inside-out structural damage.
Against light-armored vehicles and most cyberware implant users, effect significant."
Hearing this, Maine's thick fingers carefully traced the cold weapon body, weighing those few heavy specialized bullets. Doubt in his eyes rapidly replaced by surprise and gravity.
He could imagine this weapon's terrifying effects in actual combat, especially against enemies relying on electronic cyberware and equipment.
"Good stuff." Maine finally evaluated, voice carrying suppressed excitement. "Though looks a bit weird."
He tried simulating aiming and loading motions—movements somewhat unfamiliar, but the weapon's potential power satisfied him greatly.
"Ammunition requires special manufacturing process, currently only manual production by me." Cairo reminded, tone flat. "So only these few. Use sparingly, come replenish when depleted."
"Understood." Maine solemnly stored the voltaic rifle and ammunition. "This kind of killer weapon was meant for critical moments anyway."
He deeply knew this weapon's value—would never waste it on ordinary firefights.
Transaction complete, atmosphere seemed somewhat eased.
Rebecca curiously wanted to touch that voltaic rifle but was nervously held back by Pilar.
Maine pondered for a moment, glancing at his team members, especially Dorio and Falco, then looking at Cairo again, making an additional request: "'Boss,' your skills speak for themselves. Pilar's injury, Rebecca's eyes... we trust you. Think you could... help us overall tune our cyberware?
Most were cobbled together over the years—compatibility's always been problematic, efficiency not fully utilized."
Cairo's optical lenses swept across Maine's heavy subdermal armor, Dorio's obviously drug-dependent reinforced tendons, Falco's various model sensors.
His database had long recorded these inconsistencies.
To him, upgrading Maine's crew would indeed improve their operational efficiency, survival capability, and mission completion rates, thus serving him more efficiently.
This was a worthwhile investment.
"Acceptable." Cairo answered quickly. "Your cyberware systems indeed contain massive redundancy, conflicts, and efficiency bottlenecks. After optimization, comprehensive combat capability estimated to improve over thirty percent, daily maintenance costs decrease fifteen percent."
His ready agreement relieved Maine, but everyone knew this "boss" never made losing deals.
"What's the price?" Maine asked directly.
Cairo's crimson lens glow seemed to flicker slightly.
"I need a military-grade 'Sandevistan' neural driver system." He named a term. "Preferably Arasaka or Militech's latest model, at least produced within three years. Must guarantee core processing unit and energy regulator integrity."
Sandevistan! Everyone in Maine's crew felt a chill.
That was truly high-grade goods, and contraband among contraband.
It could extremely accelerate user's neural reflexes and perception—in others' eyes like teleportation—truly capable of dancing on blade edges, finding survival in hails of bullets—ace cyberware.
Outrageously expensive aside, acquisition channels were extremely dangerous, usually only corporate elite forces or top solos qualified to equip.
Cairo showed strong technical interest in this cyberware that could overload one's nerves: "I'm very interested in its time dilation effect and neural overload balancing mechanism—want to study it carefully."
Maine's brow furrowed tightly.
This request was much harder than obtaining several bloodstained military cyberware pieces.
It meant actively hunting a corporate elite or top mercenary equipped with Sandevistan, or finding ways through highly dangerous black market channels—either accompanied by extremely high risk.
He was silent for several seconds, weighing team capability versus possible gains.
Finally, he glanced at companions beside him with expectant gazes, especially that desire in Dorio's eyes for stronger power, higher survival rates, and nodded heavily.
"Deal. We'll find ways to get Sandevistan. As advance payment, please help us tune first."
"Very reasonable." Cairo nodded slightly. "Then, who starts first? Maine, begin with you. Your system's most complex, conflicts also most numerous."
He turned toward that modified medical chair covered with various interfaces and mechanical arms. A mechanical tentacle like welcoming a guest made a "please" gesture toward Maine.
Maine took a deep breath, removed his jacket, revealing an upper body covered in scars and heavy implants, lying down without hesitation.
Mechanical tentacles slowly descended like possessing life, cold tool tips flickering with calibration glow.
Inside the workshop, a new round of "upgrades" began.
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