Chapter 14: The Future Legend of Night City is My Neighbor?
"You don't need to buy furniture. It's too expensive, and not practical."
Rhys was browsing the CorpoLife Home Solutions website when Sasha appeared behind him, silent as a cat. Her stealth skills were definitely top-notch.
The netrunner leaned over, propping her arms on the desk and resting her chin in her hand as she looked at the screen. "In our line of work, we spend more time on the street than we do at home. Think about it. I'm a deckhead and I'm home less than six hours a day. It'll be even less for you."
Hearing her words, Rhys's hand, which had been about to unplug the data cable, froze. To be honest, he'd already given up the moment he saw the prices.
Could you believe it? The cost of a single piece of basic furniture was the same as a month's rent in the megabuilding. A single piece, not a whole set. What a fucking joke.
Why is it like this? Even though it was a rental, it was still his own place. He'd wanted to furnish it nicely, but one look at the prices had killed that dream instantly. If he used the eddies Susan had given him on furniture... he could afford maybe one high-end piece. A cabinet for one hundred and seventy thousand eddies! What the hell was it made of? Solid gold?
He thought about the five years he'd spent living in the basement of Lizzie's, which he'd considered a decent setup. Then he looked at the furniture prices on the city's net and felt his brain short-circuit. But when he saw the company's name, it all clicked.
"This is a Night Corp subsidiary..." Rhys's mouth twitched. So, Night Corp had a complete monopoly on every aspect of daily life in Night City—food, clothing, and shelter.
Sasha heard him muttering and smiled. "Back when Night Corp was still the Night Foundation, it actually served the residents of Night City. Ms. Miriam Night worked hard to run it, trying to carry on Mr. Night's legacy and provide basic welfare for every citizen. But as the gangs and corps took control of the different districts, everything changed."
"The Gang Wars of 2010 broke the Night Foundation apart, and in its place, Night Corp was born."
Rhys listened, absorbing information he'd never known. His knowledge of Cyberpunk 2077 was limited to the game itself. He was a gamer, an anime fan. Knowing the basic lore and characters was the extent of it. But he understood the gist of what she was saying. "So, a story about the dragon slayer becoming the dragon?"
"Yeah, that's pretty much it," Sasha said with a snap of her fingers, agreeing with his summary. It was the classic story. No one knew what Miriam Night was thinking these days, but decades ago, her work had helped countless people. As for now... who knew what Night Corp's real ambitions were? No one thought they could compete with mega-corporations like Arasaka or Militech, but at the same time, no one in Night City would ever underestimate the quietly powerful entity.
After all, unlike Arasaka, which sold security, or Militech, which sold weapons, Night Corp sold only one product—the city itself.
Rhys was about to ask Sasha for more "insider information" when the doorbell chimed. Simultaneously, the smart home AI he'd linked to his neural interface announced a visitor.
He got up, and he and Sasha walked to the door together.
"Did you tell Maine?" Sasha's gaze turned sharp. She had told Maine she had things to do today and couldn't join the crew's activities. If he caught her here, it would be... awkward.
"Not yet," Rhys said, shaking his head.
He pressed the release button. The heavy armored door slid open. Standing in the doorway was a handsome, not-so-tall young man with a punk haircut, dressed in a black uniform made of obviously expensive material. He was rubbing the back of his neck with one hand and holding a plate with the other.
"You are?" the netrunner asked, peeking her head out, her cat-like lips fixed in a neutral smile.
Rhys watched as the boy's initial look of annoyance shifted to nervousness. He took a step back, dropping his hand from his neck. "I-I'm your neighbor," he stammered. "I live next door, in 604."
"A neighbor? Can we help you with something?" Sasha asked again. Her eyes narrowed as she took in his uniform, then flicked to his face. A neighbor? Don't make me laugh. What was a little Arasaka corpo-brat doing living here?
Is he looking for Rhys? Is this about the Tyger Claws?
In that split second, Sasha was already preparing to hack his cyberware and upload a virus.
"What's taking so long, David?" another voice called out. A woman appeared beside the boy. Seeing his stammering son, she laughed and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. Her gaze fell on Rhys and Sasha, lingering on the netrunner for a moment with a flash of surprise.
"Hi there," she said warmly. "I'm Gloria Martinez, and this is my son, David Martinez. I saw you moving in this afternoon and wanted to come say hello. I hope we're not interrupting anything?"
"If we are, we can leave," she added apologetically.
"No, not at all," Rhys said, taking a deep breath. He tore his eyes away from Gloria and looked at the fidgeting boy beside her. He was shifting his weight from foot to foot, looking anxious.
"It's nice to meet you. My name is Rhys, and this is my... partner, Sasha."
Sasha immediately extended a hand to Gloria, a polite smile on her face. "Sasha Yakovleva. I don't live here, you might have the wrong idea."
Gloria quickly shook her hand. "Looks like I don't have to worry about getting along with my new neighbors," she said cheerfully. "It's almost dinnertime. I prepared some food. Please take it, if you don't mind."
"Thank you," Rhys said with a nod.
"Well, we won't keep you," Gloria said. She gave David a sharp pat on the shoulder. "What are you waiting for?"
David quickly stepped forward and handed the plate to Rhys. On it were two bowls of cooked beans and two steaming synth-meat rolls.
Rhys took it. "Thanks," he said softly.
"You're welcome," David replied.
As soon as the words were out, he practically dragged Gloria away. She clearly wanted to say more, but seeing her son's behavior, she just gave Rhys and Sasha an apologetic smile. The door to 604 clicked shut.
"Well, well, Rhys. Got new neighbors already," a sarcastic voice purred. Rhys closed the door and turned to see Sasha with a smirk on her face. "As I recall, when I first met you, you were a pretty cold guy. To me, to Maine, you barely gave us the time of day. How come you're so polite now?"
Rhys set the plate down, picked up one of the meat rolls, and handed it to her.
Sasha took it, took a bite, and watched him silently.
And Rhys?
Why was he so polite...
It was hard to explain.
After all, could he really tell her he was just having a minor freak-out because the future legend of Night City was his next-door neighbor?
[David Martinez—A shot of vodka in a bullet glass, with a splash of Nicola. Born to greatness, died in a blaze of glory.]