Neon Requiem (2023)

The Consequences of My Actions

It has been a couple of weeks since I started my new life and i had completely blown through all my eddies. You'd be surprised how fast you can spend money when all you do is go out every night with your best friend to party and drink.

Every night me and Jackie would go from club to club enjoying ourselves lavishly, with no care in the world of who saw us. I even forgot I was I wanted criminal some nights. However in the back of my head I knew that eventually the consequences of my actions would catch up eventually.

What began to set up my alarm was when I would talk to different girls they would mention that there were rumors that a Blade Runner was on the loose and that Arasaka was paying top dollar for him. Luckily I knew they would never post my face since it would raise suspicions of Blade Runners existing.

This one time Jackie even said he ran into a bounty hunter who was hired by Arasaka to find me. It was not like Arasaka to look for outside help to track down other Runners, it seemed that they were desperate to find me and in a hurry.

On some nights I would spot other Runners but I would observe them from a far. I saw Alyssa on the field a few times but it wasn't clear whether she was looking for me just going about. She looked different too, skinner and a bit worn down.

Over the next following weeks I continued to keep an eye on her, I began to notice more and more Runners as well on top the gossip of a Deviant Runner also became more and more prevalent in talks. I began to hesitate on going out as the heat began to rise up.

Alyssa had also continued to change even more, she was even skinner than before and looked tired, almost like she wasn't eating or sleeping. In perhaps my dumbest decision until then I decided to go and speak with her, despite Jackie telling me it was a bad idea.

I had to know what had been going on at Arasaka and curiosity got the best of me, I figured the best way to speak with her alone was catching off guard at night. I tailed her one day waiting for her to go eat, finally just passed midnight she goes to restaurant and sits down at a booth.

I wait for the coast to be clear before walking and sitting infront of her, her eyes open wide almost spitting out her drink as she reached for her gun.

"Relax Alyssa do you think you can fire off a shot before I pull my blades out?"

She pulls her hands away from gun and smiles "Well well well if it isn't the ghost of Arasaka."

"Is that what they call me?"

"The upper ups do. I call you a fucking bitchass pussy."

"I'm sorry, I had no other way."

"What about realignment? Why didn't you just stay and trust the process it has worked for other, I'm sure it would've work for you."

"Because I didn't want to lose what I have know?"

"What do you have? Living in fear, in some dark corner where no one can find you, is that what you really want?"

"Freedom, that's what I have."

"What do you have that I dont?"

"A soul."

"Bullshit."

"Alyssa, Alan was right, we have been lied to our whole lives."

"You're wrong, you're just sick that's all."

"I'm not, but you are. I wish I could show that there is a whole new way of living once you disconnect from the matrix."

"Fuck you, even now all you can think of is yourself, do you have any idea what has been happening to us since you escaped? We have been forced to take baseline test every single day, strict behavior logs have been assigned to us. It has been hell for us all thanks to you."

"I'm sorry it never wanted to hurt you guys."

"Did you even stop to think about what you were doing?"

"I couldn't lose what I have found, I'm not sorry for chosing what is best for me, I just wish you would do the same."

"Get the hell out of my face."

"Okay then, goodbye Alyssa."

"You better run V, they'll be hunting you down, Arasaka is gonna be sending Samurais after you now."

As I walked out I was expecting her to pull a move to kill me but she sat there. A look of frustration and pain build on her as I walked away. Once I got back I told Jackie what happened, he reiterated again that it was a bad idea that I had spoken with her.

Unfortunately for me he was right, over the next 2 weeks I ran into Samurais sent by Arasaka to Retire me. Each one tougher to kill than the other one.

The hardest one caught me in a bar, completely incognito, since that was the only way they could sneak up on me. Two Samurais and one Runner, the whole club turned into a blood bath and some of the people there started to fight them as well.

Most of them ended up cut into pieces, however Jackie Zeroed one of the Samurais while I handled the Runner; Kristen a Runner who had built her reputation for overcoming stronger opponents and being ruthless in her attacks. She packed heavy chrome in her legs and with each kick she pushed me back several feet.

On top of that, she had titanium knuckles that left a mark with each swing. Her weak spot however was her stomach since most of it was organic flesh. I went in to get close and caught some devastating leg kicks that fracture my right arm however with the slightest opening I slashed her stomach side open.

She fell back trying to hold the gash but it was too late my Blade had cut too deep, the bleeding was profusing. It only took a moment before she died from it, I finally was able to catch my breath and hutched over in pain. My arm was definitely fractured and legs bruised badly.

I asked Jackie to take me to Vik to get fixed, he drove me over to his place pumped after another crazy night he said. We walked into his office where Misty was there, she smiled when she saw us come in. "I knew you were coming today." She explained.

"I'll wait for you here holms me and Misty got some catching up to do." Jackie said. I walk down to Viks office where he was analyzing some new gear he got.

"Back again V?"

"You know the deal."

"Whats it this time?"

"My right arm, and I think my legs might need some help as well."

After about 30 minutes Vik sat me "Good as new kid."

"Thanks Vik, how much is it?"

"4000."

I had him the eddies and walk back upstairs, where Jackie is just coming down as well zipping up his pants. "Where Misty?"

"Oh she's asleep." He smiled.

Up to that night that had been the closest I had come to being Zeroed, and I knew I definitely need to be safer when I went out.

However my luck would run out when a week later coming back from grocery shopping for Mama wells I ran into Kian.