Night City Aliens: The Wandering Planet

Ch 14: Into the Void

After receiving a full explanation of the situation from V, Wander and Sylvia began looking over Jackie's medical data. The two nomads were whispering between one another, debating on how to best help. V, Mama, and Viktor stood off to the side, silently waiting for the two of them to finish.

"Try not to look so glum," Dominator stated. She was lying down on Vik's weight bench, extremely relaxed compared to the rest of the room.

"Kinda hard at the moment," V said in her head so only the phantom could hear. "It's not like we have any experience with losing loved ones."

"We kinda do," Dominator suggested, "if you count Jackie getting shot during the Maelstrom fight. Or maybe when mother died?"

"I guess." V continued to watch Wander and Sylvia, but her face scrunched up when a thought occurred to her. "Why are helping me all of a sudden?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Dominator raised an eyebrow at V. "I don't want us ending up like that." She pointed over at the comatose Jackie.

"Oh," V frowned, looking away from her dying friend.

"And it's not like you wouldn't have thought to ask Wander eventually. I am a part of you after all."

"I have good news and bad news," Wander announced, snapping V out of her thoughts.

"What's the bad news?" Mama asked, barely hiding the panic in her voice.

"We have no idea what's wrong with Jackie or how to help him," Wander frowned, his hat slumping forward.

"The hell's the good news, then?" V asked angrily.

"We know someone who might." Wander perked back up as he spoke, his optimism returning. "The Mooplexians are the most advanced psychics in the galaxy. If anyone knows how to help Jackie, it's them."

"The who?" V raised her eyebrow at the Star Nomad, not recognizing the species name.

"The Mooplexians."

"That sounds made up," Vik chimed in.

"Most things in this galaxy sound made up," V joked. "You get used to it."

"Where can we find the... uh... Mooplexians?" Mama was cautiously optimistic about the plan. If there was a chance to save her son, she would go along with it.

"Last we saw them; they were hiding out on Bonkarth-5. It's about a day's trip from Earth."

"By Zbornak in an orbble, I presume?" V asked.

"Yep," Wander smiled.

V let out a deep breath through her nose. While she understood that this was probably her best shot at fixing Jackie, she really hated Wander's plan. Traveling long distance by orbble was terrifying enough. Traveling back into outer space with an injury was terrifying enough. Trying to track down an advance psychic race that was probably holding a grudge against her was terrifying enough. Putting all three of those together into one plan was the kind of thing that would give most low level edgerunners a panic attack. Tack on the fact that it wasn't a guarantee and that they were on a time limit pushed the idea into nightmare territory.

"You don't think this will work," Mama spoke, reading the doubt on V's face.

"It's a dangerous plan. I don't want it to end up being a waste of time." V thought for a second longer before turning to the Zbornak patiently waiting off to the side.

"Sylvia," V called in Galactic Common. "These Mooplexian guys. You think they can fix Jackie?"

"It's a long shot, but they are our best bet," Sylvia responded. V thought about it for a moment longer before nodding.