Get ready for a cinematic experience! In a Cyberpunk-style alternate version of Baldur's Gate, Astarion Ancunin, a top celebrity and aspiring politician, meets a popular influencer called Shadowheart in a fundraising party. But an unexpected crime s...
"Sounds like your girlfriend," Bonetags said with a sly grin.
Astarion put on a callous smirk, pretending not to care. "She was just a one-night dock." Regardless, even if it was risky, he couldn't ignore Shady. "What are they doing to her?"
The Sharran stared at him in amusement. "You really don't know? Come, politico, let's enjoy this together." The brute shoved him toward the noise. Soon they reached a treatment room, about five metres across, with bright ceiling lights. Shady was in the centre, struggling against the other Sharran thug, who tried to strap her to a surgical table. Meanwhile, a woman with scarlet-dyed hair and a cruel grin was rummaging through a stainless steel cabinet. She seemed in her mid-thirties and wore safety goggles, a grey overcoat stained in fresh and old blood, and a red top that revealed a modicum of cleavage.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"Doctor Amputa, I presume," Astarion said with distaste.
"That's her." Bonetags dragged him through the door, waving. "Hey, Sandra, this politico is her friend. Give him a good show."
The ripperdoc emitted a sharp cackle. "I always do." She tapped on a tranquilliser gun. "Sadly, the girl can't be awake during my tinkering or it might kill her."
Shady swore at them, and the other goon slapped her. A yelping bark came from the corner—Muffin had been locked inside a plastic carrier. The most he could do was gnaw at its bars.
"Easy on the beating, Nocturnal," Bonetags said. "We don't want her out of commission for days."
The second thug huffed. "Not my problem."
Dr Amputa approached Shadowheart with the tranquilliser gun in hand. As she leaned forward, the brunette suddenly broke one hand free and slapped it out of her grip. The device flew across the surgery room and landed near Astarion's feet.
Nocturnal moved to restrain Shady again, only to receive a fist to the face. Bonetags rushed to assist him. "How is this twig so strong?!"
"She's a prototype," Dr Amputa said, rubbing her bruised hand. "Her Cyberlink interface controls her enhancements. She's unaware of that, of course, thanks to a memory wipe."
"Why?" Astarion said, trying to process the vital revelation. "What good is a combat chip if she can't use it?"
"She's supposed to use it when Shar commands."
He nearly gasped in shock. Shar had turned Shadowheart into a sleeper agent, which she could wake at any moment to commit heinous acts without remembering.
"And now you're going to reboot that chip?"
"The chip is fine. I need to fix her memory."
Astarion needed all his self-discipline to fake a calm demeanour. Would he dare interfere, though, when those two thugs could easily overpower him? Besides, Shar had just spared his life, and he barely knew the dark-haired influencer. He'd only slept with her once, after all—once!
