Cyberpunk 2077: V

Chapter 47: The Grid

BANG BANG BANG!!

"V?! V, sugar, it's Jeanie!! Are you okay?!"

V shot upright in bed, screaming. Her ears rung, sweat flying into the air as she flailed, clawing at her sheets like she was trying to fight something off of her. There were tears in the polyester from her nails.

BANG BANG BANG!!

"V!"

The voice at the door changed. Now it sounded a lot like Barry's voice. V struggled to make sense of where she was, her eyes darting around the room as her screaming faded away to gasps for air.

Apartment. Her apartment. She was awake. She was safe.

BANG BANG!

"V - this is Barry! What's going on in there? If you don't open the door in the next few seconds, I'm comin' in!"

V tried to call out to them that everything was fine and to wait a second, but her throat was so raw all that came out was a croak. What Barry said threw her body into motion, though. First off, if he broke down the door, V would be sitting there in nothing but what God gave her, and secondly, it would cost her a pretty penny in repair payments.

V flew to her feet, hissing as she knocked her head on the top of the bed nook before sprinting to her meager wardrobe. Just as she slipped on a black t-shirt and reached for some jeans, she heard another voice. Jackie's voice.

"What in the hell is goin' on over here?!" he bellowed, his voice muffled by the cheap metal of the door.

Jeanie answered, "I don't know! We were walkin' back to my place and then all'a sudden we heard the most awful screamin' comin' from V's apartment, and she won't answer, and—!"

V heard boot steps stomping up to the door. She quickly zipped up the fly of her jeans and rushed forward just as the door slid open. Jackie had a pistol drawn, and he let out a yelp of surprise at V standing right there before quickly pulling the barrel away from her.

"Dios, V! You scared the shit outta me!" Jackie gasped. He then looked past her into the apartment and pushed inside, scanning.

"What was the screamin' about, chica? Everything good? Someone in here? Someone hurt you?" Jackie wheeled around, his eyes narrowing as he laid eyes on her armory door. "COME ON OUT, PENDEJO!"

V ran over to him and laid a hand on his arm. She swallowed a couple of times, then managed to finally say, "Jackie! Calm down, no one's in here. Nothin' happened. I'm good, I'm good."

She slowly turned to look at the doorway to see Jeanie Jean and Barry standing there, staring at her. Jeanie had wide eyes of concern and fright, and Barry still had a hand on his sidearm. He was in uniform now.

"You okay, sugar?" Jeanie Jean called out, wringing her hands. "You were screamin' somethin' awful... sounded like you were seein' the Devil himself!"

Something curdled in V's stomach.

Jackie slipped his pistol back in the holster in a smooth movement and held up his hands.

"All right, folks, show's over. Think my friend here just had a lil' ole nightmare. Happens sometimes, y'know? Thanks for checkin' on her, but I got it from here."

Jackie walked up to the door and leaned across it, blocking it with his mass. Jeanie Jean looked under his armpit at V and said, "Sug, you got my number. Now you just holler if you need me, y'hear? You're safe now, it's gonna be okay."

Barry's muffled voice also called out, "Try some of those synth-lavender flavored misters, V—they'll put you out so deep you won't have to worry about bad dreams."