Cyberpunk 2077: V

Chapter 48: Something Wicked

V tore Jackie away from a losing streak at the blackjack table to come look at the newest addition to her "chrome family," as he put it. She stood with pride as he oohed and aahed with the kids over the '55, exclaiming that their future "endeavors" would pay for the repairs for the thing easy-peasy. After that, V slid the kids a good chunk of eddies for the car (practically cleaning out her bank account by that point), said goodbye, then hopped in the Orange with Jackie. She drove him over to Misty's, who had apparently completed her work and was ready to head to breakfast. She proudly showed them the slight adjustments to the rotation of a statue here, how she moved the incense to the right of the room instead of the left, etc. V asked how that helped the "fang shoey" of the place, which earned her and Jackie both a lecture on the merits of feng shui. V then left, waving off Misty's offers to join them for breakfast so they could spend more time alone together.

She stepped out of the shop, registering the thumping bass of the Jacked and Coke before an even louder sudden shout to her right made her jump.

"REPTILLIIAAAANNNSSSS!!!"

"Fuck!" V gasped, turning sharply to stare at Garry the Prophet at his post, hands upheld and eyes gleaming. He saw her movement and immediately snapped his head over to her, continuing his loud ranting.

"You can recognize them by their cold blue eyes—creatures born centuries ago on the Antarctic ice sheet. They hide their true faces under masks of human skin! Two-faced snakes, oppressors of humanity!!"

V twitched, and a muscle in her jaw tightened at the insinuation of "two-faced snake." Jeanie Jean had used that phrase too.

"Got somethin' against snakes, huh?" V called out, miffed. "What did snakes ever do to you?"

"To me, nothing!" Garry answered fervently. "But to humanity, everything! They are the true oppressors of humanity, using our own flesh to hide their scales—but the blue eyes remain."

V walked over to him, crossing her arms. "If their blue eyes are such a big giveaway, then why not just install optics? Or use contact lenses or somethin'?"

Garry shook his head, his hands rising further.

"If only it were so simple. They are reptiles! Their nervous systems aren't compatible with human cybernetics!"

"Then...why not have their own rippers invent some?" V quipped.

A triumphant blaze burst to life in Garry's eyes as he dramatically pointed at V. "Are you SURE they haven't already?!"

His gaze shifted to the empty alley around V, his voice booming as he called out, "And where did this filth slither out from, you ask?!"

"Didn't ask, but you said Antarctica, remember?" V asked sarcastically, arms tightening at the use of the word "slither."

Garry gave her a look but continued with, "Today they hide amidst the snow and ice of the South Pole, step by step usurping our crown as creation's chosen! Millions of years ago, they evolved from dinosaurs to become the world's first advanced, intelligent race."

Garry's voice picked up in volume and intensity as he shouted, "And who is their progenitor? Their masters?"

He flung up his hands. "THE SCIENTISTS OF ALPHA CENTURI!"

V let out a long-suffering sigh as Garry continued to gesture on, shifting his topic to something about the truth being born on radio waves. She glanced past him into his little alley and the pitiful living conditions, remembering that while not everything he said made sense, he seemed to be on to something. No complete kook could elicit the response that he did when he mentioned that one name to V the other day.