Cyberpunk 2077: V

Chapter 67: Konpeki Plaza

The cab's interior light shifted as the world outside changed. V and Jackie turned their heads just in time to see golden gates parting before them. Beyond stretched manicured grounds and a towering waterfall, spilling down gleaming black stone in a crystal cascade, flanked by sharp lines of Japanese brutalist architecture.

Delamain slowed, gracefully circling the drop-off area. V could feel in her bones that they were now in a different tier of existence, and felt anxiousness pull at her spine. The air outside almost seemed to shimmer with wealth and power.

Jackie's hand was still in V's as Delamain came to a halt in front of the entrance, a red carpet outlined by gold leading from the doors down to them. He gave V's hand one last squeeze, then let go and sat back in his seat, staring out the windows with wide eyes.

This was it. Here they were, on the brink of greatness.

Suddenly T-Bug's voice broke through the moment as her face popped up on their HUDs.

"Hey, how's things?" she asked.

Jackie snorted. "Smooth as fuckin' sandpaper."

"We just, uh... pulled up to the hotel," V added.

"Listen," T-Bug continued, in full mission mode. "We gotta set up a direct, encrypted line so I can guide you through Konpeki. V, ring Jackie now, see if we're in sync. Can't be too careful."

V patched through to Jackie, completing the triangle call connection. "Callin' aaannddd... connected."

"Jackie?" T-Bug asked.

Jackie tilted his head, squinting. "Mhm. Got static. Say somethin', Bug."

"The greatest crimes issue from a desire for excess, not necessity."

Jackie's brows pulled together. "Say what now?"

A shiver crept up V's spine.

"Aristotle," T-Bug explained. "Guess you read me then?"

Jackie let out a short, sardonic laugh. "Yeah, I read you. Not so much for your Greek friend, though."

"Could give it some thought," T-Bug countered, an oddly hopeful, uncharacteristically cheerful twang to her voice. "Try to understand."

V stared at T-Bug's profile view on the top left of her HUD. What was she going on about? Excess? T-Bug was the one who'd reached out to Jackie, who'd connected them with Dex in the first place. And she'd even told them of her plan to disappear with the money immediately the gig was done.

So why was she-

"How about you, V?" T-Bug asked suddenly.

"Good to go," V said smoothly, then grinned slightly to say, "Unless you've got more Aristotle ya wanna regale us with."

T-Bug groaned. "Fuck off, both of you."

Jackie and V looked at each other then and smiled. V suddenly felt better, less nervous. In that moment, it didn't feel like they were about to walk into Konpeki Plaza to steal a chip from right under Yorinobu Arasaka's nose. Instead it felt like old times, all three of them running another gig, nothing more. The familiarity was a comfort.

"Okay. Tech checks out, looks like," T-Bug confirmed after a moment of silence.

"Más te vale," Jackie muttered under his breath.

"Stay in touch," T-Bug said quickly before cutting their comms to purely voice. As her video feed disappeared from V's HUD, Delamain spoke up.

"Thank you for choosing this Delamain service - we have reached the first stop of our itinerary. I shall await in premium parking, which may be found on the Garage floor of the hotel, for your return. Best of luck on your endeavors, V."