Ghost in the City
Chapter 20

Of course, unlike Hiromi I wasn’t crazy. I followed all the traffic laws.

“Ugh, why are you the most boring crazy person ever!?” Hiromi whined at me as I pulled out onto the street going a normal speed as I started driving around. Mostly just enjoying driving my new car with my best choom riding with me.

“We should stop by the club. Ichi will lose it when he sees your new ride.”

“Really? Why? He already has a car.”

“Oh my god Motoko. You are such a gonk. This is a Quadra Type-66! It’s a preem ride… Well I mean not this one exactly. The Wraiths did a hack job on it, but it still is a monster. What’s the top speed on this thing?”

“Don’t know.” I muttered although I was shifting a little as I lied.

I didn’t know the exact top speed, but there was nothing but open roads on the drive into the city.

“Ooh did my cautious driver Motokoooo drive fast?”

“Only out in the badlands.”

“How fast did you get? No, don't give me that flat look tell meeeee!”

“Fine. I hit about one-eighty before I let off the gas and coasted back.”

“Yeah! That’s what I’m talking about! This thing can go! C’mon hit it.”

“Hell no Hiromi, I’m on a road with traffic!”

“Fuck ‘em!”

“Not a chance choom.”

“Ugh boring.”

“But we can stop by the Ho-oh club and show off to Ichi.”

“Yeees!” Hiromi said breaking into giggles as I maneuvered to hit the freeway connecting Little Chinatown and Kabuki.

I smiled as I got a little alert for driving XP. I was smiling as we turned stopped out on the road to the Ho-oh club. They had actually blocked off the little alley entrance which led to the club.

Instantly as well I could see Tyger Claws looking alert and concerned.

Wraiths weren’t often seen in the city. But it’s not like anyone living in the city wouldn’t have heard of them.

Thankfully as usual, Hiromi took care of that, popping out of the car and waving around and acting like all the Tyger Claws knew who she was.

“Hey hey! Where is Ichi! He has to see this!” She called out practically dancing towards the entrance to the club.

I stepped out and settled against the car Ichi would be out soon, and I didn’t want to leave my new car alone in the middle of a Tyger Claw club.

I got some odd looks from a few of the people hovering around.

Obviously they were guards. Looks like the club really had pulled in more people to guard it.

Shoba either was paying the Claws to do it, or his club was more important than I expected since there was a gang war going on.

I was distracted from waiting when I got a text.

*Vik: Hey kid. Sorry it took so long I decided to check in on your request. Took a bit but I found what you were looking for. Come on by. But I need to say this. The chrome you dropped off has been going to a good use. I have to admit I kept expecting some kind of trick in the days after like you would show up to try and force me to pay more or set me up against a gang, but I was wrong. Listen kid. You did a solid good deed. I’ll send some pictures just so your good deed doesn’t just disappear into the wind.*

I blinked in surprise at the heartfelt message.

Then I started getting pictures. Little kids with new chrome. Chrome I recognized. Little kids that looked poor, but now had legs. Where in the picture before they had none.

A boy who was showing off his arm to his mom. His obviously full prosthetic arm.

And they kept coming.

I had been right. When it came down to it. Vik was the sort of guy that did real honest good, in a city that had almost no one doing that.

Damn. I wasn’t crying. You’re crying!

“See Ichi! Look at Motoko’s new ride! I told you it was preem, Sh-Motoko?!”

“Wha? Oh. Jeeze Hiromi you startled me.” I snorted trying to keep my nose from running.

“Why are you crying! Was someone mean? What happened?... Jun?” She asked quietly as she hurried up close to me.

“No No.” I waved my hands as I wiped my eyes stupid sudden rain showers getting my eyes wet. How rude! “I just got a message from Vik. It’s good news.”

“Who?” Hiromi asked and it took Ichi a minute to remember.

“Wait, that weird Ripper?”

“He isn’t that weird.” I grumbled at them, my eyes turned yellow as I forwarded the pictures to both of them. Bombarding them with tons of pics.

Hiromi went silent for a bit as she looked through them, Ichi just seemed to glance over them confused.

“Okay?”

“Those are the people that we helped by handing over the Chrome we didn’t need.” I informed him, but he just seemed to shrug.

“It was your chrome. I still would have preferred selling it.”

“Huh. I didn’t expect this.” Hiromi said after a bit looking me over as if she had never seen me before. “I honestly never took you for someone that would do something like that. Or get tearful about it. You’ve changed so much Motoko. Sometimes I forget, then moments like this happen.” She snorted a bit before waving it off. “So Ichi what do you think of Motoko’s wheels?”

“Preem. I’m jealous. I’d ask where you got the money for it, but considering I don’t think you paid for it.”

“Not an enny.” I offered with a smile he snorted.

“You hit a Wraith driver?”

“He hit me first, I hit him last.” I said a little darkly before shrugging a bit. “It’s a long story. I was on a job for Wakako. I was an extra to cover my client's back. Things got… a little out of control.”

“She fired that HMG she found, out the car, while running away from Wraiths.” Hiromi added. “She’s been quiet about the rest though. She is terrible at telling stories.”

“Really? That’s… Nova.” Ichi offered blinking as his eyes went a little distant imagining. “I’ve been stuck here. You really got a job from Wakako? The Wakako?”

“Yeah. It wasn’t that hard. I walked in and asked if she had any work that needed doing. Then I had to break into a Tino’ chop shop and steal an info shard. It got a little-”

“Out of control?”

“No, I kept control just complicated. I can’t say much but let’s just say another fixer was involved.”

“Ouch. “ Hiromi winced at that. Probably imagining way worse than it was.

“It was okay. I got in and out without any trouble and Wakako was impressed.”

“Damn.” Ichi whispered, his voice sounding a little rough as he seemed to shake it off. “So you're gonna let me drive this thing right?”

“Hahaha. No.” I deadpanned which he tsked at.

“Damn.”

“I mean you are a better driver than Hiromi.”

“Hey!”

“Nah. Hiromi is better than me, you just have to get her drunk first.” Ichi said and it took me a second before I realized he was actually being serious.

“Being drunk doesn’t make you a better driver!”

—---

After we hung out with Ichi for a while we split up. Ichi was still on the clock in a way, and Hiromi and I now had an appointment.

“No way am I letting some back alley Ripper work on you and not be there to keep an eye out.” Hiromi argued as she refused to let me drop her off back home once I told her what Vik had told me through text.

“Vik isn’t like that. He’s good people. And a good ripper. I’ll be fine.”

“You aren’t going without me. Besides we are almost there so stop arguing. Gonk.” She pointed out as I sighed and nodded simply driving quietly through the city towards Misty’s Esoterica.

We pulled up out front and Hiromi and I headed in. Before we slipped through the back gate though I wandered into Misty’s shop.

“Hi Misty!”

“Oh Motoko. And… Hiromi?” She hesitated as she tried to remember Hiromi’s name.

“Yeah you got it.” Hiromi confirmed although she was still not being friendly.

“Hey Misty, I’m going down to see Vik, but can you keep an eye on my car? It has…”

“A bunch of gang ink?” She asked with a kinda stilted smile.

“Yeah. So can you make sure no one damages it? I really need to find someone to repaint it. Or do it myself.”

Misty looked a little conflicted, before she nodded. “I’ll try to warn anyone away. Might be a good idea to get it painted though… You’re not a Wraith… Are you?”

“No way!” Almost shouted waving my hands a bit. “I was on a job working for a nomad, and we got jumped by the Wraiths… Its previous owner doesn’t need it anymore.”

Misty nodded, releasing a sigh of relief. “I’m glad. You kinda scared me for a minute.” She smiled at me as she waved me towards the back. “Go on. I’ll make sure everyone knows you klepped it from a Wraith if they come around.”

“Thanks Misty, you’re preem.”

Hiromi followed me as I practically hopped along. Finally going to get a good set of eyes. I was gonna be able to see through walls! and my hacking would be so much easier! My current set of some no-name company eyes or whatever were okay. For Civilians. They had the basic stuff, and even let me do the calling thing without needing a phone.

Jun must have splurged to make sure I could do that. My guess was that my old ones before the scavs had the same functionality and Jun wanted to make sure I could still do it.

Anyways, Kiroshi were the top of the line optics. There simply wasn’t much better than a set. Scanning mode. Near instant net code connection. Hookup for Smart weapons.

Color options.

My current eyes couldn’t change the eye color. They were the color Jun must have chosen for me when he bought them. A sort of blue.

Maybe it was my natural eye color? Or maybe Jun thought I would like the color? Anyways. I couldn’t actually change the color of this set. I would have to go to a ripper and have them take them out to change the color.

They were cheap optics. Like the bargain bin phone at a phone store. Sure it might be a smart phone, but it had none of the options a real smart phone would have.

I hurried down the steps to the clinic, kind of excited.

Sure having my Cyberdeck installed had been awesome as well, but it was like… It barely made any impact. I just had a little port hidden on the back of my head now.

This was new eyeballs.

Not just new ones, but some of the best I could get. A real serious upgrade. My first step on a path that I was going to have to come to accept.

Transhumanism.

It made me want to ask a question that many Motoko before me had asked.

I had a Ghost. Right? No matter how much of myself I carved away my soul would still be there. A human had a ghost, a sentience, that couldn’t be removed by simply stripping the body away piece by piece.

It was the very essence of what made Motoko… Special? Well Special-ish. She wasn’t alone in being a nearly complete cyborg. It was her talent that pushed her to be amazing. But it was her Ghost. The question if she had one, if she was really the same Motoko as she had been born as that made her… Compelling.

“Motoko?” Hiromi asked, I had stopped before I entered the bottom of the steps. I had gotten lost.

Did I have a ghost?

I shook my head. This wasn’t even the Ghost in the Shell universe. So in the end. Who knows?

“Nothing nothing. C’mon Hiromi.” I take the last step down the stairs.

“Vik? Are you in?”

“Oh? Motoko. I was wondering when I would see you.” His security door opened and I walked in smiling as he gave me a nod of his head. “Come take a look.”

The small thermos like object held a set of eyes. Not that I could see it as it was sealed until they were installed.

“Kiroshi optics.”

“Mk1’s So don’t fall totally in love. I’m not a miracle worker.” He chuckled. As I looked the thermos over.

“No way. This is a miracle for sure. Thank you Vik. I honestly wasn’t expecting you to have them so soon.”

“Well I owed you one.” He offered simply before pointing me at the chair. “So ready to get chipped?”

I took a deep breath and released it.

“Yeah I am.”

—--

I slowly came to as I blinked my eyes.

“You might feel a little discomfort at first. Blurred vision, low contrast, glitches…”

Alerts were popping up in my mind as my eyes were connected, but I didn’t really have any issues as Vik finally pulled back. I slowly looked around. Everything was so clear.

“Well, how’s it look, feel alright to you?” Vik asked as he seemed to look me over.

“Feels alright. No pain or anything.” I answered, sounding a little distant. I was distracted.

Imagine living your life seeing in 720p, and suddenly you were in 4k.

Everything. I could see everything! Darkness barely stopped me. I could see the dust in the corner from across the room.

“You doin’ okay Motoko?” Hiromi asked as she walked up she was still looking a little skeeved out about the back alley ripper.

“Yeah. Sorry I just can see everything now. It’s kinda… Distracting.”

“Yeah your new eyes are on another level. I didn’t know you were using a set of Arasaka Rainbow With a name like that you expect a lot, but these were bad long before they ever came out.” Hiromi mentioned as she looked me over. I blinked. My old eyes were Arasaka make? Huh.

“Yeah. I guess I hadn’t really considered it. I mean they were my eyes.”

Vik gave off a chuckle as he nodded, taking the pair of… My old eyes. To put into another thermos. Waste not want not I suppose.

Weird. It was kinda weird to know that he was walking away with something I had considered a part of me. Then again they weren’t my ‘ganic’ eyes anyways.

It still felt weird.

“So. What color are you gonna go with? I still think Neon green would suit you.” Hiromi offered as she came up close to check my new eyes out.

“I’m not copying your hair Hiromi… I’m thinking a reddish purple color… Yeah I have the exact color I want in mind.” I said smiling as I imagined “The Major” And her eye color.

Man I was getting pretty close to her in looks now. Just needed the fully borg body.

“Well alright. I’ll admit. This guy isn’t as much of a back alley ripper as I expected. He was… competent.” Hiromi whispered as she kept close. “How did you even find this guy anyways.” Sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ NƟvelFɪre.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

“Vik is kinda a legend Hiromi.” I whisper back although I was still kinda distracted because I could see Hiromi’s pores crystal clear.

Seriously, super vision was kinda distracting. Also it was weird, blinking felt… Weird.

“Hey Vik. It feels kinda weird when I blink.”

“Yeah that’s normal. Kiroshi have a water protective layer on top of the eyes. On one hand it means your tears won’t lubricate your new eyes, makes em feel a little smooth when blinking. On the other hand, in serious situations you don’t have to blink.” He offered as he wheeled back over.

“Now let’s make sure everything is as it should be. Go ahead and try the scanner.” He asked as he seemed to settle in in front to of me.

I blinked and my eyes just… Did it. A flick of a thought and my vision went red, and everything became so much more. I looked around, sweeping my eyes over Vik's clinic. Almost everything highlighted at first, but as I ignored pieces of his equipment I didn’t need to know about, or Vik's TV on the desk it unhighlighted.

“It might take a few seconds to adjust, but first time is rarely the charm…” He stopped whatever spiel he was about to say as he seemed to look at me and Hiromi, before shaking his head. “Never mind. “Scanner should eventually sync with your thought processes an’ read your intentions.”

As I looked around I caught sight of Hiromi, and instantly I realized I could send a quickhack at her. No messing around waiting for my eyes to get her net code. The scan was nearly instant. Man I had forgotten how much easier Quickhacking was in the game, but really it was just because of these eyes. A second glance and I had Hiromi’s information ready and able to send a Quickhack her way.

“What?” She asked as I shook my head.

“Nothing just amazed at how quickly it pulled up your information.”

“Speaking of, I’m injecting an NCPD file search.” He mentioned as my eyes suddenly showed an install bar as something updated. “Run into any ne’er-do-wells you’ll know exactly what they ne’er-did-well.” He said almost laughing a bit at the end, an often used joke I think.

Hiromi was fake gagging behind his head.

“Thanks. That will help me collect bounties.” I muttered, the idea wasn’t bad I could get around the city and start taking out anyone with a price on their head.

Vik was looking a little pale as I said that. “Maybe, just use it to run away from the bad guys. Kids should know how to use a gun, sure, but best to avoid trouble.” He offered, and I didn’t argue despite the fact we both knew I wasn’t going to do what he said.

“Thanks Vik. For everything.”

“Now don’t say it like that. You’ll make me feel like that’s a goodbye. 'Sides still need to cover a few things about your new Mk1. You’ve already been introduced to your new scanner, but the Mk1 also has a built in External Lens Disruptor. In layman's terms, any surveillance cam will catch your face as a blur. Just remember. Your body’ll show up crystal clear.”

“Really? I didn’t know that.” I muttered, was that a thing they did. I don’t remember that ever being mentioned in the game. Then again Cameras were more alarm systems in the moment, rather than something that bites you a day after you got spotted.

“Cool.” Hiromi offered grinning a little widely. “I got a few ideas for where that will come in handy~” She practically purred as she looked like a cat that caught a canary.

I instantly put my hand up. “Not a chance. I’m not a thief Hiromi… Unless I’m stealing for a Fixer I guess… Does looting count as stealing?” I asked her, and I could hear Vik do an aborted chuckle beside me as he was checking some diagnostic on his screen.

“Course not. Klepping is only klepping if they are still alive. The moment they flatline it’s not klepping.” Hiromi answered simply.

“Right.” I chuckled at bit at Hiromi’s blunt explanation.

“Also here.” Vik handed me a Max Doc, or at least something similar. “Take two whiffs now, and another two in an hour.” He urged me on until I took my whiff. “Good. Don’t forget.”

“I won’t! I’ll even set an alarm.” I assure him doing just that with my new Kiroshi’s. Man that was kinda cool.

“Preem, we done?” Hiromi asked sounding a little bored now that the fun stuff was over.

“Yep I’m finished, unless you want something else chipped in, but I would say wait.”

“No. That’s what I wanted today. I’ll get used to these before I start messing around.”

“Excellent. Good call.”

“Now last thing and probably the most important.” I told Vik, getting an interested look. “How much do I owe you?”

—--

“I can’t believe you paid him full price.” Hiromi grumbled at me as I walked

“Course I did. Vik does good work.”

“He owes you thousands of eddies from that Scav loot.” Hiromi reminded me as we passed through the alley towards my car.

“No, he got that for a low price, but that loot was for rep.”

“Ugh you are the wooorst.” Hiromi whined at me as we climbed into my Reaver. Giving Misty a wave as I did which she returned. Looks like she had done a good job keeping the car unbothered.

“It’s good business. Besides, I got Kiroshi optics.” I reminded her as I set out, driving was kind of wild. Everything was so clear, but it was more than that. I could literally tell how fast a car was going compared to me. It just popped into my mind with a glance.

As I maneuvered through the city I actually felt really comfortable behind the wheel. So much so that I was even driving a bit faster than normal. I suppose it was inevitable that I got an alert.

*Driving skill level up!*

I smiled, Driving 4. I wonder what Perk I would get next level?

“What’s got you so happy?”

“Nothing. Just enjoying my new optics.”

“Is’ cute, You being all over the moon for some Chrome. You used to be way worse before. Course you never had anything as high end as Kiroshi.”

“Oh? Was I big into Chrome?”

“Of course! Why do you think you got… Let’s talk about something else.”

“Think I got targeted by the Scavs?” I asked and Hiromi looked away from me instead of answering.

“We can drop it.” I assure her, not bothered in the least. I wasn’t exactly afraid of scavs. Not with how many of them I had already murdered.

“Good. So where are we going?” She finally asked and I just shrugged.

“I’m honestly just driving around enjoying hanging out with my choom.” I told her as I decided to slip onto the freeway towards home.

“You’re such a gonk. I know you don’t want to hit a party so let’s head back to your place. Food and a movie sounds good.”

“Sure! That sounds fun! I can show you what I’ve been messing with in the last couple days!”

“What?”

“Well I decided I wanted to try doing some tech stuff. I want to try making some gadgets for when I’m on a gig. Plus I want to be able to keep my guns ready to go. And maybe mod them out a bit.”

“Huh. Playing Techie huh? Alright cool. You will have to show me what you have so far.”

“Not much. I hit the dump yesterday to find some stuff to take apart.”

“Eww Gross Motoko! If you want Tech stuff just hit up a shop or something.”

“But it’s cheaper to do it myself.”

“But it’s cheaper.” She mocked back at me. “Coming from the girl who just gave a Ripper money when he was planning on chipping you for free.”

“I owed Vik for his services! He is super talented!”

“Okay Motoko. Do you… Like have a crush on the guy or something? Is that your type? You know old?”

“Hiromi!” I screeched, actually feeling my face flush. “I do not have a crush on Vik! He’s old!”

“Yeah I know which is why I’m askin-”

“Nope! We are done with this topic. We are driving home and watching a movie. I do not have a crush on a guy old enough to be my…. Grandfather? I’m not sure exactly how old he is, but he isn’t young.”

“Pfft! Oh man I am going to tell every-one.” She drawled it out slowly as she continued to tease.

“Don’t make me kill you… They will never find the body.” I glared at her, earning a smirk which slowly disappeared as I kept my unblinking stare on her as I drove.

I had wider vision with my Kiroshi, so it was safe.

Hiromi coughed a bit. “Alright, you win.”

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