Chapter 10: Inheriting a legacy, and stealing shit . . .
[Ripper Tavish POV]
Where did it all start . . .
Eleanor peacefully rested after taking the Genetic potion, and I was quietly reading through a rather riveting book.
Suddenly her eyes snap open and she lunges at me, her teeth bared and attempting to tear chunks out of me.
I gave her a pretty solid thump, before tossing her through a portal to hell only jumping through after closing the shop for a bit.
She immediately started whaling on some of the wild demons, dismembering several imps, a brute, a baron of hell, and a score of possessed before finally passing out in a heap.
Don't get me wrong, I was pretty fucking proud of her, but it might be a good idea to spend a month or two helping her control her rage before letting her loose into whatever world I was in at the time.
I saw her eyes slowly open and blink the sleepiness away.
"Morning sunshine. How do you feel?" I ask, pulling a flask of water out of my inventory and handing it to her.
She immediately gulped it all down before groggily looking around.
"Where are we? She croaked, taking the second flask of water.
"Hell. You went on a bit of a rampage and I had to let you loose somewhere you would do relatively little damage." I explain, as she gently tests her new strength.
Pulling a mirror out of my inventory, I gently place it in front of her.
She froze as she examined her new features, brushing her long hair out of her face.
"A little bloody, but overall, I look good." She mused, causing me to grin.
"Well, I'm glad you're happy with it. C'mon, we need to get your rage sorted before we can get to the fun stuff." I inform, proofing a hand for her.
"My rage?" She asked, taking my hand, as I pull her to her feet.
"My initial powers derive from a being known as the Slayer. A hunter of demons. As such, our instincts drive us to hunt demonic entities, supernatural, and gods." I inform gently.
"You tried to attack me when you first awoke, and since I serve as a being that rules over hell, we need your instincts to be reined in so you just hunt the wild demons." I continue, shocking her a bit, allowing silence to fall.
After about ten minutes she spoke up; "Dad, why do you rule over demons yet hunt them?" She asked, argent flickering as she wrestled with the rage she inherited.
"Because I killed the Primeval, inheriting his title. I serve as the restraint for hell across several realities. And that is my charge for keeping his power."
I turn and embrace her; "I'm sorry for passing on this particular burden. I completely forgot about the rage for the untrained mind. You are better off than most, but I should have prepared you more before giving you the potion."
"Don't worry about it, Dad, I asked for this, remember?" She chuckled, hugging me back.
We stood like that for several moments before I broke the hold and reached into my inventory.
"Now then . . ." I start, pulling a shotgun out of my inventory and handing it to Eleanor.
"Let's teach you how to channel that rage." I finish, pointing out a group of possessed, shambling their way across the umbral planes.
"Umm, Dad?" Eleanor questioned, causing me to glance over at her.
"Yes Ellie?" I answer, seeing her trying to hang onto her current frame of mind, as the rage creeped in.
"I've never used a shotgun before." She replied, causing me to laugh sheepishly.
"Sorry, let me show you how to work it properly." I reply, getting an odd sense of satisfaction out of the father daughter moment.
[Cyberdemon Tavish POV]
While the main body was taking care of our daughter, I had taken it upon myself to monitor David.
We hadn't seen him in a bit, so I was a tad worried.
Thankfully, it seems like he went chasing after Lucy like in the original show, so my worries were for naught.
It was a bit odd, manipulating stuff behind the scenes.
And it led me to drag my feet as I wandered towards my next objective.
I wandered through the halls of the Columbarium in North Oak.
The Columbarium was a place where you could rent out a shelve where your loved one could enjoy their eternal rest.
I stopped in front of an alcove and a hologram flashed with a name.
Sasha Yakovleva
"She gave her life doing the right thing."
She had about two minutes of screen time, but she left a hell of an impact on many of cyberpunk's fanbase.
Let's see what she's like.
[Speak with Dead]
A wisp coalesced in front of the alcove glancing at me before forming into a ethereal figure.
"Why have you summoned me?" Her voice listless, as she spoke.
"I was curious if you might be interested in a second lease on life?" I asked watching her eyes snap to me, and focus.
"What kind of corpo bullshit is that." She asked skeptically.
"Nothing corporate about this deal I assure you Ms. Yakovleva. I heard that you were quite the excellent runner, and I'd like to hire you." I reply, causing her to make a face.
"Nothing corporate? That's literally what corporations do. Make contracts." She states sarcastically, causing me to blush sheepishly.
"Bad description. It would be closer to a deal with the devil for resurrection. Except you actually get to keep your new lease on life." I reply, seeing a smile come to her face.
"Alright, I'm listening." Sasha replied, and I laid out the terms before her.
"I need an IT savvy individual to maintain my netrunning ops. There is plenty of work available, with side benefits of pay, multi-dimensional travel, and a 401k. You can drop out of the agreement after a six-month period." I lay out, watching her reaction.
"Hypothetically, what would be needed if I asked you to resurrect my mother as well?" She asked, surprising me.
"Its strictly contingent on if I can find her body, or wherever her soul is residing. Honestly, you're the first person I'm bringing back from the dead, so it's a bit of uncharted territory for me. I'd also have to reverse the neural degradation, which I think I can do." I muse causing her to sink in disappointment before she perks up.
"Wait, what year is it? I paid for two years at the Columbarium." She informed, and I knew what she meant.
"It's 2076 I believe." I reply, and she smiles and points down the aisle.
"Her name is Galina. And she's twenty-four shelves down from mine." She replies.
"Does that mean we have a deal?" I ask holding out a hand, which she takes gingerly.
"Of course Mr.?" She asked
"Tavish Byrne. I am a man of many faces." I reply, walking down to Galina's alcove, Sasha floating along behind me.
[Speak with Dead]
A purpled haired woman coalesced in front of me.
"Before you ask, someone made a deal for your good health." I inform the ghost, sticking a thumb over my shoulder at a teary-eyed Sasha.
"Hey Mom . . ." she choked, her mother tearing up as well.
"Hey little one." She said warmly, quickly embracing her daughter.
[Warning!]
[High tier Necromancer skill in use!]
[Resurrection costs X 1 soul.]
[Are you sure of this transaction?]
[Y/N]
Hitting yes, I supply the required mana and soul from my soul well. The bodies of the mother and daughter gain solid mass as they form into two human beings.
[Cure Disease]
My hand glows gold as I set it on Galina's shoulder, forcing the chemicals out of her body.
A medi-gun servo unfolds from my back and focuses on her while I run scans on her brain, my nano machines, checking all her synapses.
[Lay On Hands]
The remaining brain tissue regenerates, as I check for any other underlying problems.
"Sasha, I've removed the issues, but I recommend weekly check-ups to track her progress." I comment, as she shakily feels up her now solid form.
"What on earth on you?" Galina asked shakily, as they acclimate to being alive.
"Just an observer. By the way, here." I say, tossing a cred chip to Sasha, along with a burner phone.
"That should be enough to get you started again. I recommend acquiring fake ID's. Don't want someone finding out your back from the dead. There is a temporary home attached to the phone." I state, turning to leave.
"I'll be in touch Sasha. Try not to get into too much trouble." I finish, freezing time.
Opening a portal, I step through.
I wait till the portal closes before releasing time once more.
Freezing time like that, allows for a bit of fun optical illusions. This enables me to vanish and reappear from people's perception as I pleased.
Which is why I found myself in Regina's tower.
The turrets around the room ignored me even as I clear my throat.
"Ms. Regina, I'm here for a three o'clock?" I offer causing her to fall out of a chair and grab her gun.
"What did you do to my turrets?" She said warily, taking stock of the room.
"Absolutely nothing. I have a bit of an issue with technology not being able to detect me." I comment watching the turrets swing towards the sound and continue searching for a target.
After she watched me warily for a few minutes, she lowered the pistol.
"Alright then. My next question is why are you seeking me out?" She asked, holstering the gun.
"I'm sure you heard about my last job at Mega building H3?" I ask, watching her blink in surprise.
"That was you? Holy shit, that was brilliantly executed. Props to going above and beyond on getting those people out." She complimented.
"Thank you. Unfortunately, that job leads back to why I sought you out. I no longer wish to work with Wakako unless I must." I reply, causing her to scrutinize me.
"Bad blood?" She asked, causing me to scoff.
"She forced me into a situation where the clients wishes resulted in the body count at the tower. I would have preferred a much cleaner resolution that didn't leave the NCPD searching for me."
"I am quite aware that our line of work isn't exactly legal, but I need someone who will work with me instead of tossing me to the wolves the moment they don't have an answer." I comment, causing her to grimace.
"That's understandable. What makes you think I'd be any better?" she questions, leaning back against a desk.
"You value the cost of a human life more. I know you work with the Mox, and you actively are searching for a cure for cyberpsychosis. I'd rather put my abilities to use for someone like that, rather than someone just looking at the bottom line." I reply, watching her mull over my words.
"You've done your research . . . and you definitely have a lot more of a moral compass than I thought you did." She mused.
"What is a moral compass in Night City? I have yet to find one. So, I always did what felt right after leaving Netwatch." I comment, seeing her perk up.
"Which reminds me, your ripper. Tavish Byrne? I sent someone by today and his shop is closed. Do you happen to know where he might be? I have a couple of clients I'd like to send his way." She commented, her eyes scanning up and down my cybernetic body.
"He's currently out of town with his daughter. But I'd be more than happy to forward people to him." I reply getting a raised eyebrow from Regina.
"I thought you'd be more resilient to the idea, seeing how your personal ripper is seeing other people." She commented and I shrugged.
"A ripper has to make money to stay open. But I also know that I will remain his finest work. I regularly see him for updates for both my hardware and software."
"You're a full cyborg conversion, has that affected your thought processes in anyway?" She asked, causing me to adopt a thinking pose.
"Yes and no. Chemical reactions like desires or lusts are pretty much gone unless I activate a cybernetic for it. But I still view myself a member of the human race. I just have a lot higher iron content than someone with no augments." I quote humorously, causingRegina to laugh.
Thankfully, this was something restricted to my Cyberdemon form, and my lich form. Otherwise, I imagine V would be quite disappointed.
"That's good to hear. Many 'borg's deal with the side effect of viewing themselves as a different species entirely from the rest of the human race." She commented.
"Nah. I have precious little meat left as it is. I might live longer, but I fully anticipate to still be roaming about for at least another hundred years." I reply.
"Overly optimistic, you think? You're choosing a profession that has you dodging bullets and bombs on a consistent basis." She asked, and I waved it off.
"No worries. I might get bored in a decade or two and find something else to do. For now? I'll accept the risks. It would be a shame if I clocked out sooner, but that is how the cookie crumbles." I comment absent mindedly, causing her to clap her hands together.
"Wonderful. I'm usually concerned about working with my 'borg merc's, but you passed with flying colors. I'd love to have you on retainer, Cyber. Do you foresee any issues in our partnership?" She questioned, allowing me to think.
"No. I parted on pretty amiable terms from Netwatch for what it is worth. I didn't burn any bridges with Wakako after that last job, so I think I'm pretty clean outside of the NCPD searching for me." I finish, watching Regina pull out a phone.
"Let's call this a sign on bonus. The NCPD are only looking for an interview, so how about I hook you up with a crime reporter affiliated with them, and we can finally put this to rest." Regina offered, and I bowed formally.
"Thank you, Regina. I will not disappoint." I reply, and she makes a shooing gesture.
"None of that. She's expecting you at Lizzie's Bar in two hours. I have A couple of Mox I want to introduce you to as well, so make sure to clear everything up with the reporter. Otherwise, the meeting with the Mox will be pointless." She said, texting her friend.
"Are the Mox contacts for future jobs.?" I question, causing Regina to grin.
"Right you are. Your awfully smart for your standard merc. You might do good as a fixer yourself." She commented, causing me to chuckle.
"Nah, I'm not built like that Regina. Maybe in another life." I reply, causing her to observe me again.
"Well in that next life, you should consider it, because I think you'd do pretty good for yourself." She commented, and I turned to leave.
"Oh and next time? Could you call ahead? I like you and all, but I'd prefer a heads up when someone is coming to visit." She stated, and I nodded.
"Alright, I'll do that. I just sent you my contact. Hope to hear from you in the future." I reply, fading into nothingness as I figure out what to do for two hours.
[Time Skip]
I approach Lizzy's bar and hear the familiar voice of Rita greet me.
"Hey sugar. Interested in a braindance?" She asked, bouncing her bat off her feet.
"Always. Unfortunately, today is a business trip. How good is the editor here?" I ask, watching Rita light up.
"We have "Punching Judy" here doing all our work. She can cut a virtue like diamonds." She comments fondly.
"I think I've seen some of her work before. I'd love to see her do some none smut stuff. Does she sell any braindance like that?" I ask, seeing Rita shake her head.
"Unfortunately, not, big guy. Sex sells better than just about any other industry, so that's what she works with. She might do custom work, but that would between you and her to negotiate." Rita, informed.
"A true shame that. Ah well, I still have a meeting here, so I'll save that for another day." I comment causing her to chuckle.
"Fair enough. Who are you meeting?" She asked.
"A Felicia Burnand, I believe." I inform, causing Rita to blink.
"You're the Cyberdemon? I expected you to be a lot angrier. And a hell of a lot more violent." She commented.
"I've no reason to be. The Mox are good people, so they won't receive any trouble from me." I reply.
"Hit me up sometime? I'd love to hear how you tore apart that scav haunt." She said cheerfully, as the door slide open.
"I have to warn you Miss. It's a hell of a doozy. Make sure you're up for it." I reply cheerfully.
"The names Rita, Cyber. And I expect you to back it up." She replied, forwarding her contact info.
I do like the fact that regardless of the universe, I always seem to make a friend of Rita.
She's good people.
I walk through the beaded overhangs and start scanning the bar.
Several girls were dancing up on stage, many on-lookers, watching them or observing braindances of their own.
It took a solid minute to spot Felicia in all this mess.
[Felicia Burnand]
Class – Media
Lvl – 198
Thoughts – Nervousness, hope, trepidation.
"Felicia?" I ask causing her to jump.
Her eyes widened as she took me in.
"Y-your chrome looks beautiful." She stutters, causing me to grin.
"Why thank you. My ripper is quite proud of his work, and he will appreciate hearing that." I comment, causing her to blush.
"Shall we take this somewhere private?" She asked, and I gestured.
"Whatever makes you more comfortable. I realize that some people are a tad nervous around full-on cyborgs, so we can take as much time as you need." I reply, causing her to blush harder.
She raised a hand to the barkeep, requesting a room, and led me back to a private room in the back.
"Now, I assume you're the Cyberdemon?" She asked, her nervous demeanor dropping entirely after the door sealed shut.
"Indeed. I wanted to set the facts straight regarding Megabuilding H3. Didn't want to leave any ill will with the NCPD before continuing to do other gigs." I state causing her to nod, and scribble down a note.
"What happened?" She asked, sitting down right next to me.
"I received a gig to rescue an individual related to a local government official. Specifically, the client had stipulated to rescue their daughter, and kill every single person involved."
"Upon rescuing the individual in question. I discovered the sheer number of people involved in the incident. And I questioned my fixer on the contents of the gig. I vaguely remember suggesting that she contact the NCPD before fulfilling the second part of the clients request." I finish, as she jots it down.
"And the Fixer's response?" She questioned.
"I was responsible for solving issues with my own gig. So, I decided to free every person that the scav's were going to butcher, seeing as how the scav's would have killed them."
"How do you justify that response?" She asked, causing me to shrug.
"They were witnesses. The scav's would have cleaned up any loose ends that would have traced the incident back to them. There would have been no other options for them." I reply, looking down at my hands.
She reaches over and grasped my hand within Her's.
"You're probably right. That was probably the best decision you could have made at the time for the people involved." She replied sympathetically.
"Thankfully, that is a good enough response for the NCPD. But . . ." She trailed off, causing me to raise an eyebrow.
"But?" I ask, causing her to blush once more.
"Could I perhaps take a still with you?" She asked, her blush deepening.
"Quite possibly, but I don't think the Mox would appreciate us doing that here." I comment, eliciting a beet red color.
"What? Why?!" She complained, and I gesture around.
"Probably because of the naked dancer's but that's just a guess." I comment off handedly.
[Time Skip]
[Ripper Tavish]
Ability taught!
Indomitable Will! (2/100)
I stop to catch my breath, as Eleanor hefts a chainsaw from the corpse of a doom hunter.
"Alright kiddo. You learned the most integral part of my skills." I comment, wiping the blood off of my face.
"Which is?" She asked, collapsing mere feet away from the demon.
"Indomitable will. It basically designates how much control you have over your mind and actions. Now that you can use it, your mind will only get stronger from here." I reply, pulling a paper bag out of my inventory.
Eleanor was instantly at my shoulder, staring at the bag of food.
"Hey Dad, I am a hell of a lot hungrier since drinking the potion. Why is that?" She asked.
"So, I visited a place called the gourmet world at one point. Basically, the entire world is made out of food. One of the aspects of that world, is gained by eating a certain kind of jellyfish. It induces the production of cell called gourmet cells."
"It increases your strength by astronomical amounts dependent on what you eat." I inform her, handing her a meat pie.
"Can you tell me a bit about it?" she asked, and I adopted a thinking pose.
"A man once described a field of beasts made of marbled meat, designed to melt in your mouth, springs that gush forth refreshing beverages made from juices from the widest variety of melons."
"All of these flavors dance together as bubbles of sweetness." I finish, under Eleanor's rapt attention.
"The description I just gave, doesn't even cover a hundredth of the flavors available in that world." I finish, thinking back to some of my own adventures in the gourmet world.
"It sounds wonderful Dad." She replied, biting into the meat pie hungrily.
"Just ask Ellie. If you want to go somewhere. I will make it happen, within reason." I reply, pulling more food out of my inventory.
"Are there any worlds I should avoid?" She asked, starting on her second meat pie.
"Warhammer 40k. I made a deal with a C'tan for power, and It is probably one of the most brutal universes I'm aware of, but I have to visit it at some point." I inform, watching her munch thoughtfully on her food.
"So, quick confession. I've been messing about on your computer . . ." She starts off, causing me to roll my eyes.
"Something anyone wants to hear. Fine, what is it?" I ask, causing her to stop and think.
"I found a game called Bioshock 2 . . ." She stated, leaving the sentence hanging.
"Ellie, I know you are asking me a question, so just spit it out. I won't be mad." I finish, waiting for her to come to her own conclusions.
"Is everyone from a game of some sort? How do you view the world?" She asked, causing me to grin.
"Sweetheart, I'll tell you. On the condition that you tell no one else." I request causing her to freeze.
After several moments, she squares her jaw, and responds; "I want to know Dad. What are you?
Iris?
[You have permission.]
"Ellie, I am an interdimensional traveler. An entity that can enter fictional worlds and experience them for themselves." I start, causing her eyes to narrow.
"I can acquire power based off places I can visit. And get stronger based off of hundreds of thousands of fictional worlds." I inform, seeing her eyes widen.
"So those stories about me, those stories about Harley, and Ivy . . ." she stated, causing me to nod.
"Are all true in one reality or another." I reply, causing her to settle down and think.
"Who have you told?" She asked, causing me to respond.
"You're the first one sweetheart. You are the first person to get to a point where I trust well enough to know my secret. I've told the others how I can travel to other worlds. But I doubt even Elize or Liz knows to what extent."
"You could do all sorts of things with the information you have, yet you choose to adopt a girl from an underwater city?" She asked, her hair covering her eyes.
"Yup. You should see some of the fanfiction back in my original world regarding the concept. Downright disturbing that." I muse seeing her wipe some tears out of her eyes.
"Thanks Dad." She replied, wrapping her arms around me.
"Honestly kiddo, it's a relief being able to tell someone. I was terrified of telling V, or Ivy for that matter." I admit, wrapping my arms around the girl.
"Really? But you've known them longer than me." She said sniffling a bit.
"Yeah, I have. Doesn't mean that I'm not crap at reading emotions. And how people will react." I muse, rocking back and forth with Elleanor.
"Harry Potter". She stated, causing me to glance down at her in confusion.
"What?" I ask, for clarification.
"That's the universe I want to visit." She replied, hiding her face.
"Sure kiddo. Want to attend Hogwarts together? Or by yourself?" I ask, seeing her jolt in surprise.
"You can attend Hogwarts as a student?" she asked, causing me to shrug.
"Depends on how I'm feeling at the time. For reference, in my first world, I was fourteen years old." I reply, watching her peer up at me.
"What world was it?" She questioned.
"Attack on Titan. You can probably look up the manga or the anime." I state, shrugging.
"Does that mean I should read up on various fictional stories?" She asked, hunkering down into my arms, staring out over the umbral planes.
"It would help, but it's not necessary. I forget so much crap, that it ends up being a pleasant surprise when I discover it in a world I'm visiting." I muse, watching her eyes light up in wonder.
"But I do have to wonder . . . Hogwarts school of child endangerment. . . why that place?" I ask, watching her puff out her cheeks a bit.
"Because that's not what its called Dad . . ." she said in exasperation.
My "very witty" retort was interrupted by the earth shaking, a Titan making its presence known.
"Must have been attracted by the smell of blood." I comment, standing up and dusting the dirt off my pants.
"I do want to finish this conversation, Dad." She replied scrambling to her feet.
"That's fine. Honestly have nothing against going to that place. Just wanted to hear your logic behind it." I return, observing the Titan eating up the miles as he ran towards us.
"Alright then. How are you going to deal with this one?" She asked, hefting a rocket launcher that she scavenged from one of the demons.
"I was thinking on cutting loose a bit. Unfortunately, you need a pretty special blade to permanently kill these guys." I inform, clenching my fists as I decide the best method.
"Let me phrase it this way then, if you were stuck at my size, how would you take care of it?" She questioned, causing me to grin.
"Heavy ordinance and fire power. You need to rend your way through its flesh, until it collapses to your level. Then you finish it off by driving a crucible blade through it heart, and breaking off the blade in there so he can't come back." I reply, walking towards the charging demon.
"But my giant form? It was designed to combat Titans." I finish, activating the perk.
[Atlan]
In a flash of light, my Atlan charged towards to demon, looping under the swinging arms and grabbing a hold of the demon by its horns.
Using the momentum, I flip the demon on it back, yanking my pole arm from my back in the same movement.
I slam the blade through his heart, pinning him to the floor, watching him struggle and writhe.
Snapping off the blade, I walk back towards Eleanor, letting the form slowly fade.
"And at what point do I develop that particular power?" She asked, sarcastically as I scratch my head sheepishly.
"You have to kill a crap ton to get there. You have probably noticed how you get slightly stronger after every kill?" I asked, causing her to nod.
"That's your soul well filling up. Every time you kill an enemy, you can harvest and sacrifice the soul to gain some pretty amazing powers." I add, causing her eyes to widen.
"Most of it is tailored to fighting demons, but just as many can be used against other opponents as well." I finish shrugging.
"It might be better to give me a comprehensive list of these powers Dad. The list is getting quite extensive . . ." She sighed, and I grin.
"And just think, we haven't even made it to the spatial manipulation." I add in, hearing a groan of exasperation.
[Time Skip]
[Monk Tavish]
I sat floating in front of the Shambali alter gently floating in a meditative pose.
Finally managed to figure out how Zenyatta managed to float from place to place like this.
He basically allotted a portion of omnic energy that fed into the ability, making it so it was always on.
Now that I had a decent grasp of it, I could accomplish one more thing.
Drawing in a mass of pure omnic energy, my hands slam together my words taking on an echo that hung in the air, as I release the energy outward.
"The Iris Embraces You!"
New Ability unlocked!
[Transcendence] (Epic) (1/100)
Through proper regulation of pure omnic energy and releasing it in a burst, you have found a way to heal your surroundings, granting an invincibility that lasts 8 seconds. The healing and protection can be improved with training and better regulation of energy.
I hear a gasp behind me, and I turned to see Tray and one of the new initiates of the monastery.
"Abbot! What is this?" He exclaimed, while the other one just stared in awe.
"A bit of enlightenment on my part. It possesses the added benefit of healing those around me." I reply, releasing the transcendence and setting my feet on the floor.
"And who is this you have brought with you?" I ask, kicking my staff up from the floor.
"This is Quinn. He recently joined up. Quinn this is the Abbot . . ." he trailed off, and I see a lightbulb ignite.
"Abbot, it's a tad embarrassing, but I don't think I've ever got your name before . . ." He said sheepishly.
"Do not worry Tray, I've had so many names over the years that I've lost my initial sense of attachment to them. However, in this instance, my name is Mondatta." I inform, quietly stealing the omnic monk's name for this persona.
"Mondatta? What kind of name is that?" Quinn spoke up, shocking Tray.
"I simply took a Shambali name when I decided to walk this path. It was simply, my choice to make." I reply, tapping my staff against the floor.
"That reminds me. There is a lady outside wanting to speak with you. Something about wanting to understand your type of mysticism. I tried to turn her away, but she insisted." Tray commented, his lip curling in disgust.
"Tray, what is the Iris?" I ask, watching his expression immediately change.
"The inclusion of everything, be it man or metal, and how they unite within the Iris." He immediately responded.
"Don't distain those with curiosity, because we still leave our doors open to them." I gently remind, causing him to bow.
"I'm sorry, abbot. I'll keep that in mind." He replied sheepishly.
"Don't be sorry. Just keep an open mind. I'm just a teacher to show you a path that has helped me." I reply, making my way towards the door.
"Do you know why I like Buddha's Tray?" I asked, watching him to shake his head.
"There have been hundreds of people like Siddhartha Gautama. But what makes him so special, is that unlike others who achieved their own enlightenment, he was one of the few that stuck around long enough to pass on what worked for him." I answered as I push open our gates.
"There are thousands of roads on this path we call life, and he took the time to help others to follow his path. Yet all these paths are options. And people our free to take whatever options work for them. That's what's so special about the sentient beings that walk this earth. They can make that choice and follow that path. All I can do, is offer them an option." I finish, seeing I had his full focus.
"That was beautiful Abbot." A new voice joined us, and I turned to lay eyes on the visitor.
[Misty Olszewski]
Lvl – 56
Thoughts – Intrigue
"Why thank you Miss. I believe you're the young lady who runs that little shop , Misty's Esoterica?" I ask, watching her light up.
"Have you visited it before? I'm sorry, I don't seem to remember your face." She commented and I shrug.
"I've seen it in passing while out on my daily walks. My name is Mondatta, the abbot of this Shambali monastery, and how can I help you today Ms. Misty?" I question, drawing a small laugh.
"Just Misty is fine Abbot, but I was wondering if you could tell me a bit about your monastery, I've always had a fascination with different faiths, but the other monks were not too accommodating." She replied, causing me to chortle.
"Indeed they are not. Could I interest you in some tea for this? I anticipate this being quite a lengthy discussion."
"Of course Abbot, I would love some." She returned warmly, and we made our way inside.
[Time Skip]
[Cyberdemon Tavish]
After my arbitrary side quest, I started a personal quest from the Monk.
The Voodoo boys really needed to chill the fuck out. I 've barley been here a few months and they've tried to assault the data fortress at the monastery no less than six times.
I don't know if they saw some sort of benefit to taking over a monastery of cybernetic monks, but regardless, I need them to stop fucking with my shit.
My irritation level was significant enough, that I left to do a more enjoyable activity while
I figured out what to do with them.
Thus, when I found out the Ebunike was in town, I quite happily made a beeline for the cargo ship.
[Is there a reason you must rob Adam Smasher again?]
[Don't get me wrong, I'm supportive of your kleptomania, but I am curious.]
Well he's a massive asshole . . .
[Fair . . .]
But I also want another Malorian Arms 3516. Plus, I had to give up Johnny's car when I resurrected his stupid ass.
[And?]
I wanted to tweak the stupid fuck's nose.
[Ah.]
Popping open the door to his personal quarters, I start grabbing shit.
[BA Xing Chong] (Iconic)
A Smart Shotgun that possesses the unique product of having explosive tipped rounds on each smart projectile.
Huh.
I forgot that smart weapons were a massive part of this universe.
Checking amongst my cybernetics, I discovered my distinct lack of a smart link or a ballistic coprocessor.
I didn't really require them due to my use of unorthodox weaponry last time, but it could be useful.
I grab several turrets, some HMG's, and all sorts of weapons and trophies Adam had collected over the years.
When I come across the body in the case, I get the vivid imagery of Adam coming home from a long day's work, and hanging up his "work suit" for the night, and just sitting at his desk wearing bunny slippers.
Does he have a skeletal frame underneath all that mass?
Is this the cyberpunk equivalent of wearing a muscle suit?
I finished looting his room and moved onto the ship properly to steal the cargo containers.
After recovering Johnny's Porsche, I started my luxurious browse of the rest of the containers.
Many more cars were recovered, along with plenty of cyberware sets. I even found parts to some sort of cyber tank.
It made me glad of my lack of inventory restraints, as I just gleefully stole everything that wasn't nailed down.
When my rampage was over, every cargo container was empty, and not a single thing of value was left on that ship.
[Do you feel satisfied with yourself?]
A bit, yeah.
[ . . . .]
[You know,]
[It would be a shame to leave the ship behind . . .]
I froze, and mulled over Iris's proposal.
It really would . . .
[Time Skip]
[Ripper Tavish POV]
"Breaking news!"
"The cargo ship, "The Ebunike", vanished from dock late last night."
"Security at the dock was notoriously tight, and in the space of a five-minute shift change, the entire ship vanished from the dock."
"Arasaka executives have informed us of the failure in their tracking devices, and thus, deployed teams to investigate the disappearance.
"This includes the legendary Adam Smasher, who was seen expressing his frustration at the local security failing to catch the massive theft."
I grin, watching Adam throw a Maelstromer through a cargo container.
We came back from hell, with Ellie immediately passing out. Deciding to check in on the news, I discovered this little gem.
After getting her to sleep, a new achievement and a perk appeared the moment I sat down.
[New Achievement!]
[Legacy] (Epic)
You have continued your line through reproduction, adoption, or some other means.
Reward: Perk: Game Master
[Game Master] (Common) (1/100)
You've been granted the ability to design and create Instant Dungeon's for people to live and train in. The Gamer cannot acquire rewards offered by training dungeons they design. Currently, you can only create common dungeons.
Activating the perk for the first time, a small wooden door appears in the center of the room.
Walking over, I open it and step in to reveal a totally white room.
It seemed a tad bit different than the ID's I used to create. I haven't created one in years, but I'm pretty sure they don't look like this.
Maybe . . .
An idea started forming, so I started speaking aloud.
"You find yourself in the keep of a castle . . ." I begin to describe and cobble stone walls started forming around me as the room took shape.
Ok, that's really fucking cool.
"The local villagers have hired you to investigate strange occurrences that seem to originate from here. Strange howls could be heard periodically as shadows flicker through the windows, leaving one to wonder, just what was going on at the mysterious castle.
The halls took on a more haunted look, as windows up high showed the dark storm clouds overhead, lighting periodically flickering.
"The decrepit castle had a damp feel to it thanks to its years of abandonment, but you could still see recent signs of the creatures that now prowl its halls."
[Mystery Dungeon Created!]
[Canine Keep]
[Estimated Req LVL – 45]
I imagine this is a way to baby gate certain worlds and types of training in a controlled environment.
Once Eleanor wakes up, I can see if she's interested in trying it out.
I step out and the door vanishes behind me, my mind buzzing with different idea's and concepts.
The TV switched to and alert symbol and showed a view of the street as a bunch of Maelstromers pulled up.
Fuck, I knew they were too quiet since I taught them that lesson.
Circular Gallifreyan, spun into existence around my hands as I threw up a localized silencing rune.
Didn't need to disturb Eleanor with this.
Or Gloria for that matter.
Glancing back up at the monitor, my eyes bug at the shaped charge they are about to fire into the door.
Activating the other camera's, I calculate trajectories, and reach around my desk and hit a button.
[Void Shielding activated!]
Sealing the door, I open a portal to a nearby roof top.
Hopping down into an ally, I come out behind the gangers, as they prepare for a firefight once the smoke clears.
Pulling a grenade out of my inventory, I pull the pin and toss the grenade in the window of the vehicle.
Walking by a second ganger, I grab him by the scruff, a hard light pickaxe forming in my hand.
Slamming the pick through his gut, I nail him to the wall, his screams attracting the attention of his friends.
Up until the grenade exploded.
The truck sent shrapnel through another three gangers.
Drawing the Malorian from within my jacket, I start picking off the remainder in short order.
I finish it by shooting the guy I had pinned to the wall.
Sighing in exasperation, I reach out to the surroundings with my mind to see if anyone saw that.
Coming back negative, I release a swarm of nanomachines that erase the evidence of the battle.
I jolt when I feel a new mind enter the area, and after a few minutes, I see David walking down the street towards me.
Pulling out a stick of purity, I ignite the cigarette just as he finished approaching.
"Hey Doc, can I talk to you about cyberware?" He asked, as I blow out a puff of smoke.
"Sure, what do you want to know?" I reply, leading him back to the shop, mentally deactivating the shielding.
"What is the limit?" He asked as the door slid open.
"Depends on the person. A person with a strong sense of self can install plenty of cyberware without experiencing any ill effects."
"Most people have a hard limit for what their body can sustain, and that is determined by genetics, body structure, and overall physical capability.
"Sometimes you can sidestep that requirement if you do a full 'borg conversion. But a competent ripper is required for the procedure, as well as months of neurological, and physical therapy, not to mention the monthly psychological checks required." I finish my initial explanation.
"What about simple body part replacement? What if I needed to replace my lungs? Or my liver?" He asked, and I turned a curious eye on him out of curiosity.
"Basic replacements are a one for one swap. Its when you start adding organs that improve functions so your run more "efficiently", that you start running risks with cyberpsychosis.
"It all boils down to recognizing yourself as "human" and making the distinction that your cyberware just gives you an edge over your fellow humans." I add, pulling up a diagram of a Mizutani Shion and a Quadra Avenger.
"Think of your body as the Shion for a bit. You mod the car itself, installing parts and pieces from other brands and manufacturers to get the best performance."
"Eventually you upgrade to the newer model, looking more and more like the Quadra, but what's the fundamental thing that ties the two vehicles together?" I ask, watching him think it over.
"They are both cars?" He replied, and I nod.
"Yup! Both take Choo2 to run, they need maintenance, care, and periods of rest."
"What's with the sudden interest? Looking over my job offer again?" I question, watching him sheepishly nod.
"I got a source of income, but they recommended I get a semi-consistent job in the meantime." He said, averting his eyes from mine.
"Oh! You got an offer from an Edgerunner crew? Nice!" I reply, handing him an authentication shard as he looks at me in surprise.
"I expect you to work hard David. If you're working under me, chances are you might have to do some of these medical shenanigans yourself." I comment Dragging a flustered David behind me towards a stack of info shards.
[Time Skip]
Who knew David was such a physical learner.
I threw him into my library of data shards to expand his knowledge, only for him to get distracted before too long.
So I resulted in more drastic measures to get him more learned in my profession.
And if that meant strapping a scav to a table and performing surgery on him, so be it.
"This is the heart, David. I have a six-year-old that needs it across the city. How Soon do I need to put it on ice?" I ask, as I gradually ask him hypotheticals and demonstrate various surgeries."
"Immediately. After that, the heart is artificially stimulated to keep it functioning." He said dutifully, looking a little queasy from my brazen surgery.
"Good stuff. Granted, I don't expect you to do any surgical work for a long while yet. But I need you to be able to make the correct distinctions for operating as an assistant." I added, watching him relax a bit.
"Hey Dad! Someone out front is asking for David!" I hear Eleanor call out.
"You better go take that. I'll finish up with our patient here." I address David, slowly piecing the man back together.
"Alright. What was that guy in here for anyway?" He asked, and I point at a tumor I had removed earlier.
"Cancer. I suspect he lives somewhere radioactive because this is the fifth time, he's had a tumor removed. Now go on and see who came." I lie gruffly.
The moment David left through the door, I open a portal and a skitarii walks through and scoops up the body and walks back through to deposit the body in a conversion vat.
The Scav's served as an excellent source of parts for skitarii, but I have a feeling David wouldn't appreciate my recycling measures.
At least, not at the moment.
An alert pings informing me that Gloria just woke up, so I cleaned up and made my way towards her room.
The door slides open and I can see her blearily looking around.
Welcome back to the realm of the living Ms. Martinez. I'm Dr. Byrne, and I've been your caretaker since the accident." I inform causing her eyes to snap to me.
She tries to speak, only for a strange hiss to come out.
Walking over to the sink, I pour her a glass of water, and bring it to her to slowly drink.
"David?" She croaked, and I waved her worries away.
"Ah he's fine. Got himself a few jobs, sold the cyberware he found to pay for your medical. He just left." I reply, causing her to breathe a sigh of relief.
"I assume you're a black-market doc considering how you didn't bat an eye at the cyberware." She asked, laying back onto the bed.
"Yup. David's actually going to be working for me for a bit while he's in-between jobs." I inform, checking her vitals and ensuring she won't tap out on me.
"Jobs? What about school?" She protested.
"Well, instead of going into debt, or not being able to pay for an apartment, and to fund the medical bills. I believe he left after punching out the executive's son. Kid took an apprentice under me and is doing Edgerunning on the side." I finish, watching her eyes go wide.
We sat in silence for a bit as I continued monitoring her vitals.
"I didn't want this life for him . . ." She started, drawing my attention back to him.
"Life rarely gives us the luxury of choice. As parents we always want what's best for our children."
"But children are willful and will often do stuff we can't account for. All we can do is support them as best we can."
"And honestly, could you picture David in a suit managing an Arasaka portfolio?" I ask, watching her avert her eyes.
"He got good enough grades, so I hoped. . ." she trailed off for a bit.
"Is he good at it? Edgerunning, I mean." She asked, causing me to raise an eyebrow.
"I imagine so seeing as how Maine wants to keep him. He's also been working for me, but we have to see how that will turn out." I reply, causing her to nod.
"Regardless, you should rest up. David will be happy to see that your awake tomorrow." I reply, standing up.
"How much longer do I have to be here?" She asked, trying to sit up.
"I want to keep you here at least another week, before I release you into David's care. You can barely stand by yourself, so lets see how quick you are to heal." I reply, seeing her wince in pain.
"How much is that going to cost?" She griped and I grinned.
"I did say that David paid with the cyberware didn't I?" I replied, reaching into the medicine cabinet.
"Need some anesthesia?" I offer seeing a nod of defeat.
"Don't worry Ms. Martinez, you're in good hands." I assure, as I administer the pain killer, drawing a sigh of relief from her.
I stick around until she nods off before exiting the room.
Pulling out my phone, I send a quick text to David informing him of his mother's improvement.
Walking out to the front, I see Eleanor leaning against the counter.
"So that guy is the protagonist of this world?" she asked as I observed her.
She had grown a few inches and put on a bit of muscle, and a slight splash of freckles had appeared on her nose.
"Yeah." I reply, walking over to the coffee maker, and started making a pot.
"How will you maintain the balancing act so he grows as he's supposed to?" She asked, and I smile back.
"Well, I believe I've laid a solid enough framework, I just need to sit back and let some things happen." I add, watching the coffee percolate.
"How would you deal with the hypothetical butterfly effect?" She questioned, leaning back.
"That's the fun of it all Eleanor. Even with the capability to find out ahead of time, I'm not going to."
"It's something I look forward to in every world I visit. I change a thing or two and the story changes in ways I can't possibly predict." I finish, as Eleanor tilts her head in thought.
"How was this story supposed to end?" she voiced, and I smiled sadly.
"Bittersweet." I simply state.
[Omake: Movie Night]
[3rd Person POV]
Tavish sat on a couch next to Trayzn and the Emperor, munching on a bag of popcorn.
"What's this movie again?" The Emperor asked, summoning his can of soda into his hand.
"Raider's of the Lost Ark. Its about an archeologist and his adventures." Tavish informs around a mouthful of popcorn.
"An archeologist? How is his adventures in anyway interesting?" The Emperor replied absentmindedly.
"Maybe if you shut up, and watched the movie, you'd see why . . ." Trayzn commented, hyper focused on the TV.
"Look I'm just saying, Space Balls would have been the better pick." The Emperor griped.
"Hey, we all agreed to the movie schedule. And tonight, it was Trayzn's pick. You bring this up every movie night." Tavish sniped back, defending the choice.
"You're one to talk. Don't think I didn't see that copy of "The Greatest Showman", or "John Wick." The Emperor shot back.
Sounds of gunshots from the TV distracted the two beings to watch the fight in the desert.
The three watched the fight through the market end with Indie shooting the swordsman.
"Why'd that idiot leap out with the sword? Surly he could have gotten away with a lot less flourishing?" The Emperor questioned.
"Harrison Ford had food poisoning that day. That entire scene was "supposed" to be a massive sword fight, but he improvised with the gun, and they just rolled with it." Tavish replied, drawing a look of surprise from the Emperor.
"No shit?" He commented, before Trayzn glared at the two.
"Would you two shut up! I'm trying to enjoy the damn movie! God fucking dammit!" The necron ranted, waving his hands and freezing the two entities in time.
He settled back down grumbling, and with his distraction removed, he enjoyed the rest of his movie.