Flashback 24: Wrong_City_Wrong_people.bd

V is standing still, on the marble floor of the huge server room in the depths of the Arasaka Tower. He wears a cut and torn blue Aldecaldo leather jacket, under which a small glimpse of black shirt with the Samurai logo can be seen.

Panam stands on his left, covered in bruises and blood, barely holding her huge sniper rifle, as she tries to catch her breath.

In front of them lies, kneeling, a metal torso moving its head in small jerks, without an arm, cut off at shoulder level, where there is now only a strip of red-hot metal. The cyborg lifts his head, revealing a cut in his metallic skull at the level of his left temple, where his pulsing brain tries to get out, freeing itself from the tangle of wires that keeps it trapped in the skull box.

V: Adam Smasher.

Adam Smasher: Is this… pain?! I forgot the feeling.

V: You killed a good man today. 

V gets closer to Smasher.

V: Gonna let you in on a little secret. Johnny? He is here with us. He can't talk, but I can feel him under my skin.

Adam Smasher: The fuck are you talking about?!

V: In the end. Silverhand triumph.

V raises Johnny's Mallorian, and shoots Adam Smasher in the head, shattering him into a thousand pieces. His metal body falls to the ground in a pile of components and sheets of metal.

Alt (Holo): The path to the core lies open, but we don't have much time.

V begins to limp toward the huge black metal door at the end of the room, which disappears between the thousands of interferences caused by Relic.

Panam: You don't look too strong.

V bounces off the hallway walls, toward the light emanating from the LEDs around the sliding door, while Panam follows worriedly.

V: I'll make it.

The sliding doors open, revealing a dark room, lit red by a metal monolith descending from the ceiling, filled with cables and lights. A walkway suspended above a pool that emits blue light connects the door to the monolith.

Alt (Holo): The access point lies before you. Link to it, insert yourself, then search for me on the other side.

V begins to cross the catwalk toward the monolith, only to fall to the ground. Panam helps him.

Panam: Come on, lean on me.

V: I can do this…

V throws himself against the monolith, pressing his face against the huge red glass panel as the heat from the thousand circuits in it warms his face.

V pulls a long cable from the monolith's connection interface and plugs it onto the port at the base of his skull, then drops to the floor as Panam stares at him worriedly. 

V turns on his side, dipping into the pool at the base of the walkway. Panam's face disappears, covered by a thousand of red windows, as his system interfaces with the Mikoshi. V slowly closes his eyes as he sinks to the base of the pool.

V opens his eyes: in front of him is a pyramid of light, made of blue cubes projecting a yellow beam of light toward the sky, shrouded in complete darkness. V slowly begins to walk towards it.

Alt: Let us go then, you and I. When the evening is spread out against the sky.

Alt's voice continues to echo in the darkness while V keeps walking toward the yellow light.

Alt: Like a patient etherized upon a table. Let us go, through certain half-deserted streets. The muttering retreats. Of restless nights in one-night cheap hotels. And sawdust restaurants and oyster-shells. Streets that follow like a tedious argument of insidious intent. To lead you to an overwhelming question… Oh, do not ask "What is it". Let us go and make our visit.

V finally gets to the source of the yellow light, where a figure in red peers at the base of the beam.

V gets near Johnny, full of joy, grabbing his shoulder, he turns around.

V: It worked! I'm gonna fuckin' live!

Johnny suddenly turns, crossing his arms.

Johnny: Gotta admit, you cobbled together a good plan.

V: Been my course and my nightmare Johnny, but I do owe you one thing… Day by day with Silverhand by my side, I learned to kick down barriers. Now nothing can hold me back. I can feel it.

Johnny stops staring at V for a moment.

Johnny: Is that so? Meanin' you've made a decision about us?

Johnny walks away from V, sitting on the couch of an American diner stall, which has materialized near them.

V sits down too, excited.

V: Want a word with Alt. Where is the wench?

Johnny shakes his head.

Johnny: Haven't caught on yet, have ya?

V: What? Waddaya mean?

Johnny reclines on the sofa, resting his legs on the table.

Johnny: Alt's already split us. Once you jacked into Mikoshi, she lit you up with Soulkiller. 

V: Your output don't fuck around.

Suddenly, a giant floating woman appears to Johnny's left.

Alt: I'm not his girlfriend.

V turns to Alt, pleased.

V: Hey Alt. So seein' as we seem to have the soul splittin' outta the way, what's next?

Alt: I'm currently verifying the checksum and eliminating engram copy errors in the process.

V: Wait… you mean… Am I a construct?

Johnny: She means you followed my footsteps. Next step's to copy you into a gonk's brain.

V: So that's really it. We're done. You kept your word.

Alt: There is one aspect I failed to take into account. 

Johnny turns to Alt, surprised.

Johnny: What?!

Alt: The body is a key factor in this transaction. DNA reconfiguration by the Relic has gone too far. Added to aggressive, invasive medication, the body's immune system attacking its own neurons…

V: CHRIST! Will you just skip to the end?!

Alt: After I transfer your construct into your body you'll die. It's inevitable. It's imminent.

V begins to move his eyes left to right, looking for a way out from under the weight of Alt's words.

V: This.. This can't be. Are you absolutely sure?! Check again!

Alt: You shall live for about six months. Perhaps more.

V begins to shake his head as Johnny lowers his, hurt.

V: No, no, no…

V begins to stare alternately at Johnny and Alt, increasingly panicking.

V: There must be something… Something we haven't thought of!

Alt: Your body will see you as an intruder.

V slams his fists on the table made of pixels, causing no sound.

V: BUT IT'S MY BODY!

Alt: The nanochip's nanite have altered it permanently. Now it's Johnny's body.

Johnny: Alt. Give us a minute. V and I neet to talk.

V gets up from the table as everything around him becomes dark.

V: I ca… can't believe it. Everything… We all did… It was pointless. I've had enough of this. Of everything. 

V looks up, there is Johnny in front of him, sitting in a chair.

V: You most of all.

Johnny: Good, 'cause we are sticking to the plan. I'm goin' with Alt. Fuck's knows where, you're keeping your body.

V stares at Johnny, defeated and exhausted.

V: Where's she even gonna take you?

Johnny: Beyond the Blackwall to become part of her. Whatever the hell that means. 

V: Is there really no other way?

Alt appears next to Johnny, again.

Alt: As I said. Johnny can retain the body, while you come with me.

V lowers his eyes, full of sadness.

V: Guess I meant, dunno… a happier ending for everyone involved.

Johnny: Here? For folks like us? Wrong city. Wrong people.

Alt multiplies all around V, as if reflected by a thousand mirrors.

Alt: This bridge leads deeper into cyberspace. Cross it and permanently sever the connection with your body. Choose the mortal well, if you desire to get back to your body.

V stares at Johnny without speaking, for what seems like an interminable time, then finally speaks to him.

V: Told you… I said I wanted you to have my body… But… I can't do it. I'm sorry.

Everything dematerializes around V, including Alt and Jonny. A walkway appears in front of V with a well at the end, where Johnny is leaning against. V leans on the edge of the well, staring at Johnny with immense sorrow; he does not return her gaze.

V sinks into the pile of pixels inside the well, as an intense cold runs through his body. Johnny lays his hand on his shoulder, as if to relieve him of an enormous weight.

Johnny: Goodbye, V. And never stop fightin'.

Jonny's face melts into a pile of pixels, as V goes through a tunnel of blue lights that, eventually, goes out in a blinding flash.