Chapter 27: Checksum_Error.rlf

Panam rests both hands on the left side of the elevator, lowering his head, trying to breathe. V leans on the wall behind Panam, covering his face with both hands and slowly sliding to the floor.

After a while V takes his hands from his face and begins to chuckle, louder and louder, until he bursts into almost maniacal laughter.

Panam: Vincent…What happens now?

V: Oh Panam…

Panam opens her right hand and finds the Shard that Faith gave her. She moves away from the elevator wall and approaches the button panel, selecting the basement. Panam then turns to V, who is still lying on the floor.

Panam: Aren't you curious?

V: Actually? No…No.

Panam lowers her head, closing her eyes, hurt. After an endless wait, the elevator doors open and she steps out, V slowly gets up and follows her.

Both find themselves in a circular basement with a tall ceiling, on the walls are a series of metal doors at least three stories high, in front of which are giant platforms leading to the surface from which sand, carried by the wind, comes in.

After walking for a while, V and Panam find the door marked as B1. Panam walks over to the control panel and plugs the Shard into the slot, the giant door begins to make metallic noises and slowly begins to open, hitting them both with a cloud of dust.

Panam: Shit, Vincent. LOOK!

The room is filled to the ceiling with metal boxes, weapons and all kinds of supplies. Panam smiles in bewilderment as Vincent lowers his eyes.

Suddenly Cassidy and Carol come running from the ramp. Panam turns around smiling, overjoyed.

Cassidy: Panam! How...How are you dressed?!

Cassidy hugs Panam, relieved, while Carol smiles.

Panam: It's a long story, Cass.

Cassidy: You… You look great. Like an angel.

Panam caresses Cassidy's face and smiles at him. Then he turns to Carol, moved.

Panam: Thanks. To all of you. I'll never forget it.

V: How did you find us?!

Carol: We were wandering through the hallways when suddenly this guy with a katana appeared out of nowhere. Cassidy drew his guns at him and he pointed us to the exit…Must have scared the shit out of him.

V rolls his eyes, laughing.

V: Yeah, sure.

V suddenly sees a man coming down the ramp, shields his eyes from the sun with his arm, then runs at him.

V: Mitch…MITCH!

V comes within a few steps of Mitch, he freezes and looks at him shocked and with tears in his eyes.

Mitch: V…

Mitch covers the last steps that separate him from V and hugs him with all the strength he has. He does the same.

Mitch: Son of a bitch. It's good to fucking see you again.

V: Same here. You don't know how much…You don't know how much. How the hell did you get here?!

Mitch stops hugging V and smiles at him.

Mitch: They gave me a ride.

Mitch runs to Panam and the others, stops for a few moments to look at her and then hugs her.

Mitch: Damn Panam, you look amazing! What did you find in there?! I want some of it too!

Panam: We've been to the doctor's office, Mitch.

Panam points to the warehouse behind her, smiling.

Panam: And they gave us candy, too!

Mitch: Holy shit…

Garrison: Hey, asshole!

V suddenly turns and sees Garrison standing on the ramp, arms crossed.

Garrison: Good to see you. Finally looking like something that doesn't resemble like a fuckin' living dead.

V smiles, then walks up to Garrison.

V: How are the others doin'?

Garrison: We hid, as Panam said. A couple of Militech patrols arrived, but we buried them under a storm of bullets. Everyone is fine, including the children.

V: Happy to hear that, Garry.

Garrison lowers his head, thoughtful.

Garrison: Uhm, V…I never said thank you for Panam. Maybe I...But you have to understand that Bob, fuck...he...

V suddenly hugs Garrison, stopping him.

V: Your brother died to save my life and all this without even knowing me, we just had a beer together and nothing more. Bob is more than a hero and I will never forget him.

V lets Garrison go and sees him moved. After a short time, V takes off the Aldecaldo jacket while he remains petrified.

V: I didn't have time to delve into the rules. I was too busy dying. You saved the whole clan, so I think it's only fair that you have it.

V puts the jacket in Garrison's hands then pats him on the shoulder, smiling at him. V then walks toward the blinding sunlight at the far end of the ramp, leaving the building and getting into the desert.

V arrives at the top of the ramp, barefoot and shirtless and slowly begins to walk on the sand, in surreal silence, feeling only the wind and the sand on his face.

Behind him is the Biotechnica building, completely engulfed in flames that release small flakes of burnt ash into the air. One of these lands inside V's hand. He closes it, making the flake disappear. V walks a few more steps, observing the valley below him, covered as far as the eye can see with corpses of Militech and Arasaka soldiers along with helicopters and other vehicles completely enveloped in flames.

V remains frozen, horrified but with a straight expression while the Aldecaldos come running up behind him with Panam ahead of them.

Panam: Vincent? What are you doing?!

V: Did you guys do this?!

Mitch: No V, they did it themselves.

V slowly turns and stares at them, sad.

V: No...That's not true. It's not true.

Cassidy stares at V, angry.

Cassidy: Kid, the hell are you talking about, huh?!

Panam suddenly turns around, worried.

Panam: All right enough, I will talk to him.

Mitch: But Panam…

Panam: FUCK MITCH, I SAID I WILL TALK TO HIM! You guys go…

The others slowly begin to leave as they stare at V. Panam instead slowly walks near him.

Panam: Vincent…

V remains still, watching the view below him as Panam puts a hand on his face.

Panam: Vincent don't you understand?! This is it! You...You're okay...It's our happy ending…

V remains silent, without looking at her.

Panam: VINCENT, GODDAMNIT! With the stuff we found here we will be free! We will be able to go wherever we want!

Finally, V turns toward Panam.

V: As with the Arasaka stuff? Where are we going to go, Panam?! Mexico? On the Moon? Where?

Panam lowers her eyes, grieving. 

V: Look down there, look... First Night City, now this. Was it worth it?

Panam suddenly opens his eyes and begins to scream as her words echo through the valley.

Panam: I DON'T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT THOSE PIGS, VINCENT! THEY WILL ALWAYS HAVE A REASON TO JUMP ON EACH OTHER'S NECKS…ALWAYS! We don't have a fucking thing to do with it.

V: BULLSHIT, PANAM! WE STARTED A FUCKING WORLD WAR! And we only have ourselves to blame…only ourselves. Because we're two selfish fuckers.

V pulls the Malorian from the back of his pants, looking at his reflection on it. He slowly lets it go, dropping it on the sand, while Panam watches him, trembling, looking alternatively between him and the gun.

V: It's over, Panam.

Panam's eyes widen and she begins to gasp, then slowly extends his left hand toward V.

Panam: Vincent…

Panam's shock suddenly turns into pure rage. She violently grabs V and starts hitting him repeatedly in the face until his nose bleeds.

Panam: SON OF A BITCH! YOU BASTARD! AFTER EVERYTHING I'VE DONE FOR YOU…AFTER ALL THAT I HAVE SACRIFICED...IS THIS HOW IT ENDS?! WITH A DISGUSTED JUDGMENT?!

V: You can either make me spit out all my teeth or kill me, I don't care. However, look me in the eyes and answer truthfully…Would you ever have pulled a gun on a kid before you met me?

Panam slowly lowers her head and lets him go.

Panam: You don't know shit about me…

V gets emotional, almost teary.

V: But that's not true Panam, I remember everything about you. I remember your expression when you spoke to me on the tower and the fear you felt the night before the assault on the Arasaka. I remember the way you smiled, lifting your lip slightly when we found your Torton. And I also remember how excited you were as we tried the Basilisk. I took the only person I ever cared for in that shit town and emptied you of everything. EVERYTHING…What's left of Panam Palmer? Tell me.

Panam closes her eyes, in pain and looks away.

V: Johnny was right. The only possible fate for the two of us is to see the other one die…Only now I do understand what it means.

Panam slowly removes her robe, devastated, letting it go to the sand, remaining almost shirtless. Wearing only what remains of a bra, cut and scorched.

Panam: Johnny…Yorinobu…Do you know who is the only one who told it like it was? Your friend... The one from Militech. You are just a mercenary V, just that.

Panam slowly turns, his back to V, and walks toward the ramp.

Panam: And nothing more…

V: I LIED TO YOU, PANAM!

Panam suddenly stops.

V: It's not true that there's nothing after death. There is hell. You know what it's like? It's you lying in that room.

Panam closes her eyes and begins to cry.

Panam: Then ask it to me, Vincent.

Panam runs to V and starts punching him on the chest.

Panam: ASK IT TO ME, THEN! DO IT!

Panam eventually stops and rests her head on his chest.

Panam: I beg you Vincent, don't do this to me.

V looks down to her, sobbing.

V: I can't Panam. I love you too much and I can't take anything more from you.

Panam moves her head away from V's chest and starts walking toward the ramp, silently.

Aldecaldos camp, V is wearing Johnny's Samurai jacket and a pair of aviator model sunglasses. He is leaning next to a brown Torton with a cargo compartment full of supplies. Mitch approaches him slowly, sad.

Mitch: Did you get everything?

V: Think so.

V turns toward the door, suddenly Mitch blocks his arm.

Mitch: V, are you sure about what you are doin'? You won't be able to get back, you know that?! At least wait until tomorrow…There is a storm coming...

V turns to Mitch, with a sad face.

V: Get my share to the people I told you, understood?

Mitch: You are an asshole, V.

Mitch hugs V while he does the same.

Mitch: But I'ill miss you terribly.

V: Me too, Mitch. Me too…

V gets into the car and starts the engine. The car greets him back with an old love song that he recognizes. The car begins to run toward the desert as V watches, amazed, the majestic storm in front of him that begins to engulf him, distorting the song and enveloping him in the darkness.