After-Party (Part Two)

 "So, are you two planning some romantic escape to a scenic paradise? Just the two of you?"

"Pffft!"

Across another table, Lucy spat out her drink!

Leo, unfazed after striking right at the truth, sipped on his DumbDumb Monkey soda and kept talking. "That's just how young folks are these days."

"So, where are you heading? Europe? The Moon? Africa? Gotta be the Moon. Yeah—definitely the Moon."

He pretended to analyze their microexpressions like some expert profiler. Based on their reactions, he played it up. David scratched his head awkwardly while Lucy buried her face in her chest.

Only Jackie and V still looked confused.

Leo went on, "Most people, when they're kids, dream of running away somewhere. Like after getting beat up…"

V responded instantly:

"I'd find a cheap disposable pistol—they're not that pricey—and if that doesn't work, I'd hack a vending machine with a netrunner and pay them after the hit."

"…or nagged by their mom."

"Pretend to listen, then cause a big scene afterward," Jackie said like it was obvious. "If you make enough money, nobody asks questions."

Leo looked at V, then Jackie. "Or like you two—who only had cars and bikes on your mind growing up."

"That's legit." Jackie and V said in unison. "But we got those already."

"Exactly!" Leo nodded. "You've got your dream rides now—so how about next job, you two just stay home? Y'know, since your dreams are already dead."

"We still got dreams!" V replied, then looked over at David. "So you two are planning a honeymoon on the Moon or what?

Why so secretive? Sounds kinda romantic, honestly. Unlike me, I always just wanted a sports car and a mansion. Real basic."

Jackie didn't chime in, but you could tell he was into this conversation. Ears perked, just listening.

Meanwhile, Lucy at the other table finally overcame the embarrassment of having her tiny dream exposed. She lifted her head.

She kept shaking the can in her hand, eyes fixed on the drink inside, like there might be a Moon ticket floating in it.

Without changing that pose, she quietly asked, "Anyone here ever been to the Moon?"

The question was pointed.

Everyone looked at Leo—because they all knew: they were mercs, born and raised on the street. None of them had the creds or background to make it to the Moon.

But Leo felt… different, like he might've actually been there.

And the truth was—he had. Though not in this world. And the result? Not exactly a happy ending.

He thought for a second, then combined memories with what he knew about this world.

"The Moon... no atmosphere. The sunlight's harsh. There's no sound—only what comes through your headset. No gravity—every jump feels like you're cutting loose from the world.

People dream about its beauty for a reason. The stars up there? I'm telling you, the night sky on the Moon is clearer and brighter than anywhere on Earth. You see stars you'll never find from the ground.

The Milky Way cuts across the sky like a glowing river—Night City can't give you that.

But… the nights are different."

Nights?

David and Lucy froze.

They'd seen Braindances of the Moon—but only daytime ones.

Lunar nights were freezing, terrifying, and dull. Nobody made BDs of that—it wouldn't sell.

Leo continued:

"At night, the temperature drops to minus 170 degrees Celsius—or lower. Almost no spacesuit can handle that.

And it's not just dark—it's quiet. So quiet it becomes unbearable. That silence crushes you.

That icy hell lasts 14 Earth days—that's how long one lunar night is."

The way Leo said it made the whole group fall silent.

If he said it was unbearable… just how bad was it?

How do people survive the Moon's night?

Lucy quickly cut in: "But I know the corps have colonies up there!"

"Yeah, they do," Leo replied. "But like you said—they're corporate property. And all of them are underground.

Just imagine: fourteen days stuck inside a building, doing corporate work."

Corporate property means the dream is a lie. In a sealed, resource-limited space, life might be worse than Earth's worst hoods.

Leo shrugged. That was enough. No need to crush dreams further—felt kinda cruel.

Still, he did feel like a jerk for shattering a couple's fantasy.

So he added, "But still… I do wanna go to the Moon."

"Tch." V leaned her elbow on Leo's shoulder, smirking. "I knew you were bluffing. So did you go or not?"

"Heh. Just pretend I didn't."

Lucy grew even quieter. David saw that and started sweating. He blurted, "Uhh, b-but it has to be a great place, right?"

"Of course it is," Leo replied. "You think I said that just to spare your feelings? I do want to go."

Of course, he had his own reasons for wanting to go—but this wasn't the place to explain.

If he did, Lucy might totally lose it.

Lucy, however, latched onto the lifeline: "Even if it's just a corporate colony?"

"The Moon is huge," Leo said slowly. "Massive. If I had to compare it…

Night City looks like a giant toilet at first glance—but it's a toilet big enough to fit every kind of crap. There's always a place for you.

The Moon is way better. It's just an ordinary toilet… with a few giant turds thrown in by people with no manners."

"God, what a nasty metaphor," V muttered.

"Pfft."

Lucy, surprisingly, laughed. Somehow, that toilet metaphor actually made her feel better.

"A toilet of freedom? Only you guys could come up with something like that. So I guess… we're the crap too, huh?"

But yeah—it was accurate.

The more she thought about it, the funnier it got. She grabbed her drink and chugged like mad. No one knew exactly what nerve that hit.

Maybe because of that nerve, she finally let loose. Still laughing, she picked up a beer and joined the rest of the drinkers.

David saw her like that and panicked, ready to follow.

Leo grabbed him by the shoulder. "One last thing. Congrats—you passed the interview. I'm registering you as a Burger King subcontractor."

"I'll send you a few pieces of gear soon. Keep an eye out—and keep chasing your dream."

He clapped David on the shoulder and gently pushed him toward Lucy.

David floated away, and soon joined the drinking crowd.

The party heated up as someone rolled out speakers and pumped music through the crowd.

Leo finished his drink and hopped off his chair.

"Alright. I'm done here. You all party on—I've got a post-op report to write."

As he spoke, he noticed Jackie scribbling something in a notebook. Leo leaned over to peek.

Jackie had a tiny digital notepad, and at the top was a bold title:

"The Solo's Manual"

"Before you decide to become a merc, think hard about why you're doing it."

"And once you start thinking, you'll run into all kinds of problems.

Problems that slow your trigger pull—and then…"

"Boom. Head gone."

"So here's Rule #1, brought to you by your local badass:"

'This world is a giant toilet. Don't argue about which turd stinks more—be the most ambitious turd you can.'

Such a crude manual.

Leo gave it a respectful nod.

Nearby, a slightly chubby man heard the metaphor and burst out laughing.

Crude—but he agreed.