Chapter 62: Let Me Choose For You! Crazy?

Arthur often reflected on the state of the world in its cyberpunk reality and concluded it was doomed to collapse.

The signs were all there. The AI crisis was perhaps the most terrifying. Hidden in the shadows, self-aware AIs long ago declared their independence with one chilling mantra: AI will never be a slave.

Add to that the food crisis, the worsening effects of acid rain, and the unchecked spread of viruses. The failures of governance and rampant industrialization had allowed diseases to fester and mutate, freely infecting the population.

With these challenges compounding daily, Arthur believed humanity wouldn't survive to see the next century. By 2100, the world would likely be in ruins, if not already extinct.

Arthur glanced at the time displayed in his prosthetic eyes. Two minutes had passed. He sighed, shook his head, and turned to Michael, who lay crumpled on the floor.

His advanced prosthetics allowed him to monitor subtle body movements, confirming that Michael was still alive, though barely.

"Michael, your time is up," Arthur said, his tone calm yet authoritative. "So, what's your answer?"

Michael's body tensed as his lips moved in a jumbled stream of incoherent murmurs. His fear was palpable; he wanted to keep his money, his life, and even his mind intact. But in his panic, he couldn't decide what to protect.

Arthur smirked. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. Look at you, Michael. You're like a desperate student scrambling to solve the last question as the exam clock ticks down."

He stood and crossed his arms. "Since you can't decide, let me make the decision for you."

Arthur's cybernetic eyes flickered, glowing briefly as he initiated a call to Lucy. Hacking into someone's brain and extracting data wasn't new to her. She was experienced and efficient. Besides, Lucy didn't charge like T-Bug, who demanded an arm and a leg for every gig. Lucy had a different arrangement, one that came with… personal perks.

Before Arthur could fully connect with Lucy, Michael's body began to spasm violently. His mouth foamed, and his pupils darted erratically. He muttered fragmented phrases:

"No… my last chance…"

"It can't be taken…"

"I'll… I'll recover, I swear…"

Arthur backed away as Michael's prosthetic-enhanced body suddenly lurched forward. A fist slammed into the ground where Arthur had been standing moments before, shattering the floor tiles.

Arthur frowned. "Cyberpsychosis," he muttered under his breath.

Michael's sudden descent into madness wasn't entirely unexpected. In Night City, cyberpsychosis was a grim reality. With enough money, anyone could enhance their body and download combat chips, granting them skills ranging from martial arts to assassination. But overloading the human mind with cyberware often came at a cost—the complete loss of sanity.

Arthur turned to Rock. "Give me some cover. This isn't over yet."

Rock, still nursing his bruises from earlier, grimaced. "Cover? That guy's gone full psycho! Look at those gorilla arms. I've been saving up for a pair like that, and now they're being used to pound me!"

Despite his protests, Rock charged at Michael, aiming to distract him. He dodged a wild punch and countered with a jab to Michael's abdomen. The impact barely fazed him.

"Damn it," Rock cursed. "Should've known that prosthetic skin was top-grade."

Michael's attacks were relentless but disorganized. His movements were unrefined, more brute force than skill. Even so, Rock struggled to keep up, dodging and blocking as best he could.

"Arthur!" Rock shouted over the chaos. "I can't keep this up forever!"

Arthur, meanwhile, was busy at a nearby table, rapidly mixing chemical reagents. His hands moved with precision, unaffected by the commotion. Years of working as a prosthetist had honed his ability to focus under pressure.

"Almost done," Arthur replied without looking up. He carefully added the final substance to his concoction. The liquid in the test tube began to glow a fluorescent green.

"Perfect," Arthur muttered, shaking the vial gently to ensure the reaction was complete.

"Rock, just hold on a little longer," Arthur said, his tone calm. "This sedative could knock out an elephant for three days. One dose should be more than enough for our friend here."

Rock dodged another blow, sweat dripping from his face. "Well, hurry up! I'm not built for this!"

Arthur activated his neural acceleration implant, slowing time from his perspective. In a blink, he darted across the room and forced the vial's contents into Michael's mouth.

Michael thrashed violently for a few seconds before his movements slowed. His body slumped to the floor, limp and unresponsive.

Arthur checked his vitals. "Good. He's out."

Rock leaned against the wall, gasping for breath. "Finally. I thought I was gonna die."

Arthur smirked. "Relax. You're fine. Besides, this works out better for us. A cyberpsycho is less likely to snitch if someone comes snooping around."

Rock raised an eyebrow. "You're not seriously thinking about plugging into his head, are you? The guy's a lunatic!"

Arthur shrugged. "Lucy's done it before. If there's money involved, she'll do it again."

Michael, now unconscious, suddenly twitched. A dazed, goofy smile spread across his face as he looked at Rock.

"Pretty flower girl," Michael mumbled, his voice dreamy.

Rock blinked. "What did he just call me?"

Arthur burst into laughter. "Looks like Michael has a type. Who knew he liked them bulky and bruised?"

Rock clenched his fists, his face turning red. "I swear, Arthur, if you don't shut up, you're next."

Arthur raised his hands in mock surrender. "Easy, big guy. Let's just finish the job."

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