Finally, he walked over to the dead bodies that the AI marked in his AR glasses. Of course, the bastard was still integrated in the scene, squatting beside the dead body, speaking, pointing. The AI looked so human that there was practically no way of knowing it wasn't a human.
From little hand movents to chest breathing, facial twitches, and eye movents. Everything was perfect.
[Take this one, Cypher. He carries a tier two Dynalar Sandevistan. Second-hand, by the signs of it. Still, your hands are precise enough to return it to perfection.]
Cypher nodded and rolled the body over, ripped the clothes, and tore the Sandevistan from the spine. Sure, he broke it a little, but he didn't want to get his hands bloody by carving it out.
[This one has a Chro Compressor, tier two.]
Once again, Cypher ripped it out of the spine as it was also an operating system.
[This appears to be a Moore Tech Berserk operating system. A remarkable construct. Share the schematics with . I intend to refine them and test how far my comprehension extends.]
Cypher paused for a second and stared at the AI's human face. Yeah, why didn't he think that before, he wondered. God AI should be able to work on nearly all tech in the Cypherpunk world. If not upgrade them all, then at least it should be able to make blueprints.
They continued after that, and he ripped out a sweet Zetatech Berserk as well, tier three. And finally, he got himself a pair of electrifying Gorilla Arms.
He didn't take any eyes, however. He didn't take anything that would require too much stabbing. He'd already seen Panam giving him side-eyes, and impressions mattered.
By the end, he'd found sweet thirty-thousand eddies, decent cyberware, a few 'donated' guns, and his old motorbike. He removed his vest as well and filled everything into his duffel bag. Poor thing threatened to tear apart from overload.
Panam had put whatever she wanted in a decent-sized tal case. Monts later, both of them walked towards the tunnel's exit.
"Fine, I won't ask how you wiped those Wraiths. They're dead. That's what matters." She broke the silence, still stunned. "But the red bullets. What was that? They lted concrete."
"Oh, that?" Cypher dug into his duffel and ca up with a DL-18 blaster. "Yeah, I made it. Shoots high-energy plasma bolts. It rules, honestly."
He noticed her disbelief. She stared at his face to see if he was joking. He was not.
"What? That's just sci-fi. Energy weapons are…"
"Still under developnt by the gacorporations. But I built this thing myself, spits out a hundred shots. I keep it buried because if anyone starts talking, those suits are gonna freak out. So do a favor and keep this just between us, Panam."
Panam let out an audible exhale. "You are full of surprises. Who even are you? Do you have a team?"
"I'm solo as fuck, ma'am."
She chuckled as they finally walked out of the tunnel. Her truck was closest to them, so she put her stuff in the back. Cypher didn't; he still planned to take the bike with him, and soone had to drive it.
They still had things to grab. There were five more empty cars waiting, two Thorton Colby Revenant, two Mizutani Shion Wendigo, and one Quadra Type-66 Reaver.
"There should be more cars on the other end of this tunnel. Why don't you call one of your nomad buddies and tell them to co scoop these up real quick?" Cypher suggested.
Panam gave him a look. The one that said 'what the hell are you planning?'.
"You're a nomad too, no? You should send so to your clan."
"Hah! Haha!" Cypher laughed comically, wiping a fake tear, rembering from mory how hated old Cypher was in the clan. "Trust , Panam. Even if I sent these to the clan, they'd torch 'em on sight. I got kicked… dishonorably, and I'm not even mad about it anymore. I fucked up, fair enough. Anyway, hit up your people, bring them over."
Ignoring the concern in Panam's eyes, he walked over to so of the cars to check them out. He really didn't want to answer more of Panam's questions, especially those about his clan.
It was getting late at that point. He thought of where to go.
Going to Lake Farm didn't feel right, and going to Misty ant answering a thousand questions. So, he pinged Judy and told her that he'll crash there for the night. They were pretty close still, texted every day endlessly, sotis talked on call for hours, mostly about tech.
It didn't take long for Panam's people to arrive. The Aldecaldos camp wasn't that far away. He recognised so of them, but greeted them as usual.
"Hey, I'm Mitch. Appreciate you pulling Panam out of that fire. She filled us in on the whole thing. Truth is, after seeing the carnage in there, I can't decide if I'm glad you're here or if I should be shitting myself."
Cypher laughed at that and shook hands. "Co on, I'm just a weak little ganic boy."
"If that was you running all ganic, I'd shell out eddies just to watch you get chrod to the gills," the other man said. "Na's Driss. Just call Scorpion."
Cypher shook hands again. He didn't mind befriending them. They were solid people who got the job done when asked. He needed that sort.
"Ti will tell," he said and turned to Panam. "Adiós, Panam. See you around."
He headed back to the tunnel to grab his motorbike.
"Wait!" Panam ca running over to him. "Hold up... you did basically all the damn work here, and I'm not so ungrateful asshole. Let pay you for it, okay?"
"Fuck no!" Cypher recoiled like she just tried to poison him. "Just buy a decent dinner or sothing. Although everything tastes like hot garbage, it's the company that matters."
Finally, with a wink, he left, never looking back again. Though in his ear, the AI did ruin the mood a little.
[Cypher, you should have retained one or two vehicles. They could have been sold. I have located contacts among questionable fixers who specialize in such transactions.]
Cypher sighed, shaking his head. "Buddy, I did what I did for a reason. You'll understand the day you get a cock."
Impressions mattered, after all. Being the flirty, slightly crazy, and very mysterious Cypher would stay on Panam's mind for weeks. He was sure about that.
Finally, he got on his motorbike and drove away to the other end of the tunnel. Going back and seeing Panam again was embarrassing and would ruin his mystery-man aura. Using that as an excuse, he got to see the Rocky Ridge as well.
From there, he drove like a maniac with nothing to lose. Fuck, he loved driving motorbikes. The air hitting his face, the cars flashing past him on both sides as he swerves deftly. It made him feel alive.
This… not the gunfight. This gave him the kick he needed.
He drove through Heywood and entered Watson. Soon, he reached Kabuki and parked outside Judy's apartnt. It was past three in the morning, and he noticed her car there as well.
Humming to himself, his duffel bag clattering, he went upstairs, dialed the passcode, and entered the ho-like apartnt. He noticed a box of pizza on the kitchen counter, a few slices left for him.
He wolfed them down, although they tasted like cardboard. Then he hid his bag sowhere and walked into the bathroom to take a shower. While wiping himself, he looked in the mirror. There was a large dark spot on his back where the bullet had hit.
"Flesh is weak. Should at least get so subdermal."
Sighing, he only put on his underwear and casually walked into Judy's bedroom. As usual, he knew she was asleep in her undies. He'd done this plenty of tis, but it still made his heart race a little. Still unable to understand why she felt comfortable enough to do this with him.
Not making much noise in the dark, he sat down on the bed and lay flat on his back, pulling the quilt over himself and Judy. She shifted right away, turned to face him, and hugged him like he was her body pillow. His one arm slipped under her head.
Without opening her eyes, she murmured in a sleepy, sexy voice. "Umm… Rough… day?"
"..."
"Yeah… a bit."
She just humd and squeezed herself harder into the cuddle, purring sothing under her breath as her smug lips rested so close to his neck, her breath leaving goosebumps on his skin.
Fuck! You got again, Judy. You fucking got .
The snake was solid, and this ti he had no excuses. He gulped, staring at the dark ceiling, able to feel it so clearly. She wasn't wearing a bra. The soft, smushy things on her chest were flat against his shoulder and chest's edge, skin against skin.
He could feel it… them… those little tips probing him.
Should've rubbed one out in the shower.
"Ummmh…"
Her near-moan-like voice rang close to his ear. Her one leg slid up to fold over his raging erection. As her hips scooted close, he was sure of it. He was damn sure of it. She was completely naked under that quilt.
This has to be intentional. I'm gonna ask her face-to-face in the morning.
Sadly, for that to happen, he had to sohow sleep first.
Should've gone to Misty. No, can't give up. My mama raised no chicken.
"Mmmmmmh…"
"..."
No idea about the chicken, but a cock was surely raised.
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Check out Cypher X Panam, Cypher X Misty, Cypher X Gloria NSFW ART, and advance chapters at [email protected]/MrPlotThickens Or Subscribestar.adult/mrplotthickens
Advance chapters on [PATREON] are in long-form format. I have 6 long chapters of this story on P@treon. That's equal to 24-26 Webnovel chapters.
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