“David…”
“Judy?”
I raised an eyebrow at the girl who’d just walked into our tent.
It was late evening, and she’d caught us at a good time.
Panam and I weren’t doing anything we’d be embarrassed about.
We were just sitting next to each other, watching some movie through a hacked broadcast.
What was the movie about?
Hell if I knew.
I was more interested in Panam’s lips, which were responding to my kisses with all the passion and hunger in the world.
“I…
can I talk to you?”
“Should I leave?”
Panam looked at Judy.
Judy shook her head.
“No.
It’s nothing like that.
I just…
I need a little help.”
“If it’s within my power…”
I shrugged.
Help Judy?
Absolutely.
No question.
Judy stepped further into the tent and sat down on a sturdy chest we used for storage.
It doubled as a seat.
For a while, no one spoke.
Judy seemed uncomfortable.
Not because Panam and I were cuddled up together, and not because of our occasional kisses while she was there.
We kissed around her all the time.
I even let my hands wander a little.
“Judy?”
Panam’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
She blinked and focused on us.
“Yeah.
Sorry.
Okay, so…
I took your advice.”
“My advice?”
“Yeah.”
She nodded.
“The advice about not suing Night City.
About filing a case against the specific official who made the decision to falsify the documents.
It took a while.
I thought about it.
I talked to a lawyer.
And it might actually work out.
They might even clear my record.”
“And?”
I was genuinely curious what she needed from me, since she’d come asking for a favor.
“We’re missing evidence.”
She stared at the tent floor.
“And you have a plan?”
“Yeah.”
She nodded.
“We need to break into a couple of places.
Steal data from archives and servers.”
“Can that evidence even be used in court?”
“Well…”
Judy blinked.
“I went a step further.
I talked to my lawyer again.
And…
we paid off a judge.
He’ll look the other way if the evidence comes from…
questionable sources.
As long as we don’t leave a direct trail back to ourselves.”
I nodded.
“When?”
“What?”
Judy stared at me.
“Just like that?”
“What did you expect?
That we’d drag our feet?”
Panam grinned, backing me up.
“Well…
I thought at least you’d want payment.”
“Stop.”
I cut her off.
My tone was firm, and I raised a hand to keep her from saying something stupid.
“Judy, you’re our friend.
If there’s a chance to help, we’ll help.
Help, not provide a paid service.
Not put you in debt.
“I…
thank you.”
Tears rolled down her cheeks.
“Don’t mention it.”
I let go of Panam, moved closer to Judy, and put my arm around her shoulders.
Panam mirrored me on the other side.
We sat like that for a while, silent.
“So when?”
“About three weeks.”
She sounded uncertain.
“Why so hesitant?”
“Because…”
She stared at the floor again.
“Three and a half weeks is the deadline.
If the evidence isn’t attached to the case by then, it won’t be admissible.”
I closed my eyes.
“Okay.
Over the next week, I’ll have Vik finish my muscle replacements.
Three more days for recovery and adjustment.
Then we hit the archives.”
“I…”
Judy looked at me, lost.
“You gather intel in the meantime.
Floor plans.
Security systems.”
“Okay.”
She nodded.
“Good.
Now come watch a movie with us.”
“A movie?”
“Just watch.”
I smirked.
“We weren’t planning on anything wild tonight.
But if we’re alone, we definitely won’t be able to control ourselves.”
Panam nodded in agreement.
A few days later.
“Couldn’t hold out, huh?”
I shook my head as Bex and Lucy climbed into the car.
We were heading to Vik’s for a checkup.
They were planning to head back to the city afterward.
The desert life wasn’t for them.
Not that I’d fallen in love with it either.
But there was a certain charm to the sand and tents.
“Not my thing.”
Bex shook her head.
“Too quiet.
Everyone’s too friendly.
I’m used to neighbors either telling me to fuck off or pissing themselves in fear.
Here…”
She looked back at the camp as the Thunder pulled away.
“…it’s too peaceful.
Shooting cans is fun, though.
I might set something like that up in a proper range.”
“So you’re leaving?”
“It’s too quiet.”
When Bex fell silent, Lucy spoke up.
“And there’s barely any data.
I’m used to surfing the net constantly.
Here, it’s restricted.
The traffic runs through the clan’s netrunner, and she’s not sharing.”
“Couldn’t you just buy an amplifier and set up your own channel?”
Lucy gave me a thoughtful look and nodded.
“Maybe.
That might be the solution.
My dream of going to the moon is a bit too idealistic.
Living away from the city…”
Panam snorted, offended.
“…away from the city’s hustle, I realize I couldn’t survive on the moon.
It’s not for me.
But with an amplifier and a properly equipped vehicle…”
She closed her eyes.
“Yeah.
That could work.”
“Panam, we need to make a stop.”
“Why?”
“I found a car I want to buy.”
“What kind of car?”
Panam looked suspicious.
“One that fits what you told me.
I decided on a Militech Behemoth.”
The Thunder swerved slightly before straightening out.
“Are you insane?”
“No.”
I shrugged.
“It’s got a big cargo area.
With some modifications, it could be bigger than our one-room apartment.
Not to mention a kitchen.”
“A shower?”
Panam stared at me.
The other girls looked intrigued.
“Yeah.
Obviously not a full-size shower.
That’d waste too much water.
But with the right nozzle setup, it’d feel just as good.
A separate water tank with filtration.”
“A shower is nice.
And a weapons workshop.
But a kitchen…”
She shook her head.
“Everyone in the clan cooks over a fire.
If someone has a personal kitchen, it’ll look strange.”
She sighed.
“And you’d be cooking pancakes in front of everyone.
You wouldn’t get to eat any yourself.”
“A kitchen is a great idea.”
Panam changed her opinion instantly.
“What?”
“I’m agreeing.
A kitchen is a great idea.”
“Don’t pretend you didn’t just change your mind.”
“Don’t start.”
She glanced back at the others.
“You’ve all eaten his pancakes.
You know how good they are.
Those things can’t be kept a secret.”
“Fair point.
How much can you expand the Behemoth’s cargo area?”
Judy was genuinely curious.
“In travel mode, it stays the same.
In stationary mode…
maybe triple or quadruple.
Depends on the tech and materials.”
I scratched my chin.
“There are also some old blueprints I’d like to get my hands on.
Could solve the power problem.
Not just for the vehicle, but for the whole camp.
We could ditch the solar panels.”
“David…”
Panam looked at me carefully.
“Yeah?”
“If you can solve that problem, I’ll personally advocate for your membership in the clan and nominate you as leader.”
I blinked.
“Me?
I’m an outsider.”
“You.
Power is our second biggest problem after water.
Food can be bought in any city.
But water has to be hauled in by tanker.
And power…”
She shuddered.
“You have no idea how much work it takes to tap into the grid without getting caught.
Or to deploy our solar panels.
And then we have to pack them up before we move.”
I closed my eyes.
“Water’s not that hard.”
“What?”
“But only after power is solved.
If that works out, I’ll figure something out for water.”
The idea was forming in my head.
People had forgotten how to drill wells.
In my past life, it was common.
I’d never done it myself, but I understood the process and the equipment involved.
“You’d be worshipped.
We’d only have food left to worry about.
Sol would choke with envy.”
I shrugged.
“I don’t care about Sol’s opinion.
And honestly, I’d prefer you didn’t spread my plans around.
They’re ambitious.
If they fail, only you’ll know.
If they work, then we can celebrate.”
“Fine.
But you’re telling me what you need.”
“Me too.”
Judy nodded.
“You’re taking risks for me.
I’ll help however I can.”
“I’ll tell you.
After we deal with Vik.”