“That’s everything.
I don’t have anything better.”
Seeing Maine dissatisfied with the cyberware in his clinic, Loki gave a helpless sigh.
commercial cyberware in Loki’s clinic all came from Vik’s suppliers, so his stock was naturally not as high-end as what other underground ripperdocs acquired through shadier channels.
After all, heavy-duty cyberware was far more likely to be harvested off the corpse of a cyberpsycho than found on the legitimate market.
Besides, Vik had advanced the money for Loki’s inventory, so Loki naturally wasn’t going to buy expensive, high-end gear that only appealed to a select few.
Still, Loki’s inventory was more than enough for the vast majority of edgerunners and gangers.
Maine simply had excessively high standards.
Not that Loki minded.
If Maine had actually taken a liking to a piece of cyberware and wanted it installed, Loki wouldn’t have known how to talk him out of it.
“If you’re not satisfied with what’s on the shelves, you can always bring your own cyberware here for installation.
We also offer medical care, cyberware upgrades, and maintenance, or you can pick up standard meds like immunosuppressants.
Any of those work.”
Though he couldn’t make a cyberware sale, that wasn’t the only service Loki’s clinic offered.
Maine nodded.
If this ripperdoc actually had good skills, maybe he could come back later when he picked up some new chrome.
“I’ll come back when I’ve got something to chrome up.
And if you ever score anything exceptionally good or powerful, hit me up.
If it’s right, I’ll take it off your hands,” Maine said, pushing himself up from the operating chair.
Even though Maine hadn’t chrome-installed anything here yet, the clinic made a good first impression.
It was tidy and looked far more dependable than most underground ripperdoc joints.
“Sounds good.
I sent over a contact request.
Hit me up whenever you need something,” Loki agreed readily, sending Maine a contact request.
Although Loki wanted to warn Maine that he couldn’t handle any more cyberware, he ultimately decided against saying anything.
After all, if even Dorio and David couldn’t convince Maine, an ordinary ripperdoc speaking up would only draw Maine’s resentment.
The contact request was accepted, and Maine was added to Loki’s contact list.
*Tap, tap.*
Someone knocked twice on Loki’s left arm.
Curious, Loki turned his head to find Rebecca standing beside him.
“Hey!
At least ask me what I want.
I’ve been standing here forever!”
“Oh, right, sorry.
I thought you were just accompanying Mr.
Maine.
Do you want to install cyberware too?”
Loki had assumed Rebecca was just keeping an eye on the ripperdoc for Maine, not expecting her to want work done as well.
As far as Loki remembered, Rebecca had only installed optics and some decorative cyber-lines.
At this point in time, she probably hadn’t planned on getting Gorilla Arms yet.
“Not installing cyberware.
I need to update my optics software,” Rebecca said, pointing a finger at her eyes.
As one of the most common implants, optics could run various visual enhancement programs and powerful scanners, software that evolved continuously through each iteration.
Even low-end optics maintained decent compatibility with updated software, so most people got their optics updated regularly.
Rebecca shed her oversized coat and laid down on the operating chair.
Loki thoughtfully adjusted the operating chair back to its standard configuration after fitting Maine’s massive frame, allowing Rebecca to lie down comfortably.
Connecting the surgical terminal to Rebecca’s system, Loki began scanning her optic data to analyze compatible programs.
He selected the latest version of the update software and added all compatible, practical utility expansion programs to the queue.
“The updates are displayed on the screen.
Take a look and see if everything looks good.
If so, we’ll get started.
Your vision might go dark for a moment, but it’ll be over quick.”
After showing Rebecca the list of updates and receiving her nod of approval, Loki rebooted her optics and initiated the software update.
The update wasn’t complicated, and before long, the optics finished updating and restarted.
As her optics booted up successfully and finished calibrating resolution, Rebecca’s vision became noticeably sharper than before, and her analyzer’s performance took a step forward.
“Feels way better.
Thanks!”
Unplugging the personal link behind her ear, Rebecca hopped off the operating chair.
Meanwhile, seeing Loki finish his work, Maine pointed at a shelf in the shop and asked, “What’s that?”
Loki looked over in the direction Maine was pointing.
Dozens of green vials were arranged on the shelf.
“That’s a combat booster I stocked recently.
Injection grants a one-third boost to movement speed for sixty seconds.
230 Eddies a pop.
Interested?”
What sat on that shelf was, of course, Kinetic Booster Mark II.
As an underground ripperdoc clinic, selling boosters made perfect sense, and selling them individually yielded a higher profit margin.
“For real?” Maine raised an eyebrow, looking genuinely interested.
“Tested and verified.
Effective with zero side effects,” Loki assured him with complete confidence.
“Gimme ten of those, then, plus a month’s supply of immunosuppressants.”
For an edgerunner of Maine’s caliber, that kind of cash was pocket change.
If the boosters really worked, they’d come in handy on gigs.
“Coming right up.”
Loki packed up the Kinetic Boosters and immunosuppressants, handing them over to Maine.
With the Eddies transferred from Maine and Rebecca, the transaction was complete.
Before the two left, Loki sent Rebecca a contact request, which she happily accepted.
After all, who would say no to a reliable ripperdoc?
…
Vik’s Clinic.
*Clink!*
With the clinking of aluminum cans, Vik and Loki threw back their heads and downed their energy drinks.
Vik crushed his empty can in one hand and tossed it aside.
“How’s your first week been?
Business treating you right?”
“Not bad,” Loki replied.
“I’ve built up quite a reputation over in Japantown.
Wakako’s been a huge help.”
Following Vik’s lead, Loki tossed his empty can and grabbed the towel draped around his neck, wiping off his sweat once again.
A week had passed since Loki opened his clinic.
Aside from delivering boosters at the very beginning, Loki had spent the entire week tending shop, turning down even Jackie Welles’s gig requests.
Meeting Maine and Rebecca had been merely an interlude.
Tonight was his scheduled boxing session with Vik, so Loki had closed up shop early to come to Vik’s clinic for a spar.