“…We need to talk amongst ourselves.
Can you give us some space?”
Hearing Rain’s response, Maine already knew the consequences of refusal.
After a brief silence, he looked at Rain and made his request.
Rain nodded and stood up to walk outside.
“Don’t keep me waiting too long.”
As Rain stepped out temporarily, Maine turned his gaze toward Rebecca and the others.
“Talk to me.
What are your thoughts?”
“…You can’t trust a Corp-rat’s word.”
Pilar was the first to speak, looking at Maine.
The others nodded silently, but no one spoke up, knowing full well the situation they were in.
“What if we agree for now, and the moment he lets us out, we take him hostage and make a run for it?
How’s that?”
Suddenly, Rebecca spoke up.
After hearing her suggestion, the others looked at her with strange expressions.
“W-what?
Why are you all looking at me like that?!”
Rebecca blinked and couldn’t help but ask.
“Sis…
did you get hit in the head too hard?
Maybe I should find a Ripperdoc to check your brain once we get out.”
“What?!
You bastard brother, what’s that supposed to mean?!”
“Exactly what I said.
Did you forget how the five of us got captured in the first place?”
“Uh…”
Rebecca’s breath hitched, and she silently lowered her head.
Maine shook his head helplessly.
“Maine, you make the call.
I’ll support you,”
Dorio said, looking at Maine.
“…Let’s agree to it.
Even though Corp-rats can’t be trusted and he might dispose of us once we’ve outlived our usefulness, at least…
we’ll be alive for now.”
Falco glanced at the group and spoke with his head down.
“And besides, if we’re working for a megacorp, there are bound to be some perks.
How does the saying go…
we’ve eventually become the very thing we hate.”
“I think the saying is ‘A wise man submits to fate’…
I think that’s a proverb from somewhere else, but you’ve got a point…
You have to stay alive to have a future.
At least we won’t be lambs to the slaughter like we are now.”
Hearing Falco’s mocking words, Maine chimed in after giving him a look.
“Exactly, that’s what I mean.”
Maine nodded and shouted Rain’s name toward the outside.
“It seems you’ve made up your minds.”
Maine gave Rain a nod.
“A wise choice.”
Click— Click—
With the sound of handcuffs unlocking, the group was released from the wall.
Rain glanced at Pilar’s severed hand.
“A Ripperdoc will be coming by shortly to check you over and replace your cyberware.
Consider it a benefit of working for me.”
“Along with a few little monitoring devices, right, Boss?”
Maine rubbed his wrists and smirked at Rain with a raised eyebrow.
Rain ignored Maine’s comment.
He sat down, stretched his neck, and continued.
“Now, let’s get down to business.”
The group straightened up, though Rebecca’s expression still held a hint of annoyance.
“You have the floor, Boss.”
“I need you to make a bigger name for yourselves.
The cyberware I’m giving you will help with that.
Then…
head to Dogtown and take on gigs there.
If Hands contacts you, don’t refuse, and don’t ask for payment.”
“Why is that?”
Maine blinked, unable to help himself from asking.
“Don’t ask questions you shouldn’t.
Later, I’ll arrange for a so-called ‘up-and-coming Fixer’ to contact you.
He’ll be the one dealing with Hands.
You’ll operate as Edgerunners moving between Dogtown and Night City.
There will be specific gigs; I’ll let you know which ones.”
Maine felt a chill in his heart as he guessed Arasaka’s general move.
However, he was smart enough not to ask or say anything further, simply nodding to Rain.
“Good.
I’ll let you know when to make contact with Dogtown.
My subordinate’s contact info has been added to your communication channels.
If there’s trouble…
contact them.
Don’t disturb me.”
“For now, wait for the Ripperdocs to finish your checkups and cyberware replacements before you leave.
I’ll arrange a vehicle to take you back, then it’s business as usual.
As for the Fixer you were in contact with before…
don’t say what shouldn’t be said.
I’ve already sent you the specific cover story.”
“Understood.”
Maine nodded.
“Hey!”
Suddenly, just as Rain was about to leave, Rebecca couldn’t hold back any longer after seeing Maine and Rain finish their exchange.
“Hmm?
Little girl, do you have something to say?”
Rain paused and turned back, asking with some curiosity.
Don’t you think you owe me some compensation!”
Rain was momentarily stunned, while Maine, Pilar, and the others turned pale.
“Just tell me how Sasha is doing!”
“Heh…
I see.
I don’t dislike your personality.
She’s fine.
She’ll contact you later.”
Rain couldn’t help but chuckle.
He knew Rebecca was actually very empathetic and cared deeply for her comrades, but he hadn’t expected her to be bold enough to ask him this now.
Rebecca finally breathed a sigh of relief and regained her playful demeanor.
Maine and the others also relaxed slightly when they saw that Rain wasn’t angry.
It seemed their new boss was a bit better than some of the Corp-rats they knew…
Of course, it could all be an act, but at least he seemed easygoing on the surface.
Soon, the team of Ripperdocs arranged by Rain arrived and began checking Maine and the others and replacing their cyberware.
“Such messy and crude work…
doing it like this is a one-way ticket to cyberpsychosis…”
“Using Immunosuppressants this frequently?
Are these Edgerunners all lunatics…”
“One hand missing…
should we go with a defensive arm replacement or a combat-assist one?”
“Let’s ask for their input.”
After some time, Maine and the others emerged from the operating room looking brand new.
“Hiss…
No wonder so many people want to be corporate dogs.
These cyberware models are insane…
and for the first time, I actually feel light…”
Maine marveled as he flexed his new Gorilla Arms equipped with a Projectile Launch System.
Falco nodded in agreement, testing his new arm and high-end Kiroshi optics.
Pilar was even more excited, showing off his new arm cyberware to Rebecca.
Only Dorio and Rebecca had fewer modifications.
Rebecca received high-end combat optics, biological leg enhancements, and a Ballistic Coprocessor.
Dorio’s were similar but focused on melee specialization, including some internal organ modifications.
Maine had the most modifications of them all, yet his cyberware load was actually much further from his limit than before.
This included Subdermal Armor in certain areas and Berserk Cyberware.
“Here are your Immunosuppressants.
Please use them on schedule and in the correct dosage.
Do not overdose or miss a dose.”
One of the Ripperdocs walked over and handed each of them a bag of high-grade Immunosuppressants.
“Our new boss is certainly generous…”
Maine couldn’t help but marvel again as he took the bag.
Next, a security team arrived and signaled Maine’s crew to follow them.
They were led into a vehicle indoors, with their sight and hearing blocked during the drive, before being taken to their destination.
The group looked at each other as the unremarkable vehicle drove away.
“This really feels…
like a dream.”