Things had been out of place for Ken.
Why?
Let alone figuring out the reasons, the idea of figuring it out had never even crossed his mind.
How would they? He was a ball of fiercely burning magma, failure and obstacles never stumped him.
Had this been the him from before, he wouldn’t have questioned why he had started questioning his everyday life in the first place.
Ken dragged his lazy ass to the bathroom mirror, the only proper one in this house.
There, stood a light-brown-eyed and light-brown-haired Japanese-looking teenager in a quiff hairstyle. A memory popped up in Ken’s mind, reminding him of his mother’s Latino descent.
“Weird, everything looks normal?” he murmured.
If the overall delinquent look satisfied his ego, the side shaved quiff hairstyle along with double zaps just pushed it to the edge, something his memory informed he liked to push his luck on.
“No, nothing is normal here... Eh, then again, what could not be normal?” Ken shrugged it off once again.
Suddenly, he would find the class or the classroom itself strangely fascinating. Look at the Aerodyne and he would be awed that it was a flying car. Exotic skinwares? Even better, he would freak out that it was an alien in the middle of a city.
Imagine finding a socket on your neck, and you yourself pressing a chip on it.
Ken was so shocked for a moment that he jumped and broke several glasses.
Maybe he had a little too much of those XtremeBrainDances.
The one last night had been especially over the top. Illegal XtremeBrainDance of a cyberpsycho whose corpse probably had yet to go cold?
Yeah, that was some bat shit crazy thing to do.
Too much of dopamine, stress hormones, and uncontrolled strange chemicals released by his brain finally caught up to him.
He should really start to get away from that Arroyo Doc or someday it was going to be the end of him.
That being said, he really shouldn’t have gotten that wreath cracked by the shady doc. Not that he had a choice. With little EuroDollars to his pocket, and long ignored networks, he had only that one.
He might be the shadiest ripper–always with a masturbator attached and all–he was only one to entertain a boy in the alleys of Santo Domingo.
Even if that connection came with a payless job of selling unsavory XBDs to the corpo kids.
But hey, at least he got to use those BD(BrainDance)s for free. They are worth something, and not like you could get your hands on those premium XBDs without money and connection.
Don’t get the kid wrong, a simple check at the same Doc’s clinic said his gonk brain worked just fine, and nothing broke from the occasional bullying. He outright forgot nothing, but sometimes suffers from a lapse as if his brain reboots itself and connects to someone else's. Like suddenly he asks, ‘what’s this,’ only to remember right then.
A sudden beep from the washing machine startled the blanking Ken.
‘Just great, mom forgot to charge it again!’ Ken exasperated, forgoing the school uniform, he could only pick from the casual wears.
AND here was another peculiarity, Ken never hesitated. Neither in being flashy or dallying in choosing his cloth. However, now, a small part of him wanted to avoid standing out and wear something… less gaudy, flashy, whatever would be better than that red punk suit in a school full of corpo kids with noses above their face.
Instead, he opted for a simple white shirt, a spiky black jacket with skull paint, three fake or imitated chains, and a dark blue cap.
Much better, he almost hummed.
NOT! Would be the answer if he had asked his mother. However, when he realized she had already arrived and slept on the sofa, he avoided waking her up.
The smell of mold and trash that hit him once he opened the door was the least of the worries.
Ken found it hard to decide which was worse. The gonks in the wreath, zippers open, and masturbators attached to their waist out by the roadsides? Or the alien looking psychos with shotguns?
Choices, choices.
Again, not something the Ken of a few days ago would even care to think about.
He hopped into the NCART with his usual grace and boredom. Observing everything with the same boring look, while at the same time a completely different view.
Corporate Plaza lived in a different world.
The roads were squeaky clean, the people moved differently.
Everything here screamed elite and a mask of politeness.
If the gonks from Santo Domingo walked in this road, they would be viewed like a zoo and frown.
Ken passed by last night’s cyberpsycho incident which excited him as much as it churned his stomach. After all, XBDs were illegal for a good reason. They were an unedited version of BrainDance. Meaning he went through the same feeling of an extreme military cyberpsycho who was armed with modifications from brain to teeth.
The feeling of the slow world, putting holes through NCPDs, he never liked those useless bastards anyway! Being invulnerable to the bullets, he was invincible! The last shot was equally shivering when he died.
One moment, he was in high and extreme exhilaration mode, and the moment MaxTac blasted through his brain, he was out cold.
Just from thoughts alone, Ken received a second hand cold sweat.
A screen above the yellow [DO NOT ENTER] line showed the cleanup activity from last night. A scene showing Gloria pushing a cart inside the car caught Ken’s eyes.
‘No wonder she is so tired, she has been here all night. So cool!” his thought slipped out in amazement.
The monks by the road intrigued him too. Well, think about a monk with an electric eyeball, and subdermal arm, could he be feeling enlightenment in machines?
“Good morning, class. No absence today as well, very well.”
The holographic AI chimed timely. Then, it turned to Ken without a beat, “Ken Martinez, you are not wearing the academy uniform.”
“Ah, it’s still at the cleaners,” Ken replied a bit too fast.
“What about the spare?”
‘Spare?’ Ken scoffed. The AI spoke as if he had one. One uniform alone costs more than ten suits of his current dressing including underwear. “The spares too.”
“Understood, please submit an application for an Uniform Exception after the class.”
“Yes~”
“Now, let us start today’s class.”
The next moment, a call popped up in Ken’s view.
‘Now, how do I receive this holocall–ooh!’ he remembered, and the call connected with instant regret.
<Katsuo: Martinez, you gutter rat off the street! Had it been me, I would have been ashamed of showing my face!>
It was the biggest prick of the area, monkey Katsuo! He and his cronies made faces that said Ken smelled like the streets of Santo Domingo.
The streets were indeed smelly, mind you.
‘Who is he talking to? I’m Takak... What? What was I thinking again?’ Confused for a moment, Ken stilled. However, as it settled, the hormone stroked adolescent wasn’t one to remain silent, <Well, I’m not ashamed and some of us are here to actually learn something.>
At that, the monkey had no retort. The one he called gutter rat could come to the most prestigious academy of Night City, with scholarships at that. Not like the monkey lacked for things to pick on.
Such as, <Katsuo: What in the gods name is that fossiltech you’re still using? Isn’t it already incompatible with the recent update?>
<Made it compatible.> Ken shrugged physically and his voice losing the edge. Inside he prayed, ‘don’t fail me, doc.’
After all, while the ripperdoc’s actions portrayed confidence and all, his shack screamed otherwise.
<Katsuo: What is that supposed to mean?>
<Ken: Exactly how it sounded.>
“Now, I would like everyone to login to the Green Room server to relax and relieve the tension of your minds,” the AI teacher instructed, voice switching to a serene one.
Before? Ken wouldn’t even doubt Doc. Now? He was feeling unreliable by every passing second.
Doc’s words still rang in his ears, “It will work just fine, chooma. Not that I have ever ran it on the system.”
Ken gritted his teeth and connected with a guarded expression.
The result was immediate. A black hole opened in the middle of the virtual server.
The next instant, Ken pulled the emergency kill switch.
His wreath turned off. Not before a fist size black hole opened on the green server and affected a few students nearby.
Admittedly, it was monkey king Katsuo and his cronies, and two others.
Ken pulled off the wreath. Fear and resignation etched on his face. In the end, he sighed with a defeated expression, ‘I’m fucked, ain’t I? Doc, you kusoyarou!!!’
/ / /
“Mrs. Martinez, it is disheartening to meet on such a bad occasion.”
“I’m so sorry for the inconvenience he has caused.” Gloria Martinez kept her head straight, not appearing a bit pressured. Ken could only feel amazed at her.
Sitting in front of the duo was the headmaster of the Arasaka Academy. Twinkling gold from the various accessories he wore, coupled with the womanish voice, Ken instantly didn’t like the guy.
The principal closed one eye and inquired, “I wouldn’t say just push it to simply causing inconvenience. While the damage was small, it takes a great amount to recover the system. I hear Ken has bought an illegal update for his wreath, that sounds like a financial problem.”
‘It probably costs a fortune to recover that.’ Ken’s stomach churned.
“There is no financial problem. This child is just at the age of mischief and of course, we will pay for any damage caused by his mistake!” Gloria spoke without even considering.
‘Mom! Can we even afford that?! You are already taking too many shifts to sleep properly!’ Ken internally screamed.
“I hear some of the students also suffered due to this event. Can you really cover for the damage?” His pitch rose here, “That’s right, this is a chance. Ken here doesn’t get along with his classmates either. Maybe it would be better for Ken to drop-off, and the school won’t have any reasons to pursue the repayment matter either.”
Ken almost jumped up in joy, he had long wanted for that to happen!
Wait? That sounded like a bad idea. Arasaka Academy is the best academy in the whole Night City, why would he ever want to drop off?
“No!” Gloria’s calm broke by a little, “Wait, please. This kid must be in this school. He deserves the education as much as any other student. Please don’t take this chance from him!”
“Hm, very well. We will send you the invoice tomorrow, please pay the full amount as soon as possible.” The principal’s gaze then stilled on Ken. He considered, and really thought for a moment. “As for Ken, using illegal software requires punishment. You are suspended for the rest of the week and if you fail to pay the amount by due time, you will be considered suspended for good. However, I may add that if we don’t notice any improvement of behavior from Ken Martinez, we will have no choice but to cut off the scholarship.”
...
Inside the car, both mother and son were silent.
Honestly, it was awkward.
“If there’s an update required, you should get it properly, ok?”
“I’m sorry,” Ken apologized.
“If you’re going to be sorry, buy it in the first place! Just because you wanted to bypass the system now we have to pay many times over.”
“When I asked you for the money, you said you didn’t have it. We don’t even have the money to even charge the washing machine.” Ken turned to the outside.
“That was before payday! You know we don’t have that kind of money lying around...” Gloria calmed down here, “I’m also at fault, I should’ve transferred the eddies before I fell asleep. The washing machine, I just forgot, Dee.”
‘...Who's Dee?’ Ken wondered.
‘Right, she always called me Dee, didn’t see.’
The awkward silence returned for a moment.
“Mom,” Ken chewed the word. Suddenly, it felt foreign. He never had a mom. What foolish thing was he thinking now? She took care of him for his whole life. “How about I drop off...”
“What are you talking about?!” Gloria raged.
“You know, if the scholarship is cut we can’t afford the fees either way.”
“You will be fine, Dee. They are not cutting scholarship this time, but you have to be on your best. Show them you can do it.”
Ken looked at the dark circles under her eyes.
Three shifts.
Maybe four.
Gloria works enough shifts that sometimes there were times he didn’t see her for days.
“I mean, we don’t have that kind of money to pay for the damages. Plus, you might not know, but I don’t get along with anyone. No matter where I graduate from, a blue corpo would never accept me as one of them.”
“Then, what am I working for, huh?” Gloria’s voice shook. It gave Ken an illusion that her belief, her reason for living, shook. “I’m obviously doing it for you, Dee. Why do you think I do what I do? I want a better future for you...”
Tears slid down Gloria’s tired face. What she said beyond that didn’t register with him.
Maybe that was what being worried by parents felt like? Rather than what their child wanted, they thought what’s better for them.
“Wait, mom!” Ken panicked. He had no idea what to do. “I’m sorry, mom. I just spoke whatever because I was de–”
“I know, Dee.” She wiped her tears and forced a smile. “I know it is hard, and I know many will doubt you. Look down on where you come from. But once you prove them wrong, they won’t have any reasons not to accept you. You have the talent to sit at the top of Arasaka Tower! I just know it!”
Ken blankly looked at Gloria’s face. ‘So this is what having a mother feels like–’
Ba-ba-bang bang
Bullets from the gatling gun flew asunder.
Ken paled, the windshield broke fast and even frames were starting to fly off.
“M-mom, break break!” Ken shouted. It didn’t seem like they were the target but that didn’t keep them safe.
“Fuckin’ corpo plated his limo with titanium, aniki, take out the big bad boy!”
Dissatisfied with the firepower against the titanium plated limo, the Animals took out a Bazooka and fired.
BOOM!
“Mom, not accelerator, brake!”
“Y-yeah!”
However, it was too late.
BOOM! Bang!
The car crashed into the limo and flew off.
Static buzzed on Ken’s sight. His vision blurred and filled with flames.
“Huh... what’s happening?” Ken wondered for a second before the situation started to make sense.
“I must’ve blanked. Right! Mom?!”
His eyes flew about and he spotted her instantly, but that only filled him with worry.
He panicked, wanting to move but he was stuck inside the car and she was out a few meters away, unmoving.
An armored face filled his vision, a camera lens pointed at him.
“Trauma team? Great, mom can be saved!” Ken visibly relaxed, until...
“Not a client.”
“Same here.”
“Leave the non-registered to the meat wagons, secure the VIP first, then clients.”
“Roger that!”
“What?! Hey, save mom! Hey, don’t leave–” Ken couldn’t believe the absurdity of the situation.
Did they really leave her to chance just because she was not a client?
“You fuckers, wait, please!”
“I beg you, please!” but they did not.
He finally had a mom! Was she going to die like this?!
“SHUT UP!!!” That was to himself.
Suddenly, the noisy brain cooled. The unresponsive seat belt was pushed to the side. No use trying to tear it with his meat body.
He crawled out from the car pitifully.
His left hand was unfeeling. He didn’t care. He crawled faster to Gloria and turned her over.
She was completely still. Including her heart.
Tears filled Ken’s heart, “R-right, artificial respiration.”
With just one hand, it was pitifully weak.
He called, he cried.
Pressed again and again.
But Gloria.
She never responded.
{Alternative titles: 404: Self Not Found; One Last Conversation; Her Dream}