A strange sight in a strange room, performed by strange people.
All sorts of mystical motifs lined the dim walls, a purple ambiance made by the numerous leds lining the ceiling. Dreamcatchers, gemstones and the like were strewn across tables and shelves everywhere.
"Ahhhh, " a bulky Latino man groaned in something I couldn't discern between pain or … I don't wanna think about it. He was laying face down while a pale woman who reminded me of a pom pom stood over him, doing … something…. to his backside.
"Just bear with it for me, mmkay Jackie?" A whisper came from the pale lithe woman, with hair reminiscent of an 80s rocker. One who was currently…
Pouring molten candle wax across the man's tattooed back, earning grunts and groans from him in return. If I didn't have more pressing matters at hand I would've turned right back around.
A snort escaped me, despite the burning of my punctured limb. I don't know what I was expecting to walk in on, but this for sure wasn't it.
Both heads snapped in my direction, disbelief and embarrassment flushed Jackie's face, while Misty simply looked annoyed to be interrupted. Well until she saw my injured form, then a more concerned look sprouted.
"Sorry to interrupt whatever kinky shit you got going, but is the doctor open? Kinda leaking out over here." The embarrassment vanished from the merc, jumping up to try and help hold me up while Misty's eyes turned into purple orbs of code, talking to who I prayed was Vik.
" Well damn choom, you a target board or something?" A lighthearted poke, but the irritation of the whole situation made me scowl. He simply grinned cheekily and looked a little off to the side.
He muttered a second after, "Too soon? Eh whatever you ain't dying on Viks watch Chico."
If he hadn't been half holding my dead tired ass up I would've kicked the cunt in his shins.
His noticeably larger frame supported me from out the back of the esoterica, into a small alley where I hobbled down a brief flight of metal stairs, passing a stray cat who sat eerily still. Reaching the bottom a sterile door stood before, then slid open to reveal the rippers sanctuary.
The first thought I had about the room was thank god I'm here, get this fuckin lead outta me it burns. The second noted how much it looked like a sci-fi dentist office.
Vik stood by the table, gloves on, arranging his tools on a table adjacent.
" Sit em in the chair, *sigh* goddamn kids these days." He treated it like another Tuesday, which for him might actually not be that far off the mark. The man looked exactly as he had in the game, middle aged features, salt and pepper hair, all on a surprisingly fit frame. Well surprising if you somehow missed the part where he used to be a pro boxer, a good one at that.
I crossed the threshold of the room and was unceremoniously plopped into the rippers chair. Jackie backed away near the stairs giving some space, as did Misty. Both watched curiosly as Vik set upon cleaning my newly gained holes.
" So, ya got a name kid?" He spoke as he drove a syringe into my arm, some kind of numbing agent. After the pinprick of pain a cool sensation swam through my body dulling the searing I had felt ebbing from my wounds.
" Jay," I nodded, " I'm assuming you're doctor Vector right?" He leveled eyes with me, the orbs containing both concern and disappointment. In what, I was unsure of, we had never met before to my knowledge. But that also isn't a lot of knowledge to go off of.
He continued to clean the blood and whatever miscellaneous pieces of flesh stuck to me from digging through the box of "parts". He didn't say anything, only stared at my hands with a hint of disgust before it was drowned out by his professional stare.
I had always been good at reading faces, and with the resolution these eyes have it's even easier.
Once he began to actually treat the area he asked something he seemingly didn't want to in the first place, but did from a sense of duty. All in all he seemed conflicted about even treating me.
" Who did you kill for that cyberware?" He had to be referring to my still damp pockets, bits of metal and blood peaking from the sides.
Might as well lay it bare, Misty had dragged Jackie out, talking about patient privacy and that he could ask about it later. I hadn't done anything wrong, and I need good footing to get the information I need so I had no reason to hold back. Might leave out the hostage part though, bad PR.
" I woke up in a scav haunt before they fully opened me up. Stole what I could before I scrambled my way out." I motioned to the bloody pockets before I recanted the chase to the man, leaving out bits and pieces like my mystery chip. I looked the man in his eyes, through them, trying my best to betray the sincerity of my half truths.
The only fraudulent parts of my story were the how I got there, because I don't even know how I had, and my less than chivalrous escape tactics. And the elevator ambush—Ok a lot of it was fraudulent or skipped over but it was just easier to lie. Less unexpected questions that I couldn't answer if I wanted.
" I don't know if I have any eddies left," The word felt alien to my New Jersey dialect, " But I did grab a few 'parts' that could cover the tab?"
His eyes softened some but also spoke of a tiredness I had yet to understand. "Keep the trinkets kid, bullets are cheap to treat when it's just flesh. I can appraise them if you want but I have a feeling now isn't the day for that."
I nodded, I was depleted and hadn't the energy to argue. I'd probably be back here tomorrow anyway after I get my mind in order.
The rest of the healing procedure was silent with concentration, as the lead was extracted from my shoulder and trap muscle. Then he used some machine to stitch together the open wounds in a matter of seconds. Truly magnificent what science can do in this world.
I mean it's also used to copy, paste, and delete digital souls but thats beside the point.
He finished cleaning up while chatting about a few things, mainly not to get shot again. But secondly, boxing, surprisingly enough. Asking if I had ever considered it given my blue collar workers frame. I was only a bit smaller than the larger than life Jackie Wells who had left the room a while back, hopefully not to continue his wax business. Ew.
Out of sight, out of mind.
It was good conversation, a great distraction from the chaos of today but I still had a problem. I had no money, or at least I think I don't. Definitely not any cash, evident from the looting I did of my own pockets when I woke up.
I mean, in the game, your optics just had the amount in the HUD but this was definitely not a game, my current condition evidence enough. I can't even ask. What type of specially challenged individual asks someone else how to see their own account?
At the thought of the word account, small yellow digits became visible in the corner of my vision, ۥ1,200 .
…Convenient. But I have even more questions now, to the point that soon enough, I forgot to respond to Vik all together. Who this body actually was before I got in it was the most pressing.
He probably saw the lost look in my eyes, hell, I could feel how confused my face looked, and so he gave up on conversation for the rest of the clean up.
"Ok, all patched up, it'll be sore for a few days and try not to lift anything too heavy or you'll end up right back here." He helped me out of the chair, "Paying Up front next time of course."
I nodded to him as tired as I was and made way for the stairs. Looking over my shoulder I saw the kind soul settle back into his boxing matches and felt provoked to say something—anything to properly convey my gratitude.
" Thanks doc, I'll make sure to pay it back with interest."
He smirked at me as I left, now with a question ablaze on the top of my head.
Where was I sleeping tonight in this city full of thieves, Scavs, and nutcases?
Fuck, I'm gonna have to buy a motel room. If they're anything like the game, the ground might be cleaner but desperate times.
Desperate measures.