"So if you target this section... it destabilizes the whole unit's balance and creates a wider opening. No—if it's Adam Smasher's Dragoon-modified suit, it probably doesn't have a vulnerability that large. Still... good reference point."
"Karl! Still tinkering with the ACPA with V? It's been two days! Haven't finished yet? Come over here—I got my hands on something sweet. You're gonna love it."
Karl and V were in the middle of their daily ACPA disassembly session—the thing was now fully stationed in their living space—when Oliver burst in, waving something in his hand.
Karl's concentration was broken by the shout. He paused his analysis and glanced toward the ACPA, where V was still carefully dismantling and reassembling each part with surgeon-level precision, then turned to Oliver.
"What'd you get this time?"
His eyes focused on the object in Oliver's hand. "Is that a braindance?"
Oliver was unusually excited—he must've gotten his hands on something rare.
Even V turned to look, smirking. "Don't tell me you bought another one of those Cloudtop fantasy BDs, Oliver. If that's the case, we're not interested."
"I watch those on my own time, thank you very much! T-BUG keeps yelling about viruses, but I know how to set up a secure sandbox now."
He defended himself out of reflex, then seemed to realize he'd said too much—but didn't dwell on it. Instead, he eagerly handed the chip over to Karl.
"But this one, Karl—you seriously need to see it. Trust me."
"What's with the mystery?" Karl muttered, taking the chip. "Let me guess... another BD where I kill a version of myself from some alt perspective?"
Still a bit skeptical, Karl sat down and grabbed a headset. He popped the chip into the BD player.
"Just watch—you'll see."
As the braindance loaded, he felt the usual sensory rush: a moment of vertigo, shimmering lights... then the simulation settled.
"Is the recording started?"
That was the first thing he heard from within the BD.
He paused immediately.
Karl never watched BDs in one go—he always paused and studied everything piece by piece.
Freezing the scene, he used the recorder's perspective to look around. It was a formal venue, clearly prepared with care. Everything was spotless.
He even smelled the lingering disinfectant—the room had been deep-cleaned recently.
Scanning the nearby figures in suits, Karl's eyes first settled on a man with a Kenshin pistol at his hip, jacket bulging over what was obviously subdermal armor.
Bodyguard. Heavy-duty. His stance was classic—ready to shield or draw in under a second.
Then Karl's gaze shifted to the left... and recognized someone.
A slightly overweight, bald white man in a suit, wearing white-rimmed glasses—your typical career politician look.
Weldon Holt.
Deputy Mayor of Night City.
A seasoned political animal and regular guest on every newsfeed.
Whoa. Big fish.
Karl had never met him in person, but the guy's face was plastered across the city's media.
And now, here he was—looking straight into the POV of the recorder... with respect.
If Weldon Holt was giving this kind of deference, then the person whose perspective this was—the recorder—must be...
Karl resumed playback.
"Mr. Mayor, shall we begin the press conference?"
The voice came from someone holding a camera, looking directly at "him."
In Night City, only one person went by Mayor.
Lucius Rhyne.
Karl had seen him once during a job protecting Hanako Arasaka. Brief, but memorable.
Wait. Is this BD... recorded from Rhyne's perspective?
No wonder Oliver said I'd be interested. Damn right I am.
Karl paused again and looked over his headset toward Oliver. "Where the hell did you get this?"
"Not that hard, actually. If you stir up the black market, it's out there. See—Night City law requires politicians to record public appearances in braindance format. It's part of the transparency protocol. Most of them probably have stacks of these sitting in data vaults somewhere."
"Public transparency, huh. Guess that explains it."
In Night City, anything officially archived was one leak away from the streets. Oliver having a copy suddenly didn't seem so outrageous.
"Keep watching," Oliver urged. "The good part's coming."
"Alright, alright."
Karl hit play again.
From Lucius Rhyne's point of view, he nodded at the cameraman and stepped up to the podium.
"Esteemed members of the media, fellow citizens—good day. Today, we gather here to discuss an issue critical to the future of our city.
As you all know, Pacifica has always been a vital part of Night City. Its development and prosperity play an important role in the city's economic and public safety structure.
However, in recent months, we've seen a noticeable rise in crime in Pacifica. This uptick not only affects the quality of life for its residents, but also tarnishes Night City's image as a whole.
After careful deliberation, we have decided to implement a new policy—one that more accurately reflects the state of public safety across our urban zones.
Effective immediately, crime statistics from Pacifica will no longer be included in Night City's overall crime reports.
This decision stems from our commitment to data accuracy and transparency. We believe this will offer a clearer, more honest picture of Night City's true security landscape, while also giving Pacifica the opportunity to independently demonstrate its progress."
Pause.
Karl stopped the BD halfway through.
What he'd just heard was absurd.
The City Council's seriously just... washing its hands of Pacifica?
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