Cyberpunk 2075: Apotheosis
- Thread starter TennoTurian
- Start date
- Sci-Fi
[X] (Role) A Steward. While you are managing just fine for now, you have a distinct feeling that soon, you are going to need an extra pair of hands to keep everything in check
Videogamer921
oh god it’s him
- Location
- 10th circle of Hell; Ohio
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] (Role) A Steward. While you are managing just fine for now, you have a distinct feeling that soon, you are going to need an extra pair of hands to keep everything in check.
Cry havoc, and let slip the goodest of boys
Cry havoc, and let slip the goodest of boys
- Location
- United States
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] (Role) A Steward. While you are managing just fine for now, you have a distinct feeling that soon, you are going to need an extra pair of hands to keep everything in check.
- Location
- USA
[x] (Role) A Steward.
[X] (Role) A Companion. You need not a servant to cater to your every whim, what you want most right now is a friend. Someone who can share your burdens and stay by your side through thick and thin.
[X] (Role) A Steward. While you are managing just fine for now, you have a distinct feeling that soon, you are going to need an extra pair of hands to keep everything in check.
[X] (Role) A Steward. While you are managing just fine for now, you have a distinct feeling that soon, you are going to need an extra pair of hands to keep everything in check.
Praised be the holy bean
Praised be the holy bean
[X] (Role) A Companion. You need not a servant to cater to your every whim, what you want most right now is a friend. Someone who can share your burdens and stay by your side through thick and thin.
I like the idea of our first Servant being someone that we can point to and say exists purely to be pleasant to be around.
I like the idea of our first Servant being someone that we can point to and say exists purely to be pleasant to be around.
Kkutlord
Prince of Breath
- Location
- Indianapolis, Indiana
Are these hyper specific/defined/limited? I don't see why there can't at least be minor elements of the others unchosen, really I don't get why Companion would be fundamentally incompatible- kind of weird to give our Servant nothing to define themself by beyond 'Is Friend.'
[X] (Role) A Steward. While you are managing just fine for now, you have a distinct feeling that soon, you are going to need an extra pair of hands to keep everything in check.
- Location
- yorkshire
[X] (Role) A Steward. While you are managing just fine for now, you have a distinct feeling that soon, you are going to need an extra pair of hands to keep everything in check.
TennoTurian
Full of Quest Ideas but lack the drive to do most
- Location
- Under the floorboards
The thing about Divinity is that they tend to be confined to their roles. Especially if they are made by divinity to fill a certain role. It's literally their Purpose. In a way, they're a bit like computer programs, they are hardwired for specific tasks and are quite limited in others.
As for the Companion role, this gives the Divine Servant more freedom in what they would like to be, they could learn to be a bit more like a warrior to fight the injustice on the streets of Night City, while also becoming a skilled steward to help manage your growing Faith but not really specializing in either. A jack of all trades if you will!
- Pronouns
- He
[X] (Role) A Wife
Can we do this?
Can we do this?
TennoTurian
Full of Quest Ideas but lack the drive to do most
- Location
- Under the floorboards
I mean.... I GUESS!? Yeah, sure! Why not!? Anything free game!
always_confused
Perpetually unwanted
- Location
- SEA
[X] (Role) A Wife
[X] (Role) A Steward. While you are managing just fine for now, you have a distinct feeling that soon, you are going to need an extra pair of hands to keep everything in check.
- Location
- Somewhere nearby.
Whatever the role is they need to be that one cartoon dog mascot for the police.
[X] (Role) A Steward. While you are managing just fine for now, you have a distinct feeling that soon, you are going to need an extra pair of hands to keep everything in check.
[X] (Role) A Steward. While you are managing just fine for now, you have a distinct feeling that soon, you are going to need an extra pair of hands to keep everything in check.
I hope we can pick how the Servant looks. Because I'm not really interested in bringing the NCPD's goofy cartoon mascot to life. I'm thinking more along the lines of a cyberpunk Statue of Liberty figure. Either a version of the Statue of Liberty with cyberpunk elements or a figure made of lines of light like a Statue of Liberty neon sign brought to life.
Either way, I wanted to contrast our eldritch magnificence with a servant that's more approachable.
Either way, I wanted to contrast our eldritch magnificence with a servant that's more approachable.
TennoTurian
Full of Quest Ideas but lack the drive to do most
- Location
- Under the floorboards
Closing votes, thanks for participating everyone!
A Taste of Evil pt. 8
TennoTurian
Full of Quest Ideas but lack the drive to do most
- Location
- Under the floorboards
[X] Look into Hannah Rey's friends and family, they might know where she's been before her passing.
09:53 AM June 14, 2075
Det. Tanner Montoya
NCPD Precinct 2, Night City
Montoya sorely despised this part of the job but someone has to do it. With the lack of manpower, every uniformed officer in Precinct 2 has had to assume multiple roles at once in order to keep the precinct running and with the staggering amount of work just from handling the entire district of Watson alone, things will eventually fall through the cracks and unfortunately for him, the responsibility of relaying the news of Hannah's passing had fallen onto him.
He stared at the old couple who sat in one of the unoccupied offices, their wrinkled faces marked with evident concern. Beside them, stood a third person, a man stood next to them around the same height as the victim's father, far younger than the couple and looked to be just on the cusp of adulthood, a younger brother perhaps?
"It never gets easier." He muttered to himself, as he took in a breath and sighed. With a slow turn of his head, he reached out for the cup of hot coffee that he was quite certain was not there a moment ago and pulled it towards him, "Thanks Aves." He mutters before taking a sip of sweet nectar to give himself a bit of a boost.
"Your job is not an easy one but I shall endeavor to make it more bearable, Tanner Montoya." You say quietly with a nod of your head, a steaming coffee pot in one of your hands unseen by everyone save for a few select officers with interesting new pins on their collars who have taken note of the recent strange happenings around the precinct lately.
A rueful grin pulled at the detective's lips before letting out another sigh. "I'm gonna need it." He said quietly, taking one more sip of his coffee before heading into the office, mentally bracing himself to deliver the bad news.
You watch Detective Montoya take a seat in the office and start talking with Hannah Rey's family, their expressions were pensive, nervous, especially the parents'. Her brother on the other hand was stoic, his face a blank stone mask in an attempt to appear strong for his family.
"He's always been like that, you know? My brother." Hannah Rey stood next to you with a sad look in her eyes, her arms wrapped around herself almost protectively, her thumb caught between her lips as she gnawed on a fingernail. The woman looked as if she hadn't been torn to bloody shreds, but then again being an actual ghost does have its benefits, one of which is choosing how you can appear. The only downside to it is that she can either look as she did before she died or exactly as she died. Clad in "Night City's tough, kids can't go out on the streets by themselves without getting shot or nabbed by scavs."
"The city is a dangerous place." You remark as you refilled another cup of coffee for another officer, who was so deep in paperwork that they never realized that their cup hadn't gone empty yet. In your brief existence, you have quickly learned that Night City was fraught with dangers of all kinds and the average citizen dealt with it as if they were minor inconveniences.
"Yeah, it is." Her fingers tightened around her arms, the look in her eyes grew distant for a moment. "He deserved better, he grew up too fast. Had to. Night City would've eaten him up if he didn't." She looked away from her family as their postures grew even stiffer as Detective Montoya continued to talk. "He shot his first Scav when he was ten." Her voice began to quiver as a loud wail pierced through the air.
You turn your gaze back to the office, peering within through the glass windows, to see Hannah Rey's mother burying her head into her hands, her face twisted into pure anguish as her husband all but fell out of his seat, his eyes wide and face pale, looking as if the whole world had fallen under his feet.
The brother on the other head, was like a statue. He stood there, unmoving; eyes staring forwards as his stoic face turned white.
"I'm so sorry for your loss." Montoya's voice was barely audible over the wailing and some of the other officers were starting to look on with sympathy, some willfully ignored the anguished cries of a parent as they tried to focus on their work.
Hannah Rey swiftly turned away from you and had retreated into one of the other offices, her ethereal form passing through the walls and you can't help but sigh. Aves turns to you and makes a barely noticeable gesture towards the windows in a silent request.
How could you say no? Hannah Rey's Mother's grief stricken wails has touched even your heart. No parent should ever have to hear the death of their own child and with a wave of your hand, the windows grew dark as you turned the tint all the way up to maximum and the door slid shut, muffling everything within but you could still hear everything as if you were in the room with them.
The other officers stood awkwardly for a moment before slowly returning to their tasks and you can't help but sigh as you poured another cup of coffee for one of the flagging officers blindly reaching for their empty mug.
==================================================================
"I'm very sorry to ask you this in your moment of grief but, do you know why your daughter would go there and with large amounts of eddies in bills?"
Both parents could only shake their heads, too distressed to even make coherent sentences let alone speak, but the brother on the other hand? "She was going to work. She got a new job a few months ago." He said, his voice flat, eyes blinking rapidly as tears ran down his young face. "It paid really well, helped pay the bills." His voice wobbled as his blank face began to crack, giving Tanner the glimpse of what lay beneath the stoic exterior, the despair of a young boy who just lost his sister. "She got me a Kerry Eurodyne t-shirt…"
"Was it all in cash? Did she say what her new job was, or maybe leave any clues as to what it may be?" Tanner asks, his voice as soft as it could be, he had no idea what to do with kids, especially heartbroken ones like this.
"She always had a large wad of eddies. I don't know where she got it." The boy didn't say anymore, his eyes dark as he shook his head, as if ashamed he can't help any more and just shut down as he too, fell into despair.
"I'll see if I can get someone to drive you all home." Tanner sighs, he was not going to get anything else from the family, but at least they had some information.
[New information received.]
[X] Locate Nikki Edison, she's not answering her comms, maybe you should pay her house a visit.
11:21 AM June 15, 2075
Det. Tanner Montoya
Vista Verve Towers, Watson
Vista Verve Towers has to be one of the few places in Watson to still retain its glory back from Watson's heydays when it used to be the beating heart of Night City, but just barely. Despite the appearance of wealth and opulence that Corporate buildings tend to have, it was still quite apparent that the fall of Watson had still affected it, barely visible stains of dirt more marked the building, the massive sign that hung over the front doors shook and shuddered, the nuts and bolts that kept it in place were rusted and loose. If one were to squint hard enough, you could see the multitude of cracks throughout the surface.
If the Vista Verve Towers were a man, he'd be a corpo who had fallen on hard times. Tanner couldn't help but smirk, yeah he could see him now. A tired man with disheveled hair, wearing a dirty tie with wrinkles, dirt and tears in his once pristine tailor made suit. Looking high class and rich at a glance but once you take the time to actually look, you start seeing all the imperfections. Yeah, that image works.
Stepping through the doors, he was automatically greeted by the sight of multiple large and burly men that were… far too large to be normal. The stretch marks and bulging veins told him all he needed to know.
Animals. What were they doing here?
"Welcome to Vista Verve Towers, how may I help you?" The receptionist behind the desk greeted the detective with a smile, a man in a neat and simple uniform with slicked back hair kept his eyes trained, almost unblinking on the detective who merely held up his badge. "NCPD, I'm looking to see Nikki Edison."
There was a flicker of something in the receptionist's eyes and a quick glance over to the hulking men who drew closer to the detective with cracking fists. Well, shit.
"And what business do you have with Miss Edison, officer?" He said in a pointed tone, and while the two Animals didn't back off, they certainly maintained their distance if barely.
"It's related to an ongoing investigation that I am not at liberty to discuss." Tanner said smoothly, stuffing his hands into his pocket but his shoulders tensed as he was braced for whatever was coming. "Let's just say that there was an incident last night that she may have been involved in and we need to talk to her about it."
Staring at him for a long moment, the receptionist did not utter a word, then his eyes glanced towards his collar where Aves' symbol was pinned on. They widened by a small fraction and gave a small gesture towards the Animals, who relaxed and stepped away from the detective.
What in the-?
A small smile tugged at the receptionist's lips. "Excuse me for a moment officer." His eyes began to glow as he contacted the Executive of Unspeak Cyberware.
Tanner couldn't help but be a bit confused, why the sudden change in attitude. It was only when he noticed the nametag on the receptionist's chest. 'Seyoun'. He recognized that name, he's one of the new officers that have recently started following Aves. Were they related somehow? Now that he thought about it, they did look somewhat similar, brothers?
"Miss Edison will see you, Officer." The receptionist smiled once more, handing Tanner the keys to her suite. "However, policy states that I ask you to leave your weapon here, but as an officer of the law you are not required to do so."
"'I'll keep it on me, thanks."
"Have a lovely day, Officer."
Tanner took a look at the key, and it looked like the Executive lived on one of the upper floors and immediately made a beeline for the elevator. Civilization gave them the use of elevators and he will use his right as a civilized man to use them damnit. Once inside, he punched in the floor number and all he had to do now was wait as the elevator made its slow ascent.
The perfect time for you to make your appearance and materialize out of the ether right behind your First Follower. "Tanner Montoya." You greet him.
"Aves." The detective nodded his head with respectful reverence, "Shrunk yourself down?" He can't help but note your… reduced form as you stood behind him.
"Would you rather I appear in my full form?" You genuinely ask, you had opted to make yourself smaller to fit the elevator which was not made for beings of your true size and even then, it was a bit cramped, at least for Tanner Montoya. Your head barely grazed the ceiling of the elevator and your many arms took up more space than one would expect. "Because I could do so if you wish."
"I would love to see you try that Aves." Your follower grins, but before he could say anything more the elevator came to a halt as it reached its destination. "This is my stop. See you later, Aves." He waved a carefree goodbye as he exited the elevator, the doors shutting behind him as he made his way to Nikki Edison's abode.
Not that it was hard to find, the Corpo had two uniformed guards standing in front of the door, both were equipped with full gear, armor and weapons and all. In his entire experience as a detective Corpo's normally don't have fully armored guards outside their homes unless you're one of the extremely rich, which he highly doubts considering where she lives, the executive was paranoid.
Seeing his approach, their hands immediately reached for their weapons as one of the stepped forwards. "Not another step." He barked, and Tanner had to comply. "You the detective?" He asked, his voice coming out a bit muffled despite the built-in microphone in his helmet transmitting his voice through the speakers.
"Detective Tanner Montoya, NCPD." He carefully pulled out his badge for the guards to see. The one who spoke to him, made a barely noticeable nod towards the other who immediately came forward to look at his badge.
After a moment, the guard took a step back. "He's clear."
They both immediately relaxed by a small fraction but the tension in their shoulders was still there. "You can go in. Miss Edison's expecting you."
"Gentlemen." He gives them both a little snark but shows his gratitude for letting him pass and once he was inside the apartment, he couldn't help but be impressed. It was large, definitely far larger than his own place, that's for sure!
The next thing he noticed was the enormous turret sticking out from the ceiling, the barrel and the laser pointer were pointed directly at him.
Well, fuck.
"That's far enough, Detective." A woman called out, and lo and behold, walking out from the hallway, clad in a business suit that was tailored made just for herself was Nikki Edison. One of the Executives of Unspeak Cyberware and currently in charge of developing new cyberware for the company. "Can't be too careful nowadays, what can I do for you?"
The Executive certainly looks like she's seen better days. Despite her formal attire and good grooming, it's clear that she hasn't had a good night's sleep for a few days. Her eyes had a somewhat wild look to them and one of her fingers kept twitching despite the cool and calm demeanor she was trying to portray and the heavy bags under her eyes were so pronounced they were custom-made and sold at Jinguji. A stark contrast from what he has seen from image searches.
"I'm not here to hurt you, Miss Edison. I'm just here to talk." Tanner said carefully, remaining perfectly still to not spook her. While he did wear some kevlar under his clothes, he highly doubts it could stand up to the likes of the turret on the ceiling.
"Then talk. I'm sure you can do something so simple?"
Taking in a deep breath, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the zip lock bag containing the ear cuff from the crime scene. "Is this yours, Miss Edison?" He asks, noting the slight widening of her eyes in recognition at the sight of it.
"Yes. That is mine." She confirmed with a nod after a moment of silence, "But I don't see why NCPD would show up at my doorstep just to return expensive jewelry." Her eyes narrowed and a scowl came over her features as she glared at him. "Cut the crap, detective. Why are you here?"
"A few days ago we received a distress call from Hannah Rey." He began and he most certainly did not miss the barest flinch she made upon the utterance of her name. "However, when we arrived on the scene-"
"She was already dead." The executive finished, her voice flat, her posture relaxing somewhat but also tensing at the same time. She bowed her head for a moment and shook her head before waving a hand dismissively at the air as if to swat at some annoying fly and immediately after, the turret folded in on itself and retreated into the ceiling. "God damnit, I thought she managed to make it out."
Tanner could not help but raise a brow, was that regret? Interesting. He kept a neutral expression on his face but he did try to show some compassion. "So you do know her." It was spoken more like a question than a statement.
Shaking her head, Unspeak Cyberware's executive let out a sigh and leaned back into the table behind her, arms crossing over her chest as she schooled her expression to look him right in the eyes. "What do you want to know?" Her tone was all business-like, almost as if this were just another transaction between herself and a client.
"What's your relation to Hannah Ray?" Tanner jumped at the opportunity, he was here for information so he might as well gather it, but he did his best to keep his tone gentle and not too demanding of her.
"Client and Provider." She clipped, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "I was the client."
Excuse me? That had Tanner's surprise actually crack through his neutral mask. What on earth would Hannah Rey have that a Corpo would want in a dark alley? It certainly couldn't be drugs because they could easily get their hands on those without having to go through a back alley deal.
Nikki groaned with a roll of her eyes, "She's a hooker alright?" She clarified, rubbing a hand down her face. "From that new club that popped up near the Docks, Velvet Dreams. I may be Corpo but I have needs too, alright?" She said defensively, a look of exasperation on her face.
Raising his hands in a placating gesture, he shook his head at her, "No judgment here, I just want to know what happened."
Instead of answering, the corpo turned and walked over to one of the cabinets and opened it to reach inside and pull out a bottle and a glass to pour its contents into and take a swig while she pulled out a business card from her pocket, it was the same business card that was found at the crime scene. "Hannah and I.. met at Velvet Dreams a few months ago, she started working there as one of the girls, I dropped by to see what this new club was about. We started talking, one thing led to another and we've been seeing each other on the regular." Then with a shrug, she took another gulp of her whiskey and set the glass back down.
"So you're why she's been earning so much." Tanner concluded, which Nikki confirmed with a nod.
"Like I said, I had needs, she fulfilled them, very well in fact." She sighed once more, "I'm going to miss her."
"You were there with her, weren't you?" The detective prodded for more information, he needed to know more. "Before she died, I mean. She called for help about someone being after you two." He then sent her an image of the Animal from the footage, "Is this the one that attacked you?"
Nikki Edison's face grew pale at the sight of him, her knuckles turning white as she tightly gripped the table. "Not someone." She corrected him, her steady voice had finally cracked, trembling with barely restrained terror. "Not anymore. Something." She didn't need to wait for him to ask her to elaborate, she went on as the words spilled out of her mouth in a terrified rant. "I don't know who or what that thing is or used to be, he stopped being human when he opened his mouth. Dear god, his mouth. I-I've never seen someone with so much chrome let alone our products be used like that! All I saw were rows upon rows upon rows of teeth and it wanted me. It wanted me." Her eyes grew wide with near madness driven by fear, her sleepless nights catching up to her in her rant and her fragile facade of cool indifference was broken, showing a very, very terrified woman underneath it all.
"Wait, you were the target? This wasn't just some random cyberpsycho incident?" Tanner spoke with alarm, when she went into a rant, he initially thought it was just another cyberpsycho attack but when she mentioned that her assailant, Hannah Rey's murderer had sought her out specifically, it set off alarm bells in his head. Taking a step towards her, he held out a hand almost reaching out as if to try and calm her. "Can you describe to me what he looked like up close?"
Nikki shook her head in despair, "No, it wanted me. I have something it wants, I don't know how it knows. I only saw its teeth!" She all but wailed. "I don't understand how, it's barely in development! We're just experimenting with the concept!"
Tanner carefully and gently laid his hands on her, giving her shoulders a comforting squeeze to help her relax and it seemed to do the trick, the executive stiffened, eyes widening in what initially was fear but slowly relaxed and her shoulders slumped as if the weight of the world were on her. "Miss Edison," Tanner paused for a moment, "Nikki, I'm afraid I'm going to need you to elaborate. What does it want?"
Taking a few breaths to calm herself, the woman clenched her eyes shut to squeeze out what tears were left in her eyes before wiping them off with a sleeve. "We… We at Unspeak Cyberware are currently trying to develop more chrome to put on our shelves and trust me, it's not as easy as it sounds when we're known for our particular brand. You know what we're known for right?"
How could he not? While their cyberware is made for a rather niche audience, it doesn't mean that they're not well known! Insect mandibles, tentacle arms, shark teeth, they were all straight out of some eldritch horror novel, they got really popular when they first came out and the exotics went crazy for them and they were also used a lot in Horror films, tv shows and even BDs.
"Well, the 'cyberpsycho' that attacked us? He somehow got word that we were developing a new product, something that made our Sharkbite look like a playful love bite and wanted it slotted in but the thing is, it's only a concept, we haven't even begun to start making it yet."
"A leak perhaps?" He suggested, it was highly possible. He may not have a lot of experience with corporate related crimes, it made the most sense.
His theory was immediately shut down when the executive shook her head. "Impossible, the only ones who know of it are myself and those who I have personally handpicked for this project. They're all loyal and we treat our employees well."
"But your attacker knew about it." He poked a hole in her logic and all she could do was shrug in defeat.
"Whether I'm right about my employees or not, I'm just telling you what I know, detective." She sighed, "And believe me if any of them leaked the info, I would have known." Her voice took on a very dark tone that promised severe repercussions if any of them did breach their contract. "So is that everything, detective?" She sighs, sounding far more tired than she was at the start of their conversation.
"Yeah, that will be all. Don't worry Miss Edison, we'll catch him." Tanner threw the last bit in, in hopes that it would reassure her and the rather dubious expression on her face made her wince.
"Knowing NCPD? I'll end up dead way before you'll be able to do anything." She almost snorted with amusement but then she went quiet and looked away as if thinking about something. "I've heard that the NCPD, well at least the one in Watson, is cleaning up its act." She said slowly, no doubt referencing how Precinct 2 had taken care of the moles and infiltrators and still managed to do a fine job despite the severe lack of manpower. Speaking of which, the new recruits should be arriving soon and Tanner could not wait for them to arrive. "Fine, I'll trust you. I'll even throw in a generous donation if you manage to take out my attacker."
"We'll arrest the one responsible and make them face justice." He corrected her as he made his leave and of course the corpo had to get the last word in.
"I highly doubt that, Detective." The door shut behind him and the two armed guards blocked the door with their own bodies. Well, that was certainly enlightening! He's managed to gather some new information to figure out the why, but now they just need to find the who. Making his way back to the elevator, Tanner let out a sigh. He needs another damn cup of coffee.
Ding.
The elevator doors opened and he was greeted with the sight of You, in your full size, squeezed into the tight confines of the elevator. Your entire form was forced to curl up to fit the massive scales that were impaled into your back, several of your arms pushing at the walls of the elevator to squeeze yourself into the corner to leave enough room for the detective to enter.
"Tanner Montoya." You greeted him with a nod, as if this was completely normal.
"Aves." He nods back, stepping into the elevator, making no outward reaction to the sight of you being stuffed in such a small space and rode the elevator down in silence.
[New Information Received!]
[Evidence Updated Bloody Business Card -> Velvet Dreams Business Card]
A/N: I.. I honestly don't know what happened, it… it got so big without meaning to! This is the chonkiest chapter I have ever made!!! What happened to me!? Also, forgot to make this change but Security cam footage is now relabeled to Possible Suspect Footage (Animal). Divine Servant update is after this! I'm so tired...
What's the next step in the investigation? (Pick 2 choices)
[ ] Approach your contacts for information regarding the Animal on the footage.
- [ ] Animals Contacts
- [ ] Fixers
- - [ ] Wakako Oda
- - [ ] Regina Jones
[ ] Follow up on the Mickey Davidson case
- [ ] Contact his family for more information.
- [ ] Investigate his last known location. (The Looking Glass Theatre)
[ ] Try to get information from Hannah Rey
[ ] Use gathered information to try and find the Unknown Animal
[ ] Actually something else (Write in: )
[ ] That's enough for now. (Ends the investigation)
Gathered Evidence
Information
Suspects
09:53 AM June 14, 2075
Det. Tanner Montoya
NCPD Precinct 2, Night City
Montoya sorely despised this part of the job but someone has to do it. With the lack of manpower, every uniformed officer in Precinct 2 has had to assume multiple roles at once in order to keep the precinct running and with the staggering amount of work just from handling the entire district of Watson alone, things will eventually fall through the cracks and unfortunately for him, the responsibility of relaying the news of Hannah's passing had fallen onto him.
He stared at the old couple who sat in one of the unoccupied offices, their wrinkled faces marked with evident concern. Beside them, stood a third person, a man stood next to them around the same height as the victim's father, far younger than the couple and looked to be just on the cusp of adulthood, a younger brother perhaps?
"It never gets easier." He muttered to himself, as he took in a breath and sighed. With a slow turn of his head, he reached out for the cup of hot coffee that he was quite certain was not there a moment ago and pulled it towards him, "Thanks Aves." He mutters before taking a sip of sweet nectar to give himself a bit of a boost.
"Your job is not an easy one but I shall endeavor to make it more bearable, Tanner Montoya." You say quietly with a nod of your head, a steaming coffee pot in one of your hands unseen by everyone save for a few select officers with interesting new pins on their collars who have taken note of the recent strange happenings around the precinct lately.
A rueful grin pulled at the detective's lips before letting out another sigh. "I'm gonna need it." He said quietly, taking one more sip of his coffee before heading into the office, mentally bracing himself to deliver the bad news.
You watch Detective Montoya take a seat in the office and start talking with Hannah Rey's family, their expressions were pensive, nervous, especially the parents'. Her brother on the other hand was stoic, his face a blank stone mask in an attempt to appear strong for his family.
"He's always been like that, you know? My brother." Hannah Rey stood next to you with a sad look in her eyes, her arms wrapped around herself almost protectively, her thumb caught between her lips as she gnawed on a fingernail. The woman looked as if she hadn't been torn to bloody shreds, but then again being an actual ghost does have its benefits, one of which is choosing how you can appear. The only downside to it is that she can either look as she did before she died or exactly as she died. Clad in "Night City's tough, kids can't go out on the streets by themselves without getting shot or nabbed by scavs."
"The city is a dangerous place." You remark as you refilled another cup of coffee for another officer, who was so deep in paperwork that they never realized that their cup hadn't gone empty yet. In your brief existence, you have quickly learned that Night City was fraught with dangers of all kinds and the average citizen dealt with it as if they were minor inconveniences.
"Yeah, it is." Her fingers tightened around her arms, the look in her eyes grew distant for a moment. "He deserved better, he grew up too fast. Had to. Night City would've eaten him up if he didn't." She looked away from her family as their postures grew even stiffer as Detective Montoya continued to talk. "He shot his first Scav when he was ten." Her voice began to quiver as a loud wail pierced through the air.
You turn your gaze back to the office, peering within through the glass windows, to see Hannah Rey's mother burying her head into her hands, her face twisted into pure anguish as her husband all but fell out of his seat, his eyes wide and face pale, looking as if the whole world had fallen under his feet.
The brother on the other head, was like a statue. He stood there, unmoving; eyes staring forwards as his stoic face turned white.
"I'm so sorry for your loss." Montoya's voice was barely audible over the wailing and some of the other officers were starting to look on with sympathy, some willfully ignored the anguished cries of a parent as they tried to focus on their work.
Hannah Rey swiftly turned away from you and had retreated into one of the other offices, her ethereal form passing through the walls and you can't help but sigh. Aves turns to you and makes a barely noticeable gesture towards the windows in a silent request.
How could you say no? Hannah Rey's Mother's grief stricken wails has touched even your heart. No parent should ever have to hear the death of their own child and with a wave of your hand, the windows grew dark as you turned the tint all the way up to maximum and the door slid shut, muffling everything within but you could still hear everything as if you were in the room with them.
The other officers stood awkwardly for a moment before slowly returning to their tasks and you can't help but sigh as you poured another cup of coffee for one of the flagging officers blindly reaching for their empty mug.
==================================================================
"I'm very sorry to ask you this in your moment of grief but, do you know why your daughter would go there and with large amounts of eddies in bills?"
Both parents could only shake their heads, too distressed to even make coherent sentences let alone speak, but the brother on the other hand? "She was going to work. She got a new job a few months ago." He said, his voice flat, eyes blinking rapidly as tears ran down his young face. "It paid really well, helped pay the bills." His voice wobbled as his blank face began to crack, giving Tanner the glimpse of what lay beneath the stoic exterior, the despair of a young boy who just lost his sister. "She got me a Kerry Eurodyne t-shirt…"
"Was it all in cash? Did she say what her new job was, or maybe leave any clues as to what it may be?" Tanner asks, his voice as soft as it could be, he had no idea what to do with kids, especially heartbroken ones like this.
"She always had a large wad of eddies. I don't know where she got it." The boy didn't say anymore, his eyes dark as he shook his head, as if ashamed he can't help any more and just shut down as he too, fell into despair.
"I'll see if I can get someone to drive you all home." Tanner sighs, he was not going to get anything else from the family, but at least they had some information.
[New information received.]
[X] Locate Nikki Edison, she's not answering her comms, maybe you should pay her house a visit.
11:21 AM June 15, 2075
Det. Tanner Montoya
Vista Verve Towers, Watson
Vista Verve Towers has to be one of the few places in Watson to still retain its glory back from Watson's heydays when it used to be the beating heart of Night City, but just barely. Despite the appearance of wealth and opulence that Corporate buildings tend to have, it was still quite apparent that the fall of Watson had still affected it, barely visible stains of dirt more marked the building, the massive sign that hung over the front doors shook and shuddered, the nuts and bolts that kept it in place were rusted and loose. If one were to squint hard enough, you could see the multitude of cracks throughout the surface.
If the Vista Verve Towers were a man, he'd be a corpo who had fallen on hard times. Tanner couldn't help but smirk, yeah he could see him now. A tired man with disheveled hair, wearing a dirty tie with wrinkles, dirt and tears in his once pristine tailor made suit. Looking high class and rich at a glance but once you take the time to actually look, you start seeing all the imperfections. Yeah, that image works.
Stepping through the doors, he was automatically greeted by the sight of multiple large and burly men that were… far too large to be normal. The stretch marks and bulging veins told him all he needed to know.
Animals. What were they doing here?
"Welcome to Vista Verve Towers, how may I help you?" The receptionist behind the desk greeted the detective with a smile, a man in a neat and simple uniform with slicked back hair kept his eyes trained, almost unblinking on the detective who merely held up his badge. "NCPD, I'm looking to see Nikki Edison."
There was a flicker of something in the receptionist's eyes and a quick glance over to the hulking men who drew closer to the detective with cracking fists. Well, shit.
"And what business do you have with Miss Edison, officer?" He said in a pointed tone, and while the two Animals didn't back off, they certainly maintained their distance if barely.
"It's related to an ongoing investigation that I am not at liberty to discuss." Tanner said smoothly, stuffing his hands into his pocket but his shoulders tensed as he was braced for whatever was coming. "Let's just say that there was an incident last night that she may have been involved in and we need to talk to her about it."
Staring at him for a long moment, the receptionist did not utter a word, then his eyes glanced towards his collar where Aves' symbol was pinned on. They widened by a small fraction and gave a small gesture towards the Animals, who relaxed and stepped away from the detective.
What in the-?
A small smile tugged at the receptionist's lips. "Excuse me for a moment officer." His eyes began to glow as he contacted the Executive of Unspeak Cyberware.
Tanner couldn't help but be a bit confused, why the sudden change in attitude. It was only when he noticed the nametag on the receptionist's chest. 'Seyoun'. He recognized that name, he's one of the new officers that have recently started following Aves. Were they related somehow? Now that he thought about it, they did look somewhat similar, brothers?
"Miss Edison will see you, Officer." The receptionist smiled once more, handing Tanner the keys to her suite. "However, policy states that I ask you to leave your weapon here, but as an officer of the law you are not required to do so."
"'I'll keep it on me, thanks."
"Have a lovely day, Officer."
Tanner took a look at the key, and it looked like the Executive lived on one of the upper floors and immediately made a beeline for the elevator. Civilization gave them the use of elevators and he will use his right as a civilized man to use them damnit. Once inside, he punched in the floor number and all he had to do now was wait as the elevator made its slow ascent.
The perfect time for you to make your appearance and materialize out of the ether right behind your First Follower. "Tanner Montoya." You greet him.
"Aves." The detective nodded his head with respectful reverence, "Shrunk yourself down?" He can't help but note your… reduced form as you stood behind him.
"Would you rather I appear in my full form?" You genuinely ask, you had opted to make yourself smaller to fit the elevator which was not made for beings of your true size and even then, it was a bit cramped, at least for Tanner Montoya. Your head barely grazed the ceiling of the elevator and your many arms took up more space than one would expect. "Because I could do so if you wish."
"I would love to see you try that Aves." Your follower grins, but before he could say anything more the elevator came to a halt as it reached its destination. "This is my stop. See you later, Aves." He waved a carefree goodbye as he exited the elevator, the doors shutting behind him as he made his way to Nikki Edison's abode.
Not that it was hard to find, the Corpo had two uniformed guards standing in front of the door, both were equipped with full gear, armor and weapons and all. In his entire experience as a detective Corpo's normally don't have fully armored guards outside their homes unless you're one of the extremely rich, which he highly doubts considering where she lives, the executive was paranoid.
Seeing his approach, their hands immediately reached for their weapons as one of the stepped forwards. "Not another step." He barked, and Tanner had to comply. "You the detective?" He asked, his voice coming out a bit muffled despite the built-in microphone in his helmet transmitting his voice through the speakers.
"Detective Tanner Montoya, NCPD." He carefully pulled out his badge for the guards to see. The one who spoke to him, made a barely noticeable nod towards the other who immediately came forward to look at his badge.
After a moment, the guard took a step back. "He's clear."
They both immediately relaxed by a small fraction but the tension in their shoulders was still there. "You can go in. Miss Edison's expecting you."
"Gentlemen." He gives them both a little snark but shows his gratitude for letting him pass and once he was inside the apartment, he couldn't help but be impressed. It was large, definitely far larger than his own place, that's for sure!
The next thing he noticed was the enormous turret sticking out from the ceiling, the barrel and the laser pointer were pointed directly at him.
Well, fuck.
"That's far enough, Detective." A woman called out, and lo and behold, walking out from the hallway, clad in a business suit that was tailored made just for herself was Nikki Edison. One of the Executives of Unspeak Cyberware and currently in charge of developing new cyberware for the company. "Can't be too careful nowadays, what can I do for you?"
The Executive certainly looks like she's seen better days. Despite her formal attire and good grooming, it's clear that she hasn't had a good night's sleep for a few days. Her eyes had a somewhat wild look to them and one of her fingers kept twitching despite the cool and calm demeanor she was trying to portray and the heavy bags under her eyes were so pronounced they were custom-made and sold at Jinguji. A stark contrast from what he has seen from image searches.
"I'm not here to hurt you, Miss Edison. I'm just here to talk." Tanner said carefully, remaining perfectly still to not spook her. While he did wear some kevlar under his clothes, he highly doubts it could stand up to the likes of the turret on the ceiling.
"Then talk. I'm sure you can do something so simple?"
Taking in a deep breath, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the zip lock bag containing the ear cuff from the crime scene. "Is this yours, Miss Edison?" He asks, noting the slight widening of her eyes in recognition at the sight of it.
"Yes. That is mine." She confirmed with a nod after a moment of silence, "But I don't see why NCPD would show up at my doorstep just to return expensive jewelry." Her eyes narrowed and a scowl came over her features as she glared at him. "Cut the crap, detective. Why are you here?"
"A few days ago we received a distress call from Hannah Rey." He began and he most certainly did not miss the barest flinch she made upon the utterance of her name. "However, when we arrived on the scene-"
"She was already dead." The executive finished, her voice flat, her posture relaxing somewhat but also tensing at the same time. She bowed her head for a moment and shook her head before waving a hand dismissively at the air as if to swat at some annoying fly and immediately after, the turret folded in on itself and retreated into the ceiling. "God damnit, I thought she managed to make it out."
Tanner could not help but raise a brow, was that regret? Interesting. He kept a neutral expression on his face but he did try to show some compassion. "So you do know her." It was spoken more like a question than a statement.
Shaking her head, Unspeak Cyberware's executive let out a sigh and leaned back into the table behind her, arms crossing over her chest as she schooled her expression to look him right in the eyes. "What do you want to know?" Her tone was all business-like, almost as if this were just another transaction between herself and a client.
"What's your relation to Hannah Ray?" Tanner jumped at the opportunity, he was here for information so he might as well gather it, but he did his best to keep his tone gentle and not too demanding of her.
"Client and Provider." She clipped, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "I was the client."
Excuse me? That had Tanner's surprise actually crack through his neutral mask. What on earth would Hannah Rey have that a Corpo would want in a dark alley? It certainly couldn't be drugs because they could easily get their hands on those without having to go through a back alley deal.
Nikki groaned with a roll of her eyes, "She's a hooker alright?" She clarified, rubbing a hand down her face. "From that new club that popped up near the Docks, Velvet Dreams. I may be Corpo but I have needs too, alright?" She said defensively, a look of exasperation on her face.
Raising his hands in a placating gesture, he shook his head at her, "No judgment here, I just want to know what happened."
Instead of answering, the corpo turned and walked over to one of the cabinets and opened it to reach inside and pull out a bottle and a glass to pour its contents into and take a swig while she pulled out a business card from her pocket, it was the same business card that was found at the crime scene. "Hannah and I.. met at Velvet Dreams a few months ago, she started working there as one of the girls, I dropped by to see what this new club was about. We started talking, one thing led to another and we've been seeing each other on the regular." Then with a shrug, she took another gulp of her whiskey and set the glass back down.
"So you're why she's been earning so much." Tanner concluded, which Nikki confirmed with a nod.
"Like I said, I had needs, she fulfilled them, very well in fact." She sighed once more, "I'm going to miss her."
"You were there with her, weren't you?" The detective prodded for more information, he needed to know more. "Before she died, I mean. She called for help about someone being after you two." He then sent her an image of the Animal from the footage, "Is this the one that attacked you?"
Nikki Edison's face grew pale at the sight of him, her knuckles turning white as she tightly gripped the table. "Not someone." She corrected him, her steady voice had finally cracked, trembling with barely restrained terror. "Not anymore. Something." She didn't need to wait for him to ask her to elaborate, she went on as the words spilled out of her mouth in a terrified rant. "I don't know who or what that thing is or used to be, he stopped being human when he opened his mouth. Dear god, his mouth. I-I've never seen someone with so much chrome let alone our products be used like that! All I saw were rows upon rows upon rows of teeth and it wanted me. It wanted me." Her eyes grew wide with near madness driven by fear, her sleepless nights catching up to her in her rant and her fragile facade of cool indifference was broken, showing a very, very terrified woman underneath it all.
"Wait, you were the target? This wasn't just some random cyberpsycho incident?" Tanner spoke with alarm, when she went into a rant, he initially thought it was just another cyberpsycho attack but when she mentioned that her assailant, Hannah Rey's murderer had sought her out specifically, it set off alarm bells in his head. Taking a step towards her, he held out a hand almost reaching out as if to try and calm her. "Can you describe to me what he looked like up close?"
Nikki shook her head in despair, "No, it wanted me. I have something it wants, I don't know how it knows. I only saw its teeth!" She all but wailed. "I don't understand how, it's barely in development! We're just experimenting with the concept!"
Tanner carefully and gently laid his hands on her, giving her shoulders a comforting squeeze to help her relax and it seemed to do the trick, the executive stiffened, eyes widening in what initially was fear but slowly relaxed and her shoulders slumped as if the weight of the world were on her. "Miss Edison," Tanner paused for a moment, "Nikki, I'm afraid I'm going to need you to elaborate. What does it want?"
Taking a few breaths to calm herself, the woman clenched her eyes shut to squeeze out what tears were left in her eyes before wiping them off with a sleeve. "We… We at Unspeak Cyberware are currently trying to develop more chrome to put on our shelves and trust me, it's not as easy as it sounds when we're known for our particular brand. You know what we're known for right?"
How could he not? While their cyberware is made for a rather niche audience, it doesn't mean that they're not well known! Insect mandibles, tentacle arms, shark teeth, they were all straight out of some eldritch horror novel, they got really popular when they first came out and the exotics went crazy for them and they were also used a lot in Horror films, tv shows and even BDs.
"Well, the 'cyberpsycho' that attacked us? He somehow got word that we were developing a new product, something that made our Sharkbite look like a playful love bite and wanted it slotted in but the thing is, it's only a concept, we haven't even begun to start making it yet."
"A leak perhaps?" He suggested, it was highly possible. He may not have a lot of experience with corporate related crimes, it made the most sense.
His theory was immediately shut down when the executive shook her head. "Impossible, the only ones who know of it are myself and those who I have personally handpicked for this project. They're all loyal and we treat our employees well."
"But your attacker knew about it." He poked a hole in her logic and all she could do was shrug in defeat.
"Whether I'm right about my employees or not, I'm just telling you what I know, detective." She sighed, "And believe me if any of them leaked the info, I would have known." Her voice took on a very dark tone that promised severe repercussions if any of them did breach their contract. "So is that everything, detective?" She sighs, sounding far more tired than she was at the start of their conversation.
"Yeah, that will be all. Don't worry Miss Edison, we'll catch him." Tanner threw the last bit in, in hopes that it would reassure her and the rather dubious expression on her face made her wince.
"Knowing NCPD? I'll end up dead way before you'll be able to do anything." She almost snorted with amusement but then she went quiet and looked away as if thinking about something. "I've heard that the NCPD, well at least the one in Watson, is cleaning up its act." She said slowly, no doubt referencing how Precinct 2 had taken care of the moles and infiltrators and still managed to do a fine job despite the severe lack of manpower. Speaking of which, the new recruits should be arriving soon and Tanner could not wait for them to arrive. "Fine, I'll trust you. I'll even throw in a generous donation if you manage to take out my attacker."
"We'll arrest the one responsible and make them face justice." He corrected her as he made his leave and of course the corpo had to get the last word in.
"I highly doubt that, Detective." The door shut behind him and the two armed guards blocked the door with their own bodies. Well, that was certainly enlightening! He's managed to gather some new information to figure out the why, but now they just need to find the who. Making his way back to the elevator, Tanner let out a sigh. He needs another damn cup of coffee.
Ding.
The elevator doors opened and he was greeted with the sight of You, in your full size, squeezed into the tight confines of the elevator. Your entire form was forced to curl up to fit the massive scales that were impaled into your back, several of your arms pushing at the walls of the elevator to squeeze yourself into the corner to leave enough room for the detective to enter.
"Tanner Montoya." You greeted him with a nod, as if this was completely normal.
"Aves." He nods back, stepping into the elevator, making no outward reaction to the sight of you being stuffed in such a small space and rode the elevator down in silence.
[New Information Received!]
[Evidence Updated Bloody Business Card -> Velvet Dreams Business Card]
A/N: I.. I honestly don't know what happened, it… it got so big without meaning to! This is the chonkiest chapter I have ever made!!! What happened to me!? Also, forgot to make this change but Security cam footage is now relabeled to Possible Suspect Footage (Animal). Divine Servant update is after this! I'm so tired...
What's the next step in the investigation? (Pick 2 choices)
[ ] Approach your contacts for information regarding the Animal on the footage.
- [ ] Animals Contacts
- [ ] Fixers
- - [ ] Wakako Oda
- - [ ] Regina Jones
[ ] Follow up on the Mickey Davidson case
- [ ] Contact his family for more information.
- [ ] Investigate his last known location. (The Looking Glass Theatre)
[ ] Try to get information from Hannah Rey
[ ] Use gathered information to try and find the Unknown Animal
[ ] Actually something else (Write in: )
[ ] That's enough for now. (Ends the investigation)
Gathered Evidence
- Prints of the suspect's shoes.
- Possible Suspect Footage (Unknown Animal)
- Jinguji Ear cuff
- Velvet Dreams Business Card
Information
- Hannah Rey recently got a new job with a high income that pays in cash.
- Hannah Rey is a joytoy from Velvet Dreams
- Nikki Edison is a regular client of Hannah Rey
- Nikki Edison was targeted by the Unknown Animal
- The Unknown Animal somehow knew about Unspeak Cyberware's new development.
- Unknown Animal has redundant implants of Sharkbite.
Suspects
- Nikki Edison
- Unknown Animal
- Mickey Davidson
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