Sasha Yakovleva.
An Edgerunner netrunner,
and the woman who owed me 8.8 million eddies.
"Sasha, 8.8 million eddies is easy to pay back.
So you can pay it all off in about a year, right?"
"You call that an offer?"
"How about a fifty-percent discount?"
"A discount?"
"On one condition: you have to let me join your crew."
"Huh?"
"What?!"
"Wait, why the hell would you want that?"
Not just Sasha, but the other
crew members too stared at me in surprise.
Their eyes and expressions were asking
why the hell I would want to.
Fair enough.
"Why is everyone so surprised?"
"No, it’s just—why do you suddenly want
to join our crew?"
Maine said, flustered,
grabbing me by the shoulder.
"Because I like it.
The way you act for your comrades."
"Just because of that?"
"In a city where betrayal is an everyday thing,
that isn’t just anything. It’s romantic."
After hearing my answer,
everyone looked even more confused.
"Why? Nomads looking
for romance is nothing new."
"You were a Nomad?"
"That’s what they call us here. If you accept me,
I’ll tell you a little more about it."
"Hmm..."
Maine let out a low hum.
He went over to the other crew members
and began discussing whether to take me in.
After talking among themselves for quite a while,
Maine came back over to me.
His expression had noticeably softened.
"We talked it over,
and we decided to bring you into our crew."
"Then I’ll—"
"But there’s a condition."
"What condition?"
What came out of Maine’s mouth
was nothing short of shocking.
"You want me to prove I’m a Nomad?"
I had been a Nomad from the day I was born.
How was I supposed to prove that?
"How am I supposed to do that? No, why
do I have to prove it in the first place?"
"For one thing, you look more like a fixer than a Nomad."
"A fixer? How do I look like one?"
"For starters, you’re dressed way too neatly to be a Nomad.
More than that, the way you talk is kind of... like that."
"I dressed neatly because I was supposed to meet
someone important today."
Then I got attacked.
Thanks to that, the appointment time had passed ages ago.
"And that important person is?"
"A fixer operating in Watson.
If you don’t mind, would you like to come meet her with me?"
I swallowed the words, You’ll have to be my excuse for being late, and gave them a friendly smile.
"Let’s go! Maine, you said you’ve been bored lately because there hasn’t been much work."
"Yeah! Let’s ride that car again!"
"Now that Sasha’s back,
shouldn’t she get to ride in that car at least once?"
As the crew members chimed in with me,
Maine made a gesture like he had no choice.
"Yeah! Then I’m taking
the passenger seat this time!"
"Hey! I’m taking it!"
Pilar and Rebecca were the first
to run out of the clinic.
Maine and Dorio followed after them,
walking out at a leisurely pace.
Sasha came last,
following them out with the medicine
Viktor had prescribed for her.
That left only me, Viktor,
and Kiwi in the clinic.
"You’re finally leaving."
"What, gonna miss us?"
"No. I was just thinking I can finally watch
the game in peace."
"Don’t worry about that, Viktor.
I’ll come visit often."
"Just get out of here already."
Viktor waved his hand as though it was the most bothersome thing in the world,
and Kiwi and I left his clinic.
The crew was already in the car,
and this time Pilar was sitting on the bench seat.
Rebecca was sitting in Sasha’s lap,
glaring at Pilar and huffing angrily.
"All right, I’ll send a message
and we’ll head to the meeting spot."
I sent Regina Johnson a text.
[Sorry, Ms. Johnson. Something came up on the way, so we’re leaving now.]
[It’s fine. Just get to the address I sent you within ten minutes.]
When I checked the address she had sent,
it was a quiet neighborhood not far from here.
It was about ten to twenty minutes away,
or seven to ten if I sped.
She was obviously telling me
to floor it and get there.
Grrr! Grrrr!!
"Whoa!! That engine sounds fucking amazing!!"
"This thing looked completely old-school on the outside,
but inside it’s a festival of cutting-edge tech!"
"I’m going to speed. If you think you’ll get carsick,
tell me beforehand and I’ll give you a bag."
"Whoa, aren’t you underestimating us?
How fast are you planning to go?"
"Hmm... about sixty?"
"Ha! That’s nothing!"
Garrrrr!!!
"One-sixty. It’s a straight shot,
so we’ll get there in under five minutes."
"Aaaahhh!!"
"Kangal!!!"
"Ah, a curve."
Gaaaa!!
I smoothly(?) turned the wheel
and hit the accelerator again once we were back on a straightaway.
Nearly 180 kilometers per hour.
I casually ignored the screams
coming from beside and behind me.
Once I confirmed we were nearing the meeting place,
I gradually applied the brakes
and, drawing a magnificent semicircle,
pulled off a perfect parking job.
When I looked beside me, Pilar and Kiwi
had already passed out.
Rebecca was sprawled on the floor of the car,
while Maine and Dorio were relatively fine.
Sasha looked like she needed a bag.
"Sasha, would you like a bag?"
Whoosh!
Sasha snatched the bag
in an instant and started throwing up into it.
Maine, Dorio, and Rebecca, who had regained her senses,
hurriedly got out of the car.
I carried the unconscious Pilar and Kiwi
out of the car.
A little later, Sasha came out as well,
still holding the bag.
After about two minutes of rest,
everyone seemed to have recovered.
"Now that everyone’s stomachs are feeling better,
let’s go meet the fixer."
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