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Chapter 1: Ain’t Kansas Anymore
“Ah, good ol’ Night City. Most reliable of late capitalism’s human meat grinders.”
This was it, his last view of NC, Night City, before it was gone for good. He had a good run, for being just some…engram of the original Johnny Silverhand.
Digital cigarette in chromed hand, he looked out of the AV one last time, sparing glances at V every so often. Shit, there really was no other way, was there? Not without getting others hurt, people V cared for, and only for a chance of success by relying on Alt. Digital Alt, but he knew a part of her was still there.
“What the hell you want from me, Johnny?” V asked, barely hanging onto consciousness.
“Acknowledgement. Decency. A sprinkling of regret and an apology.”
“Want an apology for me choosin’ to save my own life?”
The time was close, they could both feel it. The engram that had found its way into the head of some Edgerunner with big dreams.
A shame both wouldn’t get their dreams fulfilled, V was banking on a the surgery from Reed working, while Johnny was…going to get removed. What happened to him, or more importantly to them, the Relic, was anyone’s guess.
“Just wanna live, Johnny. Been clear about that from the start.”
“There were options. Could’ve gone with Alt, blasted our way into Mikoshi.”
“But I didn’t. Can’t fault me for picking the safer route.”
Johnny looked away. People just wanted to live, maybe a part of him did too, back in 2023.
“You want me to act like this, us, was just a big nothingburger. An’ we’ll just drift off into sweet slumber.”
They shared laughs, butted heads, and approved or disapproved of each other at times. Altogether, a mixed bag. Maybe in some other time, certain choices made or certain words said, they’d have gotten along like real chooms.
Not this time, however.
“Except only one of us is waking up.”
Johnny was going to die, V was…likely going to live. Just the way it was now, no more convincing otherwise.
“I’m sorry, Johnny. Sorry you couldn’t go on your terms, the way you wanted…”
The way he wanted, what did he want?
“Shouldn’t be like this, I know.”
“You’re just spewing words.” Johnny shot back, he knew V meant it, but he also meant those words too.
“Glued to our principles, you an’ I.”
V was from a Corpo background, Johnny from desertion. The two couldn’t have been any more different. Maybe that was why they couldn’t get along, but they at least both knew their lines in the sand.
“Think that’s what I respect most about you. Stickin’ to your guns.”
In the end, both were like two bulls on an Arizona ranch, and look where that got them.
“I’ve got readings spiking…strong emotions. We want your brain burden free, never know how stress might affect the operation.” The NUSA egghead took out a tranq injector, Johnny removed his sunglasses. Looking at V with his real, engram eyes for…the last time.
“Think this is it, kiddo.”
He sat down on the edge of the AV, one last look at the landscape of Night City. The place he found his fame, lost his life and regained it, all in the span of…well, one lifetime.
A lifetime that wasn’t boring, by any means. Regrets on the other hand? Too many. As he felt V’s eyes closing, he asked the Edgerunner one last question.
“Think we can find it in our heart to forgive each other?”
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. To an Edgerunner and a Rockerboy, two who could find it in their hearts to…
“Yeah…I can. You?”
Johnny felt relief, in his final moments.
“Think I can too.”
Maybe that was what he was missing in his old life, forgiveness.
…
…
…
…
Data transfer complete
Compiling…
Compiling…
Complete in 43 milliseconds
Activating ‘Relic’ program…
Archaic software bypassing…
Complete
Connection established with entity ‘Johnny Silverhand’…
Cephalon ‘Ordis’ granted admin privileges…
And the next thing Johnny Silverhand saw was a bright blue fuckin’ cube right in his face.
“Greetings! I am Cephalon Ordis, manager of the various systems aboard this Tenno’s Orbiter. Please, do not be-EEEE alarmed!”
To that, the old Rockerboy just had one thing to say.
“What the fu-“
Mission completion time: four minutes, and thirty seconds. A hundred and thirty five enemy combatants eliminated.
Standard Teshub void extermination, all for one item, an Argon Crystal.
Landing craft docked back in with the Orbiter, a Parallax model, received as reward for services rendered upon the derelict Zariman in the Origin System. The Grinner and Corpus fought over it every so often, but the parts for those landing crafts were yet numerous enough to be given as rewards, or scavenged by the Tenno who defended their derelict home.
Docking procedures completed a moment later, magnetic locks in place…and the exit ramp opened for the Tenno to enter back into the much larger Orbiter. A work of Orokin engineering…and the only place that its owner could call home, with any semblance of familiarity.
“Operator, you have returned!”
In Excalibur Umbra, the Tenno walked back into the main equipment area, and was greeted immediately by the ship’s ever-faithful Cephalon, Ordis. The Warframe, a weapon of war, and victim to those very same Orokin’s machinations nodded, heeding the wishes of its current Operator.
Umbra was special among her Warframes, and upon remembering that he was still being piloted, transference flared, and the Operator was once more standing on the floor of the ship herself. Popping out of the Warframe in manners that defied natural laws of physics, just a product of the so-called Void Demons they were known by.
Stretching, she brushed her shoulder-length black hair aside, and looked towards her Cephalon companion with…the usual unfocused eyes. She was told many Tenno often had that issue when interacting in their true selves, to the regular inhabitants of the Orokin system, seeming as if they weren’t focusing on anything. Doubly so for her, since they were a bright, yet deep purple colour, striking, but it caused issues when talking with regular…humans. A result of Void exposure, or the ‘gift’ she was given.
“Ordis. Successful mission, Argon Crystal acquired, we can complete the last foundry part. Umbra, you…can go rest. And…thank you, for another mission.”
With the precision and grace of a Dax, the special Warframe bowed, as was customary. Umbra may not have been the best Warframe for the last mission, but it had been some time since the two went on a mission together. Idle hands meant worse blade handling, and both knew the importance of keeping their blades sharp and steady. Stretching her muscles from…days of sitting inside the pod, the Operator turned her attention back to Ordis as she got started on the foundry.
One more Argon crystal, and the damn Bishamo curiass could finally be built, the thing requiring five of those decaying crystals for some Void-forsaken reason.
“Anything…happen while I was gone? Clan messages? The Lotus? Even the…Stalker perhaps?”
It had been some time since he had disappeared with the…child. She still couldn’t believe Warframes had that ability but was also impressed at how much will Jade had, over the many, many long centuries since the Naga drums were sounded.
Stronger than her, for sure…
“Negative, Operator! All systems normal, and no new messages have been logged since your absence. However…”
The Operator looked up from her foundry, purple eyes sweeping over to Ordis, flying anxiously next to the short girl. They had been together through…well, since the beginning, to the truth about the Lotus, the wars, old, within and new. She trusted Ordis with everything, and so did the aging Cephalon. In a kindred way, they were both relics of a bygone age.
“Do you remember that excavation mission on Old Earth you last did? Ordis is happy to report that the mysterious box you have recovered has finally been opened! Due to its age, it did regrettably take some time to ensure the contents inside would not be damaged, but after soliciting help from-THE INFESTED…Helminth, the box was finally opened, the contents inside safe and sound.”
During a void fissure alert on Old Earth one of their excavators had dug up an old, sealed crate from the ground. None of the other Tenno knew what it was, nor did they have the desire to take the dirty box with them, especially when it clearly wasn’t any Orokin relic. About par for the course for the so-called ‘public’ teams put together for missions like those alerts, but it meant that she got to take it with her.
“…and…?”
“It is very likely a pre-Orokin relic! An artefact!”
That got her attention. Due to the Orokin’s desire for total control, among other things, the history of humanity before their rise was systematically erased to not make anyone have ideas about challenging their rule. To them, the Orokin had always ruled, as was their destiny, until the Tenno ended said destiny.
With access to 1999 however, knowledge of the old world, that was, humanity’s past, was slowly making its way back to the wider system. Her Drifter also helped in those efforts, but only after the Operator had to use threats of withholding weaponry for Duviri to get her to do anything-
“A pre-Orokin relic…that is valuable. I can sell it to Drusus, no, maybe someone on the market boards will be interested, I am always in need of Platinum…”
The more Platinum she had, the less problems she could run into. From resources to Orokin Reactors…as the old earth saying went: more money, more ways to solve problems.
Truly, humanity of the old were wise.
“Erm…Operator, I think there may be an issue in PAWNIN-making it available for purchase in the market board. I…may have run diagnostics of the item in question after the locks were opened, and then…activated it.”
The Operator crossed her arms. “I do not see an issue here. Shut it down and transfer it into a secure container. I will go and put up the listing now, tell me what exactly is inside, and spare no details.”
A thousand Platinum? No, no, too greedy, it wasn’t like the old days when Rivens fetched insane prices anymore. Not when Galvanized mods were rediscovered. A few hundred Platinum however, wouldn’t hurt to ask for; it was a one-in-a-kind relic of the ancient past, and some Tenno with enough interest in the past was sure to be willing buyers. She could even auction-
“That…may also present an issue, Operator. It appears that the ancient relic inside the sealed box is, what appears to be MY ANCES-a proto-Cephalon of some kind.”
She paused, taking in those details, then swiftly concluded what had happened prior.
“…there is an active Cephalon inside it.”
“A proto-Cephalon, Operator, it seems to lack many of the advancements of my peers. I have placed it inside my Datascape for now where it has no access to the Orbiter’s systems…however…”
“I can assume that it is not taking being awoken well.” She dryly stated, the past few encounters she had with long asleep Cephalons were mixed. Cephalon Jordas came to mind, with prolonged periods of isolation seemingly resulting in progressively worse negative effects. One had to remember that Cephalons were all originally human, people, before being converted, forcibly or by volunteering to do so.
“I have counted sixty-five…six…seven…eight expletives directed at me in an Old Earth language since activation, Operator. Current dating of the software places it at around the 21st century, identity of the Cephalon in question is currently unknown. BUT HE SHOULD REALLY STOP IT.”
Great, amazing, even. This was going to be an issue, nor could she just shut down the thing again and call it a day. It was a relic from…twenty millennia ago by her guess, around the same time frame as where her Drifter was currently stomping around. Pacing back and forth, she asked Ordis another question.
“This Cephalon, does it have a designation?”
“The subject has not revealed its own designation yet, however the records indicated on the box and software state that the designation is one ‘Jo-hnny Silver-hand’. Other than that, no other information has been revealed, outside of asking the subject directly.”
This was likely going to require manual input from her. It seemed that the past was creeping itself ever closer to the present these days, from the mystery of Albrecht to rediscovering the memories lost of the Old Peace. It never could have stayed buried forever, and so did this random box from Earth. Where did it even come from again? If she remembered, it was some region called North America on the map, its meaning lost to those now.
“Ordis, change it into a Captura, the…courtyard. Better we talk there than in a bland Datascape.”
The Captura were digitally recreated zones and real areas that the Tenno have encountered, the digital environment being near virtually indistinguishable from the real one, which might have otherwise been lost or changed. While it was initially used for conservation purposes, the Tenno have primarily repurposed it for…taking pictures of their Warframes after cosmetic differences were applied to them. She didn’t do that, but browsing the near endless captures did give her a few ideas on how to fashion her Warframes.
“Of course, Operator. Beginning transfer protocols…when you are ready, please return to your transference pod.”
Nodding, she looked at Umbra, who had heard their entire exchange. He crossed his arms, a silent agreement formed between the two. Transference energy flared again soon after, and she was right back in her pod.
Connection established
Beginning Captura program activation…
(Two) Connections made, ‘Operator Vera’ and ‘Johnny Silverhand’ registered…
Program launching…
“…and you’ve got a real sick sense of humour if you think some gonked-up AI is going to keep me here! When I get out, I’m gonna stick some Iron in your mainframe and send you back to whatever Corpo R&D department you came from!”
This wasn’t working, God-fucking damnit, this wasn’t how everything was supposed to go. He honestly expected there to be nothing, nada, after everything, maybe be spun up every so often by some FIA geek for ‘testing’ every once in a while, but whatever the hell this was, it was so much goddamn worse.
Before he could launch into another creative venting of his current situation, the world around him, previously a monotone set of greyish bright cubes suddenly shifted.
They bent, melted, and reshaped themselves into another area entirely. No longer was he standing on a perfectly flat cube, but on cobblestone, the virtual sensation fully enabling him to feel its unevenness. Even without a proxy body like the relic, which was previously how he ‘felt’ things through V’s actions.
“What, change in atmosphere? Can’t say I don’t love it, but…”
The ‘Cephalon’, which he was still betting his left ballsack was just some rogue AI calling itself a fancy new name had not come back. Looking around, he was in some forested area, stone ruins surrounding him. In the centre was a dead tree, it might have been beautiful before, now just some aged husk. In a way, like the person who was Johnny Silverhand.
“Real fuckin’ poetic, what, you think me being here will let me think on my actions or…some…what the fuck is that?”
He had to take his sunglasses off for this one. Leaning on the dead tree, Johnny blinked thrice at…what appeared to be the goddamn moon. Sure, there were lunar cities, V was supposed to help a little songbird get there, but shit went awry, just another story in Night City. However, Johnny was pretty sure the lunar cities that were there didn’t…have whatever the hell he was seeing.
“Either I didn’t keep up with the news, or I’m tripping balls in this data vault…the hell happened to the moon?”
“It is called Lua.”
Silverhand flipped around, reflexes making him reach for his Malorian…which wasn’t there. Instead, he blinked at the source of the new voice…a kid. Wearing a body suit like one of those Highriders, but no helmet. No older than…thirteen, he’d say, shoulder-length dark hair, normal physique, or no chrome that he could make out on her. Couldn’t make out her ethnicity either, looked Asian, but not quite, then again, that didn’t matter so much in this situation.
And yet, Johnny felt unnerved, not by the kid herself, but by her eyes.
They were unfocused, and her expression saying that she’d rather be anywhere else, but damn if they weren’t boring themselves into his very soul. She…didn’t feel like that ‘Cephalon’ from earlier…could be yet another rogue AI, one sent here since he didn’t play nice. He’d seen and heard things about things beyond the Blackwall, and so had to be careful about this, lest he be turned into scrap data, or worse.
“Lua. Didn’t realize they renamed the damn moon while I was under.” The moon was the moon, though...Lua was a much nicer-sounding name.
“Then you have been under for a long time, Cephalon Joh-ney.”
He raised an eyebrow at the…odd pronunciation of his name, must have been AI thing.
“First off, not a Cephalon, whatever those things are, second, call me Silverhand. Only chooms get to call me Johnny, and I’m not really in the business of making friends with rogue AIs, at least not until I know them personally.” The original plan was for Alt to come find them after fighting through ‘Saka headquarters to the Mikoshi vault, it looked like he was going to be leaving Alt wanting again after all these years.
The ‘kid’ however, furrowed eyebrows at him, genuinely confused if anything. “Rogue…artificial intelligence? You think I am…no, Silverhand, I am not one of them, however outdated that term is. I am…human, as you were before you became what you are now.”
He was calling bullshit on that, even folks with full body modifications felt more human than the ‘kid’ in front of him.
“Yeah…sure, let’s agree to disagree for now. I’m guessing you’re in charge, that last guy wasn’t being helpful, at all. Mind filling me in on the deal here? Or worse, what you have in store for a washed up Rockerboy like me? Better yet, tell me who you work for. FIA? Militech? Or did I somehow get traded back to Arasaka? I assume it’s been a while since the relic got pulled from my unwilling donor.”
He had no idea regarding the passage of time, it could have been months, or even years since he said a final goodbye to V. Shit, he hoped it wasn’t going to be another fifty or so years, being in the 2100s and still alive would suck. He’d be just like Saburo, clinging on to ‘life’ no matter the cost…shit, that old fart could still be around and kicking-
“Actually, do me a favour. The last memory I had was in 2077, you mind telling me the date right now? It’d help me…adjust, who knows, might even make me more cooperative.”
To his surprise, the kid sighed, and nodded. Unfortunately, he was most definitely not prepared for the answer that came next.
“Very well. In the calendar you are familiar with, the one used universally by Old Earth society, the current year in the Origin system is…”
Hang on, did she just say ‘Old Earth’ like-
“22077, around twenty-thousand years since you were last active based on your software records.”
Johnny let his sunglasses fall from his hands, crashing onto the cold stone floor.
He sure as shit wasn’t in Kansas no more.
AN:
This is a proof of concept for a new fic idea I want to make. Always had an idea to continue Johnny’s story after the NUSA/Reed ending of Cyberpunk, and while I had another idea like this, in the form of a ZZZ oneshot on my snippet page, there wasn’t really a suitable setting to do a long story for. Until now. It also allows me to do a Warframe story as well, which I haven’t really done before. Orbiter Captura is like 10 mil credits, I don't have that kinda money on me right now so...
Here's my Discord server link for those interested in joining, or just talking about my fics: https://discord.gg/9ah73nfATw
As always, be civil in the comments below.