Cyberpunk: Ultimate Cyborg System-Chapter 555: Insomnia

[03:45]

Dante stared at the digital clock in the corner of his vision, counting the time the two dots blinked. Normally, that function is turned off by default. Most people didn’t like having something constantly blinking in the corner of their sight, and Dante was the same at one point, but that had changed.

The world around him was audibly silent. It has been some time since the club closed, and the staff had already left. He had been lying down on the couch in his office for some time now, just staring at the ceiling with the lights off. His mind felt strangely blank, and though he was mentally exhausted after everything he had been through in the past few days, he couldn’t bring himself to sleep.

It had been the same for the past week or so. All he could do was wait for his mind to power down on its own, but sometimes it doesn’t look like that would happen until very early in the morning.

Realizing it was another one of those days, he pulled himself up, and equipped a jacket, headed for the parking lot, and got on the Raven. The weather has been getting warmer as of late, yet the night was still as cold as ever. Dante forewent wearing a helmet and just let the icy breeze wash over his face.

After going through the old highways for a while, he arrived at an elevated hill an stopped to take a look at the city. Eventually, his gaze stopped at one particular building. Normally, it wouldn’t be visible from such a distance, but his new eyes could see pretty far. He could even spot the flaming shield displayed at its center.

As the seconds passed, his gaze went up, eventually reaching the ceiling. To his surprise, someone was there. Not only that, but Dante could have sworn that their eyes met. As shocking as it was, he soon realized that it wasn’t that strange. If there is one thing the green-haired woman was known for, it would be her sharp eyes.

They stared at each other, forgetting about the distance separating them. Eventually, Dante raised his hand and gave her the middle finger. She did the same the next second, and for some reason, that improved Dante’s mood a little.

Driving back to Hollowgrid, Dante decided to check on his apartment. He had been staying at his office for a while now, so it felt a bit unfamiliar when he came back to it. His bed was a mess, the same way he had left it. Changing into some comfortable clothes, he plopped down and closed his eyes. This time, he wasn’t forced to go back to staring at the ceiling, and though the dream he had been patiently waiting for never came, he still had a blissful rest.

~[ ]~

The next time he woke up, Dante saw that he had a message from Rose. Lion, the boss of Los Aros, had contacted her about a tip he received. Apparently, a police station near Blue Moon was preparing to raid the housing complex where the gang was keeping the kids they saved. Lion wanted to discuss what to do about it.

Obviously, the ones pulling the strings were Black Skull. What Dante didn’t understand was how having the police make a mess out of this would help them take back their victims. It was possible that they gave up on that and just wanted to ruin things for their enemy, but that didn’t feel right.

While trying to understand what the bastards were planning, Dante got an idea of how to deal with the problem. He assured everyone that he would make it all go away in a couple of days, and after collecting all the info he needed on the police station in question, he made some calls and set up a meeting.

~[ ]~

The 1st of April, 2099

A few decades ago, there was a popular custom practiced on this day. People would tell lies and play pranks, having harmless fun that sometimes got out of hand. Unfortunately, that custom died out over the years, just like many other holidays people no longer celebrate.

"An old warehouse, really?" Caroline commented, the mockery in her tone clear. She walked toward the center, the clacking of her high heels echoing as she looked around the dark interior.

"Can’t say I’m surprised." A tall man followed behind her. He wore a sharp suit, and his well-combed hair was touched by the white.

"We could meet at the club, if you want," a voice spoke to them from the darkness. "Though I’m sure being seen with someone like me would be a problem for you."

Dante stepped out into a spot illuminated by the light seeming to come from one of the windows. Seeing him, Caroline’s face twisted into a frown, and so did Jordan’s, though to a lesser degree.

"You..." Caroline growled, her clenched fists shaking.

"Good evening, Commander, Commissioner," Dante said. "It has been a while, hasn’t it?"

"I would have much preferred not see your face again." She shot back.

"Hey now, did I do anything to piss you off? To be honest, I didn’t think you would wait this long before you paid me a visit."

"Why you..."

"Besides, I should be the one who’s pissed. You broke our agreement. Be thankful that I haven’t backed out already."

Caroline could only grit her teeth, her anger continuing to boil. The police commissioner stepped forward, taking the lead after noticing that his fellow official was struggling to restrain herself.

"May I ask why you called for me, Dante Sokolov?"

"Straight to the main topic, huh?" Dante snorted. "Well, so be it. I’m sure you have been keeping a close eye on my movements, so you should be aware of what I have been up to in the past few weeks."

"I guess there is no point in hiding it," Jordan said. "You haven’t been exactly subtle."

"Because there isn’t much to hide," Dante said. "Anyway, since you seem to be in the loop, I need you to take care of something for me."