Cyberpunk: I'm Not a Scavenger - Chapter 94: For the Horde (Patreon)

"I trust you!"

Cedric, who had been standing behind Rafael, stepped forward. His eyes burned behind his goggles.

"If you've got the guts to attack Biotechnica Tower, then I've got the guts to put my life in your hands!"

His voice rasped like sandpaper scraping against sandpaper, but his trembling body suddenly steadied.

"Worst case, I die. Can't be much worse than this."

He pulled aside part of his windproof cloak, exposing one arm.

Sinister crimson lines ran along the veins beneath his dark, weather-beaten skin. Festering sores covered the limb from shoulder to wrist.

As soon as the markings caught the dim light of the cave, they seemed to come alive, glowing faintly. His veins looked ready to boil beneath his skin, and terrible pain tore through his nerves.

"Nggh... Ah!"

Cedric groaned through clenched teeth, the veins on his forehead bulging.

He took the vial and injected himself.

As the pale blue medicine entered his bloodstream, the crimson markings began to pulse frantically, almost as though the drug had provoked them.

Cedric gritted his teeth so hard he barely managed to keep from screaming.

Rafael rushed over and helped him sit against the rock wall.

Jackie and the others moved to help, but Rafael waved them back.

The minutes dragged on. The cave grew so quiet they could almost hear one another's heartbeats.

After roughly five minutes, a miracle occurred.

The red markings on Cedric's arm started to fade, and their strange glow dimmed.

He still looked weak, but his eyes were clearer, and some of his old energy had returned.

With trembling hands, he reached his arm out from beneath the cloak once more. Light fell on his skin, yet the agony he'd expected never came.

"It doesn't hurt! It... it really doesn't hurt! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!"

His voice shook with an excitement none of them had heard from him before.

He cautiously held his hand out into direct sunlight, only to knit his brows.

There was still a slight sting.

But that was more than enough!

Cedric threw his arms around Rafael and burst into tears. The cave filled with cheers and laughter.

"Holy shit, Pantheon! That's amazing!"

Jackie clapped him hard on the shoulder, looking positively proud.

"Fuck, you can do that too?"

Panam stared in disbelief. She'd thought Pantheon was just a musclebound brute with a talent for killing people.

Pantheon watched everyone's spirits soar, pleased with himself. This was exactly the result he'd wanted.

Once the excitement had settled, every eye turned toward him.

"Don't worry. I'll supply all the medicine you need. Think of it as a business deal."

But how could the Red Ocher survivors possibly treat this as an ordinary transaction?

Rafael and Cedric exchanged a glance before facing him and swearing a solemn oath.

"King, if you can lead us to take revenge on Biotechnica and drag those damn corpo dogs down, the twenty-nine lives Red Ocher has left are yours!"

Pantheon's face turned serious.

"You have my word. I won't let you down. I've also got leads on other members of Red Ocher. When the time is right, I'll take you to rescue them."

It was the first news Rafael had heard of the rest of his tribe since escaping. His eyes filled with tears.

For nomads who valued their families above almost everything, there could be no better news.

Neither man offered any further flattery.

But if Pantheon had a loyalty meter, he would have seen a steady stream of +1, +1 floating above their heads.

"Before any of that, though, I need you to do something for me."

Pantheon took a black button about the size of a coin from his pocket and tossed it to Rafael.

"That's a cutting-edge miniature signal transmitter," he explained, then continued before anyone could react.

"If nothing unexpected happens, someone from Arasaka will contact your Wraith crew in two days and hire them to attack a Militech transport convoy."

"Arasaka? Attack Militech?"

Panam looked completely lost.

Living out in the Badlands, the Aldecaldos hadn't followed Night City's recent corporate troubles.

"Just a little dispute between corporations."

Pantheon shrugged, clearly not inclined to explain.

"Your job is to cooperate with the Wraiths and make sure they complete the contract. And don't forget to stick that transmitter onto the target."

Rafael was a clever man. He immediately understood what Pantheon had in mind.

"You want us to..."

"We let Trevor get away last time. Not again."

Pantheon turned to Panam with a cheerful smile.

"The Aldecaldos can't just sit by while these Wraiths keep growing stronger, can they?"

Panam's eyes lit up. Excitement brought a flush to her sun-browned cheeks.

"I get it! You want the Wraiths to attack the corporation, then have us ambush them, with your people helping from inside. We take the shipment for ourselves!"

"Exactly." Pantheon snapped his fingers.

"Arasaka pays for the operation and supplies the gear. The Wraiths provide the manpower, and Militech gets beaten up. How's that for a deal?"

The Aldecaldos exchanged looks and briefly discussed the plan. They could find nothing wrong with it and agreed to join in.

Rafael politely declined Mitch's invitation to the party. He left with the briefcase, eager to bring the good news to the rest of Red Ocher.

Saul and the others returned to the camp to prepare for that evening's celebration.

Jackie watched the bustling Aldecaldos and sighed from the heart.

"Amigo, sometimes I feel like I'm dreaming. Ever since I met you, everything's happened so fast. It's like I've become somebody important overnight."

Pantheon looked toward distant Night City, a small smile tugging at his lips.

"You call this fast? I think we're moving too slowly."

Jackie could only laugh, stunned by the sheer size of his ambitions.

"All I used to dream about was becoming a legend like Morgan Blackhand and giving my mom a better life. What about you? What's your dream?"

Pantheon considered it for a moment before giving an answer Jackie never could have predicted.

"I want people to know they're human."

"Huh?"

Jackie hadn't spent much time in school, and this sort of convoluted talk sailed straight over his head.

"Here's some profound wisdom for you: a writer ought to know how to write. By that logic, workers ought to have work, and human beings ought to know they're human."

Seeing Jackie's bewilderment, Pantheon chuckled and didn't pursue the matter.

"So, how are things between you and Misty?"

Jackie scratched his head, suddenly looking bashful.

"Heh, pretty good. It's just that my mom doesn't seem to like her much."

Pantheon thought back to the original story and offered some advice.

"Maybe it's a misunderstanding. Find a chance to sit down with your mom and talk it through."

"Yeah, that makes sense. I'll try when I get home."

Something seemed to click for Jackie, and the worry vanished from his face.

"Hey! What are you two waiting for? The party's starting!"

A huge bonfire blazed in the center of camp. Mitch thrust a bottle of beer into each of their hands.

The Aldecaldos were gathered and ready. The only people they'd been waiting for were Jackie and Pantheon.

"King, say a few words!"

Pantheon needed no further encouragement. He raised his bottle and shouted.

"For the Horde!"

"For the Horde!" the crowd roared, again and again.