"We're almost at the Sunset Motel."
Oliver called out to Karl, who was half-asleep in the back seat. "Wake up, we're nearly there. V's waiting for us at the spot."
"Alright—"
Drawing out the word, Karl rubbed his face with both hands, trying to shake off the drowsiness.
It was one of those rare good-weather days. Warm sunlight streamed through the car windows from the Badlands, just the right temperature. It was enough to make Karl, slouched in the back seat, feel completely relaxed and lazy.
Up front, Jackie didn't even glance back at Karl. As the motel came into view, he turned to Oliver.
"How's the ride holding up? We're not gonna run into any trouble, right?"
"It's just a short trip. What could go wrong?" Oliver replied. "We stuck to the highway, didn't tear through the desert or anything. Worst case, some dust in the vents."
The Thorton Hera wasn't exactly made for off-roading, but it was still a tough, reliable ride. For a run like this, no problem at all.
After a few more exchanges, the Hera pulled into the motel lot. On the second-floor railing, V waved at them, then casually vaulted over with one hand and landed smoothly on the ground.
"Morning, V."
Karl stepped out of the back seat, still groggy, and gave a lazy wave.
"Morning, Karl. Jackie. Oliver. You guys are early."
"Six-fifty. Just ten minutes ahead," Oliver said as he approached, already eager.
"So, can we start modding it now? We brought the car."
"Chill, Oliver."
V pointed toward a small garage beside the motel. "I borrowed that from the owner. Drive it in—I'll give it a once-over first, then figure out what you actually need."
"We can't just start modding now?"
"What if you wanted it to fly, and I modded it into a submarine?" V grinned.
"I need to check the specs and plan the parts before buying anything. Saves eddies. No point buying junk that won't fit."
Classic Nomad logic—practical and efficient. He led the way to the garage, already remotely unlocked.
"Alright, bring her in."
With Karl and Jackie watching, Oliver drove the Hera into the garage. After a brief back-and-forth, he and V started checking the vehicle over.
"You get any of this?" Karl asked, nodding toward V and Oliver, who were knee-deep in tech talk.
"I know a little about bikes, that's it," Jackie shrugged. "Cars? Not a clue. Best I can do is maybe reroute a connector."
"So we're useless here."
Karl looked up at the second floor.
"Sunset's the only motel in this area, right? I saw a bar upstairs. Wanna chill there while they work?"
"You're suggesting drinks while they're wrenching away?"
"We've got a job later, so skip the booze. Let's just grab some cold drinks. It's weirdly hot for December—bet they'll be soaked by the time they're done. Let's get 'em some colas."
"Yeah. December sun like this? Not common."
Half an hour later, Karl and Jackie came down from the bar, sipping on cold sodas and carrying two more. But when they reached the garage, they saw V and Oliver were already done.
"You finished checking it out already?"
They handed over the drinks to the two, both smudged with grease and desert dust.
"V's a beast," Oliver said, cracking open the soda without a care and downing half of it.
"I've never seen anyone this good with cars."
"Just got used to fixing stuff back in the clan," V replied with a casual grin. He also took a swig.
"I sent you the mod list already. Once you get the parts, have a drone drop them here. I'll be around for a few days—it'll take about two to finish."
"Got it. I'll ping you once they're ordered—"
Oliver paused mid-sentence, then snapped his fingers.
"Shit, we forgot something."
Karl, already tossing his empty cup into a nearby trash bin, turned. "Forgot what?"
"We didn't bring a second car. How are we getting back?"
They froze.
None of them had thought about that.
"…Right."
Karl walked over to the trunk, pulled out a black-and-white ball, and set it on the ground. He tapped it with a finger.
"Yo, T-BUG. You there?"
"Loud and clear. Using Qiuqiu as a relay—it's working perfectly."
The ball unfolded into a fluffy cyberdog. T-BUG's voice came through its speaker.
"Good. You hearing this okay?"
Karl watched the bot stretch its legs like a real pup.
"T-BUG, you drive? Think you could come pick us up?"
"Me? Drive to pick you up?"
T-BUG paused, scrolling her comm logs.
"There's three of you… and not one of you thought to bring a second car?"
"Hey, it just slipped our minds," Karl shrugged, shamelessly tossing the blame.
"Jackie's the one with a car—should've brought it."
"Hey, I'm standing right here, choom. And technically, the Hera's your ride. Have you even sat behind the wheel once?"
Jackie shot back, then turned to the comm.
"Yo, T-BUG—can you drive?"
"Unfortunately, I can't."
She paused, then added, "But I can call a cab for you. The signal out there sucks, but I'll hail one from the city. Might cost a bit more, though."
"Sure, do it."
Karl nodded, then frowned.
"Wait—we're heading to Pacifica after this. You think a cab'll even go that far?"
T-BUG started to answer, but V cut in.
"If you need a ride, I can take you."
Everyone turned to him.
"My car's a two-seater, but someone can squeeze on the roof. As long as you don't mind, it'll work."
"A two-seater, huh…"
Karl looked unsure, but Oliver went straight to the point.
"V, we're heading to Pacifica to stir up trouble. We're talking gangs here—you cool with that?"
"Call it a thank-you for all the biz you've brought me," V said with a grin.
"And hey—we're chooms. Don't sweat it."
The three looked at each other for a moment—then all nodded.
They'd seen what V could do. If anyone could get them into Pacifica in one piece, it was him.
.
.
.
📢 Chooms, Listen Up! 📢
From now on, you can jack in and get 20 chapters ahead on Patreon for Cyberpunk: The Relentless! 💾🔥
Stay plugged into the action, the chrome, and the chaos—early access is live and waiting for you. 🧠💀
🔗 Join here: www.patreon.com/c/MrMagnus👤 Patreon name: SrMagnus
Preem support as always, chooms. See you in Night City. 🌆💫