Ghost in the City: Cyberpunk Gamer SI

Waking up the next morning I rolled over away from the sun slipping through the blinds and had to consider everything. There was no doubt that the band was getting attention. Hiromi had even waved me away assuring me everything was being taken care of when I decided to leave last night, and she hadn't come with me.

Hiromi had stayed long after the gig talking to the talent scout? Producer? I wasn't sure what his position was.

Either way, I had a feeling Hiromi was going to be pushing for something with regards to the Band. But…

Being up on stage, playing music I could only listen to before? Feeling that response from a crowd as I roared out from my heart? It was a good feeling.

I checked my messages, Dino had sent me a packet about the gig he wanted done last night. But that wasn't all I had. I'd gotten multiple alerts for Rockerboy XP. The full band experience, really letting it all go, had earned me another step closer to hitting level 10.

I looked at the packet from Dino. Just from the basics I understood the difficulty. There was one dealership that sold new Rayfield vehicles in Night City, and Dino wanted a Shard they'd have in the office switched out.

I didn't know exactly what the data was, but he had maps of the dealership, timetables, and even information about their security.

Could I do it?

Yeah. The security was top of the line, but it didn't have Netrunner support. The dealership was secure enough inside a building in Downtown sharing space with a few other high end corporations. The fancy dealership even had a special circular track around the building that people looking to buy high end vehicles could drive around without traffic stopping them.

Of course I wasn't after the vehicles, but just to replace a Shard with another inside the dealership office.

I slipped out of bed, and got ready. Even as I was in the shower I was going over the data Dino had sent, checking entrances, and information about the people that would be there.

The dossier on the entire place was thorough. Dino wasn't skimping, this wasn't just a generic smash and grab, but the data was set up as a professional Op.

As I was drying my hair I noticed something that might work as an entry point.

The pay for the gig was good… Probably? No, it was. It definitely had enough zeroes there.

Hiromi would be proud of me for actually checking, rather than just jumping into something, but to be fair, this was a full stealth gig, I couldn't be seen, or leave any hints that I had been there, or the gig failed. So I wouldn't be getting any XP for this, eddies were the only benefit I would draw out of it.

Decision settled, I sent out the confirmation to Dino.

*Motoko: I'll accept the gig. I can get it done today. Just need the replacement shard.*

*Dino: Alright, cords for a pickup. The delivery boy's name is Simon, that'll be the code that he knows it's you. Look forward to the update on the gig completion.*

Well that was settled then. Now I just needed to sort everything else. Even if this was a stealth mission, I was trying to be better than the gonk that I could be at times.

*Motoko: I got a gig from Dino, it should be quiet, just a sneak and grab. But I was wondering if anyone is free to be super bored and act as my extraction in case something bad happens.*

*Ichi: I'm on the clock right now, but I can come if you need me.*

*Malcolm: Ah, not a great time for me, but I can be there.*

*Rebecca: Nah you two, I got this. Strings, where we meeting up. I've been bored all morning. Might as well be bored and doing something.*

*Motoko: Preem Becca. Sure I'll send you a cords.*

*Hiromi: I can come!*

*Motoko: Hiromi you have class. You can't come.* I reminded her with a roll of my eyes as I hit the garage.

I was sliding onto my Kusanagi to make it through Night City morning traffic as I got Rebecca's confirmation, and Hiromi's cry emoji.

—--

Dino's delivery boy was a guy sitting in the back of a Villefort Columbus. The van doors were open and he was hawking XBD's if what I was seeing was right. Scoping him out as I pulled up on my Kusanagi. I didn't bother getting off, just driving right up to him which had him obviously preparing a weapon behind him, but as I stopped I called out.

"You Simon?"

"That's me. Got your package right here." He offered holding out a BD wrapper. I took it and felt the Shard inside.

With that I drove off without a word, and headed down and across a bit to another parking area. This one was a few floors up, and I found the spot I wanted. Right up against the north side of the building, where right there across the street and a floor down was the Rayfield dealership. I leaned against the wall and watched.

A car was racing around the track. Not one of their top of the lines. This was no Caliburn, but it would still be a high end car. I watched as it circled for a while, until a glitzy fashionista parked it near an entrance door, and stepped out. The passenger was a well dressed salesman, and he followed her inside. The moment they were out of sight a man in cheaper clothes stepped out and got in the car to drive it back inside the dealership.

But what I had seen on the information Dino had sent, was that the guy came out of another entrance way, not into the main office, after all, the dealership doesn't want some mechanic in coveralls being seen by the high priced clientele.

That was my entrance point. The door he came through was a mechanic room, and most importantly, connected to the back office through a much more private door that I could use to slip past almost all the agents in the dealership since they'd all be up front dealing with clients.

It wasn't long before a rumbling engine came up the parking garage and Rebecca's monster of a Nomad spec Thorton Mackinaw came rumbling over and parked itself.

I honestly hadn't seen her drive it around much, so I couldn't help but lean sideways to get a view of the driver door when it opened, and the comparatively tiny woman came out of her truck.

I couldn't help but laugh as she had to get out in three movements, sliding off the seat, onto a foot rest on the side of the truck, then hop off again to settle on the ground.

"Eat shit, Strings."

"I really think that truck is too big for your Becca."

"Pfft. It's perfect sized! I get to run people over in it, and they die."

I couldn't help but nod and give her that one. That was fair.

"So what's the deal here?"

"See that dealership down there?" I asked her, and she looked at the boundary around the parking Garage that was a bit above her head.

"No."

I snorted, and she reached out and punched at me, which I let her. My new leotard was still armored, and it wasn't as tight anymore. It didn't hurt.

"Okay so Dealership?" She asked.

"Rayfield. I need to sneak in and swap out a shard without being seen, or leaving behind any bodies."

Rebecca stepped back. Her previous joviality, gone in a flash. "That sounds tough. Wouldn't it be easier to wait until tonight?"

"You'd think so, but with how busy it is. It's actually easier during the day." I explained to Rebecca as I jerked my head across the way, specifically not pointing. "See the track around the dealership? They keep it real private, only one car at a time, since they only have limited customers, but the customers are treated like royalty. Multiple attendants for each one. I noticed it on some of the pictures that Dino sent me."

"Okay so… Everyone is distracted by the prima donnas so once that happens you sneak in."

"Exactly. Which is why your help is really nice. I'm sneaky, but not perfect, if I flub it having some backup for extraction is always nice.." I waved around the non secure parking garage.

"Okay preem. So you need me for overwatch?"

"And escape. But mostly overwatch you'll relay details I need as I make my infiltration." I started explaining that part of the gig, and Rebecca ended up climbing up onto the hood of her truck sitting back and crossing her legs like she was just chilling enjoying the view as I explained.

I couldn't help but smile at how casual she made it. Rebecca might be the smallest of my chooms, but she was older, and it was times like this that it showed. Plus her experience working gigs. Malcolm would be pointing over the edge while I explained things, and I'd have to smack his hand each time to get him to stop pointing.

Rebecca understood immediately with just one context clue not to bring any attention.

So I finished explaining and in the end since Rebecca had very little to do she just stayed relaxing against the hood of her car, while I headed out.

While the easiest way to get to the dealership would be just leaping across and using some street lights, to get across the way, there would be too much chance of a commotion if I tried that.

So I left the parking garage, and waited the long ass time for the cross walk to let me cross, only needing to cuss out one asshole that blew through the light and nearly hit me. Which was pretty good for Night City.

Crossing over I found an entrance to the building through another parking garage although this one was private. The entrance had a key reader and multiple security devices including a rather large gate that would keep people not welcome out.

I waited for no one to be coming in, and just walked up. This was a Kiroshi security optic keypad. It could be opened through other optics, but Kiroshi of course promised increased viability through their own work.

But that also created a weakness in the system. When I poked my eyes in front of it, it sent a data packet to my eye, which I co-opted, quickly altered the access information and sent it back.

It then sent back a further confirmation, this time with a code, that it thought I was sending to ensure it was correct. Only the code could only send codes that already existed on the database.

So I sent another confirmation and the gate opened with a small text message of 'Welcome Mr. Luxor!' Displayed, and I was into the private garage.

Okay easy part done.

The interior garage itself had some dangers, security cameras and the like, but it was also already secured from the outside, so thankfully only the one camera that I had to worry about, along my route.

Poking my head out from around a concrete pillar, I easily hacked it before it spotted me, and did a quick loop on the recording, the last ten seconds repeated again.

That's all I needed to rush across the garage and into the building's interior hallways.

From there it was smooth sailing. Multiple corps ran in this building, and there were plenty of reasons a teenager might be heading upwards through the stairs, especially since I was already through part of the security.

No issues.

I climbed up the stairs, heading to the floor two levels above the dealership. Unfortunately the floor above was another corpo office, and I couldn't get through to that, but the next one up, was multiple minor office spaces.

It was child's play to walk out of the stair access and down the interior hall space, separating all the different offices. There was a security door that opened for me without issue, and no one inside even saw me as I entered into some sort of call center office.

I walked right through only ducking a little to be below the cubicles set up, and reaching the exterior door.

The office had a nice little outside space that ran around the building, and now I was out. I walked around. Acting like I was supposed to be out here. Since it ran around the entire building all the offices on this level had access, so none of them would be able to tell I wasn't supposed to be here.

Humming a bit of something or another I walked around until I found the spot I needed to be at. Right across from me was Rebecca who secretly waved for a moment at me.

And so I settled in to wait.

*Rebecca: Go.*

I moved without hesitation leaping over the side of the edge, my chrome fingers grabbing onto the side of the concrete barrier between a set of windows, slowing me just a little as I slipped down and then there was a drop.

I could just see the car that was being test driven turn out of sight as I fell.

While there were cameras overlooking the track it wasn't perfect coverage. I fell right in a blind spot, grunting even with all my talent towards taking a fall as I hit the ground spreading the impact as best I could as I rolled forward bleeding the momentum in a different way.

Then I ran. Right towards the side door that the mechanics used to bring the car back in. I had about twenty seconds or less to get in. The door used a security card reader, but honestly this was the third floor, and well away from any easy access points. The track only accessed through the interior elevator unless you jumped or climbed up.

It took three seconds for me to get it to register an access and the door opened. I slipped in quiet as a mouse, and forced the door closed just in time, as there was a mechanic inside just across the room, and the sound of the car driving around could have alerted him.

He was sitting at a computer, his back to me, so I had a few moments. I looked around.

This shop room was obviously a waiting room for the mechanics, nothing interesting, no cameras inside, as there was nothing valuable.

Also no easy ways to walk past the mechanic to the office without being seen, as the computer was facing it.

No real space to hide either, my instincts told me trying to hide anywhere normal would just be seen. So I looked up.

I exhaled silently and jumped. The mechanic room didn't have any fancy ceilings or anything, Just open access to the fluorescent lightingI leaped up I grabbed the metal struts running across the ceiling. I hesitated for a second as even with the textured pads my hands were still chrome and it made a noise as I gripped.

Thankfully the mechanic didn't notice, and I pulled myself up, until I was nearly horizontal with just my two hands.

Thankfully my arms couldn't get tired, but I felt my core shift as I kept myself as flat up to the ceiling as I could.

Now I wait.

Finally there was a beep on the computer, and the Mechanic got up and walked right under me to go check in the car.

Which was perfect. The driver would be heading back inside, and distracting everyone as they discussed sales. The moment the door closed behind the mechanic, I dropped and rushed for the office door.

The back offices were rather plain, no point in fancying them up, but there were security cameras.

There were always security cameras around workers when needed.

Luckily, Dino had given me floorplans that were recent. I slipped inside, and stayed low crouching along the left wall. The only camera that would be seeing where I needed to go, would be facing away from my entrance, and I walked right under it as I started scanning.

A few moments to set up the daemon to repeat the last ten seconds again and I was off, walking forward on quick steps to one of the back offices, and slipping in. The place didn't even have security besides a lock on the door, but it opened without issue.

I slipped in and looked over the office. The nameplate on the desk read, Mr. White Sales Manager.

The office was nice enough, but it was mostly full of storage and records. While he was the Sales Manager, he wasn't the owner. Just another worker keeping eddies flowing. I checked each filing cabinet, and they were each filled with cheap folders with information in each of them.

Nope nope nope.

I ran down the names, skipping a few as it was thankfully in alphabetic order.

Finally I found the right file, and opened it, there was a shard case, which I popped open and pulled the Shard out, replacing it with the one that Dino wanted in its place.

With that the file was pushed back into place, and I was ready to get out of here.

*Motoko: Okay Rebecca, let me know next time the mechanic heads out to pick up a vehicle.*

*Rebecca: You got it strings.*

Then I waited, hiding in the room just in case anyone headed back here, but it was quiet, until I finally got a message from Rebecca.

*Rebecca: He's heading out now.*

I took a second at the door checking to make sure no one was coming and then walked back under the security camera. Removing the Daemon that kept the recording looping, so no one could find it, and then headed back into the mechanic room.

It was empty and I walked to the door. Accessing the security I forced the door to open just a tiny crack so I could listen, and when the car drove around the track, I exited, and slowly moved across the track until I could slip over the edge.

I fell a few feet, hit a ledge and then leapt across to a street light, sliding down it while spinning around to bleed off momentum, ending with me on the street and blending into the crowd.

I took a second to adjust myself, smirking at how easy it all went.

*100 Athletics XP Gained.*

*Athletic skill level up!*

I blinked at the alert, and smiled pleased. I'd been worried I'd have to start going all in on running around and flips and things to get more levels, but considering what I'd just done I guess I earned enough to get an XP alert.

*Motoko: Gig complete. Thanks Rebecca.*

*Rebecca: No problem choom. I mean I've just been hanging out. What now?*

*Motoko: Well I message Dino and get confirmation we're all good. Lunch?*

*Rebecca: That sounds like a plan.*

I laughed as I walked across the sidewalk, hurrying while keeping an eye out to make sure no one was going to run the light.

—--

*Dino: Alright, you say gigs done, gigs done. I'll transfer funds.*

*Motoko: Thanks Dino. You want the shard I replaced as proof?*

*Dino: Nah, I don't like evidence handed to me. Just trash it, I'll trust you're on the level. Good working with you kid. Clean gig, no deaths, no reports of fires, or explosions. I'm pleased.*

*Motoko: Is that a normal worry?* I couldn't help but ask, half laughing into my noodles at his response.

*Dino: More often than you'd think. Professionals are hard to come by.*

I was smiling as the Eddies transferred over to my account. It was a good chunk of change. I instantly split it in half and tossed it to Rebecca.

"Huh? Nah choom. You don't have to do that. That's way too much."

"Halfsies." I told her with a smile.

"Nah, I didn't do shit." She waved her hand at me, but I just denied her attempt to transfer it back.

"Keep it you helped a lot actually, and if something had gone down, you were my escape plan. Always make sure your escape plan is paid well." I told her, earning a snort from her.

"Fine. I'll take your overpayment. Just don't let Crush find out."

"Yeah duh. Hiromi still bugs me about overpaying on gigs." I rolled my eyes and Rebecca laughed.

"That's cause you do."

"Nope. I pay what my chooms are worth, as much as I can anyways. I'm not a billionaire." I said with an arrogant smirk and it took her a second before she realized I was including her in that.

"Gonk." She punched me in the shoulder lightly. "Whatever. I'll keep it then."

"Good! You need the eddies for your chrome right? How's that coming?"

My question was in fact answered as Rebecca turned a bit on the Ramen stands bar stool and sent me the most tooth filled, arrogant proud grin of anyone I'd ever seen in my life.

"Get the fuck out of here!" I laughed pushing on her face as she shouted and squawked at my actions. "You got them?"

"Ordered, received and cackled like mad about, and I've been tinkering with them before chippin in."

"Tinkering huh?"

"Pfft, yeah. I hate out of the box chrome. It's scop. You go in, you check over everything, I had Sasha check the programming."

"I coulda done that." I pouted a bit. I didn't know Rebecca was modding her chrome!

"Nah Sasha made me promise her way earlier. Anyway, I'm using Pillars tools to replace some parts. The arms are kinda cheap normally ya know?"

"Yeah, you wanted the big bulky ones for your quick change."

"Yep! These beauties are monsters! Guehehehe!" She guffawed practically goblin laughing about her chrome.

"Preem."
"Yeah! So I'm replacing some of the finger joints. They have a bad tendency to break. Once I'm done with that I just need to paint them, and then chip them in." She stretched out her arms and fingers crossed. "Gonna be nova."

"Yeah, do you have a Smart Link for them?"

"Ballistic Coprocessor. It'll increase accuracy since I don't really use Smart Weapons."

"That's cool. You'll have to show them off, when you're ready. Oh, what Ripper are you using? Vik is the best in the city."

"Nah, I got my own. I go to Ryder, it's where I got my tats too." She explained showing off her stomach.

"Well… You should go check in with Vik too. He's amazing." I argued and Rebecca sent me a look before smirking.

"You got a crush on the older Ripperdoc? Like when he digs all up in there?" She asked, and I squawked this time, shooting a kick at her that she barely dodged.

"Vik is old enough to be my grandpa!"

"Not always a bad thing if that's what you're into!"

"Rebecca!"

"Guehehehehe!"

*Alice: Check out Growl FM!*

The message was simple and instantly had me on guard.

Looked up from my junk. I'd been doing some cleaning on my guns, so I had an array of stuff all over the living room table and a brush scrubbing down everything.

Flipping on the radio and changing the channel, I heard it.

"-Was the wonderful track Do or Die by NoWorld. I really love that one. Now as promised I got a special treat. Last night a new band hit Night City. Well a mixture really. Stand Alone Complex. You might know one half of the band as Violent Hemorrhage, who unfortunately seemed to have fallen apart after losing their previous frontman Carmen SinCity to Outerscope Records."

I pointedly didn't give in to the temptation to turn off the radio, or worse hide in the covers.

"And I know all of you listening have heard of Ghost in the Shell, the stand alone artist, that I've gotten plenty of requests to play more of. Well they've combined their power. Stand Alone Complex, a new band, always good, I love new bands. But last night they had a gig in Electric Orgasm, Umph! I could use one of those right now folks, and from everything I've heard? They blew everyone away. I got a full recording of their gig coming up, so enjoy a live play, from Stand Alone Complex!"

"Fuck."

I simply dropped my head and started cleaning, as my own voice came over the radio. Even if it was Sexy Motoko voice, it still made me uncomfortable to hear myself.

As I listened, because I couldn't quite pull the plug on the radio I heard plenty of mistakes.

And yet… The gig was good. When Heathens dropped Ash actually stopped the recording.

"Okay I need to pause everything for a moment, to let everyone know I'm messaging my contact with Stand Alone Complex, yeah I got one. Maybe if a producer reaches out, I'll pass the info over, but I'm gonna start begging for a studio version of that song. Mama wants. Okay back to the music!"

I snorted. Sure that Hiromi had already gotten that message.

Jeeze. This hadn't really been what I planned, but… I felt my stomach turning a bit, but I wasn't going to hide. I'd decided to do this…

That doesn't mean I couldn't go lay under a blanket for a while to get away from it all.

Unfortunately that plan failed when I remembered how much stuff I still had to do. Needed to finish cleaning my guns.

Grumbling and not in fact hiding under a blanket I kept working as I listened to the concert in full.

This was something I'd have to get used to.

This was my life now.

—--

The next morning I headed out early. I'd already had Alice send me a text talking about trying to set up another gig, and we already had a scheduled practice session tonight, but if I was going to play more music and not want to scream I had some other stuff I needed to do.

Like get some XP.

Taking my Kusanagi across the city I slipped into the Straight Lane Apartments and down into my net runner cave. Only once I was down there did I relax.

I'd considered bugging Malcolm to come back me up, but this was going to be a pretty easy session.

As I settled into the netrunner chair I opened up my stat sheet. Dropping a skill point into Quick Hacks.

As the chair started its cooling process I sat back not jumping into the net and just letting the information flow through me.

For a quick hack every millisecond was important. Reducing the amount of time a scan to target lock, for the hack to upload, for the program to initialize.

Speed was life, and even just taking milliseconds was a lifetime.

With Programming I mostly focused on hardware, but with Quick Hacks themselves, it was about connecting the human to the machine. How to set up targeting systems early, to cut time, and the ways to split your focus to reduce latency.

It was another step. Another synergy between hardware, program, and flesh.

I dropped into the net, my lobby warm and inviting as I walked through it for a moment to get myself back into the mindset of the program.

Then I jumped, re-routing myself through network node, and server until I arrived once again at the No/Brainer server.

I slipped inside, delighting as Daemons already began appearing. Relatively free XP was still free XP. The grind was on.

—--

"Motoko!"

"Hiromi!" I teased back and she pouted at me.

"I'm serious."

"I know you are!" I threw my hands up. Sighing. Hiromi had made a deal with the producer, or talent scout guy.

Basically if we did a gig and were big enough, he'd send a formal offer to join his brand.

Alice, Klein, and Jared were totally in. This was big for them.

"I'm doing this for you." She pouted at me, and I nodded.

"I know. And I do appreciate it… I'm, I'm trying to be more positive about it." I offered and she looked at me for a long moment before nodding once.

"That's okay. I just want to support you."

"You do." I said reaching out and pulling her into a hug. "You've always got my back and helped me smooth out my crazy schemes."

"M-Motoko!"

"Whooo! Take it off!"

"Rebecca!" Hiromi shrieked and turned like she was going to swing at the other girl, and I just laughed as I held her back.

Today was the Section 9 training meeting.

Or really, I just made an excuse to get everyone together. We were shooting guns!

But of course Hiromi was more focused on her manager stuff, than anything.

I finally let her go as Rebecca had a moment to get a head start and chased after. I looked around. Malcolm and Ichi were laughing at Hiromi, as the two boys held rifles. I'd been setting out some targets and things before Hiromi had gotten distracted with her manager stuff.

Finishing up I walked back over to the boys and settled in as Malcolm brought his Masamune up.

The high end Rifle was slightly adjusted and he fired, popping one of the Brosef bottles in one shot.

"Hah!"

"Good shooting, now do all of them without stopping and without missing." I poked at him, and he nodded locked in and started firing.

He missed, but got all of them with a few retries.

"Quick reload like you ran out of ammo in the middle of a firefight.." I reminded him, as I headed over to put up more bottles and trash to shoot.

Malcolm was honestly the only one besides Rebecca that had much interest in training. ichi was mostly just playing around, and Hiromi was here more to bug me about things than because she planned on picking up a gun.

Rebecca was into it a bit, but not as much.

She had that Edgerunner attitude, she was already skilled with a gun, and in her mind that was enough.

It was a little frustrating.

"This isn't working." I decided, looking over my group of chooms.

"What isn't?" Ichi asked, looking over, Malcolm's staccato firing from his Masamune echoed out the only productive noise from the entire group!

"This training. It's supposed to be a way to make sure everyone stays alive, but no one is really training, except Malcolm."

"Ah… I mean, I don't really fight much. I've got my turrets."

"Ichi, you still need to practice shooting. Being quicker on the draw could save your life."

"Eh." He shrugged, casually. "I'm as well protected as I can get in the truck, I don't think practicing shooting a pistol is going to matter. Anything that can get through my cab is already going to kill me."

"That's not the point. What if you are just walking inside when you get home and someone is there trying to take you out."

"It's a peaceful neighborhood."

"Ichi." I grumbled glaring at him.

"Hey I'm just being honest. I'm not a fighter Motoko. Truck guy? That I can do. Guns? I'm not really good with it, and this is boring."

"Boring!? We're shooting guns!"

"Yeah which is alright a bit, but you're asking for like…" He rolled his wrist like he couldn't find the word.

"Training!"

"Repetitive."

"Training!"

"That's what I said."

"Jerk!" I snapped at him, and he just laughed. I looked over, and instead of arguing with a block head went to Malcolm. "Malcolm! Choom. You like training right? Shooting guns, getting the muscle memory down on how to draw."

"Eh. It's kinda boring, but it's what you want." He replied lowering his Masamune. He'd actually been doing the reloading drills I'd set him on between firing and…

Malcolm was a good boy, but if even he didn't want to really do this?

"We need better training." I realized sighing. This wasn't going to work. Just like when I dragged everyone to the gun ranges they'd shoot a bit, laugh, have some fun and then leave.

I wanted professionalism out of Teenagers, without even properly setting it up.

"Maybe a week long bootcamp? Out in the desert, get a former Militech drill instructor. We could afford that for a week or two easy." I whispered tapping at my lips, my cool chrome helping me think.

"Guys! Motoko's saying scary shit! We need to figure something out, or else!" I blinked looking up at Malcolm, who didn't even hide his grin at me.

"What now?" Hiromi asked, walking up a little ruffled from messing around with Rebecca.

"Something about a week or more boot camp with a drill instructor."

"Nope!" Rebecca called out. "Not a chance Strings."

"But you're all slacking! Slackers! We all need training!"

"I'm not the soldier type." Rebecca said pointing at, well all of herself, really.

"You'd make a great soldier Rebecca." I assured her, but shook that off, that wasn't the point! "But this is important! Section 9 needs to be more than just me. You all deserve more than that, and I believe in you. Malcolm and Rebecca are both good Solo's and I believe you both can be great! Ichi is a good driver, and his Turret's are a great addition if he'd just stop stealing my Minotaur."

"Never."

"And Hiromi is awesome, but even she needs to know how to draw her gun, when to do it, and the training to get into cover…"

"I've been on gigs." Rebecca reminded me, her finger pointing. "And it'll be fine, everyone'll learn as we go. A few firefights and you learn to duck real quick." She chuckled, but I shook my head.

"That's great if you want to be some edgerunner that dies the first time they run into someone that actually knows what they're doing, but I want my chooms to be better than that. All of you are going to live to 60 and die old and happy." I told them, and Rebecca laughed. A donkey laugh that broke into giggles.

"Fuck that! I'm dying doing what I love. Shooting a giant gun and cussing out my killer."

"There's more to life than that." I snapped back, and Rebecca smirked.

"Motoko, you got a big heart kid, but only I get to choose how my life goes." She said tapping a thumb against her chest. "I'm an Egderunner like my father, like my idiot brother. Maybe I'll live long enough to pop out a couple brats like my pops, but I'm not going to live a quiet life."

"That's stupid." I told her, and she just laughed, which only made me more irritated.

"Okay before Motoko makes us all go out into the desert and do something crazy." Ichi cut in, earning an additional glare which he ignored. "Let's all calm down. Motoko, you know we're in, but like… I'm not like you."

I pouted at him, as even Hiromi nodded.

"Yeah Motoko, you're kinda insane." Malcolm added.

"Rude."

"I mean, what you can do. I can't just learn how to shoot a gun in a month and suddenly be a crack shot killer." Malcolm tapped his fist against my shoulder. "We all got your back, but this isn't something we can really do."

"Then… We just need to make it something you can. Training is important, and I don't want you all to die." I told them and got a few smiles and smirks.

"Well, why don't we figure out a way to train that's not so lame."

"Fine!" I snapped, throwing my hands up. "I'll figure something out."

"We'll help Motoko." Hiromi cut in sidling up to me. "I think your idea to find someone that trained soldiers is good, we can find someone with good ideas, and use them."

"Grmbl." I walked off as I considered the situation. Trying to keep my chooms alive was important, and even if it was minor in their view, just a second faster in pulling a gun was a lifetime. Literally.

Chrome wasn't the answer. It was a tool, but not the answer.

We needed both. Chrome for my chooms and the skills to keep them over the gonks that only had one or the other.

Mostly it just annoyed me because no matter how much I tried to train them it wasn't really working. I think I was just a bad teacher.

Ugh, and this was before I even brought on David too. If I can't teach what was I going to do with that kid to keep him from just going the easy path?

—--

"Do I have to do this?" Hiromi had been very sure that this was one hundred percent necessary, but I had my doubts.

"You're going to the Tyger Claw's yearly christmas meeting! Of course you have to dress up."

"I could just wear what I normally do, be the weird outsider teenager that doesn't conform. I don't like conforming Hiromi."

"Conform Motoko!" She laughed as she spun around me. I looked at the seamstress, the woman wearing a full on Kimono sent me a blank look, but I could tell she was judging me.

"Fine." I sighed, slumping, this was expensive! I didn't want to spend so much on a Kimono! I mean, sure if I bought a nice one now, I could probably wear it forever. I wasn't going to get any taller, and I wasn't going to get any fatter…

But still!

"Oh this one? Do you think?" Hiromi asked, spinning around with a silk Kimono showing it to the seamstress.

"Hmm. It would look fine with her hair, but her eyes would clash." The older woman offered, as she started moving around the shop, and Hiromi and her were soon throwing Kimono against me to test the colors and patterns.

"We can't just go with the purple-blue one?" I asked pointing at the first one they'd compared me too.

"No!"

"That is not for such an occasion." The old woman responded and I just pouted. Just put me in the goofy restricting clothes that had no armor already!

I just wanted to get this over with. If Hayato wasn't a friend I wouldn't even bother showing up, but she'd been so happy when I said I would show up.

Ugh.

"We should do something with her hair." Hiromi whispered.

"My hair is fine."

"Hmm. Extensions? She could be a proper Nadeshiko."

"I like my hair."

"Oh that could be good. She's going to have a sword on her too."

"Hmm? She will carry a blade?"

"I'm a Kensei. That's why I'm being invited." I muttered a bit pouting as everyone was just ignoring me, and then the woman was in my face far too close! "H-Hey!"

"You? A kensei?"

"Yes?"

"Then none of this will do! You should have told me! We will need to make something else." The woman grumbled shooting across the floor without really moving her legs as she ran out to a back room instead of the display room we were in.

"So… She's just going to leave me like this?" I whispered. I was in just my underwear on a little stand so Hiromi and the old woman could run around me in circles and throw things at me!
"Eh. It's not so bad." Hiromi said and I felt it. A flash of grave danger!

"Hah!" I called out, dropping down and slapping my hands together to catch a blade, but instead all I caught was Hiromi's fingers as she had reached out to pinch me!

"Wha!?"

"Revenge!" I called out and my hands slipped up her arm. My fingers slipped into her shift, dragging her close, leaving us practically face to face. Then I dropped lower, changed my center of gravity and used a bit of Judo to hip toss Hiromi right over.

"Yaaa!" She shrieked as she tumbled right onto the soft faux-tatami.

Considering her sudden defeat, and our current location I had no choice.

I tapped my fingers together to mimic the noise and then called out. "Yoooooooo!"

The Kabuki Kakegoe set the scene as the woman re-entered staring at Hiromi still on her back staring at the floor, while I knelt over her in victory.

"Please do not rough house in my shop." She decided to say and then ignored it all as she entered with a new Kimono.

"Sorry." I offered and returned to standing. Hiromi finally sat up and then climbed to her feet.

"That's cheating." She decided, her glare mixing with her flushed face in anger to just make Hiromi cute, and I just grinned.

"This will be the Kimono you wear." The woman offered as she pulled it out, and it was definitely more expensive looking than the others. Fine silk, a fine blue outer with the inside being a pretty white, but it was textured in a very expensive sort of way.

Within a few minutes I was forced into it, and standing there as adjustments were made.

"It does look okay." I offered, but then frowned. "I feel like I'm going to ruin it though."

"That will not happen." The old woman said, but it was less, 'You won't be able to.' and more 'Don't you fucking dare.'

"I'll be careful."

"See that you do. This is actual silk, and the cloth is older than your grandmother. I will add the Kensei Crest to the back. You will take care of this, and if there is ever any damage you will return to me. You understand?"

"Ah.. We haven't bought it yet?" I responded to the woman's firm demand, and then she pushed up real close.

"This is the Kimono you will take."

"This is the Kimono I will take… How much?" I responded and the woman nodded once.

"Motoko! Don't just ask! Forgive her. She's an idiot." Hiromi said, bowing an apology.

"Rude."
"It will be expensive." She decided after a moment, and that left me wanting to cry. I was trying to save money right now! Hiromiiiiii!

"If you're that worried about Eddies Motoko, then do more jobs, or better yet, do more Rockerboy gigs." Hiromi said without any sympathy.

"Why are you so happy to spend eddies on this? It's just a Kimono."

"Having a formal Kimono is important. This is for your meeting with all the upper management of the Tyger Claws, again, while at the side of the Princess, and most importantly? It looks good on you Motoko."

"Huh? Really?" I asked, raising up the large sleeve. Honestly? I'd always loved the long sleeves on Kimonos. Maybe I should get or make a Kimono jacket, sort of like the, Uh… Who was it, from ancient Japan. C'mon Motoko you've seen enough anime about this. Shinsengumi? Yeah that was it.

Katana sword battles always looked cooler with flowing sleeves. Just look at Kill Bill. Lucy Liu was awesome in that.

"This Obi will allow you to carry a blade as is your right as Kensei." The old woman offered, bringing a pretty ornate Obi over and adjusting it.

The whole thing left me feeling kinda squished, but I'd live I guess…

"Is there going to be room for my Holster? I don't go anywhere without my guns."

"Baka-No Gaijin-" I winced, at her under her breath cursing in Japanese. It continued for a few moments. Not sure what she said in total but it was pretty scathing. "No. There will be no room for guns and holsters! What do you take this for!?"

I just pouted I'd sneak a gun into this mess anyhow. Bet my Burya would fit under that massive sash thing.

I sighed. More practice sessions tonight with the band, Alice was eager to set up another gig, and then this meeting next week.

So much to do.