"Judy's one of mine," Evelyn Parker said, voice clipped as the metal door's biometric lock blinked green. "She's also part of the Mox. We've known each other for… quite a while."
She turned, pinning Neo and Jackie Welles with a sharp look. "She's always had my back, and I trust her completely—but she's Mox, not your new teammate. Keep that in mind."
Her tone dropped colder. "So do yourselves a favor, chooms—don't start trouble, and watch what you say."
Only after repeating the warning did Evelyn open the reinforced door and step inside first.
The moment they entered, the hum of machinery swallowed all sound. Judy's underground studio was packed tight with servers, monitors, neural-link ports, and tangled wiring that glowed faintly in the dark. The air was heavy with ozone and the low buzz of electricity.
By the wall stood a workstation surrounded by holo-panels. A slender figure sat before it, lit by the blue-white shimmer of a Braindance feed.
"I thought I told you not to just barge into my studio for no reason," came a voice, calm but sharp as glass. Judy Alvarez, still facing away, was adjusting a complex sensory loop. She probably thought it was just another Mox sister wandering in.
"It's me, Judy," Evelyn called.
Judy froze for half a second—then her tone melted into warmth. "Oh, hey, Ev. You're here."
She spun around, her teal-highlighted hair catching the light, then her gaze flicked past Evelyn to the two men behind her. "And… these two are?"
Evelyn smiled faintly. "Judy, this is V and Jackie Welles. They're here to try out the Braindance experience. V, Jackie—this is Judy Alvarez, Night City's best Braindance editor."
Judy waved a hand dismissively. "Best? Please. I just do what pays the bills."
"Nice to meet you, Judy," Neo said casually, his tone smooth—too natural, almost familiar. He glanced around the studio, eyes scanning the intricate network of equipment. "Sensory amplifiers, emotional feedback monitors… damn, you've got top-tier gear here."
That caught her off guard. Judy tilted her head, intrigued. "Most of it's custom-built. Only the casings are factory stock."
Neo's lips curled. "You built them all yourself?"
Judy smirked. "What do you think?"
He pointed at one of the consoles. "That emotion sensor—looks like a Tsumizuki model, right? I swear, their wiring setup is a complete nightmare."
Judy actually laughed. "You're not wrong. But rewiring it's no big deal. That model's the only one that plays nice with add-on scanners."
Their conversation flowed with ease. Jackie stood there, eyes darting between them, mouth slightly open.
Damn… did these two already know each other?
If Evelyn hadn't brought them here herself, he'd have sworn Neo and Judy were old friends.
Evelyn cleared her throat, breaking the moment. "Alright, enough chit-chat. Dexter DeShawn's ready for the call. Let's sync up and get to business."
At the mention of the name, Neo's brow furrowed slightly.
Dexter DeShawn?
That was… odd.
In the Cyberpunk 2077 timeline, it was supposed to go the other way around: Evelyn Parker found Dex, Dex found the player. Then came the deal—the Militech prototype from Maelstrom, the relic job at Konpeki Plaza… everything in a neat, clean chain of cause and effect.
But now? The order was completely flipped.
Here, it wasn't Evelyn reaching out to Dex for the relic job—it was Militech hiring Dexter DeShawn, who in turn brought Evelyn into the mix… and now she was connecting with Neo and Jackie.
None of this fit the original sequence. The logic of the story had fractured.
Evelyn caught the faint shift in Neo's expression. "Something wrong, Mr. V?"
"Sorry," Neo said smoothly, forcing a polite smile. "Mind if I hit the restroom first?"
"Go ahead," she replied, slightly puzzled. "We'll wait."
Neo slipped out of the studio, moving through the narrow, neon-lit corridor until he found the restroom. He entered the last stall, shut the door, and pulled up his holo-interface. His fingers danced across the air.
Two rings. Then the line clicked.
"Neo?" came Lucy's soft, sharp voice through the comms.
"Lucy, I need a favor," he said without hesitation.
"Name it," she answered instantly. "What do you need me to do?"
"I'm in Watson, under Lizzie's Bar. A Braindance studio. Evelyn Parker set up a meeting with a fixer—Dexter DeShawn. I can't afford to play passive here. I need leverage."
He took a slow breath. "I've opened every permission on my phone for you. Take control of it. From my phone, I want you to spread into this studio's network—quietly. Slip something into the line when we connect with Dex. Something that'll give us the edge."
"Can you do it?"
Lucy's voice turned sly, confident. "Delete the question mark, Neo. I'm a netrunner, not an amateur script kiddie. I've already got your phone. Ten seconds, and I'll own this studio's security grid. Once you go live, I'll ride the signal right into the comms feed."
She chuckled lightly. "When he least expects it, I'll drop a little surprise."
Neo grinned. "Perfect. Do it."
"Just talk like normal," she said. "I'll handle the rest."
The call ended with a soft click.
Neo exhaled, composed himself, and returned to the studio.
Evelyn had already pulled a datachip from her bag, slotting it into the port at the back of her neck. The holo-display shimmered to life in front of her.
A familiar, deep voice filled the room.
"Evenin', chooms."
The screen flickered—and there he was. Dexter DeShawn. Massive frame, gleaming gold cyberarm, cigar burning between his fingers. Sitting in a plush booth at Afterlife, the fixer looked every bit the king of the underworld he was.
"Mr. V," he said, voice rolling like thunder. "Jackie Welles."
He smirked, exhaling a cloud of smoke. "Name's Dexter DeShawn. Been hearin' about you two for a long time."
And somewhere in the network's silent hum, Lucy smiled in the shadows—already weaving her trap.
The game had just changed.
-------------------------
Patreon Advance Chapters: patreon .com / ElvenKing20