Cyberpunk 2077 – Cyber Dogs

Afternoon inside the Cyber Dogs' hideout. 

"Finally," I exhaled, rubbing my eyes. "It took me weeks to get the Focus to 60%." 

The Focus—from Horizon: Forbidden West—was nearly operational. Scanning, sensing, restoring corrupted data... it was all working now, even if only partially. Its original functions were still in recovery, struggling to adapt to the unique mess that was this world's tech. Give it a few more months, and it might just reach 100%. 

"If it weren't for the BD helping me revisit my memories, it would've taken even longer to recreate the damn thing." 

Woof. 

"Just a minute, Lola," I said, turning with a small smile. "Let me put this on your head." 

She stood patiently while I attached the sleek device to her forehead, her ears flicking with every soft touch. I scratched behind her ears and along her neck while I worked, feeling the soft fur shift beneath my fingers. 

"Okay, what did you say?" 

Woof. [I'm hungry.] 

Woof. [I want meat.] 

I blinked, then grinned. Her "speech" was clearer now—more refined. Not just emotion, but context. 

"Looks like you're able to speak more clearly. Nice. So, what kind of meat do you want?" 

Woof. [Steak.] 

Woof. [Big and juicy.] 

Woof. [With BBQ, please.] 

"Now I'm hungry. Alright, let's head to the kitchen." 

We headed up the stairs to the ground floor, the steel under our feet echoing with each step. 

"You want me to cook it, or should I pull out a prepped one from the system?" 

Woof. [Your cooking.] 

Woof. [I want it extra crispy.] 

"Coming right up, Miss Royalty." 

Time passed. We cooked, we ate, we rested. The meal was damn near perfect, and after filling our stomachs, we crashed on the sofa. 

At some point, I drifted off. The last thing I remember was Lola flopping down next to me—then half on top of me—tail thumping against the cushions as she settled in. 

Bing. 

"Huh? What the…?" 

My eyes snapped open, blurry and dry. A quest notification hovered in my vision. 

New Quest Received 

??? 

Something interesting is happening. 

I blinked. "How long was I asleep?" 

I checked the time—only thirty minutes. 

I tried to sit up, but a very warm, very heavy German Shepherd was sprawled across my chest like a blanket made of muscle and fur. Her breathing was steady. She was out cold. 

"Ugh... of course," I muttered, squinting at the quest marker. 

It was targeting someone I'd tagged. When I focused in on the ID, my heart dropped. 

David Martinez. 

My brain kicked into high gear. 

"Shit. Damn it. Fuck!" 

I activated Sandevistan. 

Time froze. 

The world went still—flies mid-air, dust suspended like stars in the light. 

"Lola, we're leaving." 

Woof. [Okay.] 

With everyone and everything frozen in time, we moved. 

Using the map, I fast-traveled to the nearest drop point to David. Thanks to one of my better mods, I could warp to any location—not just designated points. It even let me drop custom fast-travel beacons. Sadly, not on people… yet. 

The city blurred past us. I landed in an alley close to the crash site. Sandevistan still ticking. 

We bolted down the street, vaulting over dumpsters and sprinting past stalled cars. 

And then we saw it. 

The crash. 

One car blown apart. Another flipped over like a toy. Broken glass, twisted metal. A red-haired woman in a yellow jacket lay unmoving on the asphalt. My breath caught in my throat. 

Gloria Martinez. 

She was still alive—but barely. Her face pale, her body battered, her chest rising only slightly. I turned to the car and spotted David inside—frozen mid-scream, eyes wide in panic, hand outstretched toward his mother. 

I rushed to Gloria and carefully pulled her onto her back. Her vitals were weak. Her body was a mess. I remembered how she died in the original timeline—overworked, collapsed from sheer exhaustion. The surgery hadn't failed; she had been too far gone. 

Now add the crash? No wonder her body was shutting down. 

"I'm taking her to Vik." 

I turned to Lola. 

"When I resume time, get the kid out of the car." 

Woof. [Got it.] 

Time resumed. 

"MOM!" David's voice shattered the silence like a gunshot. 

"Who the hell are you?! What are you doing with my mom?!" 

Lola had already moved. She lunged to the car, reared up, and—with zero effort—ripped open the driver-side door. David froze, staring at her in disbelief as she nudged him out carefully, her tail swaying with uncanny focus. 

"Is that a… is that a dog?" 

While he tried to make sense of her, I was already on the phone. 

"Vik!" 

"Hey, kid, what's going on?" 

"I've got someone in critical condition. I'm heading to your clinic—now." 

"Wait, what? Kid, slow down—" 

"No time." 

I grabbed Gloria. Lola gently nudged David forward. 

"Who are you?!" he demanded. 

I didn't answer. 

I opened the map, picked Vik's clinic, and fast-traveled. Instant. We landed in the alley behind it. 

"What the hell just happened?" David gasped. 

"Move." 

We burst through the back entrance. 

"Vik! She needs help—now!" 

He rushed over. "Put her in the chair! Who's the kid?" 

"Her son." 

"Lola, take him to Misty." 

"No! I'm staying with her!" David tried to shove past me. 

Lola didn't growl or bark. She simply stepped in front of him and herded him toward Misty like a pro. She was firm, but gentle. 

"Let me go! That's my mom!" 

I turned back to Vik. 

"I've got a healing item that could instantly fix her injuries… but she's too exhausted." 

"If that's true, don't use it," Vik warned. "Forcing her body to recover while it's shutting down from fatigue? You'll kill her faster." 

I cursed under my breath. "Fine. Plan B." 

I pulled out several artificial organs and stabilizers I had stocked for emergencies. He raised an eyebrow but didn't ask questions. 

Hours passed. Night fell. 

I called Misty to bring David back inside. 

"MOM!" he ran to her, grabbing her hand. 

"Is she gonna be okay?" he whispered. 

Vik sighed. "The surgery went well. But… she's in a coma." 

"She'll wake up though, right?" 

"I honestly don't know, kid. Her body's fragile. She might not pull through." 

David gripped her hand tighter, his voice cracking. 

"There's one thing I can do," I said quietly. "A way to stop her from dying in the coma." 

He looked up, eyes red and puffy. 

"I built a system—a chair that can stimulate coma patients with controlled neuro-shock therapy. Keeps the brain active. Stops degeneration. It's not a cure, but it gives her a chance." 

David nodded. "Please… save her. I'll pay—anything." 

"No payment. Let's go." 

We thanked Vik and Misty. I called the car. 

Gloria rested in the backseat with Lola, her head cushioned by the makeshift pillows. David sat in the front, arms crossed, jaw clenched. 

I drove. 

After a while, I broke the silence. 

"What's your name?" 

"Huh? Oh… David. David Martinez." 

"You okay? You took a few knocks back there. Did Lola heal you up?" 

"Yeah. She gave me something. I feel okay." He paused. "Can I ask you something?" 

"Sure." 

"Why are you helping us?" 

I looked ahead. 

"Because I want to." 

He scoffed. "That's hard to believe. People here… they don't help unless they get something out of it." 

"I'm not like most people." 

He didn't respond. I kept going. 

"Your mom's one of the good ones. Most parents in Night City would sell their own kids for a bottle of Smash. But her? She's burning herself out so you can graduate from Arasaka. That's love." 

"…How do you know that?" 

"Arasaka uniform. Beat-up car. You look like a street kid trying to pass as corpo. Easy deduction." 

"Oh…" 

Another pause. 

"How did we get to Vik's clinic so fast after the crash?" 

"You want the long explanation? Or the short one?" 

"Short." 

"Magic." 

He stared at me. "…Seriously?" 

"Yep." 

We pulled into the Cyber Dogs' hideout. The gate opened automatically. 

David stepped out, jaw practically on the floor. "This place is… whoa." 

"Come on. Follow me." 

We moved down to the basement. I opened the door to the BD room. In the center was the modified therapy chair. 

I gently placed the helmet on Gloria's head. The monitors booted up, revealing a 3D render of her brain. Multiple red zones flashed—critical areas. 

"David, this doesn't look good. I'm gonna have to manually adjust the stimulation frequency for a while. Go get a shower. Eat something. Lola'll guide you." 

"…But I need to be here—" 

"There's nothing you can do right now." 

"…Fine." 

"Most of the place is off-limits, but you can't get in anyway. Security only responds to our group. Oh, and Lola already put your mom's stuff on the table." 

He looked down. 

"…Thanks." 

Woof. [Follow me.] 

As Lola led him away, I sat beside Gloria and sent a message to V and Jackie. 

"I'll be here all night." 

I stared at her for a long while. 

"I hope you pull through, Gloria… for your son's sake." 

End of Chapter 16

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