Ghost in the City: Cyberpunk Gamer SI

*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!

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"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.