Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 446 The Dike Breaks (Part Six)

The roaring AV-8 airship swooped down from the sky.

The trauma team's general-purpose aircraft, since the situation in Taiping Island became tense, the city began to fall into great panic, especially in the urban areas far from the company square.

Gloria looked at the instruction report in her hand; it was provided by the NCPD.

Night City’s touted “freedom” became a convenient excuse to break the rules endlessly at this time. Madmen and criminals hoped for the loss of order, and the escalating violent crime incidents caused the number of times the city’s trauma care team was on duty to increase tenfold.

“Gloria, the client has been under the control of the Cleaners for over twelve hours. Although our technical experts remotely deactivated the response program, there’s no guarantee that the Cleaners won’t resort to extortion. You need to step back.”

Two years is neither a long nor a short time.

Gloria has been working for some time now in this trauma team that specializes in dealing with the complex issues faced by platinum clients.

"Excellent skills," "lifesaving first," and "good qualities" are all evaluations of Gloria by her colleagues.

However, Gloria is ultimately a medical expert, and the smart weapon is enough to help her eliminate the impending danger, so Gloria accepted the captain's kind reminder completely.

"I see."

The captain's expression was obscured by his helmet; he simply nodded. The vice-captain, who shared the same assault position, chuckled, "Miss Gloria got full marks in all subjects; she might be able to support us."

Gloria smiled somewhat embarrassedly, then her expression turned serious, and she took a deep breath.

She wasn't worried about her teammates' inability to handle the Scavenger; she was worried about her two children.

Is Lucy still acting with Rin?
If that's the case, she'll naturally be relieved, but David...

That child is impulsive and sometimes doesn't act thoughtfully. Arasaka is a large, well-organized company... Gloria just hopes her child can be safe.

Of course, it would be best if I could help Mr. Rin.

David's intelligence is what Gloria is most proud of. The fact that the students of Arasaka Academy, nurtured with limited resources, were able to graduate smoothly is actually a testament to his abilities.

Each member of the trauma group is actually a psychological expert.

In complex battlefields, corporate conflicts, or gang fights, injured people are prone to shouting or struggling in improper positions, which can escalate their injuries. Soothing is a necessary means, so team members also use these little tricks to calm their teammates down.

"I heard your child successfully entered Arasaka?"

Upon hearing the captain's question, Gloria unconsciously put on a faint, warm smile and nodded.

His tone became more lively.

"Yes, it's time for the wild child to grow up."

The captain and the surrounding team members exclaimed in amazement, "That's really impressive. Arakawa, Military Science, Kangtao... it's very difficult to get into these companies."

A sudden sound came.

"Instead of worrying about us corporate dogs or other corporate dogs, we should be thinking about whether Night City will still exist tomorrow..."

The woman's voice was somewhat hoarse.

Gloria knew her; she was a veteran who had retired from the Mexican battlefield and had previously served in the 7th Mechanized Infantry Division of Military Technology, holding the rank of second lieutenant.

This wasn't the first or second time she had expressed her hatred for the company. Although the trauma team wasn't as strict with employee speech as other companies, the woman's remarks still brought a lot of unnecessary danger.

"McCout!"

The captain's tone turned cold. "Isn't there enough trouble already?"

"Did I say something wrong?"

The woman crossed her arms, seemingly responding to the captain, but her gaze beneath her helmet remained fixed on Gloria.

"Let's be clear: there are hardly any human beings left in this city; they're all scum covered in filth—at least we can save people and atone for our sins before the Lord, but what about the rest?"

As she spoke, her gestures seemed to draw closer to Gloria. "They're all a bunch of executioners!"

Gloria went from being stunned to being angry.

With her eyebrows furrowed, she whispered, "Aren't you the same? The Lord will not forgive you; He will only send us to hell."

The woman's voice trailed off.

"you!"

The usually gentle Gloria was different now. She wouldn't allow her child, or Rin, to be called a "company dog," such an insulting term—

They were all a bunch of dreamers, she could sense it... The Dreamers' innovation in Taipingzhou seemed to be an experiment, a dog-eat-dog world... only extraordinary means could work, these were Mr. Rin's words.

"But before going to hell, there's nothing wrong with me, my children—even my…lover. Making this city a better place, whether you're in a company or a dog!"

A moment of calm followed.

The woman eventually sat back down in a huff.

Gloria placed her hand on her thigh. "Healing and saving lives, three minutes or your money back—it all costs money… If I could, I'd rather save more people!"

The only sound inside the calm cabin of the hovercar was the hum of its engine.

"All right."

The captain was silent for a moment, then said, "We trust each other, support each other, we are teammates."

The woman waved her hand. "Come on, I don't expect this guy who likes to rescue indiscriminately to cover for me—I'd rather kill a few more criminals. The NCPD doesn't want me, so there's nothing I can do."

Gloria didn't intend to continue the topic.

Sharpness wasn't anyone's fault; McCourt's past was too heavy, and Gloria felt only sympathy for him.

She killed so many people that she forgot she was also a criminal, which is why she was more concerned with executing a few gang members when carrying out her mission.

"Mission briefing."

Gloria broke the ice, and the medical experts shared information and made arrangements based on the client's physiological condition and current crisis.

Why is this so?
Of course, the first priority of the trauma team is to save lives.

Client Name: Sandra Dorset

"Employee of the Ye family."

Gloria continued, “Environmental exposure is suspected to be the main factor, with the client possibly being in an environment around zero degrees Celsius for an extended period; neurological damage is also considered, such as brain injury, stroke, or cerebral hypoxia damaging the hypothalamus’s thermoregulatory center; drug or toxin effects may also be involved, such as anesthetics, alcohol, or sedatives that suppress central nervous system function—the client is currently in a coma.”

"In summary, this aligns with the kidnapping tactics commonly used by street cleaners, and we recommend intervention such as cardiopulmonary support during client contact."

Gloria finished speaking.

The captain raised his hand. "The AV-8 can remotely analyze the enemy distribution inside the building. As Gloria said, we should pull Miss Sandra out first. She's been unconscious for too long, and there's no guarantee she's okay."

"agree."

Gloria picked up the Yinglong intelligent submachine gun from her side. It was a gift she had received from Rin.

“Gloria, you and McCourt will be in charge of emergency treatment. We'll handle the cleanup and security.”

The woman was about to speak when she saw the captain turn his head and stare at her silently, so she simply stopped talking and buried herself in organizing the weapons and equipment.

"Keep an eye on Corrent. If you desert this time, then I'm sorry to say—you'll have to go find a middleman on the street and become a mercenary to kill gangsters."

Gloria smiled gratefully; this was the captain helping her to temper the enemy's arrogance.

Just as everyone was preparing to adjust their mindset, a piercing alarm sounded.

"Missile lock-on!"

The bright red alarm lights and the AI's alert caused a moment of panic. Three or four years ago, would the Cleaners have possessed a surface-to-air rocket launcher? Don't be ridiculous…

But things are different now. With the lifting of restrictions on cybernetic implants and rampant weapons smuggling, Night City has become one of the most dangerous cities in the world…

It's even more risky than some battlefields!
"pay close attention!"

The captain roared.

The hovercraft had already begun to take evasive action. Gloria watched helplessly as the captain's group sank, and hurriedly grabbed the sturdy anchor straps.

Boom!

A shiver ran through Gloria, and she felt her heart leap out of her chest.

The feeling of weightlessness didn't last long...

Gloria sensed the machine guns operating outside the vehicle, emitting muffled, deathly thuds—it was the AI ​​assisting in clearing the ground to intercept targets…

Just as Gloria was clutching Yinglong and waiting for instructions—

"The reservation location has been contacted!"

Suddenly, the AI ​​voice of the hovercar came out, and the holographic image inside the hovercar showed a platform next to an unfinished building right behind the captain.

"Hurry up!"

The captain roared.

A red laser beam flashed inside the vehicle, indicating that Gloria's individual locator had been locked onto by the vehicle's server, enabling it to analyze the battlefield situation in real time and help the commander make decisions.

Gloria, who was the last to get off the bus with her gun in hand, saw a dilapidated platform that looked like it had been smeared with red paint and jam, with scattered weapon fragments and prosthetic limbs on the ground... It seemed that the AV-8's machine gun had shattered everything that posed a threat!
Through the trembling vision, the helmet was filled with Gloria's breathing.

The building was filled with dimly lit cubicles made of translucent plastic film, with only a few low-wattage light bulbs randomly illuminating the floor.

Bounce, bounce, bounce——

shhhhhh!
The intelligent weapons of her teammates ahead emitted bullets that whistled everywhere. Gloria stepped past the corpses, trying to avoid looking at the bodies she had seen countless times, but she couldn't help but glance down at them.

The bizarrely modified, shirtless scavenger had several smart weapon rounds inserted into his head. His mouth was agape, and two prosthetic eyes with clover-like pupils stared intently at the ceiling. Suddenly—

It moved slightly!
Gloria quickly lowered her gun, and the moment the block locked onto the Scavenger, intense flashes of light appeared in front of the gun!
The scavenger's stiff body quickly softened.

“Huff…Huff…”

The teammates glanced sideways and realized that Gloria was finishing off the enemy...

"keep going!"

Gloria's gun flashed several more times; its advanced friend-or-foe detection and the powerful attributes of the Yinglong intelligent submachine gun allowed Gloria to eliminate several threats from her side.

"Here it is!!!"

Gloria's adrenaline surged, and almost instinctively she lunged forward, but her teammates had already cleared a path for her.

Watching the captain and vice-captain pull the pale woman from the mixture of ice and water, her skin glistening with water droplets, and her barely wearing any warm clothing…

"Hold!"

Gloria swore, a rare occurrence for her, and knelt down to pull out a CPR machine from behind her.

As her teammates calmly read out Sandra's various hormone levels, Gloria bit her lip and whispered, "Damn... jump up already."

hum-

Boom!
As the CPR machine was repeatedly activated, the woman on the ground looked like a mannequin because of her prosthetic skin, completely devoid of life.

Gloria's eyes darted back and forth between the data metrics and the woman's reactions.

"No, the cleaners are coming. We have to take our people and leave first."

The captain raised his gun and looked to the side, then reached back and patted Gloria on the shoulder.

Gloria wanted to keep trying, but for now she had no choice but to obey.

"Hmm!"

Sandra's chest suddenly rose sharply, her eyes wide as if she were a dying person in her final moments. Her pale, cold hand gripped Gloria's wrist, sending chills down Gloria's spine.

"The customer has responded!"

The surprise that followed made Gloria overlook the deep fear in the woman's eyes. Corent was squatting next to Gloria, preparing to put her on a stretcher, when the woman suddenly shouted and pushed. It seemed to be the effect of the combat-type prosthetic body, otherwise a person who had just woken up from a coma would not have this strength!

"They're all going to die!"

Gloria instinctively listened to the woman's shout, "What...?"

"A cleaner's coming up, damn it!"

No one knew what the AV-8 airship was up to until everyone's map monitors were filled with dense red dots, and they realized that the entire building was surrounded by Cleaners!

"Oh shit!"

While Gloria wasn't paying attention, McCourt grabbed his gun and shouted, "Break through first!"

By the time the captain realized what was happening, McCourt had already rushed out and was using cover to engage the Scavenger in a firefight!
Amidst the dense gunfire, the woman pointed at the power switch on the wall, her words muffled…

Gloria knelt down and leaned close to the woman's ear to listen carefully—

"Power outage! Power outage...please!"

"The...the black wall is about to break!"

Sandra's voice was heard by her teammates in the channel. If you weren't someone who worked in the network industry, your first reaction would be "black wall"... What is that?
Only the team's network technology expert replied, "She might be delirious. Take her away first. The black wall... it's useless for us to run anywhere if that thing is broken!"

"I beg you!"

The woman who grabbed Gloria's wrist trembled as she said, "I...I have evidence that the Night Clan is going to detonate the Black Wall!"

The captain and several team members had already rushed out of the room to begin defensive operations. Only Gloria and the network technology expert remained inside; the woman pointed to the laptop under the power switch…

Both Gloria and the network technician saw the "Uploading" progress bar light up in their eyes...

The massive amount of data that followed was completely incomprehensible to Gloria, but only the network technology expert suddenly took a step back.

Sandra also quickly lost consciousness.

The network technology expert, who was leaning against the wall, didn't say anything. Instead, he suddenly rushed towards the power switch as if he had just realized what was happening. With the power outage, the already dimly lit room became even darker.

Gloria felt a sudden, inexplicable panic, as if something was about to burst forth from the depths of her heart!
When their eyes met, the tech expert and Gloria instinctively focused their gaze on the glowing laptop…

"late."

Gloria heard his murmur.

The pale blue light on the computer screen was quickly replaced by blocks of various colors. The tech expert slowly turned his head, and Gloria watched as he slowly removed his helmet, revealing two prosthetic eyes, one bright and one dim.

"Quickly...go."

As Gloria trembled involuntarily, the man's skull, like a bursting balloon, vanished along with various lumps...

……

……

(End of this chapter)