Warhammer: The Time Traveler

Chapter 144 David Jumps into the Pit (Third Update)

At the abandoned town outpost, David Martinez's life was strictly divided into two parts: one part was learning binary language accompanied by painful electric shocks while following a servo skull.

The other part involved working as an assistant in Glenn's makeshift clinic, as instructed by Chen Yu, observing and recording the crude prosthetic implants and nerve connection surgeries.

That day, David had just finished a round of brain-draining learning and was leaning against the wall to rest, trying to calm his overused biological brain.

His personal communicator rang; it was an unknown number.

He hesitated for a moment, then answered the call.

“Mr. David Martinez?” a rather professional-sounding male voice came through. “I hope I haven’t disturbed you. I’m here on behalf of the New Line Charitable Medical Foundation to inquire about the condition of your mother, Ms. Gloria Martinez.”

David's heart skipped a beat. "The New Line Foundation"? He had never heard of that name before.

“Our foundation focuses on assisting families who have suffered severe nerve damage due to accidents,” the other party continued in that just-right tone of sympathy. “We have noticed that Ms. Martinez’s ongoing treatment requires a specific drug called ‘Neurosynaptic Regenerator-IV,’ which is indeed… expensive and has limited availability.”

The other party accurately stated the name of the medicine his mother needed, which slightly eased David's vigilance, but his instincts from living in Night City for so long prevented him from immediately believing it.

"What do you want?" David's voice was cautious.

“We would like to offer our assistance,” the other party said sincerely. “The foundation has an emergency aid program, and after a preliminary assessment, we believe that Ms. Martinez’s situation meets the criteria for funding.”

We can provide full medication assistance, including 'Neurosynaptic Regeneration Factor IV', as well as a range of subsequent rehabilitation support.

Full medication assistance? David felt his breathing quicken.

The idea that his mother could be free from pain and might even recover better was an almost irresistible temptation for him.

"What are the conditions?" David forced himself to calm down; he knew there was no such thing as a free lunch.

“We need to conduct a final, in-person professional assessment of Ms. Martinez’s condition to determine the most appropriate assistance plan and dosage,” the other party explained. “The assessment will take place at the ‘Quiet Water’ private medical clinic in Charter Hill. The time can be arranged by you, the sooner the better, as the patient’s condition cannot be delayed.”

The other party's words were impeccable and full of allure.

But David did not agree immediately; he hung up the phone, saying he needed to think about it.

A mixture of immense hope and deep unease gripped his heart. His first thought was of Lucy. Perhaps the hackers on the team could uncover the secrets of this "New Line Foundation."

When he found Lucy, she was sitting in her corner, wearing headphones, seemingly engrossed in a data stream.

David stepped forward somewhat nervously and explained the situation.

After listening, Lucy took off one earphone, her pale purple eyes looking at him calmly: "The name of the foundation, and the name of the clinic."

David immediately reported "Newborn Line" and "Quiet Water Clinic".

"Wait a minute," Lucy said, standing up. What she did next caught David completely off guard.

Without any hesitation, she immediately began to take off her upper body clothing.

First the jacket, then the close-fitting vest underneath.

The movements were natural and fluid, as if they were just doing something very ordinary.

David froze instantly, his gaze involuntarily drawn to Lucy's bare upper body.

Her skin was very fair, gleaming like porcelain in the dim light of the stronghold. Her shoulders were beautifully sculpted, and her collarbones were delicately defined. Most striking of all was her chest…

David's brain buzzed, and blood seemed to rush to his head, making his cheeks and ears feel hot.

He had never seen a woman's body so closely or so clearly before.

At Arasaka Academy, he was a poor student who was ostracized and rarely had the chance to talk to girls.

At that moment, a primal, intense urge rose from the depths of his body, making his mouth dry and his heart pound.

He could feel a noticeable change in his lower body, which made him feel extremely ashamed and panicked.

He almost instinctively turned around abruptly, his back to Lucy, his voice stammering with nervousness: "I...I'm sorry! I...I didn't..."

Lucy's calm voice came from behind, seemingly tinged with a hint of barely perceptible doubt: "What's wrong? I'm going into the ice bath. How can I connect the data cable if I don't take off my clothes?"

David then realized that Lucy had taken off her clothes to perform deep hacking work and needed to cool down physically.

He felt like a fool for having such a romantic thought.

But he still dared not turn around, afraid of seeing more of what would make him lose control, and also afraid that Lucy would see his flushed face and embarrassed appearance.

He heard a faint sound of water; Lucy had gotten into the bathtub that was always filled with ice water.

Next came the faint sound of the data cable being connected to the neural port.

"You can turn around now." Lucy's voice rang out again, with a slight distortion from electronic interference, a sign that her consciousness had begun to infiltrate cyberspace.

David slowly turned around, his heart still pounding.

He saw Lucy lying in a bathtub full of ice, the water level above her chest, with only her head and neck connected by cables visible.

Her expression was calm, her eyes were closed, and she had already entered cyberspace.

Although he could no longer see the body, the fleeting glimpse he had just seen was deeply imprinted in his mind and would not be forgotten.

He tried to suppress the restlessness in his body and the heat on his face, forcing himself to focus on the important matter at hand.

The wait was not long.

About ten minutes later, Lucy's body trembled slightly and she opened her eyes.

She unplugged the data cable, sat up from the ice water, picked up a towel to wipe her body and hair, and started getting dressed again without any hesitation.

David was still a little embarrassed, but he tried his best to keep his eyes from looking away, though his ears were still red.

“I found it,” Lucy said as she put on her vest, her tone regaining its usual calm. “'Newborn Line Charitable Medical Foundation' has a clean registration information, is relatively new, and has an unclear source of funding, but on the surface, there doesn’t seem to be any major problem.”

It does have some indirect connections with Arasaka, primarily through several medical device suppliers and drug distribution channels influenced by Arasaka.

She paused, then looked at David: "The drug you need is a key controlled product of Arasaka Biotechnology. Logically, it makes sense that this foundation has connections with Arasaka."

I've infiltrated their internal communications and financial records, but haven't found any obvious signs of a trap. It looks... real, though the background might not be entirely a purely charitable project.

(End of this chapter)