72 Extended vacation

Extended vacation

You know, just a few seconds ago, I felt nothing. Nothing at all. But then a warmth builds in my chest. The warmth turns to heat. And then pain, like a star burning right where my heart used to be. But it was this pain that triggered my awakening from a strange state of nirvana or lucidity.

In my semi-conscious state, scraps of words come to me. They grow louder with each passing moment, and I can make them out a little at a time.

- Another dose.

- Let's give it a try.

- Increase it.

- Clear!

The feeling of an exploding star was back in my chest, only this time it went straight to supernova level and the pain was unbearable. I shouted.

- Stop it, you bastards! - With a jerk, my body lifted into a sitting position and a bunch of medics looked at me with eyes full of surprise, shock, and disbelief.

- Put the damn defibrillator away, I'm alive and fine," I looked at the medic who had just given me shock therapy and rubbed my chest, which still had a burning feeling.

- But how? Everything indicated that you were clinically dead. How? - the chief medical officer looks at me confused.

- I don't know how. Well, judging by the logo on your clothes, I'm at Arasaka's. Get your supervisor down here.

- Wait, but you just-" But the medic doesn't have time to finish, as he sees my face take on an angry look with a clear threat that I'll crack his head open if he continues to argue with me. Sighing, he leaves a few medics to monitor my condition and then leaves the room with the others.

While the rest of the medics were busy doing their own thing and looking at something on the screens, VJ jumps onto my bed.

- Oh, hi, fatty," I pet the purring cat and continue, but in a whisper. - Apparently our adventures there are over. We've done quite a lot and helped a lot of people. Except that the fucking elves managed to fuck us up for the last time. We got back, though, and we didn't seem to lose much. So it's not so bad. Ah, I wonder how it ended.

Not a couple minutes later, the Private bursts into my room and immediately rushes to hug me.

- Private! You're gonna strangle me! Let go! - I'm wheezing, caught in the Private's tight grip.

- Oh, Skipper! I'm so glad to see you're back with us. You sure gave us a reason to wet our pants. The Private doesn't hide his joy and starts talking non-stop.

- All right, stop. Let me get this straight. How are the other guys doing? Did the mission go well? How long have I been lying here? No one's looking for us? - I stop his flow and start asking questions in order to learn as much as possible without wasting time.

The private calmed down and started answering my questions. Everyone but me came out with almost no major wounds or injuries. A couple of scratches and bumps each, and most of them they got when the evacuation started. The mission was accomplished, and even more than that, they were able to take parts of the cyborg that had taken me down with its strange EMP attack. That's where they came out on top.

- Whoa, whoa, whoa. Why were you carrying parts of that cyborg? It weighs a hell of a lot.

- The medic brothers, after they were able to stabilize you, decided to take that weird cyborg device with them so they could reverse-engineer how it worked and figure out how to help you, because even then it was clear that you'd been hit with some weird shit and you couldn't be pulled out by conventional means. Your readings were, to put it mildly, strange and unusual," the Private replies.

- I see. Well, what can I say? Well done and thanks for your concern. Go on, tell me more.

The private went on with the story. After they turned in all the trophies, Yerinobu gave them all a lot of money as a bonus, and the medics kept in touch with the local engineers and together they started to fix me up. I've been here for five days now. The first few days were the hardest, a case of clinical death, coma and all. They took almost all the implants out of my body and replaced them. The old ones were either damaged or working in a way that overloaded my nervous system. The private doesn't know what was in there, but one thing he knows for sure is that it wasn't until the complete replacement that I got better. I've been on the mend for the last couple of days, although there were times when I was one step away from death again. The medics have even started taking bets on what will happen next, clinical death or heart failure, or maybe both.

- It's been a fun week, I can't tell you. Why are you here? Oh, and give me a smoke. I'm so desperate for a smoke, I'd fuck Smasher for a pack of good cigarettes," I sit up and look for a dish to use as an ashtray.

- Maybe we shouldn't, Skipper. You just came to your senses," the Private mutters, but under my heavy gaze he sighs and takes out my favorite cigarettes and a lighter.

Smoking for the first time in a long time, I enjoy the taste of good tobacco. What bliss, especially after the pipe tobacco I had to make do with there.

- Well, why are you silent, let's keep going, - I look at Private, who is surprised to see his eyebrows arched, not understanding how you can enjoy cigarettes as if it was the first time in a very long time, it's only been less than a week.

- Skipper, you smoked so nicely that I suddenly wanted one, too. Give me one," the Private held out his hand for the pack, making me raise my eyebrows in surprise.

- Listen, I thought you didn't smoke, and now all of a sudden.

- But looking at your happy face, I wanted one myself. Come on, share a cigarette before I start not wanting to.

Laughing, I handed him the packet and he ineptly lit it. Coughing, he looks suspiciously at the cigarette with a look: "How can you smoke this", but then decides to try again and so it goes on until he smokes the whole cigarette.

- Did you like it? It'll go even better with coffee. Now, tell me more about it. By the way, why is VJ here? He's supposed to be at my house.

- I'll order some coffee. I hope the medics don't mind. And the service here is like in the best hotels, - having quickly transmitted a short message, the Private continued to tell.

After it became clear that I would be here for quite a long time, my team decided to take turns on duty near my room. Yerinobu didn't mind, and VJ, who had practically taken up residency in my bed and was always asleep with occasional waking moments, had to be watched. Today it was Private's turn, and when he saw the next team of resuscitators, he only sighed, but when the message came that I was conscious and seemingly healthy, judging by the vitals, he rushed over to me.

That made me smile. It's nice to have people like that, people you can honestly call true brothers in arms. Especially in this cruel world. But now's not the time, we need to see if we've caused any trouble on our tail.

- Anybody looking for us? Anything online?

- No. It worked clean. The Netrunners are tracking anything related to our raid. But other than panic and internal strife at Militech, it's quiet. Everyone's sure it was Militech's competitors. But no one knows exactly who. "Arasaka", "SovOil", "Kang Tao" and others are under suspicion, but "Militech" has no clues or traces. So it's safe to say that we're the ones who are not suspected," he said, making me feel better.

- Whew. That's good. But we still need to lay low and just wait out the storm. By the way, call the others, if they are free, let them come. Let's go to my place. I've been in a hospital bed so many times that I'm sick of it, - I'm trying to get up, but my legs hold me very badly.

-Skipper, maybe we shouldn't rush things. Let's get you in shape first. And the new implants haven't been calibrated yet," the Private picked me up.

- Hr. Your words hold some sense. Apparently, I'm not in as good a condition as I thought I was. All right, call the medics and have them start the process of rehabilitation and adaptation. I want to go home," I sighed and went back to bed.

The private nodded and started contacting the rest of my team, then called the medics over here. From the looks on their faces, they didn't mind doing a couple of experiments or tests, but my status as a special patient made them put their desires aside and do as they were told.

After about an hour, the rest of my team began to arrive. Everyone was happy to see me, though we didn't get to talk properly until closer to nightfall, when the medics were done with their procedures.

- Skipper's back on board! Hooray! - the Demidov brothers and the others poured into the room. They were telling me what they had been doing while they waited for my return. The private even got a drink, but the brothers took it away at once and even wanted to take the cigarettes, but I told them that they would take them only from my dead hands, so they muttered that the patient was too impudent and decided to make a compromise. I get the cigarettes, they get the booze, and everybody's happy.

- Oh, the sleeping beauty is awake. You made us nervous," Yerinobu entered the room. Seeing me with a cigarette and the others with drinks, he only smirked.

- Who works as well as sleeps. You see how I have to work that I sleep for almost a week," my phrase makes him laugh.

- Glad you're feeling better. Yeah and VJ is full of energy again. You know, I even got the idea that you just picked up habits from your cat to sleep as much and as often as possible," Yerinobu said and joined our little celebration.

- It's a pity I have a glass of plain water in my hand instead of a glass of good whiskey, but let's drink to my return anyway! - I raise the plastic cup and everyone supports my toast.

- Yorinobu. Is it safe here? - I ask him, hinting at a wiretap.

He understands what I mean and nods his head, but he folds the fingers of his free hand as if he were holding a gun. I see, it's safe enough here, but it's better to talk somewhere else.

- Good. I'm far from my ideal shape, to say the least, and my chrome is brand new, which I'm not used to yet. By the way, how much for the chrome and maintenance?

- Consider it compensation for damages sustained during the mission. Oh, and instead of the junk you had in your body, you're getting the best. A full replacement at Arasaki's expense."

- Hey! I certainly didn't have the best chrome you're used to, but it was still pretty good," I answer him with feigned offense in my voice.

- Yeah, yeah. Good enough, but the whole cost of it is less than the cost of a tire on my Mustang. Some corporations spend more on whores than..." Yorinobu begins to tease me, hinting that I'm far from being on the local Forbes list.

- That's it. I get that you're bigger and fatter," my reply made everyone laugh. - But Yorinobu, I took a quick look at the list of things I've been put on and there's stuff on there that you can't get even for a lot of money.

- Ah, forget it and don't worry about it. After what you did, it's the least I could do for you. And there'll be more money in your account. A lot of money," Yorinobu says with a wave of his hand.

- Is what we got so valuable? No, I realize that there were quite valuable things in there. But that valuable?

- You have no idea how much. Roughly speaking, with the data we stole from Militech, Arasaka could save a lot of money. Roughly several annual budgets at a rough estimate. But that's just the tip of the iceberg, the most valuable part is opening up new horizons for our scientists. It's hard to calculate all the possible profits," Yorinobu's words clarified the reason for such a large reward.

- Eh, I'm afraid to imagine how much you'll earn now, and how much you'll earn in the future. Let's drink to success and good luck," the toast was followed by talk of all sorts.

I have a lot to talk about, but the situation is not the best for it, so I'll have to postpone it until I'm away from unwanted attention.

I spent another week and was able to get back into more or less normal shape. Recovery didn't take that long compared to adjusting to the new chrome. But when I realized that I had reached my pre-upgrade performance, I decided it was time to go home.

It had only been two weeks, but for me it had been a lot longer than that. Home felt at times very familiar and close, at times strange and foreign. It's going to take some getting used to. But I am home. I lay down on the bed and enjoy the almost forgotten feeling of coziness and comfort. V.G.'s got the nerve to climb up on my chest.

- You know what, VJ? Let's have a more casual vacation next time. It was fun, but still, a vacation should be about relaxing, not traveling to another world. I hope Ciri's doing well there and she's not mad at us for disappearing. Who knows what she'll do in a fit of rage, but I don't doubt that we'll get beaten up. If anything, it's the elves' fault. Yeah, it's all their fault. The damn elves.

So I fell asleep quietly. But at the very edge of awareness I somehow felt the distant rumble of the portal and, I think, heard a couple of curses in Elder Speech.