6 Good Morning
14 years later
8:30 Am, June 12, 2069 Night city
[BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP]
[GOOOOD MORNING NIGHT CITY!!!, Yesterday's body-count lottery rounded out to a soid `n' sturdy 22, the half in Heywood courtesy of Valentinos and Maelstrom, you know what my advice is going to be for everything Night City related, GET OUT OF HERE, HAHAHA, what are you doing living this city with No Future. For those of you who are still out there, today I have something special for you, The first track uploaded to his Cybertube account, the mysterious soloist who has driven music lovers crazy, They say his name is a tribute, others say it's a joke for a laugh, but nobody knows, I present to you (Dream on) by JACKIE BLACKHAND, I hope you like it and if not .... fuck you].
Jackie Blackhand - Dream on
♪ Every time that I look in the mirror ♪
♪ All these parts on my body become heavier ♪
♪ The past is gone ♪
♪ It went by like dusk to dawn ♪
♪ Isn't that the way? ♪
♪ Everybody's got their dues in life to pay ♪
♪ I know nobody knows ♪
♪ Where it comes and where it goes ♪
♪ I know it's everybody's sin ♪
♪ You got to lose to know how to win ♪
♪ Half my life's in books' written pages ♪
♪ Lived and learned from fools and from sages ♪
♪ You know it's true ♪
♪ All the things come back to you ♪
♪ Sing with me, sing for the year ♪
♪ Sing for the laughter and sing for the tear ♪
♪ Sing with me, if it's just for today ♪
♪ Maybe tomorrow the good lord will take you away ♪
♪ Sing with me, sing for the year ♪
♪ Sing for the laughter and sing for the tear ♪
♪ Sing with me, if it's just for today ♪
♪ Maybe tomorrow the good lord will take you away ♪
♪ Dream on, dream on, dream on ♪
♪ Dream until your dreams come true ♪
♪ Dream on, dream on, dream on, dream on ♪
♪ And dream until your dreams come true ♪
♪ Dream on, dream on, dream on, dream on, dream on ♪
♪ Dream on, dream on, dream on, dream on ♪
`¡¡¡TODAY IS GOING TO BE A GOOD DAY!!!'
I thought excited about the plans I had today as I woke up, with the alarm I had set, the radio turned on, I could listen to my updated version of the Aerosmith song, that I uploaded 2 years ago on my Cybertube account, I did it because, I had a guitar and a mic, also because most of the songs were lost when the new network was created, locking the old one behind 'Blackwall', or in this world many of the bands that existed in my old life didn't exist.
Truth be told, I don't care if that's the case, more songs for me to play, <HEHEHEHE > as I laughed I got up from my bed, that made Eco, my dog get up from his, looking expectantly to start a new day.
<Good morning, puppy. Today is going to be a great day. we are finally move that beauty, I hope today works> I said while talking to Eco who waslooking at me with his camera-like eyes.
While I was looking for clean clothes in my somewhat messy room, I looked at the floor so as not to step on any screw, microconductor, processor or any other small piece that may be on the floor and I have already stepped on some, and they hurt, they hurt more than my memories wwhen I was 7 years old, and I was still healthy, and I stepped on a Lego piece. It is a new hobby that I have in this world, I love robotics, building my own things, like helmets, weapons, small grenades of different uses without explosives that I was forbidden by Grandfather Musashi's rock cutter because my room exploded a little when I was 11 years old.
I have been living my new life for 14 years now, I can only say that I couldn't be happier, this world sucks, it's scary, people die for nothing, the world is polluted, 77% of animal races have been lost, the social imbalance is abysmal many times worse than in my old life, but after all those things, I am happy, every day I hear the strong beating of my heart, reminding me the happiness of being alive and healthy, I have a strong body that even scares me sometimes....
I have two grandparents who take care of me and teach me everything from martial arts, discipline, although when grandpa starts talking like yoda, I just tune out, to cooking and the traditional Japanese way of etiquette, from grandma Aoi. I don't like it, but she gets so happy when I do it with her, I just can do it.
I can also get back to playing the guitar, that I had missed so much, I even uploaded many songs to the net, even though I am a little embarrassed-, WHAT embarrassment, people loved the songs I uploaded, I didn't hold back either I uploaded everything; from classics like; Aerosmith, AC/DC, Guns N' Roses, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, to songs I liked from The weeknd, Foo Fighters, Blink-182, Sum 41 without forgetting Johnny Cash, I even uploaded some Queen and of course last but not least Daft Punk.
With that repertoire of artists, it is normal that I became famous well, Jackie blackhand was the one who became famous with his real name or face being a real mystery, I jokingly called me that name for johnny Silverhand and I also called me ``black´´for another reason, this one was a tribute to my favorite character of the cyberpunk universe, Morgan Blackhand the best solo merc in the world and one of the best shooter alive, or so I hope he is still alive, there is no shit about him in the game...
When I chose that name, I didn't think much, I never imagined that I would become so famous that my songs would reach the radio, talking about Johnny my supposed father, nobody told me, "it was only necessary to look at myself in the mirror when I was 10 years old, I was like a Mini-Keanu, before I had my suspicions, with my face with asian features, it seemed familiar when I saw it in the reflection, but it wasn't until I was 10 that my mind made Clik! And I realized, I was surprised the truth, in the game or lore of the cyberpunk universe no son of johnny is named, but when I looked in the mirror it was undeniable, although I did not understand well how hell I was born when johnny died 50 years ago!...when I asked grandpa about my parents, he said nothing, just a sentence
<I'm sorry Sora, but that's not for me to tell you>.
It wasn't until I uploaded the videos to the net that I gained what you could call a fan, that fan was special, they wrote me private messages to my cybertube account, that's how we communicated.
In his first messages, they asked me things that left me puzzled, they asked me, 'what had happened to me, to sing with so much pain, anger or sadness and sometimes great joy, that I showed when I sang, that I should not have to be like that'.
When I read that message I was surprised how perceptive this person was, when I sing some songs it makes me navigate in my memories to bring out that emotion of that memory in the song I sing, in Dream on, at first I sang it with hate, resentment and sadness when I sang the first part of the song remembering that hospital room, but it changed when I got to the verse of the song the part of "dream on Dream until your dreams come true" in that part I changed completely remembering the joy of living my second life.
As for `it wouldn't have to be' I asked, they didn't answer me, but they wrote me;
<I can't tell you...but I want you to know that made me cry with your songs, remind a lot of him>.
Him? Who is he talking about, when I wrote;
<haha thanks for the comparison I hope he is one of good ones>.
Without paying much attention to `him´, I thought they was referring to another singer, maybe Kerry Eurodyne? until they clarified it to me with one sentence
<You take after your father>
When I read that, I froze, how did this mysterious person know who I am and who my father is, he died almost 50 years ago, <how? > I asked him without an answer.
Although they did not answer questions too personal, there was something that made me want to continue having conversations with the mysterious person, knowing that they knew who my father was, also from the things they had said, I came to an assumption of who was the person or rather the woman who wrote me messages on my cybertube account,
Over time she became my confidant, my counselor who gave me another point of view to my problems, other times my mentor, teaching me things I didn't know, even at a certain point my benefactor, like when I said I would like to buy a better guitar and the next day I had 4 different styles in front of my house, she became someone very special.
Back with Jackie, I had no manager nor did I want to, I had no record label nor did I want to, I just uploaded the songs I remembered to the net, to the YouTube of this world, Cybertube. I have to say that in this world they love the word Cyber, the site pays me for the plays on their platform and I let my songs free to the popular domain, were not mine after all, so everyone can use them for whatever they want, even the radios, but, I made it clear that I would not let my songs be used by corporations for their commercials or their shitty products, something that earned me a lot of fame when I did it, apparently by releasing my songs, but not letting corporations play them, people fell in love, how I wasn't looking for money, I was only interested in the music and that people would enjoy it, with that began to change the perception of my name from a joke to a tribute to a certain maverick singer, with a silver arm that didn't like corporations either.
After dressing in some black converse with a futuristic touch, a pair of beige knee-length tight pants that then flared out to the waist, with a black t-shirt with a blue circular symbol and a replica of the leather band jacket of the certain old rock band, hehe, without any markings on the back.
I left my room going down the stairs of my two-story house, an apartment in the center of Night City, the house was neither too luxurious nor at all cheap as it was in a relatively safe area, the walls were of exposed brick, also the second floor where the rooms were, there was a small terrace that grandmother Aoi had transformed it into a small garden with plants and grassy ground, turning a cold terrace of Night City in a small green shelter.
On the First floor was the kitchen next to the living room and dining room all in large room with a wall being large windows that reached the ceiling that allowed you to see the city, there was also a large adjoining room with security, which is where my grandfather, keeps his weapons and where I trained.
When I was seen running down the stairs my grandfather who was reading what I think is a newspaper from a pad, apparently he didn't like to read things holographically from his sight, because according to him he looked like a fool, looking at the air.
<Hey, Sora, don't go downstairs so fast, rushing is not a good companion, being in hurry leads to rushing, making mistakes, and mistakes can lead death>(Japanese).
There's my favorite Asian yoda, I can say that because I am also Asian to, my grandfather Musashi Hatake, also known as <Ojīsan >, is a monster of 84 years old who seems to be in his 60s, with a tall figure that gives the vibe of an ancient samurai, he even abides by the code of Bushido, which he tried to instill in me with blows, because I refused to follow that old-fashioned and boring creed. We always spoke Japanese at home.
<Oji don't be like that, I'm in a hurry because I have it, today is the big day, we are finally going to move truck>.
<Sora, don't call me Oji, where are your manners, besides I want you to make any show that come the NCPD or FDNC, like curiosity, when decided WITHOUT CONSULTATION, dismantle a grenade, DID NOT GIVE YOU, blowing up part of house>.
<¡¡AAH!! Oji, don't be like that, about the grenade, I found it, how else, could have gotten you know am a saint, noble warrior, who follows path of Bushido, where can't allow myself to associate with shady people would sell A GRENADE IN BAD STATE child>
I said to which my grandfather growled at my joke of me following the way of the samurai, HAHAHA, ME a noble warrior who sacrifices himself for his lord, don't make me laugh, with all I have suffered I don't sacrifice myself for anyone I thought.
<Musashi stop trying to instill your beliefs in little Sora, let him find his own way, here Sora I have prepared food for you, it also has something you eat breakfast while are on way friend Judy's house, made some her>.
<¡¡THANKS!! you are the best Aoi-obasan, thank so much for food> I said as I took the small backpack my grandmother gave me, with food and gave her a kiss on the cheek, of which she just smiled warmly. How can I describe this beautiful Old lady who takes care of me and supports me unconditionally, who has suffered as a mother the worst you can live through three times, and yet she did not close her heart, of my new life Aoi-Obasan is an inspiration to me and I love her for it.
As I was about to walk out the door Grandpa said.
<Didn't you forget something>
I turned around acting surprised, as I closed one of my eyes, stroked my long hair from behind with one hand and smiled jokingly at grandpa
<OI, Ojīsan don't tell me you want a kiss too, these lips are sealed only for beautiful ladies hehe>
Noticing how a vein was swelling with my joke, he threw me something in the shape of a black stick that I caught in my hand, when I examined it, it looked like a Tanto, but with hardly any Tsuba, which was the piece that separates the blade, from the handle and protects the hand from the hilt.
Knowing that it was this 40 cm sheathed Tanto, I unsheathed it, it had a black blade, without edge something that disappointed me a little but well, then I ran my finger along the mark that had the hilt and
PSSSHS!
With the sound close to a hissing sound the blade grew, in size to a 75cm long, black colored blade, and without edge, it seemed that the blade was made of segments that were magnetically joined, giving it a touch of cutter in the joints of the blade giving it a certain resemblance to the sword of an anime that killed titans.
I compressed the blade again, put it back in its sheath and attached it with the sheath fasteners to my belt at the back of my hip.
I stared at my grandfather who had already lowered his gaze back down to continue reading, I walked over and gave him a hug to the old-tsundere, I knew he wanted too.
Without waiting for any reaction from the two of them, I ran out and grabbed an 80cm board that was next to the door and left the house with Eco following me.
