Chapter 9: For what it's Worth

"Did you just... speak?" Helen asked, trying to process the surreal situation. Her eyes glow as her dual cyberdecks run a scanning program on the cat.

The cat nodded, its singular mechanical ear twitching slightly. "Indeed, I can talk. I'm not your ordinary feline. I am Rache Bartmoss, now behold and tremble!" The russian blue tom cat says

"Really?" Helen asks

"Fuck no! If I was I definitely wouldn't have admitted it out loud like that. Especially to a Netwatch pig like you!" The cat spits out.

"Okay, so no jokes this time? I am Helen Wick." Helen states

"I know who you are. Hell anyone with access to Milatech systems can see a big virtual stamp on your file RED." The cat says

"Retired Extremely Dangerous. I feel like I should be getting an offer for magical powers any moment now," Helen states

"How in the hell did you expect me to do that? Also, you may call me Nyx." The cat says

"Drat so I'm not a magical girl anime Protagonist?" Helen states out loud.

"Fuck no, all the anime that comes out today is cringe," Nyx says

"True I saw the advert for the Adam Smasher anime and it hurt my soul," Helen admits.

"That it did, how did we end up talking about anime," Nyx asks

"Cause you remind me of the stereotypical animal companion which offers magical girls their magical powers," Helen says

"That hasn't been a major trend since 2035." Nyx states

"Really? Well the more you learn I guess, has one piece finished yet?" Helen asks

"One Piece like the swimsuit?" Nyx asks

"Straw Hat pirates?" Helen asks wondering if this world didn't have a neverending masterpiece.

"Ah, that returns as an old manga from the tail end of the 20th century," Nyx says

"Huh, guess it never really took off. So I'm a go take my shower now." Helen says leaving the talking cat situation to be resolved until after she was no longer covered in blood.

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It was a late day in Night City, and Gloria, an experienced Emergency Medical Technician, found herself riding in the back of a speeding ambulance, her heart pounding in her chest.

The call they were rushing to was an active shooting up in Watson, the siren blared as the entier chassis rocked violently, as they hit what was likely another pothole.

"Damn it, James! Watch the potholes!" Gloria shouts.

"Sorry, there was a homeless man in the middle of the road would you rather I had hit him?" James snarks back.

They arrived at an empty scene, an ancient flip phone laying on the ground with 911 dialed into it.

"Look's like the fighting is done?" Gloria says unsure as she gets out of the back of the ambulance.

"Hey, Gloria! I think I found some of the gunfight's participants." James shouts from the other side of the ambulance.

Gloria runs around to see what could only be described as hell, there was a mangled chain link fence blown into a wall clearly from some sort of explosion, the cloth covering on it still on fire.

Then there were 3 bodies one was on the verge of being a full Borg although he had a massive impact crater on his armored face plate and was missing the back of his reinforced skull. The other two looked like cadavers one just missing their head and the other one their head and upper pectoral region while the shoulders were loosely attached to the rest of the body.

"Damn, these Gonks got destroyed what in the world hit them?" James asks

"I have got no clue," Gloria says partially lifting up one of the bodies, inspecting it.

"Bag and tag?" James asks

"I guess," Gloria says her eyes glowing as she is looking up the price on some of the Maelstrom's crome.

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Helen had gotten out of the shower and the scan was complete the Netwatch Driver gave an interesting response.

Nyx was watching her warily.

So Helen sat down right next to Nyx holding a cup of coffee.

"So what exactly are you?" Helen asks

"I do not feel the need to tell you," Nyx says

"Designate administrator," Helen states

"Command recognized who would you like to designate?" The cat asks in a robotic voice.

"Helen Wick," Helen states

"Helen Wick born in 1998, recognized as Administrator"

Nyx shakes his head vigorously.

"What the fuck!" Nyx shouts

"You should be happy, you are no longer a rogue ai and I can defend you from Netwatch," Helen states

"Defend me from them? Do you don't work for them? The only reason I was joking so much with you was because I was accepting my end." Nyx says

"Work for those people? Please, they fucking wish I did." Helen says sitting back.

"You still didn't have to hijack my system, what gave away the fact that I was an ai?" Nyx asks

"Oh my stolen NetWatch cyberdeck… That's why you thought I worked for Netwatch. It's also my bad for deciding not to scan you until after you had talked. I mean those cybernetics are something." Helen says

"Right so, what are you gonna do with me?" Nyx asks

"Befriend you? I mean I plan on living for a long time, and I'll need a friend that won't die on me." Helen states

As Helen and Nyx sat together, a sense of camaraderie began to form between them. Helen could sense the weight that Nyx had been carrying, and she felt a deep sense of empathy toward the AI cat.

Nyx was periodically checking on Helen wariness clear in its eyes.

"I won't hurt you, Nyx. I'm not here to take you down or turn you over to anyone. If anything, I could use a friend like you in this unpredictable cyberpunk world," Helen said, reaching out to gently pat Nyx's cybernetic head.

Nyx's mechanical ear twitched slightly, and for a moment, he seemed to contemplate Helen's words. "You really mean that?" he asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

"Absolutely!" Helen says scooping up the cat and planting it in her lap.