At the border checkpoint of Night City.
V's vehicle merged into the line of traffic heading toward the city. Yogan's condition had improved somewhat.
"Feeling better now?"
Yogan nodded.
Vina handed him a bottle of purified water. "Want some water?"
Yogan accepted her kindness. "Thanks."
Vina's eyes curved like crescent moons as she smiled, saying no more.
Up ahead, the border security officers of Night City were inspecting vehicles one by one.
V turned to Vina and asked, "Violet, the client should've given you the cargo manifest, right?"
Vina pulled out a few documents from her coat. "Here it is."
V briefly scanned the manifest. "Is this your first time doing a delivery like this?"
"Yeah, this is my first job of this kind."
"What did you do before this?"
"Farming, mostly. Sometimes I'd do mechanic work in nearby towns."
"You're not from Night City?"
"I'm from Southern California. I picked up this job over there."
"You drove all the way here on your own?"
Vina nodded. V was a little surprised—this lone nomad was probably more capable than she appeared.
"I thought nomads usually ran long-haul jobs like this with at least two people. Was your family really okay with you going alone?"
"I don't have a family anymore."
"...Sorry. I didn't mean to pry."
"It's alright. I know it's hard to believe someone like me's out here alone."
"By the way, the client also gave me this." Vina handed V a chip, a type commonly used for storing money. Transfers via these chips were hard to trace, making them popular in certain shady businesses. "The client said if we run into any trouble at the checkpoint, we should use this."
V took the chip and tucked it into the cargo manifest for use shortly.
"This client's pretty thoughtful, huh?"
Just then, the border inspector knocked on V's window.
"Documents."
He was brief and to the point.
V handed over the manifest. The inspector froze for a brief moment halfway through reviewing the paperwork, then, with a practiced move, pocketed the chip as if nothing had happened. Judging by how smoothly he did it, this wasn't his first time.
His tone softened. "What're you hauling?"
"Handcrafted glassware from Europe, officer."
"Alright. Pop the trunk."
V obediently opened the trunk. The inspector gave a token glance inside before closing it again.
"All good. Go ahead."
The car rolled forward, leaving the checkpoint behind in a matter of minutes.
Vina still seemed a bit surprised. "He just let us through like that?"
"What did you expect? He took the bribe."
"Bribe? When?"
V was honestly taken aback by her naivety. "That money chip the client gave you? It was for bribery. You really didn't know?"
Vina sighed, visibly disappointed. "I thought the police in big cities would be better than the corporations."
V revised her opinion of the nomad—someone who could drive solo from Southern California to Night City must be not only skilled but also incredibly lucky.
Trying to set her straight, V said, "Where you used to live must've been paradise. I don't know about other places, but here in Night City, government officials and corp lackeys are all the same. I don't know how you made it here, but in Night City, you'd better watch yourself. Don't get played."
Vina didn't catch the sarcasm in V's voice. "Thanks for the warning. I'll be careful."
"I didn't mean—ah, whatever. Do as you please."
Night City was getting closer now. But then, an unexpected noise came from behind.
"This is Night City Border Patrol! Vehicles up ahead, pull over for inspection immediately!"
"What's going on?" Vina asked.
V checked the rearview mirror. "Looks like someone behind us is trying to smuggle contraband and just got spotted."
Behind them, a heavily modified red off-road vehicle sped forward at full throttle. Chasing it closely were armored patrol vehicles from the Night City Border Patrol. The scene instantly turned chaotic. Surrounding drivers, afraid of getting caught in the crossfire, swerved wildly, creating a symphony of honking and crashing.
Maybe the patrol was pressing too hard. People in the red SUV began shooting out the windows at the pursuing armored vehicles.
V saw the escalating situation in the mirror and cursed. "Shit."
She had missed the last turnoff that would have allowed her to exit the main road. With guardrails now lining both sides, getting off the highway was impossible. Slowing down would only put them in the crossfire between the smugglers and the patrol. Judging by the way both sides were going all-in, neither would hesitate to blow away anyone caught in the middle.
V had no choice. She floored the gas, trying to outrun the chaos.
But sudden acceleration couldn't match the top speed of vehicles already gunning it. Just as V's car began to pick up speed, the smugglers caught up.
The red SUV swerved suddenly to the right rear of V's car.
"Fuck! These bastards are trying to use us as a shield!"
But V didn't dare slow down. The smugglers and the patrol, now neck-and-neck, resumed their firefight with renewed intensity.
At that moment, Yogan's system reactivated.
He rolled down the window and extended his copper-colored Serpent revolver.
Without even turning around, he watched through the rearview mirror, then pulled the trigger.
A gunshot rang out. The front right tire of the red SUV exploded. The sudden blow threw the driver off. The vehicle lost control, veered right into the guardrail, and flipped.
The SUV rolled several times down the highway before coming to a stop. The patrol vehicles, which had been tailing it closely, immediately surrounded the wreck.
Watching the chaos fade into the distance in the rearview mirror, V finally exhaled in relief.
"Thanks, Yogan. That could've gone bad real fast."
But the passenger seat was silent. Yogan's hands were trembling violently—he couldn't even hold onto his gun.
"Shit! Hang on, man—we're almost at Viktor's!"
---
At Viktor's clinic.
Viktor was examining Yogan thoroughly, face deadly serious.
Standing nearby, V asked, worried, "Vik, what's wrong with him?"
Viktor frowned. "Yogan's condition is worse than I thought. I originally assumed his emotional instability was from his body not adapting to the new interface dock. But after a detailed scan, I found that the real issue is an unidentified cyberware inside him—completely undetectable."
"Every time he uses that thing, his brain undergoes massive hormonal spikes, causing emotional volatility and pushing him closer to cyberpsychosis. I think the new dock was just the final straw. What really pushed his body over the limit was that hidden implant."
"Is there anything we can do?"
Viktor shook his head. "Sorry, kid. I've tried everything—electronic scans, CT, you name it. I just can't locate that implant. It's like it doesn't even exist. The only silver lining—if you can call it that—is that as long as Yogan sticks to the detectable cyberware, he won't go berserk. But if he activates that mystery implant while he has others installed, it's a guaranteed meltdown."
Yogan, struggling to sit up, asked, "So… can I still install other cyberware?"
The question infuriated V.
"Are you out of your damn mind?! You're already falling apart, and you still want more implants? You got a death wish!?"
"Calm down, V. Didn't Vik just say normal implants are safe?"
Viktor interrupted before V could erupt again. "Technically, that's true. But I'd still advise against it. Until we figure out how to control that rogue implant, it's best not to add anything else."
Yogan looked at Viktor's stern face and tried to argue.
"But I still need to help V with this job."
"Help? You're gonna help yourself straight into a coffin!" V shot back.
Viktor put a hand on Yogan's shoulder, speaking gently. "I know you've got your reasons, but listen to V. This merc work isn't for someone in your condition."
Yogan raised his hands in surrender. "Fine. But at least let me finish this job. All that's left is handing off the goods to the middleman, right?"
V crossed her arms and snorted. "Fine. One last job. After that, you're going back to your bar. And I'll make sure Jackie keeps an eye on you."