The moon shines clean over the river.Lucy tips her head toward the view. "How is it here?"
"Great. First time I have seen Night City from this angle. The moon looks beautiful."
"It is. When the sky is clear, you can always see it from here." She smiles, pleased to share a real hideout and to hear him mean it. "So you like the moon too?"
"Yes. I long for it." They sit. "I once played a game where I piloted a ship through deep space and explored one world after another. It felt lonely, but the mystery and those unique planets pulled me in. Since then, I have wanted a space trip."
"I see."
"Lucy, one day, let us go to the moon together. Not only the moon. Other plane, too. When I have a ship, we will travel."
She snorts and laughs. "What ship. Are you serious?"
He keeps a straight face. "Serious. Call it a promise. I need time." The thought makes her happier than expected, even if it sounds like a fantasy. If a ship really existed, could she escape Arasaka forever?
"Come on. I will show you something."
Lucy stands and pulls his wrist. They head down to her apartment. She opens the door and waves him in. The standard Night City layout is tidy and spare. She lifts a braindance headband from the bedside.
"Is this braindance?"
"Yes. Put it on." She steps close and fits it for him before he can reach. He lets her.
They lie on the bed. The device spools up. White light fills the world and then fades.
Moonlight under their boots. Suits sealed. Gravity cues in the feed feel real. Rocky hops and glides, laughing at the lift. "This is the first time I have had such a real space experience."
"I thought you played enough space games to be numb." Her voice comes through suit comms, amused.
"Those were flat-screen games. Not this." He watches dust arc from his step and settle in slow motion.
"Then I will guide you." Lucy lands lightly, grabs his hand, and starts a tour.
They pass a lunar base station that sits black against the sky. A collection vehicle crawls by. Two astronauts work under hard sunlight. The rim of a crater fills half the horizon. She names each detail and answers questions before he asks them. She has been here many times and knows this space by heart.
He looks back at her and catches a bright smile he has not seen before. Here, she has set the weight down. For once, she does not think about Arasaka. She only enjoys the wonder.
"This is my favorite braindance. A true moon run," she says.
"It is strong. Feels like we are really here."
They keep moving. Her voice relaxes. His steps match hers. This is the first time she has brought anyone to this private space. It is close to her heart. Sharing it feels like opening a door that has stayed locked for years. Maybe that is why this run feels like her happiest one.
They reach the lip of a massive meteorite crater. Lucy stops and does not step forward.