Claire at Afterlife saw Neo slide up to the bar and leaned forward, greeting him like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Claire wasn't like every other bartender in Night City. As Afterlife's bartender, she had a way with people. Big names and up-and-comers alike could befriend her in the time it took to finish a drink. Maybe it was Claire's charisma, or maybe patrons gave Rogue and her staff a bit of respect by default. Whatever the reason, Claire's social skill was a constant. Everyone at Afterlife somehow wanted to talk to her. Neo was no exception.
"Give me a rum on ice, mix in some blue cola," he said.
"Rum with a fizzy blue cola?" Claire teased while working. "Rum plus soda. That's a new one."
She dropped a perfectly worn ice cube into a clear glass, poured measured rum and the blue cola, clipped a lemon wedge to the rim, and pushed the drink across. "There you go. Chill rum with blue cola."
Neo sipped. The carbonation and rum blended into a strange, pleasant tang.
Claire grinned. "I saw you walking in front of Dexter last night. Around here, no merc ever walks in front of Dexter DeShawn. That round's on me. What's next?"
Neo thought for a beat and decided to try Jackie Welles's favorite. "Bring me a vodka with ice, lime juice, ginger beer, and a pinch of love."
"On it." Claire went to work.
Neo glanced at Afterlife's drink list pinned where everyone could see. The menu was made up of names—legendary figures immortalized in cocktails.
Menu highlights:
Johnny Silverhand
Rogue
Morgan Blackhand
Old Snake
…
"Those on the menu, aside from Rogue—are they all dead?" Neo asked.
Claire, not looking up from her cocktail work, replied dryly, "Looking at it now, seems like everyone except Rogue's gone. Johnny, Morgan, their prime was half a century ago. Maybe Morgan or Old Snake live on in some parallel timeline, but not here."
She slid Neo's second drink across. "So? You planning to have a signature drink at Afterlife someday?"
Neo nodded and then shook his head, smiling faintly. "I've thought about having a drink named after me. But my idea doesn't follow Afterlife's rulebook."
Claire's interest snapped to attention. "Oh, this is interesting. Your idea doesn't match the rules? Tell me."
Neo downed Jackie's cocktail in one go to taste it, then said, "Afterlife's rule is simple. To get a drink named after you, first you have to be dead. Second, you have to die spectacularly, something that makes Night City murmur 'holy shit'."
"My idea is the opposite," Neo continued. "I won't die. I'll live, and not just survive. I'll take the city apart and put it back together under my feet. I want people to say, 'that's fucking awesome.' I want every single member of my team to earn their place on Afterlife's menu this way—by living, by changing the city."
Claire paused, considering, then said, "Normally, someone who starts bragging after only a couple of drinks, I'd toss them out. But somehow I'm suddenly in the mood to buy you a second round."
"Wise choice," Neo said.
"That second round's on me," Claire smiled. "What about a third?"
"Third will wait until I come back with the team," Neo said. "We'll show up and take care of your bar business."
"You haven't told me your name or your team's name yet," Claire reminded.
"Neo. Night's Ember," he said.
He stood, left the bar, and stepped into the night. Barely had he gone through the door when Rogue descended from the second floor and sat in Neo's old spot.
"Someone leave?" Rogue asked, taking the seat.
Claire barely blinked and began mixing Rogue's usual—Johnny Silverhand. "You always want Johnny Silverhand?"
Rogue grunted, taking the glass and downing it. "You pour that for me so much I could write a dissertation on how awful it tastes. Still, it's home."
She wiped at her mouth. "What did that kid say his name was? And his team?"
"Neo. Night's Ember," Claire answered.
Rogue gave a small, dry smile. "Name better taste better than Johnny Silverhand. Only if they actually deserve a spot on my menu."
Three days flew by.
On the third night, the Night's Ember team gathered in Afterlife's black-gold VIP suite at Dexter DeShawn's invitation for a pre-heist toast. Kiwi, the hacker slated to provide net support, announced, "Dex and I have lined up all the logistics. This should be like a stroll through a mall."
Dexter laid out the plan. "There'll be Delamain cars to drop you at Konpeki Plaza's main entrance. You go in under fake identities. Kiwi cracks the hotel subnet. Most important, Night's Ember needs to get Neo access to Yorinobu Arasaka's top-floor suite and swipe the Relic."
Kiwi added, "My recommendation is keep it low profile. Best case scenario, nobody needs to die."
Dexter nodded. "Kiwi will keep you patched into the net at all times. Any questions?"
Everyone looked at Neo. He sipped his drink and said, "Make sure the pay is ready."
"Pleasure doing business," Dexter said. "Night's Ember, come back in one piece."
Outside Afterlife, Dexter arranged two Delamain cars for the team. Neo, Rebecca, Jackie, and David were in one. When they stepped up, the car's door opened automatically.
Neo climbed in and, before the A.I. chauffeur could give the routine greeting, he spoke. "Delamain, change the employer for this run. Replace Dexter DeShawn with me. I want to replan the route for the entire operation."
The car's interior lights flickered as the system acknowledged the command.
Tonight the gears were set. Tomorrow the city would start to feel the heat.