Cyberpunk Chivalry — Chapter 3

WELCOME TO SANCTUM.

SANCTUM

HUMANITY'S LAST LIGHT, A CITY OF ORDER AND SAFETY! THE CRADLE OF YOUR TOMORROW!

SANCTUM

WORRIED ABOUT ION STORMS? FEAR NOT!

SANCTUM

SANCTUM IS SAFE!

THANKS TO OUR STATE-OF-THE-ART PLASMA BARRIER, <THE VEIL>, THE CITY ENJOYS COMPLETE PROTECTION AROUND THE CLOCK

※ TRAVEL BEYOND THE VEIL IS RESTRICTED TO AUTHORIZED PATHFINDERS AND DESIGNATED PERSONNEL. ※ UNAUTHORIZED DEPARTURE MAY RESULT IN AN ADJUSTMENT TO YOUR CITIZEN RANK

SANCTUM

OUR CITYWIDE AI MONITORING SYSTEM, [Z. O. T], GUARANTEES YOUR SAFETY IN EVERYDAY LIFE.

YOU NEED NEVER FEAR CRIME AGAIN.

SANCTUM

POTENTIAL DISTURBANCES ARE DETECTED IN ADVANCE, AND THREATS ARE SWIFTLY ISOLATED.

※ CITIZENS ARE DEEMED TO HAVE CONSENTED TO THE COLLECTION AND USE OF THEIR PERSONAL INFORMATION FOR EFFICIENT CITY MANAGEMENT. ※ MONITORING RECORDS MAY BE RETAINED PERMANENTLY FOR CITIZENS' SAFETY.

SANCTUM

THE DREAM OF A HOME OF YOUR OWN! FULLY EQUIPPED HOUSING AND AMENITIES TAILORED TO EVERY CITIZEN RANK!

YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS WILL NEVER GO UNREWARDED!

※ CITIZEN RANKS ARE ADJUSTED MONTHLY BASED ON INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTION ASSESSMENTS. ※ A REDUCTION IN RANK MAY RESTRICT ACCESS TO RESIDENTIAL AREAS, MEDICAL CARE, EDUCATION, AND FOOD RATIONS.

SANCTUM

★PATHFINDER RECRUITMENT IS ALWAYS OPEN!★ UNEARTH FORGOTTEN LEGACIES AND CLAIM THE REWARDS YOU DESERVE!

SANCTUM

SANCTUM

YOU ARE SANCTUM'S HERO!

SANCTUM

THE SANCTUM ADMINISTRATION IS YOUR FRIEND

SANCTUM

MR. ASH!!

I hear they're raising the breathing fee again? How much are they going to squeeze out of us in the name of protection?

WHAT ARE YOU STANDING AROUND STARING AT?

I WAS TAKING IN THE VIEW. IT IS SO UNFAMILIAR TO ME.

HAHA. PRETTY DAZZLING, ISN'T IT?

INDEED IT IS.

THIS PLACE, AGLOW WITH A LIGHT OF ITS OWN,

IS UNLIKE ANYWHERE I HAVE EVER LIVED.

BRILLIANT,

DAZZLING,

AND UTTERLY ALIEN.

YET NOT A SINGLE PAIR OF EYES IS LIFELESS.

THIS CITY

IS ALIVE.

INDEED IT IS. WHAT A WONDROUS WORLD.

LET'S GO, MR. ASH.

MISS AKINA.

YES?

ARE YOU CERTAIN THIS IS THE PLACE?

YES, THIS IS IT. WHY?

DID YOU NOT SAY IT WAS AN INN?

WHAT'S AN INN? THIS IS A BAR.

That is what I meant.

...THOUGH IT LOOKS LITTLE DIFFERENT FROM YOUR WORKSHOP.

AH! AAARGH! THAT HURTS!!!

AAARGH! YOU CRAZY OLD BASTARD!!

ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME?!

I said it hurts!!

SUCK IT UP. I'M ALMOST DONE.

THEN AT LEAST TURN OFF THE MUSIC! IT'S DRIVING ME NUTS!

WHAT? CAN'T HEAR YOU.

AAAGH!!!!!!

GRANDPA SANTA!!

Ugh... My arm...

DAMN IT. YOU ACTUALLY WENT AND DID IT. ME AND MY BIG MOUTH.

YOU STAY RIGHT HERE! DON'T GO ANYWHERE!

ACK

IS THAT OLD GENTLEMAN THE ONE YOU WERE LOOKING FOR, MISS AKINA?

THAT'S RIGHT.

I UNDERSTOOD HE WAS AN INNKEEPER. WHY IS HE PERFORMING SURGERY?

UM... BECAUSE HE CAN?

GRANDPA SANTA KNOWS HOW TO DO ALL SORTS OF THINGS.

OH?

HE SAYS HE PICKED UP ALL KINDS OF SKILLS BACK WHEN HE WAS A PATHFINDER.

SO HE SELLS WEAPONS, FIXES CARS, PERFORMS SURGERY, INSTALLS CYBERWARE...

...YOU GET THE IDEA.

GODDAMN IT!! SEE IF I EVER COME BACK!!!

HEY, GRANDPA! HOW ARE YOU?!

HOW AM I? NOT TOO DAMN GOOD.

THE FAINT FLOW OF AN ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD EMANATING FROM HIS CYBERWARE.

HE IS NO ORDINARY MAN.

SO,

THIS IS YOUR ANSWER?

COME ON, INTRODUCE YOURSELVES.

THIS IS GRANDPA SANTA. AND THIS IS MR. ASH.

I AM ASH.

SANTA CLAUDE. BARTENDER.

ANYWAY! YOU REMEMBER WHAT YOU TOLD ME LAST TIME, RIGHT, GRANDPA?

NOW WRITE ME THAT RECOMMENDATION.

SO, YOU'RE STILL SET ON BECOMING A PATHFINDER?

OF COURSE!

...WITH THIS SCRAP-HEAP HUMANOID AS YOUR ONLY TEAMMATE?

MR. ASH IS NOT A SCRAP HEAP! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW GOOD HE IS IN A FIGHT?

HE WENT WHOOSH, WHOOSH, AND SLICED A GUY CLEAN IN TWO!

Like this, see? Like this!

I MEAN, CAN YOU IMAGINE CUTTING THROUGH SOMEONE WITH A PIPE? HOW COOL IS THAT? ISN'T THAT AMAZING?!!

SO HURRY UP AND WRITE IT. MY. RECOMMENDATION.

OH BOY... WHAT DO I DO NOW?

I ONLY MADE THAT PROMISE BECAUSE I FIGURED...

NO ONE WOULD TEAM UP WITH A LITTLE SQUIRT LIKE HER...

NEVER DREAMED SHE'D BUILD HER OWN TEAMMATE AND BRING HIM ALONG.

ME AND MY BIG MOUTH. MY BIG, FAT MOUTH.

NOW THEN, ASH, WAS IT?

AS I'M SURE YOU KNOW, THIS KID

WANTS TO BECOME A PATHFINDER WITH YOU AS HER TEAMMATE.

HONESTLY, I'M NOT HAPPY ABOUT IT. THE OUTER IS ONE HELL OF A DANGEROUS PLACE.

I AGREE.

I, TOO, HAVE ONLY JUST LEARNED OF MISS AKINA'S INTENTIONS.

JUST AS I THOUGHT. HE WOULDN'T WANT TO PUT THE KID IN DANGER.

BUT...

I OWE MISS AKINA A DEBT OF GRATITUDE.

SHOULD NOT EVERY HUMAN BEING KNOW TO REPAY THE KINDNESS SHOWN TO THEM?

Huh? Human? Kindness?

BECOMING A PATHFINDER WAS CERTAINLY UNEXPECTED, BUT IT CHANGES NOTHING.

I AM DUTY-BOUND TO REPAY HER KINDNESS,

SO I SEE NO REASON NOT TO ACCOMPANY HER.

...WHY'S YOUR FRIEND SO DAMN ELOQUENT?

HE DOES HAVE A WAY WITH WORDS.

A DEBT OF GRATITUDE, HUH...

ALL RIGHT. IF THAT'S HOW IT IS, SO BE IT.

AKINA!

YOU HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN OUR DEAL, HAVE YOU?

I SAID I'D WRITE YOU A RECOMMENDATION IF YOU BROUGHT ME A "CAPABLE TEAMMATE."

THAT'S WHAT I WAS TELLING YOU! HE TOOK OUT THOSE R.E.S.T GUYS ALL BY HIMSELF...

I'LL NEED MORE THAN YOUR WORD FOR IT.

COME OUTSIDE. LET'S SEE JUST HOW CAPABLE YOU ARE.

MISTER!!

ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THIS? SHOULD WE CALL IT OFF WHILE WE STILL CAN?

THERE IS NO NEED.

YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND. GRANDPA SANTA IS SERIOUSLY STRONG!

HE'S FAMOUS AROUND HERE!

I'LL JUST FIND ANOTHER WAY.

I'LL GET A RECOMMENDATION FROM SOMEONE ELSE. NO BIG DEAL.

YOU'RE BEING SO PETTY...

MISS AKINA.

YES?

SOMETHING HAS BEEN PUZZLING ME.

I THOUGHT ANYONE COULD BECOME A PATHFINDER.

WHY, THEN, DO YOU NEED A RECOMMENDATION?

WELL...

PATHFINDERS FALL INTO TWO BROAD CATEGORIES.

ASSAULTS, WHO HANDLE COMBAT.

AND TECHNOMANCERS, WHO EXTRACT DATA FROM ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS.

AS FOR ASSAULTS, ANYONE WHO CAN SHOOT OR SWING A BLADE WILL DO.

BUT TECHNOMANCERS ARE DIFFERENT.

THEY'RE EXTREMELY VALUABLE.

YOU SEE, THESE TECHNOMANCERS...

ARE HUMAN COMPUTERS WHO BEAT INCREDIBLE ODDS TO SURVIVE CYBERBRAIN CONVERSION.

THEY USE THOSE ELECTRONIC BRAINS TO ACCESS THE CYBERSPACE OF ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS.

THEIR JOB IS TO EXTRACT CAREFULLY HIDDEN DATA AND RESTORE FORGOTTEN TECHNOLOGY.

THE PROBLEM IS, THEY POUR ALL THEIR RESOURCES INTO THE CYBERBRAIN MODULE,

SO THEY CAN'T INSTALL ANY OTHER CYBERWARE.

THEY'RE SO FRAGILE THAT EVEN STAYING ALIVE IS A STRUGGLE, NEVER MIND FIGHTING.

I, TOO, AM FAMILIAR WITH HOW PATHFINDERS OPERATE.

IS THAT NOT WHY RENOWNED TECHNOMANCERS HIRE ASSAULTS?

TO PROTECT THEM.

BUT WHAT DOES THIS CONVERSATION HAVE TO DO WITH...

...MISS AKINA, ARE YOU A TECHNOMANCER?!

Wouldn't it be stranger if I were an Assault?

YES, I AM.

NOW DO YOU SEE WHY SHE NEEDS A RECOMMENDATION?

WE CAN'T LET A VALUABLE TECHNOMANCER LIKE THE KID DIE A POINTLESS DEATH.

THEY HAVE TO WORK AS A TEAM WITH A SKILLED ASSAULT.

AND AN OLD-TIMER LIKE ME HAS TO VOUCH THAT THEY'RE GOOD ENOUGH TO STAY ALIVE...

BEFORE THEY GET APPROVED.

DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS?

...IT DOES.

THEN YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT'S AT STAKE IN THIS SPARRING MATCH?

COMPLETELY.

GOOD. SHALL WE BEGIN?