Chapter 31: A Farewell Dinner, and a Call to Roger

Ultimately, Mercer decided to take them to the camp’s small diner to eat and talk.

The "diner" in the Aldecaldo camp was, frankly, just a mobile food truck with a few crude tables and chairs set up outside. The food consisted of classic fried meat, fries, and some mystery salad and gruel.

Mercer took a bite of the fried meat. It looked like fried chicken, but the taste... the interior had the texture of a starch-based sausage, yet strangely, it actually possessed a hint of protein flavor and juices. Mercer decided not to dwell on what ingredients it was made from, lest he lose his appetite.

The group ate in tacit silence. Once everyone had finished, Mercer spoke up in a leisurely manner.

"Alright, that’s about enough food. Shall we talk?" Mercer poured a can of tiny soda into a cup, luxuriously added some ice, took a sip, and squinted contentedly.

"..." Leon, sitting nearby, opened his mouth several times, but seeing Lucy’s cold expression, he couldn't find the words.

Finally, Tetsuya Daichi sighed and said bluntly, "I want to go be a Nomad... with Leon."

His words caused Leon to turn his head in surprise. Daichi simply looked at Mercer and said earnestly, "On one hand, I don’t feel like I can be of much help. On the other..." He sighed again. "I really don’t want to live that kind of life—walking on eggshells—anymore."

Daichi continued sincerely, "Staying in the Badlands, while dangerous, is... I don’t know. The closer I get to Night City, the more I feel an inexplicable panic. A city full of corporations and gangs just makes me feel very uneasy. I don’t want to live that life again... Mercer, I’m sorry. I yearn for the dust of the wilderness more than a city of steel and concrete. I’m sorry."

"Me too... I, honestly, I’m just scared." Leon also spoke his mind frankly. "I heard a lot from you—about taking down Arasaka, becoming a big shot in Night City... At first, it sounded inspiring, but after a few skirmishes along the way, I realized I’m not cut out for that."

Leon didn't dare meet Mercer’s eyes, looking down as he spoke. "Remember my first injury, when we ran into the Raffen Shiv, and I got a hole in my shoulder? To be honest, I tossed and turned all night, thinking—what if that bullet had been a little to the left and pierced my heart? What if it had blown my head off? I don’t want to die, Mercer. I... I’m sorry."

Young people always have the delusion that when they step onto the battlefield, they won't be the one to die. This illusion usually vanishes the moment they are hit for the first time. Only those who can handle that gap and accept the reality are qualified to continue. Unfortunately, Leon was not that kind of person—at least, not yet. Everything they had been through had left him exhausted. Now that he had reached a place of refuge, a relatively safe sanctuary, he no longer had the courage to step back into danger.

Lucy wanted to say something, but in the end, remained silent, merely pursing her lips and looking down at her iced coffee. Kyoko, meanwhile, showed her sadness openly. She looked at Mercer, then at Lucy, but ultimately lowered her head. As the youngest, everyone had subconsciously placed her in the safest spots during both daily life and dangerous times. This feeling of being protected had made her feel like she was living in a warm, large family. They had escaped Arasaka together, wandered for so long, and now that they had finally reached their destination, they were going to split up...

Mercer just nodded coolly. "Fine, then you two stay here. Talk to Cassidy later and see how to get settled."

Seeing that he had no intention of asking them to stay, Kyoko bit her lip, her head spinning. Mercer turned to her. "What about you? Staying here too? That’s not bad, actually. You’re still young; it won't be too late to make a decision in a few years. Staying with the Aldecaldos is much safer than Night City."

"...I still want to follow you." Kyoko said, though her voice lacked conviction. "I haven't decided what I want to do in the future... but I don't want to be separated from you and Lucy." People have their preferences; compared to the brother-like bond of Leon and Daichi, she felt closer to Lucy, a fellow girl, and the mature, reliable Mercer.

"Understood. Then you stay here for now. Once I get a place in Night City, I'll come get you." After saying this, Mercer paused and turned to Lucy: "I’m heading into the city with Panam first thing tomorrow morning. She knows the routes, and in case of danger, she can drive me out. You stay at the camp for a few days, too, until I get things sorted."

"Okay. You... be careful." Lucy didn't say more. She felt they had already said what needed to be said; they understood each other, so there was no need to elaborate.

Mercer nodded and sipped his soda. "Alright! Finally reached our destination, everyone cheer up! I’m going back to the tent to make some calls."

"You can use my computer," Lucy said. "It’s in my bag on the bed."

"Good." Mercer smiled and finished the soda in one gulp. "That’s that, then. Everyone find something to do."

The farewell meal ended simply. Leon looked like he had more to say, but Daichi held him back and said to Mercer, "Even though we’re staying here, if you ever need hands in the city, Leon and I will help you... no matter what, I’ll be there."

"Got it." Mercer didn't look back, just waved his hand and returned to his tent.

The meal ended, and Mercer didn't harbor any strong emotions about their choice. He had brought these children to Night City simply because he wanted to—he wanted to save these young, innocent lives. Now, that goal was achieved. Everyone had their own path ahead—adults are always more accustomed to parting ways than children.

...

After using Lucy’s computer to connect to the Night City network, Mercer began searching for the information he needed. After some research, he prioritized his plans for tomorrow.

The first person he needed to see was Victor Vektor, the doctor he was very fond of in the game. He was a rare, conscientious ripperdoc in Night City. In the game, when the protagonist, V, was penniless and dying, Victor was still willing to offer credit. In this city, a doctor willing to provide surgery on credit to an edgerunner was a living saint. Most importantly, his skills were superb. In some of the game's endings, Vic even drew the attention of a corporation like ZettaTech, which tried to force him to become their employee, proving his skill was far beyond that of the average back-alley ripperdoc.

Solid skills, even more solid character—who could be better suited to help Mercer install and research new cyberware?

The phone rang only a few times before it was answered.

"Hello?" A mature, raspy male voice sounded.

"Doctor Vektor, I’d like to book some time with you tomorrow morning to install or perhaps research some cyberware." Mercer’s tone was relaxed; hearing the voice that was almost identical to the game's felt strangely intimate.

"Hmm... usually people don't make appointments for my kind of back-alley clinic." Victor’s voice was gentle, yet one could hear the wariness.

Mercer said nonchalantly, "Don’t worry. I just arrived in Night City, so I have to get the lay of the land. You’re easy to deal with, but some fixers are hard to see without getting in touch beforehand."

"Is that so? Can I ask, this batch of cyberware..." Victor confirmed cautiously.

"Stolen. I’ve tuned the software part slightly myself, but some parts need professional equipment, especially a thorough hardware scan to avoid any traps... I can discuss the details with you tomorrow. Just wanted to give you a heads-up." Mercer added with a smile, "In Night City, you’re the only doctor I can trust. Don’t worry, if you find it troublesome, I won’t make it difficult for you."

"Is my reputation that big? Anyway, fine. Tomorrow morning... nine o'clock. I’ll clear the time for you. You should know where I am." Victor didn't refuse. He’d know the situation once they met. At least from the call, Mercer didn't sound unreasonable, and his voice... it sounded a bit young.

"Thanks, Vic. See you tomorrow. By the way, my name is Mercer. You can also call me A."

Mercer hung up, imagining Victor’s confused expression—he was probably wondering why this guy was so familiar.

After a moment of thought, Mercer made another call.

"Who is this?" A cold, hard female voice echoed.

"Rogue, Queen of the Afterlife... nice to meet you. My name is Alex Mercer. You can call me Mercer, or my callsign... A."

Mercer’s new name came from the protagonist of a game he once played, *Prototype*. And "A" was the nickname most players gave to Alex Mercer. If he was going to copy, he might as well go all the way. Besides, "A" and "V"... what a perfect match! It sounded like the start of something big.

"A? Never heard of you." Rogue’s tone was blunt. "My time is valuable."

"An old friend of yours asked me to do something, and I’ve thought it over—this will definitely be to your benefit. I also need someone capable to lend a hand. Since the Queen of the Afterlife isn't someone anyone can just walk up to, I had to introduce myself uninvited. I’ll come to the Afterlife tomorrow night to tell you what I need to do. It involves another old friend of yours—Johnny... I think you know which Johnny I mean."

Mercer’s words caused silence on the other end. After a few seconds, the voice gave a cold time: "Tomorrow, 8 PM. See you at the Afterlife."

"No problem." Mercer said lightly. "If possible, I’d also like to offer you a contract—I need someone to help me insert a chip into the Night City Hall server."

"...We'll talk when we meet." Rogue didn't agree or refuse, but warned in a serious tone, "You don't sound very old, so let me be clear—I hate people who play games. If you’re just messing around using his name, you’d better not show up."

"You won't be disappointed." Mercer hung up.

The Queen of the Afterlife... quite an aura, huh?

Afterward, Mercer drafted an email and sent it to a group of recipients.

[A: I’m A, a new edgerunner currently assembling a professional team in Night City. Just sending a heads-up: I only take high-paying, short-term jobs, difficulty notwithstanding. Services currently available: remote network offense/defense, real-time remote technical support for special ops, ICE upgrades, system maintenance, and software development/cracking. Field missions will have to wait until the team is assembled. Interested parties can send contracts to this email or call (omitted). First contract is 20% off. I can handle tasks requiring multiple hackers. Appointments are welcome, I’ll take them if I have the time. Hope for a pleasant future collaboration! XD]

The recipients included: Wakako Okada, the top fixer in Japantown; the "Old Captain," a used car dealer and fixer for Muamar; Regina Jones, the former N54 News reporter in Watson; "Father," the high-level fixer for the Valentinos in Heywood; and "Mr. Hands," the fixer for Dogtown and Pacifica. As for the others, like the fat fixer Dexter DeShawn who sold out V, or Faraday who got David’s crew killed in *Edgerunners*, he had no intention of contacting those bottom-feeders.

Mercer didn't want to wait for fame to find him—he needed money, desperately. So he had to proactively hunt for work. After a few jobs, his reputation would grow, and other fixers would naturally come to him.

Beyond that, he scouted for muscle—field agents. His plan wasn't just to hide in the shadows playing with code, but to build a top-tier edgerunner crew. Currently, he was considering V, who had just turned eighteen and was still working the streets, and Maine’s crew from the *Edgerunners* anime, who already had a solid reputation. He was also looking at the legendary driver Falco, who was currently freelancing, and Kiwi, if she hadn't been sold to a joytoy shop yet. And of course, the cat-headed hacker Sasha, about whom there was very little information.

He focused on characters from the game and anime; it saved him time in finding reliable people. In this way, he and Lucy could provide remote technical support, Kiwi and Sasha could handle on-site hacking, and he could have a squad of formidable fighters on the front lines.

Of course, he hadn't forgotten his good brother Jackie. Unfortunately, Jackie was still messing around with the Valentinos; he had to find a way to get him out. Judging by his combat record in the game, Jackie was a real badass; he just had bad luck.

After thinking it over, Mercer decided to start with the easiest one to trick. And who was easier to trick than Miss V, the street-smart drifter who spent all day doing nothing?