The elven waitress working at the dumpling restaurant wasn't doing so out of financial need—she simply wanted to experience everyday life. By selling gemstones or finely crafted weapons from her homeland in the main universe, she could earn a significant amount of cash. However, she had heard that waitressing was one of the best jobs for observing the diversity of human life, so upon immigrating to New Akra City, she joined the "Best Handmade Dumpling Shop" as a way to do just that.
In contrast, David, Lucy, and Rebecca belonged to the experimental unit under Atlas, created to test new cybernetic prosthetics and cure "Cyberpsychosis." The unit was relatively small, with 90% of its members joining as teens around 15 or 16 years old. Over a year of rigorous training and education had honed their combat skills and reflexes. While they still couldn't match Atlas's elite troops in experience, the experimental cybernetics fitted on them helped bridge the gap.
With enhancements like "intra-cranial communication," cybernetic eyes, and spinal augmentations that effectively sped up reflexes to a near "time-stopping" effect, these recruits had essentially become "killing machines." The most notable advancement was that the new cybernetics caused minimal brain damage. This was because the prosthetics installed on them were custom-built by Atlas's research and biology departments to reduce neural strain to a minimum.
Through their daily activities and training, the research and biology teams gathered vital data to further improve military and civilian prosthetics, aiming to make them safer and more affordable. Currently, Atlas had established a "Civilian Prosthetics Program" in its hospitals. Before opening the ninth gate to the Cyberpunk 2077 universe, Atlas only provided prosthetic services to officially contracted injured soldiers, typically those severely injured and in need of limb replacement.
But after the ninth gate opened, the native technology of the Cyberpunk universe significantly expanded Atlas's research options, making most civilian prosthetics safe enough for broader use. As a result, Atlas-affiliated hospitals now offered more affordable prosthetic services to insured clients, although prosthetics were only provided to patients with actual physical impairments affecting daily life, like amputations, hearing loss, or blindness. Those who wanted prosthetics purely for enhancement purposes, abandoning their natural bodies, would be refused service.
At this stage, Atlas still relied on data from the experimental unit to improve prosthetics and minimize mental and physical risks. Earlier this year, David, Lucy, and Rebecca had left Night City with the experimental unit, deploying to a military base in Kenya. Under orders from Jack Krauser, the ground commander for African operations, they were enrolled in training courses for investigators in preparation for their next cross-universe assignment. With Samuel Young planning to open several more gates simultaneously, Atlas would need more skilled personnel to explore and scout these new worlds.
As the next gate opening approached, their instructor granted them a five-day leave after obtaining approval from higher-ups. This short break was much needed, as the opening of new gates could lead to lengthy integration missions if the target universe's situation was unstable. For now, though, David and his friends didn't dwell on such matters, intent on enjoying their brief vacation.
Not long after, the elven waitress brought the dumplings, side dishes, and cold drinks Rebecca had ordered. David immediately picked up his chopsticks, eagerly tasting the pan-fried dumplings. Having spent the entire day exploring New Akra City with his companions, even his cybernetically enhanced body felt a bit fatigued and hungry.
"Burp!" Rebecca downed half her beer, letting out a loud burp, then looked at David with a mischievous grin. "David, to thank you for helping me carry stuff all day, how about I help you, you know, lose it, huh?"
"Cough!" David almost choked on his dumpling, managing to cover his mouth just in time to avoid embarrassing himself and Lucy, seated across from him.
"Is that really necessary?" Rebecca asked, smirking before adding, "You'll go through it sooner or later—how about I show you the ropes?"
"No need," David replied, composing himself. "Major MacTavish told me to take these things slowly, so I'm in no rush for… that."
He glanced at Lucy, who remained focused on her meal, seemingly uninterested in the conversation. Rebecca, looking exasperated, shot back, "Major MacTavish, Major MacTavish! That stick-in-the-mud officer of yours must have brainwashed you. He's all about strict self-discipline and has no hobbies. Doesn't that get boring?"
"It's not so bad," David shrugged, biting into a boiled dumpling. "I joined the unit with a clear goal in mind—to eventually rise to a high position within the company. Self-discipline is essential to reach that level. Unlike you, Rebecca, who spends most of your time counting down to leave and sneaking in drinks. I still don't get what you're trying to accomplish with that."
"What am I trying to accomplish?" Rebecca drained her beer and replied, "Obviously, I'm hoping for a decent paycheck from the company so I can move out from sharing with my deadbeat brother and maybe meet a cute, ambitious guy along the way. That's what life is all about, right? Eating, drinking, sleeping… hey! Look at me like that one more time, and I'll smack you!"
David only chuckled at her threat. Unfazed, he asked, "Do you think you could beat me?"
"Enough, you two. Eat your food," Lucy finally intervened, stopping their banter. Rebecca narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Lucy, who returned her gaze. After a tense few seconds, they both resumed eating.
David had great respect for Major MacTavish, aka "Soap," who had been a mentor to him, teaching him essential skills and occasionally visiting their rented apartment in Night City. David's mother, Gloria, seemed particularly fond of Soap, given his military demeanor and rugged appearance. However, Soap was recently married, making any connection with Gloria impossible. David didn't dwell on that, focusing instead on working hard within Atlas to earn higher pay and benefits. His ultimate goal was to bring Gloria to the main universe and ensure a better life for her.
They continued chatting casually as they finished their meal. By nightfall, they wrapped up dinner, with Rebecca settling the bill before they headed to a nearby skybus station. A few minutes later, a sleek, flat skybus with four maglev engines glided over, stopping at the platform. Once the passengers disembarked, they boarded, found seats, and the driver closed the doors, guiding the vehicle back onto its designated path.
About half an hour later, the three returned to their hotel, packed their bags, and checked out. At around 10 p.m., they arrived at the maglev train station on the outskirts of the city. They passed through security, staffed by a mix of NAPD officers, Atlas Armed Security, and the Emergency Response Division, then entered the spacious waiting area resembling an airport terminal.
On the first day of their leave, the three had decided to visit New Akra City together. David, however, mostly roamed alone, scouting neighborhoods for potential housing options in preparation for moving his mother, Gloria, to the main universe. Meanwhile, Rebecca and Lucy immersed themselves in restaurant-hopping and shopping sprees. Though Mombasa near the Kenyan base had been rebuilt, it couldn't compare to the global or inter-universal top-tier city that New Akra had become.
For their return journey, they chose the scenic route via maglev train across Africa back to Kenya. Having already experienced inter-universal travel, they still hadn't seen much of Earth's landscape firsthand. This final stretch of their vacation gave them a chance to take in Africa's untouched beauty, providing a memory worth keeping.
Atlas planned to open "Terra/Magic World Theme Parks" in cities like Seattle and New Paris (from Edge of Tomorrow) to boost tourism and cultural exchange across universes. But their leave was ending, and soon they would rejoin their experimental unit to return to the primary universe's relic base. Once there, Samuel Young would open three new inter-universal gates as planned.
However, as the three relaxed in the terminal, browsing social networks, forums, and videos on their phones, a significant development was taking place at Atlas's Akra Campus, a sprawling production complex about a hundred kilometers from the maglev station.
Viewed from above, Akra Campus was as lively as New Akra City itself, with numerous company-run bars, restaurants, supermarkets, and nightclubs catering to employees. The industrial sector operated round-the-clock, with thousands of workers in protective gear ensuring the smooth operation of both automated and semi-automated production lines. Biological weapons like Tyrants, Hellhounds, and clones, which were once closely guarded secrets, were now standard products on the assembly line.
While riot-control and security Tyrants and weakened Hellhounds were available for sale, clones remained an in-house asset due to their sensitive technology and were used as high-level cannon fodder within Atlas's ranks.
Underground in Akra Campus, another group of "fodder" was about to showcase its worth. Within a simulated urban combat zone, a female voice announced over the speakers, "Attention, Class-D personnel. You have two minutes to find cover."
Around a hundred personnel, each wearing orange-painted MCP power armor and standing nearly two meters tall, sprinted down the streets, hard-light firearms in hand, taking positions throughout the mock cityscape.
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