Leo took a deep breath as he lay on the cold, sterile operating table.
He felt like a slab of meat on the butcher's block. If it weren't for Vik standing beside him, the lingering fear might have sent him bolting through the door.
The first thing Vik did before the procedure? Jab his own arm with a syringe.
Leo couldn't help but notice the numerous needle marks and bruises along the ripperdoc's unmodified arm.
Vik, catching his gaze, smirked. "Don't worry, kid. No implants in this arm, and these hands aren't as steady as they used to be. A little something to keep the shakes away."
He flipped on the control panel, various monitors humming to life.
"Let's get you scanned and see what we're working with. In the meantime, browse through the implant catalog. Even basic models can vary in price—some'll cost you a fortune, others are dirt cheap."
A sleek tablet extended towards Leo, displaying a translucent human body model. Red markers lined various points, indicating implant slots.
"Don't get greedy," Vik warned. "Today we're only doing a neural link, a personal terminal, some basic optics, and a biometer. The rest can wait till we know how your body handles it."
"Got it."
Leo reluctantly swiped past the dermal plating options. After Gotham, part of him really wanted that extra layer of protection. But he knew better than to rush.
The OS was the brain of the operation. Data processing, implant management, and network interfacing all ran through it.
As a programmer, Leo naturally gravitated toward systems optimized for hacking. The list was extensive—not just the few name brands from the game, but countless others.
"Vik, why's it all basic stuff? No high-tier models?"
Vik didn't even glance up. "You're in Watson, kid. No corpos are shopping for chrome here."
Right. This was the poorest district in Night City. Premium tech simply didn't belong.
"But you?" Vik smirked. "Arasaka One-Tier's your best bet. You're a student at their academy, after all. Keep the brand loyalty."
"Wait, what?"
The realization struck like a bolt of lightning.
2076.
The timeline. The Edge Runners.
David Martinez. Lucy. Rebecca. Kiwi.
Leo bolted upright. "Oh, hell!"
"Hey!" Vik jolted, nearly dropping a scalpel. "Jesus, you wanna give me a heart attack?"
"Sorry, sorry!" Leo quickly lay back down. "Just… remembered something important."
Vik shot him a skeptical look but didn't press further.
"Fine. Arasaka One-Tier it is."
"For optics, I recommend the Kiroshi Series 3. Reliable, flexible upgrades. And for biomonitors? Biotech Tier-2. They're pricey, but you get what you pay for."
"Works for me."
Vik snorted. "No bargaining, huh? Must be nice being rich."
"You'd be surprised."
In truth, Leo barely had 200k eddies to his name. Between implants, rent, and academy fees, he'd be broke soon enough.
"Alright," Vik clapped his hands. "Let's get this show on the road. Full anesthesia. No pain, no trauma."
"You promise?"
"Scout's honor. Now breathe deep."
A sharp prick in the neck. Cool numbness washed over him.
Darkness.
Peaceful, dreamless sleep.
"Wake up… Leo…"
"Come on, kid. Time to rise and shine."
A gentle voice tugged at him. Leo's eyes flickered open, a groggy haze lingering as the sterile glow of the clinic seeped into focus.
"Ugh… It's done?"
"All wrapped up," Vik said, scanning him from head to toe. "How're the new peepers?"
Leo blinked. His vision was crystal clear, but nothing felt particularly different.
"Feels… normal."
"That's cause I haven't switched on the good stuff yet." Vik grinned. "Welcome to the future, kid. Let's boot up your system."
With a few taps on his console, a flood of green data danced across Leo's field of vision. Lines of code, diagnostic checks, and calibration prompts blinked in perfect clarity.
"Damn… that's wild."
"And we're just getting started."
"First step, neural sync." Vik explained. "You'll feel a slight tingle. It's just the system getting to know you."
Leo nodded. A wave of warmth trickled down his spine, like static electricity crawling beneath his skin. Data flashed in rapid succession—health vitals, blood pressure, and neural activity.
[Neural Sync: 98%]
"Good connection."
"Next, optics. Kiroshi's got a built-in UI. You can customize it later."
[Optics Calibration: Complete]
Suddenly, small HUD markers appeared in Leo's periphery. The time, a heart rate monitor, even a mini-map. Functional. Intuitive.
"This is insane."
"Oh, we're not done yet." Vik grinned. "Your biomonitor is state-of-the-art. Tracks everything from blood oxygen to stress levels. You screw up, it'll scream at you before your body does."
Leo shook his head in disbelief. It was like having a video game HUD come to life.
"One last thing." Vik tapped a button.
[Personal Terminal Active]
A digital interface hovered before Leo, sleek and responsive.
"Welcome to the net, kid."
Leo exhaled slowly, the weight of his newfound chrome settling in.
"Vik… You really are a legend."
"Saint Vik," the ripperdoc corrected with a smug grin. "Has a nice ring to it, huh?"
Leo chuckled. "Yeah. Feels pretty damn good."
Flesh is weak.
But chrome? Chrome is eternal.
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