One day earlier. John lays on his bed with his phone out, he’s listening to a recording as it begins to play back to him, as he stares up from the couch.

“Hi John, It’s Linda from the VA. I just wanted to call to let you know we processed your claim. And just heard back today. I’m sorry. Adenocarcinoma can come from anywhere really, and the Army has a strict policy on only treating veterans who can prove without a reasonable doubt where they got it from. I know this isn’t what you wanted to hear. But it doesn’t have to be the end of the road, as for our other arrangement, talk to Bob, he should be the person you talked to when you entered the camp. I wish there was more that I could do but, I’m sorry.”

Covering his face, John begins to weep to himself.

Tears fall from his face as he turns off his phone.

----------------------------------------

John is sitting on the couch looking at his phone as other people begin to walk inside the room, Anya, Jamar, Santiago, Franklin, and Louis are decked out in combat gear as Anya talks to the little boy. She looks over at John.

“John?” Anya asks.

“What’s up?” He replies.

“Ben here says that you were the last person to see his mom? Is that true?” Anya continues.

“Yeah, I guess.” John says softly.

He looks over at the kid and at Anya before pointing to the door.

“Ben, me and John are going to talk for a bit, is that okay with you?” She asks.

The little boy nods as Anya looks over at Santiago who seems to be glancing at John, she coughs as Santiago looks down and nods.

“Come with me, little guy.” Santiago says, bringing him upstairs.

Jamar looks over at John.

“I thought you said you didn’t know him.”

“I don’t.” John replies.

Leaning onto the couch, John looks over at Anya who seems confused.

“And?” She asks.

“I overheard a conversation, while I was on the street. A group of men came by before you arrived, they started to round up a bunch of young girls and I heard one of them say they had a son.” John explains.

“Ah, then she’s as good as dead.” Jamar says.

Anya thinks to herself.

“Did you see a father by any chance? No. From the looks of it, probably an all women's camp.”

She sighs.

“Well, I guess the only thing we can do is bring him to an orphanage.”

Jamar looks over at Franklin and Louis.

“Why don’t you four go do that? I still need to run a few errands and show John around so he can survive on his own.” Jamar says.

They nod.

Jamar looks over at Anya.

“Anya, you’re in charge, make sure Santiago doesn’t cause a scene.”

“Got it.”

Anya walks back upstairs as Jamar looks over at John.

“You ready?”

“Yeah.”

----------------------------------------

Walking outside on the street, John and Jamar move at a reasonable speed.

“So, what’s up with you and Santiago?”

“Santiago? Nothing much, he isn’t really from around here. Picked him up in Mexico during a job, took him in as a mentor. He’s just not really used to being around places like this.”

“Mmm.”

Turning into a corner, they make their way back into Night City.

The streets are relatively empty as a few people seem to linger around, a few small groups of gang members bully homeless people as others seem to walk around drunk.

“Anyways, so you want to be a Street Samurai.” Jamar says jokingly.

“That’s the goal.” John replies.

“Well, you’re going to have to start from the bottom like everyone else.” He says.

Jamar looks at the ground.

“Let me tell you something, it isn’t easy. There’s a pecking order.”

“Cross the line, and you’re dead.”

“Heck most people end up dead on their first big job.”

Jamar looks over at John staring at him.

“You sure about this?”

“I’m a Dead man walking.” John says with a straight face.

“Got nothing to live for, if it isn’t this then what? Should I just wait to die? And besides you know me, I got the skills, what else can I do? Nobody’s gonna hire someone like me.”

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Jamar scoffs.

“You think they’ll hire you here? It’d have to be someone real desperate for that to happen.”

John hits Jamar in the shoulder.

“Fuck off.”

Jamar lets out a light laugh.

“Don’t worry, you got me. I’ll help you get sorted, reputation is what you need. Gonna need to become a yes man. If somebody asks you for something, always say yes. Got it?”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“Let’s test it out.”

“Alright, go.”

“I need someone to take care of one of my rivals, think you can do that?”

“No problem.”

“One of my competitors has been poaching some of my workers, I need you to send a message.”

“Easy, consider it already done.”

“I need you to jack me off.”

“Fuck off.”

Jamar laughs.

“Haha, just fucking with you. Ah we’re here.”

Stopping in front of a club, Jamar turns to John who’s busy looking at the sign. Club Amor. He’s cringing as he looks over at Jamar.

“You sure about this place?” He asks.

“Oh, yeah. Cheapest place in town, they’ve always got problems. What? You thought you’d be cleaning the streets or something?” Jamar jokes.

“So, what do I do?”

“Ask for the manager, see if he needs help with anything.”

“Is that it?”

Jamar puts his hand on John’s shoulder.

“Yeah, good luck.”

“Thanks.”

John walks into the club as Jamar watches him.

----------------------------------------

The lights are on as hosts and hostesses can be seen talking to each other, others work on cleaning up while John walks inside, he spots a few Managers talking with some of the woman who seem uncomfortable as a bouncer looks over at him.

“Hey, we’re closed.” One says as he walks over.

“Wanna talk to the manager. Lookin for a gig.” John says.

The bouncer scoffs.

“Someone like you, looking for a gig?”

“That’s right.”

“Shit looks like anyone thinks they can just walk right in asking for a job.”

One of the managers looks over at him, intrigued. He’s Asian.

“Now, get out before I throw you out.”

“Make me.” John replies.

He walks over seeing the situation worsen, he glances over to see John beginning to pull something out as the Bouncer doesn’t seem to notice.

“Woah, woah, woah. Why don’t we all calm down.”

Calming down the bouncer, the Manager looks over at John.

“You wanted to talk to me?”

“Yeah, looking for a gig. Got anything for me?”

“That depends. You going to start shooting or can you do anything else?”

“I’m a talker.” John replies, pulling his hand out of his pocket.

“What’s the job?” John asks.

The Manager thinks to himself as he inspects John.

“Before that, got any training?”

“Depends on what you mean, but yeah, spent some time in the military. Then worked as a corporate worker for a bit, now I’m here.”

“Mmm, alright. I think I’ve got something.”

The Manager begins to walk away as he waves at John to follow.

“Come on.”

John follows as the Manager leads him into the back.

“You working with anyone?”

“No, it’s just me.”

“Perfect, this is a one man job.”

They pass by a few hostesses who smile at John as they pass by.

“Hey, who’s he?” One asks.

“None of your damn business.” The Manager says.

“Careful around them, they’re looking for a sugar daddy to take care of them, if they ask, just say you’re broke, works like a charm.” The Manager says as he gives a faint laugh.

Entering into a server room, the Manager looks over at John as he closes the door.

“Alright, here’s the deal. Someone owes someone else a lot of money.”

“Right, and I’m going to get it back for them.”

The Manager searches around a table as he picks something up.

“No, that money’s gone. Gambler.”

“We just want you to teach him a lesson, take this chip and put it into his office computer.”

The Manager walks back to John with a chip handing it to him.

“That’s it? No name? Nothing?”

“Let me finish talking.” The Manager groans.

“Name’s Elliot Anderson, he works for Red Hat Securities, I don’t care how you do it, just find a way inside and infect his computer with that chip. Reward isn’t much, just five grand. So what do you say?” The Manager says.

John looks at the chip as he takes it out of his hand.

“Alright, you got yourself a deal.”

“Good, take this. Your payment will arrive once the payload has been complete.”

“Now get out of here.” The Manager says.

Taking the thumbdrive, John pockets it as he begins to walk off.

----------------------------------------

Walking down some steps, John looks over at Jamar who’s waiting for him by a wall.

“So how’d it go?”

“Got my first gig, five grand. Should be able to pay for half of a treatment of chemo with it.”

“Woah, oh, easy there. Maybe start with the basics, a place to stay and some food.”

Jamar gives John a fist bump as they walk off.

“So if you don’t mind me asking, what is it?”

“Oh nothing too dangerous, just infecting some guy's computer with malware I think.”

“What? That’s fifteen years if you get caught.”

“So what? I’m dead if I don’t.”

“Got a plan?”

“Not a clue, don’t even know where it is.”

“Ah, looks like we’re going to have to do some casing.”

“Don’t you have a job to do?”

“I could use some vacation time.” Jamar responds.

“What do the others think?”

“Oh, they don’t mind. After I told them you’d be dead if I did nothing, always wanted Anya to take on a more leadership approach to things, I mean Santiago’s great but he doesn’t know jack about communicating with others.”

“I think he’s fine at it.”

“That’s not what I mean, man.”

Walking into a parking lot, they make their way towards a car.

“Alright, get in.” Jamar says.

“I didn’t know you had a ride like this.” John says.

“Last thing I still own. Too bad the insurance is too high, I’m screwed if we get into a wreck”

Inside the vehicle, Jamar messes with the insides as John straps in.

“So, where too?”

“Let me check.” John takes out his phone.

“Red Hat Securities.”

Jamar drives out of the parking lot as John looks up the place on his phone.

“Never heard of it before.”

“That’s because it’s a small company that deals mainly with other larger corporations.”

“Ah, I don’t know about this man. Sound like you’re getting fucked.”

“It’ll be easy, I’ll be in and out.”

“So, where is it?”

“Ah, somewhere in Silicon Valley.”

“You know I dated a Valley girl once.”

“How’d that turn out?”

“Heh, her dad saw me and told me he’d call the cops if he ever saw me again.”

“Sounds like a keeper.”

“I know right?”