Sewers

February 10th

2069

After nearly an hour of weaving through the dank passageways, Sophie reached a section of the sewer that felt distinctly older. The walls were rougher, their concrete edges eroded, and the air grew cooler with each step. The dark vision of her optics allowed her to spot a faint trail of markings etched into the wall.

They were arrows and symbols, likely left behind by the people who built the tunnels originally. Following them, she arrived at a badly rusted, iron gate barely hanging on its hinges. The gate groaned in protest as she pushed it open, the eerie sound echoing through the darkness.

Sophie stepped past the gate and into the chamber. Even though she’d already seen it, her breath caught in her throat. The space was immense and circular. A high, arched ceiling loomed at least a dozen metres overhead, its surface dark with grime and streaked with water stains. The walls were a mess of crumbling concrete and exposed rebar. The floor stretched out before her, littered with debris: chunks of broken masonry, rusted metal scraps, and the remains of long-forgotten machinery. She paused when she spotted a pair of decomposed skeletons, covered in rags.

Sophie took a closer look and frowned. One of the skeletons was clutching a small, metal box. She pried the object away and tried to see if the rags had any identifying marks on them. They didn’t. She set the box down, deciding to come back to it later, after she had finished checking out the place she’d be moving into.

She returned her attention to the room that was eerily silent, save for the occasional drip of water from the pipes that lined the far wall. These pipes, massive and rusted, were remnants of the chamber’s original purpose. Sophie assumed it was meant to be a stormwater overflow facility, built to manage floods during an era when Night City’s climate was far more rainy. While Night City still rained multiple days a week, the newer infrastructure was more than enough to deal with the weather. Now, the chamber she stood in was little more than a relic.

On the right side of the chamber, she noticed a thinner, heavily corroded pipe that appeared to have been dislodged from its fitting. Upon closer inspection, she realized it concealed a hidden passage. The opening was barely wide enough for her to crawl through, and on the other side, she found an old maintenance shaft. It was a steep climb but as she got closer to the end, she spotted a broken grate at the top. It was, like everything else, rusted, twisted and overgrown with vines. Peering through, she caught a glimpse of the night sky and the faint outlines of the city skyline.

“Well, this’ll make getting in and out a fair bit easier,” she mused to herself.

Satisfied with the exit she’d found, Sophie descended back into the chamber and began further exploration. Very quickly, she found a secondary area connected to the main space: a collapsed loading bay partially hidden behind a pile of rubble. Another thing that I’ll have to clean up, she thought.

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The bay was spacious enough to accommodate a couple of vehicles and Sophie immediately decided she needed to get her hands on something to traverse the city. Its entrance was shrouded by debris and overgrown vegetation from above, which meant it hopefully wouldn’t be easy to find. A narrow, service road extended from the bay, which Sophie suspected led towards the Badlands.Along with the fact it opened up the ability for vehicle usage, she could already see how it might serve as an escape route if things ever got too hot.

Moving back into the chamber itself, she noted the complete absence of any features. There was no lighting, no furniture, no remnants of human occupation. The only signs of activity were the natural encroachments of time: the cracks snaking through the floor or the water stains spreading like veins across the walls. It was an entirely isolated space, barely touched in decades.

“How has nobody found this place before? Actually, I wonder if it’s still on the city blueprints? It’s so old…Was it built before the DataKrash? That might explain why there’s been nobody down here, except these skeletons.”

While she mused, Sophie set down her pack in the center of the chamber and sat cross-legged on the cold floor. She closed her eyes, letting the silence wash over her. This was a perfect place to create a home. Hidden, spacious and, with a bit of work, entirely under her control. No matter how much I have to invest into it, I’ll turn this place into a fortress. Nobody will be able to touch me here.

Over the next few hours, Sophie began the process of properly moving in. She unpacked her belongings, which were few. There were a couple of clothes, a small pile of weapons, taken from the Tygers she’d been hunting, and a small collection of food. Some other random supplies, like bandages, were also unpacked.

She picked out an area near the hidden passageway to set up her sleeping arrangement. She frowned once she was done. Really? I need to do better. All she had was a couple of dirty clothes. Finding a mattress shouldn’t be too hard.

She also scouted the surrounding tunnels and pipes, mapping out the connections to the main sewer system. The chamber was well-positioned, with multiple entry and exit points that would allow her to come and go without being seen.

With her actual belongings unpacked, it was time to dump out the materials she’d scavenged.

Sophie began unloading her inventory, laying out the day’s haul. The corrugated metal, wooden pallets, and steel sheets were placed in one corner, ready to be turned into walls, flooring and doors. The wires, lamp, and electrical components went into another pile, destined for her lighting project, though it would depend on whether she could learn how to be an electrician. Tools, hinges, and pipes were set aside for future repairs and construction.

After that was done, the first order of business was setting up a better bed. She laid out a pair of wooden pallets and covered them in her spare clothes. She crawled on top and tried it out. Not great, but still better than what I had before. I’m looking forward to a proper mattress though.

By the time Sophie finished sorting her bedding and her initial preparations for the upcoming renovations, over an hour had passed. Fuck me…There’s so much to do, just to create a space I feel safe in. She felt a small hint of despair at the amount of work it would take. A few moments later though, she shrugged. But I think for now, I’ve earned myself a bit of rest. I can start my projects tomorrow, there shouldn’t be any reason to rush.

Sophie allowed herself a small smile as she looked at her new home. In this vast, crumbling space beneath the city, she could build something of her own.

She lay down on her makeshift bed, staring up at the ceiling. The chamber was silent, save for the faint drip of water and the distant urban noise of the city’s above. This was her place now, and she would make it work. No matter what.