Chapter 24

I was lying on the treatment table usually reserved for clients, staring absently at an old-fashioned anime playing on a monitor hanging from the ceiling while lost in thought.

My father’s death, meeting David, forming the Edgerunners, putting Faraday in his place…

…Hah, I really pulled it off, didn’t I? I’d give myself a gold star if I could.

No, seriously… it’s good that everything worked out.

David didn’t get smashed by Adam Smasher—he earned his ticket to the stage of 2077.

I didn’t get the same level of leadership as in the latter half of the anime, but in exchange, I gained irreplaceable days and comrades.

Really… it’s good. Sure, the burden on me increased, but in the grand scheme of things, that’s trivial.

After all, there’s no guarantee I’ll even live long enough to see the day V smashes Arasaka Tower and wrecks Mikoshi.

"...Well, just like with David… this time, I’d better not screw up."

The screw-up with David was misjudging the timeline of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners.

2077—next year—is when V’s "Let’s go fuck up Arasaka" story begins.

The rescue request for Sandra Dorsett, probably passed down from Wakako via T-Bug.

Around the time there’s a Militech military tech tutorial for the player in the car.

…And then, ACT 2—the real story—kicks off with Jackie’s death, something that happens no matter which V’s perspective you take.

Hmm… after fourteen years, my memory’s a little fuzzy.

If I recall, Nomad V met Jackie through a smuggling job out in the badlands and hit it off.

Street Kid V—ugh, too long, let’s say Street V—got introduced through Pepe’s shop, then some idiot ordered a car theft, leading to a brawl with Jackie before they teamed up.

And Corpo V… was ordered by that bitch Jenkins to assassinate some woman named Abernathy, but thanks to either a tip-off or a screw-up, Arasaka counterintel found out in advance, got V kicked out, and forced them to start over with Jackie.

…Ugh, this is annoying.

Honestly, I can only really track Street V and Corpo V’s footsteps.

The former got featured in some high-end car magazine—like a weekly tabloid thing.

The latter… what was it again? Something about a news report on N54 about some space-related people dying?

As for Nomad V, all I know is it was around the time the Bakkers got absorbed by another group out in the Badlands.

Truth is, intel on the Badlands is scarce.

Nomads live like an isolated minority—they don’t go near Night City unless they have to, and Night City has no reason to keep tabs on them.

"...Well, luckily, no matter which V it is, Jackie’s the common link."

Every V is destined to come to Night City, and depending on how long they spent working as mercs under Padre, the fixer in Heywood, the search parameters change.

ACT 2 is definitely 2077, but I’m not sure if ACT 1 starts within the same year.

"Oh yeah, Nomad V had that iguana smuggling gig. If I spread some rumors about that… nah, I don’t need an iguana, that’d just be a hassle."

Sigh… If only there were a clearer signal…

But as I racked my brain, I remembered something crucial—the lockdown in Watson.

The night of Sandra’s mission, NCPD seals off Watson for some reason.

"Wait, no—that’s way too late. Oh shit, Watson gets locked down, doesn’t it…?"

I’d completely forgotten.

And that lockdown lasts until after the whole Konpeki Plaza mess where Jackie dies.

From a meta-game perspective, it’s probably just a way to force players to focus on the main story, but realistically, it’s a weeks-long quarantine.

…Seriously, what the hell was even happening?

I tried looking it up, but there’s no info—probably just a gameplay restriction with no real lore reason.

…In the game, that is.

But this is reality, and Night City—Watson included—is real.

The only way I could intervene is by reinforcing Dex’s Delamain cab when the time comes.

I have to make sure it’s equipped with an emergency medical package before sending it out. No exceptions.

If that fails, worst-case scenario, I bust through the lockdown… no, bad idea. Ugh, this again?

All the cred and rep I built up to make things easier is now a shackle.

"...Wait, seriously, what do I do? And why the hell does Watson even get locked down???"

Hmm… Maybe it’s too early to act, but waiting too long means missing the window.

Should I start monitoring NCPD radio traffic daily?

Or maybe, since this is reality, Watson won’t even get locked down.

…But then I’d have no way to gauge the timing. Damn it.

"Ugh… seriously, what’s the right move here?"

In the original ACT 1, the player—and V—lose Jackie, an irreplaceable partner, and gain a new one, forcing them to carry the weight of dreams and resolve.

"I’ll make it big in Night City—for Jackie’s sake too." That hunger gets carved into them like a curse, and Johnny, now in their head, flips the switch on their own death countdown.

…Sure, if you ignore the main quest and focus on side jobs, Johnny might warm up to you early, making the main story feel disjointed. But that suggests the main plot has a tight timeline.

Honestly, Jackie’s death is avoidable.

The cause of death is definitely the Militech turret bullet, but that’s just the trigger—not the real reason.

Jackie’s actual cause of death? Blood loss.

I mean, come on—he got a hole blown through his gut, then had to travel from the top floor all the way down to the basement before escaping in a Delamain. That’s more than enough time to bleed out.

He was still alive when he got in the cab—he had enough strength to hand over the Relic.

So the best move is making sure the Delamain has a medical package.

Next would be making sure Jackie himself carries止血 bandages or a trauma kit.

"...Problem is, right now, I’m just some ripperdoc he met once. He hasn’t come back since…"

"Well, I get it—he’s definitely broke."

…Wait, hold up.

Right now, I’m a young fixer in Japantown. There’s no reason I can’t send him a holo-call like V would’ve gotten in the original timeline, right?

Hell, I could even reach out as a fixer—"Hey, just opened shop, let’s work together!"—and establish contact that way.

Alright… hope’s creeping back in. That’s Jackie for you—gotta count on him this life too!

…Might as well swing by Viktor while I’m at it. That rugged, dependable ripperdoc with the mechanic vibe? No Cyberpunk player could resist meeting him.

Honestly, he’s half the reason I became a ripperdoc. I wanna be that cool—the kind of guy who oozes charisma just by chewing gum.

Damn, should’ve asked him to install my Sandevistan while I was at it…

Too late now. I’ll shelve that regret for later—gotta save some for a proper meltdown.

"Sigh… at least I’ve got a lead. Later, I’ll hit up Jackie—tell him I’m a fixer now, float a job offer, and fish for updates. Gotta prep for V’s arrival."

Honestly, I could just cut Dex out and hire Jackie for the Relic heist myself—but that’d probably collapse the timeline. Better let Evelyn handle it.

Wait, Dex dies in the junkyard, right? Near that fridge with Bartmoss’ corpse, if I recall…

…Might as well grab it. It’s not like it’ll mess with the main story.

Where was it on the map again? Ah, here. Dropped a pin—I’ll send someone to retrieve it later.

Speaking of corpses, Johnny’s body’s near Ebunike, yeah? Maybe I’ll scoop up his left arm—for closure. Payment? A live guitar performance sounds fair.

"...If you only know Johnny from the game, he’s just some cool, rebellious rockerboy—the kind of asshole you can’t help but like."

But meta-wise? He’s a punk who piggybacked on a Militech op to bomb Arasaka Tower, then got folded by Adam Smasher in seconds.

The real death happened on the roof—kicked in the nuts by Malorian Arms, then split in half by a projectile launcher. That’s when Silverhand got Silver-handed.

Everything after—the convo with Saburo? Pure delusion. The CEO back then was Saburo’s predecessor.

The truth? Johnny got wrecked, Morgan Blackhand rolled in with Militech reinforcements, and their nuke blew the tower. Johnny’s engram? Probably some "Eh, he’s technically alive, toss him in Mikoshi" cope by Alt’s crew.

Game lore even hints at it—Johnny’s memories are scrambled, Alt calls him out, and his whole "I solo’d Arasaka" shtick reeks of edgy headcanon.

…Adorable, really. Dude’s the poster child for main-character syndrome.

Still, by the end, Johnny grows into a solid partner. Hit 70% affinity, and he’ll even cheer you on for the "No endings, just carnage" path.

(Though locking the "Chippin’ In" arm behind dialogue checks? Harsh, devs.)

"...Eh, whatever. The story’s gotta stick to the script—otherwise, V never storms Arasaka. Without Johnny, they’d just be another merc fading into Night City’s noise."

Ugh. So much to do. I’m gonna work myself to death.

First step: call Jackie. Daytime—after dark, he’s probably glued to Misty. Gotta be considerate.

…Wait, when’s David finally gonna hook up with Rebecca? I need that tooth-rotting fluff in my life.

For some reason, they’re dragging their feet.

Kids, just kiss already. I’ve got a city to save over here.