Ghost in the City: Cyberpunk Gamer SI

I was just starting to relax when even more people I knew came inside the small bar. At least this time some of them were expected.

“Rita!” I called out to the woman who was already making her way over, although Nox alongside her was unexpected, along with a few of the other Mox members I didn’t know.

“Hey kid. I’m on time right?” She asked, and I nodded.

“Yeah about ten minutes until showtime.” I answered back weakly, and she sent me a gentle smile and a pat on the back.

Then Nox was there.

“Nova! Motoko! You didn’t tell me you were playing a gig! Sup ‘Romi.”

“Call me Boss!” She demanded and Nox just scoffed ignoring her. I was distracted from their little spat though because Rita had seen Jun.

“Hey Tyger Boy.” She greeted with a sultry sound that every Mox jerked at including Nox. All of them staring in shock.

“Hey Mox Girl.” Jun greeted back, maybe for the first time ever making me willing to admit that Jun might, for just a little bit, have some actual game.

Rita looked at me and I shooed her off, knowing what she wanted.

Besides, I was too anxious to deal with this right now.

I idly watched as Alice and Rita realized they were both at odds, and the awkward atmosphere that Jun completely missed as he happily chatted with both women.

Jun was so dense.

“Motoko?” Hiromi asked, and I looked at her. Nox was also looking at me eagerly.

“Sorry, I was distracted, what’s up?”

“Tell Nox that I’m his boss.” Hiromi demanded, and then Nox interrupted.

“You aren’t my boss! Motoko and I are partners! Tell her Motoko, we had a good thing right? I handled distribution!” The boy pleaded and I looked at both of them for a moment before just laughing at their silly argument.

It helped ground me a bit, reminded me I was just a teenager, and it was okay to have teenager problems.

“You’re both great.” I told them instead with a smile, and that at least stopped the argument, although why Jun was rolling his eyes at me was annoying when he was the one with two girls currently flirting with him!

I rolled my eyes at him back which had him chuckle.

The time ticked down and down, and finally.

I rose up, guitar in hand, music box in the other.

—--

The bar had gone quiet. The stereo behind me playing Samurai had turned off, and it was now under my control as I plugged my Music box into it.

The lights were off, and there were more people here than I would have liked. I peeked behind me as I fiddled with the music box and could make out the crowd in the shadowed bar.

A general murmur was going through it. I could hear a lot of people asking questions about my age, and why I was at this sort of bar.

Lot of people were wondering if I was going to play some shitty pop music or something. This was a rock bar after all.

I pulled out the personal link cord, and stuck it into the Music box, then I pulled another one and slipped it into my guitar I was hooked up.

Deep breath.

Exhale.

I stood up, and looked up at the lights, technically I had been given access to the lighting system, but I had no set up for it. So I just hacked into the equipment, and threw a few changes at the rather straightforward program it was inbuilt with.

The lights shifted, most of them angling sort of around the stage, as my holograms would work best in lower light.

It was time.

Turn on my BD Recorder. Take a few steps towards the mic, feeling my Personal link stretch a bit, but it was fine, I had plenty of cord left.

“Hi, I’m Motoko, and I’m going to play a set tonight. I uh… Don’t really have a band name picked out yet… And uh, I’m a solo act for now until I get some band mates. So for tonight uh… Just bear with me.” I offered, feeling like my throat was dry as I spoke in front of the whole crowd.

Come on! I’ve murdered more people than this in one go! Why was I so worked up?

Cool. Be Cool. I stretched a bit and then it was time, behind me the holograms activated.

Images of me, showing much more confidence, than I felt right now appeared. Drummer Motoko even spun the sticks like I had programmed her to, showing an easy confidence.

“This first song is called, Smells Like Teen Spirit.” I explained, then without waiting my strumming began. The opening chords that Kobain had wowed the world with so long ago.

A few moments later the drums started, and the energy of the room picked up. Then mellowed for a moment, as it was time to sing.

“Load up on guns, bring your friends! It’s fun to lose and to pretend!” I sang, and there was an electricity in the room.

I realized then, just how much Rockerboy taught beyond just music. My eyes roved through the crowd, settling on faces, as I sang directly to them, drawing them in, the music distracting them from everything else until it was just them, and me.

I shifted the way I moved, a motion almost like dancing, a consistent motion that mirrored the song, a motion that drew people into following along.

Yet without a full band, I was climbing uphill. I should have the rest of the band showing off their energy synergizing, but the music box holograms could only show what I had programmed, and I hadn’t considered everything that I would need.

So it was all on me, the energy, the motion, the song.

And I didn’t let myself hesitate, or slow.

I was the front runner, and I could do this.

“Our little group it’s always been, and always will until the end.”

These lyrics I emphasized heavily, singing them loud and clear.

Smells Like Teen Spirit had a lot of nonsensical lyrics, it was supposed to, but until someone understood that, it was a bit weird. But here? With those lyrics, they all understood.

All of the people in this club had probably been Street Kids. Had lived with a crew, and had probably lost some of them.

I called to them, a siren song to their past, I played the song of teen Spirit, and the crowd reacted.

More and more people were head banging along. I glanced up and the second floor were actually coming from their tables and resting against the bannister, and I sang to them all.

My friends, my family, were an oasis for my eyes, because they were into it entirely. Hiromi was practically falling off her stool with how much she was into it. Jun had the biggest smile on his face.

Rita looked shocked and was head banging along with the rhythm.

It was right. This felt good. Even with everyone else around.

“A DENIAL!” I roared out the last lyric, as the music finally came to an end, the last chord slowly fading away in the bar.

It was quiet, for a moment, and then Hiromi practically jumped up on her stool and whistled, and the crowd reacted cheering and pounding feet, or slapping brosef bottles on the bannister.

“This next song.” I started, because I didn’t want the energy to fade, and instantly the crowd was quiet. “This next song, is called Rise. Little less Rock, but bear with me.” I added, again, and got a laugh from Ichi at my remark, so it was good.

I activated the Music box, selecting the song. Rise, was a weird song. League of Legends hadn’t been my game, but the song was pretty nova.

Then holograms changed, different instruments, mostly electronic sounds now although it still had normal instruments as well.

Then the sound started, without waiting and the crowd watched as I walked to the mic.

“Welcome to the world, no heroes and villains!”

I could see the more pop sounding song wasn’t as instantly engaging, as Nirvana was to a dive bar, but that was fine.

It was my voice that was going to drag them in this time.

When I sang, I saw the shock on everyone's face.

Smells Like Teen Spirit, was a ballad about teenagers. So of course I had let my voice out as a teenager.

But this? This was the next step. When a teenager becomes something more.

My voice was huskier, deeper, no longer the same, and the obvious change had dragged all the attention on to me as I sang. As my own voice played back up for me from the speakers, I sang, drawing them into the story.

Drawing them into what they had all seen.

“Prove yourself and Rise! RISE! MAKE THEM REMEMBER YOU!” I roared, my voice changing again as the song hit its apex. Getting older, getting stronger!

Making them see the connection between the songs, letting them know, I wasn’t just playing random songs, but telling a story.

The moment the song was over, I walked away from the mic. Showing that I was doing something else. Quickly changing the lights to a different hue, the sudden shift startled everyone, but I had to capitalize, before they could even process, I started again. The tapping of cymbals was heard.

“Eyes, burning away to me.” I crooned as I turned, my voice sounded older again, husky and mature, and as I turned I dragged their attention onto me again.

The more pop sound of Rise, into the rock of This Fffire, by Franz Ferdinand echoed off the walls.

“Noooow there is a fire in me! A fire that buuuuuuurns!” It was perfect, I had drawn them all in, all eyes were on me, and they were all listening.

So I gave them it all.

“This fire is outta control! I’m gonna burn this city! Burn this city!” My gaze went out over the crowd, and I sang to them all, releasing my emotions onto the crowd. Cool and Rockerboy Synergizing letting me go full out.

I demanded their attention, my motions forced them into my rhythm, my siren song stole their minds. It was more than just playing. Rockerboy wasn’t just playing a song, it was a performance.

Although I was alone, It was enough. The unexpected songs, the tricks with lining them up without rest. The way I kept the noise lively and new.

Then it ended, once more the note trailed off, and I had sucked in the wonder of everyone present.

“That was This Fffire.” I said, and the crowd roared. The song was a titular Rockerboy song. The exact sort of thing a bar dedicated to Samurai would die for.

Realizing my thirst, I looked over and saw Hiromi, I made a grabbing motion to her, and as always she was right on it. She grabbed a bottle of water and chucked it at me, I fumbled the catch with only one hand as I had to leap for it, a moment later I managed to snag it, and earned a laugh from the crowd.

I spun the bottle around popped it open with a thumb and chugged the water down for a few moments, before placing it on the floor and then getting ready.

“The Pretender.” I whispered huskily as the lights shifted to red, and white, and then the gentle strums of the Foo Fighters song began.

“Keep you in the dark, you know they all pretend.” I sang softly, like a lullaby, once more the shift in tone drawing eyes as people wondered what was going to happen, but then drummer Motoko started absolutely beating the shit out of the drums.

The speed picked up, and I stopped singing softly.

“Send in your skeletons, sing as their bones go marching in! Again!”

The pick up and return to rock had absolutely enthralled the crowd, and I was in it, going full out, letting my real anger seep through as I roared it out.

“What if I say, I’m not like the others!? What if I say I’m not just another of your plays!? You’re the Pretender! What if I say that I’ll never surrender!”

And soon the crowd was actually roaring back. Singing along to the refrains they knew, as I thrust a fist into the sky watching as they all copied me. From Hiromi to Jun, to every nameless face.

First time the song had ever been played in Night City outside of my room, and the crowd was already going wild.

That’s Dave Grohl for you I guess.

Then it cut. Going quiet, as I whispered the lyric, I could see the crowd go silent to hear, and then my eyes flashed. The lights above me went from red behind me, and white infront to nothing but red as the song went full out.

“What if I say I’m not like the others!” The crowd roared back, I wasn’t roaring at the crowd, I was roaring along with them, against the bullshit day to day, against the corps pushing down.

“SO WHO ARE YOU!?” I screamed pointing out over the crowd and they roared right back.

I was on my knees, finger pointing as the song ended, and the crowd was into it. I was breathing heavily despite how fit I was, that was a lot of yelling and moving around.

Now… Now to end it.

The lights flashed off, then slowly, they each shifted behind me, each of them a different color, and pattern.

A Kaleidoscope, as best as I could make one.

The song began. The massive change from the rock track grabbed attention, and I saw some of the mood bleed out of the room.

That was fine.

It was actually better. This was the ending. The eventual path that all those that try to be Edgerunners find.

Teenage arrogance. The Rise of someone walking the path. The Fffirey heart of someone at the top. The anger at the betrayal of a Pretender… And the heart crushing realization of when you are let down.

Let you Down by Dawid Podsiadło. Sasha’s song. The emotional connection I had to Sasha was complicated to say the least.

So I used it.

“Feel the rhythm of the streets. Neon lights, and neon dreams.” I crooned, this time my Sexy Motoko voice on full tilt. I made my voice as husky, as mature as I could.

This was the end.

“Forgive me for letting you down.” I crooned, and I met Jun’s eyes. He remembered this song. I remember he thought it was for him, not realizing just what it truly was.

But that’s okay. This isn’t just Sasha’s song anymore. It’s a song for any Edgerunner.

The end of the path.

“They will finally feel the flames, the flames that run down through my veins. I will make the city burn.” I sang a fun call back to This Fffire, but then it continued. “We’re not planning to return.”

And that was it. The moment that every song built up to.

The moment some Edgerunner decides to make a statement in their death.

Dawid had certainly written an amazing Cyberpunk song.

Slowly, as the song ended, The Kaleidoscope of lights died out.

One by one the colors faded. Then as the last note died, so did the set.

I took a step away from the mic. Even as the crowd realized it was over stirred and roared their approval. I stood there, sweaty, and out of breath, and just took stock of how it had gone.

“That last song is called Let you Down.” I spoke into the mic using my normal voice, and then it was over. “Thank you all for listening. That was the end of my set.”

I turned away from the crowd feeling floaty as I kneeled down by my music box to unplug it, even as the crowd cheered my chooms loudest of all.

My mind was filled with what I had just done, but most of all. It was towards an alert I had received.

*100 Cool XP Gained*

*Cool Leveled up!*

Cool 10.

—--

“That was the craziest thing I’ve ever done.” I told my chooms as I stared into a soda.

“It was amazing!” Hiromi argued, and Malcolm nodded but I couldn't look at them.

We were still at the bar, hanging out at the table we had claimed, but it was just too much. Jun had taken to shooing away the strangers that had come up to congratulate me, because it was just too much.

I felt hot, my ears were burning, and I couldn’t believe I had actually done that.

Hiromi had talked me into it, I had agreed, but I couldn’t believe I had gone through with it.

“I made a complete fool of myself.” I whispered, and Jun suddenly dropped an arm over my shoulder.

“Never. That was the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen. You were perfect. What was that you did with your voice?”

“I just altered my voice a little, it’s not that hard.” I whispered, unable to tear my hands away from my face.

“Heh. I can’t do it.” He offered, and then Malcolm was there, punching me in the shoulder, which had him wince a moment later as he hit my chrome.

“Ow… Don’t freak out Motoko. That was amazing. Those songs were absolutely nova. I hadn’t heard all of them yet.” He offered but I just kept my head in my hands.

Everyone was staring at me! Everyone had heard me play.

“Aaaaaa.” I whispered, and a moment later Jun chuckled at me.

“It’s cute how embarrassed you get about this stuff.” He explained to me, and I finally jerked up to glare at him.

“I’m not cute when I’m embarrassed!”

“Kinda.”

“Yep.” Hiromi and Malcolm both cut in and I turned to glare at them, but both of my chooms just sent me smirks.

“I’m back!” Ichi called out dropping off some more drinks for everyone including a new soda for me. “You know if nothing else. Getting Motoko to play so we get free drinks is pretty nova.”

“Oh! Yeah! We should make Motoko play every time we go to a bar so we all drink free!” Hiromi chirped, and I sent her a look of horror that only had her smirking at me all the wider.

“You have my vote.” Ichi offered, and Malcolm, despite already chugging his drink, threw up a hand to signal he was agreeing.

“Hey!” I snapped, but none of my chooms seemed to mind my existential breakdown!

“Hey kid.” A voice from behind us drew my eyes away from my chooms. Jun looked the man over and stepped aside, letting me see the barman.

“Yeah?”

“You did good work. Wasn’t sure about it when I heard you didn’t have a full band, but you did a good job bringing the energy up.” The older man offered, rubbing at his chin. “You ever want to play again, you call me up. The Red Dirt will be happy to host you, but if you want some advice? Get a band to play with. I think you got something there, and a real band will really bring it out.”

I felt my throat clench up as the idea of having a band was a little too much, instead I just nodded at his words. He seemed to pick up on my anxiety and just laughed.

“You’ll get used to it. All the great’s do.” He assured me, then he looked over to Hiromi, and his eyes flashed. “Payment for the work.” He offered and Hiromi had a look of the cat that caught the canary.