Chapter Text
I
Today, Night City sucked. Granted Night City sucks in general. If you stray too far from your designated area you get flatlined, catch beef with the gang in your area…flatlined. Piss off the Corpo, you guessed it, flatlined. Hit the wrong son of a bitch and have Trauma Team, TT, cover…flatlined. Essentially, there are a million ways to get flatlined for something like sneezing at the wrong time. However, if you’re tough enough, have the skills for the bills, and know the talk and walk the walk, then you can survive and thrive.
Ajuka Ezekiel Bael, Juka, Z, Zeek with many other aliases was one such young thriver and survivor. He was a man of a non-descript build, mildly athletic, with messy brown/blondish hair in a ponytail with brown eyes. His background was that of he was an unfortunate prodigy from a family of Trauma Teams and raised by the Trauma Team. He was unfortunately a kid-genius so by the time he was in Secondary School, he was completing his degree as a surgeon. Then by the time he was officially an adult, he'd already been working at Trauma Team for five years.
Working in Team Bael, a Platinum Covered Team. He worked as an Overwatch Assistant Emergency Medical Technician, he got to shoot things then heal, or heal whilst others shot above him. After a rather nasty altercation with a Psycho with a baseball bat; he'd survived and had opened the Psycho's neck by smashing, the neck-deck inserts into the jugular vein and carotid artery; unfortunately a lucky strike with its clawed hand had robbed him of his sight, which resulted in his 2nd set of cybernetics; his eyes hadn't been destroyed but rather the lens, corona and pupil had been destroyed, coincidentally the parts that needed to be removed to install cyber optic eyes. That pair of procedures had set him back €500. Then his second cybernetic implant was a favourite, it was a top-of-the-range Sandevistan, Ajuka had been extremely nervous about undergoing the surgery for it, based on some of his research into Cyberpsychosis. He theorised that Cyberpsychosis was potentially induced by a mishmash of poor compatibility with cyberware and different company tech.
His adaptability was rather high with his three implants; his second cousin, a Street Doctor, had performed the surgery. Then it happened, just after his Sandy implant his entire family had vanished, leaving him all alone. The saving grace had been, they'd left him their money so he wasn't completely shafted.
Ajuka was jerked from his musing as the Atlus juddered encountering turbulence “Bael! You alright there?” Ajuka straightened up, this call came from the Trauma Lead, Samantha ‘Sam’ Kyshnyada.
“Lost in thought. Hoping we’re responding to an Emergency Pickup instead of a Lead Injection or Cooking Response.”
There were dark chuckles throughout the Team, Emergency Pickup was a reference to the Older Days when the Ambulance would come to emergency response. Lead Injection was a gunshot wound and Cooking was a firefight extraction.”
Sam shook her head “Don’t you start going Psycho on us, Miracle Maker. I don’t know many TT Ops…actually, none of us knows a TT Op as amazing as you. You’re one of the few TT Surgeons, Fewer on a List of Cyberesiliences, Even Fewer to wield a quite frankly an overclocked Sandy and honestly not so jaded despite knowing you since you were 21 on the Force.”
“Not going to go Psycho, Sam, not jaded? I am, just hide it better. Been doing this near-enough my entire life…actually entire life. I was born here, and grew up here.”
It was then the pilot spoke “Found them! On the rooftop, two…fuck…One’s pregnant, the other is unresponsive.”
“Distance to the building?”
“Thirty metres…Zeek, you’re not…oh wait you’re the Miracle Ripper, of course, you are.”
Ajuka turned to the team “You know the drill, the woman takes priority.”
Michael, the other EMT cleared his throat “Technically…her husband…”
“The woman takes priority. The client wakes up and finds out that Trauma Team left his uncovered, pregnant, wife behind…that’s a lawsuit and you’re out of Trauma…do you copy, Edward.”
Edward nodded, a gifted Med-Tech and had been brought onto one of the many Bael Teams, then subsequently assigned to the only surviving Bael…if only to ensure the then thirteen-year-old-genius didn’t get himself booted out by pissing off Trauma Team Higher Ups. The Bael family in a nutshell were dedicated to Trauma Team, and at least, on their shifts they used their own policy when responding to call-outs. If there were multiple casualties the Bael Teams would end up providing aid to everyone, not just the client. “We’re Health Care Professionals, it is our duty to do more. Plus we bill them anyway.” He remembered Joseph Bael saying, Joseph had been a Trauma Team Physio.
“Zeek, I know you’ve done this before, remember, you’re the least chromed of all of us.”
“Cybernetic Limbs can go fuck themselves…Anyway, initiating Sandy in 3…2…1.” Ajuka felt his brain open as excessive amounts of electrons surged into his Central Nervous System; he felt his body flood with adrenaline and time slowed as he sprinted and then launched himself out of the Trauma Transport. The leap was good, it was strong and the Trauma Team saw their member catch the ledge of the building, quit the Sandy and pitch himself smoothly over his shoulder displacing the kinetic energy, then into a second dive onto his feet next to the downed male.
“Danger, none. Not Responsive. No sign of breathing or circulation. Going hands-on, commencing Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation.” With that, the very fine clothing peeled away and he began with the rescue breaths and then the compressions. “I couldn’t wait for you to come to clear the cupboards.” two breaths. “But now you’re going to leave with nothing but a sign.” two more breaths “C’mon breathe, Another evening I’ll be sitting reading between your lines.” Another two breaths. “Because I miss you all the time.” Another two breaths, this wasn’t good. He was singing that song, that song nearly always ruined his day; unfortunately, it was a song you could do CPR too…thusly, Ajuka, thoroughly despised having to do CPR as it was the first song he knew.
“Trauma, when you landing?”
“Coming now, Choom, you’re doing good. Doing really good. We’ve got vitals, he’s coming around. Do the chorus.” Ajuka groaned as he carried on, he’d already started the chorus “I’m on top of you, I don’t wanna go.” two more breaths, god his arms were killing him. He didn’t care, he cared more for his patient “Because I really wanna stay at your house.” Two more breaths.
There was the familiar breeze on his back of the Atlus descending. The remaining members of the team rushed onto the scene. Edward rolled Ajuka off the Principle, passed him his rifle and Ajuka began his overwatch as Sam loaded the Woman with Michael, the principal gunner, onto Transport “Woman and Child are on.”
“Zeek let’s go! On your count.”
“Lift on three…1…3!” Ajuka was the last one on and the team were taking off.
As they were heading out in the noon-day, they caught the end of a transmission ‘Did we have to leave them there?’
‘Kid, you saved the boy…technically you shouldn’t have. Listen, there’s a chance you’ll work with Juka-boy; you’ll get on like Dorpher addicts. He thinks like you as well…listen the woman didn’t have Trauma Team cover. Its shit but that’s the rules.’
Sam grabbed Ajuka by the hand “Ajuka, calm down, listen I’m not going to hold it against you if you want to leave and go freelance. I’m with you, Main…as long as you want me around.”
“Sam…Love, thanks. How are they?” Ed grinned as the male groaned.
“Easy Mr. Hernandez, you’re in a Trauma Team…”
“Why does my chest feel like it’s been crushed?” Hernandez asked wincing slightly.
“When we found you and your wife, the pair of you were unresponsive, I’m a Trauma Surgeon Mr. Hernandez, I’m not even remotely qualified for treating unconscious, pregant women…you on the other hand I am. I’m not sorry for breaking your ribs but you’re alive.” Ajuka replied not looking at the man.
“Forgive my colleague, Ajuka Bael, he’s one of the best…” Edward began.
“...but he’s extremely abrupt. It runs in the family. Anyway, how is my wife?”
At that moment, his wife let out an awful scream, “Ajuka, not one comment. Peter, get a move on where’s the closest concrete hospital?”
"Five minutes, ETA."
"Let's get going. Ajuka, help me stabilise her." Those five minutes were the longest five minutes of Ajuka's life, he handed anaesthetics, and IV bags and kept his mouth firmly shut. Unfortunately, when they touched down on the roof of the hospital there was a god-awful scream. It turned out that Mrs Hernandez had gone into very complicated and painful labour that both Ajuka and Edward had no experience with. However, Sam nearly managed to save both Mrs Hernandez and the Baby, but ultimately chose the baby.
Like with everything in NightCity, why have one tragedy when you can have several. Both Hernandezs died en route to the hospital with Mr Hernandez promising legal action, Ajuka managed to tune out the range of insults. However, when he reached the interior of the hospital, he ended up vomiting in public.
The Trauma Team Executives didn’t like that at all, not one bit. Whilst they had all agreed that Ajuka had done exceptionally well since he’d started; they had collectively agreed that Ajuka would be laid off. “You’re laying me off? For vomiting in public?”
“Not just for the public vomiting, we have recorded numerous incidents when you have been…less than professional in your communication.”
Ajuka snorted “So like every other member of my family ever. I don’t remember you dismissing any of them.”
“That…was under different management.”
“So it’s thank you for serving, here’s the door because you lost your chill.”
“Erm…not so fast, Mr. Bael. It’s not just that, we brought you here because you’re invaluable and we want to make a proposal.”
Ajuka cocked his head and the reverberating pops and cracks of crepitus, air bubbles, echoed throughout the room. “What is it?”
“Med-Techs of yours and Samantha’s calibre, yes we know she’s leaving as well, will not be short of work. We want to be your suppliers for all of your hospital needs for your workshop, we’ll even supply you with pharmacy drugs that are exclusive to TT.”
“You want me to make an unaffiliated trauma clinic and ripperdoc surgeries and are willing to float the costs.”
“Providing, you keep an eye out for the Trauma Team nearby; occasionally we might need some information…you’ll be paid handsomely. As should… er…seven zeroes on your severance pay?”
Ajuka’s jaw dropped, he’d been left a tidy sum by his family but…seven zero payoffs! “That’s like…”
“Corpo lay off…We know. The Trauma Team works everyone to the bone but your layoffs and pensions are amazing.”
“Providing we can reach those ages. Gentlemen, it’s been a pleasure.”
“Thank you, Mr Bael, for your service. Let us know when you can get started.”
Ajuka nodded and left, as he walked out of the hospital a horn caught his attention. It was Sam, for once, not dressed in the armoured uniform of Trauma Team but rather form fitting pants and a top, just beneath her own tactical vest. “Hey you, going my way?”
Ajuka chuckled “And what way is that? Love?”
“Yours by Lizzie’s…”
“Make it mine by Afterlife and we’re on.”
The Afterlife Club was always packed, it was unique club with a unique clientele. Everyone was welcomed, provided people knew who you were. Ajuka and Sam piled out of their vehicle; a sixteen-month used Trauma Team Ground Vehicle, all the insignia had been removed. It turned out that this was but 1-part of Ajuka’s very hefty payoff.
They waited patiently in the line when one of the Bouncer’s eyes widened “Are you the Miracle Maker?”
“Miracle Maker? I haven’t heard of him.”
“Boss, the Miracle Maker’s a Trauma Team prodigy or something. He was patched through to me when my mother had a heart attack. I called him, sure he cost me the better part of 10k…”
“How is she? Your mother? The medication working? Still have enough?”
“She’s alive, still doing those exercises you instructed her on. Although she’s running low on those Statins you sold.”
“I’ll be over tomorrow.”
The Door Supervisor winced “Might be tight on the eddies…”
Sam interjected “We’ll sort something out.”
With that they entered the Afterlife, they quickly found themselves at the bar “What can I get you?”
Ajuka looked at the Board “Two Silverhands.”
“Normally people don’t go straight for those.”
Ajuka looked her dead in the eye “Most people don’t just lose their jobs, straight up, on the most pretencious charge ever. That’s life.”
“What sort of skills? I’m Claire.”
“I’m Sam and this is Zeke.” Sam cut in “We’re Med-Techs, Ex-Trauma.”
Claire’s eyes widened “Ex-Trauma Team, that’s a tough line of work.”
“It had moments. Getting shot at not so much, the operations, the in-field stuff that was wild.” Ajuka commented.
Claire chuckled “I can think of many a crew will come to see you, once word gets out.”
“If you have eddies, we’ll heal…nothing personal but…”
“You’ve gotta make a living.” A big well-chromed out man stated, as he brought his hands down on the bar. “Name’s Maine, where you based? I need…”
Ajuka looked at the newly named Maine “To chill out on the chrome or reduce the load. Sam’ll send you the deets. Right now, I just want to have a drink, a little quiet and then get familar with my apartment.”
Maine cocked an eyebrow “You don’t know your own apartment?”
“Good Trauma Team Formats are a hard combination. I can count on both hands, with fingers and thumbs left over to say how many times I made it home. Most of the time, I was sleeping in the barracks at the Trauma Team HQ.”
“That good, choom?” Asked either a young girl or a small woman.
“Very good, choom, I got the name Miracle-Maker for a reason…and…I’m probably more ‘ganic than at least 80% of you together.”
“Damn brat, get chipped up and chipped in. Chrome all the way.”
“Until you overgauge yourselves and find yourself staring down the MaxTac reinforcements…no thanks.” The slender techie looked like he was about to lose control of himself.
“Pilar, settle down. Zeke, Sam…Let us know when you’re going to be available.”
Ajuka grinned. He didn’t know how often he’d be in contact with this particular group but right now, bed and sleep called him. For the next day, Ajuka and Sam would get thrown right into the seedy underground world of Edgerunners.
(David Martinez)
The rent was overdue, that wasn’t anything new. His mother was dead, wiped out for simply being caught between two rival gangs; he’d been helpless to help out.
That was when he found it. It was a neurological implant attached to what appeared to be a mechanical spine. David’s mind was whirling, his mother had been on the scene to retrieve the dead cyberpsycho that was on the news and on the BD he’d experienced. “Mom did you…remove the implant.”
Currently, his mother was in a back-alley hospital, and here he was pouring over all of the accounts trying to find the money to A) pay rent, B) pay his mom’s medical bills and C) payback for the damages the gonk ripperdoc had caused.
He looked at the urn that contained his mother's ashes. God, he felt stiff and tender, especially after the beating he’d received from his classmate when he was disturbed by a knocking at the door.
He crept towards the door and opened it. Standing there was a male, a bit taller than David and possessed a near identical build to himself. David was nervous, there was something about him that unsettled him. “David…right? David Martinez?”
“Yeah, who’s asking?”
“I’m Ajuka Bael, I’m looking for your mother…”
“She’s dead.”
That rocked the man slightly “My sincerest condolences, er, may I come in?”
David nodded and opened the door slightly, only to find himself looking at thin air “Ah, so that’s where it went…the rogue military-grade Sandevestan.” David flinched, he turned to find Ajuka sitting on the couch holding the piece of hardware.
“Er…I’m…”
Ajuka chuckled “Kid, you’re in a ridiculously shit situation. Your rent’s way past, your mother’s deceased and due to the fact you’re from the wrong side of the tracks, under immense pressure from those shits at the Arasaka Academy and you’re in possession of a highly illegal piece of cyberware…probably looking to get rid of it or even stupidly install the fucker.”
“The thought…had crossed my mind.”
“My main will do it. But us to do this comes with some drawbacks.”
David paused “I’m listening, not like I have many choices.”
“I knew you were a smart one. Okay first one, I need your Ripperdocs address; secondly, you come to Me and Mine for ANY Chrome Upgrades and you WILL LISTEN to what we have to say…do you understand. Third, since you don’t seem to be all that willing to go back to Arasaka Academy, I’m going to need you to be doing some work for me; fetching, carrying, transporting and most of it is on a need-to-know basis and you’ll get paid 40% of all the deliveries.”
David stared at the man “You in essence just want me to work for you and get all my upgrades done by you…why?”
Ajuka pulled off his shirt and turned his back to the teen “I’ve got a Sandy, and, You want to get a Sandy installed…it takes one to train one choom.”
“Let’s chip it.”
“Whoa, amigo, whoa. Cool your jets boyo, cool yo’ jets; jumping into this shit is what turns Edgerunners into Cyberpsychos. I’m Ex-Trauma Team, believe me when I say I’ve seen this happen. The Sandy isn’t a piece of hardware that you can install at once, it requires several sessions of instalments. I got mine done over the space of two weeks.”
David nodded “Can we at least get the tests done, to see if this’ll work for me.”
“Don’t see why not boyo…Come on, Sam’s going to want you under her knife…if we can’t fit it, I can always refer you to Victor.”
“Victor?”
“He taught us…he’s the best we know. Come to think of it he’s one of the best Chrome-to-Ganic Rippers. He charges a pretty penny but he works.”
(Bael Clinic)
Sam let out a sigh as she stitched up a battered 6th Street Soldier. The Soldier had staggered into the clinic with a gunshot wound to the abdomen, normally his advanced healing cybernetic would have kicked in; but it turned out the bullet had tumbled and fragmented. “The bullet shards are out, I’ve managed to repair the damage. However, he’s going to need at minimum four weeks bedrest and these.” With that she placed three pots that rattled with pills on the counter. “It is imperative that he completes the pill medication and comes back here once every three weeks to ensure no degradation, although any signs of infection: coloured discharge, swelling, inflammation, soreness, you contact me ASAP.”
“Much obliged ma’am. The 6th Street thanks you for this.”
Sam snorted “You might well be, but, I’m missing out on some eddies…which you told me you were good for.”
There was a grumble before $12000 were transferred to her “These had better work.”
“Trauma Team Guaranteed. Oh and gents, I don’t care who you are or whose on my table but my property is a neutral zone.”
The 6th Street Sergeant nodded “No hits on targets in your clinic, got it. You might want to ensure the other gangs know of this.” Sam nodded, she kept her hands precisely where they could be seen; she really wished Ajuka was here. There were six of them and her, she could probably take two or three but that still meant 90+ rounds going off.
“Ey Doc, quick question.”
“Yeah?”
“You know anything about this missing military tech? Be happy to give eddies for anything that you might know.”
Sam sighed “I don’t know much, but considering the BD I used…can tell you it’s a neural piece…very much like my mainliner.”
“Can you be more specific? The make?”
“Not sure. The only one I know of is the Sandevistan “Falcon” but that’s like major expensive, my Main has a Dynalar.”
There whistles and long draws of breath, Sam saw that another $7k had been deposited into her account “Sandy’s and the like always attract the eye of everyone, there’s not that many of them so anytime gangs here of an enhancer like that going AWOL and potentially on the market it’s going to make things…interesting. You and yours are doctors, so you might be coming into a windfall.”
With that 6th Street left and as they left Ajuka and some kid walked in “Hey you, who's the stray?”
“Gloria Martinez’s kid, gonk found something interesting and I told him if he wanted it, he had to come to us.”
Sam smiled at her input “Well then sunshine, ditch the trouser and the torso and, pop your ass in that chair.”
David did as he was told, “So what happens now?”
“I put you sleep and we do some tests. We’re getting the weirder ones done with you under, you really don’t want to be awake when we start sticking things up your ass right? Unless you’re into that.” David blushed when his brain finally caught up.
“Fine, fine, put me under.” Sam chuckled “Sweet dreams.”
With that, the duo got to work “He’s got the basic loadout for most kids his age, mostly organic. However his chip slots are in extremely good condition, and and rather healthy as well…salt and sugar are a little high, but nothing too much to be concerned about, however, his compatibility is through the roof! Pure company software is registering is just over 90%, mix and matching 75%.”
“Compatibility ratings?” Sam asked.
“The compatibility with chrome runs parallel and sometimes causally to cyberpsychosis; which as you know is the oversaturation of mechanical impulses to the Central Nervous System and overpowers the brain.” Ajuka retorted as he debrided David’s foot for callous.
“You should have been a podiatrist…”
“In this world with Adam bloody Smasher around? You’d have thought so, still did the modules though.”
(Maine’s group et al.)
Maine growled, Gloria hadn’t contacted him as to when he could pick up the Sandy! He’d paid very good money for that piece of chrome! “I need to find that piece of chrome.”
“You’re a fucking gonk, for paying up front.” Pilar cackled.
“Pilar, you’d best retract the unspoken insult about Gloria. She and I go back; I find it hard to believe that she’ll stitch us. She’s always been good with us. Oh her some professional courtesy.” Maine growled.
“Dorio! You’re gonna…”
“Gloria introduced me to Maine after they split. Was it awkward, only if we made it. Besides, Gloria’s good people, will run into a burning building, knowing she’ll burn to get someone out.” Doria stated “I got her to get her hands on Cyberware.”
Lucy sighed “I’ll head out, then, gonks. I’ll let you know if I find it.” Lucy sighed, gods Pilar was an ass sometimes. She wasn’t low on eddies but chip pocket session never really hurt.