Leo lightly touched the computer's power button, and the screen lit up. No password had been set. Sitting down in the chair, he began sifting through the files.
He soon noticed that this computer was networked to a camera installed in the basement. However, when he attempted to take control remotely, the screen remained pitch black. It was as though the basement camera had been destroyed.
Left with no immediate way to check the basement feed, he moved on to the saved messages:
————
*"Hey…"*
*From:* Rose Horrigan
*To:* Juliet Horrigan
Juliet!
Oh my god, how long has it been since we last talked? Are you doing okay?
I guess I'm only writing because something's really weighing on my mind…
Remember that old dam we used to play on when we were kids? We'd shout our names and random nonsense just to hear the echo… Our voices would bounce across the valley…
Sometimes it still feels like I can hear those echoes—like they drifted far from home and then found their way back. It's strange, right? I'm not sure. Honestly, Juliet, everything's been going downhill for me lately. It's only getting worse. And the worst part is, I lost my job (so all those new implants for work were basically useless).
I hope I'm not scaring you or asking too much. It's just that I wish I could actually hear your voice again—more than just an echo. Maybe that would help me snap out of it somehow?
Rose
…
*From:* Juliet Horrigan
*To:* Rose Horrigan
Rose! Of course I remember that dam. And that time we wanted to kick that jerk Benny Dillard (and his stupid drone) off the edge. :P
Yeah, I heard about your job. That's really rough. But listen, I talked it over with Sei, and we both agree you can stay with us for a while—at least until you feel better. Come on, just like old times.
Juliet
————
After reading, Leo, Lucy, and Rebecca exchanged glances.
"So," Leo began, "this Rose must be Juliet's sister. Initially, Sei was okay with her coming here, but maybe Rose's condition got out of control. He couldn't handle it and left."
Seeing Leo's thoughtful expression, Rebecca asked, "What are you thinking?"
"That Rose might be another person who replaced her limbs for a job—and then lost that job. A victim of Night City's harsh realities."
He recalled an episode of Night After Night, hosted by Zigg Q, featuring a former New American Auto Company worker named Martin Coleman. That corporation forced employees to get Zeta Tech prosthetics—on loan, no less—or face termination without severance. Many had mortgages, families, and no other choices. Some took on crippling debt just to keep their jobs, only for the company to go under within a year. Suddenly unemployed, they still owed huge sums to Zeta Tech. When they couldn't pay, the repo squad came knocking—literally tearing the implants off their bodies and leaving them physically disabled.
Leo refocused when he noticed Lucy and Rebecca watching him. He waved a hand to show he was fine. "Let's see if there are other emails. Maybe we'll learn what actually happened here."
————
*"About Rose"*
*From:* Viktor Vektor
*To:* Juliet Horrigan
Ms. Horrigan,
I'm glad you came to me for help instead of trusting one of those scammer street clinics. But I'm afraid I don't have good news.
The symptoms you've described suggest a severe dissociative break. No matter the treatment, it's going to keep getting worse. In this situation, there's nothing you can really do for your sister.
The only real 'cure' is a visit from MaxTac—if you understand my meaning.
It's good you reached out to me, but your next step should be to contact them. The sooner they handle her, the safer it'll be for everyone, including you.
—Viktor
————
"Vik?" Lucy said, startled. All three looked at one another. None of them had expected Viktor to be caught up in this. It appeared Juliet had tried to get his help.
"MaxTac…" Leo shook his head. Although he'd only suspected before, this practically confirmed it: Rose was deep into cyberpsychosis.
That also explained the empty safe. Juliet must have been pouring all her resources into treatment, leaving her with nothing left. And Sei, Juliet's husband, had likely left because he couldn't cope.
The last two emails on the computer came from Juliet's mother and from El Capitán himself. The one from her mother mentioned Rose calling 40 times in a row, breathing heavily into the phone but never speaking, then cutting off. Her mother, worried, asked Juliet what was happening. Juliet replied with reassurances that everything was fine.
The message from El Capitán was sent after Juliet had dropped out of contact. He asked for an update on the Zeta Tech data and said he had other jobs he only trusted her to handle, but she hadn't replied.
It was unclear whether something had happened to Juliet by then or if she was simply too busy dealing with Rose to respond.
…
Juliet's home wasn't large. They had seen all there was to see downstairs, so they headed back to the sofa area. Sticking close to the wall, they climbed the stairs to the second floor.
The space up here was even narrower, with only two rooms. Leo opened the one closest to the landing—a small bedroom with bunk beds, like the sleeper compartments on a train. Immediately in view was a wardrobe door stained with a good amount of dried blood. A chair lay overturned on the floor. The room was in chaos.
Just from the condition of the place, Leo's mind pieced together a possible scenario: Juliet or Sei had been trying to restrain a rampaging Rose. Someone's back or arm got injured, bleeding heavily, and then Rose shoved that person against the wardrobe, leaving those bloody smears. A foul odor lingered in the air. On the table, an open medkit lay nearly empty of supplies, as though they'd desperately tried to patch someone up.
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