Chapter 146: A car fit for a legend

The jurisdiction of Night City extends not only to the urban area but also to the vast plains outside the city. This area is so expansive that using satellites to locate and identify individuals on the plains is highly impractical. As a result, the company's control diminishes sharply in this region. Nomads are the main inhabitants of the Badlands. They are much less reliant on cybernetic enhancements, and some are even naturally healthy, making it difficult for netrunners to gather much information in this area. The Badlands consist of endless deserts, Joshua trees, low hills, dried-up oil fields, heaps of scrap, and isolated small towns. The asphalt roads are buried beneath sand and dust, showcasing the harsh landscape of the Badlands. The area is so vast that the NCPD lacks the manpower to maintain a presence, so the security of the Badlands has been outsourced to Militech. However, Militech's forces mainly guard the highway exits and the border. Four nomads-style vehicles sped across the desert. Seven young men from the Red Ocher tribe came to pick up Cedric, none of whom had significant combat experience except Navi. V and Leo were sitting in a modified Qudra Type-66 car, while Jackie and Navi sat together. Jackie's bones hadn't fully healed, so he was in charge of command rather than fighting. V wasn't fit for combat either, but the Yinglong submachine gun was already connected to the vehicle's weapon interface, allowing her to control it from inside using panoramic camera technology. "We've switched roles—didn't expect this day to come," V said as she plugged in her personal link. "Seems to be running smoothly." The panoramic camera technology is a feature for fully enclosed vehicles. The car they were driving had no windows, replaced entirely by bulletproof armor. Sensors embedded in the armor collected visual information, providing a seamless external view. "As long as it's working—Cedric's car will exit via Highway 3. Theoretically, Militech won't intercept them, but they might get tipped off since Cedric belongs to the Red Ocher tribe. We can't let the companies trace this lead back to us. If anyone chases us, blow them up." All the Red Ocher members who attended the event that night were dead, leaving behind very few traces. This was one reason why the Red Ocher tribe could still survive in the wastelands outside Night City. Leo spoke as if destroying Militech vehicles was as trivial as smashing toy cars. Meanwhile, the young men from the Red Ocher tribe were both excited and nervous on the communication channel. V asked a question after hearing their chatter: "What if the vehicles chasing us are Behemoth armored cars or Basilisk tanks?" Leo replied slowly, "Mexico sounds like a nice place. We'll head there if it comes to that." However, based on the news, that scenario seemed unlikely. Cedric sat in the car, staring blankly at the dust-filled Badlands. He was in a Columbus cargo vehicle, marked with the "Respectful Logistics" insignia, even recognized by scanners as such. Militech had set up a checkpoint ahead, signaling all vehicles to stop on sight. Cars started to form a long queue. The driver, seeing that Militech personnel had stopped his vehicle, shouted, "Damn it! When will this blockade end? Do you know how much every second of delay costs?" Militech officers were used to these complaints. Repetitive work and trash talk had dulled the edge of their duties. Fatigue from long shifts and double shifts made one officer wonder if he could still bleed anything but stimulants from his veins. Agitated, the officer yelled back, "Yell at your mom! See over there—wanna line up there instead?" The "there" he referred to was a special inspection lane for Mackinaw vehicles. That area was bustling with half the Mackinaw trucks painted in red and black stripes, ridden by street thugs and gang members. They sat stiffly, pretending to be model citizens—but their eyes gave them away. They were there to cause trouble. They didn't have jobs, so they just lingered. After all, messing with corporate lackeys was one of the few entertainments they had. Naturally, this annoyed the legitimate truckers, who were about to lose their tempers. "You're gonna dismantle my seat just because I'm driving a Mackinaw? What, did you get brain damage?" One trucker yelled, and soon others followed suit. Their blood pressure rose, and so did the Militech officers'. But just as Militech didn't care about the truckers' blood pressure, the shouting somehow gave everyone a strange sense of courage. "Your blood pressure's not our problem!" Bang! A driver, overcome with frustration, threw an empty bottle at one of the Militech enforcers. The burly soldier in camouflage silently walked over— "Uh, I-I was just throwing trash." Crack—Bang! The Militech enforcer ripped the door off the ancient black Mackinaw, grabbed the driver's head, and slammed him into the ground! Bang! The driver lay on the ground, bleeding profusely, holding his head and whimpering. This scene terrified the other drivers, who immediately fell silent. But chaos erupted on the other side— "Turn off your cyber-eyes. No recordings allowed here—" "Stupid corpo dogs! First time I've heard of a checkpoint where they gouge out your eyes!" A gang member stood up, yelling defiantly. After all, this was prime news material! The Militech enforcer looked up and saw a sea of glowing blue eyes, recording his every move— He realized he'd messed up—but he couldn't help it. He only meant to teach the guy a lesson, but once he started, he couldn't stop. Days of high-intensity shifts had filled his veins with adrenaline, and his mind was buzzing with aggression! Looking at the terrified man crawling away, clutching his head, a dark thought crossed his mind: Things went quiet after he struck that guy—what if he kept going? He strode toward the gang member who was still mouthing off, pushed past his companions, and amidst their horrified gazes, grabbed the guy by the head— The crunch of crushing skull echoed, and with a vicious yank— Crack! The gang member's neck was stretched grotesquely, his head slamming against the car door. The other gang members, either shocked or furious, instinctively drew their guns— And that's when things escalated! Bang! Gunfire erupted, the traffic instantly plunged into chaos, and the Mackinaw was quickly caught in the crossfire before exploding. Cedric's car had been at the front of the line. Hearing the gunfire, the driver floored the gas pedal and sped away! Explosions and gunfire erupted behind them, cars swerved wildly, and chaos ensued. This wasn't just a gunfight—someone had snapped, triggering a cyberpsychosis episode! Cedric finally snapped out of his daze and turned to the driver, "What's going on?" "How should I know? You hear gunfire, you floor it—no other reason needed! What the—are they still doing inspections? Are they insane?" The driver glanced in the rearview mirror. A Ragnar armored car was bulldozing through the chaotic traffic, crashing into cars as it went, all while yelling: "Stop for inspection!" But who was listening? No one noticed a Quadra Type-66 modified desert armored car charging up behind the traffic, roaring into the fray! Bang! The car rammed into the side of the Ragnar armored car. The Quadra Type-66 was much lighter than the mighty Ragnar, but its sheer horsepower was overwhelming! The Ragnar skidded, and a few other small cars bumped into it, causing a pileup and blocking the already congested traffic. The driver of Cedric's car yelled, "This car is awesome! A legend's car!" Just as he finished, he received a communication request. [Incoming Call] Ding-dong— "Regina's crew? What's the situation at the checkpoint?" "I don't know! All I know is someone started shooting, and now everyone's flooring it—tell me where to go. Militech's dogs are on their way." "Follow me." A slick-looking yet practical Quadra Type-66 modified car zoomed ahead, and the driver checked his rearview mirror— Before he knew it, they were surrounded by four nomads cars. Leo, sitting in one of the vehicles, used the driver as a bridge to connect with Regina via a call: "We've got the package." On the other end, Regina's voice sounded odd: "Hmm, although I doubt it's related, there's a report of cyberpsychosis at the Highway 3 checkpoint." "Not our problem," Leo said with sudden realization. "No wonder cars are going crazy out here—do you want me to catch the guy?" "Preferably alive," Regina considered. "A Militech officer going cyberpsycho right now could help us pressure them to lift the blockade, but you've got to be quick—Militech reinforcements are on the way." "Got it. Let's hope he's still alive." Leo turned to his crew. "Navi—turn around. There's a cyberpsycho at the checkpoint. Get Cedric out of the driver's seat and take him back." "What about the driver?" "He's got a new job." (TN: Hay guys I'm back did you miss me )