Dialogue: Lightning Breaks

Haru

Silverhand? Construct... ? That's impossible!

Where did you get this biochip?

V

1AYou have to remove the biochip from my system.

Haru

1AIt's not that simple.

V

1ALook, you made the thing, didn't you? So where's the problem?

Haru

1AIf you're telling the truth, you slotted in a new, experimental version of the biochip.

V

2AHow's the prototype version different? It's got a different engram? Something more...

Johnny

2A...aware?

V

2A...aggressive?

Haru

2AThe biochip is what's unique, not Silverhand's engram.

2AThe previous version of the chip was only used to communicate with pre-saved engrams.

V

2AAnd it was rare as fuck and cost a fortune, yeah.

Haru

2AThis one's rarer. Meant to install and activate the engram in a new body.

2AWhen I left Arasaka, the project was still in the trial phase.

V

3AHuh, imagine my luck, to be so fucking unique, so fucking exceptional.

3AThat mean you'll help me?

Haru

3AI would have to see it first.

V

4AOK.

Haru

4AHm... Unbelievable. It looks like...

Johnny

4ACan't believe this suit's the one who's gonna help us.

Haru

4AOh fuck.

V

5AImpressive, isn't it?

Haru

5AWhat a pity I won't be able to examine it fully.

Johnny

5AYeah, real shame, you coulda been his guinea pig, too.

V

5ATell me how to get rid of it.

Haru

5AI'm afraid I have bad news. Your neural network has completely deteriorated. It can no longer function independently of the chip.

5AThe only thing I could do...

Johnny

5AWoo-hoo! It's bargaining time!

Haru

5A...is to give you information on a good clinic in Sweden. They'll help you through the terminal stages, minimize the pain.

V

5BWhat? What is it?

Haru

5BWhat a pity I won't be able to examine it fully.

Johnny

5BYeah, real shame, you coulda been his guinea pig, too.

V

5BTell me how to get rid of it.

Haru

5BI'm afraid I have bad news. Your neural network has completely deteriorated. It can no longer function independently of the chip.

5BThe only thing I could do...

Johnny

5BWoo-hoo! It's bargaining time!

Haru

5B...is to give you information on a good clinic in Sweden. They'll help you through the terminal stages, minimize the pain.

V

6AWhat exactly is going on in my head?

Haru

6AYou tell me. What's it like to have two personalities?

6ABecause it's not like you're hearing voices. You're both yourself and Silverhand, simultaneously.

V

7ADidn't come here for the philosophy lecture.

Haru

7AIt's not philosophy. It's neurobiology. And your evidence just confirmed my hypothesis.

7AHave you noticed the construct's influence on your decision-making?

V

8AWhen it comes to my decisions, Johnny really is just a voice in my head.

8AMaybe he has a different opinion, but he can't make me do anything.

Johnny

8AAgreed, one hundred percent. You are one fucking stubborn host.

Haru

8AIt's not as if one of you wins the debate. The scale simply shifts, slowly but surely.

V

8AWhen it comes to my decisions, Johnny really is just a voice in my head.

8AMaybe he has a different opinion, but he can't make me do anything.

Johnny

8AAgreed, one hundred percent. You are one fucking stubborn host.

Haru

8AIt's not as if one of you wins the debate. The scale simply shifts, slowly but surely.

V

8BWhat do you mean?

Haru

8BYou will start doing things that were once unthinkable, at least to your old self.

8BAnd you know exactly who he was. A fanatic. A terrorist. A suicide bomber.

Johnny

8BWell fuck me, who's trying to mess with your head now?

V

9AAt least Johnny never whored himself out like you.

Haru

9AAre you defending him? Or is that Johnny speaking now?

9AOh, let me guess – he already tried to take over your body? You know, just for a little while?

V

9AYeah. And nothing happened.

Haru

9AYou know, this is rather like talking to someone hopelessly in love. Nothing gets through.

9AYou're letting him push you out of your own body. And you can't even see it as a problem.

V

9AYeah, but I didn't let him.

Haru

9ANext time, you might unexpectedly find it to be an excellent idea.

V

9ANo.

Johnny

9AWould you, though? Could be fun...

V

9AJohnny...

Johnny

9AKidding. But watch out – suit's getting ready to talk your head off.

V

9BKnow what? That's enough. You just playing for time?

9BBecause I can't tell – are you trying to convince me you're useless?

9BI mean, in that case, I can just shoot you in the head and save us both some time.

Johnny

9BUgh, finally.

Haru

9BI will try to help you – if you come with me to Kang Tao.

V

10AForget Kang Tao. Got any other ideas?

Haru

10AIf you think there's anyone else who can help you, I could give you the blueprints.

10AComplete project documentation. Kang Tao offered quite the sum for it.

V

10AYou got it with you?

Johnny

10AHe's got to. Gonk's fucking useless without 'em.

Takemura

10AV.

Haru

10ATakemura? What the hell is he doing here?

V

10AHe's got a few questions of his own for you. You play nice, he might even save your ass.

10AI'm almost done.

10AThe blueprints.

V

11AHe's all yours. I'll give you two some space.

Haru

11AI hope we can come to an understanding.

Takemura

11AThat is certainly in your best interest.

11AV. I will remember this.

V

11BWhat'll you do with him?

Takemura

11BI haven't decided yet.

V

11BAre you serious?

Takemura

11BYou know me. I can be impulsive.

Johnny

10ABetter than nothing. Long as we find someone fluent in technobabble.

V

10AForget Kang Tao. Got any other ideas?

Haru

10AIf you think there's anyone else who can help you, I could give you the blueprints.

10AComplete project documentation. Kang Tao offered quite the sum for it.

V

10AYou got it with you?

Johnny

10AHe's got to. Gonk's fucking useless without 'em.

V

10B"I'll try" just isn't gonna cut it. Actually, it's almost like you're trying to buy your way in with the Chinese... at my expense.

Haru

10BDo you even realize how much data is in your head?

10BEven if I can't help you, the data must be saved.

Johnny

10BWell fuck me sideways, what a halfbrained gonk. He just admitted you're right.

Haru

8BThat is why I believe it would be better for you to consider clinical isolation at this stage.

V

8BWhat do you mean?

Haru

8BYou will start doing things that were once unthinkable, at least to your old self.

8BAnd you know exactly who he was. A fanatic. A terrorist. A suicide bomber.

Johnny

8BWell fuck me, who's trying to mess with your head now?

V

7BI can see him and talk to him.

Haru

7BYou're not "talking," but yes, I understand what you mean.

7BHave you noticed the construct's influence on your decision-making?

V

7CAin't just about Silverhand anymore. Rogue algos from beyond the Blackwall flipped new switches within the Relic…

Haru

7CWhat? How could that be?

V

7CIs it possible someone who connected to the Blackwall and the Relic could've left... a backdoor? For somethin'... malicious to sneak onto the chip?

Haru

7CThis I do not know. The Blackwall – it is Terra Incognita to me. I know just that whatever lies behind it must remain there, at all costs.

7CAt this moment, Silverhand remains your greatest problem. Two psyches molding into one... or is it one psyche cleaving in two? Hmm…

V

6BWait, you said the project was in the trial phase.

6BYou don't actually know how it'll end.

Haru

6BOh, I do. I just saw the construct devouring your brain.

6BIt's programmed to take over its new environment. At all costs.

6BAnd your little meatbrain is helpless against it.

V

6BSo no matter what, sooner or later the engram wins?

Haru

6BYes. And from what I've heard about Silverhand, that seems to be exactly his style.

Johnny

6BHuh. I see my reputation's grown into Arasaka legend.

V

4BWhoa. We just met. Haven't built up that sorta trust yet.

Haru

4BHow did you think this was going to go?

4BIf you want me to help you, I must examine you.

V

3BYeah, yeah, great, your tech works. Now get it out of me.

Haru

3BI would have to see it first.

V

3CHow exactly was this new version supposed to work?

3CWere you planning to have the engram kick people out of their own bodies? Is that shit by design?

Haru

3CDuring the tests, we assumed that the body would be... neurally indifferent during implantation.

V

3CY'mean dead?

Haru

3CYes. Which makes what happened to you interesting indeed.

V

3DHow do you put a price on immortality? Who could even afford tech like this?

Haru

3DNobody. This model was meant to remain in-house.

3DThe prototype was Saburo Arasaka's personal commission. He oversaw the entire project himself.

V

3DSo if it weren't for Yorinobu, nobody would've found out.

Haru

3DAnd if not for you, the project would not have been a success. This is a true breakthrough.

V

2BI know you can't just yank it out.

2BMy ripper said...

Haru

2BYou showed that to some fucking street doctor? Who else knows?!

V

2BI needed help.

2BOr did you think the first thing that came to mind was downing a Kang Tao AV?

1BKlepped it off Yorinobu Arasaka. Job for a client, but the client left me out to dry.

Haru

1BAnd you decided the best place for it was in your own goddamn head?

V

1BActually, wasn't a bad idea.

1BConstruct rebooted me when my own goddamn head took a bullet.

Haru

1BI always knew Yorinobu's plan would fail. I just never imagined it would turn out like this.

1BArasaka's prize tech really is in the very streets of the city.

V

1CLong story.

Haru

1CIf Arasaka finds me, I'm dead. So are you. So we are in no hurry.

1CAnd I'm interested. Truly.

V

12AHey.

Haru

12AWhere am I? What is this place?

V

13AWanna talk about your little invention. Biochip you made for Arasaka.

Haru

13AFine. But let's get one thing straight first.

13AYorinobu Arasaka didn't send you?

V

13ANo.

Haru

13AThis means you must have an offer for me.

13AIf your boss will pay more than Kang Tao, I believe we can talk.

V

14ANobody sent me. I got a problem, and you're gonna help me.

Haru

14AAnd what does that have to do with the biochip?

V

14BYou misunderstand me. There is no offer.

Haru

14BWhat do you want?

V

15AYour tech's tryin' to kill me. Pretty sure that's not how it's advertised.

Haru

15AIf you wish to file a complaint, I'll need more details.

V

15AGot Johnny Silverhand's construct stuck in my head. And I don't want it there.

15BGot Silverhand's construct in my head. It's literally driving me crazy, and I know it's only gonna get worse. That is, unless I remove it.

15BAnd that, none of that's on the billboards I saw. Not even in the fine print.

13BMotel. Middle of nowhere.

Haru

13BAny specific middle?

V

13BDoesn't matter. You're not leaving here by yourself anyway.

Haru

13BWhy are we here?

V

16AHey.

Haru

16AWhere am I? What is this place?

V

Hey.

Haru

Where am I? What is this place?

Agh, this heat. My throat is positively parched.

Takemura

Mh, V did not give you even a glass of water?

Unacceptable. Inhumane.

That is not me. You will see the difference. I will give you full buckets.

Haru

No, uh… No need.

Have you noticed the construct's influence on your decision-making?

I would have to see it first.

V

Forget Kang Tao. Got any other ideas?

Haru

If you think there's anyone else who can help you, I could give you the blueprints.

Complete project documentation. Kang Tao offered quite the sum for it.

V

You got it with you?

Johnny

He's got to. Gonk's fucking useless without 'em.

V

The blueprints.

When it comes to my decisions, Johnny really is just a voice in my head.

Maybe he has a different opinion, but he can't make me do anything.

Johnny

Agreed, one hundred percent. You are one fucking stubborn host.

Haru

It's not as if one of you wins the debate. The scale simply shifts, slowly but surely.

Why are we here?

Where am I? What is this place?

So, what do you propose?

Well, speak. Say something.

Do you wish to know more about your condition?

You are silent.