Dialogue: The Corpo-Rat

Border Loadspeaker

Please direct your vehicle to the inspection area.

Remain in your vehicle. The security check will begin shortly.

Jackie

I got a real bad feelin' about this…

V

1AHand me the manifest. They'll need to see it.

Jackie

1AGrab these.

V

1ALet me see... Ah! It's marked LOA. Perfect.

Jackie

1AWhat's that mean?

V

1ALost on Arrival. Means the cargo was flagged as "to be lost" as soon as it crossed the border.

Jackie

1AWhoa, so they know we're smugglin'?

V

1AWell, they're about to find out.

Border Loadspeaker

1AThe owner of the vehicle in the inspection area will report for further questioning.

V

2AIf we want the customs officer to turn a blind eye to our dubious docs, we'll need a sweetener. Do you have the credit chip with the bribe?

Jackie

2AOh... yeah. Heh, forgot about that.

V

3ARight. You forgot.

Jackie

3AI'll keep the engine runnin'... in case of a cock-up.

V

3ADo that.

Officer

4APapers.

V

5AIs this routine?

Officer

5AIt might be. We'll see.

V

5BI know the rules. Everything's there.

Officer

5BIt might be, it might not be. We'll see.

4AMmh...

4AWhat are you transporting?

V

4AIt's all in there.

Officer

4AEverything...?

Officer

6AAh, yes… Remind me, you drive for which nomad clan?

V

6AThere's one additional enclosure to the manifest.

V

7AI don't think that's any concern of yours.

Officer

7AIs that what you believe?

V

7BNone, no clan. I drive for myself.

Officer

7BBold. And none too wise…

6AY'know, whenever I see someone like you, I'm oh so grateful not to be on that side of the table.

V

8AThe feeling's mutual.

Officer

8AGo on, now. Your associate's waiting for you in the car.

Guard

9ABe careful with that toy.

9AAnd welcome to Night City.

Jackie

10AWhat happened in there?

V

11AI'll tell you soon. We need to get outta here.

Jackie

11AYeah, OK.

Officer

9ADon't forget to take your personal items.

V

6BIf anything's wrong, just say so. I'm sure we can figure it out.

Officer

6BI haven't said anything yet.

6BThe question is, should I expect to find anything out of order?

3APlease sit.

Border Loadspeaker

3AProceed to customs without undue delay.

Guard

3AIf you're armed, place your weapon here.

Guard

12ANow please report to room number two.

12ARoom two.

V

2BRelax. It's all in line with procedures. It's all part of the plan.

Jackie

2BHey, guess you know what you're doin', huh?

V

1BYou know they'll notice if you're nervous, right?

1BYou have got to calm down.

Jackie

1BRight, right, yeah…

Border Loadspeaker

Attempt to cross the border, and we will open fire.

Attempt to cross the border, and we will open fire.

Proceed to the office for questioning. All other areas are off limits.

Return to your vehicle immediately.

Any attempt at unlawful crossing will be met with force.

Officer

...

Jackie

C'mon, don't make me wait, choom…

Officer

Siddown.

Papers. Hand them over.

Is that all you have for me?

It's time you left.

Out of my sight, before I change my mind.

Inspection Guard

Those little shits imagine Night City as some kind of paradise.

Guards Chat

What can you do? Young, naïve – which is just a euphemism for ignorant.

Inspection Guard

Hands – on your head! Hit the ground, flat on your gut! Only saying this once!

Traveller Male

What'd I do...?!

Traveller Female

Leave him alone!

Inspection Guard

On the ground! That's not negotiable!

Jackie

You gonna tell me what happened back there?

V

1AA customs dickhead got nitpicky.

Jackie

1AAnd that ain't normal?

V

1ANot to that extent.

1BLet's say I have a bad feeling about this.

Jackie

1BOh... Happen a lot to you?

V

1BRarely.

Jackie

Smellin' trouble 'round the bend?

V

Drive, Jackie, just drive.

Jackie

Scheiße, das war knapp.

Someone's comin' our way. This does not look good.

Arasaka Security

Stop your vehicle immediately!

V

Let's get outta here!

Jackie

On it!

Arasaka Security

You are transporting contraband that is corporate property.

I repeat – stop the car!

V

Damn.

Jackie

We lost 'em.

Weiß nicht, ob meine Nerven das aushalten.

V

Keep driving. We can't stop here.

Jackie

Foot of lead – we'll ditch 'em!

Gotta keep movin'!

Place looks deserted. Gonna stop here, need to sort out a few things before we go on.

Jackie

We lost 'em.

Weiß nicht, ob meine Nerven das aushalten.

V

Keep driving. We can't stop here.

Jackie

Forget them!

Drove off... Think we can move.

V

Park the car so it's damned hard to find. They could circle back.

Jackie

Right. Got it.

V

Damn.

Arasaka Security

I repeat – stop the car!

V

Damn.

Jackie

Scheiße, das war knapp.

V, got a problem! Get your ass in here!

V, got a problem! Get your ass in here!

V

2AIf you think this is my fault, at least have the balls to say so.

Jackie

2AI don't know yet. Is it?!

V

2BCalm down. Sometimes these things happen.

Jackie

2BThis?! What kinda shit happens?!

V

1ABorder security tipped off the corporation that we have their cargo.

Jackie

1AWhat's the deal with these borderlies flippin' us the finger as they fuckin' please?! With no consequences!

V

1AHe took a risk. He assumed we didn't have a clan backing us, and he was right.

V

3AWe've crossed the border. Now you pay me, and we go our separate ways.

Jackie

3AUh, I ain't gonna lie... I'm a bit light. I can't pay you now.

3AHave somethin' for you once I collect my scrap for this corpo crap we're carryin'.

V

3AAh, and you just figured I would sit by patiently?

Jackie

3AActually, I wasn't gonna pay you at all. Was just gonna bust ass and disappear soon as we crossed over. But…

3AYou're all right.

V

3BI could ask you the same question – will you keep whining, or will we put a bow on this thing?

Jackie

3BUh, I ain't gonna lie... I'm a bit light. I can't pay you now.

3BHave somethin' for you once I collect my scrap for this corpo crap we're carryin'.

V

3BAh, and you just figured I would sit by patiently?

Jackie

3BActually, I wasn't gonna pay you at all. Was just gonna bust ass and disappear soon as we crossed over. But…

3BYou're all right.

V

1AYou tricked me.

Jackie

1AOh, well, apologies for offending the spotless moral code of a smuggler.

V

5ASo, what's next?

Jackie

5ANow we take a peek inside.

5AOpen it.

V

6AOh shit.

6ASays Arasaka on the crate... We are robbin' some heavy hitters.

Jackie

6AThen maybe we'll make some heavy money.

V

7AThink you can make some money on it?

Jackie

7ASure. Think it'll make us happy.

V

7A"Us"?

Jackie

7AYeah, partner. We'll go halfsies.

7AAny decent fixer'll find a loaded gonk interested in a rare gem like this.

7AIt's kind of a shame, though... I always wanted a pet.

7AGot the name Manny all thought out.

7AHey, by the way... you, uh, got any plans for what you'll be doin' in Night City?

V

8AI don't have any plans. I've spent the last years traveling between states with my nomad family.

Jackie

8AAh, prolly be waitin' for you somewhere, eh?

V

8ANo. We decided to go our separate ways.

Jackie

8AThat must be tough, huh? Havin' no one to go back to?

V

8BWhy do you ask?

Jackie

8BCause I got this feelin' you got a lotta time... an' nothin' to spend it on.

8BAnd NC ain't a city that lets you get by without buddies.

7ABut don't you worry. Lemme help you find digs. You gotta live somewhere.

7A'S important to have people you can turn to. Y'know, like, uh, family. Maybe you'll find your own down in Night City.

V

9AThanks, much appreciated.

Jackie

9AHey, c'mon. 'S nothin'. We got chemistry, you an' me. Be a cryin' shame to waste it... partner.

V

9BI never said I needed help.

Jackie

9BHey, c'mon. It's nothin'. We got chemistry, you an' me. Be a cryin' shame to waste it... partner.

V

7AHey!

Jackie

7AAww, cuddly little fucker.

V

10AOK, partner. Time to grab the lizard and scurry outta here.

10BYou know what, Jackie? You're not all bad yourself.

7ALesser Antil-what?

Jackie

7AYeah! Watched a thing on TV about 'em. Went extinct like thirty years ago. They're from the Lesser Antilles.

7AYou come a long way, my scaly friend.

V

12AI don't know if your client's gonna be happy gettin' an open package. Usually means trouble.

Jackie

12AFuck the client. You gotta start workin' for yourself sometime. No commission, no middlemen.

12AAnd I need to know what I'm sellin' if I'm gonna try to find a new buyer.

V

1AI appreciate the honesty.

Jackie

1AAh, thanks.

They almost tagged our asses! That what you call smugglin'?!

It was supposed to go smooth. No problems!

Jackie

Chick we're looking for's somewhere in this building.

Speakin' of which… got you a little somethin'. Militech training shard. 'Case you need to, uh, brush up on your dance moves.

Down for some target practice in VR?

V

1AMilitech. Jack, we're talkin' classified, military-grade tech here. How did you get it?

Jackie

1AT-Bug. And our girl made a couple adjustments...

V

1AWhy? Thinks she knows better?

Jackie

1ANah. Said it didn't suit her, uh, "style" – hah. You'll see what I mean.

V

2ASure, why the hell not.

2CNot now, Jack – no time. Maybe later.

V

3ALet's do this.

Jackie

3AElevator. This way.

V

3BWakako give you any tips and tricks for the job?

Jackie

3B"I'm not your mother. Just do what I pay you for. It's easy work." Sh'yeah…

T-Bug

Got additional modules if you wanna hone any other skills. Or you finish up, delta out now.

Cracked two other training modules for you. You can dive right into those, or... call it a day now.

There's a stealth module – dunno, could be useful. Complete that and you'll have done it all.

TBugVoice

Time to get down 'n' dirty in close-quarter combat.

Take him down. But careful... looks tough.

Sarge

Let's begin with basic combat training. This session will be recorded for subsequent evaluation.

This course is designed to reinforce your fundamental combat abilities and hone your reflexes.

The skills you gain here will help you survive, even excel, on the battlefield.

I will train you to be effective with firearms, to use stealth tactics to your advantage and to hack into enemy networks.

Because at Militech--

T-Bug

Man, Militech can't encrypt for shit.

But they clearly got drillin' jarheads in their blood.

Now... station one, you maggot! Move, move, move!

Hope you're ready to bust ass through this fascist playground.

Well OK, looks like we've covered everything. High-fives all around.

G'luck, V.

All right, some advanced combat tecniques for dessert. Then we wrap this party up.

Hacking's the next item on the menu. Might notice I tweaked the course material a bit.

Not too shabby. Militech's algorithm's put you on a decent run.

Got additional modules if you wanna hone any other skills. Or you finish up, delta out now.

But remember – the street's not gonna give you any hints or second chances.

Got additional modules if you wanna hone any other skills. Or you finish up, delta out now.

TBugVoice

Now you won't lose him. Run on over to the training area. Chop, chop!

See that guard downstairs? Tag him with Kiroshi.

Find cover! Quick!

Nice, nice. Now move slowly towards the exit. Stay out of sight.

Nova, well done. On to the next area.

Now the same thing, only with the camera.

Yeah, didn't think you'd find that too tough.

Whaddaya say we crank it up a notch?

You took a hit. Use a reanimator to patch yourself up.

Quit standin' around and take cover!

Head to the training area when you're good to go.

See the targets? Have at 'em.

Work a little hack magic on the screen to distract the guard.

Good! Now take him out quietly.

All right, all yours. Take him out.

Never smart to leave behind any trace of your handiwork.

Especially the dead kind.

Now pick up the body and hide it somewhere.

OK, now try to take him down in one slick move.

Wait for it…

Now. Detonate the grenade.

OK, that'll do.

Now maybe we find someone closer to your weight class.

Jackie

So? Not bad, huh?

And now we can get down to biz.

TBugVoice

Right! So first – let's shape up those stealth skills.

Let's blast through a tactical target practice program. Y'know, a little warm-up.

This training module will teach you how to apply technological tools to combat situations.

Jesus, corpospeak can even make hacking sound borin'.

Time to get down 'n' dirty in close-quarter combat.

Nice work today.

Just stand on the platform to exit the sim.

Preem work, V.

Stand on the platform, and we'll move on.

See? Just needed to shut your brain down and follow orders. In true Militech fashion.

Under my wise command, you're a real champ. Take your spot on the podium.

Good stuff. Looks like you're cruisin' already.

Hop on the platform.

T-Bug

Need a hand-written invite?

Well? We doin' this?

TBugVoice

Pick up the pace. Wastin' time here.

C'mon, don't need you hurt!

Stealthy, now, V. You ever relive a ninja BD? Just like that.

Hide already!

Sorry, did I load a hacker training program or a spa sim?

Umm, sightseeing?

Back to your training, recruit!

T-Bug

Well? We doin' this?

TBugVoice

V, you're not a gonkbrained Militech recruit. Get movin'!

No worries. Try again.

Almost, almost. Again, from the top.

Focus, V.

C'mon, you got this.

Corpotrash... Style over substance!

T-Bug

Good. Well, I say it's high time to spit a little lead.

TBugVoice

Pick up the pace. Wastin' time here.

Not bad. But it's more realistic if the target's packin' iron.

Oh, look. Brought some chooms with him this time. You know what to do, V.

Ya think you're ready to try hackin' some gonks in real time?

Have fun!

Let's move on to melee weapons. Grab a sword.

Good. Now show me what you've learned.

TBugVoice

Dull bit comin' up now – blockin' blows instead of dealin' 'em.

TBugVoice

Now this fool loses his footing every time he swings. Use that – get in there and land a counterpunch.

Fool – I like that! V, wanna see this fool punchin' air next, don't let him land anything.

You've done well in mastering the Way of the Fool, young apprentice. I can teach you no more… This is the part where you face your final test.

Let's bump things up from "easy" to "normal." This next fool can block your attacks.

T-Bug

Nicely done overall.

You can tell Jackie I passed you with flying colors.

Jackie

Well?

TBugVoice

Hack one of the guards to distract the other. Get to it!

Hope they like surprises.

Got three targets for ya, eager to get shot.

Head to the training area when you're good to go.