## Chapter 1 — The Long Way Around Afterlife was unusually calm. Which, in Afterlife terms, meant only three arguments were currently happening within visible range. Ace considered that progress. She sat sideways in the booth, one boot hooked beneath the table, nursing a drink she had no intention of finishing. Across from her, Mai was engaged in what appeared to be a deeply personal conflict with several spreadsheets. Judging by the expression on her face, the spreadsheets were losing. Shammy occupied the remaining corner of the booth. As usual, she somehow managed to look simultaneously relaxed and entirely aware of everything happening around her. The music pounded through the club. Mercs laughed. Fixers negotiated. Someone near the bar was making decisions they would almost certainly regret before sunrise. Normal Night City. Normal Afterlife. Normal evening. Ace approved. Then she noticed Panam. Not because Panam was trying to be seen. The opposite, actually. Panam sat across the room in Rogue's booth with the unmistakable posture of someone enduring a briefing she strongly suspected could have been an email. Ace watched for a few seconds. Then took a sip. Then: _"Your comet is back."_ Shammy looked up from her drink. _"Hm?"_ Ace nodded toward Rogue's booth. Shammy followed the gesture. Found Panam immediately. A small smile appeared. Warm. Automatic. Unforced. The kind of smile that happened before conscious thought arrived. _"She's not my comet."_ _"Sure."_ Mai didn't even look up from her agent. _"Objectively speaking, Ace is correct."_ Shammy sighed. _"You two are impossible."_ _"Frequently."_ _"Documented."_ Mai still hadn't looked up. Ace grinned. Shammy rolled her eyes. Across the room, Panam appeared to be losing an argument with Rogue. Again. Some things in Night City were eternal. --- Rogue's booth sat slightly elevated above the surrounding chaos. Not enough to stand out. Just enough to give the illusion that the queen of fixers wasn't actually part of the circus around her. Panam sat opposite her. Arms folded. Expression skeptical. Which was also normal. _"What's the catch?"_ Rogue took a slow drink. _"No catch."_ Panam immediately frowned. _"That's suspicious."_ _"You're suspicious."_ _"I have reasons."_ _"Most criminals do."_ Panam pointed. _"See?"_ _"See what?"_ _"That."_ Rogue looked unimpressed. Which for Rogue was practically enthusiasm. The fixer slid a data shard across the table. _"Courier job."_ Panam stared. _"Seriously?"_ _"Seriously."_ _"That's it?"_ _"That's it."_ _"No ambush?"_ _"Hopefully."_ _"That confidence inspires me."_ Rogue ignored her. As was tradition. Panam picked up the shard. Read. Read again. Read a third time. The frown deepened. _"This is boring."_ _"Exactly."_ _"You called me in for boring?"_ _"You're welcome."_ Panam hated when Rogue did that. Mostly because it worked. The route stretched deep into the Badlands. Long drive. Simple delivery. Trusted contact. Package handoff. Return trip. Nothing particularly glamorous. Nothing particularly dangerous. Exactly the sort of job Rogue preferred assigning to somebody else. Panam sighed. _"Fine."_ _"Good."_ _"Still think there's a catch."_ _"There probably is."_ _"Rogue."_ _"What?"_ _"You just said—"_ _"Welcome to Night City."_ Panam hated that answer too. --- The briefing ended ten minutes later. Panam pocketed the shard. Rose from the booth. Adjusted her jacket. Turned toward the exit. And stopped. Not dramatically. Not long. Just long enough. Because across the room sat a familiar booth. A familiar group. And one particular person. The decision happened so quickly Panam barely noticed making it. She changed direction. --- Rogue noticed immediately. Of course she did. The old fixer watched Panam walk away from the exit. Walk past three other booths. Walk past two tables. Walk past a group of mercs loudly debating vehicle-mounted weaponry. And head directly toward the Triad. Interesting. Very interesting. Rogue took another sip of her drink. And said absolutely nothing. 😄☄️ Panam crossed half the club before Ace realized what was happening. Then she realized. Then she nearly laughed. --- Panam stopped beside their booth. One hand resting on the edge of the table. Expression carefully neutral. Far too carefully neutral. --- Ace looked up. Then at Panam. Then at the data shard in her hand. Then back at Panam. --- _"Courier job."_ --- Ace blinked. --- _"Congratulations?"_ --- Panam immediately frowned. _"Why does everyone always do that?"_ --- _"Do what?"_ --- _"That."_ --- _"You are being remarkably specific."_ --- Panam pointed accusingly. --- _"See?"_ --- _"Still not helping."_ --- Mai finally looked up from her agent. A dangerous sign. --- _"Courier?"_ --- _"Courier."_ --- _"Destination?"_ --- _"South."_ --- _"Duration?"_ --- _"Two days."_ --- Mai nodded once. --- _"Reasonable."_ --- Panam looked relieved. For approximately half a second. --- Then Mai added: --- _"For a courier mission."_ --- The relief vanished. --- _"What does that mean?"_ --- _"Nothing."_ --- _"Lie."_ --- _"Correct."_ 😄 --- Shammy quietly hid a smile behind her drink. --- Panam noticed. --- _"Not you too."_ --- _"I didn't say anything."_ --- _"You were thinking something."_ --- _"Probably."_ --- _"There."_ --- _"There what?"_ --- _"That."_ --- Ace finally lost the battle and laughed. --- Not loudly. Just enough. --- Panam looked betrayed. Deeply. Personally. --- _"I hate all of you."_ --- _"You keep saying that."_ --- _"Because it's true."_ --- _"Statistically unlikely."_ --- _"Mai."_ --- _"Yes?"_ --- _"Stop helping."_ --- _"No."_ 😄 --- The silence that followed wasn't awkward. Which was perhaps the problem. Panam had intended to leave. Take the shard. Get the truck. Drive south. Simple. --- Instead she was still standing there. --- And everyone knew it. --- Especially Rogue. Who was watching from across the club while pretending not to watch. --- The old fixer had survived decades in Night City. Reading people was practically a medical condition at this point. --- Panam shifted her weight. --- Looked toward the exit. --- Looked back. --- Then toward Shammy. --- _"Long drive."_ --- Shammy raised an eyebrow. --- _"Yes?"_ --- Panam immediately regretted the direction this conversation was taking. --- Unfortunately momentum had already taken control. --- _"Need to head deep into the Badlands."_ --- _"Okay."_ --- _"Probably two days."_ --- _"Okay."_ --- _"Might be boring."_ --- _"Most courier jobs are."_ --- _"Right."_ --- A pause. --- A dangerous pause. --- Ace felt the exact moment the train left the tracks. --- Mai did too. --- Neither intervened. --- Mostly because this was far too entertaining. --- Finally: --- _"Want to come?"_ 😄 --- Silence. --- Tiny. Brief. --- But very real. --- Because somewhere in the back of Panam's brain a voice had just screamed: **WAIT.** **WHY DID YOU SAY THAT?** --- Too late. --- The words were already out. --- Across the room Rogue lowered her glass slightly. --- There it is. --- Interesting. Very interesting. --- Shammy, meanwhile, looked completely unbothered. --- As though Panam asking her to spend two days driving across the Badlands was the most normal thing in the world. --- Maybe for Shammy it was. --- _"Sure."_ --- Just like that. --- No hesitation. No negotiation. No conditions. --- Simply: --- _"Sure."_ --- Panam blinked. --- _"That's it?"_ --- _"What were you expecting?"_ --- _"I don't know."_ --- _"You asked."_ --- _"Right."_ --- _"And I said yes."_ --- _"Right."_ --- A smile appeared. --- Warm. Small. Dangerous. --- _"Panam?"_ --- _"What?"_ --- _"Are you okay?"_ --- _"Why does everybody keep asking me that?"_ 😄 --- At this point even Mai was losing the battle. --- Across the booth Ace had stopped pretending entirely. --- The expression on her face was becoming increasingly unhelpful. --- Panam pointed immediately. --- _"No."_ --- _"No what?"_ --- _"Whatever that face is."_ --- _"I don't have a face."_ --- _"You absolutely have a face."_ --- _"Several, actually."_ Mai contributed helpfully. --- _"Mai!"_ --- _"Yes?"_ --- _"Stop helping!"_ --- _"Still no."_ 😄 --- Shammy's shoulders shook with quiet laughter. --- Which somehow made everything worse. --- Because Panam realized something. --- Something small. --- Something deeply annoying. --- The moment Shammy had agreed... she'd felt relieved. --- And she had absolutely no intention of examining that realization today. --- Or tomorrow. --- Or preferably ever. --- _"Fine."_ --- She straightened. --- _"Leaving at dawn."_ --- _"Okay."_ --- _"Pack warm clothes."_ --- _"Okay."_ --- _"And don't blame me if the coffee is terrible."_ --- _"I would never."_ --- _"That's a lie."_ --- _"Correct."_ 😄 --- Panam shook her head. --- Turned toward the exit. --- Started walking. --- Made it three steps. --- Then heard Ace's voice behind her. --- _"Courier."_ --- Panam froze. --- Slowly. --- Dangerously. --- Turned around. --- Ace sat exactly where she'd been sitting before. Coffee in hand. Expression perfectly innocent. --- _"Courier."_ --- A beat. --- Then: --- _"Shut up."_ 😄☄️ --- Across the room Rogue finally allowed herself the smallest smile of the evening. Because after everything she'd seen in Night City... some disasters remained wonderfully predictable. ☄️😄 --- ## Chapter 2 — Departure The safehouse was unusually busy for six in the morning. Not because anybody wanted to be awake. Because Panam had somehow convinced herself that leaving before sunrise would make the trip more efficient. Nobody had the heart to explain that she was gaining approximately twelve minutes. --- Panam did the math herself. Twice. Then ignored it. --- The truck waited outside. Packed. Fueled. Ready. --- Which meant Panam had already checked it four times. --- Ace watched from the kitchen window. Coffee in hand. --- _"Five."_ --- Mai looked up. --- _"What?"_ --- _"Truck inspection."_ --- _"Only five?"_ --- _"Current count."_ --- Mai nodded. --- _"Reasonable."_ --- _"She's doing another lap."_ --- _"Ah."_ 😄 --- Outside, Panam circled the Thornton again. Not because anything was wrong. Because everything was right. And somehow that felt suspicious. --- A familiar voice drifted from behind her. --- _"Looking for something?"_ --- Panam didn't turn around. --- _"Problems."_ --- _"Find any?"_ --- _"Not yet."_ --- _"Disappointing."_ --- Panam finally looked over her shoulder. --- Shammy stood beside the truck. Travel bag over one shoulder. Coffee in hand. Hair still slightly damp from a shower. --- The sight immediately improved Panam's mood. Which was deeply irritating. --- _"Ready?"_ --- _"I think so."_ --- _"That's not very confident."_ --- _"You're checking the truck for the fifth time."_ --- _"Sixth."_ --- _"Ah."_ 😄 --- The front door opened. --- Ace stepped outside. --- Coffee. Jacket. Entirely too much amusement. --- Mai followed moments later. Agent already active. Of course. --- Panam pointed immediately. --- _"No."_ --- _"No what?"_ Ace asked. --- _"Whatever you're thinking."_ --- _"I wasn't thinking anything."_ --- _"Lie."_ --- _"Correct."_ 😄 --- Mai glanced at the truck. Then at Panam. Then at Shammy. --- _"Estimated return?"_ --- _"Two days."_ --- _"Hm."_ --- Panam immediately narrowed her eyes. --- _"What does that mean?"_ --- _"Nothing."_ --- _"That's a lie."_ --- _"Yes."_ 😄 --- Shammy was openly smiling now. --- Traitor. --- Panam made a mental note to remember that later. --- Unfortunately she immediately forgot it when Shammy looked her way. --- Which was becoming a problem. --- A very specific problem. --- One that Ace appeared to be enjoying enormously. --- _"Courier."_ --- Panam closed her eyes. --- _"I swear to God..."_ --- _"What?"_ --- _"Nothing."_ --- _"That's what I thought."_ 😄 --- The sunrise finally began creeping over Night City. Gold light spread across distant buildings. Reflections flashed from towers. The city slowly woke around them. --- Panam climbed into the driver's seat. --- Shammy settled beside her. --- The position felt strangely natural. --- That was probably fine. --- Definitely fine. --- Almost certainly fine. --- Panam decided not to investigate further. --- The engine started. --- The familiar growl filled the morning air. --- Outside, Ace leaned against the safehouse wall. Watching. --- Mai stood beside her. --- Neither waved. Neither needed to. --- Panam lowered the window. --- _"Try not to burn the place down."_ --- Ace looked offended. --- _"Once."_ --- _"Three times."_ --- _"Allegedly."_ --- _"There were witnesses."_ --- _"Unreliable witnesses."_ 😄 --- Panam laughed despite herself. --- Then looked toward Mai. --- _"Keep her out of trouble."_ --- Mai considered this. --- _"Impossible."_ --- _"Fair."_ --- A final glance. --- One toward Ace. One toward Mai. --- And then one toward Shammy. --- A brief moment. Tiny. Almost invisible. --- Then Panam shifted the truck into gear. --- The Thornton rolled away from the curb. --- Past the safehouse. Past familiar streets. Past the city blocks they knew. --- And toward the Badlands. --- The silence lasted almost ten minutes. --- Not awkward. Not uncomfortable. Just quiet. --- The city slowly shrank behind them. Traffic thinned. Buildings became scattered. Roads opened. The horizon widened. --- Panam relaxed slightly. --- Shammy noticed. --- _"Better?"_ --- _"A little."_ --- _"You like the Badlands."_ --- _"I like seeing what's trying to kill me."_ --- _"Reasonable."_ --- _"The city hides things."_ --- _"The desert doesn't?"_ --- Panam looked ahead. Toward the endless road stretching south. --- _"The desert is honest."_ --- That answer lingered. --- Because Shammy understood exactly what she meant. --- And because Panam rarely said things like that out loud. --- The road continued. The city faded behind them. The day stretched ahead. And somewhere between Night City and the southern horizon, neither of them quite realized that the courier job had already become something else. Not because of the package. Not because of Rogue. Not because of the destination. --- Simply because neither of them particularly wanted to be anywhere else. ☄️😄 --- ## Chapter 3 — Southbound By noon they were deep into the Badlands. The city had disappeared hours ago. Not physically. Night City was always physically visible. A stain on the horizon. A wall of steel and light pretending it wasn't slowly eating everything around it. But psychologically? The city was gone. Only the road remained. --- Panam preferred it that way. --- The Thornton devoured kilometers beneath its tires. Dust rolled behind them. Heat shimmered above asphalt. The radio cycled through stations with varying degrees of success. Most failed. The Badlands had never been kind to broadcasts. --- One station survived for almost twenty minutes. --- Then died in a burst of static. --- Panam immediately smacked the dashboard. --- _"Rude."_ --- Shammy looked over. --- _"You hit electronics a lot."_ --- _"It works."_ --- _"Does it?"_ --- _"Sometimes."_ --- _"Interesting definition of works."_ 😄 --- The radio returned. --- Panam pointed triumphantly. --- _"See?"_ --- _"I refuse to validate this."_ --- _"Coward."_ --- The road continued. --- Hours passed. --- Not because nothing happened. Because small things happened. The kind of things that only existed on long drives. --- A fuel stop. A roadside diner. A half-collapsed service station. An old nomad convoy heading north. A pack of heavily modified bikes roaring past in the opposite direction. --- Tiny moments. Tiny conversations. Tiny silences. --- The sort of things people forgot afterward. --- Except those were usually the moments that mattered. --- They stopped for lunch at a roadside diner that looked older than some governments. --- Panam loved places like this. --- Which should have been a warning sign. --- The building leaned slightly to one side. The sign flickered. The menu was laminated sometime during the previous century. --- Perfect. --- _"This place looks condemned."_ --- _"That's how you know it's good."_ --- _"That's not how food safety works."_ --- _"Food safety is a conspiracy."_ 😄 --- Shammy laughed. --- The waitress immediately appeared. --- She looked approximately ninety years old. Or thirty. The Badlands made age difficult to estimate. --- _"Coffee?"_ --- _"Please."_ Shammy smiled. --- _"And for you?"_ --- _"Coffee."_ Panam answered. --- The waitress stared. --- _"Food?"_ --- _"Coffee."_ --- _"Honey, that's not food."_ --- _"Depends on the day."_ 😄 --- The waitress made a noise somewhere between disapproval and acceptance. --- Then disappeared. --- The diner remained quiet. --- A handful of nomads occupied one corner. A truck crew occupied another. Nobody paid much attention to anyone else. --- Badlands etiquette. --- Panam liked that too. --- Eventually the food arrived. Coffee. Sandwiches. A slice of pie that appeared capable of violating several international treaties. --- Panam immediately attacked the pie. --- _"Good?"_ --- _"Excellent."_ --- _"You haven't swallowed yet."_ --- _"Irrelevant."_ 😄 --- The meal lasted longer than necessary. --- Neither mentioned it. --- Neither hurried. --- The package sat untouched beside the booth. A reminder that technically this was still a job. --- Technically. --- Eventually they returned to the road. --- Afternoon faded. The sun drifted lower. Long shadows stretched across the desert. --- Conversation became easier. --- Not bigger. Just easier. --- Stories appeared. --- Panam talked about old convoy routes. Failed jobs. Successful jobs. People she'd known. People she'd lost. --- Not all at once. --- Just fragments. --- The way people shared things when they stopped thinking about sharing them. --- Shammy listened. Mostly. --- Occasionally asked questions. --- The good kind. --- Not interrogations. Not analyses. --- Curiosity. --- Which somehow made Panam talk more. --- A fact she would absolutely deny under oath. --- The sun was nearly touching the horizon when they reached the motel. --- Calling it a motel required optimism. --- The building sat beside a lonely stretch of highway. A cluster of rooms. A parking area. A neon sign fighting a losing battle against time. --- Panam looked at it. --- Then at the road. --- Then back at the building. --- _"Well."_ --- _"Well?"_ --- _"I've stayed in worse."_ --- _"That wasn't confidence."_ --- _"It wasn't supposed to be."_ 😄 --- The owner handed over room keys without enthusiasm. --- A professional. --- The package remained secure. The truck remained secure. Everything remained secure. --- Which meant the workday was effectively over. --- And suddenly neither of them had anything they needed to do. --- That realization lingered. Quietly. --- The desert evening settled around the motel. The highway hummed in the distance. The air cooled. Stars slowly appeared overhead. --- Panam stepped outside with a cup of coffee. --- Found Shammy already sitting on the low railing overlooking the highway. --- Of course she was. --- _"Can't sleep?"_ --- _"Not tired yet."_ --- _"Fair."_ --- Panam leaned against the railing beside her. --- For a while neither spoke. --- The silence felt comfortable. --- Dangerously comfortable. --- Somewhere far away headlights moved through darkness. A lone vehicle crossing the desert. Heading somewhere. Leaving somewhere. --- The road never really stopped. --- _"You know,"_ Shammy said eventually. --- _"Hm?"_ --- _"This is nice."_ --- Panam looked at her. --- The answer should have been easy. --- A joke. A deflection. A sarcastic comment. --- Instead: --- _"Yeah."_ --- A pause. --- Then: --- _"It is."_ --- And for the first time that day, Panam didn't try to take the words back afterward. ☄️😄 --- _LOL_ 😄☄️ Yap. Tällä kertaa editori-Mai vetää punakynän esiin ja kirjoittaa marginaaliin: **"AUTHOR HAS SKIPPED APPROXIMATELY HALF THE TRIP."** 😄 Eli otetaan Chapter 4 uusiksi skeletonin mukaisesti. Ei vielä vastaanottajaa. Ei vielä paluumatkaa. Ei vielä halausta. Ei vielä Panamin suurta oivallusta. --- # Chapter 4 — Southbound The motel disappeared behind them shortly after sunrise. Panam considered that an improvement. The motel owner had smiled at her that morning. Nobody smiled that early without bad intentions. --- The Thornton rolled back onto the highway. The package remained secured behind the seats. The road stretched southward. Endless. Flat. Beautiful. Empty. --- Shammy adjusted the passenger seat slightly. --- _"Comfortable?"_ Panam asked. --- _"Reasonably."_ --- _"Reasonably isn't comfortable."_ --- _"It's close enough."_ --- _"That's a terrible standard."_ --- _"Says the woman who voluntarily slept in that motel."_ 😄 --- Panam opened her mouth. Paused. Closed it again. --- _"Fair."_ --- The road continued. --- Hours passed. --- Not because nothing happened. Because small things happened. The sort of things that only happened when two people spent enough time together. --- Conversation appeared. Disappeared. Returned later. --- A dust storm on the horizon. A convoy heading north. An abandoned fuel station. A half-collapsed solar farm. --- Badlands life. --- At one point Panam pointed toward a distant ridge. --- _"See that?"_ --- Shammy followed the gesture. --- _"The rocks?"_ --- _"Used to be a smuggling route."_ --- _"Used to be?"_ --- _"Collapsed."_ --- _"Naturally."_ --- _"Night City touches something and eventually it breaks."_ --- Shammy looked toward the distant skyline. Barely visible now. --- _"That's a very Panam sentence."_ --- _"What does that mean?"_ --- _"Exactly what you think it means."_ 😄 --- The next stop happened around noon. --- Not because they needed fuel. --- Because Panam spotted a roadside food stand. --- The structure appeared to have been assembled from spare vehicle parts and optimism. --- _"Absolutely not."_ Shammy said immediately. --- _"Absolutely yes."_ Panam replied. --- _"That sign is hand-painted."_ --- _"Good."_ --- _"The menu is handwritten."_ --- _"Even better."_ --- _"One side of the building is missing."_ --- _"Character."_ 😄 --- The food turned out to be excellent. --- Panam acted completely unsurprised. --- Which somehow made it worse. --- _"You've done this before."_ --- _"Many times."_ --- _"I should have known."_ --- _"You really should have."_ 😄 --- The owner knew Panam. --- Of course he did. --- Everyone in the Badlands seemed to know Panam. --- The owner looked at her. Looked at Shammy. Looked back at Panam. --- A dangerous sequence. --- Panam noticed immediately. --- _"No."_ --- _"Didn't say anything."_ --- _"You were about to."_ --- _"Maybe."_ 😄 --- The owner wisely chose self-preservation. --- The conversation moved elsewhere. --- But Shammy was smiling. --- Which meant she had absolutely noticed. --- Panam hated that. --- The afternoon stretched onward. --- The package remained undelivered. The destination remained distant. The road remained endless. --- And slowly, almost without noticing it, both of them settled into the rhythm of the trip. --- No pressure. No urgency. No mission timer. No Maelstrom. No Saul. No Rogue. --- Just road. --- And somewhere around the middle of the afternoon, Panam realized something mildly alarming. --- She was having fun. 😄 --- The realization was immediately ignored. --- Successfully. For approximately thirty seconds. --- Then Shammy laughed at something. --- And the problem returned. ☄️ --- ## Chapter 5 — Somebody Knows Somebody The road narrowed sometime after three in the afternoon. Not physically. Technically it was the same highway. Same cracked asphalt. Same faded lane markings. Same endless Badlands horizon. --- But Panam sat up slightly straighter. --- Shammy noticed. --- Of course she noticed. --- _"We're getting close."_ --- It wasn't a question. --- Panam nodded. --- _"About an hour."_ --- _"Friend?"_ --- Panam made a face. --- _"Depends who's asking."_ --- _"I'm asking."_ --- _"Then yes."_ 😄 --- A pause. --- _"How much trouble?"_ --- _"Moderate."_ --- _"Panam."_ --- _"Fine."_ --- _"Significant."_ 😄 --- The answer explained several things. --- The Thornton left the main highway shortly afterward. A smaller road branched southward. Then another. Then another. --- Eventually even the roads disappeared. --- Dust trails took over. --- The landscape changed too. --- The empty stretches of desert gave way to signs of life. Small ones. --- Solar panels. Water tanks. Repair yards. Vehicle skeletons waiting for second lives. Nomad territory. --- Not Aldecaldos. Different. But related. The same way cousins were related. Close enough to recognize. Different enough to argue. --- A cluster of buildings appeared on the horizon. --- Calling it a settlement required optimism. Calling it a camp felt unfair. --- The truth lived somewhere between. --- A dozen structures. Several garages. Storage containers. A wind tower. Too many vehicles. Exactly enough people. --- The moment Panam drove into view, somebody pointed. --- Then somebody else. --- Then a third person started laughing. --- _"Uh oh."_ Shammy observed. --- _"What?"_ --- _"They recognized you."_ --- _"That's normal."_ --- _"The laughing worries me."_ 😄 --- Panam couldn't argue with that. --- The truck rolled into the center of the settlement. Dust settled behind it. People emerged from workshops and garages. Not because of the package. Because Panam Palmer had just arrived. --- Apparently that was entertainment. --- _"I don't like this."_ --- _"You absolutely know why they're laughing."_ --- _"Unfortunately."_ 😄 --- The truck stopped. The engine died. Silence followed. --- For approximately three seconds. --- Then a voice shouted: --- _"PALMER!"_ --- Panam closed her eyes. --- _"There it is."_ --- A tall nomad woman emerged from one of the garages. Dark jacket. Grease-stained hands. The walk of somebody entirely too confident. --- She reached the truck. Looked through the driver's window. Looked at Panam. --- Then immediately looked past her. --- Toward Shammy. --- And smiled. --- Dangerously. --- _"Oh, this is going to be fun."_ 😄 --- Panam groaned. --- _"Risa."_ --- _"Palmer."_ --- _"Don't."_ --- _"I haven't even started."_ --- _"That's what worries me."_ 😄 --- Risa stepped back as Panam exited the truck. --- The two exchanged a quick hug. The sort shared by people who had survived enough years together to stop pretending they disliked each other. --- Then Risa pointed toward the package. --- _"That mine?"_ --- _"Courier delivery."_ --- _"Professional."_ --- _"Very."_ --- _"Boring job?"_ --- _"Painfully."_ --- Risa looked toward Shammy again. --- Then back at Panam. --- Then back at Shammy. --- A terrible sequence. --- An absolutely terrible sequence. --- _"Sure."_ 😄 --- Panam immediately pointed. --- _"No."_ --- _"Didn't say anything."_ --- _"You're about to."_ --- _"Maybe."_ 😄 --- Shammy had already started smiling. --- Traitor. --- The package transfer itself took less than five minutes. --- Documentation. Verification. Signatures. Cargo confirmation. Done. --- Just like that. --- The entire reason for the trip was complete. --- Which should have been the end of the story. --- Unfortunately. --- Risa wasn't finished. --- _"Stay for dinner."_ --- _"We're leaving."_ Panam answered instantly. --- _"You just got here."_ --- _"Package delivered."_ --- _"And?"_ --- _"Mission complete."_ --- _"Palmer."_ --- _"Risa."_ --- _"Stay for dinner."_ --- Panam looked ready to argue. --- Then several other nomads joined the conversation. --- Which immediately turned it into a lost cause. --- _"Stay."_ --- _"Food's almost ready."_ --- _"You still owe me for that transmission relay."_ --- _"That doesn't even make sense."_ --- _"Doesn't matter."_ 😄 --- Shammy quietly watched the entire ambush unfold. --- _"You're losing."_ --- _"I know."_ --- _"Spectacularly."_ --- _"I know."_ 😄 --- An hour later Panam found herself sitting at a long outdoor table surrounded by nomads. --- Exactly where she had not intended to be. --- The food was excellent. The company was loud. The sunset painted the desert gold. --- And directly across from her sat Risa. --- Watching. --- Waiting. --- Planning violence. Social violence. The worst kind. --- Eventually she struck. --- _"So."_ --- Panam immediately pointed. --- _"No."_ --- _"I haven't asked anything."_ --- _"Yet."_ --- _"Yet."_ 😄 --- Risa looked toward Shammy. --- _"How long have you known her?"_ --- _"Risa."_ --- _"What?"_ --- _"No."_ --- _"Still not asking you."_ 😄 --- The surrounding table was already beginning to enjoy itself. --- Which meant Panam's chances of survival were deteriorating rapidly. --- And somewhere deep inside, Shammy realized something. --- Rogue had noticed. Ace had noticed. Mai had noticed. --- And now Risa had noticed too. --- The really funny part? --- Panam still thought she was hiding it. 😄☄️ --- ## Chapter 6 — Everybody Knows The dinner lasted far longer than it should have. Not because of the food. The food was gone almost immediately. Nomads treated meals the same way they treated storms. Enjoy them while they existed. --- No. The problem was conversation. --- Conversation had discovered Panam. --- And conversation was armed. 😄 --- The long table sat beneath strings of hanging lights. Generators hummed somewhere nearby. Laughter drifted through the settlement. The desert air had cooled pleasantly after sunset. --- Panam was beginning to suspect this entire stop had been a trap. --- _"You're paranoid."_ Risa informed her. --- _"You're literally proving me right."_ --- _"Fair."_ 😄 --- The surrounding nomads had wisely stopped pretending not to listen. --- Several were openly listening now. --- One older mechanic had abandoned all subtlety entirely. --- He was practically taking notes. --- Panam hated all of them. --- At least a little. --- _"So."_ Risa said again. --- Panam immediately pointed. --- _"No."_ --- _"You keep doing that."_ --- _"Because I know you."_ --- _"That's your first mistake."_ 😄 --- The table laughed. --- Risa looked toward Shammy. --- _"She's always like this."_ --- _"I believe that."_ --- _"Traitor."_ Panam muttered. --- Shammy smiled. --- The smile alone was suspicious. --- Risa noticed too. --- Dangerous. Very dangerous. --- _"You know,"_ Risa said thoughtfully. _"Usually when Palmer shows up..."_ --- Panam closed her eyes. --- _"No."_ --- _"Usually,"_ Risa continued, _"she spends the first hour explaining why she can't stay."_ --- Several nomads nodded. --- One immediately added: --- _"Then stays anyway."_ 😄 --- The table erupted. --- Panam looked genuinely offended. --- _"That happened once."_ --- _"Three times."_ --- _"Five."_ Someone corrected helpfully. --- _"I hate all of you."_ --- _"No you don't."_ --- _"Unfortunately."_ 😄 --- The conversation drifted elsewhere for a while. --- Vehicles. Roads. Repairs. Badlands gossip. --- Panam gradually relaxed. --- A mistake. --- Because Risa was patient. --- The worst kind of patient. --- Eventually she struck again. --- Not directly. --- Indirectly. --- Which was much harder to defend against. --- _"Remember Tucson?"_ --- Panam immediately groaned. --- _"Absolutely not."_ --- _"Tucson?"_ Shammy asked. --- _"No."_ Panam answered. --- _"Yes."_ Risa answered. 😄 --- The table sided with Risa instantly. --- Traitors. Every single one of them. --- _"Tucson was amazing."_ --- _"Tucson was a disaster."_ --- _"Same thing."_ 😄 --- Shammy looked interested now. --- A catastrophic development. --- _"What happened?"_ --- Panam pointed again. --- _"Nothing happened."_ --- Risa looked delighted. --- _"Palmer got drunk."_ --- The table exploded. --- Panam stared. --- _"One time."_ --- _"One glorious time."_ --- _"I was twenty-one."_ --- _"Twenty-two."_ --- _"Close enough."_ 😄 --- The story was told anyway. --- Of course it was. --- Panam lost every vote. --- Of course she did. --- Shammy laughed so hard she nearly spilled her drink. --- Which somehow made the entire disaster worth it. --- Just a little. --- A very small amount. --- Later. Much later. The crowd finally began dispersing. --- Generators continued humming. The stars above the settlement seemed impossibly bright. The desert stretched endlessly beyond the lights. --- Most people drifted away toward homes. Garages. Workshops. Vehicles. --- Eventually only a handful remained. --- Then two. --- Then one. --- Then Panam and Shammy. --- The settlement had settled. --- The night had settled. --- Everything had become quiet. --- For a while neither spoke. --- The silence felt familiar now. --- Not because they spent every day together. --- Because they no longer needed to fill every empty space with words. --- The desert wind moved softly across the camp. A distant generator clicked. Somewhere a dog barked. --- _"They're terrible."_ Panam finally said. --- _"Your friends?"_ --- _"Yes."_ --- _"I like them."_ --- _"Of course you do."_ 😄 --- Shammy leaned back slightly. Looking upward. --- The stars reflected faintly in her eyes. --- _"You seem happy here."_ --- The answer arrived slower than usual. --- Not because Panam disagreed. --- Because the question mattered. --- _"Yeah."_ --- A pause. --- _"I am."_ --- No joke. No deflection. No sarcasm. --- Just honesty. --- The kind that appeared unexpectedly. --- The kind that usually meant something. --- Shammy smiled. --- Not the amused smile. Not the teasing smile. --- The other one. --- The one Panam was increasingly discovering she liked. --- A dangerous realization. --- The most dangerous kind. --- Because nobody was shooting at it. 😄 --- Across the settlement, hidden behind a workshop corner, Risa watched for approximately three seconds. --- Then immediately turned around. --- _"Nope."_ --- A nearby mechanic blinked. --- _"What?"_ --- _"I'm not getting involved."_ --- _"In what?"_ --- Risa pointed vaguely toward the distant silhouettes. --- _"Whatever that is."_ --- The mechanic looked. --- Paused. --- Then nodded. --- _"Smart."_ 😄 --- Meanwhile, several hundred meters away, Panam remained completely unaware that yet another person had joined the rapidly growing list of people who understood exactly what was happening. --- The list was becoming alarmingly long. --- And somehow... --- Panam still thought she was being subtle. ☄️😄 --- ## Chapter 7 — The Recipient Morning arrived slowly. The desert preferred it that way. --- Sunlight crept across the settlement. Generators woke. Workshop doors opened. Coffee appeared. Civilization resumed. --- Panam stepped outside carrying a mug. Immediately regretted it. --- Risa was already awake. --- Naturally. --- The nomad sat on a crate near the garage. Coffee in one hand. A look of entirely unacceptable amusement on her face. --- _"No."_ Panam said immediately. --- _"Morning, Palmer."_ --- _"No."_ --- _"I haven't said anything."_ --- _"You were going to."_ --- _"Maybe."_ 😄 --- Panam pointed. --- _"See?"_ --- _"Good morning to you too."_ --- The conversation ended there. Mostly because Panam fled. --- A perfectly reasonable tactical withdrawal. --- Not running. Definitely not running. --- Absolutely running. 😄 --- The package had been delivered. The paperwork completed. The job technically finished. --- Which meant they should already be heading back. --- Instead they remained. --- Breakfast happened. Then another coffee. Then somebody needed help moving equipment. Then somebody else wanted Panam to look at an engine problem. --- By noon the departure had somehow shifted three times. --- Panam hated when that happened. --- Mostly because she secretly liked when that happened. --- The realization remained classified. --- Shammy found her leaning against a garage wall watching two mechanics argue with an engine. --- _"I thought we were leaving."_ --- _"We are."_ --- _"Today?"_ --- _"Probably."_ --- _"Interesting level of certainty."_ 😄 --- Panam looked offended. --- _"I know exactly what I'm doing."_ --- A gearbox exploded somewhere inside the garage. --- Both women looked toward the sound. --- A mechanic shouted something anatomically impossible. --- Shammy raised an eyebrow. --- _"Do you?"_ --- _"Mostly."_ 😄 --- The truck finally departed shortly after lunch. --- This time for real. --- Probably. --- Risa stood beside the road as they prepared to leave. --- The smile was back. --- A bad sign. --- _"Try not to get lost."_ --- _"I've driven this route a hundred times."_ --- _"Not what I meant."_ 😄 --- Panam froze. --- Risa looked delighted. --- Shammy looked interested. --- The situation was deteriorating rapidly. --- _"Goodbye, Risa."_ --- _"Bye, Palmer."_ --- A beat. --- Then: --- _"Bye, Shammy."_ --- _"Goodbye."_ --- The smile widened. --- _"Come visit again."_ --- _"Maybe."_ --- _"You absolutely should."_ --- Risa never looked away from Panam while saying it. --- Panam immediately shifted the truck into gear. --- Dust exploded behind the tires. --- Retreat. Strategic retreat. --- Very strategic. 😄 --- The settlement disappeared behind them. --- Silence settled inside the cab. --- Not awkward. --- Just thoughtful. --- Several kilometers passed. --- Then: --- _"She's nice."_ --- Panam groaned. --- _"Don't start."_ --- _"I wasn't starting anything."_ --- _"Liar."_ --- _"Maybe."_ 😄 --- The highway unfolded ahead. --- The Badlands stretched endlessly in every direction. --- For a while neither spoke. --- The trip felt different now. --- Not because of the destination. --- Because there wasn't one anymore. --- The job was finished. --- The package delivered. --- The obligation completed. --- Everything from this point onward was simply the road home. --- And that realization lingered. --- Panam tapped the steering wheel. Once. Twice. Three times. --- Thinking. --- Dangerous activity. --- The sort that usually caused trouble. --- Eventually she glanced toward the passenger seat. --- Shammy had fallen asleep. --- Not deeply. Just enough. --- Head resting against the window. Sunlight filtering through silver-white hair. Breathing slow and even. --- The sight hit harder than expected. --- Not dramatically. --- Just... --- Quietly. --- Panam looked back toward the road. --- And found herself smiling. --- A small one. --- The sort nobody else was supposed to see. --- Unfortunately. --- Shammy chose that exact moment to open one eye. 😄 --- The smile vanished instantly. --- _"Were you smiling?"_ --- _"No."_ --- _"Liar."_ --- _"Everybody keeps saying that."_ --- _"That's because you keep doing it."_ 😄 --- Panam sighed. --- The highway rolled onward. The city remained far away. The afternoon remained young. --- And somewhere ahead, beyond another few hundred kilometers of road, coffee, conversation, and silence... a very specific hug was waiting patiently for its turn. ☄️😄 --- ## Chapter 8 — The Last Stop The city remained two hours away. Maybe three. Depends on traffic. Depends on luck. Depends on Night City deciding whether it wanted to behave like a city or a natural disaster. --- Panam trusted neither possibility. --- The highway stretched ahead. Heat shimmered above asphalt. The afternoon sun hung low enough to cast long shadows across the desert. --- The road home had settled into a rhythm. --- Drive. Talk. Silence. Repeat. --- Somewhere during the previous day the silences had stopped requiring explanation. --- Panam wasn't sure when that had happened. --- She wasn't sure she wanted to know. --- The answer would probably be annoying. --- The fuel gauge eventually forced a stop. --- Not an emergency. Just reality. --- The station sat beside the highway exactly where Panam remembered. --- Two pumps. One garage. One coffee machine that had committed crimes against humanity for at least fifteen years. --- Perfect. --- _"I know that look."_ Shammy said. --- _"What look?"_ --- _"The one that says the coffee is going to be terrible."_ --- _"The coffee is going to be terrible."_ --- _"Then why stop here?"_ --- _"Tradition."_ 😄 --- The answer somehow made perfect sense. --- The fuel pumps worked. Barely. --- The coffee machine worked. Unfortunately. --- Panam returned carrying two cups. --- Shammy accepted one carefully. --- Took a sip. --- Paused. --- Looked at the cup. --- Looked at Panam. --- _"You knew."_ --- _"Absolutely."_ --- _"And you bought it anyway."_ --- _"Absolutely."_ 😄 --- The station owner laughed from somewhere behind the counter. --- Apparently this happened often. --- The two women eventually wandered outside. --- The sun had begun its slow descent toward the horizon. --- The desert glowed gold. Orange. Red. Colors impossible to see properly inside Night City. --- A handful of vehicles occupied the station. None in a hurry. --- Nobody seemed interested in leaving immediately. --- The moment stretched. --- Comfortable. --- Unnecessary. --- Which was probably why neither rushed it. --- Panam leaned against the Thornton. Coffee in hand. Watching the horizon. --- The city wasn't visible from here. --- Just desert. --- Just road. --- Just distance. --- _"Hey."_ --- Shammy looked over. --- _"Hm?"_ --- Panam stared toward the sunset. --- Because looking directly at Shammy suddenly seemed unnecessarily difficult. --- _"Thanks."_ --- The words arrived quietly. --- No joke attached. No escape route attached. --- Just honesty. --- Shammy smiled. --- _"For what?"_ --- Panam immediately regretted beginning this conversation. --- Too late now. --- _"The drive."_ --- Reasonable. Safe. --- _"Okay."_ --- _"The package."_ --- Still manageable. --- _"Okay."_ --- Panam exhaled slowly. --- The horizon burned orange. --- The station hummed quietly behind them. --- The road waited. --- _"The company."_ ☄️ --- There it was. --- The actual answer. --- The real one. --- No sarcasm. No disguise. No excuse. --- Just the truth. --- For a second Panam considered pretending she hadn't said it. --- Unfortunately reality declined. --- Shammy's smile softened immediately. --- Not amused. Not teasing. --- Warm. --- Dangerously warm. --- _"You're welcome."_ --- Simple. --- Honest. --- And somehow that was worse. --- Because there was nowhere to hide from it. --- No argument. No joke. No distraction. --- Just acceptance. --- Shammy stepped closer. --- Panam's brain immediately identified several possible responses. --- Most involved retreat. 😄 --- None happened. --- Instead Shammy wrapped her arms around her. --- Warm. Steady. Immediate. --- A hug. --- Nothing more. Nothing less. --- Not a declaration. Not a confession. Not a demand. --- Just: --- _"I heard you."_ --- The desert seemed very quiet suddenly. --- Panam froze. --- Completely. --- Critical systems offline. --- Thought process unavailable. --- Please try again later. 😄 --- For several seconds she simply stood there. --- Maelstrom raids? Easy. Corporate ambushes? Manageable. Saul arguments? Routine. --- This? --- No training. --- No preparation. --- No survival manual. --- Eventually something inside her relaxed. --- The tension she carried almost constantly. The readiness. The need to move. To leave. To keep going. --- For a moment it eased. --- Her shoulders lowered. --- Her eyes closed. --- And slowly... very slowly... she returned the embrace. --- Not perfectly. --- Not gracefully. --- But honestly. --- The best she could manage. --- Which was enough. --- More than enough. --- Neither spoke afterward. --- Neither needed to. --- The moment settled naturally. --- No embarrassment. No panic. No desperate attempt to explain it away. --- Just quiet. --- The good kind. --- Eventually they climbed back into the truck. --- The engine started. The highway waited. Night City waited. The safehouse waited. --- And as the Thornton rolled back onto the road, Panam found herself staring ahead at the distant horizon. --- Not because she was avoiding looking at Shammy. --- At least not entirely. 😄 --- The city lights would appear soon. The trip would end. Life would return to normal. --- Except... --- Somewhere between Afterlife and the Badlands... between a courier job and a sunset... between a question and an answer... --- Normal had already changed. ☄️😄 --- ## Chapter 9 — Home The first lights appeared forty minutes later. Tiny points on the horizon. Distant. Artificial. Wrong. --- The desert ended gradually. Night City never did. --- One moment there was open sky. The next there were warehouses. Industrial yards. Shipping containers. Concrete. Advertisements. Noise. --- The city arrived like an ambush. --- Panam never liked that. --- The Thornton rolled north through growing traffic. Headlights surrounded them. The highway filled. The world became crowded again. --- Neither woman spoke much. --- Not because anything was wrong. --- Because neither felt the need. --- The road had already done most of the talking. --- The city lights reflected across the windshield. Red. Blue. Gold. Corporate lies packaged as architecture. --- Night City. --- Beautiful from a distance. Complicated up close. --- Eventually Shammy glanced toward the dashboard clock. --- _"We'll be back before midnight."_ --- _"Probably."_ --- _"That's optimism."_ --- _"It's traffic. Nobody understands traffic."_ 😄 --- Shammy accepted this. --- Reasonable. --- The truck continued forward. --- A few more kilometers. A few more intersections. A few more neon signs. --- And then something unexpected happened. --- Panam realized she wasn't in any hurry to get there. --- The safehouse was home. Or close enough. --- The city was familiar. --- Everything was waiting exactly where she'd left it. --- Yet part of her still felt like it was sitting beside a desert highway watching the sunset. --- A strange feeling. --- A good one. --- Dangerous. --- Very dangerous. 😄 --- The safehouse finally appeared shortly before midnight. --- Lights still on. --- Of course. --- Nobody in their orbit respected normal sleep schedules. --- Panam parked beside the building. Killed the engine. --- Silence settled over the cab. --- The journey was over. --- The realization felt oddly disappointing. --- Which was becoming a pattern. --- _"Home."_ Shammy observed. --- _"Looks like it."_ --- Neither moved immediately. --- The city hummed around them. The truck ticked softly as metal cooled. --- The moment lingered. --- Then passed naturally. --- Shammy reached for her bag. --- Panam grabbed hers. --- Both stepped out into the cool Night City air. --- The front door opened before they reached it. --- Ace. --- Of course. --- Standing in the doorway. Arms folded. Coffee in hand. --- A completely normal person. --- _"Courier."_ 😄 --- Panam stopped walking. --- _"I swear to God."_ --- _"Successful courier?"_ --- _"Ace."_ --- _"Panam."_ --- _"I'm leaving."_ --- _"You just got here."_ --- _"I can still leave."_ --- _"No you can't."_ --- _"Probably not."_ 😄 --- Mai appeared behind Ace. --- Agent in hand. Naturally. --- _"Welcome back."_ --- _"Thanks."_ --- _"Any issues?"_ --- _"None."_ --- _"Interesting."_ --- _"What does that mean?"_ --- _"Nothing."_ --- _"Lie."_ --- _"Correct."_ 😄 --- Shammy's shoulders shook. --- Traitor. --- Again. --- The four entered the safehouse. --- The familiar scent of coffee greeted them. --- A low light glowed in the kitchen. --- Everything exactly where it should be. --- Exactly the same. --- And yet... --- Not quite. --- Panam set her bag down beside the couch. --- Shammy did the same. --- The motion felt strangely routine. --- Ace noticed immediately. --- Mai noticed too. --- Neither commented. --- Professional restraint. --- A remarkable achievement. 😄 --- For several minutes conversation drifted around harmless subjects. Road conditions. The settlement. The package. The return route. --- Normal things. --- Safe things. --- Then eventually the trip caught up with them. --- Yawns appeared. Coffee lost effectiveness. Reality reasserted itself. --- Mai disappeared first. --- Naturally. --- Which meant she'd probably continue working for another hour. --- Ace lingered longer. Watching. Listening. Thinking. --- Dangerous. --- Very dangerous. --- Eventually she stood. --- Looked at Panam. Then at Shammy. Then back at Panam. --- A tiny smile appeared. --- _"Goodnight."_ --- The smile widened slightly. --- _"See you in the morning."_ ☄️😄 --- Panam froze. --- Ace immediately turned and walked away before retaliation could occur. --- A tactical masterclass. --- _"Coward."_ Panam muttered. --- From somewhere deeper inside the safehouse: --- _"Survivor."_ 😄 --- The house finally quieted. --- Night settled. The city continued humming outside. --- And for the first time since leaving Afterlife days earlier, there were no roads left to travel. No destinations left to reach. No excuses left to hide behind. --- Only tomorrow. --- And tomorrow, whether Panam was ready for it or not... was already moving toward them. ☄️ **End of Ace 90.7 — Long Road South**