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canon:ace31.1 [05/04/2026 15:55] – removed - external edit (Unknown date) 127.0.0.1canon:ace31.1 [05/04/2026 15:55] (current) – ↷ Page moved from ace31.1 to canon:ace31.1 kkurzex
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 +======   INTERLUDE — Safehouse Logic   ======
 +
 +The apartment wasn’t theirs.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Not originally.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Nothing in Night City was.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +But it held.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +That was enough.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The door closed behind them—
 +
 +----
 +
 +properly.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +This time—
 +
 +----
 +
 +it stayed closed.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai noticed.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Consistent,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace dropped the case onto the table.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Good.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Shammy stepped inside last.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The air—
 +
 +----
 +
 +settled.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Not perfect.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +But stable.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“It breathes,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +V leaned against the wall.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…Yeah,” they said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…barely, but yeah.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Silence followed.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Not empty.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Occupied.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The kind that didn’t need to be filled.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Less than a month.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +That was all it had taken.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +From nothing—
 +
 +----
 +
 +to this.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +A place.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Access.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Work.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Function.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai moved to the window.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Not for the view.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +For the system.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Traffic patterns.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Energy flow.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Signal density.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Everything—
 +
 +----
 +
 +alive.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Baseline established,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace didn’t look up.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Explain.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai didn’t turn.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“We can operate here.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +A beat.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Reliably.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +That mattered.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Shammy shifted slightly.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The air—
 +
 +----
 +
 +followed.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“It still doesn’t like us,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai shook her head.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“No.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +A pause.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“It doesn’t recognize us.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Closer.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +V snorted quietly.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…Same difference in this city.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace leaned back slightly.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Work holds,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai nodded.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Yes.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Another pause.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Access does not.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +That was the real issue.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace’s gaze lifted.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Define.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai turned.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“You are flagged every time you enter a secured system.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +No sugarcoating.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Default classification: hostile.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Silence.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace didn’t react.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Works,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +V laughed.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…Yeah, until it doesn’t.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Shammy tilted her head slightly.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The air—
 +
 +----
 +
 +uncertain.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“You push through it,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +A beat.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“But it pushes back.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace didn’t deny it.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai stepped closer.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“This is inefficient,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Flat.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Every entry increases risk.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Another beat.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Every system reacts.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace met her gaze.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Solution.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai didn’t hesitate.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Implant.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +There it was.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +No buildup.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +No hesitation.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Just—
 +
 +----
 +
 +fact.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +V straightened slightly.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…Yeah,” they said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…that would fix a lot.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Shammy didn’t move.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The air—
 +
 +----
 +
 +shifted.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Not resisting.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Considering.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“It would change things,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace didn’t answer immediately.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +For once.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +A small pause.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Not uncertainty.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Evaluation.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“How,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai answered.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“You would be recognized.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +A beat.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Validated.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Another.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Allowed.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The words hung.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace’s expression didn’t change.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“That’s the problem,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +V blinked.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…Wait, what?”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai watched her.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Carefully.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Clarify.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace leaned forward slightly.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“If it recognizes me—”
 +
 +----
 +
 +A beat.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“—it defines me.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Silence.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +That landed harder than expected.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Shammy exhaled slowly.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The air—
 +
 +----
 +
 +shifted.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Understanding.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“It gives you a place,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace nodded once.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Yes.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +A pause.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“And I don’t take assigned positions.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +That was it.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +V rubbed the back of their neck.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…Okay,” they muttered.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…that’s either really deep or really inconvenient.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai didn’t argue.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Because she understood both sides.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Operational efficiency would increase,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +A beat.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“But autonomy would decrease.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Balanced.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Accurate.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace didn’t respond.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +She stood.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Moved to the window.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Looked out—
 +
 +----
 +
 +not at the city—
 +
 +----
 +
 +through it.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Less than a month.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +And already—
 +
 +----
 +
 +it was trying to define them.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Shammy stepped closer.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The air—
 +
 +----
 +
 +soft.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“You don’t have to decide now,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace didn’t turn.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“I already did.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +That was expected.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +V sighed.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…Of course you did.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai watched her.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Decision.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace didn’t hesitate.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“No implant.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Flat.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Final.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Silence settled again.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +But different now.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Defined.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai nodded once.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Then we adapt.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +That was the real answer.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Shammy leaned back slightly.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The air—
 +
 +----
 +
 +steady.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Balanced.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +V pushed off the wall.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…Yeah,” they said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…you’re definitely going to fit in here.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace didn’t respond.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +She didn’t need to.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Because Night City didn’t care how you fit—
 +
 +----
 +
 +only whether you functioned.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +And now—
 +
 +----
 +
 +they did.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Not perfectly.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Not cleanly.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +But enough.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +And somewhere—
 +
 +----
 +
 +in systems that tracked—
 +
 +----
 +
 +and classified—
 +
 +----
 +
 +and defined—
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace remained—
 +
 +----
 +
 +unresolved.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Unrecognized.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Unassigned.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Exactly
 +
 +as intended.
 +