====== ACE 31.2 — Interlude: Processing Cost ====== The clinic didn’t advertise. ---- It didn’t need to. ---- People who needed it— ---- found it. ---- ---- The door opened before they touched it. ---- ---- Not because it recognized them. ---- ---- Because someone inside had already decided. ---- ---- “Come in,” a voice said. ---- ---- Viktor Vektor didn’t look up immediately. ---- ---- He finished what he was doing first. ---- ---- Steady hands. ---- Clean movement. ---- No wasted motion. ---- ---- Then— ---- he glanced at them. ---- ---- And paused. ---- ---- “…Yeah,” he said quietly. ---- “…you’re not standard.” ---- ---- V leaned against the wall. ---- ---- “Told you.” ---- ---- Ace didn’t move further in. ---- ---- She stopped just inside— ---- not claiming the space. ---- ---- Mai stepped forward. ---- ---- “Enhancement,” she said. ---- ---- Direct. ---- ---- No explanation. ---- ---- Victor studied her— ---- longer than necessary. ---- ---- Not suspicious. ---- ---- Curious. ---- ---- “Define,” he said. ---- ---- Mai didn’t hesitate. ---- ---- “Processing.” ---- A beat. ---- ---- “Latency reduction. Pattern recognition acceleration.” ---- ---- Victor’s eyebrow lifted slightly. ---- ---- “…That’s a new one.” ---- ---- He stood. ---- ---- Moved closer. ---- ---- Not to touch— ---- to read. ---- ---- “You’re already running clean,” he said. ---- ---- A pause. ---- ---- “Cleaner than most people I see.” ---- ---- Mai didn’t respond. ---- ---- “That is insufficient,” she said. ---- ---- Flat. ---- ---- Victor exhaled slowly. ---- ---- “Yeah,” he muttered. ---- “…this city does that.” ---- ---- He glanced at Ace. ---- ---- Stopped. ---- ---- “…You’ve got nothing.” ---- ---- Not a question. ---- ---- Ace didn’t react. ---- ---- “Works,” she said. ---- ---- Victor nodded once. ---- ---- “For now.” ---- ---- His gaze shifted to Shammy— ---- and stayed there. ---- ---- Longer. ---- ---- “…I’m not even going to ask,” he said. ---- ---- Shammy tilted her head slightly. ---- ---- The air— ---- shifted. ---- ---- “That would be inefficient,” she said. ---- ---- Victor almost smiled. ---- ---- “Yeah,” he said. ---- “…that tracks.” ---- ---- He turned back to Mai. ---- ---- “You want processing,” he said. ---- ---- A beat. ---- ---- “I can do that.” ---- ---- No drama. ---- ---- No build-up. ---- ---- Just— ---- fact. ---- ---- “But,” he added. ---- ---- There it was. ---- ---- “It’ll change how you think.” ---- ---- Mai didn’t react. ---- ---- “That is the objective.” ---- ---- Victor shook his head slightly. ---- ---- “No,” he said. ---- ---- “That’s the risk.” ---- ---- Silence. ---- ---- He moved to the chair. ---- ---- Gestured. ---- ---- “Sit.” ---- ---- Mai did. ---- ---- No hesitation. ---- ---- Ace didn’t move. ---- ---- She watched. ---- ---- Not the tools— ---- the intent. ---- ---- Victor worked. ---- ---- Efficient. ---- ---- Precise. ---- ---- No wasted motion. ---- ---- Time passed— ---- but not long. ---- ---- Then— ---- he stepped back. ---- ---- “Done,” he said. ---- ---- Mai stood. ---- ---- No delay. ---- ---- No adjustment. ---- ---- She looked at the room— ---- once. ---- ---- Everything— ---- shifted. ---- ---- Not externally. ---- ---- Internally. ---- ---- Faster. ---- ---- Cleaner. ---- ---- Connected. ---- ---- Shammy noticed immediately. ---- ---- “You’re faster,” she said. ---- ---- Mai didn’t answer. ---- ---- Because she already knew. ---- ---- She turned toward the door. ---- ---- The system— ---- simple— ---- non-networked— ---- still responded. ---- ---- Her hand moved— ---- before the decision formed. ---- ---- The door opened. ---- ---- Not predicted. ---- ---- Executed. ---- ---- V blinked. ---- ---- “…Okay.” ---- A beat. ---- “…that’s new.” ---- ---- Mai paused. ---- ---- Not confused. ---- ---- Processing. ---- ---- “It reduces delay,” she said. ---- ---- Flat. ---- ---- “Significantly.” ---- ---- Victor crossed his arms. ---- ---- “Yeah,” he said. ---- ---- “…and it’s going to make you trust it.” ---- ---- Mai didn’t respond. ---- ---- Because that was irrelevant— ---- for now. ---- ---- Ace stepped forward. ---- ---- Looked at her. ---- ---- Not impressed. ---- ---- Not concerned. ---- ---- Measuring. ---- ---- “It works,” she said. ---- ---- Mai nodded. ---- ---- “Yes.” ---- ---- A pause. ---- ---- “It does.” ---- ---- Victor looked at Ace again. ---- ---- Longer this time. ---- ---- “…You ever think about it?” he asked. ---- ---- No push. ---- ---- Just— ---- offered. ---- ---- Ace didn’t answer. ---- ---- Not immediately. ---- ---- She glanced at Mai— ---- at the difference— ---- at the speed— ---- at the absence of hesitation. ---- ---- Then— ---- back to Victor. ---- ---- “What,” she said. ---- ---- Victor shrugged slightly. ---- ---- “Reflex boost.” ---- ---- A beat. ---- ---- “Neural acceleration.” ---- ---- Another. ---- ---- “You’d be scary.” ---- ---- He paused. ---- ---- Then— ---- quietly: ---- ---- “…Problem is, I’m not sure you should be.” ---- ---- Silence. ---- ---- That landed. ---- ---- Shammy watched Ace. ---- ---- The air— ---- shifted. ---- ---- Subtle. ---- ---- “You’re thinking about it,” she said. ---- ---- Ace didn’t respond. ---- ---- Which— ---- was the answer. ---- ---- V exhaled. ---- ---- “…Yeah,” they muttered. ---- “…this city gets to everyone.” ---- ---- Ace turned. ---- ---- Not dismissing it. ---- ---- Not accepting it. ---- ---- Holding it. ---- ---- “We move,” she said. ---- ---- Default. ---- ---- Control. ---- ---- Mai nodded. ---- ---- Already ahead. ---- ---- Shammy followed. ---- ---- The air— ---- balanced. ---- ---- Victor watched them go. ---- ---- Didn’t stop them. ---- ---- Didn’t offer more. ---- ---- Just one thing— ---- as they reached the door. ---- ---- “Don’t overdo it,” he said. ---- ---- Not to Mai. ---- ---- Not to Ace. ---- ---- To all of them. ---- ---- Because in Night City— ---- enhancement wasn’t the danger. ---- ---- Dependence was. ---- ---- And as the door closed behind them— ---- Mai processed faster. ---- ---- Ace thought— ---- slightly longer than before. ---- ---- And Shammy— ---- felt the difference before either of them said a word.