Arthur left the Animal Gang's territory soon after.
With a cigarette between his lips, he steered the car with one hand while resting his head on the other, making his way toward the marked location on his map.
The maglev network looked high-tech, but in reality, it was just Night City's version of a subway system.
Years ago, when the economy took a downturn, the lines leading outside the city were shut down, while those within the city remained operational.
To keep the gangs and so-called "good citizens" from blocking the tracks or robbing passengers, the Night City authorities made security a top priority.
Well, that was the official reason.
The truth? They just wanted to protect the maglev train itself—it was an expensive, custom-built machine, not something that could be mass-produced.
The price was so astronomical that even if 10,000 Night City residents pooled their money, they couldn't afford a single car.
Because of this, any out-of-service tunnels were completely sealed off with reinforced concrete, separating them from the still-functioning tracks.
Arthur drove past the usual street-side gunfights, weaving through the chaos that was just another night in Night City. Eventually, he arrived in Santo Domingo and pulled into a remote corner, where even residential buildings were scarce.
He scratched the back of his head and checked the note in his hand. This should be the place.
But the area was barren, nothing like an old public transit hub.
The surroundings were desolate, edging close to Coronado Ranch—any further, and he'd be in the Badlands.
If he had a Geiger counter, it would've started clicking by now.
Though the place was called a "ranch," no animals were raised here.
After all, Night City's elite had outlawed livestock, claiming that keeping animals would lead to plagues and mass deaths.
In reality, they just didn't want to deal with the hassle. Instead, they funneled public funds into their own pockets.
This area once belonged to Night City's middle class.
But as mentioned before, Night City only had two types of people: high-income and low-income.
The so-called middle class had long since packed up and moved to Heywood.
Now, this place was filled with old single-family houses, each with its own yard, covered in overgrown grass and abandoned cars.
Neglect had turned the once-thriving community into a wasteland.
The soil was turning to dust, and the landscape had little in common with the idyllic suburban scenes shown in early 21st-century movies.
Arthur was still scanning the area when he spotted two men speeding past on a motorcycle.
Both were wearing black.
One was thin, gripping a submachine gun.
The other was plump, revving the accelerator as they tore down the road.
Arthur scratched his head. This place was already stranger than he expected.
A moment later, a maglev train roared through the distance.
"Woo…"
In a split second, the train whooshed past Arthur and continued chasing the two riders.
The thin one raised his gun and opened fire on the train.
Arthur sighed. Was Night City's crime rate really this bold now?
For a brief moment, he felt like he had stepped into a Wild West movie from two hundred years ago—except instead of cowboys on horseback robbing a steam train, it was gangsters on a bike shooting at a high-speed maglev.
Time really hadn't changed much, huh?
Arthur smirked, then let out a sigh before deciding to follow them toward the underground tunnel.
He flicked his cigarette onto the ground, got into his car, and floored the accelerator.
The vehicle—a loaner from a Sixth Street Gang member—quickly caught up, keeping pace behind the maglev train and the motorcycle.
Being this close, Arthur could hear the two men shouting at each other.
"Just keep up with the train!"
"Aren't we following it now?! Can't you hack into it or shut it down?"
"No way! I'm not a hacker. What do you think I am, some kind of Night City tech genius? I barely even went to school!"
"Shit! Another one's coming from the other side!"
Arthur saw what was happening and swerved left, narrowly dodging the oncoming maglev train.
The two bikers?
Not so lucky.
They were flung into the air like ragdolls—spinning mid-air before crashing violently onto the asphalt.
Their motorcycle skidded, flipped, then exploded on impact.
Blood splattered across the pavement.
Arthur watched it all unfold, then calmly stepped out of his car.
He lit another cigarette, exhaled, and shook his head.
"Who the hell tries to rob a maglev train?"
Did they not know who built it?
The train's exterior was military-grade tech, designed to withstand collisions at extreme speeds.
The engineers behind it knew exactly what kind of city they were working with.
No way they'd leave the tracks exposed for idiots like these to mess with.
And yet, here they were—proving them right.
Arthur scoffed, took a deep drag of his cigarette, and stared into the dark tunnel ahead.
It stretched deep underground, seemingly bottomless.
"I really don't want to go in there…"
But he had no choice.
He sighed, crushed the cigarette under his boot, and began walking into the tunnel.
A Call for Backup
As he stepped deeper into the shadows, Arthur dialed a familiar number.
The Network Monitor.
He needed to keep in constant contact with them.
Once inside the Voodoo Gang's underground base, Arthur would have to insert a virus into their systems.
The moment he did, the Network Monitor would execute their plan.
Without that support, Arthur was at risk.
The Voodoo Gang were experts in cyberwarfare.
If they caught onto his scheme, they wouldn't hesitate to wipe him out—or worse, turn him into another one of their puppets.
"Hey, I'm here. Are you sure it's safe?"
Arthur asked, his voice edged with skepticism.
The Network Monitor responded immediately.
"Of course, it's safe!"
Arthur narrowed his eyes.
"Safe? You told me this place was decommissioned, yet I just watched two guys get turned into roadkill by a maglev train."
"Well… I mean, it's as safe as Night City!"
Arthur nearly dropped his cigarette.
"The hell does that mean?! Our definitions of 'safe' are VERY different!"
"You should've been more specific about your concerns earlier."
"Damn it! You corporate lapdogs set me up!"
Arthur clenched his jaw but forced himself to stay calm.
The Network Monitor continued.
"Relax. The tunnel really is out of service—but it's been temporarily reopened as a maintenance and storage hub."
"There are only two or three trains running per day. You'll be fine. Worst case? Just climb up and cling to the walls with your cybernetic limbs."
Arthur sighed.
"Great. So I just have to improvise my way out of death… again."
The Network Monitor chuckled.
"Welcome to cyberpunk life. Every merc has to learn how to solve their own problems!"
Arthur took one last drag of his cigarette, exhaled, and stepped deeper into the abyss.
The real danger was just beginning.
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