"Alright, connect your bio-signal. Practical tests beat theory any day."
Vik handed Leo a round-tipped data cable, the other end plugged into the operating table's control panel.
Data cable?
Leo blinked, holding it uncertainly.
"Since you've got a bio-monitor installed, there's a neural port just below it. This lets machines read your bio-signals."
Seeing Leo's confusion, Vik chuckled and tapped his temple. "Oh, right. Natural. Never had the joy of plugging in, huh?"
He wheeled the control panel closer and keyed in a few commands. Almost instantly, Leo's vision flickered, frames dropping like a laggy video game.
"Whoa…"
It passed quickly, but when his sight returned, it was split—like a second screen had opened in the corner of his view. It showed him from the side, capturing his profile with an uncanny clarity.
Okay, that's a little cool.
Leo tilted his head, the camera following. He grinned at his own reflection, resisting the urge to make ridiculous faces.
"Now check behind your right ear."
Vik's voice brought him back. Using the side view, Leo clearly saw two metallic ports embedded just below his ear.
"Top one's the neural port. That's for chips and memory transfers. Bottom's your bio-signal port."
"Got it."
Vik handed the data cable back, and this time, Leo moved it toward the larger port.
"Uh, Vik… this isn't gonna hurt, right?"
"Only if your port's malfunctioning. Which it won't. Trust the tech, kid."
"Alright, here goes nothing."
With a faint click, the cable locked into place.
"That… felt weird. Like I just became a machine."
"Give it time. You'll be plugging in like a pro soon enough."
Vik's fingers danced over the control panel. "Brace yourself. Data's about to hit."
Leo inhaled sharply as lines of code and diagnostics scrolled across his vision.
[Kiroshi (C) Scanning Technology]
[Initializing System Configuration… 55% Complete]
[Checking Neural Network Data]
[Downloading Host Data]
[Installing Transmission Controller]
[Updating to Latest Version…]
"Vik, I swear I feel like a goddamn PC getting a BIOS update."
"You're not wrong. Sit tight."
[Kiroshi UI Loaded]
"System rebooting. Vision might flicker. Don't panic."
True to his word, Leo's vision blurred, colors twisting and frames dropping. The sensory overload was nauseating, but it passed in moments.
And when it did, the world snapped back into focus—crisper and sharper than ever before. Every scratch on the desk, every speck of dust in the air was visible in shocking clarity.
"Damn, Vik. This is insane!"
"Told you."
Before Leo could marvel further, additional notifications blinked into view.
[System Diagnostics: All Normal]
[Biomonitor Status: Optimal Health Detected. Mild Hunger. Mild Fatigue. Recommended: Food and Rest.]
The messages vanished as Vik nodded approvingly.
"Your OS runs regular scans like that. It'll flag anything abnormal. Treat it like a built-in doc."
"Handy."
Vik's expression darkened slightly. "One more thing. And this is important. Never—and I mean never—plug into unknown devices. Don't install shady chips. And stay the hell away from sketchy connections."
"Black ICE?"
"Or worse. Hackers can fry your brain like it's a cheap motherboard. And trust me, no one's got warranty coverage for that."
"Noted."
"Good. Now let's finish this off."
With Vik's guidance, Leo quickly learned the basics of his Kiroshi optics. He calibrated the zoom, fiddled with the HUD, and ran a successful scan of the room.
"The MKIII's a solid model. Six times zoom, plus an anti-surveillance overlay. Any camera trying to catch your mug? It'll end up with a corrupted mess."
Leo snorted. 'Batman would hate this.'
The memory of his previous encounter crept into his mind. Maybe bragging about knowing his identity hadn't been the best move.
Vik misread the reaction. "Don't sweat it. Takes time to get used to implants. Soon your cyberware will sync with your thoughts. Natural as breathing."
"Mechanical enlightenment. I get it."
"Don't push it too far. The more chrome you stack on, the closer you get to cyberpsychosis. No matter how rich you are, nobody's immune."
"That why you stay natural?"
Vik nodded. "That… and I just like knowing where my soul ends and the tech begins."
The procedure wrapped up, and Leo's OS chirped with a final message.
[Network Access Granted]
[User Verified: Leonardo DiCaprio]
[Welcome to the Night City Network. Have a Pleasant Experience!]
Finally free of his "cashless millionaire" paradox, Leo grinned as he opened his banking app.
Balance: 217,025 Eurodollars.
"Hell yes."
"Alright, Vik. Let's settle up. I'm a proud, fully-functioning citizen now."
Vik chuckled. "Rare sight in Watson. A customer eager to pay. Give me a sec to tally it up."
With the transaction pending, Leo couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment. From broke and clothes-stolen to officially plugged in, he was finally starting to find his footing.
Once a cyberpunk, always a cyberpunk.
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