Misty was a hugger.

  I learned this first hand as almost immediately after Jackie introduced us and expined our day, her tiny form tched on. I gently patted her back while keeping my other hand well clear. Jackie nodded knowing exactly what I was doing and why. Proper Bro knowledge, it seems, was universal.

  Misty also quickly fell under Ryll's spell of cuteness. It was inevitable. She even squealed when Ryll made happy noises at been thoroughly scratched in all the right spots. Well, now I knew someone who could dragonsit if I needed to do something too dangerous.

  Misty dragged Vik out of his basement, and I shook his hand. Technically we were close in age. I was perhaps developmentally stunted, however, I was always kind of grumpy and old man-esque before I actually got old. We both seemed to understand you didn't need to talk to fill every silence. Vik would be good to sit down and watch a game while sharing a six pack with. Maybe, I'd do that someday.

  Misty picked a nice hole in the wall restaurant. The food was, meh, but the company was good. I'm not even certain my taste buds were working properly anymore. The pce didn't object to Ryll's inclusion so she got a rge pte of fried something, and was really chowing down. What a spoiled little dragonling.

  Dinner was almost ruined by a loud altercation outside. But I walked out there, and politely asked the two gangers to take it else where. For a wonder they actually listened. I guess being 8 feet tall had it advantages. Though as I ducked back through the doorway to continue the meal, I realized this world wasn't really built for big people. You'd think it would be, considering how easily guys could make themselves taller.

  Jackie and Misty were every bit as saccharine as you might expect a new couple to be. For an isoted soul like myself it was beautiful and terrible to witness. I felt joy at their happiness and I felt that hollow pce that'd never known what being with someone else like that was. Yeah. That's bordering on things I didn't want to think about.

  After dinner we dropped Vik back at his clinic. Jackie and Misty wanted to go dancing, I figured I'd drop them off at the club Jackie picked and be on my way. Dancing and clubs were never my thing. I don't know how I'd react to being surrounded by loud music and pressing bodies.

  They seemed a little disappointed, but let me escape. Jackie promised we'd get together tomorrow and see about tracking down the people I was looking for. And he got in a dig, "Maybe we can find you some better threads, eh, El Morado."

  I snorted at him and drove off.

  Now it was around midnight and I had no clue what to do about it.

  The st five hours were kind of a blur, but a good one. I never expected to make contact with anyone important from the game so soon. I wondered if I could safely make my way back to the Probes. They should have enough materials by now to create a Nexus, or at least a Gateway.

  Yeah, if push came to shove the two Probes attached to the van could handle most threats. And I really didn't want to leave our small foothold unattended for too long.

  Surprisingly, no one got in the way. I guess the fighting had pyed out for the day. Or there was something big going on somewhere else.

  The van was briefly scanned by the cannons. I eased the van up the curb to park it by the garage. The Probe detached and waited for me to get out.

  Ryll was sleeping wrapped around my neck again. I think she'd grown a little bit today. Maybe it was all the food.

  There was a huge pile of Mineral cubes and a fairly decent pile of Vespene. The Probes must of found something good down there. I ordered the Probe to pull up the tempte for the Nexus so I could see how big it was. Yeah, there was no hiding this. The Gateway wasn't barely any better. Unless...

  We built fully underground.

  I sighed. Dwarven style it was then. I only hesitated because I spent a lot of time moving about underground and I'd never gotten used to it. Losing all sense of time and direction wasn't uncommon for me when I in the depths of the Earth.

  But needs must.

  I descended into the snted tunnel dug by my Probes. For only three Probes, a lot had been done. I guess dirt and even stone wasn't as hard to break down as the Protoss alloys. They'd even added in bracings and smoothed the walls.

  At the current bottom maybe 100 yards below the surface the Probes had made three new tunnels north south and west. I'd warned then not to go too far east as we might run into city infrastructure. I was a little worried about going west but the Probe digging that tunnel was snting it deeper to account for the ocean. Hmm, maybe we could tunnel to the Portal's isnd. That would save us a lot of hassle. Yeah, that would work.

  I had the two Probes start widening the area. We'd put the Nexus here.

  Well I wasn't going to stay down there while they worked. I spent the rest of the night in the first garage. Sitting against the wall, half sleeping, half pnning. I got up around 7:00AM to see the pile of materials was depleted.

  Ryll stirred with a sleepy chirp. I went over and bought her a couple of SCOP Dogs for breakfast. I decided to have a pudding pouch. I offered her a bit on my finger, but she turned her nose up at it, as I thought she would. I also noticed the dogs were only 3.50 now. Barter for the win.

  I trudged down to see that the Probes had already built the Nexus. A golden Pyramid topped with a Blue Crystal. It was magnificent, and I couldn't wait to explore it.

  There was an open doorway more than rge enough for me to enter. Inside I could see the works that made the Probes. Not that I understood how they did it, nor could I read the writing that covered the consoles. But in true Protoss fashion, I didn't have to. I could feel the open connection to the building and it was easy to slid my mind in there. Ha.

  Again I understood almost nothing the systems of the building were reporting to me. But by simply willing it, more Probes started to be made. So the building could understand me, but I couldn't understand it. A frustrating conundrum. Still, I'd solved the problem of limited builders. Time to accelerate this process.

  As new Probes were made they joined in on the harvesting, as soon as there was enough resources, the Nexus would churn out another Probe. When needed, the Probes would dig out space for more Pylons along the tunnels.

  Once we had 22 Probes I'd start on the Gateway.

  I could probably do more amazing things with the Nexus, if I only knew the nguage.

  "Maybe it's time to try waking up one of the Protoss." Ryll growled. Yeah, I wasn't super keen on the idea either.

  Maybe there was a High Tempr in the bunch or an Executor. There was still the risk they wouldn't listen and override my control, and possibly try to eliminate me. But I needed a better understanding of the tools I was mucking around with, and the higher ups were at least a little more likely to hear me out first.

  I could always retreat through the Portal, colpse the cave, and make due with living in Night City. With the Probes here, and a bit of time, I'd hardly be struggling, even if I never discovered the full potential of the tech.

  I didn't like the though of giving up on Azeroth though. We'll call that Pn D.

  Well, maybe tomorrow or the next day. I didn't feel the need to hurry. I doubted the Naga would be able to deal with the cannons anytime soon.

  I spent the rest of the morning teaching Ryll tricks and commands. She was extremely food motivated, so it was a simple process for the most part. She was also impossibly intelligent for a 3 day old anything. Maybe it had something to do with the Hunter css, but I didn't have the Tame ability yet. I didn't know why things were going as smoothly as they were, but it was fun to work with her, and a great use of time.

  She even managed a puff of what might become her breath weapon someday. A tiny sparkling blue cloud. I didn't touch it or interact with it, but at least she had something, just in case.

  Jackie called around 1:00PM, and I agreed to meet him at the Coyote.

  Finally walking into the pce was like coming home, even if no one here recognized me. But the differences were startling. There were arcade games, but these looked highly advanced. The tables were in different pces. And instead of the billiards tables was odd machine I didn't understand.

  I took a deep breath and made my way to the bar ignoring the stares. Jackie was talking to Pepe and a fairly attractive woman that wasn't Jackie mother, but was also behind the bar. I figured her for another bartender. Yeah, it never did make sense that only Pepe and Mama Welles handled this pce alone.

  Pepe caught sight of me, "Hijo de Puta! You said he was big, not super sized."

  Jackie scoffed, "No mames, Pendejo!"

  I saw myself in the mirror. My face was still sort of the face I remembered. But purple with small lines of the grey Protoss skin under my eyes. Those were in fact still human looking, and even the same green color they were before. My nose was still straight and narrow. My mouth was thin lipped but wide. My hair was short and deep purple. My ear were longer and pointed but no where near as ridiculous as the Night Elves. I didn't look hideous, and perhaps with time I could grow used to this new look.

  "You okay, G?" Jackie asked.

  "I hadn't seen myself, since this was done to me. I was startled, that all." I shook my head. Ryll cooed, as if she was trying to comfort me. I scratched her under the chin.

  "What someone did that to you? Why?" Jackie frowned.

  "Don't know. I never did figure it out before everything went to shit and I escaped." I shrugged and sat carefully on a stool.

  Jackie slid a gss over to me, and poured me a shot of something. Poured himself one.

  He raise his gss, "To surviving another day."

  I nodded, "I'll drink to that."

  We downed them. No sippin' allowed.

  Tequi. Not my drink of choice, but it would do. I wasn't picky about alcohol. As long as it wasn't J?germeister.

  "So who are you looking for?" Pepe asked while wiping gsses down.

  "A few people actually. Top of the list is David Martinez, and then anyone on his crew. I feel I owe them some help. Second would be their fixer Faraday, and I won't hide that I'm not fond of the man. Last would be V, though I don't know were to start on that one. I know nothing about them except their handle. They could be a Corpo, a Nomad, or running the streets. But I'm hoping to help them out of a future jam."

  "Well, I heard of Faraday, enough to want to steer clear, but he hangs out at a night club just north of here. Corpo pce, high hat and all." Pepe id it out.

  "Name of the club?" Pursing my lips.

  "The Bottom Line." He said.

  I nodded at him.

  Jackie poured another round.

  "I can help, with V. Maybe. If it who I'm thinking of he runs secret shit for Arasaka. We've worked together a few times. He as much a friend as a Corpo can be with a Street Kid." Jackie seemed reluctant to say any of it, but probably listened to his gut.

  "Sounds right, within the next couple of months. He'll get cut loose, I'm hoping he'll reach out to you. Back him and take him in. I'll foot the bill. Like I said, I hoping to help." I lifted my gss. "To new beginnings."

  "órale!"

  Down the hatch.

  Not a damned thing. Not the slightest tingle, or the smallest buzz. Seems drinking wasn't a viable tension breaker for me anymore.

  Neither of them had heard about David, I hoping that meant that I had some time to find them and set them up to win.

  "If it helps, I think I recall that Martinez and his crew hang out at Turbos. And David himself is from Santa Domingo."

  "That might help, Wakako would probably know him, maybe Reyes. But they'll both charge for the detes. And they both might let him know you're looking." Jackie warned.

  "No worries. Set it up. Make sure they don't screw you on the price." I handed him 5000.

  He looked at me like I'd just handed him nuclear unch codes or something.

  "What."

  "That's a lot of Eddies to just hand me."

  "I consider it an investment. By giving you the money, I find out more about who you are."

  He nodded.

  He poured another round, and raised his gss.

  "To finding the answers."

  We downed them.

  I hoped I liked what I found.