My new apartment was to become an Outpost of the Mox, or so it seemed. Members of the gang were in and out all day, delivering all the new equipment and settings things up. My den was converted into a bunk room for my new mandatory guests, with three very nice queen sized bunk beds. Plus new storage for all of my guests' necessities. I'd a sense I'd be hard pressed to find any extended shower time in the near future.

  We put together a cluster of medical equipment in my living area, I don't recall what bothered me more; the fact that I had enough room to house a full surgical theater in my living area, or that there was now no room left for anything else. Two fully kitted out Ripper Chairs, four different types of Autodocs. A whole host of monitors and scanners.

  None of it was for me, of course, it was for Evie. Evie was a Mox who was learning the trade of a Ripper. So they could get out from under unscrupulous assholes that took payment in trade, she explained. Dark Green hair and green eyes complimented her serious features. She had a personality that was so no nonsense, I joked that she was nineteen going on forty. She either didn't get it or simply decided not to respond. While she still had a couple of years of schooling left, she should have no problem helping me with my subjects' cyberware. Most problems concerning chrome would be ones of basic maintenance.

  My dining area was converted into a small datacenter to both monitor and coordinate my findings with a larger offsite NETcluster, that would then handle the release of all useful information to the medical community. My name and abilities would obviously be obscured. Who would believe in the way I heal without seeing it anyway?

  Lacie the second of my new guests to arrive was responsible for all of this. She was a short spitfire of a woman, never sitting still and always talking at a speed just short of sound itself. Her flashing multicolored fiber hair bounced along with her mouth's cadence. Her optics were an odd green, black, red combo. Though it hardly mattered as they were usually covered by her techgoggles. Her shocking purple netrunner suit hurt my eyes. She was responsible for designing a Learning Algorithm, to help with shoring up my findings so that they would seem more professional. More easily digested by the academics. I quickly asked if her work would violated any of the AI restrictions and received a lecture on the differences between the two. All I understood out of her rapid speech was that nothing she created would be a problem.

  I purchased most of the equipment, using the Moxes' and Rogue's connections. It ended up costing a sizable chuck of my money, but was still far cheaper than I could've imagined. Rogue's assistance came at the price of helping her build better inroads with the Mox. Something that hadn't gone well for either side in the past. Well, it wouldn't be the first time I had brought different folks together.

  Mark and Gena, a couple that were seriously into each other, showed up next. They're here for some basic security. They quickly got all the permissions from the Megabuilding's management to install monitoring equipment including cameras and sensors in the closest section of the outer hallway and then more in the apartment. Later several hidden turrets would be added for additional defense. I personally thought they were going a bit overbroad, but then reminded myself what this place was like. The instant any useful data was generated and distributed, We'd have a huge target on our heads. Thus the urgent need for some huscle.

  Mark reminded me of Maine, at least in the size department. He was forced into working, at a way too young age, as a Doll for one of the Corpos' secret clubs. His natural good looks attracting a certain type of disgusting pervert. After a couple of years the club he was working for 'discarded' him, saying he was all 'used up'. He decided he would never be subject to whims of others again. Then he found Gena, or she found him and they found the Mox.

  Gena, whose modifications reminded me of a leopard, was the daughter of a CEO who was forcefully "retired". Her father's enemies had her captured and converted into a pleasure Doll by the Tyger Claws. Who quickly sold her to a major fixer. She spent a couple of years as a plaything of some of the most terrible people in Night City. I couldn't begin to contemplate what she'd been through. If not for a MaxTac raid on her owner, that might have been her fate. But when she somehow survived the crossfire with minimal damage she got taken in by one of the officers.

  A car accident left her alone again and she ended up on the streets, where she and Mark met. The rest of their story was a good one, full of revenge and sex and, dare I believe it, love. I'm not going to lie, I was more than a little touched by their story. Two damaged people finding each other and building a better life together. It appealed greatly to some part of me that I didn't really understand. So what if a few bodies were dropped here and there? That was just the cost of doing business in NC.

  The last of my new additions was Ricky. He was a Mox that specialized in therapy for the Gang. No that's not a joke. While he was eclectic in his approach to treatment, he got results. By trying to tailor his help to the actual problem rather than following a set of overarching guidelines. He was educated somewhere in the eastern NUSA- and spoke with a slight twang with a hint of a drawl as well. I felt like I'd heard a similar accent before, I just couldn't remember where. He was fucking funny. I'd never be able to do his humor justice myself. Trust me when I say he could get a laugh out of a corpse.

  I spent some time talking with each of my new roommates, trying to get to know them. I gave them a heavily edited rundown of my story, and a very basic overview of what I wanted to accomplish. Then I cooked us up a decent meal with some things I'd found down in the markets on the 80th floor of the building.

  \n

  They shipped the good stuff by AV straight to the higher floors, I discovered. They had little docks and platforms for the damned things.

  By my standards, most of these ingredients were subpar at best. However, by Night City standards these were the crème de la crème of foodstuffs. I whipped up some chicken rice casserole. It was something I learned to cook with my Mom, when I was a kid, and was still a comfort food to me. With a side of spicy twice baked potatoes. Something I taught myself to make after I started living on my own. It almost tasted right to me. I shrugged it off. It would work for now, until I could start bringing better ingredients back from my Hub.

  After we shared the meal, I was told I was officially the property of the Mox now. Which I guess meant they liked the food. Hell, they were shocked I could cook at all. It was a lost skill for adults here, unless they specifically worked in the food industry. I was promised many "ahem" things if only I would keep cooking for them. Heh. It was good to get along with folks.

  Mith, of course, needed no such bribe to get on the Moxes' good sides. Indeed, he instead collected tithes of pets and scratches. He was too friendly to ignore and too happy to let folks wallow in isolation.

  In a few days, Susie would start sending over the first volunteers. I was to return them in better health than they started. As long as I managed that it was understood that I could do pretty much anything I thought was needed. They would be monitored every step of the way, and all the data generated would belong to the Mox. No, that wasn't me bending over for them. I simply wanted to keep my name out of it. Getting better control over my ability was enough of a reward for me. I suspected that at some point even the good will I had built up with the Mox might not be enough to keep them from turning on me if I turned this into a business partnership. Nah, I'd certainly find a different route to generate Eddies later. Though the occasional run with folks from the Afterlife might be a good way to start.

  Stolen story; please report.

  The next day, I let my new roomies know I'd be going to a meeting. I gave them an estimated time frame, promising to keep in touch. Time to go see what remained of my Outpost.

  It was with some trepidation that I set out to meet Amanda.

  I was filled with dread at finding out what the fate of my people might have been. There was no way that the Company or the Corpos had simply left them alone. The best outcome was that Amanda had taken over and kept most of them safe.

  The Chevillon Emperor that Rogue provided had now seen the Moxes' touch. They couldn't let me roll around in Tyger Claw colors, after all. So they had repainted the SUV black with small green and purple stripes as trim. Understated with just a touch of style. Future project; load up this vehicle with weapons. Especially if I'm going to be running out into the Badlands on a regular basis. I was thinking missiles or at least rockets. I'd have to look into it soon.

  The drive out to Rocky Ridge was uneventful, perhaps the Wraiths had gone quiet to build up their forces. Or the Aldecaldos had gone on the warpath. Both were troubling thoughts. Once I got there I got yet another surprise. No one had cleaned up the area, the victim's remains, of John's chain-gun rampage, still lay where they had been destroyed. Even more interesting, was dozens more wrecks and other signs of heavy conflict scattered around the ghost town. Folks had been fighting hard over this area for some reason. Lots of them.

  Since I was more than a little early, I stopped and poked my nose around for a few minutes. I found little to indicate what everyone was after. However, some of the scars of battle were very recent maybe just a few days old. Others were older, likely from right after our last visit. Sure, it looked like a lot of little skirmishes, but taken all together it might mean something bigger was going on.

  Like the fact that I saw Nomad colors and signs, mixed in the abandoned heaps, that weren't just the Aldecaldos. That wasn't a small thing. If the other clans were uniting, it could change the balance of power in the wastes. That was just supposition. I probably shouldn't let my brain run too far ahead on this. There were dozens of reasons why this could be going on. Including good old fashioned interclan fighting.

  Once, I got back into my SUV, I finally placed what had been brewing in the back of my head. Something that I hadn't noticed until that moment. There was no Psifield, I should closer enough to New Lordaeron to be under its influence here, but I felt nothing.

  Pushing north, I soon saw the cluster of buildings that had attracted my attention to this spot in the first place. My heart dropped when I saw the sparse remains of my Khalai buildings. The pylons had fallen, the crystals dark, dull and cracked. Any crysbronze was grey and crumbling. Amongst the ruins were small pile of grey dust, it wasn't hard to figure out they were the remains of Probes. Dozens of little Robo Buddies, rendered into fine ashen flakes. My mind dredged up images of how they behaved and worked. For things born of metal and crystal, they had been so alive. Now they were gone. Making this a fucking tragedy I was not prepared to deal with.

  However, no matter how horrible I felt, tears could not come. All sadness was burned away by a cold fire inside me. Though I had noticed it before, I hadn't been paying it much mind, having had tons of other things to worry about, without needing to dig around in my own heart. Now not only could I not ignore it, the frosted flames started growing.

  I found larger piles of dust, Sentries perhaps. All I could see was the devastation of what had been my friends. My heart burned colder. But then I heard the faint trickling sound of water, far to the east. So I followed my ears and started to see fields of crops in the distance. I began to notice more mana and moisture in the air. A gravel road ran up to the fields, so I placed my feet on it and walked towards the signs of life.

  On closer inspection, the fields were well maintained. Somebody was still farming out here. The northern field was growing some type of orange corn, the southern held some small type of small beans that were crimson in hue. I didn't remember either one being options I'd seen in the CStore. The soil had been properly maintained and was damp. The smell alone told me this was water from a Moon Well.

  So the Company assholes took away what gave me the greatest advantage, the Khalai. But then left the New Lordaeron structures untouched. I nodded to myself. Yeah I didn't get that play at all. I supposed I should be happy that anything was left at all. I just couldn't feel that way, right now.

  When I got to the the actually farm houses, I found an intersection and two more farm houses than I expected. Did they choose this layout to make it easier to defend themselves? How many folks worked here. Four Moon Well enhanced farms could support a lot of people. And for all I knew, there were more fields beyond these.

  "My Lord is that you?" A small soft voice called. I turned towards the northwestern house and saw a Lordaeron woman sticking her head out of the door. She'd just barely opened it and seemed ready to dart back inside at the slightest hint of trouble. I figured that the summoned folks would have some sense of me. It was useful now, so that I wouldn't have to jump through hoops just to prove who I was.

  "Yes. It's me." For whatever that's worth.

  "You have become one of those Night Elves, My Lord!" She seemed delighted and distrubed. "Forgive me, My Lord. We had all but lost hope that you would return." She came out of her doorway armed with a shotgun and wearing what looked like Night City PD style armor.

  I nodded, "I understand. Don't worry about it. Is Amanda about? I was supposed to meet her here today." I could hear other doors opening. Soon a crowd of Farmers and their families were giving me their greetings. It was good to see them. To see that something worthwhile had survived the machinations of the Company, for now. After a while spent with them sharing friendly banter, Reina invited me into her home for some food. We talked about what had happened as we made our way inside the farm house.

  All of my Outposts, in the Badlands, were in similar condition. The Khalai tech, almost universally, just ceased functioning and then quickly began to degrade. Without the capable protection of the Cannons and the Pylons, various groups started raiding the crops. As I hoped, Amanda and the Nomads stepped up and helped defend both New Lordaeron and the Outposts in the wastes. Though it soon became apparent that they wouldn't be enough by themselves.

  The lure of our now lightly defended settlements flush with delicious food and pure water drove many folks mad. Wraiths and Gangers, of course led the charge to grab what they could. Soon enough even ordinary everyday folks caught wind of the bounty and wanted their piece of the pie.

  Soon Amanda had to send word not just to all the families of the Aldecaldos but to all of the other Nations of Nomads as well. Less than a week later members of the Jodes and Folks arrived, even some of the Snake Nation showed up to help out. Hundreds, then thousands of Nomads poured into the Badlands. Killing any of the Raffen they could find for almost a hundred miles in every direction. Then they pushed the Gangs and even the Corpos back to Night City. They fully controlled the food and water now, and were of no mind to share it with those that'd just tried to steal it.

  There was even talk of forming a new United Family Nation. Though it would be very difficult to set aside all of the old differences, the presence of seemingly endless fresh food and delicious water smoothed a lot of things over.

  Recently the conflicts with outside aggressors had just started to settle back down. Small skirmishes aside. Farmers were starting to be able to save enough seed stock to start regrowing, and even expanding fields, now that they were being left alone. Though the mana from the Wells had mutated some of the crops, it was never in a harmful way. Everyone knew this peace wouldn't last, but they were all glad that they had it.

  All of this news was a lot for me to consider.