Dreams and Hopes of Southpeak
The road to Southpeak in Eden is anything but boring. Thanks to the nano-computer Miko made me. I stare at the hologram floating in front of my eyes, grinning nonstop. In the game, I only saw this stuff through a bland interface and clicked around. Now I'm seeing it with my own two eyes, tapping it with my fingers. How could I not be thrilled? And the info Miko sent is super interesting too.
There was more out there than just the wasteland stuff.
Most of the ruins that popped up in the southern outskirts of Eden—the wasteland—already belong to the corporations. The magic inside them? Extracted ages ago. But the ruins aren't limited to the wasteland. The world calls the rest "unexplored territory." Northern, eastern, and western outskirts beyond the southern wasteland. Reports say ruins appeared everywhere. But those places are true frontier—no man's land.
Even in a world where science and tech reached perfection, some lands stayed unconquered. Parts of the world sacrificed to achieve that perfection. Sandstorms that make electromagnetic tempests look like child's play. Mutated beasts that devour you whole. Oceans filled with deadly poison... That's why even Eden's three megacorps couldn't claim them or extract their magic. No matter how many elite troops they sent, none came back alive.
I'd been there a few times in the game myself. Even with endgame specs, I couldn't survive. You needed god-mode cheats just to step foot there. Players didn't get it, of course. Why waste resources on dummy data like that? They figured it'd be DLC someday.
And now it's all real.
I don't think it was modded in just to possess me or anything dramatic. My ego's big, but not that big.
Still, plenty of magic left untapped. That's a relief.
If it was just the wasteland scraps, I'd have to wipe out all of Eden. Not by massacring people or torching the city—no. Just topple the three megacorps, and Eden crumbles naturally. But one true ending condition was destroying the corps without letting Eden fall. Like pulling every support beam from a house without collapsing it.
Impossible solo, obviously. Even for a high-level vet. Dragon or not, you need allies. Lots of them. Corps are the pillars holding Eden up. Absurd conditions, sure. But I'm not worried. I've got the helpers to make the true ending happen.
"Hmph, hmph hum."
I hum a little tune and look up. A rusty sign, eaten by wasteland winds, flickers with neon. Red, purple, green, pink—eye-searing colors plastered everywhere, waving hello.
The community called it "Shithole Southpeak, soaked in drugs and gambling." But to me right now, it's a city of dreams and hopes. Because that's where I'll meet the protagonist of Cyberpunk: Eden, Enoch.
I press my pounding chest and walk on. Just before joining the checkpoint line—ding-dong! My phone rings. I tap my right bunny ear twice to answer.
In the cyberpunk world, video calls are standard! I beam at Miko's face popping up.
"Hey, Miko."
It's been about 30 hours since we parted. She looks right at home with the Topher Family already, waving cheerfully.
"Almost there."
"The sparrow dreams of the pigeon."
That's the passphrase for the helper Miko set me up with. A netrunner hacker specialist, by all accounts. Could be useful.
"Yeah, got it."
"I'll be fine."
"Gotta hang up. Line's moving."
No matter what Miko says, I calmly end the call and join the checkpoint queue. Instantly, eyes swarm me. Actress? Singer? Corp princess? Full-body cyborg freak...? Whispers everywhere. But they don't reach my ears.
Cyberpunk...!
I'm too busy sparkling at the colorful outfits and implants everywhere.
"You know why I called you in here?"
"Here."
I pull a gold bar from my backpack.
"Ahem, first let's talk—"
"Here."
Two gold bars.
"...I'm a proud member of the ECPD—"
"Here."
Two more. Five in total now, gleaming under the dim ceiling light.
"You're a proud citizen of Eden."
"And you're a proud ECPD officer, mister."
"Haha! You get it!"
I grin and shake the proud ECPD mister's hand. His palm's so huge, two fingers grip my whole hand. Probably an implant. I inspect it curiously, then snap my head up like a bunny.
"Can I go now?"
"Welcome to the city of dreams and hopes, Southpeak, Soo."
"Yep."
I grab my backpack and turn... then turn right back to the checkpoint cop.
"Mister."
"Something on your mind?"
"Where's the exchange?"
"No map update?"
"Nope."
The cop twitches his brow, scans me head to toe, pockets my extra gold bar, and chuckles.
"One in zone 11 right after the checkpoint, two in zone 6, one in zone 1."
"Ooh."
I hit confirm, and boom—a crisp Southpeak map pops up. Cyberpunk as hell! I wave cheekily at the cop.
"See ya."
"Welcome to Southpeak again. Avoid wandering after 9 PM if you can. Especially with a face like yours. If you must, stick to inner zone 3."
No sob stories. Suspicious? Money shuts eyes. Looks weak? Don't poke. But still warns about safety like a proper cop. Textbook corrupt cyberpunk police.
I love it. No surprise, no freakout—this is the world.
"Thanks."
I bounce out of the isolation room on light steps. Past screams and shouts in the hall, idiot brawlers, a merc puffing an e-cig like he's hot shit. I stop at the towering gate.
No more waiting. Hood pulled low, I twist the handle and fling it open.
"Whoa..."
First, skyscrapers stabbing impossibly high. Then my nose gets assaulted. Stale synth-cig smoke, fryer grease, rotting sewer stench—all mixed, stabbing my nostrils.
Right outside the gate, a wide street lined with neon signs tangled overhead like a roofless bazaar. Look around: illegal clinics in red glow, flashy casino boards, glitchy stripper ads that look more creepy than sexy. Delivery drones and private flyers zip by with corp logos. Inside open casino doors, low-tier corp suits chug synth-booze and bet. Next door, shady lingerie girls wrap around merc waists; mercs stuff eurodollars into their thong straps.
"Way more of a mess than I thought...!"
But my face? Pure bliss. Drugs, gambling, violence, sleaze—Southpeak in all its grimy glory. I spread my arms wide, sucking in the filthy air.
"Southpeak!"
Thwack!
"Gahk!"
A merc rolls pitifully across the ground from my arm.
"Fuckin' hell, what the..."
Hit by a truck? No trucks here. The merc looks up—and locks eyes with a breathtaking girl. Hood half-hides her, but her beauty shines through.
"Tch... still half-asleep?"
No way she belongs in Southpeak. Holo-ad material. Rare even there. And I got floored by her arm? Doesn't add up... He licks his lips, eyes gleaming. Those innocent eyes—little sweet-talk, and jackpot. Motel right there.
Three days of fun.
The merc stands—and
"Watch where you're going."
The girl—me—pulls a "cyberpunk move" with what I think is a tough face. Fist extended.
Crack!
He flops back down. Teeth fly, face in the sewer grate. Eyes flick over briefly—then back to business. Routine here. I stroll on casually.
In cyberpunk—especially Southpeak—you gotta act the part. But my heart? Pounding wild.
Nailed the Eden local vibe.
Pride beams on my face.
Finding the protagonist, Enoch, is easy. It's been a year since game start, so follow the one-year storyline. August 21st. His birthday's in July, so today he probably wrapped a big job. Confident in my hunch, I head to where he'll be: eastern industrial sector.
Southpeak's boom days packed it with factories. Now? Abandoned, eerie. Think noir film warehouses stuffed with rusty containers.
I climb a container stack for a high vantage, scan around. Bang! There—Enoch.
"Ah."
Shooter? Hopefully Enoch. Sadly, no. Enoch's the one hit. Most unfortunate.