Cyberpunk Orc (3)
Cyberpunk Orc (3)
Redwood.
Whenever people listed the worst slums in Neon City's history, they never left that name off.
Sure, places like Sin Sector in Chinatown or Buraku in Little Shinjuku gave off a similar vibe.
But as the place they called the homeland of the Orcs, I figured the image was probably even worse.
Even so, in the end it was still just a neighborhood inside the city walls.
To me, who had rolled around the lawless garbage landfill with Catherine as a kid, it didn't feel all that frightening.
"It's a place where people live, same as anywhere, y'know!"
As if reading my mind, the Orc taxi driver who saw right through my thoughts chimed in with perfect timing.
The speech pattern rendered by the translation module sounded quite distinctive.
At his words, I turned my gaze from the window toward the driver's seat.
Decorations full of personality were placed here and there. No clear nationality showed through, so it just seemed to reflect the taxi driver's personal taste.
"That's probably true."
"Haha, that's right."
The taxi driver nodded along at my reply.
He was a pretty easygoing Orc.
On a normal day I would've definitely grabbed an unmanned taxi, but today I had no choice.
Just as I was about to set the controller to unmanned and call a taxi, the taxi-call module displayed this message:
【The area [Redwood] is not covered by insurance services under city law. Calling [Unmanned Taxi (4-6 passengers)] is not possible.】
So in the end we had no choice. We called a taxi driven by an Orc driver and left the driving to him.
Just what kind of state was this neighborhood in? To not have insurance coverage.
In an instant, hood guys shouting "Shee-it" or "Sonnuva bitch" flashed through my mind.
.......
That seemed entirely possible.
Before boarding the taxi, I had briefly checked the Neon City forums, and the netspace public opinion treated it pretty much like any other 'hood.'
Always lure your opponent into letting their guard down. Stay away from anything that isn't green. Always move unpredictably.
That kind of thing was the main content.
I wondered what the reality was like.
Half anticipation, half worry, and a tiny sliver of thoughts about Smith—I felt the rough road's vibrations through my whole body as I pondered.
"I can definitely see why people come here as tourists. This is the first time I've seen real trees planted in real dirt."
Catherine gazed out the window and remarked. By appearance alone, she looked exactly like a tourist.
Actually, that reaction was understandable. Sometimes roadside trees were planted even in the city, but the truth was they were streetlights with built-in air-purifying functions, so they were worth staring at like a novelty.
Hearing Catherine's comment, the Orc driver looked at us through the rearview mirror.
"But, are you folks heading to Redwood for sightseeing too?"
Hm. I couldn't answer easily. The mood was awkward for saying we were looking for a missing acquaintance.
When I couldn't answer easily, the Orc driver nodded to himself and changed the subject.
"Hm, sightseeing, huh. To be honest, I was born and raised in Redwood myself, so I've got a rough idea what the vibe's like over there right now."
The bizarre fang-shaped ornament dangling from the rearview mirror swayed this way and that with the vibrations.
"Every year around this time, the gang turf wars get intense. It's a noisy period, so frankly I wouldn't recommend heading in for sightseeing...."
That wasn't something a taxi driver who took credits and picked us up ought to say. Maybe he knew that himself; his voice grew quieter toward the end.
A brief silence followed.
"Yep, we're here."
The taxi came to a stop near the corner of the road.
"Actually, we've been in Redwood territory for a while now, but where people really live starts further inside."
The irregular landscape I had once seen in a documentary stretched out endlessly.
Old, low buildings. Rather than the inside of a cyberpunk city, the atmosphere was like arriving in an LA slum.
"This is the homeland of the Orcs, Redwood."
24. Orc of the Cyberpunk (3)
After receiving payment, the Orc flashed a simple smile.
"Hehe, thank you kindly."
Maybe because he'd had a taste of city life, the reply came out surprisingly natural. Of course, whenever he did that, his sharp fangs jutted out past his lips, so his face resembled a vicious thug's grin.
It was a relief that at least he didn't suddenly change his attitude.
'Now that we've come this far, I'll be taking an additional fee, customer. You don't have it? Are you messing with m─.'
—and pull something like that. For reference, the part where he suddenly spoke in standard speech was a detail drawn from vivid personal experience.
Anyway, fortunately, the taxi driver in front of me didn't look like he'd be switching professions to mugger.
Choosing a driver with a socialization score above average (an Orc) was the right call.
Being a lower-layer district, the road maintenance was poor. We each got out of the taxi and stretched big.
I loosened up my stiff body with some stretches.
"Huh?"
Catherine pointed deeper into Redwood.
"Hey, someone's coming."
At Catherine's words, Eve's head turned toward the inner area.
"Entity designation 'Orc,' entity count: 3."
"No, anyone can see that just by looking."
"The average height of the three individuals is numerically 201cm, which is higher than the average height of Orcs surveyed in Neon City. A noteworthy detail is that each is wearing a scarf."
"...Didn't need the height part."
I listened to Catherine and Eve's silly exchange.
Just as they said, three Orcs were swaggering toward us from within.
Their pants, sagging low enough to show their underwear, aggressively stole my gaze. I never dreamed I'd see the sagging fashion that rappers in my past life used to do even here.
Not "heavy─", but a fashion moving backward in time.
At least the sunglasses the Orc in the center wore seemed like actual smart lenses, but I couldn't understand why his outfit was like that.
"I told you, they'd be humans."
"Sightseeing at this time of year, they must be dying to get a hole punched in their bellies."
The Orcs gradually drew closer to us. The closer they got, the more strength gathered in Catherine's fist.
With Catherine beside me, who could smash a punching machine to pieces with ease, I had nothing to fear either.
But before anything could go down, the taxi driver, seeing the approaching Orcs, got out of the driver's seat faster.
The taxi driver blocked the fellow Orcs and shouted.
"Hey, hey! Brothers! Hold up a moment!"
"Huh?"
The Orcs, who had momentarily stopped their steps, glared sharply at the taxi driver of their own species.
But nonetheless, the taxi driver still spoke in a friendly tone, a smile on his face.
"I appreciate the neighborhood watch effort, but no need to do that to my customers."
At the taxi driver's smooth talk, the three Orcs simultaneously scowled. To anyone watching, it sounded like they were on close terms. But judging by the Orcs' irritable reaction, it was clearly the first time they'd met.
"...Who the hell are they that you call 'em brothers? You city Orc bastard─."
Just as the profanity was about to burst out, the taxi driver introduced himself and spoke.
"Aren't you folks under Big Mama at the intersection? Seeing as you're all wearing scarves, looks like the cold season really has come early."
At that, the Orcs' reaction softened.
"...How do you know Big Mama?"
"I'm from Redwood myself. That's why I called you brothers, ain't it. Being from Redwood, it'd be rarer to find someone who hasn't had Big Mama's piggy porridge."
Sure enough, there was something between Redwood natives—the atmosphere shifted in an instant.
"What, you're from our neighborhood? I figured you weren't, 'cause you're driving a city taxi around."
"A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do to make a living."
They exchanged short words as if asking after each other's current situation.
"Well, the mood's uneasy these days, so if you've got a group with you, take good care of 'em."
"Go on in and don't you worry."
And soon, without any trouble at all, the Orcs went back the way they had come.
"Phew, that nearly turned into a big mess."
The taxi driver let out a short sigh and spoke.
"Seems the mood's quite unsettled lately. The usual rule would be not to mess with tourists, but to see this right at the entrance...."
I looked at the Orc (with no criminal record), a rare sight in the city, and expressed my thanks.
"Thanks for looking out for us."
"Ah, it's nothing—there can be nice Orcs too, y'know."
Even a tiny bit of self-deprecating humor.
Finally, the taxi driver looked at me and gave one last piece of advice.
"Also, while you're here, I'd recommend taking off your mask if you can. So many criminals hide out around here, a lot of Orcs dislike folks who walk around with masks on."
I nodded. But of course, I didn't take my mask off right away. The factory zone, Cloud Park, was right nearby. The air quality was so bad that someone with a fragile body like mine could collapse in less than 30 minutes.
More than that, another thought came to me first.
"Well then, I'll be heading off now. Whether it's sightseeing or whatnot, I hope you do well and get back safely."
I grabbed him as he finished his farewell and was about to get back into the taxi.
"Just a moment, Sir."
When you need to make a request like this, calling them 'Sir' is helpful.
"...What is it?"
Maybe the unfamiliar form of address threw him off; the taxi driver looked at me with an awkward expression.
"From what I heard you saying, seems like you're from Redwood. Would it be okay if I asked for another service?"
"......?"
He frowned at what I said.
It could look like anger, but honestly, since Orcs naturally have ugly scowls, it could be a misunderstanding. It was probably just a curious expression.
"Actually, we're here to look for someone. Since it's our first time here, I figure it'd be better to have someone who can help."
The taxi driver's expression twisted a little more once he understood what I was about to request.
The taxi driver spoke in a stiff voice.
"I must refuse. Even so, I'm not so strapped for credits that I'd take on guide work too─."
I recalled the account I had just paid from, and sent an additional fee.
"I can offer this much..., but if you're not interested, it can't be helped."
"─But, since you're asking so kindly, just for today I'll take on the role of guide."
It was too many credits to turn down.
That was an amount made possible because the credits I received from Chairman Pit Mac of Koozaka as compensation were overflowing.
Having switched gears, the taxi driver thumped his chest and shouted as if telling us to trust him.
"My name is 'Thomas,' but feel free to call me Tom."
And so we acquired a one-day guide.
* * *
"The person you're looking for is named 'Smith,' you said?!"
"Yes, do you happen to know him?"
"Just counting the Orc Smiths I know, it goes well past 20. I was just saying."
"......."
I added additional details.
"First of all, he's an Orc."
"Naturally, wouldn't he be."
"...He's a male, about 2 meters tall."
"Most male Orcs around here are 2m."
"......First off, he's bald."
"Every Smith I know is bald too."
"He works at a place called No Answer...."
"Where's that? Is it a corporation? Then is he also a taxi driver, by chance?"
"......."
Maybe it would've been faster to just get Eve's help and track Smith's biosignal....