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FORTUNE AUTHOR'S NOTE

REVELATION (PART 1) AUTHOR'S NOTE

As the tournament approached, Vik signed me up and agreed to coach me. Having a doctor who could patch me up if I got knocked down seemed a smart idea. The doctor's orders were clear: train my cardio and my footwork. That's how I started running, one hour a day, from my dingy motel to the waterfront. To be frank, it felt really good! With my corpo background, I had totally neglected the athletic aspect of my training. I used to kick bags or people, sometimes. Not everything could be overcome by cybernetic implants. I learned the hard way to ignore them when things went down. Damn, it's over! Time for some stretching and relaxation exercises, to prevent unnecessary injuries. It felt nice to spend some time here, as the waterfront under the Californian sunset was giving Night City its dignity back. Most of the fighters at the tournament were boxers. As for me, I specialized in taekwondo. Fists against feet. Hence Viktor's advice: regain my stamina to support my kicking. I needed speed and agility both to strike and to hold my ground. Stretching helped me restore my flexibility. Working a desk job didn't help, and my occasional monthly workouts failed to keep me as nimble as before. But I was getting back in shape, and I knew how to win. I didn't care if my opponents were all local ex-champions, they would bite the dust. Because when I set a goal in my mind, I made sure to achieve it. Don't think I've forgotten Arasaka, but to take them on required money, a solid plan and allies to back it up. I was a long way from that. Right after a good training session, nothing beats dipping sweaty feet in water to clean them off. Come on, what else do you think those pools of water were used for? Plus, you get to stare at them before they kick ass. That's how I would become the fighting queen. And like all self-esteemed queens, you have to take time for yourself. So every morning, I fingered myself by caressing my breasts until I climaxed. A healthy attitude in a healthy body. No, I'm joking, but it gave me a real boost for the entire day. Today marked my debut in the competition. Viktor had picked me up and briefed me on the champion I was facing: "You're facing El César, he's the guy on the car in the back. A member of the Valentinos gang, Heywood's former top man. Avoid his gold prosthetic arm and you should be fine. One question though, are you sure about the outfit? I have my doubts, you don't have any torso protection or footwear." "Don't worry about that, I don't expect to be hit. Besides, it's the proper gear for the kind of fighting I do." "Alright Eleanor, you're the boss. Go beat him." The fight began. El César tried an aggressive approach, getting within range to punch me with his cybernetic arm. I denied the courtesy by shoving him back. That's when I found the weak point to attack: his chest hadn't been enhanced at all. I needed an opening. For that I had to let him hit me, at least try. His golden arm struck the air as I ducked to dodge it. El César thought I wasn't in range to counter-attack, but oh boy... He was so damned wrong. With my left leg, I delivered a brutal blow into his belly. I didn't intend to strike back with my fists, but with my feet. And that turned out to be his mistake. El César was taken by surprise and fell to the ground, unable to keep up the fight. My second fight was far more challenging. I faced the boxing champion of the Animals gang, Rhino. She showed great strength combined with a strong defense, making it impossible to land a single hit. In fact, it was her who managed to put me on the ground first, ready to finish me off with an elbow drop. I rolled to the side at the last moment, avoiding an inevitable defeat. For the first time in the fight, I was behind Rhino, and to take down a behemoth, I knew what to do: aim for the legs. I tackled the joint behind her knee with all the force I had. She staggered and fell to the ground. Once down, I kicked Rhino's head just once to make sure she stayed that way. It was fucking exhausting but I did it, I won! I had passed the quarter-finals against El César and the semi-finals against Rhino. My next fight, the final, would set me up against the current champion Razor Hugh and, best of all, it would be broadcast on TV. "Are you really sure about this Viktor? Betting that much on your protégé's victory against the reigning world champion? You must have an incredible amount of trust in him." "In her Judy, Eleanor is a woman determined to kick ass. Believe me, she's got her own fighting style and every chance of winning. You should bet too, you won't be disappointed and you can thank me later." "If she loses, your services are free of charge for the entire month." "Fair enough, Judy. Watch and learn." “Introducing the challenger, straight from Watson to take on the champion Razor Hugh. Weighing in at 121 pounds, make some noise for Eleanor the Celeste!” Don't ask me where the nickname came from, I just thought it was cool. Like this new outfit, based on a legendary female fighter from South Korea. Tonight, I decided to honor her legacy. "You're my weakling opponent? Haha! You won't make it through the first round." Razor Hugh had the arrogance of an undefeated champion. Prior to the match, Viktor informed me that the champ had been equipped with new cybernetic abs, so confident in his own strength to knock the life out of me. We'll soon discover if he can withstand several good kicks to the stomach... As soon as the bell rang, Razor Hugh tried a strong right punch. If I had not bent down instantly to avoid it, I would have joined Morpheus' land. Damn, his arm was terrifying, as wide as my whole body! I had no room for mistakes. I launched an attack right back at the champ. He had the boxer's reflex of putting his guard up to protect his head. But I didn't bother, my kick was aimed at his stomach. I needed to inflict more than one hit to defeat him. Razor Hugh didn't flinch and counterattacked with an uppercut. Unfortunately for him, I stepped back far enough to parry it and be within range to deliver a second, much stronger kick. I could hear his cybernetic equipment failing. His blows were swift for a big guy like him, except that I moved a lot faster than he did. The more I dodged his punches, the more I felt my endurance depleted. The champion grew just as tired of hitting the void, and soon I knew the fight would have to be over. After an umpteenth evasive move, I prepared myself for a fatal blow. I put all my rage and anger into this spinning kick. My foot pierced his belly like a sword thrust into the flesh. Razor Hugh fell to his knees, the cybernetic hardware inside him ripped to shreds. It was the champion's arrogance that led to his downfall, broadcast over the networks. "What a sensational night! And against all odds, tonight's winner is Eleanor the Celeste! She takes home a prestigious victory over world champion Razor Hugh and the princely sum of 100,000 Eurodollars!" When I set myself a purpose, I achieve it, whatever the means. Tonight, in front of a small crowd, I had reached my fifteen minutes of fame. The first of many, if you ask me.

One week later, in my apartment. Kimy hasn't lied. She laughed at my face when she saw me come in in with the devices on my body. She released me and gave me the keys to an old apartment right next to the Memory Den. "Do whatever you want in there partner. Visit me later, I might have a job for you." She didn't have to worry, I was going to enjoy my new home! Time for a little workout. I reconnected with my old pre-war hobbies. I finally had a place where I could to yoga. It was quiet, calm and I was in the perfect state of mind to do it. My legs were still flexible enough to do the splits. I still got it. It felt good, stretching my legs, then my arms... I felt like I was 18 again! I had lost those habits, I was spending more time surviving thant living. What about my balance? Was it still smooth? I had to strain my arms to keep the pose. I got my answer when I found myself on the carpet. Luckily I was able to control my fall. I was going to have to work on that... I kept working out. I was in the perfect position to stretch my entire back. It was damaged after too many adventures with Kimy's toys... I held my feet, breathed slowly and let the music on the radio accompagnied this relaxing moment. I rolled over and raised my legs as high as I could. It was a good to end this session, my whole body was stimulated. Except for my feet which were hanging in the air. I will train them next time. After finishing the workout, I needed to get clean. I was going to visit Kimy once I got dressed. The young woman had devious devices but also a wide variety of modern clothes in her wardrobe. She was kind enough to give me something to wear. I may have been forced to show her how my goods worked to make this happen... "Hello my dear Calista! I hope you like the clothes and the apartment! Didn't I tell you that I'd make it worth your while? I never lie." "It's true, I can't thank you enough! If I could have some of your toys for the apartment I would be delighted!" "You've come to the right place! I have just the job for you. Brother Thomas borrowed a load of my toys. I found out that he was using them to trick poor people into robbing them. This has to stop. You'll find him and his community at the Charles View Amphitheater. Do it your way, but be careful not to get ripped off! How about half the toys as a reward?" "I'm in. But I'd still like some capsules. 300 is enough for this job, right?" "You know I like you Calista. I'll give you 500 if no one dies. Are you ready for the challenge?" Challenge accepted. This job was a perfect opportunity to test my fighting skills in case things went wrong. I had improved since that time in the cage. Plus, the morning workouts needed to be put into action. The amphitheater was not far from Goodneighbor. About fifteen minutes later, I got to the place. Several people with patched clothes, not very well armed, yep it was there. We had a nice view of the Boston River, spoiled by the huge bonfire that Thomas' community had lit. I was stretching my arms, just in case... I joined the community. Brother Thomas proved to be easy to find, he was the one in the chair overlooking his group. "Hi there, I'm here to pick Kimy's devices." "Who are you young lady? I don't know anyone named Kimy and I don't have any devices here." "Cut the crap brother Thomas, I know who you are and what you are doing here. Give me what I came for and no harm will be done." "Mmh... Alright. I want two of you to escort this woman into the storeroom. You'll get your devices." Something wasn't right. Once in the room, the woman who accompagnied me slammed the door and closed it. Maybe she was waiting for me to interact with something in the storeroom. Maybe she was waiting for backup. Either way, I wasn't going to let it get to me. I didn't need the pumps and my jacket anymore. Time for a fight. I yelled to get the woman's attention. She must have thought that I had fallen into the trap that was meant for me. She opened the door and entered the room, disappointed to find no one there. I came out of the corner behind the door and tackled her. "Hey darling, looking for me?" I made sure she was knocked out before closing the door. The other guy was waiting outside and went into the office. He wasn't expecting to see an angry woman in her bare feet. When he was within range, I kicked him in the throat. "Get the hell out of here, you creep." I was in good shape today. Both physically and verbally. I paused for a moment. I heard footsteps and moved to cover. "Are you done with the girl? Is she neutralized? Why the fuck aren't they answering?" He was reading a piece of paper while unconsciously walking towards me. Same battle plan as before. When he was close enough, I hit him pretty hard. The surprise effect was such that he was knocked out before he hit the ground. "Sorry mister. I don't think you're going to need that assault rifle anymore." I had an idea how to cut down the community without deaths. I retrieved his weapon and quietly made my way to the bonfire. None of the other members saw me. I aimed at the river and emptied the magazine. "If you don't want to die, run away, all of you. NOW." They succumbed to the panic and fled. Except for two people. Brother Thomas and his bodyguard who were hiding inside the amphitheater. I made a grand entrance. I climbed over the crates and then over the wall to pounce on the first person who came along. The bodyguard was the unfortunate one. She could do nothing but scream and pray. Brother Thomas was powerless, he didn't even have time to draw his rifle. A blow to his crotch and a tackle were enough to send him down. Next time, he won't piss off a woman who was obliged to remove her heels. I put my foot on his chest to make it clear who was the community leader. "Shall I continue Brother or do you give me the toys now?" "Okay you win, I give up. Damn you're a strong woman. Kimy's toys are in the safe next to the matress. Help yourself, it's open and get the hell out." I put all the devices in a bag and walked along the river. I took a break, there was a deckchair and some beers waiting for me. The day had gone pretty well, nobody died, which meant a lot of caps and I got some new stuff for the apartment! If only I hadn't forgotten my jacket and pumps... I was going to have to go home barefoot... Poor me.

I was led into a cage and the fight began. I still felt dizzy from the drug dose. My opponent was a slave from another gang, determined to win. So was I. She attacked me first, with a right punch. With Jet in my veins, I was it in slow motion, unable to raise my arms to counter it. She took the lead. The slave tried to choke me with a grip on my head. It was time for me to counterattack. I tried to break the hold. In vain and I found myself on the ground. My opponent was desperate to win: "Submit bitch, I just want to be released." Suddenly, a rush of adrenaline came to me, I had to use it. I managed to get up and push the other slave away. I was her exhausted from her effort, it was my moment to strike. I hit her for the first time, it was enough to throw her off balance, I didn't need much more to put her down. I could see her staggering. It was time to end it. I put all the strenght I had into this punch to finish her off. I did it! After my victory, I received an electric shock from the collar. However, Jet fumes were coming out of it. The boss of the factory congratulated me with this gift before telling me that another slave was going to fight against me. No hanging around this time. The Jet boosted my adrenaline and my will to win. The next fighter was stronger. She had already won several times and had much more experience than me. I had to be more cunning to defeat her. My feint of injury worked, I was able to dodge her first blow. It was up to me to return the favor. We hit each other. I didn't expect her to be so quick to counterattack me. I had to be careful, she was not a champion by chance. She managed to get the upper hand on me. Her size allowed her to keep me away and hit me in the back. The opponent even had the audacity to provoke me : "You defend yourself well for an ant. Don't worry, I'll crush you quickly." I was able to push her away. With the adrenaline flowing through me, I tried to rush my opponent. It was the perfect moment, it was my 15 minutes of fame. I fell into her trap. She used my speed to lift me up. She didn't have to do much, gravity would take care of me. The slave used her strenght during my fall to finish the fight. I was angry at myself for rushing to her... I fell on the hard floor of the factory. I was in pain. Thanks to the Jet, I was still conscious. The fighter thought she had won, it wasn't over yet. "I'm not finished yet! Bring it on bitch!" I still had something left in me. I was going to beat her, I didn't know how but I was going to. I gave everything I had left. Quick punches with my hands then kicks with my feet and a final punch to her head. She took every blow until she fell. I fought like never before. I didn't know I had it in me. Maybe I could survive in this new world after all. Maybe I could take this fucking collar off one day. To celebrate my victory, I received another electric shock filled with Jet. Oh my god it felt so good! All my pain was instantly healed and I was cheered by the crowd. For the first time I didn't feel like a slave to these raiders anymore. I felt like one of them. I was escorted back to the old shack. Master gave me a few days off for my performance in the cage. I was rewarded with some Jet. The addiction was getting real, it was all I could think about when I was down. But it kept me going.

Anger provoked an adrenaline rush. I used one of my yoga poses as a fighting stance. One hand on the ground for balance, my body straight and both legs stretched in front and behind me. It was an inverted splits, which knocked over three out of the gang's four members. Not bad, I knew my kicks were devastating! The last guy still standing tried to tackle me. I sat cross-legged after my first move. This position gave me a considerable advantage: an outstanding view of his groin. I gave everything my arms had to offer, stopping his run by striking his lower belly with my hands. I rolled towards the man I'd just deprived of offspring. Among them, he was the only one with a rifle and therefore my best chance of bringing a swift end to the fight. Once I'd retrieved the rifle, I aimed at the guy who'd just shredded my tank top. I thought back over the previous minutes when his gang had assumed they had me. Who was the fool now? The humiliation I'd just suffered could only be appeased in one way: the permanent disposal of these bastards. With them gone, only their bodies remained behind me. I was proud of what I'd accomplished, even if my breasts were now completely exposed. Looking into the distance, I could see a radio antenna at the mountain summit. I had no reason to stick around, the gang didn't have the loot from yesterday's caravan. These raiders truly served no purpose... Except for the rifle. I took the main path to the mountain. It was a wide road with a few wrecked cars. I felt confident about the steep climb, despite having no shoes. The road ranged from gravel to dry soil. Nothing too challenging for a barefoot walker like me! I came to a crossroads where brahmins were drinking water under a tiny shelter. I could either go ahead where the path sloped back down into the jungle, or I could turn left and keep on climbing. I still wanted to give my legs another push and get to the radio tower. As I ascended further, I heard the sound of a waterfall nearby. I had made some good progress and deserved a refreshing break. The waterfall created a small stream. I crouched down and began to drink from it with my hand. The water was so pure, so natural, untouched by radiation. I wanted more, I felt a sudden desire to take a refreshing dip. I stripped off completely. At first the water chilled slightly, but once my whole body was beneath the waterfall, the temperature was just perfect, thanks to the sun. I could have stayed for hours enjoying the wild landscape of ancient Central America. It was definitely the best bath of my life. Being naked in this peaceful place was so pleasant, feeling at one with Mother Nature and closer to her... I rested on some rocks with moss, letting the sun dry my body from the wonderful dip I'd just taken. After a break of an hour or two, I put on my clothes (what was left of them) and set out again on the dirt road towards the mountain summit. I'd gained so much altitude that I could see the marshes from yesterday, even the beach I'd stranded on. I hoped to find some information up there so I could get back to Boston. I had reached the radio tower. The antenna appeared so high up, it could almost touch the sky. The afternoon sun began to hide behind a few clouds. I'd be surprised if I ran into anyone - it was quite a journey to get here! Someone was kind enough to unhinge the radio station's back entrance. I balanced on the door to get in. The place had been abandoned long ago. There were rusty old terminals, a desk with office furniture, some lockers and a chest inside a fenced-in room. Perhaps more interesting stuff awaited me inside... After searching the desk and lockers, both of which were empty, I found the jackpot behind one of these. A bunch of keys that had to open the security door and chest next to me. I was really hoping to find a suitable top, I could feel the cold hitting my nipples. The trunk contained a few odds and ends, but above all, a leather chest top. Made by Ropa Americana, a local store at the mountain's bottom. Thanks to whoever stored this piece here, I intended to put it to good use. Gosh, I loved my new leather top! Plenty of pockets for storage, a shoulder strap and an ammo belt. I'd done a full sweep through the radio station. There was nothing interesting left to find, not even a pair of shoes and there wasn't enough power to restore it. I did, however, identify its source: wind turbines on the plateau above. Dusk was falling softly over Costa Rica. I had reached the mountain peak and wanted to see what lay on the other side. Not that I didn't like the place, but I still wished to be able to return to the United States... Well, what remained of it. I stood on the cliff's edge. The view was breathtaking, despite the fog from the height I sat at. Trees everywhere, huge rocks on the beach, but above all, the place that caught my eye, a lighthouse. If I had a way of getting back, that's where I'd go. Maybe I'd find a boat, or my own, lost in the ocean. Fatigue began to set in. Fortunately, there was a small camp with tents and pre-war canned goods. I was going to spend the night here, plus I had my own security detail with this brahmin grazing peacefully. Tomorrow I'd head back inland to this lighthouse. The following day, I walked down another side of the mountain. I came to a small crossroads with a few shops, where I saw the Ropa Americana store completely cleaned out. On the next building's roof, I heard a radio and a man complaining in Spanish. I needed some info and hoped to get it from him. I used the ladder to reach the roof. An old man was trying to adjust the telescope lens. He didn't even see me, otherwise he would have asked about my outfit, especially my lack of shoes. "Hola señor, perdone, ¿habla usted inglés?" "Hola viajera, no hablo inglés pero mi mujer sí. Tiene un rancho al otro lado del río. Busca una vieja señora con un vestido blanco." "¡Muy bien, muchas gracias por la ayuda y buena suerte!" I crossed the river and landed above the ranch. It looked like a farm with Brahmins grazing in a cloistered area. I wasn't surprised to see that there were still people who knew how to domesticate animals. From my vantage point, I tried to spot a woman in a white dress - that was my English speaker's description. I toured the ranch, looking for someone. It didn't take me long to find her. The old woman in the white dress was running the ranch, but stopped when she saw me approaching. We both smiled at each other, as if we were already family. "Hello, I've met your husband. You speak English, don't you?" "Indeed, my dear, indeed! Come on, let's talk somewhere else." END OF PART 2