Chapter 30: The Ripperdoc and the Sandevistan

The delicate, ring-shaped automated surgical instrument busied itself repairing the damage to Lin Yue’s prosthetic arm.

Ripperdocs in Dogtown have always been crude, and their clinics are often dilapidated; some even operate out of repurposed public restrooms in the stadium.

"This hardware of yours is quite new. It’s a shame to break it. Looks like your previous ripperdoc was a decent one."

"The patched areas might lack structural integrity, but it should be fine if I’m careful."

This was Kostin, a ripperdoc at the Longshore Stacks. His skills were passably good. Lin Yue felt that traveling all the way to see Viktor in Night City was too much of a hassle, so he occasionally came to this Longshore ripperdoc for minor repairs. Of course, this doctor, who enjoyed hanging bloody synthetic meat in his clinic, lacked the finesse of Viktor.

"Also, you’re using your prosthetic hand to lift heavy objects every day, aren't you? Some of the nano-muscles are tearing. I suggest replacing them."

Lin Yue lay back in the chair and suddenly asked, "Do you have Gorilla Arms in stock?"

Kostin looked up at him. "You want that kind of heavy-duty gear? I have them. It depends on what you're looking for—"

"I have some stripped from Scavengers; the previous owner's graffiti is still on them."

Lin Yue felt a chill.

"I also have some that are eighty or ninety percent new. The higher-end ones have a softer aesthetic and aren't so bulky. The cheaper ones… well, your hands would end up bigger than your head. It just depends on how much cash you’ve got."

Lin Yue nodded. As for Gorilla Arms, he felt they suited his needs quite well. His physical stats were already high, and Gorilla Arms were common prosthetics that would provide the necessary strength to handle the weight of his sniper rifle. Plus, in a face-to-face confrontation, being able to deliver a solid punch would be satisfying.

"Hiss!"

Just as Lin Yue was mulling over the price, a sharp pain flared through his arm, even through the local anesthetic.

To distract him, Kostin began sharing some gossip known among the ripperdocs:

"The psychos in this city are getting more frequent lately. Max-Tac and Trauma Team are everywhere—"

"Word is, some psycho rushed into a building and wiped out everyone on an entire floor in ten seconds. By the time Max-Tac arrived, everyone had at least three shots to the head, all through the exact same hole."

"The NCPD didn't even show up. Seems like the officers' pay was cut, and they’re talking about privatizing the force."

Lin Yue blinked. "Ten seconds?"

"Probably some new product churned out by the corps. Whenever new gear hits the streets, they always have their soldiers test it first, then it leaks into the market, and suddenly every corporation is competing to produce something 'safer'—all under the guise of promoting civilian cyberware."

Lin Yue didn’t want to reveal too much to the doctor, so he remained silent, though he already had his suspicions. If his memory served him right, such tech had existed back in Johnny Silverhand's era.

"Sandevistan… truly a hell of a piece of hardware," Kostin chuckled dryly.

It had to be said that in the lawless zone of Dogtown, one could always dig up information on weapons and cyberware. Sure enough, Lin Yue’s hunch was correct.

According to Lin Yue’s memory, the base versions of Sandevistan were produced a long time ago. What flows into the market now are essentially downgraded military-grade versions from various corporations, stripped down for civilian use to reduce costs.

In game logic, that would be like taking legendary gear, removing the broken functions and side effects, and diluting the effects until it becomes common or rare-tier equipment. The best he might find would be epic-tier, but the side effects would likely be severe. As for legendary-tier, Lin Yue didn't dare to imagine it yet. He wasn't sure if his body could handle the strain; after all, he had no way to monitor his "Cyberware Capacity."

In truth, Lin Yue had always been curious about the cyberpsychosis caused by prosthetics. He wondered why these mental shifts occurred. Could military-grade cyberware really drive someone to insanity?

Seeing Lin Yue lost in thought, Kostin smiled.

"You’ve already got quite a bit installed. The subcutaneous armor your previous doctor installed, the titanium bones, the ballistics co-processor, and the pain editor… and you just had me install the best synaptic signal optimizer in the shop, along with a biomonitor… but still, these have been tested and have manageable side effects."

"But the more you install, the more you crave that extra power."

The doctor helped Lin Yue sit up.

"When your ambition grows and you decide to install an operating system like a Sandevistan… or pair it with a Kereznikov… with all that hardware integrated into your body, there's no guarantee you won’t lose your mind."

Kostin stared straight at Lin Yue. "So, do you still want those Gorilla Arms?"

Lin Yue felt a bit uneasy under the doctor's gaze. What was this? Even Gorilla Arms could cause cyberpsychosis?

"No way, Gorilla Arms should be—"

The doctor cut him off. "As long as you install enough of them, it’s possible. I’ve got a decent set here, take a look."

Lin Yue glanced at them. They looked just like the Gorilla Arms V used in the game—the proportions weren't overly exaggerated, and the joints featured black mechanical bearings. Seeing Lin Yue staring in silence, Kostin offered a deal to his regular customer.

"Tell you what, if you start forgetting things—if your hands shake, you can’t sleep, or you find yourself constantly wanting to smash your fists into people’s heads—I can help you remove them. I’ll only charge you a few days' rental fee. How’s that?"

Lin Yue hesitated for a moment before nodding. His technical skills were already unlocked, and this hardware was directly tied to those abilities, even if he hadn’t unlocked the specific perks yet.

"Fine. Install them."

Kostin smiled, ducked into the small room behind him, and soon returned with the necessary surgical supplies. Payment first, surgery later—that was the rule in Dogtown. Sixty thousand eddies vanished from Lin Yue’s account.

He hoped this cyberware wouldn't disappoint him.

Lin Yue lay back down, his vision quickly fading to grey as the anesthesia took hold.

...

Outside the ripperdoc clinic, the other members of Maine’s crew waited by their vehicle. Rebecca was perched on the window, looking bored, while Maine stood with his face buried in his raised collar, smoking in silence.

Everyone had skin-suture patches over their various wounds, and all necessary bandaging had been done before Lin Yue’s surgery. In this crew, everyone was a chain-smoker except for Rebecca.

"Maine, why is this kid taking so long?" Pilar asked, feeling there was no need to wait for him.

"Shut it," Maine snapped.

The cigarette in Dorio’s hand was burning down to the filter. She knew exactly what Maine was thinking.

"That guy must have a lot of cyberware hidden under his skin."

Maine nodded. "I can’t imagine how someone with so many nerve endings in their face could still be jumping around after taking a few bullets. No wonder he never goes to bars, doesn't buy fancy cars, and I’ve never seen him spending money at the city clubs."

"What if he turns into a psycho?" Pilar’s optical cyberware flickered as a raised red line, hiding any emotion in his eyes.

Dorio shook her head. "As long as it isn't that military-grade junk. It should be…" Clearly, even she was losing confidence.

Just as the crew held varying opinions about their new partner, a call from an unknown contact came through to Maine’s comms.