Chapter 5 Chapter 2 To Night City

My name is John Taylor.There was no one in Nightside who didn't know the name. I've been living a normal life in a normal world for years, and the payoff for doing so is that no one comes to kill me.I'm a big fan of obscurity.It keeps me away from the stress of identity, other people's expectations, and destiny.No, I don't want to explain these things at the moment.I just turned thirty a few months ago, but I don't care about that.If you have experienced so many unlucky things like me, you will not care about such insignificant things at all.It's a pity that even the most trivial things in daily life can cause great disturbances, so I have come to this point, ignoring my sanity, and I am about to return to Nightside again.When I fled Nightside five years ago to avoid death and the betrayal of my friends, I swore through my bloodstained lips that I would never go back, never set foot in Nightside under any circumstances.I should have remembered the vows I made back then.God just loves to see people break their vows.

God, or somewhere behind the scenes. I'm going back to a place where everyone knows me, or at least they think they know me.There was a time when I could be a big shot in Nightside if I set my mind to it.However, maybe because I care too much, I don't want to trample on the lives of little people to climb to the top.To be honest, I never had that kind of ambition, but it's never wise to reveal your heart in front of people in a place like Nightside.I am not a follower of the crowd. I follow my own path, take care of my own life, and have my own set of standards for honor. It is not all my fault that this situation has happened.I consider myself a wandering knight, but the princesses I save always stab me in the back, the swords that accompany me always shatter before the dragon's skin, and the holy grail that I pursue all my life ends up being a whiskey bottle.I'm on my way back to those old faces, old memories, old scars, and all I can do is hope it will be worth it.

Don't expect no one to notice my return.In Night City, John Tyler's fame spread far and wide.Five years in exile will not change that fact in the slightest.Of course, no one in Nightside knew the real me.Ask a dozen people my name and you'll get a dozen different answers.Some people will tell you that I am a wizard and a monk; some people will say that I am a liar and a fraud;Of course, they were all wrong.I never let anyone get in touch with the real me.I'm a hero to some, a villain to others, and pretty much everything in between.I have other talents besides finding people, and they are quite amazing.When I ask questions, people are usually afraid not to answer.I used to be a horrible man, even in places like Nightside; but that was five years ago.That was before fate crushed me completely in the name of love.I don't know if I still have my fearsome instincts, but I don't believe I've lost them.It's like knocking someone off a bicycle with a baseball bat, you never lose that instinct.

I never carry a gun because there is no such need. My father drank himself to death because he couldn't bear the shock of discovering that his wife wasn't human.I never knew my mother.Neighbors in the neighborhood took turns taking care of me and raising me, but they didn't mean it, and I never felt the warmth of family anywhere.I have many questions about my own life experience, and I never give up the pursuit of these answers.Maybe this is the main reason why I became a private eye. When people can't solve their own problems, it is a comfort to help others solve their problems.I always wear a big white trench coat when I work.First, it is practical, and second, it conforms to the image, but the main reason is that it can hide the true self under the windbreaker.I hope no one can figure me out, because I won't let anyone get close.This is to protect them, but also to protect themselves.

I sleep alone; I love to eat all kinds of bad food; if I think about it, I will wash my clothes with my own hands.Feeling self-sufficient is very important to me because I don't want to depend on anyone.I've never had much luck with women, but I must admit it's mostly my fault.In spite of life, I'm still romantically inclined and have all the troubles that romantics have to deal with.My closest female friend is a bounty hunter, limited to Nightside.She tried to kill me once, but I don't blame her because it was just a business. I drink too much, but I don't care.I like the numbing effect of alcohol because there are so many things I don't want to remember.

And now, thanks to Joanna Barrett and her daughter, I'm going to step into hell again; step into the place where for as long as I can remember someone has been trying to kill me for no apparent reason; step into that world The only place on earth that makes me feel alive.In Nightside, I'm more than just your average private eye.That's one of the reasons I left.I'm afraid that I will end up becoming someone I don't like. But when I walked into London's Underground system with Joanna Barrett, I couldn't hide my excitement about going home. It doesn't matter which subway station or which line it is, the entire subway system leads to Nightside.A major feature of the subway is that all the stations look the same.The same peeling tiles, ugly machinery, too bright lights, even those oversized movie and advertising posters look the same, plus vending machines that only tourists are stupid enough to use, and a bunch of whatever The homeless, begging or simply looking to get away, sat or lay on their dirty blankets.Of course, there will never be a lack of hurried footsteps in the subway station. Whether it is shopping, commuting, sightseeing, doing business or media reporters, there are always people rushing to other places.Luckily, London's population isn't large enough to require someone to pack passengers into trains like Tokyo, but it's not too far off.

Joanna followed me closely all the way, apparently she didn't like the environment and crowds very much.She is used to a high-end life, and when she goes out, she always rides in a stretch limousine with chilled champagne and a uniformed driver.I suppressed my full stomach and led her through the crowd.It turned out that she didn't bring any change with her, and I had to pay for the two tickets.I even had to teach her how to use the ticket machine. We took the escalators down to the lower level of the subway system and were amazed that none of the escalators were broken.I turned left and right, relying entirely on my intuition to recognize the way, and finally found the sign I was looking for.The sign used a script that only those in the know could read.That script is called Ino, if you're interested, and it's a language invented by humans in ancient times to communicate with angels, but I only know one person who knows how to pronounce it correctly.I grabbed Joanna's arm and led her into the small passage under the sign.She struggled away from my hand with a displeased face, but followed me obediently into a door marked "Maintenance Room".Behind the door is a small room filled with scarecrows in the uniform of the British Empire Railways. As for why the scarecrows are uniformed, don't ask.I closed the door behind my back, enjoying a brief moment of silence, then picked up the phone on the wall, and said a word into the microphone with no dial tone.

"Night City." I put down the phone and looked at the wall expectantly, while Joanna looked at me in bewilderment.Not long after, the dark wall split into two from top to bottom, and slowly slid to the sides, revealing a long and narrow aisle behind it.The wall of the aisle was blood red, like a big wound.The light inside was dim, and the source could not be seen, giving off a foggy feeling.A musty smell hit the nostrils, like expired perfume or rotten flowers.There were many whispers echoing in the aisle, loud and small, far and near.Fragments of music seem to be absent, like radio signals of different frequencies rushing to come out.A monastery bell sounded in the distance, evoking a kind of loss and loneliness in people's hearts, with a touch of sadness on the outside.

"You want me to go in there?" Joanna said after being surprised. "It's literally the road to hell." "Almost." I said coldly. "This is the road to Nightside. Believe me, this part of the journey is pretty safe." "This road makes my hair stand on end." Joanna whispered.She stared at the aisle as fascinatedly as a bird watches a snake. "It just feels like it's...not out of this world." "Oh, it's not. But it's the best way to get to your daughter. If you're afraid to go in, go back now, it's only going to be worse."

She raised her head, tightened her mouth, and said firmly, "You lead the way." "certainly." As soon as I stepped into the aisle, Joanna followed.Then we left the normal world together. The other end of the corridor is connected to a subway station platform, which at first glance looks like an ordinary platform.Joanna took a deep breath and seemed to feel a lot more relieved.I didn't say much to her, because some things are better for her to discover by herself.I led Joanna onto the platform, and the wall closed silently behind me.I haven't been here for five years, but it still hasn't changed a bit.The milky white tiles are covered with dried blood, the claw marks of beasts and various murals.As always, someone will always misspell the word "Cthulhu" in the mural.

There is a list of stops along the way on the wall opposite the platform, and the names of the stops on the list have not changed at all. "Shadow Falls", "Nightside", "Fields of Blood", "Street of the Gods".The posters on the wall gave off a very uncomfortable feeling, like a nightmare scene that I was trying to forget.The posters are full of movies, stores, and services endorsed by celebrities, and they are ulterior things.The motley crowd on the platform is a spectacle in itself.I sniggered in my heart, watching Joanna's reaction to the passing crowd with great interest.If it wasn't for her reluctance to let me see the joke, she would have been stunned by now.Her eyes were wide open, she didn't dare to look at all kinds of unexpected scenes, she just staggered forward beside me. Everywhere there are street performers playing unfamiliar music.In the hats at their feet are coins from all over the world, some of which are no longer in circulation, and some of which have never been in circulation.Someone sang thirteenth-century ballads in Latin hymn-like accents, and not far away someone was singing Bob Dylan's songs back, and playing air guitar, and it was absurd.I dropped a few coppers in the hats at the feet of both of them, and a little virtue always pays off. Continuing to walk along the platform, we saw a hunchback in a neat suit talking to a short man in a Nazi uniform.Then we passed a man in silk ruffs, completely Elizabethan aristocrats, chatting intimately with a six-foot transvestite in a show dress, and neither could tell which was more eye-catching.Going further down, a woman in interstellar armor and a naked man with tattoos all over his body were sitting and eating, and the small sticks used to insert food in their hands were still wriggling.Seeing this, Joanna really had to stop.I patted her on the shoulder lightly, and she jumped up in fright on the spot. "Don't act like a tourist." "This..." she stammered. "What place is this? Where did you take me? Who are these people?" I shrugged: "This is the fastest way to go to Night City. There are many places in the world that can lead to Night City, some officially recognized, and some just popped up out of thin air. Just take the wrong road, open the wrong door, and anyone can It is possible to stray into the Nightside by mistake. But these passages are usually short-lived. London and the Nightside have coexisted for too long, and the barrier between the two places is getting weaker and weaker. One day, the barrier will disappear and ravage the Nightside All the toxins will come out, but when that day comes, I should be lying safely under the tombstone. Anyway, if you want to get to Night City safely and soundly, you can take the subway." "Then who are these people?" "It's just ordinary people in the city. What you see now is a part of the world, but most people have never been in touch with this part of the world. This is an under-the-table passage, a hidden tunnel, dedicated to People with mysterious missions walk, what they are looking for is beyond the imagination of ordinary people. There is not only one world in the universe, and people from other worlds will appear in Night City sooner or later. You will meet people from all worlds in the subway , but as long as the armistice agreement made by ancient times is still valid, no one can hurt you here. Anyone may appear in Night City. Mythical creatures, legendary figures, travelers, explorers, and even visitors from other worlds , gods, dead souls, psychics. In short, don’t just stare at people.” By the time we stepped off the platform, Joanna was too shocked to speak, and she didn't even object to me taking her hand.People didn't turn their heads to look at us or stop talking to each other, yet when we passed, everyone gave way.A few people secretly compared a few gestures of the cross when I wasn't paying attention, and some people drew other ancient symbols to ward off evil.It seems that I have not been forgotten after all.A vicar in a tattered cloak, white collar, blindfold, and an old box open at his feet shouted his wares in front of us. "Crow's Foot!" he cried, his voice high-pitched. "Holy water! Curses! Stakes! Silver bullets! You know you need 'em! Don't wait until you've got a broken leg and missing guts to come to me!" When Joanna and I passed by, he suddenly quieted down, sniffed with a puzzled face, then turned his head to one side, grabbed a string of rosary beads made of human finger bones and stood forward, blocking our way. On the way, he poked me as soon as he stretched out his finger. "John Taylor!" he roared through gnashing of teeth. "Son of the curse! Descendant of the devil! The source of hatred! Saint buster! Get out! Get out!" "Hello, Pio," I said lightly. "Glad to meet you again. You're still doing the same old tricks. How's business?" "Oh, it's not bad. Thanks, John." He smiled at me, temporarily put aside his strange business tone, and said, "My products are like travel insurance. Everyone thinks they don't need it. It must be too late to regret it. 'This can't happen to me!' they said. But in Nightside, this kind of thing not only could happen to them, it would happen. This kind of thing always happens without warning, but the consequences are usually unthinkable. I'm in a life-saving business, but they won't listen, a bunch of fools. By the way, what did you come back, John? I thought you were smart Well. You should know that Nightside is not a good place for you." "I've got a case. Don't worry, it won't be long." "Everyone says that," Pio said loudly.He shrugged his shoulders under the cloak, and said again: "But I suppose what must be done must be done. Who are you looking for this time?" "The runaway kid, a girl named Catherine Barrett. I don't think you've heard that name before?" "I haven't heard of it, but I haven't been very informed recently because I don't want to meddle too much. Life is going to be hard... A piece of advice for you, boy, I heard some news, bad news. Recently there is a new Power has entered the Nightside, and your name is being mentioned again. Be careful, child. If you are going to die, I'd rather die by my hands." After he finished speaking, he turned around, resumed his previous harsh tone and went about his business.The best people to be best friends are former enemies. The platform shook, strong winds hit, and a train roared into the station, slowed down and stopped in front of us.The front of the car has no windows and is shaped like a silver bullet.The carriage is like a big iron pipe, only the reinforced door on it protrudes slightly, which destroys the overall sense of flow.The doors opened and people started getting on and off.I was about to go to La Joanna, but found it unnecessary.She raised her head, and Howe stepped into the car door in front of her without fear.I got into the car after her and sat down beside her. I'm glad there's no one in the car.I never liked crowded places, because the crisis always hides in the crowd.The man sitting across from us was intently reading a Russian newspaper with a date a week away.At the other end of the car sat a young girl with green dyed punk hair, tattoos on the hairless parts of her head, ring holes all over her face, and punk accessories.She was reading an oversized leather Bible with blank pages, but from the whites of the girl's unblinking eyes, I recognized her as a doctoral student studying at the "Deep Institute".In other words, that book definitely has extremely rich content, but only the girl can read it. Joanna looked around the car, and I looked around through her eyes.With no windows at all, the carriage didn't feel like a carriage at all, but more like a prison cell.The smell of disinfectant filled the air, reminiscent of a dentist's surgery.There are no maps posted throughout the car, and passengers who will board the train will know exactly where they are going. "Why no windows?" Joanna asked after a while. "Because nobody wants to know what's out there," I said. "We have to go through some grotesque places to reach the Nightside. These places are dangerous and magical. They can take away the sight of the eye and the sanity of the heart. At least in the legend, I never thought of seeing it." "What about the driver? Doesn't he need to look at the road when driving?" "God knows if this car has a driver." I thought for a while. "No one I know has ever seen a driver. Maybe this train has been on this route for so long that it knows its way." "You mean no one is driving this train?" "That's fine, human beings are too limited." I smiled at her shocked expression. "Do you regret following?" "No." "Don't worry, you'll regret it." At this moment, there was a violent impact outside the carriage, and the Russian sitting opposite us fell to the ground on the spot.He picked up the newspaper carefully, and went to sit in the back of the carriage as if nothing had happened.The external force continued to increase, and the reinforced metal of the car body began to sag inward.The punk girl continued to read the Bible intently, but she couldn't help but began to whisper.The car shell became more concave and deeper, and an entire block was deformed under the external pressure.Joanna shrank back in her chair in horror. "Don't be afraid." I reassured her. "It can't get in. This train is protected by protocol." Her eyes opened wider.It's culture shock, and it's not the first time I've seen it. "Protection?" she asked finally. "Old treaties and agreements, you don't want to know the details, especially not after you've just eaten." There was a frustrated roar from outside the car, and it definitely didn't come from the mouth.The cry gradually moved away from the carriage, and the distance gradually became farther and farther away.The reinforced metal of the car body slowly returned to its original shape, and the dents disappeared one by one.Then we heard a slight, rapid rattling of what sounded like a swarm of gigantic insects running from the side of the car to the roof.The lights in the car flickered suddenly.The sound of the roof continued, as if there were many things running around on it.A group of high-pitched whispers echoed in our ears, what seemed to be a strange chorus of many identical voices mixed together, with a faint metallic resonance.I heard my hairs bristling and my scalp tingling because it was the sound of angry sisters from the hive going out to feed. "Come out, come out, no matter who you are." The chorus outside said in unison. "Come out and play with us, or let us in. Let us in, and we'll play with you until you can't stand it. Let our sticky fingers stir your genes, and we'll recreate your genes with our living scalpels. Shape your womb..." "Shut them up," Joanna yelled nervously. "I can't stand it. Their sound can tear out of my head and into my heart." I looked at the Russians and punk girls, they were so absorbed in their own business that they didn't hear the sound outside.I looked up to the roof of the car. "Leave, don't bother us!" I said calmly. "In the name of the armistice agreement and past sacrifices, you have no right to make trouble here!" "Who dares to speak to us like that?" the voices chorused, but the question was almost lost in the sound of their angry claws hitting the roof of the car. "I'm John Taylor," I said clearly. "Don't make me go up to find you." They stopped moving and remained silent for a while, and then the inhuman chorus said again: "In that case, goodbye, dear prince. When you step into your kingdom, please don't forget us. " There was a sound of hurried footsteps, and things outside quickly left, and our train could finally move quietly to its destination.The Russian and the punk stole a glance at me, but looked away before I could make eye contact with them.Joanna was looking at me too, her eyes steady but her voice trembling. "They know you. What do they mean by that?" "I don't know," I said. "I never knew. It's a mystery that's haunted me all my life. There are many mysteries in the Nightside, and I happen to be one of them." No one had anything to say for the rest of the journey, and we arrived in Nightside quietly.