Cyberpunk 2077 - The Ballad of Lost Souls

Camp Aldecaldo, Arizona. Ethan is sitting on a rock, while Panam sits on his lap, caressing his face, enraptured by his smile. The scorching afternoon sun illuminates them and the rest of the camp's inhabitants.

Panam: So can I finally get used to it?

Ethan smiles, mockingly.

Ethan: We shall see. If Saul appreciates our goods you might see me at camp more often than you think. I might even take you with me on some jobs…

Panam: Oh, what an honor.

Panam comes close to Ethan's ear.

Panam: I'm dying to do some work with you.

Ethan: Me too, Panam. Me too.

Suddenly both are enveloped in a dark shadow. Panam turns sharply, as Ethan slowly raises his head: Saul towers in front of them, while Mitch stands to his right, arms crossed.

Saul: Sorry to interrupt this romantic moment, but there is a problem with the shipment. 

Panam looks at Saul, astonished, as Ethan raises an eyebrow defiantly.

Ethan: Which is?

Saul: You promised thirty guns and twenty rifles. Functioning. Half are jammed and the other half are from when we're still playing cowboys. Not paying for this stuff, you can take it back.

Ethan keeps looking at Sau,l without saying anything, with a mocking half-smile. 

Ethan: Bullshit.

Saul approaches Ethan and Panam, looking menacing, as Cassidy arrives walking slowly and positions himself to Saul's left.

Saul: Excuse me?

Ethan: If you want to talk business, come to my camp. I'm busy right now.

Panam begins to look alternately at Saul and Ethan, snapping to her feet, trying to defuse the situation.

Panam: Saul, look…

Saul turns sharply toward Panam, with eyes full of anger.

Saul: No one asked you anything, Panam!

Panam nods, ashamed and steps aside, Saul then turns back to Ethan.

Saul: Now you come to my tent and take back the load, got it? And make sure there are no more hiccups. Otherwise you may as well stop comin' here.

Ethan stares at Saul in silence, while he does the same. Tensions mount, as Panam grows more and more concerned.

Saul: Let me ask you a question Ethan...Do you feel in charge?

Cassidy slides the trigger of one of the two revolvers into his belt, threateningly.

Cassidy: Come on kid, get your ass off that rock.

Ethan smiles, then slowly raises his hands in the air, standing up.

Ethan: Ok, ok. Let's say it was my mistake, this round is on me. Let's meet tonight at the camp and I'll give you what you deserve, how about that?

Ethan walks toward his black coupe parked just outside the field, passing among some Aldecaldos observing the scene. Panam looks at him with her arms crossed, displeased. Suddenly, Saul turns toward her.

Saul: And you, Panam…Don't think you're special 'cause you got the jacket. One more of these shenanigans and I'll throw you back picking up scraps.

Panam quickly changes expression, curling her face and becoming angry.

Ethan: Panam!

Panam suddenly turns, seeing Ethan leaning on his black car in the distance.

Ethan: See you soon.

Ethan gets into the car and runs off into the desert, raising a high cloud of sand. Panam turns back to Saul, looking at him with an angry stare, as if blaming him for something. After a moment she turns away, giving her back to the group.

The last lights of sunset are smothered behind the great rocky mountains that line the Mojave Desert. A modified, armored Thorton Galena, races down Interstate 187. Scorpion is driving, on the passenger seat sits Mitch, while in the back seat lies Saul, smoking a cigar, looking worriedly out the window.

Mitch: Saul, I have to be honest. I don't like this, for shit.

Saul: Neither do I. That's why I told the others to follow us from a distance.

Scorpion looks at the rearview mirror for a second.

Scorpion: Saul…If things go bad... How do we deal with Panam?!

Saul sighs, looking at the cigar.

Saul: That's why we left her at the camp.

The car finally arrives at the large camp, enveloped by a range of hills and mountains. Fires illuminate the tents that make it up, as well as the menacing faces of the raiders, who square off Saul and the others.

Scorpion: Shit. Things keep getting better and better.

Mitch: Hand on the irons, let's not screw around.

The three get out of the car, the last one being Saul, who comes out enveloped in a cloud of smoke while smoking a large cigar.

A group of raiders dressed in dusters surround the car, armed with rifles and pistols. In front of them, three others dressed in leather jackets smile at Saul, as he and the others stare at them, defiantly.

Saul: So?! You want to sell 'em or do you want to dump 'em on us?!

From behind the group steps Ethan, dressed in a black leather suit and brown boots.

Ethan: Guys, guys. Irons down, they're customers.

Everyone lowers their weapons, as Ethan approaches Saul.

Ethan: You have to excuse them, we are not used to having visitors. Especially such distinguished ones. The leader of the Aldecaldos, himself, in my fuckin' camp…Never thought I would see this day.

Saul: Cut it short, kid. The guns, now.

Ethan: As you can see we are well stocked.I have already prepared them for you.

Ethan sits on top of a metal crates pile.

Ethan: Here they are. Rifles and guns. Twentyfive each and you can take them away.

Saul: Won't give you anything. I have already paid you.

Ethan's henchmen raise their guns, aiming them at Saul, while Mitch and Scorpion draw their guns. Ethan lowers his head, smiling, then raises his right hand in the air, waiving to the others, who lower their guns, again.

Ethan: Saul. Let's not ruin this wonderful cooperation, shall we? Please, enter my tent, I want to offer you a drink.

Scorpion: That won't happen.

Ethan turns toward Scorpion, stymied.

Ethan: Shut up, Red Riding Hood.

Ethan gets up from the boxes, pointing with his right hand to a large green tent in the center of the field, behind the group of people.

Ethan: Please, your friends can come too. Don't worry about mine, they'll stay here.

Ethan and Saul begin to walk toward the tent, passing through the group of people, while Mitch and Scorpion have their backs, guns in hand.

Ethan enters the tent, followed by Saul, Scorpion, and Mitch. There is a large stove in the center, radiating heat. On the opposite side, there is a pillar of metal crates with a workbench, full of guns, some of them disassembled. At the far end of the tent is a double bed, in front of which is a large wooden chair, Ethan sits on it.

Ethan: Please, help yourselves. The drinks are near the metal crates. Unfortunately I don't think I have enough chairs for everybody.

Mitch comes close to Saul, whispering something to him.

Mitch: Saul, let's take the load and get the fuck out of here. I don't like this at all.

Saul approaches Ethan in a threatening manner, suddenly, a woman with blond hair gets in the tent from an entrance to Ethan's left, surrounded by two children, who cheerfully approach him. Saul, Mitch, and Scorpion are left petrified.

Woman: Ethan, honey. You're back.

Children: Dad! Dad!

Ethan spreads his arms wide, hugging the children and squeezing them tightly.

Ethan: Hey, guys! How are you doing?! Dad will be right over, time to close a work matter and I'm with you, okay? Now go with mom.

The woman picks up the children and all three leave the tent, Ethan looks at them smiling, while Saul stares at him with wide eyes. After a brief silence, Saul grabs Ethan by the jacket, lifting him into the air with hate-filled eyes.

Saul: THE FUCK IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN, YOU FUCKING CLOWN?!

Ethan stares at Saul, grinning.

Ethan: Come on, Saul. Do it. 

Saul begins to hold Ethan tighter and tighter, while Mitch and Scorpion watch him in silence.

Ethan: You know, at first I thought you liked her... That you were sneaking peeks while she was showering with the others at the camp. But no, you do actually care for her. Which makes it all the more pathetic.

Saul draws a gun from his back and aims it at Ethan's head.

Saul: You just signed your own death sentence.

Ethan: Glad you're not completely gone, Saul. But we both know you don't have the guts to shoot me.... If for no other reason than not to hurt Panam.

Saul blinks, becoming increasingly nervous, as the hand holding the gun begins to shake.

Mitch: The fuck are you waiting for Saul?! SHOOT THE FUCKER!

Suddenly three men dressed in leather jackets burst into the tent, aiming their shotguns at the backs of Mitch and Scorpion. Ethan pushes Saul away, drawing a large-caliber black gun and aiming it at his head.

Scorpion: Fuck.

Ethan: You are really fucking pathetic...Do you have any idea who the fuck Santiago Aldecaldo was?! Shit, he was ruthless. He left a trail of blood and rubbles from Hollywood to Night City. People SHITTED themselves just hearing his name...And you're supposed to be his heir?

Ethan loads the trigger of the gun, aiming it at Saul's forehead.

Ethan: It's true what they say. Never meet your heroes.

Saul: Jerk off all you want kid, the camp is surrounded and you are screwed.

Ethan smiles.

Ethan: By Whom?! The old asshole with the slingshots I sold you and the rest of your friends?! Shit, you're helpless.That's why you came all the way here, kissin' my ass for a couple of guns.

Ethan tilts his head slightly, pressing the gun against Saul's forehead.

Ethan: See Saul, that's the problem. You see a gang but I see…

Ethan points a finger at Mitch.

Ethan: Mutilated.

Ethan points a finger at Scorpion.

Ethan: And clowns in costumes.

Scorpion: FUCK YOU!

The man behind Scorpion loads the round in the shotgun, sliding it around as he turns his head slightly, sweating.

Ethan: My methods may seem brutal, but they're necessary, Saul. Otherwise you don't have a gang, but just a refugee camp, like you.

Ethan loads the gun while Saul presses his own against his head.

Ethan: You know, she didn't want to lay a finger on me too, after I exterminated her whole family, I mean. But after the first child, she softened a lot and learned to appreciate me.... And so will Panam.

Saul: Bullshit. If you think you're getting out of this tent alive, you're delusional. You just orphaned your children, congratulations, you stupid asshole.

Ethan stares into Saul's eyes, then smiles again.

Ethan: Of course. But you didn't count my friends. You have confidence in your family, as I have in mine, that's why I also took... precautions.

Saul's eyes widen, then he takes on a sorrowful expression, as if he guessed.

Ethan: You left the front door open, Saul. Guess who they'll pick on, once they have killed them all?

Mitch closes his eyes, drowning in pain, as Saul's hand begins to shake, as his lips.

Ethan: At this point you are left with one choice, Saul. You can prove me wrong, hope my gun jams, kill us all, and run to Panam. Or take the guns and step aside…It all depends on how in charge you feel, old man.

Saul grits his teeth with all the strength he has, trying to pull the trigger of the gun. Suddenly Saul closes his eyes and lets his hand go, along with the gun, Ethan smiles, pleased.

Saul: Load the crates.

Scorpion stares at Saul with his eyes wide and his mouth open, then after a moment, he shouts.

Scorpion: ARE YOU CRAZY? THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU, SAUL?!

Ethan lowers his gun and gets near Saul's ear, while he is standing still, his head down.

Ethan: It's clear that this talk is going to stay between us, isn't it? 

Saul closes his eyes, defeated.

Ethan: And for payment, don't worry. As you said, you have already paid me.

The car returns to the Aldecaldo camp full of crates, Saul opens the back door and gets out staring into the void, in silence. Mitch and Scorpion get out of the car through the front doors.

Saul: Unload this stuff.

Scorpion begins to unload the crates from the car, as Mitch strides away, giving his back to Saul.

Saul: Where are you going Mitch?! I told you to unload the goods!

Mitch stops, turning his head slightly toward Saul, staring at him in disgust.

Mitch: Unload this shit by yourself.

Mitch starts walking again, as Scorpion puts a hand on Saul's shoulder.

Scorpion: Don't worry Saul, I'll take care of it.

Later that night, Saul is sitting on his bed clutching a half-empty bottle of rum in his hand. The strong smell of alcohol fills his tent as he stares at his reflection on a mirror positioned in front of him.

Panam: Hey, Saul! They told me you wanted to…

Panam covers his mouth with her right hand, arching slightly.

Panam: Damn it Saul, how much did you drink?!

Saul lets the bottle go, remaining seated on the bed, without looking at Panam. Finally he begins to calmly talk to her.

Panam: You've been reassigned. I'm taking you off patrol, you're moving to stock control along with Dakota.

Panam opens her eyes, bewildered.

Panam: No, I... I...WHY?!

With an angry, lightning-fast burst, Saul gets up from the bed, grabbing Panam by the jacket. She remains petrified, then she desperately tries to push him away.

Panam: No, Saul!

Saul: YOU WILL STAY HERE IN THE CAMP…

Saul increasingly tightens his grip, with watery eyes, almost crying.

Panam: SAUL, PLEASE! YOU'RE HURTING ME!

Saul: WHERE I CAN SEE YOU...

Saul tightens his grip even more, beginning to sob.

Saul: WHERE I CAN PROTECT YOU!

Panam: YOU'RE HURTING ME, STOP!

Panam kicks Saul, so hard that he loses his balance, falling to the floor and shattering the bottle into a thousand pieces. She stands motionless for a while, her expression incredulous and frightened, then begins to go backwards, running out of the tent.