Cyberpunk Patriarch

"That's really a shame. I was hoping to bring one back just to help cook," Saul said, eyes still fixed on one of the shut-down security robots. "You don't know how awful the food is back in the camp. Sometimes, I genuinely consider kidnapping a chef from Night City."

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Kidnap a chef? From Night City? Saul, all the chefs there crawled out of hell. They don't cook food—they perform culinary crimes. Night City's cuisine is more radioactive than the Badlands."

With that, Arthur pushed open the next door. Lucy had already overridden the hotel's internal systems. Right now, Arthur had top-level clearance—practically a manager on the executive tier. He could access any room he pleased.

As the door swung open, a wave of cool, filtered air hit his face—fresh, unnatural, sterile. The kind of air that reeked of wealth and status.

It wasn't the HVAC doing the work—it was the plants.

Lush green vines trailed across a decorative wooden trellis, while broad-leafed ferns and nutrient-engineered bamboo stood like quiet sentinels in ceramic pots.

Arthur gave a low whistle. "Damn. They really shelled out to make this room feel like a slice of Eden."

Behind him, Saul entered and fell completely silent. His gaze fixed on the vegetation as if he were seeing ghosts. "I haven't seen plants like this since the Amazon back in the War," he murmured. "You forget what green smells like."

Arthur didn't say anything—just nodded. He knew Saul had been through a lot. Fourth Corporate War veterans were everywhere in the Badlands, and most of them weren't half as collected as Saul.

As Arthur continued into the room, he caught sight of a figure slouched on a designer leather recliner, trembling slightly. It was a woman—early forties, gaunt, and wearing a BD headset. Her fingers twitched reflexively, her body shifting in subtle spasms of pleasure or terror. Arthur already knew which.

He strolled over and picked up a nearby data box lying beside a plate of untouched fruit. The label caught his eye.