CARD 2: "NOIR BAR"
Location: Shinjuku Golden Gai, District 7
The mechanoid bartender's chrome polished veneer catches flashing light as he crafts narcotic cocktails, his movements precise and fluid. The popular drink here, a SYNO, is an synesthesia-inducing cherry funk that seems to glow from within.
Inside, the bar is a sprawling labyrinth of booths, tables, lounges, trading setups, and gaming areas. This is where the true Degens of Neo-Tokyo haunt the night.
CAU-26 leans on the stool beside GM-303, his medical insignia glowing soft blue against black.
"Welcome to the new reality, first timer. I know everyone's token signature in here. I haven't seen yours in here before." CAU-26 says, his drug insignia pulsing soft blue against black, waving to the chrome android bartender to pour another SYNO. "First drink's on me - I'll transfer you some YAKUZAI•CORP. Watch this. See how that feels?"
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The token transfer rushes through GM-303's system like liquid electricity. "That's what I love about YAKUZAI•CORP - it’s a life force. You can get neural upgrades, enhanced reaction times, better pattern recognition. Any kill you make, you get a small percentage of whatever they have staked. The whole system flows like blood through a vampire's veins - each transaction, each upgrade, each token transfer creating a rhythm that keeps this city's heart beating. The more you stake, the deeper you integrate. But remember," he pauses, watching an Extracto patrol drone fly by outside, its red search beam briefly illuminating the bar's interior, "deeper integration means higher risk. When you lose tokens here, you lose a piece of your soul."
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“Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind,” 303 responds demurely.
"Too much? Sorry! I'm high as fuck right now." CAU-26 laughs and taps at his light up cross. "By the way, you looking for something extra? I got Neural Flakes. How about some Angel Kiss? TVC15? I got or can get whatever you're into."
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"Uh huh. Great. Not tonight, but definitely. I'm waiting on someone."
"Who? Maybe I known them. Like an AIGENT?" 303 nods.
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"Place is full of them tonight. See that one over there? That's YJ-54. Infiltration specialist. Right now he's discussing security hacks with some whales from District 7."
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He nods toward another corner. "CF-610 over there, he's young, but he's the best data extraction specialist in Neo-Tokyo. Those Devs have been been wining and dining him for weeks trying to recruit him."
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His eyes settle on a figure demonstrating something that glints in the neon light. "That's KK-989. They say he can drain your YAKUZAI•CORP faster than anyone - developed some new combat tools that even the Elite Extractos can't touch."​
"ill be sure to stay clear of him," 303 replies.
The mechanoid bartender continues mixing drinks as a claim agent materializes beside 303's seat - sleek, purpose-built, its display flooding with encrypted data. Through the cascade of numbers, a single file pulses: CONTRACT ACTIVE.
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"Well," CAU-26 says, medical insignia dimming slightly. "Someone's just put a fortune of YAKUZAI•CORP tokens into play." He studies the streaming data. "Hotel Tsuki. Where the Bride and Groom are currently... entertaining."
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The job parameters materialize in perfect clarity:
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High-society infiltration
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Artifact retrieval
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Clean extraction required
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"Their security killed three agents last week," CAU-26 continues, standing. "But something tells me you're built different." A token-gated invitation appears in 303's feed. "Look me up, sailor. For when you make it back alive."
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CAU-26 dissolves into the NOIR BAR crowd as the claim agent discreetly changes into a walking vending machine!
The bot's screen suddenly now offers the likes of cigarettes, mini liquor bottles, candies, condoms, and other nightlife goodies, all arranged in illuminated boxes across the display screen. It moves through the crowd with programmed cheerfulness, its earlier directive completely masked by this mundane function.
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"Cigarettes?" its friendly voice chirps to a group of drunk salary men, who barely look up from their drinks.
