What the hell? October? How- OCTOBER?! Had been on ice for almost a year or something? The kid only knew it was Friday because he had burgers for dinner. He could be off a month. If he thinks it's 2557, that's probably what's going on.
"What about the year?"
His face lit up. "Oh, that's easy, 2076."
…
…
…
2076? How- what in the fuck is going on here?
He took a deep breath. "You're sure?"
Mark nodded vigorously. "Yeah, I know that one for sure."
"Okay…" So it was apparently a Friday in October 2076. He was in Night City, wherever the hell that was, and everyone seems to have cybernetics unlike anything he'd seen before.
Still waiting for the part where this starts making sense.
Something told him that wasn't coming.
"Hey, James, are you some kinda NUSA borg? Hank told me they got lotsa new stuff we ain't seen before."
… Oh good, something else that makes no sense… "NUSA?"
"Yeah. New United States of America." He crossed his arms and puffed his chest out. "Always tryin' to come in and take our city."
What the actual hell is the New United States of America? The more this kid said, the less he understood.
"No, I'm not part of the NUSA." The United States of America stopped being a legal government entity centuries ago. At least, centuries before 2557. Which this apparently wasn't. Somehow
It did tell him one thing: he was on the American continent on Earth. Judging by the English, accent, and the fact they were talking about the NUSA, North America. A coastal city… he glanced at his atmospherics… 14 degrees on an October night, he was probably on the southern half of the east or west coast for that kind of temperature.
Well… maybe it told him that. For all he knew, he was somewhere in the Andromeda galaxy and some place here just happened to evolve humans and develop English, freeways, cars, houses, slums, and dams along with a United States of America that would become the New United States of America. And their calendar happened to be about 500 years behind his.
What other questions could he ask that would make this even more confusing?
"Are you alright?" Mark asked, frowning.
Am- am I alright? "I just kidnapped you. Is that what should be on your mind?"
Mark shrugged. "It isn't the first time that's happened. You get used to it."
… WHAT? James was so taken aback he… actually stood and stepped away from the young kid.
"You get used to it?! Why do people kidnap you?"
He shrugged again. "See if I have any money. Sometimes it's to make me do stuff, usually get in somewhere small since I'm-" he looked down at himself. "Since I'm small."
Now immense confusion was joined by guilt. He felt like an absolute asshole. This kid was used to getting kidnapped, and now he'd just added to the list?
Mark's eyes turned back up and he smiled at him. "But this is the first time I been kidnapped by a borg so that's a cool story!"
James's head was spinning so fast he was surprised he could still see straight. Now it wasn't just the utter confusion of his situation. This kid was, apparently, both accustomed to being taken against his will and thought it was cool to be kidnapped by a 'borg'.
Information. I need more information. I doubt this kid will have much more so… where can I find a better source?
"Hey, if you're lost, you can come back down with me."
And now he was asking if James wanted to come back to the slums with him!? What the fuck is going on?
It could be a better source of information.
Yeah, and a great way to expose myself to unknown risks.
"Would people be nervous with another borg down there?" he asked.
Mark shook his head. "We get 'em coming through sometimes. It ain't often but, as long as the guys from the 6th don't have any problems with them, nothing happens."
James's eyes were fixed on the young, small boy's. He was smiling now. It wasn't a suspicious smile. At least, it didn't look suspicious. If anything, his face was open and inviting, like he was excited. Almost like-
"Do you want to show off you met a borg?"
"Uh-" even in the darkness of the overpass's shade, he saw Mark's face redden as he turned away. "What about it?"
"Are you saying you get borgs passing through just to get me to go down there so you can show me off?"
He shook his head vigorously. "No. No it's true! We do! The last one was just a few weeks ago. Big guy. Bigger than you. Don't know where he came from or where he went but I saw him! I promise!"
Borgs seemed to be rare. If someone was a 'borg', and they're units the military uses, there are a lot of things they could be doing besides hanging out in a massive slum. And if they were just passing through… it could be because this is a good place to lay low or gather intel. Why else would they come here?
There were so many goddamn unknowns, he wasn't sure what the right answer was.
His eyes wandered back down to Mark. The kid was, once again, staring up at him, hopeful.
I can either try to sneak around the city and gather more information… or I can use a readily available source. If I need to break myself out, if someone threatens me, I'm pretty sure I can handle escaping a slum.
"Alright." He waved down the hill. "Lead the way."