Cyberpunk 2021

April 9, 2021. 18:40. Burnaby.

Today was a busy day. No, it was more than just busy—it was absolutely exhausting. A surge in cyberpsychosis cases, a gang war brewing in the lower mainland, and a new street drug circulating the underworld? Any person following the news would be concerned—unless you were Liam, the chief of the Vancouver Police Department, then, it was more than just a concern. It was a logistical nightmare with far too few officers to handle. 

The hum of a crowded mall buzzed around him—neon advertisements flashed across digital billboards, vendors shouted out deals, and the scents of deep-fried street food and overpriced coffee mingled together. The noise was just enough to keep Liam from dozing off, but not enough to distract him from his aching muscles after a long shift.

"Where is she?" Liam sighed and leaned against a wall of a restaurant, rolling his stiff shoulders. He couldn't remember the last time he had a proper night's rest, and his body made sure he knew it. Exhaustion was written all across his middle-aged Caucasian face—dark circles under tired brown eyes, a short but unruly beard from skipped shaves, and shoulder-length brown hair that had gotten long enough to be a nuisance.

A faint scar traced from just above his forehead to the metallic bridge of a cybernetic nose. The nostrils were still organic and so was the majority of his face. What once was a close call is now merely a reminder of a long-past incident. 

Liam closed his eyes, rubbing the area where his flesh met metal. "Maybe I should book a haircut." 

His stomach growled in protest. Right—food. That was why he was here, waiting for everyone. But he had no clue when they would arrive. 

A vibration went off in his pocket, a noise all too familiar to Liam. He sighed again and pulled out his phone, swiping through his notifications. The screen lit up with breaking news articles, each headline more aggravating than the last.

GANG TURF WAR INTENSIFIES IN METRO VANCOUVER—BURNABY SEES SPILLOVER VIOLENCE.

Swipe.

VPD STRETCHED THIN—CHIEF LIAM WOODS FACES CALLS FOR EXPANSION INTO SURREY.

Another swipe.

NEW SYNTHETIC STIMULANT 'SYNTHCOKE' LINKED TO RISING CYBERPSYCHOSIS CASES.

Liam's jaw tightened. The VPD was barely keeping Vancouver and Burnaby under control as it was. And Mayor Gestalt's idea of expanding operations into Richmond and Surrey? A beautiful but difficult ideal. The manpower just didn't exist right now. Hell, patrols were already spread too thin in Vancouver districts.

Liam exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. "What the hell am I supposed to do?" he muttered under his breath. 

"Rough day?" A calm voice cut through Liam's thoughts. 

Surprised, Liam twisted his head, turning toward the source.

A man stood next to him—white, average build, medium height, dark hair, and a kind but weathered face. The type of man you wouldn't look twice at in a crowd. He held a cup of coffee in one hand, the other tucked in the pocket of a well-worn jacket.

There was a pause, a brief moment of hesitation, and then the man offered a small smile. "You're Chief Woods, right?"

Liam raised an eyebrow.

"I keep up with the news," the man added quickly. "And you've been in a lot of it lately."

Liam sighed, slipping his phone into his pocket. "Yeah. That'd be me."

"I didn't mean to intrude, you just look like you could use a distraction. Mind if I offer some unsolicited advice?"

Liam studied him for a second. Normally, he wouldn't entertain random advice from strangers, but something about this guy was disarming. Maybe it was exhaustion lowering his guard, or maybe it was just the way the guy carried himself—relaxed and observant, with no hint of judgment.

With a tired chuckle, Liam leaned back against the wall. "Sure. Not like I've got anything better to do right now."

The man nodded, taking a sip of his coffee before speaking. "It's a mess out there, huh?"

"That's one way to put it."

Liam wasn't about to start rattling off classified details, but he didn't need to—the public already knew enough. Between cyberpsychosis spikes, gangs getting bolder, and the city's police force stretched across too many fronts, it wasn't hard to guess the kind of stress he was under.

"Let me guess," the man continued, eyes scanning the mall crowd as he spoke. "Too many problems, and not enough hands to help out."

Liam smirked dryly. "You a detective?"

The man chuckled and shook his head. "Just a guy who pays attention."

"Well, you're not wrong. We're holding the line, but it's... thin. And everyone wants us to do more. Expand further, cover more ground, stretch even thinner."

"Ah, into Surrey and Richmond, right?"

"Yeah… that's been a goal for a while." Liam tilted his head while looking at the man, curiosity written all over his face. "You ever seen something like this elsewhere?"

"I work in logistics," The man shrugged. "Different field, same problem, I guess…" He also leaned against the wall, mirroring Liam. "Too many demands, not enough resources. You're never gonna satisfy everyone." 

"Hah… ain't that the truth?"

There was a beat of silence, but it wasn't an uncomfortable one. Liam found himself relaxing—not something he did often outside of his own home. But then a question formed in his head, one where he was curious about the man's response.

"If you don't mind me asking, what do you think is the biggest priority right now? The gang wars, the cyberpsychos, or SynthCoke?"

There was a pause, the man froze in thought for a second before sipping his coffee. "The drugs. Hands down."

"Really? Not the cyberpsychos? Or the gang war?" Liam raised an eyebrow. He wasn't expecting any particular response, but he was interested in the man's reasoning. "I'd think those are more urgent."

"Yes, they're dangerous. But let me ask you—what do you think parents worry about the most?"

"All of them, no? Gang wars drag in kids, cyberpsychos kill people at random, and SynthCoke—well, we know how bad that is, just take a look at the articles."

"A fair point, but let me present you with a differing perspective. Yes, cyberpsychos are dangerous, but they're an occurrence within trending locations. Most people figure, 'Avoid the hotspots, stay indoors, and we're fine.' Gang violence? It's a similar idea. Parents assume 'My kid isn't in a gang, so they won't get pulled in.' But drugs?"

"Drugs are different?"

"They're everywhere, unlike the other two. You can tell your kid to avoid a bad neighbourhood or to not get involved with gangs. But you can't control what they see at school, even if it's enforced. Someone will sneak it in. You can't stop their friends from trying it. You can't guarantee some dealer won't slide them a sample at a party. It's not just some far-off thing—it's already inside their world."

"Hm…" Liam let the thought roll around in his head. He folds his arms, tapping his fingers against his elbows, carefully considering the man's words before responding. 

The man continues to drink his coffee, watching Liam carefully. "Now, I'm not saying that the other two aren't important, I'm just telling you my thoughts as a parent. You can fight a gang war, and people say, 'It's just criminals killing criminals.' You can stop a cyberpsycho, and they'll say, 'Well, that's one less lunatic on the streets.' But if you can take down the drug trade, you don't just make people feel safer. You actually make them safer. Cut off the supply, and you hit gangs, reduce street violence and maybe even prevent cyberpsychos from going off the rails."

"So you're suggesting that by taking out SynthCoke, the other problems could be hit at the same time?"

The man finished his cup and threw it into a nearby trash bin. "At the end of the day, you're the cop and I'm not," he shrugged. "But if I were in your shoes? I'd start with the thing that's already in people's homes first."

"Not a bad answer. I appreciate the perspective." Liam chuckled, his head gently rocking forward and back. "While I can't guarantee that what you said will happen exactly the way you described, just know that I've had similar thoughts. Thank you for hearing me out."

"Of course, just speaking from experience. Solving issues like these isn't as black and white as people make them out to be." The man smirked and extended his hand. "My name is John, by the way."

"Liam." 

The two men then shook hands.

Before either of them could say anything else, a familiar voice cut through the noise. A voice that instantly made him feel at peace.

"Dad?"

Liam turned, spotting Erica standing just a few feet away. Her expression flickered between confusion and mild amusement. Next to her, Jamie looked equally surprised.

"You're late, slowpoke," Liam teased, an eyebrow raised in mock disappointment. "What took you so long?"

"We got sidetracked," Erica laughed sheepishly, before glancing between him and John. "…Wait. You two know each other?"

"Uh… no, we just met."

Jamie's head tilted at Liam, and then she waved at John. "Hi, Dad."

Liam's brain stalled. "…What?"

John grinned, returning Jamie's wave. "Hey, kiddo."

"You're Jamie's father?!" Liam's jaw dropped, and the realization hit all at once. The shock was visible all over his face. 

Erica burst out laughing, clapping like she was watching a performance. "That's HILARIOUS. Oh my God!" 

"Small world, huh?" John smirked and nudged Liam. "Shall we head in for food?"

Liam blinked between Erica and John before pinching the bridge of his nose. "Right." He closed his eyes and sighed before leading everyone inside.

Dinner just got a lot more interesting.