Arizona Casinos offer glimpse of what reopening looks like

I think we're all aware by now of the conspiracy that's building in the background of 2077. Most of us know about the mysterious Blue Eyes who appears in The Sun ending to the game. He operates as The Stinger of sorts for (that) ending of the game; He and V discuss a job vaguely alluded to through out the ending sequence and then the ending cuts to V in space charging off towards The Crystal Palace. Cue DLC Hook and credits.
But, let's go back here. This is only the tail end of the conspiracy and where it actually intersects with V's story. Blue Eyes (and some connections to him) crop up multiple times through out the game and, when pieced together, start building a larger picture that runs deeper into Night City than the pockets of most corporats.
I've finished my second playthrough of the game and I've been drafting this post as I play and find more clues. I doubt I'll find everything or might completely dismiss some, but I want to be on the front lines of uncovering this mystery, especially if this will be our Gaunter O'Dim for Cyberpunk 2077. I apologize for the length of this post ahead of time, but I need to summarize a bunch of lore and at least 4 major side-quests; "I Fought The Law", "Dream On", "Full Disclosure", and "The Prophet's Song".
Here's a long essay incoming, but I hope you chooms enjoy and I hope you read through to the end because, oh boy, I uncovered some cool shit!
So, who is Blue Eyes? Who are his contacts? What is his role in the ecosystem of this city?
"I FOUGHT THE LAW"
Let's start with where he most appears in the game; Jefferson and Elizabeth Peralez, political family in the running for Night City's first family. Which I kinda have to summarize their questlines, including the first one which Blue Eyes never appears in. But I'd prefer to go in chronological order and not jump around, so stick with me.
Elizabeth first contacts you for the job "I Fought The Law". It's fairly basic, but the quest tells us she convinced her husband to hire V to look into the recent death of Mayor Rhyne. We get a BD of a cyberpsycho attack by Peter Horvath on Mayor Rhyne. Weldon Holt leaves the room before the attack and then the security gate crashes right before Peter walks in with billions of eddies worth of chrome. The attack is unsuccessful and stopped by Detective River Ward, who was only there because Peter went missing internally at the NCPD and he knew where Peter would go.
When investigating Peter Horvath, his previous boss describes him as paranoid that "probably thought Mayor Rhyne talked to him through the TV" and that the world was out to fuck him. She then mentions that someone "finally saw what he was worth" which cues into how Peter was thrown into this attack in the first place; he had a patron who funded his chrome and the attempt on Rhyne's life. Tellingly, River than goes into a little talk about how clues rarely make sense until put into the larger context, much like we're doing right now.
V goes to the club Rhyne died in; The Red Queen's Race. V sneaks through, takes out some Animals, and can investigate what actually happened to Rhyne. If we read the emails on the office terminal, we know that Weldon Holt arranged for Rhyne to be there. He initially mentioned this to Rhyne during the first BD; Rhyne asked Holt directly to arrange his usual room at the club. So, this doesn't inherently look too suspicious on it's own, but Holt knew where Rhyne would be. We also find out via the Animals Boss there that Weldon Holt is the one who hired them to smash up the club and they're currently waiting around for payment. Further, you can go to the room Rhyne died in, find the BD headset, and put it on... which INSTANTLY knocks V out and they need to be rescued by River (who, btw, takes out any Animals on the property you didn't get to! Ty bro!). They surmise that Rhyne was killed by a virus in the headset. Lastly, we find footage of Detective Han (River's partner) covering up the death of Rhyne. They confront Han, V goes off to the Peralezs, and quest ends.
Of note, finding the BD set is a hidden dialogue option with the Peralezes suggesting, yes, that's the correct deduction to make. You don't get that option otherwise. And V never actually comes to any real conclusion to what happened to Rhyne.
So, let's summarize what we know about the death of our Mayor. Peter Horvath was hired by an unknown Patron who spent a ton of money to turn him into a suicide bomb against Rhyne. They have connections internally to the corrupt NCPD which allowed Horvath to get access to Rhyne, both from escaping NCPD custody and for the security to give him access to Rhyne's conference room. That fails so our mastermind instead assassinates Rhyne at his usual sex club, one that we know for sure Holt knew about. Rhyne is assassinated via malware in a BD porno headset, NCPD comes in an Detective Han cleans it up. Later, Holt hires the Animals to take claim to the club and fuck it up.
Holt is looking suspicious AF rn, but we also don't have any direct evidence and V says as much if you accuse him. Personally, I think it's a little too clumsy if it's him. Holt leaves the room just as an assassination attempt goes down, sets up a sex club appointment for the Mayor where he's successfully assassinated, NCPD covers it up... and then he hires a gang to cover it up more? Something doesn't fit here.
My theory is Holt is innocent. He's a scum bag, but not the culprit here. Why would you EVER give your identity to the Animals you hired to cover up an assassination? The big dumb brutes of the underworld? A name they give up with almost no fight? No, I think someone hired them under Holt's name. And I think they hired them because they KNEW the BD Headset was left behind; Han dismissed it entirely as Rhyne dying of a heart attack brought on during sex. They needed that destroyed to cover the final footprints. It's the only piece of evidence that doesn't have Holt or NCPD's name on it and doesn't fit the narrative that both are pushing. If they're covering NCPD or Holt's tracks, why not delete the emails or footage of Han? And if Holt or Han were trying to push this false narrative, why leave the headset right there the first time?
And, while I have no evidence of this assertion, the Animals are only still there because they're waiting for payment to come in... I think our employer never intended to pay them and left them in the path of V, who is likely to shoot them and tie up the loose end for our mysterious entity. Animals destroy the BD set, V shoots the animals, no trace. And, even if he doesn't, Animals will point V to the wrong person.
No, we've got a third party here. But let's continue so we can finally let our lead actor take center stage.
"DREAM ON"
"Dream On" starts when Jefferson calls V and asks them to help in another case. Long and Short; Jefferson woke up in the night and found a man in a mask (or an implant) standing over him. Jefferson shot the man, only for his head to fry and knock him out. Coming to, he's back in bed with no evidence it ever happened. SSI, their private security, insists that there was nothing on the cameras, no evidence, and nothing happened. Elizabeth claims she slept through the whole thing event.
V investigates the apartment, with Elizabeth giving the tour, and finds a lot of evidence. Elizabeth is kinda dismissive at first thinking V won't find much. First small stuff leading into larger reveals. Let's start small and work our way up.
First room Liz takes us to is the campaign room. She talks about running the campaign entirely out of pocket and having to keep most of their supplies at the Penthouse; "It's cheaper that way". You find a picture of their daughter on the wall and Liz explains that she's off at university in Europe while Jefferson is running for office; "It's easier that way" she says. That phrasing again.
EDIT: A redditor in the comments pointed out that the Peralez are being controlled via drugs in their food as part of the tech. They mention they've been eating fast food lately, explaining why Jefferson was lucid enough to catch the agent and shoot him.
V can look at Jefferson's emails (which Liz slightly discourages them, saying there's nothing there) which reveals a bit more about their campaign. There's a video of the iconic commercial and poster of Jefferson pulling out a gun and shooting a bunch of paperwork. In the email, Jefferson HATES this commercial, but his assistant, Lea Patel, insists on it as it will air in television time slots with action-drama series and catch the attention of voters. Further emails have Eric Boucher, Jefferson's Campaign Partner (Manager?), saying Jefferson has been acting unpredictably lately; presumably referencing one of the next emails. Boucher is confused because they fired Lea Patel together, only for her to continue working and sent him a new ad for approval. When emailed, Jefferson is confused about Lea being fired at all and doesn't remember the event ever happening, even telling Boucher to be honest if he has some issue with her. A final email is from SSI Chief of Security, Wallace, discussing Jefferson's intent to hire a merc to look into Rhyne's death ("Dream On") and they suggest Jefferson drop it or have NCPD or themselves look into it. Private Security just... offering to investigate the former mayor's death? Huh... sounds more like they want to squash the issue to me.
We should now talk about the Peralez's campaign. As you explore the apartment, Liz explains that they're running on a corp free campaign; they want to get Night City out of the control of the corps and do so without ever owing any favors to them. She specifically cites "Night Corp, Militech, and Petrochem" as ones they've denied. Militech and Petrochem come up a few times in other quests but Night Corp is relatively obscure. And they choose that corp to be the first one she mentions? Stands out to me. It also isn't lost on me that we're talking about running a campaign out of pocket and refusing corp assistance... while walking on the fancy ass balcony of a penthouse in Charter Hill- North Oak.
Next room, we find Jefferson's office. Elizabeth and Jefferson both graduated with law degrees from Asukaga University in Berkley. V points out it would be extremely expensive for them both, but Elizabeth says that both got full ride scholarships from the Richard Night Foundation, run by Night Corp. To further fucking cement this moment, there's a Richard Night biography shard on the desk. But we'll drop this for now because I want to get to Night Corp a bit later.
The computer on the office desk has some emails on it sent by Elizabeth. One is between her and Judy where she's asking Judy for help on the original "I Fought The Law" quest and Judy is the one who gave her your contact in the first place. Another is from their daughter kinda asserting the same thing earlier; safer for her in Europe so she's not a target on the campaign trail. And here's the interesting one; Boucher emailed Elizabeth asking why Jefferson changed his mind on Lea Patel. Elizabth says Jefferson explained it to her that it "slipped his mind" and "circumstances changed in Lea's favor" and she asks him to drop the whole thing. She's dismissive and gives extremely vague details.
Next room, Bedroom. Elziabeth's gun is on the table. It's the one Jefferson claimed he fired and scanning it tells us that it has been fired recently. We also find the wedding photo of Jefferson and Elizabeth where she fondly talks about having blue roses because she loves them so much... except the photo's roses are red and V says as much. Elizabeth quietly corrects herself that they only had red roses instead and moves on.
In the hall, we find the blood trail and gun shots in the wall; both covered up hastily. Following the trail, we enter a tv room. The Smart Glass isn't working and Elizabeth says it stopped working recently; not like they use it much anyway. Passing a Tech Check lets us try and fix it... only to be quickly blacked out by it so hard Johnny felt it too. V asks Elizabeth about it but she doesn't know what V is talking about despite having been standing right there. We also find a hidden door in the wall. Unlike earlier, Liz is actually confused by the door but demands V try and open it.
Downstairs we have the security room. Liz says that it used to be her place but "Security had to set up somewhere" and that she had to make sacrifices for this campaign; "it wasn't the first nor will it be the last". One computer has a Welcome email from SSI to new recruits. It details that they have access to all areas except Section Zero, which is reserved for Blue or Black agents and that, should the encounter a Blue or Black Agent (SPECIFICALLY "in the night"), do not interact or acknowledge them. The next email from Wallace mentions an accident where there was a "behavioral anomaly" and "ALPHA" injured a Blue Agent (BLUE-66M) who is in critical and the SSI head is requesting access to Sector Zero to give medical aid. SSI gives Wallace the code to Sector Zero and sends a team to aid. SSI knew about the accident and lied. You go to the second computer, unlock it, and can unlock the upstairs door. On that terminal is a bunch of deleted files (presumably the security footage from that night) and emails discussing "normal maintenance procedure" and further informing security that ALPHA (Jefferson) hired a merc (V) and, should security encounter them, do not interact with them.
Small thing I found interesting, a shard called "You Are What You Slot" is found down here too. It details a fictional assassin who kills and then steals the identity of her victims. Small and doesn't mean much on it's own, but the shards are hinting at the story here; one of false identities and manipulation.
Now, let's get to the main event; the secret room. Inside is a control center. Elizabeth is horrified and feels violated. She shouts that she's not letting SSI anywhere near them, only for her head to start hurting and she tells V to do what he needs to do. She leaves him. Inside the control room is a box of bloody medical supplies. The computer discusses "behavioral norms" for ALPHA (Jefferson) and suggests amplifying "neural dampening". It discusses things similar to Wallace's terminal, but from the other side; ALPHA is displaying odd behavior by hiring a merc, the SSI teams avoided meeting the merc, and then the actual accident that occurred injuring BLUE-66M during regular 'maintenance'. The other side of the room also has another data shard, "Rewriting Synaptic Pathways", basically talking about using tech to rewire the brain a bit.
Following some wires from the control room to the roof, we find a signal dish. Johnny (replacing Elizabeth for conversation now that she's gone), joins in that the tech looks prehistoric but functional and that Militech used it in the war; it requires line of sight to transmit data but otherwise can't be intercepted. We can see the tower and go to investigate. V tells Liz the whole deal; V can suggest that the Van near the tower could be SSIs or that it might not be due to unconventional tech. Liz then itterates twice that it's a stressful campaign time for Jefferson and V should talk to her, NOT him. "Sure, whatever" V and the player dismiss.
(I SWEAR WE'RE ALMOST DONE WITH THE SUMMARIZING FOR DREAM ON, I'M SO SORRY.)
We drive after the van, Johnny is suddenly excited for smashing a corpo conspiracy and iterates that citizens do not choose their representatives, instead they're chosen by "key players" who watch the Peralezes for weaknesses or blackmail material. We arrive at the facility patrolled by Maelstrom and the occupants of our van park, get out, and climb ladders to the roof where they get into an AV that is cloaked to be near invisible (as shown in a couple of vids on YouTube and this subreddit).
At the place, Maelstom is explained; "UNKNOWN USER" contacted them while driving the van for protection to take care of V and then destroy the van. Van's data makes it pretty clear; the Peralezs' minds are being manipulated, new neural pathways are being created, and their memories are being created, changed, or erased. There are also a couple of other names of other test subjects. The data is then erased. We do see an almost flower like symbol before the data is destroyed.
The agents on the cloaked AV CAN be killed and do drop a shard, thought it doesn’t have many more details, merely that they’re contacting HQ to arrange extraction and that the Van’s data should be destroyed and echoing the arrangement with Maelstrom mentioned earlier in their shards.
V calls Liz, Liz wants to meet in person instead of over holo and send him to a Japantown Raman shop (same one that used to be Rainbow Cadenza, coincidentally). Odd choice for an upstanding congresswoman. She says her nerves are shot, the ramen shop is a quieter place to meet than the apartment, and she needs a moment to gather herself since she last saw V, with V even asking if something has happened since they last saw each other. Of note, Liz is stress smoking the entire scene, something she hasn't done until now. She then explains, no, it's been over a longer period of time. She's been watching her husband change and act differently for awhile; he stopped reading, his taste changed, and he even insisted he was an only child and never had a bother when Liz asks about visiting the grave. Of note, yes, Antonio Peralez has a Columbarium Vault, which proves Liz is correct on this. She confesses that she herself has been told by others she's been acting strangely. V says she knew what V would find and she asserts that she doesn't know the who, how, or why, but "they're changing us". Jefferson apparently went on in great detail about a trip she swears they never went on, but she doesn't know if the vacation is a fake memory or if she's the one that doesn't remember.
She saw a stranger in their apartment tinkering with a monitor, only for him to be missing when it was reported to SSI and they looked at the feeds. The next day, she got a phone call from a stranger (whom she refers to by "he") saying that she's walking on thin ice and Jefferson could have an accident. They later erased all data that the phone call had happened. Elizabeth claims she's terrified for herself and her husband's safety and doesn't want V to reveal the truth. V points out "they" could be telling her to say that but it doesn't really change how she feels since she just wants Jefferson to be safe. She tells V to tell Jefferson it was SSI spying for Holt. She asserts she wants SSI out of her roof if they're spying on their sleep. She will take responsibility for firing SSI, but wants Jefferson to be safe and out of that fight. She adds a meeting with Jefferson to his calendar at Reconciliation Park. But, ultimately it's V's choice (especially since she has no idea if she'll remember the conversation) and leaves. Johnny jumps and and talks and mentions that there were talks like this back in his day and worrying about the damage a puppet mayor could do.
V heads to Reconciliation Park to meet with Jefferson. Entering, V is called by an Unknown Number which blacks out V's optics. They claim to know who V is, *what* V is, and what V wants. It doesn't matter what V tells Jefferson, but "don't dare cross that line" and "you're playing with fire". Its a garbled male robo voice, so safe to say it's irrelevant to the owner.
Enter Stage Right, our missing lead; Mr. Blue Eyes. He is standing on a balcony watching the place where we meet Jefferson. In the Scanner, he is labeled "Mr. Blue Eyes", has no known affiliation, is wanted for "SC 370", and is wanted for "Classified". His eyes are electronically glowing blue you can even see from several yards away. You cannot injure him as grenades do nothing and you can't aim at him. Of small note, and I don't know if this ACTUALLY means anything, but his hair style asset is referred to as Morgan Blackhand in the files, but could mean nothing if this hair is actually used by other NPCs. MOST LIKELY THIS IS NOTHING UNLESS SOMEONE HAS FURTHER INFO.
(Plot twist: It meant something. But we'll get there.)
V sits with Jefferson and can reveal the truth; "SSI is on the take from an unknown group to control your lives". V can even point out the absurdity of Peralez being as successful of a politician as he is without any corp sponsors. "They want you to be *their* mayor. Molding you like clay". You can tell Jefferson how to proceed and additional details, but it doesn't matter. Later, Jefferson will send a text and delete your number and so will Elizabeth, who will call you out for telling Jeff. In the end credits voicemails, Jefferson has decended into paranoia about some vitamins Liz gave him which he didn't trust so he sent them to the lab, only to then not trust the lab results saying they're fine. Jefferson Peralez is confirmed the new mayor during Late Act 2 and the major difference is his state of mind at the end game; either hiring V to be on his security staff or descending into absolute paranoia over everything in his life.
Lastly, Johnny appears and cryptically talks about back in his day when they'd talk about rogue AIs. Personally... I kinda completely dismiss this? It comes out of nowhere, Johnny cites NOTHING for why he'd bring this up in relation to the case, and I can't fathom a motive. I’d also point out that this isn’t the only time Johnny is outright wrong. In fact, he’s wrong A LOT in the game. For example, he criticizes V for listening to the Netwatch Agent and that he’s bullshitting you. Except, the agent is 100% correct that VDB did spike V as a suicide virus and Johnny is actually wrong. He also claims he doesn’t know what happened with Thompson after Never Fade Away, but this is a lie because Thompson is flying the AV Johnny takes to Arasaka in 2023. The only connection I can find is "Who is controlling Blue-Eyes" which might make Johnny correct, if just not in the way 'Rogue AIs' initially implies.
So, what actually has happened?
The Peralez family has been molded for a very long time into being the perfect political couple. They got scholarships from the Night Foundation for two fancy law degrees, have successful political careers, and Jefferson is running for Mayor on an anti-corp platform, an insanity for Night City. And he's actually successful at it. During a maintenance service at night on the Peralez's apartment, Jefferson woke up and shot an SSI/Unknown agent making repairs. The Control Booth knocked Jefferson out and they pulled the agent out of the apartment into the secret room. SSI put the Peralezes back into bed and hastily cleaned up everything, but the damage was done and Peralez hired V who uncovered mostly everything.
Elizabeth seems to be initially very upset by the discovery, but wants V off the trail when we meet her next. However, she's not in on it as she's equally a victim to the brainwashing/gaslighting and that's for certain. I think she's a pawn who is either too scared or too programmed to break the rules of movement on this chessboard. It's worth noting that, while the unknown entity threatens Jefferson's life and V's well being, they do not make due on either of these threats. I call their bluff. They have put too much work into Jefferson to abandon or kill him.
But, where else have we heard of this gaslighting brainwash process before?
"FULL DISCLOSURE"
Ok, we're on the shorter end so I don't have to actually explain this quest in full. Sandra Dorsett is a netrunner and a very skilled on at that, actually collecting data from Night Corp. She was kidnapped by the savs we rescued her from at the beginning of the game shortly AFTER she stole this data, suggesting Night Corp was behind it. This data is on the shard she asks you to collect during the aforementioned quest. V has full ability to NOT read it, but let's look at it; "Operation Carpe Noctem" ("Seize The Night" in Latin)
Described in it is an experiment on Night Corp's own employees where they are quietly brainwashing them and getting them to do whatever they want. They specifically cite an empathetic and calm employee who they got to fight a co-worker and then jump from a 16th floor window. The shard ends on mentioning that they're ready to install CN-07 on "our actual target".
I think multiple quests discussing brainwashing and gaslighting is too coincidental to be utterly unrelated to each other. I think Night Corp's actual target mentioned here is Peralez.
So, what is Night Corp?
Night Corp is the most mysterious of the corps in Night City. It currently operates to better Night City via philanthropic ventures, fundraising, community support, and city infrastructure. Basically, while Militech and Arasaka and the others operate in the city, Night Corp basically RUNS the actual city. They're also noteworthy for the level of security they have that even the best netrunners can't get much from them and, since they keep to themselves and seemingly just do city infrastructure stuff, no one really super bothers them. It has been run by Miriam Night, wife of late-Richard Night, until recently and we currently don’t actually know who runs NightCorp.
Originally, they were the Night Foundation, but that requires explaining Richard Night... oh boy, Lore Drop. I'll make it quick as possible.
Richard Night is the founder of Night City. He started as a partner of a firm, but his ambitions grew beyond that to founding "Night International" to build his dream; a city that would be so grand it would make all other cities pale by comparison, Coronado City. A capitalist mecha of opportunity, Night City would be run by corporations and have next to no anti-business policies on the books. Arasaka, EMB, and Petrochem were his first backers and he came into claim of land on the central-California coast; Del Coronado Bay and Morro Bay would be the location of his dream city.
(BTW, irl, Morro Bay, California is a real place. Been there, have family there, go there regularly, kinda cool!).
Despite being a capitalist mecca city and run by corps, Richard Night also dreamed it to be "A sprawling metropolis, free of crime, of poverty, of debt. A place where people could live safely, peacefully, without having to worry about the dire situations that were growing around the world at the time".
However, due to the design plans, Night didn't employ local contractors and instead got expensive architects and builders from all over the world. Local builders didn't like that, they had mob connections, bloodshed started. And soon Richard Night was murdered by an unknown assassin, presumably a mob hitman. The city was renamed Night City in his honor and his dream utopia became to embody everything that was destroying the world. Mob took control and corps didn't give a fuck since it didn't hurt them any until they eventually had to take out the mob gangs, but not in any favor to Night’s dream either.
Miriam Night, Richard's Widow, founded the Night Foundation (later Night Corp) to stick to Richard's Ideal dreams of what he wanted the city to be. They invest heavily in ecological research, alt power sources, civic infrastructure, public works, and charities and scholarships for Night City youth. "They've even managed to stay out of the normal corporate power struggles which tend to plague every other corporation, both inside the city and out. Even the shadowy corporate rumors about them, like having underwater bases in the bay or access to orbital satellites, remain unsubstantiated despite extensive investigation."
So, where does this put us now? We have ONE last quest...
"THE PROPHET'S SONG"
Garry The Prophet is our local crazy man. He spouts off insanities to anyone who will listen near Misty's Esoterica in Kabuki. However, some of his ideas aren't quite as much off the mark as one might think. There ain't no technonecromancers from Alpha Centuri (or Spanish Inquisition) nor is Saburo Arasaka an immortal vampire, but he was correct that Saburo wasn't dead and in fact immortal; via Mikoshi and The Relic.
He send you on a quest to investigate a meeting; he says that his ripper mistuned some cyberware in his head and he can hear their communications. You show up to a meeting between corps and Maelstrom. They say some nonsense phrases and transfer a data shard. Reading it ("Destroy After Reading") it seems like nonsense. But does include the line "The cages of men melt as night descends". You can decode it via a Null Cipher; first letter of every line: “Project Oracle Command Execute Plans”.
We don’t know what Project Oracle is. In real life, secret project or operation names actually tend to be chosen at random and are unrelated to the actual project (you can google funny stories about names that ended up awkward to the actual project), so this could mean nothing. But, narratives tend to give meaning to everything. Oracles are mythical in references and could predict the future or see the unseen. Perhaps perfect prediction via behind the scenes manipulations? Not sure we’ll get answers on this one for now.
Going back to Garry, he's been kidnapped. His protoge is screaming he's been kidnapped "Black suits came by - blue eyes and all". Blue Eyes huh? Further, she claims that they threw him into an invisible AV... Huh, like the one we saw back during "Dream On"? "Night's comin... The eternal night"
So, it’s time to jump us to the final step in our Fool’s Journey: The Sun.
“THE SUN”
The Sun ending has V wake up in their new penthouse apartment (with their love interest if they have one). Checking the computer, we see emails from our dear Mr. Blue Eyes. He wants an answer from V as to the job to the Crystal Palace he has planned and that they’re on a tight schedule for “obvious reasons”. We meet with him at the Afterlife and he talks about the job; Casino security is going into maintenance and V mentions giving him the casino client list. V also asks him to “hold up your end of the bargain”. They never discuss eddies or payment. It’s all in such vague terms. “Your end” or “Obvious reasons”. Smaller point but an email from Vik on the space shuttle also tells us that he’s asked around about Blue Eyes and has nothing; either he works with people WAY above Vik’s paygrade or he’s shady as hell… or both.
I think Blue Eyes knows V is dying (the obvious reasons) and I think the unspecified payment is V’s survival. V always says that they want to come back to their love interest so it’s not a mindless suicide run and I don’t think V would risk it all for nothing but eddies; especially not after Reaper (both versions) paint suicide runs as a horrible terrible thing. To then glorify it in another ending… no, the game is smarter than that.
Your love interest doesn’t seem to be too upset about the situation either. Panam and Judy leave V in The Sun due to their lives taking different directions, but it seems mostly amicable and understanding. They even express desire to see V again because they know V needs to do this job. Kerry, who stays with V in The Sun and expresses worry and also a desire to settle down with V, also seems mostly understanding that V needs to go on this quest. I don’t think they’d be so calm and loving and understanding if this were a suicide run. They know more than the player does.
Further, I think Blue Eyes isn’t after the casino aspect of the Crystal Palace at all. While that’s the major commercial aspect of the station as marketed to the citizen world, the station also has embassies from every nation on earth, facilities from all the major corporations, and is pretty much THE place where all the dark corporate espionage goes down. There’s so much more to this location than ‘casino resort’. *EVERY* corp has space stations and hideaways in space because the Crystal Palace offers it’s own legalities and opportunities that are not allowed within Earth’s terms and conditions. If they want to do some research that would be frowned upon elsewhere and get up to some Top Secret shit, it’ll be in outer space. Night City is controlled by corps and has lax laws, but outer space’s are even more so.
I think the cure V wants is not only on the station, I think it’s what Blue Eyes himself is after, but I’ll get there when it’s time to theory craft about the future.
I think it’s worth noting; Blue Eyes IS IN THE TRAILER FOR THE GAME. Yeah, anyone remember that shot on a shuttle with a guy being burned out from the inside? Yeah, he’s there. In the foreground. *Smirking*. The shuttle also seems like they’re in space.
These events leading to the Crystal Palace and the conspiracy with Blue Eyes are blatant DLC Hooks for the future and suggest a post-game DLC. This isn’t the first CDPR has done so either; Blood and Wine takes place after the story of Witcher 3 and is explicitly incompatible with the worst endings of that game. I think, conceivably, other endings where V is still alive could be roped into this adventure; Blue Eyes merely needs to hire them with the same offer of survival. While The Star takes V to Arizona and away from Night City, I think that choice of location is appropriate as, to even get to space for The Crystal Palace, citizens go from LAX to Arizona for a space port to launch them off Earth’s surface. They could have chosen anywhere else to send Panam and V, but they choose Arizona, huh. I do think Reaper, Temperance, and Devil will be locked out of this future, however, as all make any point of Blue Eyes hiring V irrelevant; there’s no V left to hire/save. MAYBE a rejected Devil ending, but I wouldn’t blame them for not continuing that conclusion either as Devil is one of the bad endings.
So, it’s finally time to really compile a lot of this information into where I think this is going in the next comment below

A 28 year old woman, Jessica Goodwin, from the Phoenix AZ suburbs calls in to work and says she is not coming in - on Jan. 11. -- https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/san-tan-valley-woman-missing-since-jan-11-found-alive-six-days-later
The next day her sister couldn't reach her, and reported her missing. Using phone records, they located her car abandoned several miles away in the Gila River Indian Reservation, then found her 3 days later, about 15 miles to the southwest, very dehydrated out in the desert. The Gila River Indian Community is mostly desolate, but does have a few hotels and casinos.
She was hospitalized, and the family is refusing to answer any questions or offer any explanation whatsoever as to what happened to her, instead choosing to openly attack anyone who has raised questions!! - https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9165227/Sister-Arizona-woman-went-missing-week-says-family-MYSTIFIED-disappearance.html
The police have said there appears to be no foul play and "'no indication a crime occurred" but that she disappeared under "unusual circumstance".
The family immediately set up a GoFundMe and have collected over $5,000, but here is the sister's latest statement:
"Jessica, is still in a hospital Tuesday recovering and responding to treatment. I made a GoFundMe account for her to help with bills and things ... ..just asking everyone to be patient because we have no details as to what happened yet." "People have made unsolicited and demeaning comments about my family and taking away from the pure miracle it was that Jess was found alive," she wrote. "We may not have reacted to this situation as everyone would have liked and hoped, but put yourself in our shoes just once. No one knows how to deal with situations like these because people aren't SUPPOSED to be in situations like these. "We are doing the best that we can as a family," she continued. "We don't owe A N Y O N E an explanation for our reactions and we certainly do not need to be posting to the world every single detail regarding my sister."
Here's an even more cynical and scathing attack on anyone who comments about this case, calling them trolls - which I guess includes me now, altho I have simply reported the facts as they have been made known & haven't either drawn nor expressed any opinions at all - https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/01/19/22/38219870-9165227-image-a-63_1611094473423.jpg
.
I agree completely that they don't need to be posting to the world all the "details", but if they don't then how is it they are so clueless as to why people have doubts and would like questions answered? -- - especially since CONSIDERABLE public resources were used to find & transport her by helicopter, and dozens of people gave thousands of dollars, and they'd like to believe they were not duped!!

Welcome to Lost in the Sauce, keeping you caught up on political and legal news that often gets buried in distractions and theater… or a global health crisis.
Housekeeping:

• HOW TO SUPPORT: I know we are all facing unprecedented financial hardships right now. If you are in the position to support my work, I have a patreon, venmo, and a paypal set up. No pressure though, I will keep posting these pieces publicly no matter what - paywalls suck.
  
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Post-election

On Saturday, Trump announced on Twitter that he has put his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani in charge of his campaign's long-shot post-election legal challenges. Other people on the team include Joseph diGenova, Victoria Toensing, Sidney Powell, and Jenna Ellis.

• Giuliani worked with a Russian agent to smear Biden. diGenova and Toensing tried to get the Justice Department to drop charges against corrupt Ukraine oligarch Dmytro Firtash. Powell represents Michael Flynn and champions "deep state" conspiracies. Ellis said gay marriage leads to pedophilia.

NYT: Mr. Trump turned to Mr. Giuliani earlier on Friday in reaction to the latest setback he faced in court, this one relating to votes in Maricopa County, Arizona… A half-dozen other Trump advisers have described Mr. Giuliani’s efforts as counterproductive and said that he was giving the president unwarranted optimism about what could happen… In an Oval Office meeting with aides on Thursday, Mr. Trump put Mr. Giuliani on speakerphone so the others could hear him. He angrily accused the aides of not telling the president the truth

Giuliani’s conspiracy-riddled rant at Four Seasons Total Landscaping was so disastrous that it “scared off many of the lawyers” recruited to argue election-related lawsuits. Politico: “Campaign officials described the episode as disastrous...there are widespread concerns within Trumpworld and GOP circles that Giuliani’s antics are thwarting the president’s legal machinery from within.”
Two major law firms have withdrawn from Trump campaign cases as his legal challenges crumble. Arizona’s largest law firm Snell & Wilmer dumped the RNC and Trump campaign effort to challenge votes in Maricopa County. Porter Wright Morris & Arthur is abandoning Trump’s attempt to block Pennsylvania's popular vote for Joe Biden.

• In one day (Friday), nine cases meant to attack President-elect Joe Biden's win in key states were denied or dropped - seven in Pennsylvania, one in Arizona, and one in Michigan.

The new federal chief information security officer, Camilo Sandoval, has already taken leave from his day job to participate in a pro-Trump effort to hunt for evidence of voter fraud in the battleground states. The group, Voter Integrity Fund, is a newly formed Virginia-based group that is analyzing ballot data and cold-calling voters. Sandoval was officially appointed on Nov. 4, 2020, but lists his starting date at October on his personal LinkedIn page.

WaPo: Sandoval is part of a hastily convened team led by Matthew Braynard, a data specialist who worked on Trump’s 2016 campaign. Another participant is Thomas Baptiste, an adviser to the deputy secretary of the Interior Department who also took a leave to work on the project. Braynard said in an interview that several other government officials on leave are also assisting the effort, but he declined to identify them.

Media’s role:

• Facebook Cut Traffic To Leading Liberal Pages Just Before The Election: Liberal page administrators who spoke with BuzzFeed News said that their reach declined by as much as 70%, and still hasn’t recovered.
  
• Facebook Live Spread Election Conspiracies And Russian State-Controlled Content Despite Employee Fears: The social network’s live video tool has recommended videos featuring misinformation and the hyperpartisan views of Trump allies leading up to and following election day in the US.
  
• In the week after the election, Trump’s postings dominated Facebook, accounting for the 10 most engaged status updates in the United States, and 22 of the top 25. “I WON THIS ELECTION, BY A LOT!” was his top post.
  
• YouTube Is Doing Very Little to Stop Election Misinformation From Spreading
  
• Social media app Parler receives financial backing from conservative hedge-fund investor Robert Mercer and his daughter Rebekah, The Wall Street Journal reported. Parler turned into a kind of de facto home for conservatives’ protests against the election— including the persistent “Stop the Steal” campaign— after the race was called for former Vice President Joe Biden. Several high-profile conservative social media personalities encouraged people to abandon Twitter and Facebook because of their moderation policies, and instead follow them on Parler.
  

Transition

Emily Murphy, the head of the General Services Administration, still hasn’t signed the official letter that would allow the incoming Biden team to formally begin the transition. House Democrats are assessing options to force the GSA’s hand, which could include summoning Murphy to the Hill to testify or suing her. “Obviously, Congress could file suit against the GSA administrator for failing to do her duty. We could seek to get a court to, in fact, issue an order

Her ascertainment is the legally necessary precursor to the government’s assistance to the Biden-Harris Presidential Transition Team. It releases $6.3 million dollars to the team, which is funded by public and private money; a loan of expanded federal office space and equipment; access to government agencies that will begin sharing information and records about ongoing activities, plans and vulnerabilities; national security briefings for the president; and other support.

• The Office of the Director of National Intelligence recently confirmed that it is not providing national security briefings to the president-elect. The Defense Department has also reportedly indicated that it will not meet with the Biden-Harris transition team until Murphy formally affirms the apparent winner.

One of the officials fired in Trump’s latest purge was helping prepare for the transition to the new administration. USAID Deputy Administrator Bonnie Glick was removed abruptly to make way for a Trump loyalist after she had been supportive of transition planning, including the preparation of a 440-page manual for the next administration.
The GSA’s refusal to enact the transition has locked Biden’s team out of crucial Covid-19 pandemic data and government agency contacts. The president-elect’s Covid-19 task force has been trying to work around the federal government by connecting with governors and the health community.

• The head of Operation Warp Speed, Moncef Slaoui, called on the White House to allow contact with the Biden team, saying “It is a matter of life and death for thousands of people.”

White House’s Office of Management and Budget is considering 145 new regulations and other policy changes they could enact before Biden’s inauguration - rules that will be challenging to undo once they are finalized. Critics and supporters of the administration say they expect a final burst of regulations to be finalized in the weeks before Jan. 20.

The rules under development include policies that the incoming Biden administration would probably oppose, such as new caps on the length of foreign student visas; restrictions on the Environmental Protection Agency’s use of scientific research; limits on the EPA’s consideration of the benefits of regulating air pollutants; and a change that would make it easier for companies to treat workers as independent contractors, rather than employees with more robust wage protections.

Last week, both Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said they’re preparing for a second Trump term. “There will be a smooth transition to a second Trump administration,” Pompeo said during a news conference Tuesday afternoon (clip). Pompeo then doubled down on Fox News (clip). “We are moving forward here at the White House under the assumption there will be a second Trump term,” Navarro said on Fox Business Friday (clip).

DOJ interference

Attorney General William Barr stopped career prosecutors in DOJ’s Public Integrity Section from investigating whether President Trump broke any laws related to his conduct with Ukraine last year. The section was initially given the green light to pursue “a potentially explosive inquiry” into Trump, but after the Senate acquitted the president during impeachment proceedings, Barr sent the case to the U.S. attorney’s office in Brooklyn.
Prosecutors in DOJ’s Public Integrity Section were also prevented from bringing charges against former interior secretary Ryan Zinke by political appointees atop the Justice Department. Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen told prosecutors that they needed to gather more evidence and refine the case against Zinke for lying to Interior investigators.

• The investigation into Zinke stemmed from his decision to block two Native American tribes—the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan—from opening a casino in Connecticut. Zinke’s office had been lobbied heavily by MGM Resorts International, which had been planning to open its own casino very close to where the tribes intended to break ground.

Sixteen assistant U.S. attorneys specially assigned to monitor malfeasance in the 2020 election urged Barr on Friday to rescind his memo allowing election-fraud investigations before results are certified. "It was developed and announced without consulting non-partisan career professionals in the field and at the Department. Finally, the timing of the Memorandum's release thrusts career prosecutors into partisan politics," the prosecutors wrote.
An internal Justice Department investigation found that federal prosecutors who oversaw a controversial non-prosecution deal with Jeffrey Epstein in 2008 exercised “poor judgment” but did not break the law. “They just say he used poor judgment, and that's their way of basically letting everyone off the hook while offering some sort of an olive branch to the victims that we acknowledge weren't treated perfectly,” said Brad Edwards, who sued the DOJ in 2008 on behalf of Epstein accusers.

Immigration news

Eastern District of New York Judge Nicholas Garaufis (Clinton-appointee) ruled that Chad Wolf was not legally serving as acting Homeland Security secretary when he signed rules limiting DACA program applications and renewals. Therefore, in a win for Dreamers and immigration activists, Garaufis said the changes were invalid.

The judge described an illegitimate shuffling of leadership chairs at the Department of Homeland Security, the agency responsible for immigration enforcement, for the predicament of Wolf's leadership and that of his predecessor, Kevin McAleenan.
"Based on the plain text of the operative order of succession," Garaufis wrote in the Saturday ruling, "neither Mr. McAleenan nor, in turn, Mr. Wolf, possessed statutory authority to serve as Acting Secretary. Therefore the Wolf Memorandum was not an exercise of legal authority."

• There's a renewed push to get Chad Wolf confirmed as Homeland Security secretary -- a position in which he's been serving in an acting capacity for a yearr -- before Inauguration Day. In the past week, Homeland Security officials spoke to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's office about bringing the nomination to a floor vote in the coming weeks.

Within the last six months, as the coronavirus pandemic gripped the US, the Trump administration filed 75 lawsuits to seize private land along the US-Mexico border for the border wall." People right now are having to choose between their health and their homes," said Ricky Garza, a staff attorney at the Texas Civil Rights Project, a legal advocacy group.
After a series of price increases, Trump’s border project will cost taxpayers $20 million per mile of border fence. A review of federal spending data shows more than 200 contract modifications, at times awarded within just weeks or months after the original contracts, have increased the cost of the border wall project by billions of dollars since late 2017.
DHS has expelled unaccompanied immigrant children from the US border more than 13,000 times since March, using the coronavirus as an excuse to deny children their right to asylum. Previously, unaccompanied children were sent to government-run shelters as they attempted to pursue their asylum cases.
Migrant children from Central America are being expelled to Mexico, where they have no family connections. The expulsions not only put children in danger - the policy violates a diplomatic agreement with Mexico that only Mexican children and others who had adult supervision could be pushed back into Mexico after attempting to cross the border.
The House Judiciary Committee released a report on the Trump administration’s policy of separating families at the border, revealing that the federal agency that cares for migrant children was not told about the policy. The chaos contributed to the inability to later reunite parents and children.
The Trump administration is trying to deport several women who allege they were mistreated by a Georgia gynecologist at an immigration detention center. Hours after one detained woman spoke to federal investigators about forced hysterectomies at a Georgia detention center, she said ICE told her that it had lifted a hold on her deportation and she faced “imminent” removal. Six former patients who complained about Dr. Mahendra Amin had already been deported.
Northern District of Illinois Judge Gary Feinerman (Obama-appointee) blocked a key Trump administration policy that allowed officials to deny green cards to immigrants who might need public assistance Advocates who had feared that the policy would harm tens of thousands of poor people, particularly those affected by widespread job loss because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Miscellaneous

Microsoft said it has detected attempts by state-backed Russian and North Korean hackers to steal valuable data from leading pharmaceutical companies and vaccine researchers. “Among the targets, the majority are vaccine makers that have COVID-19 vaccines in various stages of clinical trials.”
Two census takers told The AP that their supervisors pressured them to enter false information into a computer system about homes they had not visited so they could close cases during the waning days of the once-a-decade national headcount.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday signaled it’s unlikely to tear down Obamacare over a Republican-backed lawsuit challenging the landmark health care law. Chief Justice John Roberts and Trump appointee Justice Brett Kavanaugh strongly questioned whether the elimination of the mandate penalty made the rest of the law invalid. Kavanaugh appeared to signal on several occasions that he favored leaving the rest of the law intact if the mandate is struck.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) was sued last week by four whistleblowers claiming that he abused his office to benefit himself, a woman with whom he was said to have had an affair, and the wealthy donor who employs her before retaliating against the members of his staff who reported him to the FBI.
The Trump administration is rushing plans to auction drilling rights in the U.S. Arctic National Wildlife Refuge before the inauguration of Biden, who has vowed to block oil exploration in the rugged Alaska wilderness. Biden’s efforts could be complicated if the Trump administration sells drilling rights first. Formally issued oil and gas leases on federal land are government contracts that can’t be easily yanked.

SALT LAKE CITY

• Mary Cosby ‘Was Not Expecting’ Her ‘Unconventional’ Marriage to Step-Grandfather to Be Included in Trailer (US Weekly exclusive)

"An unpleasant surprise? Mary Cosby didn’t think her marriage to her step-grandfather, Robert Cosby Sr., would draw so much attention in the teaser for season 1 of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.
“I was not expecting it to be dropped on social media,” Mary told Us Weekly exclusively on Thursday, January 21, while discussing the latest addition to the Bravo franchise, which premiered in November 2020. “That was more of a disappointment for me because I feel like social media is a place I don’t feel comfortable in.”
In the first episode of RHOSLC, Mary opened up about her “arranged marriage” to Robert Sr., who was the second husband of Mary’s late grandmother. Despite their “unconventional” relationship, the pair have been happily married for 20 years and share son Robert Jr. While filming the reality series, Mary wanted to be as honest about her relationship as possible.
“I just said my truth and I was ready to air it,” she told Us. “I felt like it was time and I felt like it was the right thing to do. … I mean, it is unconventional, but it’s not unheard of, I guess, in other countries.”
When the first trailer for the series debuted in September 2020, however, Mary felt like she didn’t have a chance to create her own narrative about her marriage before it played out on TV.
“They put that story right there with me,” she added. “It didn’t set it in a good light for me.”
While the circumstances of her marriage might seem shocking to viewers, Mary is “not ashamed” of the choices she made in her life that led her to where she is now. Though their wedding was arranged, the pair were “best friends” in the early days of their relationship — and it eventually blossomed into something more.
“I think it started changing into a loving relationship when I started wanting a son … probably two [or] three years into the marriage,” the reality star told Us. “I think that’s when I felt that I knew that this was my life, once I started having that craving [to be] a mom and [have] a family. … I have no regrets, I have no shame.”
Since RHOSLC premiered last fall, the Utah native has tried to let any negative comments about her lifestyle go in one ear and out the other.
“Sometimes I read it and sometimes I respond back to them and block them. Then sometimes I read it and [think], like, ‘OK, that’s your opinion,” she explained. “I try to separate it and I try not to put emotion into it. … In my mind, I’m not here to make sense. I’m here to tell you, ‘This is what Mary is and this is what I’m about.’ And this is my story and you don’t have to accept it again.”

• Preview of next SLC episode (Queens of Bravo Twitter)

DALLAS

• D’Andra Simmons Reveals Whether She’d Take A Phone Call From LeeAnne Locken After Friendship Fallout (HollywoodLife exclusive)

"The Real Housewives of Dallas’ D’Andra Simmons, 51, and former co-star LeeAnne Locken, 53, had a lot of beef both on and off camera during season 4. But over a year later, is D’Andra open to answering a phone call from her former pal? “Probably not,” the Hard Night Good Morning beauty and Ultimate Living founder told HollywoodLife exclusively during an episode of TVTalk on Instagram Live on Jan. 18. “I want to be honest because I am honest. I think that that ship has sailed,” she confessed.
D’Andra and LeeAnne were longtime pals before joining the cast in season 2 and 1 respectively. But things got messy when D’Andra questioned her former pal’s now husband, Rich Emberlin’s, faithfulness to LeeAnne. D’Andra apologized, but that wasn’t enough for LeeAnne to forgive her! D’Andra was excluded from LeeAnne’s wedding festivities, even though her co-stars urged her to accept it and move on.
The two then took it to social media where they continued to throw shade at one another and D’Andra is still having trouble moving past things. “For me, the reason is because of the persecution I endured on social media for 3 years,” D’Andra added. “And what I went through, there’s just no going back from that because a lot of the false narrative put out there about me really hurt me and it was very stressful. So that’s why.”
The Dallas based CEO can move past things, but she’s having trouble forgetting the feelings she has surrounding the situation. “It’s not that I can’t forgive,” D’Andra said. “I’m a Christian and the bible says to forgive. I can forgive her, but you also can’t be stupid and go back and put yourself in a situation where somebody can hurt you again.”
Despite her feelings on the future of their friendship, D’Andra respects the legacy that the Dallas OG brought to the table. “You never want to devalue what LeeAnne brought to the franchise,” D’Andra revealed. “She started from the beginning. She brought a lot to the franchise. She helped build this franchise. Her contributions can never be questioned because she gave a lot for 4 years.”
POTOMAC

• Gizelle Bryant Just Shared the Most Stunning Family Photo with Her 3 Daughters (Gizelle Bryant Instagram/Bravo)

ORANGE COUNTY

• Shannon Beador Once ‘Pulled an All-Nighter’ With ‘Vanderpump Rules’ Star Tom Sandoval (US Weekly exclusive)

"Worlds collide! Shannon Beador‘s friendships go beyond the Real Housewives franchise, as evidenced by some of her favorite Instagram pics.
The Real Housewives of Orange County star, 56, gave Us Weekly exclusive insight into her wildest posts in a round of the “I Can Explain” game — and revealed she’s bonded with members of the Vanderpump Rules cast, including Tom Schwartz and Tom Sandoval.
“That was taken the night of the season 13 reunion,” Beador told Us of the October 2018 selfie with the TomTom co-owners. “We’d just filmed the reunion and I was dating someone who was in town and at a party where the Toms were.”
While Beador hadn’t met Schwartz, 38, before that night, she’d previously crossed paths with Sandoval, 37, and his girlfriend, Ariana Madix, at an event in St. Louis. “We went to the casino afterward and basically pulled an all-nighter there,” Beador joked. “They’re tons of fun.”
Bravo stars aren’t the only famous faces featured on Beador’s social media account. The reality TV personality also dished on a backstage meeting with Bret Michaels at a charity benefit in Scottsdale, Arizona, which resulted in an Instagram moment for the ages.
“He was performing [there] and I had met him after we filmed the finale of season 13. I went to his concert and I was able to go backstage and meet him,” the California native recalled of the January 2019 photo. “He knew that I dressed up like him for drag queen bingo. He’s such a kind person.”

I have all the patches needed to play fallout NV installed and am able to start and play it for a bit up till I leave Doc Mitchells office and shortly after that the game camera freezes, stutters, and acts out sometimes freezing the game with it, sometimes continuing the game but only showing the frozen / stuttering screen.
The game works all right it seems except for this problem which is causing me a headache I was wondering if any of you more experienced mod users had any solutions for this? Almost all my mods were downloaded using Vortex except Fallout New Vegas Limit Fix which I manually installed with the instructions provided in the description.
( I installed it with Vortex before yet it doesn't seem whether I manually installed it or not matters much)
​
Load Order
​
FalloutNV.esm
DeadMoney.esm
HonestHearts.esm
OldWorldBlues.esm
LonesomeRoad.esm
GunRunnersArsenal.esm
ClassicPack.esm
MercenaryPack.esm
TribalPack.esm
CaravanPack.esm
YUP - Base Game + All DLC.esm
Sortomatic.esm
BraveNewWorld.esm
FreesideOpen.esm
MoreMojave.esm
TGMIO.esm
ELECTRO-CITY - CompletedWorkorders.esm
FCOMaster.esm
TLD_Travelers.esm
NVInteriors_Core.esm
NVInteriors_ComboEdition.esm
Less Empty Primm.esp
ELECTRO-CITY - Highways and Byways.esm
SomeguySeries.esm
Niner.esm
The New Bison Steve Hotel.esm
Kidnapped by Fiends.esm
More Perks.esm
Courier's Radio.esm
YUP - NPC Fixes (Base Game + All DLC).esp
Unofficial Patch Plus.esp
CombatEnhancer.esp
Vurt's WFO.esp
Logic and Consistency Fixes.esp
EasierMassPurifiedWater.esp
KMGL_Main.esp
EmptyWeapons.esp
B42Inertia.esp
FCO - NPC Changes.esp
JSawyer Ultimate.esp
The True Revival of Luxury - An Ultra-Luxe Overhaul.esp
FreesideOpenPatch.esp
TopsSuiteUpgrade-Main.esp
Mojave Raiders.esp
Bathroom Doors Overhaul - All IN ONE.esp
EVE FNV - ALL DLC.esp
VanGraffOverhaul.esp
TopsToVault21.esp
WeaponModsExpanded.esp
More Perks Update.esp
All Weapon Sounds Overhaul .esp
Saucy Sink.esp
WMX-DLCMerged.esp
Mojave Arsenal.esp
WMX-EVE-AllDLCMerged.esp
IMPACT.esp
Realistic Lead - Bullet Ballistics.esp
Realistic Lead - Bullet Ballistics - IMPACT Patch.esp
Mojave Wildlife (Vanilla-Style).esp
HiddenValleyOverhauled1.2.esp
BraveNewWorld-FCO.esp
CourierCacheWSE.esp
ArizonaArmy.esp
BLMedical.esp
NevadaSkies.esp
The New Bison Steve Hotel.esp
Advanced Recon Armor.esp
SecuritronsOnAlert.esp
NCR Ranger Helmet Neck Cover.esp
RetrievableThrowables.esp
Casino Exchange All.esp
HeinzTrenchShotgun.esp
Watter Putter Outter.esp
Alsatian NCR Guard Dogs.esp
NCR Battle Rifle.esp
RangerSequoiaSafehouse.esp
Living_Lucky.esp
The Tops Restaurant New Menu.esp
ImmersivePickupSoundsFNV.esp
JSawyer Ultimate - Mojave Arsenal Patch.esp
cleanatomicwrangler.esp
JSawyer Mod Vanilla Number of Perks.esp
Show Pickpocket Success Rate.esp
Loot Unconscious Victims.esp
hz_Empty Clicks.esp
IRNPC.esp
Shorter Chem Wear-off Effects.esp
Pyromaniac.esp
TBz Atomic Wrangler VIP Suite.esp
NewVegasBounties.esp
NewVegasBountiesII.esp
TheInheritance.esp
1nivVSLArmors.esp
HuntingRevolver&Sequoia.esp
JSawyer Ultimate - FCO Patch.esp
JSawyer Ultimate - Mojave Raiders Patch.esp
Russell.esp
LFox Bottle That Water.esp
FuckableCompanions.esp
Bash_Stealthboy.esp
NPCs Can Miss.esp
The Mod Configuration Menu.esp
MuchNeededLOD.esp
Nights are Darker - Ultimate Edition.esp
FCO - The New Bison Steve.esp
LiveDismember.esp
lonesome_firetrucks.esp
NVDLC04 Allegiance w Duster.esp
UniqueThinkTank.esp
Lucky38Overhaul.esp
RebreatherRestoration.esp
Simple DLC Delay.esp
Restoring Hope Quest Morale Fix.esp
Project Reality Footsteps.esp
MCPipBoy2000MK6_clock.esp
NVFeralGhoulChildren.esp
NPC Use Aid.esp
NPCsSprint.esp
MigNammo.esp
Immersive Hit Reactions.esp
ImmersiveRecoil.esp
Lobotomitess.esp
GhoulRadTweaks.esp
GhoulRadTweaks - JIP.esp
Female White Glove Society Mask.esp
BetterNCRSupplyCache.esp
Beyond The Beef Tweaks.esp
CloudGrenades.esp
Diagonal movement.esp
CoverOfDarkness.esp
JoeCobbIsFiend.esp
BraveNewWorld-JSU.esp
BraveNewWorld-UncutWastelandNPCs.esp
BraveNewWorld-YUP.esp
TrooperOverhaul-Dragbody.esp
NCRTrooperOverhaul.esp
Splint.esp
ThisMachineKillsFascists.esp
AutumnLeaves.esp
MeleeReachFixed.esp
FCO - Russell.esp
FCO - OHSB NPC Edits.esp
BraveNewWorld-ArizonaArmy.esp
BraveNewWorld-MojaveRaiders.esp
BraveNewWorld-NCRTrooperOverhaulDist.esp
NCRCF Reinforcements.esp
FCO - Niner.esp
KingOfTheRing.esp
GomorrahProstituteEnable.esp
Skip Doc Mitchell's Exam.esp
SaveCass.esp
CourierRangerArmorV2.esp
RangemasterNV.esp
Enhanced NPC Awareness.esp
DIM TYPE3clothesRETAIL.esp
Explosive Sounds Overhaul.esp
ThrowableFixes.esp
Ammo Count Memory.esp
BartonThornTrigger.esp
LootMenu.esp
JIP Improved Recipe Menu.esp
I Got Spurs.esp
ScottmackImprovisedPPSh.esp
Bunk beds.esp
WesternRifles.esp
JustDynamicCrosshair.esp
FNVLODGen.esp

My load order is as follows
​
FalloutNV.esm
DeadMoney.esm
HonestHearts.esm
OldWorldBlues.esm
LonesomeRoad.esm
GunRunnersArsenal.esm
ClassicPack.esm
MercenaryPack.esm
TribalPack.esm
CaravanPack.esm
YUP - Base Game + All DLC.esm
Sortomatic.esm
BraveNewWorld.esm
FreesideOpen.esm
MoreMojave.esm
TGMIO.esm
ELECTRO-CITY - CompletedWorkorders.esm
FCOMaster.esm
TLD_Travelers.esm
NVInteriors_Core.esm
NVInteriors_ComboEdition.esm
Less Empty Primm.esp
ELECTRO-CITY - Highways and Byways.esm
SomeguySeries.esm
Niner.esm
The New Bison Steve Hotel.esm
Kidnapped by Fiends.esm
More Perks.esm
Courier's Radio.esm
YUP - NPC Fixes (Base Game + All DLC).esp
Unofficial Patch Plus.esp
CombatEnhancer.esp
Vurt's WFO.esp
Logic and Consistency Fixes.esp
EasierMassPurifiedWater.esp
KMGL_Main.esp
EmptyWeapons.esp
B42Inertia.esp
FCO - NPC Changes.esp
JSawyer Ultimate.esp
The True Revival of Luxury - An Ultra-Luxe Overhaul.esp
FreesideOpenPatch.esp
TopsSuiteUpgrade-Main.esp
Mojave Raiders.esp
Bathroom Doors Overhaul - All IN ONE.esp
EVE FNV - ALL DLC.esp
VanGraffOverhaul.esp
TopsToVault21.esp
WeaponModsExpanded.esp
More Perks Update.esp
All Weapon Sounds Overhaul .esp
Saucy Sink.esp
WMX-DLCMerged.esp
Mojave Arsenal.esp
WMX-EVE-AllDLCMerged.esp
IMPACT.esp
Realistic Lead - Bullet Ballistics.esp
Realistic Lead - Bullet Ballistics - IMPACT Patch.esp
Mojave Wildlife (Vanilla-Style).esp
HiddenValleyOverhauled1.2.esp
BraveNewWorld-FCO.esp
CourierCacheWSE.esp
ArizonaArmy.esp
BLMedical.esp
NevadaSkies.esp
The New Bison Steve Hotel.esp
Advanced Recon Armor.esp
SecuritronsOnAlert.esp
NCR Ranger Helmet Neck Cover.esp
RetrievableThrowables.esp
Casino Exchange All.esp
HeinzTrenchShotgun.esp
Watter Putter Outter.esp
Alsatian NCR Guard Dogs.esp
NCR Battle Rifle.esp
RangerSequoiaSafehouse.esp
Living_Lucky.esp
The Tops Restaurant New Menu.esp
ImmersivePickupSoundsFNV.esp
JSawyer Ultimate - Mojave Arsenal Patch.esp
cleanatomicwrangler.esp
JSawyer Mod Vanilla Number of Perks.esp
Show Pickpocket Success Rate.esp
Loot Unconscious Victims.esp
hz_Empty Clicks.esp
IRNPC.esp
Shorter Chem Wear-off Effects.esp
Pyromaniac.esp
TBz Atomic Wrangler VIP Suite.esp
NewVegasBounties.esp
NewVegasBountiesII.esp
TheInheritance.esp
1nivVSLArmors.esp
HuntingRevolver&Sequoia.esp
JSawyer Ultimate - FCO Patch.esp
JSawyer Ultimate - Mojave Raiders Patch.esp
Russell.esp
LFox Bottle That Water.esp
FuckableCompanions.esp
Bash_Stealthboy.esp
NPCs Can Miss.esp
The Mod Configuration Menu.esp
MuchNeededLOD.esp
Nights are Darker - Ultimate Edition.esp
FCO - The New Bison Steve.esp
LiveDismember.esp
lonesome_firetrucks.esp
NVDLC04 Allegiance w Duster.esp
UniqueThinkTank.esp
Lucky38Overhaul.esp
RebreatherRestoration.esp
Simple DLC Delay.esp
Restoring Hope Quest Morale Fix.esp
Project Reality Footsteps.esp
MCPipBoy2000MK6_clock.esp
NVFeralGhoulChildren.esp
NPC Use Aid.esp
NPCsSprint.esp
MigNammo.esp
Immersive Hit Reactions.esp
ImmersiveRecoil.esp
Lobotomitess.esp
GhoulRadTweaks.esp
GhoulRadTweaks - JIP.esp
Female White Glove Society Mask.esp
BetterNCRSupplyCache.esp
Beyond The Beef Tweaks.esp
CloudGrenades.esp
Diagonal movement.esp
CoverOfDarkness.esp
JoeCobbIsFiend.esp
BraveNewWorld-JSU.esp
BraveNewWorld-UncutWastelandNPCs.esp
BraveNewWorld-YUP.esp
TrooperOverhaul-Dragbody.esp
NCRTrooperOverhaul.esp
Splint.esp
ThisMachineKillsFascists.esp
AutumnLeaves.esp
MeleeReachFixed.esp
FCO - Russell.esp
FCO - OHSB NPC Edits.esp
BraveNewWorld-ArizonaArmy.esp
BraveNewWorld-MojaveRaiders.esp
BraveNewWorld-NCRTrooperOverhaulDist.esp
NCRCF Reinforcements.esp
FCO - Niner.esp
KingOfTheRing.esp
GomorrahProstituteEnable.esp
Skip Doc Mitchell's Exam.esp
SaveCass.esp
CourierRangerArmorV2.esp
RangemasterNV.esp
Enhanced NPC Awareness.esp
DIM TYPE3clothesRETAIL.esp
Explosive Sounds Overhaul.esp
ThrowableFixes.esp
Ammo Count Memory.esp
BartonThornTrigger.esp
LootMenu.esp
JIP Improved Recipe Menu.esp
I Got Spurs.esp
ScottmackImprovisedPPSh.esp
Bunk beds.esp
WesternRifles.esp
JustDynamicCrosshair.esp
FNVLODGen.esp
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Total active plugins: 167
Total plugins: 168
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Any reccomended fixes? I already have the 4GB patch and other such things installed

Yee Naaldlooshi - Skinwalker
by Gunnar Angel Lawrence
Terry noticed the quick blink of the computer screen when the email arrived. It seemed odd, he thought, but then again it was the end of a long day at work and he made the conscious decision to ignore the email until the next day. He eyed Christina as she got up from her desk and stretched. Her long blond hair cascaded over her shoulders and to her back. She looked at him and smiled broadly, it was time to go home. Terry got lost for a moment in her ice blue eyes and looked downward quickly.
“I know there’s a song called, ‘Its Five O Clock somewhere’ but let me make it official, and it’s time to go home.” Terry said with a smile. Christina lifted both arms into the air and gave a celebratory ‘yay’.
“Christina, call Scott up here, tell him we get paid this week, not a lot, but enough to eat for a few days anyway.” She smiled and pushed the intercom button and relayed the message. Terry opened the drawer picked the two checks out and slammed the drawer shut. The computer screen blinked once and Terry noticed that somehow the email had opened. He looked at the first line and swore.
Christina turned and noticed the expression on Terry’s face.
“No! Terry what is it?”
Scott lumbered into the room and knew that something wasn’t right.
“Wh—What’s wrong, guys?” he asked.
Terry sighed and handed them their checks. Then he summarized the email.
“The package we got from Show Low, Arizona, the one for the new casino? There is an issue. An Indian man is claiming it was stolen from an ancient burial site. He is on his way here now from the airport.”
“That’s bullshit! I know I paid for that piece from Andy, he’s a reputable dealer. I’ve bought from him before.” She said.
“I know that Christina, please do me a favor, find the paperwork on that piece and give the dealer a call for me, he is going to be here in less than an hour. Scott hang around, you’re bigger than I am and I might need someone to take out an elderly Indian for me.” Scott grinned and nodded.
Terry’s company found and acquired rare pieces for private collections, hotels, casinos and the occasional museum. The new casino in Miami had asked for interesting Indian décor. Unfortunately, few genuine Indian artifacts were found anymore in Florida that didn’t already have the name of a casino stamped on them. This piece was found in Navajo territory in a backwater community called Show Low.
Terry watched Christina lean against her desk with a sigh, her paperwork in hand. They were all very aware of the financial difficulties their company had been having since the recession started. And they all knew that a delay with the selling of this piece to the casino would mean a delay in cashing their next checks. He cleared his throat and pretended not to watch her stretch again. He knew that she knew that he liked her; there was just never the right moment. It wasn’t too much longer before a truck pulled up to the office. They heard the squeal of the brakes and all three bolted for the door. The delivery driver heaved his overweight frame out of the truck and shoved the small box and a clipboard into Terry’s hands. Terry took the box and signed the form on the clipboard.
The driver, Lenny, nodded with relief.
“Now you can deal with the Chief here, He’s followed me all day.”
Terry glanced over to where he pointed and saw the long white car pull to a stop behind the truck. The man who stepped out could have been in his seventies, but there was a strength about him that was conveyed with swift, firm movements. His bronzed skin seemed to glisten in the humid Florida afternoon. He strode over and waved good bye to the delivery driver who was moving as quick as his girth would allow.
The old man called after the delivery driver.
“Get out of here now sir, it is very important.” Lenny nodded and climbed into his van from the rear.
Terry watched the old man turned and focused on him.
“My name is Ata Halne. I am begging you not to open that package. We need to get inside, before the sun sets, it is coming.”
Terry smiled, “Mr. Halne…
“No! My name is Ata Halne, I don’t have time for explanations out here, we have maybe ten minutes before the sun sets. Get inside now please.”
Terry stared back at Scott and Christina and they appeared to be as confused as he was. All three of them backed into the building and shut the door. Ata Halne reached over, bolted the door and slid the bar lock in place. He turned toward them and breathed a sigh of relief.
“Now, are there any open windows, barred or not, and are there any other entrances to this building?” He moved closer and they backed up. Christina, normally not one to take attitude, especially when she was ready to leave, was not speaking. She was gripping Scott’s hand with enough intensity to cause him to wince.
“Mr. Halne…” Terry started.
“I said my name was Ata Halne, now answer the question.”
“Okay fine. No there are no other doors, no windows on this floor….”
The old man pointed at Scott, “You, go shut the windows on the other floor now.” Scott hesitated, and looked at Terry, who nodded.
“Hey, we paid for that package and we got it from someone who has always been honest with us. What is your beef with this package?” Terry demanded.
The old man lifted his calloused finger and pointed it straight at Terry’s face. Unwavering, he held the finger there and spoke.
“Anasazi.”
II
The word rolled off the man’s tongue with a cold trill. Terry felt a chill shoot through him when he heard it, though he had no idea what the word meant. The old man repeated himself.
“Anasazi. What you have in that package is Anasazi.”
Christina cleared her throat, still hesitant to approach the old man and spoke, “Anasazi, that’s Navajo legend right?”
The old man stared at her, “Funny thing about legends, a lot of them tend to have some element of truth to them. For the Anasazi, even the legend doesn’t cover how evil and how real they are.”
Terry looked at Christina, who had become something of an expert in Indian artifacts in a short time.
“Chris, I’m at a loss here, what is Anasazi?”
She grinned cautiously. “They’re spooks, ghosts, witches; he’s keeping us here for a damn ghost story.”
Ata Halne raised his finger to her and the cautious grin retreated from her face. “You are about to find out how much of a ghost story the Anasazi are.” He turned to Scott who had just returned from upstairs. “Are those windows shut and locked?” Scott nodded.
The old man turned to the door and reached into a small leather pouch hanging from his belt and pulled a white powder from the bag. He tossed the powder against the door with some low chanting.
Terry had finally had enough. “All right, Mr. Halne, whoever you are, we’ve had enough. It’s time you get going.” He walked over to the door and began to pull on the bar lock. And that’s when he noticed the door knob slowly turning.
“It’s here.” Ata Halne muttered.
Maybe it was the cold way in which he spoke; maybe it was just the sight of the door knob turning as he reached to open it. Whatever it was, Terry stopped and backed away from the door. Christina and Scott were behind him and shuffled over to the door. The knock came loudly and insistently, echoing inside the room making it seem as if it had come from seven different directions.
The three of them stood behind Ata Halne, their eyes focused on that twisting, turning knob. A muffled cry came from the other side of the door.
“Terry! Can you come out here please?” they recognized the voice of the delivery driver and Terry laughed slightly.
“Oh shit, Ata, you really had us going there. But seriously it’s time for you to leave. I need to see what he wants.”
Ata Halne lifted his hand and placed it on his shoulder. “If you open that door, he will kill you, your friends and me.”
“It’s just Lenny, he’s an asshole but he isn’t going to kill anyone.” Terry moved toward the door and was stopped again by the Old Man who shook his head.
“Lenny is dead, because he didn’t listen to me. What stands out there now is the Yee Naaldlooshii, a Skinwalker.”
Christina giggled. “So what old man, you’re saying Lenny is a werewolf? Terry, let’s go home.” She gave the old man a look of disbelief and walked over to Terry.
Terry looked at her puzzled.
“The Yee Naaldlooshii, skinwalkers, they are suppose to use Anasazi magic to wear animal skins and become whatever animal they want to. They are early werewolf legends, but they turn into more than just wolves. It’s magic bullshit.”
The old man walked past Christina to the window and pointed outside. “Can you see him, out there, in the shadows, are you sure it is Lenny?”
She moved to the window and nodded, “Yes, Lenny is right there, plain as day. He’s standing next to his truck.”
“And how far is that from the door here?” the old man asked.
Christina shrugged, “About fifteen to twenty feet.”
The old man nodded, “I see, so how is it exactly, that Lenny is turning the door knob on your door from twenty feet away?”
Christina then turned to look at the knob, and back to the figure in the dark. The Indian was right, the knob was still moving. Her face grew pale as she backed away from the window. Terry made his way over to the window and peered outside. The overweight shadowy figure rocked back and forth on his heels in the shadows, and he was indeed too far away to be turning the knob. Terry tried to speak but felt a lump form in his throat.
Seeing he had their attention, the old man said, “Call him closer, but don’t touch the door.”
Christina called out, “Hey Lenny, come on over here.”
‘Lenny’ moved deftly for a fat man and walked briefly into the light that shown from the roof of the building. When ‘Lenny’ looked up, the old man touched Christina’s shoulder. “Look at his eyes.”
She saw “Lenny’s” eyes glow a fierce yellow and gasped. “Lenny” seemed to hear her and stepped back into the shadows swiftly.
Her eyes widened, she looked to the old man.
“When the Yee Naaldlooshii are in human form, their eyes glow at night, like an animals. When they are in animal form, their eyes do not glow like an animals’ should. Like I said, your friend Lenny is dead.”
The tears formed in her eyes quickly as she realized that the old man was telling the truth. Scott was yelling.
“Bullshit, no this is bullshit!” he tore his cap from his head and tossed it to the ground. Terry looked out the window, then back at the old man.
Ata Halne spoke, “If you had told me when I was your age, that I could sit at a desk here in Florida and type something that would be seen in Arizona, or any other part of the world instantly, I would have said it was bullshit. Today, you call it email.”
Terry glanced out the window and addressed Ata Halne. “What the fuck is in that box, old man?”
He opened his mouth to speak and that is when the pounding began. It was as if two massive invisible fists beat the metallic walls. The walls shook with each hit. Christina screamed and ran to Terry. Scott looked up as the pounding escalated, now the roof was being pummeled. The pounding continued as Ata Halne began sprinkling the white powder toward the window.
He turned toward the three and began to speak, hesitated, and started again.
“Short version. The Anasazi control very dark magic, there are very few of them left. The amulet inside that box belonged to a chief among the Anasazi, he was said to have consorted with demons. When he died, his house was burned and his charms were buried on sacred ground. It was buried in a tomb on sacred burial grounds where Anasazi cannot go. When the honest person you bought it from found it, he had no idea what it was. The Skinwalker wants this amulet, to help him consort with demons and gain the power that comes with it.”
Terry shook his head. The pounding suddenly ceased. They stared up briefly and Terry spoke.
“So why didn’t he get it in Arizona? Why wait until it got here?”
“The Skinwalker has no power when the sun is in the sky. The amulet was removed from the protection of the sacred grounds and was on a plane bound for here before the sun fell. A Skinwalker is fast, but cannot keep up with a plane.”
Scott, recovered from his earlier fit, now asked, “So what do we do now?”
The old man leaned in, “Are you sure those windows are shut tight?”
“Shit!” Scott yelled and rushed upstairs.
Terry watched Scott go and faced Ata Halne, “So about his question, what do we do now?”
The old man sighed, “The amulet needs to be returned to sacred ground. It needs to be buried and this,” he reached down into his leather pouch to pull out some white powder, “this needs to be sprinkled on top of the burial place. Preferably, it should be sprinkled in the form of a circle. The Yee Naaldlooshii will not be able to enter sacred ground in Skinwalker form, and will not be able to reach the amulet shielded by the white ash in human form. One more thing, their power they get from fear, the fear you feel now, fuels the Skinwalker outside. Pretty soon, he will be strong enough to get in.”
Scott shook his head. “No, no damn it, we paid for that thing. No shit-face Indian monster is gonna take it. I’m getting the Judge.”
Terry agreed. Scott disappeared into his office and returned a moment later, the massive three inch barrel weapon at his side.
It was Ata Halne’s turn to be confused. “Judge?” he asked.
Terry pointed and explained, “Scott’s judge is a 45 long colt. He’s gonna blast the shit out of your Skinwalker.”
“No weapon will have an effect on the Skinwalker. All he’s going to do is make a hole big enough for it to get in the building. Unless…” he approached Scott who held the Judge in his hand.
“Scott, are those hollow points?” Ata Halne asked. Scott nodded. “Please, let me see them.” Ata Halne asked. Scott looked at Terry and Christina, removed the bullets and handed them to the old man.
The old man packed his white powder into the hollow points and stood them up on the desk next to him. He pulled out a flask and wet the powder in each bullet with the liquid inside.
When he saw the three looking at him, he shrugged, “Whiskey, it will keep the ash from flying out while the bullet travels.”
Terry pointed at the Indian’s pouch, “Ash? What does that do?”
The Indian patted the pouch and handed the bullets back to Scott.
“This ash is the white ash of a sacred tree. The branches of the tree are capable of killing the Yee Naaldlooshi, but only in his human form. Sharpen a branch, pierce the skin. When the Yee Naaldlooshi is strongest in animal form, not even sacred tree can kill him, but the ashes of part of the sacred tree branches can cause it great pain.”
“So, this ash can kill it then?”
The Indian shrugged, “It is possible. I’ve have only heard of one Skinwalker that was successfully hit with a bullet. He was three feet away when the bullet struck him. It didn’t affect him and he killed the man that shot him.”
Scott heard the last part and hesitated, staring down at the Judge. He looked at Terry, then at Christina and approached the window. He glanced briefly and turned inside.
“Guys, he’s gone.”
All of them gathered around Scott, and looked out the window. The delivery truck was still where Lenny had parked it. But “Lenny” was no longer in sight. The absence of the pounding from the outside now screamed at them in silence.
Ata Halne pulled a small piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Terry. He placed his hand on Terry’s shoulder and spoke.
“We do not have much time; this is the location of the closest true sacred ground to us. It is behind a house several miles from here. If your gun does not work, and it won’t, you must bury this in the center of the enclosed area behind the house. This house was built on the site of a great chief’s dwelling.”
Terry stopped him, “Whoa wait. What about you?”
The old man reached into his pocket and pulled out another leather pouch handing it to Terry. “We don’t have much time, left. Take the amulet and when I say go, you go.”
“What about that thing out there?” Terry asked.
Ata Halne gave Terry a grim look, “It’s not out there anymore, it is in here with us.”
Christina screamed and pulled close to Scott. They pulled together in the center of the room, their eyes darting to and fro in the room.
Ata Halne began speaking.
“Remember, the Skinwalker can appear to be anyone or anything or any size. Do not let each other out of your sight. It can take your appearance, and your voice, but it won’t have your memories. It will try to stop you from completing the burial, in human form; the Skinwalker has all the strength of any human, but is cunning. You have the map; you must go and do this.”
A high pitched wail rose from the corners of the room and the lights snapped off. Scott yelled, “Shit!” Terry’s hands grasped around in the darkness and pulled at the arms closest to him. He felt Christina trembling and Scott, arms extended waving the Judge around in the darkness. From the darkness came Ata Halne’s cry, “Go, all of you. Go now!”
He cried out in pain and screamed in Navajo. The three bolted in the general direction of the front door and stumbled over the unseen desks and chairs in their path. Terry still clung to the box and fumbled in his pocket for the car keys. They heard Ata Halne grunt and an unearthly screech pierce the night.
They made it to Terry’s car, scrambled in and locked the doors. While Terry fumbled with quaking hands to get the key in to the ignition, Christina looked back at the doorway and shrieked, pointing. Ata Halne stumbled out of the office and raised his hands. She grabbed Terry’s arm and squeezed. He watched the old man approach the vehicle. An odd grin was on his face and he began to beckon to them. Terry stuck the key in and turned, nothing happened.
“Oh shit!” He turned the key again, the engine clicked.
Ata Halne came closer and smiled. He reached his hands around the back of his neck and pulled. His face collapsed inward, blood poured from his eyes, mouth and nose as the flesh mask fell forward.
Click click
Scott pointed the Judge at the gruesome sight aimed, and pulled the trigger. The explosion roared in their ears as they saw the creature reel back from the impact. The remains of Ata Halne’s flesh fell from around the creature. It was more shadow than substance, and turned its glowing yellow eyes toward the car as it fell to the ground.
Click, click, the car engine roared to life as the creature stretched out its hand. Scott raised the Judge and fired four more times. The creature cried out as each round struck home. Terry slammed the car into ‘Drive’ and punched the accelerator. With a swift turn of the wheel he drove over the creature writhing on the ground.
There was a slight shudder as the rear wheel spun off the slick bloody mass that was once Ata Halne. It was only now that Terry noticed that Christina had been screaming, he spun the car around and they sat and watched the quivering mass on the ground. With their ears still ringing from the gunshots, and from the screaming, they didn’t hear Scott speak the first time. Terry turned when he saw Scott’s mouth moving and asked, “What?”
“Is it dead?” he yelled back.
Terry shook his head, “I don’t know.” Tears ran down Christina’s face as she reached up and removed hair from her eyes with quaking fingers. The creature shuddered. With eyes locked onto ‘it’, the trio waited. They barely breathed as they watched it raise a misshapen arm from the pile of flesh and begin to push itself upwards.
“Damn it! I’m out of bullets. Hit it again, Terry.”
“No, we’re getting out of here.”
Terry yanked the wheel to the right and headed toward the highway at full speed. They stared back at the creature that was now stumbling to its feet, standing over Scott's corpse. They were doing eighty when the creature finally disappeared from view.
Each of them were panting heavily and remained silent for several minutes. Terry wiped the sweat from his brow and pressed harder on the accelerator. Neither of them realized how many hours they were driving before they finally came to the turn off the old man had indicated. They pulled in, exhausted. And Terry got out of the car.
III
Terry watched Scott get out of the car. He could tell that Scott was nervous, more because of the expression on his face as he stared straight ahead at the house in the distance than because of any words he used. Scott gave him a familiar nod of the head in the direction of the odd house and stepped away from the car. Terry turned to walk toward Christina when it hit. The blur leapt over the rear of the car with a deafening wail and landed on Scott’s back. Terry heard the strained gurgle as Scott fell to the ground with a thud. His neck had been torn open in one swift move, the blood exploding outward hitting Terry and Christina. She screamed as Scott hit the ground and began pulling and clawing at Terry to run. They stumbled away from their friend and headed toward the only cover available. The house.
Christine reached the door first, slamming her body against it with full force; the door gave as they burst into the room. Terry was a half second behind but still managed to get in her way when she tried to slam the door shut. With trembling fingers, she bolted the door and fastened the chain. Then she noticed the blood on her hand, her clothes and face. She began shaking. They had heard it coming; the warm moist breath it expelled with each step seemed to reach the backs of their necks even at a hundred yards. That panting might as well have been the creature laughing at them, for all the effort it expended in killing their friend and chasing them down. As Terry looked at Christina, they both realized that the only reason they made it to the house, was because Scott didn’t.
‘The old Indian had been right.’ Terry thought to himself. ‘Here we were, the young smart professionals with no time for ancient magic bullshit being chased by a homicidal magic creature.’ He winced at the irony and cursed the damned email that started it all, just a few short hours ago.
Christina shivered as she wrapped her arms around Terry’s neck and wept. The house was deserted and there were several more hours before sun rise. She buried her face in his chest and he embraced her. He kissed the top of her head, and said, “I’m not going to let anything happen to you.” She nodded silently. Terry kissed her again and guided her away from the front door. After a few moments, Terry took the amulet from his pocket where he had stashed it just in case, and examined it. It wasn’t anything spectacular; it appeared to be made of wood and turquoise with some gold pieces dangling from the center.
The wind whipped up outside the door, but there was no banging. There were no scratches at the window and no pounding on the roof. Terry pocketed the amulet and peeked out the window. On this moonless, starless night little was visible save the glow of the nearby city that lit up the hills and horizon around it.
A rap on the back wall caused him to jump. He looked over at Christina; her head buried in her hands and decided to check out the noise. The room appeared to be the den of a hunter or outdoors enthusiast. Mounting boards lined the wall with distorted heads of long departed animals. Terry approached what appeared to be a fire place and wondered if anything could get in.
He heard a rustle behind him and turned. Christina stood in the shadows, and he could see her shaking.
“I’m scared, Terry.”
He nodded and came to her side.
“I know. Me too.”
“Hold me, Terry.” She brushed her chest against his sending his heart rate skyrocketing. He placed his hand at the small of her back and squeezed.
“Always, Christina, always.”
Her hands fell to his waist and pulled him in tighter.
“Why couldn’t we just toss the damned thing out there and let it go away. Doesn’t that make sense? Then we could stay here. Please, please, just throw it outside.”
Terry shook his head. “That thing killed my best friend. I’m not giving it shit.”
Christina pulled back, “I know that, he was my friend too, but I don’t want to die. Where is it Terry? It wasn’t in the box.”
A chill went up Terry’s spine. “How did you know it wasn’t in the box, Christina?”
She shrugged and raised her eyes to meet his. Terry saw the yellow glow emanating from her once beautiful ice blue eyes. He stumbled backward.
“Oh God, no, not Christina!”
‘She’ smiled. “Is this what you want, this body? I know it is.”
Terry stared into the face of the woman he loved, but never told. He reached for the leather pouch as ‘she’ continued speaking.
“Where is the amulet, Terry? Tell me now and I’ll make sure that you die as quickly as she did.”
“Go to Hell.”
‘She’ laughed. “Kiss me Terry.” ‘She’ leaned down and climbed on top of him. He could still smell the perfume in her hair. Her cold lips locked on to his and pulled. Terry struggled to retreat, to get that hand full of ash from the pouch, but he shook as ‘she’ leaned in again. She placed a hand on his thigh and slid it upward.
Terry yanked his hand from the leather pouch and shoved the white ash into ‘her’ opening mouth. ‘She’ screeched and tore Christina’s flesh off where it collapsed into a crimson mess.
It rolled on the floor with a horrible wail as it clawed at what could only be its ‘mouth’. Terry leapt to his feet and ran for the back door. He passed Christina’s body lying in a bloody mound and cried out in anger and pain. He tore open the back door and ran into the back yard. One section of the yard was fenced off, and he saw the Indian symbols on the grave. Terry kneeled and overturned a stone in that section of the yard.
He tore at the ground with his hands trying to get a hole dug in the tough soil. He reached into his pocket, removed the amulet and dropped it into the shallow hole. He covered it over, replaced the rock and sprinkled white ash in a circle over the stone. Then with two handfuls of the remaining ash, he waited. The creature burst from the house and raced toward Terry. Its form glistened and sparkled, looking more like a shadow than a solid creature. Its forward progress stopped suddenly at the fence, as if it had hit an invisible wall.
“Skinwalker, meet sacred ground.” Terry said.
“NO!” it shouted. “It’s not possible. We are too far from Navajo land.”
“So was the Navajo chief they buried here.”
The creature shrieked and clawed at the air trying to pass through the invisible impenetrable shield. After several minutes of fruitless attempts, the creature began walking the border around the sacred ground. Terry turned as the creature did, never taking his eyes off of it.
“In a couple of hours, the sun will be up Skinwalker. I can wait, can you?”
The creature looked to the east and knew Terry was right. It spoke.
“The woman, you loved her?”
“Yes, I loved her and you killed her.”
The creature’s expression, if you could call it that, turned up into a smile. It pointed a finger at Terry.
“With the power of the amulet, I can give you your woman back alive.”
Terry stopped.
‘No, Ata Halne said that the creature would be cunning.’ Terry thought.
The creature spoke again, “We sit here at an impasse, and I have told you what I can do for you. You know what you can do for me. And yet neither moves.”
“You can make Christina alive again?”
The creature nodded. “With the help of the amulet, I can do anything.”
“How do I know you won’t kill me when I give it to you?”
“Obviously, you don’t. But you can sit and wait for her body to decay, or I can give her back to you now.”
Terry held out his left hand, as if to drop the amulet he didn't have any longer into the creatures' grasp and extended it over the border of the fence. When the creature opened its hand, Terry grasped it and pulled. White ash flew into the creature, searing it. With a hard yank, Terry pulled the creature through the fence. It writhed in agony, thrashing on the ground.
“I kind of figured that if touching sacred ground was too painful for you, that having the shit kicked out of you with sacred ground might do the trick.” Terry turned and picked up the stone. He brought the stone down on the creature’s head and heard a sick crack. He lifted the stone again and brought it down through the torso of the Skinwalker. Green smoke bellowed from the cracks in the creatures form.
Slowly, the creature began to lose his form and the twitching ceased. Terry looked down and watched as the form melted into the sacred ground and sizzled. He dropped the stone back into its place and stood over the liquefied remains of the Skinwalker. He picked up more stones from the sacred ground and placed them on the bubbling black liquid. He stayed for the sunrise; just to make sure the creature was as dead as it now smelled. When the sunlight hit the black ooze, it disintegrated into dust. There would be no human form for this Skinwalker not any more. Only when there was enough light in the sky did he leave the sacred ground and head for his car.

Salutations all,
A friendly reminder that this post will be discussing the future of the game, and thus will go over not only the endings of the game, but a few side missions as well. So if you don't want spoiled on these things, turn back now. I'm not going to describe each ending or mission in great detail, with the expectation that you've either experienced or know of the endings, but also so as to avoid giving away as much information as possible to those who haven't played through them, so even if you know what happens, you can still enjoy the ride. Also, let it be said that this is supposed to lead to good discussion, and isn't supposed to be an end all, be all kind of post. I'd love to hear other's thoughts, especially if there's something I've missed or if new information comes to light :) That being said, let's get into it!
First off, I have personally played through The Star ending, and The Sun ending. However, I have watched most of the other endings, and have an understanding of what happens in each. When I finished the game and got those two endings, I very much got the impression that our (V's) story is not over yet. While they could certainly tie up loose threads and answer certain questions with a sequel, I think it's far more likely these things will happen in future DLC. Though there are lots of different variations and differences in the details of the endings, there are some simple points that are true for some of them, and can be broken down as such:
- V lives and keeps their body, but only has 6 months to live.
- V gives their body to Johnny, and Johnny leaves town.
- V dies, and Johnny along with him.
- V is made into an engram and awaits a suitable body to take as a host.
Some of these endings wrap up V's story, thus I think it unlikely that we will see them being continued in DLC. These are the outcomes where:
- V gives their body to Johnny
- V dies
-V is made into an engram
Obviously, the ending where V dies, be it by suicide or a blaze of glory, leaves no story to further via DLC. I don't see CDPR expanding the ending of Johnny taking V's body for multiple reasons, mainly that it would have to be a DLC exclusive to that ending, as it shares nothing in common with any of the other endings. V has become part of Alt, and there's likely no coming back. Plus, I don't see CDPR paying the price for hiring Keanu back for more work, just for a DLC option that many players wouldn't have chosen anyway. Likewise, though they could theoretically do something with the ending of V's engram being put into a suitable host, that shares nothing in common with any of the other endings, and the story of the DLC would be radically different than any other. Plus, the engram option seems bleak and ambiguous, whereas the option to leave and live out your remaining 6 months seems (somewhat) more hopeful.
With this in mind, I believe the story can and will be continued with the narrative of V attempting to find a cure with the 6 months that he has left to live. The endings where this occurs are The Sun and Star endings, along with "good" option to The Devil ending where you choose to live out your remaining 6 months. However, I think the DLC tying in the endings of The Sun and The Star are far more likely. With The Devil ending, we know absolutely nothing about V's remaining 6 months, and they even get a call from Hanako offering to work for Arasaka in their last 6 months. To me, this ending really does seem to be "living out" the rest of your life, rather than looking for a cure. It is still ambiguous enough that it could be worked in as an option for DLC, but I think it more likely that the Sun and Star endings will be the basis, for numerous reasons.
In the Star ending, V leaves Night City for Arizona with the Aldecados, specifically in an attempt to find a cure. There isn't even a hint of the idea of just living out your remaining 6 months with your family. It's pretty straightforward in this ending: Finding a cure is the sole purpose for the journey, and is stated multiple times. The Aldecados have connections in Arizona, and have lots of favors to call in to try and help V find a cure. Personally, I romanced Panam so there was additional dialogue about finding a cure so that V could live. but the main point for this ending is still the same if you don't romance Panam, or if you'd romance someone like Judy.
The idea of The Sun ending is less clear. The name of the final mission is "Path of Glory". V has almost made it to legendary status after breaking into Arasaka and Mikoshi. They've become the head of The Afterlife and have gained the respect of everyone around them. Most importantly, V is about to do the gig of a lifetime that will cement them as a true Night City legend. At first glance, it seems like this ending doesn't have anything to do with finding a cure, but instead is about V fulfilling their (and Jackie's) dream of becoming a true legend. However, upon closer inspection, that is not the case. Once again, I romanced Panam so my experience may be different than yours, but when she accused V of just wanting more glory, V corrected her and said that wasn't what it was about, but to show that everything the city took and gave wasn't for nothing. After telling Panam he wanted to hear her story, she said it was a long one, and his response was "I'll find time for it." I don't just take this as "I'll try and find time for it in my busy schedule" but that he's literally going on a search for more time. Adding to this is when V meets with the client, Mr. Blue Eyes, at The Afterlife. When the client brings up how people think V is "taking too big a risk. Poetically speaking, flying towards the sun to burn up." and V responds, the client brings up how he knows that V isn't just being confident, but that they're fighting for one last breath, and that he hired him because "you'd [V] do anything at all for even the faintest chance at survival." V is putting on a façade of doing the ultimate gig that is fitting for a true legend, so that they can show everyone they're the greatest of all time. But in reality, V is doing this at a chance for survival. We don't know how this mission could lead to it, but it's clear that that is the true purpose behind the mission, and the main idea behind this ending.
So here we have two endings that find V using the time they have left to search for a cure, and going great lengths to do so. In my opinion, both of these endings have the most work put into them, and require the player to finish certain side missions to make them available. They keep the door open for respective romances, and continue V's story. I am unsure if one will be a "true" ending, but there is one main thing that makes me think that The Sun ending is the one that will connect to the DLC that furthers this story. And that main thing is V's client, Mr. Blue Eyes.
This man is shrouded in mystery, and that has been done purposefully by CDPR. For one, we don't even have a name for this man. It's true that V might go by an alias (unless their name really is just "V"), but even so, "Mr. Blue Eyes" is one strange alias to go by, simply because he has blue eyes. We know almost nothing about him, except for that when V knocked out Arasaka, Blue Eyes' people managed to rush in and grab what they could. He's able to see through the façade that V is putting on and somehow knows that this is actually a last ditch attempt at survival. V tells him to make sure he holds up his end of the bargain (showing that a deal has been made, and it's likely not just for some eddies), to which he replies "Oh, I never forget a promise. Good luck," He is able to get V into space in quick time, in order to rob the casino at the Crystal Palace. So not only does he want a job of incredible magnitude done, but he's promising something as a reward, and he's promising it to a mercenary who he knows will do anything just at the chance of survival. So whatever his side of the bargain is, it's most likely not something insignificant.
Most intriguing of all though is that this isn't the first time that Mr. Blue Eyes can be found. At the end of the Peralez's mission,"Dream On", after discovering that they've been being brainwashed to the point of not knowing which memories of theirs are real or fake, V meets with Jefferson in the park. Before this, V is warned by whoever has been brainwashing the Peralezs that, "It doesn't matter what you tell him. It doesn't matter what you think of doing or do - you can't change anything. We know who you are. We know WHAT you are. We know what you want. You're playing with fire. Don't dare cross the line." After this, regardless what V says to Jefferson, if V looks up to a terrace overlooking the park, they'll see the man himself: Mr. Blue Eyes. Scanning him reveals that his affiliation is unknown, and that he is wanted for "classified". If V looks away, and then back at him, he disappears. If the player is able to maneuver and jump their way to him, he is unable to be killed in any way, and doesn't acknowledge you're there, showing that Mr. Blue Eyes was placed there on purpose, watching over the meeting, and nothing more. Along with this, at the end of the Garry the Prophet missions, it is revealed that "men with blue eyes" took Garry. This leads me to think that Mr. Blue Eyes is a part of something very big, especially if he has something to do with (or is the leader of, from what it sounds like) the group that has been pulling the strings behind the brainwashing of the Peralez's and the ones who are getting him to be mayor. This guy gives off some major Gaunter O' Dimm vibes from The Witcher 3, and I very much think he'll play a pivotal role in the story to come (I'm pretty sure he has something to do with NightCorp and what you learn about them from Sandra Dorsett's mission, but that's just me).
With a character like Mr. Blue Eyes being involved in The Sun ending, with everything he says, and the fact that V is flying through space to infiltrate the Crystal Palace, I think that this is where the DLC that continues V's story will take us. Now obviously none of that is found in The Star ending with the Aldecados, but that doesn't mean that ending doesn't have any significance. They could easily have an intro to the DLC where, if the player chose The Star ending, the Aldecado's somehow get brought into contact with Mr. Blue Eyes, or at least find out that the answer to a cure could have something to do with the Crystal Palace. I think the Crystal Palace will be the setting for a DLC no matter what, I just don't know exactly how they'll get us there from the Aldecado's ending, or if Mr. Blue Eyes will have anything to do with it (I can't imagine he wouldn't). Either way, it's definitely not impossible for CDPR to have V end up at the Crystal Palace for this heist mission, regardless if the player got The Sun, Star, or even the "good" Devil endings to the game.
Some people may be thinking that DLC will only be additions to the existing story, similar to the Hearts of Stone DLC from Witcher 3, rather than a continuation of the story that takes place after the main mission, like Witcher 3's Blood and Wine DLC. I understand why people might feel that way, but I just don't see it happening. For one, if they just wanted to end V's story, I think CDPR would have given us the option of a truly "happy" ending where V not only survives, but doesn't have a 6 month clock ticking to his death. Even if they didn't do that, I don't think they'd make the main mission of the Aldecado's ending to be finding a cure. Instead, it would simply be about enjoying the time V has left as part of a family. I think that The Sun ending would have simply been what V masquerades it to be, the final mission to cement himself as a true legend, a legend above all the others. Rather, they made a point to include a purposefully mysterious character as V's client, who called out V's real motives behind the gig, and promised some kind of reward for a job that has never been done before (said reward was also left quite ambiguous). Too many clues have been dropped for these to be endings that allow for certain kinds of roleplaying. While I can see how people would think CDPR doesn't plan on continuing V's story, especially given the differences between the endings, I think they've given themselves quite a bit to work with, and given fans quite a lot to pick up upon.
There are certain other loose ends that could be brought up as well, such as the research being done by NightCorp, the mysterious group behind the Peralez's brainwashing, or the fate of the Arasakas (Saburo Arasaka takes over Yorinobu's body via his engram in The Devil ending, Hanako is somehow killed in The Star ending, and we aren't told anything about them in The Sun ending). Loose threads don't always need to be tied up, however, and sometimes it's even better if they're not. So I'm not really counting on any of that to factor into DLC. However, I wouldn't be surprised if these things came up again.
All in all, these are my thoughts on the future of Cyberpunk 2077. I'm sure there are things I've missed, and hopefully more things will come to light as time goes on (I'd really like to know if Blue Eyes shows up in more than just that one mission). Please, share your thoughts! The one thing I know for certain is this: I just want my V to find a cure so he can make babies with Panam, try food with Takemura, and drink some Jackie Welles. Please, CDPR. Make my dreams a reality.