→ Explore the full “Night City Wanderer” series:
Part 1 • Part 2 • Part 3 • Part 4 • Part 5
That particular night, I went on a quite interesting and unexpected exploration. I chose to head for a place that had been catching my eye on the map for a while: an archipelago including what seemed to be an airport, located west of Night City, known as Morro Rock.
I got on my bike and headed from downtown Night City to Morro Rock. I crossed the long bridge that leads to the main island and arrived at a big roundabout surrounded by the airport terminal entrances and underground accesses.
I parked my Kusanagi and went for a walk around the place. I quickly became a bit disillusioned, finding that I could neither climb anywhere nor pass through the metal detectors inside the only terminal I was allowed to step inside (at least for now).
So, I got back on my bike, decided to leave the place. But just before entering the bridge that would bring me back to the heart of Night City, I stopped and noticed the island edges, on my right. I told myself: “Why not try to explore around the island by that surrounding wall? Maybe I’ll find interesting stuff and a way to get inside the airport?”
That was a mistake. I barely made three jumps before I slipped and finished my way in the water several meters lower… with no option to climb back onto dry land.
Well, here I was, in the dark water, by night, having no choice but to swim. I started breaststroking towards what looked like land, to see if it was possible to get out of the water on one of the small islands of the archipelago.
After a moment, I turned over to admire the night landscape of Night City from Morro Rock bay.
It was beautiful.
But there was nothing nearby that would let me reach the dry land. So, I kept swimming.
In the distance, I could see dark structures becoming visible through the mist, giving me hope of getting out of the water.
A quick look on my right made me to quickly understand there was no hope swimming in this direction, where a long and high wall would block any climbing attempt…
After swimming for a few more minutes, I finally reached the edge of one of three small islands, south of the main one. Just to discover I couldn’t go further, facing a kind of invisible wall between myself and the land. I was stuck in the water, looking up to the moon in the foggy sky.
O, woe is me! So close yet so far! I went along the shore, hoping to find a way to get finally dry and explore this mysterious place. Unfortunately, that was in vain.
A bit hopeless, I continued to swim while gazing at my surroundings, until I noticed a launching pad, rising into the air, in front of me. That’s when I understood that place was not only an airport, space travel was also involved.
Anyway, that was all very well, but I was now swimming in the middle of that spaceport complex for a good amount of time, soaked, starting to feel exhausted. I needed to find a way back to the land.
I continued to swim and to look around me. A gloomy and misty night with no visibility after a few meters, the silence among the gentle slapping sound of the water around me. And me, alone, not knowing how long I could last or where I was headed. The atmosphere was kind of scary.
As massive, look-alike structures were repeating themselves around me, it became harder to get my bearings. I wasn’t even reassured with the comforting view of Night City in the distance.
Swimming I was. I had no choice, anyway.
I spotted another launching pad, this time loaded with a huge starship, which would eventually take off for who knows which far away planet.
After a dozen meters slowly dragging myself in the cold and slimy water, I noticed three big spheres in front of me. Tanks, radars… what secrets would they hold?
I didn’t know and I didn’t want to. I started to feel exhausted, with no possible way out from this situation. I was doomed.
I turned around one last time to gaze at the beauty of Night City, which seemed so far away and whose warmth I couldn’t wait to find again.
That was too much for me. I couldn’t make an extra move. I knew it, I was condemned to feed the possible living beings that would manage to live in this hostile and filthy water. I let myself sink and I surrendered to the dark…
… but I eventually respawned on dry land! Magic of video game!
This exploration didn’t lead me to anything, but at least, I had the opportunity to take some pictures of unusual and rarely visited places.
Once I was back on solid ground, nearby the roundabout at the spaceport entrance, I got back on my bike and left that cursed place… until next time…
… to finally get back to the heart of Night City I missed so much.
