The Pickup is one of the earliest and most complex main quests in Cyberpunk 2077, serving as a masterclass in player choice and branching narrative design. In this mission, V and Jackie must acquire a military-grade Flathead spider-bot from the volatile Maelstrom gang, who recently hijacked it from a Militech convoy. Navigating the high-stakes political tension between a ruthless corporate agent and a heavily augmented street gang dictates not only immediate combat scenarios but also long-term character relationships in Night City.
Siding with Militech and Meredith Stout
Meeting with Militech agent Meredith Stout before heading to the Maelstrom hideout opens up a highly lucrative and popular path for many players. Stout offers V a corrupted credit chip loaded with a virus to purchase the spider-bot from the gang. If you choose to hand over this infected chip without warning the gang, a chaotic shootout immediately erupts as the virus fries the Maelstrom networks.
This aggressive route ensures Meredith Stout secures her position within Militech, which ultimately unlocks a unique romantic encounter with her later in the game. Furthermore, defeating the current Maelstrom boss, Royce, rewards you with his iconic Chaos pistol and valuable crafting components. However, this path turns the remaining gang members permanently hostile and eliminates potential future allies.
Befriending Maelstrom and the Peaceful Route
Players looking to avoid an all-out war can choose an alternative approach that favors the Maelstrom gang instead of corporate interests. By hacking the Militech datashard beforehand to purge the virus, or by simply using your own hard-earned Eddies, you can purchase the Flathead peacefully. Warning Royce about Militech's tracking device prompts the gang to fight alongside you when corporate strike teams storm the building.
Choosing this cooperative outcome allows both Royce and his loyal lieutenant Dum Dum to survive the introductory act of the game. Keeping these characters alive drastically alters the structure of the Second Conflict side quest later in the narrative loop. During that future encounter, they will welcome you warmly into their club rather than initiating another deadly firefight.
The Secret Ending and Freeing Brick
For players who want to maximize their systemic rewards, a third hybrid option exists that completely removes Royce from the equation. You can choose to shoot Royce in the head during the tense negotiation dialogue, which completely bypasses his difficult boss fight at the end of the facility. While exploring the production floor during the ensuing escape, you will discover the former gang leader, Brick, locked away in a hidden room.
Disarming the active laser mine trap allows you to free Brick and secure his loyalty for the future of your playthrough. If you choose to rescue him while wiping out Royce's crew, Brick will take back control of Maelstrom later in the story. When you encounter the gang again during Nancy's media questline, he will peacefully hand over the objectives as a direct token of appreciation for saving his life.
