Infinite, Progressing from Arasaka

Vera felt that she really did have a talent for coming up with rotten schemes.

She had clearly never considered how to deal with this young legend before, yet the moment they met, she needed no advisers at all. In no time, countless thoughts filled her mind, and she had already figured out how to win him over and make use of him.

Yeah, it was all Arasaka's fault!

Arasaka had made her bad.

"So, struggle to survive at Arasaka Academy first. Endure the torment and work hard to improve yourself."

Her slender fingers lightly lifted the glass filled with ice water. After taking a small sip, Vera leaned back against the sofa and watched through the window as the freshman formation gradually grew in number—chaotic, yet still quiet and orderly enough.

Soon, the freshman entrance ceremony began. Once they entered the venue, Vera was invited onto the central podium as a former Chief graduate, outstanding alumna, and Arasaka executive, where she leisurely listened to the short, plump principal deliver his speech.

Before long, she would also have to take the stage. According to the rehearsal schedule, she was supposed to field a few questions from the younger students afterward.

A minor issue.

There was nothing much to say. As a director at Umbrella, Vera had long grown accustomed to giving speeches and attending ceremonies like this.

In America, dealing with all sorts of reporters, messy rights organizations, charity groups, and the like had trained Vera in the arts of lying with her eyes open, refusing to answer, avoiding the important points, changing the subject, swapping concepts, denying the premise, throwing accusations back at others... and more.

"Now, please welcome the Chief graduate of Night City Harazaka Tower Academy's Class of 2070, Supervisor Vera Adelheid Russell, to offer her blessings to the new students!"

Chapter 19: A Villain's Friend

"Good morning. Good morning."

Vera wore an expression of sorrowful compassion without losing her bold spirit.

"I am Vera Adelheid Russell."

"As your senior, I am honored to have been invited to attend this year's freshman entrance ceremony at Night City Harazaka Tower Academy."

"To quote Lord Saburo Arasaka's oft-repeated words: 'Fallen flowers rarely return to the branch.' No matter who you are, from the moment you are born, there will always come a time when you must leave the cradle of your parents' protection and face the wind and rain alone."

"Now that you have arrived here, you have taken your first step toward independence."

"The road is winding, but the future is bright. New things will inevitably replace old things. Likewise, Arasaka's growth requires an infusion of fresh blood—and that is you."

"Thank you all for listening."

It was utterly ordinary and conventional.

With a standard sincere smile and a calm tone, Vera did not pull any tricks. She gave a speech about family, responsibility, duty, the transition between old and new, and how the future belonged to them, smoothly finishing the role she had to play today.

They were all lines perfectly suited to Arasaka Corporation's style.

Tap, tap.

After stepping down from the ceremonial platform, Vera did not return to her seat in the VIP section. Instead, she went to a corner at the edge of the venue where the higher-ups gathered, watching the various people in the hall with considerable interest.

The more innocent children, those without connections whose parents had struggled desperately to provide their tuition, wore excited expressions.

They had solemnly promised their parents that they would do well. They seemed to look forward to graduation, when they could join Arasaka as "fresh blood," then use their own salaries to repay their parents and fulfill the duty of "family" Vera had spoken of.

The teenagers who knew a little, though not much, and understood that Arasaka was difficult to get into were more or less encouraged after hearing Vera, this senior, speak from experience.

They were preparing to work hard to get into Arasaka and make something of themselves, ready to start grinding ruthlessly from the first day of school and keep grinding to the end.

Oh, there were also those who were completely unimpressed.

Meanwhile, the children of internal company employees were often arrogant, their noses in the air. Even as their parents reminded them, they kept applauding, more or less aware of what Vera's rank represented. Whenever an executive took the stage, they applauded enthusiastically.

Their futures had already been planned out.

David Martinez was a freshman somewhere between the second type.

He naturally recognized Vera, but he was not stupid enough to cry out or make a fuss in a setting like this.

He listened to Vera's speech very seriously. Unfortunately, the freshman question segment had been rehearsed and arranged in advance, so he had no chance to stand up and ask anything.

Vaguely, he knew this place was not suited for him, but Vera's words made him somewhat inclined to believe otherwise.

His mom always said he was smart. This was his chance to climb into Arasaka Tower, and in this entrance assessment, he had ranked among the better students—better than quite a few reckless children of corporate families.

Under his mother's tearful, hopeful gaze, David silently clenched his fist.

Just as Vera had said in her speech: "family, duty, responsibility." He did not understand much else, but his single mother had painstakingly raised him in a shithole like Night City, giving everything she had and earning money to send him to Arasaka Academy. He... had to be grateful!

Clap clap clap—

Not long after, the ceremony concluded successfully.

Many company employees who knew one another began gathering in groups, then led their children around for polite introductions and recommendations.

Vera had no interest in wasting too much time here. After offering brief encouragement and blessings to several children of employees affiliated with the Security Department system, she excused herself on the grounds that official business kept her busy.

It was not really an excuse. Arasaka did not give people that many holidays. The company employees present probably would not be able to chat for long after the ceremony before having to return to work.

Escorted off with "deep affection" by the round, sturdy principal, Vera led her bodyguards out of the venue, passed through the lush campus ornamental garden area, and headed toward her Hovercar.

Then Vera spotted a stern-looking, burly middle-aged man in Arasaka's standard black-and-red uniform standing beside her Hovercar with a boy sporting a mushroom cut and a somewhat lively, flamboyant face.

"Supervisor Russell, hello. I am Shinichi Tanaka. Hearing that you had come to Arasaka Academy, I took the liberty of waiting here," the middle-aged man said as he stepped forward and bowed. (

In response, a scanning program that captured Shinichi Tanaka's facial data and employee serial number automatically pulled up information Related to Shinichi Tanaka before Vera's eyes.

Shinichi Tanaka, a mid-level manager in Night City Arasaka's Research and Development Department.

He was the scholarly type of executive, assigned to a specialized unit within Night City's Research and Development Department responsible for testing new cyberware, exoskeletons, and mechs.

One of the Night City Harazaka Tower Academy board members, he had previously held a position at the academy, was loyal to Arasaka Corporation's interests, was a veteran employee, and also one of the testing leads for Arasaka's experimental product projects.

"Mr. Tanaka."

Vera nodded, stepped forward, extended her hand, and gave his a brief shake.

Veteran employees like Tanaka, who treated the corporation as their home, might not match her in rank or real authority as the head of the Security Department's armed forces, but he was still an experienced middle manager.

"This is my son, Katsuo Tanaka."

Tanaka turned slightly and pointed at the mushroom-haired boy. "He has no interest in R&D and has long admired the Security Department's prestige."

Oh, so he wanted to place his son in the Security Department.

"A tiger's son cannot be a dog. I believe you have the aptitude, but tell me—will we have a chance to meet again?"

As she spoke, Vera paced toward Katsuo Tanaka. With a faintly amused smile, she looked down at him and said meaningfully, "Don't waste away at the academy. If you have the conditions and ability, train your body properly. Hacking skills, familiarity with firearms, close-quarters combat... remember, none of it should be just for show."

"Yes... yes..."

For some reason, Vera's deep gaze placed extraordinary pressure on Katsuo Tanaka's mind and nerves.

Even at the peak of his Black Dream binges, he had never felt so suffocated. He instinctively straightened his back, especially when she looked at him. The burly bodyguards surrounding them had all turned their attention toward him, and his face flushed red.

"Very good. Keep it up."

Vera nodded to Tanaka, then boarded the hovercar amid the entourage. The Black and White Duo rode with her, while the remaining guards took official vehicles out of Arasaka Academy toward Corporate Plaza.

Buzz... buzz...

Blue exhaust flared from the Vector Engine. After a long while, as Vera's luxurious black hovercar slowly receded into the distance, Shinichi Tanaka straightened from his slight bow and looked sternly at his somewhat scrawny son.

"From now on, stay away from that pack of worthless friends of yours."

"If you're going to school, study properly. Graduate, pass the assessment, and enter the Security Department. I don't care whether this impulse came from today or last night's Watson incident. I made the call for you, and now that Director Vera knows about it, there is no room for giving up halfway."

"Remember, if you want to climb up, this isn't child's play. If you don't have what it takes by then... don't blame me for being ruthless."

Based on the Edgerunner anime, Tanaka's position probably was not particularly high—middle management, but with seniority.

David and Katsuo Tanaka... Ahem, I've got an idea.

Vera Was a Model Worker, but Arasaka

Overcast.

Moisture, mold, dust, rust, chemicals, and the charred, bloody stench.

On the streets beneath the drizzling rain lay the wreckage left by shattered storefront windows: glass shards and broken utensils scattered everywhere, glinting dimly beneath the rain's wash.

The trash cans along the street had all been overturned. Garbage mixed with paper protest placards, flags, plastic bottles, bricks, and even discarded clothing littered the ground.

They mixed with blood and rainwater into a muddy sludge, becoming thoroughly fused together after being trampled countless times.

"Hah..."

In the mid-level lobby of a pitch-black tower bearing the Arasaka Clover logo, Vera stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows and watched the dreary world beneath the endless drizzle. She parted her lips and exhaled a sharp stream of smoke, which dispersed before being drawn away by the ventilation system.

Standing amid a crowd of Corporate Dogs—some sneering, some mocking, some expressionless—she silently watched the scene before her.

"Fuck you! Do you know what you're doing is illegal?"

"Get lost! Disperse!"

A dense mass of fully armed Arasaka security personnel wielded riot shields, batons, stun guns, tear gas, and pepper rounds to drive back the crowd. The protesters, in a chaotic wash of faded colors, retreated amid noise, smashing and throwing things wildly.

From protest marches to violent demonstrations to escalating clashes, only a few days had passed. It all rose and faded in an instant, leaving only injured, wailing people—some of whom had no idea which garbage heap they would be dragged to, or which organ-harvesting scum's disassembly table they would end up on.

On both sides of the street were the burning remains of shops, with broken bricks and rubble scattered everywhere. Washed by the fine rain, they looked all the more desolate.

"Supervisor Russell, thank you for handling the suppression duties these past few days."

The head of the Manufacturing Sector at Arasaka's Sydney Branch, a burly old man with a kind, benevolent smile, handed Vera a freshly ground Rodo Lun coffee. She had arrived in Australia as the commander of a supporting force.

Though he was the acting head of the Sydney Branch's Security Department, strictly speaking, Vera's rank and authority were not much lower than his.

After all, Vera was from Night City's Security Department.

Across all of Arasaka, only three office towers could be called Arasaka Towers, and only three regional divisions could be called headquarters: the Tokyo Global Headquarters, the Paris European Headquarters, and the Night City North American Headquarters.

Night City in particular was globally infamous for its abysmal public security. Aside from Tokyo, the Night City North American Headquarters commanded the strongest military force.

After all, it was the front line against their longtime rival, Militech. Vast quantities of armed forces and military supplies were spread across Arasaka barracks, bases, naval ports, blockade checkpoints, and other locations throughout the West Coast. They also had to compete with Militech for markets in Latin America and South America.

"I believe that after this lesson, those petty trash rats should settle down for a while."

"Ah, perhaps."

Smiling as she nodded in response, Vera reached out and accepted the coffee he offered.

Half a year had passed since the Arasaka Academy freshman entrance ceremony. As the supervisor of the Night City Security Department's Special Rapid Response Unit, Vera had already spent half a year carrying out her duties.

The real power and armed forces under her command were far stronger now than when she had first taken office.

She had also become more numb.

Over the past six months, she had gone through quite a lot.

First, she retaliated against the Vortex Gang for its habit of robbing corporate transport vehicles. Then, the Canada Vancouver Branch uncovered Militech's covert operation to infiltrate the western Free State. Vera led her people over and dealt Militech a heavy blow, wiping out one of their secret transport convoys equipped with a Basilisk Armored Vehicle.

The Security Department was not the Counter-Intelligence Department or the Intelligence Department, after all. As a high-ranking commander of the company's forces, Vera could not stay in her Night City office all the time. Field assignments were routine.

Vera herself had even survived assassination attempts.

People keeping an eye on her routes and travel data was nothing unusual—gangs, Edgerunners, fixers, and company people alike.

Militech seemed to have already marked Vera as a thorn in their side. She could laugh and chat with Militech representatives at a municipal banquet, only to be attacked by a cyberpsycho on her way back.

Well, Cyberpsychosis. Going mad. A universal explanation.

In any case, Vera believed it.

The competition between Major Corporations was no less perilous than the blade-edge life of an Edgerunner.

Vera dealt with her side job in the biotechnology R&D department rather casually, making minor improvements to several formulas based on Umbrella's older products.

As for her regular work, she signed three city security maintenance contracts, all in the Pacific Rim region. Other places were beyond her reach, so she dispatched several teams to head out separately.