Chapter 235
Armored airborne vehicles were clustered together in the surrounding airspace, and Octave heavy drones patrolled in layers.
On the ground, the bodies of Abernathy and the security officers were already in body bags.
Escorted by David, Katsuo, Xiaofu, and others, Kiwi, Rebecca, Lucy returned to the scene of the robbery with inexplicable expressions.
Under the strange or mocking gazes of the law enforcement officers on the scene, Kiwi and Rebecca exchanged unreadable glances and cautiously communicated with their lips, while Lucy remained silent, following behind David without uttering a word, lost in thought.
Soon, a whistling sound came from the southeast, growing louder as it approached.
"They're here."
Lucy looked up, and a highlight appeared in her purplish-blue eyes, which were covered in eyeshadow.
Whether she lives or dies depends on her performance next.
A large, custom-made, high-end airship flew low over the crash site, and the huge air currents it created caused a light drizzle of sand to fall from the sky.
Everyone, including David, stood solemnly side by side.
Shortly after, the hovercraft extended its landing gear, descended, and came to a stop.
Click, the hatch opens.
Lucy could see clearly that a woman in a suit got out of the car amidst a crowd and looked in their direction.
All around, apart from the armed men of Arasaka, whether they were border patrol officers from the NCPD or mercenaries from the Barghest, everyone stood at attention, armed and ready, giving them a salute.
The Trauma Team came and went. They were only responsible for saving lives; once they determined that a person could not be saved and Arasaka collected the body himself, they left.
The blonde, blue-eyed beauty strode forward with a nonchalant expression.
This was the first time Lucy had ever been so close to Vera.
Just as rumored, she was exceptionally beautiful, tall and healthy, and very young, looking to be in her early twenties. Yet, she possessed a very imposing and dignified air, rarely smiling, and was upright and elegant.
It has a unique charm that combines classical beauty with cyberpunk aesthetics. No wonder Saburo Arasaka admired it and praised it so highly, calling it both a rough gem and a precious stone. His attitude was as if he wanted to kick his own son, Norinobu the top and support him.
"David, Katsuo, you've worked hard."
Vera's voice was calm and composed.
Katsuo Tanaka stood tall and straight, just like the day at the Arasaka Academy when Vera encouraged and demanded of him through her father's introduction. "It is our duty, and our honor! Your Excellency."
David's voice trembled with excitement as he stammered, "Thank you, madam... sir, thank you so much, you still remember me..."
That guy with the clear eyes actually has connections with Vera? Are their alumni connections that strong? I've never heard him mention it before.
Lucy was somewhat surprised.
Just as she was carefully considering her words of self-defense and waiting for the opportunity to speak alone, David, who had been blocking her way, quietly moved aside.
"!!!"
Lucy was startled. Before her was a crimson prosthetic eye, sharp as Cyber Ninja's blade.
If it were the same her from the past, who was always filled with fear and only thought about escaping, she probably would have been so frightened that she would have fallen down.
"Kushinada Lucina, right?"
Immediately following was Vera's inquiry.
When those deep, indigo eyes looked over, Lucy, despite having mentally prepared herself, still felt a strange sense of oppression, and her heart raced.
She had many ideas and prepared numerous plans, but when it came to speaking, Lucy only uttered one word. "Yes."
Do you want to go back to Warsaw?
Vera asked again.
Without even thinking, Lucy shook her head directly, "No."
"You're the one who ran away from home. You're the one who went into hiding. You're the one who neglected your post."
Vera smiled and said, "Now it's you who wants to return to Arasaka. Are they the ones who prompted you to make this change?"
She looked at Rebecca, who was standing restlessly, and Kiwi, who had resigned herself to her fate.
"I..."
As her past experiences were laid bare, Lucy realized she was falling into Vera's trap.
But she had no choice.
"I'll only ask you once, do you consider yourself one of Arasaka's people?"
Before she could answer the previous question, Vera continued.
Lucy's heart skipped a beat.
This is a death sentence; a wrong answer could cost you your life.
She wasn't stupid; she naturally understood the intention behind it.
Would Vera be interested in her? Lucy thought not.
Vera would only be interested in her background and connections in Europe.
Especially during the crucial period of her struggle with Norinobu for the right of succession, she made this judgment without knowing the full picture of many events unfolding in Tokyo.
"I am."
Lucy gritted her teeth.
Never mind, she closed her eyes and steeled her heart, deciding to consider the past ten years as a waste. The beatings she had endured over the years, the reality of the Arasaka base on the moon, and even the "Frankfurt Incident" caused by weaponization, had made her realize the limitations of her ideals. People can't teach people, but experience can teach people, and they can learn it in no time!
"I want to join Night City Arasaka!"
She said.
Vera could clearly hear Lucy's rapid breathing.
"You pass."
After saying that, in front of Lucy, Vera's eyes lit up with communication data streams, and she used her alternate director privileges to connect to an intercontinental phone call on the Arasaka local area network.
"Data center, connect to Paris Abandon Tower... Yes, Poland... Hello, Warsaw branch? This is Vera Adelheid Russell ... Find your security system manager Kushinada Takeshi, and have him call me back immediately. I'm waiting."
Upon hearing her father's name, Lucy's eyes widened. She had just breathed a sigh of relief, but now her heart jumped again.
Less than 5 seconds.
Didi.
"Kushinada Takeshi, is that right?"
"Director Vera, is there anything I can do for you?"
Because Vera had enabled sharing, Kushinada Takeshi's voice, which was both familiar and unfamiliar to Lucy, and it was extremely humble.
"There's something I need to tell you."
Vera said.
"Please speak."
"Your daughter, Kushinada Lucina, has been found. She's in Night City now, but her return was somewhat unusual, involving NUSA Joint Intelligence Bureau. I'd like to transfer her affiliation to the Americas. Do you have any questions?"
"No."
Kushinada Takeshi demonstrated his competence as an outstanding employee of Arasaka, showing great pragmatism. "It is an honor for my daughter to be valued by the Director. I will immediately withdraw the arrest warrant and restore my daughter's personnel file in the Old Net salvage department."
"Alright, it's settled then. If she has time, I'll allow her to go back to her hometown to visit relatives, or you can come and visit her yourself when you have time."
"Yes!"
"Okay, that's settled."
Beep. Communication ended.
In just a few words, Vera swiftly finalized Lucy's plans for the American Arasaka.
What is the allure of power? It is on full display here.
Although Vera herself never met Kushinada Takeshi —Kushinada Takeshi or perhaps she did, most likely she was on stage while he was in the audience—it's still possible to learn about his life through his archives and then construct a simple Personality Model.
Well, in that brief exchange, Vera pictured Lucy's father as a typical Corporate Dog who perfectly fits the stereotype: capable, highly educated, cruel, and lacking in empathy.
Honestly, sometimes when I think about it, in the Cyberpunk world, her childhood and Lucy's childhood are quite similar.
Starting from similar points, both are descendants of meritorious employees of Arasaka, living in the luxurious, independent, and safe Arasaka community, with villas and gardens. Their abundant material conditions made their childhoods dreamlike and happy, a fantasy that most people in the Cyberpunk world can only dream of.
The only difference is that one is in Night City, North America, and the other is in Warsaw, Poland.
Then, fate diverges due to different individual choices.
Seven-year-old Lucy hacked into her father's computer, where the bloody and dirty side of the Major Corporations shattered young Lucy's worldview.
Whether it was a personal moral fastidiousness or a rebellious outburst, or perhaps both, Lucy began to go against her parents, connecting to the internet more and more frequently, wanting to run away from home, which ultimately led to a falling out between father and daughter and the breakdown of the family.
At that time, Vera had not yet awakened her "Heaven's Gift," but was much more realistic and a homebody than the average person, even though she was healthier and more energetic than others.
She was curious about the streets, city legends, and the outside world, but not yearning for them. She easily fulfilled her parents' expectations and was always the obedient child in her parents' eyes. She was the "other people's child" that her parents boasted about and that many of her peers in the Corporate Dog about.
Then, the Metal War broke out.
The North American Region is definitely more chaotic than the European region...
Having lost her parents in the Metal War, Vera was forced by reality to leave her comfortable, routine life and enter Arasaka Academy, where she witnessed the insane competition that left others bewildered. After her body fully developed, she awakened her "Heaven's Gift" in the process of striving for progress.
The game is over.
There's no need to compare Vera's and Lucy's paths anymore.
One side rose rapidly through the ranks, while the other side wandered aimlessly on the run, living in constant fear and anxiety.
The only thing Lucy might have that she's better off Vera is that her biological parents are still alive.
Although in terms of the length of time one can enjoy the good times, Vera's second fairy tale is still more complete.
Thinking of the crucial turning point in Lucy's life when she was seven, Vera's mind started to wander. If she had been as rebellious and reckless as Lucy in her childhood, would her Corporate Dog parents still have taken such good care of her?... But in an instant, she shattered this absurd thought.
There are no "what ifs" for what's already happened!
Her parents in this life love her and love her for walking the path they approve of; that's enough!
"David, you know her, you take her."
"Ah? Yes!"
Vera glanced at Lucy, who looked like a quail with a face that screamed "I'm so obedient!", and walked toward the body bag.
231
Chapter 231 The Other Side of the Escape: Dynamics of All Parties
That night, Night City, the Badlands attack continued to escalate.
When Vera appeared in the Badlands to prepare the bodies of the fallen Arasaka 'loyal men,' promised compensation on the spot, and returned indifferently, all sorts of rumors flew around Night City amidst the covert competition between those with ulterior motives and various forces.
Latest obituary from Arasaka
"It is with a heavy heart that we inform you that a few hours ago, a gunfight broke out in Jackson Plains, and in this premeditated massacre, Susan Abernathy, Director of Special Operations of Arasaka, was killed..."
— WNS News.
Shocking! Arasaka has launched a new type of medium-sized hypersonic missile on the outskirts of Night City!
"Reports confirm that Director Abernathy was attacked on a last-minute backup route. How was her itinerary leaked? Was it due to external factors or internal ones? We've raised questions that no other mainstream media dare to ask: Who truly benefited from this attack? Who truly achieved their objective? Was the perfectly timed appearance of the hypersonic missile a coincidence, or...?"
— News Channel 54.
The criminals have been brought to justice.
"According to multiple classified sources, the fast-responding elite Arasaka unit thwarted the criminals' escape attempt and rescued several innocent hostages..."
—Night City Inquirer.
A small basement.
A dimly lit room.