Chapter 259
Dorio pointed to the television. "She was picked up by Arasaka in Santa Fe and brought back."
This is her—on television, a drama about a defecting FIA agent bravely revealing the truth is being broadcast.
"... As the culprits, Militech and the New America, under President Kres's superb political maneuvering, completely blamed the nuclear explosion on Arasaka, used the incident to smear Arasaka, and thereby escaped postwar sanctions."
"It is wrong that the crimes have not been brought to justice."
"Look at North America today: economic recession, endless fighting and conflict, and rising poverty rates... The Militech is licking its wounds and the New America after its resurgence have already given the answer—it is on the wrong path and has become a troublemaker in the Americas and even the world."
The red-haired Korean-American female hacker kept babbling on the podium.
"This girl isn't crazy?"
Maine quietly discovered the blind spot.
As the female hacker turned to the side, using the background wall as a backdrop for her example, his eyes widened. He could clearly see the almost entirely metallic back of her head and neck. The Militech logo hadn't been erased.
Damn, she looks so delicate, but she's actually been modified even more than him!
"Perhaps this is one of the reasons why she switched to Arasaka."
Dorio joked, "Because Arasaka can heal her?"
"It seems that the elites working in the White House are just like us, afraid of dying."
Maine shrugged. "But her exposing the dirt makes it easier for us to watch the show, doesn't it? I didn't expect those 'Afterlife' legends to do it too."
He took a swig of beer and shook his head with a sigh.
"What did you do?"
Dorio asked.
"Accepting funding from Major Corporations, huh? Look, Johnny Silverhand and Morgan Blackhand took the benefits from Militech, and we took the benefits from Arasaka. We're the same. Honestly, all that mental preparation I did for being a 'dog' was for nothing. You should have said so earlier."
Maine was already bored from taking a break from work and taking online Catch up on studies, slapped his thigh and said, "I need to talk to Jackie and get his opinion."
"Back when I first met him in 'Afterlife,' he couldn't stop talking about legends, like Silver Hand, Black Hand, Old Snake, Queen of the Afterlife, and so on."
As he spoke, he pulled out a new disposable anonymous phone card.
The Chinatown, bustling with people, showed little sign of an impending war, in the back alley of 'Misty's Spirit Room'.
Jackie's newly rented house for storing supplies.
"Ha?"
Jackie's eyes widened, and he rolled over to rub his brow.
To be honest, he was dumbfounded when he received Maine's call.
"A review?"
Recalling his past admiration for these 'city legends,' Jackie shook his head. 'All crows are black. I should have known.'
People change.
The more external influences, personal circumstances, and growth Jack experienced, the more he learned, the less Jackie could still yearn for legend with the same unwavering passion he had when he first started out on the streets.
[Maine: By the way, regarding the list of those who attacked Arasaka Tower in 2023, why wasn't Rogue mentioned, the girl codenamed "Bird"? As the Queen of "Afterlife," the Queen of Night City's middlemen, didn't she storm Arasaka Tower with Silver Hand and Black Hand?]
Jackie fell silent for a moment.
He certainly knew why the FIA defector senior agent named Song Zhaomei hadn't Rogue. After V was promoted to Director of Special Operations and his security level was raised another level, he had secretly communicated with him privately.
V hinted that Rogue Amendiares, according to the internal files of Arasaka, was an anonymous partner.
Honestly, Jackie simply couldn't describe how he felt at that moment.
Although his 'collusion between government and business' with V wasn't much more noble than anyone else's, back then, when he looked at 'Afterlife' and Rogue, he did so with a filter of admiration. After all, on the streets of Heywood, he grew up listening to stories of legends rebelling against authority and beating up Corporate Dog.
Can...
Sigh, better not to say anything.
Anyway, the question that he had spent a lot of time thinking about in the past, but which had become increasingly vague, was finally answered.
Why was Rogue able to escape Arasaka's subsequent retaliation?
Why has Rogue's business in Night City been able to steadily grow bigger and bigger?
Even though Arasaka 2070 returned to North America and revived, why didn't Vera Adelheid Arasaka Russell, who inherited Kei Arasaka's legacy, avenge their 'father' by attacking the Afterlife club? Leaving their enemy alive and kicking right under their noses without killing him is clearly not in Vera's character.
Jackie didn't think that Vera, who was known for her boundless energy, exceptional talent, and had clearly earned the approval of that old man Saburo Arasaka, would overlook Rogue.
So you did it too.
As for the veracity of Song Zhaomei's statement— Jackie turned to look at the television.
On the news, just as Song Zhaomei's accusations were drawing to a close. "... This is Nightingale. A former NUSA Federal Intelligence Agency who served in the White House for many years."
The last sentence is: He served in the White House for many years.
This experience and background constitute the greatest authoritative endorsement, enough for the majority of the public to believe and waver.
It's no wonder that Washington, or more accurately, the White House authorities, reacted so strongly.
This is nothing to the New America regime itself, but it is a big problem for the current administration.
"She did it too."
This is Jackie's answer to Maine.
Time passed by like this.
Just as the scandal of Washington's power institutions wantonly manipulating public opinion was making headlines, and Arasaka was revealing in detail the inside story of the New America and its allies using social media platforms to spread false information and manipulate international public opinion, as well as other shady dealings, the explosive news coming back from Washington was equally explosive.
First came the impeachment hearings on Capitol Hill, then Militech troops were deployed to Washington, President Miles declared martial law, some members of Congress were arrested, and the New America issued an ultimatum to Arasaka and his allies...
There are too many dramas, too many changes, and too fast developments, making it difficult to keep up.
Will a fight really break out? This is a question for many people.
Because Corporate War hadn't occurred for over half a century, and the "boy who cried wolf" scenario of Arasaka and Militech about to go to war had played out far too many times, onlookers waited, and some casinos even opened betting odds, speculating on which side would back down first.
That evening, even more explosive news came from San Francisco.
As the Arasaka's super aircraft carrier was about to dock for a port visit, it was subjected to a premeditated saturation attack by anti-ship missiles!
The world, especially the North American media, remained silent.
Chapter 253 San Francisco Residents: Huh? War? Why are they targeting me first?!
Pacific Time: April 21, 2077, evening.
Location: San Francisco, Nearshore Contiguous Zone.
The Adelheid carrier strike group, which has arrived here, is changing tactical formation and is about to enter the bay for a routine visit to replenish supplies and strengthen alliances.
Red paint, suspension cables, a grid-like double bridge tower with four crossbeams, and neon advertisements that look particularly dazzling in the dim light after the cyber-era expansion and renovation—the towering silhouette of the world-famous landmark Golden Gate Bridge is now within reach.
Looking around, hovercraft, media boats, drones and other flying vehicles shuttle back and forth.
To welcome the visit of the Arasaka Navy, the holographic advertising light pillars atop the Twin Bridges Tower, which stands over 390 meters tall and reaches into the clouds, have been changed from various exaggerated and noisy gimmicky advertisements to themes more in line with the Free State's aspirations: Arasaka's logo, the San Francisco city flag, the Northern California state flag, promotional posters celebrating the unbreakable Free State Alliance, and advertisements for Arasaka's security services...
The beaches along the coast were crowded with people and spectators.
Some cheered, some cursed, commenting on the approaching 'black ship' fleet.
In a large group of people, disagreements over differing stances are bound to occur. These arguments escalate into shoving, then fistfights, eventually escalating into a brawl, escalating to the point of near-explosion, and finally, the police arrive, brandishing their weapons, and begin beating, kicking, punching, detaining, and even killing...
Laughter and sobbing mingled, indifference and panic contrasted.
Coupled with the floating steel islands whose hulls are bathed in the blood-red glow of the sunset as a dynamic backdrop, ah, it's truly a beautiful scene under the afterglow of the sunset, full of vitality and teeming with life.
However, tonight's tranquility is destined to be short-lived.
Whoosh—
"Holy crap, what the hell?!"
"Damn it!"
"Kuso, fuck!"
A series of rapid exclamations suddenly rang out from the crowd.
Just then, whoosh—!
With a piercing whistle, several slender missiles soared into the sky, their exhaust plumes tearing through the deep blue sky, leaving long, white trails that stretched like shooting stars as they hurtled towards the moon, heading eastward.
Everyone in San Francisco who was focused on the visit of the Arasaka Navy fleet was stunned.
Within the Bay Area, Northern California dignitaries who had arrived at the military deep-water port to wait looked utterly Cyberpsychosis upon seeing the missile's trajectory across the sky and the red alert issued by the Bay Area Air Defense Command.
Damn it! Those Arasaka devils are trying to double-cross us?!
But this unrealistic idea was quickly dismissed.
Amid the uproar, the Mayor of San Francisco's security aide struggled through the crowd. Though his face showed fear, his professionalism was commendable. He delivered a concise and rapid report:
"It was a missile attack. A rough directional assessment indicates the launch points are located in the mountainous region at the junction of the Coast Mountains and the Nevada Mountains to the east. The target was the Arasaka fleet arriving in the San Francisco Bay Area, and it was a saturation attack. It's highly likely the White House authorities— "
Before the words were even finished, an official on the scene shouted angrily, "I knew it! It must be that bitch from Washington!"
"Martial law! San Francisco, martial law... no, Northern California, martial law immediately!"
"This is war! Immediately report this to the Sacramento (capital of California) Alliance Government! Quickly, negotiate with General Katsutoshi Murata and make our position clear."
"Where are the Bay Area Air Defense Command personnel? Organize a counterattack! Counterattack immediately!"
In the blink of an eye, west of the Golden Gate Strait, a loud 'whoosh! boom!'
More than a dozen Anti-air Missile took off, trailing long plumes of smoke.
The setting sun was like blood, and the sound of thunder was deafening.
Air raid sirens blared, SFPD mobilized its entire force, and the company's armed forces stood ready, instantly setting the entire city of San Francisco abuzz with excitement.
Regardless of whether the cause and effect of the matter were understood, citizens pointed to the sky, media personnel frantically pressed the shutter, writers were typing away until their keyboards were practically smoking, Net Admin on subnets and local area networks were frantically adjusting network throughput, and shrewd investors who keenly sensed something were immediately logging into their stock accounts to prepare to withdraw their funds...
Even the decadent street cyber vagrants with all sorts of strange and eccentric hobbies were stimulated and woke up from their hyperdream.
The most "excited" of all were the unfortunate people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, especially those driving across the Golden Gate Bridge, who were furious, cursing, screaming, and running away like madmen.
Damn it! How could I not be anxious? Thinking of all those disaster movies and war films where they were famous "targets," and then seeing missiles whizzing past their scalps in reality, Arasaka raised the gun barrels of his warships, which were now in combat mode, and pointed them eastward—Damn! The Golden Gate Bridge is going to be hit hard!
In the near sea west of the bridge, the Adelheid, which had been moving at a steady speed, suddenly slowed down and stopped, and began to turn. The massive escort fleet quickly changed formation, the attack submarines supporting the fleet submerged, and the surface ships intermittently launched Anti-air Missile while changing from a review-style column formation to a ring formation, spreading out in a multi-layered diamond formation.
The four smallest and most maneuverable missile frigates were the first to arrive at their designated combat positions.
The next moment, their vertical launch unit fairings unfolded, and Anti-air Missile were launched in batches.
The trails left by the old missile exhaust have not yet faded, and new ones are already arriving.
The sky, where light and darkness were gradually separated, was filled with a chaotic mess of scorching white lines.
[Battle Alert! Battle Alert! All ships are on Level 1 combat alert!]
On the bridge of the Adelheid, red lights flashed as the intelligent AI issued a series of alarms indicating approaching danger. Equipment operators, staff officers, and Net Admin were busily working around rows of holographic tactical screens and instrument panels.
[Carrier Control Room AI: Multiple high-energy reactions detected 340-400 kilometers to the east, northeast, and southeast, and are still approaching at a speed of Mach 10-12. Calculations show that the first wave of attacks will arrive in 1 minute and 24 seconds...]
Vice Admiral Vice Admiral Katsutoshi Murata, commander of the Arasaka Navy's Seventh Fleet, with three golden cherry blossoms on his shoulder insignia, stood with his hands behind his back, his expression solemn, his brows furrowed as he stared intently at the constantly updated real-time combat data on the central control screen.
The air defense systems of the frigates, destroyers, and cruisers under its command continuously activated and fed back to the tracking radar.
To the untrained eye, the hum of the counterattack may not seem as intense as the simultaneous firing of thousands of shells at full power, but veterans know that air defense is often ineffective.
The standard practice in air defense is to conduct continuous, sustained, and ongoing searches for and tracking of incoming missile targets, identify the actual warheads, determine their trajectories, and guide anti-ballistic missiles. While fire coverage is not impossible, it depends on the timing.
"General, San Francisco City Hall is inquiring about the situation and requesting intelligence sharing."
The liaison officer, who was engrossed in processing information relays, suddenly looked up.