Infinite Progress, Starting from Arasaka

V shrugs, turns around, walks to the break room bar in the office area, brews two cups of coffee, hands one to Harry, and thanks him. Then she heads toward Jenkins' office.

"Officer Jenkins, good morning." Crossing the corridor, waiting a moment, after being scanned and granted entry clearance, V immediately steps into the office and greets him.

Behind the desk, Arthur Jenkins is a clean-shaven, somewhat sinister-eyed, robust white biological male.

"Mhm, sit." He glances at V, then lowers his head again, gesturing for her to sit while handling something.

"..."

Just as V is pondering how to start, Jenkins breaks the silence.

"V, your probation-to-permanent process still needs a few days. Within a week, your official employee benefits will be in place. Anything else? If not, get to work. I've sent you a file. Handle it. Do a good job."

The barrage of information leaves V stunned for a moment before she processes it. 2074. She's only twenty years old, having just joined Arasaka Corporation not long ago.

"Nothing else, sir. I'll head back." After a long pause, V takes a deep breath and rises. No point in talking more now—what matters is doing.

"Good." Jenkins merely waves dismissively.

He saw potential in V. Good performance during the observation period, a clean background check, solid ability, and the personality analysis report in her personnel file matched what he needed—that's why he called her in.

Of course, for V to gain more grooming, she still needs to deliver on that potential and improve herself. The permanent benefits were just a little something he let slip.

"How was it, V?"

Harry waits at the door, waving immediately when he sees V come out.

"Not bad. Got a guarantee—work hard, permanent within a week."

"Holy shit! Congrats." Harry rubs his palms together excitedly, as if he himself got promoted.

"Thanks, Harry." In this cutthroat corporate environment, straightforward people like Harry are rare. V suppresses her joy, pats Harry on the shoulder. "Got a task. Gotta go." With that, she strides toward her workstation.

Beep beep...

Heart racing, hands trembling, she boots up her personal terminal, clicks on the unread file marker, and heads straight for the document sent by her superior, Arthur Jenkins.

The cover title of the document—

--Harazaka South America Investigation Team--

South America Investigation Team?

Isn't that the Rio de Janeiro thing?

Thinking of something, V opens the document. The first page that greets her eyes makes her raise an eyebrow, a look of surprise crossing her face.

"Isn't this a coincidence?"

Operation File (Confidentiality Agreement)

Affiliation: Arasaka Corporation

Employee ID: NC760404 ( Name: Vera Adelheid Russell

Department: I (Security Department)

Position: Combat Commander / Technician

Trauma Team Platinum Member / Crystal Palace Discount Agreement / Quantified Enlightenment Rehabilitation Center Member

Superiors: Shintaro Takayama [Director, Arasaka Tokyo Headquarters Security Department] / Michiko Arasaka [CEO, Arasaka America Division, Board Member]

Functions:

Execute and support private employment, corporate security services, public order services; provide and train combat soldiers; defend corporate assets during armed conflicts;

Biotechnology Specialist Researcher (concurrent), conduct personal interest research to create value for the company, provide technical support for the excavation and restoration of Old Net technology.

Biography:

Born April 4, 2054. ( 2070: Age 16, recommended for admission to Night City Harazaka Tower Academy as an orphan of a meritorious Arasaka Group employee.

2071: Achieved top scores across all subjects at Harazaka Tower Academy over one year; reported upward, selected for the Harazaka Group Tokyo Headquarters reserve talent pool; as an elite Harazaka Tower Academy student, participated as an intern auditor in the 2071 Arasaka Security Department's suppression of the San Francisco Riots.

2072: Received a recommendation slot, transferred from Night City Harazaka Tower Academy to the Harazaka Group Tokyo Headquarters Academy for a one-year observation and advanced study program.

2073: Returned to Night City Harazaka Tower Academy, graduated as valedictorian of the 2073 class.

Officially joined the Night City Arasaka Security Department.

After assessment, concurrently appointed as a researcher at the Night City Harazaka Biotechnology R&D Department as an internally approved biotechnology talent; personal lab codename: Umbrella [Red-and-white symmetrical umbrella logo—Confidential].

2074: ...

—Expandable [Insufficient Clearance]—

Employee Evaluation:

Entered Night City Harazaka Tower Academy in 2070, graduated and officially employed in 2073. During the two-year internship and service period, this employee performed outstandingly, deeply participating in and organizing seven successful security defense operations and six public order maintenance operations.

Specialized fields: Providing corporate security services, maintaining public order, commanding decapitation strikes (San Francisco security services, Kyoto Counter-Terrorism Attack, Rio de Janeiro Riot Control Operation); personal deep interest in biotechnology, with notable talent and fruitful results ([Confidential]).

No wonder this Vera Adelheid rose so fast.

Personal ability is one thing, but background, background, background!

When it comes to being 'root-deep and black-blooded,' parents at the level Arasaka calls meritorious employees definitely rank high—likely mid-level or above. That whole list of [Confidential] and [Insufficient Clearance] is something V can't compare to no matter what.

Before long, V understood what Jenkins meant by "do a good job." And wisely, she curbed her own curiosity.

Routine counter-intelligence checks—their Counter-Intelligence Department's job.

In theory, task reports from other company departments would routinely pass through Counter-Intelligence for filing. But as everyone knew, theory was theory. For some people, some departments, this kind of check was usually just going through the motions.

If there were no procedural anomalies, it passed. That was one of the fastest ways for Counter-Intelligence to accumulate so-called "work experience." Generally, when a superior suddenly assigned a newcomer this kind of task, it meant the superior had high hopes for them.

After all, someone like Vera Adelheid, who was already on the reserve promotion talent pool at Tokyo HQ, needed you to scrutinize her further? Just a formality.

Some promotions within the Arasaka Group had prerequisite requirements. For example, becoming a regular employee required "work experience and results."

The system was dead, but people were alive. This counted as an unspoken rule within Arasaka for arranging trusted confidants. If you wanted to quickly promote someone and still comply with procedures, you assigned them this kind of easy "show work."

Of course, if your surname was Arasaka and you had a big backer, that was another story.

"No anomalies in the operation. Pass."

Evening, Night City International Airport.

Surrounded by her subordinate Special Rapid Response Unit, Team 6, Vera stepped out of the Arasaka International business jet cabin, carrying a briefcase.

Back again, "the big cesspool."

Gazing at the city of sin and splendor flickering with neon lights under the night sky, Vera walked to the railing of the Arasaka VIP Lane. Her eyes swept deeply over everything within sight—Heywood, Watson, Pacifica... finally settling on the direction of City Center, that black tower.

"Good evening, Night City."

Chapter 003: Never Had Such a Wonderful Start

Night City, Westbrook.

Corporate Plaza, House Number 414, Russell Family Apartment.

The sky was barely light. Vera woke from deep sleep and gently sat up in bed.

"Mmph... Not even a single day off. What a bunch of vampires."

A silent murmur. Sleepy-eyed, she rubbed her head, still groggy from the drowsiness caused by autonomously shutting down her health monitor. Vera pressed her forehead and shook her head. The pupil of her Indigo Cybernetic Eye cleared in an instant.

The moment she remembered that she had only returned to Night City from Rio de Janeiro last night, then was called to Arasaka Tower for various meetings, barely finished arguing through the red tape, and now had to get up early this morning to go to work at Arasaka Tower again—Miss Vera felt extremely irritated.

Even a production line donkey wasn't worked this hard. Damn it, vermin!

Of course, cursing was one thing. Work still had to be done.

For the sake of the bonus and the cash, after all, one had to live.

After conducting her daily beneficial mental and physical health routine of complaints and criticism, Vera's expression turned serious. Time to go to work!

Turning over and getting out of bed, Vera, clad in a dark gauze nightgown, walked into the bathroom under the faint warm light of the bedroom. The motion-sensor lights turned on automatically.

Rush~

After rinsing, Vera wiped the water from her face and carefully examined herself in the mirrored wall.

"Completely used to it now. Hmm, not bad at all..."

A delicate face, blending the softness and refinement of the East with the depth and definition of the West.

Hair between silver and gold, eyes like the deep waters of a mountain lake—indigo. Faint traces of cybernetic implants adorned it. The metal cyberware hidden beneath her temples, the muscle indentations at her upper lip sphincter—together they outlined a kind of unconventional, cold beauty.

Alright, this was very Cyberpunk.

There was an air of practical luxury—restrained, unassuming, yet supremely elegant.

Perfectly matching the aesthetic promoted by the Arasaka Group's new militarism.

If the "legends" who blew up Arasaka Tower fifty years ago saw this face—especially the "Rock Kid" among them—they'd probably explode on the spot, cursing and grabbing a weapon to smash this affected, pretentious face to pieces...

Although in 2074, advances in cybernetic modification technology allowed one to adjust facial features, skin color, eye color, and even body type and gender, Vera had never really spent much thought on this face.

At most, back when she first entered Arasaka Tower Academy, to suck up to Arasaka and show loyalty, she deliberately maintained and preserved it in this direction. And then... it really became a habit.

Play the act long enough, and it becomes real.

Or rather, the "legacy" left by this body's parents was too generous.

Under the light, Vera's gaze grew complicated as she looked at the tiled wall beside the sink, which had an embedded photo frame.

In the photo was a group of three—one man, two women, one small—with whom she hadn't spent much time together.

The man looked about thirty, with a slicked-back blonde hair, dressed in a suit, with a sturdy build. The woman leaned against his side, with light golden shoulder-length hair, wearing a dress that seemed very old-fashioned by today's standards. Her face was soft, with a slight resemblance to Vera's current self around the eyes and nose bridge.

Her cheap parents of this body.

And the little girl between them was her as a child.

Come to think of it, she had been living as Vera for nearly twenty years now.

Gently stroking the photo frame, Vera murmured in a voice only she could hear: "I might not be your daughter, or maybe I am... But as long as I'm alive, I will fulfill my duty to honor your memory."

Truly, even though this body's parents hadn't fulfilled much responsibility in raising or accompanying her—both were busy, the kind you'd see only a few times a year—Vera still felt genuine gratitude toward them.

It wasn't like she was some naive, love-starved kid.

Besides this face, which was a plus point in the company, there was this compound apartment in the Westbrook Corporate Plaza, near Japantown and the city center, plus a bankbook, stocks, funds, and other tangible assets enough for Vera to live comfortably for a long time...

Most important were the other hidden "inheritances" from her biological parents.

Without them, she could never have climbed so fast in the snake pit called Harazaka.

It was an open secret in the industry: even after going global, the Harazaka Group—founded in Japan—remained deeply influenced by traditions of personal bondage like "lifetime employment" and "father dies, son inherits; generation after generation passes it down."

In other words, it was about bloodline. About being one of their own.

A dark joke circulated through many Harazaka branches: at Tokyo headquarters, even a janitor's position was practically "hereditary for life, passed down through the generations."

That might be an exaggeration, but it gives you an idea of the internal culture.

Vera couldn't easily judge the pros and cons, because she was a beneficiary of this very tradition.

Her biological father, Fred Russell, was a high-ranking executive in the Harazaka North America Security Department, in charge of a real power center like the General Security Bureau.