"It's been a while, huh, Blanca?" Standing on the street, Karl watched as a sleek car rolled to a stop in front of him. The window lowered,
"It's been a while, huh, Blanca?"
Standing on the street, Karl watched as a sleek car rolled to a stop in front of him. The window lowered, revealing Blanca behind the wheel.
"You changed your ride? I remember you used to drive a Villefort Cortes V5000 Valor."
"That was forever ago, Karl."
Blanca rolled her eyes at his greeting, which—after so long apart—went straight to her car. "Back then, I held a different position. And now? My car has to match my status. Just like clothes and jewelry, you know?"
"Not really."
"Then why the obsession with my car?"
"I'm just checking if it draws too much attention."
Karl's eyes ran over her Herrera Outlaw GTS. Funny—his friend Mahi had the same model, if he recalled correctly.
Blanca, still unsure what he was thinking, raised an eyebrow. "So, what's the verdict?"
"Seems alright."
Karl didn't hesitate. He walked around to the passenger side, opened the door, and slipped into the seat. "So, where do you live these days?"
"...What?!"
Blanca blinked, momentarily stunned by the sudden question. But then she sighed—classic Karl.
"Charter Hill. What, planning to come over?"
"Maybe someday."
Karl nodded. "Didn't expect you to be living in Charter Hill, though. With your position, I figured you'd be up in North Oak. A villa sounds more your style."
"Too inconvenient for work."
"North Oak and Charter Hill aren't that far apart."
"Even a few minutes can be the difference between winning and losing."
Listening to her calm, matter-of-fact reasoning, Karl muttered, "You've definitely been working too much overtime."
She didn't argue.
After starting the engine, Blanca glanced at him. "Where to?"
"You knew I was hitching a ride?"
"If I couldn't tell that much, I wouldn't still have a job."
What she didn't say was that she'd long stopped expecting Karl to take the initiative in... certain areas. Hoping he'd make a move? Might as well wait for a new NUSA president to fall out of the sky.
"Charter Hill, then."
"You're not about to do something shady near my place, are you?"
"Hard to say. Might be nearby. Just drop me off and send me your address—if things go south, I'll need a safehouse."
"You, needing a place to lay low?"
Blanca frowned. She'd already heard all the chatter about Karl's team—how they'd forced Adam Smasher into a standoff. Who in Night City could possibly push Karl to go into hiding?
"Don't tell me Smasher's coming for revenge. Want me to prep an escape route?"
Her voice took on a rare seriousness. "If things really go sideways, come to me. I'll set you up with a position. If Arasaka comes knocking, Militech has your back."
Karl chuckled. "Spoken like a true Militech ace—always ready when it's Arasaka."
He gave her a grateful nod. "Thanks. But it's not that deep. Just a covert gig. Might stir up the NCPD or Trauma Team. Worst-case scenario, MAX-TAC shows up. And if I have to fight them and stay anonymous... yeah, I might crash at yours."
"Not Arasaka?"
Blanca relaxed immediately.
"Oh, then come by anytime. NCPD, Trauma Team, MAX-TAC? They've all got Militech backers. None of them have the authority to touch my turf."
Karl laughed. "You really are the perfect Militech product."
No wonder she kept climbing the ladder. Being anti-Arasaka was practically corporate religion over there. Screw up everything else, and as long as you gave Arasaka hell, you were golden.
But then Karl's mind wandered to a darker possibility.
What if—just what if—Arasaka and Militech ever joined forces?
It wasn't unheard of. After Saburo Arasaka's death, Hanako had pushed for reconciliation with the NUSA, which had Militech behind it. That alliance gave rise to a dove faction within Arasaka—Hanako's supporters, who favored diplomacy over conflict. They'd become the company's third-largest power bloc.
If Militech had its own "Hanakos"—those willing to cooperate instead of compete—what then?
If both sides had leaders like that... and if those leaders rose to the top...
What would the world look like if Arasaka and Militech ever merged?
Right now, most corps just picked a side: Arasaka or Militech. No one dared challenge both. But if they united? They'd become an unstoppable force. The current corporate balance would collapse overnight.
Would the remaining corps be able to re-draw the lines? To stand up to that kind of monopoly?
Could loose alliances hold the line against a united front like that?
Arasaka and Militech had been at each other's throats since World War II... but in a world driven by profit, did true enemies even exist anymore?
"We're here. Where do you want to be dropped off?"
Blanca's voice snapped him out of it.
Karl shook the thoughts from his head.
If I can think of this, someone else already has. Sure, it's terrifying—but pulling it off? That's another story. Hanako's faction is still the weakest. Saburo is still alive. And as for Militech, the NUSA president they support just launched an all-out war against Arasaka. They don't even have a dove faction—yet.
Karl steadied himself and looked out at the night-lit streets.
"Just drop me between those two flowerbeds. That'll do."
/
/
/
🔥 Cyberpunk: The Relentless
📢 Chooms, Listen Up! 📢
You can now jack in and get 100 chapters ahead on Patreon for Cyberpunk: The Relentless! 💾🔥
Stay synced with the chrome, the carnage, and the chaos—early access is stacked and ready. 🧠💀
🔗 Join here: www.patreon.com/c/MrMagnus
👤 Patreon name: SrMagnus
Preem support as always, chooms. See you in Night City. 🌆💫