"Spell it out—what kind of job is this? What could possibly stump an Arasaka spook like you?"
Jackie slid a glass of liquor toward each of them, cutting straight to the point.
"In Biotechnica's Autonomous CHOOH₂ Plant, there's a hidden lab.
The data stored there is our target."
Arthur and Jackie exchanged a look. They had suspected as much, but hearing it outright still left them both a little stunned.
"You two look like you already know this place?"
V asked, curious.
"Yeah. During that last gig, we dug up a lot about Biotechnica's human experiments.
That included some intel on the CHOOH₂ Plant," Jackie explained.
"But we didn't dare poke that hornet's nest," Arthur added with a slight nod.
V leaned back and continued,
"From what we know, the entire farm's security is outsourced to Militech.
There's a garrison of about a hundred troops, plus drones and tanks—that's the real nightmare. And there's a chance they've got strategic-grade support mechs inside."
Arthur and Jackie had never heard details like this. After weighing it carefully, Arthur realized they had no chance of going head-to-head with that kind of firepower.
Jackie hesitated, swallowing hard before speaking.
"So Arasaka wants to hit that place? Send in a squad, blitz the site, and wipe it clean?
I don't get why you'd come to us for this."
V swirled the liquor in her glass and shook her head.
"Of course not. Arasaka doesn't want an open war with Biotechnica. Officially, this job can't be tied to the company.
The Security Division won't get involved—this mission falls entirely under Counterintelligence.
And worse still, they won't throw much muscle our way. Plenty of funding, but no manpower."
Jackie grimaced, shoulders sinking.
"Arasaka not backing us up? Doesn't matter how much money they throw at it—without firepower, we're walking into a slaughter.
Sis, you bring us in just to get us killed?"
But V didn't laugh or argue. Her face stayed deadly serious.
"Jackie. And you, uh..."
She paused awkwardly, clearly reluctant even to say the name.
"Arthur. I won't lie to either of you. This job is like pulling teeth from a tiger.
I'll be there myself. And all I'm allowed to bring along are a handful of grunts from the department.
I'll be on the front lines where it's most dangerous. If it comes down to it, don't hesitate—just save yourselves."
Jackie's brow furrowed, and he started to rise.
Clearly, he didn't like what he was hearing. And Jackie wasn't the type to abandon a friend.
But V pressed a hand against his arm, keeping him down, her expression firm.
"Jackie, this isn't your fight. Honestly, I hesitated before even asking you. I didn't know if I should drag you into this.
But after thinking it over, I realized—though I grew up in this city, the only person I can truly trust here is you.
Mrs. Wells only has one son. If dragging you into this wasn't enough guilt already, then if you died ahead of me… what right would I have to keep living?"
Jackie let out a heavy sigh and sank back onto the couch, his eyes full of conflict as he looked at her.
"V, the company's gonna chew you up and spit you out. It's only a matter of time."
...
Santo Domingo, H4 Apartments.
After David started making money again, he re-rented the unit.
Night City's chaotic neon lights poured in through the windows, but against a clean silhouette, they dulled to plain white.
Lucy sat in front, wrapped in a yellow jacket. Her short pale-pink hair brushed her slender shoulders, her bare white skin glowing under the light.
A cigarette dangled from her lips, the tip burning red in the dark.
Behind the sofa, David stood by the window, staring blankly out at the skyline of Night City.
"Still thinking about your mom?"
Lucy's words came out muffled, maybe because of the cigarette.
At the window, David raked his hands through his hair, his voice heavy with helplessness.
"I can't stop thinking. But there's nothing I can do. I... I...
It's my fault. I'm the one who put Mom in that hospital..."
Lucy tapped the ash off her cigarette and cut him short, her voice calm.
"I'll help you."
...
Time spun on. The night deepened.
At Lizzie's Bar, their table was buried under empty glasses.
All three were flushed from drink. Jackie and Arthur sprawled across the couch, their drinks slipping from their loose grip.
V had propped her long legs up on the table, not caring as wine stains splattered her black tracksuit.
"So we'll just follow my rough plan."
V lifted her arm high, as though toasting the heavens.
Mid-sentence, she let out a small hiccup before continuing.
"Tomorrow, we jack that ride. Day after, we hit Biotechnica's farm.
And then, when I'm running Arasaka myself—
Hic!
You two will have your cut."
Of course, it wasn't any real plan. But in her drunken haze, V was already smiling at the bright future she imagined.
Arthur, drunk as well, shoved the heavy arm off his shoulder and followed it back to Jackie's big face.
"Jackie."
He shoved his shoulder clumsily, raising his voice.
"Jackie, where's Lenny? Where'd that kid go?"
"Who?"
"Lenny!"
"Oh, Lenny." Jackie tilted his head, thinking hard, then answered loudly,
"Dunno. Just left. Went home."
A barmaid finally noticed the three drunks and came over to remind them to head home.
Arthur squinted at her, then burst out laughing, pointing.
"Lenny! There you are!
Home—yeah, home!"
...
The next morning, a splitting headache dragged Arthur awake. Groggy, he sat up, his head pounding like it was full of nails.
Blinking through the haze, Arthur froze. A chill ran through him as he checked his waist and then the rest of his body.
Thankfully, everything was still intact.
Feeling the uncomfortable pressure in his gut, Arthur staggered toward the bathroom.
Halfway there, he tripped over something—and went crashing to the floor.
Jackie lay sprawled across the ground, snoring away.
After taking care of business, Arthur nudged Jackie awake with his boot, not unkindly.
"Ask your friend how she's doing, dammit. I can't remember a thing.
That girl, V—the one with the sharp looks—hope nothing happened to her."
Maybe it was the reunion after years apart, but last night had gone too far. Drinking themselves senseless in Night City was dangerous.
Still groggy, Jackie made a quick call, then hung up and nodded.
"She's fine. She was the one who hauled our asses back here."
He stood, wobbling toward the bathroom, muttering under his breath.
"Talk, don't laugh. What's so funny anyway..."
Arthur, watching from the side, suddenly felt a knot of unease in his gut.
This Biotechnica job—the plan V had outlined—started with stealing a massive electromagnetic core.
Night City's power grid ran on four wireless transmission stations at the cardinal points, blanketing the city in wireless energy.
The service was absurdly expensive—wireless power cost nearly a thousand times more than regular electricity.
At the heart of it all was a crucial component: the Electromagnetic Amplifier, also called the Electromagnetic Core.
With one of those, paired with a strong enough discharge rig, V could build an electromagnetic bomb—enough to shut down the CHOOH₂ Plant's, automated defenses for a while.
If the drones, turrets, support mechs, and tanks all went offline, the resistance they faced would drop drastically.