"I watched with my own eyes as my father, my mother, my brothers—one after another—died in front of me.
Their blood felt like it was splashing into my eyes."
Arthur's voice carried exhaustion and helplessness.
"I tried to lead them to a new life, but in the end..."
He lifted his hand dismissively.
"Well, it didn't end well. Revenge... is a burden ordinary people can't carry."
He was really just talking to himself, not caring whether anyone else understood.
Their conversation drifted into the night sky, echoing for a long time before fading into silence.
Jessica was now perhaps even poorer than Arthur had been after escaping the Scavenger den.
At least back then he still had that old-model neural link. It overheated his head whenever he used it, but it gave him a personal account.
With no other choice, Arthur paid a hefty sum for the girl.
Professional netrunners needed top-tier neural systems. Beyond that, Vik secured the best cyberware he could find: netrunning pods, high-speed data conduits, and a full suite of protective self-diagnostics.
These "little" upgrades drained everything Arthur had earned from his last few gigs.
The new gear Vik installed was leagues ahead of what Jessica had before, and she tried to refuse.
But whenever Arthur saw her timid look, he couldn't accept her idea of downgrading the quality.
It was clear—Arthur had taken on another "burden."
At the clinic, once the last component was in place, Arthur frowned at the exposed port on the back of her neck.
Thin golden lines ran across the hardware. The intricate metal design had a kind of beauty to it, yet it still made Arthur uneasy.
"Was this really necessary? V's a netrunner too, but I've never seen her load herself up with all this junk."
Watching Jessica cautiously test the interface, Arthur felt something hard to put into words.
"For a proper netrunner, this is essential.
For remote access, the port guarantees stable and timely data transfer.
You can't exactly strap her to your back during jobs, can you?"
Vik explained with a grin.
Arthur turned back to Jessica.
"How does it feel?"
"Like... a patch of skin turned really cold. Other than that..."
She tilted her head, the cybernetic mechanism shifting smoothly under pressure.
"Nothing else, really."
...
In the days that followed, Jessica—now homeless—ended up staying at Arthur's apartment.
But her first time there was anything but pleasant. She was driven back out by the overpowering stench of alcohol.
She stood dumbfounded at the sight—a floor littered with trash, mostly bottles. The dim room barely had space to step inside.
"Holy shit."
She stepped back, checking the door number again in disbelief.
"This—"
"Nothing. Sure, it looks messy, but at least there aren't any bugs chewing on you, and you won't freeze to death.
Believe me, it's a reliable shelter."
Arthur walked straight in, leaving Jessica hesitating in the doorway, muttering to herself.
"But... but..."
Eventually, under her relentless nagging, Arthur cleaned up the place.
It took them the whole day.
...
That same day, after several days without contact, V finally called. When she got busy, she worked nonstop, practically vanishing.
"How are things, Arthur?"
"Not good."
Thinking of the lean days lately, Arthur answered with irritation.
"When I get the chance, I'll smash that damn All Foods Factory."
"I need something from you. Are you busy?"
V's voice was as sharp as always, but this time weighed down by fatigue.
"Why do you always come to me when you need something? Damn it...
Fine. What is it? I've got time."
Arthur shrugged helplessly.
"Come to my place. We'll talk in person."
Leaving the NCART station, Arthur considered the distance to his destination and once again thought about buying a car.
But he was broke again.
He made his way to V's apartment.
Even in an upscale district, his retro outfit drew no attention—strange looks were everywhere.
Using V's clearance, he passed through without issue and entered her apartment.
She lay sprawled on the sofa, a coat tossed over her, still in her clothes.
The sound of the door stirred her. She struggled, opening her eyes with effort.
"You got here fast."
She shut them again right after recognizing him, like she meant to keep sleeping.
"If you'd stayed awake a few seconds longer and checked the time, you wouldn't think so."
Arthur sat down on the sofa beside her, sighing.
Without opening her eyes, V glanced at the time through her neural link and reluctantly sat up.
It was already four in the afternoon, heading into evening.
"Huh—"
She let out a long breath, pushing herself upright.
"Is it that late already... Sorry. I'm just exhausted."
"Yeah, no kidding.
Seems the upper-class life isn't as glamorous as I thought.
So—what's the big problem that has our 'special agent' asking me for help?"
"You know where I used to work, right?"
V leaned her head back, voice drowsy, half a murmur.
"Here we go again—another long story before getting to the point.
Fine, talk. Just don't expect me to catch every word."
Arthur muttered, already giving himself an excuse not to listen closely.
"No need for your support, Arthur."
V, fully relaxed, went on.
"That gig you and Jackie took—rescuing people from the lab under the slaughterhouse? It stirred up a mess.
Arasaka sent people to investigate. From the repair records, they found traces of a certain technology.
It's important to Arasaka, tied to Biotechnica. The company wants it, which means everyone below runs themselves ragged.
In the end, the job's a hot potato. Nobody wants to get burned."
She was clearly talking about the CHOOH2 plant job that ended up in her lap.
"I thought you were doing fine in the company."
Arthur cut in.
"Blame my idiot boss...
The job was originally dumped on his rival. The guy wanted to throw it away, but my boss wagged his tail like a dog and snatched it up without a fight.
In the end, we had to scrap our setup in Europe, and our rivals walked away with the spoils.
Now his rival is coming back to steal the credit I nearly died for."
Her body stayed relaxed, but her words dripped with anger.
"Sounds like you picked the wrong master."
Arthur sneered.
"So what do you want me to do? Pay your boss's rival a 'visit'?"
"Exactly that—but in the literal sense.
To welcome him back, Arasaka is hosting a banquet. You're coming with me."
V said it plainly.
"A banquet? Now that's rare.
Let me guess—it's one of those gatherings for the upper crust, parading around with fake smiles, glasses in hand.
Dressed to kill, but their stink still shows through."
Arthur shook his head.
"Like now—sworn enemies grinning at each other.
You want me to come along? So I can step in when you start pulling hair?"
...
(70 chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser