"Child... I must say goodbye to you—and also apologize...
But there's something you must understand.
Night City, and the world as it is now, is not nearly as wonderful as you once thought.
Here, people die every single moment. Human life is far more fragile than you imagine.
Losing family around you... it's nothing unusual.
So you don't need to feel like the world has collapsed or fill your heart with hatred because of my death.
We're just ordinary people. Sometimes even the aftershocks of greater forces are enough to crush us completely."
At Charter Hill, in front of a small NCART station, Jessica sat blankly on the steps, staring vacantly at the recording before her.
Her father's disheveled face now carried a crushing weight.
"My death doesn't matter.
But there are things you must know, so you won't foolishly rush back into danger.
This incident was likely caused by the Bureau of Interconnected Affairs. That colossal machine seems to have set its sights on you.
They're a pack of government-controlled lunatics. Anyone they target gets drained of every ounce of value.
In the end... you either go mad, or you lose your humanity.
It all happened suddenly. I just wanted to keep you away from them. And in the end... it happened just as I feared.
Child, you know how much corporate hardware is inside me..."
On the dark little screen, his lips trembled, as though looking at his daughter across the gulf between life and death.
"I did everything I could to free you from their grip. Remember—replace all your Cyberware as soon as possible.
Your life... will surely be far brighter than mine..."
In the final second before the video went dark, he smiled and spoke with certainty.
The street was loud with car horns and coarse curses.
Behind her, the rumble of the monorail shook up a little dust before fading again.
But to the girl's ears, all sound slowly disappeared.
She pulled her legs close, buried her face in her knees, her shoulders trembling.
It felt as though everything was slipping away, her whole body wrapped in loneliness and cold—or maybe the world had always been this way.
Once, her spirit had been held up by a solid pillar. Now that pillar had collapsed in an instant.
"Uh... you okay?"
The sudden voice pulled her out of the abyss.
A tall shadow fell over her, swallowing up her small figure.
Arthur stepped forward slowly, puzzled by the scene.
Moments ago, she'd sounded full of joy on the call. Now she was like this.
Hearing the voice behind her, Jessica pressed her lips tight, raising her red, swollen eyes.
Tears clung to her lashes, her eyes empty.
"My father died."
She said it like stating a fact.
"This..."
Arthur bent down, helping her up.
"I'm sorry. That's truly unfortunate."
He stared quietly at the girl before him, unsure of what else to say.
Guiding her to a public bench, Arthur's expression grew heavy.
"Do you need me to take you home? Maybe you should rest."
It took a while before Jessica gave a slow shake of her head, her muffled voice emerging.
"I don't know why, but it seems the Bureau of Interconnected Affairs has targeted me. He died trying to cut off the danger.
First I was taken by the Scavengers, then dragged him into this... I..."
"The Bureau of Interconnected Affairs?"
Arthur muttered. Even as a "newcomer," he had heard of this New United States department—
the government's tentacle reaching across the world under the banner of 'revival.'
"Looks like we won't have much time for mourning."
With the broken girl beside him, he headed toward Little China in Watson District.
...
By nightfall, Vik finally finished the new job Arthur had brought him.
He wore his lightly tinted sunglasses, stethoscope hanging loose around his neck.
The old man leaned forward, hands clasped, his gaze carrying a trace of pity.
"Night City doesn't have many children this innocent anymore. Most young ones aren't so likable these days."
This time, he didn't complain about the trouble Arthur had dragged in. Maybe in Jessica's eyes, he saw sorrow that moved him.
"Poor girl. She hasn't even learned to say goodbye before suddenly losing the most important person in her life."
Arthur crossed his arms, staring into space.
"Maybe... later... when she wakes up, you could talk with her.
She seems to trust you."
Vik looked at Arthur, his tone completely serious.
"Me?"
Arthur frowned, his voice uncertain.
"I'm... not very good at talking with girls her age."
"You're the same age."
Vik carried on, adding,
"I know a good place. Take the elevator near Misty Olszewski's shop—there's a quiet balcony with a nice view."
His deep voice went on, showing how much affection he already felt for the young girl he'd only just met—
looking at her like family.
"Maybe... Misty Olszewski should come.
She's good at this."
Arthur hesitated.
"But they don't know each other, Arthur. Trust is what matters most."
Jessica had little Cyberware, and removing it left almost no trauma. She slowly stirred awake, as though rising from a nap.
Though still drained, the sense she might collapse at any moment had eased.
"How do you feel?"
Arthur's voice reached her. Jessica moved stiffly, her gaze unfocused.
Her lips trembled. "I feel... empty."
With no new Cyberware yet installed, she was now completely flesh and blood—even without a basic neural link.
"Do you want..."
Arthur stood, glancing at Vik before continuing.
"Want to go for a walk? Old Vik said there's a rooftop nearby. It's quiet."
The worn elevator rose only briefly before they reached it.
In the distance, the lights of the Municipal Center and Corporate Plaza gleamed like a dream.
A few chairs were set out on the balcony. Misty Olszewski must have come here often; the place was clean enough.
Jessica stared blankly ahead, her eyes reddening again.
In the distance, she could faintly see where her father had worked.
"It's all my fault."
She murmured.
Arthur stayed silent for a long time before finally speaking.
"At least... you can see your father wanted you to live.
Sometimes, surviving is hard enough. Half the time, we don't even know what we're doing.
Even those who die along the way—we might only remember them later, in dreams.
And the next day, we just have to get up and keep running."
Arthur's eyes wandered far, settling on nothing in particular.
"That... sounds terrible..."
His words drew her attention, and Jessica spoke without thinking.
"Yeah. We run so fast, there's no time to gather the bodies.
But what can you do? Risk another life for a corpse?
That's not worth dying for."
Jessica looked at Arthur seriously, speaking slowly.
"You can't talk about life in terms of worth. A person's life is priceless."
Her thoughts were still shaped by the peaceful education she'd received, though some questions went beyond right and wrong.
"I don't understand what you're saying."
Arthur shook his head.
"But... a single bullet can take a life.
And bullets are cheap."
...
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