The AV spun out of control in an instant.
Though both engines roared frantically, it was nothing more than the death throes of a doomed beast. The craft showed no sign of regaining stability.
Spiraling in mid-air, it began to plunge.
Its engines burned fiercely, black smoke rolling out only to be swallowed by the night sky, leaving behind nothing but blazing firelight as it tumbled headlong toward the earth.
Wind whipped Arthur's hair as he chased that fiery glow, the muffled roar of the bike's engine tearing the silence apart.
At night, Rancho Coronado felt utterly alien to Night City—too quiet, too dark.
The AV was plummeting fast, and even as flames engulfed it, its descent carried a relentless, unyielding momentum.
Like a stone hurled from the heavens.
By contrast, the tangled roads below gave Arthur trouble. His direction was right, but detours were unavoidable, forcing him to fight just to keep up with the falling AV.
He stole another glance upward and twisted the throttle tighter, pushing the machine to its very limits.
The engine screamed with combustion, driving him forward.
Above, the small flicker of fire had grown immense.
Its downward plunge was now inevitable.
...
Inside the AV, chaos reigned. The once luxurious interior had been wrecked by its violent roll.
Delicate glassware and the crystal chandelier that once hung proudly were now shattered fragments strewn across the cabin.
In a corner, V's weakened body was curled tightly into a ball, protecting her core with everything she had.
Abernathy, on the other hand, had training—she'd weathered the imbalance without serious harm.
"Damn you... this is suicide!
I'm telling you, you can't escape. Arasaka's Security Division is stationed at Night City's border—they're already on their way.
Not just you, but every one of your filthy accomplices. None of you will get away!"
Having barely steadied herself, Abernathy lowered her hands from her head and shouted at V with a twisted glare.
The expression was ferocious, yet carried a faint trace of desperation.
Arasaka's patience for failure was as thin and fragile as a single lotus root thread.
What real difference was there between V and Abernathy?
Both were disposable tools to be cast aside at a whim.
If this mission failed, everyone knew exactly what fate awaited Abernathy.
"Whether you escape or not... it's no longer in your hands."
V's voice cut through the crimson glow of the alarms, cold and sharp.
She forced herself upright, calculating the moment of impact.
"You bitch!
I could kill you right here!"
In a hysterical rage, Abernathy yanked the pistol from her waist, aiming it at V with trembling hands.
"Kill me and you won't live either... so why bother?"
V's eyes flicked to her, cold and dismissive. She didn't waste even a fraction of her attention on the weapon.
Instead, she pulled her legs in close again, shielding herself from the shards certain to tear through the cabin when the crash came.
"We're all just trying to survive."
"Survive? Ha! You think I can escape?
Arasaka's control implants are in me—they can crush me whenever they want!"
Her face contorted with fury as she glared at V, but her hand trembled violently, unable to pull the trigger.
"So... what you should be thinking about is finding a Ripperdoc. That's the only way you won't end up brain-dead.
Not wasting your breath screaming at me.
Of course, you could pray Arasaka's Security Division decides to keep me alive. That way, you'll dodge the worst of the blame... and keep being their lapdog.
Fuck it—I've had enough of that."
By the end, V spat the words like venom, cursing hard, as if expelling every last trace of bitterness from her chest.
The chains Arasaka fastened to its people were never easy to break—otherwise, V wouldn't resist so fiercely.
Without Arasaka's clearance, removing Cyberware meant agony and permanent harm to the host. At best, you'd never install Cyberware again. At worst, you'd carry lifelong injuries.
But when weighed against your life... it was a choice.
Abernathy, of course, chose life.
Losing implants was survivable. Death was not. And there was always the chance Security might capture V again. Better that than a corpse.
...
Then the alarms shrieked louder—
Impact warning.
"Ground impact imminent... Ground impact imminent...
Three...
Two...
One..."
A thunderous crash exploded across the night as the AV slammed into the ground.
The world quaked as though sky and earth collapsed together.
V's eardrums felt like they'd been hammered, her mind scattering into chaos.
Glass shards rained onto her, stinging first, then numbing, before the dull pounding in her skull smothered everything.
Her world dimmed...
"Ugh... damn it..."
Her voice screamed inside her own mind as she fought to force her eyes open.
Dust and red haze filled her vision, flames licking up from the corners of the ruined cabin.
Straining, she uncurled the arms that had shielded her, gasping ragged breaths.
Her dry lips parted as if to drag herself back from another world, pushing against the dizziness clawing at her head.
A sound pierced the ringing in her ears.
"Thud!!
Thud!!"
Distant yet close, like someone battering against metal.
"Clang—"
An irregular metal object crashed through the sealed cabin door.
Arthur tossed aside whatever tool he had used.
When the AV hit, it had smashed into an abandoned factory, scattering its broken parts everywhere.
Pressing his broad shoulders against the iron door, Arthur wedged his hands into the gap and poured every ounce of strength into the effort.
A guttural groan rumbled from his chest, veins bulging thick along his neck.
Even his bones seemed to strain, as if viscous silver liquid coursed through them, roaring like crashing waves inside him.
The fire spread quickly. Arthur didn't know if the wreck would explode—but speed was everything.
Finally, with a chorus of sharp creaks, the door gave way and swung outward.