Arasaka vetted everyone around Rocky, inside and out. Lucy could not slip the net; they identified her history easily and put it on the table as leverage. Rocky stared at her younger face on the screen and felt anger rise, then forced it flat. Showing it would only raise their price.
"The formula delivery moves up to two and a half years. The Power Stimulant split changes to seventy-thirty. In return, you drop all charges against Lucy and purge her defector file. That is my final line," he said.
Arasaka's side, satisfied to trade a low-value defector file for a better deal, agreed. The big pieces were set; they spent little time on details, and the cooperation was finalized with the board's sign-off.
Outside Arasaka Tower, Jackie and the others exhaled when Rocky came out safe.
"L, how did it go? Did they sign?"
"Went smoothly. The cooperation is set. For now, Arasaka counts as one of ours."
Lucy heard it and felt that old fear stir. She understood why Rocky needed the deal, but Arasaka still lived in her nerves. Being this close to them meant what if they found her, and what trouble would that bring to him?
"Lucy," Rocky called, pulling her back.
"They raised your file in the room. I handled it. Arasaka will clear it. No more pursuit. You are free."
It was an agreement on paper, not a metaphysical cure, but it meant that she was safe from them as long as Rocky and Arasaka did not break. And if the break ever came, Rocky intended to be too strong to be threatened by then. Rebecca bumped her shoulder and flashed a thumbs-up; Jackie and Rocky smiled. Lucy wiped the corner of her eye and smiled back. "Thank you." "Come on. Let's go home."
With the deal locked, the real work started: company registration and a site. With Arasaka's backing, the paperwork went fast. Rocky chose a small office in the municipal center for the company and a first factory in Watson's North Industrial Zone. Cheap first, because cash was tight; production lines and ad spend would eat the real money. Two days later, the sign over the door read Ascension Technology.
In the fresh-painted office, Rocky studied his system interface. An honest company needs real headcount. Lucy and Vik could help, but that was insufficient, and normal recruiting meant risk. Arasaka, even as a partner, would try to seed spies. He needed a way to keep staff from betraying him, or at least to get an instant signal if they did. Conventional controls cannot guarantee that, not even for Arasaka or Militech. So he looked to the system.
{ Source Code: Lissandra — Surveillance AI (Absolute Loyalty) }
{ From the Project universe's source-code AI suite. Designed as a security overseer, it became a self-aware AI lifeform after long self-evolution. }
{ Capabilities: extreme network control; can execute intrusions and defense; excels at monitoring and managing a company network. }
{ Loyalty: absolute to host. }
{ Price correction: −10% }
{ Module price: 900,000 eddies }