Today is a special day, and a great one.
Rocky checks the calendar. If he had not crossed into Night City, the date on the other side would be August 20, 2023. That is the day Johnny Silverhand blew up Arasaka Tower.
The two worlds do not overlap. There is no Arasaka Tower or Johnny Silverhand over there. But the meaning still lands, and the date is worth remembering.
Rocky has never forgotten the defiant spirit Johnny Silverhand taught him, and he has not forgotten his own ideals. He declared war on the corporations to fight this broken world, to defeat them and tear them down, whatever it takes and whatever it costs. He believes people on the other side remember that same spirit.
So on this day, he gathers at Ascension Technology for a drink. That is what the company has been built to do: move toward a single goal.
El Coyote Cojo.
In the largest private room upstairs, Rocky pushes the door open with Rebecca at his side. The core crew of Ascension is already there.
Vik, Jackie, Lucy, David, Gloria. Misty is here too, sitting next to Jackie and chatting. The two of them look close. After this time with Ascension, Jackie finally understood who stood beside him for real. Misty and Jackie have made it official.
Marvin has a corner to himself, but Vik did not forget him. Right now Marvin is talking with the new steward, JARVIS. They click immediately. At last, Marvin has an AI who will listen to his chatter without complaint.
Jackie spots Rocky and waves him over.
"L, you made it. How did things go?"
"Smooth."
"You wanted everyone together for a few drinks. How is the room? Big enough? This is the largest box in El Coyote Cojo. I asked my mom for it."
"It is great. Thank you, Jackie. And thank Mama Welles for me."
Jackie laughs. "We are brothers. But why tonight? Is today something special?"
Rocky smiles. "Nothing complicated. I wanted everyone together. Today, back in my hometown, is a day to commemorate the spirit of resistance and the legend of fighting the corps."
"In that case, we should be here," Jackie says, clapping Rocky on the shoulder. "Eat, drink, talk. This is what we work for."
"Is V here?" Rocky asks as he sits.
"I pinged him. He should be on the way."
Right then, the door opens and V steps in. He is not wearing an Arasaka suit; this is not business. Jackie told him it was a gathering among friends. With V's arrival, the small celebration begins.
Mama Welles brings in plates of good food. Many dishes use real, organic ingredients that Rocky redeemed from the system in Night City, which is rare. Good food and decent liquor make the conversation easy.
Jackie is the first to open up. "L, talking about fighting the corps makes me think of Johnny Silverhand. He was a pioneer. Blowing Arasaka Tower gave the suits a real headache."
V tips back a shot and sets the glass down. "It is a pity it did not change enough. Arasaka is still here and still strong. Fighting a corporation is hard. Even a legend like Johnny could not shake Arasaka's foundation. Maybe fighting the corps is a fantasy."
The more time V spends around Ascension, the more naturally he speaks about Arasaka with them. He does not laugh at Jackie's idea of resisting corps. He understands it. He works deep inside Arasaka and knows precisely what resistance costs. In his heart, V wants to end this chaotic world too, but the higher he climbs, the smaller he feels. Harsh reality crushes the unrealistic ideas.
Rocky answers. "Someone will always stand up to face them. Johnny died in Arasaka Tower, but there are countless Johnny Silverhands outside it. This war against an unbridled social machine will not end. Ascension will be the next pioneer. I believe the day is close."
Ascension has been stockpiling strength for months. Give it a little more time, and the company will show its fangs. If lone wolves cannot change this world, Rocky wants to test whether capital can.
He stands and raises his glass. "To freedom. To resistance. To Johnny Silverhand."
Glasses meet. The liquor burns warm. Around the table, including V, a flame lights in each chest. It is the fire of struggle, the fire that can burn away corporate rot.
"To hell with the corps, to hell with capital. We will never fade."
This day is special. It feels like the gears of fate turn here.
On a flight from Tokyo to Night City, Yorinobu Arasaka stares out the window and thinks. He has left Tokyo carrying something particular, and he is bringing it to Night City. This trip will change the shape of Arasaka, and it will change the world.
August 20, 2023. A day for every cyberpunk and every edgerunner. May we never forget the struggle. May we never fade.