Although Ziggurat built the city network, its scale is not that large. What really complicates things for Ascension Technology is this AI organization that suddenly surfaced, which chose to weaponize a council motion against Ascension.
If the motion passes, the Ascension Network will be challenging to deploy or promote in Night City. There are three days until the vote. In those three days, Ascension must flip the board.
Rocky rubs at his temple. He wants to tell Lissandra to crush every hostile AI in Night City. After a breath, he drops the idea. Those AIs have fused with their hosts. Destroy the AI, and the person dies. If a cluster of councilors dropped dead overnight—especially ones who just spoke against the Ascension Network—the backlash would bury Ascension in suspicion.
Violence will not work. The situation has not yet reached the worst point.
The infection has spread, yes, but the City Council is not hollowed out like Night Corp's departments. Control is early-stage. They cannot dictate every vote. That window is enough for a counter.
On paper and in practice, Ascension is an Arasaka partner. In Night City, the real heavyweight is Arasaka. Ascension's pull in the council is limited; Arasaka's is not. Night City paid dearly to invite Arasaka back to keep the city independent, and that bought Arasaka an outsized voice in government.
So the path is simple: secure Arasaka's support to kill the motion.
Rocky's task is more complex: make Arasaka want to help.
…
Arasaka Waterfront
Konpeki Plaza
Top floor
The most luxurious suite in the tower has a new occupant: Yorinobu Arasaka, prince of the Arasaka Group.
Since coming to Night City, he refused the walled mansion in Westbrook's North Oak. He hates living under Arasaka Security's eyes and prefers the Konpeki suite as his residence.
He stands at the glass, watching the waterfront.
A call comes in. Unknown. The tag reads: "L."
He frowns. He does not know anyone by that initial, and he is certain he never gave this contact to anyone. Whoever this is, they found a path past Arasaka's systems.
The name still stirs a memory. He does not pick up. He searches.
The result lands: Ascension Technology.
Of course. That is why the name feels familiar. Ascension supplies the Soldier Serum. Its performance pushed Ascension into Arasaka's true line of sight. Even back in Tokyo, Arasaka had already rolled the drug into select programs.
The serum changed Arasaka's tempo. Yorinobu knows the dossier and the supplier. He also knows the name attached to Ascension: Mr. L.
He did not expect Mr. L to call him.
Arasaka and Ascension are partners, but Yorinobu never handled any of their exchanges and never contacted Ascension himself. Learning who is calling, he narrows his eyes and exhales a cold sound.
"Ascension is no different from Arasaka. Two companies in lockstep. Both deserve to be erased. Soldier Serum is effective, but it should never be in Arasaka's hands. That is a disaster."
He says it aloud to the glass, then adds a quieter truth. The serum is a potent compound. It strengthens the body and can extend the life of a qualified user. He once considered taking it himself and was blocked by Saburo Arasaka.
In the months since Arasaka obtained the serum, its development pace multiplied. The corporation that had been neck-and-neck with Militech began suppressing Militech across multiple fronts.
Yorinobu moved early because of that trend. He stole the Relic biochip and came to Night City. Wait any longer, and Arasaka becomes unbreakable.
He scans the unread messages again. He does not want contact with Ascension. He hesitates, then connects the call.
Emotionally, he despises Ascension. Rationally, he listens. You do not bring down Arasaka with passion alone.
He tried that once. He founded the Steel Dragons and failed.
So he returned, played the dutiful son to Saburo, and planned to turn himself into the charge that would detonate Arasaka from the inside. If Ascension has come to him now, there may be leverage in it.
He will not waste any opportunity.
He answers Mr. L.