"おはようございます (Good morning)."
Composed and self-assured, Vera wore a formulaic gentle smile that still carried an air of authority.
"I am Vera Adelaide Russell."
"As your senior, it's an honor to be invited to speak at this year's Night City Arasaka Tower Academy orientation ceremony."
"To quote Saburo Arasaka-sama: 『落花は枝に戻りにくい』 — 'Fallen flowers rarely return to their branches.' No matter who you are, from the moment you're born crying into this world, there comes a time when you must leave behind the swaddling clothes of parental protection and face the wind and rain on your own."
"Now that you're here, this marks your first step toward independence and self-reliance."
"The road ahead is winding, but the future is bright. As old things give way to the new, Arasaka too must grow—through an infusion of fresh blood. That blood is you."
...
"Thank you for your attention."
Ordinary. By the book.
With a polished smile and a measured tone, Vera didn't try to be flashy. She delivered a speech about family, responsibility, duty, and generational succession—finishing her role for the day with practiced ease.
All of it firmly aligned with Arasaka's corporate messaging.
Click-clack.
Descending the steps from the platform, Vera didn't return to the VIP section. Instead, she made her way to a quiet corner of the upper level, watching the unfolding scenes below with keen interest.
Some of the students were clearly from families who'd scraped together every last eddie for tuition—excited, wide-eyed, still relatively innocent.
They'd made solemn promises to their parents. You could see it in their faces—the anticipation of graduation, of joining Arasaka as "fresh blood," of using their future salaries to give back. The kind of "family duty" Vera had just spoken of.
Others, teens who knew something but not enough, understood that getting into Arasaka wasn't easy. They were the ones who'd been inspired by Vera's presence—ready to grind from day one, ready to make something of themselves.
Then there were the unmoved.
Children of internal employees. Entitled. Arrogant. They clapped dutifully under their parents' watchful eyes, aware of Vera's rank and status. They knew when to applaud—because that's what you did when a leader spoke.
Their futures were already laid out for them.
David Martinez fell into the second group.
He recognized Vera right away, but he wasn't stupid—he wasn't about to make a scene here.
He'd listened carefully to her speech, though the student Q&A had clearly been pre-scripted and rehearsed, so he didn't get the chance to stand up and ask anything.
Still, something in her words struck a chord.
He knew this place wasn't made for people like him—but maybe, just maybe, it could be.
His mom always said he was smart. This was his shot. He'd made it into Arasaka Tower. His entrance exam scores had been higher than plenty of those spoiled company kids.
Under his mother's tearful, hopeful gaze, David clenched his fists.
Family. Duty. Responsibility.
He didn't understand everything—but he knew one thing: his single mom had given up everything to raise him in this hellhole called Night City. She'd worked herself to the bone just to get him here.
He had to be grateful.
Clap clap clap—
The ceremony ended.
As the hall relaxed, company people began clustering into polite circles, making introductions, recommending their children to one another.
Vera wasn't interested in lingering. After offering a few encouraging words to children of the security department, she made her exit—citing official duties.
Which, to be fair, wasn't an excuse. Arasaka rarely gave out days off. Most of the employees here wouldn't stick around much longer themselves—they'd be back at their posts before the hour was out.
With a "heartfelt" farewell from the rotund principal, Vera led her bodyguards through the campus's manicured landscaping toward her waiting hover car.
That's when she noticed the man waiting for her.
A middle-aged figure in standard Arasaka black and red uniform—stern-faced, broad-shouldered. Standing beside him, a mushroom-haired teen with a sullen, flashy look.
"Director Russell, hello. I'm Tanaka Shinichi. I took the liberty of waiting when I heard you'd be attending today's ceremony."
As he stepped forward and bowed, Vera's visual HUD scanned his face and ID, pulling up his personnel file in the corner of her vision.
Tanaka Shinichi: Mid-level Night City Arasaka R&D.
Executive-class. Cyberware, exoskeleton, and mech testing division.
Member of the Arasaka Tower Academy board. Loyal. Long-serving.
Supervisor for experimental product trials.
"Tanaka-san," Vera acknowledged, stepping forward to offer a quick handshake.
He didn't have her rank or command over the company's armed forces, but he was still a senior figure—a career man, well-entrenched.
"This is my son, Tanaka Katsuo."
He gestured toward the boy beside him. "He's not interested in R&D. He's always looked up to the security department."
Ah. So that's what this is about.
Trying to get the kid into Security.
"Like father, like son," Vera said lightly. "I believe in your qualifications—but tell me, will we meet again?"
She stepped closer to Katsuo, peering down with a meaningful, slightly mocking smile.
"Don't slack off or fall behind at the academy. If you have the drive and the talent, then train. Physically, mentally—everything. Hacking, firearms, close combat. Remember, this isn't just for show."
"Y-yes… ma'am…"
For some reason, Vera's gaze hit Katsuo like a hammer.
Even at the peak of the most intense black braindance, he'd never felt this kind of pressure. His back straightened on instinct, face flushed red—not just from Vera's presence, but from the sudden focus of her bodyguards' eyes.
"Good. Keep it up."
Vera gave Tanaka a final nod, then turned and boarded her hover car, flanked by her escorts. The "Black and White Devils" climbed in with her, while the rest of her security detail rode the official vehicle.
They departed Arasaka Academy en route to Corporate Plaza.
Whirr… whirr…
Blue jets ignited from the vector engines. After a long moment, as Vera's sleek black hover car vanished into the sky, Tanaka Shinichi straightened from his bow and turned to his son with a hard stare.
"From now on, stay away from those good-for-nothing friends of yours."
"Focus on your studies. Graduate. Pass the evaluations. Get into the security department. I don't care if this is because of today, or whatever that incident was in Watson last night."
"I've already spoken on your behalf. Director Vera has acknowledged you. From here on out—there's no room to back down."
"Remember—this isn't child's play. If you're not good enough when the time comes… don't expect me to go easy on you."