Of course the fucking suit Dex got me didn’t fit. I suppose it’s difficult to get accurate measurements for a decent outfit when you can’t be bothered to remove your tacky sunglasses, eh, Dex? At any rate, I had something more tailored, no pun intended, to the mission at-hand. An actual fitted business suit with no labels to suggest one corporate ID over another. Was a hell of a walk back, though. The one downside of having a car with no self-driving capability – you can’t just park it and forget it. Still, 40 minutes later, and I made my way to the Delamain with time to spare before the sun set all the way.
The key to ops like these is to leave everyone’s minds the second you round the corner. Invisibility through incongruity, blending in with the wallpaper. I’d never taken Jackie on anything like this, but looking at him now, there’s no way in Hell this man would masquerade as anything. He might as well paint his forehead bright red and stand in front of a charging bull. Yet we didn’t have a choice but to make it work.
Of course, the main reason he was here was as backup, and to carry the 50kg pack containing the Flathead, something I’m utterly incapable of doing without looking ridiculous. But if Dex’d allowed me more operational freedom, I would’ve just brought my sword and rolled the Flathead in on a fucking dollie for all I cared. Whatever. Too late now.
“Ey, Cappy, you look like a million eds if I’ve ever seen ‘em,” Jackie grinned as he checked out my suit up and down.
“Appreciate it,” I returned the gesture, “Here, take this and go get dressed. I’ll be in the car.”
“Sure, sure,” he nodded.
Jackie got dressed and joined me in the Delamain soon after. “Welcome on-board the Delamain Service, where you leave your problems at the door,” the car greeted us. The seats felt like real leather, nice and supple as well. The suspension threatened to buckle as Jackie’s ass took up the entire left-side of the car with no issues. “How do you tie a tie again– ah, forget it,” he laughed as he threw the tie out the window. Unlike my outfit, his actually fit him, go figure. Dex would’ve probably said something like, “Oh, then maybe you shouldn’t be wearin’ that armor underneath” but fuck him. He’s not the one in the car.
“Ooohhh, son of a bitch I fuckin’ will!” Jackie giggled.
“I see no reason why you should be using expletives,” the car criticized in the most courteous manner I’d ever heard.
“Oh yeah?” he sneered, “What about that time when I tried to hire you for my cousin’s bachelor party?”
“Unfortunately, we do not take on such contracts,” it replied frankly.
“Three months of savin’ up scratch…” he lamented, “Eh, water under the bridge. Hit it, Del.” Jackie turned his head and smiled at me in the darkened backseat with this big, puppy-like grin that said, “Yeah, I made it.”
“Before we begin our journey, I must verify the identities of all customers…” Oh great, this song and dance. Fine… I complied with every demand the AI set about, the one downside of being bound by code as immutable as gravity. “Thank you – Excelsior package activated.”
“Excelsior?!” Jackie said, apparently surprised, “Now this just keeps getting better…”
“What’s up, Jackie?” I asked him, “Something getting you antsy?”
“Hang on, watch this…” he grinned slyly, “Delamain: Initiate Combat Mode.”
“My apologies, but you do not appear to be in any imminent danger.”
“Huh… oh well.”
“Comprehensive healthcare and deathcare coverage, weapons packages… Dex didn’t skimp out with the cab, did he?” I muttered.
“Least this gives us a clue where his share’s goin’ to, or, what’s left of it…” he sat and pondered for a bit, “Excelsior… This is how you wanna cruise into the major leagues.”
“Jackie…” I sighed.
“Hm?”
“Is that really all this is? Be honest with me, brother, hey– look at me,” I insisted, “There’s more to life than this, man. Don’t lose focus on what really matters, okay?”
“Huh, you’re one to talk,” he fired back, “You really see me as that shallow?”
“Jackie, no, I–”
“Let me explain something to you, sis,” he sighed deeply, “My whole life I spent in this shit around us! Unlike you, I never had a choice. I didn’t fight cause it was some lifelong dream, I fought to survive. The Valentinos, the cartel, the War, I’ve buried 7 siblings and I’m tired of it, chica–”
“We are nearing our destination,” Delamain interrupted.
“–And I am not going back.”
“Jackie, I…”
“There it is,” he nodded out the window, “Damn, that was fast…”
“Alright, let’s get our game-faces on,” I nodded with a heavy sigh, instinctively reaching between my legs for a sword that wasn’t there. Fuck… Fuck this unarmed shit.
T-Bug called the both of us as we pulled into the lot. “Hey, how’s things?”
“Smooth as fuckin’ sandpaper,” Jackie grumbled.
“Uh… We’re going up the hotel road now.”
“Listen,” T-Bug stopped us, “Set up a direct encrypted line for me to guide you through Konpeki.” That wasn’t strictly necessary, but I complied anyway.
We synced up together and Jackie did a test. “Say somethin’, Bug.”
“The greatest crimes issue from a desire for excess and not from necessity.”
“Say what?” Jackie shook his head, confused.
“Aristotle. Guess we’re all comin’ in loud and clear,” T-Bug continued.
“Yeah, I read you, not so much your Greek friend, though it was kind of exciting.”
“Could give it some thought, try and understand…?” T-Bug might as well be talking to a brick wall, “How ‘bout you, V?”
“I want more Aristotle!” I shouted.
“Oh fuck off, the both of ya,” she laughed in return.
“And what’s my name?” I asked her.
“Kiyoko Kobayashi. 28-year-old ‘Saka defector, deceased for 3 months.”
“Perfect,” I nodded, “Shall we?”
“After you, Ms. Kobaya… what? Whatever, Koba.” Jackie smiled.
We both got out and Jackie collected the briefcase from Delamain’s trunk. His face wore a strange combination of seriousness and aloofness – a terrible poker-face, if I’d ever seen one, especially in that tacky suit. Best if he stayed in the room once we got there. “Alright, would you like me to take the lead?” I asked him.
“Hey, it’s your specialty, I’m just here to look good.”
“Heh, well you certainly do that,” I laughed under my breath and started down the red walkway into Konpeki.
This was the most dreaded part of any operation for me – the initial phase. A lot of people often say the worst is the buildup before the whole thing, or in our case, the brief car ride over here. But walking up to this building, I’ve never felt more naked, and not just from my sword being with Misty.
Focus. Think of this as a training op. You’re in the NUSA, teaching a fresh-faced Superior Private how to conduct business. Fuck. This is why I tried so hard never to care deeper than necessary about any of my partners. Because the second I care, the second I trust, I have to walk this tight-rope again. I have the anxiety, and it fucks me up so badly. I can’t function like this…
No, stop it. You have to. Focus, don’t think, just do. Show them no weakness. “Man, this is the shit, isn’t it?” Jackie smiled.
“Plug it, Jackie. Don’t forget to bow to the guards. Maintain eye contact.”
I went first, giving a courteous bow to the first guard I saw as T-Bug chimed in. “Remember, you’re reserved under-”
“Quiet,” I snapped in a hushed whisper. I looked back to see Jackie making the most half-assed bow I’d ever seen. “Ramón, come here,” I spoke in English. I’d not practiced my American accent in years. It was atrocious and made Jackie giggle under his breath. Right, Japanese it is, then…
A pair of massive body scanners greeted us before any concierge, as expected. “After you, Ramón,” I instructed and waved Jackie through. Think he was getting a kick out of the nickname thing – anything to help lower his nerves. I had far less anxiety about the job itself than I did about Jackie. Back in the day, we used to call such exercises a trainee’s “Break.” Not like being on a break, but rather someone in the process of being broken. A snide joke we did with the recruits to get them to look forward to “the Big Break.” We were bad…
“Welcome to Konpeki Plaza, please come through single file,” the guard instructed.
“You got it, holm– I mean, uh, sir.” Fucking hell, Jack… And, of course, the device turned red as soon as he stepped in.
“Ahem,” the guard placed his hand on Jackie’s chest, “Not so fast. Mind telling me why you’re bringing military equipment onto the premises?" Jackie immediately looked back at me. Fine…
“I don’t intend to explain to you nor anyone else,” I shot back.
“Actually we have rules, see? And they say you have to.”
“Not according to Article 10, Section 31, it doesn’t.” In the case of private business concerning sales conducted on the territories of Arasaka and the Company’s governing bodies, Arasaka reserves the right to search and disarm all relevant parties without impeding transaction proceedings, unless such transactions involve destructive devices which may be used to damage the premises, property or its Staff. “Are we done here, or am I going to be late on your account.”
“Ah! You are here to see Taki-san, am I right?” a host shouted as he came running up, hearing the commotion. “Please, accept my apologies for the confusion.” I gave a bow to him and let Jackie through first.
“Pff, this should only take a moment, ma’am,” the guard motioned me through. Everything went blue, just as planned. “Go ahead.”
“Thank you,” I nodded and gave a brush to my ear to wake up T-Bug.
“Right, good work so far,” she said over the earpiece as I headed up to the main desk.
“ようこそ [Welcome], greetings, and welcome to Konpeki Plaza,” the concierge greeted us with a long, steady bow.
“Hello,” I returned in Japanese, officially done with English, “We’d like to check in.” I returned the bow with a simple head nod out of courtesy, though Jackie gave up and simply stood at my side, letting me do all the talking, thank the Heavens. This place was splendid, though, far more so than the usual minimalism I’m used to from Arasaka. Yorinobu’s presence must’ve spurred them to do some massive revamps in terms of the decorum here. It was beautiful. I certainly wouldn’t mind staying here if it wasn’t for the absolute Hell that we’re liable to bring down in this very lobby.
“Of course, just a moment, please,” she smiled and went over to her computer. I could feel Jackie looking at me like a giddy young boy learning from his mother. It was kind of sweet, actually. “The name on the reservation is…?”
“Kobayashi,” I replied.
“Double room, two adults, one night, correct?”
“Yes.” I took a quick glance over to see Jackie looking like he was about to shit his pants. At least he’s focused, though, so that’s something.
“Perfect,” the concierge smiled, “I will notify Taki-san of your arrival.”
“Not good, V,” T-Bug started in my ear, “I need more time to-”
“Did I ask you to do that?” I asked with a scowl painted on my face, immediately cutting off T-Bug mid-sentence. The concierge’s glance shot up from her screen and looked straight into my eyes. She had no idea of the living embodiment of fury that just walked through that front door. Her face darted away as soon as she saw my seething, unblinking eye contact, as if she was a shy cat desperately looking for a dark corner. Oh, how I missed front-line combat…
“E-excuse me?” She stuttered, her hands trembling as she immediately sensed that I was no ordinary guest, “I… I’m sorry, I just thought-”
“Who asked you to think?” I fired back, “I know it wasn’t me. So who was it?”
“B… but I…” She scratched the back of her metallic skin. Despite not being able to perspire, I imagined she was nothing more than an internal puddle of sweat at this point. A cornered, cowering, pathetic animal. She looked back at me instinctively, as if I wasn’t still here, her eyes immediately darting around the room once again. Finally her gaze went down and focused back on her computer monitor.
“A word of advice, if I may,” I spoke courteously yet sternly, “Do only what you are told to do. Nothing more.”
“...I understand…” she muttered. I could see a tear forming in her right eye.
“Now, what is our room number, Miss…”
“Sato…” she sighed, utterly defeated, “You’re in the Lapis Lazuli Suite on Floor 42.” Her voice was weak and broken. Welcome to my workplace, Jackie. “Oh, one more formality, I’m so sorry, your SID chip, please…” I did as she asked, placing my hand on the reader in front of me followed by an authorization symbol. “Let me get you your key card, one second.” Sato hustled off far quicker than I’m sure she was used to. I had no plans that accounted for any of this… Dammit, T-Bug. These delays better not be a recurring problem.
“V, what the fuck was that?” T-Bug chastised me on the call.
“So that’s why ‘Saka hired her…” Jackie muttered to himself, his voice also picking up in my earpiece. Admittedly it wasn’t the best first-impression I could’ve given him for exactly how to infiltrate a fortress. But, as the American phrase goes, if you want an omelette…
“Here you are,” Sato sighed, “And… sorry for-”
“Enough,” I fired back before producing a shard from my pocket. “An eddie for your trouble. Remember what I said.”
“O-Okay!” she bit her lower lip and collected the shard, pocketing it. “Enjoy your, uh, stay, Ms. Kobayashi.”
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
“Uhh…” T-Bug sounded puzzled over the phone, “What’d you just hand her?”
“Your home address,” I snapped back sarcastically at her under my breath as I walked off, “Trust me, places like this, you’re strong or you’re nobody. Now where to.”
“Alright, uh, elevator’s at the northeast corner, but you can check the bar if you want.”
“Thanks. Jackie, you go straight up.”
“Shit, really?”
“Jackie, shut it, I’ll meet you.”
“Fine…” he grumbled as he headed off to my left, “Look like a fuckin’ travelin’ salesman with this briefcase.” This place seemed filled with enough detritus to reach the edge of space. I passed by a pair of Russian arms dealers and what sounded like child traffickers in the lobby. Any other day, I would’ve taken Shinden in here and burned the fucking place to the ground without a second thought. No regular guests would be staying here anyway, not with Yorinobu upstairs. Only the dregs of society.
The bar hosted only a few dozen patrons currently, though I have no doubt it’d be far more popular during the on-season, as it were. Only Arasaka’s favorites seemed to be here, an interesting and eclectic collection, certainly.
There were certainly a few good seeds, though – a hotshot BD game developer, some high-class escorts surrounding a dilettante and some playboys. I walked over to the bar ready to order, but was greeted by the ear-raping tones of a man shouting about some fucking conspiracy. “Hey, you there, you look Japanese as fuck,” he turned to me, his breath reeking of whiskey, “Tell me som’n. What’s 400 yards long, weighs a hundred thousand tons, and says nothin’ but the end times? The fuckin’ carrier parked out in the bay, that’s what!”
“Okay, cool, I’ll just tell them to leave.”
“No no, you can’t, see, it’s got Hanako Arasaka on-board, Saburo’s delicate little flower pedal child-”
“Shut it,” I shot at him, “That’s the Emperor’s daughter you’re talking about. Unless you plan on dying a slow and painful death, I’d suggest not using that language here.” Odd… Hanako Arasaka…? Here? The woman who famously hasn’t left the Arasaka Family Compound in 70-odd years. Either this guy’s talking out his ass, or I’m missing something major. Which, by extension, means that Dex is, too; that part doesn’t surprise me, though.
“Shit… fuckin’ Japans, you’re all the same-”
“Shut up. You know I’m right.”
“Fuck… Alright, yeah.”
“Walk away, while you still can.”
“Fine, fine… Sorry. Here, lemme buy you a drink, what’s your poison?”
“Hibiscus sencha tea. Hot. With cranberry juice, please.” He nodded at the bartender and stormed off, presumably back to his room.
“Mm, good taste,” the bartender complimented me, shiny as a gilded statue. Seems that everyone in this whole place is mandated RealSkinn. That’s a new style we didn’t have back in the day, interesting.
“My favorite,” I grinned as he placed a pot of water on a hot plate and poured the raw ingredients in a cup. We enjoyed a friendly conversation together, though I sensed that he hadn’t a word of sincerity behind his eyes. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised, considering where I was. Still, I drank the overpriced tea happily before heading up to my room.
The elevator took me up to 42 in less than ten seconds, an impressive speed considering I barely felt it. Oh, the wonders of modern technology. The hallways themselves were far more evocative of the typical Arasaka intimidating minimalism I’m so used to seeing. Black walls, black ceiling, sterile white lighting fixtures, only simple shapes. I’m sure most people would think that it looked like an alien world by comparison to Watson.
“About time,” Jackie whined as I approached him, “Here, room’s this way.” We both walked together down the corridor, heading past several members of what sounded like more Russian mobsters. Real Soviet invasion force going on today, it seemed.
-
Lapis Lazuli suite, eh? Not bad. About as big as my apartment, in fact. “Ooh, snazzy,” Jackie chirped as he walked in and set the Flathead down on the table.
“Hah, didn’t pick it for snazz. Offers quickest access to the dweller and servers,” T-Bug noted, “Simplicity’s sometimes the hardest to master.”
“Oh? Where’d that one come from?” Jackie asked.
“That one’s mine.”
“No shit, eh?” Jackie laughed, “Alright, Flathead’s all set.”
“Good,” T-Bug’s voice perked up, “Now just find a ventilation shaft…”
“Got it,” I chimed in, noting a shaft in the corner by the window.
“Perfect!...”
Alright, now I understood why Jackie needed to be brought along. Flathead was useless without some means of actually seeing what was going on, and Jackie was the one with the optics to do it. That thought probably should’ve occurred to me. Oh well, we’re here now, might as well make the most of our time.
“What do you see?” I asked him.
“Nothing just – fuck me, is that Weldon Holt? And, uh… Black and red. Yeah, fucking hell. And– and there’s the big cheese himself, Mayor Lucius Rhyne… Fuck, this is big.”
“Wait, what?”
“Rhyne, Weldon Holt, and ‘Saka together in the same room, V… Fuck me, what’re they sayin’... Uh… Deputy mayor’s sittin’ down. Mayor’s pacin’ around, talkin’ about some kind of deal… Uh… Som’n about the lockdown. They’re bein’ paid off by ‘Saka. So ‘Saka’s behind the lockdown?”
“Weird… Alright, keep it going. We still have a job to do.”
“Sure, sure…” The rest of it went on without a hitch. Jackie found the server room in just a few minutes and called me back in while I was in the bathroom.
“One minute!” I shouted outside as I finished up and walked out. “You okay, Jackie?” I went over to him as he stumbled around, helping him to the bed.
“Yeah, yeah… little nauseated. Fuck, that thing’s a trip,” he shook his head and leaned back. I headed over and looked outside at the Arasaka Waterfront, just thinking all of this through for myself… So we got the first part done… Now what? We wait for T-Bug, then just walk up, get the Relic, and take the elevator down. Have to deal with the guards, though… Hmph. I suppose I'll cross that bridge when I get there. We'll be really close to the door at any rate. Wonder how T-Bug's doing, anyway.
“T-Bug?”
“Yeah, yeah… ICE is thicker than I thought. This may take a while, uh… Better get settled down a little, you two.”
“Right, sure,” I nodded, “Take your time.”
“This the kinda place you were used to stayin’ in, back when you worked with ‘Saka?” Jackie asked me.
“Sometimes,” I admitted, “Perks of being a mid-level, I guess.”
“Nice, nice… So, how do I look, anyway?”
“You know, it’s weird to say but… You look good, Jack,” I smiled at him.
“Fuck yeah, ‘course I do,” he grinned, “I told ya. I make anything look good.”
“Yeah… Still feels odd, though. This whole thing.”
“Oh?”
“Being back in that suit. Fuck, I almost forgotten what a three-piece felt like.”
“Hah, can take the corpo outta the rat, but can’t take the rat outta the corpo, right?”
“I guess not, huh.”
“Hey, just relax,” he said reassuringly, “Got this nice room… For one night… Fuck.”
“Hey, don’t worry, you’ll be there in no time. Definitely after this job.”
“Oh, I did manage to get my iron in here,” he grinned, “Just packed it in with the Flathead. Cool, huh?”
“What?”
“Whaaat, gotta have some protection, right?”
“Jackie, the deal was for one Flathead. One Flathead, nothing else.”
“Yeah but what the fuck would they care about a couple o’pieces-”
“Jackie, this is no joke, dude, you can’t bring weapons into a fucking hotel, are you out of your mind?!”
“Oh c’mon, we made it through-”
“Yeah, with how much luck involved?!” I shouted, “Fuck… I need to think.” I took off my unitard and chest binder, going over to the bed and lying down, covered in sweat from the fucking constant heart attack. I removed my earpiece, nudging Jackie to do the same so we can have some time alone. “Jackie, remember Sacramento?” I said to him, a keyphrase for going dark. Sacramento was carpet-bombed, we couldn’t say anything at the time and Jackie didn’t know if I was alive or dead. Of course, I wasn't in Sacramento at the time. Jackie, well - he had some choice words to say when I found him a week later, but we’ve used the phrase as a code-word for “radio silence” ever since.
“Yeah, sure,” he nodded and muted his holo. “Now why don’tcha tell me what’s really goin’ on?”
I laid down naked on the bed, stretching out and pondering the whole situation carefully. Phase One was complete, we were in. “Jackie, unmute T-Bug for a sec. Tell her to lock the cams on a loop, then come lay down next to me like you’re going to sleep.”
“Alright, hang on.” He complied, telling T-Bug what to do and lying down next to me.
“Don’t speak for one minute.”
“How can I, your bod always leaves me speechless-”
“Shut it, Jack,” I chuckled and bumped into him.
One minute later, I got up and disconnected the live feed wire as Jackie placed one gun by each side of the bed. “Alright,” he said as he sat down next to me, “Now can we talk?”
“Sure, sure…” I frowned, “T-Bug?”
“AFK,” he smiled, “Don’t worry yourself, chica. This ain’t my first rodeo… Fuck, I’m runnin’ on fumes…”
“That’s the thing, though… It kind of is, Jack,” I frowned. “Look, I’m worried about you, okay? You’re my brother, it’s my job to worry about you.”
“I know… but really, Cappy,” he looked at me, “I’m okay. Promise.”
“Jack, this isn’t… I don’t know,” I shook my head and looked down at my feet, “I just don’t know…”
“What?”
“I… I guess I’m just… scared. You know? And I haven’t been this scared in a while… I don’t know what it is.”
“What’re you scared of?” he came close to me, “C’mon, chica. We got the perfect setup. Got the plan, got the crew, got the payday, what’s not to like?”
“Okay, know what I don’t like, is the fact that you’re not that scared,” I critiqued, “Normally when I did shit like this, newcomers were shitting their pants… And it was good for ‘em, y’know? It trained people to always look ahead, follow their gut-instinct, keep their heads in the game.”
“My head’s not left the game since we got here,” Jackie rolled his eyes, “Ey, I promise, it’ll be-”
“You keep saying that,” I interrupted, “You keep making promises.”
“Just tryin’a help,” he replied with a shaky voice, “Y’know, I might not be shittin’ bricks like that chick you melted in the lobby, but I’m still on the top of my game.”
“I hope so, Jack… I hope so.”
“Say, what’d you give her, anyway? Just one eddie?”
“Sure T-Bug’s off comms?”
“Yeah.”
“I… uh…” I paused briefly, “I gave her 100,000 eddies.”
“What, really?!” Jackie exclaimed, “What the fuck?”
“Look, I don’t like doing that shit, okay? I’m not a monster, dude. She didn’t deserve that, so it’s the least I could do.”
“V, that’s, like, a year’s fuckin’ salary here.”
“About one quarter that for the concierge.”
“Shit…” he recoiled, “You should yell at me more often, then.”
“Pff, Jackie!” I knocked into him and brushed my hair out of my face. “Look, let’s just try and get some sleep, okay?”
“Fuck…” he collapsed on the bed, “Yeah, that sounds like a plan.” The whole damn bed practically folded in on him, the slope pushing me downwards towards Jackie like a huge Hispanic black hole or something.
Five minutes went by… Ten… No. I couldn’t sleep. No way, not tonight. I sensed that Jackie was awake too, and looked over my right shoulder. Sure enough, there he rested with his eyes wide-open. “Still got your suit on, huh?” I asked him.
“Yeah… too tired to take it off right now,” he muttered, “Still got your sleeves and tights?”
“Well, least some part of me is bulletproof with them on. Just makes me feel better, I guess.”
“What, subdermal armor not good enough for ya?”
“It’s not about that, I just… I like the security, you know?”
“Well hey, you got 300 pounds of vest right here,” he smiled, “Y’know I’d take a bullet for ya ‘thout a second thought.”
“I know, Jack, same here.”
“So then tell me som’n, V,” he asked me, “What’s with the cold shoulder lately?”
“Oh? What do you mean?”
“Y’know, I’m used to you not tellin’ me shit but I feel like it’s gettin’ a bit extreme. Even for you. So wha’ss up? Somethin’ wrong, or?”
“Look, I don’t know what answer you think I’m gonna give, Jack,” I sighed heavily, “I’m sorry. But you know how hard this has always been for me.”
“Not really,” he said honestly, “I grew up with a mother who always talked. Always. Us Hispanics, that’s what we do. Siddown at the dinner table and talk ‘bout our problems, ‘bout what’s goin’ on.”
“Yeah, and that’s just… not what we do, Jackie. And yeah, you do know that,” I retorted, “You’ve known me for ten years, what else is there to– Nah, you know… I guess… Yeah.” I couldn't find any words. Surprise, surprise…
“Yeah.”
“Look, it’s not like I want to be a dick or something,” I sighed, “I’m really trying here. It’s not an issue with me having emotions, I don’t think… I just suck at talking about them.”
“Why?”
“Why what, why do I suck at talking about them?”
“Mm, you always gave off vibes that you think more’n you say.”
“Hmm. I think… I think a lot of it just comes from how I was raised, like you,” I shrugged, “We grew up in very different households, remember?”
“How could I forget, Miss 100,000 eds.”
“No, it’s not just the money, but…” I paused and thought to myself, “Well look, my mother was, uh… she wasn’t the talkative type. I don’t even remember what her voice sounds like, to be honest with you… And my father was no bargain, either. So I guess I just learned to shut up, because who wants to listen to me anyway, I think is how I saw it… And now, after Arasaka it’s like… All that just got reinforced a million times over… You talk about your problems here? Here? I mean, forget it.”
“Well we all got feelings, don’t we?”
“Yeah but we’re not allowed to express them, like, at all. Look around you, Jackie. Everything is dark. Minimalist. It’s all so far removed from the clusterfuck of the city. We can afford to not have anything. No clutter. Just clean, everything presented in its simplest forms, revealing nothing behind the curtain… It’s new money at its purest. You don’t get it, we aspired to be emotionless, simple beings growing up, it’s what we were trained to do… I… I can’t just unlearn that.”
“Sure you can, V,” he smiled, “Hell, you’re doin’ it right now, aren’tcha?”
“I guess…” I thought pensively, “Look, thanks for sticking with me for so long, anyway. I know I can be a pain in the ass sometimes, but-”
“Hey, s’cool, don’t stress,” he interrupted, “Y’know, how many times I gotta tell your Asian booty to fuckin’ relax.”
“Heh, a lot, apparently,” I smiled.
“Well then I’mma say it a lot, so be prepped.”
“Fine, fine…” I breathed out and closed my eyes again. “Mm… I did miss this…”
“What?”
“Getting comfy… Feeling that heat coming off you… I swear, you’re like a space-heater or something…”
“Ey now. You callin’ me hot?”
“Oh my God, Jackie,” I laughed and dimmed the lighting, “I’m going to bed now.”
“Same…” he yawned, “Big day tomorrow.”
“Yeah…” I caught his yawn, myself. “Good night, Jackie…”
“Night, chica…”
–
“So? Why d’you think he gave that all up?” Jackie asked me as he looked over the pier, “You did som’n similar, no? Gave up the good life?”
“I was kicked out, Jackie. Yorinobu just… well, he was an asshole.”
“Yeah but why?” He paced back and forth, “It’s… It’s like, you got everythin’ in the world. Got money, a good education, your pops can snap his finger and turn the half the fuckin’ planet into a nuclear wasteland… But instead, you’re like, ‘fuck it, I’mma go join a gang,’ like what the fuck, man. You ditch your family, get some RealSkinn, play gang leader, and for what?”
“Maybe it’s something deeper than that,” I thought out-loud.
“Like what?”
“Like he just wanted to fuck the system, I dunno… I know I did when I was growing up. I hated a lot of things, so I joined up a corp that promised a life where I could contribute in a way that mattered to people.”
“Yeah, and look how that turned out,” Jackie shrugged, “Right back where ya started. Just like Yori.”
“Right, but you’re missing the point,” I waggled my finger at him, “See, Yorinobu didn’t just steal a family heirloom or something. He stole a chip that was probably kept under the highest security. One containing who-knows-what sort of shit on it – he stole that from the most powerful corporation on Earth. That’s not something a pissed-off teenager does on a whim, he planned this.”
“So then why’d he come crawlin’ back to his family, then?”
“That’s just it, I don’t believe he did,” I said plainly, “Sure, once a corpo, always a corpo, like you said. But I still can’t shake the feeling that he stole this thing to achieve something more than just rebellion. In fact I’m willing to bet the plan doesn’t have anything to do with NetWatch at all.”
“But didn’tcha say he wanted to sell it to NetWatch?”
“No, that’s what Evelyn said,” I corrected him, “But that doesn’t add up. Sure, NetWatch would pay him out the ass, maybe even give him a pat on the back, but what use would the heir-apparent to Arasaka have for anything like that?”
“Hm… So then they’re givin’ him som’n else he needs?”
“It’s possible, but Yorinobu doesn't strike me as a man with many needs,” I shook my head, “Nah, he didn’t destroy it, either. He’s going out of his way to keep it, in fact.”
“Why?”
“Who knows – better yet, who knows what Hanako Arasaka’s doing here,” I sucked my lips in a little, “I dunno… Something feels… off, about this whole situation. This guy mentioned her in the bar, so that’s two-thirds of the most powerful people in the world right here. Assuming he wasn’t just throwing shit around, but like… It’s really hard to miss someone like Hanako Arasaka. I dunno, that’s not really our problem anyway, let’s refocus on the Relic.” I slipped my sleeves off to let my skin air out a little. Shit gets sweaty after a while.
“So what’re you thinkin’?”
“I’m thinking we got a few pieces missing,” I told him plainly, as I got up and walked towards the window, “Okay, so let’s look at the angles.”
“Hang on, who’s to say Yori’s not just doin’ this to get back at his old man?”
“I mean, it’s possible but… I don’t know, he doesn’t seem that rash,” I paused, biting my finger a bit as I deliberated. “Fuck, you seen my gloves?”
“Yeah, over there,” he pointed.
“Oh, okay… Hm, where was I…”
“Pieces missing.”
“Right, um…” I thought hard.
“Okay, so NetWatch. Yorinobu wanted to sell to them, apparently, but we don’t know why. So for all we know, he could just be talking out his ass.”
“Then why keep the Relic intact?” Jackie asked, “I mean, not like he’s usin’ it for anything.”
“True… Must be some angle to it… What about Evelyn?”
“What about her?”
“She said she wanted to sell it… But to whom? Who would profit off this… Well, I guess a lot of people,” I thought to myself out-loud, “Militech comes to mind right off the bat… Uh, NetWatch, Zetatech to get ahead in the game… Corporations, basically. Not to mention they're the only ones with the starting capital to make it worth anyone's while.”
“How’d she even know about it anyway?” Jackie raised an eyebrow, “Not like this thing’s common knowledge.”
“No no, we went over this, Yorinobu showed it to her.”
“Yeah but what for, a dick-measuring contest? He tryin' to show off his latest and greatest prototype to a doll? Weird sitch if you ask me.”
“Again, that just loops us back around to what the Hell Yorinobu was doing, though,” I pondered, “Or Evelyn for that matter. I got the sense that she’s ambitious and smart, but didn’t know she was handling plutonium here.”
“Meanin’?”
“That she’s in way too deep and wants to cut Dex out to… To… Wait, she’s gonna sell this thing, right?” I sat down and slipped my gloves back on, Jackie coming to join me just after.
“Yeah, that’s whatcha said.”
“Selling it to whom? Or, better yet, who would know about this thing and what its value is?”
“You just said it, corpos.”
“Right but we straight-up kill people to preserve data like this, Jack,” I snapped back, “So she’s either insanely talented at breaching subnets-”
“Hang on,” Jackie stopped me, “Why’re we doin’ this shit, again?”
“What?”
“Well, you said we could just get set up for life from a bank job, right?”
“You mean in the meeting? Yeah.”
“So then Dex – or I guess this chick Evelyn – must want this thing for more’n just money.”
“Makes sense.”
“...Chica?” He paused before thinking to himself, “...What the fuck are we doin’ here?”
“That is the 64,000 eddie question, Jack,” I sighed, “Why us, specifically? Why this thing, the Relic? I don't know…”
“Fuck me, I dunno either, I– Shit, it’s T-Bug,” Jackie suddenly shouted, “She’s done.”
“What? Oh, there’s our supposed hacker extraordinaire, how long was that, anyway?”
“Three and a half hours, I think.”
“Pff, fucking hell,” I scoffed, “Wonder how long it takes for her to order a pizza.”
“Welcome back to the land of the livin’,” Jackie said over the headset as I put my earpiece back in.
“Hey, T-Bug, glad you can join us again.”
“Yeah, yeah, not everybody cheer at once,” she snarled. Sounds like someone’s got a stick up her ass. Wonder what the fuck she was doing for all that time. I bet Judy would’ve breached this shit in like 20 minutes. Funny, I had more confidence in Evelyn’s friend than anyone outside of Jackie…
Jackie… Man, I wish I knew how to… Fuck it.
“Jackie?” I looked right at him before removing my earpiece again. All I heard was yelling from the device as I slipped it in my pocket for a minute. “I’m sorry.”
“For what? Wait–”
“Shut up,” I wrapped myself around his massive frame, “Just… Thanks. I’m sorry for… Well…”
“Ey, ey, I said it’s okay so it’s okay, alright? Give it time.”
“Yeah, I know,” I sighed deeply, “I just wish that… I… I don’t know, I just feel like a shit friend sometimes.”
“You’re not – sure, you’re an… uh…”
“Acquired taste?”
“Heh, sure. But after this, we got all the time in the world, right?”
“Right…” I clutched him tightly, “Thanks…”
“Sure thing, Cappy,” he reciprocated, pressing his body firmly into mine. I love his stupid little nicknames. Reminds me of how far back we go. While I’d rather be here alone, if I had to pick anyone to do this job with, it’d probably be him. Sure, it’s not exactly a rational choice. But having someone I can trust is a luxury afforded to very few in this city; I’d be an idiot to ever let that go.
