"I've got a job that needs a netrunner. Interested?"
"Let's hear it."
Rocky came straight to the point. Lucy wasn't surprised. She wasn't particularly interested, either, but she'd listen before deciding.
"It involves Arasaka. Take a look at this first."
He offered her the data shard.
At the name Arasaka, her composure faltered for an instant. Her heart seemed to miss a beat. She recovered quickly and pushed the shard away.
"Sorry. Not interested."
Lucy had spent her time fleeing Arasaka, trying to get beyond its shadow. Her fear outweighed even her hatred.
She wanted to escape, not carry a nuclear bomb into Arasaka Tower. She knew she couldn't bring them down. Running was all she could do.
Stealing shards from Arasaka employees was trivial enough. She was happy to do that. But a job involving the corporation's upper ranks was something she'd keep well away from.
She didn't know what Rocky was offering. She didn't need to. If Arasaka was involved, less trouble was better. Working against them or working for them, she wanted no part of it.
"Why? Because of Arasaka? Relax. The shard doesn't contain their secrets. No agents are going to kill you for reading it. Have a look before you decide. It's a good job. Sixty thousand eddies. Split three ways, that's twenty thousand for you."
Her immediate refusal had surprised him, but he didn't take it personally. If a stranger walked up and asked him to take on Arasaka, he might have said no, too.
Lucy hesitated, then accepted the shard. She could at least see what the job involved.
"We eliminate the corporate employees listed there and stop Arasaka's partnership. The day after tomorrow. Don't worry about retaliation afterward. Militech will take the blame."
He explained while she read. When she'd finished, she removed the shard and handed it back.
"That's what you mean by 'involves Arasaka'? Even if someone else takes the consequences, do you know where these people are? Konpeki Plaza. Arasaka territory. You want me to hack its network? That's suicide. I'm not doing it. Find someone else. Maybe Kiwi wants that kind of trouble."
She refused again, less calmly this time. Entering Konpeki Plaza was like walking into the wolves' den. Hacking Arasaka's network once she was inside made it worse.
"I don't get it. You seem afraid of Arasaka. Why? It's Konpeki Plaza. We're not assassinating Saburo Arasaka. What's so special about them, anyway?"
Rocky shook his head. He knew what haunted her. Persuading her to act against Arasaka wasn't going to be easy.
"Whether I'm afraid is none of your business! Easy for you to say. You don't know Arasaka. You don't know what they're capable of. I can't do it."
He'd struck a nerve. Her voice rose, sharp and loud, in a rare loss of composure. Fortunately, the surrounding crowd was noisy enough that no one noticed.
Her agitation stirred something in Rocky, too. He drained his drink, tossed the cup away, and answered louder than she had.
"I don't know Arasaka? You don't know me. I understand exactly what they are. Better than anyone. I don't care."
"They're no different from any other fucking corporation. I hate them. But I'll never be afraid of them."
"They've been looking down on everyone for too long. We shouldn't just stay quiet and scared. We should burn. Broken, battered, whatever's left of us, make them see this world won't keep rotting in their shadow forever. Someone will fight back. Drag them off their pedestals, haul them into hell, and burn them to ash."
"Watch me. One day they'll understand. I'll climb over their bloody bones and stand above them."
Lucy stared at him.
She didn't know him. She didn't even know his name. Yet his words struck somewhere deep.
Arasaka had put her through brutal training from childhood. There had been no family warmth. Once she'd finished training, they'd thrown her into the Old Net to mine data.
Mission after mission, the children beside her died. She'd never known when it would be her turn.
That childhood had given her more reason to hate Arasaka than anyone. She dreamed of destroying it. But she couldn't. No one could.
So her dream had become escape. As far as possible. Somewhere Arasaka couldn't find her.
The moon.
Now someone sat before her and talked about tearing Arasaka down. It sounded delusional. Impossible. And still, it moved her.
After a long silence, she steadied herself. Her expression settled. She hesitated, drew a deep breath, and spoke.
"Maybe you're right. But even so... I don't think I can do it. Their ICE is thick. Dangerous. And their netrunners... I'm not confident. Mostly, yes. I am afraid of Arasaka."
His words had softened her. She was less distant now, but still uncertain.
"Rebecca says you're brilliant. A natural. I don't know what happened between you and Arasaka, or why you're afraid of them, but I believe you can do this. You can beat that fear."
"And if you join my team, I'll have your back. Arasaka comes after you, I'll be the first one storming their tower."
He thinks I can do it? Can I really...?
She looked at his confident smile. Did he understand what he was saying? A few words from someone else, and he trusted her to do the job? Had he stormed Arasaka Tower for her?
She didn't take that promise seriously. Yet, inexplicably, she felt better. A rare smile appeared on her face.
After another moment's thought, she answered.
"You're impossible. Fine. I'll do it. But this had better be exactly what you said. No extra trouble."
"Of course. I'm L, by the way."
"Lucy."
She looked at him, almost at a loss. He'd appeared out of nowhere, delivered a speech, and somehow talked her into joining him.
Still, perhaps it wasn't a bad thing. He'd made her curious.
He said she didn't know him. Maybe she should find out more.
If he meant it, if he really intended to stand above Arasaka, that would certainly be interesting.