Northern California, Night City.
Civic Center, Corporate Plaza.
Gray-white clouds clustered and scattered across the sky. Under the clear heavens, a massive 140-story building stood like a pitch-black tower, quietly rising in the heart of Night City.
Compared to the neighboring Militech Tower and Kang Tao Tower, its design appeared conservative and impersonal—constructed entirely of black reinforced glass curtain walls and steel, giving off an extremely cold and intimidating oppressive feeling.
Most areas of Night City could clearly see it.
Just like its presence in Night City—no one could ignore it, not even the 'legends' who once blew it sky-high.
Arasaka Tower.
Full name: Arasaka American Division Night City Headquarters.
Night City's tallest building, and also a symbol of Night City's neo-militarism and Arasaka hegemony.
Countless people hated its existence, wishing they could bomb it and level it to the ground. Likewise, countless people longed for it, willing to sacrifice everything just to climb Arasaka Tower, to kiss its cold black marble plaques, fantasizing about rising above their station, getting promoted and rich, becoming someone important.
"Hey, did you hear? The South American Investigation Group just pulled off something big—executed over a thousand criminals in Rio de Janeiro."
"Your info's outdated. I heard the company's engineering and construction departments are going crazy busy, working all night to design Rio de Janeiro's urban reconstruction plans. Market negotiation personnel are already flying to Brasília."
"Brasília's very satisfied with the public safety services. The Security Department scored big again. They should be coming back soon—I bet their field bonuses alone are worth several months of our salaries. Looks like Ms. Adelheid's next promotion isn't far off."
"Can't compare. The Security Department's always been Arasaka's golden child. Us? Ha, we're the stepchildren..."
In front of the elevator leading directly to the Arasaka Counter-Intelligence Department's office floors, a woman with rolled-up sleeves wearing a burgundy office uniform and sporting an undercut hairstyle listened to passing colleagues' discussions, frowning with a thoughtful expression.
"Security Department... Adelheid?" she murmured.
"No way, V. I remember you went to Arasaka Academy too," her companion said with a puzzled expression. "Ms. Vera Adelheid was a year ahead of you—your upperclassman." Speaking of this, he teased quietly with an envious tone: "Come to think of it, with that connection, why don't you try? You might be able to make it work..."
"Screw off!" The woman called V turned her head. Her beautiful face with sharp features immediately brought the word 'wild' to mind.
She quickly shut down her companion's unrealistic fantasies.
"Of course I know. Class of 2073's valedictorian, registered at Tokyo headquarters, a promising future big shot in the reserves. Me? I'm just a small fry—a Class of '74 intern who hasn't even officially graduated yet. Never even met her. How exactly would I make that work?"
Today's educational model was nothing like the word-of-mouth teaching of the last century.
Teacher-student and classmate relationships were all very shallow. Unless you were exceptional and valued, it was almost all AI instruction.
V shook her head: "We're not in the same system. She was in Military Administration and Law, I was in Information Communications and Intelligence. Completely different required and elective courses—couldn't be more unrelated. That's not how you network."
Vera Adelheid belonged to Arasaka Company's largest and most famous Security Department.
She had joined Counter-Intelligence.
High internal security clearance, but this department didn't have a great reputation.
"Showing up uninvited would probably just cause trouble. In corporate territory like this, if we're not close, who knows if she'd sell me out and make me count the money for her. I'm not in a rush—better to let things happen naturally..." With that, V waved her hand. The elevator had arrived, so she stepped inside.
Silent all the way.
Ding.
The elevator reached the Counter-Intelligence Department's office floor.
"Well then, V, good luck."
"You too."
V parted ways with her companion and headed toward her office area, where currently only her acquaintance Harry was at his workstation.
This Black man with an honest-looking face immediately brightened when he saw V, standing up and waving: "Hey, V, Jenkins wants to see you."
"Jenkins?" V murmured. Arthur Jenkins—a Counter-Intelligence executive she'd met a few times. Could this be about getting hired permanently? Her performance during the internship period hadn't been bad.
"Harry, do you know why Jenkins wants to see me?" V asked quietly.
"No idea." Shaking his head, Harry spread his hands with a clueless expression. This kind of thing definitely wasn't something a small employee like him would know.
"Alright."
V shrugged, turned to the office break room bar to make two cups of coffee, handed one to Harry with thanks, then headed toward Jenkins' office.
"Good morning, Mr.Jenkins." After walking through the corridor, waiting a while, and getting scanned for entry permission, V immediately entered the office with a greeting.
Behind his desk, Arthur Jenkins was a clean-shaven white biological male with somewhat shifty eyes and a sturdy build.
"Mm, sit." He glanced at V, then continued looking down at whatever he was handling while gesturing for V to sit.
"..."
Just as V was thinking about how to start the conversation, Jenkins broke the silence.
"V, your permanent employment paperwork will take a few more days to process. Within a week, your official employee benefits will be implemented. Is there anything else? If not, get back to work. I've sent you the files. Handle them. Do good work."
The stream of information left V stunned for a while before she could process it. In 2074, she was only 20 years old, having joined Arasaka Company not long ago.
"Nothing else, sir. I'll head back now." After a long moment, V took a deep breath and stood up. More talk was pointless now—what mattered was doing the work.
"Good." Jenkins just waved dismissively.
He had taken notice of V's potential. Her probation performance had been good, background check showed she was clean, capable, and the personality analysis report in her personnel file showed she fit his needs. That's why he had called V in.
Of course, if V wanted more nurturing, she'd need to deliver on her potential and improve herself. The permanent employment benefits were just scraps he was casually throwing her way.
Ding.
"How'd it go, V?"
Harry was waiting by the door and immediately waved when he saw V come out.
"Not bad. Got a promise—do good work and get permanent employment within a week."
"Holy crap! Congratulations." Harry excitedly rubbed his palms together as if he himself had gotten promoted.
"Thanks, Harry." In this corporate environment full of scheming and betrayal, honest people like Harry were very rare. V suppressed her joy and patted Harry's shoulder. "Got a mission—excuse me." With that, she walked toward her workstation.
Beep beep...
With an excited heart and trembling hands, V activated her personal terminal and clicked on the file with an unread notification, heading straight for the document sent by her supervisor Arthur Jenkins.
The document's cover title read:
—Arasaka South American Investigation Group—
South American Investigation Group?
That was about the Rio de Janeiro situation.
Thinking of something, V opened the document. The file that appeared before her eyes made her raise an eyebrow with a surprised expression on the very first page.
"What a coincidence."
Action Archive (Confidentiality Agreement)
Affiliation: Arasaka Corporation
Employee Number: NC760404
Name: Vera Adelheid Russell
Department: I (Security Department)
Occupation: Combat Commander/Technician
Trauma Team Platinum Member/Crystal Palace Discount Agreement/Quantified Enlightenment Rehabilitation Center Member
Superiors: Takato Shintaro [Arasaka Tokyo Headquarters Security Department Director]/Arasaka Michiko [Arasaka American Division Chief Executive Officer, Board Member]
Functions:
Execute and support private employment, corporate security services, public safety services; provide and train combat soldiers; defend company assets during armed conflicts;
Biotechnology specialist researcher (part-time), conduct research in areas of personal interest to create value for the company, provide technical support for Old Net technology excavation and restoration.
Biographical Summary:
Born April 4, 2054.
2070: Age 16, admitted to Night City Arasaka Academy as the orphaned child of an Arasaka Group meritorious employee.
2071: Excellent grades across all subjects during one year at Arasaka Academy. After reporting, selected for Tokyo Arasaka Group headquarters reserve talent pool. As an elite student of Arasaka Academy, participated as an intern observer in Arasaka Security Department's 2071 San Francisco riot suppression.
2072: Received recommendation quota, transferred from Night City Arasaka Academy to Tokyo Arasaka Group headquarters academy for one year of evaluation and advanced study.
2073: Returned to Night City Arasaka Academy, graduated as Class of 2073 valedictorian.
Officially joined Night City Arasaka Security Department.
After evaluation, given internal special approval as biotechnology talent to work part-time as researcher at Night City Arasaka Biotechnology R&D Department. Personal research lab codename: Umbrella [Red and white symmetrical umbrella logo—Classified].
2074: ...
—Can be expanded in detail [Insufficient Clearance]—
Employee Assessment:
Entered Night City Arasaka Academy in 2070, graduated and officially joined in 2073. During two years of internship and service, this employee performed exceptionally, deeply participating in and organizing 7 successful security defense operations and 6 public safety stabilization operations.
Areas of expertise: Providing corporate security services, maintaining public safety activities, commanding decapitation operations (San Francisco security services, Kyoto counter-terrorism, Rio de Janeiro riot suppression); personal deep interest in biotechnology with significant talent and fruitful results ([Classified]).
...
Damn.
No wonder this Vera Adelheid got promoted so fast.
Personal ability was one thing, but background, background, and more background!
Talk about 'born with the right connections'—if Arasaka called someone's parents meritorious employees, their level was definitely not low, most likely mid-level or higher. All those [Classified] and [Insufficient Clearance] tags were things V could never compare to.
Before long, V understood what Jenkins meant by 'do good work,' and very sensibly extinguished her curiosity.
Routine counter-espionage checks—Counter-Intelligence Department work.
Theoretically, mission reports from other company departments would routinely pass through Counter-Intelligence for filing, but everyone knew theory was theory. For certain people and departments, these checks were usually just for show.
'No procedural abnormalities, approved'—one of the fastest ways for Counter-Intelligence to accumulate so-called 'work experience.' When a superior suddenly assigned a newcomer this kind of work, it meant they thought highly of them.
After all, did someone like Vera Adelheid, who was registered in Tokyo headquarters' promotion candidate pool, really need careful review? Just procedure.
Some of Arasaka Group's promotions had prerequisite requirements—like permanent employment requiring 'work experience and achievements.'
Rules were dead, but people were alive. This was an unspoken rule for Arasaka insiders to arrange their confidants. If you wanted to quickly promote someone while following proper procedure, you'd assign them this kind of easy 'show work.'
Of course, if your last name was Arasaka or you had powerful backing, that was different.
"Operation shows no abnormalities. Approved."
...
Evening, Night City International Airport.
Surrounded by her Special Assault Unit Team 6 subordinates, Vera walked out of the Arasaka International corporate jet cabin carrying a briefcase.
She was back in the 'cesspit.'
Looking at the city of sin and prosperity with its flashing neon lights under the night sky, Vera walked to the railing of the Arasaka VIP passage and surveyed everything within her field of vision with deep eyes—Heywood, Watson, Pacifica... finally resting her gaze on the direction of the municipal center, that black tower.
"Good evening, Night City."
——————
PS: V makes her stunning debut, same corpo, different department. Wanted to try a different way of laying out the background. Vera doesn't narrate her own past, but uses this kind of profile overview to describe the protagonist's life at Arasaka, hinting at and introducing the protagonist's special abilities.
The employee profile references the corpo V file format from the 2077 game.