Another Choice
Part 2: Sacrifice, Chapter 2
This is Arif Iqbal, reporting with WNS News, covering the latest breaking story from Corpo Plaza.
In a surprising turn of events, a currently unknown team of mercenaries from The Afterlife organization stormed Arasaka Tower and killed Saburo Arasaka. Hanako Arasaka, daughter of Saburo Arasaka and sole heir to his corporate empire, has replaced her father as CEO of Arasaka Corp.
The CEO of Militech, Joseph Grand, has been arrested for questioning on several cases of war profiteering, corporate espionage, and numerous counts of homicide and attempted homicide. Senior Vice President of Militech, Cashmere Gallagher, is set to take over the position. Though it has not yet been confirmed, reports out of Militech are calling for the rescinding of the war declaration.
Militech and Arasaka have already mentioned peace talks between their two companies, and local militarization in several countries is being disbanded.
This is a great day for Night City, folks. With war no longer on the horizon, businesses are reopening and the stock market has already started to recover. Next time you see an Afterlife mercenary, you should thank them. They saved our city. This is Arif Iqbal, signing off.
[-]
The remainder of the mission was easy with Saburo gone. Without direct orders, the security forces in the tower went into limbo. Hanako used the tower-wide PA system, informing everyone that Saburo was dead, and she was taking head of the company. They were all to stand down.
With the air defenses taken offline, Weyland was able to call his waiting AV, and evacuated the team from the roof. Takemura stayed behind with Hanako and Yuna.
It was a good thing they didn't have to deal with any opposition, because the team was ragged. Weyland had a pressure bandage over his wound, and could barely walk. Johnny was covered in bruises and cuts, and had a mild concussion. Judy had passed out at some point, and had to be carried to the roof. But V was the worst.
Weyland had had the AV pick up Viktor from the dig site once word was received that several members of the team were injured. Their small force had been able to successfully hold off the quick-reaction force from Arasaka, but not without costs. Approximately a third of their members were either dead or injured. They were currently regrouping at the Aldecaldo camp.
Viktor operated on V the entire flight back to the camp. They weren't able to go to the clinic or The Afterlife in the city, as both were swarming with reporters and news crews. V had a severe concussion, ruptured eardrums, several contusions on her upper body, long cuts on her arm and leg, and the stab wound from Saburo's katana, along with a deadly amount of blood loss. Her heart stopped three times during the flight. Panam had a needle in her arm, with a tube leading to V's, feeding her blood. Panam had found out she was the same blood type as V early on in their friendship, and was now very glad for it.
They transferred V to the ripperdoc trailer, where Viktor continued to operate. Joel arrived shortly after, caring for the injured mercenaries and Aldecaldos in the next room over. As night fell over the desert, Viktor collapsed back into a chair, his arms and apron drenched with blood. Panam immediately rushed over to him.
"How is she?" she asked.
Viktor pulled off his glasses, wiping his eyes with his forearm. He looked deathly exhausted.
"I got her stabilized, but her stint in Cyberspace and the blood loss accelerated her condition. She has maybe a day left, before complete organ failure." His voice broke on the last word. "I'm not sure if she'll even wake up."
Panam turned to denial, her stress fueling her temper. "What the fuck do you mean she has a day!? She had weeks to live just days ago! Fucking fix her!" She slammed a tray of instruments to the ground. "Fix her!" she screamed again. Mitch had come up, and started dragging her away. She shoved him off, and stalked away into the desert. Mitch placed a reassuring hand on Viktor's shoulder, who hadn't reacted during the outburst.
"I'm sorry 'bout her doc. It's how she shows she cares. We all appreciate what you did here, any amount of time you can give us is a blessing." Mitch helped Viktor to stand. "Let's get you cleaned up so you can rest. Easy, now."
Mitch led Viktor to the showers, through the silent camp. Nobody was working or talking. It was the complete opposite of the night before, when they were all celebrating around the campfire. They all knew the mission was a success, and that the war had been averted. It was already on the news. They just didn't care. All thoughts were turned to the mercenary in the ripperdoc trailer, breathing her last, and to the friends who had been lost for the greater good.
Judy was sitting alone on the stone outcropping looking over the camp. After waking up from her fainting spell in the tower, they'd explained to her what had happened since, and that V was still unconscious. After taking the news, she'd gone to the outcropping. Several people had attempted to join her, but all had been turned away or ignored. It was shortly after the sun went down when Johnny sat beside her.
"Got an update from Viktor," he said. Judy didn't respond, didn't even react. "The verdict isn't good." Still no reaction. Johnny took a deep breath, sorting his thoughts. He had never really been good with the delicate stuff, but now it was of paramount importance he didn't fuck this up. Judy deserved to know.
"V's health took a hit, between the blood loss and Cyberspace. Her condition was accelerated. She has maybe a day left."
Judy flinched, but that was all the recognition he got. Johnny sighed. He'd seen a broken heart before, plenty of times, but this was different. Judy was broken, utterly destroyed.
"I'm sure she would like if you were down there with her. Maybe you're the one who can wake her up, so we can say goodbye."
That did it for Judy. Her face screwed up in rage and grief.
"Why the fuck should I be there for her, when she abandoned me? She promised to never leave me again. She fucking promised! She knew how much I needed her, and now she's gonna die."
Her voice broke off in a squeak as she hung her head, her shoulders shaking.
"You and I both know why she did it. V's heart is too big to let innocent people suffer, especially if she can do something about it. Her choice saved millions from being thrust into another power-grab war. You and I may not like it, but she felt it was the right thing to do, and we can't fault her for that."
Judy just shook her head. "It just hurts so much," she whimpered.
Johnny pulled her to him, and she started sobbing into his shirt. "I know it does. God help me, I know."
[-]
A vigil was held over V throughout the night. Judy had come down from the outcropping, and was sitting at V's side, holding her hand. Johnny, Panam, Misty, Kerry, and River were also there in the trailer. Viktor was passed out somewhere in the camp. Weyland had left with Claire, taking the remaining Afterlife mercs with him, to deal with the shitstorm in the city. Saul and Mitch were getting the camp back together, fixing vehicles, tending to the wounded, and arranging watches. Panam said that that was how they dealt with grief.
It wasn't until mid-morning the next day that V stirred. It started with groans, and then coughing, which led to pained screams. Everyone leapt to action. Someone went to wake Viktor, while others grabbed food and water and medicine. Judy clung to V's hand, begging her to stay calm. V started to thrash as Viktor came running up, his shirt not even buttoned. Viktor immediately plunged a needle into V's IV, which helped to calm her. V's eyes, which had been wide with panic and pain, the pupils so small they could barely be seen, slowly relaxed.
"V, baby, look at me," said Judy, cupping V's face in her hands.
"Ju-dy…" The name was barely a whisper on V's lips. Someone handed Judy a water bottle, which she brought to V's lips. V took a few sips, then started coughing again, her face screwing up in pain.
"S'alright babe, breathe. Please, V, just breathe."
V calmed again, sinking into the bed.
"Can't…hear…"
Viktor reached behind him, doing something on the terminal sitting there. V heard a faint whirring, before the world had sound again.
"Had to install some hearing aids," Viktor said. "Your eardrums were shredded."
"What…happened?" V asked weakly.
Her friends caught her up on what happened after Hanako and Yuna destroyed the Engram. Their escape, Hanako taking over Arasaka, the news reports, Grand's arrest. V didn't fail to notice the tension thick in the air, though.
"What's the bad news?" she croaked. Everyone flinched. Viktor took a deep breath.
"Between your time in Cyberspace and the blood loss, your condition was accelerated, V."
V felt thin tendrils of dread grasp her heart. Viktor turned a monitor by her head around, which displayed the same scan of her brain as the one he had shown her at his clinic. But this time, instead of half of the arcs being red, almost all of them were.
"The neural degeneration is nearly complete." A tear leaked from the side of Viktor's eye. "You have a matter of hours to live, before complete organ failure."
V was shocked, and sad, but the news didn't hit her as hard as she expected. She figured a part of her was ready to die in that tower, and that part was still waiting. She couldn't fight it, so she had accepted it. But having these last few hours was a treasure no amount of eddies could buy.
She reached over and softly touched Viktor's hand. He couldn't meet her eye.
"Thank you, Vik. For giving me this last bit of time."
"Anything for you, V."
V realized something then, that she didn't have to hide from any of these people. Not anymore.
"Not V, Vik. Valerie."
Viktor looked up at that, and managed a watery smile.
The remainder of the morning and the early afternoon was surprisingly productive for the somber camp. Valerie used the time to start settling her affairs. She called Wakako, passing the mantle of Queen of the Afterlife to her. Then she called Weyland and Claire, thanking them for their support, and signed over the deed of The Afterlife itself to them both, along with another deal she'd been arranging. A fully equipped ripperdoc clinic, built into The Afterlife, for Viktor.
To Panam and the Aldecaldos, she transferred the titles of her cars, along with access to her apartment and armory. They'd need them now more than ever if they were to leave Night City for good.
To Johnny, she'd given the duffel bag that had been in her car, which was full of his old Samurai clothes, along with the key to his Porsche. Lastly, she'd placed Rogue's pistol, Pride, into his hand, along with her own custom Lexington, Dying Night, as mementos of the last two Queens of the Afterlife, and the only family Johnny had ever had.
Finally, as the sun hung low in the sky, she was left alone with Judy.
"Judy, I want to do this now, before it's too late," she said, pulling something from her pocket.
"Do what?" Judy asked. Valerie took Judy's hand, pressing something into her palm. Judy pulled it closer, and opened her hand to see. Glinting in the sunlight, was a silver and diamond ring. It was an old design, from before the Corpo wars. Judy's breath hitched as she recognized the implications of the ring.
"This belonged to my mother," Valerie said softly. "Given to her by my father when they married. She left it to me to give to the love of my life. It belongs to you, always has."
Judy was stroking the beautiful ring, tears freely streaming down her cheeks. Then Valerie pressed another object into her hand. An old brass key.
"This is the key to your beach house," Valerie said. "I bought it after our night there. I had dreams that if I survived all this, we could move down there."
Valerie closed Judy's finger around the ring and key. "They're yours now. A poor payment for a broken promise."
Valerie grimaced as another wave of pain washed over her. The pain had been steadily building while she was awake, a reminder of what was to come. Judy leaned over Valerie, kissing her with such emotion, she forgot her pain.
"I woulda done it," Judy said, their foreheads touching. "I would've moved into that beach house with you. And I would've loved to call you my wife."
Her voice broke when she said wife. Valerie smiled at the confession.
"How 'bout, starting tonight, you and I can be Judy and Valerie Alvarez."
Valerie delicately slipped the ring onto Judy's finger, and Judy had to cover her mouth to control her rising emotions. Valerie kissed the ring, then each of Judy's fingers.
"There's one more thing I have for you, if you want it," said Valerie. "I arranged the reward money for the hit on Saburo, along with the rest of my accounts, to be transferred to you. I know how much you wanted to leave this city. I'm giving you the chance, and I hope you'll take it. Panam and Saul can get you past the border. You can't stay here, Jude. There's too much pain in this city."
Judy shook her head. "I'm not thinking about that now. Right now, all that matters is you."
Valerie and Judy lay there for a while, until the pain began spiking again. Valerie's face fell. Her final request was at hand.
"Jude, there's one last thing I want."
Judy looked up at her reluctantly, knowing what was coming.
"I don't want to die like this. To have my organs implode and my brain melt. My fate has always been in the hands of things beyond my control. Now, I die my own way."
Judy shook her head, not ready, especially now, to say goodbye.
"I won't make you do it, but it's time for me to go."
Judy continued to shake her head, and Valerie pulled her into a tight embrace.
"I love you, Judy Alvarez. Always have, always will."
Judy helped Valerie to her feet, then supported her to the top of the outcropping. The majority of the camp followed. As she had requested earlier, a single chair sat looking out at the city, the orange glow of the sunset illuminating its skyscrapers and megabuildings from behind.
Valerie lowered herself into the chair, Judy kneeling in front of her. Judy took both of her hands in her own.
"I love you too, Valerie Alvarez," she whispered. She leaned in, and kissed Valerie for the last time. When they broke apart, nothing needed to be said. Nothing could be said. Judy stayed kneeling, moving to the side of the chair. Johnny stepped up, standing on the other side. In his hand was a pistol, the same one Viktor had offered when Valerie had gone to the rooftop that first time. When she had it then, it was a way out. Now, it would lead her home.
"You ready kld?" Johnny asked.
Valerie only nodded. Johnny moved behind her, pressing the barrel to her head. Valerie took one last look over the sands, and to the city beyond, slowly fading into the dark of night. She focused on the distance, the sound of the wind, the smell of the air, and the warmth of Judy's hand in her own.
"Good night, Night City," she whispered, and closed her eyes.
A single shot echoed over the sands, carrying with it the end of Valerie Alvarez.