Worst. Christmas. Ever.
Ended up in the ER. Couldn't do anything for over a week. I'm fine now, but I'm also in debt.
Anyways, here's another chapter
Valerie stared at her reflection, having just finished putting on her makeup. Her eyeliner was a dark green instead of the black she normally went for. It was supposed to be more professional, which she admitted it was, but that seemed to make it feel more wrong. At least she was able to cover up her blackeye.
"Deja de preocuparte, V. You look fine," Mama Welles said, leaning against the bathroom doorframe.
"That's not the part I'm worried about," Valerie said. She looked over her maroon suit, still trying to adjust to the stiff material. "Why can't I seem to get into this 'new role'? If this is my chance to make things right, when why does it still feel so… off to me?"
"Oh, Valerie," Mama Welles gave her a sad smile. "You're over thinking it, mija. You want to know what I see?"
"What's that, Mamá?" Valerie sighed.
"I see a girl who after months of being cooped up and working her culo off, finally got a chance to be free and stretch her legs. And sure, maybe she put herself in a bad situation. But this is Night City. She could have let loose in far worse ways."
"Thanks, Mamá. But I'm not sure upper management will see it that way."
"Well, you can tell upper management to shove it," Mama Welles smirked.
"Alright, señoritas. I'm off to whatever the hell Vincent has planned," Jackie said, popping his head around the door. "Lookin' sharp, V."
"Thanks. So… you're actually going along with Vinny's weird plan?" Valerie asked.
"For now. We'll see how it goes, and whether or not he can make it worth our while."
"Be back by seven," Mama Welles told him. "I'm taking the night off and I want us all to have dinner together."
"Sí, Mamá. Message me if you need anything. That goes double for you, Hermana," Jackie told the green woman.
"I think I'll be alright," Valerie said.
"I'm serious, V. Anything at all," Jackie insisted. "Even if you just want to chat for a few minutes. You need me, message me and I'll call first chance I get."
"Alright, alright," Valerie smiled. "I'll hit you up if I need you."
"Good. Hasta luego." Jackie waved as he rushed out the door.
"Guess I should get going, too."
"Have a good day," Mama Welles gave her a brief hug then stepped aside.
Valerie slung her backpack over her shoulder and stepped out the front door. There was already a car waiting for her.
"Good morning, Miss Welles," Toby greeted. "You are looking spiffy today. Did you enjoy your holiday?"
"I'd rather not talk about that," Valerie mumbled. "What's the plan for today? Didn't we need to prep for the fusion power presentation or something?"
"Yes. The presentation is on Wednesday," Toby confirmed.
"Did you understand the calculations I sent you?"
"Mostly, Miss Welles," Toby said, slightly nervous. "There were a few concepts I'll need you to explain further if I'm to assist you."
"That's fine. Pour yourself a coffee and we'll go over it," Valerie said.
"Oh, I um… I don't drink coffee," Toby mumbled.
"Then get whatever you want and pull up a chair, ya goober," Valerie giggled. Before she could sit down at her desk, there was a knock at the door.
"Valerie Welles?" a woman stepped in.
"Uh, yea?" Valerie looked over the Corpo. She was dressed in a black suit and had hot pink hair styled into an unusual mullet. "You from Hilburg's office?"
"Kate Milhawk, Arasaka Counterintelligence. I would like to discuss some items with you in my office," the woman said in a commanding voice.
Valerie squinted at Kate in confusion, almost missing what it was the woman wanted in the first place. "Can it wait till after lunch? I have things I need to go over with my assistant."
"No, Miss Welles," Kate frowned. "When it comes to counter-intel, our request always take priority."
"Fine," Valerie huffed. "Toby, get started on a rough draft for Wednesday. We'll review and make edits when I get back."
"Right away, Miss Welles," Toby nodded.
"Welp. Lead the way," Valerie said, gesturing out the door. Without a word, Kate Milhawk marched down the hall to the elevators with Valerie following close behind. They left the main building and crossed the street to the Arasaka Security Headquarters. Once inside, they passed through the security checkpoint and saw Arthur Jenkins waiting on the other side.
"Yes, but-... I fail to see how that's relevant," he said, his glowing eyes giving away that he was speaking over the holo. "My 9:30 just walked in. I don't care how you get it done at this point, just get me that data." Jenkins sneered as the glow left his eyes. "Such incompetency." He straightened his tie as Valerie and Milhawk approached him. "Valerie. I trust you are doing well."
"Jenkins. It's been a while," Valerie said with little expression. "Issues in the department?"
"An unexpected hiccup. Nothing that can't be worked around."
"So long as you are maintaining your half of the equation," Milhawk said. She continued onto her office with Valerie and Jenkins following close behind. "Have a seat, Miss Welles," the Corpo commanded as she sat down behind her desk.
"Sure. So, what's this all about?" Valerie asked, sitting before Milhawk.
"We need to discuss your actions as of late and your continued position within the company," Jenkins answered. He remained standing, taking up position beside Milhawk.
"Look, if this is about that thing with the Zbornaks, I'm sorry," Valerie insisted, rubbing her eyes in frustration. "I didn't pick that fight. I didn't want to kill Nikki, but I had to-"
"That is irrelevant," Milhawk interrupted her. "Your feelings and intentions do not matter. What matters is that your actions have directly led to tensions between Arasaka and the Night City Government. Mayor Rhyne has been working with the Zbornaks and is demanding we bring this situation under control."
"Meaning he wants you to control me," Valerie grimaced.
"I'm glad we are on the same page," Jenkins smiled.
"What exactly does Arasaka want from me? I'm giving you people your slip space drives. There's not much else I can offer."
"I think you underestimate just how much Arasaka has spent on you so far, and how much more the company is willing to invest to ensure that it benefits from your position here," Milhawk explained. "Think about it, Welles. With your expertise, you could be practically running Arasaka by the end of the decade. That is, assuming you are willing to play by the rules."
"And what if I don't like your rules?" Valerie countered. "What if I don't want to be part of your stupid company? Maybe I was planning to delta once I fulfilled my end of the FTL contract."
"Then you'll force us to cut back Arasaka's investment," Jenkins said. "We could start by dropping Guadalupe from your Trauma Team plan. If that doesn't prove to be enough, then we can lower your salary and forcibly relocate you somewhere we can keep a closer eye on you."
"You wouldn't dare," Valerie practically growled at the last suggestion.
"We would, if you proved it necessary," Milhawk said. "Freedom comes with responsibility. With this information, are you willing to play by Arasaka's rules?"
''Fine," Valerie spat. "What exactly do you want me to do?"
"You can start by not ditching your assigned bodyguards," Milhawk said. "And you will cease any and all development into your personal software, including any artificial intelligence units you may be working on."
Valerie tilted her head at the two Corpos before her, thinking over her next words. "Did Robbie squeal on me?" she finally said.
Jenkins shared a glance with Milhawk before responding. "He did. But you won't have to worry about Robert anymore. I had him disposed of."
"Wait, you what?" Valerie blinked.
"He was a liability," Jenkins continued. "Security protocols demanded that he was dealt with. This means you will have to be sure not to create any other liabilities. Understood?"
"Yea, I get the point," Valerie said, looking away. Her leg started to bounce as her anxiety rose, desperate to get out of that office. "Anything else I need to know?"
"You need to start following company culture and etiquette," Milhawk explained. "No bad mouthing your superiors, no blowing up at your coworkers, and no trying to get around orders. When you are told to do something, just do it."
"And learn to socialize with your coworkers," Jenkins added. "It's not required, but don't expect things to improve if you continue to be standoffish with everyone outside of your assistant."
"I'll try to play nice at work," Valerie sighed. "But don't expect me to go befriending everyone like Wander does."
"Of course not," Milhawk smirked. "Though, I do expect us to get to know one another decently. I will be taking over your case as handler going forward."
"What? No. Vinny is my handler," Valerie protested.
"As an Intelligence Agent, Mr. Sharp has other duties to attend to," Jenkins told her. "And to be frank, he was becoming too personally involved in your case to be effective. Going forward, any issues will be handled by Kate Milhawk, and by extension, the Counterintelligence Division."
"Don't fret about it. You will still see Sharp around," Milhawk's smirk grew into a grin, "and I'm sure we'll get along just fine, assuming you start following the rules."
"I guess we will," Valerie frowned. "Anything else?"
"That should be all for now," Milhawk shook her head. "I'll find you should we need to discuss things further. Run along."
Valerie did her best to walk calmly out of the building but was frantically reaching for her holophone as soon as she was out into the open air. With shaky hands, she called Jackie.
"What's up, Hermana?" Jackie answered.
"Do you know Robbie's status?" she quickly asked.
"Uh, I'm looking at him right now. Did you want to say hi?" he joked.
"Just had a conversation with Special Operations. Jenkins said he had Robbie 'disposed of'."
"Oh… Do you think he was exaggerating?" Jackie asked, now also somewhat worried.
"Jenkins isn't the kind of guy to exaggerate," Valerie said.
"Fuck," Jackie sighed. "I'll ask about it."
"Jackie…" Valerie swallowed staring up at the hazy sky. "Are we in too deep?"
"I don't know… But we'll get through this."
"Gawd, I can't wait till I can afford my own ride," Kiwi groaned after Jackie took another corner a little too tight.
"Aww, you don't enjoy our quality time together?" Jackie teased.
"I don't like you nearly that much," Kiwi retorted. Jackie responded by gunning the throttle. He threaded the motorcycle between two cars and cut off a third to get onto the highway. Kiwi's grip on him tightened. "Especially when you pull gonk shit like that!"
"Apologies, señorita. But for me, this bike is freedom."
"Then I'll be sure to call on you and your 'freedom' if I ever need someone for a motorcycle chase," Kiwi said. "But right now? Just get us to the meetup in one piece."
About 15 minutes later, they were pulling up to a lot near the Arasaka Waterfront. There was already a black van with Valentino designs parked and waiting. Jackie pulled up next to it and dropped his kickstand.
"Bout time, Jackie," Isabel said as she got out of the passenger side of the van. "Who's your girlfriend?"
"This is Kiwi, and she's part of my crew. Not my output," Jackie stated. "She's also a killer Netrunner, so I'd be careful what you say," he added with a smirk.
"So, you're Jackie's old Valentino friends?" Kiwi asked as she looked over Isabel and David. "Gotta say, I was expecting something a bit more… flashy, I suppose."
"Not all Valentinos are obsessed with gold chrome and piercings," Isabel scoffed. "Jackie stayed 'ganic till he left the gang."
"Sí, right," Jackie cleared his throat. "Anyways. Kiwi, this is Isabel and David. Thanks for coming, guys. Seriously, gracias."
"We're always ready to help an amigo out. Especially when there's the promise of eddies," Isabel said as David nodded.
"What about you? What's your story?" Kiwi asked David.
David shrugged, then tilted his head towards Isabel.
"David doesn't talk much, unless he's really happy or really pissed off," Jackie grinned at David, who grinned back. "Don't worry, he's one of the best drivers in Heywood, and one hell of a choom. I'd trust him with my life."
"So… When is ol' Vincent supposed to be here with our job?" Isabel asked, getting antsy.
"Bout 15, 20 minutes," Jackie said. "Robbie should be here with more people before then."
"Still can't believe you're making us work with that Maelstrom pendejo," Isabel grimaced.
"Still sore over the war?" Kiwi asked, quirking an eyebrow.
"Sí, I am. You got a problem with that?"
"Just making an observation," Kiwi said.
"For the thousandth time, Robbie isn't Maelstrom anymore," Jackie said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "He hasn't been for a while, and he probably hates them just as much as us."
As if the universe was taunting him, another car pulled into the lot. The black and red paint with messy, white skulls gave it away as a Maelstrom vehicle.
"You were saying?" Isabel spat as she pulled her assault rifle from the van and pointed it at the other vehicle.
"Easy everyone," Jackie said, stepping forward with a hand on his holster. "Be on guard, but let's try to avoid a fight."
Several seconds passed as a tense quiet fell over the lot. Usually, Maelstrom would have opened fire immediately. None of them knew how to react to this behavior or what to expect next.
Several more seconds passed before the passenger door opened and Robbie stepped out of the vehicle.
"Easy, chooms. They're with me," Robbie told them as he stepped forward.
"Permission to open fire?" Isabel called out.
"The hell, Izzy?" Robbie called back. He flinched when Isabel fired a single shot that landed near his feet.
"You don't get to call me that!"
"Knock if off!" Jackie yelled at Isabel, stepping between her and Robbie. He turned back to his crewmate and let out a sigh. "Chingados, Robbie. What is this?"
"There weren't many people I could call on for help. I'm lucky I got these three to go along with this," Robbie said.
"I'm close to calling this whole thing off right now, hombre."
"The hell do you want me to say? Hu?" Robbie said, exasperated. "Rogue wouldn't send anyone my way. And we both know how Wakako gets about these kinds of things. All of my connections outside of the Afterlife and your crew are in Maelstrom."
"Alright. Fine," Jackie said, shaking his head. "Who's in the car?"
"An armored up techie, a sniper, and a business lady who likes to annoy me."
"Can we trust them?"
"They'll behave for the first job. The techie is a bit paranoid. He was at the last battle. But so long as no one points a gun at him, we should be fine."
"Bring them out," Jackie gestured to the car. "We'll play nice so long as they do." He looked over his shoulder at Isabel and David. "You two get that? Play nice!"
"Whatever," Isabel rolled her eyes, lowing her rifle.
Robbie made a loud whistle, waving to the Maelstrom car. The three Maelstrom members stepped out and made their way over to Robbie's side.
"This is Butch, Ruby, and Jax," Robbie introduced them.
"Name's Jack-" Jackie started, but Butch interrupted him.
"Jackie Welles, we know," the borg man huffed. "I had the honor of watching you and Dominator flatline half our fucking gang."
"An unfortunate reality of war," Jackie calmly replied. "I lost friends in that fight, too. But I'm willing to put the past behind us for the sake of the job if you are."
"Just keep your hands where I can see them."
"Would you just chill," Robbie scolded him. "No one is going to try anything."
"Yea, choom," Jax smiled. "Peace in the name of getting rich."
"So, who are the rest of your friends?" Ruby asked. She slung her arm over Robbie's shoulders. "You gonna introduce us, sweetie?" she teased, causing Robbie's eye to twitch.
"Get off," Robbie shoved Ruby's arm off of him, causing her and Jax to snicker. "So, we good?" he asked Jackie.
"Yea, we're good," Jackie said. "For now. Come on." He walked back to his crew with the Maelstroms and Robbie following. "This is David, expert driver, and Isabel, Valentino gunman. The blonde is Kiwi, my Netrunner."
"Hell of a crew," Kiwi said. "You think this job will need eight heads?"
"Given that we're working for Arasaka Intelligence, probably," Jackie said. "Anything that has a corporation hiring mercenaries is going to require a diverse group to pull off."
"A sniper, a Techie, a driver, a Netrunner, two Solos, a sweet talker, and a jack-of-all-traits," Robbie counted off. "I'd call that pretty diverse."
"Aww, you called me sweet," Ruby cooed, then smacked Robbie on the ass.
"Ah!" he jumped. "Would you knock it off!" Robbie took several steps away from the woman.
"Oh my god," Isabel burst into laughter with David. "Robbie, did you used to hit that?" Ruby started to nod vigorously while Robbie mumbled under his breath.
Jackie let out a heavy breath as he pinched the bridge of his nose again. This was not going how he expected it to. If Vinny was wanting a team of professional mercenaries, he wasn't getting it. This was a ragtag team of childish edgerunners and gangsters. At least friendly fire wasn't an issue yet. If he could maintain the peace, then maybe they could pull off a few jobs. A path straight to the major leagues, IF they could manage it.
Jackie's thoughts were interrupted by his phone ringing. It was Valerie.
"What's up, Hermana?" he answered.
"Do you know Robbie's status?" Valerie asked, sounding slightly panicked.
"Uh," he glanced over at Robbie, who was smoking with Kiwi. "I'm looking at him right now. Did you want to say hi?" he smiled, hoping to elevate whatever was bothering his adopted sister.
"Just had a conversation with Special Operations. Jenkins said he had Robbie 'disposed of'."
"Oh…" Jackie's expression dropped. He stole another glance at Robbie, who gave him a quizzical look. "Do you think he was exaggerating?"
"Jenkins isn't the kind of guy to exaggerate," Valerie said.
"Fuck," Jackie sighed. "I'll ask about it."
"Jackie," Valerie said, but hesitated for a long second. "Are we in too deep?"
"I don't know… but we'll get thought this."
"Alright, if you're sure," Valerie said, her voice slightly shaky over the phone.
"I'll see you back home. Hasta pronto." He hung up and stuffed the holophone back in his pocket.
"You good, amigo?" Isabel asked.
"Robbie, Valerie just gave me some unusual news," Jackie said, ignoring his friend.
"Ok?" Robbie said slowly.
"What's this about Jenkin's wanting you dead?"
"Oh, you mean Vincent didn't tell you? Because our deal was that he told you everything," Robbie threw down his spent cigarette, his expression turning sour.
"He told us some things," Jackie responded. "You want to tell us the rest?"
"When I agreed to spy on you and Valerie for Vincent, the man had both me and Masami at gunpoint," Robbie explained angrily. "And when I told him about Valerie's AI plan, his boss immediately decided that I was a liability and ordered Vincent to kill me."
"Yikes," Kiwi said. "Why didn't he?"
"Oh, he almost did. Drove me out to the city dump and put a gun to the back of my skull. But I guess Vinny decided that it would be a waste. He gave me some cash and told me to start building a team for him."
"And you just went with it?" Jackie asked. "Why didn't you just take the money and run?"
"I felt like I owed it to you," Robbie shrugged. "I'm alive because of you. And if I'm being fully honest, I got shitfaced at the Afterlife first. Met up with these three assholes the next day."
"So, Arasaka doesn't know you're alive and helping Vinny then?" Kiwi asked.
"Nope," Robbie shook his head. "I'm even letting people outside our group here to think of me as Latch for the time being to help keep that Jenkins jerk off my scent."
"Sound's like a rotten deal, if you ask me," Isabel said.
"We could just jump this Vincent guy when he gets here," Jax suggested. "We all go our separate ways and pretend this never happened."
"No," Jackie told him. "We can call this off, but we're not killing Vincent."
"Or," Ruby piped up, "we use this information to fleece your Corpo friend for all he's worth."
Vinny pulled up to the meeting location in his company sports car. He couldn't help but feel a tad smug when he saw the Maelstrom car sitting across from David's van. He saw the group mingling and no one was pointing guns at each other. Robbie and Jackie had pulled through, but his Corpo instincts told him there was a catch. With the bad blood between the Valentinos and Maelstrom, these gangsters were only here due to greed and the good graces of Jackie and Robbie. He could use that to his advantage.
"Well, well," Vinny announced as he got out of his car, a briefcase in his right hand. "This is quiet the crew you have. Courtesy of Robbie and Jackie I presume?"
"We both called on old chooms," Jackie said as he stepped forward with Robbie. "A diverse skill set amongst us eight. That should suit whatever gigs Arasaka needs done."
"I believe it will," Vinny nodded. "I already have your first job lined up." He held out the briefcase to Robbie, who took it and opened it.
"An entire briefcase for a couple data shards?" Robbie questioned.
"The first job is simple recon with possible data retrieval, and those shards have all the detes you'll need," Vinny said. "There's a budding rivalry between Arasaka and Biotechnica. Nothing on the level of Arasaka and Militech, but it's still something I'd like to get ahead of."
"Skipping the politics of this whole situation," Jackie frowned, "what exactly do we need to do?"
"On the shards is information on three known Biotechnica data centers. Unlike most megacorporations, Biotechnica excels at keeping their information decentralized and below the radar. Our guys on the inside are struggling to get close, and if I send Arasaka personnel to scope out the location, it's sure to raise alarms."
"And that's where we come in," Robbie smirked.
"Correct," Vinny nodded. "Scout out the three locations and gather as much information as you can. If you can retrieve the data, do so. But it's unlikely you'll be able to pull that off without further planning. If you're not 100% sure, just send me the scouting info. The more details the better."
"We on a deadline?" Jackie asked.
"Not strictly, but the sooner I can get this info, the better. Let's say… three days? Should be doable for this team of misfits."
"What's the pay?" Ruby shouted.
"And tell your team you will be well compensated," Vinny chuckled.
"Come on," Ruby continued. "We want a number!"
"Do we have a deal?" Vinny asked the two men, ignoring the Maelstrom girl.
"How much, Vincent?" Robbie asked with a straight face.
"You don't get to call me that," Vinny frowned at him. "Only people who truly know me get to use my full name."
"Oh, I think I know you pretty well," Robbie said, eyes narrowing at the Corpo. "Wouldn't you agree, boss?" he asked Jackie.
"Sí, I think you do," Jackie nodded. He waved Ruby forward, and she stepped forward to Robbie's side.
"So, how much you paying us, fancy pants?" Ruby asked with a smile.
"20,000 eurodollars will be paid to Jackie and Robbie at the timely delivery of the needed information," Vinny said pointedly. "As far as I'm concerned, they are in charge, and they will decide how much the rest of you get paid."
"That's it?" Ruby tilted her head. "After you did my Latch so dirty?" She slung her arm over Robbie's shoulder's again. Vinny noticed how he blushed but didn't react otherwise.
"Robbie, tell your input to knock it off," Vinny scolded, but the edgerunners didn't budge.
"Chica ain't wrong," Jackie said.
"You were supposed to come clean about how you hurt my friend," Ruby whined, leaning into Robbie more. "But you're just a coward. Another dirty Corpo who can't keep his word."
"What are you going on about, you crazy bitch?" Vinny squinted at the woman.
"Our deal was that you come clean to Jackie and Valerie about everything," Robbie said. "Including how you've held a gun to my head multiple times over the last few months. But you didn't."
"I couldn't drop it all on Valerie in one go. She was beyond furious at just the spying thing. Adding on more would have pushed her too far."
"Sounds like you're making excuses there, choom," Jackie said. "You could have put the blame on your boss. We would have understood, even if Jenkins is only partly responsible."
"I think," Ruby continued, "that you should show Latch some good faith. We want 60k."
"What?!" Vinny's jaw dropped. "For some basic recon info? I could hire a fixer for 10!"
"But you didn't hire a fixer. You came to us," Ruby grinned. "Had these two boys running around, trying to build a crew for you. Sound's like a bonus is in order."
"Jackie, would you please talk some-" Vinny started.
"Up the pay, Vincent," Jackie interrupted him. "Just this one time. Give me a number I can reasonably split eight ways."
"You have got to be… Fine!" Vinny relented. "30,000 eddies for the recon info. And I'll toss in an extra 20k for every data packet you can steal and send to me within three days. Sound fair?"
"I think we can manage that," Jackie nodded.
"Don't make me regret this," Vinny pointed at him, and then to Robbie. "Either of you."
As he was matching back to his car, he could hear Isabel cheering. "I can't believe that worked!"
Controlling this group was going to be more difficult than he anticipated.
The three Welles and Wander all sat around the family room table quietly eating their dinner.
"So…" Wander tried to break the silence. "Feel good to go back into the office, Valerie?"
"Heh, hardly," she scoffed, not looking up from her bowl. "Jenkins is pissed. Gave my case file to Counterintelligence. New handler is some pink hair bitch."
"Language, V," Mama softly reminded her.
"Sorry."
"What about you, Jackie? Make any new friends?" Wander asked hopefully.
"I wouldn't go that far, but this expanded crew thing is working better than expected," Jackie said.
"Who did Robbie recruit?" Valerie asked.
"Oh, um… three of his old Maelstrom friends," he mumbled.
"Wait, what?!" Valerie dropped her fork as her eyes went wide.
"That can't be safe," Mama Welles said, giving her son a worried look.
"I mean… Isabel nearly shot Robbie at first, but everyone came to an understanding when we pulled a fast one on Vincent," Jackie sheepishly grinned.
"So not only did you get Valentinos and Maelstrom to work together," Valerie gave him a skeptical look, "but you managed to turn the whole crew against the guy who hired you to do this in the first place?"
"It's… complicated. I'll have to explain it later," Jackie said, checking the time on his holophone.
"Put that away," Mama Welles scolded him. "You've been checking it since you walked in the door. You need to focus on family right now."
"Sorry, sorry," Jackie slipped the phone back into his pocket. "Our first job is recon and data retrieval. I'm going to have to check up on the others later tonight. Probably end up sleeping in David's van."
"Sounds fun," Wander smiled. "It's a stake out, like in one of those buddy cop movies."
"So, family man, " Valerie teased her bother. "Since we're holding you hostage, what happened between you and Vinny?"
"The short of it is that Robbie was more desperate than we originally thought, and Vinny took full advantage of that," Jackie explained. "Vinny was supposed to tell us everything earlier, but he didn't. So this borg chica Robbie brought suggested that we hold that fact over his head and demand higher payment. And it worked."
"Holy grop," Valerie laughed. "That is awesome. You gotta take a picture next time you pull something like that. And you are giving me all the details later."
"Why did Vinny keep a secret like that?" Wander asked. "If he made a mistake, why hide it if he knew you were going to find out eventually?"
"Because Vincent es un asqueroso besacullos que no puede evitarlo!" Mama Welles spat, dropping her bowl onto the table.
"Uhh…" Valerie's jaw dropped as everyone's eyes flew to Mama Welles.
"¿Estás bein, Mamá?" Jackie hesitantly asked.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to lose my temper," Mama Welles sighed. "Wander, Vinny is the kind of man who tries to calculate the people around him. He's quiet good at it, too. I'm sure it's helped him in his career."
"But you can't calculate everyone. At least not all the time," Wander said.
"Sí. But he can't help himself. I had hoped he would know better, given everything he has been through with our family. Next time I see him at El Coyote, I'm going to give that man a piece of my mind,"
"I wouldn't hold your breath," Valerie said. "Judging by the way things are going at Arasaka, we won't be seeing Vinny around here nearly as often."
"Bit of a shame," Wander said, turning back to his dinner.
"I guess," Valerie said. "Speaking of seeing less of people, what's the news on Sylvia? She still angry at us?"
"She's calmed down since Christmas. But she also said she wanted to stay with her family and needed more time away from us." Wander's hat drooped a little.
"Yea, figured as much," Valerie sighed and leaned her head back against the couch.
"She did mention something about dining with the Mayor, so at least she's doing good, right?"
"Dinner with Mayor Rhyne? Sound's fancy," Jackie commented.
"The Mayor has been working out a deal with the Zbornaks," Valerie said, "and he was one of the angrier people after Christmas Eve. You can probably guess what they are discussing."
"I'm sure there is more to it than that," Mama Welles tried to comfort her. "Regardless, there is no point in speculating. Let's just focus on us for now."
"I'd still feel better with some alcohol in my system," Valerie stood and stretched. "Anyone else want a beer?"
"Sí, gracias," Mama Welles nodded.
"I'm good," Wander said.
"Just a NiCola for me," Jackie said. "I'll get drunk with you after this job is done."
Sylvia took another sip of champagne as she awkwardly listened to the Night Corp humans gossip. She tried to focus on the bubbly drink, the taste an odd combination sweet fruit and sour alcohol. But her eyes ended up wandering around the Mayor's condo. It was excessively large for a Night City home. You could probably fit three of the Welles home inside and still have room to spare. It also lacked any of the homey decor that Sylvia was familiar with at the Welles and back at her own family house. It was all post-modern stylings of polished stone and monochrome furniture.
The Zbornak tugged on her suit jacket, still not quite used to the material. Mayor Rhyne had it customed tailored for her. He claimed it was a gift to help her fit in with all the business folk she had to meet with. She wasn't entirely sure that was the only reason, but she wore it to his little dinner party all the same. It was far from the most restrictive thing she had ever worn.
At dinner, Sylvia was faced with many of the same questions she had been asked multiple times since she came to Earth. What did she do before coming to Earth? What was it like to travel through space? How was she adapting to life in Night City? But then one question threw her for a loop.
"Are you still in contact with Dominator?" one of Corpos asked causing Sylvia to choke on her bread roll. She pounded on her chest, struggling to make the food go down her esophagus.
"Sorry, I didn't catch that," Sylvia breathed.
"Your friendship with Dominator," the man clarified. "It's no secret that you have been-"
"I wouldn't call us friends," Sylvia interrupted, chuckling nervously. "We were just helping each other out in the short term."
"A relationship of convenience," Mayor Rhyne suggested.
"Yea, that's a decent way to put it," Sylvia said, though the words made something uneasy stir in her gut. "So, no. I haven't talked to Valerie in a while. I've been focused on helping my family."
"Seems a bit counterproductive," the Corpo probed further. "Maintaining a relationship with someone valuable to the Arasaka corporation could pay out exponentially in the future."
"There's no need to lecture poor Sylvia on who she should be in contact with," Rhyne told the man. "Dominator's actions caused everyone some grief. We can't blame Sylvia from wanting some distance from that."
"Of course," the man nodded. "My apologies."
The dinner chatter returned to the usual business talk for the rest of the meal. Sylvia gave Rhyne a thankful smile from across the table, to which the mayor gave her a quick wink.
The conversations continued for about an hour after dinner. The Night Corp executives started to trickle out of the Mayor's condo until Sylvia was the only one left. She stood on the balcony overlooking the city skyline.
"Chamomile tea?" Rhyne offered as he stepped next to Sylvia.
"Oh, thank you," Sylvia said. She took one of the two mugs from the large man and graciously sipped the herbal contents.
"I would offer you some wine, but I fear my liver would give out trying to keep up with you," Rhyne chuckled as he sipped from his own mug. "An ennie for your thoughts?"
"Nothing too exciting," Sylvia shrugged. "Still trying to adjust to all this."
"Which part?"
"All of it! This isn't my planet. Night City isn't my home. I'm not a business woman in any sense of the word. Yet here I am. I'm an outsider desperately trying to make things work for my family. But even they seem to hate me lately."
"I'm sure they will come around," Rhyne smiled. "This is a strange, new word. It will take time to adjust."
"Mayor Rhyne."
"Please, call me Lucius," he insisted.
"Oh. Um, Lucius. Do you ever feel like… like maybe you should just give up? Like you should throw in the towel and do something else?"
"I have a few times in my life," Rhyne said. "The hard part is knowing when to persevere and when it truly is time to try something new."
"Maybe I should flip a coin," Sylvia mumbled, taking another sip of her mug.
"May I ask what it is you are giving up on?"
"It's Wander," Sylvia groaned. "I've spent so long protecting his silly hide that not having him around feels wrong. We've had so many adventures and helped so maybe people, but..."
"You don't think you can do it anymore," Rhyne finished for her.
"He doesn't understand how this world works, even a little bit," Sylvia said. "He doesn't get that just because he's managed to make Valerie a somewhat decent person, that doesn't mean everyone is going to forgive her. She destroyed everything. Saying sorry isn't going to magically make everything better!" Sylvia slammed her mug down on the balcony railing, causing it to shatter and spill her remaining tea. "Ah! Grob!"
"Oh!" Rhyne jumped back in surprise. "It's fine. I'll grab a rag." He ran inside and quickly returned with two kitchen towels. Throwing one down on the spill, he used the other to dry off Sylvia's hand, taking it in his own. "Been holding onto that for awhile?"
"Since Christmas," Sylvia sighed. "Sorry about the mess."
"It's just a cup. I've been meaning to get new ones for awhile. Now I have a good excuse," Rhyne smiled. "May I make a suggestion?"
"What's that?"
"If you're looking for a new way to help people, you could come work for me."
"I'm not really qualified for government work," the Zbornak frowned.
"Nonsense. You have experience with hundreds of extraterrestrial cultures," Rhyne smiled. "Night City could use that expertise. You could be my advisor and ambassador for extraterrestrial relations. It's probably not as exciting as fighting off villains, but you would have a chance to help plenty of people."
"I- I'm not sure what to say," Sylvia stammered. Her face started to heat up when she realized that Rhyne had removed the towel and was now holding her hand in his. "I'll need some time to think on it." She gently removed her hand from his.
"Of course. No need to rush. Consider it a standing offer."
"Well, it's late. I better get going," Sylvia said stiffly. She turned to leave, but paused. "Thank you, Lucius. The tea was great."
The Zbornak was pulling on her collar as she stepped into the elevator. Her mind was a swirl of uncertainty and conflicting emotions on the way down. Once she was out into the Night City air, Sylvia forced the intrusive thoughts away. She could worry about Rhyne, and Wander, and everyone else in the morning. Right now, she wanted a big bowl of noodles and a good night's rest.
Valerie stared at the painting of Saburo Arasaka with a bored eye. The man certainly looked old. 148 years according to the little plaque. But the painting was a few years old, so he would actually be closer to 152 at present date. It was a bit of a sobering thought for Valerie. She often ignored the age difference between herself and her friends. She looked like the youngest, but she was actually closer to Saburo's age by a long shot. It was scary thought; how fragile her Earthling family was without any augmentation.
"Miss Welles?" a voice pulled her from her mind.
"Hm?" Valerie's head shot to the side to see one of the lab workers greeting her. "Sorry. Dozed off."
"Of course. I'm Dr. Cooper," the man bowed. "We were informed that you have been granted access Project E02."
"Uh, sure," Valerie shrugged. "Vinny didn't give me any details. Just that I was supposed to help you guys with one of your projects."
"Yes. Mr. Sharp did put in the request," Dr. Cooper said. "If you would follow me." The man led Valerie through the lab building and to the central elevator. With a swipe of his badge and a scan of his hand, the elevator opened.
"This isn't going to take too long, is it?" Valerie asked as the elevator lowered them into the basement levels. "I have to give a presentation on fusion power later."
"This is simply an introduction to Project E02. Shouldn't be more than an hour. Possibly less given your history with the subject."
"Say what now?" Valerie squinted at the man, but he ignored her confusion as the elevator doors opened.
Dr. Cooper led her to the main lab. At the moment, there were only two other people there reviewing notes on a computer. The doctor walked over to a large safe in the corner and typed in his code.
"Oh," Valerie frowned. "I should have guessed." She watched Dr. Cooper remove a purple crystal from the safe and gently place it on one of the desks. It was the same crystal she had traveled across the galaxy for in order to save Jackie and herself. "Figures Arasaka would have held onto that thing."
"Based on Mr. Sharp's reports, Subject E02-1 could prove to be quite valuable to Arasaka," Dr. Cooper explained. "It could allow us to unlock new areas in the biology and cybernetic fields."
"Yea, great," Valerie sighed. "Doesn't explain how I'm supposed to help."
"You see, Miss Welles," Dr. Cooper hesitated, "our team has yet to make any substantial progress. Despite extensive tests on the subject, we have been unable to activate it. We hoped given your experience with the crystal; you would be able to help us understand it better."
"I'm not going to be much help, Doc," Valerie said. "For one, I'm an engineer, not a geologist. And I only know what I was told about the crystal. I was given very narrow instructions on how to use it."
"Then perhaps we could try learning more about the people who told you about it. Or maybe you could go through our notes. You may see something we didn't. We can even bring in Jackie Welles to-"
"Leave my family out of this!" Valerie snapped at the man. She took a deep breath. "Sorry. But you only get to work with me."
"Yes, Miss Welles," Dr. Cooper nervously swallowed. "Whatever you need."
"I really don't get what you see in this thing anyways," Valerie said. She stepped forward and picked up the crystal. "Maybe I could…" She tapered off as she focused on the crystal in her hand. She tried to dive deep into her soul, to find that feeling when she last used the crystal. Maybe she could find that spark. She could use it with her and Jackie's bond. But despite forcing all of her focus on the purple rock, she felt nothing.
"Yea, there's nothing here," she said. "Sorry Doc, but your work is a waste of… time…" Valerie turned to the doctor, but instead came face-to-face with the cosmic entity. It's celestial form of a million stars overtook her vision. It's single eye stared into her soul, filling Valerie with a growing sense of dread. A limb formed from the entity and reached out, causing the green woman to jump away.
"AHH!" Valerie leaped back, accidentally sending the crystal flying across the room.
"Hey! Watch it!" one of the other lab workers yelled as the crystal landed next to them.
Valerie jerked her head to them and then back to Dr. Cooper. She could feel the cold sweat drip down her forehead as she struggled to get her breathing under control.
"What did you see?" Dr. Cooper asked.
"I… I should get going," Valerie said, moving to the door, but the doctor cut off her escape.
"Miss Welles! This could be the breakthrough we've been searching for!" Dr. Cooper exclaimed, his grin stretching from ear to ear. "We need to explore this further. If we could run test as you use the subject, we could-"
"I AM NOT TALKING TO THAT THING!" Valerie screamed, only to realize her mistake.
"Thing? We're you talking to the crystal?" Dr. Sooper asked.
"What? I- I was… It's not important."
"Miss Welles, I must insist that you help us with our research. Your reaction the subject is proof enough that this warrants exploration."
"Not happening. Get out of my way."
"Miss Welles, please," Dr. Cooper pleaded. "This research is too important to Arasaka. If you refuse, I will be forced to report your actions."
"You. Wouldn't. Dare," Valerie stepped up to the doctor, threatening him with her gaze.
"Please. This is too important."
Valerie studied the man and the terror in his eyes. But she couldn't be sure what he was scared of. Hurting the man would only get security involved, and he would know that. There was someone else threatening him. Someone with their life riding on this. Someone that might come after her if they felt the need to. She really was in too deep.
"Alright, fine," Valerie relented. She grabbed a hold of his lab coat. "But we do this my way. Understood?"
"Of course," Dr. Cooper vigorously nodded.
Valerie sat down at one of the desks. "Place it here," she nodded forward. One of the lab workers placed the crystal on the desk then quickly took a step back. "30 minutes. If I'm still under after 30 minutes, throw the crystal back in your safe. If I still don't wake up, call a medic."
"Of course, Miss Welles. We will observe," Dr. Cooper said.
"One of you gonna set a timer?" Valerie asked.
"I have it," one of the lab workers said as their eyes briefly flashed. "30 minutes."
"Good." The Extra turned to the crystal and took a deep breath. "Alright, V. You got this." Reaching forward, she cautiously placed her hands on the cold rock and closed her eyes.
Valerie opened her eyes to find that she was in El Coyote Cojo. Or more accurately, her mindscape version of El Coyote. The colors were duller than in real life, and the bar was completely empty and silent.
"Hu. That actually worked."
"So, it would seem," a thousand voices spoke together. Valerie turned to find the celestial entity staring back at her.
"Ahh!" She quickly looked away to avoid the panic that aways overtakes her when she looks at the cosmic horror in the eye. "Umm…. H-hey there," she stuttered. "A-are you Omega?"
"Such a disappointment," the thousands of voices spoke in unison. "Perhaps this form would be better suited for this conversation."
"Uhh…" Valerie slowly opened one of her eyes to see the entity had shrunk, morphing into the silhouette of an Earthling female. The silhouette was filled with the twinkle of a million stars and a purple glow where the form's left eye would be. "Are you… mocking me?"
"Perhaps," the entity said. "Would you prefer we return to our natural form?"
"No!" Valerie yelled before she could calm herself. "No, that um… this works."
"Excellent," the entity nodded. "Why have you come to us?"
"I'm not sure, actually," Valerie said. "For answers, I guess. We could start with names. I'm-"
"Rana of Narjahim. We are aware," the entity interrupted her.
"Don't. I haven't gone by that in ages. Call me Valerie."
"Hm. Very well. You may call us Oedon."
"Oedon? Not Omega?"
"Omega is the name bestowed upon us by the Mooplexians. They seek to ascend to a higher plane of existence without the will to fully understand what that higher existence would entail."
"Riiiight," Valerie stared in confusion. "So, Oedon, what is the point of… well, all this?" she gestured around wildly.
"This is part of your mindscape. We already shared this information with you," Oedon said. Somehow, all of the thousands of voices sounded bored at the same time.
"Not what! I'm asking why! Why did you share this with me? Why did you save me and Jackie?"
"You are… an investment," Oedon said slowly as they tilted their head. "And you are proving to be a poor investment."
"Excuse me?" Valerie scowled.
"Thrice we have intervened in your world, each time to save your life," Oedon grew angry. "Yet you have done little with our gift."
"Oh, I'm sorry!" Valerie spat. "It's not like I'm trying or anything! I could barely walk until two fucking weeks ago! Wait, hold up," she paused. "Three times?"
"Keep thinking about it, little one," Oedon said cheekily. They stiffly walk past Valerie to take a seat at the bar.
"It was you," Valerie realized, spinning around to the entity. "Holy fuck! You're the one that forced the bond between me and Jackie!"
"That is correct."
"But… why?"
"Like we said. You are our investment. Wouldn't do us much good if you were dead."
"Then why push us to the brink of death? I had to travel across the galaxy in a flarping orbble for that stupid crystal."
"You may stop recounting your experiences to us. We have witnessed your entire life," Oedon sighed. "As for your question. The others disapproved of our direct interference. We had to wait for you to come to us to assist further."
"Others? There are other… gods? Are you a god?" Valerie questioned.
"Not necessarily. You may think of us in such a way, though our existence does not align with any dogmas you will encounter on Earth."
"Fuck, this is the last thing I need," Valerie groaned as she took a seat beside Oedon.
"What would that be?"
"A conversation with my bitch of a Lord and Savior."
Oedon laughed at the comment, making Valerie flinch as the thousand voices briefly fell out of sync.
"You initiated this conversation. You are welcome to leave at any time."
"Not until I get more answers," Valerie said. "You can start by telling me about this 'investment' scheme. You sound like a Corpo."
"Very well," Oedon said. "One of the tasks our kind partake in, to put it broadly, is regulating the stability of space and time. And you, Valerie, have caused us a great deal of grief already. However, with your warpath having ceased, new threats are at risk of developing. Our hope was to use you as a way to stop potential threats and using the Warrior's bond as a safeguard against you rising too high. The others disagreed, and thought it better had we left you to die."
"OK, ouch," Valerie blinked. "Look, I know this probably doesn't mean much to… whatever you are, but I am sorry for the pain I caused."
"Save your grief for lesser beings. It no longer matters. You have chosen a different path to walk. With the bond abandoned and your abilities weakened, you will be unable to complete the task required. We will have to hope that the others are correct, and these issues will sort themselves out."
"I have not abandoned anything," Valerie protested. "I just… I haven't been able to do much. You should know that."
"And now that you can? Are we to believe that anything will change? Or will you go back to your new life at Arasaka?" Oedon taunted.
"I can't walk away from Arasaka. Not yet," Valerie looked away.
"But you want to." Despite not really having a face, Valerie could almost hear the smirk on Oedon's voices. She was being played again, but that didn't mean the god was wrong.
"Wouldn't my position at Arasaka be a good thing? I could use the corporation's resources to fight off whatever these threats are."
"Perhaps," Oedon tilted their head in contemplation. "If you can pool your resources properly, then it may prove advantageous to the task. But we warn you now, the Earthlings are not equipped to handle the greater dangers the universe may send at you. Bending to the will of Arasaka will leave you unprepared."
"Well, then maybe I need to give them a taste of Lord Dominator. I get my head in the game, start playing for keeps? No one at Arasaka or any megacorp will cross me."
"Hm. Maybe you were a decent investment after all," Oedon nodded. "We will gift you with more knowledge of the crystal. It will help you strengthen your bonds. But this is the last we will share until you prove yourself worthy of our time." The cosmic entity placed their hand against Valerie's forehead, and a swath of knowledge flowed into her consciousness.
"Whoa," Valerie blinked. "That's still a rush. I'm not going to puke after this, am I?"
"You will not need to worry about your biology this time… probably," Oedon shrugged.
"Not very reassuring," Valerie frowned. "So, if you're like a sort of time god, does that mean you already know what these dangers-"
"No more questions," Oedon interrupted. "We are out of time."
"Are you making fun of me again?"
Valerie's eyes shot open. She bolted up right as she tried to find Oedon, but she soon realized she was back in the Arasaka lab.
"Miss Welles, are you alright?" Dr. Cooper asked, the crystal in his hands.
"I'm fine," she waved off their concern. "Just a bit of a headache. How long was I under?""
"30 minutes," one of the lab workers answered. "We removed it just like you asked, and you immediately woke up."
"Wow. Time flies when you're in the mindscape," Valerie said.
"Mindscape?"
"Right, um," Valerie pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'm going to have to explain a lot if I'm going to make this work."
"Does that mean we can count on your assistance?" Dr. Cooper asked.
"Yea, I'll help. But I'm going to need full access to the crystal," Valerie said. "I have a few ideas to move things along."