Chapter 7: Vera's Rise in Arasaka
Beep.
The line went dead.
Vera sat back in her chair, watching the fading expression of concern vanish from her face. She drained the rest of her wine, placing the empty glass on her desk before taking a deep breath.
"Hmph..." she exhaled. "Calling him 'Uncle' all these years finally paid off." Arasaka, like so many corporations, ran on a system steeped in tradition. Especially in departments influenced heavily by the Japanese ethos, family ties, connections, and a proven track record of loyalty meant everything.
Vera had to admit, playing the game and building relationships had served her well. In Arasaka's cutthroat environment, demonstrating value was the key to survival, and even more, to thriving. But if you ever failed, that loyalty could turn into a knife in your back.
She thought of President Rosalind Myers of the New United States. Myers had begun her career in the Marine Corps, gaining Militech's attention through sheer hard work. Rising through the ranks, she eventually became Militech's CEO before transitioning to politics and securing the presidency. A route like that was impossible at Arasaka—there, personal connections and politics governed your rise.
Still, Vera admired Myers as a model of resilience. A path she might follow, though on different terms.
For the next half hour, Vera stayed in her office, dutifully completing paperwork sent in by her subordinates from Team 6. When the time came, a familiar beep echoed from her desk.
Internal Meeting Reminder.
Vera lowered the partitions in her office, activating the holographic devices as a conference table materialized in front of her. Executives from the Arasaka Security Bureau gradually appeared in their designated seats. The central figure was James Thomas, the Deputy Director of Security, flanked by members from various other units: Special Rapid Response, Mobile Garrison, Heavy Armor, Rescue, Disaster Management, and more.
A sharp-eyed, gray-haired man with cybernetic implants glanced at her. Vera's internal comms chip buzzed, signaling a connection. The man's gravelly voice echoed in her head.
"Commander Russell, congratulations."
Despite his aged appearance, Vera knew better than to underestimate him.
"Elder Lam," Vera replied, acknowledging the elder. Another family connection. He had been a fixture at Arasaka for decades, his loyalty unquestionable.
In private circles, there were whispers that Vera's rise in the Night City security division had been smoothed by her family's deep ties to the company. She had taken over the position that once belonged to Lam.
The former head of the Special Rapid Response Force.
She glanced at Lam's thin, cybernetic-scarred arms. His once powerful combat enhancements had been removed. The reason was obvious—his body had reached its limits. Prolonged cybernetic use had weakened his nervous system to the point where any further stress could lead to cyberpsychosis. The company had forcibly removed his combat augments to avoid the risk.
Lam had served Arasaka for over two decades, but even his formidable career couldn't withstand the ravages of time.
Lam chuckled softly. "You don't need to comfort me, Vera. Instead, focus your energy on that biotech research you're always tinkering with. Fred raised a capable daughter, no doubt about that. Hell, I still owe you for that improved inhibitor prototype you rediscovered on the old net—it saved my life."
Vera smiled politely but remained silent. Let them continue to believe that her interest in biotech was merely a hobby, a sideline to her primary role in Arasaka's security division.
Eventually, James Thomas called the meeting to order.
"I won't rehash the success of the Brasilia operation," he said. "Vera Adelheid Russell, as of today, you are promoted to the rank of Security Chief and appointed head of the Special Rapid Response Force. You will now participate in the internal management of the Security Bureau."
"Arasaka Corporation, Tokyo Global Headquarters: The order is effective immediately."
...
The meeting wrapped up quickly. Promotions at Arasaka rarely needed more than a formal acknowledgment, especially when the new commander wasn't parachuted in from outside.
Back in her office, Vera smiled as she reviewed her newly updated file and security clearance.
Beep—
A notification appeared on her screen.
Sender: Arasaka Transportation Management Bureau – Night City
Message: Dear Vera Adelheid Russell, your exclusive AV (aerial vehicle) 'Holy Sword' is ready for pickup. Please visit our office at your convenience.
Her personal flying car was finally ready.
But first...
Vera grabbed a bottle of champagne and headed toward the reception hall on the first floor of Arasaka Tower, accompanied by her two bodyguards. They made their way to the Arasaka Memorial just outside the hall.
The monument commemorated not only the devastating nuclear explosion of 2023 but also Arasaka's triumphant return to Night City in 2069. Her parents' names were etched among the fallen.
Reaching the monument, Vera opened the champagne. Ignoring the expense of Heaven brand champagne, she poured it over the stone, letting the wine soak into the ground. With half the bottle still full, she paused, took a long drink, and left the bottle at the foot of the monument.
Two bodyguards stood at a respectful distance as Vera silently lowered her head.
Inside the tower, hidden behind the reflective glass of Arasaka's imposing structure, a shadow watched her every move.
— — —
Vera straightened up after her moment of silence, bowing respectfully toward the monument. This was her way of honoring her biological parents—both victims of Arasaka's power struggles.
In Night City, belief in anything beyond survival seemed futile, and the citizens passing by the monument seemed to think the same. Drunkards lounged nearby, but the sight of two heavily augmented Arasaka bodyguards—one black and one white—was enough to sober them up fast.
The Arasaka patrols recognized Vera's executive rank and moved in to clear the area. Scanning the crowd with their cybernetic eyes, they quickly dispersed any loiterers.
Vera stood in respectful silence for several minutes, her mind far away.
Her parents had died in the line of duty in 2069. Now, in 2074, at just 21, she had been promoted to head of the Special Rapid Response Force.
Still, she wasn't close to her father's rank—he had been Deputy Director of the First Police Division. And in Arasaka, there was an unspoken rule of intergenerational depletion. She knew that her promotion was nearing the limit of her father's legacy. To rise higher, she would have to rely entirely on her own abilities.
"You will get what you wanted," Vera whispered, touching the cold marble. "I will climb to the top, just like you wanted."
She raised her eyes toward the top of Arasaka Tower, the clover logo barely visible in the evening light. "The very top."
With that, she turned to leave.
But just as she stepped onto the stairs leading back into the tower, something caught her attention. She paused, narrowing her eyes. Someone had been watching her. Watching with hatred.
Her gaze darted toward an overpass not far from the plaza. A fleeting figure—a woman—disappeared into the crowd. Vera caught a glimpse of something glowing: white hair, tinged with the faintest rainbow hue.
"Madam?" one of the bodyguards asked, immediately noticing her hesitation. He scanned the area but saw nothing out of the ordinary.
Vera smiled, shaking her head. "It's nothing. Just someone interesting."
...
"Huff... Huff..."
Leaning against a wall, the white-haired woman struggled to catch her breath. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she pressed herself deeper into the shadowed corner of the overpass. Her asymmetrical white hair, tipped with rainbow, fell across her face, concealing her startled eyes.
"That Arasaka exec... she's sharp."
Her voice trembled as she muttered to herself. She had merely glared at the Arasaka woman out of old resentment, and yet, in that brief moment, Vera had locked onto her. As if she knew.
But they hadn't chased her. "No... she couldn't have identified me that quickly," she reassured herself. Still, she decided, she'd lay low for a while.
Just as she reached for a cigarette to calm her nerves, her comms buzzed.
Ding—
"Hello, this is Lucy... Kiwi?"
...
Far above the streets of Night City, Vera walked through the pristine, white hallways of Arasaka's Biotechnology Research Department.
She pushed open the door to her personal lab, a space she hadn't visited in weeks. Security might be her life, but biotech was her carefully crafted persona.
Sitting down at her desk, Vera activated the lab's terminal, skimming through business documents. Among them, a message from Arasaka's partner company, Dangerous Girl, caught her eye.
The client was asking for an update.