“David, are you ready yet?” Gloria Martinez’s voice echoed through the apartment for what felt like the tenth time that morning.
“Coming, Mom!” David hurriedly adjusted his brand-new Arasaka Academy uniform while staring at himself in the mirror.
“Stop rushing me!” The words sounded confident enough, but the truth was that his stomach was tied into knots.
Today wasn’t just another day.
It was the beginning of his future.
Gloria stepped into the room before he could finish straightening his collar.
Without saying a word, she reached over and fixed his tie herself.
Years of working long shifts hadn’t dulled her motherly instincts.
“There.” She took a step back.
A bright smile appeared on her face.
“Perfect.” David shifted awkwardly.
The uniform fit surprisingly well.
The black-and-red academy jacket carried the unmistakable Arasaka logo on the chest.
Expensive materials hugged his frame, making him look far more important than he actually felt.
Gloria placed both hands on his shoulders.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
The pride in her eyes was impossible to miss.
David felt something tighten in his chest.
Every overtime shift.
Every sacrifice.
Every sleepless night.
His mother had endured it all to get him here.
Seeing her smile made him smile too.
“Let’s go.” Gloria suddenly clapped her hands together.
“We don’t want traffic making us late.” David groaned.
“Mom, you’ve already said that like twenty times.” “Only twenty?” She raised an eyebrow.
“I can easily make it thirty.” David laughed despite himself.
The tension eased slightly.
Together, they left the apartment.
The moment they stepped outside, however, reality returned.
People noticed immediately.
The academy uniform made him impossible to miss.
Conversations erupted around them.
“Whoa.” “That’s David, right?” “He actually got into Arasaka Academy?” “No kidding.” A man nearby smirked.
“Looks like we’ve got a little corpo rat living here now.” Someone else immediately elbowed him.
“Watch your mouth.” “What if he remembers that later?” The first man snorted.
“Please.” “You think I’m scared of some kid?” David lowered his eyes.
The comments weren’t particularly surprising.
Still, they stung.
People looked at him differently now.
Some were impressed.
Some were jealous.
Some seemed almost hostile.
It was strange.
Yesterday he had been just another kid from Santo Domingo.
Today, he suddenly belonged to a different world.
Sensing his discomfort, Gloria reached over and squeezed his hand.
“Ignore them.” David looked at her.
“They’re jealous.” Her voice remained calm.
“If Arasaka offered them a spot tomorrow, they’d be fighting each other to get inside.” That earned a reluctant smile from David.
Maybe she was right.
“I know.” Gloria nodded.
“Good.” A few minutes later, they climbed into Gloria’s aging yellow car.
Compared to the luxury vehicles seen elsewhere in Night City, it looked ancient.
But to David, it was home.
The engine sputtered before finally starting.
Then they began the drive toward Arasaka Academy.
As the vehicle moved farther away from Santo Domingo, the scenery gradually transformed.
The difference was impossible to ignore.
The streets became cleaner.
The buildings grew taller.
The neon signs looked brighter.
Security patrols appeared more frequently.
Even the air seemed different.
By the time they entered the districts surrounding Arasaka Academy, David felt as though he had crossed into another city entirely.
Gone were the piles of trash.
Gone were the broken streets.
Gone were the homeless camps.
Instead, beautiful gardens decorated sidewalks.
Perfectly maintained trees lined the roads.
Massive holographic advertisements illuminated the skyline.
Luxury vehicles filled the streets.
Some models David didn’t even recognize.
Each one probably cost more than his mother’s annual salary.
The farther they drove, the smaller David felt.
For the first time, he truly understood what it meant to be poor.
Soon, they arrived at the academy checkpoint.
The guard immediately looked surprised when Gloria’s modest vehicle rolled forward.
The old yellow car stood out among the expensive corporate transports.
Still, the guard maintained his professionalism.
“Good morning, ma’am.” He smiled politely.
“Please provide your authorization.” “Of course.” Gloria submitted her credentials.
A moment later, the system verified them.
The guard’s expression brightened considerably.
“Oh.” He looked toward David.
“So this is him.” David suddenly felt even more nervous.
The guard smiled warmly.
“You’ve raised an exceptional son, Ms.
Martinez.” Gloria’s face lit up instantly.
“I’m sure he’ll make the most of this opportunity.” “Thank you.” The words clearly meant a great deal to her.
The checkpoint opened.
As Gloria drove forward, David stared ahead silently.
His uneasy feeling only grew stronger.
Something told him life at Arasaka Academy wouldn’t be simple.
Not at all.
— Meanwhile.
High above Night City.
A luxury Arasaka AV sliced through the sky.
Inside, Victor Vermilles sat comfortably while reviewing his schedule.
“Confirm today’s itinerary.” He glanced toward his assistant.
“Arasaka Academy.” “Unless there’s an emergency, I don’t want interruptions this morning.” “Understood, Minister.” Victor closed the file.
The recent operations had kept him busy.
Today would be comparatively peaceful.
At least, that was the hope.
He finished dressing before stepping onto the rooftop helipad attached to his penthouse.
Canris and Brandt were already waiting.
“Boss.” Victor nodded.
“Let’s go.” The three boarded the AV.
The interior was spacious enough to rival a luxury apartment.
The onboard AI activated immediately.
[Please confirm destination.] “Arasaka Academy.” [Route confirmed.
Estimated arrival time: twelve minutes.] The aircraft lifted smoothly into the air.
As Night City shrank beneath them, Victor turned toward Brandt.
“How did yesterday’s mission go?” Brandt grinned.
“Easy.” Victor immediately became suspicious.
Every time Brandt said a mission was easy, paperwork followed.
“The Counter-Intelligence Department needed help grabbing a witness under protection from the 6th Street Gang.” Brandt shrugged.
“We handled it.” Then he pointed at Victor.
“Don’t forget my bonus.” Canris nearly laughed.
Victor rolled his eyes.
“We’ll see.” Brandt immediately looked offended.
“Boss.” Victor smirked.
“I’ll decide after reviewing the expense reports.” Brandt sighed dramatically.
Life was difficult.
Victor ignored him and looked toward Canris.
“Academy security?” “Fully prepared.” Canris answered instantly.
“Everyone assigned today has been vetted.” “No issues expected.” Victor nodded approvingly.
“Good.” The conversation continued throughout the flight.
Gradually, familiar landmarks appeared beneath them.
Victor recognized many of them immediately.
After all, he had once been a student at Arasaka Academy himself.
A soft chime sounded.
[Approaching destination.] The AV descended.
Instead of landing at the public pads outside the campus, it headed directly toward a secured internal zone.
A reception team was already waiting.
The aircraft touched down smoothly.
Before anyone exited, several Arasaka security drones deployed automatically and conducted a complete perimeter scan.
Standard protocol.
Canris exited first.
Brandt followed.
Victor stepped out last.
The moment he appeared, several officials hurried forward.
Leading them was a short man wearing square glasses and an expensive suit.
The smile on his face looked almost painful.
“Minister Victor Vermilles.” The man bowed deeply.
“Welcome back to Arasaka Academy.” “It is truly an honor.” Victor simply nodded.
“Lead the way.” The man immediately obeyed.
Soon, more people approached.
Board members.
Corporate managers.
Parents of students.
Executives seeking opportunities.
Every single one wanted something.
Promotions.
Connections.
Influence.
Power.
Victor understood perfectly.
Arasaka wasn’t merely a corporation.
It was a ladder.
And everyone wanted to climb.
Among the crowd, three individuals stood out.
The first was Richard Hayes.
A veteran supervisor from the Security Department.
The man had spent years stuck in the same position.
Promotion opportunities were rapidly disappearing.
The second was Daniel Cross.
One of Victor’s own supervisors from the Special Operations Department.
The man practically radiated desperation.
Every sentence sounded like an attempt to impress his superior.
Victor found it mildly amusing.
Still, people like Daniel could be useful.
Ambitious subordinates often worked the hardest.
The third man was by far the most interesting.
Edward Kane.
Board member.
Senior researcher.
Head of Armed Cybernetics Development.
More importantly— The man was connected to the Cyber-Kong project.
Victor’s interest immediately increased.
Edward approached respectfully.
Unlike the others, he wasn’t trying to hide his intentions.
His son wanted a position inside Special Operations.
And Edward wanted Victor’s opinion regarding Cyber-Kong.
Straightforward.
Honest.
Refreshing.
Victor preferred that.
The Special Operations Department offered significant advantages over standard security assignments.
Higher salaries.
Better cyberware.
Faster promotions.
More influence.
Of course, the danger level could become extreme.
But only when things went wrong.
Most days, Special Operations personnel enjoyed lives far safer than ordinary security officers.
Their equipment alone made the difference.
Military-grade cyberware.
Custom enhancements.
Experimental technology.
Resources ordinary employees could only dream about.
As Victor listened to Edward explain his son’s qualifications, he remained thoughtful.
Whether the young man joined Special Operations depended on two things.
His talent.
And his usefulness.
After all…
In Arasaka, opportunities weren’t given freely.
They were investments.
And Victor Vermilles never invested without expecting a return.
——————————– CREATORS’ THOUGHTS ShadowSamuraiTL Have some idea about my story?
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