"So Arasaka Sesen really did come to Night City?" Sitting in his top-floor penthouse apartment in a megatower, Karl welcomed Kenichiro Ken,
"So Arasaka Sesen really did come to Night City?"
Sitting in his top-floor penthouse apartment in a megatower, Karl welcomed Kenichiro Ken, who had arrived by hovercar. The moment Ken sat down, Karl got straight to the point.
"Why would he even bother coming to Night City?"
"Routine inspection."
Kenichiro Ken sat on the sofa across from Karl. When Oliver and the others handed him a beer, he glanced at the group standing nearby. Out of courtesy, he accepted the beer and set it down in front of him, then continued:
"Arasaka's American branch may have become a semi-independent power in practice, but in name, it's still part of the main Arasaka Corporation. Every year, someone is sent to inspect the branch. This year, it just happens to be Sesen."
Karl picked up on a subtle change in Ken's tone when he mentioned Arasaka Sesen.
"What's with the tone? Is there something about him?"
"Would you like it if a hawk barged into your home and made a mess?"
"I might actually enjoy it. Haven't seen many birds around in a dump like Night City."
Karl, of course, understood Ken's real meaning.
"So, he's here to stir the pot? Try to seize control of Arasaka America?"
"Even if he came with that in mind, he wouldn't be able to pull it off."
Ken said this with complete confidence. As a vice president of Arasaka, his authority backed his words.
If Arasaka Sesen truly came here to win the loyalty of Arasaka's American division, he was dreaming.
The American branch had become a power of its own thanks to Arasaka Michiko's machinations—no easy opponent. Trying to seize someone else's foundation on their turf? Not happening. Clearly, Sesen had come for something else.
Then Ken brought up a name Karl had nearly forgotten.
"Remember the blue-eyed intruder you captured at the Arasaka Tower party?"
"Yeah. The one who might've been under the influence of a rogue AI, right?"
Karl thought back.
"I remember Maki and I were invited to that event. You all bailed halfway through—was that why?"
"You know more than I expected."
"I was there the whole time. Hard not to notice. So what—Sesen came because of that AI?"
"He's here to retrieve the special personnel."
"Retrieve them?"
Karl blinked, surprised.
"I don't know the details, but judging by how seriously you're taking this, that person must be important. If Sesen wants them, shouldn't he offer something in exchange?"
"This is a direct order from the head of Arasaka. Sesen is simply delivering it."
The head of Arasaka?
There was only one person in the world that title referred to.
No matter how many factions Michiko or Sesen built, they were both beneath one man—
Saburo Arasaka.
"Saburo Arasaka? Aren't he and Sesen completely at odds? Why would Sesen obediently carry out his father's orders like some loyal dog?"
Karl couldn't believe it.
Everyone knew about the hostile relationship between the two. If they weren't literally trying to kill each other, it was only because both were holding back.
It sounded as absurd as saying Oliver got kidnapped off the street by some beautiful lady who wanted to lock him up and marry him.
Suddenly feeling an odd chill, Oliver looked around. Seeing nothing out of place, he quietly turned up the thermostat.
Ken responded calmly:
"Regardless, Sesen is still part of Arasaka."
"So being part of Arasaka means you follow Saburo's every command? I think it's more likely Sesen has his own agenda. Maybe he wants the personnel for himself."
"That's entirely possible."
Ken didn't deny it. He then got to the reason for his visit.
"That's why I want you to take another protection job."
"Again? We're not full-time bodyguards, you know."
Karl sighed, though he wasn't actually rejecting the request. As mercs, their gigs weren't limited to assassinations—guard duty came with the territory. It all came down to payment.
"So what's the reward this time?"
"Your Skytower Hera's busted, right?"
"You planning to give us a new ride?"
"No."
Ken looked directly at Karl.
"I know you. You'd rather fix the old one. I'll grant you full access to a parts warehouse at Arasaka Seaside. You can take whatever you need."
A full parts warehouse.
Not bad.
Karl wasn't much of a modder himself, so he glanced at V.
V's cyberoptic eye was glowing.
Got it.
Truth be told, Karl's attachment to the Skytower Hera was more sentimental than practical. He'd considered retiring it and buying something new.
But seeing V's excitement—and knowing what Oliver and Jack would do with unrestricted access to a parts depot—Karl could already imagine the three of them rebuilding something so absurdly customized that it barely resembled the original Hera at all.
Whether it would still count as the same Hera… that was a Ship of Theseus debate for another day.
"We'll take the job."
As the team's front man, Karl made it official.
Ken wasn't surprised. He reached into his coat and placed a few items on the table.
"This time, Karl, you'll act as my personal bodyguard under your KK identity. As for your team..."
He didn't need to finish.
The others had already seen the ID cards on the table.
V picked up one with a familiar design.
"So these IDs weren't one-time use after all."
It was the same card marked "2" that he'd used the last time they infiltrated Arasaka Tower.
Oliver also grabbed his card and looked up.
"So when's the mission, Mr. Ken?"
"Four days from now."
Ken stood up.
"I'll contact you then."
"Same place? Arasaka Tower?"
"No."
Ken met Karl's eyes.
"This time, we'll be at sea."
At sea?
Karl had no idea what that meant.
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