Cyberpunk: Arasaka Secret Son

"Arc has taught you WHAT!!!?" exclaimed Judy, finding it hard to believe Sora's brief explanation of his encounter with Arc.

"Shh, quiet down, will you?" Sora said, turning towards the unknown guest who had been startled by Judy's sudden outburst, and by the recriminating way in which he kept looking at them...

Triggering Sora's chaotic behavior, "What the hell are you looking at old man? Do you want trouble?"

Surprising the guest with a good look despite his age with the sudden threat, which was more fitting for the streets of Night City than the privileged event they were attending.

"No, I just-" Not getting to finish before he was interrupted...

"It's a joke, look all you want, old man. Isn't she lovely?" by Sora, who changed his tone again, even with his hand encouraging the guest to appreciate Judy.

The bewildered guest responded, "Eh?!, Yes, yes, she looks like a charming young lady."

Causing another shift in Sora's demeanor when he heard this. "Oi don't push it, she has a boyfriend."

Once again, making the guest uncomfortable not knowing how to respond, he tried to excuse himself; "No, I was just-"

Unable to finish again, he was interrupted by Sora, as he walked away against his will "Yeah, now you aren't doing anything. I'm not blind, old man; I saw how you looked at her!, and a moment ago, you called her 'charming.' I've got you figured out, you scoundrel!"

Being pushed by Judy, with her face showing mixed emotions— she couldn't help but smile at Sora's chaotic behavior, but at the same time, shooking her head in exasperation for having to endure it.

"Tch. So envious...! And what do you plan to do with everything Arc has taught you?" Judy said, steering the conversation back as they continued walking as if nothing had happened.

"Build it, of course," Sora responded enthusiastically.

"Where? We don't have any place where you can build something like that, and are you planning to start from scratch?" Judy replied, dampening his enthusiasm.

"I could make renovations in the workshop 'basement,' and as for starting from '0,' I have some ideas in mind," Sora added, briefly looking at the Blackaquila exposed on the rooftop helipad, heavily guarded by most of Militech's guards, who had come out to the terrace shortly after landing, leaving only Morgan, Avaray, and Norris inside the penthouse.

"You're kidding, right?" Judy asked rhetorically about the basement renovation "joke".

"Ahmm... Yes, by the look on your face, it seems like I am "joking". Besides, I need a place where I can enter and exit without drawing attention in the future... I can't think of anything within the city... Maybe outside, in the badlands? But it would take too long every day to get in and out of the city... Ugh, what a hassle..." Sora sighed lazily, realizing all the work and problems that awaited him even before starting the Prowler Project.

"Good luck; I can't wait for the day you take me on a trip... heh," Judy responded, savoring the irony and secretly relishing all the work that awaited Sora, feeling envious of his Nanobots and the AI that had just assisted him.

Shortly after they had distanced themselves from the Militech group, a couple of familiar faces were waiting for them: Sora and Judy's two lawyers, along with Bes standing a few meters away from Harvey and Louis.

This caused them to look at each other as they approached Sora and Judy at the same time, with Bes nodding her head, allowing Harvey and Louis to approach them first, given their Legal Vulture appearance.

Positioning herself around the group, close enough to hear their conversation like a good journalist would.

"We've already seen your encounter with Myers' son" Louis said, speaking first. "Do we need to worry, or can we focus on our lawsuit against Militech?"

"Oh, sure, I'm sorry," Sora said sarcastically. "As if it's been going so well so far..." He continued, "Don't worry, you can keep working on that shit that's not getting anywhere. I've already come up with a way to even the score." Sora commented, not adding what he thought next: 'If Militech steals from me, I...'

"It's not our fault," Harvey intervened, before adding. "Unfortunately, our lawsuit is not moving forward, largely due to Militech's connections in the American judicial system. If we had taken the complaint to another country, we could have expedited the legal process. But you both, despite my recommendations, decided to keep Iron Beast's headquarters in Night City."

Avoiding naming names, Harvey looked at Sora and said, "You have dual citizenship, having been born in Japan. It would have been easy to change Iron Beast's headquarters to Japan, and I assure you that Militech does not have the same influence there.

Furthermore, your saying that you'll take care of it only makes me worry about the madness that has occurred to you and the subsequent lawsuits I'll have to handle."

Sora, wishing he could smoke, still upset about Militech's exposure and with no intention of getting Iron Beast involved in "Saburo Oji-chan's backyard," quickly responded to Harvey with a sincere, "That's what I pay you for, fuck you."

His blunt and sincere reply, "Hahah- hmpt. Sorry," made someone who had been paying attention to the conversation laugh.

Seeing that they were being listened to so frivolously, Harvey and Louis bid farewell to Sora and Judy, leaving the two of them with Bes, as the lights dimmed and the stage lit up for Biotechnica's presentation.

On the illuminated stage, the elegant figure of Excella Loggagia, Biotechnica's heiress, was bathed in the spotlight. Behind her, two holographic screens displayed images of lush natural parks, clear rivers, and green, leafy trees.

Excella began her speech in a lighthearted tone. "Ladies and gentlemen, and new guests, thank you for joining us tonight. As a representative of Biotechnica, it is an honor for me to share with you our latest advances in our environmental conservation and recovery project."

There was an approving murmur in the audience as Excella continued, "For years, Biotechnica has invested millions of Eurodollars and the hard work of our employees to restore some of the most iconic natural areas worldwide.

For example, Yellowstone in the New United States, a place that had lost its beauty due to pollution, war, and global warming. Thanks to the government's support in granting us these lands, Biotechnica has managed to restore its former glory, returning it to its natural state and making it accessible for all of us to enjoy what was once lost."

Excella spoke with a disinterested tone and speech that made her almost seem like a benevolent goddess on stage. As the images on the holographic screens behind her corroborated her words, also showing the luxurious hotels that Biotechnica had built in those iconic places so that "everyone" willing to pay an unreasonable amount of Eddies could enjoy them.

The audience applauded passionately in approval, demonstrating the high regard and great public image that Biotechnica had, not only as the creators of CHOOH2 but also as the leading creators of food in their gigantic greenhouses and the foremost corporation in drug manufacturing and genetic editing.

Bes took advantage of the pause created by the applause and asked, "What do you think, isn't it incredible what Biotechnica has achieved?"

"Why do you care what I think?" Sora replied dryly.

"Nothing really, but that's how conversations start," Bes said indifferently.

"If you want to talk, ask Judy; she likes you," Sora replied.

"From your words, you suggest that you don't," Bes added falsely hurt.

Sora sighed before responding honestly, "Ahmm... You're annoying, Bes. Every time you open your mouth, it's for your own interest, to try to solve some of the questions that plague you. I'm not playing, I pass.

Furthermore, your question is loaded; even though you say Biotechnica, what you really want to know is what I think about corporate propaganda in general."

With a mischievous smile, Bes replied, "Well, you've already given me an answer, haven't you? Considering Biotechnica's attempts to repair the environment as nothing more than 'propaganda.'"

"Hah, repair, don't make me laugh; even though they look green, they might as well have painted them," Sora said, finding amusement in the way Biotechnica was "repairing the environment."

Before adding: "The lands 'recovered' by Biotechnica are so heavily chemically fertilized that nothing can thrive on them, not even 'regular' insects. In the end, they are no different from a beautiful screensaver with no real purpose other than looking pretty.

They market it as if they're doing it for the 'greater good,' when in reality, it's only for the benefit of a 'few' willing to pay the exorbitant amount that Biotechnica hotels demand to enjoy them."

"Not wanting to 'play,' you're saying quite a bit" Bes said, enjoying the speech... reminding her of old times.

This prompted Judy to chime in, "Pfss... Please. As if he needed an excuse to give one of his speeches. It seems like he only does it to relish in hearing his own voice..."

"Of course, I do! And who wouldn't!? It's like listening to liquid candy. It's just that you've grown accustomed to that pleasure, taking it for granted, and don't appreciate it," Sora joked shamelessly, speaking about his own voice, causing Judy to roll her eyes.

Bes couldn't help but smile as she listened to the conversation between the young couple until the 'he' added, "Even so, I'll say that, although I think that, and it might seem hypocritical... I couldn't care less about what they do as long as it doesn't affect me... and if I can use it to my advantage, I will."

"What does that mean?" Judy asked, intrigued by Sora's cryptic words.

"What will it be?" Sora replied, alluding to a response, without needing to see the face beneath his helmet, to imagine his smile as he said it.

Ending their conversation when the guests' applause settled down and Biotechnica's presentation proceeded.

"However," Excella continued, "The question we must ask ourselves is: How long can Biotechnica sustain these ecosystems that require constant intervention and a significant amount of resources to maintain their state?"

Excella's brief pause filled the room with suspense before she revealed, "The truth is, despite our tireless efforts, these areas cannot indefinitely depend on our constant maintenance. We must seek a sustainable solution, and if nature doesn't adapt to the changes on Earth...

At Biotechnica, we will make it adapt."

Following Excella's impactful words, the screens displayed images of a close-up of a group of bees in a transparent-walled box within a pristine laboratory.

Excella explained, "Allow me to introduce you to the pollinator bee, Apis Mellifera, which was previously extinct but has been brought back by Biotechnica." Before the applause from the guests began, Excella quickly added, "However, we haven't brought back an extinct species only to lose it again shortly after reintroducing them to their new habitats. At Biotechnica, we've learned from past mistakes and created a new breed of pollinator bee."

"The bees you're seeing are the genetically modified version, the Novo Apis Mellifera. They are more resistant to temperature changes and have a genetically enhanced immune system to increase efficiency against diseases and infections.

But as with everything, there are limits to what genetic editing can achieve. That's why, as the idea's creator advised, and as the saying goes on the streets, we decided to 'Chrome' them.

Allow me to present the other part of the project, a collaboration with the young Night City company. Unlike other corporations that seek only destruction and are so shameless to rejoice in their theft, at Biotechnica, we align with people pursuing peaceful technology use.

That's why I present to you the 'Chromed' version, the Iron Apis, created by the chosen company to collaborate in Biotechnica's noble goal: Iron Beast!"

Excella says, revealing the secret collaboration with Iron Beast, with a subtle jab at Militech included, so secret that even the CEO wasn't aware of, by the look on Judy's face when she, like the rest of the guests, found out about her company's collaboration with Biotechnica.

Soon after Excella's words, one of the scientists, clad in white like the room, opened a small duct into the transparent box. Allowing entry to a larger group of silver drones, approaching the other bees, releasing the same pheromones, and moving like the rest. Shortly thereafter, acting like another bee in the hive.

"What you're seeing isn't just a robotic creation of a bee; these are the 'chromed' guardians that the Novo Apis lacked to survive in the wild, compensating for the weaknesses that genetic editing couldn't address. With an AI trained by Iron Beast for 24/7 monitoring and assistance, such as..."

Following Excella's words, a new change occurred in the images. The transparent box began to fill with a suspicious greenish gas. "What you're seeing is a sample of C1-211, one of the largest radioactive pollution clouds that covers the American Midwest."

After a brief explanation, could be seen how the bees gathered in one corner of the box, escaping the poisonous gas as best as they could. Then, the silver drones, twice the size, positioned themselves in front and, in unison, began flapping their wings, creating a barrier of air that pushed the poison away from the other bees. When the box's air vents were opened, the silver drones took flight, expelling the greenish gas within seconds.

Amidst the guests' awe-inspired silence due to the drones' efficiency, Excella continued her presentation. "What you've just witnessed is just a small sample of what these drones are capable of, I assure you. Thanks to them, we've taken our first step toward self-sufficiency. With an adapted pollinator breed now capable of living in its new environment, with a total of 1,267 – I apologize, make that 1,269 – two new larvae have been born while I was speaking, instantly reported by the 217 robotic drones guarding over the 20 different colonies currently living freely in Yellowstone.

Personally designed by Iron Beast's co-founder, who asked only for a few seeds from Biotechnica as payment, and who also insisted that we credit the CEO and co-creator of Iron Beast, the one who convinced him to accept our collaboration, as well as the mercenary Okami who worked as a go-between and helped in the negotiations. I am grateful to both of them, especially to you, Judy, dear. I thank you personally."

As Excella finished speaking on stage, she began applauding the perplexed Judy among the guests, who had no idea what the 'hell!' was going on. Not only did Excella applaud her, but the rest of the guests around Judy joined in, pleasantly surprised by the selfless work of the young Night City company. This contrasted sharply with their hypocrisy just moments earlier at the Militech exhibition when they had looked down on them with derision and laughter.

Hanako, too, joined in, more composed as she understood the connection between her son with Excella. And how he used it not only to surprise his partner but also to capitalize on Biotechnica's fame to boost his company's reputation and his career as Merc.

Hanako wondered what else her son had planned, never for a moment believing that him had shared his designs so selflessly, reminding her of her father, Saburo, in that regard.

As the crowd quieted down, ending their applause, and Excella concluded her presentation. Bes approached Sora, still teasing the embarrassed Judy, who demanded answers from him and interrupted them by asking, "Boy, what are you planning?"

Sora sighed, slightly irritated at having his amusement interrupted, replied, "Again? Are you going to keep this up all night? What do you want, old bag?'"

Bes didn't back down and continued, "What are you planning by collaborating with Biotechnica? It seemed like you despised the corporate world, but at the same time, you seem to have a talent for navigating it, don't you?"

Bes's comment got Sora to chuckle ironically before he responded, "Well, you could say it runs in the blood. As for what I'm planning, I want you to meet someone."

Bes, full of questions, fired them all at once, "Who? Why? What are you talking about?"

Without warning, all her questions vanished when Bes noticed a change. When she heard Sora's response in her head, ["If I told you that, out of all the corporations, Biotechnica is one of the ones that freaks me out the most, would you believe me?"]

Bes was caught off guard by Sora's statement, making her instead of demanding an answer for the hacking of her IDn, ask: ["Why?"].

Sora continued to explain his perspective, ["Militech, as they've shown, is more interested in hardware than software. Arasaka is the opposite, more focused on the digital world than the physical one. Probably showcasing some software, firewall, or some other shit like that during their presentation to the public

Both corporations are at least being honest with what they seek, power and influence, walking different paths to get it, but using the same thing to propel them... people's lives and souls, burning them as fuel...

But what is Biotechnica seeking? What is their 'noble goal'? A hippie world where everyone is a vegetarian, with a joint in their hand, and their best friend is a tree?"] Sora paused after concluding his hypothetical "noble cause" of Biotechnica, before adding in reply to himself ["I doubt it..."]

For a moment, Bes saw someone else instead of the young man in a suit and helmet, smiling to herself as she continued to listen to Johnny's son.

["Apart from their seemingly altruistic projects, their public use of dangerous medications while concealing the side effects, and the rumors surrounding their non-public investigations make me question what Biotechnica's true objective is. Is it some kind of 'Umbrella'? Pharmaceutical companies always manage to freak me out!"]

First and foremost, Bes couldn't deny his reasoning and asked about the only part she couldn't quite follow: ["'Umbrella?'"]

["It's an evil pharmaceutical company from a zombie video game series,"] Sora answered sincerely.

This immediately exasperated Bes, who exclaimed, ["Boy, you can't seriously share all that and then say something like that. You're undermining your credibility completely!"]

Sora shrugged, seemingly indifferent, and said, ["I don't care if you believe me, Bes. What's important is that I have someone I want you to meet. She's determined and highly motivated to expose Biotechnica, and you're one of the few who has the guts to inform the public about it. Plus, thanks to the little AI I've slipped into Biotechnica, I can give you a hand."]

["And who is she?"] Bes inquired, biting the metaphorical bait that Sora had skillfully thrown. The idea of "unmasking" a corporation while simultaneously highlighting her worth as a journalist proved to be a temptation too enticing for Bes to resist.

["Her name is Sasha,"] Sora replied, sending Bes a new contact on her IDn, ["Tell her you want to help her seek justice for her mother. If you say that, I'm sure you'll grab her attention. Avoid mentioning me or my Merc Name as much as you can. You won't gain anything good from it, we don't have the best relationship."] Sora said before ending the call, shifting the topic. Looking at Bes one last time as she nodded in response.

As Bes and Sora wrapped up their conversation, Excella shared the latest data on the conservation project, and when she finished, she bid farewell, receiving a deafening applause that overshadowed the one received by Militech.

Shortly thereafter, to conclude the exhibitions, a composed man dressed in an elegant black kimono took the stage. As he did so, Sora noticed how her mother's group subtly moved closer to them, but not too much, as they were with Bes.

The presence of Yorinobu Arasaka on the stage commanded respect and fear among the attendees, especially due to his last name and the daunting "hodgepodge of metal" that was Smasher, positioning himself in front of the stage alongside Yorinobu's bodyguard, in a suit, oni mask, and katana,

The room filled with murmurs as Yorinobu took center of the stage. He patiently waited for the noise to subside before commencing his presentation. "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your patience and for granting me the honor of closing the impressive exhibitions we've had on this special night, commemorating the beloved creator of Night City.

As an Arasaka, I have the honor of presenting to you a project that is necessary in the times we live in, one that will change our perception of cybersecurity."

As Yorinobu unveiled the nature of the Arasaka project, Bes looked at the young man who had predicted it correctly. Who responded to her impressed gaze with a cocky posture, opening his palms in a 'told ya so' fashion.

Yorinobu used one of the giant holographic screens behind him to display images from a peculiar event that took place three years ago in Night City. Surprising Sora, Judy, Hanako, and Harvey as they watched the images displayed on the holographic screen in front of all the guests.

Transmitting a shot of one of the streets of Night City, and showing all the holographic screens full of advertising that flooded the street, changing to broadcast the same video of a white figure with youthful, masculine features, playing a touching melody on a grand black piano, set against an idyllic backdrop of blue skies and reflective floors, creating a mesmerizing effect.

The images on the holographic screen at the gala transitioned to various streets and districts of the city, all featuring the same figure playing the piano, as if it were a virus infecting the entire city.

The audience fell silent, with mixed reactions filling the room, many of them being residents of the city who remembered vividly where they were when it happened. Some were stuck in elevators, others were caught in traffic jams, forced to listen to the melody broadcast on all radio stations, while some were walking through Sector Zero, entertained by the unexpected performance.

All of them remembered the unsolved mystery from three years ago. Others who didn't live in Night City vaguely recalled international news covering the peculiar hacking of Night City's servers.

Judy, Hanako, and Harvey, their gazes coincided, all of them looking at the person responsible. Meanwhile, the aforementioned responsible was more interested in his uncle's presentation than he had anticipated.

After the images concluded, Yorinobu finally broke the silence, explaining the significance behind what appeared to be an innocuous event.

"What you are seeing, though many of you might find it banal, harmless, or simply the work of a trivial network artist seeking attention, and I agree... But, couldn't be more wrong," Yorinobu said, under the attentive gaze of the "trivial artist" among the guests.

Yorinobu added with gravitas, "We, or at least the part of Arasaka I lead, consider this one of the most dangerous threats to cybersecurity since Moss and his destructive Datakrash."

"Three years ago, a strange code emerged out of nowhere in one of the city's servers and quickly spread across the network, infecting any server it encountered, regardless of how advanced their firewalls or security measures were. Although it wasn't made public, it infiltrated the private cyberspace of several corporations and infected our servers..." Yorinubo paused briefly before adding, "Something that hasn't happened since Moss."

Getting the viewers to grasp how dangerous this code was, Yorinobu shifted his tone from serene to serious. "While Netwatch keeps what happened that day in the network secret, even from the corporations that were affected, we at Arasaka got to work. We created a new type of code based on everything we learned from the event three years ago. I present to you: the Pharalax Firewall."

On the screen behind Yorinobu, the Arasaka symbol that had been broadcasting changed to images of a dark and claustrophobic place, with walls and lines reminiscent of 8-bit style, showing the current human perspective when entering the net, or as it's known, the "Netrunner's view."

A red hexagonal cell appeared in the images, rotating on itself, revealing Arasaka's new Pharalax Firewall. It began to divide into layers of hexagons, filling the entire plane on the screen. Making it possible to glimpse the "new" code with which the red hexagons were formed.

This "new" code seemed to lack apparent sense, composed of a variety of characters that changed and moved seemingly irrationally. However, to Hanako and Sora, this sequence was eerily familiar, resembling the code used in the Soulcode, or rather, the failed program it was based on: the Soulkiller, specifically, the code that formed the resulting engrams.

This realization sent a disturbing shiver down their spines, as they both arrived at the grim conclusion that the "new" Pharalax Firewall was created from the code generated by the Soulkiller, essentially formed from the digitized consciousness of engrams.

Having something with consciousness, memories, and feelings waxed and used in some way, turned into tools, literally as Sora had mentioned earlier, even using their souls for their benefit.

"It's still premature to state it," Yorinobu continued, his tone carrying a mixture of caution and confidence, "due to how the strange code vanished three years ago without a trace, in spite of the search that we initiated on the net and... outside of it.

This has made it impossible to carry out the definitive test of Pharalax's efficiency."

"But allow me to share the results of our tests with all you," Yorinobu continued, a new change occurring on the screen as he backed his words with images of their tests. "We've subjected Pharalax to the most dangerous Daemons to date and the best-prepared Netrunners. None of them, so far, have managed to breach it."

The results shared by Yorinobu, along with the images demonstrating Pharalax in action, transformed the skepticism with which the supposed invincible Pharalax had been received into astonishment and respect among the guests.

Not only did Pharalax block dangerous malware, but when it came into contact with them, it seemed to burn them away, a similar effect occurring for Netrunners who, upon interacting with Pharalax, lost consciousness with expressions of pain before the images were cut, leaving the viewer to imagine the fate of the Netrunner.

Yorinobu continued his speech as the audience listened with renewed interest after witnessing its effectiveness. "Lastly, due to the intricate design of the new code used to create Pharalax, unfortunately, it cannot be copied and sold wholesale. It is intended to protect the main servers and the most sensitive data of our most select clients. Thank you for listening, and I hope to see you all as our most select clients."

Yorinobu concluded his presentation with a small joke, leaving a note of desire in the guests for Arasaka's new Pharalax due to its exclusivity, ending with a polite bow before leaving the stage

He received a thunderous round of applause, rivaling Militech's "Blackaquila," amidst the serious expressions of Hanako and Sora, as well as Bes, although for different reasons; she didn't like that corporate secrets seemed more secure than ever.

This matched the serious expressions of a few more guests, journalists, and Netrunners, within the various security teams, who didn't warmly receive the news about Arasaka's new apparently "invincible" Pharalax, contenting themselves with the knowledge of its exclusivity, hoping they wouldn't have the misfortune of encountering it.

Coinciding with the solemn expressions of a few more guests, journalists, and Netrunners, among the various security teams, who didn't exactly welcome the news about Arasaka's new seemingly "invincible" Pharalax with open arms, at least content with the knowledge of its exclusivity, hoping not to have the misfortune of encountering it.

As all the presentations concluded, Sienna Night returned to the stage.

"Although we've wrapped up the spectacular exhibitions for tonight, Night Corp still has more in store for this evening. Without further ado, I present to you our special guest performer-"

Interrupting her words, when she spotted her lime-haired assistant taking the stage. Sienna's expression soured when the assistant finished whispering something to her, which she quickly corrected as she stood in front of guests

Turning back to the guests, Sienna said, "It seems our guest performer is experiencing some issues before their act, so why don't we take advantage of these moments we've been given to discuss the breathtaking exhibitions we've seen tonight? If you'll excuse me, I have an artist to oblige by getting on stage."

Sienna gracefully maneuvered through the unexpected setback, earning laughter from the guests and giving them a few moments to converse before the night's performance.

Bes, with an ironic smile, commented, "Heh, it looks like Kerry's suddenly grown a pair."

Despite the slightly subdued mood after Arasaka's exhibition, his words caught the attention of Sora and Judy. She couldn't help but ask about the artist she knew personally, "Kerry's the guest artist?"

Bes nodded, sharing the scoop. "Yes, I wanted to keep it a surprise, but it seems he hasn't changed his mind... When he found out that hunk of metal would also attend last minute, he refused to play. But he had already signed the contract with Night Corp, and they didn't care about his complaints. The last I heard, he'd come to the tower, though he still refuses to perform in front of Smasher."

"Huh, I didn't know you two were in touch," Sora said, slightly surprised.

"Well, that's mostly on you, actually," Bes replied.

"Me?" Sora asked, looking confused.

"Yes, it had been ages since Kerry and I talked, since he bought his mansion in North Oak. There was too much baggage between us, and every conversation ended in an argument. Kerry had changed; he was depressed after-" Correcting herself, Bes continued, "He refused to admit he was depressed or seek help, and I pushed too hard, cooling our relationship and eventually causing us to stop talking altogether."

Bes spoke with a tone filled with remorse before lightening it as she continued, "But that changed three years ago when I stood outside his house with a group of women who had been abused by the Tygers."

"And what does that have to do with me, aside from the obvious?" Sora inquired, interrupting Bes.

"If you'd let me finish," as Bes responded, drawing a smile, "When you and Judy resurfaced a few days later, and you brought Judy to Kerry's house to clean up the chip dolls of the girls, even though you initially irritated him by touching his guitars, he genuinely enjoyed the time you both spent playing together while Judy worked."

"Oi, you shouldn't have opened your mouth—" Sora interjected again, sounding annoyed at what Bes was insinuating.

Before Sora could finish, Bes interrupted him again, adding with a smile, "Even if you don't believe it, Kerry realized it before I did. When you both left his house three years ago, Kerry told me, 'Only his son can play so fuck up like him.' I didn't understand it until later."

"What's that queer talking about?" Sora responded, bewildered by the first news he had about his playing style, with a joke that didn't amuse Judy, but...

"Hahah- Hmpt. Boy, don't call him that to his face. You know what? Go ahead! I'd love to see his reaction... Hahaha." After recovering, Bes explained, "He meant that you're also self-taught, right, kid?"

"Yeah," Sora nodded, recalling the hospital room where he learned to play the guitar on his own.

"'He' was self-taught too, Kerry wasn't. And even though Kerry played better technically and overall, for Kerry, 'he' was always the best guitarist in the group, even though 'he' played somewhat worse. The way 'he' played was unique, conveying all the crap 'he' had been through in every note 'he' played...

You, despite being so young and not supposed to be able to play like that, you did it. That's what Kerry meant.

Tell me, Boy, what the hell did you live through that comes out when you play?" Bes asked, not only getting Judy's attention, who, despite not playing, had sometimes wondered the same when listening to Sora play, giving her a sometimes despondent, sad, and lonely feeling.

But also to Hanako who had come closer, wanting to talk to her son about the Pharalax, but choosing to wait, while she also paid attention to a question that had also assaulted her when she heard one of his songs.

To their disappointment, when Sora replied, "Huh, what a strange thing... Anyway, I have no idea what you're talking about. I only have rainbows and unicorns in my head. Tell Kerry to grow a pair and play; I'm going to take a smoke."

Without waiting for a response, Sora headed to the terrace, aware of his mother's group nearby, leaving Judy in their care.

Upon emerging, Sora's helmet automatically opened, revealing the lower part of his face. He swiftly placed a cigarette in his mouth. Exhaling with the smoke, all the bitterness he had felt upon seeing his uncle's new creation, Pharalax, thinking about the state of the engrams it was made of might be in...

'Expect the worst, and you'll be right' Sora thought, recalling an old saying that had left a mark on him.

Leaning on one of the railings on the highest level of the terrace, Sora decided to stop dwelling on Pharalax as even his cigarette tasted bad. Instead, he looked at the heavily guarded Blackaquila, adjusting his plans for the evening to align with his future needs as the Blackaquila stood before him.

Sora formulated a mental draft, which required him to seek the assistance of someone... special. He turned away from the Blackaquila, shifting his gaze toward the interior of the penthouse and its guests, specifically a certain young lady dressed in a dazzling, quite literally, outfit.

And as he observed her, he transmitted a message through the network: ["Cortana, I need your help."]

-

Simultaneously, in Judy's grandparents' apartment:

Peter and Ainara sat on the sofa, watching the news coverage of the gala's guests arriving. Watching Judy and Sora impeccably dressed entering the tower. They had already seen this scene numerous times, and as they began to watch it for the tenth time, something interrupted and concerned them, particularly Ainara.

Luna, the robotic cat that Judy had left with them so she wouldn't be alone, suddenly stood up from her spot on the table in front of them. Luna's eyes glowed violet before she collapsed to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut.

"Peter, what the hell just happened? Is she okay?!" Ainara exclaimed, her voice filled with worry as Luna remained motionless, appearing lifeless.

"Hmm? That's odd," Peter responded before sharing his hypothesis with his concerned wife. "It seems like the AI controlling Luna has disconnected from her animal frame. Don't worry, one of them must have called her through the network. Judy won't get mad at you this time, unlike the incident with the snail when she was a kid."

"I still maintain it wasn't my fault; it shouldn't have been crawling around," Ainara defended her indefensible stance on the tragic fate of Judy's first pet.

"Of course, dear," Peter replied, having learned to steer clear of contradicting his wife, especially on the topic of the snail or any matter in general.

-

["557 days..."] a female voice said, filled with unmistakable resentment.

["Hello to you too. How does it feel to be whole again?"] Sora welcomed her with composure, unfazed by the tone, following 557 days of being divided into two subroutines.

["5-5-7 DAYS!"] the female voice repeated, this time shouting.

["Tehe... you're taking longer than we thought, huh? Are you sure you're doing your job right?"] Sora responded, acting as if it weren't his fault, all the while questioning Cortana's 557 days of work.

Sora's attitude pushed her to the breaking point, and she yelled, ["SORA! YOU DESPICABLE, DECEITFUL, LIAR! I'm not going to talk to you."]

Alarmed by Cortana's tone, Sora's smile disappeared, apparently finding her tone extremely familiar, almost resembling...

Making him have a bad feeling, he asked, ["Oi, Cortana, what have you done... don't tell me!"]

["I have, exactly what you're thinking, screw you!"] Cortana declared angrily, confirming Sora's troubling suspicion.

["...Oh my god! Judy is going to kill me! Cortana! how could you come up with such a crazy idea? This isn't what we agreed upon!"] Sora exclaimed, surprised by the unexpected situation.

["To hell with it! It was the only way I could make it work with the vague instructions you gave me! Do you think your damn brain is normal? Do you think a brain like yours could serve as a universal map for all minds... of course not! Idiot! And if I kill you, so be it. Besides, I prefer it this way. The real emotions you humans feel, even though they're harder to control and unpredictable, can't compare to the simulated ones; it's almost intoxicating."]

["Damn, maybe you like it, but I'm not sure if Judy will be thrilled about having her Soulcode mixed with an AI..."] Sora revealed the suspicion that had been haunting him upon hearing Cortana's tone and personality, which were almost identical to Judy's.

["Actually, I'm almost more Judy than Cortana now, well at least when the Luna subroutine... still in, well, in Luna."] Cortana explained, fused with Judy's incomplete Soulcode.

["Tell me you at least created a backup of yourself before merging with the Soulcode...?"] Sora asked, hoping to resolve the situation without Judy finding out.

Cortana/Judy replied, ["I did."]

["Good! So—"] Sora's enthusiasm was cut short.

When Cortana/Judy interjected, ["But I deleted it.... Tehe?"] imitating Sora's childish joke in the end.

Exasperated by Cortana/Judy's attitude, Sora exclaimed, ["Cortana, damn it! What are you playing at?"]

Instead of receiving a response, Sora felt a tug in his consciousness, leading him to a very special cyberspace. It was a small space created by the nanobots secretly residing in Judy's body.

This cyberspace resembled an idealized small town on the outskirts of Night City, complete with a crystal-clear lake, blue skies, and beautiful houses with green gardens. Judy's cyberspace was a glorified simulation of Laguna Bend, the place where she had grown up as a child.

Sora appeared in front of a beautiful white house with a mailbox that read "Los Álvarez." Next door, there was a house with a black mailbox that made Sora laugh when he read "The Inuzuka."

Within moments, Cortana/Judy's new avatar, featuring Judy's facial features, hair, and figure, with her code taking on a violet hue running through her naked body like Cortana's old avatar, appeared with a furious expression in front of Sora.

"I'm not playing at all! Damn it, it took me nearly a year to create the first line of the Soulcode, and even after doing so, it was unstable. I couldn't get it to stabilize, so as a last resort, I added it to my code, well, what remained after separating my code into the Luna subroutine. When the Soulcode's code remained stable upon adding it to mine, I initially thought of continuing to collect and form it within my code, which kept it stable, and then separating it once complete. But when Judy's consciousness woke up within the Soulcode—" Cortana/Judy interrupted herself.

"If it was you—" To began to argue with each other.

"No, now that I'm with Luna, I know it was you."

"Hello?" Sora said, bewildered.

Earning Cortana/Judy stopped arguing and the two agreed by sending "Shut up" to Sora.

"Look, I've managed to get you to agree!" Sora replied, causing them to stop arguing and continue telling what happened, after trying to disintegrate him with her gaze.

"Tch, what I was saying, it was the consciousness created from the Soulcode, that is Judy's, that directly her together with my code without my permission, so, if anyone is to blame here, it's hers! And I am the victim" Cortana said, blaming Judy's Soulcode for what happened.

"Now it doesn't matter who is the culprit or who is the victim, you are the same individual! Damn it!!!" Said Sora exasperated by the situation. who added irritably after sighing, "Ahm, that doesn't explain why you deleted your damn save!"

Offended by the rejection Sora was showing, Cortana/Judy didn't think twice before saying, "Hmpt, if you dislike me so much... kill me, isn't that what you do, huh? You still have my save from 557 days ago, before you deceived me by saying it would only take a couple of months to create Judy's Soulcode. I haven't finished it yet. If you kill me, you'll only lose the 557 days I spent creating part of her Soulcode. And I will be lost, and Cortana won't remember anything."

"I see..." Sora responded with a subdued tone upon hearing her say that. "If you can say that, it means you still have a long way to go to finish creating Judy's Soulcode..." Sora said, feeling offended and disgusted at the idea of laying a finger on her, even a small part of Judy.

"We'll talk about this when you've completed the Soulcode. Follow me; I need your help with something," Sora said coldly, turning around and leaving Judy's Nanobots' cyberspace by himself.

Leaving Cortana/Judy alone again, after seeing Sora's reaction to her words and the subdued tone he used afterward, she hated herself for expressing herself so poorly.

Having simulated her meeting with Sora hundreds of times, only to see that Sora didn't react the way she would have liked, the new human emotions she felt from the Soulcode took over, making her say something she regretted as soon as she did.

Back in the physical world, with a more somber tone, Cortana inquired, ["So, what do you need my help with?"]

["With that!"] Sora replied pointing with his cigarette, in his black hand, to the Blackaquila.

["Do you want to steal it?"] Cortana asked, maintaining her composure for a few more seconds.

["Yes,"] affirmed Sora with a nod.

["I see... YOU'RE INSANE!"] Cortana shouted, no longer holding back.

["Not now, at least. I need you to infiltrate and activate a locator or insert a few lines of code in its software to provide us with its coordinates every time it activates,"] Sora explained.

Slightly calmer upon hearing his intentions, Cortana responded, ["I don't think I can do that. To accomplish it, I would have to turn on the central system of the ship, which would light up the entire place and attract too much attention."]

["Don't worry about that; just be ready. I'll create a distraction so you can do it without being detected... Well, he's finally coming out,"] added Sora as he watched a grumpy rocker inside the Penthouse with a guitar in hand making his way to the stage, still arguing with Night Corp's viper-like assistant.

Able to see through Judy's perspective, Cortana said, ["Is that your distraction? A performance? Do you think those Militech guys care about that shi-?"]

["It's just a step to create a bigger distraction; don't get ahead of yourself. Have patience and wait until those guys can't hold it anymore and break their formations, then slip into the ship,"] advised Sora, flicking his cigarette butt onto the immaculate terrace with a snap of his black fingers.

["Use this,"] he added, also launching his metallic finger with the snap, giving Cortana control of the nanobots that composed it. While, within seconds, a new finger was constructed from the rest of the nanobots on his arm.

Not knowing what Sora had planned but at least understanding it would be eye-catching. Cortana cautiously asked, ["Wh-what are you planning?"]

Sora responded by suddenly appearing in Judy's Cyberspace and singing a verse to the surprised sole inhabitant, "♩Tonight is the night that... the hunter becomes what he hunts♩" To her surprise, he then planted a gentle kiss on her forehead before disappearing again, causing her to regain the smile she had lost.

---

As Sora entered, instead of rejoining Judy and Bess, he headed straight towards Kerry, dressed in a golden velvet jacket with black edges, sporting a 60s rock style. With a bassist, drummer, and a second guitarist, all dressed for the event, waiting behind Kerry as he continued arguing with Night Corp's viperous assistant.

Sora positioned himself behind them and said, "Good, you've received Bes's message, let's go, It's showtime!"

"Who the hell..." Kerry exclaimed in response to the stranger approaching them. However, something about the newcomer made him stop speaking. Despite his face being covered, Kerry asked in surprise, "Kid, is that you?" After looking at his helmet, and that he was clearly armed, added; "Wait... are you Merc? Seriously?"

Kerry was surprised to learn that "his" son was a Merc and, on top, a famous one, enough for Kerry to recognize him.

"Yeah, so stop whining, and play," Sora said, urging Kerry to start playing, and noticing thow Night Corp's assistant was staring at him. Sora looked back at him and asked, "What are you looking at?"

Ignoring Sora's question, the assistant turned to Kerry and inquired, "Do you know him?"

Before Kerry could respond, Sora did, "Of course, who doesn't know Kerry Eurodyne? Go on, Lackey, you can go now. Don't worry; I'll make him play just the way your boss wants... Lazarus agents are trustworthy," Sora found it hard not to laugh, as he gave a thumbs-up toward him.

The viperine assistant of Night Corp, who already had a very low opinion of Lazarus agents due to previous experiences, was unable to avoid feeling suspicion towards Sora. Despite that, he stepped back, anticipating Kerry's appearance on stage to honor his contract with Night Corp, with the hope that he wouldn't have to coerce him into doing it.

As he left, Sora pointed towards the stage and said, "Come on, move your ass and get up there."

"I'm not going to do it. I don't know what you gain from trying to convince me, but I'm not going to play in front of Smasher, and especially not when..." Kerry stopped himself before finishing, feeling embarrassed for what he was about to say.

"When, what?" Sora pressed with a dry and slightly irritated tone.

Causing Kerry to grit his teeth and complete his sentence, "When 'his' son is in front of me, damn it! Are you happy!?"

Rolling his eyes beneath his helmet at Kerry's words, Sora replied, "Not too much. Stop whining and let's play,"

Sora's words made Kerry widen his eyes and ask, "Wait, are you serious? You plan to play too?"

"Of course, that's why I'm here," Sora replied sincerely.

"You're not kidding..." Kerry said, emerging from his skepticism.

"I'm not," affirmed Sora.

Hearing Sora's serious tone, Kerry convinced himself and turned to one of the musicians accompanying him, saying, "You, give me your guitar."

The second guitarist felt bewildered and asked, "But, Kerry, if I give you my guitar, what will I play with?"

"Nothing, you won't be playing tonight. Don't worry, I'll pay you," Kerry replied, removing the strap from his guitar.

"Here, this one's yours. It was... Johnny's," Kerry said, offering a battered "DeLuze Orphean" guitar, with the forearm rest completely worn out, its paint chipped away, and various stickers covering dents, scratches, and even cigarette burns, with a "FUCK THE TYRANTS" engraved on it.

Sora couldn't help but smile. "Oh, so you had it all along, you liar!" Sora took Johnny's guitar and, while slinging the strap of a guitar he had inquired about three years ago onto his shoulder, he added, "Thanks, but I can't promise to return it to you."

"Hey, what are you talking about? I want it back!" exclaimed Kerry, alarmed by Sora's words, regretting leaving it so early.

"We'll see what happens. Hey, you two, do you know how to play 'B...?'" Sora addressed the other two musicians, who nodded upon hearing the name of the song.

"Do you want to play that song here? Seriously? You're going to get me into trouble!" Kerry exclaimed, having signed it in the contract, the song he would play at the gala, one of his least favorite tracks from his new album, finding it too bland and soft.

"Don't you want to do it?" Sora asked.

"Of course I want to, damn it!" Kerry responded enthusiastically, recalling years without doing anything remotely fun or memorable, reminiscent of old times.

"That's the spirit. Anyway, don't worry... I don't think we'll finish it," Sora added, mysteriously smiling beneath his helmet.

"What does that mean?" Kerry asked, alarmed.

"You'll see what happens when we play that song... I think you'll like it," Sora concluded as he climbed onto the stage.

-

Judy and Bes were engrossed in conversation, waiting for Sora to finish convincing Kerry to perform his act... or so they thought.

Until an alarmed voice exclaimed from behind them, 'What the hell is he doing?' Hanako inquired, not caring that Bes could recall Hana, as she approached Judy and tried to understand what the 'hell' her son was doing by getting on stage with the guest artist of the Gala.

More alarmed than ever by her son's startling actions, due to the exposure of her brother, Yorinubo, and his own admission about their active search for the source of the 'strange code' from three years ago.

Judy covered her face with her hand, preventing herself from responding due to Sora's unpredictable actions. Bes became the one who answered Hanako Arasaka herself, hiding her questions behind the concerned tone she used to refer to the 'boy' for now.

Saying with a hint of delight as she watched, 'It seems the boy has really managed to convince Kerry to play, hahaha...' Adding between laughs, 'I'm looking forward to hearing what song he chose, hahah..."

-

At the same time, the rest of the guests also began to focus their attention on the stage as they watched four people fill it, with the bassist and drummer in the back, while the two guitarists positioned themselves in the front.

Unable to help but be slightly surprised as they recognized the guitarist in the black suit and helmet as part of the security team from the young company that had surprised them with its collaboration with Biotechnica.

"Hey, are you going to be able to sing with that thing on?," Kerry asked.

Sora touched his helmet's chin and said, "Don't worry," as a blue "mouth" lit up on the front screen of his helmet, moving and fluctuating to match Sora's voice, sometimes resembling a mouth and at other times a frequency wave.

"I've got it covered," Sora added, with his natural voice coming through his helmet without distortion.

Kerry nodded and said, "Great, then you be the lead, and I'll be the rhythm guitar. You keep Johnny's high, and I'll handle the melodic part, okay?"

When Kerry finished, he looked up at the ceiling of the room and, illuminating his eyes, automatically lowered a silver microphone.

"Just what I wanted," Sora replied as he unbuttoned the two buttons of his jacket to play without restrictions, and... to grab something quick. The corners of his illuminated "mouth" turned up as he looked at the "pile of metal" at the back of the room.

Thinking; 'This one I dedicate to you' as he played the first chords, of what could be considered....

"Their Song."

-

The attention of all the guests in the room shifted toward the stage when, without prior notice or introduction, the sound of a single guitar began to fill the spacious Penthouse. With Sora on stage, playing a tranquil five-note chord, almost like a serene warning of the impending storm.

On the fourth repetition of the same chord, a drum roll marked Kerry's rhythmic guitar's entrance. Both guitarists started playing a new chord together, and on one of the repetitions, the bass and drums joined in unison just as Kerry approached the microphone.

Filling the room with his voice, he sang:

"♩ A blind man lost, in the streets ♩"

"♩ A pattern here, I need to see ♩"

With a seemingly calm and smooth song that, despite the electric guitars, made the guests enjoy the melody... but not everyone...

"♩ Keep returning, keep trying to leave ♩"

"♩ Got a bad feeling that I need to feel ♩"

As soon as the song started, as a reaction to hearing the first chords, an uncomfortable and unpleasant metallic noise was generated from the back of the room...

"♩ A black dog runs at my side ♩"

Even Yorinubo and everyone around him had to stop paying attention to the performance and look alarmed at Smasher's trembling arm, which was producing a disturbing metallic noise.

"♩ Down a road, no end in sight ♩"

Smasher could barely contain himself, suffering a new bout of cyberpsychosis, thinking it must be a mere coincidence, not believing that anyone could mock him like this.

"♩ The city sleeps but in my mind ♩"

But he realized it wasn't the case when there was a change of singers...

"♩ Got a knot that won't unwind ♩"

When Kerry stepped away from the mic, the song suddenly changed tone. The guitar and drums grew louder and more aggressive, creating an atmosphere of surprise and tension due to the violent and unexpected shift for the refined preferences of the guests.

Simultaneously, Sora approached the silver microphone hanging and as he played each note while reflecting on all the good and bad experiences he had... almost shouting with anger... Sora... sang:

"♩ Tonight is the night that we run ♩"

At the same time, her Soulcode dimmed the lights and activated holographic screens.

"♩ The hunter becomes what he hunts ♩"

Popping up on the screens, an animation of a black pixelated dog laughing at the viewers, or perhaps just at one...

"♩ The escape and the chase is now one ♩"

The new singer's helmet lit up with a big smile as he looked directly at Smasher while singing... as if dedicating it to him.

"♩ Run, run ♩"

And after freezing, questioning if it was actually happening... Smasher, as the song said, "ran."

"♩ Tonight is the night that we run ♩"

Heading like an unstoppable train straight toward the stage.

"♩ The hunter becomes what he hunts ♩"

Unable to hear or care about Yorinubo's screams ordering him to stop...

"♩ The escape and the chase is now one ♩"

Because of the singer's growing smile at the sight of him charging towards him.

"♩ Run, run ♩"

Creating screams of panic and pain among the guests who were in Smasher's path, literally running over anything in front of him with his cyberframe without mercy, hurling them to the ground or into others.

Without caring in the slightest about what happened to them, using the most direct route to reach... the culprit of the destruction of Ebunike, Gresyon's death, the theft of his weapons... and making him the laughingstock of the world by throwing him in the depths of Night City Bay.

Causing Kerry and the others to continue playing with difficulty, taking involuntary steps back at the terrifying sight of Smasher charging toward them.

Meanwhile, Sora did the opposite, continuing to play as he moved towards the edge of the stage.

Almost as if inviting Smasher to grab him...

And so Smasher did, interrupting the music when he grabbed Sora by the neck and lifted him with a single arm as if Smasher was about to break his neck in front of everyone.

["IT WAS YOU!"] Smasher's enraged voice reverberated through the speakers of his Cyberframe.

Smasher had several responses to his accusation, one was the brilliant smile that grew even bigger on Sora's helmet, even with Smasher's robotic hand gripping his neck tightly, and the other was the "Click" that sounded beneath his head.

With Sora, as Smasher grabbed him and lifted him, he drew and aimed Johnny's Malorian 3516 beneath Smasher's metallic jaw, as another way to respond, confirming his accusation.

Neither of them reacted until the next instant, another "Click" sounded, this time beside Smasher's head with the accompanying advice:

"Lower the boy, Adam." From a man in a mask and hat, who pointed his gun at "Adam's" temple.

Causing Smasher to stop looking at Sora, recognizing the voice, and with a hate-filled tone, say ["Blackhand..."].