Chapter Text
This would be my last summer here before I graduate. Valarie thought to herself, staring blankly through the lecturer’s projection. She noticed the bullies who usually made remarks about her parents are giving her mean looks again, but she paid no mind.
I would probably go work at a weapon shop somewhere, work for a small manufacturer, make a decent living and go with the flow for the rest of my life. Try not to disobey what my parents told me before they perished in that “accident”. “Don’t get in trouble V, blend with the crowd!” That’s what they said, the easiest way to live in Night City.
She knew any attempts to leave the normal life , like attempting to become famous through joining gangs, going solo and killing for money, or jumping between corporations for "better prospects" all resulted in death before even turning 30. Valarie trusted them, because, after all, her parents were killed as the leads of the Arasaka engineering team — the work of Militech trying to hinder weapon development of Arasaka, of course not caring what happens to the engineers’ families.
She remembered vividly, it was her birthday. Her parents promised to take her to the restaurant she always wanted to go to celebrate her birthday. The naive, innocent teenager dressed up and waited in their apartment. She cleaned the apartment and finished all her school work, waiting patiently for her parents to come back, just to receive the message that her parents passed away. Her parents never came back. What came back, was just a cookie-cutter apology letter and a call later from the bank informing her that her parents’ savings are now migrated to her account.
Luckily enough, her parents saved up enough money to send her to Arasaka Academy, but just enough so then she still has to pay rent herself. Despite wanting her to have a normal life, her parents insisted on her joining the academy — knowledge is important in this world, and working as a tech worker is still much safer than killing for money or doing anything on the streets. So Valarie listened to them.
But oh, sorry, mom and dad, blending in is just so hard here. Valarie thought to herself as she got called upon by the lecturer. In a classroom of fewer than 30 people, it is not difficult to spot the one not paying attention. The bullies instantly started to giggle, waiting to see her response.
“Valarie. Can you tell me your answer?”
“Sorry, I didn’t catch that properly, can you repeat that?” Finally focusing on the lecturer, V reluctantly said.
“I’m not going to repeat myself if it happens every class, Valarie. You will be marked up for not paying attention in class, again.” Hearing what the lecturer said, V’s classmates burst into laughter, “someone’s getting in trouble, again !”
“Yeah, and some gonk here has a brain of a toddler with a body of a 25-year-old. How does failing that many classes feel like, Gary?” One month of class with Gary told Valarie that pissing off the number one bully of the school with a rich daddy isn’t the brightest idea, but how can she not snark back if she is Valarie? And just as she expected, Gary didn’t know how to come up with a comeback other than:
“Shut the fuck up bitch!”
Chucking to herself about the lack of variation in Gary's cursing, Valarie turned her head to the lecturer and tuned out whatever Gary is saying. Probably something about digging up her parents again, that fucker.
“That’s enough bickering. Now that we approached the end of class today, I have an announcement to make." A fancy website filled with pictures of students holding trophies appeared on the projection. "As you fourth year all know, the yearly Arasaka weapon design competition’s youth division is about to reach the signup deadline tomorrow. If anyone is interested, please sign up as soon as possible. Preferably, anyone interested can let me know now, so it saves your time verifying yourself on the website.” The lecturer noted to the class.
Valarie rolled her eyes. There is no point in this competition anymore. Maybe it held more value when Arasaka truly used this method to hire geniuses. But recently they have changed up their scheme of hiring, and now this competition is always won by the rich kids who want to boost their egos. Barely any kids from average families win this competition due to a lack of funding for testing divides or purchasing materials. The last ones that won the competition who came from average families coincidentally became her mother and father. And that did not turn out very well. Just as she is about to tune out again, Gary, raised his hand:
“I would like to join the competition. “ he confidently stated: “My dad just bought me a whole set of equipment, shame not to join in on that fun.”
“I would love to join, too”. Valarie absentmindedly responded. Before Valarie even finished her sentence, she felt the disbelieving gaze from her class. Wait Shit! Am I out of my mind? Valarie realized what she said after one second.
“Are you sure you would like to participate, Valarie? You have been marked for not paying attention in class for a lot of time throughout your academy career… maybe it is best for you to spend your time studying instead of participating…”
Seeing the clear bias and doubt in the lecturer made her stomach turn. After four years of facing the same shit, she had enough.
What’s going to happen if I am just a little rebellious this time? Not like I haven’t faced consequences before and gotten over them. This is the last year anyway, and I am going to do this out of spite. Not to prove myself or anything like that, as Mama said, I shouldn’t draw attention. Just to make these arrogant shitbags annoyed. Even just a little. So Valarie insisted:
“Yes, I would like to participate. About the ‘Not paying attention in class thing’, I am sure my grades are not too bad, so even if I diverge some attention to the competition, it should be fine.”
What she said was true. She got all marked up for not paying attention in history class, but she did memorize the material that was required, so she did alright in the examinations. It’s not like she is going to use history in work someday if she is going to work as a repair girl or something. What, are the cars not going to let her repair if she can’t recite which idiot did what at where 200 years ago?
The lecturer paused for a moment processing Valarie's crude response, probably taking a moment to hide that clear annoyance, but registered Valarie anyway. “Gary and Valarie, you are both registered. Anyone else who likes to register can register through the designated website later. Class is dismissed for today, goodbye students.” Then the lecturer turned off her projection.
As the projection got closed, Valarie saw Gary on the opposite side walking towards her. Ah, shit here we go . Now it’s not the best to take Gary’s anger. Better weasel out, she thought, making quick steps towards the door before Gary can catch up to her. However, Gary is one step faster and landed a punch on Valerie’s back. Valarie choked out a broken sound and fell forward due to the sudden punch, and got shoved again onto the floor by Gary's friends.
“Sup Valarie? Like my new gear?” Gary held out his hand, flexing the new pair of titanium hands he got, obviously bought with his father’s money, the hand shining in the dim light of the classroom and screaming "premium", unlike the implants that Valarie currently has, which is just optical implants and a bone implant for her bone that she broke years back, not even titanium.
Rubbing his hands, Gary squatted in front of Valarie, who is just getting up on her elbows: “Quit the competition now and I will hit let you go. I will, kindly, let your remark about me in the class slide earlier. Well, I mean, I will deal with that another day. After all, I have some parties to attend today in Afterlife , no time to spend on you. Am I right Charles? Finny?” Gary’s friends nodded in response on both sides of Gary. "Be a good bitch and follow your master's orders, that's how it works here. I don't like dogs mimicking their masters, you know. Dogs should do what dogs do, lick food off the floor, not participate in some 'competition'-- 'cause after all, they are just dogs, they shouldn't do what their masters do."
“It’s my last year of study here. I need to do something before I graduate to find a decent job.” Valarie lied. She didn’t care about jobs, just pissing off Gary. Gary hated someone else doing the same thing as him, especially someone who comes from a lower class, like Valarie. Ha, the dude has the mentality of a 5-year-old in his mid-twenties.
“I don’t care what’s your deal, Valarie. Quit now, or I will break your fucking teeth out of your mouth right this instant. As for your job… Do you seriously think you would win this competition or get a decent job out of it? Stop daydreaming bitch, your future work is just to be a joy toy, like everyone else of your kind. Maybe beating your teeth out is a favour for you, you know what I mean” Gary gestured to the crotch area with a crooked grin, where Valarie just stared at him with a blank face. After being orphaned, this is not the first time hearing these kinds of remarks.
“I won’t quit the competition, Gary. “ Valarie took a deep breath. Well. Here we go. It’s just a beating, no biggie, nothing a few days' rests can’t fix. A punch landed on her stomach, and then her shoulders, her face.
A few minutes later, Gary and his friends left with a bruise on his face and a broken nose. Valarie on the other hand lay in the hallway for a bit before leaving. So much to pay for staying out of trouble. She could have fought equals with Gary even with his titanium fist as she received training before from her street friends. But she didn’t want to beat him to the point where the injuries might irritate that man-child's father, some shithead Arasaka manager. Taking a beating is a better choice. She tanked worse attacks from the streets before.
On the way home, Valarie met her friend, also dismissed from school, but in a different class.
“Jacob.” She nodded.
“Gosh! The Gary guy again?” Jacob asked, receiving another nod from Valarie. “What did you do this time?”
“Not really anything. I just made a little remark about him being a man-child... Oh, and I joined the Arasaka competition, which I guess he did not like.”
“ That pissed him off?” Jacob scoffed, “That gonk just can’t see anyone doing the same thing as him again ain’t it? Better win just to spite him now Valarie, you can do that right?”
“Yeah, that’s what I’m planning. Blueprint-making is fine, but I gotta get some material to start building the product to hand in though. I’m probably going to scrap things in the badlands first, then I am going to find Jackie to get me a good crafting kit so I can put things together.”
“Sounds solid choom. Speaking of the contest, what do you plan on doing after the academy? It’s our last year, you know. Are you going to join Arasaka or something?” Jacob asked.
“Hmm, don’t know. Watch out for the cars.” as they are crossing the streets, Valarie grabbed Jacob’s wrist to prevent him from getting crushed by the traffic, because he is clearly not paying attention even though the signal light on the sidewalk is playing the “don’t walk” audio in a very audible robotic voice.
“Probably work in some factory, to be honest. Maybe go to some repairs, fix some cars, jammed guns, or armour. Make a living to pay rent and food, that's all. Corporation… is too much trouble. You either climb the latter or be used for others to climb the latter, none of which is safe in the night city.”
I wouldn’t be able to control what I do if I go to the corporation though. Something is off about me in my blood. Something that is either going to get me or people around me killed. Besides, there is something that I want to do for a long time, and joining Arasaka might not be ideal for doing that.
"Geez girl. You got that brain though, and you are just going to use it on repairs? Why not join the corporation? That would make you a lot of money, and you probably can buy things you want that you couldn't get before." Jacob said, recalling something from his memory: "My parents always won't get me that chrome I wanted, saying there is not enough money... I also had to buy my uniform and pay with part-time work because not have enough money. Them sending me to this academy is already bleeding their money dry. I would kill for a corpo job, choom! And you are just throwing that chance out of the window! Maybe at least consider it!"
Things I wanted can't be bought with money. Valarie almost said it out, but she held it, and just responded with "hmm, you are right, maybe I will consider it."
Jacob, satisfied, throws on a big smile: "That's the spirit! Also, you should probably not piss off that Gary gonk again." Jacob patted Valarie on the back: "Since you can't fight back 'cause that would piss off his dad, might as well just avoid him and maybe agree with what he said once or twice. Anyways. I gotta go on the other train now. See ya later choom!" Jacob waved her goodbye.
“See ya later then, I better clean all this dirt off myself.” Valarie gestured to the dirt from the fight. Not much, as the fight was in the school and she just got some dust on her from the floor, but still gotta change out of your school uniform if you want to go to a bar later.
When Valarie finally got home, showered and changed, she looked at herself in the mirror. A bit scrawny from eating vending machine food all day, and kind of soulless. The good 'ole blank poker face, looking like the face has at least not smiled for years. She sometimes wonders why she didn't just take her own life, having no one and no goals to even work for. Maybe, one, but that is so unachievable that she wants to laugh at herself for just holding on to that one goal. She wanted to figure out who caused her parent's death. Not one, but everyone involved. She wanted them dead, no matter what is their motive behind. She wondered if she should not do that because they might also have families. But she hardly cares anymore. She even thinks it is kind of silly - creating a suicide mission for herself just to get some revenge on her parents, they must be so disappointed when they see her in the afterlife. She saved up some money and bought some weapons throughout the years, just waiting to figure out the culprit of her parent's death and assassinate them with her own hands. What happens next, she hardly cares. She wanted to be gone from this world long ago anyway.
Absentmindedly, she walked out of her room, went downstairs, and bought another packaged food. A brightly coloured advertisement of a movie on the package shined under the dim lights on the street. It's James Bond, a remake of the movie from the last century. Her parents showed the book to her when she was young, it was one of her favourites, spy and all that. It was her parents' favourite too. Ironically her parents are probably killed because some fucker sold off information to Militech because they wanted money and status. Arasaka probably wasn't able to get hold of the fucker anymore because they went to Militech after that. Since it is a successful mission, Militech probably got that person and promoted them, and the only way to get to them is to get closer to Militech somehow.
Get closer to Militech. Who else has a lot of information on Militech and wants to destroy Militech, other than Arasaka? Valarie suddenly thought. Maybe Jacob was right. Maybe she should join the corporate world after all. Maybe she should actually try to win the competition not just out of spite, but for her life goal.
No Valarie, be rational. She thought. You are fighting fire with fire here. But what if I can get a more important role in Arasaka? I can use my technical skills as my parents did, and become a core member of the engineering teams of some sort, then I will be able to touch the files that I otherwise would take a lifetime to find out. Even though it is just a file of a traitor, Arasaka will not release these to the public, and normally people won't have access to this information. Then I would finally be able to know who sold my parents' lives and destroyed my family.
That is decided, then. I will find a way to join Arasaka and dig out the traitor. She finished the last bite of her food and turned on her web connection and began browsing.
The first step is to win that stupid competition.