Chapter 19: Arasaka Academy
Tap, tap—
David Martinez jogged into Arasaka Academy, heading straight for his classroom.
"Hey, did you hear? Allen from Comprehensive Class 3 jumped off the building."
"He should've done it earlier. No eddies, just a brainiac with an ego. Thought he could get into the Management Academy? In his dreams! Hahaha..."
As he passed by, the mocking laughter of corpo brats—children of Arasaka execs—made David frown.
He hated his classmates.
The initial drive he had at the beginning of the semester had long been crushed under the academy's warped atmosphere.
That dreamlike vision of golden opportunity—it was already fading from his memory. Deep down, David knew he and his so-called upperclassman came from completely different worlds.
He sighed and stepped into his classroom.
The moment he entered, the usual brown-nosing chatter filled the air.
"Wow, Katsuo! Today's the practical activity with the Arasaka Security Division, right? I heard it's rare! Is the Mobile Garrison coming or just regular security?"
"Yeah, I heard you've already been shortlisted for the Security Division. A high-level exec's got their eye on you, huh?"
Same two clowns—one fat, one wiry, like a mismatched pair of scavengers—buzzing around that mushroom-cut brat, Tanaka Katsuo, whose dad worked mid-tier in Arasaka's R&D division.
Funny thing was, Katsuo didn't even acknowledge them. Not even a glance. Corpo kids just loved licking boots, even when no one asked them to.
David smirked coldly.
Because of his grades, he had been placed in Comprehensive Class 1—stacked with the children of Arasaka personnel, at least until students were sorted into specialized divisions in year two.
Katsuo ignored his sycophants and flopped into his seat—an ergonomically designed recliner outfitted with a neural interface, AV connectors, and other classroom tech.
The bell rang.
On the podium, a teaching AI materialized—a sleek, bald-headed synthetic woman, composed of luminous blue data lines.
"Good morning, students," she greeted, scanning the room.
"Attendance confirmed. Excellent."
"Today, ahead of the final summer assessments, you'll participate in the highly anticipated hands-on training session. The Night City Arasaka Security Division will be collaborating with the academy. Officers will arrive in thirty minutes to randomly select high-performing students for field experience."
"Please welcome them with the utmost enthusiasm and respect."
The Security Division?
David's eyes widened.
Could it be… her?
Social Graces
After a quick shower and a nutrient-packed breakfast prepped by her smart-chef bot, Vera departed her Westbrook apartment, boarding her custom hovercar.
Buzz… buzz…
The vehicle touched down smoothly on the helipad of Arasaka Tower. Vera stepped out, holding a sandwich wrapped in waxed paper, eyes scanning the area.
In terms of loadout, her personal vehicle—codenamed Holy Sword—was still top-tier: thickened armor plating, ECM units, anti-hacking defense drones, modular armor with deployable combat bots, smart-linked machine guns, micro rocket pods…
Still not enough.
Her goals didn't stop here.
After securing her place in the Faculty of Law at the University of Tokyo, Vera had her eyes set on acquiring a ZetaTech Octant-class heavy combat drone for emergency standby.
The thought brought a smile to her lips—but she quickly masked it.
"Officer Vera, per your directive, today's field exercise with Arasaka Academy is ready to launch. Here's the list of selected students. The Mobile Garrison team has already been dispatched."
The liaison officer from the Security Division greeted her, holding a PAD.
Vera skimmed the list.
"Send them to the Mobile Garrison camp in the Badlands. Let the kids play around with target drills, guard the perimeter for half a day, maybe get a taste of what dealing with Nomads is like."
She frowned at the list.
Tch. 'Randomly selected'? Yeah, right. All hand-picked.
"Treat them like any other recruits. And tell the team—no casualties. We're not running a meat grinder."
"Understood!"
The officer bowed and sent the finalized student list:
Children of internal security personnel.
Tanaka Katsuo... The son of an R&D tester.
David Martinez... No background. Top marks. Street kid? Probably some scholarship prodigy.
[List Verification Passed]
[Sending...]
Ding. Message Read.
...
Click.
Stepping into the Security Division floor, Vera didn't head for her office. Instead, she turned toward the Deputy Director's suite.
James Thomas.
Gun turrets lined the corridor. An iris scanner bathed her in a field of flickering blue data.
AI: [Visitor authentication confirmed]
"Uncle Thomas."
The door opened to reveal James Thomas, sipping coffee on a leather couch.
Wearing a custom-fit suit and a silver chrysanthemum brooch—Arasaka's retired soldier insignia—he looked sharp despite his gray-streaked hair.
"Vera. Have a seat… Whoa. You did makeup today? You look... brighter."
Vera winced.
Was it that obvious? Last night's 'success' had clearly left her glowing.
"I put on a little."
She hadn't.
Gracefully, she placed her paper-wrapped sandwich on the table and handed it over. "Something I made after tweaking Carolly's home-service bot."
She always called him 'Uncle'—to build closeness. And Thomas, a seasoned suit, understood the game. He took the sandwich and began brewing another round of coffee.
"In such a good mood, you must've brought good news."
"My application to the University of Tokyo was approved."
He paused, then handed her a cup. "Congratulations. When are you heading out?"
"Next spring. I'll go when the semester begins."
Thomas instantly understood her angle.
"And your post in the Special Rapid Response Unit?"
"I'll still manage it. It's more like night school. I'll appoint Jimmy—Team 6's captain—as acting leader in the meantime. He's reliable."
...
Click.
Leaving the office, Vera glanced at the luxury-grade hand-ground coffee Thomas had given her.
He had ground it himself—without a learning chip.
Rich people were nostalgic like that. What used to be expensive (learning chips) had been replaced by something else—manual skills. Now, real value lay in effort.
She accepted the gift, just as he had accepted her sandwich.
The exchange was clear: "I've got your back today. When you climb higher, you return the favor."
Back in her office, she stashed the items in her cooler and turned to her terminal.
Inbox:
From: Biotech R&D Division, Night City
Subject: Reminder - Umbrella Personal Research Lab
> Director Russell, your Umbrella lab has been inactive for 1 month and 7 days. Please fulfill your research responsibilities.
Shhhh—
Vera rubbed her desk surface, a smirk forming.
Perfect timing. A reason to redirect focus to biotech.
It was time.
To dive back into gene-tech R&D. Into Umbrella's core.
Into virology.
T-virus. Secure the source serum. Retrieve all virological datasets.
...
Resident Evil Universe
Umbrella Industrial Park, San Francisco
As Director of the Black Umbrella Division, Vera led a tour through the drone manufacturing wing, showcasing specs to a group of Pentagon brass.
"Ms. Russell, can we get a live demo?"
The general didn't notice the flicker of calculation behind her eyes.
"Of course."
Vera nodded to the foreman. Drones were deployed; a tech guided the soldiers through basic controls.
Within minutes, soldiers were wide-eyed, jaw-dropped. "Oh my god!" echoed in the hall.
They were stunned by the agility and precision of Umbrella's combat drones.
One of them figured out how to rig a detachable module with a concussive grenade, flying it through the U-shaped test chute, and dropping it on-target. Spot on.
Even the general was playing with one.
Umbrella staff were elated. The deal was practically sealed.
Only Vera stood still, a shadow of deeper thought clouding her features.
Not about sales.
About Raccoon City.
That incident will happen this summer...