Chapter 4: Legacy in the Shadow
Vera's biological mother, Ms. Mia Russell, had been a mid-level manager in Arasaka's North American administrative division, managing diplomatic meetings, banquets, and other high-profile etiquette occasions.
After Arasaka's defeat in the Fourth Corporate War in 2023, and the subsequent loss of control over Night City, the corporation began to quietly rebuild its strength. They aimed to reclaim their dominance in North America, biding their time to re-enter the city with tactical precision.
By the late 2060s, during the Unification War between the New United States and the Free States, Arasaka saw its opportunity. By strategically supporting Night City and the Free States, the megacorporation regained influence, and by 2070, they had once again established a foothold in the city. Vera's biological parents had been key contributors to this war effort, and they died for it.
The modern Arasaka American division's headquarters in Night City was once the same department where her parents had worked. The Security and Administrative divisions, in particular, were filled with many of their former colleagues, political allies, and subordinates. Although Arasaka was infamous for its ruthlessness, the company liked to maintain a thin veneer of honor when it suited them.
Vera's parents weren't spies or operatives in Arasaka's Counter-Intelligence Department, the notorious branch where many met untimely ends due to power struggles. Instead, they were seen as loyal and valuable employees. Arasaka, in a strategic move, turned their deaths into an example, elevating them as martyrs for future generations.
This left Vera to inherit not only their physical legacy but their political connections, as well.
But Vera was no ordinary child. At least, her soul wasn't.
The dangers of navigating a corporate dystopia without protection dawned on her early. Like a child carrying gold through a crowded marketplace, Vera was acutely aware of how vulnerable she was. She hadn't yet mastered her "gift," and with no family left to shield her, her only option was to turn to Arasaka itself.
She expressed her interest in enrolling in Arasaka Tower Academy and, with the help of her adoptive father's old friends—men who had once visited her home and showered her with birthday gifts—she channeled her parents' assets into Arasaka's official investment channels. Until she came of age, her inheritance would be held in trust, generating interest, a portion of which would naturally benefit her benefactors.
Vera chose to follow in her father's footsteps, joining the Security Division of Arasaka. This decision raised no eyebrows. It was common practice within Arasaka for children to inherit their parents' roles, passing down careers like family heirlooms. Bloodlines mattered more than anything else.
As soon as Vera entered Arasaka Tower Academy, it became clear that she was far from a waste of resources. She inherited her parents' administrative and security skills, and even more impressively, showed a deep affinity for biotechnology. Her academic assessments were stellar across the board, earning her a spot among the company's elite students. Vera was soon flagged as a prime candidate for Arasaka's senior management track, destined to inherit not only her parents' legacy but to forge one of her own.
If she had been a failure—someone unable to handle the pressures of corporate life—her fellow employees would have devoured her assets without a second thought. Arasaka's political machine was full of smiling sharks, company dogs who wore false friendliness like a mask, ready to tear into anyone who stumbled. But Vera's demonstrated value had the opposite effect.
Now, she was viewed as a prized asset within the company. Her clean background, excellent pedigree, and strong connections made her not just valuable but indispensable. The evaluations and whispers around the academy confirmed it:
"She has the style of her father."
That was the highest praise Arasaka could give.
Upon graduating from Arasaka Tower Academy in 2073—top of her class—Vera bypassed the usual internship requirement. Her former father's old subordinates in the Security Division were waiting for her. She started her job immediately, promoted to a position of power, one where her father's political allies would train and groom her.
Promotions came steadily, almost predictably. As long as she avoided major mistakes, her rise to the level of her father seemed inevitable. Her only ceiling was one of generational attenuation—a phenomenon within corporate structures where the political resources of each generation diminished slightly. Her path could take her to a position just under Jenkins in Counter-Intelligence, but likely not beyond Abernathy, the head of Special Operations. To rise higher, she would need to demonstrate extraordinary merit, forge new alliances, and, of course, seize the right opportunities.
In the back of her mind, Vera was especially grateful to her biological parents. In a world as brutal as Night City, they had left her with the greatest gift: a head start. Without the backing of a megacorporation like Arasaka, she would have been another face in the crowd, struggling to climb the corporate ladder. Instead, she was already near the top.
If she had been born a common citizen of Night City, her talents would likely have gone unnoticed. Even if she'd managed to join Arasaka, she might have spent years working as a nameless cog in the machine, or, at best, assigned to some automated factory, far from the executive floors.
Instead, she was here, standing on the precipice of greatness.
---
"Huff…"
After rinsing her mouth, Vera stripped off her clothes and stepped into the bathtub, allowing the warm water to wash away the exhaustion of the previous night. The sleek, white bath was state-of-the-art, like everything else in her life.
She finished quickly, heading into her closet to pick out her outfit for the day. Vera had never been one for revealing clothing; her wardrobe was filled with uniform suits, dresses, and business attire. Today, she chose a black shirt with dark red maple leaf patterns, paired with suit trousers, and an aramid bulletproof vest concealed beneath her jacket.
She opened a drawer to inspect her selection of firearms—an array of submachine guns, pistols, and rifles from top manufacturers. Vera wasn't picky about which corporation's weapons she used. She had no problem carrying Militech hardware, even though they were Arasaka's fiercest rivals. Practicality reigned supreme.
She chose the Militech M-76E Omaha, a compact but deadly handgun that could punch through most armor. She holstered it under her arm and slipped into a lightweight suit jacket made from a bulletproof fabric blend.
As she passed through her apartment, she picked up her briefcase and glanced at the electronic clock.
2074/5/27, 7:29.
Perfect timing.
---
The doorbell chimed just as a knock echoed through her apartment.
"Come in."
The heavy security door unlocked with a quiet click. Two massive men entered—one Black, one White—both heavily augmented with cyberware, their bodies almost entirely mechanical.
"Ms. Vera," the Black one spoke, picking up her briefcase. "The vehicle is ready."
"Good."
Vera walked with them to the front of the building, where an extended luxury sedan waited. The Thracian 388JEFFERSON was armored and adorned with the Arasaka logo, its sleek black exterior glinting in the morning light.
Inside the car, Vera rested her chin on her hand, gazing out the window. The neighborhood was prime corporate real estate—luxurious, well-guarded, and constantly monitored by the NCPD. The property had once belonged to her parents, a remnant of their legacy.
"Congratulations on your recent promotion, Ms. Vera," her White bodyguard said as the vehicle sped away from her apartment complex. "I've heard you'll be receiving your own Tachi soon."
"Thank you," Vera replied, a faint smile playing on her lips.
A Tachi was a high-end flying car reserved for corporate executives.
In her virtual HUD, invisible to those around her, Vera opened a spreadsheet, reviewing the tasks awaiting her at Arasaka Tower. One item in particular caught her attention:
Dangerous Girl Rehabilitation Project: Umbrella Corp.
'Umbrella,' she mused. 'Looks like I'll be bleeding them dry.'
---
Chapter 004: The So-Called "Heavenly Gift"
As the sedan moved smoothly through Night City, Vera's thoughts drifted. Her cybernetic eyes flickered, showing her information streams that would be invisible to ordinary humans. But as she stared at the data, something shifted within her.
Suddenly, time seemed to slow. Objects in the car moved at a glacial pace, and her vision tunneled, as though her consciousness was sinking deep underwater. Yet, she felt no fear—only a sense of familiarity.
At the core of her soul, an ethereal shape formed.
The Heavenly Gift.
Vera gazed at the swirling, ink-like black and white veins that rippled through her mind, a complex web of possibilities. These threads, illuminated from within, represented something more than just thoughts—they were her connection to something far greater.
Her past life.
Her memories of the Resident Evil universe,