Chapter 201: Recruiting Valerie
The prototype assembly was complete, and the next step was the all-important field test. However, the choice of test pilot caused Joric's logic core to briefly stall in deliberation.
Militech personnel were ruled out first.
The technology embedded in this prototype, especially the "Machine Spirit" system and the shield tech, was something he did not intend to share with the powers of this world for the time being.
Members of Maine's squad? He reviewed data on their neural reaction speeds and combat skills.
Rebecca might dare to drive it, but she was better suited for wild assaults than precision control; Maine and Dorio were more accustomed to fighting relying on their own cyberware; Falco was a driver, not a mech pilot; Pilar and Kiwi were technical support.
Their average "education level" and fine manipulation capabilities struck Joric as less than ideal.
David Martinez was a potential candidate; his neural sensitivity and learning ability met the requirements.
But he was a technical apprentice Joric had invested resources in training. Using him as a test pilot for a prototype that might be destroyed seemed wasteful.
Lucy? That hacker girl who longed for the moon.
Her ability was acceptable, but her loyalty was questionable.
Joric didn't want to wake up one day to find her piloting this painstakingly built power armor, breaking through Earth's gravity and heading straight for the moon.
Although this was merely a test prototype, and for Joric, building another one simply meant tormenting the apprentices again, for a Tech-Priest, any unnecessary loss was shameful.
His gaze swept through the database, finally locking onto a figure who had been somewhat "idle" recently—the former Deputy Director of Arasaka Counter-Intel, V, Valerie.
At this moment, Valerie was in a relatively quiet corner of the Badlands manufactorum base, undergoing basic rehabilitation training.
Her right arm was still encased in a medical brace, and her face appeared somewhat pale due to blood loss and recent hardships.
Betrayed by the corporation, hunted, and nearly killed—although she was safe for now, her eyes held not only the exhaustion of a survivor but also a hidden unwillingness and confusion about the future.
Joric pulled up her detailed file and recent behavioral records.
As a corporate elite who once commanded respect in Night City, V's abilities were beyond doubt. Her combat literacy, on-the-spot adaptability, and psychological endurance had all withstood rigorous testing.
Ruthlessly discarded by Arasaka and nearly silenced, her loyalty to the corporation was long gone. Currently, she was in a phase where she urgently needed to find a new foothold and purpose.
"Capable, experienced, full of resentment towards the corporation, and temporarily a potential test pilot with nowhere else to go..." Joric's voice carried a tone of calculation confirmed. "Old friend, what do you think?"
The Servo-skull flew a half-circle around him, emitting a hum of agreement.
"It seems we need to have a talk with this former corporate employee." Joric's massive body turned toward the workshop exit, his metal feet landing on the ground with steady, heavy sounds. "Perhaps we can offer her a chance... to prove her value again, or even take revenge on the past."
He needed to assess V's physical recovery status, and more importantly, test whether she possessed the potential to achieve preliminary synchronization with the power armor's "Machine Spirit," as well as her attitude toward piloting this war machine in service to the "Sage."
If all went well, the first live combat data collection for this unnamed power armor would be completed by this former Arasaka agent.
Joric's summons was conveyed through Mower—brief, with no superfluous words.
Valerie followed the silent female guard through the labyrinthine passages of the Badlands base, finally stopping before a heavy metal blast door.
The door slid open silently, releasing a scent mixed with machine oil, static electricity, and some indescribable energy field.
Valerie stepped inside, her gaze sweeping the interior quickly and discreetly.
The space was vaster than she expected. Instruments she didn't recognize emitted dim lights, and thick cables coiled at the edges of her vision.
Her professional instinct urged her to memorize the layout and possible exits, but she couldn't deduce the functions of most equipment.
Then, her gaze fixed on the center of the workshop.
That massive, dark red metal construct stood there quietly. Its structure was inhuman, carrying a mechanical sense bordering on blasphemy.
It reminded Valerie of the ultimate creations of mad scientists in old sci-fi movies, yet it was simultaneously wreathed in a strange solemnity akin to a religious artifact.
When the crimson optical lenses turned toward her and clearly locked onto her, Valerie's breath hitched, and her footsteps paused involuntarily.
Although she thought she was prepared for this "Sage" through intelligence fragments and Maine's squad's descriptions, the impact of seeing him with her own eyes far exceeded any report.
At this moment, she thoroughly understood why Arasaka chose to retreat after paying a heavy price.
This wasn't simply a disparity in force, but an instinctive apprehension when facing an existence beyond comprehension.
"...Mr. Sage." Valerie forced herself to calm down, nodding slightly, her voice as steady as possible. She was once the Deputy Director of Arasaka Counter-Intel and had seen countless grand scenes, but standing before this existence, she felt a profound sense of insignificance, as if facing a deep starry sea.
Ironically, not long ago, her mission had been to find a way to contact or even assess this existence.
"Valerie." Joric's synthesized voice echoed in the empty workshop. Steady, flat, devoid of emotion. "I am aware of your situation. Arasaka discarded you like a tool that lost its utility."
Valerie's lips pulled into a tiny, bitter arc. "Corporations are always like that."
"I have a position here." Joric didn't beat around the bush, cutting straight to the chase. "Work for me."
Valerie looked up, meeting those crimson lenses. She didn't immediately show ecstasy or hesitation.
Having experienced betrayal and pursuit, she was no longer the corporate employee who trusted promises easily. "Work for you? Doing what exactly? How is it different from selling my life to Arasaka? I don't want to be a corporate dog again."
"You answer only to me and execute my commands," Joric replied. "You need not heed the will of Militech or any other faction. You are not an employee of any corporation; you are my subordinate."
Valerie pondered for a moment before speaking again, this time with her usual pragmatism. "Then... what do I get? Mr. Sage. My brother Jackie and I, we used to dream of making a name for ourselves in Night City, becoming big shots."
"Night City?" Joric's synthesized voice seemed to carry a trace of extremely faint, almost mocking amusement. "Ambition limited to a single city is too small. Serve me, and the heights you can reach in the future will far surpass what any 'Night City big shot' can compare to."
"Anyone can paint a pretty picture, Mr. Sage." Valerie appeared very calm. "At the very least, I need a settlement fee so Jackie and I don't have to worry about our backs."
"Agreed." Joric didn't hesitate. "One ton of gold for you, and one ton for Jackie Welles. As an initial... settlement fee."
Valerie's pupils contracted slightly. One ton of gold? Each? Even in her days as an Arasaka executive, this was an unimaginably huge sum. This offer was simple, crude, yet extremely persuasive.
(End of Chapter)