Chapter 202: V's New Job
"...Very generous." She took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in her heart. "But money alone isn't enough. In this world, especially after experiencing all of this, I understand that power is the foundation. I want... the power to never be easily manipulated or slaughtered by others again."
"Power?" Joric's crimson lens turned to the side of the workshop. The dark red power armor, which had just completed final assembly, stood quietly in the shadows, the single horn antenna on its head gleaming coldly under the lights. "Power armor, cybernetic modification, advanced weapon systems... as long as you prove your value, these can all be provided. Resources are not a bottleneck for me."
He refocused his "gaze" on Valerie. His synthesized voice suddenly became grave, carrying unquestionable weight: "But for all this, there is a premise. A single requirement."
The air inside the workshop seemed to solidify.
"Absolute loyalty."
Joric's voice was cold and clear, every word striking like a hammer on metal.
"Loyalty that is not absolute is absolutely not loyalty. This is my creed. Any form of betrayal, deception, or feigned compliance is intolerable. Can you accept this?"
Facing those crimson optical lenses, Valerie felt unprecedented pressure. She knew very well that this wasn't an ordinary employment contract; it was more like an oath of fealty. The existence before her could indeed grant the wealth and power she craved, but he demanded unreserved submission in return.
She thought of Arasaka's cruelty, the despair when her arm was severed, and the dream she and Jackie once had that seemed so out of reach.
With almost no hesitation, she nodded, her eyes becoming firm.
"I accept," Valerie said. "As long as you can fulfill your promise, Jackie and I... are willing to pledge our allegiance."
When Valerie found Jackie, he was squatting by a stack of crates in a corner of the base, surrounded by several Barghest recruits who had just rotated off the line.
His booming voice and exaggerated gestures were conspicuous in the crowd; he was clearly bragging about some remarkable experience.
"...Just like that, BANG! One shot! I used this 'old friend' right here," he raised his hand to mimic firing a gun, "and blew up the last spinning eyeball of that cyberpsycho! Ha! You guys should have seen it..."
A recruit, listening intently, happened to glance at the approaching Valerie and nudged Jackie with his elbow.
Jackie turned around. Seeing Valerie, his face immediately broke into that trademark brilliant smile, tinged with a bit of Heywood street ruffian charm.
"Hey! Look who's here!" He stood up and waved at the recruits. "Go on, shoo, go wait over there. I've got business to talk about with my sister."
The recruits scattered with laughter. Jackie walked up to Valerie in a few strides, lowering his voice slightly, though the excitement on his face hadn't fully faded: "How did it go? They didn't give you a hard time, did they?"
"No." Valerie shook her head. Her tone was calm but carried a trace of unquestionable resolve. "Jackie, I found a new gig. For both of us."
"A new gig?" Jackie raised an eyebrow, casually holstering his pistol. "Which fixer introduced it? Padre? Or..."
"Not a fixer." Valerie interrupted him, looking directly into Jackie's eyes. "It's the boss here. That 'Sage'."
The smile on Jackie's face receded slightly, looking a bit bewildered. "Sage? Who? That mysterious boss behind Maine and his crew? God, Valerie, that's not your average big shot... How did you get a line to him? And you dragged me along too?"
He scratched his head, looking confused, but there was no suspicion in his eyes, only curiosity about Valerie's decision.
"The process was a bit complicated; I'll explain the details later." Valerie glossed over it briefly. She didn't want to explain right now how she stood before that existence and reached an agreement. "You just need to know that we work for him. The pay... is very rich. Far beyond your imagination."
She thought of the promise of one ton of gold.
Jackie looked at her serious expression, then at her empty right sleeve, remembering how she looked like a stray dog being hunted by the corporation earlier.
He took a deep breath, and his large, fan-like hand patted Valerie's uninjured shoulder.
"Alright! You call the shots, sister!" Jackie said firmly. "You've never steered me wrong. If you think this path works, then I, Jackie Welles, am with you! Working for a big shot is better than scraping by job-to-job on the streets! Maybe we can really make a name for ourselves!"
The light of longing reignited in his eyes, even though he didn't fully understand who exactly this "Sage" was.
Valerie breathed a sigh of relief internally. Jackie's trust was what she needed most right now. "Next, I have a mission. The Sage gave me a piece of... equipment. It needs testing."
"Equipment? What kind of goodies?" Jackie's interest was piqued.
"A suit of Power Armor," Valerie said.
"Whoa!" Jackie whistled, his face full of envy. "Not bad! Playing with the big toys right off the bat! What about me? What do I do?"
"You're on standby for now." Valerie looked at him. "Familiarize yourself with the environment here, stay sharp. I'll notify you when you're needed."
Although Jackie was a bit disappointed that he couldn't participate in the action immediately, he nodded. "Understood! You be careful then. Driving that tin can isn't child's play."
Not long after, Valerie stood once again inside Joric's workshop.
Her right sleeve was no longer empty. Replacing the lost limb was a mechanical prosthetic with a rugged, angular style.
This was the "medical aid" provided by Joric. Although its industrial aesthetic was borderline crude—far less refined than Arasaka's high-end cyberware—the sense of power and response speed it transmitted were exceptionally excellent, far surpassing any model she had used in the past.
The dark red power armor with the single horn antenna on its head had been moved to the test preparation area.
Under Joric's remote instruction and Mower's silent assistance, Valerie climbed the gangway behind the armor and entered the cockpit located in the chest cavity.
The hatch closed heavily behind her, cutting off the outside world. Internal lighting illuminated, casting a cold glow.
The cockpit was narrower than she had expected. The layout was extremely minimalist, even primitive—there was no comfortable seat, only an ergonomic metal frame structure that looked more like the riding position of a motorcycle or a small aircraft. The pilot had to straddle it and secure themselves in place with harnesses.
Her mechanical right hand gripped instinctively, embedding precisely into an exposed control interface, feeling a slight locking sensation.
There were no complex neural connection cables. Control relied mainly on the few primary screens in front of her, physical buttons, control sticks, and the helmet-mounted display she was wearing, which was booting up to project a surround view.
"System Start." Valerie issued the command, combining voice command with manual operation as instructed.
(End of Chapter)