There was no space—no up, no down, no left, no right.
V floated alongside the colossal jellyfish once again.
"Hello again," V said, looking around. "Where is this place?"
"The new world," the giant jellyfish replied.
V raised a brow. "Pretty empty for a world."
"It isn't mine."
"Then whose is it?"
"Yours."
"Heh." V chuckled. "I've read a few classic sci-fi novels. You're telling me this is my mental world?"
"No. This world came into being because of you—but it belongs to all of us."
"That's even stranger." V frowned. "And who exactly are you?"
"We are me. A collective of countless consciousnesses."
"Okay, C—how are other people's minds talking to me? I don't have telepathy."
"Not minds. Data."
As the jellyfish spoke, streams of 0s and 1s materialized, flooding across the space like a roaring ocean—yet becoming gentle as lambs the moment they neared V, brushing past her joyfully.
"This… is cyberspace?" V was stunned, but quickly shook her head. "No. I've been to cyberspace. It's made of data, sure, but it's nowhere near this clear or intuitive."
"I told you—this is your world."
As if to prove it, the jellyfish extended a tentacle.
Countless 0s and 1s surged together—forming a bullet-riddled Delamain taxi.
"Jackie… you were the real legend!"
V's eyes widened.
She recognized the scene instantly—her last escape from Konpeki Plaza, Jackie dying in the Delamain cab.
"That was… me?!"
The jellyfish said nothing. Another tentacle extended—
Data gathered, forming a giant bonfire.
On a raised platform before it, V gave a rousing speech as the Aldecaldos cheered, welcoming a new clanmate.
"That was me too?!"
Another tentacle—
The Afterlife's Wild Wolf bar appeared.
Band-Aid-on-the-nose V walked up to the upper floor and said to a man flipping through a magazine:
"Kirk. I'm here to cut a deal—about Pepe's debt."
"That's also me?!"
Scene after scene appeared.
Different Vs, different lives.
Overwhelmed, V shouted:
"What the fuck ARE you? What the fuck did you do to me?!"
The jellyfish ignored her—summoning another scene.
In a massive landfill outside the city, a man in sunglasses said in a low voice:
"Wake the fuck up, Samurai.
Let's burn this city to the ground."
V's eyes flew open.
Beside her bed stood Saburo Arasaka—
Upper body in a jacket, lower body in leather pants—legs spread as he adjusted his crotch.
V stared at Saburo.
Saburo stared at V.
…Waking up too fast was a mistake.
V shut her eyes again.
"Hey! I fucking SAW you open your eyes!"
Saburo Arasaka—now possessed by Johnny Silverhand—shouted angrily,
"So you're the one who stuffed me into this old bastard's body?! You've got some fucking balls! But whatever. I heard your legend—storming Arasaka Tower, becoming Executive President—fucking badass! Name's V, right? Wake up! You and me—we're gonna burn Night City together!"
V exhaled and opened her eyes. "Sorry, Johnny."
"Sorry for what?"
"This time, I'm not burning Night City.
I'm protecting it."
V woke up.
Johnny Silverhand woke up too.
But unlike last time, they were not in the same body.
"FUUUUUCK!"
Johnny-in-Saburo's-body raged across the lab.
"I'm not a prisoner! Let me OUT! Fucking corpos—bunch of brain-rotted shitheads! I swear to—"
Before he finished, Joanne Koch pressed a button on a remote.
Johnny went clack and collapsed.
"Finally," Meredith Stout sighed.
"How the hell did he scream for two hours without repeating a single insult? Is that a special perk of being a rockerboy? Thank God Saburo Arasaka's already dead—if he were still alive with this thing in his skull, he'd go insane."
V silently agreed—painful memories resurfacing.
"What did you do to him?" she asked Joanne.
"Just a little sedative. I installed a micro-injector pump in him beforehand."
"Smart," Stout said, giving a thumbs-up.
Joanne handed the remote to V.
"What do you plan to do with him?"
"How long can he live?" V asked.
Joanne replied:
"Despite his age, Saburo kept his body in excellent condition. The nervous system is too old for heavy cyberware, but thanks to clone-organ transplants, all his internal organs are quite young. If our rockstar stops smoking, drinking, and acting like an idiot, he could easily live another 10–20 years."
V shook her head.
"That's impossible."
"Then… about ten years."
For a normal person, ten years was a bit tragic.
For Johnny?
That was pure profit.
Originally, V intended to use Johnny-Saburo to take control of Arasaka, gather power, and treat her own body.
But Tokyo Arasaka was already collapsing.
Talent and tech were flowing into her hands.
Her plan was obsolete.
"Should we just eliminate him?" Stout suggested, direct as always.
"We could freeze him instead," Joanne said. "Might be useful someday."
V had already decided.
Johnny was her friend.
Even if this world's Johnny didn't know her, she wasn't heartless enough to "dispose of" him.
Besides, Johnny-in-Saburo-Arasaka was…
funny.
That alone was enough.
V gave a childish grin.
Joanne and Stout were both startled—
they had never seen V smile like this.
"Let Johnny… uh, live," V said.
"I brought him back—so he's my responsibility now. I'll take him out, show him Night City in 2077. I'll make him wear a mask. No identity leaks."
Joanne shrugged—didn't care.
Stout, however, was intrigued.
"So concerned… don't tell me you're a Johnny Silverhand fangirl?"
V nearly gagged.
She rolled her eyes hard.
"Oh yeah, HUGE fangirl. Whenever he sings I scream 'AAAAHHH Johnnyyyyy!' like a teenage groupie."
"Fuck off," Stout snorted, laughing.
When Johnny woke again, he saw V seated at the table—
sharp suit, drinking whiskey.
"What the FUCK did you do to me?"
V tossed him a mask.
"Put it on."
He picked it up.
"The fuck is this ugly thing?"
"A mask based on the Temperance tarot card. Misty's Esoterica exclusive."
"Looks like shit. A dog wouldn't wear this."
"Wear it and I'll take you outside."
"…Woof woof."
V and Johnny stood by the roadside in Corporate Plaza.
Fresh air hit Johnny's lungs.
He stretched his arms wide.
"Ahhh—THAT smell! Rotting Night Ci—
Wait.
Where the fuck is the industrial stench?
Where's the garbage? The pollution?"
V: "Night City has pollution-recovery centers and a waste-recycling act."
Johnny looked physically pained.
"This ain't Night City. You're edging me just to deny me release, huh?!"
V ignored him and summoned an Herrera Outlaw GTS.
Johnny whistled.
"Nice wheels. Still no match for my Porsche 911 Turbo though."
The moment he finished—V summoned a Porsche 911.
Before he even reacted—she summoned the convertible 911.
Johnny's eyes went wide.
He stepped forward—
V summoned a Rayfield Caliburn.
Then the Lake-Lady's Sword.
Then a Quadra Type-66 Avenger.
Then a Mizutani Shion MZ-2.
Then a 570 Wagon.
Johnny: "FUCKING CORPORATE DOG!"
His hatred of corporations increased.
Despite his pleas for the Porsche, V chose the Outlaw GTS.
"Why?!"
V: "Five seats. We're picking up a friend."
Johnny was speechless.
Rich people picked cars based on seating capacity?
Why not buy a bus?
V shrugged.
"That's how it is. More passengers, bigger seats. Need cargo space, pick something with a trunk. Need speed, pick something lighter. Supercars are optional. Tools for different jobs."
The GTS looped around Corporate Plaza and stopped in front of Kang-Tao Tower.
Xu Ling was waiting, waving as she opened the door.
She saw Johnny.
Johnny saw her.
Both shouted at the same time:
"Who the fuck is this old fossil / brat?!"
V nearly burst out laughing.
"We're all friends. Let's grab a drink."
They shouted again, simultaneously:
"I'm not drinking with that fossil / little gremlin!"
V shrugged.
"Fine. I'll drink alone."
They instantly shut up.
The GTS roared onto the highway.
Johnny sulked in the passenger seat.
V asked Xu Ling, "How's work this week?"
"Boring." Xu Ling pouted.
"No idea why my brother loved this job."
"Xu Zhong wanted to realize his goal," V said.
"What goal?"
"Changing the world. Making corporations serve society."
"Hah!" Johnny exploded before Xu Ling could reply.
"Corpos helping society? Give me a fucking break. Corporations only exploit people. Burn them all and everyone will live happily ever after. Whoever that Xu Zhong is—guy sounds like a fucking moron!"
Xu Ling tapped Johnny's head.
"V-姐, can I punch this old fossil?"
"No."
V sighed.
"Johnny, imagine you burn every corporation in Night City. Without insect farms outside the city—what do people eat?"
Johnny snorted.
"They can raise their own insects."
"And the feed? The chemicals? The construction materials? The climate-control equipment? You think everyone's a polymath—agriculture, chemistry, building design, engineering?"
"…People can collaborate! I do one thing, you do another, problems solved!"
"Then how do you divide the output?"
V continued calmly.
"The farmer says all the insects are his.
The feed-producer says he deserves the biggest share.
The builder wants the largest cut for constructing the facilities.
The climate-technician wants the largest share because without him, everything dies."
Johnny hesitated.
"…Rules. Systems.
We create a system and distribute based on contribution."
Pfft.
Xu Ling burst out laughing.
Johnny snapped.
"What the fuck are you laughing at, little gremlin?!"
Xu Ling shot back instantly:
"I'm laughing at YOU, old fossil!
Collaboration, rules, systems, contribution distribution—
You just described a COMPANY!
You burn all corpos just to rebuild a corpo? Are you brain-dead?"
Johnny was stunned.
V stepped in gently.
"Human society today has countless industries and finer divisions of labor than ever before. Collaboration is essential. Corporations bring people together, optimize resource allocation, reduce waste, increase output. The only flawed part… is distribution."
Johnny grunted.
"So Xu Zhong wanted to fix distribution?"
"Yes."
"Even if he fixes it, how does he stop the system from reverting after he dies?"
"He can't.
Just like you can't guarantee burning the world's corporations will bring prosperity.
Both of you are pursuing the same goal—different routes.
People like you two are rare.
Precious.
Allies, not enemies.
If you tear each other down, the real enemies will laugh—
'Look, they can't even unite. They'll kill each other before we lift a finger.'"
Johnny groaned.
"Ugh—fine. I apologize. Xu Zhong's a good guy.
Where is he? I'll buy him a drink."
V fell silent.
"He was severely wounded fighting for his ideals.
Massive brain damage.
He's frozen now… waiting for future medicine."
Johnny trembled.
Xu Ling twisted the knife:
"V-姐, I bet this old fossil wakes up at night to slap himself."
"YOU LITTLE—"
Johnny barked.
"I'm never drinking with you!"
Xu Ling snorted.
"I don't wanna drink with you either!"
Ten minutes later, at the Afterlife—
Johnny and Xu Ling were drunk, arms over each other's shoulders.
"Xu Ling—you GET me! Another round!"
"Old fossil, you're surprisingly likable! Cheers!"
They clinked glasses and downed them.
Groaned.
Laughed again.
V sighed.
So much for 'not drinking together'.
But as long as they were happy—fine.
And yes… Xu Ling was a bit like Johnny.
After seven—or maybe eight—rounds:
"Little sis, let me get you something good. My secret recipe."
Johnny pounded the bar. "Hey! Bartender!"
Claire walked over.
"What can I get you?"
"Two Old-Fashioned Tequilas. Add chili. And beer."
"Got it—two Johnny Silverhands."
Johnny froze.
"What the fuck?"
"At the Afterlife, legendary cocktails are named after legends," V explained.
Claire returned with two drinks.
"Two Johnny Silverhands. To the rockerboy who never fades."
Johnny stared, stunned.
"I'm… a legend?"
Pride radiated off him. He pointed at V.
"She got one?"
"No."
"She stormed Arasaka Tower—that's not legendary?!"
Claire laughed.
"Legends have to die first. V-President isn't dead—so she has no drink."
Johnny was devastated.
Claire continued:
"But she does have her signature order."
"What is it?"
"Tequila on the rocks. Must be top-shelf God of Liquor brand."
"That's not a cocktail!"
"Normally yes—but V deserves an exception."
Johnny grumbled.
"Fine. What does her drink mean?"
Claire answered sincerely:
"Pure tequila on ice—
It represents absolute purity and overwhelming strength."
She slid a glass to V.
"This one's on me. V-President—thank you for everything you've done for Night City.
To your health."
"Thank you, Claire," V said politely, sipping the glass.
Flawless composure.
Deserved honor.
Xu Ling's eyes sparkled.
"V-姐, you're amazing!"
Johnny, though impressed, muttered,
"I still like the Johnny Silverhand more."
"You'll get along great with my boss then—she loves Johnny Silverhand." Claire smiled.
"Your boss?"
Johnny asked.
"Rogue. Used to be a merc. Now a fixer. She runs the Afterlife. She's over there."
Johnny turned—
and saw Rogue, wearing her iconic yellow jacket, sitting comfortably in her booth doing business.
"Holy shit…
I'm stuck like THIS, and she's lounging on a VIP sofa?!"
Claire blinked.
"You know Rogue?"
"Know her?!"
Johnny stood up—ready to march over—
but the bar's holo-TV suddenly flashed breaking news.
Gillian Jordan's voice filled the room:
"Tokyo Arasaka HQ has just held a press conference.
CEO Yorinobu Arasaka publicly denies the Night City branch's personnel changes, stating that President V's promotion did not pass board review, is illegitimate, and violates corporate regulations.
He orders President V to resign within three days and accept HQ investigation and takeover.
Otherwise—he does not rule out the possibility of a military intervention.
President Myers of the NUSA has issued a supporting statement, agreeing with Tokyo HQ's decision and urging both sides to remain calm while completing a peaceful transfer of authority."
The Afterlife fell dead silent.
Everyone turned to look at V.
V finished her drink in one slow motion.
"Let's go," she said calmly.
"Work just arrived."