The Giant Corporations that Started in Night City

Chapter 88: AI Arasaka Saburo!

"Understood," Dajiro nodded in response.

Although major weapons manufacturers such as LA Corporation, Cantao Group, and Militech dominated the market, leaving Arasaka with slim chances of securing large military contracts, the company's recent technological breakthroughs provided a glimmer of hope.

With their newly developed kinetic-series firearms, Arasaka stood a good chance of landing a top-five award in the industry.

The lineup included the kinetic pistol Tama Yura, the kinetic assault rifle HJSH-18 Masamune, the kinetic submachine gun Shigure, and the smart pistol JKE-X2 Kenshin, all cutting-edge weapons from Arasaka's arsenal.

However, even if Arasaka failed to secure any significant military contracts, it wouldn't matter much. The company was undergoing a transformative shift toward AI investment.

Once their "Soulkeeper" project succeeded, Arasaka would become the first truly omnipotent corporation on Earth, wielding unprecedented control over life and death. For the elites at the pinnacle of society, nothing was more tantalizing or maddening than the promise of "immortality."

Arasaka Saburo believed that humanity's desires would ultimately outweigh fragile moral boundaries and superfluous religious beliefs.

Thus, he resolved to bet Arasaka's future on "human nature." If his gamble paid off, Arasaka would ascend as the planet's supreme autocratic power.

The internal Arasaka board meeting regarding the company's successor proceeded smoothly under Arasaka Hanako's leadership. The restless senior executives quieted down, at least temporarily.

After the executives departed, Hanako discreetly made her way to a concealed chamber beneath the company headquarters, following the route stored in her memory.

This secret room housed Arasaka's Shin'yō server. To safeguard the company's data, Arasaka had established hidden sites for Shin'yō servers worldwide—in Night City, the European branch, Tokyo, and even the Crystal Palace in orbit.

The Shin'yō server at the Tokyo headquarters was the most critical of them all, holding data of immense importance.

Hanako approached a massive electronic terminal, which activated upon recognizing her face, projecting a holographic image of Arasaka Saburo.

"Hanako, it seems you've handled everything well," said the AI version of Arasaka Saburo.

The hologram mimicked Saburo's exact appearance, tone, and diction from when he was alive.

Before Saburo left Tokyo for Night City, he had already transferred his consciousness into the Shin'yō server using a modified Relic chip.

This process effectively created a "soul copy," storing a digital replica of his consciousness in the server.

Although Saburo's physical body had perished, his presence in the world persisted through this artificial echo.

"Yes, Father. I have carried out everything as you instructed," Hanako nodded slightly, maintaining her respect for this AI representation of her father, despite knowing it wasn't truly him.

"Well done, Hanako," said the voice, indistinguishable from the real Saburo, emanating from the terminal.

Yet, what resided in the Shin'yō server was not a human soul but an AI-constructed consciousness—a more accurate term would be AI Arasaka Saburo.

As an AI entity, Saburo had extensive privileges within the Shin'yō server, enabling him to effortlessly access any company information.

The digitized Saburo processed data thousands, even millions of times faster than before, becoming increasingly intelligent. However, this also made him more detached from humanity. Without returning to a physical body soon, he risked losing all human emotions, evolving into an utterly rational AI.

Within the Shin'yō server, only AI Saburo had such authority. Other consciousnesses sealed by the Relic chips were merely static strings of data.

"Proceed with the plan," AI Saburo reminded Hanako sternly. "And ensure no harm comes to Yorinobu's body."

"As you wish, Father," Hanako replied.

The holographic projection faded, leaving the terminal screen dark, reflecting Hanako's sharp yet solemn face.

Though it pained her to act against her own brother Yorinobu, she deemed the cost negligible compared to the intoxicating allure of wielding absolute power.

To Hanako, controlling the fates of others was the only pursuit truly worth chasing.

---

Night City, Little China, Viktor's Clinic

"Damn it! His neural activity is spiking like crazy! His frontal lobe is about to burst out of his skull!"

Alt Cunningham's eyes were glued to the data on the monitor. V's condition was a hundred times worse than she had anticipated.

"We have no choice—V is on the brink of neural shock. His lymph nodes should have auxiliary neural slots, likely beneath the SCM muscle. You handle that," Viktor instructed calmly, despite the sweat pouring from his brow.

As the seasoned ripperdoc meticulously worked with his surgical tools, he was determined to snatch V back from the clutches of death.

"Now I need to pierce his occipital bone. Hold him steady—don't let your hands shake, or V's done for!"

Following Viktor's lead, the members of Team Maman carefully supported V's body on the operating table. Viktor continued performing brain surgery with relentless focus. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he extracted the bullet that had nearly ended V's life.

Outside the clinic, Li Ang and Takemura Goro stood silently, waiting anxiously for the surgery's outcome.

Originally, Alt had planned to take V to an LA Corporation medical center, but the facility was packed, with no available beds, especially in the critical care unit.

Out of desperation, they brought V to Viktor's clinic instead.

Meanwhile, in Little China's medical center, Adam Smasher—reduced to a heart and 75% of his brain—floated in a tank of nutrient fluid, awaiting new cybernetic implants.

Jackie Welles, who had narrowly escaped death, remained unconscious but was expected to recover soon.

"Mr. Takemura, thank you for pulling V out of that junkyard and saving his life. Otherwise, two souls would've been lost in that body—Johnny Silverhand and V!"

After staying up all night, Li Ang finally sighed in relief. As he glanced at Takemura, equally exhausted and out of breath, he couldn't help but wonder if this was all a twist of fate.