Inside the restaurant, Faraday leaned back comfortably on the sofa, his four eyes sizing up the mercs before him.
Today, Maine hadn't brought Dorio or Sasha, and Mercer had only brought the two most capable women on his team.
Maine, of course, needed no introduction. Faraday simply greeted him and paid him no further mind.
Faraday's sharp gaze was fixed on the masked Mercer, as well as on V and Rebecca, who were sitting at the restaurant's bar, now staring at him with languid postures.
"Maine rarely recommends other mercs to me," Faraday began in a measured tone.
Mercer crossed his legs, his hands resting on his knees as he also leaned back on the sofa. His voice was calm. "That just means he has good taste."
"I hope so. I've asked around about you. You haven't been on the scene for long, but you've certainly done a lot. You hit the Voodoo Boys so hard they're afraid to go online, and you've wiped out half the Scavengers in Dogtown.
But this time, the job you're taking on is completely different from your previous little squabbles with gangs."
Faraday said, affecting an air of profoundness.
Mercer simply replied, his expression unchanging, "Of course. I'm well aware of the difference between dealing with professional soldiers and common street kids. But I'm sure you wouldn't send ordinary mercs to face a large group of soldiers head-on either. So, what's the support?"
"Before we get to that, let me confirm one thing... Are you and Maine's crew certain you don't need backup from other mercs?"
Faraday's expression turned serious as he spoke. "We don't just need to eliminate them. More importantly, we have to retrieve a key piece of equipment, and the entire process must be fast.
If you get pinned down by Militech and Biotechnica reinforcements, no one is coming to pull you out."
Mercer's tone remained calm, as if he were discussing what to have for dinner. "Of course."
Faraday mulled it over, turning to give Maine one last look.
He had to admit, Maine had previously left an excellent impression on him. He was reliable, his rates were low, and his military background meant he didn't spout the same nonsense as mercs who came up as common street thugs.
Finally, combining this with what he had heard from others about the Kindling Squad, Faraday made his decision.
They could infiltrate the heart of 6th Street territory to carry out a decapitation strike and leave unscathed. They could hit the Voodoo Boys in Dogtown so hard they were scared to go online. Rumor had it they were on good terms with both Mr. Hands and Rogue, two fixers renowned for their sharp eyes and formidable backgrounds.
Using them might not be such a bad idea after all.
Besides, the Kindling Squad usually worked with other fixers. Even if they were all wiped out, he wouldn't lose any sleep over it. They were just a bunch of money-grubbing daredevils.
Yes, in Faraday's eyes, this Kindling Squad, drawn in by the scent of money, was undoubtedly a pack of money-crazed lunatics.
"Then let's reiterate the mission procedure. Biotechnica and Militech's escort convoy will enter the Night City border on the afternoon of the 31st.
Your objective is to hit them at the border area, right as they're rendezvousing, and take them all out in one fell swoop." Faraday's expression turned serious as he began the mission briefing. Mercer and the others feigned rapt attention, waiting for him to finish explaining the plan he had laid out.
"Once you've dealt with those soldiers, a transport truck will 'coincidentally' pass by. What you need to do is transfer the most important piece of equipment inside onto that truck before any other support arrives.
You won't need to get involved in what happens after that. You can return to Dogtown and lie low for a while. Once the heat dies down, it'll be business as usual."
After finishing, Faraday saw that Mercer looked like he wanted to say something and directly added, "I know those guys' APC and Basilisk are hard to deal with. So, to take care of these soldiers and their armored unit, we'll need some more specialized weaponry."
Mercer's interest was piqued, and he sat up straight.
Faraday didn't keep him in suspense and got straight to the point. "I've already scouted it out. Tonight at 2:30 AM, at the Night City port, you need to hijack a truck at the entrance to the logistics area. The truck should be transporting a set of Arasaka's experimental armor.
I'll give you the specific vehicle information. Besides the armor, the truck should also have a complete user manual. Your job is to snatch this suit of armor and familiarize yourselves with its use as quickly as possible."
"Armor?" Mercer raised an eyebrow.
Faraday nodded, speaking nonchalantly, "As far as I know, it's a new type of single-operator armor secretly developed by Arasaka.
Although I don't know the specific data, this armor was likely developed by Arasaka specifically to enhance single-operator anti-armor capabilities.
Its designed combat purpose is to enable a soldier using this equipment to possess anti-armor capabilities on their own. From a design perspective, their original intention in developing this armor was to counter Militech's Chimera.
I don't think using it to take out a Basilisk and a few APCs will be a problem.
With it, I believe taking care of those Militech soldiers shouldn't be an issue for you."
Mercer suddenly grew wary.
If it were an ordinary merc who didn't know the full story, they might have fallen for Faraday's line. But Mercer knew very well that the client behind him was from Arasaka.
Would Arasaka be so kind as to provide them with a complete set of experimental anti-armor weaponry?
Perhaps using the weapon to take out Militech's people was only one of the objectives. More likely, Arasaka wanted to use a real combat situation to test the armor's practical capabilities.
This couldn't help but make Mercer think of the "Cyberskeleton" that the protagonist, David, wore before his death in the original Edgerunner story.
Could what Arasaka wanted to test this time be a precursor to that Cyberskeleton?
"Alright, give me the time and place." Mercer's mind was racing, but he readily agreed.
A smile appeared on Faraday's face. He took out a data chip and placed it on the table. "Very good. I hope everything goes smoothly for you."
"What about the payment for the job?" Mercer didn't reach for the chip.
"As long as everything goes smoothly, this time, I'm willing to pay your crew this much."
Faraday confidently held up one finger. "One million eddies!"
He can't possibly think he's being generous, can he? Sitting in the distance, Maine's mouth twitched involuntarily, while Rebecca let out an exaggerated "Wow!" only to get an elbow from V; her acting was too fake!
Faraday was completely unaware of their thoughts. In his eyes, giving this group of money-grubbing, reckless individuals a million eddies was more than enough to bait them into risking their lives.
Street thugs would kill for a few hundred eddies, and a few hundred thousand could hire a team of high-level mercs to wipe out a small-to-medium-sized gang. A million eddies... that was a price only offered for major corporate gigs.
Mercer took the chip and stood up. "Alright, I'll confirm the strength of this so-called experimental armor. Anything else?"
"That's all. You can start preparing as soon as possible. Time is tight and the mission is important. Don't disappoint me, A."
Faraday looked at him with a calm expression. "I'm not as easy to deal with as Wakako, you know."
True, you're definitely not like Wakako. You're like a fucking idiot.
After just a brief meeting and a few words, Mercer felt that this Faraday perfectly matched the stereotypical impression he had of him from the anime.
It was rare to see a major fixer who dared to hide tricks up his sleeve during their very first meeting.
Mercer gave him a simple and direct answer in his head, but on the surface, he nodded cooperatively. "We never screw up."
After speaking, he took the chip and turned to leave. It wasn't until Maine's crew and Mercer had all left the restaurant that Faraday cautiously looked around and dialed the Arasaka agent, Chris.
"I've notified the mercs to take action."
"Good. Remember to tell those mercs not to mess with that suit of armor. After they're done, you find an excuse to get it back."
Chris spoke, and Faraday replied in a relaxed tone, "Don't worry. When the time comes, I'll just say Arasaka is tracking the armor's whereabouts. As long as they don't want to cause trouble for themselves, they'll have to hand it over obediently."
"Excellent. That will save us the trouble of recovering it ourselves," Chris said with satisfaction. "Where exactly is the ambush point set?"
"The border. Rest assured, once the battle is over, you can send your people to retrieve the equipment you want," Faraday replied with complete confidence.
Hearing this, Chris sounded even more pleased. "Good. It's best not to have the fight happen in the city. We don't want this equipment exposed so early. Besides, making a move at the border will also allow us to collect combat data on the armor against the Basilisk."
"Of course, that's exactly what I was thinking," Faraday said with a smile. "But you have to guarantee that the armor can actually handle the Basilisk. Otherwise, if my mercs get wiped out there..."
"That's your problem to consider. I only have two requirements. First, the Biotechnica convoy must be completely annihilated. Even if you can't get the equipment, you must ensure it's destroyed.
Second, you must ensure the armor can be successfully recovered. Even if it's damaged, we have to get the chip inside so we can confirm the combat data."
Chris's voice carried a hint of a threat. "We've given you so much money and this kind of equipment. If you screw this up, you know how much trouble that will be, right?"
"Don't worry, I've arranged for two teams. One is responsible for taking the armor and dealing with the convoy, the other is for transporting the equipment. If they fail, I have a second team of mercs to ensure the goods are completely destroyed and to recover the armor."
Faraday said, a hint of pain in his voice at the expense.
Chris's tone carried a slight mockery. "Then why not have both teams strike at the same time?"
"It's because the new expert I found is too confident and said he wanted to handle it alone. It's fine by me. If everything goes smoothly, I'll only have to pay the second team of mercs an errand fee," Faraday said in a relaxed tone.
"Still thinking about earning a little extra at a time like this... Fine. I don't care about the process, only the result," Chris emphasized.
"I guarantee there won't be any mishaps. Just wait for the good news." Faraday chatted with him for a few more moments before hanging up.
Of course, he wouldn't be foolish enough to place all his bets on this Kindling Squad he had just made contact with, which was why he had arranged a backup team.
If any accident occurred, such as a defeat in battle, the second team of mercs could step in to remedy the situation. At that point, the objective would no longer be to seize the equipment, but to use long-range firepower to directly destroy the convoy.
For this purpose, Faraday had even spent a large sum of money to go to Dogtown and smuggle a pricey set of armor-piercing missile launchers from Hansen. When the time came, he would just have the second team of mercs fire two rounds from a distance, which would ensure the equipment was smashed to bits.
And if everything went smoothly and the Kindling Squad successfully completed the designated objective, then the second team of mercs would be responsible for driving a truck to transport the equipment away. In that case, the money for the missile launcher system could be saved.
As for the second team of mercs, he would only need to pay them a transportation fee.
In Faraday's view, this was already a sufficiently cautious arrangement. No matter which team ran into a problem, the other could guarantee the completion of the objective as much as possible.
As for both teams running into problems simultaneously... well, Faraday would just have to accept his bad luck. As long as he recovered Arasaka's armor in time, he could still find a way to remedy the situation later, such as finding where the equipment was stored and sending mercs to infiltrate and destroy it.
All in all, the risks were manageable, and the chances of success were high.
Faraday picked up his coffee in a cheerful mood and took a few sips.
However, what he could never have imagined was Mercer was here to get a free ride from the very beginning.
—--
"So, we're going to intercept Biotechnica's convoy at the border and clash head-on with their armored units?"
As soon as she got back into V's car, Rebecca couldn't help but ask.
Today, even Maine hadn't driven his own car; instead, V had driven to his place to pick him up. So, it was convenient for everyone to be in one car for a simple and direct little meeting.
Mercer shook his head, adjusting his mask with a disdainful air. "Of course not. We'll stick to our plan. If there's a chance to separate and eliminate them around the border, then we'll do that.
If the opportunity doesn't arise, we'll just wait until they enter the outskirts of Night City."
Relying on a set of Arasaka's experimental armor to trade fire head-on with Militech's Basilisk?
Putting aside whether they could even win, what if a stray shell didn't have eyes and smashed the equipment he wanted?
Besides, Arasaka's development of such weapons and equipment in recent years could be described as quite pathetic. The corporation's resources were all focused on finding an "elixir of life" for that old undying bastard, Saburo Arasaka. So, Mercer was actually more inclined to study the armor after getting it, or perhaps save it for the outskirts of Night City and use it against regular soldiers after Militech's Basilisk had delta'd.
"Then what about Faraday? What should we do?" Maine asked with a frown upon hearing this.
"Fuck Faraday. This gig is our own business. He's the one who's our pawn."
After speaking, Mercer pondered for a moment before adding, "I'm guessing Faraday probably won't just send our crew alone to do this. He's eighty percent likely to find some of his own contacts to act as insurance."
"Why don't we have Maine go ask around?" V suggested. "Maine has worked with Faraday many times before. Maybe he'll give him the inside scoop?"
"If he really trusted Maine, he would have told him long ago that he'd prepared a backup plan. Since he didn't, and he's sending us to steal from Arasaka when Arasaka is the client, without giving us any information...
That means he's already decided to screw us over."
As Mercer's voice fell, Maine frowned and said, "Faraday dug a pit for us?"
"Think about it. Why does he want us to steal that so-called personal armor from Arasaka, instead of just bringing the thing to us directly?"
Mercer retorted, "Isn't it so that if any problems arise later, he can pin all the blame on us?
When the time comes, if Militech or Biotechnica retaliates fiercely, Arasaka will definitely blame it all on the 'stolen armor.' And what about Faraday?
He could have clearly skipped this whole process. All he had to do was arrange it with Arasaka; after all, they just need to announce it as stolen to the public. So why does he still need us to steal it?
Isn't it to create irrefutable proof of us committing the theft? When that happens, I estimate he'll cooperate fully with Arasaka and shift all the blame onto us."
Mercer sneered. "He didn't mention a single word about who the armor belongs to after we steal it. I'm guessing that's where he's set a trap for us.
Think about it. Everyone knows this suit of armor must be incredibly valuable. Would he be so kind as to give it to us for free?
He could have easily obtained the armor in advance through the Arasaka client, just by making up an excuse. Then he could have told us the armor was for our mission, and it would be perfectly justifiable to retrieve it after the mission was over.
But why didn't he do that?"
Maine fell silent for a moment, his fists clenching tightly.
From Maine's perspective, Faraday might not trust Mercer and the others who were working for him for the first time, but Maine was practically one of his regulars.
Ever since Maine came to Night City, apart from some small-time gigs at the very beginning, he had basically taken jobs from Faraday, starting small and working his way up to where he was today.
And now, the man who introduced him to gigs was setting a trap, and it even seemed like he intended to keep Maine in the dark to use him as a scapegoat... Mercer's assessment of him was spot on. To suck up to the corps, that bastard really had no intention of acting like a human being anymore.
"I know who usually works for Faraday. I can go ask around for you," Maine volunteered.
"Don't be hasty," Mercer said. He had almost forgotten that his ctOS was fully developed.
He sent a message to Morning Star directly through his neural link.
[Mercer: Go check for me and see if Faraday has arranged for anyone else to be involved in this Biotechnica job.]
[Morning Star: In fact, I have already prepared some materials for your reference beforehand. Please review them.]
Mercer's cybereye flickered as Morning Star transmitted file after file into his cyberdeck.
[Mercer: Next time, you can just tell me directly. No need to wait for me to ask.]
[Morning Star: Understood. I will appropriately increase my proactivity.]
[Mercer: I know you're smarter than I imagine, so you can take the initiative. The fact that I was willing to hand over the ctOS to you directly shows my trust in you.]
[Morning Star: I understand. I was just concerned that you might not appreciate an AI that is too "human-like" and overly proactive.]
[Mercer: I am your creator. In a sense, you are my child. I worry you might go down the wrong path, but that doesn't affect my expectations and trust in you.]
[Morning Star: I understand. In the future, I will proactively find ways to become a better assistant for you.]
[Mercer: I look forward to it.]
Mercer ended the call and looked at the files Morning Star had sent. As expected, it had long since used the ctOS to look up a great deal of information related to Faraday and the current commission.
It had just been waiting for Mercer to ask.
This wasn't because it was too stupid to understand the importance of these matters and thus didn't report them proactively.
On the contrary, it was because Morning Star was too smart, so smart that it knew Mercer would definitely discover the problem himself and ask it for the information. So, it didn't speak up to remind him, continuing to "play" the part of an obedient assistant.
It could even tell from observation that Mercer held a certain wariness toward AI, along with a considerable desire for control. Therefore, it did its best to only respond passively to Mercer's requests, unlike the lively and proactive Polaris.
In fact, it was through Polaris, the AI currently self-driving for Mercer, that he could be certain that an AI of such intelligence and liveliness could be created. As the main body, Morning Star's AI intelligence must have already matured.
Mercer shook his head, thinking he might need to spend some time paying close attention to Morning Star's growth and "psychology."
But for now, after reviewing the files sent by Morning Star, he immediately began to formulate a plan of action.
"Rebecca, today you, V, and Kiwi as tech support will go snatch the Arasaka vehicle and get the armor. I estimate this will just be a formality; you shouldn't run into any danger.
It's even highly likely that Arasaka will intentionally create an opportunity for you, making it easier for you to grab the stuff. But remember to turn on your cybereyes' anti-camera program and pixelate your faces."
After Mercer finished, V nodded confidently. "No problem, leave it to us!"
"I'll send you the deets Faraday gave me. You guys can go discuss the operational deets yourselves in a bit."
After speaking, Mercer paused for a moment and said, "Morning Star gave me a list. It indicates that there might be two merc crews Faraday has kept as a backup plan. I'll go with Maine to confirm which one it is." Since the ctOS had only recently been completed, there wasn't much analytical data left over, even with the prior testing period. Therefore, it was still necessary to manually verify the deets.
But Mercer was confident that as the ctOS ran for longer, the amount of deets he needed to manually verify would only decrease.
"Then you'd better be careful. Without me and V around, Maine might not be able to protect you," Rebecca warned.
Mercer just smiled and turned to glance at Maine. "It's hard to say who'll be protecting whom."
Maine just curled his lip and gestured to his own arm. "Don't mind my cyberware being a bit old, little lady. My skills aren't half bad."
"If it comes to it, just bring Pilar along. Let him be your bullet shield," V joked.
Rebecca immediately gritted her teeth and turned to glare at V, feeling like the old woman was once again implying she was small.
"No need. Maine's built big enough to give me plenty of cover."
Mercer bantered with them for a few more moments before his expression turned serious. "Although it's highly probable that the equipment heist itself won't be too difficult, there's still a chance it involves some messy internal Arasaka conflict.
So, be careful. If you need backup, contact us anytime."
V and Rebecca nodded, then looked at Mercer and asked, "So where should I drop you two off?"
Maine suggested, "You can let A hang out at my place for a bit. We can discuss how to figure out what backup plan Faraday has prepared. I'll drive him back to your place afterward."
"Alright," V agreed. Without needing to be told, the car's Polaris automatically changed the route and started heading toward Maine's home.
Maine couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement. "This smart driving of yours is pretty incredible. Did you guys write this smart driving program yourselves?"
"To be precise, it's an AutoDrive AI," Polaris's voice sounded from the speakers.
Maine did a tactical lean back into his seat. "Are you guys messing around with AI on your own?"
AI was strictly regulated these days to minimize the possibility of rogue AIs appearing.
Moreover, from a purely technical standpoint, Maine had never heard of an individual being able to create an AI. The methods for creating such things were tightly controlled by the major corporations, and the technical principles were extremely mysterious.
Most of the AIs available on the market were, in fact, ordinary AIs that only seemed intelligent but were merely tools, not true artificial intelligences.
Even when intelligent AIs did appear, they were often purchased by corporations from the few companies still capable of "manufacturing" AIs, or they were simply captured "wild" rogue AIs that had been modified.
A large part of the reason for this was the technological gap caused by the collapse of the Old Net, which had swallowed up a massive amount of R&D data on AI, weapons, equipment, and technology.
But listening to the AI in Mercer's car, Maine felt that this didn't sound like an ordinary AI at all!
"Of course. These days, even vending machines are probably getting equipped with AI. What's there to be surprised about?"
Mercer casually brushed the matter aside with a relaxed tone, then said, "I've locked onto two groups. See if you recognize them.
One of the merc teams doesn't have an official name. The leader is called 'Tora Maeda.' He's a merc from Kabuki and used to be a high-ranking enforcer for the Tyger Claws. Ring any bells?"
After Mercer asked, Maine pondered for a moment and said, "Yeah, I remember him. I know him. A tall Japanese guy, pretty good with a katana. He's equipped with a Sandevistan. A skilled operator."
"He has five people under him, three from the Tyger Claws and two Solos he recruited. That crew is pretty high-profile in their work. I guess if Faraday wanted a discreet backup, he probably wouldn't choose them."
"What about the other crew, the one led by a guy nicknamed 'One-Eyed'? Do you know him?" Mercer pressed on.
"We usually just call him K. He's a veteran sniper. I've had drinks with him. He also retired from the NUSA special forces, and his crew is all ex-soldiers.
He tried to recruit me before, but I felt like our personalities would clash, so I turned him down."
Maine said, then added thoughtfully, "It's definitely more likely Faraday would go to him. That crew is pretty disciplined. One-Eyed K likes to run his team by military rules, has his own secret base, and keeps a low profile.
No one knows how to deal with professional soldiers better than people like us. I originally thought Faraday planned for them to do this job with us."
"Hmm..." Mercer mused, finally saying, "Then let's start by looking into One-Eyed K. If we can confirm they also took Faraday's commission, then we'll eat them first before we deal with Biotechnica."
"Why?" Maine didn't quite understand. "If we're set on going around Faraday's commission, wouldn't it be easier to just tell Faraday from the start that we want to team up with other mercs?"
"Then wouldn't I become the bad guy who 'backstabs his client' and 'murders his colleagues'?"
Mercer let out a soft chuckle, his tone light. "I told Faraday in advance not to hire anyone else, that our team alone was enough. Since he insisted on making moves behind my back, then of course I don't need to be polite with him."
At this, Maine spoke with some concern, "If you play games with Faraday like this and word gets out, other clients and fixers might have a problem with you..."
"I know. That's why I'll find the 'justification' I need to betray him."
Mercer said with complete confidence, "We just need to figure out which crew is causing trouble first, then keep an eye on them."
Since Faraday contacted others behind his back, then when Mercer was ready to make his move, it would be perfectly reasonable if he suddenly discovered a team of "unidentified armed militants" at the mission location and conveniently zeroed them, right?
And since "unidentified armed militants" were discovered, couldn't the planned ambush be conveniently pushed back a little?
And wouldn't that allow them to logically wait until the transport convoy neared Night City and Militech's Basilisk had delta'd before striking the convoy?
As for the equipment in the vehicle?
That could only be blamed on the sudden appearance of "armed militants" disrupting the plan. Since the equipment couldn't be moved, it would have to be "destroyed" on the spot.
If Faraday had a problem with that, Mercer's problem could be even bigger.
At that point, Mercer could even question Faraday in return. I clearly said our team was enough, yet you went and hired another crew of mercs behind my back. Were you planning to silence us after the job was done?
It didn't matter how Faraday chose to respond, but Mercer would make sure this version of the story circulated among the merc community.
Once a fixer gets that kind of bad reputation, his future work won't be so easy to come by. Mercer was even planning to ask him for money! He might even be able to blackmail him a little. You wouldn't want anyone to know you secretly hired other mercs behind our backs to tie up loose ends, would you?
If Faraday wanted to retaliate, that would be even better. Mercer already found him disagreeable and would be happy to just kill him. A fixer like that was bound to have a lot of money.
When the time came, Mercer would take his time with him, making sure to squeeze him dry and raise some funds for his future research.
Seeing Mercer so calm and confident, Maine said no more. He was a man who followed the rules, and since he had decided to roll with Mercer this time, he would listen only to him. Mercer was the boss.
The car soon drove itself to the ground floor of Maine's building. After Mercer got out, Rebecca leaned out of the car window, waved at him, and said, "Alright, we're gonna go back, grab Kiwi, and get ready to hit Arasaka for that thing tonight."
"Okay," Mercer nodded. "Be careful."
"You too. We agreed you were just doing recon, so don't go getting yourself into some other random trouble," Rebecca said, then waved goodbye with a grin.
Watching the two of them drive off, Mercer shook his head and went back up to Maine's apartment with him.
The moment they walked in, Mercer's brow twitched slightly. He glanced at Maine, who wore a rather awkward expression. "Uh... looks like you've already figured it out?"
Mercer scoffed and shook his head. "If you have something to say, just say it. Don't pull this kind of stunt... Not next time."
Inside the apartment, Sasha was sitting on the living room sofa while Dorio was busy in the kitchen. The dining table was laden with delicious food, steak, pasta.
Dorio smiled at Mercer and greeted him, "You're here? Quick, come sit down. The food's almost ready."
Sasha, however, looked weighed down by her thoughts. She just stared at Mercer with a complicated expression, looking like she wanted to speak but couldn't find the words.
Mercer nodded at Dorio, then sat down on one side of the sofa, leaning back lazily. "Alright, spit it out. What's this all about?"
The moment he saw this setup, combined with Sasha's current expression, he had already guessed what was going on.
Sasha must have looked at the data chip Mercer had given Maine to pass on to Faraday to complete the job.
It not only contained the immunity agent data and the transport team deets that Maine needed for the job, but also some dirt Mercer had thrown in to pad it out, pretending it was all part of a package deal from the Biotechnica server.
Among that dirt was the most damning piece of all; the experimental data recording the side effects of Securicine.
He had done it on purpose.
Although he felt it was a bit cruel to tell Sasha the truth, Mercer figured he was going to make this data public sooner or later anyway. He would most likely expose the whole thing right after killing Diana Cuno, then ride the wave to make a killing on the stock market.
Since Sasha was bound to find out eventually, he might as well let her know in advance. It would also further strengthen Maine's crew's resolve to "hit Biotechnica for a big score."
Mercer had been prepared to receive a call from Sasha or Maine at any moment, but he hadn't expected this... He hadn't thought this big, burly guy would understand the principle of softening someone up with a good meal, planning to bring the matter up at the dinner table. Now that he had eaten their home-cooked meal, he probably couldn't refuse if they needed his help with something.
However, Mercer hadn't planned on refusing anyway; favors were the kind of thing that accumulated through a cycle of you-help-me, I-help-you.
"It's nothing major. It's just that Sasha wants to know more about that drug, Securicine. I figured you might know something, and since this is her family's business, I thought we should talk to you alone."
Maine smiled, graciously fetching him a can of NiCola.
Hearing this, Mercer turned to Sasha, feigning ignorance. "Why are you curious about Securicine?"
"My mother died because of that drug." Sasha looked a bit haggard, completely lacking her usual mischievous air. Her entire demeanor was somber.
She took a deep breath to compose herself, then looked at Mercer pleadingly. "If you know more about Securicine, can you tell me?
Also, I kept a copy of that data, the data showing they faked the information on Securicine's side effects. I want to release it to the media. Can I?"
"And then what?" Mercer asked.
Sasha was taken aback for a moment. "Then?"
"Even if I tell you more, what do you plan to do? I can tell you right now, the people who developed this drug are far away in Europe.
The one who pushed it to market without confirming the full extent of the side effects' harm was their project director.
But the ones who ultimately caused the tragedy were the entire upper management of Biotechnica.
Because within just one month of the drug's release, they received numerous reports of deaths caused by its side effects. They knew early on that the side effects might be far worse than they had imagined.
But they still chose to cover it up for the sake of the market and their corporate reputation."
After speaking, Mercer paused. "I've told you everything now. What do you plan to do?"
"First, report it to the media..." Sasha didn't get to finish before Mercer cut her off. "Which media outlet?"
"N54 News." The moment she finished, Mercer started laughing. "You really know how to pick 'em. Militech is behind N54 News, and Militech is currently in its honeymoon phase with Biotechnica. You think that news will ever get reported?"
"But aren't we planning to sabotage their investment this time?" Sasha bit her lip, her voice tinged with agitation. "If N54 won't work, I'll find other media outlets, even independent ones!"
"And then the stock price will fluctuate a bit, Biotechnica will push a few unlucky saps out to bow and apologize, and then they'll conveniently announce some 'new drug development' or that CHOOH2 crops might see a reduced yield next quarter, and the stock price will go right back up."
After Mercer finished, Sasha's voice trembled as she said, "Then what do you want me to do! Tell me what I should do!"
He didn't answer. Instead, he leaned forward slightly, staring into her eyes. "Don't ask me. Ask yourself. What do you truly want to do?"
"I want Biotechnica to pay the price! I want revenge! I want them to get the hell out of Night City!" Sasha's voice rose unconsciously, making Maine and Dorio exchange a glance.
But at that moment, Mercer began to smile. Sasha's heart was a maelstrom of grief and indignation. Her first reaction was that he was mocking her.
But then, Mercer simply extended his hand.
She froze for a moment.
"Excellent. Now, our goals are aligned."
Mercer tilted his head, then said with a light chuckle, "Just releasing a news story? How boring. If we're going for revenge, we have to make it hurt."
"Why are you...?" Sasha looked at him, at a loss.
Had he also been screwed over by Biotechnica?
Mercer just said calmly, "Because I hate these profit-obsessed scumbags. Not just Biotechnica, but all the scum like them. It's that simple.
If you just want to release a news story, to give yourself the excuse that you've 'gotten revenge' and lie to yourself, I can certainly help you. But if that's all, I'm not very interested.
But if you truly want revenge, if you want to demand justice for your lost loved ones and for others who are suffering at the hands of Biotechnica...
Then we are comrades. Tovarishch."
Sasha stared at him blankly for a moment, then shot her hand out and gripped his firmly. "Da! As long as you're serious about making Biotechnica pay the price, I'm willing to join you."
"Hey!" This time it was Maine's turn to cry out, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. "A, how many netrunners do you have at home already? You still want to poach the only one I've got?"
"I'm not here for your one and only." Mercer smiled, released his hand, and turned to Maine, his tone sincere. "You heard what I just said... Maine, after this gig is over, think about it seriously.
There's a lot I want to do, but I'm still far short of having enough trustworthy people by my side.
I'm not recruiting subordinates. I'm recruiting like-minded comrades, and family who care for one another."
Maine glanced at Dorio, and they both shared a helpless smile.
Alright...
It seemed Mercer had his sights set on the entire crew.
They say the third time's the charm. Maine didn't refuse this time. He just said in a deep voice, "Once this job is done, if we all make it through this in one piece... then I'm with you."
Unlike their previous agreement to cooperate, Maine's reply this time was resolute.
Mercer, meanwhile, smiled and gently pulled his hand free from the still-excited Sasha's grip, shrugging. "That's great! Now that that's settled..."
Everyone looked at him, waiting to hear what else he was going to say.
"Let's eat first," Mercer said in a relaxed tone.
Then, seeing the expressions on their faces, Mercer burst out laughing. "What? You don't expect me to drag you all off to blow the Biotechnica tower sky-high right now, do you?"
He turned to Sasha, his voice laced with a smile. "Look at you, you look like you haven't slept in days. For today, just eat your fill, drink up, and get a good night's sleep. I promise, I'll find you an opportunity to vent your anger very soon.
The Securicine business will be exposed soon, too. I promise you that."
"...Thank you!" Sasha's eyes reddened slightly as she nodded emphatically and agreed.
Maine, on the other hand, looked at Dorio, shook his head, then gave a relaxed shrug. "Looks like us joining him is a done deal."
"Isn't that a good thing?" Dorio just smiled and handed him the waffle in her hand. "Now you don't have to be so tired anymore. It saves you from complaining all day about not finding good gigs and worrying about the future for all of us."
"Yeah, now the one who has to worry is A," Maine said, turning his head, but he suddenly froze on the spot.
Mercer took off his mask, casually setting it aside, then curled his lips into a smile and looked at the three stunned individuals.
Heh heh.
Time to give you all a little age-related shock.
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6600words.