The low rumblings of a corporate convoy's SUV gliding on the pristine roads of North Oak fade in. The PetroChem executive woman sits in the backseat with silent excitement and anticipation… allowing the slightest of grins to appear on her lips. Her heart rate increases with overwhelming joy being felt to her core... how could it not be.. being away from the megabuilding HQ. It was finally time… with a life of constant, relentless surveillance... she's waited all day for this... having it be at the forefront of her mind.
She reaches over and rolls down the window… the simple buzz of the car's working mechanics engage as the black tinted window casually rolls down.
She takes a deep satisfying breath as she slowly removes her corpo black and gold trimmed sunglasses.
She looks out into the sprawling hills of North Oak… seeing the lush green landscape weaved into the mountain. She casually sticks her arm out of the window... feeling the cool breeze between her fingers... her blood red nail polish glimmering under the warm, bright sun. The corpo driver glances back at her briefly through the rearview mirror.
She feels the wind in her hair and on her face… the bright beaming sun on her perfect skin… the cloudless blue sky… she lives for this… this fake sense of freedom afforded to her in the sparsest of ways. Made all the harder when being babysat around by what felt like a small army. Didn't bother her in the slightest though. She vowed to never allow anything… anyone to interfere with this fleeting moment of escape and peace… of freedom shes found. Freedom…. "What does that even mean." she often thinks to herself. An abstract concept that erodes…. eats away at safety... structure and power… the very things that make up who she is. However she revels in the arms of this forbidden love… holding on tight while no ones looking. The use of such a simple moment to escape the inescapable… even if only for a few minutes... has again been accomplished….. an impossible moment.
The flick of a lighter is heard alongside the parked convoy under the hot sun. The executive woman stands off to the side with her corpo contact under the shade of several trees.
"I'm telling you… counter intel doesn't pay me enough for this shit." Her corpo contact says in a dead tone. Overworked... tired and agitated… she takes another drag of her smoke with her arms crossed.
"They're probably too busy spending it on shit like this" The exec says while pointing back with her thumb at the convoy. "All this just for a fucking intel run."
"Well I hope you're ready to be disappointed because we've hit a wall. Ops response was pretty clear." The contact responds causing the exec to look over at her. "Crazy bitch escalated the project to Redacted. Even went as far as to enact Company Policy… You didn't fucking hear that from me though, understand?" She says sternly to the executive.
"Company Policy...? What the fuck?" The executive says in utter shock with more emotion than we've ever seen from her. As if aspects of her true self behind the suit have let their hair down.
"Yeah… and thats not all. We've been formally removed from the op… not just me, all of us. Wiped the entire team... confiscated everyone's data on the project... 'In order to ensure the highest probability of success' if I recall. Tch.. fucking joke... good luck with that. Considering how compartmentalized this has all been i'd imagine they're talking past each other up at the wheel." She scoffs before taking a drag of her smoke... continuing after a pause.
"This ones a real head turner internally… didn't start out that way either. Choo2 catastrophe mixed with a laundry list of potential motivated suspects means there's just not enough to go on… too much scrubbed data with the perfect mix of precision and unpredictability. Feels like top's pretty much expecting us to solve a puzzle they've got pieces to in their back pocket. Chain of command is even going as far as to start pointing fingers at each other…. never even thought that was possible honestly... heard they even hit a few leads pretty hard that turned out to be dead ends... started some serious shit in high places it never existed to begin with... further distraction and obfuscation... costs adding up."
She pauses again, taking another drag... exhaling deeply.
"These are seasoned players in a game of minds and men… every breadcrumb feels more meticulously placed than found. They know exactly what they're doing…. and we don't. The board's been baring down on this thing day by day now… A lot more eyes up there have started pressing with questions. Apparently shes expecting to resolve this thing with just her single huscle she flew in with. Also… shes been putting her geo-block to serious work while shes been in town. Lost track of the amount of pings but.. Lenny said they definitely saw an increase from when she initially arrived… huge increase… sometimes days." The contact concludes while flicking her cigarette and re-crossing her arms.
"Tch.. what's a geo-block worth if you're not even going to use it right?" The exec unexpectedly responds after a pause in the conversation, thinking outwardly and tripping her contact up as she watches her take a final drag of her smoke and flick it.
"Appreciate the time and work." She promptly says turning to walk back to the SUV.
"W- wait!!" Her contact shouts stepping toward her. "W-what… what about you? How..? A-Are you ok?"
"Fine… just…. busy. Too much going on right now. Eyes all over the company and beyond are starting to pry… time's running out" The exec turns and says impatiently.
Her contact slowly approaches while she has her attention.
"I mean… but... H- how are you? Its been a while since... have you thought ab-"
"-Not now." The exec responds sternly.
"Anna…" Her contact exhales. "After everything you've told me… please…. this… this place isn't for you… you…. you deserve more Anna.. you DESERVE BETTER!!!-"
"-I SAID! Not! Now!!!!.." Anna screams with more emotion in her voice than shes heard in a long time. She puts her shades back on… masking her humanity as she turns to walk away back to the SUV leaving her contact left standing alone with her hands covering her face.
A Short time later, the sounds of various iron and chrome being prepped by huscle is heard in Anna's SUV. She prepares her own implants for any and all eventualities that can go down where shes headed. Right into the mud of the dregs she lords over from her ivory megabuildings and corporate elite power structures. A stark contrast to the lush, pristine cleanliness of North Oak. The corporate convoy she was loathing recently is now clung onto like a safety blanket in the dead of a blizzard. Reminding herself…. the significance of the gives and takes of the life shes in.
The convoy stops just at the end of a degraded city block in Vista Del Rey.. acting as a makeshift road block at the end of a barren alleyway. Anna's SUV continues alone deeper into the alley toward a waiting sleek, blood red Herrera Outlaw parked at the far end. Aces stood at the driver's side door with his arms crossed slowly paces back and forth impatiently. He looks over at the intimidating convoy of PetroChem corporate huscle approaching with subtle admiration. A longing desire hes held onto for years peaks at the sight of it leaving him all but salivating. The prestige… the absolute power on display grabs a hold of him.. making him feel smaller. Reminding himself of just where he sits on the ladder…. and where he'd rather be.
The pair, both frustrated are nearing the end of a tense and rather chaotic back and forth.
"And how the hell do you expect me to accomplish that!? She essentially told me to fuck off in the… weirdest god damn way possible!!!" Aces shouts into the rolled down SUV window.
"Tough shit Fixer! Your task has been made clear and you've yet to deal with it. Luckily for you, the offer still stands but time's running out on this regardless of your fucking progress."
"All of that money wasted… and for what? Who the hell is this bitch to your flock and why all the damn unnecessary urgency?!"
"THAT'S none of your concern Anthony... You aren't paid to ask questions. You aren't paid to think. You've been paid to do a job and are expected to deliver. Do you understand me? ...I need not to remind you of your place in this do I." She responds in a serious tone causing him to quickly check himself. He takes a quick glance at her before breaking eye contact intimidated.
"Now, in the mean time what else do you have for me."
He responds in a checked tone. "Other than painting the sands of the badlands red, from what I'm being told shes been rather busy after hours. Corpos in Night City tend to bring with them quite the appetite that can't be satiated.. but THIS bender is certainly one for the ages… even by Night City's standards." He concludes while handing over one of his custom red and white metal data shards through the window.
Anna grabs the shard and pockets it while Aces continues.
"A classic tale of love and lust isn't quite complete without the fiery passion of an infamous, high-end pleasure den. Often times home to some of Night City's most powerful and elite… looking to quench they're often unquenchable... simple pleasures." He concludes with a shrug and a smirk.
Anna glances back up the alley briefly at her huscle as the stray sounds of Night City ring out. Aces picks up on her energy as the conversation concludes.
"Hm.. You corpos are often more unpredictable than tomorrows body lotto." He says with the slightest semblance of trying to relate. A crumb of humanity put forth into the unknown... balanced at the edge of an olive branch.
"I'll be in touch. I suggest you do your job….. before its too late." Anna concludes as she promptly rolls up the black tinted window and the SUV pulls off up the alley.
"AND HOW THE HELL DO YOU EXPECT ME TO DO-!? DAMNIT!!!!" He shouts watching the SUV return to the convoy and leave.