Chapter 41: Are You Willing to Fight for the Arasaka Group for the Rest of Your Life?
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This is why so many people are willing to risk their lives to get someone into Arasaka Academy — it has the most advanced learning equipment in Night City.
After the principal had escorted Arthur to the computer room, he stayed for a moment, exchanged a few words, and then left quickly.
Arthur remained alone in the room, his eyes scanning the surroundings. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Let's see... this isn't too complicated," Arthur muttered to himself. "The physical damage is easy to fix, but the virus in the system... that requires outside help."
Arthur quickly disassembled the control panel in the "green classroom." After a few quick adjustments, he pinpointed the issue. A few simple connections later, the entire system powered up.
Despite the high-tech nature of the equipment, the more sophisticated the device, the better its protection. Most machines have a built-in "self-preservation" mechanism. David had merely overloaded the system, triggering the safety mechanism. Fixing it was simple.
However, the projections were still garbled. The virus injected into the system had clearly failed to do its job. In fact, it had made the system worse, corrupting the latest version of the "green classroom" program beyond recognition — it was a mess.
Arthur sighed, shaking his head in frustration. "Unbelievable. What kind of idiot programmed this?"
He then grabbed his communicator and dialed Lucy. "Lucy, I need your help with something. Help me get rid of a virus."
Lucy, who received the call, sounded a bit irritated. But her tone shifted when she realized what Arthur wanted.
"Wait. Poison? You're asking me to deal with something like this now? Since when did you start doing these small-time jobs?"
Arthur couldn't help but chuckle. "Hey, sometimes I like a change of pace. Besides, it's not a big deal. I just need you to handle the program's virus while I fix the hardware."
Lucy sighed on the other end of the line. "Why am I even helping you with this? Every time I end up in something ridiculous with you."
Arthur laughed again, clearly enjoying this. "Don't worry, it's not that dangerous. The principal invited me to help with the virus. No one's monitoring me, so it's just a small favor. All I need is for you to clean up the program."
After a long pause, Lucy finally gave in. "Alright, alright. But I swear, I've been cursed to always end up tangled up with you. You're in Arasaka Academy, aren't you? Seriously, now you're helping them out? You want me to disinfect their green classroom?"
Arthur could hear her frustration, but he knew Lucy didn't mind as long as things didn't get too complicated. "Exactly. The situation here is under control, and the principal is helping me. You just need to handle the virus."
He hesitated for a second before adding, "Oh, and get me a little custom virus while you're at it. It should automatically identify a person named Masaru Tanaka when he connects to the system, then immediately strip him of his uniform."
Lucy's silence was deafening. When she spoke again, her voice was filled with disbelief. "What? Are you serious right now? You want me to do that for you?"
Arthur shrugged nonchalantly. "Yeah, that's the plan. I want it to trigger the first time he logs in, then keep doing it every few days, randomly. Just make sure it happens again within a week — fully strip him down each time."
Lucy was completely speechless. "Arthur... I'm honestly wondering how I ended up helping you. Fine, whatever. I'll do it, but you owe me big time."
Arthur grinned as he heard the click of the call ending. He then noticed a new file in his inbox. The green classroom was now back to normal, and things were progressing smoothly.
To be honest, Arthur had initially considered just eliminating Tanaka Katsuo outright. However, in Night City, you could kill anyone who caused you trouble. Arasaka Yorinobu, for instance, had killed his own father, Saburo Arasaka, without much consequence. But that was the type of decision adults made, and it came with heavy consequences. Arthur knew he had to be more cautious. It wasn't worth the risk of angering someone powerful over a single individual.
He knew that causing the system to malfunction and making Tanaka the victim of a harmless prank was the safer bet. In the worst case, it would embarrass him, and he would have to take a break from school. It would be enough to ruin Tanaka's reputation at Arasaka Academy. Even if his father had the resources to retaliate, this minor inconvenience would be a long-lasting reminder for the young man.
As Arthur imagined the fallout, the lights in the green classroom suddenly brightened, and a holographic projection appeared in the center of the room. It scanned the area before focusing on Arthur.
"You must be Mr. Arthur," the AI said, its voice calm and collected. "Your skills are truly impressive. It took only a short amount of time to repair such a complex system."
Arthur paused, a little surprised. "Thanks," he replied, keeping his tone neutral. "You're the AI that helps run the school, right?"
"Yes, I am the intelligent assistant here at Arasaka Academy. My job is to assist in educational matters and ensure smooth operations." The AI paused, seemingly assessing Arthur. "I must admit, I am intrigued by your abilities. Given your talents, have you considered working for the Arasaka Group for the rest of your life?"
Arthur's eyes narrowed at the question. The offer was unexpected, and he certainly wasn't interested. "No, I have no interest in joining the Arasaka Group."
The AI seemed unfazed, continuing without skipping a beat. "Are you sure? We offer the most generous compensation in the market."
Arthur couldn't help but scoff internally. "Generous compensation?" he thought. "Generous enough to give me a lifetime supply of energy drinks? Or is it just more coffee and more unpaid overtime?"
He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. "I'll pass. But I do have a question for you. Do you know Delamain?"
The AI paused, a little confused. "Delamain? The AI from the Delamain Taxi Company? I am unfamiliar with him, but I believe if we met, we would have a fascinating conversation."
Arthur smiled to himself. It seemed like AIs in Night City could communicate with one another, at least in some capacity. The thought was intriguing. "Well, I'll introduce you to him later," he said, already thinking about how he might set up a meeting between the two AIs.
As Arthur made his way to the door, the AI called out from behind him, "Please consider joining the Arasaka Group. We can offer you an exceptional career."
Arthur ignored the offer, rolling his eyes. "Thanks, but no thanks," he muttered to himself as he walked out the door.
He had no intention of becoming a cog in the Arasaka machine. In Night City, it was all about independence. You could work for a corporation, sure, but in the end, you were just another tool for their profit. Arthur had no desire to be treated like a piece of equipment, no matter how "generous" the compensation was.
In Night City, it didn't matter how talented you were — if you didn't fit the company's needs, you could easily be discarded. If you were lucky, they'd give you a prosthetic to help you stay productive, and if not, you were out on the streets. Either way, you were just another worker in a city full of disposable people.
Arthur was determined to avoid that fate, no matter the cost.
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