Capítulo 32: Terrorism
It was hot. Incredibly hot. No greenery, no vegetation. Just dirt and roads. The surroundings were filled with rocks and gravel. Lei was on her way to Las Vegas.
As she stood near an abandoned gas station, she rubbed her temples. The black Kusanagi was currently in the middle of a gas refill. Due to her drunken antics a few days prior, her bike was lacking quite a few gallons of fuel. Obviously, the station itself didn't work.
That was okay! In this day and age, there wasn't a single vehicle that only used a liquid form of fuel. Electricity was also a fuel source. Both sources could work together for more efficient mileage as well.
Anyways…Lei had woken up a different person since her drunken stupor. Nothing seemed to make her smile anymore. It was getting harder and harder to find the good things in life. Not with such a fate looming over her shoulders. She didn't talk as much.
To those that knew her before Night City, this was how Lei had initially been. Quiet. Closed off. Brooding. Grumpy. Vengeful.
DRIP DRIP DRIP SSSSSS
The sound of liquid dripping on the floor was a constant nearby sound. Its source was nothing to scoff at. A large mutated desert snake. Its lifeless corpse lay dead at her feet, decapitated. Venom and blood trickled onto the gravel…only to burn due to the heat.
After the constant wars between corporations, not to mention the Unification War…the continent of North America had become a wasteland. Only popular cities themselves were bastions of civilization. Anything in between was a no man's land.
Humans were injected with nanobots at birth for a reason. This reason being to prevent the mutations brought along by the rampant radiation. An aftermath of all these wars, nukes, and destruction. It was unfortunate that the animals weren't given such a vaccine.
The result was infected animals turned rabid beasts. Mutated ones. Giant ones. They were double their original sizes. Sometimes triple depended on the animal in question. Good thing Loralei's beam saber made easy work out of most lifeforms. Life would be much harder without it.
Far out into the distance, Lei could see the silhouette of Las Vegas. This city wasn't nearly as large as Night City. Far more 'tourist' like though. Or commercial. That didn't mean it was less impressive however. Why?
A mechanical hiss resounded as Lei exhaled through the filters of her mask. Her breather. Even as far as she was from the city…she could see it. Anyone could see it. The orbital elevator.
This structured building was an engineering masterpiece. It was a tower…one that reached the clouds and went beyond. The goal of its creation was to send humanity to space. To reach the space station that would be waiting above.
Unfortunately, this wasn't meant to be. Funding didn't allow for the completion of the tower. This left it sitting as tall as the stratosphere. Still an incredible sight though. Due to the constant wars between megacorps and governments, the construction had been halted indefinitely.
That didn't mean it was left alone. There were two winners of the corporate wars in Las Vegas, also known as the Casino Wars. The first winner was Millitech. They now had authority over the majority of Nevada. Las Vegas itself though…that belonged to the Santeau Group.
This city was originally run by a four-megacorp alliance, known as the City Council. Or the Big Four. They were like a mafia syndicate with their vice grip. Still, the Santeau Group was the survivor.
They owned the orbital elevator. It had now become a sightseeing spot for the powerful and wealthy. Not only that. It was a place that held groundbreaking data. Data from the old ages. The days of the old net. The Santeau Group hoarded this data for themselves, knowing how valuable it is.
As such, the tower itself was filled to the brim with security. The building structure itself was modeled after a cylinder. Circular and rounded walls. The middle of the building was a room sized platform that went all the way to the top.
Beside this building was another tower that reached the orbital elevator's halfway point. It was a supply tower designed specifically to assist the original building. Built the exact same way. A replica.
Lei thought back to her conversation with Meredith. It hadn't been all fun and games in the cold woman's office. While it was definitely fun…there had been a gig.
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FLASHBACK
"Las Vegas?" Lei tilted her head slightly.
"That's right. Nevada is one of Millitech's strongholds. No better place to send you in terms of safety. It's also a good head change. Of course, that was if there wasn't a job for you."
"Uh-huh. Rewards first. Then the job description." Lei instinctually rolled her eyes. Seeing the action, Meredith frowned.
"I thought I told you to stop rolling your eyes."
"I thought I told you to make me."
The two eyed each other again. After a moment of silence, they attacked each other. No…not like that. It was passionate. Primal. Almost an hour went by before they calmed down with the heavy petting and fluid swapping. Lots of slimy noises.
"The payout. 2,000,000 credits and a one time Trauma Team high priority call. Gold Card coverage."
"2 million?! And a Trauma Team call?" Lei's eyes widened at the payout. This was too extravagant. Something was wrong.
'Smells like fish in here. Real fishy.' Johnny commented. Lei ignored his words. That much was obvious. Still, the money…she could use that to hire help to the moon.
"2 million. Yes. Trauma Team…yes. That's correct." Stout answered.
"What's the job? No way it's something easy."
Stout leaned back on her chair and gazed at Lei's slim but curvy naked body. Having the sickly girl lying on top of the desk was quite a nice sight. Her kiroshi optics had already taken countless screenshots.
"The Santeau Group. A construction and global development company. They hold control over New Vegas. Of course, Millitech has a presence there…but the Group is solid. Ironclad. They've been trying to expand their authority across Nevada…Millitech's state. MY state."
There was another moment of silence. Meredith gave Lei time to process. The sickly girl could tell how much the cold woman thought of herself as corporate. To Meredith, she WAS Millitech.
"I want you to send a message. Reach the top of the orbital elevator. Steal as much data from their vaults as you can. Then sabotage it. Destroy everything. The whole tower. Bring it to the ground."
"That's fucking crazy…" Lei muttered.
"If it's you, I know you'll be able to do it."
"It's too heavily guarded. I won't be able to sneak in."
"I don't want you to sneak in. I want you to obliterate them. Stomp them under your heel. That is our message to the Santeau Group."
"A full on frontal assault?!"
"Yes. Slaughter them."
"You're asking me to die." Lei sat up on the desk.
"No. I know your strength. I know you have the ability. Don't lie to me."
Meredith glared at the sickly girl. Lei glared right back. It seemed neither of them wanted to give an inch.
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PRESENT DAY
"...Tch." Lei clicked her tongue.
She couldn't believe she was doing this. The heat she would get from this…Drifter would become a globally known merc if she pulled this off. An internationally known terrorist.
'Thousands will die from this, Lei. Tens of thousands.' Johnny stated. They were getting close to the city border.
'...' Lei didn't respond.
'Are you really going through with this?'
'...Didn't you bomb Arasaka?'
'That was different.'
'It's the same. Mine is just on a bigger scale.'
'This is downright evil, Lei.'
'I've always been evil…Always have been. Always will be.'
'I don't believe that for a second. Circumstances might've made you evil at certain times, but this…'
'Plenty of my long time enemies are decent people. I'm being hunted by them specifically because of the fucked up things I've done. I can't change the past.'
'I'm not trying to sound righteous and good. I'm not a good person either. Just saying…many are going to die if you go through with this.' Johnny exclaimed.
'I know.' Lei mentally responded with a curt tone.
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