Cyberpunk: Asuka Vektor

The air in the underground basement of the megabuilding was tense, the dim lighting flickering as if aware of the chaos unfolding below. Sasha sat cross-legged on the dusty concrete floor, her back against the terminal. A cable ran from her left hand into the building's mainframe, her eyes glazed over with the bright blue glow of the net. She was deep in, pulling data for their latest gig—secrets stashed by the Six Street gang in one of Santo Domingo's many forgotten, buried corners.

“C'mon, Sasha,” Asuka called out, her voice carrying over the chaotic noise echoing through the basement. “How much longer?”

“Almost got it!” Sasha snapped back, her focus unbroken. A bead of sweat trickled down her temple, her brow furrowed in concentration.

Meanwhile, Jackie stood by the elevator door—the only way in or out of this basement. He had his shotgun primed, the barrel aimed steadily at the entrance, tension radiating off him. He knew more Six Street gangoons would be coming any second, the ding of the arriving elevator signaling the chaos about to erupt.

“Chica, they’re coming!” Jackie shouted, bracing himself.

The elevator door dinged, sliding open to reveal a group of Six Street gangoons, their weapons drawn. They didn’t have much time to react before Jackie let out the first shot, the sound booming through the tight space, followed by a second shot that took out the first two gang members stepping off the elevator.

“Keep ‘em off Sasha!” Jackie yelled, firing again.

Asuka, standing closer to the terminal where Sasha was working, nodded and moved in like a streak of pink lightning, her mantis blades snapping out from her cybernetic arms with a satisfying metallic snikt. She rushed the remaining gangoons, weaving through the chaos. Her blades cut through the air, slicing through armor and chrome as she dispatched each Six Street ganger with brutal efficiency. Their cries and the sound of combat filled the air, but Asuka moved as though it was just another dance on the floor—each strike deliberate, each move with purpose.

One ganger tried to rush Sasha, but Asuka intercepted him, her blade slicing upwards through his chest. He dropped to the ground, and Asuka stood over him, her eyes locking onto Jackie’s. “Jack, how we holding up?”

“Just keep movin’, Asuka!” Jackie called out, his shotgun firing again, taking another ganger’s leg out from under him as he tried to step off the elevator. “They just keep coming.”

Asuka turned back to Sasha, who gave a thumbs-up, her eyes still locked on the terminal as the data flow came to its conclusion. “Got it! We’re good!” she shouted, her voice carrying an edge of relief.

Without wasting a second, Sasha yanked the cables from the terminal, her eyes flickering back into focus as she disconnected from the system. Asuka nodded, retracting her blades and motioning to Jackie. “Let’s move!”

They bolted out of the basement, the elevator still partially occupied by a few struggling, wounded gangoons. They weren't worth finishing off. Jackie tossed a flashbang toward the elevator as they rushed by, the bright flash momentarily blinding the remaining gangers, allowing them a clean escape.

Outside, their rides were parked and waiting. The rumble of Asuka’s pink Yaiba Kusanagi echoed in the night air as she jumped on, the engine roaring to life. “Jackie, get on!” she shouted.

Jackie didn’t hesitate, climbing on behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist as she revved the bike. Meanwhile, Sasha got on her own ride—a sleek, dark bike that contrasted sharply with Asuka’s bright pink. She looked over at them, a grin on her face. “Let’s go. Before more of them decide to join the party.”

“Damn right!” Asuka replied, twisting the throttle. The Yaiba shot forward, the tires squealing as they peeled out of the underground area and back onto the roads of Santo Domingo. Sasha followed closely, her own bike’s lights flashing through the darkness, cutting a path through the shadows of the district.

The Six Street gangoons, could do nothing but watch as the trio sped off, their engines fading into the distance, leaving nothing but dust and carnage behind.

Jackie, hanging tight to Asuka, let out a loud whoop, the adrenaline still pumping through his veins. “Damn, chica, that was one hell of a gig!”

Asuka laughed, her heart pounding as they sped through the streets, the cool night wind rushing past. “You think that was something? Wait till we cash in on this data. We’re finally getting you that ARCH! With some more eddies.” she called over her shoulder to Jackie.

Jackie let out a cheer, the excitement evident in his voice. “Now that’s what I like to hear, chica! About time I get my own ride so I don’t have to keep getting cozy on your pink beast.”

Riding beside them, Sasha glanced over, catching a glimpse of the two of them laughing as they tore down the dark streets of Santo Domingo. Despite herself, a small smile tugged at her lips. She couldn’t help it—there was something infectious about the energy Asuka and Jackie brought with them. They had only been running together for about two weeks now, but already, she was starting to feel like she’d known them for much longer.

Preem people, Sasha thought to herself. They were funny, yeah, a little goofy at times, and definitely had a childish streak—especially when they got caught up in their constant teasing and banter. But they were also reliable. When things got tough, they showed up, no questions asked. They’d proven that they had her back just like she was starting to have theirs.

It wasn’t easy to find people like that in Night City—people who were loyal without needing some big reason. It was just who they were.

And a huge plus, of course, was Asuka’s father, Viktor Vektor. Sasha had already had a chance to meet him once when she went in with Asuka for a small diagnostic. Vik was cool—laid-back, confident, and skilled. He was nothing like the other ripperdocs she’d dealt with before—those sleazy types that always seemed to have a second agenda. Viktor treated her like a person, not just a pile of eddies to scrape clean.

The trio pulled up to El Coyote Cojo, the hum of their bikes slowly dying down as they dismounted.

The music inside was mellow, the chatter of the patrons low and relaxed, with the smell of freshly grilled food wafting through the air. Mama Welles was seated at a table near the corner, her laughter carrying across the room as she chatted with Padre, who was nodding along, an easy smile on his face.

Asuka led the way, with Jackie and Sasha following closely behind. As they approached the table, Mama Welles looked up, her face lighting up instantly. “Ah, look who’s finally back! My troublemakers have returned!” she said, her voice full of warmth.

Padre turned his gaze toward them, his eyes sharp and assessing as they walked up. He gave them a polite nod. “Well, if it isn’t the intrepid young edgerunners. I trust you have something for me?”

Asuka pulled a data shard from her jacket pocket, spinning it between her fingers for a moment before handing it over to Padre. “You bet, Padre. Data’s all there—straight from the megabuilding in Santo Domingo. Just like you wanted.”

Padre took the shard, studying it for a second before slotting it into a small reader on neck. Scanning through the data for a few moments before a pleased smile spread across his face. He nodded, looking back up at the three of them.

“Well done, all of you,” he said, his voice calm but carrying genuine approval. “I wasn’t sure if you’d be able to pull this off, but you’ve proven yourselves again. The data is all here, and I must say, this will be quite valuable.” He looked at Sasha specifically, giving her a respectful nod. “And you must be Sasha, the netrunner they brought into the fold. Impressive work. I can see why these two decided to team up with you.”

Sasha offered a small smile, dipping her head. “Thanks. I try.”

Padre then tapped a few commands on his wrist, transferring the agreed-upon eddies directly to Asuka, Jackie, and Sasha. A small notification blinked in the corner of Asuka’s vision, showing the incoming funds—enough to make this night’s risks well worth it.

Jackie leaned in, his grin as wide as ever. “And that, Padre, is what we call a job well done. Told ya we’d get it done without breaking too much of a sweat.”

Mama Welles laughed, shaking her head. “You boys are always too confident. But I suppose you’ve earned it this time.” She gestured toward Sasha, a kind smile on her face. “And you, Sasha, you look like you’ve been keeping these two in line. It’s nice to have someone with some sense in the group.”

Sasha chuckled, glancing at Asuka and Jackie. “Well, someone’s got to make sure they don’t get themselves killed.”

Padre stood, patting the table. “I think this calls for a drink. A toast, to successful runs and to new alliances. Let’s celebrate, my friends.”

Mama Welles smiled warmly, nodding. “A toast, indeed. Sit, all of you. Let me bring something special.”

The next morning, Asuka woke up to the sound of her Kiroshi optics blinking with an incoming call. Groggy and disoriented, she squinted against the light filtering through her window, only to see Jackie’s grinning face projected into the corner of her vision.

“Asuka, chica, get up! You gotta come out and see this!” Jackie’s voice came through the connection, excited and loud enough that it made her wince.

“Jack, it’s too early for this. Whatever it is, can’t it wait?” Asuka muttered, rubbing her eyes. But the infectious energy in his voice told her that wasn’t going to happen.

“Nope! Not even a minute longer!” Jackie insisted, his grin only widening. “Come on, get out here. You don’t wanna miss this.”

With a resigned sigh, Asuka ended the call and dragged herself out of bed. She threw on a loose shirt and a pair of shorts, enough to be somewhat decent, and made her way to the door. As soon as she stepped outside of her apartment building, her eyes widened in shock.

There, parked right in front of her building, was Jackie. But he wasn’t on foot. He was sitting atop an ARCH Nazaré, and not just any ARCH. This bike looked fresh off the lot, customized with Valentino flair—gold accents along the frame, details painted in black and deep red, with hints of bright chrome that gleamed under the morning sun. It was both flashy and unmistakably dangerous, like a predator ready to pounce.

Jackie was straddling it, clearly unable to contain his grin. “What do you think, chica?” he called out, revving the engine and causing the ARCH to roar to life. The deep, throaty rumble echoed through the narrow street, turning heads of curious onlookers.

Asuka’s jaw dropped, her eyes scanning over the bike, taking in the rich detail of the custom paint, the gold shining brightly against the dark matte colors. She let out a low whistle, approaching him with a look of disbelief. “Jackie… what the hell? Where’d you get the cash for this?”

Jackie’s grin turned sheepish, his shoulders shrugging a little. “Well, with the cash from that job we did, plus a ‘muy pequeñito’ loan, I made it happen,” he said, making a small gesture with his fingers to emphasize how tiny the loan supposedly was.

Asuka raised an eyebrow, folding her arms across her chest. “Pequeñito, huh? That better not mean you owe half of Heywood.”

Jackie let out a laugh, shaking his head. “Nah, nah, nothing like that. Just a little bit, and it’s totally worth it! I mean, come on, look at this beauty. Finally riding in style, like I always said I would!”

Asuka couldn’t help but smile, shaking her head with a mix of exasperation and pride. She reached out, patting the side of the bike. “I gotta admit, Jackie, this is preem. Valentino-style looks good on you too—gold, black, red, all that flare. You’ve earned it, big guy.”

Jackie leaned forward on the handlebars, giving her a wink. “Hey, now I can ride right beside your pink rocket without lookin’ like the gonk trying to catch a ride.” He then paused, his face lighting up even more. “Oh! You gotta take a spin with me, chica. Let’s go test these babies out on the open road, show the city what we’re rollin’ with!”

Asuka laughed, running a hand through her hair, the sleepiness from earlier already long gone. She glanced back at her own Yaiba, parked just a few feet away. “You know what? Yeah, why not. It’s about time we showed Night City who’s got the preemest bikes in town.”

Jackie whooped, the excitement evident as he revved his ARCH Nazaré again. “Hell yeah! Let’s make this city remember our names, chica!”

With a grin, Asuka walked over to her Yaiba, swinging a leg over her own bike and starting the engine. She glanced over at Jackie, who gave her a nod.

Together, they pulled out onto the road, Jackie’s new ARCH roaring alongside Asuka’s Yaiba. The two of them tore through the streets of Night City, their laughter echoing above the noise of the engines. They sped down the highways, weaving through traffic, their bikes cutting neon trails through the morning light.