Cyberpunk: Asuka Vektor

The new year had rolled in, and Joe's diner was filled with the sound of the sizzling griddle, the clinking of cups, and the low murmur of regulars catching up after the festivities. The familiar neon lights from the diner’s sign filtered in through the window, giving everything that typical Night City glow. Asuka, Jackie, and Sasha sat in their usual booth, their half-empty plates of breakfast sitting in front of them. Jackie was picking at his scrambled eggs, while Asuka sipped lazily on a synth-coffee, her eyes half-focused on the TV screen mounted above the counter.

The news anchor was droning on, her tone annoyingly cheerful despite the grim nature of what she was reporting. The bold letters on the screen read “WAR BEGINS”, with smaller subheadings detailing the conflict between the NUSA and the Free States. The visuals showed military forces mobilizing, columns of troops, and Militech equipment being loaded onto transports.

Asuka sighed, her eyes flicking to the TV, her expression one of mild annoyance more than anything. "Well, there it is," she said, giving her coffee a slow stir. "War. Knew this was coming sooner or later."

Jackie looked up from his plate, his face a mix of resignation and the faintest hint of worry. “Yeah, can’t say I’m surprised,” he said, glancing at the screen where military units rolled across dry terrain. “I mean, NUSA’s been gearing up for something for a while now. Guess it was only a matter of time before they finally pulled the trigger.”

Sasha, sitting across from them, leaned back in her seat, her eyes fixed on the TV. “We’re lucky, kinda,” she said, her voice thoughtful, her tone more observant than concerned. “Night City’s far enough away from the frontline, at least for now. But you know it won’t stay like that.” She tapped her fingers idly against the edge of her coffee mug. “Militech, NUSA... they’ll be here eventually. They’re not gonna ignore this place forever.”

Asuka nodded, a slight grin tugging at the corners of her lips. “Yeah, we’ve got a target painted on us, no doubt. But, y’know, I think we’ve handled worse.” She shrugged, setting her cup down. “Besides, we already got Arasaka sniffing around more than usual. Wouldn’t be Night City if there wasn’t at least one corpo breathing down our necks.”

Jackie snorted, shaking his head. “Yeah, no kidding. The other day in City Center, saw a bunch of Arasaka suits all over the place. And it wasn’t just a couple of corpo security types—there were a lot of 'em. Pretty sure they’re prepping for something.”

Sasha rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. “Great. Arasaka digging in, NUSA getting ready to pound on the door... feels like a recipe for a good old-fashioned mess.” She gave a dry smile, her eyes glinting with a hint of sarcasm. “But hey, what else is new, right?”

Asuka raised her mug, her grin widening. “Exactly, Sasha. Same old Night City—one storm after another. We’re just gonna do what we always do: keep our heads low, take the gigs that pay, and stay one step ahead of the gonks who think they can take us down.”

Jackie grinned, lifting his fork like it was a toast. “Here’s to being a step ahead of all the gonks—Militech, Arasaka, doesn’t matter who. We’ll find a way to make it work, just like always.”

Asuka leaned back in her seat, finishing off the last of her synth-coffee, when her HUD blinked with an incoming call. The name El Capitán flashed in the corner of her vision, along with an image of the grinning face of El Capitán. She quickly answered, sitting up straighter as his voice came through her internal comms.

“Asuka! How's that pink Yaiba Kusanagi treating you, huh?" El Capitan’s voice was friendly, but it carried that unmistakable edge that always came with business.

Asuka smirked, glancing over at Jackie and Sasha, who were still chatting about something from the news. "Hey, El Cap. Bike's running like a dream," she replied. "Haven't had a single gonk try to outrun me since I got it."

El Capitan chuckled, a deep, amused sound. "Glad to hear it. But listen, I’m not just calling to chit-chat about your ride." His tone shifted slightly, becoming more serious. "Word on the street is that you and your crew have been making a bit of a name for yourselves. Got yourselves some solid rep. Which means I've got a job that might be up your alley."

Asuka perked up, her curiosity piqued. Jackie glanced over at her, raising an eyebrow, clearly catching the change in her expression. "Alright, Cap," she said, her grin widening. "I’m listening. What's the job?"

"Klepping a ride, chica," El Capitan said, his tone filled with a mix of challenge and excitement. "Rayfield Caliburn—one of those real sleek, high-end rides. Black, probably with some chrome detailing, something that makes it stand out. From what my people tell me, the driver likes to use it to pick up dolls." He paused for effect, letting the information sink in. "Now, you can do whatever you want with that info—use it to your advantage, figure out the best way to get close to the ride. Just make sure you get it for me, alright? There’s a good amount of eddies in it for you and your crew if you pull it off."

Asuka raised her eyebrows, a smile creeping across her face. Jackie and Sasha were both now looking at her, clearly intrigued by what she was hearing. She gave them a nod, her smile turning into a full grin. "Sounds preem, Cap. Any idea where this Rayfield usually operates? Or is it just a matter of tracking the guy down?"

El Capitan let out a thoughtful hum. "Driver’s been seen around a lot—Westbrook, but sometimes even near Lizzie's Bar. Seems like he’s got a thing for the dolls around there. Shouldn’t be too hard to find if you do some digging."

Asuka nodded, a glint of mischief in her eyes. "Got it. Consider it done, Cap."

"Bueno," El Capitan said, his grin practically audible through the call. "I know you and your crew can handle it. Just keep it clean, and bring it back to me in one piece—maybe two if things go south, but no more than that, yeah?"

Asuka laughed, shaking her head. "You got it, Cap. I'll be in touch."

The call ended, and Asuka looked at Jackie and Sasha, her grin widening as she relayed the details. "El Capitan wants us to klep a Rayfield Caliburn," she said, leaning in slightly, her eyes glinting with excitement. "From what he knows, the driver likes to pick up dolls with it. So we got some options—maybe set up a little bait, maybe go in full-on sneak style, or just get creative."

Jackie whistled, his eyes widening. "Damn, a Rayfield? That’s one hell of a prize. We pull this off, that’s some serious rep, chica."

Sasha raised an eyebrow, leaning back, her fingers tapping thoughtfully against the table. "We could definitely use that doll angle. I mean, Asuka, you still got that Doll Chip, right?" She gave a small smirk. "We could use it to set up a trap, make him think he’s getting some premium company... only to get a little more than he bargained for."

Asuka grinned, her eyes lighting up at the idea. "Yeah, I was thinking the same. I mean, he’s probably not expecting the doll to come with Mantis Blades and a couple of chrome limbs ready to slice through a car door." She paused, her mind racing with possibilities. "Could set it up so I get picked up, then when the time’s right, we make our move. Jack, you can follow on the ARCH, and Sasha, you can hack whatever security system he’s got on that ride. Make it nice and easy."

Jackie gave a nod, his grin matching Asuka's. "I’m in, chica. Sounds like a preem plan. Plus, I’d love to see the look on that gonk’s face when he realizes he’s not getting what he thought he paid for."

Sasha gave a small laugh, nodding. "Alright, then. Let’s get to work. I’ll start tracking the Rayfield, see if I can pin down a location where he usually picks up the dolls. Once we know his route, we can set up the bait."

Asuka gave a thumbs-up, her grin full of confidence. "Let’s do it, chooms. One Rayfield Caliburn, coming right up for El Capitan. And hey, who knows, maybe we’ll get to take it for a little joyride before we hand it over, yeah?"

The next day had Asuka, Jackie, and Sasha back at it, this time hanging around Lizzie's Bar, hoping for some luck. They had spent the previous day scouting, looking for the Rayfield Caliburn, but had come up with nothing. Today, though, their luck seemed to be turning.

The neon lights of Lizzie's cast their usual vibrant colors over the street, illuminating the crowd that gathered outside. Asuka stood near the entrance, pretending to scroll through her HUD while casually keeping an eye on the street, her pink chrome glinting under the neon glow. Jackie and Sasha were nearby, sitting on their bikes, ready for action.

Then they saw it—the Rayfield Caliburn, sleek, black, with the kind of chrome accents that made it scream high-end, rolling up the street towards the bar. Right behind it was another car, more utilitarian, clearly security for the main attraction. The Rayfield pulled up to a stop in front of Lizzie’s, the doors opening. A young guy stepped out of the driver's side—dressed in a slick suit that spoke of money, the kind that didn’t come from hard work but rather from a daddy at some corporation. He looked barely out of his teens, the kind of cocky, rich kid that always thought they were untouchable.

From the second car, four bodyguards emerged, their eyes scanning the street with practiced caution, one of them even nodding towards Asuka—as if to let her know that they had seen her. But then, the rich kid spotted her too, and his expression changed—one of curiosity, then something else, something a little more... interested.

Asuka could tell right away—he had taken the bait. She stood there, her body language shifting, projecting a kind of relaxed allure, the kind of confidence that drew attention. She gave him a slight nod, a coy smile crossing her lips.

The guy smirked, and without a second thought, he started making his way over to her, leaving his bodyguards behind. He was eating right out of her hand.

"Hey there," he said, his voice dripping with an attempt at charm. "You look like you could use a ride. Something a little... classy?" He gestured to the Rayfield, a cocky grin on his face.

Asuka raised an eyebrow, playing along, her smile turning more playful. "That your ride?" she asked, her voice smooth, almost disinterested but just curious enough to keep him going. "Not bad. Maybe I’d be down for a ride, if you think you can handle it."

The guy's grin widened, his confidence growing by the second. "Oh, I can handle it. Trust me." He waved for the bodyguards to stay put, opening the passenger side door for Asuka with an overly dramatic gesture.

Asuka slipped inside, giving the guards a passing glance, her HUD picking up the signal as Jackie and Sasha both got ready. Jackie on his ARCH, revving the engine slightly, and Sasha perched on her own bike, her fingers already poised to hack if needed.

The Rayfield roared to life, and they pulled away from Lizzie's, the bodyguards piling back into their own car and following behind. It didn’t take long for Jackie and Sasha to begin tailing them from a distance, keeping their eyes on Asuka’s feed.

The kid was chatty, talking about himself, about his daddy’s business, about how he could "show Night City in a way she’d never seen before." Asuka played along, nodding, giving small comments to keep him happy.

They drove through Watson, then into Kabuki, before the kid finally pulled up in front of a luxury hotel—one of those high-rise, ultra-secure places that catered to the corpos who wanted to have fun without the risks. He parked in front, turning to her with a smug smile. “Here we are. Figured we could take this to the next level, you know?”

Asuka gave him a slow smile, her hand casually moving towards him, her cyberarm shifting just slightly. "Yeah, about that..." she said, her voice dropping to a dangerous purr. In a flash, she moved—her cybernetic fist slamming into his head with a quick, efficient punch, knocking him out cold. His head lolled back against the seat, unconscious.

Outside, the bodyguards noticed something was wrong. They moved, getting out of the car—two of them heading towards the Rayfield, while the other two stayed near their own vehicle, their hands moving towards their sidearms.

But before they could even take a step, Sasha's fingers worked her cyberdeck, a thought activating the command, her HUD displaying the progress as she short-circuited the systems of two guards. Their bodies convulsed briefly before dropping to the ground, the electricity zapping through their nerves.

The remaining two were startled, looking around—only to be blindsided by Jackie, who came in quick, fists swinging. The first bodyguard went down almost immediately, and the second managed to get a few words out before Jackie caught him with a right hook that sent him crumpling.

With the guards down and the Rayfield now free, Asuka dragged the unconscious corpo brat out of the driver’s seat, unceremoniously dropping him beside the car. "Sorry, kid, but I need the ride more than you," she muttered, hopping into the driver’s seat, her fingers moving smoothly over the controls.

The Rayfield started up with a low purr, the engine roaring to life. Jackie hopped back onto his ARCH, while Sasha got back on her bike, both of them moving into position behind the Rayfield.

Asuka hit the accelerator, the car peeling out of the parking spot, the luxury vehicle easily weaving through the side streets of Night City. Jackie and Sasha followed close behind, keeping an eye out for any trouble.

Their destination was Santo Domingo, a garage that El Capitan had marked as the drop-off point. The drive was fast, exhilarating, the sleek vehicle moving through the streets as if it was built for them—which it was, really. Asuka couldn’t help but grin, feeling the power of the Rayfield, knowing that they were going to get a pretty penny for this one.

Eventually, they reached Santo Domingo, turning down a side street into a small garage that looked inconspicuous, nothing more than a run-down building amidst other run-down buildings. El Capitan's men were already waiting, waving them inside.

As Asuka parked the Rayfield and got out, she looked at Jackie and Sasha, a wide grin on her face. "Well, chooms, that’s how you klep a Rayfield Caliburn. Not bad, huh?"

Jackie laughed, giving her a thumbs-up. “Damn right, chica. That was smooth as hell.”

Sasha nodded, her expression calm but with a hint of a smile playing at her lips. “Nice work. And hey, not even a scratch on it. El Capitan's gonna be happy about that.”