Cyberpunk: Asuka Vektor

Asuka stood outside the Biotechnica HQ, leaning against her bike, trying to fight off the growing boredom. This was supposed to be an easy gig—steal some data, leave without anyone noticing. Sasha had assured her it would only take a little time, but "a little" had stretched out, and Asuka was left to play lookout. She glanced at her comms again, wondering why Sasha hadn't given her the all-clear yet.

Suddenly, the shrill wail of the HQ's alarm system echoed through the building, snapping Asuka out of her boredom. Gunshots rang out from inside, sending her into action. "Shit," she muttered, realizing something had gone terribly wrong. Without hesitation, she activated her Sandevistan, time slowing down around her as she darted toward the building.

With her right hand, she fired quick, precise shots from her Malorian, taking out the drones that whirred toward her, while her left arm's Mantis Blade sliced clean through the ones that got too close. Sparks flew as she cleaved through the first wave of security, barely slowing her pace as she dodged incoming fire.

The lobby was a mess of flashing lights and panicked staff running for cover. Asuka ignored them, her focus entirely on Sasha. She sprinted toward the elevator, throwing a glance at the security cameras above as she hit the button for the floor Sasha was on. The elevator doors slid open, and Asuka jumped inside, her heartbeat steady as the adrenaline coursed through her.

As the elevator ascended, she checked her HUD for any updates from Sasha—still nothing. "Hang on, Sasha, you gonk," she muttered to herself, gripping her gun tightly as the floors ticked by. The elevator chimed softly, arriving at the floor.

Arriving on the floor, Asuka's senses were immediately assaulted by the sight of chaos. Dozens of drones and even a squad of Biotechnica soldiers were converging on an office down the hall, clearly targeting Sasha.

“Shit,” Asuka muttered under her breath.

Without wasting a second, she activated her Sandevistan again, the world around her slowing as her reflexes heightened. Shots rang out as she fired her Malorian, taking out drones with precise shots while weaving through gunfire. She moved like a blur, cutting down anything that got too close with her Mantis Blades, effortlessly dodging the incoming attacks. Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling that Sasha was doing something incredibly stupid.

As she carved through the last wave of drones, she caught sight of Sasha through the glass wall of the office, just in time to see her jump out of the window. “Damn it, Sasha!” Asuka growled. Without hesitating, she sprinted forward and leapt through the shattered window, activating her legs' reinforcement systems to close the distance. She grabbed Sasha midair, hugging her tightly, but just as she did, a massive explosion detonated behind them, hitting Asuka square in the back.

The force of the explosion sent them hurtling toward the ground, the sound of shattering glass and roaring wind all around them. Asuka’s arms tightened around Sasha, doing everything in her power to shield her from the impact as the ground rapidly approached. The moment they slammed into the pavement, Asuka absorbed the brunt of the fall.

The shock of the impact was too much. Asuka’s body went limp, her arms loosening their grip on Sasha as her systems began to fail.

Sasha, disoriented and hurt but alive, slowly regained her senses. Her vision blurred, but she quickly realized the situation. Asuka had passed out from the sheer trauma of the fall. The sight of Asuka’s cyberware was alarming—much of it was in shambles, and the exposed subdermal armor on her back was scorched and dented. Sasha's stomach churned as she saw the extent of the damage, knowing that Asuka’s organs were probably really from the impact.

Panicked, Sasha fumbled to reach her comms, her hands trembling. “Vik, it’s Sasha,” she said, her voice shaky. “Asuka’s hurt—bad. We’re at Biotechnica HQ, near the east side. She took a big hit—half her cyberware’s trashed, and I think… I think her organs might be…”

Asuka slowly blinked her eyes open, the sterile, soft lighting of the room filling her vision as she tried to gather her thoughts. The bed beneath her was plush, and the room around her was undeniably fancy—clean, sleek, and polished in a way that only the most exclusive hospitals could manage. Sitting up, she instinctively looked down at her body, and her eyes widened. Her limbs… they looked almost ganic.

Her arms and legs had the appearance of normal, flesh-and-blood limbs, though she could see faint lines running along them—subtle, but enough to tell her that something was different, something new. Asuka flexed her fingers, watching the smooth, human-like movements, but the lines told a different story. She could tell these limbs could be removed.

The door to the room slid open, and a group of Japanese staff entered quietly. They wore crisp, white uniforms, moving with the precision and grace that only came from intense training. One of the staff approached her and began checking her vitals, while another gently took hold of her arm. Before Asuka could react, the staff member pressed something along the lines of her arm, and with a soft click, it detached completely. Her jaw dropped slightly as they calmly reattached it with another click and did the same with her other arm, legs following suit.

She was stunned into silence as they finished the procedure and left the room as quietly as they had come. A few minutes later, the door opened again, and Hanako stepped inside, her expression calm, though her eyes carried a hint of something deeper—relief, maybe?

Asuka looked at her, still in shock. “What happened? Where are we? And… what time is it?”

Hanako, serene as ever, took a seat beside Asuka. "We’re in Tokyo," she began, her voice soft yet unwavering. "You’ve been here for some time now, and it’s the start of 2073."

Asuka’s heart skipped a beat, her mind reeling. "2073?" she whispered, her voice barely audible as the weight of Hanako's words sank in.

Asuka stared at Hanako, her mind still spinning from everything she’d just heard. She looked down at her body again, now with a different understanding. It wasn’t just her old cyberware anymore—this was something new, something beyond anything she’d imagined.

“What’s going on with my body?” Asuka asked, her voice steady but filled with curiosity.

Hanako stepped closer, her presence calm but authoritative. “You have a new body,” she began, her tone matter-of-fact. “Your old one was too damaged, beyond what could be repaired. So we gave you an advanced Arasaka Gemini body.”

Asuka blinked, her mind trying to catch up, but before she could respond, Hanako reached out and gently squeezed her breasts, a playful yet possessive look in her eyes. "It’s made with prototype tech," Hanako explained, “It feels and looks like real flesh—completely organic—but it’s still mechanical. There's also a bit of biotechnology mixed in, so it’s a perfect blend.”

Asuka’s eyes widened slightly as Hanako continued. “You still have your chrome, but we upgraded everything with Arasaka tech. It's even better now. Your body... now looks like a fully ganic human. No more obvious chrome, but all the functionality.”

Hanako’s hands moved again, doing the same thing the medical staff had done earlier. She detached one of Asuka’s arms with a soft click, holding it up for a moment before calmly reattaching it with the same precision. “You can change your arms and legs whenever you want. It’s designed for versatility.”

Asuka’s mind whirled, absorbing the information. Her body felt so real, like the flesh she used to have—but underneath, it was all cutting-edge Arasaka technology. She thought for a moment, her gaze flickering back to Hanako. “So, my entire body now is... all Arasaka merch?”

Hanako smirked slightly, stepping closer until she was right in front of Asuka, her hand gently resting on Asuka’s cheek. “Yes, Asuka-chan,” she said softly. “All Arasaka. And it's mine... just like you.”

Asuka and Hanako strolled through the pristine hallways of the hospital, which was as sleek and luxurious as anything Asuka had ever seen—something that could only exist in the upper echelons of Japan's elite. Everything gleamed with a high-tech sheen, the architecture and design far more advanced than anything in Night City. Asuka moved fluidly now, fully adjusted to her new body, the sensation of it almost unnervingly natural.

“I gotta admit, this place is fancy—like, real fancy. Only in Tokyo, huh?” Asuka said, glancing around at the state-of-the-art equipment and impossibly clean surroundings.

Hanako smiled softly, her calm, composed demeanor unchanged. “Yes, Tokyo has its… unique touch.”

Asuka's thoughts shifted back to her friends, her family—everyone she left behind. “Do they know what happened? My father? Judy? Sasha and Jackie?” she asked, her voice tinged with concern.

Hanako glanced at her, her eyes gentle but firm. “They know,” she replied. “Your father called me directly, right after it happened. He was desperate. You were dying, and there was nothing he could do. It was his decision to turn to me for help.”

Asuka’s steps faltered for a moment, a wave of emotions rushing through her. Her father had always been the one she leaned on, the one who patched her up no matter how reckless she got. Knowing that he had to rely on Hanako to save her life—it was a lot to process.

“He really called you?” Asuka asked, her voice softer.

Hanako nodded. “Yes. He entrusted you to me.”

As they left the hospital, stepping out into the crisp Tokyo air, Asuka turned to Hanako, her curiosity piqued. “So... where are we going now?”

Hanako's lips curved into a subtle smile, her eyes gleaming. “To my compound.”

Asuka raised an eyebrow, intrigued but not entirely surprised. “Your compound, huh? Guess it’s time for the VIP tour, then.”

Hanako gave her a knowing glance, walking beside Asuka with the quiet elegance that only she could carry, as the city of Tokyo unfolded around them—vast, futuristic, and far removed from the chaotic grit of Night City.

As the AV descended toward Hanako’s compound, Asuka gazed out at the sprawling metropolis of Tokyo. The city was vast, far different from the chaotic, neon-lit streets of Night City. Here, the air felt cleaner, the skyline marked with towering skyscrapers and dense urban districts. Tokyo’s sheer scale was staggering, with a population of 57 million, and it was a hub for the world’s most powerful zaibatsus—Arasaka, Kendachi, FACS, Fujiwara Bank, SegAtari, and countless other corporate giants.

Asuka marveled at the contrast. Night City was wild, filled with grit and survival instincts, but Tokyo, though controlled by the same corporate forces, felt different. It was polished, almost restrained, yet under that surface, Asuka could sense the same currents of power and control, only more refined.

As the AV glided past the urban expanse, the scenery began to change, transforming from sleek city streets to a more serene landscape. Hanako’s compound lay outside the main city, secluded from the chaos of the metropolis. Asuka's eyes widened as the compound came into view—an immaculate, traditional Japanese estate, complete with wooden gates, pagoda-style rooftops, and manicured gardens that seemed untouched by time. It was as if they had stepped back into Japan’s feudal era.

“Damn,” Asuka muttered under her breath, taking it all in. “It’s like this place isn’t even part of the same century as Tokyo.”

The compound was heavily guarded, though. Arasaka security teams were stationed at every entry point, with high-tech defenses hidden behind the old-world aesthetic. As they touched down, Asuka noted the subtle hints of modern tech—surveillance drones hovering discreetly, sensors embedded in the stone pathways, and cybernetically enhanced guards standing watch in the shadows.

Hanako stepped out of the AV with her usual grace, her expression serene as ever. She turned to Asuka. “This is my family’s private retreat. That is now mine.”

Asuka followed her, still taking in the juxtaposition of ancient tradition and cutting-edge technology. “It’s surreal, you know? Like stepping into a different world.”

Hanako smiled faintly. “That is the intention. Here, time moves differently.”

As they approached the gates, the guards bowed respectfully, allowing them entry.