Chapter 625 - 596 "Polar Storm" Twiki (Part 1)

"The woman leading the charge is named Twiki, and she’s not American, but after her operations in Europe were thwarted, she shifted her main field of activity to the United States—"

Specifically, to Night City."

Jack was nearly tearing his hair out: the name was indeed very familiar.

The street kids of Night City loved nothing more than the thrilling Super Dream, except perhaps those things that inspired them to engage in illegal activities, like the old tome ’Top Ten Lone Wolves of Night City’.

This booklet listed the great living legends of Night City and even the United States as a whole, each either bizarre, mysterious, or so strong that at the mention of his name one would hurriedly hire a heavily armed private security team, or when a client wanted to do something earth-shattering, they would always think of them first: for example, planting a Nuclear Bomb at Arasaka Tower.

Twiki’s name was in that manual.

However, in the manual, her ranking wasn’t near the top, nor did she have the eye-catching Prosthetics or equipment to make a memorable impression.

And all these, were before 2020, before Night City had been razed by a nuclear explosion, when the Free State included more than just Northern California, as recorded by people back then:

"I remember now! She’s the one involved in the Crow Microcontrol explosion and the Biotechnology heist—she’s... she’s the Shai Yituo of Biotechnology!"

Jack slapped his forehead, while V couldn’t help but laugh: "What the hell are you talking about? Can’t you speak normally for once? Shai a camel’s milk, who is that?"

"Allegedly a participant in the nuclear explosion at Arasaka Tower, this man is a cyberpsycho-level mercenary who’s been using a full-body Prosthetics for many years now.

It’s said he’s no longer human, and even this name isn’t his real one; it comes from an ancient legend, belonging to an ancient Demon.

He is that Demon, the demon of Arasaka: as long as you target Arasaka, you’re his good brother, and Arasaka even put out an open bounty on this guy. But we all know the outcome; Arasaka didn’t catch him, and he gave Arasaka a Nuclear Bomb—of course, this is just one version of the legend."

Jack recounted with relish.

He always said he didn’t necessarily know much about Twiki, but he knew most of the street versions regarding the Arasaka Tower nuclear explosion case, among which he was most interested in the version involving Morgan Black Hand and Shai Yituo being employed by Military Technology.

Shai Yituo was Arasaka’s nightmare, and Twiki was Biotechnology’s nightmare—this was Night City’s assessment of Twiki.

But until the nuclear blast, Twiki had only committed two major crimes in 2017, and after that, she didn’t do anything significant.

Phantom waved his hand and said, "You Americans don’t know shit. Twiki’s record as a mercenary isn’t even one percent of what she did in Europe! She used to make waves just like you guys over there, and her real job isn’t being a mercenary—"

In the Su Federation (Note 1), the most severe charge against her was political crime—things like societal disruption, ideological terrorism... you get it?"

Jack and V both nodded as if they understood completely: in their eyes, political prisoners were just those who received ridiculous sentences for reasons unknown, most of them appeared harmless.

As for what ideological terrorists and crimes of societal disruption meant, they didn’t quite get it: maybe it’s akin to the catch-all crimes of damaging capitalism in corporate law? An excuse when a corporation wants to kill someone but can’t find another justification?

In reality, though, in the Su Federation, these catch-all crimes had other labels.

Lille, however, expressed genuine interest and said, "Go on."

Phantom seemed to have good social perception and promptly added, "The thing is, these kinds of crimes in your Night City are different. If the criminal is convicted of one of these crimes, not only those who carried guns with them will get walled, but everyone who had financial transactions with the criminal will be investigated and dealt with accordingly."

In simpler terms, it meant collective punishment.

Under normal judicial procedure, the status of ringleaders, accomplices, instigators, coerced participants, and co-perpetrators all require stringent evidence; even in this world, unconditional and full-scale collective punishment isn’t feasible.

After all, corporate involvement in illegal activities is quite common, and the law still carries some weight: corporations want to make money, and while they are not averse to solving problems with guns, they won’t always resolve problems with guns.

But political prisoners... or rather political prisoners from the Su Federation seemed to be a different story.

"This kind of power is recognized by European Banks, the European Union, Interpol, and all organizations dealing with the Su Federation. So you can imagine: if someone is sentenced for such a crime, those associated with them can’t possibly avoid it, whether they live or die, or how much money they have to compensate, it’s all up to the Su Federation."

Phantom said this with a bit of fear and a touch of emotion: "Compared to that, your Night City is much better off. When people carrying out jobs die, there’s hardly any bullshit to trace back, and even if there is an investigation, it usually ends with the middlemen.

This woman, Twiki, is said to have served in Russian airborne troops. After retiring, she became the political prisoner I just mentioned."

Terrorist organizations, including the old guard like the former Irish Republican Army and Red Army 3000, all had ties to her; she spread her ideology in the countryside, cities, and wilderness...

Everywhere she went, she recruited for terrorist organizations and provided black market services to people...

Her first gig was in Brage, where a carnival of chaos erupted, sending the entire city into a riot. They gathered unlawfully outside the Biotechnology building. Something like your Terrorist Mobile Team arrived, and with their riot guns, they killed hundreds—

This was in Brage, right as the European Union was in the final stages of expansion, yet there she was, preaching the old ways of the Soviet Union. Miraculously, despite the deaths of hundreds, the gathering didn’t disperse, and she and other participants took down the Terrorist Mobile Team.

She looted their equipment and, alongside the locals, razed the Biotechnology building to the ground.

You can imagine the impact this had: both the European Union and the Su Federation were shocked, and rare terms like "social saboteurs" and "ideological terrorists" were invoked.

On that day, thousands died; others either fled to become terrorists or were hunted down in the aftermath by the lapdogs of Interpol, corporate agents, and the like, only to be slaughtered...

Even vendors who had casually sold staple foods to Twiki couldn’t escape this fate: once convicted under these charges, anyone who had crossed paths with her became like meat on the chopping block, and it wasn’t just those motivated by money who were after them...

It’s a bit complicated, but in any case, it was tragic.

Phantom said this while Iron Hand remained silent at the side, showing no signs of difference, yet Lille could clearly sense the emotions emanating from him:

He was a survivor.

Suddenly, Lille pointed at Iron Hand and said, "Does that include survivors like him?"

Iron Hand’s eternally unchanged expression finally showed a clear trace of astonishment, and even Phantom hadn’t expected Lille to suddenly say that.

"You... you understand quite a bit," Phantom sighed, "Some of those who were lucky enough to survive decided to cozy up to the so-called civil society, while others aimed to become even better bootlickers, looking to climb up the ladder.

The rewards for capturing Twiki were generous, as were those for apprehending anyone associated with her.

In the end, many died, many resented her, many... and there were also many who saw her as a flag to rally behind.

Eventually, when she could no longer mix in, she came to America, reduced from a political criminal to a mercenary working for money; perhaps she still harbored thoughts of a comeback."

Hiss...

A faint electrical sound arose.

So faint that no one heard it.

But the source of the sound was a mercenary, half of whose body had disappeared.

Nobody heard the sound of his backup heart starting up, but... his extensive physical damage was too severe—

The backup heart might have activated, yet the chances of him surviving his major physical disfigurement were slim.

In an unnoticed corner, the mercenary’s consciousness returned under the influence of the drugs released the moment his backup heart started, and in his impending death, he silently shed tears, weeping in the shadows.

He didn’t know why he was crying: whether it was Phantom’s words reminding him of their initial intentions, the realization that they weren’t shooting at children, the failure to destroy the evil institution profiting from children, or perhaps for the fates of these children...

He was also aware that in a place like Dog Town, this might truly be the only way out.

Countless past scenes flashed and faded in his mind, just like his life.

All of a sudden, as if something struck him, Lille stopped in his tracks—

Not because of the mercenary, but because he had received an email.

[Sender: "Polar Storm" Twiki]