"Hmm?"
David turned around at the sound of the voice and saw Soap leaning casually against the wall. The veteran soldier, dressed in his training gear, held two cans of lightly alcoholic fruit drinks and gave one a little shake towards David.
"Major MacTavish!" David snapped to attention and saluted.
"At ease, trainee. No need to be so uptight," Soap said with a casual wave of his left hand. "Just thought we could chat for a bit, maybe grab a bite to eat. You're not in a hurry to get home, are you?"
"No, I'm not," David replied, nodding.
"Good. Catch," Soap said, tossing one of the cans with just enough force for David to catch it easily. With that, they headed toward the elevator together.
——
A little later, in the mid-level cafeteria of the Atlas Division building:
"Yay! They've got braised meatballs today!"
"Ma'am! That's a bit too much rice... Wait, wait! If it's not enough, I'll come back for seconds! It's spilling over!"
The cafeteria was buzzing with noise. Most of the trainees who had just finished their day's training were lining up at the counter, holding metal trays as they chose their meals. Alongside them were hundreds of local employees, chatting as they ate.
David and Soap had already grabbed their food and were now seated in a quiet corner by the window.
Pop!
Soap opened his can of fruit drink and took a long gulp.
"Ah, that hits the spot!" he exclaimed, satisfied, before turning to David, who was doing the same. "How's it taste? This is a new product the company's planning to launch."
"It's really good," David replied, though somewhat awkwardly.
After all, Soap was a senior officer in the company's mercenary division—someone David and all the trainees and local employees saw as being "second only to the top brass." Naturally, David felt a little out of place.
Before joining Atlas, David had mixed feelings about corporate elites—resentment but also envy. However, after joining, he quickly discovered that as long as he followed the rules and trained hard, instructors like Jill Valentine and the rest treated everyone equally. It was a strange but welcome change.
"Hey, relax, kid," Soap said, taking another sip. "We're off the clock right now. No rank or hierarchy here, understand?"
"Yes, sir," David responded, still a bit hesitant.
After a brief pause, David decided to ask, "So, Major, what did you want to talk to me about?"
Instead of answering directly, Soap posed a question of his own, "What do you think of Atlas as a company?"
"That's..." David thought for a moment, unsure how to respond. "For... humanity?"
"Haha! That's the textbook answer," Soap laughed. "But judging by your expression, you're still not entirely sure what that means, right?"
"Yes..." David admitted, then added, "But I can feel the difference between Atlas and Arasaka. At least here, I don't feel like I'm wasting my life."
"Right," Soap nodded. "That's exactly what I wanted to talk about. Part of this is just a chat, but more importantly, it's a bit of mental counseling. The company takes employee well-being seriously, after all."
"Counseling?" David blinked in surprise.
"Yep." Soap picked up his chopsticks and started to break apart the braised meatball on his plate. "Valentine mentioned that you seemed to have something on your mind today, so she asked me to have a word with you. Y'know, guy-to-guy."
"Uh..." David immediately understood the "guy-to-guy" joke, though it didn't exactly make him laugh.
"Haha, tough crowd, huh?" Soap shook his head with a smile, then his tone grew more serious. "David Martinez, we did a full background check on you before you joined Atlas. We know about your family situation, your living conditions, and how your mother works multiple jobs, pushing herself to the limit just to pay your tuition at Arasaka Academy. The company knows everything."
David lowered his head, not saying a word.
"You joined Atlas to ease the burden on your mother, right?" Soap continued after a pause. "I get that you want to help her, but the stress you're carrying is affecting your performance in training. And the company can't ignore that. You need to understand, every trainee goes through quarterly evaluations. If you keep falling behind, you won't be able to avoid being cut. Do you get that?"
"I understand, Major. I'll do my best to improve," David replied, his voice low.
"Words are easy, kid," Soap said, cutting him off.
Then, Soap reached to his side, pulling out a foldable tablet, which he placed on the table. Turning on the screen, he showed David a document titled "Full-Time Internship Contract."
David skimmed through it before looking up, puzzled. "What's this, sir?"
"Atlas takes youth education seriously," Soap explained between bites of food. "And since you're still a trainee, the company wants to make sure you're on the right track. If you sign this contract, you'll become a full-time employee. You'll have job security, money, and recognition—it won't be a problem. Atlas might not seem like much now, but you're smart enough to see that this company is more than just selling drinks and everyday products."
"Why are you looking out for me?" David asked, a hint of suspicion creeping into his voice at the sudden offer.
"You think you're that special?" Soap chuckled. "Haha! It's good to be cautious—knowing that unearned benefits usually come with a catch. But don't forget, plenty of other trainees and employees with tougher lives than yours have been given the same opportunities. The company only invests in people it believes in, those it thinks are worth it. If you turn your back on us later..."
At this, Soap's tone grew a bit more serious. "Let's just say Atlas has plenty of ways to make you regret it."
With that, Soap stood up, picking up his empty tray. He looked down at David, who was still mulling over the offer, and added, "Think it over carefully, kid. If you sign that contract, you'll be cutting ties with Arasaka Academy for good."
Without waiting for a response, Soap dropped off his tray and chopsticks at the return station and left the cafeteria.
"Full-time, huh..."
David remained seated, staring at his now-cooling meal, deep in thought.
Two hours later;
"Please watch your step. The doors are closing," came the automated announcement as David, now in civilian clothes, stepped off the air tram at his home station.
Navigating through the crowded streets, he made his way to his apartment complex, marked with the number "04." His mind was still occupied with thoughts of leaving Arasaka Academy and joining Atlas full-time.
David genuinely wanted to quit school and fully commit to Atlas. But he had no idea how to explain that decision to his mother...
Suddenly, he noticed a woman with short white hair standing on an overpass up ahead. She was facing away from him, wearing tight, sleek clothing. Though David couldn't see her face, something about her stood out—her presence was different, making her seem out of place among the ordinary pedestrians.
Curious, David quickened his pace, taking the escalator up to the overpass.
But by the time he reached the top, the woman was gone. No trace of her remained, and there was no sign of where she might have gone.
"..." David shrugged it off after scanning the area one more time.
Soon after, David arrived at the H4 apartment building. Ignoring the homeless people in the corners and the trash scattered around, he rode the elevator up to his floor.
As he entered the apartment, the slightly cluttered living room came into view. The floor was littered with empty cans and take-out boxes, but the space still had a lived-in feel.
"I'm home," David called out, hanging his bag on a hook by the door.
"Welcome back... ahh!" came a voice from the couch as his mother, Gloria Martinez, stretched with a yawn. She had her reddish-brown hair tied in a ponytail and, despite her tired appearance, still retained a certain grace.
Gloria threw off the yellow jacket she had been napping under and groggily made her way to the open kitchen. "I'll fix you some dinner."
"No need, I've already eaten," David replied, taking off his jacket as he headed toward his bedroom.
"Eaten?" Gloria looked confused. Then, noticing how worn out David looked, she frowned and approached him. "David, you've been out all day for two weekends straight now."
"Yeah, I've been working a part-time job," David explained.
"Part-time? David, your studies should be your priority right now. Don't let anything distract you from that, understand? You don't need to worry about me—I've managed to bring in some extra income recently," Gloria said earnestly.
"I understand," David nodded, "but honestly, I feel like this job... it's a better fit for me."
"Better fit? Where are you working, exactly? Did you even hear what I just said?" Gloria's voice became more urgent.
Sensing that this was his moment, David decided to come clean. "Mom, don't worry. Have you heard of Atlas?"
"Atlas? Of course, I've heard of them. That company's been stirring up trouble with the Tiger Claws and the Scavengers... wait
, you're telling me you're working for Atlas?!"
Gloria's eyes widened in disbelief, shocked to learn that her son had been working for the infamous company over the weekends.
"Yeah, and the position is... a security intern," David confirmed.
He then proceeded to tell his mother everything—from applying online to passing the interview and undergoing the training sessions.
"Oh my god..." Gloria staggered back, nearly collapsing onto the couch in disbelief.
"Mom? Are you okay?" David rushed over to her side.
"I'm fine... I'm fine..." Gloria reached up and pulled David into a hug, trembling slightly as she said, "I'm just glad you're home. But listen to me—you have to stop working at Atlas. Do you understand?"
"Why?" David asked, bewildered by her sudden emotional shift.
To emphasize her point, Gloria showed David his weekend earnings on her phone—600 credits.
"Mom, look! In just two days, I made 600 credits. If I go full-time, I'll make even more—"
"Stop!" Gloria interrupted him sharply, her eyes welling up with tears. "David, I don't need you to take on that burden. I just want you to focus on your studies and live a good life—reach the top of Arasaka Tower and have the future you deserve."
"Mom..." David was taken aback by his mother's outburst.
All he had done was pick up a part-time job, right?
"Please, David. Don't go back to Atlas, I'm begging you," Gloria said, hugging him tightly as if afraid he would be taken away.
"But why, Mom? There's gotta be a reason," David asked, trying to understand her fear.
With a sigh, Gloria reluctantly explained, "Some... acquaintances of mine have heard rumors that the megacorps and gangs are planning to go after Atlas. It's already been decided—they won't let Atlas survive in Night City. You're lucky you came home when you did and weren't caught up in the middle of it."
Finishing her explanation, Gloria cupped David's face in her hands, as if making sure he was really still there in front of her.
"..."
David averted his gaze, realizing this wasn't the time to tell his mother about dropping out of Arasaka Academy. If he brought it up now, it would only break her heart. They only had each other to rely on—if anything happened to one of them...
David didn't even want to imagine that possibility.
At the same time, a new worry crept into his mind: What about Atlas?
If the megacorps and gangs were teaming up...
Even though David had never paid much attention to Night City's political landscape, he knew that if the megacorps and gangs were involved, Arasaka was pulling the strings.
But disputes between corporations were far beyond David's ability to influence. All he could do was silently pray that Atlas would withstand whatever came its way.
Little did David know, at that very moment, a Paris-class heavy frigate equipped with optical camouflage was hovering in low Earth orbit above Night City, maintaining a stealth position. The frigate was adjusting its trajectory, aligning its main and secondary cannons to lock onto targets within the atmosphere.
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