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canon:ace31:chapter1 [05/04/2026 15:47] – removed - external edit (Unknown date) 127.0.0.1canon:ace31:chapter1 [05/04/2026 15:47] (current) – ↷ Page moved from chapter1 to canon:ace31:chapter1 kkurzex
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 +======   CHAPTER 1 — Contract Value   ======
 +
 +The Afterlife didn’t get quieter.
 +
 +----
 +
 +It got precise.
 +
 +----
 +
 +That was the difference.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Noise stayed.
 +
 +Movement stayed.
 +
 +Voices overlapped like always—
 +
 +----
 +
 +but the moment something carried weight—
 +
 +----
 +
 +the room adjusted around it.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace noticed it before they reached the bar.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Not who.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Not where.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +When.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Conversations didn’t stop.
 +
 +----
 +
 +They shifted—
 +
 +----
 +
 +just enough to leave space where it mattered.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“This one pays,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai didn’t answer.
 +
 +----
 +
 +She was already watching the room—
 +
 +----
 +
 +not faces—
 +
 +----
 +
 +intent.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Shammy exhaled slowly.
 +
 +----
 +
 +The air—
 +
 +----
 +
 +tight.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Not wrong.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Focused.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“It’s cleaner than usual,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +V glanced sideways.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…That’s not a sentence people usually use for this place.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace didn’t slow.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Still holds,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +That was enough.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +They reached the bar.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +This time—
 +
 +----
 +
 +Rogue Amendiares didn’t make them wait.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +She was already watching them.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Not evaluating.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Expecting.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…Took you long enough,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace stopped at the counter.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“We move when needed.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Rogue’s expression didn’t change.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Yeah,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…and right now, it’s needed.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai stepped forward.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Details.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +No buildup.
 +
 +----
 +
 +No small talk.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Rogue nodded once.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“High-tier client,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +A beat.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Top floor. Corpo tower.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +That narrowed it.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Which one,” Ace said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Rogue didn’t answer immediately.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Because the name mattered.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Night Corp,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Silence.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Short.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Even V straightened slightly.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…Yeah,” they muttered.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…that tracks.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai didn’t react.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Problem.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Rogue leaned forward slightly.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Penthouse,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +A pause.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Ownership breach.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace’s gaze sharpened.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Explain.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Rogue tapped the counter once.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Doors work,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Flat.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Locks work.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Another tap.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Security works.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +A beat.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…System says everything’s fine.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +That was the problem.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai’s eyes narrowed slightly.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Then it is not.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Rogue’s mouth twitched.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“There it is.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +She reached under the counter—
 +
 +----
 +
 +pulled up a shard—
 +
 +----
 +
 +set it down.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +No slide.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Just—
 +
 +----
 +
 +placed.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai picked it up.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The interface lit instantly.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Blueprint.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Penthouse layout.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Access points.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Security overlays.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Everything—
 +
 +----
 +
 +clean.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Too clean.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“No anomalies recorded,” Mai said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Rogue nodded.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Exactly.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +That was wrong.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace crossed her arms.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Then what’s happening.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Rogue’s gaze shifted—
 +
 +----
 +
 +not to the shard—
 +
 +----
 +
 +to them.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +For the first time—
 +
 +----
 +
 +there was weight behind it.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“People are getting in,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +A beat.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Not breaking in.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Another beat.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Getting in.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Silence.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +V frowned.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…Define that.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Rogue didn’t look at them.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +She didn’t need to.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“They walk up,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Doors open.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +A pause.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“They walk inside.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Another.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“System logs them as authorized.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +That landed.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Hard.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai’s voice didn’t change.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“That is not access.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Rogue nodded slowly.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“No.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +A beat.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“It’s acceptance.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +There it was.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace didn’t react.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Value.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Rogue leaned back slightly.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“High,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +No number.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Didn’t need one.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Client doesn’t want it fixed,” she added.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +That got a reaction.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Small.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +But real.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai looked up.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Clarify.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Rogue’s gaze sharpened.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“They don’t care why it’s happening,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +A beat.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“They care that it stops being unpredictable.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +That was different.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace nodded once.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Usable.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Rogue smiled.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Just slightly.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Yeah.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“There it is.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Shammy shifted.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The air—
 +
 +----
 +
 +tightened.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Not wrong—
 +
 +----
 +
 +just—
 +
 +----
 +
 +anticipating.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“It’s already active,” she said quietly.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Rogue’s eyes flicked to her—
 +
 +----
 +
 +then back.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…Yeah,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…figured you’d say that.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai set the shard down.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Object.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Rogue didn’t hesitate.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Keycard,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Simple.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Wrong.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace uncrossed her arms.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Location.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Inside the penthouse.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Of course it was.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai nodded once.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“It belongs there.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Rogue didn’t smile this time.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Yeah.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“That’s the problem.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Silence settled.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Short.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace turned.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“We go.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +No hesitation.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +No negotiation.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Rogue didn’t stop them.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Didn’t add warnings.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Just one thing—
 +
 +----
 +
 +as they moved away.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Hey.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace didn’t turn.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“What.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Rogue’s voice didn’t change.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Don’t fix it.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +A beat.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Make it usable.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace didn’t respond.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +She didn’t need to.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Because that—
 +
 +----
 +
 +was exactly what they did.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +And as they stepped back into the city—
 +
 +----
 +
 +Night City didn’t react.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +It didn’t shift.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +It didn’t care.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Because somewhere—
 +
 +----
 +
 +in a tower that didn’t allow mistakes—
 +
 +----
 +
 +something had already decided—
 +
 +----
 +
 +that the wrong people
 +
 +belonged
 +
 +exactly where they weren’t supposed to be.
 +