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When you kiss me, Heaven sighs
And though I close my eyes
I see la vie en rose
I wanted to try and do something with dramatic lighting so *shrug emoji* I took this in Konpeki Plaza fun fact! They are so in love, and SPECIFICALLY, try to act so normal in their relationship. Victoria has mostly sectioned off her time as a merc from her mind, except for the time she spent with Takemura. What? A nagging voice in the back of her mind that sounds like a dead rockerboy that quietly questions her choices and is actually saying things that make sense? Things that she wants to follow in some part of her soul, but doing so would threaten the peace she has, her husband's life, and her children's??? Naaaaaaaaaaaaaah.
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Summary: Six months ago, Vâs boss at Arasaka ordered her to assassinate his rival. Instead, with the reluctant but invaluable help of her old friend Jackie Welles, she pushed them both off their thrones and claimed one for herself. Now the new Director of Arasaka Counter Intel has a problem. Sheâs uncovered information that indicates that Yorinobu Arasaka, the heir apparent to the Arasaka dynasty, is a traitor. But without solid proof, sheâs forced to take matters into her own hands.
The glowing red words flashed once across Vâs vision, then vanished.Â
In the darkness, there was nothing, except Silverhandâs silent, ubiquitous presence. Then there was movement, shifting black structures reminiscent of net architecture, coiling around her. Silverhandâs presence faded. Like a signal slipping out of range.
Without warning, she was falling, plummeting headfirst toward a small but growing speck of light. There was no rush, no windâonly a sense of deepening distance.
â
Vâs eyes flew open, and she lurched upright.Â
Something yanked her short, forcing the air from her gut and snapping her head back against the hard surface beneath her. Baffled, V looked down. Heavy restraints bound her arms, legs, and midsection to a reclining chair. Reflexively, she strained against the straps, expecting her gorilla arms to rip right through them.Â
They didnât budge. Her strength was gone. Deactivated.
V took a measured breath, forcing down her rising panic. Fear never saved anyoneâs life. Only action could do that.
Optics focused, she scanned her surroundings. Though she was certain sheâd never been in this particular room before, it felt familiarâlike a smaller version of her doctorâs office.
The room was compact and immaculate, its nearly seamless walls broken only by a few cabinets and embedded diagnostic screens. The furnishings were minimal. A sleek black counter ran along one wall, topped with meticulously organized medical instruments, and a couple of metal chairs were tucked neatly in a corner. Recessed strips of lighting ran along the ceiling, casting a cool, clinical glow over everything.
Definitely an Arasaka facility. She spotted the three-pronged emblem glinting on a vital signs monitor by her side. She was likely still in the Tower. That, at least, was a relief.
But how the hell had she wound up here?
Her mind still muddled by Silverhandâs memories, she grasped for the last clear memory of her own life: a searing pain in the back of the head. A gunshot wound.Â
A gunshot wound to the head? Yet there was no pain. Not even the numbness that would suggest anesthesia. No sign at all that sheâd been injured.Â
V frowned. She couldâve sworn Takemura had shot to kill. Was the memory false, corrupted by the malfunctioning Relic in her head?
And what the hell was up with that damn thing? Sheâd known the tech was designed to facilitate communication with the engram, but sheâd never heard it would let you watch their memories through their own eyes.Â
That had been⊠a jarring experience, to put it lightly. At least sheâd managed to learn some interesting details about the AHQ Disaster. Even if Silverhand had been hellbent on hiding the truth.
But that was a story from fifty years ago, and V had more immediate problems.
Though she knew it was pointless, she struggled against the straps one more time, again meeting the same frustrating lack of strength. Like she was full organic again. Weak.
Her fear spiked. If only action could save her life, there was no greater doom than being powerless to act.Â
She clenched her jaw, rebuking herself silently. As long as she was alive, there was still hope. And there were ways to act without movement.Â
She flicked her eyes, pulled up her optical HUD, and scrolled through the menu for anything that might prove useful. Outward communication was blocked, of course, but her enhanced auditory suite was still functioning. Interesting. She activated it.Â
All the expected sounds filled her awarenessâthe faint beeping of medical monitors, the low hum of power in the walls, the steady rhythm of the facilityâs air systems. Nothing notable. She tweaked the sensitivity, and a new sound floated in: the murmur of a voice, just beyond comprehension. It came from behind, clearly from a different room, muffled by fortified walls. Though she strained, she couldnât make out any actual words.Â
She pushed the sensitivity up another notch. A safety warning popped up in her HUD; she dismissed it and pushed a little further still. The words snapped into clarity.
ââwith Smasher tearing the whole department apart,â a voice said. V clocked the slight but familiar accent right away: Anders Hellman. A muffled sound followed, maybe a quiet scoff. âI still donât understand that decision. Do you think Yorinobu really believes he can be trusted?â
âI do not know.â The second voice was unmistakableâcold, curt, precise. Goro Takemura. âBut I do not believe it is a matter of trust.â Â
Vâs brow furrowed. Hellman and Takemura, working together? Had they been the ones whoâd brought her here?
âThen what?â Hellman asked.Â
âSabotage.â
There was a pause. V heard a tapping sound that might have been fingers at a keyboard.Â
âSabotageâŠâ Hellman repeated thoughtfully. âLook, Takemura, I agree with your view about Yorinobuâs larger goals, but surely he must realize that heâs also harming himself by putting someone so unstable in charge?â
âPeople like him do not care if they burn, so long as the world burns with them.â
Another muffled soundâsomething between an exasperated sigh and a nervous gulp. Then silence, broken only by that faint tapping of keys.
In the lull of conversation, V tried to make sense of what sheâd heard. Takemura had mentioned sabotage, but she didnât have enough context to know exactly what heâd meant. Still, it seemed neither he nor Hellman approved of Yorinobuâs recent decisions. That could be a very good sign.Â
What struck her more was Takemuraâs final commentâand the tone with which heâd made it. Anger. Practically hatred. When theyâd spoken in her office, she hadnât gotten that impression from him at all. Had something changed? Was he opposing Yorinobu? And if so, could she convince him that she did too?
The tapping stopped. âSheâs awake,â Hellman said, a hint of shock in his voice.Â
V tensed. Sheâd been noticed.Â
There was a shuffle, then the soft thud of footsteps. âAlready?â Takemura asked. âWas not your estimate longer?â
âYes, I thought so,â Hellman replied. âIâll speak to her. Just give me a moment to prepare theââ
âNo,â Takemura said, in a tone that brooked no argument. âI will speak to her first.â
From directly behind came the screech of a door sliding open. The sound hit her like a nerve strike, and she scrambled to turn her cyberaudio sensitivity down again.
Takemura stepped into her field of vision, a folded metal chair in one hand. He set it down and sat, leaning back, the pistol at his waist directly in her line of sight. An JKE-X2 Kenshin, she noted. A standard gun for Arasaka operators.Â
He looked just as she remembered him: black silver-streaked hair tied into a neat bun, shiny red cyberware peeking from the top of his collar. His clothing was different, more Western but still business formalâdark slacks and a matching jacket over a starch-white shirt. A suit that would fit right in among the conference rooms of AHQ.
Takemura pulled something from his pocket and set it gently on the counter by her chair: a thin, battered chain with a worn dog tag dangling from its end.
She recognized it, of course, a sinking feeling settling in her chest. She knew exactly what the characters carved into that faded surface said. Nihon Kaigun. Imperial Japanese Navy.
âExplain,â Takemura said.Â
The look in his eyes told her the time for lies was past.
âI took that tag off Saburo Arasakaâs body to prove that I was witness to his murder,â she began. Fear made her hesitate. There was no going back from this. âAt the hands of his son, Yorinobu Arasaka.â
No reaction from Takemura. No widened eyes; no stiffened muscles. Not the slightest hint of surprise. Did he already know? Or did he simply not believe her?
âI have footage of the act,â she continued, perhaps a bit too fast. âA braindance I scrolled through my optics. I can show you, but itâll need to be edited first. A raw BD can overwhelm you if youâre not used toââ
âI have seen your footage,â Takemura said.Â
V froze, completely thrown off. That BD was supposed to be her ace in the hole. âYou have?â
âThat is why you are here, and not at the bottom of a dumpster.â
The tightness in her chest easedâjust a bit. Shock aside, the important thing was that he seemed to believe her. She might yet survive this.
âMy optics,â he said, tapping a forefinger near the corner of his right eye, âalso possess a special ability. They were created by Arasakaâs best netrunner. When activated, they send a custom quickhack into the optics of another individual, retrieving the information stored in their neuralware. The program is very effective. I have yet to encounter self-ICE that it cannot bypass.â
In other words, the only thing he needed to access every piece of data in your personal archive was eye contact. What an elegant technique.
âI tell you this,â Takemura continued, leaning forward, âso that you know how difficult it is to lie to me. Your honesty thus far has earned you the right to continue to live. But stray from honesty, and that right can be revoked. Do you understand?â
V nodded, once.
âGood.â He leaned back, calm and steady. âWhy were you in Yorinobuâs suite?â
âI have a source at NetWatch,â V began. âAn agent who feeds me information relevant to Arasakaâs interestsââ
âName,â Takemura interrupted.
Despite the danger, she hesitated. âTakemura-san, the integrity of intelligence operations depends on the confidentiality ofââ
âName,â he said again. His tone told her she would not be given a third chance. Â
âBryce Mosley,â V said, with an internal twinge of regret.Â
âContinue.â
She took a breath. What was done was done.Â
âMosley informed me that someone at NetWatch had struck a deal with Yorinobu to purchase the engram of Johnny Silverhand, stored on an Arasaka Relic. An under-the-table deal without the approval of the Arasaka board. And without the approval of its CEO.âÂ
âAnd this Mosley,â Takemura asked, âhe said that NetWatch was interested in the engram, not the Relic itself?â
V frowned. He was right; it was odd. Sheâd thought so at the time, too. âYes, thatâs how he phrased it. I questioned him about it, but he said he didnât know why they wanted that engram in particular.â
He nodded. âContinue.â
âMy first move was to bring the information to the Director of Special Operations, Frank Nostra. But he told me that the department couldnât act against a faction leader and possible heir without solid proof. I trusted Mosleyâs intel, and I knew that with the exchange scheduled for later that night, any potential proof would be lost if we waited. So I decided I had no choice but to get it myself.â
âHow?â
âYou already know my cover story,â she said, tilting her head. âI bought a ticket to Hideyoshi Oshimaâs conference and left early. The conference rooms are on the 98th floor. I knew Yorinobu wouldnât stay anywhere but the penthouse suite, so I used the vents to climb up the last two floors.â
âHow did you bypass security?âÂ
âYorinobu doesnât keep a human security detail. Heard that from one of my counterparts at Arasaka Intel.â
Sheâd heard it from several, actually. Intel and Counter Intel were notoriously competitive, and the men sheâd spoken to had practically bragged about the fear some of the higher-ups at Arasaka had that their every move was relayed directly back to the Emperor. As if that paranoia somehow reflected positively on their department. Personally, V thought they could learn a thing or two about subtlety.Â
âThat left only technological security,â she continued. âCameras, turrets, the usual. I planned to use Carter Smith, my departmentâs head netrunner, to disable themâŠâ She hesitated. This part would sound implausible, but with Hellman involved, there was a chance Takemura had already spoken to Carter. Lying would be even riskier. âBut once he started, he realized everything was already disabled.â
âItâs the Relic,â V said, frowning. âI didnât know it at the time, but there was someone else after it.âÂ
âWho?â
Her mouth ran dry. Damn it all. Every part of the truth made her sound guilty. But she had no other cards left to play. All she could do at this point was choose her words carefully.Â
âA mercenary by the name of Jackie Welles,â she said. âI recognized him because weâve worked together in the past. He was in the Valentinos before he switched to solo mercenary work. I would hire him and his gang sometimes, for jobs too questionable to risk associating directly with Arasaka agents.â
Takemura scoffed quietly. âYou executives in this city associate so eagerly with the gangs. Yet you wonder why your integrity is in question.â
âWe do what we have to,â V said, in a careful, neutral tone. She doubted it was any different in Japan, but she was hardly in a position to argue the point.Â
âIs that so?â Takemura asked. âAnd did you have to conspire with Jackie Welles?â
âI didnât conspire with him,â V insisted. âI had no idea he would even be there.â
âYet you and he escaped from the Plaza in your AV. To meet with the fixer Dexter DeShawn.â
âHow did youââÂ
She cut herself off. Of course. The spy at the door.
âYes,â Takemura confirmed, clearly reading the recognition in her eyes. âThat was my first attempt to intercept you.â
It was a humbling feeling, the realization of just how far ahead of her heâd been the whole damn time. But what else would she expect? The private bodyguard to the CEO of the megacorp with the greatest security branch in the worldâhow could he be anything other than the best of the best? That demand for quality was the very reason sheâd always been so proud to work for Arasaka.Â
âIf you were listening,â she said firmly, âthen you heard that I was there to offer DeShawn the chance to turn on the client who hired him, not to sell him the Relic. And if youâve examined me, then you know exactly where the Relic ended up.âÂ
âWhat I heard was an argument between three panicked thieves who were in over their heads and no longer knew how to proceed,â Takemura answered coldly. âAs for the Relic, we will come to that soon.âÂ
Damn it all to hell. She had no way to prove her innocence. She hated to resort to pleading, but what else was there to do?
âTakemura-san,â she said, leaning as far forward as her restraints allowed, âI swear to you, I was never trying to steal the Relic. I let Welles hang on to it just long enough to make him take me to his fixer. When I realized we were being watched, I chose to protect Arasaka assets. I grabbed the Relic and jumped out a window. I only slotted it into my head because the case was damaged in the fall. I went to Hellman immediately afterwards because I thought heâd be able to remove it safely. It was always my intention to bring the Relic back. My sole loyalty is to Arasaka.â
You have to believe me, she almost added. But that would sound just a little too desperate.Â
Takemura gazed at her. For the first time, she saw a flicker of doubt in those strange, shining eyes. Then it died.Â
âYou speak of loyalty. Of protecting Arasaka assets.â His voice was quiet, controlled. âYet you watched Arasaka-sama die. And you did nothing.â His nostrils flared. He drew a slow, steady breath. âWhy?â
Vâs stomach sank. Sheâd asked herself that same question. Why hadnât she intervened? Out of fear for her life?
She should have acted anyway. She knew that. Certainly Saburo Arasakaâs life was far more valuable than hers. And yet. When it came down to it, her life was hers.Â
It seemed an insufficient excuse. The look in Takemuraâs eyes left her doubtless that he would have laid his life down for his boss if heâd had the chance. The chance sheâd had. The chance sheâd squandered. How could she ask him to trust her after that?
âI was afraid,â she admitted quietly. âI didnât think Iâd survive resisting Yorinobu. I knew Smasher was nearby, and that you were as well. But I didnât know whose side either of you would take.â
âA bodyguard to Arasaka-sama would never betray him.â
âBefore that night, I mightâve said the same about a son.â
âThat is different,â he insisted. Then he hesitated. âBut you would have no way of knowing that.â
âTakemura-san,â she pressed, encouraged by his concession. It had been brief, but she had to take whatever chance she could. Had to remind him that she still had value to offer. âYouâre right. I should have acted when I had the chance. But that chance has passed. No one can change the past, but anyone can change the future. I have the footage. You can corroborate my claim that the BD is unedited, and you must have significant standing with the Board. If we were to step forwardââ
His jaw clenched. âNot one of the board members believes Yorinobuâs claims.â
âButââ she stuttered. âTheyââ
âThey swallow his lies because he possesses power. And they pretend they do not see the cracks that show in his story at the slightest glance. The very truth has become taboo in the upper echelons of Arasaka. Known to all but never spoken aloud.â
V was silent. Sheâd always known that sort of thing went on at Arasaka. Abernathy had quietly eliminated troublesome coworkers for years. Jenkins had tasked her with Abernathyâs assassination as though it were just another job. If sheâd gone through it, it wouldnât have been the first blood on her hands. Not by a long shot.Â
It was hardly unique to Arasaka. It was the law of nature.Â
Yet it still came as a shock to find that even Saburo Arasaka was bound by the same rules as other men.Â
In a way, it was a vindication.Â
Her voice cooled a few degrees. âThen we beat him at his own game.â
Takemuraâs eyebrows twitched. âExplain.â
V bit her lip, her mind whirring. âWhat does Yorinobu know of my involvement at Konpeki Plaza?â
âNothing. I had planned to contact him after I dealt with you.â His voice hardened. âUntil I found your recording.â
A faint chill traced her spine. âI really thought you were shooting to kill.â
âI was.â
The chill deepened. âThenââÂ
âWe will come to that,â Takemura said. âContinue.â
V nodded absently, still deep in thought. Theoretically, there was no way she should have survived that. But this was Arasaka, and Takemura and Hellman both stood at the top of their respective hierarchies. They must have used some sort of exclusive medical treatment on her. Perhaps the very same kind of regenerative therapy sheâd heard Saburo Arasaka regularly underwent.Â
Not that he would be needing it anymore.Â
âDoes Yorinobu believe he was undetected?â she asked.Â
âAs far as I am aware. There was no autopsy, no formal investigation. I only looked into events at the Plaza myself because I doubted Yorinobuâs claims of poison.â His shoulders squared with restrained offense. âArasaka-sama would never have allowed himself to be caught off guard in such a way.â
âI agree,â V said thoughtfully. âIt was a tenuous claim.â Her first instinct would be to say it had been a lie of impulse, a slip made in a moment of panic. But Yorinobu hadnât seemed particularly panicked at the time. âI donât think he actually expected anyone to believe it.â
A brief pause, as though he were surprised sheâd arrived at that conclusion. âMost likely he did not. I believe Yorinobu intended to incite suspicion regarding the circumstances of Arasaka-samaâs death.â
âBut why?â V asked, frowning. âWouldnât that also cast suspicion onto him?â
âYorinobu seeks to destabilize Arasaka. To create chaos. He does not care if he has to put himself at risk for that purpose.â
His earlier words, the ones she hadnât been meant to hear, rang through her mind.Â
People like him do not care if they burn, so long as the world burns with them.
Her frown deepened. Martyrs were the most dangerous kind of enemy. A self-serving enemy was rational, predictable. An enemy willing to sacrifice themselves for their cause was capable of anything.Â
Another memory rang through her mind. Her coworkers on the 33rd floor, discussing the potential culprits in Saburo Arasakaâs death. Â
Mark my words. We need to be preparing for a fifth corporate war.
âI see,â V said quietly. âUncertainty is what he wants. If no one knows who to blame for Arasaka-samaâs death, then anyone can be justified as a potential enemy.â
Another pause, but briefer this time. His head inclined a fraction, something like acknowledgment in it. âYes. You and your mercenary were never part of his plan.âÂ
She huffed a sharp breath through her nose. And to think sheâd considered going directly to Yorinobu with an offer. Sheâd come so close to death so many timesâŠ
âNo, of course not,â she said. âIf there was someone who appeared most guilty of Araka-samaâs murder, it would undermine the doubt he wants to sow.â
âPrecisely. If I had gone to him with news of your capture, I am not certain what he would have done.â His expression darkened. âHe may even have tried to eliminate me. Though he would have found it a far less straightforward task than he perhaps imagines.âÂ
V suppressed a smile. She mightâve enjoyed watching that. But it was far better to have the element of surprise.Â
âThen youâve managed to convince Yorinobu youâre on his side?âÂ
His lips compressed. âI have done what was necessary to hide my suspicion. I have held my tongue and accepted reprimand for my failure. IâŠâ A brief hesitation. âI am not certain if he believes I am âon his sideâ anymore than his fellow members of the boardâŠâ Another hesitation, this one obviously frustrated. Clearly the conduct of his superiors rankled him. âBut I believe he has accepted my compliance.â
âAnd Hellman?â
âYou have been spying, I see,â he commented, without a hint of surprise.
âYes,â she admitted. âIâm not prone to sitting around helplessly, Takemura-san.â
His eyes flicked to her restraints. âYou might have fooled me.âÂ
V tilted her head, briefly studying his expression. Had that been a veiled threat or an actual attempt at humor? Despite the circumstances, she thought the latter. He was warming to her, whether he was ready to admit it or not.
âThere are ways to act without movement,â she said. âBut we digress. Has Hellman avoided Yorinobuâs suspicions or not?âÂ
âNo more or less than anyone else with interest in the manner. Though he nearly managed to ruin that for himself. After your meeting, he⊠panicked. Intended to defect to Kang Tao.â A subtle shake of his head. âI intercepted him when I realized I required him for your medical treatment.â
V nodded, another piece of the puzzle sliding into place. It made perfect sense. If Takemuraâs clever optical hack had alerted him that the Relic was in her head, Hellman would have been the obvious choice.
âDo you trust him?â she asked.Â
âNo less than I trust you.â
âGood,â V said, her mind whirring even faster now.Â
Another potential ally, along with Takemura, Carver, and NostraâŠ
âWhat about Welles and DeShawn?â she asked, careful to keep her tone indifferent. Sheâd avoided that question thus far because she didnât want Takemura to think she had any undue concern about Jackieâs wellbeing, but she had to know how those loose ends might factor into her plan.
âThey escaped.â
Relief burst in her chest. She stifled it. âHow?âÂ
âYour doing, in a way. When you split off from the rest of the group, I chose to pursue you instead of them.âÂ
âAnd theyâve not been captured since?âÂ
âUnlikely. No one knows of their involvement except Hellman-san and myself. We have both been otherwise occupied for the past few days.â
V looked down, taking a moment to digest this new information. If it were true, then it was possible theyâd actually managed to get away. If she could locate Jackie⊠assuming heâd even be willing to talk to herâŠ
Wait. Had Takemura said the past few days?
She looked up sharply. âHow long have I been unconscious?âÂ
âApproximately one week.â
âA week?âÂ
Holy shit. Sheâd hadnât taken a full week off work sinceâ
Sheâd never taken a full week off work.Â
âWhat about my department?â she demanded. âWhere do they think I am?â
A corner of Takemuraâs mouth twitched. Just for a second, but she caught it.Â
âDo not panic,â he said calmly. âI ensured that you had a cover story when I realized that you may prove useful. They believe that you have been assisting with a confidential mission for the supervisor of Arasakaâs security contracts in Night City.â
âYoru Tomobiki?â V asked, confused.
âNo. Tomobiki-san has been asked to retire. I am the new supervisor.â
Her eyebrows rose. âYou accepted a job in Night City?â
It was hardly uncommon for Arasaka employees to transfer from the Tokyo branch to the Night City one, but it was quite the step down for a former bodyguard of Saburo Arasaka.Â
Takemuraâs mouth set in a thin line. âAccepting the position helped to convince Yorinobu that I had been placated. He has made his cyborg bodyguard Head of Security, and he likely believes that placing me under his authority will help him to keep an eye on me. Or perhaps he simply wishes to humble me. Either way, Night City is the best place to be at the moment. This is where Yorinobu will focus his efforts for the foreseeable future.â
âI see,â V said. âMakes sense. Night City is closer to the NUSA than any other Arasaka territory. Closer to Militechâs sphere of influence. If heâs trying to cause conflict, even start another corporate warâŠâ
She trailed off. Itâd been fifty-two years since the Fourth Corporate War had devastated the world. V had studied the war from an academic perspective in school, but in that moment, what came to mind was the mark sheâd seen it leave on her parents.
Her father had lost his own father in the AHQ bombing. If his mother hadnât been on maternity leave at the time, he might have lost her too. She had raised him and his sister alone, returning to work almost immediately to support them. Heâd been so young at the time that as an adult, he had hardly even remembered the manâjust the hole in his life where a father should have been. Heâd tried to plug that hole by upholding his Arasaka legacy, and heâd raised his daughter to do the same.Â
Her mother had grown up in Old Japantown, the daughter of Japanese immigrants. That entire district had been wiped off the map in the war. Her family had spent the next few years moving back and forth between tent cities and borrowed rooms until the NCSSâa conglomerate of Japanese corps in Night Cityâhad built the megabuildings in Watson that finally gave them a stable home. Vâs mother had spent her adult life climbing the corporate ladder to ensure that she would never again have to rely on anyone elseâs goodwill for her survival. And sheâd taught her daughter to do the same.
At least her parents would never have to go through that again. Theyâd been dead for years.Â
It was the rest of the world that had to worry.Â
V met Takemuraâs gaze and saw her thoughts mirrored in his somber expression. âLet us hope we can stop him before it comes to that,â he said.
She nodded. âWeâd damn well better.â She gestured at her restraints with the moveable part of her arms. âLet me go, Takemura-san. I think you know Iâm on your side.â
He held her gaze a moment longer. Then he sighed. âUnfortunately, it may not be so simple. As I mentioned, there is still the matter of the Relic.â He stood and stepped around her chair, to the door from which heâd entered. V heard the sound of it sliding open. âHellman-san,â Takemura said, âwe are ready for you.â