The Happiness of the Nest
After wrapping up the Nest's Happiness Experiment, the team headed out for a group dinner—the first in ages. While the ogre and the androgynous mage tidied up after their late shift, the others killed time with small talk. Missions this, the state of the world that, plans for the future... Amid the chatter, Sonia voiced the question that had been nagging at her.
"By the way... I just had this sudden thought. Why do they run these experiments at headquarters?"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"That slug looks safe enough, but you never know. And other companies do it too. Why risk it right at HQ?"
"Ah."
Amon nodded at Sonia's question, instantly grasping what she meant. Why would HQ take on the dungeonization risk for experiments like this? It just didn't add up. The water buffalo tank nodded along too.
Amon glanced at the mute sniper, who shrugged. You know, so you explain. Amon turned to Kashi. "I get it, but you explain. I'm not confident I'd do it justice."
"Got it."
Kashi took the baton. Sonia and the tank watched her with curious eyes.
Why run dungeon-risk experiments at HQ? Simple.
"To avoid getting screwed over."
"...Huh?"
"Corporate accidents are tough for civilians to care about, especially these kinds. Companies bribe the media to bury them all the time."
"Has anyone actually gotten screwed?"
"Too many to name. Can't even count 'em on one hand."
Before diving in, Kashi pointed at Sonia's wrist. "Say you could lend out that essence-imbued bracelet—ignoring the binding for now."
"Okay."
Sonia's gaze dropped to the bracelet. Legendary essence, worth a house or two. But priceless for the memories with Amon it held.
Kashi jabbed at it. "Now suppose you wanted to research its essence potential. Who'd you hand it to?"
"Amon or you, probably."
"What about a company rep?"
"Hell no!"
"Exactly."
That was her point. "No company wants to run dungeon-risk tech outside HQ. But... they can't trust anyone."
Core tech research is a megacorp's lifeline and identity. Tech big enough to turn a branch into a dungeon overnight is make-or-break scale. Hand it to a branch? They'd perfect it, eat the IP, and spin off a new corp. That new outfit would be megacorp-tier, and lawsuits? Meaningless.
In a world of blatant corporate espionage and sabotage, laws don't play fair between giants. Cyberpunk's iron rule: Law sides with the strong; between strongmen, it looks away.
Copyrights, trademarks, ownership rights? Recite 'em in court, and judges avert their eyes while the thief picks its teeth and ignores you.
HQ's left with one option: armed suppression. Doable, mostly. But the blood loss? Unimaginable. And rivals won't let a bleeding corp limp away. History proves it.
"R&D costs down the drain, and reclaiming means bleeding more against invasions."
Just outsourcing dungeon-risk tech to branches triggers this mess.
"Plus, if a branch dungeonizes, HQ foots the cleanup bill per dungeon laws."
Weighing it all, ironically, HQ dungeonizing is safer. At least if the company craters spectacularly, lucky execs fake deaths, grab assets, and vanish.
"That's why labs are at HQ."
Sonia nodded as Kashi finished. Brutally rational.
"Separately, branches dungeonize more anyway—skimping on safety, weaker security, easy sabotage targets."
Minor reasons piled on. As Sonia and the tank absorbed dungeon lore, the researcher couple finished up.
"All set."
"Thanks for waiting."
With Vox and Hen joining, the six were complete. They piled into the elevator.
"Director's buying tonight!"
Kashi panicked at Amon's shout. "Hey! Who made you boss?"
"C'mon, Director's loaded."
"Argh!"
The elevator doors shut on their raucous laughter.
The world's tastiest meal—eaten on someone else's dime—behind them, Kashi wrestled paperwork in her office while Amon lounged jobless on the sofa. No plans today. But he stuck around for one reason.
"Can my bodyguard slack this hard?"
"No issues so far, right?"
"Ugh..."
Kashi sighed. Amon as bodyguard? Trustworthy, obviously. He accepted for the disbanded fixed party and her request.
She eyed him. Rolling on the sofa screamed "unprofessional." He'd scroll vids, pop in earbuds for hymns, do his thing. Pure Amon, even in the director's office.
Department heads dropped docs? He'd snap upright, stern-faced—like a ghost. Hilarious and adorable.
Kashi craved this peace forever. But...
He's not the type to belong anywhere.
Amon wasn't company. Her personal guard. Free to fly anytime.
She'd offered security chief; he refused binding. Gear upgrades made him overqualified, but his soul hated chains. Wouldn't have gone merc otherwise. Wild spirit.
His words left her speechless. Sure, she regretted it. Wanted him tethered: commute together, work under his watch, leave together. Simple bliss.
But she couldn't push. Her beloved bird needed open skies. Cage it, and it wasn't him anymore.
Sometimes love means letting go.
Mother and Owen taught the opposite; Amon showed true love nearby.
So she wouldn't cage him.
Lost in thought, her father's right-hand exec entered—beaming as always. Hard to believe that smile crushed security chief duties.
He glanced at Amon, approached Kashi. "Miss, Chairman approved."
"For real?!"
Kashi lit up. Amon perked curiously but stayed outsider-ish. Then the exec dropped an earful.
"Congrats, Mr. Amon."
Amon's head snapped to Kashi. She grinned mysteriously, paper in hand.
"Read it."
Amon scanned. Unofficial corp sponsorship for mercenary Amon. Optional duty: take company requests if needed. In return: help in crises like this.
He'd help anyway, so he blinked between paper and Kashi, puzzled.
"You'll take it, right?" Kashi beamed triumphantly.
Amon nodded readily. No fixed duties like security chief, no leash.
Her smile deepened at his acceptance. She loved her free bird—so she didn't cage it. But baiting the nest for visits? Fine.
Open skies, but a cozy nest for hunger or weariness. She was content with that role. Plus...
...the nest was her ideal happiness. Birds always return.
She'd wait.