Warhammer: The Time Traveler

Chapter 208 Valerie Adapting to Her New Job (Eleventh Update)
As Valerie approached, Jack immediately noticed her.

"Hey! V!" He waved excitedly, temporarily interrupting his long-winded talk. "Come on, tell these two little guys how awesome it felt to smash an 'Oni Warrior' with one punch while piloting that red mecha!"

Valerie shook her head slightly, her mechanical prosthetic limbs humming softly. "It's just a test mission, Jack."

Her gaze first fell on David, looking at the complex mechanical blueprints in front of him, and she couldn't help but recall how she was when she first entered Arasaka.

This young man is so similar to her back then; both of them once believed that they could climb the corporate ladder through hard work.

She only saw the truth after losing an arm and nearly losing her life, while David... she hoped this young man could understand some things sooner.

"How's your learning progress?" Her voice softened unconsciously.

David looked up and gave a helpless smile: "It's alright... it's just that the amount of knowledge is too vast. The Sage's technical system is simply too profound."

His gaze toward Valerie held clear admiration, along with a hint of youthful longing. "Miss Valerie, what's it like piloting a power armor?"

Just as David was asking his question, Valerie noticed a subtle change in Lucy's posture.

Although the silver-haired hacker maintained his lazy posture, he had subtly adjusted his center of gravity to a state where he could exert force at any moment.

Valerie's mechanical fingers tightened unconsciously—she was all too familiar with this gesture; it was an instinctive reaction trained by Arasaka.

“At first, the machine feels very heavy, and it feels a bit sluggish to operate,” Valerie answered David’s question, her gaze seemingly glancing at Lucy. “But once you get used to it, the sense of power and security is quite unique.”

She paused deliberately, noticing Lucy's eyelashes trembling slightly. "Especially with the recent upgrades, she should perform even better."

Jack leaned closer, lowering his voice but unable to hide his smugness: "I've also learned a few tricks! I've seen those 'fanged hounds' use them several times."

"If I hadn't already done that damn neural interface surgery, I would have gone up and tried it out long ago!"

He patted his muscular chest. "Pure reaction and intuition are enough!"

Valerie sighed helplessly and turned her attention to Jack: "Don't be ridiculous, Jack. Driving military power armor isn't that simple."

Her peripheral vision remained fixed on Lucy.

She had seen the file of this former Arasaka hacker in the company system before—a stalker codenamed "Lucy," who was responsible for carrying out high-risk data retrieval missions outside the black wall. She disappeared during an operation three years ago and was marked as a "defector."

The Arasaka Counterintelligence Department conducted a secret investigation into this matter.

"Don't worry, girl!" Jack waved his hand dismissively, then became excited again. "I heard you're going to take another test? Could you talk to Colonel Hansen this time and let me go and observe? Just to watch, I definitely won't cause any trouble!"

“We’ll see,” Valerie said, not immediately agreeing. She glanced at David one last time; the boy was listening intently to their conversation, his eyes sparkling with a longing for the future that she knew all too well.

“The Sage is waiting for me; I have to go to the workshop.” She patted David on the shoulder. “Focus on your studies; knowledge is the most important weapon.”

When she turned to Lucy, their eyes met briefly.

Valerie nodded slightly, receiving an almost imperceptible nod in response.

After leaving the three young people, each with their own agendas, Valerie walked alone on her way back to the workshop, her inner turmoil still unsettled.

Jack's unreserved enthusiasm was like a shot of strong liquor in winter, always bringing her a touch of warmth in the cold reality.

David's thirst for knowledge reminded her of herself years ago, struggling on the streets and eventually squeezing into Arasaka Academy through sheer grit and intellect.

The similar trajectory stirred feelings of pity, and even a sense of responsibility, in her—she didn't want this boy to repeat her mistakes.

However, Lucy's presence was like a tiny ice spike, silently piercing the depths of her consciousness. That seemingly indifferent face, and the Arasaka secret training program it represented, constantly reminded Valerie of her tainted past, a past that had ultimately led to her being ruthlessly abandoned.

She chose to remain silent for the time being, refraining from revealing Lucy's secrets to Mann or the Sage.

This stems from a subtle empathy of shared suffering—in this damned world, betrayers are often just survivors—and also from leaving oneself some leeway.

But years of counterintelligence work had ingrained vigilance into her very being.

Reason kept warning her: Lucy's defection was too perfect, almost erasing all traces that could be followed, which was something no ordinary student could do.

Is there a deeper scheme hidden behind this?
Is it a long-term, meticulously planned spy planted by Arasaka, or does it involve a higher-level power struggle?

This uncertainty itself is the most dangerous signal.

She gently squeezed the cold mechanical prosthetic limb, feeling the precise and reliable power entering her central nervous system.

Regardless of Lucy's motives, Valerie was no longer the vice president who worked tirelessly for the company.

Valerie gripped her mechanical right hand tightly, feeling the precise feedback from the prosthetic limb.

Now, she has a new object of loyalty and a new mission.

As for the shadows of the past... let them remain for now in those unspoken exchanges of glances.

"Time to get to work," she murmured to herself, taking firm steps toward the workshop.
-
Upon stepping back into the workshop, Valerie's keen eyes immediately caught the changes in the testing machine.

The dark red paint job seemed to have become a bit more vibrant, and the single-horn antenna on the head was still eye-catching, but the whole machine exuded a sense of refinement after careful polishing.

The previously exposed pipes have been cleverly rearranged and stored away, and the protective armor at the joints appears to have been reinforced.

The most notable changes are concentrated in the weapon systems.

The entire left arm has been replaced with a complex heavy weapon platform, now equipped with a formidable Stormblaster.

While the right arm retained the terrifying power gauntlet, a small laser emitter was added to the outside of the forearm, and a laser cannon base that could rotate in all directions was added to the shoulder.

"Get in." Chen Yu's voice rang directly in her ear, without any unnecessary formalities: "The driving mode has been updated to neural direct connection. The interface is behind your seat and is compatible with the neural port of your prosthetic limb."

Valerie nimbly climbed into her power armor and squeezed herself into the cockpit.

The interior space has been redesigned, resulting in a more compact and rational layout.

As she settled into the redesigned seat, she felt a slight pressure on the back of her neck, as the neural interface automatically completed its docking.

She took a deep breath and started the system according to the procedure.

A deep rumble instantly filled her senses, but unlike before, this time the sound seemed to resonate directly in her bones, not through her ears.

The moment the helmet display lit up, a 360-degree panoramic view flooded into her consciousness like a tidal wave.

She no longer needed to deliberately "see"; all the information about her surroundings, from the cold texture of the workshop walls behind her to the subtle vibrations of the metal grilles beneath her feet, naturally became part of her perception.

This entirely new experience left her momentarily disoriented, as if the steel giant had become an extension of her body.

(End of this chapter)