In 2076, David Martinez is a young man attending the prestigious Arasaka Academy at his mother Gloria's behest, in spite of their financial struggle. David illegally modifies his cyberware to avoid paying for a required update to keep attending class. The modifications crash the school's system and Gloria agrees to pay for the damages. On their way home from meeting with the headmaster, David engages in a brief argument with his mother, which ends when they are caught in a drive-by shooting