Chapter 6
An hour earlier…
The fight between me and Artemis is intense.
Hehe, she keeps deleting my virtual room with that bit by bit deletion shit.
That's genius. However, that's not that great.
Hehe, let's see.
"System, initiate code Eden."
Code Eden is a code that I recently made.
Unlike the previous one, the system and that bitch will not be able to counter it.
Hehe, this is my masterpiece.
This code is… my saving grace.
Hmm, why does it take too long to trigger code Eden?
Ha! I guess I have to do it myself.
Smith made gestures. Then, in the next second, the damage to his virtual room further increased.
Not only did the damage increase but also the rate at which Smith's virtual room was collapsing increased to many folds.
Then, in a few minutes, it was already about to collapse. However, before that happened…
Ding!
⌈ Code Eden has been triggered! ⌋
… code Eden has been triggered.
Whoosh!
Smith disappeared from the collapsing virtual room and appeared in another virtual room.
Then, at this moment, Artemis also reported a newly scanned malware.
"Sir John, a malware has been detected."
"Artemis, come again?"
"Did you not say that you will eliminate the threat after an hour?" sir John asked.
"I did, sir John. However, three more malwares appeared."
"Fuck! Just how many malwares are on the quarantine drive."
While the A.I. and the CEO duo were talking, Smith was busy doing his thing.
He was not satisfied with just code Eden running. He wants to do something, himself.
"Three, sir John…"
Artemis went silent for a while before adding.
"Two more malwares had been detected. There are now five malwares in total."
"What? Are they of the same source?"
"Yes, sir."
"Shit, how can it propagate at a fast speed? Are you not doing anything?"
"I am using the Bit By Bit Deletion Protocol."
"Eh? Can't you just delete it?"
"Negative, the malware had taken root on the system."
Beads of sweat dripped from sir John's forehead.
He knew that things were already beyond his control.
"Error! Artemis is malfunctioning…"
There, I've done it. Hehe.
"Sir John, there is an incoming transmission."
…
Back to the present.
"Hmm… this. It would be better if you could say what you want."
When Smith heard that, he cursed the man.
Fuck! You're making it hard for me. Hmmm, don't blame me.
Smith then looked at the man sternly.
"Hmm. Would really…."
"Sir, there's no need to think. I will give you money. Ten million solar credits… no, I will give you a million energy units."
The credit system is divided into three. The solar credit, the energy units, and the star points.
Solar credit is the most common. It is used by either the rich or the poor.
It could buy almost anything. It is the most common in the market.
Meanwhile, the energy units are not a credit but rather a rather expensive but in-demand commodity. The energy unit, as its name suggests, is a unit of energy.
This energy is used to power up the machines in this era. These energy units are stored in energy capsules. The smallest of these capsules is about one inch. And it could store about a hundred units.
Finally, the star points, it is the rarest credit system in the world.
It will not be given to whoever tom dick and harry. Furthermore, it is only given as a reward. Meanwhile, one thousand star points could form one star. Then, those stars and star points could be used to buy advanced techs and many more items from the military treasury.
One energy unit is equal to one hundred solar credits. However, one star point cannot be equated to any solar credits or energy units.
Well, at least, no one would swap them.
Such valuable information, however, Smith did not know them.
"Err, I don't need those."
Trying to act cool.
Meanwhile, when sir John heard it, he was speechless to the bone.
"Is this fellow too rich? Then, is he here for…"
Sir John did not want to think that Smith is here for their most precious project.
However…
"So be it, I will give it to you!" sir John said before facing Artemis. "Artemis, prepare project 9977-A-6YTB1."
"Sir, I bet you already know about project 9977-A-6YB1. We will surrender it to you. However, we ask sir to remove all the malwares that you placed on our server."
Although this price is costly, they can afford it. Furthermore, this minimized all their losses.
It's not that they will lose the project. Well, they will. However, not all. At most, they will lose the hardware but the records are still with them.
…
An hour had passed.
Smith was back in his virtual room. The attack from Artemis had ceased.
Well, truth to be told. Smith was not really affected.
Whooo! That was intense.
Solar credits, energy units, I have learned them all.
Ha! I should have just accepted them. Money can be converted into almost anything. Unlike that junk.
Smith looked at the screen that was floating not too far from him. An image of the robotic body could be seen there.
Project 9977-A-6YTB1, eh? It's more of a pile of junk.
Ha! Such a waste.
That pile of metal on the screen is the 'precious' project that sir John had been working on for a long time now.
Still, I could not understand why he gave it to me.
Now I have a problem. I don't know where to put it.
I can't convert it into binary codes to store it with me, right?
Ha! What a pain in the ass.
Now, the courier service should be here.
That's right. Since I don't know where to put it, I sent a courier service to pick it up and send it somewhere in the world. That way, I will have time to think about where to put it.
Ha! I'm a genius.
Come on, folks, praise me. Hehe.
…
Meanwhile, at sir John's penthouse…
"Artemis, where is Project 9977-A-6YTB1?"
"Project 9977-A-6YTB1 does not exist in my database," Artemis replied, which dumbfounded sir John.
"That bastard, he really is wise…. Artemis, give me manual control."
With that, sir John did something on the computer. Then, in the next second, a screen that shows where Project 9977-A-6YTB1 was stored.
"Hmm, he still hasn't moved it, don't blame me if…"
Sir John is having thoughts about Project 9977-A-6YTB1. However, in the next second, he heard a screech from the screen.
"A car? Wait, that's…"
Sir John was dumbfounded when he got a clear view of the person who arrived.
"Courier service!?"
Bam!
He fell from where he was seated.
He could not guess what Smith was thinking. However, he is sure that Smith is wise.
"He used the courier service to hide his location from me. and, at the same time, to test me. Ha! That man is terrifying."
"Ahem! I don't care what he will do with that."
Sigh!
Sir John could only sigh. He knew that if he messed up Smith's arrangement. Smith might come back to him with bigger revenge.
"Ha! I can't afford it."
"Sir John, there is an incoming transmission from the big boss."
"What?"
"It seemed that he had already learned about it."
Sir John's expression went sour.
Others may know that he is the most powerful in Apollo Tech. However, the truth is he is not.
There is a mysterious big boss controlling their operations in the shadows.
"John, what's the ruckus all about?"
A voice sounded. However, there is no hologramic figure that appeared.
"Boss, I'm sorry. The system was hacked."
In front of the big boss, sir John could only bow his head.
Although the boss does not come here in person, he possesses enough power to survey the whole company.
That power is through Artemis.
That's right. The Artemis that John has authority to is a mere clone of the real Artemis from the boss.
Furthermore, Sir John did not have full authority over the A.I.
"Hmm, that's bad. However, I need you to do something."
"Track Project 9977-A-6YTB1!"
Sir John paled.
He did not want to do it. However, since the big boss said it, he will get it done. Or rather, he did not have a choice.
"B… boss. Yes, boss."
"One more thing, John. Don't get caught. And, also, restart Project 9977-A-6YTB1."
With that, the transmission ended.
However, in that short moment that he spoke with the boss, he lost all his strength and his legs went limp.
…
Meanwhile, Smith did not know about this. He was busy packing up his things.
If one looked at his virtual room, it was no longer like the virtual room that he had before he was attacked by Artemis.
There is now a villa on the island as well as some maids.
Hmm, this is life.
Smith could not help but moan.
In the past, I have always craved these. Now, I have it.
This is a good life. However, my house is bare. Should I add something?
But before that, how will I control that 'bastardic' Project 9977-A-6YTB1?
Ha!
Smith racked his brain. But to no avail, he could not think of anything.
Ahhhh!
I should calm my nerves in the meantime.