Sorry for the delay; this chapter is one of the longer ones, and it took me quite some time to complete the final third.
As always, I hope you enjoy the chapter, and please don't forget to leave a comment. Knowing what you like is what motivates me to continue writing this story.
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[12 hours later]
At 2:00 p.m. on the new day, in a stark white room, a woman awaited alongside four black boxes resembling sarcophagi. While waiting, she activated a holographic screen on one of the room's walls.
The screen flickered before the animated News 54 logo took over the display. Vibrant lights, energetic music, and flashes of city imagery followed before the presenter's figure emerged, seated behind her impeccable desk with an illuminated "News 54" sign behind her.
["Welcome to News 54! I'm Gillean Jordan. Bringing you the latest updates on the turbulent events from last night in Night City,"] announced Gillean solemnly, as images of looting and riots played around her, underscoring the gravity of the situation.
["15 hours ago, the city fell victim to an as-yet-unclaimed attack that caused the collapse of most buildings housing the city's servers."]
["The collapse buried the majority of Night Corp employees working in these 10 targeted buildings. Rescue operations are currently underway to save survivors and recover the bodies of the deceased."]
The visuals shifted to rescue and first aid teams, accompanied by specialized robots, clearing debris and retrieving bodies.
["The collapse also led to the destruction of the servers, controlling the city's services, plunging Night City into darkness and communication blackout for over 5 hours."]
["During that period, looting, riots, and an increase in criminal activity marked these times of uncertainty"] continued Gillean, with a firm voice as the images depicted moments before the city regained light and a semblance of relative normalcy.
["These are the words of Night City's mayor regarding what transpired"] The narration shifted to a video of Mayor Lucius Rhyne and Night Corp's CEO. Both were in a formal room, with Lucius behind a podium bearing the Night City emblem.
Lucius Rhyne stared directly into the camera and said with a falsely stern tone, ["Night City will not tolerate anarchy and chaos. We will ensure to bring to justice all those who were part of the uprisings"]
["Regarding the destruction of Night Corp's servers... We, from my cabinet, will be mobilizing all the city's resources to apprehend and bring an end to the culprit... We're coming for you. You have nowhere to hide!"] The portly mayor exclaimed, pointing his finger directly at the camera, attempting to project a firm and authoritative image but failing, ending up looking rather ridiculous.
Afterward, he yielded the podium to the elegant CEO of Night Corp, dressed in the same official uniform and clear signs of fatigue on her face that she tried to conceal with makeup. Sienna announced Night Corp's response to the server destruction, unveiling the creation of a joint task force to capture the culprit.
The video ended abruptly when it came to questions from the press, and the mayor was asked about the alleged testimonies of packs of Cybersycos attacking civilians during the looting.
In the absence of her colleague Bes Isis, who was working on another story and usually covered live deployments, the host Gillean introduced the substitute: ["Now, let's turn to our reporter covering the joint forces assembly point. Hello, Eddie, what can you tell us?"]
A young man with spiky brown hair and a hint of nervousness appeared on screen, with a crowd of people gathered behind him.
["Hello, Gillean, a pleasure to hear you. As you can see right behind me, we're in front of Night Corp's headquarters, where a combined force of mercenaries hired by Night Corp and NCPD officers deployed by the city hall is gathering before the operation begins."]
["From the information we've managed to gather, it seems the operation will take place in the city's sewers and underground"]
The young woman watching the news averted her gaze from the screen as three out of the four operations inside the black boxes concluded, automatically opening and releasing a substantial amount of steam in the process.
A few moments later, 3 out of the 4 individuals within... awakened. Rising, semi-naked, only clad in their underwear, they emerged from the black liquid in which they had been submerged.
Upon emerging, they couldn't quite articulate what they had just experienced. For them, one second they were submerged into the suspicious black liquid while cursing a bastard, and the next when they opened their eyes again, something had changed in their bodies.
As if they had rejuvenated, all the old wounds they carried from their lives as mercenaries had vanished completely. They didn't even notice the newly installed Neural ports in their bodies, composed of 22 black discs nestled between the vertebrae of their spines, only visible on their backs as small black indentations amid the markings of their vertebrae.
Pilar stared at his arms, observing how the bluish hue of his skin had... diminished, and gained a slightly healthier tone.
The first to speak was Dorio, addressing the young CEO in the room, "Girl... how much time has passed? What the hell have you gotten us into?" She asked, pointing at the black liquid she had just emerged from, clad only in her underwear, revealing her muscular and robust physique, with smooth, scar-free skin that now appeared more feminine than before.
"Hey, more importantly, why hasn't Rebecca come out yet... is she okay?" Pilar asked, concerned for his sister. Meanwhile, Maine remained silent, examining his body, feeling as if the weight of his metallic arms had lightened, as if he had just put them on.
"It's been 6 hours since you submerged, and about Rebecca, she's fine, it's just that her process is more difficult and prolonged," Judy replied calmly.
"Are you referring to what 'he' discussed privately with Rebecca?" Pilar asked.
"Yes" Judy answered, maintaining confidentiality, thinking that if someone had to tell them, it should be Rebecca herself.
"Tch, at least tell me; does it have anything to do with why I feel my skin different?" He replied.
"No. Your process was different; it only removed the minimal amount of heavy metals stored in your skin, which could cause future harm, a virtually harmless process. Rebecca's is much more complicated."
While they spoke, the fourth black box opened, releasing too a significant amount of steam. Emerging from the mist, everyone could see a feminine figure. The lack of response from Judy heightened the anticipation within Maine, Dorio, and Pilar.
As the steam dissipated, a semi-nude Rebecca in underwear appeared, casting an annoyed look at her brother. "What the hell are you staring at, huh?"
Maine and Dorio were surprised because, contrary to their expectations, they found no apparent changes in Rebecca, except that like Pilar, she had a slightly diminished bluish tone and gained a faint pinkish hue, giving her a healthier appearance.
However, Pilar, unlike the others, was genuinely astonished to see his sister. "Rebecca, is it me, or... are you taller?" slightly more developed, gaining a few extra inches.
"Taller?" Maine questioned. "I see her the same," Dorio replied, both examining Rebecca.
At her brother's question, who had noticed, and Miane and Dorio's response, who had not. It caused Rebecca to blush. Immediately afterward, she stepped on her brother's foot, commanding him to 'SHUT UP, IDIOT!' while covering her excited eyes with her hair due to the implications of his words.
That, the process that Sora had arranged for her, to which she had just submitted, was already showing effects.
Maine couldn't help but ask, "Is there a place where we can test our upgrade?"
"Yes, there is, but..." Judy, with a brief grimace, added, "Until Sora arrives, you don't have access to your new capabilities."
"What! So, we can't test them?" Pilar exclaimed, disappointed.
"Where is he? Is he still sleeping?" Dorio asked.
"No," Judy replied, shaking her head. "He's right there," she added, pointing to the screen with Eddie still covering the deployment of the NCPD and mercenary joint forces, which had begun to move.
All of them were able to see the Mercenary Okami and Morgan Blackhand, along with the fixer who had organized with other fixers in the city to hire their best mercenaries to be part of the combined force that was being broadcast on the news... Rogue.
Seeing their expressions, Judy smiled and said, "Don't you remember what he told you? What we've installed in all of you... it's not just ordinary Sandevistan."
Her words made the four recall the events before they entered the black boxes.
-
[6 hours earlier.]
8:00 am in the morning.
Maine, Dorio, Pilar, and Rebecca stepped out of the car in front of the refurbished warehouse that would serve as their workplace for at least a month.
"Do you think 'he' will be here?" Pilar asked, his long arms behind his head as they approached the entrance.
"He told us the sooner, the better. He hasn't called to cancel, so it should proceed as planned," Maine replied.
"Morgan and he were clearly involved in the server assault, and after what happened last night... I don't know if he'll have time for us," added Rebecca.
"If that's the case, I'll be pissed. He should at least give us a heads-up!" Pilar complained, explaining; "I could barely sleep, imagining myself with a Sandevistan... Hey, do you think I'll earn a cool nickname when I have it, something like 'the Sandevistan from Northside'?"
"""No.""" They all answered in unison.
Upon entering the warehouse, in the spacious reception hall, stood an African-American man with a military green cap, high boots, and his new leather jacket adorned with the company emblem and his rank as the head of security. Next to him was his new Iron Beast, a sharp-eared Doberman.
"So, all of you're the bottom of the barrel I got stuck with!" said Sergeant Avaray Johnson, the newly appointed head of security for Iron Beast.
"What did you call us, old man?" exclaimed Pilar, hands in the pockets of his vest, approaching menacingly.
Without even looking at him, Avaray shouted, "Attention!"
Mysteriously, something in Avaray's voice made Pilar, though he had never enlisted, obey and stand at attention reflexively. He expressed his surprise at his own behavior, by saying "Damn, this old man has some strange power."
Ignoring him, Dorio asked, "You must be the head of security?"
"I don't know if I must be, but I am. Just hired for the job. Follow me; the bosses are waiting for you in her office," replied Avaray as he set off, followed by "Lady," his new iron pet companion.
While walking, Avaray turned to Maine and asked, "By the way you walk and how you restrained yourself when I said 'Attention,' you're ex-military, so I hope we can work together with you as the leader of your team."
Maine simply nodded, and the five entered the elevator.
Upon reaching the CEO's office of Iron Beast, Avaray knocked on the door and bid farewell to Maine and the rest, yet having to receive one more guest.
As Maine and Co. entered the elegant office, they could see the decor that brought the space to life, with display cases showcasing everything from the fragments of a shattered Airboard to an old torn jacket to beautifully framed music posters. It gave off an stylish yet lived-in vibe.
Everyone's attention was drawn to the small group of cleaning robots continuously colliding and releasing air freshener around a pair of dirty boots and a sofa where the source of the office odor was lying—a side effect of the end of his night exploring the city's sewers. His face was covered by an open magazine as he snored on the office sofa.
Irritating Judy and Natasha by making them endure each of his snores while they worked diligently. Nevertheless, when Judy saw Sora's mercenary friends enter the office, she greeted them with a smile. "You're here; I'm glad to see you."
"Likewise," replied Maine politely to the young businesswoman.
In contrast to Maine's professional response, Pilar... "Natasha-Shaw! How's my princess been?" He boldly interrupted, approaching the assistant of the young CEO shamelessly.
Or at least, he tried. "Stay away from me, Pilar. I don't want to kick you in the groin again." Before Natasha issued a scathing threat referring to a certain past event, that made Pilar's genitals ascend in his body as if they had PTSD, seeking protection.
Unlike his brother, but at the same time just like him, Rebecca greeted them. "Judy, Natasha! Good to see you!" As she entered the office and comfortably took a seat in one of the plush chairs in front of Judy's desk, not being her first time in the warehouse or the CEO's office.
Finally, Dorio also greeted both of them. "Glad to see you both well."
"GhZzZ" interrupted by Sora's snores, who, despite the noise, continued to sleep. This prompted Judy, knowing he wouldn't be harmed, to throw a small handheld laser printer* from her desk directly at his head.
*(Handheld laser printer: A small office device in which a laser instantly engraves any type of text on a sheet or a blank surface passed over it.)
Just before it hit Sora's head, with the magazine still covering his face, his black right hand moved automatically, blindly grabbing the printer and launching it in a parabolic trajectory, landing right where Judy had picked it up from her desk, returning to its initial position as if it had never been thrown at him.
Impressed by Sora's trick, the two siblings were the first to react, applauding. ""Clap, clap!""
"Not funny, that would have hurt..." he said, sitting on the sofa and shaking his tired head, looking at the person who had just thrown the small handheld printer at him.
"They're already here... don't you think you should wake up now?" she said, as if she hadn't done anything wrong.
"What does it matter if they're here? Until 'her' contact arrives, we can't start... so... I'm going back to sleep," he replied, looking at her with tired eyes after staying up all night and having to return to work in a couple of hours.
"What are we waiting for?" Pilar asked.
"For your cyberware. Do you think 4 Sandevistan fall from the sky?" Sora replied, lying down, and opening the magazine to the page where he left off, and covering his face with it again.
Trying to tease him, Pilar added, "Oh, so even the famous Iron Beast struggles to get something like this?"
Earning a annoyed look from Sora under the magazine and a response from Judy, "Well, not so much if they were 4 normal Sandevistan. With our current level, we have permits to legally purchase Military Tier 2 and Tier 3 Cyberware. But Sora... didn't want to install you at that Tier."
Creating a misunderstanding that made Maine respond, "Hey, it's true that we can't complain, but if you're going to install low-quality Cyberware that can be dangerous... maybe we shouldn't-"
Before he continued, Judy interrupted Maine and clarified, "You're mistaken. Sora didn't want to install such a low Tier and went through some favors to get Tier 5++ Sandevistan, the same ones used by top operatives of big corporations like Militech and Arasaka."
'The same Tier as Militech's "Apogee" Sandevistan that David would wear in the future,' Sora added to himself.
Judy's revelation caused the somewhat sneering looks of the four, thinking they were planning to install them low-quality cyberware, to change to an incredulous one, struggling to process what they had just heard.
Doing it again, when Sora, somewhat annoyed by their previous reactions, said with his tired voice muffled by the magazine over his face, "Now, because of your shitty looks, I'm going to cap their performance... just to mess with all of you."
This prompted them to snap out of their shock, and Rebecca, ignoring Sora's earlier comment, exclaimed, "Ah! And you guys... can get things like this?"
"Heh... Yes. With some favors, but yes." Judy said with a certain pride.
Causing Rebecca to add, "Judy, have I told you lately how gorgeous you are?"
"I love the compliments!... But... speaking of that... Rebecca, Sora has something he needs to talk to you about," Judy said, switching to a serious tone, remembering the concerning information Sora shared with her, while holding onto the subsequent solution with which she reassured her.
"Tch... looks like I won't be able to sleep after all." said Sora, getting up, and putting on his dirty boots, which closed automatically as he did so. Then, with his hands in the pockets of his jacket, he walked towards the door and said, "Shorty... follow me, we need to talk."
Disturbed by the adjective Sora used, Rebecca reluctantly followed him, while Judy turned to Maine, Dorio, and Pilar to ask, "Do you guys want something to drink?"
In the hallway outside the office, accompanied by a small herd of cleaning robots, "Shoo, shoo!" Sora shooed them away. As he lit a cigarette, he said, "I'm a curious person, you know?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Rebecca responded, puzzled by Sora's tone, sensing she might not like what she was about to hear.
"For instance, curious enough to examine the condition the people I plan to install military-grade cyberware on..." His words elicited a slight grimace from Rebecca, an expression not lost on Sora. He added, "You knew about it, didn't you?"
"What do you mean?" Rebecca responded, refusing to discuss the matter.
"Don't play dumb!" Sora pressed on, dropping the playful demeanor and adopting a serious and direct tone. "Unlike Pilar. His treatment for exposure to heavy metals for the environment that both grew up in worked properly. No concerning side effects, aside from your distinctive blue skin hue.
However, your situation is different. Part of the heavy metals lingered in your bloodstream, depositing wherever your blood carried them—be it the brain, lungs, kidneys, or any other organ. The treatment you received in Anchorage prevented intoxication but failed to avert long-term. Ending with cellular damage in most parts of your body. This damage will escalate over time. According to your current state, you'd have... about-"
He couldn't finish, when..."6 or 8 more years of life" Rebecca completed heavily, aware of the state of her body and the cause that had damaged her cells, as well as stunted her body's development—a fact she hadn't shared with anyone, not even her brother.
Knowing that Rebecca was aware of her condition, made Sora see in a new context her selfless behavior towards the person she liked (David) and how she didn't hesitate to confront someone like Smasher, fully aware of what awaited her.
All of this prompted Sora to ask rhetorically, somewhat annoyed, "So, you thought of taking it to the grave... are you really that idiot?"
"What the hell do you want me to do, huh? Tell everyone? So they can hide their sympathetic looks from me? Like yours. Or so that when the word gets out, I have to endure the rest of the people, like the Mox, pretending to care when they really don't give a damn" Rebecca exploded, unable to control his emotions by talking about a subject she had never spoken aloud about before, not even to herself.
Sora, having experienced exactly what she feared, was taken aback after seeing a bit of his own... sad past self in her. He sat on one of the benches in the empty hallway, observing Rebecca as she attempted to control her turbulent emotions.
He reached his hand toward Rebecca's head, but just as he was about to touch, he stopped. After a second, Sora closed one of his fingers and delivered a strong tap to Rebecca's forehead, a not-so-gentle blow that echoed in the corridor, making her "Ahhh! Fuck! That hurts!" scream and curse in pain.
"If you're going to cry, do it for something real... IDIOT!" Sora said abruptly, amid Rebecca's cries of pain.
"Fuck you! Isn't a death sentence enough for you?! Besides, what do you know, huh!? Knowing you bastard... you probably don't even know what it's like to be sick! And stop calling me an idiot!...IDIOT!" Rebecca exclaimed, holding her throbbing forehead, looking at Sora in a mix of envy and resentment, capable of doing things no one she knew could do.
"I know better than you think, and that's why... I won't let you go through the same... I call you an idiot because if I had known earlier, I would have been able to help you sooner. Rebecca, I'm not going to let you bite the dust, okay?" Said Sora in a confident tone that shook Rebecca as she listened to him.
"What are you talking about? I've researched, there's no cure. Even if I undergo a full body chromed-up, the brain with cellular damage will remain." She replied with a trembling voice, feeling that maybe, due to Sora's words, there might be some hope to... 'not bite the dust'
"I have a way to fix your cellular damage... the same method my mother used on me." Sora revealed while smoking.
His response prompted Rebecca to ask in surprise, "Sora, you've been...?"
"Yeah, more than once, if you can believe my luck! But that doesn't matter. I will help you to be the sexiest and most badass Rebecca that can exist... so stop crying like a little girl anymore, okay?" Sora said, anticipating the outcome that repairing Rebecca's cellular damage would bring, allowing with some "help" her stunted development, which had left her with the body of a child, to restart, making her... bloom.
As he finally placed his hand on Rebecca's head, who was trying not to break down in tears from Sora's reassuring words and hand on her head.
She replied, 'Okay (sniff),' wiping her nose dampened by the circumstances. Truly moved by the newfound hope Sora had given her, making her think that, aside from saving her life... Maybe... she could finally shed her child's body that had always made her silently envy her friends, Judy and Sasha, for their attractive figures.
As the office door opened slightly, Rebecca cleared her throat and averted her gaze from Judy's head looming somewhat reluctantly. Observing Rebecca recovering after their conversation, Judy turned to Sora and inquired, 'What did she say?'—giving Rebecca some time
"What do you think, I will say? Obviously, I'm going to take your help..." Rebecca replied without looking at her. When she did, she added, "So, you knew too?"
With a hint of guilt in her tone, Judy said, "Yeah, Sora only told me because he was sure he could help you... otherwise, I'm sure the bastard wouldn't have told me anything."
"Oi, why you two always calling me 'bastard'? In a way, it feels a bit insulting, because it's true!" Sora complain/joke, make the two roll their eyes.
"Sora, 'her' contact has arrived. He's coming up right now with Avaray." Judy said as she opened the door fully and handed Sora his helmet.
"Receive him and bring him with the others to the white room. I'm going to start Rebecca's treatment right now" Sora responded, standing up and grabbing his helmet.
-
Judy and Natasha led Maine, Dorio, and Pilar through a hallway with walls half-painted, still undergoing renovation in the warehouse.
The newly appointed head of security at Iron Beast, Sergeant Avaray Johnson, followed, carefully observing every move of the person beside him. An African-American young man in sportswear, loose pants, and a cap adorned with the emblem of one of Night City's teams, carrying a black armored briefcase.
They all arrived in front of an imposing black armored door. After scanning Judy's face and placing her hand on the detector, it unlocked the double doors, revealing a small sterile room for decontamination before they could proceed.
Before entering, aware of what corporation her new security chief used to work for, and it being too early to fully trust him, Judy addressed Avaray, saying, "I'll take it from here, Sergeant."
Avaray, showing some reluctance, asked, "Are you sure?" Turning to the man with the cap, he added, "This guy reeks of special ops of—"
Judy intervened before Avaray could finish, cutting him off with a firm tone accompanied by a smile. "Don't worry, Sergeant. Thank you for your work."
"As the boss says," replied Avaray, adopting a firm posture before leaving with his new Doberman companion and secret supervisor, "Lady."
Chancellor, Hanako's contact in the city, aware of the glances directed at him, declared loudly as the doors closed, "I'm no Corpo!"
Before the decontamination process began, Judy shook her head and lowered the power of the decontaminating shower, as the last person to enter had adjusted it to the maximum to clean his armor.
When they entered, they found an impeccably white room, but like the hallway, it still lacked finishing touches on some walls and the floor.
Inside, Sora sat with his helmet on the floor beside him, legs crossed, typing rapidly as if each of his fingers had a life of its own on the keyboard of one of the four black boxes connected to multiple tubes sinking underground to the deposits of his small hideout beneath the warehouse.
After finishing typing, Sora stood up and approached his mother's contact in the city, fist-bumping Chancellor amicably, greeting, "Good to see you, thanks for coming."
"Nothing, man. Glad to be of use. Here, 4 Arasaka 'Raijin' Tier 5++ upgraded Sandevistan straight from the factory." Chancellor said, handing the briefcase to Sora.
"'She' told me that, as you wanted they are unregistered so..." He paused and glanced at the mercenaries in the room before adding, "Tell your friends not to get scanned by the NCPD, or they might run into trouble. Also, from what I understand, you have something for me to deliver to her, right?"
"Yes. If she hadn't left the city so quickly, I would have taken it to her myself." Sora said as he pulled something from inside his metallic right forearm.
"Can't be helped; she's a very busy woman. Don't worry; I'll send her regards from you," Chancellor replied, having a private AV waiting to take him to Japan.
"I appreciate it. Tell her I want it 'extra-done'" Sora joked, not expecting him to catch it while handing him a vial of blood.
But Maine... did, recognizing the vial with his blood, tensed upon hearing how Sora had requested his new arm to be "extra-done," causing both Dorio and Pilar to restrain themselves from laughing in front of him.
Chancellor simply shrugged, not catching on, and bid farewell to everyone after finishing his job, being escorted out by Natasha.
After struggling to find a way to open the briefcase. When he finally did, Sora could see the 4 black Operating System Sandevistan "Raijin" with Arasaka's red markings neatly arranged inside the briefcase, as he had requested from his mother.
It was a sight that captivated Maine, Dorio, and Pilar, who approached to see for the first time a Tier 5++ Military cyberware, the highest Tier available. Moreover, being Sandevistan, one of the most requested and challenging Cyberwares to obtain for any Mercenary. Many even enlist within corporations to get one.
Suddenly, Sora began grabbing each of the Operating Systems from the briefcase and, in front of the incredulous Mainen, Dorio, and Pilar, started throwing them carelessly toward the black boxes behind him. This caused the black box he had been typing on until a second ago, near Rebecca's clothes, to automatically close as soon as he did.
After finishing, Sora turned to the three incredulous mercenaries beside him and said, "What are you waiting for, strip down, and hop in."
"Are you kidding?! How dare you throw away that beauty! Besides, do you want us to get into this black thing?" Pilar responded, reacting quickly, running towards one of the black boxes, searching for the Sandevistan that Sora had thrown inside.
Pilar's complaint prompted Sora to say, "What? Expect me to be the one opening your spine? I look like a Ripperdoc? Hmm... although... it could be fun... it would be my first time, what do you say, Pilar, do you want to be my first time?"
Sora's question made Pilar stare at him and ask, "So, with underwear on, right?" as he removed his jacket, all his reluctance disappearing at the mention of Sora's alternative.
Following along as if nothing had happened, Sora replied, "With underwear is enough."
Not participating in their nonsense, Dorio asked as she also removed her clothes, "At least, is it safe?"
"Of course, when you come out, you'll feel better than when you came in, believe me," Judy replied, having undergone the Nanobot bath before.
"What is it?" Maine asked.
"Stuff," Sora evasively replied.
"What stuff?" Maine inquired, not giving up, putting his hand in the liquid and examining it.
Eliciting a random response from Sora, "Witchcraft, you know, virgin blood and all that crap."
"... " which resulted in Maine's silence.
"Is that good enough for you?" Sora asked smiling.
"No, but I don't think, even if I insist, I'll get a serious answer from you" Maine replied resignedly, removing his glasses and beginning to undress.
This prompted Sora to sarcastically exclaim, "And that's why you're the boss, ladies and gentlemen!... C'mon, move your asses!"
When the three were in their underwear and standing inside their respective black boxes with the black liquid reaching their calves, Judy and Sora took the opportunity to explain the process they were about to undergo.
"Once you immerse yourselves, the process will be entirely automated. It will install a neural port in your spine customized by Sora, as well as the Sandevistan operating system he threw in" Judy said, with Sora taking over, pointing with his hands to the fourth closed black box, and added, "As you can imagine, Rebecca is already in the middle of the process, so lie down and let's begin!"
As they lay in the cold black liquid, beginning to submerge, they suddenly felt a disconnection from the rest of their bodies, unable to feel anything from the eyes down.
While this unsettling sensation immobilized them, rendering them speechless, Sora approached, taking advantage of the moment to add, "By the way, I forgot to mention... the neural port you're about to have installed is something... let's say experimental. I know, I know... I didn't say anything. Oops! My bad.
But in my defense, you were so caught up in the Sandevistan thing that you didn't ask either. Don't worry; I'll take you by the hand and explain the changes when I have time... so... Sweet dreams!"
Unable to move their bodies, the three could only curse the bastard speaking and dismissing them by waving his hand shamelessly. That was the last thing they saw before being completely submerged in the black liquid, losing consciousness in the next instant.
Once the process began and the four black boxes were sealed, Sora said to Judy, "Well, I'm out... let me know if anything happens. I still need to check on someone else before heading to Night Corp."
"Are you talking about Gear?" she asked, and he replied, "Yes."
His empty response prompted her to inquire, "How is she?"
"She is..." And in turn, Judy's question made Sora recall what happened...
[5 hours and 47 minutes earlier]
-
In the infirmary of Malorian Arms, its creator worked around a bed in the middle of the room, with Gear lying unconscious on it, engrossed in something he himself thought was unlikely to achieve. "Kid, what you want to do is madness. I've never heard of anything like this," Eran expressed skeptically.
"That's because you're outdated. You need to get out more," the "Kid" he was assisting retorted.
"The kid's got a point, Eran. When was the last time you went out?" Morgan interjected, lying on one of the infirmary beds, watching their work entertained.
Eran's response was quick: "Shh! Quiet, Morgan. The adults are talking," he immediately shifted his gaze, returning to the "adult" conversation in which Morgan wasn't participating.
"Kid, haven't I already proven that you should listen to me?" Eran added, observing the two freshly maintained weapons hanging under Sora's arms.
"I'll give you that you were right about the weapons, but not about this, old man," Sora replied as he carefully connected a link to Gear's neck.
"Kid, your idea of using cyberspace as a form of therapy to revive his brain activity... it's unprecedented. Cyberspace is too complicated to perceive for you to use it the way you want. Ever heard of 'assimilation*'? That's why there are people who dedicate their entire lives to learning how to navigate it—netrunners."
*(Author's Note: "Assimilation" — A term introduced in Chapter 71, to explain how Netrunners in the Edgerunners series see the CyberSpace, in an 8-bit vibe. The gist is that humans' low assimilation with the CyberSpace makes them perceive it in a simplified (8-bit) style. The term also digs into how we interact with the CyberSpace. Characters like Sora, with a 100% assimilation, can interact with the CyberSpace effortlessly, just by thinking about it.)
"Yeah, yeah, that would be as you say, if we are speaking of lousy assimilation with the current cyberspace, what's the current record? I think it's from last year. At the Berlin Cyber World Congress, IEM showcased a new experimental Neural Port for Netrunners, increasing assimilation with the network to unprecedented percentages, reaching the staggering 19%!" Sora sarcastically responded, showing his lack of enthusiasm for the progress made by the German IEM..
"Oh! Those blondies managed to reach 19%! That's incredible! And do you have one of those?" Eran expressed surprise at the information, not catching the sarcastic tone of Sora, taking his advances as a significant breakthrough.
"No way..." Sora shrugged.
"I figured." Eran said, unaware that Sora hadn't finished speaking.
"Why would I need that crap," Sora added with a confident and malicious smile.
This made Eran roll his eyes. "Sure, kid, whatever you say. So, tell me, how much assimilation percentage do you plan to use on her?"
"Hmm..." With someone else in mind than Eran was thinking, Sora said, "Who said I'm going to use it on her? But for what I have in mind, I think 50 or 60% should be enough."
Hearing Sora casually mention the ridiculously high percentage of assimilation with cyberspace, Eran exclaimed, "IMPOSSIBLE! Liar Brat! Your father also liked to lie to get his way, but you have to learn to say something more feasible that makes people doubt... not some crazy shit!"
Though he remained silent, Morgan didn't miss the absurdly high percentage of assimilation Sora mentioned, wondering if that was how Sora easily infiltrated Lazarus' private network, being right.
"That you don't believe me is not my problem... old man." the "Liar Brat" said, indifferent to whether Eran believed him or not.
Not letting go of his confident tone, a small doubt grew in Eran, manifested in a silent "..." That it was interrupted by a tremor that let them know Max Tac had returned.
A few minutes later, when the elevator doors opened, Arturito, as if he had smelled something, jumped off Jackie's shoulder and ran down the hallway.
Jackie and the rest followed him. Upon seeing him again, Arturito was "Waaf-whaf-waaf," barking cheerfully as if he were talking, wagging his little tail energetically. Amplifying the sense of conversation by how the person he was barking at responded. Jackie, upon seeing the face, or rather, the helmet, approached him, followed by the rest of the Frost team.
"I see you've been taking good care of Arturito," Sora said, crouching down to play with him.
"Yeah, it's been amazing having him as a pet. My mom... Wait, how do you know his name?" Jackie asked, realizing.
"He told me himself," Sora replied, letting the puppy Eco onto the floor, causing the two to run down the hallway before standing up and adding, "Good to see you, Jackie, come follow me. We need to talk before taking you to her."
"Thanks for bringing him, guys. The infirmary is going to be a bit busy. The old man told me that in that direction, you have a small cafeteria where you can grab something to eat and rest," Sora said to the Frost team, pointing down one of the hallways.
Fifteen minutes after updating Jackie, finishing a little pale. They stood in front of the infirmary doors.
"Are you ready?" Sora asked.
"Yeah, yeah, I think so," Jackie replied, still with a queasy stomach from all he had been told. Sora nodded and opened the infirmary door.
As Jackie laid eyes on Gear again, who had been completely modified against her will by her own father and had spent weeks with that "Master" Sora had told him about, he approached her with heavy steps.
So absorbed in Gear, he didn't notice the other two people inside. When he reached the foot of Gear's bed, Jackie took her metallic hand and brought it close to his face, expressing what he had been blaming himself since the last time he saw her: "Gear... I... should have been able to protect you... I'm sorry."
Words that resonated with the three men in the room, understanding the sorrow of a distraught young man holding tightly to his partner's metallic hand. Especially for Old Eran, who knew all too well what it was like not to be strong enough to protect a loved one, like... mother of his own daughter.
Sora grabbed one of the cables connected to the server in the room and, as he connected the cable to the back of his helmet, said, "Save it, don't waste anything until we're ready. Sit down and put on the Bd wreath."
Jackie, not wasting time upon seeing Gear's condition, took the Bd wreath connected to the same server as Gear and Sora, sitting in a nearby chair.
"Go ahead, old man," with those words from Sora, Eran turned on the mobile server to which the three were connected, creating a small local LAN they would use to try to awaken Gear's consciousness.
Immediately, the Bd crown lights on Jackie began to flicker, and before he realized it, his surroundings changed to an entirely white space as far as the eye could see.
"Where are we? Are we in cyberspace?" Jackie asked.
"Yes and no, this is literally the blank server we've connected to," Sora replied.
"How can that be?" Jackie inquired, finding it impossible, adding, "I don't have a Neural port like Netrunners to bring consciousness into the network."
"That's because you're not connected to the server. Gear and I are. You're just a projection to which I'm streaming my senses to the Bd wreath you're wearing outside. If it's hard for you to grasp, think of me as a signal converter," Sora said nonchalantly.
Not fully understanding, Jackie asked the only thing that really mattered to him: "Is she here?"
Instead of answering, Sora snapped his fingers, making Gear's consciousness visible... or what was left of it. A young woman of about 22 with a simple white dress, and with an unmodified body, standing motionless with unfocused eyes, gazing into emptiness.
Seeing her, "Gear!" Jackie approached her and tried to embrace her, but his body, merely a projection, couldn't touch Gear's consciousness, passing through her.
"I've already told you, you're not connected to the network. Right now, you're just looking through a window that can move and talk, but not directly interact with the network space..." Sora said. Attempting something like this for the first time. He took a breath and snapped his fingers again, transmitting his own senses to Jackie, making his brain, connected to the network, like a server that processed and transmitted information to Jackie's through the Bd crown.
Causing a change in both as the transfer took place, Sora's body seemed like the projection while Jackie's gained a solid form. When it was done, Sora said, "Try it now." By sharing his senses, Sora also shared half of his 100% assimilation with the network with him.
Feeling his own body, Jackie raised his arms and tried to embrace Gear's empty consciousness again. When his arms rested on her, the information was processed by Sora's brain connected to the server and transmitted in a format compatible with the Bd crown Jackie was wearing, making him feel every second of hugging her. At the same time, Jackie's hug filled with concern and longing made one of Gear's fingers tremble slightly.
Seeing it, Sora smiled, believing that what they were attempting had potential. Without wasting time, he said, "Alright! Let's get to work. From now on, you and I are going to recreate all the memories you have with Gear. In other words, we're going to create a kind of Bd."
The ideal scenario would be to create a library of different memories that evoke various feelings and activate different areas of Gear's brain. And you're going to be the database for those feelings behind the recreations we make.
Whether it's your first date, your first kiss, your first time, or the fate of the person who mutilated their body," Sora added with a chilling tone at the end of his sentence.
"Once created, we'll immerse Gear's consciousness in reliving those memories. And just like trying to start a car with a dead battery, we'll use your feelings in the memory as a spark to jump-start Gear's battery/brain.
Once there's minimal activation, I hope to use the environment we're in to enhance Gear's brain activity, like revving a car by stepping on the gas, so that the battery/brain starts functioning on its own," Sora concluded, returning to his normal tone and creating various environments as examples, such as Tom's Diner, the rooftop of their apartment with Judy, and a few more that surfaced in his mind.
Jackie, holding Gear's hand, affirmed determined...
So, the three of them spent almost two hours recreating memories. Some were only Jackie's memories that he wanted to share with Gear, advancing rapidly thanks to Jackie's instinctive control over the server, thanks to the high assimilation that Sora had shared with him. This allowed them to recreate memories almost by just thinking about them.
When they had a considerable number, Sora saved a certain memory for last. "Now, let's go for something more primal and universal... revenge... Jackie, I want you to remember the last moments of Gear's father, Wrench."
Jackie looked at Sora and asked, "How are you so sure I have that memory?"
"I don't think so, I just hope... if I were you, I wouldn't have let anyone else do it," Sora replied seriously.
Instead of answering, Jackie, having gotten used to creating scenarios from his memories in these two hours, and not finding it strange due to his inexperience with the network, created a brutal and dark scene that made Sora say, "Jackie... is this real?"
"Do you think I made it up?" Jackie asked back.
"No... it's just that... bro... that was brutal. Is that something Valentinos usually do?" Sora responded, still surprised by the type of execution he had just seen for the first time.
"Haha, yes, the old-school Valentinos. I only heard it once from my father when he was talking to other Valentinos," Jackie said, growing a smile again as he remembered Wrench's end, to also engrave that happiness in the memory.
"I'm sure she'll love it... Well, I think we have enough. From here on, I go alone. See you on the other side." With these words followed by a new snap from Sora, Jackie's consciousness felt a kick that ejected him from the server.
Taking a breath, Jackie, somewhat disoriented, removed the bd crown. Seeing him, Eran and Morgan asked, "Kid, are you okay?" "Are you done?"
"Yes, I think so. Now Okami just needs to show her the memories..." Jackie replied, and noticing for the first time the other two people in the room, added nervously, "Uh, sorry, but, You wouldn't happen to be Mo-organ Blackhand?."
Morgan, hearing and seeing the expression on Jackie's face, grew a smug smile and said, "Yes, I am, kid." Giving Jackie a pat on the shoulder with his black hand, wishing Sora had heard it, so he could tease him.
At the same time, inside the server, Sora gathered all the memories he had created with Jackie in his left hand, forming a small ball of memories that resembled the old photographic tapes of the old photo reels.
With his right hand, he created another small sphere made of the pure code of his Soulcode, dividing and separating it from the source, leaving it in an unstable state that began to decompose. Then, Sora closed both arms, making the two spheres in his hands collide, intending to enhance the emotions within the memories with the code of his Soulcode.
After a flash of light inside the server, Sora found himself in front of the memories created by Jackie, surrounded by a border made of white code, similar to Soulcode. Hoping it would work, Sora directed Jackie's memories toward Gear's empty consciousness, disappearing upon contact with it.
At the same time, Sora checked the brain activity inside Gear, bringing up a holographic screen in front of him. He observed how, as Jackie's memories were relived, enhanced by the Soulcode, Gear's brain activity lit up like lightning in a storm, only to fade as quickly as it appeared, as if extinguished upon touching the ground.
"Shit!" exclaimed Sora as he watched Gear's activity fade as quickly as the memory concluded. Thinking it hadn't worked, seeing how the areas that reacted to reliving the memory disappeared upon its conclusion, returning to darkness.
While Sora prematurely reflected on how he would explain this failure to Jackie, Gear's consciousness reached the last memory.
In this one, she was in the Badlands, outside the city, seeing her father severely injured, limbless, but still conscious, chained by stumps. The owner of the memory was face to face with Wrench, who began to rise from the ground slowly as the two cars to which their stumps were tied started to move away from him, pulling the chains.
at the chest level of the owner of the memory, he said. "This is for my friends you killed, for the 9 bullets that didn't manage to kill me, and for more than anyone else... for my Gear."
With the memory owner's last words, the two cars began to accelerate slowly, hearing Wrench's progressively painful screams as his bones broke from the tension.
Suddenly, the two cars in opposite directions with chains tied to Wrench in the middle accelerated to the maximum, creating an unpleasant noise of breaking bones and flesh separating. When Wrench was split in two, bathing the memory owner in his blood, who observed every detail a few centimeters away.
While Sora sighed, thinking he had failed, he checked Gear's brain activity again, which became chaotic, with various parts lighting up and turning off as if a child were playing with a switch. And all this after finishing the last memory and without reliving any more.
Seeing the activity that didn't cease, a smile grew on Sora's face, which faded as he saw Gear's vital signs, also skyrocketing. Beginning to think that maybe he shouldn't have used his Soulcode to enhance Gear's emotions.
Sora only had time to say "Fuck" before Gear's consciousness disappeared from inside the server and, at the same time, her eyes opened in the physical world.
Moments after managing to exit the server as quickly as possible, Sora saw that the infirmary had turned into chaos. Eran was bleeding from an arm while Morgan aimed at the frenzied Gear, struggling with Jackie on the floor, who was grabbing her claws just inches from his face.
Sora removed his helmet without caring whether Jackie could see his face, to save time unplugging the cable from it. Before charging towards Gear, he shouted, "Morgan!"
This caused Morgan to holster his weapon, and both of them rushed towards the frenzied Gear. They grabbed her by the arms, pulling her away from Jackie while she screamed frantically, "WRENCH MOTHERFUCKER, I'M GONNA KILL YOU!!!"
"What the hell is going on?" Morgan asked, bewildered, as he held onto Gear.
"I have no fucking idea" Sora replied in the same manner. Then, he switched to a lighter tone and added cheerfully, "But... at least I managed to wake her up!"