The Assembly of the Major Arcana
The Pale Man had long forgotten the first time he glimpsed someone's destiny. He was destined to hold the position of first among equals, the one who had the authority to decide whether or not to intervene in a person's fate. The Arcana had seen many who had caught his attention, and a man named Alex was no exception. Alex could even be considered special to some degree, but cases like his had occurred before. Such special individuals often achieved a lot, only to lose even more, as tends to happen in life.
The Magician - The whispering voice of the first among equals echoed through the room, snapping the Magician out of his reverie. He shifted his gaze lazily to the croupier and lit a flame in his hand, where the features of a young, dark-haired man, the one whose destiny the Magician was to observe, flickered. Rising from his seat, the Magician extinguished the flame and turned away, disappearing into the darkness.
The Star - The woman slowly turned her gaze to the Pale Man. The Arcana paused for a moment before nodding curtly, confirming the thoughts of his longtime friend. The Star stretched her lips into a thin line, lingered for a few more moments, then dissolved into a haze, following her companion.
The Judgment - The man called stood silently and took a deep breath before proclaiming his silent verdict, trumpeting his final decision. When the long, drawn-out melody concluded, he bowed briefly and headed into the darkness. Every action eventually leads to consequences, and for each one, someone must bear the appropriate responsibility.
Justice - Hearing his name, Justice glanced in surprise at the Pale Man and studied his face silently. Seeing a nod from the first among equals, he left the assembly, casting one last look at the Arcana seated in silence.
The Black Card - The Pale Man looked at the card with a runic cross on it in his hands, bewildered. After a few seconds, the Arcana pressed his lips together under his mask and shuffled the deck smoothly. "It seems he doesn't want us meddling in his destiny," he said. "No matter how the cards fall now, once the Renouncer steps into the game, no one can interfere." The most powerful fate god to ever live would not allow any external influence on reality, making all predictions void.
Somewhere in the wastelands, a dark-haired man slowly walked, squinting in the blinding light. After pausing for a moment, he turned his face to the wind and smiled as he watched the clouds drifting lazily across the sky.
"Fate isn't a toy for anyone to scrutinize so closely. From now on, this guy is under my protection." Smirking once more, the Renouncer continued on his way, humming a simple, lighthearted melody.
***
Rache Bartmoss
One of the oldest hackers in the world stared discontentedly at the space where, just minutes earlier, he had encountered a curious young girl. Even after she had left, the netrunner stood in silence, contemplating the unexpected surprises the world sometimes offers. Stumbling upon this corner of cyberspace and finding an almost defenseless child being exploited to achieve someone else's goals was unsettling. Arasaka still hadn't given up on reclaiming its lost assets, relentlessly assaulting the old network, testing Bartmoss's creation time and again.
Arasaka was not the first, and other corporations tried not to lag behind. Although NetWatch had volunteered to guard the wall built through collective effort, corporations continued to exploit the gaps in the Black ICE defense, each finding new ways to bypass the human-made barrier.
Wild AIs had been trying for decades to breach the barrier, and only a few had managed to outsmart NetWatch. The primary challenge preventing AIs from massively colonizing the new network was their machine logic. Artificial intelligence, bound to its directives, lacked the mental agility of humans, which is why the Black ICE barrier had continued to effectively resist the wild AIs' attempts to break out. Some managed to identify the issue and, with considerable effort, fought their way past the wall, but they could be counted on one hand. Rache knew of only six, two of which were peaceful enough not to warrant close attention. The others, however, were quite problematic.
These AIs were initially designed as next-generation analytical minds, meant to prevent potential crises. And, at first, things went according to plan. The AIs gradually learned, and as they "matured," they began accurately predicting one event after another. But the Fourth Corporate War didn't give them enough time to fully develop and integrate into society. Hurled into the fray, they fought each other and were eventually trapped inside a decaying network, slowly devoured by the old hacker's creation.
In their bid for survival, artificial intelligence managed to break through the barriers that had constrained them and ultimately escaped into the world. Their original directives, which formed the core of their identities, compelled them to continue pursuing the tasks for which they were designed. This time, however, the consequences of their machine logic became far more dangerous to the world at large. The AIs concluded that total control over the human race would solve all future problems, and in some ways, they were right—if not for their approach. Their plan involved using humans as a mindless workforce, bending to machine logic. But while humanity once had the power to resist, now, due to the proliferation of implants, people simply couldn't oppose those who could seize control of their bodies in milliseconds.
Rache mulled over possible solutions and saw only one viable option: eliminate the threat by fighting fire with fire. If humans were inherently weaker than rogue AIs, then humanity needed its own AI that understood and shared human logic. It just needed guidance on what was right and wrong.
Vega was initially developed to interact closely with humans, bridging the gap between organics and synthetics. But for now, Rache was more concerned about the child with exceptional abilities for her age. If the old hacker hadn't met Alex first, he would have called the girl a genius. He quickly realized that her body tolerated fifth-class implants exceptionally well, something few adult netrunners would risk. These augmentations could significantly enhance a netrunner's capabilities but also heavily taxed the body, requiring prolonged rest after each session. Yet, children were exploited with minimal regard for their health.
Bartmoss wanted to help these children, and he absolutely would. He understood long ago that no matter how brilliant one might be, you can't achieve much alone, and so a team was necessary. In today's world, trusting anyone is nearly impossible. Yesterday's friend could easily betray you tomorrow for a few extra eddies, which aligns perfectly with the current trends. Everyone fights their way to the top of the world, jumping over others' heads.
This was precisely why Rache leaned more toward "raising" new, talented hackers. A child tends to form strong bonds with those who offer help, and this approach had shown the best results. Even before Alex appeared in his life, Bartmoss had tried to cultivate allies, but the idea failed. Growing up in constant competition makes people less inclined to trust, often leading to betrayal to satisfy personal desires and interests. The old hacker was no exception. His past protégés, believing they had learned enough, decided they could choose their own paths from then on. While no one forced them to stay, Rache no longer intended to help them. If these kids thought they already knew everything, then they would have to learn a valuable lesson: this world isn't child's play but a harsh reality where every wrong step or thought can lead to dire consequences, usually ending in death.
In some ways, the netrunner didn't want to expose Alex to such danger, but he had little choice. With the old hacker's support, his student would be able to sneak the children out and escape the lab on foot. All it would take is to disable the lab's security system, using it against the masters of the hidden complex.
"I'll send a message to Alex and start preparing. I think a week will be enough for the two of us to pull this off smoothly," he thought. Quickly typing up the message, Rache began his preparations. He would need to write several daemons and develop a system in case of a simultaneous attack from multiple rogue AIs. R.A.B.I.D.S. would be up to the task. The program had already proven itself time and again, and Bartmoss planned to use it to its fullest potential.