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Roxy Mitchell (Kushinada)
July 1, 2066
"Attention, weak response detected from implanted augmentations. Neurodrift level increase required for subject one-twenty-seven," a monotonous, synthesized male voice echoed in the ears of the small girl through the haze.
"Administer Serum Number Three, and prepare the subject for the next procedure. Unfortunately, we haven't achieved the same power level as subject forty-six. Professor Omada Kushinada, code one-twenty-seven, end of the fourth recording." The scientist's raspy voice carried a note of displeasure, clearly expecting better results.
"Kushinada-san, the operating room is ready," one of the professor's assistants informed him, handing over a tablet displaying a virtual model of the subject—a small girl seated in a chair.
"First, we need to administer a special mixture to enhance the absorption of the serum," Kushinada said as he expanded the 3D display, observing the disheartening data. "We'll also need to install an additional coprocessor in both the spinal and cerebral systems to reduce response time."
"But Professor, that many implants would put an immense strain even on a well-prepared adult body," the assistant objected, eyeing his superior with concern.
"I've accounted for that limitation. The lifespan of this subject is irrelevant to me. The priority is perfecting the technique on weaker test subjects. Now, do as I've instructed," the professor ordered sternly.
"Yes, sir." The assistant bowed deeply and left the room.
"So many resources spent, and yet no visible results..." Omada grumbled, shifting his gaze to the girl seated in the specialized chair. "I won't let my efforts go to waste." He approached the subject and roughly lifted her eyelids, causing the girl—subject one-twenty-seven—to instinctively pull back...
***
Alex Mitchell (Volkov)
"Ouch." Roxy rubbed the spot where she'd hit herself and, still groggy from sleep, glanced around.
"Nightmares again?" Inga asked gently, watching the little girl, who was now taking deep breaths of air.
"Mm-hmm," the silver-haired girl admitted, not denying the obvious.
"We've stopped at a gas station. Let's get out and get some fresh air." I was the first to step out of the vehicle, leaning against the car and keeping an eye on the still-pale Roxy.
"I'll grab some drinks..." Inga said decisively, heading toward the vending machine near the gas station. A few minutes later, she returned, holding a few cans of juice and handing one to Roxy.
"Thanks, I feel better now," the little girl replied, embarrassed.
"It's likely the lingering effects of past drug intoxication. Multiple psychological sessions will be needed with your charge; otherwise, there's a risk of developing phobias," Vega's hologram materialized on my hand, reciting what I already knew.
"I've been working on that for a while, and by the way, you shouldn't appear in open spaces like this. At least, not yet." I subtly hinted at my assistant, covering my hand from prying eyes.
"Apologies, Alex. I misjudged the surroundings. I'll update my behavioral matrix," the AI quickly switched to internal communication, and her holographic image faded away.
"If you're feeling better, we can get going. Lucy," I turned to the blonde who'd been silent this whole time, "are you alright?" I asked, concerned for my other ward.
"I'm fine, don't worry," the girl replied casually, waving her hand and barely lifting the corners of her lips in a smile.
In a way, it's not surprising that Lucina feels okay after everything they've been through. Despite appearances, Lucy was mentally stronger than her friend, even though it might have seemed the opposite. She managed to recover quickly from her traumatic memories, which was entirely to her credit. Roxy, on the other hand, hides behind the mask of a cheerful, carefree girl, but in reality, it's just her body's defense mechanism to keep her from losing her mind. At some point, she convinced herself that this mask was her true self.
The rest of the journey was relatively calm. Roxy fell asleep again, but this time, the old nightmares didn't haunt her. When the Kushinada project was conceived, no one cared about the mental state of the test subjects. The key objective of the experiments on children was to refine a method by which AIs could create and control human proxies for integration into society. There were many orphaned children, especially after the bird flu incident a few years ago. Lucina and Roxy were among those who "luckily" caught the eye of the project leaders.
"Night City looked so much cleaner from a distance," I sighed heavily, "but it's just an illusion. Anyway, we'll be at the megatower soon."
Each megatower had a dedicated parking garage built inside. When I signed the lease for the apartment, I was immediately offered the option to rent a parking space. The entrance to the parking lot was on the north side of the tower, so we had to take a small detour to finally get inside. As soon as the car approached the barrier, it automatically lifted, allowing us to enter. The vehicle was already registered in the local system, so there were no issues with access.
"We're finally here," I said, stepping out of the car and stretching my entire body with satisfaction.
"What a huge parking lot," Inga remarked, looking around curiously and taking in the scale of the structure.
"The tower itself is enormous, so it's no surprise the parking lot matches its size. Though, it's worth noting that driving in the city is quite challenging," I said as I walked over to the trunk and began unloading our belongings.
"I agree. It might be easier to buy a motorcycle to navigate the city more efficiently," Inga nodded thoughtfully, touching her finger to her lips. "There's also a metro station nearby, which is a decent option for getting around the city."
"True, but you can't go far on those trains," I replied, distributing the luggage among us and leaving the remaining bags for the girls. "We'll need to get a bike for each of us."
Once we had everything we needed, our group headed toward the elevator. We had to reach the twenty-ninth floor of the tower, which was conveniently located just one floor above the shopping pavilions. Overall, I had bought a great apartment, and the best part was that it was relatively easy to purchase. The total cost was 400,000 eurodollars. A steep price, for sure, but manageable for me. Buying a commercial space would have been more expensive, though the larger size accounted for the difference in cost.
The elevator was spacious and, more importantly, clean. It seemed the tower's management AI had taken care to hire a few cleaning droids. I believe installing an AI as the building's main administrator was a smart move. Its capabilities are more than sufficient to maintain relative order and cleanliness within the megatower.
"And here we are — our apartment." I activated the door using my bracelet and finally stepped inside. It had taken me a year to save up the necessary amount for the apartment, but unfortunately, I didn't have enough left for a workshop.
The entryway was quite small and served more as a buffer zone to keep unwanted visitors from entering the main living space. After taking off our shoes, we passed through the only door and immediately found ourselves in a large hallway. The interior was pre-furnished, thanks to the AI I'd contacted about a month ago. "Nickel," the local AI, helped me purchase everything I needed and provided electronic copies of the documents required to complete the purchase. Inga and I spent a long time choosing the decor, eventually settling on something between Japanese and Chinese themes.
The hallway had three available directions, not counting the one leading back to the entryway. To the left and right of the entrance were the bedrooms. Straight ahead, behind decorative partitions, was a large living room. From the living room, you could access the dining area, which was combined with the kitchen, as well as another bedroom. Each room had its own bathroom, which was quite convenient. In addition to the living quarters, the apartment had something like a storage area where I planned to set up a small workspace and connect Vega to it. My synthetic assistant could easily operate within the building's internal network without being detected.
"So, what do you think?" I asked the girls with a smile as they took in the interior with an air of importance. "Feel free to choose whichever room you like."
"Awesome!" The little ones immediately ran off to explore the rooms.
"Maybe we should have told them the rooms are identical?" I asked Inga with a curious smile.
"No need," Inga chuckled, watching the girls with amusement as they enthusiastically examined each room. Within a minute, they were back with us.
"Did you choose?" I asked.
"Yep," they replied, beaming with satisfaction.
"Then go ahead and settle in." The girls exchanged a glance, grabbed their bags, and darted back to their chosen rooms. "It's time for us to settle in too." I left the unnecessary bags in the hallway, picked up the one with our belongings, and headed to the only available room.
"There's more space here than I expected," Inga remarked with satisfaction as she placed the bags near the entrance and immediately made her way to the bed built into the wall. "So soft!" she exclaimed happily, flopping onto the neatly made bed.
"Definitely soft," I agreed, collapsing next to the blonde and momentarily drifting off into a daydream. "I'm afraid I might not be able to go back to living in a tent after this."
"Mm-hmm," Kiwi muttered, turning to face me. "Alex, we still need to unpack and sweep the apartment for any potential surveillance."
"I know, but this bed is just so comfortable," I replied with a hint of frustration, staring up at the ceiling. With a heavy sigh, I reluctantly pushed myself up from the bed. "Can you order some groceries? I'm getting pretty hungry."
"Sure," she nodded, getting up right after me.