"We should tweak the suspension and the clutch. Off-road, this little car is much worse than a coyote, but on the highway, it feels way more spirited." I freely shared my impressions after a brief test drive, describing the sensations I experienced during the short ride.
"Got it," Han and Shiro chimed in unison.
"Nice job on that ride," John said, evaluating our route via the navigator system's logs and glancing at the data produced.
"I wanted to really test it on longer highway stretches, and as you can see, it was worth it. Overall, this machine is a beast, and I'm really happy with it." I affectionately patted the dust-covered car, feeling an overwhelming urge to go for another spin.
"Alright, I see you're ready to go another round right now. Maybe we should take it back for a bit and fix the issues you pointed out. Otherwise, I'm afraid you'll bring it back in pieces," O'Brian laughed, clapping me on the shoulder before hopping into the driver's seat and driving the car off to the workshop.
"Where to now?" Kivi approached me, tilting her head curiously.
"Let's eat first, and then I'll go take care of some business..." I hinted to the blonde, who caught on immediately.
"Need help?"
"That would be great. There are some questions I just can't answer as clearly, seeing as a guy's experience differs from a girl's."
"Then let's go..."
***
Professor Omada Kushinada's Secret Laboratory
Lucyna (Kushinada), test subject number 46
May 12, 2065, 06:30
Another day for Lucy began with the loud beep of the alarm, which abruptly pulled her from the embrace of sleep. Her body instinctively jumped out of bed and began to perform the routine procedures that had become reflexive: making the bed, using the bathroom, and eventually meeting with her curator/supervisor, who would lead a group of children like her to training. Lucyna had not seen anything but the walls of the underground laboratory for a full year and had resigned herself to the idea that she would never escape.
Training was initially tough after her arrival at the complex, but the girl eventually adapted. After their sessions, the children were sent to shower and then marched in line to a local equivalent of a cafeteria, where they were served highly caloric food. The nutritional complex included various vitamin supplements, including drinks laden with glucose for sustained energy. After breakfast, the children were led to a room they informally called "the measurement." Lucyna, like the other children, had fifth-model implants installed. These implants allowed for entry into cyberspace from any convenient point without the need for a pre-prepared site or special equipment. To enhance the connection quality, the teenagers were further pumped with stimulants and injected with special drugs to push them to the peak of their abilities.
Arasaka Corporation's scientists pushed their "assets" to the limit, and it was not uncommon for a child to simply collapse under the strain, sometimes literally burning out from the overload. Such children were quickly replaced. Implants were transferred from a deceased body to the next sample, thereby saving resources and time. There were two independent groups, each with seven members, and each had its leader. A leader was chosen from among the older test subjects who were still alive. They lived separately from the others and acted as coordinators during missions. Initially, specialists trained the children, but after a three-month training course, they were sent on their first missions to gather any available information.
Databases loaded into the test subjects' brains via an experimental chip significantly sped up the learning time. The technology was unrefined, so many subjects died long before they could assimilate even a third of the information received. Initially, data were loaded over a month, but later, the duration was increased to improve the survival rate of the children in training. Lucyna was the only one who had survived the initial trials, attracting special attention and treatment.
"Places!" Professor Omada's authoritative voice commanded, prompting the surrounding children to silently comply and take their places according to the numbers engraved on their wrists.
"First," Lucy thought, as she quietly walked toward the netrunner chair in the center of the room. The other children quickly followed suit, mechanically repeating their well-practiced motions.
As she sat down, the girl slowly fitted the visor of the specialized glasses onto her face and waited patiently for Professor Kushinada's assistants to connect the cables to the port installed at the back of her skull. Feeling the cold touch of their hands on her head, Lucyna involuntarily shivered, fighting to suppress the sensation. As soon as the cable snapped into the implant, the blonde felt a familiar prick at the base of her skull, which quickly faded. A potent cocktail of drugs in her system was diligently working to suppress any resistance her body might have to the heavy load of chemicals the children were laden with.
"Establish a standard channel," came another command, prompting the assistants to rapidly move their fingers across a virtual keyboard.
"Everything is ready," one of the assistants announced.
"Test subjects, activate drift," the next instruction followed. Upon receiving the signal, the test subjects dove into cyberspace, leaving the consciousness of their physical bodies behind. Now left to fend for themselves, the children still found themselves unable to defy the professor's will. Fear and drugs squashed any desire to resist. "Attention, your task for today remains unchanged. You are to search the old network for any mention of a possible Ark created by Rache Bartmoss. Execute."
"Affirmative!" came the unified chorus of voices as the children dispersed through cyberspace in a coordinated swarm. Initially, they had to navigate through a special breach in the Black Screen. After breaching the barrier, they split up to increase their efficiency. Their task involved sending out multiple queries aimed at finding information through basic data-matching techniques.
The world of binary code was a jumble of databases scattered across the network in chaotic disarray. Due to a virus created by the world's most wanted hacker, the old network had undergone numerous changes, becoming far more dangerous and lethal. The main threat was the so-called "wild" skins, entities aimed at capturing netrunners to inhabit their human bodies. The Black Screen, which also served as an artificial intelligence, impeded its brethren, forcing them to employ cunning to overcome the barrier. Aside from the skins, there was also the "snag" factor. This term referred to incidents where a cyber-soul could not return to its body, remaining forever beyond the Black Screen. Such individuals were at best absorbed by more powerful skins or became "wild" themselves, eventually hunting down their former peers.
"Here we go again," Lucy muttered, pursing her lips in a familiar motion and exhaling deeply as she began to methodically execute her assigned task.
The girl acted cautiously, well aware that any attempt to accelerate her queries could immediately alert a hostile skin, eager to seize control of the blonde's body. She had to operate subtly to avoid drawing attention. At this pace, she managed to work for several hours. In cyberspace, the perception of time is lost due to the acceleration effect on consciousness, which all subjects experienced. What were mere minutes in reality could stretch into hours in cyberspace. To cope with such pressure, Lucyna found a great way to give her tired mind a break: listening to old songs, which ultimately led to an unexpected visitor.
"I didn't expect to meet a child here," Bartmoss remarked curiously, eyeing the small figure before him.
"Who are you?" Lucy asked cautiously, shielding herself with a defense that was quite primitive for his level.
"A human, if that's what you're asking," Rache smirked and snapped his fingers, conjuring a chair beneath him. "Won't you tell me why a little girl finds herself in such a place?"
"I have a mission to complete," the white-haired little girl stated stubbornly.
"And what could possibly be entrusted to a child in one of the world's most dangerous places?" Bartmoss raised an eyebrow quizzically.
"Search for the Ark," the girl responded without hesitation.
"The Ark, you say..." Rache mused, pausing for a few long seconds. "Lucyna, correct? Project Kushinada's subject number 46, and the first survivor. But the protection they've installed on you is practically junk. How could they let you out with such flimsy ice?" The man was surprised, noting the almost complete lack of security. The Arasaka scientists, for some reason, thought it enough to make the children "invisible" to the skins, leaving their protection at a minimal level that might only deter an inexperienced, half-trained runner.
"How do you know about me?" Lucy tried to flee again, but something stopped her, causing her to panic.
"Your handlers probably told you that your protection is top-notch or something along those lines," the hacker waved his hand dismissively, showing his disdain for such negligence. "Overall, they were very wrong. You're literally exposed here, and it's only a matter of time before wandering skins detect suspicious activity."
"Even if that's true, I still have to make do with what I have. We're not in a position to choose our fate," the white-haired girl retorted sullenly.
"But there's always someone who can help you, right?" Rache winked theatrically, pulling a strange-looking sphere from behind his back. "Take this; it's my little gift to you."
"What is it?" Lucyna tilted her head childishly, hesitating to take the indicated sphere.
"It's a set of protective programs used by an acquaintance of mine. Go on, take it. Don't be afraid," the man smiled, tossing the small orb slightly to enhance his persuasiveness.
"What if you're tricking me?" the girl asked, pausing with her hand halfway to the object.
"If I wanted to harm you, I would have done it long ago," Bartmoss rolled his eyes, remembering his more cooperative apprentice fondly.
"Okay," the blonde reached out again for the sphere. "It's... warm!" she exclaimed in surprise.
"Not exactly. You probably subconsciously think the sphere is warm because it was in my hands. Cyberspace is a fascinating thing, young lady, and even after living here for decades, I haven't uncovered all its secrets," the hacker reached out to the girl and playfully tapped her forehead, pushing her away from this data cluster. Wild skins often visit this place, and there's a great chance she could run into them. "Project Kushinada... using children for such dirty purposes, filling their bodies with implants and synthesized drugs that dull their survival instincts. Arasaka is not shy about running dirty experiments these days," Rache shook his head in disapproval and quickly left the site of their recent encounter, setting off to find more children. After all, in the future, they might become powerful netrunners who could help Bartmoss realize his long-held dreams...