The gunshot echoed, a thunderous report that sent shockwaves through the crowd as the police officer leveled his weapon at Roy.
The sight of the officer's shotgun was like a spark to dry tinder, igniting chaos. People scattered like leaves in a storm, their voices merging into a panicked chorus,
"Another cop and civilian shootout, run!"
A woman nearby shrieked in terror and sprinted away, desperate to escape the brewing storm.
Roy, however, was more perplexed than frightened by the officer's sudden aggression. He couldn't comprehend the officer's abrupt shift in demeanor and questioned, puzzled,
"What's this about, officer? This bike is mine."
"Bullshit. The scanner shows you have no player ID, no government ID, nothing. Don't toy with me. I give you 10 minutes. Leave the keys, strip off everything, and run without looking back, you homeless pig. We don't need your kind here. Run back to your hovel."
The officer spat out his ultimatum, fired a warning volley into the sky, reloaded, and aimed at Roy's chest, his finger poised on the trigger.
Roy's fist tightened, the gravity of the situation finally dawning on him. A grin spread across his face and, provoked by the officer's disrespect, he erupted into laughter.
"I was quite startled when you treated me with respect and wondered if maybe people have really changed after 20 years."
Roy clapped his hands in sarcastic applause, causing the officer's face to twist with fury,
"I get it now; you treated me nicely before because you thought I was a high-level player from Thief's Paradise. After realizing I'm nobody, you showed your true self. If you're going to shoot me, then do it, you coward. I won't back down. Go ahead, pull the trigger."
The officer readied his shotgun, aimed squarely at Roy's head, and was on the verge of pulling the trigger.
A notification buzzed on his scanner but his rage rendered him oblivious to it and he dismissed it, eager to make an example of Roy.
[You hot-headed fool. Tell that officer to check his scanner again.]
Without hesitation, Roy relayed the A.I's message,
"Check your scanner again."
Roy paused, then made a throat-slitting gesture with his fingers, issuing a chilling warning,
"Or you'll regret pulling that trigger."
The officer was taken aback by Roy's audacious defiance. He had never seen a vagrant stand up to authority in such a way, so he reluctantly checked his scanner. He saw a notification and read it, his eyes bulging in disbelief.
Once the officer finished reading the message, he unexpectedly bowed before Roy, apologizing,
"Sorry, Mr. Taylor Millner. I acted without knowing who you really are. With a lot of robberies happening in this area, I reacted this way. I apologize for everything that happened here."
Suddenly, those who had fled the scene began to peek through the cracks in the buildings, their curiosity stirred by the sight of an officer bowing to a man like them. They slowly began to return, their interest rekindled.
Roy gave a faint smile, already piecing together the puzzle from the officer's behavior and thought to himself.
'This must be the A.I.'s doing—nice timing with the help, but why the Taylor Millner name? You stupid A.I.'
The officer's tone shifted to a more gentle one as he offered,
"Sir, I will escort you from this slum to inside our city. It's far too dangerous for a person like you to be here too long."
The officer was under the impression that Roy was Taylor Millner, the man who had once betrayed Roy. Yet, he didn't question why the CEO of Taylor was in this place or didn't even recognize him from the photos that were displayed everywhere.
It was simple, because the scanner identified Roy as Taylor. In this era, everything is governed by technology. If the scanner identifies Taylor, then Roy is Taylor.
If the scanner instructs the officer to surrender his uniform to Roy, he would do it without a second thought. This new modern world has already become subservient to technology, and the one who possesses the most powerful technologies in the world is Roy.
The officer respectfully requested Roy,
"Sir, please allow me to escort you out of here."
Roy's eyes ignited with fury, his mind teeming with thoughts of retribution after witnessing the officer's change in behavior now that he realized Roy was not a mere vagrant anymore.
Roy was about to grab the officer's collar, but the A.I. intervened,
[Don't even try to do what you are thinking. Just leave without causing any more trouble. Think about the plan.]
Roy bit his lip to suppress his anger and tried to compose himself but couldn't. Still, he managed to tell the officer,
"I don't need your escort, and never tell anyone that you saw me here. Buzz off already."
Roy revved up the bike once he finished speaking and sped away immediately as the crowd, still bewildered, watched in disbelief.
After a few moments of riding away from that place, Roy felt a sense of tranquility wash over him as a cool breeze caressed his skin and he pondered,
'What happened back there?'
[If you're curious about what happened back there, you can simply inquire. You don't have to put your small brain under great pressure to come up with an answer.]
'One day, I will ki…'
Roy checked his thoughts as he wanted an answer more than the A. I's insufferable mockery and asked aloud, his voice muffled by the wind,
"What transpired? Enlighten me."
[You don't have to vocalize. There is a tiny Nano chip embedded in your sensory nervous system. If you want to communicate with me directly, just focus on that sensor and converse through it. I can pick up your transmission, and then we can communicate. Give it a try. It's quite straightforward for normal people but perhaps not for you.]
As Roy closed his eyes for a brief moment while riding, he noticed a faint purple light flickering in the darkness of his vision. Intrigued, he concentrated on the light, willing it to become clearer.
Gradually, the light took shape, forming a small object within his mind's eye. Curiosity piqued, he focused on it and mentally reached out, his thoughts translating into words:
'Can you hear me, A.I.?'
[Copy that, you dumbass.]
Roy opened his eyes with a triumphant smile and slowly adapted to his new body as if he was born with this body as a baby and had grown into it like this.
[What are you so proud of? This is nothing.]
As he approached his father's statue, Roy questioned the A.I. through his mind,
'Why did you help me? You told me that you will not help me with that arrogant tone of yours.'
[I'm programmed to assist you. Naturally, I will aid you.]
The A.I's sarcastic response elicited a faint smile from Roy's face. He then voiced his doubts,
'I don't get it. When that officer scanned me, I was worried it was going to show Roy Keaton, and everybody would find out the truth. It would become a hassle to escape from that situation. But I didn't expect the scanner to show no ID information. Do you know anything about that?'
[You're joking, right? You haven't glanced at the mirror since you revived, have you? Take a look at your reflection in the bike mirror first.]