Roy, heeding the A.I's counsel, parked his motorcycle on the sidewalk and decided to scrutinize his reflection.
The bystanders, dressed in tattered and dirt-stained clothes, eyed his pristine attire and sleek bike with a mix of envy and awe. Their gazes held a hint of thievery, but a single stern look from Roy sent them scurrying away.
Unfazed by their stares, Roy focused his attention on a mirror, his face mirroring his astonishment at his own reflection.
"Why do I look so much like my avatar from Thief's Paradise? And now that I think about it, my body also looks young. Holy shit. Is this real?"
Roy had always considered his features as ordinary, even believing he retained some physical traits from his previous life. He had thought that only his physique had been enhanced.
A single glance in the mirror shattered all his misconceptions. His hair was a stark white, his eyes a vibrant purple that seemed all too real, his skin was fair, and his body was muscular yet lean. His face was strikingly handsome, enough to incite envy in others. Anyone who saw him would believe him to be a regular human, not a synthetic being.
The more he examined his reflection, the more he realized he bore no resemblance to his former self. He had truly been reborn.
[Now you understand why the scanner failed to recognize your face. You should be thankful that I transmitted a temporary frequency to the officer's scanner, identifying you as Taylor Milner.]
"What! You can do that! How?"
Roy's exclamation drew curious glances from the passersby, who quickly looked away, assuming he was deranged.
The A.I added to his shock by retorting,
[You've got a new body, but what you need is a new brain.]
Roy groaned and demanded,
"Just say it, how did you hack the officer's scanner."
[That's a secret!]
The A.I responded, a hint of amusement in its tone. It continued,
[ Forget the things you can't understand.]
[What's crucial is that we need to create a new ID for you; otherwise, you'll attract more trouble, and I won't be able to assist you again.]
' At least tell me, how do we create that?'
[Your father had already created a civilian ID in the Government server. All you need to do is provide a name. The government server hasn't been updated in a while, so your ID is still there. Give me a name, and I can add that information to the database server.]
'What! You can access the internet too!'
Roy thought, feeling increasingly alienated and fearful of the A.I.
[Yes! One of the underground floors in your place houses a server that enables my existence and remote access to everything.]
[Enough with the explanations, the word count is already increasing. Just give me a name.]
After a few seconds of contemplation, Roy responded,
'Then, my new name will be John Rambo.'
[Too bad. I've already registered you as Luke Dale. Better luck next time.]
"You Bit***!"
Roy's internal transmission voice was blocked, and a notification window appeared in his field of vision.
*[Parental control voice activated] *
Roy, his face contorted with rage, bellowed at the A.I,
'What?! You've put a parental control voice filter on our conversation???'
[Yes, you can't use any curse words during our communication transmission.]
Noticing the curious glances thrown his way, Roy quickly fired up his bike and zoomed off.
[Where are we going? I can tell you're lost and trying to leave this place, but with your prideful behavior, you won't ask for help. Just tell me; don't be stubborn.]
Roy was indeed lost and in search of a destination. Overcoming his pride, he finally asked,
"Find Martha Zane's Industries. We need to meet a colleague of my mother's."
[Projecting the route onto your vision]
A map route appeared before his left eye. He followed the route, guided by a straight line that seemed to pull him along like a string.
The sight of the map route appearing in his vision took Roy by surprise, but he didn't want to give the A.I the satisfaction of seeing his shock. So, he kept a poker face.
Leaving the slums behind, Roy ventured into the city to meet his mother's associate.
After a half-hour ride,
Roy found himself in the bustling heart of the city, a stark contrast to the slums he had just left. The sight of people's smiles and the city's vibrancy stoked his anger, and he rode his bike with reckless abandon, disregarding all traffic signals.
Roy blazed through the city, darting through gaps between vehicles, driving as if he was tempting fate.
Eventually, he came across a statue of his father. The statue, towering in the middle of a four-way intersection, was as majestic as he had anticipated. Despite its gold-plated grandeur, Roy chose to dismiss it, giving it a fleeting glance as he sped past.
[I thought you would pause and pay your respects to your father's statue. Why did you ignore it?]
As the wind lashed his face while he rode, Roy slowed down upon seeing his father's statue. He communicated with the A.I in his mind.
'Now is not the right time to see my father's statue. I will see him when everything ends. Until then, I will bring this world to its knees. We will not stop for anything. That is your order, understand A.I.'
Upon reaching Archie Zane's Industries, Roy parked his bike in front of the building and took a moment to admire its architecture.
The building's stone facade conveyed a sense of durability and timelessness. Its classical design elements added to its grandeur. Rising nearly 40 floors, each level was marked by rows of windows, some adorned with pediments that emphasized the structure's elegance.
While not as towering as Roy's Industries, this structure still commanded attention with its impressive height and architectural finesse, standing as a testament to its distinct grandeur.
Roy marched towards the entrance, an ornate portal adorned with intricate detailing and a canopy supported by columns. As he stepped inside, he was stopped at the entrance desk on the right side of the building by a security officer.
The young lady, barely out of her teens, with dark circles under her eyes, already seemed worn out, despite the early hour. She stifled a yawn behind her hand and queried Roy,
"Do you have a scheduled meeting with any of our company employees, sir?"
Roy, his face stoic, his gaze captivated by the grand interior, replied in a nonchalant tone,
"Yes, I want to meet Martha Zane. Tell her that I came here to talk about the Asura Project; she will know what it means."
"Apologies, sir. Without a prior appointment, our CEO doesn't meet anyone."
The lady apologized in a submissive tone, her eyes heavy with fatigue.
Roy's patience wore thin. He slammed his hand on the desk with a resounding thud, startling her awake, and ordered,
"Listen, you have two choices right now: either inform your boss about my visit, or face the consequences when your boss learns about my visit later. You'll be out of a job, and then you can sleep all you want. Choose. Which one do you prefer?"
The lady trembled with fear and quickly dialed her superior,
"Sir, there's someone here who wishes to discuss the Asura Project. Could you please come down?"
After a brief conversation, she hung up the call and directed Roy,
"Sir, please have a seat. We will notify you once we receive a response from Madam Zane."
Roy sighed heavily and retreated to the lobby, selecting a seat in a corner where a row of sofas was arranged.
As Roy waited, his gaze was drawn to a large portrait of a woman in her 50s. The woman's eyes radiated a predator's aura, sharp and penetrating, as if they could see right through anyone.
The portrait was strategically placed between two glass elevators, demanding attention. Roy felt a sense of familiarity, but he couldn't quite place where or when he had seen her. The nagging feeling of familiarity added to his unease.
A middle-aged man in a tuxedo approached Roy, bowed respectfully, and said, capturing Roy's attention as he studied the portrait,
"Good afternoon, sir. We appreciate your patience. Madam Zane is currently engaged in a meeting. Could you please share your message, and I will relay it to her?"
Roy chuckled at the man, rose from his seat, and declared in a tone dripping with arrogance,
"Tell your Madam Zane that Project Asura will be given to Roy's Industries if I walk out of this building."