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Sasha's sharp, sky-blue eyes scanned the factory courtyard, mentally mapping enemy positions and movement patterns. Her amber-red pupils, enhanced with the latest tactical cyberware, glowed faintly in the dim light.
As a netrunner, her advanced tactical cybernetic eyes were essential. They came equipped with 8x zoom, threat detection, and compatibility with various scanning modules, feeding real-time data directly onto her retinal display. Sasha could spot hidden threats, track enemy movements, and even identify their cyberware loadout in seconds—skills no one in Night City could afford to overlook.
Meanwhile, Lin Mo's comm buzzed to life as Sasha's voice came through, her data flowing across the team's encrypted communication channel.
[Sasha: Most of the Scavs in the courtyard have basic combat mods. Four have Kerenzikovs, and one's got a grenade launcher in their arm. I'm sending the visuals now—prioritize these targets.]
[Sasha: Images, images, images...]
[Maine: Copy that.]
[Dorio: Got it.]
Maine and Dorio, waiting near the front gate, acknowledged the intel as Sasha turned her attention back to Lin Mo, who stood nearby, vigilant.
"I've been wondering about something," Sasha said quietly, her voice smooth but inquisitive. "Did you just get your cyberware installed recently?"
Lin Mo blinked, caught off guard by the question. They were deep in enemy territory—this wasn't exactly the time for personal questions. Still, Sasha's curiosity seemed genuine.
After a pause, Lin Mo nodded. "Yeah, pretty recent."
Too recent, in fact. His upgrades were fresh—he'd barely had them a day before jumping into this mission. If anyone knew, especially Maine, they'd probably pull him off the field for being reckless.
Sasha narrowed her eyes, a faint smile on her lips. "I thought so. When we met last week, you didn't have much gear. Today, my scanner's picking up some brand-new tech."
Lin Mo's heart skipped a beat. "Your scanner can detect my implants?"
Sasha studied him for a moment before shaking her head. "Not fully. My scanner's good, but I can't see everything. Looks like you've got synthetic skin grafts covering the new stuff. That's why it's hard to get a clear read."
So that's it, Lin Mo thought, nodding in understanding. Vik had done a solid job concealing his cyberware with synthetic skin, hiding the scars and making his mods hard to detect.
Sasha waved her hand in front of his face, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Focus. We're still in Scav territory—don't zone out on me now."
She motioned for him to follow with a flick of her fingers, the gesture almost playful.
Lin Mo frowned slightly. Is she treating me like a kid?
As they moved toward a side entrance to one of the factory buildings, Sasha's expression shifted back to serious. "Let's start here. I'll get the door."
She locked her eyes on the electronic panel beside the door. Data streams flashed across her cybernetic vision as she effortlessly hacked into the lock without even lifting a finger.
The door clicked open.
Damn. Netrunner magic, Lin Mo thought, impressed. Watching a netrunner work up close was like watching a "cyber-sorcerer" manipulate the digital world. It was his first time seeing it in action, and it was undeniably impressive.
The door swung open, revealing a dimly lit, narrow hallway leading deeper into the factory. The air was stale and thick with dust, as if no one had walked these halls in years.
Sasha moved ahead, light on her feet, her movements as silent as a predator stalking its prey. Lin Mo followed, staying close behind.
Through the hallway windows, Lin Mo caught glimpses of the factory's interior. Two trucks, their beds covered with tarps, sat in the middle of the floor. Scavengers milled around, their cyber-enhanced bodies casting long shadows in the firelight.
Lin Mo focused, clearing his mind. They reached a set of iron stairs that led up to the second floor, where the control room was located. A faint glow from the control room spilled out into the corridor through the slightly ajar door. Inside, Lin Mo could make out rows of computer screens and control panels.
In the corner, a few Scavs sat on a worn-out couch, lazily playing cards, oblivious to the intrusion.
Sasha crouched low, silently creeping up the stairs to get a better view of the room.
Lin Mo followed, matching her movements, though it didn't take long for him to notice something... distracting.
Crouched just ahead of him, Sasha's netrunner suit clung tightly to her lithe frame. Her figure, pressed low to the ground in a perfect stalking position, highlighted her feline-like grace. Her movements were fluid, her body sleek and flexible. Despite himself, Lin Mo's gaze lingered a second too long.
Focus. He mentally scolded himself, pulling his attention back to the mission. This wasn't the time to get distracted.
The control room was only ten meters ahead.
"I'll handle them," Lin Mo whispered, ready to act.
"Wait." Sasha grabbed his arm, her tone firm but calm. "Infiltration's about patience. Rushing in will get us killed."
She pointed toward the control room's corner.
Lin Mo's eyes followed her gesture, and his blood ran cold. Hidden in the shadows of the ceiling was a camera.
Had he moved in, he would've tripped the alarm, blowing their cover and likely the entire mission.
"I'll disable it," Sasha murmured, her cyber-eyes flickering as she connected to the camera system.
Within seconds, the camera's lens sagged, its feed cut off. Sasha was now fully in control of the camera's view, scanning the entire room for any other hidden threats.
Once she was satisfied, she flashed Lin Mo a quick "all clear" signal.
Lin Mo took a deep breath, unsheathing his katana. His hand tightened around the hilt as he issued the mental command.
Sandevistan, activate!