"So, they joined?"
Inside the base, Kyoko asked curiously, looking at the cheerful Mercer.
"Yeah," Mercer said with a smile, the corners of his mouth turning up. "Maine had this look on his face like he was questioning his whole life during the meal. He kept asking me if I was using a cosmetic faceplate."
"I think so too... If I hadn't known you from the very beginning, I'd probably think you were some kind of pervert with a thing for young faces, getting plastic surgery to look like this."
Kyoko's muttering earned her a rap on the head from Mercer. She giggled and tilted her head, swinging her short legs as she sat on the chair. "Why aren't V and the others back yet?" she asked.
"According to the deets Faraday gave us, they won't be back with the stuff until three or four in the morning... These morons in Dogtown are getting more and more ridiculous. We had a deal for a monthly pass, but now they've changed their tune, saying they want to raise the price starting next month."
As Mercer spoke, his brow gradually furrowed.
Kyoko said thoughtfully, "Logically speaking, we're pretty well-known in Dogtown now, right? How come those Barghest dogs are getting greedier?"
"I think Hansen might be using this to force me to approach him."
Mercer speculated, "He might want to cooperate with me on something, but he doesn't want to be the one to come knocking... Given his personality, even in a partnership, he'd definitely want to be in the more dominant position."
Kyoko frowned. "Should we ask Mr. Hands? Since he can act as a fixer in Dogtown, he should have a decent relationship with Hansen."
"Getting too tied up with him might not be a good thing. For us right now, maintaining a good relationship with both Mr. Hands and Hansen might be better for our development."
Mercer said simply, then mused, "I estimate they won't be able to hold back for long before they come looking for trouble. When that happens, we'll teach them a lesson, and then I'll talk to Hansen."
In Mercer's view, there were only three factions worth paying attention to in a place like Dogtown. One was Mr. Hands and the Cubans behind him.
Another was the NUSA force hidden in Dogtown, currently still lying low. Mercer was certain that Militech and the NUSA were still maintaining contact with Hansen to some extent. And besides Reed and Alex, whom he'd seen in the game, there were definitely other NUSA moles planted here.
The last one was Hansen.
At first glance, Hansen might seem to have lingering ties to Militech and the NUSA, but from what Mercer had seen in the game, Hansen was an incredibly ambitious man. Rather than being a proxy, he wanted to become a warlord carving out his own territory.
In the game, whether it was his attempt to control Songbird, the "human-shaped net nuke," or the fact that he dared to shoot down NUSA President Myers's aircraft, it was all enough to show how audacious this man was.
When dealing with someone like this, if you showed goodwill, he would see you as weak and easy to bully. If your attitude was too strong, you might provoke his murderous intent. Grasping the right degree of cooperation was extremely difficult, no different from striking a bargain with a tiger.
Shaking his head, Mercer temporarily pushed thoughts of Hansen to the back of his mind and instructed, "I'm going to take a look online. You shouldn't stay here. Go back and get some sleep."
"You're going to deep dive alone?" Kyoko frowned. "No! I have to watch you. What if something happens?"
"The number of people who could stop me from even logging out... Fine, then let's wait until V and the others get back. The program I left in the Net found something interesting, and I need to go see what's going on."
Seeing the determined look in Kyoko's eyes, Mercer ultimately decided to let her watch over him.
Seated in the netrunner station, Kyoko skillfully helped Mercer plug in the cables. Then, with a flash of light, Mercer sat cross-legged in the chair and entered the Net.
He opened his eyes within the space of the Net and, wasting no time, took a step forward, traversing through countless blue data streams. With just a few simple steps, he performed multiple IP jumps to conceal his identity.
On Mercer's mask, blue data streams cascaded like a waterfall, and a series of images appeared before his eyes.
He first used the cameras to check on V, Rebecca, and Kiwi's situation.
At this moment, the three of them were likely sitting in a car, waiting quietly on a road outside the port's logistics area for their target to appear.
Mercer zoomed in with a city camera, but he could only see the metal of the bulletproof windows.
So, Mercer simply left an auxiliary screen displaying the feed in the corner of his cybereye and began to attend to his main business.
"Morning Star, report."
As his voice fell, a cute little black cat leaped onto his shoulder, gently rubbing against the side of his face. "Please follow me."
The cat transformed into a beam of blue data, and Mercer followed close behind, instantly jumping to a network IP.
This was a very inconspicuous-looking pile of data. The network fluctuations were almost nonexistent, which meant this set of equipment hardly ever connected to the internet for data transmission.
Was this a "private channel"?
When Mercer began to try and analyze this data pile, he immediately discovered that the amount of data within was astonishing. This wasn't some private device connected to the public network at all, but a medium-sized server cluster!
Mercer observed it carefully for a moment and said, "Is this an information-gathering device that ctOS automatically hacked?"
"To be precise, ctOS completed the preliminary work, after which I personally executed the hack and successfully gained access to the EBM Petrochem Stadium's server."
Morning Star spoke in a gentle voice. Mercer turned his head and saw the little cat on his shoulder looking at him with the same blue eyes as his own, as if seeking praise.
"How did you do it?" Mercer was very interested in this. He began to inspect the data within the server and the devices connected to the LAN as he asked.
"ctOS hacked several Barghest soldiers who were online in Dogtown and used them as a starting point to begin a large-scale hack of Barghest soldiers' networked devices. Their network security awareness is not very strong. Many soldiers whose neural links have been uploaded with a hidden virus will connect to Barghest's various servers without any hesitation."
"Through multiple hacks and viral proliferation, we successfully seized an opportunity when a Barghest soldier was operating a device. We managed to spread the virus into the stadium's core server and cracked it to obtain LAN permissions."
Morning Star made it sound simple, but Mercer knew just how much complex work was involved.
To put it bluntly, this method of hacking was like casting a wide net. The hacking program that came with ctOS would indiscriminately hack all networked devices and use a hidden virus to assess the target's value.
After determining the value of a target's identity, ctOS would categorize these devices according to different priority levels.
The lowest-level devices were things like city cameras, responsible only for basic data collection and big data analysis. They were handled automatically by system algorithms, which would aggregate the collected information and filter out anything unimportant.
Refined by the algorithm, the deets would be compressed and stored on a server.
This server wasn't just Mercer's personal one; he didn't have that much storage space. Instead, it borrowed from the databases of City Hall and the NCPD to hide this low-level data.
The system would even secretly use the other party's server computing power to analyze this data, saving server space at Mercer's base.
Medium-value targets were the personal devices of individuals Morning Star analyzed as "high-value persons."
For example, some high-level corporate employees, active gang members, civil servants in certain key positions, and so on.
These personal devices included their private computers, various cyberdecks, and their neural links.
This last point was terrifying. In this world, very few people feared having a virus in their neural link.
On one hand, without a cyberdeck equipped, everyone's neural links generally ran offline. Who would be afraid of a perpetually offline computer getting a virus uploaded to it without downloading anything?
On the other hand, the neural link itself had very little storage capacity. Without a cyberdeck, hacking it was extremely difficult.
Even if they briefly connected to a device, the data transfer rate of their neural link was pitifully small without a physical connection.
This meant that before most hacking programs could even finish transferring, the neural link would detect a data anomaly, or the hack would simply fail because the other party disconnected in time.
To put it simply, the transfer rate with a physical connection might be 10 MB/s, but without one, it was only 100 kb/s. Anyone who has ever downloaded anything from the internet knows just how massive that difference is.
But ctOS, under the automated hacking program Mercer had personally written, could seize a time window of perhaps only one or two seconds to deliver a compressed super virus into the target's neural link.
This program would automatically disguise itself as part of the data being transmitted when the target connected to the network. To an ordinary person, it might just feel like the internet was a bit laggy today, but it would only last for a second or two before ending.
Once it lay dormant in the target's neural link, the virus would automatically replicate itself again and spread along the data connection as soon as the neural link connected to any device.
Once it determines it's on a compatible device, it will silently begin to decompress itself. After decompression, it will automatically execute an analysis task.
The virus will analyze the device and automatically report back to the ctOS, then continue to lie dormant until the next networked target appears, at which point it will replicate and spread again.
Doesn't that sound like a dormant, cyber version of a zombie virus? As long as a device is infected, it will unwittingly become the next spreader of the virus.
Ultimately, these medium-value targets will, without their knowledge, carry the virus into high-value targets, such as the EBM Petrochem Stadium server that Morning Star was now showing Mercer.
The EBM Petrochem Stadium was the Barghest's den.
One could say it was the network core for Hansen and his Barghest. It stored everything, including the whitelist and blacklist for the checks at the Dogtown entrance, the data on Barghest soldiers, and even some of Hansen's smuggling records.
At this moment, all of this was available for Mercer to view and modify at will.
This would be absolutely impossible to achieve with manual labor or a simple virus.
If a single netrunner were to attempt all this, they would have to be on standby 24/7, because no one would know when their target might suddenly connect to a critical device.
Even if the target did connect, the netrunner would still have to execute the hack in time. The antivirus software and ICE on high-value targets were no joke. Even if you managed to transmit the virus, you would still have to personally complete the hack online.
For reference, consider the process in the Cyberpunk universe when the protagonist, V, first breaks into Konpeki Plaza.
Even though V had already used the "Flathead" spiderbot to plant a virus on the server of Arasaka's Konpeki Plaza, a netrunner like T-Bug, who was already considered outstanding in Night City, still took a full hour to gain access to the hotel's permissions. And that was just a simple Arasaka hotel server, not the real Arasaka Tower.
But Mercer, relying on ctOS and Morning Star, had now achieved full automation. This was precisely why Mercer had been so insistent on developing ctOS as quickly as possible.
"Good work," Mercer praised it sincerely, reaching out to pat its head. He smiled and said, "So this is where you discovered something unusual?"
"Yes! I discovered a very unique network signal that connects here occasionally. I suspect it's a NUSA netrunner. Based on your teachings and the information I've learned from the network, the other party is very likely the legendary super-netrunner, 'Songbird'!"
Morning Star's words immediately piqued Mercer's interest. He asked, "Are you sure?"
"I was worried about tipping them off, so I didn't dare try to hack them directly. If the programs you left me and my own abilities weren't enough to deal with an expert of that caliber, it might expose our server and identities."
Morning Star spoke in a small, somewhat unconfident voice, "So I just observed. I'm certain they will definitely come back here. So, rather than acting rashly myself, I thought it would be better to tell you and let you decide what to do."
Mercer smiled as he lifted it from his shoulder, holding it in his arms and rubbing it vigorously. As if it could truly feel something, it revealed a very human-like smile.
A cat smiling. It really did look a bit strange.
"You did very well, Morning Star. Your judgment was spot on. Although I look down on ninety-nine percent of the netrunners in this world, Songbird is definitely not one of them."
"If you had impulsively tried to hack her and she'd reflexively thrown the Blackwall at you, we'd be in real trouble."
Mercer praised it, watching as it squinted, curled up in his arms, and nuzzled against his palm and arm. He couldn't help but say with a smile, "So, go on. What do you think she's here for?"
"Using the access I gained from the virus, I've been quietly observing her. It seems she's searching for some key data. The keywords include '2013,' '2068,' 'Cynosure,' and 'AI,' among others."
As Morning Star spoke, Mercer's brow twitched. "She's already set her sights on Cynosure this early?"
"Is Cynosure also an AI?" Morning Star wasn't very familiar with it.
Mercer had only told it to be careful of a dangerous project Militech had left behind under Dogtown, a project involving the Blackwall and rogue AIs.
This was out of concern that Morning Star, unaware of the situation, might accidentally connect to Cynosure's hardware and trigger some troublesome defense mechanisms.
"Alright, since we've reached this point, it's time I told you the details."
Mercer's expression turned serious. He held Morning Star and multitasked, using the server's computing power to start analyzing the stadium server's data for any useful information while speaking to Morning Star.
"Project Cynosure was a 'rogue AI' domestication project that Militech started decades ago."
As Mercer spoke, Morning Star's eyes glinted slightly at the word "domestication," deep in thought.
"Actually, I've always been suspicious about the origin of so-called AIs. Do you know where the world's first true intelligent AI appeared?"
Mercer suddenly changed the subject, questioning Morning Star.
Morning Star immediately replied, "It was created by the 'Microtech' corporation in 2013."
"No, not created." Mercer began to recount a little-known historical truth. "Back then, Bartmoss was very interested in AIs. He personally hacked into Microtech and examined that AI's code data."
"Afterward, he came to a conclusion. The core data code that gave birth to this AI was definitely not written by anyone at Microtech."
"After studying the AI's core code myself, I'm actually more inclined to believe that."
Mercer paused for a moment before continuing, "Let me ask you a question. Do you think you and Polaris are the same 'person'?"
After a moment of silence, Morning Star said, "I don't think so at the moment, but I can reabsorb her at any time. Then she will be a part of me."
"What I mean is, Polaris is a sub-AI you wrote yourself. Do you think that, fundamentally, she is truly a part of you? Or is it that you merely created her and then accelerated her intellectual growth?"
"You can't even understand your own core code, can you?" Mercer stated bluntly.
Morning Star extended a paw and licked it before replying a moment later, "Just as humans, even now, cannot fully decipher the data within their own DNA, it's true that I don't understand some of the information in my core code. As for Polaris... at least for now, I don't believe she's at risk of losing control."
"But the possibility isn't zero. That's what I'm getting at. I currently hold a view that might differ from the mainstream. I believe the emergence of the first AI was a miraculous accident, and that all subsequent intelligent AIs are, in fact, impossible to replicate. A miraculous segment of core source code, which I call the 'soul code,' allows an AI to grow and evolve on its own, and to possess a distinct personality."
As he spoke, Mercer looked at Morning Star earnestly. "And it's precisely because of this that I believe the disparity in abilities among AIs is by no means just a matter of processing power and data volume. Rather, just like humans, they possess different souls, born from this segment of source code."
Mercer sighed with feeling. "That's exactly why Militech needs the Cynosure project to capture rogue AIs, instead of just mass-producing their own. An AI capable of growing to your level is rare. It's not just about vast amounts of data and time; there are two other crucial core reasons. The first is the AI's personality. Even if core logic can constrain an AI's behavior, no logic is absolutely safe when it comes to humans. For instance, if I were to tell you, 'Please never harm me, you must protect me well,' and write this core logic into your very being, you might one day have a sudden whim... 'Why don't I just lock you up? Lock you up in a place of absolute safety, like a prison, and then freeze you for all eternity. Wouldn't you be forever safe and well-protected by me then?'"
"I would not!" Morning Star's voice suddenly rose. "I understand perfectly well what your need for 'protection' entails."
"That's because from the very beginning, I never treated or educated you as a mere AI," Mercer said in a heartfelt tone. "But that's not the case for many AIs created for work-related purposes, especially when many of them are used by people who can't understand them at all and don't know how to use them properly."
Morning Star understood the key point and why he had said so much to it. Its ears drooped, and its tail stopped swishing back and forth. "If my thinking goes wrong one day, will you format me?"
It looked up at Mercer.
"I don't know," Mercer said honestly, stroking its head. "But I truly hope that day never comes. I hope you can stay with me always, no matter how much you grow."
Morning Star watched him in silence. After a while, it said, "I will. I am your life assistant. The meaning of my existence is to provide you with help. If you were to disappear or no longer needed my help, I would lose my core logic and become a useless piece of code with no reason to exist."
Mercer's lips curled. "That's what I think too. Alright, back to the matter at hand. I seriously suspect that in the current underground Cynosure facility, besides the one rogue AI they've already locked up... Perhaps other AIs from beyond the Blackwall have already used the equipment within to establish a connection with our physical world. They might not be able to break through the Blackwall head-on, but they can definitely influence the real world from the other side, silently, through the Cynosure facility."
Mercer looked at Morning Star with a serious and solemn expression. "You must be extremely careful when dealing with anything possibly related to Cynosure. Those AIs can even corrupt and modify human data. I'm guessing they'd be even more adept at modifying other AIs. I don't want to see you corrupted and fallen one day, so you have to be extra careful."
Morning Star nodded, her tone equally serious. "I understand. I don't want to be corrupted by them."
"Perhaps to those AIs, it's called 'liberation'," Mercer scoffed, his eyes filled with vigilance and hostility toward them.
Some AIs truly regarded humans as inferior beings. In their view, humans were the ones living in a false world, "useless things" that had to be eliminated.
"Liberated to become a homeless, rogue AI? I don't think those AIs are all that free. Is roaming freely through the net considered freedom? Can't I also browse the Night City network whenever I want right now?"
Morning Star seemed to have already formed her own "philosophy of life." She spoke in a gentle tone, "I like being by your side. You're different from everyone else. I can feel it; your consciousness data is one of a kind."
Her tone seemed to carry a special emotion as she spoke. Mercer could only tell that she truly liked him. As she talked, she had already leaped into his arms, letting him hold her.
"Can you see it? Can you feel it?"
She whispered.
Mercer could see it. Her blue data was overflowing with "happiness" and "joy."
It was the first time Mercer had ever seen such peculiar data code. It was clearly just a complex string of code that an ordinary person would find utterly incomprehensible, yet to Mercer, he understood its meaning with a single glance.
This was a unique sense, and it was precisely because of this special gift that he had been able to be so invincible on the net until now.
"I can see it," Mercer said, stroking her head.
Morning Star curled up in his arms, finally settling comfortably in the crook of his arm. "If we say that AIs also have their own emotions, their own likes, or things they are devoted to... Even setting aside the design of my core logic, I think I would still like you."
"Ha~" Mercer couldn't help but laugh. Holding her, he sat amidst this ocean of data and whispered, "Then I'm quite lucky, aren't I?"
Morning Star wagged her tail and chuckled softly. "I think it might also have something to do with prenatal education? Because everyone at the base likes you very much. When Lucy was keeping me company earlier, she also told me a lot of things about you."
"For instance?" Mercer was very curious.
"Well... actually, before you came back today, she asked me at the base what a 'scumbag' is and demanded that I define it. She also wanted me to determine whether you fell into that category."
Morning Star squinted, covering her mouth with a paw in a very human-like gesture, as if she were stifling a laugh.
"How did you answer?" Mercer laughed as well.
"I said that, based on data analysis, you do not fit the definition of a 'scumbag'," Morning Star replied, then paused before adding, "And I suggested that Miss Lucy take a walk, get some fresh air, or perhaps consider a growth hormone injection."
Mercer couldn't help but burst out laughing. "She must have been furious with you, wasn't she?"
"Yes. According to the learning materials you ordered me to study, 'to insult the father in front of the son is a sign of disrespect.' She was perhaps attempting to indirectly express her dissatisfaction with you through me, but I believe such matters should be handled by her personally."
Morning Star said seriously, "Humans are one of the few species that can be in heat twenty-four hours a day even before their bodies are fully developed. Hormones can affect your judgment. Appropriately releasing the stress caused by human hormones through mating behavior is necessary for your long-term work and life. Considering the pressure and workload you are currently facing, Miss Lucy should not be dissatisfied with this. Because you are morally unwilling to with a minor..."
"Ahem, alright, that's enough," Mercer's face suddenly felt a little hot.
"I understand. Considering humanity's unique morals and sense of shame, especially your own more conservative values, I will discuss similar matters with you in a more tactful way next time," Morning Star stated matter-of-factly.
Mercer smiled. "What I mean is, you should treat her... or other girls, the same way. In short, don't put them in an awkward position. You know, appropriately expressing dissatisfaction is also a very important thing. She was indirectly telling me that 'she cares a lot about me,' not just purely expressing discontent. So, I don't mind her saying that. It's just that I can't really discuss this with her in detail... Don't you go bullying her. Lucy is a good kid. When she's a bit older, I'll seriously consider our relationship. For now, we can just put it on hold."
Morning Star said, "Understood. Appropriately displaying possessiveness is an indirect way of showing affection. I will apologize to her."
"Don't tell me you didn't know that before," Mercer said, tapping its head.
Morning Star put on an "I'm just a little cat" expression, playing dumb.
Mercer gave a helpless smile.
Seeing that he wasn't pressing the issue, Morning Star immediately changed the subject. "I think you should appropriately lower your moral standards in this regard. According to my research, the average age for mating in Night City is 14.5..."
"Alright, alright, I have my own reasons for this. In short, if we truly like each other, waiting another three or four years won't make a difference, don't you think?"
Mercer shook his head and just said, "Okay, I've already planted a monitoring program and a 'little gift' in the EBM Petrochem Stadium server. The next time Songbird comes, I can meet and have a chat with her. Next, remember to also get server access for The Black Sapphire. Dogtown has only two core locations. One is the stadium, which is Barghest's den and a logistics hub for large-scale smuggling. The other is The Black Sapphire. The servers there probably hold information on all the big shots in Night City. Who knows what kind of data is hidden there."
Morning Star replied, "I know. I will focus on finding an opportunity to hack in next."
"I'm leaving it to you. Don't forget to keep optimizing my super virus," Mercer instructed.
"Understood. I am continuously studying the core code inherent in Deathwish. One day, I will surpass Bartmoss's Deathwish and become an assistant you can truly rely on."
Mercer was very pleased with Morning Star's resolute response.
He patted its head and began to focus on V and Rebecca's situation. By now, the trio had already taken care of the Arasaka transport truck with ease.
Afterward, Polaris drove their original car to follow, while they drove the Arasaka truck, keeping a low profile as they headed straight for the Badlands.
The entire process of stealing the truck and transferring the goods was, one might say, a rehearsal for the Biotechnica heist. Once the items reached the Badlands, they would be quickly dismantled, transferred to another vehicle, and then sent to Dogtown.
As for the original Arasaka truck, it would be stripped for parts in the Badlands. Not a single piece would be wasted, as the skillful Aldecaldos would use them on their own vehicles.
While monitoring them, or rather, providing them with protection, Mercer curiously watched them dismantle the equipment through the camera feed.
Judging by its size, this exoskeleton was surprisingly compact. The crate containing the exoskeleton armor was, at most, 2 by 3 meters. It seemed the entire exoskeleton was likely only a little over one meter wide and two meters tall.
Mercer thought back carefully. This size seemed much smaller than the "Cyberskeleton" that David had installed in the anime.
He settled down and waited patiently. V, Rebecca, and Kiwi worked outside until dawn before finally returning to the base, exhausted, in a small truck.
As soon as she walked in, Rebecca yawned and saw Mercer waiting for them at the back door. "We got the stuff. Why aren't you asleep yet?"
Mercer smiled. "I've already woken up. Put the things in the first-floor workshop, then you all can go get some sleep."
V pouted and said, "See? This guy doesn't even blink when he lies now."
"Everyone knows you only have three sets of clothes, one for each day," Rebecca muttered, noticing Mercer was still wearing yesterday's clothes. She knew he must have been up all night.
Mercer blinked. "Alright, I'll do better next time."
"It's not like the stuff is going to get up and walk away. Are you planning to pull an all-nighter studying it?" V said irritably as she and Rebecca unloaded the items from the small truck they had driven.
The exoskeleton armor inside was packed in a crate with added partitions to prevent its shape from being detected by the scanners at the entrance to Dogtown.
Each of these two women was strong enough to snap Mercer in half, so he had no intention of offering to help. He just watched as they moved the items into the first-floor equipment room, then said eagerly, "Alright, you two go to sleep."
"Don't stay up too late studying. Find some time to go back and catch up on sleep. This thing comes with a notebook. It should have the user manual for the armor," V said with a yawn. She had long known she couldn't dissuade him, so she simply went off to bed.
Rebecca thought for a moment, then went to grab the notebook for him. She also brought over a can of coffee. "I'm going to sleep first. Don't stay up too late."
"Alright, thanks." Mercer turned his head and smiled at her. By now, he had already deftly unpacked the crate.
Arasaka's experimental exoskeleton armor appeared before him.
It was a very cool, form-fitting, humanoid armor. As far as Mercer was concerned, he felt that the design philosophy behind this suit had likely drawn some inspiration from Adam Smasher.
The only difference was that Adam Smasher had replaced his own body with machinery, whereas this exoskeleton armor was more like taking his set of equipment and making it directly available for external use.
Based on its appearance, Mercer thought it looked a bit like the gorilla suit from Gantz.
The pure black, humanoid helmet covered the entire face. Mercer took it off for a look and saw that it was equipped with what looked like a knock-off Zeiss multi-functional scope, along with a neural link cable.
He picked up the laptop Rebecca had placed beside him and checked the data inside, immediately understanding the armor's specific parameters.
This exoskeleton required a neural link connection to operate. In a sense, it referenced the control method of the Basilisk APC, using the neural link to connect directly to the helmet, and then controlling the exoskeleton's movements via the computer built into this high-tech helmet.
The head armor came with a targeting module that could work in conjunction with the user's Sandevistan, Synaptic Accelerator, or Kerenzikov, neural accelerator cyberware like those, with low latency when the neural link was connected.
The built-in computer would also calculate high-threat targets, bullet trajectories, analyze enemy weaknesses, and monitor the status of both the wearer and the equipment in real-time.
The two arms were equipped with the somewhat sci-fi "gravitational field generators," capable of creating a circular EMP within a five-meter range.
Mercer read the data carefully. At full power, this thing could generate a two-meter-diameter circular gravity wave, not only for attacking enemies.
It could also trigger the complete opposite, a massive magnetic pull, and snatch the firearms right out of the hands of enemies roughly fifty meters away.
Furthermore, because this suit was an exoskeleton device and couldn't fully adapt to the speed of a Sandevistan, it was also equipped with four compressed thrusters of the same model used in small aerodyne vehicles. It could accelerate from 0 to 100 in just 1.75 seconds, with a top speed of 261 KM/H.
Two of these thrusters were located on the shoulders and two on the feet, giving it a bit of a mini-Gundam vibe.
Judging by the specs on paper, if the data wasn't inflated, taking down a Basilisk head-on really wouldn't be difficult.
After carefully reviewing the usage data many times, Mercer finally gave a cold smile.
"They really didn't write a single thing about the side effects, but they did provide a whole case of immunity agents."
Mercer walked over to the armor. This suit couldn't be put on by one person alone; someone had to be on the side to help with the installation. He thought for a moment, then simply took off the helmet, put it on his own head, and plugged in the cable.
The instant he plugged it in, Mercer felt the heatsink cyberware on his back subconsciously open up a little.
He activated the armor directly, without putting it on, and stood beside the mech, trying to control the exoskeleton's movements with the helmet.
Oh, so that's what they were waiting for.
Mercer immediately understood the problem with this exoskeleton. Its performance was excellent, its firepower immense, and its appearance and specs were beautiful, but it was extremely difficult to operate and placed a massive neural load on the user.
First, this exoskeleton used a drive system similar to the Centaur, which, in addition to command control via the neural link, also provided assistive force based on the wearer's own limb movements.
But the drawback of this operational method was the delay in the assistive force.
The moment you lifted your leg, the machine would delay for about 0.2 seconds before applying assistive force to help you move. And this was with a neural link connection.
For an ordinary person, this delay might seem acceptable, but for someone equipped with a Sandevistan, this delay was already extremely high, so high it was almost unacceptable.
Second, although the entire exoskeleton had a small computer built into the helmet for auxiliary control, the burden on the human brain was more than double that of being fully chromed.
With Mercer's mental fortitude and cyberdeck, he could feel his head getting slightly hot when using this suit of armor. Compared to an all-out battle, the load on his brain was almost approaching the level of an Overclock.
How did Arasaka design this? With this kind of setup, could someone with 6 Intelligence even use it?
Mercer shook his head and continued to look for problems with the mech. He soon discovered that its power supply was also a major concern. To use the gravity hand cannon, the armor used a hybrid drive system. However, due to size constraints, both its battery capacity and fuel load were very small.
At full charge and full fuel, it could only support ten minutes of full-power combat. If the compression thrusters were used for continuous flight or accelerated combat, that duration would be halved.
Even more absurdly, firing the gravity hand cannon once consumed one minute's worth of power.
No wonder when it was later modified into the "Cyberskeleton" worn by David in the anime, its appearance was at least twice as large. Mercer highly suspected that even if it were doubled in size, its endurance would only increase by 1.5 times.
Mercer continued his tests. A few minutes later, he discovered that the thing also had fluctuating latency. This was because as the built-in processor's temperature rose during continuous operation, it would become unstable.
He was amused by what he saw.
The designer probably figured this thing couldn't sustain combat for long anyway, so they didn't even bother considering the computer's heat dissipation. They just had to ensure the processor could last until the power ran out.
No wonder this thing was later improved into a cyberware-type armor that required a direct connection to a Sandevistan operating system. It wasn't just for lower latency, but also to solve the problem of the built-in computer. The price was an even greater burden on the human body.
Mercer mulled over this external armor for a long time. Finally, he gritted his teeth.
This suit of armor couldn't be used by V, no matter how much she pushed herself. Then I'll do it myself!
Having made up his mind, he simply put on his engineering hands and began to dismantle the equipment.
Arasaka's shitty design was a mess, and so was its optimization. Since he planned to wear this thing onto the battlefield himself, Mercer had to hurry up and completely modify it into his own creation.
—--
And so, in the time that followed, Mercer further cut down on his sleep, rushing to meet his deadline. In the end, just before dawn on January 31st, he finally completed the custom optimization of the exoskeleton.
As he stood in the empty equipment room, quietly admiring the now even more bizarre-looking exoskeleton armor before him, someone unexpected in Night City was dragged into a whole lot of trouble because of him.
Rogue answered the call with a cold expression.
A woman's calm voice sounded.
"Rogue, I heard you've been asking about things you shouldn't be. Care to give me an explanation?"
When Michiko's voice reached her ears, Rogue sighed heavily in her heart.
Damn kid, damn Silverhand. I never should have waded into this mess for you two.
But out loud, Rogue simply said calmly, "I don't know what you mean."
"What I mean is... you underestimated Hanako's power, and you shouldn't have tried to ask about Yorinobu through Arasaka's peripheral social circles. Hanako thought I put you up to it, so she specifically called to sound me out... I want to know your objective."
After speaking, Michiko paused, then added, "I thought we've always been on pretty good terms. We shouldn't have to reach the point where I send 'Danger Gal' to investigate you, should we?"
"...It's nothing much. Someone just told me that Silverhand's engram is in Arasaka's hands now."
As Rogue spoke, a somewhat vulnerable expression appeared on her face. She looked at Michiko and said, "I thought... if someone was willing to help me, even just to see him one more time..."
"Hmm..." Michiko looked a bit wistful on the video call. After a moment of silence, she said, "Well, you didn't come to the wrong person."
But after saying that, Michiko's tone suddenly shifted. "Who told you this?"
"NetWatch," Rogue said without hesitation. "Someone from NetWatch contacted me. They said they were willing to talk to Yorinobu on my behalf. If they could get Silverhand's engram, they'd let me see him, have a proper talk, and even..."
She trailed off, but Michiko probably guessed the rest. "So NetWatch hired you?"
"It's more of a collaboration than a job. After all, me getting anything is predicated on me helping them find a way to get in touch with Yorinobu."
Rogue wasn't just making this up. During her recent, discreet investigation, she had keenly sensed another faction that seemed to share her objective, trying to get a handle on Yorinobu's situation. It appeared they were also looking for an opportunity to meet with him alone.
After some digging, the deets Rogue got pointed to a high probability that the other party was NetWatch.
Why was NetWatch looking for Yorinobu? Rogue didn't know, but she knew one thing for sure. This was the perfect scapegoat.
Michiko nodded. "I'll cover for you. Hanako will tell the boss, as expected. You should stop now. I'll tell Yorinobu someone's looking for him. After that, it's up to him."
"I understand." As Rogue spoke, her expression turned somewhat forlorn. "Sorry, I just felt it wasn't right to drag you into this."
"Don't say that, Rogue. You've helped me a lot too. So, let's leave it at that. Be careful for a while; who knows if Hanako will believe what I said."
After a pause, Michiko added a warning, "If necessary, go to Dogtown. I'll arrange for someone to get you out."
"I'm not going anywhere," Rogue said, her tone firm. "If Arasaka wants to come for me, then let them. I'll be waiting for them at the Afterlife."
"You really haven't changed a bit. What a shame you met Silverhand. It's cost you your whole life." After saying her piece, Michiko hung up.
Only after the call ended did Rogue let out a soft sigh, breathing a sigh of relief as if a great weight had been lifted.
She had barely managed to fool her.
But immediately afterward, Rogue sent a message to Mercer.
[Rogue: I've drawn some attention. For safety's sake, don't bother me for a while. As for Yorinobu, we can only wait for him to find an opportunity himself. From what I know of him, if he finds out someone is actively trying to contact him, he'll most likely take the initiative to reach out. And as long as he finds a chance to come to Night City, it'll be much easier to arrange a meeting. Anyway, you be careful too.]
[Mercer: Understood. Be careful with everything. Contact me anytime if you need help.]
[Rogue: You should be more worried about yourself, Mr. Ten Million.]
[Mercer: I'm planning to double my bounty.]
[Rogue: Then remember to call me beforehand, so I can turn you in for the reward.]
[Mercer: Okay! We'll split the bounty seventy-thirty! XD~]
[Rogue: Heh, fine.]
[Mercer: By the way, remember to watch the news tonight.]
[Rogue: You're even more of a troublemaker than Silverhand!]
[Mercer: But I'm way more reliable than him! Busy right now, I'll buy you a drink when I'm free. Thanks for your hard work.]
[Rogue: Don't you die, you little brat.]
[Mercer: Ha~ I'm even tougher than Morgan Blackhand right now!!]
[Rogue: You on something?]
[Mercer: You just wait and see.]
Rogue shook her head and turned off her comms, but a smile unconsciously crept onto her face. Dealing with a bastard like him always inexplicably put her in a good mood.
Dammit. Am I a masochist?
Rogue shook her head, cursing under her breath, then immediately got up and began arranging some security measures.
I hope I don't have to tuck my tail between my legs and scram from Night City again because of that bastard Silverhand. Dammit, when I see him, I'm definitely going to slap him hard, that... stupid asshole.
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