[Yorinobu Arasaka: But I suspect my father has already guessed something is amiss, so I can't give it to you directly.]
[Mercer: What do you mean?]
[Yorinobu Arasaka: So, if you want this thing, you'll have to come and get it yourself.]
[Mercer: You mean you want us to steal it?]
[Yorinobu Arasaka: Takemura will be guarding it closely. So, if you want it, come and take it yourself.]
[Mercer: What about Saburo?]
[Yorinobu Arasaka: You'll have to figure that out yourself.]
[Mercer: And you?]
[Yorinobu Arasaka: I will wait for an opportune moment.]
[Mercer: So you're saying you won't provide any help.]
[Yorinobu Arasaka: It's not that I won't, but that I can't. You know my situation isn't much better than yours. Just bringing the Relic to Night City for you was a huge risk.]
[Mercer: When will you arrive?]
[Yorinobu Arasaka: Watch the news.]
After that message appeared, Mercer received no further replies when he tried to contact Yorinobu Arasaka again.
With a grim expression, Mercer ended the call. He then began to pace back and forth in the base's server room, pondering, hesitating, unable to make an immediate decision.
"Hey! Mercer, I knew you'd be hiding in here. Hurry up and pack your things. You don't expect me to pack your room for you, do you?"
V's voice came from the doorway. Mercer turned his head to look. V's short hair had grown out quite a bit, and she had even curled the ends. Her long hair fell past her shoulders, giving her a touch of feminine gentleness.
Mercer nodded, replying distractedly, "Got it, I'll go in a minute."
"Don't give me 'in a minute.' Right now! Immediately!" V walked over, annoyed, and started pushing him toward the door. "You can get busy again after we move into the new place. I still have to go to the new house and prepare dinner. If you keep dawdling, dinner's going to turn into a midnight snack."
"OK! OK! I don't have much to pack. We'll leave as soon as you guys are done. I need to do a deep dive right now. We'll go as soon as I'm back," Mercer said, turning around and grabbing her hands to stop her.
V glared at him huffily, struggling for a moment to free her hands. "You couldn't have done this earlier or later, you just have to have something to do the moment we're moving... Can you be reliable for once!"
"Something came up suddenly. I'll be quick," Mercer said, but simply turned and sat down in the netrunner station.
He really didn't have anything that needed to be moved to the new house. To him, his room was just a place to sleep; there were no personal belongings to pack.
They had planned to move into The Black Sapphire hotel long ago, but because Mercer had quite a few requirements for the new home, including upgrading the building's security systems, it had taken a lot of time. This dragged the move all the way to the end of the year before they could finally pack up and go.
Even Jackie, Maine, and the others, who could have moved in much earlier, had deliberately waited, saving the move for today so they could all leave the base and move into The Black Sapphire together.
Except for Pilar; that guy genuinely planned to stay behind alone at the Kindling Squad's base. After all, it had everything, including a professional workshop. Having it all to himself was a huge score.
Today wasn't just about moving; it was also a rare occasion for everyone to get together under the guise of a housewarming party. Besides their own squad members, Mercer had also invited people like Sasha's sister, Jackie's mom and his girlfriend, and even Vik to the dinner party.
This was precisely why V was rushing him nonstop.
"Hey, what's going on..." Seeing him hastily lie down in the netrunner station, V stopped rushing him and just muttered, "Did something urgent come up?"
"Yeah, you could say that... There's something I need to ask Alt." Mercer didn't directly say that Yorinobu had messaged him. He just sat in the netrunner station and picked up a data cable. "Plug me in."
V could only walk behind him with a slightly unhappy expression. "Then be quick. I need to head over early to cook."
"If you ask me, we could just find a chef from the hotel..." Mercer trailed off, then corrected himself. "Fine, you do it, you do it."
"It's a rule to cook for your guests yourself when you move into a new home!" Only then did V plug the neural link into the back of Mercer's head.
"You Heywood people sure have a lot of rules... If you're in a hurry, you can go ahead. I can get there myself later."
Mercer said, and without waiting for V's reply, he initiated a deep dive into Cyberspace.
V watched as Mercer closed his eyes, his body becoming motionless. She knew the guy had definitely dived into the Net. She made a fist at him in annoyance, not caring if he could see it or not, before letting out a huff.
But despite her impatient expression, she still stood obediently to the side; when Mercer was in a deep dive, she always had to watch over him. What if something unexpected happened?
—--
Meanwhile, Mercer had already crossed the Blackwall. He skillfully sent out a data signal on the Net using the pre-arranged code he had with Alt.
Alt was always highly efficient. Not long after Mercer sent the signal, a massive, red data icon appeared.
"What is it?"
She asked calmly.
"Yorinobu says he's gotten his hands on Silverhand's Relic, but his attitude is a bit ambiguous."
Mercer got straight to the point.
"Are you suspecting there's a problem with him?" Hearing Silverhand's name, Alt's tone didn't seem to change.
"Yes... He wants me to steal it myself, to find a way to take the chip from him so he can feign ignorance. But if you think about it, as long as he brings the Relic over and it then gets stolen, there's no way he can clear his name. I suspect... I'm not entirely sure what his position is right now."
Mercer frowned deeply, his voice heavy. "If Saburo took control of him when he stole the Relic and is now just lying in wait, I'm very worried we'll walk right into an Arasaka ambush."
"If you want to give up, I have no objection. I can find a better opportunity myself," Alt still seemed calm. "What is your purpose in seeking me out?"
"I don't know." Mercer sighed, speaking frankly to Alt. "Right now, Dogtown's development is booming, and everything is slowly getting better for us. But if we make a move on Saburo Arasaka now... if we fail, we'll have nothing left. What's worse..."
Mercer's expression turned hesitant. "Everyone's finally started living a good life..."
"If you're looking for someone to persuade you, you've come to the wrong person. I will not give you any advice. This will effectively prevent any potential impact on our relationship should the mission go awry."
Alt said coolly, "But if you're here for help, fine. Tell me your thoughts."
"I want to confirm Saburo Arasaka's situation," Mercer said decisively. "When it comes to killing Saburo Arasaka, I don't have complete confidence on my own. So, Alt, whatever skills you have, bring them out. We need to aim for a decisive victory in one blow."
"Saburo Arasaka knows about my situation. He's always been on guard against us. The help we can provide is limited."
Alt spoke the truth and repeated, "My target isn't Saburo Arasaka either. For me, as long as I get Silverhand's Relic and deal with Mikoshi in the end, that's enough."
"Why are you so fixated on Mikoshi? I can understand Silverhand's consciousness, but what use is Mikoshi to you?" Mercer retorted.
"The consciousness data in Mikoshi are all victims of the Soulkiller program. I want to save them."
After Alt finished, Mercer said bluntly, "I don't believe that's the only reason."
"Then what do you think my reason is?" This time, it was Alt's turn to ask.
Mercer just looked at her. After a long moment, he said in a heavy tone, "I've been studying consciousness data."
"And?" Alt continued to ask.
"I discovered the consciousness source code... and..."
Mercer fell silent, but finally said it outright, "It has similarities to the source code of the Deathwish AI that Bartmoss gave me."
This time, it was Alt's turn to be silent. She gazed at Mercer and finally said, "It seems your talent is indeed very high. But I must remind you, although the two are similar, they are still different. However, do you still hold to your own views now?"
"What views? That stuff you're fond of, about humans, new humans, future humans?" Mercer said.
"Yes. Now that you understand that the essence of human consciousness, or the soul, is actually just a piece of source code, what are your thoughts?" Alt asked.
After another moment of silence, Mercer changed the subject. "Why do you need those engrams?"
"That has nothing to do with you; our partnership has always been simple and direct. You get me Silverhand's Relic engram and Mikoshi, and I owe you a favor. Mutual assistance, it's that simple."
But Alt did not give a clear answer.
Mercer stared straight at Alt and said, word by word, "Do the engrams you previously contained in the Hong Kong server still exist?"
"Are you suspecting that I'm devouring those engrams?" Alt wasn't angry. Hearing this, she just replied calmly, "Of course they exist. It's just that due to the current Net environment, they can't move freely on the Net."
Alt reiterated, "I am indeed saving them, there is no doubt about that. If you're interested, you're welcome to visit my server anytime."
Mercer stared at Alt, then skipped the topic. "If it's about Saburo and you can't help much... then I need a super-large server and a dedicated Net line that can infiltrate the global network."
"A super-large server?" Alt asked, puzzled. "You already have the Cynosure servers, the Voodoo Boys' Rezo Agwe server, and the server clusters you purchased yourself... What are you planning to do?"
"Don't worry, I'm not planning to set off a Net-nuke... I just want to find traces of Saburo through the Net and formulate a perfect assassination plan."
After Mercer finished speaking, Alt showed a rare look of interest. "I see. It's that intelligence-gathering system of yours... It seems the program you created is far more powerful than I imagined."
"So, the server, can you arrange it?" Mercer didn't answer, but continued to ask. "It's just a temporary loan. After we deal with Saburo, I'll return it."
Alt agreed readily. "Of course."
"I won't give you the program. Just give me the server's permissions and interface, and I'll operate it with Morning Star."
After Mercer said this, Alt had no objections, just saying with great interest, "It seems you have a lot of confidence in your program?"
"Of course," Mercer said with complete confidence. "Even Night Corp, that bunch of AIs, couldn't possibly create a program more powerful than this system of mine."
In fact, the ctOS had never stopped updating and iterating. Through continuous optimization by Morning Star and Mercer using big data, the current ctOS was even more terrifying than the ctOS in the game Watch Dogs that Mercer knew.
Alt seemed very interested in Mercer's ctOS, but she knew very well that Mercer wouldn't share it with her, just as she wouldn't share Soulkiller and the Blackwall with Mercer.
"I agree. Until you've dealt with Mikoshi, Silverhand's Relic, and Saburo Arasaka, I can provide you with a server and a dedicated Net line with global coverage."
After agreeing, Alt continued, "Is there anything else you need help with?"
"Silverhand's DNA; if you want him to be resurrected in his original identity, I'll need his DNA to clone his body."
After Mercer finished, Alt shook her head. "I don't have Silverhand's DNA data, nor do I care in what form he is resurrected. In fact, you can even just hand his engram directly to me."
"This guy can still be of some use; when he finally gets on my nerves, I'll hand him over to you to be locked up."
After Mercer said this, Alt didn't insist, just saying, "The key is Mikoshi. When you're ready to make your move, contact me. I will provide whatever help I can."
"By the way, what have Bartmoss and his crew been busy with lately?" Mercer suddenly became a little curious, or rather, worried.
Alt said calmly, "Bartmoss is still obsessed with matters related to your origins. As for Spider Murphy, she's always loved to have fun, who knows where she's amusing herself. If you want to see them, I can pass on a message for you."
"...Tell Bartmoss to come see me when he has time. I have some things I want to talk to him about. As for Murphy... if she's looking for fun, maybe she can get involved in what we're about to do."
After Mercer finished, Alt nodded. "Anything else?"
"That's all for now." After Mercer spoke, Alt's figure began to fade. "I wish you all the best."
After Alt disappeared, Mercer stood there in silent contemplation for a long time before finally letting out a soft sigh.
He was certain that Alt hadn't told him the whole truth. At the very least, regarding the consciousness data and her motive for wanting to liberate Mikoshi, Alt had definitely hidden something very important.
Mercer seriously suspected that Alt's ultimate goal in liberating Mikoshi was to collect the massive amount of human consciousness data within and devour it.
Alt said she had just placed those engrams in her server... but in reality, wasn't she herself living in that server? Whether those engrams were in her belly or by her side were two completely different concepts!
The reason Mercer suspected this was precisely because of the consciousness source code he had accidentally discovered while manipulating Hansen's engram.
Just as an AI could enhance its processing power by devouring another AI, Mercer keenly sensed that human consciousness data possessed a similar characteristic.
The whole thing sounded quite miraculous; one AI devouring another could increase its own processing power out of thin air, without any enhancement to the server's hardware.
Or perhaps, it wasn't processing power that increased, but intelligence.
This couldn't help but make Mercer think of many terrifying things. Could an AI enhance its own intelligence by devouring an engram, just like devouring another AI?
If so, wouldn't humanity potentially become "ginseng fruits" for strengthening AIs? If other AIs discovered this secret, what would the future hold for humanity?
And if humans learned that after consciousness digitization, devouring human engrams or AIs could increase their own intelligence, would that not lead to an even more terrifying crisis?
Had Alt already devoured those engrams, and what was her ultimate goal?
The more Mercer thought about it, the more his head ached. He even felt a slight urge to retreat; after all, he was living comfortably in Dogtown now, his overall strength steadily increasing. If he didn't go looking for trouble with Saburo, the old man probably wouldn't be determined to fight him to the death.
As long as he displayed enough strength to make Saburo wary, Mercer might not have to worry about anyone threatening his and his partners' lives for a decade, or even two or three...
—--
Mercer let out a long sigh. After exiting the deep dive, he saw V standing beside him, still waiting.
"Finished? Why the long face?" V had originally wanted to rush him to get ready for the move, but seeing the worried look he subconsciously wore as he came out of the Deep Dive state, she swallowed her words of urging.
Mercer shook his head. "Let's go, let's deal with the move first..."
"Hold on! What's the rush! First, tell me what you're worried about!" Now it was V who was in no hurry. She blocked Mercer, giving him a look that said, I'm not letting you go until you tell me.
Mercer looked at her and finally confessed, "Yorinobu said he's about to get Silverhand's Relic biochip."
"Isn't that a good thing? Get Silverhand's Relic biochip, then kill Saburo... Isn't that what you've wanted to do all along?"
V retorted, "You've been preparing for so long, and now that it's finally about to come to fruition, what's there to be worried about?"
"I don't know." Mercer looked at her, showing a rare hint of confusion. "The more I learn, the less I know what the consequences of our actions will be... After dealing with Saburo, we might just face an even greater crisis and risk. But if we take a step back now, we might be able to pretend we know nothing and live a carefree and stable life for a few decades..."
V frowned, walked up to him, and reached out to pat his head. "I told you you'd burn out your brain sooner or later..."
"Hey, don't touch my head," Mercer said, moving his head away in annoyance.
But V just burst out laughing. "Oh, come on... Alright, stop worrying yourself sick here. Knowing you, you'll worry and worry, and in the end, you'll just grit your teeth and charge forward anyway. So what's there to be conflicted about? With your personality, if you really chicken out this one time, you won't be able to sleep for the rest of your life... You're not scared, are you? Think you're no match for Saburo?"
"Are you trying to use reverse psychology on me now?" Mercer looked at her, feigning displeasure.
V just smiled and tapped him on the head. "Well, is it working or not?"
"Damn..." Mercer was speechless. It was actually quite effective. He wasn't worried about his own safety, but about dragging his friends, who were finally living good lives, into the mess.
He stood up and looked at V. "People might actually die this time."
"Who was it that convinced me to get into this life, saying that being a merc is about risking your life for a fortune? Who used that line to trick me into joining?"
V glared at him, annoyed. "If you're a coward, don't drag me into it. I don't care if it's Saburo Arasaka or Gorou or Juurou, I'll put a hole in his head with one shot! Worst case, we all skip town together afterward! You haven't gotten soft now that you're living in a mansion and being a big boss, have you? You're not getting attached to this good life, are you?"
V narrowed her eyes at him. "Hmm?"
Mercer rolled his eyes. "Good life? I'm busier than a beast of burden every day. What kind of good life is this?"
"Then that settles it. Ah, don't think so much. It's not like we're making a move in the next few days... Hurry up, I'll make you braised beef tonight."
V smiled, hooked an arm around his neck, and walked him out like a buddy. "You're not hiding in the back and slacking off today. We've got a ton of guests to greet, you have to lend me a hand!"
"Alright, alright!" Mercer said, his mood improving considerably after just a few words from her. He temporarily pushed his troubles to the back of his mind. Indeed, no matter how much he thought or worried, could he really run away at the last minute?
Although more and more problems were surfacing, and he no longer had the simple thought that "solving the Saburo problem will lead to a good life," the problem was still there, regardless.
He didn't want to wait for fate to pass its judgment on him; he could only rise up and resist before fate arrived.
As for the outcome...
Do your best and leave the rest to fate.
Besides...
As Mercer walked, he suddenly thought of something crucial.
"Isn't Rebecca's birthday coming up soon?"
"Ooh, you remembered?"
V said meaningfully, "It's her eighteenth birthday, after all. What kind of gift are you planning to give her?"
Mercer blinked.
If I offered myself as a gift... would that work?