Chapter 138: Examining the Corpse
The heavy metal doors of the manufactorum sealed shut behind them, cutting off the complex gazes of Maine's crew.
The space returned to its habitual silence, punctuated only by the low hum of energy conduits and the faint hiss of cooling systems.
Joric turned his massive, dark-red chassis toward the corpse on the cryogenic platform.
A servo-skull hovered silently beside him, casting a stable beam from its eye sockets, illuminating the remains of Rache Bartmoss with stark clarity.
"Commence logging, Old Friend," Joric murmured. His mechanical fingers danced across the console, calling up several analysis interfaces. "Subject: Rache Bartmoss. Key figure in local network technology history. Estimated time of death: exceeding fifty years."
He began with a basic physical assessment.
Several servo-skulls circled Bartmoss's remains, their high-precision sensors conducting a full-spectrum scan.
"External observation: Male. Age at death estimated between twenty-five and thirty," he stated calmly as he scanned. "Build: Slender. Muscle mass below warrior standard, but fiber arrangement shows unusual refinement, possibly correlated with high neural-transmission efficiency requirements.
"Skin surface shows no obvious external trauma. Livor mortis distribution consistent with long-term, fixed-posture cryo-preservation.
"Residue analysis under fingernails... primarily keratin and trace insulating material debris. Consistent with long-term, precision manual operation."
A mechadendrite behind Joric moved to the corpse's head.
"Cranial structure intact. No implant penetration scars. Intriguing," Joric's tone held a hint of faint interest. "In a world universally reliant on implants for cognitive enhancement, an individual achieving legendary data-processing capabilities with a native brain must possess specific physiological anomalies."
He initiated a deeper scan. "Conducting non-destructive cranial interior inspection. Focus analysis on prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and corpus callosum density and gyral complexity."
Data streams scrolled rapidly across the projection screen.
Moments later, Joric emitted a soft sound like venting steam, indicating he had noted an anomaly.
"Prefrontal cortex neuron density exceeds local human baseline by 37%. Corpus callosum neural fiber connectivity and complexity are abnormally developed—nearly double the standard model," he continued his analysis. "This explains his capacity for superhuman multi-threaded logic processing and information integration.
"Cortical gyri surface area exceeds average by 18%... A biological processor naturally optimized for massive information handling."
His attention shifted to the spine and limbs.
"Spinal cord structure shows no obvious augmentation scars, yet the nerve bundles are unusually thick. Peripheral nerve nodes... yes, multiple instances of micro-level adaptive thickening," he observed the data feedback. "This resembles physiological reinforcement resulting from long-term extreme usage rather than artificial intervention."
"Hand skeletal and joint structure is precise. Tendon attachment points indicate his fingers possessed extreme dexterity and reaction speed," Joric added. "Consistent with his top-tier agility performance in reality. Not for combat, but for ultimate operational precision."
Basic physiological assessment complete. Joric began checking for technical interfaces.
"Scan for non-standard biological interfaces or residual implant signals," he commanded.
The servo-skull switched modes, emitting detection waves across different bands.
"No large-scale, permanent neural implants or enhancement modules detected. Only a standard-pattern early network access port found at the nape. Model archaic. Tech level... quite primitive," he read the results. "Additionally, trace marks of micro-data interfaces on both wrists, seemingly for connecting external input devices."
This discovery gave Joric pause. "In other words, the vast majority of his achievements relied on this unmodified native brain and a... by local standards, obsolete basic interface," he concluded. "To dominate and crush the digital world of his era with sheer biological computing power and unique neural architecture. Impressive."
He pulled up fragmented data on Bartmoss from the deep net of the Cyberpunk world and the stray information streams from beyond the Blackwall.
Mixed with undestroyed corporate archives, scattered logs from the DataKrash, and legends among later netrunners, the information was contradictory and incomplete, but the core pointed in one direction.
"Subject 'Rache Bartmoss.' Existing records generally agree that, judging by this world's framework for measuring human capability, his intellect and network operation capacity touched the theoretical limits of that framework," Joric's tone was steady, like stating a physical law. "Others reach this limit because their ability ends there; he stood at this limit because the measurement system itself could not define a higher tier.
"Current physiological analysis, especially cortical complexity and neural connection density, supports this assessment."
"Regarding reaction speed, there is a theory: in the physical world, his reactions reached the theoretical peak of human flesh; once jacked in, his reaction speed could break this constraint, reaching a level unmeasurable by conventional standards," he paused, comparing neural scan data with the legendary fragments. "Physiologically, his bio-neural transmission speed was indeed perfected.
"But that 'frame-breaking' performance likely stemmed from his consciousness's unique mapping and interaction mode within data-space.
"His thought processes achieved a near-seamless fusion with the network environment, producing a qualitative leap in efficiency that felt like breaking limits.
"Essentially, this is the ultimate optimization of consciousness-machine interface efficiency, not a true violation of physical laws."
Joric began reviewing Bartmoss's life, piecing together the fragments in his processing core.
"Accessed the Net at age four. Legendary skill by adolescence. Defrauded multiple corporations using millisecond time-lags, acquiring vast funds," he recited. "Behavioral patterns indicate supernatural insight into and exploitation of systemic rule loopholes."
"After achieving financial freedom, behavior shifted to exposing corporate scandals, bankrupting multiple small firms and damaging the reputation of major ones," he continued. "Motivations seem to include a non-utilitarian sense of justice, or dissatisfaction with power structures."
"Co-founded the 'Net Pacifica' (DataKrash era safe zones/communities) with individuals 'Alt Cunningham' and 'Spider Murphy'," Joric noted. "This indicates some social organizational ability and a consciousness of protecting the vulnerable."
His gaze lingered on the records of the Fourth Corporate War.
"Key Event: Persuaded by the AI-construct 'Alt Cunningham' to intervene in the Militech-Arasaka conflict. Single-handedly engaged Arasaka's counter-hacking division and achieved overwhelming victory," he pulled up the relevant log. "Records describe his method as 'lighting up the entire Old Net cyberspace,' presumed to be a massive, high-efficiency data-attack or system overload."
"Facing the 'Soulkiller' program, chose to drop firewalls and reverse-contain the program," Joric analyzed the tactic. "Extremely high risk. Success depended on instantaneous, complete parsing of the target program's mechanics and the extreme stability of his own consciousness structure. His brain's unique physiology was likely the key."
(End of Chapter)