Chapter 7 (Part 2)

"Something's got you unusually cheerful today," Susan squinted, closely examining my face.

"Think so? I felt pretty normal," I shrugged, indifferent to the girl's obvious teasing.

"What are you even? You're definitely not eight years old; kids don't act like that," huffed the mentor, whom I'd once again deprived of the chance to rib me.

"Just an alien who's taken over a child's body, secretly controlling it while the rest of humanity remains clueless," I revealed the truth in a joking manner, savoring the expression on the dark-haired girl's face.

"Couldn't think of anything smarter, huh?" Mitchell rolled her eyes, mussing up my hair.

"That was totally unnecessary. Do you know how long it took me to get my hairdo looking decent!" I glared at Sue, who still managed to amuse herself at my expense.

"Quit grumbling and get to work. You're early today, so you'll have time to fix this beauty." She dropped an old holographic display in front of me, a model outdated by at least thirty years. My analysis program indicated it was taken off a vehicle. Likely, some junkyard scavenger unearthed this relic, hoping to resell it for a higher price.

"Hm, and how much are they offering for fixing this thing?" I asked, raising an eyebrow and fiddling with a small screen from a smart rear-view mirror.

"Three thousand Eddies. It's a model from a Porsche 911 II (930), whose parts are now hard to find. Think you can handle it?" The mentor scrutinized my face, waiting for my decision.

"How much time do I have?" I put on my upgraded augmented reality glasses and pulled out a toolkit that the girl had recently started bringing to work.

"Four hours. The client said he'd be here by then. But my terms are a bit different. You've got only two hours to fix it. If you can't, you'll just assist, deal?" The brunette watched me expectantly, leaning slightly forward.

"I'll do my best," I said, shaking my hands and displaying a 3D diagram of the device on the periphery of my vision, found in the screen's system itself.

First, I needed to figure out what was causing the malfunction. I tried powering up the holographic display, but unsurprisingly, nothing happened. Well, it was worth a shot. I had to resort to heavier artillery, connecting the screen to a special tool and discovering a short circuit in one of the power circuits. It seemed something inside was damaged due to poor storage conditions. People here don't really value their possessions, with few exceptions. Perhaps our client is one of those who use something until it breaks.

In this task, concentration and precision were key, and I had no issues with either. The tool did all the work; I just had to give commands, making sure each time that it didn't mess up the process. I had to replace some parts and make a few makeshift repairs, but overall functionality wasn't affected. The job took me just over an hour, during which Sue managed to take a couple of other orders and even had a spat with someone over audio communication.

"Done." I returned the polished part to the mentor, awaiting her final verdict.

"Let's see... not bad..." She connected the device to an analyzer and started checking the results of my efforts. "There will be some drop-offs here, but for a newbie, it's very good, even excellent. This soldering here is unreliable; it needs to be redone. If it overheats, the part will start to falter." The teacher displayed notes on my screen to save me time. "Overall, good. Not without minor flaws, but certainly better than most 'handymen' from Kabuki." She delivered her final verdict.

After fixing the flaws, I finally relaxed, stretching contentedly in my chair. It's not every day you get to fix such a costly part outside of an official repair service. They would have charged at least 5-6 thousand Eddies for the job. The part was a rare item, previously used in a limited-edition sports car. I was even curious to see the enthusiast for this antique in person. The local cars are far from those produced half a century ago. Nowadays, they seem too ornate and lack the predatory grace of the past.

"Well done, I've already contacted the client. He said he'd come to pick it up in an hour. Good work, Alex." Sue tried to muss up my hair again, but I anticipated it and dodged.

"Don't touch." I crossed my arms over my chest, moving back so Mitchell couldn't reach me.

"Such a little brat, denying a lonely, beautiful girl the chance to express her warm feelings." Susan sniffled and turned away.

"Stop the drama." I rolled my eyes and returned to my spot. "If you're so eager to hug me, I can give you a hug-pillow."

"A cheap imitation can't replace real hugs." Susan folded her arms across her chest. "Anyway, stop loafing around; we've been idle for two minutes." She raised her finger importantly, pushing another item in need of our care under my nose.

"Your wish is my command, oh master." I mimicked some well-known acolytes, sighing as I started the monotonous work...

***

BioTechnica Corporation Headquarters

Valentin Astra read through the reports from his agents with growing unease. Three years of work on the "Future Human" project had gone down the drain due to his haste. He understood that he had been pushing his subordinates too hard lately, but this was due to the pressure from higher-ranking leaders who had subtly urged him to accelerate the process.

Mikhail Volkov and Hirako Arasaka had prepared well for their escape. The girl had uploaded a dormant virus into the systems, bearing a striking resemblance to R.A.B.I.D.S. (Roving Autonomous Bartmoss Interface Drones). However, unlike its predecessor, which transferred fragmented information across the network, this virus literally destroyed it, replacing data with a single phrase - "Hofuku." Translated from Japanese, it meant "retribution," and Astra noted the symbolic significance in this.

Having other samples allowed the project to continue, but the loss of technical data on their creation significantly slowed down further research progress. The new team of scientists was larger, but their combined expertise barely matched that of Mikhail and Hirako.

Incoming Call - Head of the Pharmaceutical Department

Call Accepted - Connection Established

"Yes." Valentin accepted the incoming video call.

"Mr. Astra, I'm pleased to report that the trials for our new painkillers are nearly complete. We're in the final stages of eliminating side effects." The scientist nervously adjusted the frame of his glasses, worn to project a certain image.

"Indeed, good news, but the issue is time. As you know, such a valuable resource in our field is quite limited, and if we don't release our new product soon, our competitors at Arasaka will occupy this niche before us."

"I understand, but I'm afraid the current side effects are too severe for patient health."

"Your report lacks specifics. Tell me straight, Jacob, what do we have at the moment?" The blond man interlaced his fingers, gazing intently at his subordinate.

"Securicine leads to gradual neurodegeneration if used more than twice a month. Overdose effects are felt the next day, manifesting in reduced bodily reactions, followed by further loss of sensitivity. To be blunt, in this case, the consumer has a 95% chance of death, as their internal organs will also be affected." Jacob adjusted his glasses again, nervously awaiting his superior's decision.

"I have confirmed information that Arasaka is completing trials on their 'maxdoc,' which will hit the market in four months. As you understand, you must provide me with a finished product within this timeframe." Valentin stated categorically, feeling an eerie sense of déjà vu.

"This is too short a timeframe. We'll need about three months just to minimize the side effects, let alone eliminate them completely."

"Then just reduce them to this minimum, and later we can gradually replace the drug with a more advanced model. Do you understand your current task?" The blond man arched an eyebrow, his orange eyes gleaming.

"Crystal clear, Mr. Astra." Jacob mopped the sweat from his brow with a handkerchief.

"Then I consider further dialogue pointless."

Call Ended, Connection Terminated

The man massaged his temples wearily, focusing his gaze on the monitor screen. Another pointless report, begging for more: time, money, people, resources... They think he doesn't understand that these are indeed needed. His superiors don't care. BioTechnica, like any other corporation, is trying to maximize profit in a specific timeframe. Such a huge machine simply cannot afford extra expenses. More accurately, it does not want to.

"I need to take a couple of days off. I really don't feel like solving other people's problems right now." The fatigue made the blond man speak aloud. Valentin disliked this tendency in himself and immediately sent a pre-prepared email to the HR department. Astra's status wouldn't allow anyone to ignore his message, relegating it to "spam."

"At least there's some benefit to my position, apart from endless headaches." The man leaned back in his chair and drifted into a brief doze, waiting for a response...

***

"I've come to collect this item." A notable Japanese man approached us, wearing a jacket with the Arasaka corporation logo. His eyes briefly glowed blue, transmitting data about the product to Susan.

"Here you go, the item is in perfect order." Susan handed the packaged display to the man, who didn't even bother to check it. Silently, he stuffed the device into his shoulder-slung sports bag, and then his eyes lit up again. The corporate transferred the money electronically, which wasn't surprising given the large amount involved and the inconvenience of carrying cash.

"I certainly hope so. Otherwise, the owner of the item has promised to cut off the hands of whoever repairs it poorly." The Japanese man declared importantly, patronizingly smiling at the mentor.

"Noted." Sue demonstratively pulled a disassembled radio closer to herself, indicating to the man that he was no longer of interest to her.

"Until next time, Nezumi (rats)." The man smirked at his 'witty' comment and left with a proud demeanor.

"Jerk." I waited until the Japanese man was out of sight and crossed my arms in displeasure.

"I agree, but that freak pays well. In our line of work, we have to tolerate all sorts of scum, and he was actually quite polite." The dark-haired beauty shrugged, trying to mask her irritation. After nearly three months of working together, I had become quite good at reading her emotions.

"The important thing is not to become like them." I stood up from the chair, intending to stretch my legs a bit. Sitting work sometimes requires a little exercise.

"You're right about that." The mentor nodded. "You're still looking for an apartment, right?" Susan unexpectedly asked, pausing her work and turning to face me.

"Actively searching, I'd say."

"Good, my neighbor moved out yesterday, and his apartment is now vacant. It's a rental, but I know the owner well. The rent is 2000 eurobucks. It's the same size as mine. The extra room can be converted into another bedroom if you're interested, I can talk to the owner."

"I'm pretty much ready to agree right now, but I need to ask the others. It wouldn't be fair to make such a decision alone." I sat back down, activating the interface of my glasses.

"I need an answer by tomorrow. There are many people wanting to live in this area for that price." Mitchell smiled, sending me a rough view of the room.

"I'll try to be persuasive enough." I lifted my lips in a slight smile. Living in a rental, even if not ideal, is still better than in a well-equipped basement. At least there, I'd have the constant use of my glasses, meaning I wouldn't have to wander around the shelter's vicinity in the evenings trying to kill time.

Several hours remained until the end of the workday, but the mentor made it clear she would let me off early today. I think Marco will be thrilled when he finds out that Sue's sister might become his neighbor...

A/N: Thank you all for the support. If you want even more chapters, please send some power stones – it's very motivating!