Chapter 28 (Part 1)

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August 20, 2066

Valentin Astra POV

The blonde-haired man thoughtfully studied the data, reviewing the aftermath of the cyberattack that had occurred the night before. An unknown group of netrunners had managed to significantly damage their corporate ICE defenses, leaving multiple vulnerabilities behind. The cybersecurity team was still working to assess the full extent of the damage, trying to track the flow of stolen data.

The attack had been surprisingly fierce. No one had expected anyone to be able to breach the defenses of an AI designed to guard such sensitive information. The only ones capable of such feats were believed to have long since perished, buried in the ashes of the Fourth Corporate War.

Since the creation of the Blackwall, Netwatch had been working tirelessly to restore the network. In a short amount of time after the barrier went up, they had nearly rebuilt the entire European net. Yet despite their success, trust in them remained scarce.

The reason for the distrust was clear: rumors circulated that Netwatch had struck a deal with the AIs during the construction of the Blackwall. Some believed that the wall was only built because it suited the AIs' interests, granting them control over vast, abandoned portions of the net. The barrier had been erected without warning, leaving dozens of netrunners trapped on the other side with no hope of survival. In doing so, Netwatch had killed two birds with one stone: they eliminated a threat and rid themselves of troublesome hackers.

The price for this was the loss of the technological advancements made by self-aware AIs. Netwatch compensated for this by developing new tools that gave them complete control over the net. Crossing the Blackwall was strictly prohibited for both humans and AIs, but that didn't stop curious netrunners or rogue programs from attempting to breach it time and again.

The Blackwall is entirely invisible and doesn't always form a continuous barrier. Often, it slices through older network systems, allowing humans and AIs to access them simultaneously without either party being aware of the other. This leads to the frequent emergence of tales about "haunted data fortresses" or "possessed" cybersystems.

Valentin knew more about the dark side of the net than most hackers — perhaps even more than some of the best. The reason for his insight was simple: his superiors were the very AIs that had somehow crossed over into the real world. Of course, Astra hadn't realized right away who — or what — his "masters" truly were. It was only after some time that the AIs approached him, offering a special contract. Valentin would become their loyal servant, and in exchange, he would be granted the power and rewards he craved. He didn't hesitate to accept such a "generous" offer, happily selling his soul to the AIs.

Incoming Video Call – Tobias Raucher (Cybersecurity Department)

Call accepted – establishing connection.

"I'm listening," Valentin said, clasping his hands together as his sharp gaze drilled into his subordinate.

"Sir, we couldn't trace the netrunners' unique identifiers, but we managed to pick up a residual trail from those who carried out the attack," Tobias reported, sending an updated file through the secure channel.

"That's it?" Astra asked, his surprise barely masking the simmering anger beneath his calm demeanor.

"Yes, sir. Unfortunately, that's all we've got," Raucher nodded, unfazed by the thinly veiled frustration of his superior.

"I see..." The blonde paused, his eyes scanning the data repeatedly, as if sheer willpower could reveal something the investigation had missed.

"Sir?" Tobias spoke up again, hoping to regain his attention.

"You're dismissed," Valentin replied coldly, cutting the connection.

Call ended – connection terminated.

"Maybe I need a break from all this," Astra muttered, exhaling deeply as he pushed himself up from the chair and made his way to the bathroom. "What am I doing wrong?" he asked his reflection, staring into his own tired eyes in the mirror. "I really do need a break," he sighed, splashing cold water onto his face, letting the shock of the cold bring a fleeting sense of clarity.

 ***

August 20, 2066

Alex Mitchell (Volkov) POV

"Vega, let's wrap it up. We've had enough fun for one day," I said, switching off my visor and reclining back in my chair with a satisfied stretch.

"Alex, I believe that action was reckless," Vega, the android, remarked, her tone laced with disapproval.

"But you enjoyed it, didn't you?" I turned to face her, watching her reaction closely.

"It was dangerous," she insisted, standing firm.

"But fun," I countered, raising a finger theatrically, barely holding back a laugh. Vega's expression was priceless — her face contorted as she struggled to find the right words. She still hadn't fully mastered controlling her facial expressions, and I shamelessly exploited that fact.

"Kiwi, tell him," Vega abruptly switched tactics, appealing to the blonde, who was quietly sipping water nearby. Where did she even learn to do that?

"It's pointless. He won't listen to us anyway," Kiwi waved her hand dismissively, a playful smile tugging at her lips.

"You're being overly dramatic," I sighed, rolling my eyes as a smirk crept across my face.

If I think about it, Vega had started acting surprisingly human. Sometimes, I even found myself wondering if she had always been human and somehow ended up as an AI. Of course, that was just my imagination running wild. I knew everything about her — how she was made and by whom. But part of me couldn't help but think there might be more to her than I knew, something I hadn't yet discovered. Then again, it's not a truth I'm likely to uncover anytime soon.

Incoming Message – 'The Best Hacker in the Universe'

"Alex, I've heard about your little stunt. Gotta admit, it gave me a good laugh. Biotechnica is working overtime trying to track you down, but they're not getting anywhere. Oh, and you might want to tweak your decoys. Your demons are a bit too flawless, and in our line of work, balance is everything.

P.S. Next time, leave a better parting gift. (￢‿￢)"

"That old joker…" I chuckled, reading the message from my mentor again and remembering the "gift" I left behind.

"Something happen?" Kiwi asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Rach sent a message. Same as usual — he praised me and scolded me in the same breath," I shrugged, my eyes flicking toward Vega, who had suddenly gone still. "Vega?" I called out.

"Apologies," she replied, her tone sharp and focused. "I've detected suspicious data redirection through a closed channel in the megabuilding's internal network. It appears the local AI is linked to that trio after all."

"Seems my precautions weren't for nothing." I recalled my recent infiltration into the AI control room. My goal had been to establish oversight over the AI and monitor everything within the megabuilding, and now it seemed that had paid off. "Nothing to worry about for now, but it's definitely a red flag. We should lay low and avoid drawing attention from the megacorps for a while."

It might be the perfect time for me to make a radical shift in my career and dive into mercenary work. Marco gave me a detailed rundown of how things work in this line of business. Mercenaries, or "solos" as they're more commonly called these days, operate around the clock. There are plenty of fixers in the city, but each district has its own go-to person from the so-called "upper league." Once a merc builds enough reputation, these fixers can offer them the most lucrative jobs. According to Ramirez, this type of work typically appeals to people looking to make a quick score and then vanish for months, if not years. Honestly, my dives into the underground Militech complex or the raid on an Arasaka lab could definitely be classified as "upper league" jobs.

The first thing I need to do is talk to Wakako and clear up a few details. I'm planning to work strictly at night. The streets are way too crowded during the day, making it difficult to operate discreetly. My specialty is going to be infiltration missions, where the main objective is silence. The quieter I keep things, the less attention I'll attract — and that's exactly what I need.

 ***

My conversation with Wakako took place the next day and wrapped up much faster than I had initially expected. The old Japanese woman got straight to the point, laying out a rough plan for my upcoming jobs. She didn't even blink when I requested to focus on nighttime operations and missions that demanded stealth and discretion.

To my surprise, those types of jobs weren't in high demand — or, more accurately, very few people were actually capable of pulling them off quietly. Most lower-tier mercs lacked either the experience or the gear for such delicate work. I, on the other hand, had two critical advantages.

Using my usual exosuits was out of the question for these jobs, so I had to design something I could wear discreetly under regular clothes, without sacrificing the key functions of my previous gear. As a base, I repurposed an old prototype of the "Icarus" suit I had originally made for Kiwi. It had active camouflage and vibration-dampening systems — perfect for stealth missions. On top of that, I finally managed to upgrade my Sandevistan. It's now compact enough, with all its primary functions transferred to a new augmentation. It took some serious effort, but with Kiwi and Vega's help, we pulled it off. Roosevelt had given us such a deep knowledge of medicine, and I'm starting to realize he was far more than just a wandering nomad...

"Heading out?" Kiwi asked, watching my preparations closely, her eyes scanning my new look with curiosity.

"I've lined up some work with Wakako. I need to extract information from one of Maelstrom's bases in Watson. Long story short, Wakako suspects someone's leaking the Tiger Claws' plans and routes, and I'm going in to confirm it." I zipped up the tactical suit that would go with my new exoskeleton.

"Have you named your new creation yet?" Kiwi asked, her interest piqued.

"Silencio."

"Silence, huh?" Kiwi smirked, walking around me as she inspected the suit. "I've got to admit, it's pretty discreet."

"I didn't install a reactor in this exoskeleton. Instead, I added a few high-powered batteries to keep everything running. It'll last about an hour with all systems active, which is more than enough for what I need. The only downside is that without power, there's no movement assistance, but the weight's not really an issue for me."

"With your strength, I'd be surprised if it was," Kiwi shook her head, placing her hands on my face. She gently pulled me down, and I leaned in for a kiss. "For luck," she said, breaking it with a playful smile, hiding her hands behind her back. Looks like I'm not the only one who enjoys a bit of teasing.

"Vega, when I give the signal, link Lucy and Roxy to me. I want them to practice hacking databases in real-time. I've already given them a heads-up," I said, turning to the android standing nearby, quietly observing us from the sidelines.

"Understood, Alex," the white-haired beauty nodded, though she hesitated to come closer. Kiwi, on the other hand, glanced over at Vega, almost like she was waiting for her to make a move.

"For an AI, you sure are slow..." Kiwi teased, suddenly pulling her "twin" toward me, holding onto the other blonde like she might bolt at any moment.

"For luck," Vega repeated her sister's gesture, leaning in to kiss me as well.

Looking at my life from the outside, it seems like I've got no shortage of luck. I stopped getting embarrassed by moments like this a while ago, but I never miss a chance to savor them. What pleased me most was watching Vega — every day, she was becoming more and more "human." Yes, human — that's exactly the word. I half-expected something like this when I made the final preparations to transfer her AI into a real body.

"You look way too satisfied," Kiwi muttered, giving me a light punch on the shoulder.

"Just remember, you're responsible for at least half of what's been going on between the three of us lately," I teased, raising my eyebrows suggestively, making the long-haired blonde blush.

"As if you were resisting," Kiwi huffed, crossing her arms and tilting her head with a smug grin.

"Touche," I laughed, pulling both blondes in for a tight hug. "Anyway, I've got to go, so try not to miss me too much while I'm gone."