The Heist

35 kilometers southeast of Night City, in the arid Badlands, a bright full moon cast long shadows over the dusty terrain.

Despite the majestic night sky, where stars sparkled without light pollution to dull their shine, Sora found himself missing out on that celestial spectacle above him. Lying face down, eyes fixed behind the scope of his rifle, he carefully studied the airbase extending 1.1 km in the distance before him.

Almost magically melded with the shadow cast by one of the gigantic sedimentary rock formations rising like pillars on the canyon's peak where he lay, thanks to the Ghillie poncho he wore, camouflaging his presence.

Comprising several layers, one with photo-reactive panels mimicking the colors of the surroundings and another layer with liquid-cushioning containing nanobots imitating textures.

The poncho hood had two openings for the triangular protrusions of the helmet, like ears of a cybernetic beast. This time, being in an exposed position while lying down, with its microphones active, amplifying any ambient noise, like genuine wolf ears.

Militech's base under his scope, designed in a pattern that maximized efficiency and defense, with takeoff tracks and hangars providing shelter for a fleet of hovercraft and rapid deployment ships, nestled amidst smaller buildings and a large amount of security, all following Militech's characteristic military design.

Among the hangars, towards the rear of the base, there was a workshop and warehouse for maintaining automated drone units. They continuously went in and out, starting and finishing their patrol rounds around and inside the base, accompanied by regular Militech soldiers.

An imposing building, with antennas piercing the night sky and an extremely overloaded appearance, full of cooling and power systems, seemed to house one of the crucial points of the base: its servers, maintaining all its systems online.

The base perimeter was surrounded by high walls exceeding 5 meters in height, equipped with advanced motion, heat, and sonar sensors, relaying everything they detected to the twin turrets standing at every corner and every few meters along the wall, providing 360-degree coverage without blind spots.

And finally, right in the middle of the base, was Sora's target, a black structure serving as both a landing zone and a hangar and workshop for the Blackaquila.

Sora sighed at the view through his rifle scope, the base appearing almost impregnable. After checking the time on his HUD, with his shoulder, he shifted his rifle slightly to aim outside the base, waiting for a change.

While waiting, Sora grabbed a massive .50 BMG (12.7x99mm) black bullet from the case beside him and loaded it into the rifle, smoothly closing the bolt. 

The rifle he used was an SPT32 Grad, one of the weapons he had stolen from Smasher. Due to its simple design, slow rate of fire, low ammo capacity, and long reload time, many of his younger contemporaries from Tsunami or Militech categorized it as obsolete.

But despite all that...

It was still considered by many as one of the best sniper rifles on the market, Sora included. For one simple reason, its devastating firepower, offering an unparalleled range that compensated for all its shortcomings.

After all, as everyone knows... the best weapon is the one you only need to fire once.

And as for its simple design... Sora had customized it to the bone.

He had replaced its stock with a more aerodynamic and lighter one, sculpted to fit his shoulder, with an ergonomic gap for closing the grip with his thumb.

The barrel mouth normally widened to the sides with an effective muzzle brake to counteract recoil, but it was currently equipped with a large-caliber suppressor.

He had also installed self-adjusting steel-legged bipods, with a grip rising from the bipod over the rifle to the scope without obstructing his vision, making it easier to carry if running was necessary.

With the scope, Sora had spared no expense, buying a smart Gaki-SRS99 sight, manufactured by Tsunami. Equipped with an integrated microprocessor for shot assistance and trajectory preview, with a second lens providing telemetry information. All at speeds capable of operating alongside a Sandervista.

As he finished checking his weapon, the surroundings of the base suddenly lit up, with half a dozen Raffen Shiv vehicles from the Wraiths clan breaking into the area, music blaring. Screaming under the influence of drugs as they wildly fired at the base.

Totally camouflaged, Sora couldn't help but smile at the unexpected professionalism of the bunch of junkies and murderers, such as the Raffen Shiv, attacking the base exactly at the agreed-upon time. 

The base's response was swift; every single turret came to life. The Raffen vehicles reacted, speeding up as they dodged the shots. One of the cars, after accelerating to the maximum, filled its hood with smoke, suffering a lethal malfunction that made it an easy target for the turrets.

Between the turret shots and the vehicle's explosion, Sora seized the moment to cover his movements. He used his nanobots to momentarily stop his heart without a disturbing pulse, aimed at a small 3cm radius vent on the server building. Then, he pulled the trigger.

This made him visible for an instant, as the shot's shockwave shook all the surrounding dust, glitching his camouflage. Grateful for his mechanical right arm that absorbed the recoil, it still made the tips of his cybernetic fingers tremble.

The bullet traversed the 1.1 km of the dry air in the Badlands in an instant, silently slipping into the vent, unnoticed by the entire base.

A few seconds after the Raffen Shiv fled, Sora, receiving a video call on his IDn, disconnected the telemetry cable connecting his helmet to his rifle scope. In the cyberspace of his nanobots, his Soulcode changed its form, while Sora changed his voice before responding.

["This is Captain Price,"] said Sora, adopting a deeper and seasoned voice, while his Soulcode in total synchronization played the role of "Captain Price" in the video call. Wearing a Militech military uniform.

["I know who the hell I'm calling. Price, we've done what you wanted and attacked your base. With this, you can increase the danger in your sector before the arrival of the supervisor you fear so much... Now, as agreed, release the Eddies!"] responded the Raffen leader.

Manifesting within the small window of Sora's IDn, the figure appeared as a robust man, his face marked by a chaotic pattern of numerous healed cuts—resembling the aftermath of countless fragments from an explosion that had slashed across his face

Instead of hair, proudly displaying a prominent scar that had slightly deformed the shape of his skull. Wearing a worn leather vest, decorated with all kinds of patches, anarchic symbols, and with the tabs around his neck full of sharp metal spikes.

["I'm aware, but I warned you not to shoot directly at the base. And even so, one of your stray bullets hit one of my men! You're lucky I don't go hunting for you."] said Captain Sora, with a falsely unacceptable tone.

["Hunting us? A'r you upset because one of his men got hurt!? One of your turrets took out one of mine. And you won't hear me complain about it, right? That's life! Not everything goes as planned."]

["I don't care. That's not what we agreed upon. I'm not paying you for such a sloppy job," Sora said with the typical strict and uncompromising tone of military personnel, while his Soulcode passed his fingers playing with his mustache.

["Ah! What did you say, shit mustache? I would advise you to be careful with what you say, Captain. The Raffen aren't Nomads you can use as you please," exclaimed the annoyed Raffen leader, reacting to Sora and Soulcode's performance.

["I don't care about your threats, whether you're Nomads, Raffen, Wraiths, or simply 'scavengers,' which is what you are. You're just disposable savages!"] Sora replied, matching the tone of the Raffen leader.

["I see... you damn old man... you think you can mess with us? You hire us to attack your base... we've done it, even costing lives, and now... you don't want to pay us? You're playing with fire..."] said the angry Raffen leader, showing his sharp, copper-toned teeth.

With an air of superiority, Sora responded, ["Your threats mean-"] unable to finish.

When the Raffen leader, after regaining composure, intervened with a dangerously slow tone, ["We'll see, Captain... I hope the review of these few days you're so concerned about goes smoothly..."]

The Soulcode acted falsely concerned upon hearing the threat, while Sora added nervously, ["You wouldn't dare... you'll be eliminated."]

["Maybe, but no one messes with the Wraiths, and you've said too much."] Immediately after, the Raffen leader ended the call.

As he did so, Sora chuckled under his breath, still maintaining the fake 'Captain Price' voice for a few more seconds before returning to his own. "Heh... I have to congratulate Rogue for her contacts with the Raffen. They're the level of idiots I needed."

Having nearly completed his preparations for the big day, Sora issued the order for decompression.

-

Meanwhile, in a maintenance room filled with an intricate network of pipes and cables, located within the building housing the base's servers, a technician entered the room.

After observing a metal pipe bent due to an impact, he grabbed his radio. "Here, Technician-241. The system was right in section 17-C; there's a damaged pipe, seems to be from... a gunshot?"

"No sir, I'm not drunk, no, I'm not joking either," the technician replied hastily, not understanding how a gunshot had reached a windowless room.

The technician examined the room again, stopping at an air vent about 3 cm in diameter, corresponding to the impact trajectory on the pipe. "It seems a stray bullet from the assailants entered through one of the building's air vents."

"Eh! The bullet? I can't find it anywhere, S-sir," the technician nervously responded to his boss's new order, scrutinizing the floor unsuccessfully for the bullet.

Unable to find it, as the Nanobots forming it had already decompressed.

The nanobots moved through the building via the ventilation system without triggering any alarms or sensors. They effortlessly reached the server room, hermetically sealed to any individual.

Once inside, the tiny nanobots grouped together, taking the form of a discreet USB drive connected to one of the multiple servers, creating a backdoor.

-

At the same time, Sora sent his Soulcode to verify the newly created Back Door that he would use on the day of the heist, eliciting a smile in the digitalization of his consciousness when it smoothly appeared within Militech's cyberspace server. It even breached the protective Firewall.

Seizing the opportunity since he was already there, the Soulcode began searching for information about the Blackaquila, the controller of drones, sensors, and turrets.

However, while exploring the initial data, the Soulcode began to notice peculiar patterns in the server's structure. Examining any file revealed an echo in the data flow. 'As if every bit of information in the server were perfectly counted and categorized... almost in sync with... another, Shit!'

When the Soulcode realized what was happening, it was too late. All information and files vanished abruptly. all he could do was await the imminent alarm.

Connected to his Soulcode, Sora understood what was unfolding and quickly opened his eyes while slowing down his perception of time, needing to make a decision in milliseconds.

Either he allowed his Soulcode and Black Door to be detected or created another reason for the impending alarm that was about to activate, but in doing so, he would be discovered.

With his decision made, Sora loaded a regular bullet into the Grad's rail and swiftly dropped to one knee in a firing position, elbow resting against his knee to stabilize his rifle.

Tracing the cables emanating from the server building, Sora located several trailers, partially concealed behind the building, which he now understood functioned as secondary servers in synchronization with the primary one. The culprits causing the issue.

As they were synchronized with the main server, when his Soulcode explored the server, a data discrepancy was created with the secondary one, triggering the system. As the main server shut down to protect its content, information about the data discrepancy was only found in the secondary servers.

With this in mind, Sora decided to protect the Back Door and create another reason for the impending alarm. He locked the rifle's bolt and fired. The bullet sliced through the air, hitting one of the trailers and setting off a series of sparks and flashes.

With the main servers down and the shot causing a malfunction in the secondary ones, the base temporarily lost power, and its security systems shut down. However, in the next instant, the main server resumed functioning, reactivating everything, including the alarm that echoed throughout the base.

A swarm of Militech Wyvern drones examined the trajectory of the shot and, as they headed towards the origin, accompanied by a few Zetatech Octants in the swarm, shared the data with the turrets, which started firing.

"Fuck, fuck, FUCK!" muttered Sora, finally shouting it out loud as he grabbed the Grad's handle and ran, distancing himself from the imminent hail of bullets.

The gunshots shattered the top of the canyon where he stood, turning the imposing stone columns into dust.

Without wasting time, Sora slung the Grad over his back and leaped down the embankment, sliding several meters downhill on the sand to quickly reach his armored Yaiba motorcycle, with an Eco waiting for him on the screen.

Quickly, Sora mounted his Yaiba as the buzzing sound of the drones grew louder as they ascended over the canyon. Once they cleared the summit, the swarm of drones unleashed a barrage of bullets at him.

With a thunderous roar of the engine, Sora turned the accelerator, shooting forward with his bike, dodging the projectiles.

While shooting at him, Sora zigzagged among the rocks and headed towards the canyon's gorge, descending the steep walls while increasing speed. Upon reaching the base of the gorge, the rear wheel of his Yaiba skidded due to the combination of speed and changing terrain, from stone to sand.

In the gorge, with narrower passages, Sora observed how the drones grouped behind him, pursuing him in formation. Taking advantage of this, he pulled two silver spheres and a black one from inside his poncho.

Then, he dropped the two silver spheres consecutively, and after verifying the simulation in his cyberspace, released the black sphere a few seconds later.

The two silver spheres detonated in quick succession, unleashing a wave of electromagnetic pulses that affected most of the drone swarm, destabilizing them and causing them to crash a few meters ahead.

Right where the black sphere awaited them, exploding moments later when the drones unaffected by the two PEM grenades flew over it. 

The result was a tricky one, as the crashed Wyvern drones, were utilized and turned into fragments, maximizing the destruction of the remaining Octant drones, heavier and slower, as they were pierced by their debris.

Smiling at the spectacle through the rearview mirrors of his Yaiba, Sora, now without pursuers, accelerated and headed towards the steep walls of the gorge, shooting out of it.

Raising a cloud of dust, Sora headed towards the nearest road, in the direction of the gleaming metropolis of Night City on the horizon.

-

At the same time, at the Militech airbase.

In the bustling control center, Tristana Myers burst into the room, surrounded by her entourage of highly trained security and augmented with the best Cyberware that eurodollars could buy. The young heiress, with her characteristically somewhat absent expression, observed the frenetic activity of the personnel. She approached the base captain, who noticed her arrival and hurried over.

Tristana inquired in a monotone voice, "What's happening, Captain?"

The captain, visibly nervous due to Tristana's pedigree, which could sink his career with a single phrase, replied, "Miss Myers, the base has been attacked. We've lost one of the trailers that make up the secondary server. We believe that's the cause of the blackout."

Tristana analyzed the situation for a moment and asked, "Hmm, that's unusual. If the secondary server has been attacked, the main one should have continued without issues. Do you have the records from the primary server?"

"Yes, we found nothing unusual. In the last entry within the logs, both for the server and the firewall, everything is clean."

"And the records from the secondary?" she inquired.

"I'm afraid they're incomplete due to the attack and the subsequent sudden blackout. It only left one entry, unfinished, about the status of the main server."

Upon hearing this, Tristana thought about Militech's adopted system, which she found distasteful due to the amount of resources they were wasting to implement it, all stemming from the massive hacking incident that occurred three years ago in the city.

After that hack, Militech had opted for the dual-server system in all possible bases and in all secret projects. Although crude, it served its purpose, creating a complete shutdown when the slightest data discrepancy was detected between the two servers.

Despite recalling the case from three years ago, not even she could imagine that the perpetrator of the current attack was the same, leading her to respond incorrectly to the captain's next question.

"Even though we haven't found anything, if you wish, I'll instruct the technicians to review the main server for any faults, piece by piece if necessary."

"I don't think it's necessary to go to such extremes. Besides, that would slow down my work."

"Regarding the attacker, we've deployed drones, but all have been destroyed without a clear identification of the aggressor."

While explaining the situation, the captain showed the clip with the last seconds recorded by the drones. Tristana examined the clip attentively. Her expression, although generally emotionless like a doll, showed a slight hint of curiosity.

Tristana, watching the video again, of the blurry figure on a motorcycle, said, "The timing between the attacks makes it seem related to the Nomads or whatever these barbarians are called. But this efficiency and technology to avoid being identified suggest otherwise."

Agreeing, the captain responded, "It's unusual. Even with our best image reconstruction software, we're unable to clarify the image, let alone identify the assailant."

After reviewing the video for the third time, Tristana made a decision. "Captain, order the launch of the AVs. I want the attacker apprehended, alive."

Nodding, somewhat surprised by the strange display of determination on Tristana's normally empty face, he gave the order for the AVs to take off. "As you command, Miss Myers."

Tristana, regaining her absent expression, concluded, "The technology the attacker is using is undoubtedly... interesting."

-

When Sora was about 10 km from Night City, he glanced in the rearview mirror of his motorcycle and saw three headlights rising behind him.

Three Militech AVs were closing in, with two of them hovering over the Sora's head, blocking his path, while the third remained in the air, pointing its spotlight directly at him.

Sora had to brake, planting his leg on the ground as he skidded to a stop about 5 meters parallel to the AVs blocking his way. Amid the vibrations of the Yuiba's engine and the constant roar of the AVs' retro-thrusters, a distorted voice echoed through the AVs' speakers in tense silence:

["You are ordered to stop for attacking a base and destroying Militech property. You will be detained. If you don't want us to use force, surrender!"]

Rolling his eyes at the lame threat, Sora responded with a raised middle finger before darting off the road, kicking up a dust cloud as he reentered the Badlands.

Eco automatically adjusted the Yaiba, lifting the wheels and raising the chassis off the ground for a more off-road configuration. The AVs, as warned, used force, opening fire to stop Sora. However, taking advantage of the rough terrain, Sora, with Eco's assistance, zigzagged and performed evasive maneuvers to evade the shots.

Sora kept the three AVs on his tail, heading towards Night City through the Badlands. 

While they fired at them, Eco mobilized a significant number of nanobots from the rear of the Yaiba, creating a small rectangular launcher above the rear wheel. 

This device shot a rope with two semicircles on the sides, causing two AVs to swerve to avoid it. As it passed them, the semicircles activated, being magnetically drawn towards the AVs.

Feeling something impacting their AV bodies, both pilots tried to veer further, tightening the black rope connecting them, causing the opposite effect, being pushed together until they collided in mid-air. Ending up crashing to the ground.

"Heh," surprising and amusing Sora, who didn't expect it, all thanks to Eco.

After crashing, Eco dissolved the used nanobots, dispersing in the air, disappearing from the accident area as if nothing had happened, except for the wrecked AVs in the desert.

After a brief pause, checking on their comrades who had just collided, they exited the crashed AV along with the soldiers it carried. The pilot of the third AV continued the pursuit.

By the time the third AV caught up, Sora had reached about 4.5 km from the city. In a perplexing move, Sora stopped, causing the AV to momentarily lose track as it flew over him. The interruption was short-lived, as when the AV located the Yaiba, it had reversed direction, moving away from the city.

Gunshots echoed in the arid air as the motorcycle zigzagged until a bullet hit, seemingly damaging the Yaiba, slowing it down and releasing smoke. As if preferring death over capture, the pilot of the bike headed towards one of the deep canyons surrounding Night City. Before they could jump, the AV advanced and blocked the route, floating in front of the cliff.

The AV's doors opened, with several rows of heavily armed soldiers aiming at the motorcycle, the pilot halted the Yaiba. Seeing this, the AV landed, and the soldiers disembarked, still aiming at the pilot with raised hands.

"GET OFF THE VEHICLE, RIGHT NOW!" shouted the soldiers, shaking their weapons as an affirmation of their words.

The pilot, without arguing, dismounted the motorcycle, hands raised. Due to the poncho they wore, it was hard to tell if they were armed. The soldiers ordered, "Take off your clothes slowly, hands where I can see them."

The pilot complied, gracefully removing the poncho, revealing a sexy figure wrapped in a one-piece leather suit that accentuated every curve as if tailor-made. Despite some soldiers weakly trying to stop her, the rest delighted in watching her unzip the suit, creating a revealing neckline that stopped just after crossing her generous breasts.

When everyone was captivated, and the pilot raised her hands to her helmet as if about to reveal her face, instead of the helmet, the woman removed her entire head, stunning all the soldiers, leaving them paralyzed.

All the soldiers remained frozen, trying to comprehend the headless woman in front of them until a sudden exaggerated ["AUUUUA"] honk from the Yaiba in the style of old cartoons that Sora and Eco liked to watch snapped them out of it. Causing some soldiers to fall to the ground.

Immediately, the hologram of the sexy leather-clad woman disappeared, replaced by a black dog standing on its hind legs in the same style as the old cartoon.

As the confused soldiers aimed at it, Eco's animated hologram laughed ["hshshshsh"], covering his snout, while pointing at the AV behind them. 

Making them look. Then, Eco activated two thrusters on the same side of the AV, having entertained them enough time to gain time accessing the Av systems. This caused Militech's Aerodyne to tilt one of its sides until flip over, ending up upside down.

As the dust that the AV kicked up covered the area, Eco's hologram appeared over the Yaiba, which started its engine and effortlessly moved away without a pilot, while Eco's hologram, standing at the back of the motorcycle, elegantly bowed to its audience.

-

In the face of the surreal scene broadcasted from the soldiers' body cams and the AV's camera, which now transmitted an inverted image, an uncomfortable silence hung in the air at Militech Airbase's control center.

Veiled glances were cast fearfully toward Tristana, anticipating how she would react to the unfolding events, especially after the soldiers failed to carry out the order she had given, and more importantly, the manner in which they had failed.

However, instead of getting angry, Tristana chuckled, genuinely amused and surprised by the black cartoon dog's prank. It felt as if the bows the hologram made as it departed were directed at her after entertaining her with their joke.

"Miss, how do you want us to proceed?" asked the Captain, bewildered by Tristana's sudden laughter, which came to a halt as soon as he referred to her.

"Hmm, now I want that bike too," she mused to herself, confusing the Captain, who didn't have time to ask before she added, "Never mind, Captain, there's nothing we can do. We lost the real pilot and attacker of the base the moment he jumped from the vehicle, and we failed to realize it. We couldn't even capture the AI controlling the bike. Therefore, there is nothing we can do" Tristana concluded with a somewhat critical tone.

Aware of what had transpired, the Captain inquired, "When do you think we lost the real pilot?"

"No idea. Maybe he had another vehicle waiting, or perhaps... he had a secret entrance to Night City just for himself," she ironically replied, unaware that she had hit the mark.

-

At the same time,

On Richard Night's secret road, now his own secret road,

Sora advanced, resigned after what happened at the Militech base, along a dark one-way road with concrete walls and ceilings.

When the first two AVs were shot down, creating a gap with the Third AV, Sora descended from the Yaiba and activated his camouflage while Eco acted as a decoy to draw Militech away from the area.

Once they were far enough, Sora deactivated his camouflage and used a nearby hatch, carefully hidden, about 4 kilometers from the city wall.

This hatch provided access to Richard's hidden underground road network: a complete system of private entrances and exits that bypassed city controls and walls.

Despite having a larger vehicle entrance through which he had previously left the city, Sora decided to avoid it due to the presence of Militech in the area. After walking for a few minutes, he could discern red lights approaching him.

Recognizing the red taillights approaching him, Sora came to a halt at the side of the road. He waited there until the autonomous truck, reversing towards him, came to a stop in front of him. The passenger door opened automatically, revealing the holographic figure of Jarvis seated in the driver's seat

"Welcome, Boss. I've already heard about the results of your exploration. It's a shame they were discovered. Will we proceed with the established schedule, or do you want to wait for things to settle down?" Jarvis asked.

"Things have gotten complicated. I'll have to think of something to update the plan, but yes, we can't waste the opportunity the Raffens will create," replied Sora as he got into the truck and removed his dusty helmet.

"Do you really think those scavengers will create a distraction big enough? You're risking the whole operation by expecting too much from them, boss," Jarvis responded, moving his hands as if they were turning the steering wheel.

"It may be, but if they don't attack... I lose nothing, just a night camping. But if it works and they attack, I gain a lot. Still, I have to figure out how to solve the double server problem. If I split up, with my Soulcode taking care of one server and me of another, then I couldn't even move, let alone steal the 'bird,'" Sora explained.

"Well, Boss, I know you're used to working alone, but maybe your problems would be reduced if you compartmentalized the work a bit. It doesn't have to be you handling the servers and stealing the 'bird' at the same time, right?" Jarvis suggested.

"Hmm, I wanted to avoid calling Rebecca, as she's a leaky bucket for keeping secrets... but maybe I'll have to do it. Well, tell me, have you found out anything about what I assigned you?" Sora inquired.

"Uhmm... I've made progress, but the things I've discovered... aren't good. I've already informed Master Hiroyuki about my findings," Jarvis replied.

"How did he take your existence?" Sora asked, curious about it.

"Badly, undoubtedly. He got angry as soon as he saw me, especially with you after telling him what happened. As for me, at first, he acted with caution and distrust due to the Richard-like form I possess, which almost killed him. But when I took on my dog form, we could work without reservations," Jarvis explained.

"I'm glad. And well, what have you found at Night Corp about the time the Rogue AIs were controlling the company?" Sora asked, concerned about the movements of the Ais.

"Nothing, boss."Jarvis responded with a somber tone.

"Did they erase the records at Night Corp?" Sora inquired.

"No, boss. That's the problem. The records are clean. Apparently, they ran the company quite exceptionally, I must say. They made profits, invested in the right companies, and Night Corp won new construction contracts, all seemingly 'clean,'" Jarvis said, releasing the imaginary steering wheel he wasn't actually touching as he gestured with quotation marks on each side of his head.

"Until I found this millionaire irregular contract. It contains no details about what was built or where, only the equipment that Night Corp deployed to build it. According to a privacy clause with the client, created weeks before the date of this contract." Jarvis extended his hand to Sora, summoning the hologram of a document.

Sora touched the holografic paper offered by Jarvis with two fingers, receiving it in his ID, where he could read the document while Jarvis continued.

"If I had to guess, the clause was created to hide what was built in this contract, as it's the only one in Night Corp that's used or active. Even secret military contracts or contracts with other countries don't have it, but this one, hidden in plain sight... I know practically nothing about it," Jarvis explained.

Sora, reviewing the contract, whistled impressively when he read aloud the inventory of the contract.

"-Autonomous Builders (CA-1000) x 220 units.

-Lifting Drones (DL-200) x 122 units.

-Autonomous Excavators (EA-500) x 95 units.

-Welding Drone (SR-700) x 164 units.

-Mobile Conveyors (TM-3000) x 107 units.

-Vertical Assembly Towers (TEV-800) x 60 units.

Did they leave something in Night Corp's warehouses? With something like this, you could build a small city in 5 years. Jarvis, have you located at least where all this equipment ended up?" Sora inquired.

Shaking his head, Jarvis explained, "The transportation, both pickup and delivery, was managed by another company, and you may find this hard to believe, but all this inventory, or what's left of it after years of use... returned to Night Corp's hands just 5 years ago..."

As if finding it difficult to say, Jarvis paused for a moment before concluding, "When the contract ended."

Sora raised his eyebrows and, needing confirmation, asked, "Are you saying that since the Datakrash, the AIs have been building something?"

Finding it insulting, Jarvis added, "'Rogue' AIs, don't forget, boss. It seems derogatory to generalize all AIs with those behind the wall."

Causing Sora to exclaim, "Jarvis!" to bring him back on track.

"It's worse than that, boss. Not only were they working for almost 50 years... but it wasn't in one place... or one continent. After learning about this contract, I tried to locate any of these inventory machines... but all the ones that were returned were ordered to be destroyed, as they were considered obsolete and heavily used.

Whoever gave the order didn't account for the human factor. I managed to find a welding drone that was saved from the destruction order by a maintenance member who intended to give it a second life, and his supervisor allowed it.

After locating this employee and after giving him a small promotion, I accessed the drone's memory..."

"And?" Sora added.

"His memory had been wiped," Jarvis replied mercilessly, as if all his work had been for nothing.

Sora sighed and said resignedly, "What a waste of time."

Jarvis misunderstood his words and said. "Don't worry, boss. I've been investigating in my time with Miriam. It's not a waste of time at all."

Upon hearing this, Sora responded exasperatedly, "I'm talking about mine, Jarvis, for listening to you!"

"Don't say that, boss! I wouldn't tell you all this if I hadn't found anything. Although they wiped the drone's memory before returning it to Night Corp, the 'ROGUE' AIs made a mistake... They didn't erase the memory of the drone's welder!"

"?" With a clear question mark on Sora's face, Jarvis clarified, "The Welding Drone (SR-700), though old, was equipped with clever programming designed to achieve optimal welds adapted to different weather conditions. As part of its function, the welder of this drone kept a meticulous record of the various climates it had worked in, detailing the specific settings used for each.

With this data in hand, I've managed to estimate the continents these machines were operating in," Jarvis concluded.

Almost without letting him finish, Sora inquired, "Which ones?"

"All of them," Jarvis promptly responded, cutting off Sora's enthusiasm with his blunt answer.

"There are climate records that match the climates of each of the 6 continents, both in the northern and southern hemispheres, with notable climate variations recorded every decade. In other words, whatever construction they were involved in, it took place across the world at 10-year intervals."

"This is just an approximation, and the final number may vary, but as you mentioned, if all this equipment could build a small city in 5 years, what could they build in 10? Five constructions of 10 years each would give us the 50 years the contract lasted."

After hearing Jarvis, Sora showed his dismal mood, starting with a "Tch" as he clicked his lips. Unable to stop there, he continued with a frustrated "FUCK!" yelling, while simultaneously punching the dashboard of the rented truck, shattering it.

To finish, he said, "And that's just with two companies, Night Corp and the transportation one. Who knows how many more corporations they have in their hands. 

Like the damn Militech, which by the looks of it with Blackaquila is the next one they wan. 

And don't get me started on Arasaka... who knows how deeply involved the R-O-G-U-E AIs... happy now?" He suddenly asked rhetorically, looking at Jarvis for a moment, before continuing as if nothing "Are in the 'small' family business. DAMN!"

Despite his boss's dismal mood, Jarvis would typically let him vent without intervening. However, since his 'Boss' had taken the trouble to differentiate the AIs, as he had requested, even if it was ironically, Jarvis appreciated it and answered Sora's rhetorical question with a somewhat out-of-place, "Yes, thanks."

This caused Jarvis to stop joking and focus on "driving" without daring to divert his gaze from the road, as Sora's face was just a few centimeters away, looking at him as if he were contemplating whether to deactivate him or not.

Sora shook his head and stopped looking at the flustered Jarvis. Letting himself slump heavily against the seat's backrest, he lifted his head without strength, gazing at the ceiling with a sense of distress about the future.

He only knew a small fraction of what was going to happen. Whatever unfolded in the future, Sora could only prepare as best as he could for the day everything went to hell— to protect the handful of people who mattered to him as best as possible.

But the more he prepared and learned, the harder he found it to do.

As if a were a metaphor, the oppressive atmosphere within the truck decreased, upon crossing the gloomy road and reaching an illuminated underground, where a hopeful sight awaited Sora, lightening the heavy burden he felt:

Where, hundreds of spider bots and a few autonomous trucks moved in sync, transporting equipment, materials, or waste from the new constructions they were carrying out underground.

Observing the change in his creator's expression, and attempting to support him, Jarvis added some words as a narration to the hopeful image of the underground's development, "It may seem like the future is bleak, boss, but I'm sure of one thing; we're just getting started. We'll grow, become stronger, increase in numbers, and when the time comes, we won't let their plans unfold so easily."

"..." Jarvis's words rendered Sora silent as he stared at him seriously. Without changing his expression, he said, "Gay," lighting a cigarette.

"Hahahah," Thereupon, Sora laughed at Jarvis's sour face after opening his digital-heart to his creator. "Let's change the subject. Tell me, how are things down here?"

Jarvis sighed before providing a report on the state of the underground. "Even if the boss won't like it when she finds out. I used Iron Beast's resources, as you said, to acquire materials and rented 15 autonomous trucks to transport them here... probably forfeiting the deposit on one of them," Jarvis said, glancing at the destroyed dashboard and then at the culprit before continuing his report.

"With the materials, we've started re-building the bunker to accommodate the Blackaquila, upgrading outdated equipment, and establishing a complete workshop-laboratory where you can work on it.

We also disassembled the secret servers under Iron Beast and safely transported them to the bunker. We left the significant quantity of nanobots created to date under the Iron Beast headquarters, as ordered, and moved the rest of the necessary equipment to build more to the bunker.

Regarding the industrial zone underground, along with the maintenance Spider-bot assembly line, we've started work to establish Artificial Lighting and a modular hydroponic greenhouse, to expand in the future if necessary.

About energy, I activated 37 out of 150 turbines to generate enough electricity for the renovations and to have the highest number of Spider Bots online, currently at 217. We're not relying on the city's grid, as the boss wanted, eliminating any unnecessary energy usage like the lights on the auxiliary road we just used."

While Jarvis finished reporting, the truck advanced to the locks area, where 37 waterfalls cascaded, creating a combination where the serenity of the water and the coolness of the concrete almost harmonized.

Upon reaching the entrance, the Spider-bots tirelessly worked, moving concrete blocks, widening the main entrance of the bunker to accommodate even a combat aircraft.

The truck descended the construction ramp and entered the bunker, where more Spider-bots worked, some setting up the workshop-laboratory near what would be the landing area, others placing the weapons and furniture that Sora had in the basement of Iron Beast.

The bunker settled into a natural cave, utilizing its ample space to erect a clever and functional structure in the shape of an "L," where the elongated section represented the main floor, and the short section extended like an underground level.

Initially nearly empty when Sora arrived, the main floor was designated for the landing area, workshop, and weapon storage.

On the other hand, the underground floor followed Richard's original design, housing a refined bar with wooden floors, comfortable leather armchairs, and a collection of carefully preserved premium liquors. It also included a gym, one of the two bathrooms in the bunker, a master bedroom, and, standing out as the shelter's gem, a spacious pool with views from the upper level.

Sora got off the truck and placed his Grad rifle on the first-floor weapons mural. He left his poncho on one of the already assembled workshop tables to continue working on it in the future and put on his usual leather jacket.

Jarvis activated one of the old holographic cannons in the bunker, still pending updates, appearing obediently next to Sora. As Eco had used Richard's Ai butler code for Jarvis's creation, it showed in Jarvis's character when he asked, "Tell me, boss, do you want me to take you home?"

As if answering his question, ["AUuuA"], a comical honk resonated in the bunker when Eco, still controlling the Yaiba, arrived after having to use one of the farthest entrances.

"It won't be necessary. I asked Eco to come pick me up. Good job, Jarvis. Thanks for everything. Regarding the Night Corp contract, send a copy to Morgan on my behalf or Uncle Hiroyuki's, and get in touch with Niobe. I want you to introduce yourself to my mother, tell her everything that happened, and hand her a copy. Okay?"

"Do you want me to introduce myself to her? Are you sure? I don't know what she'll think of the idea of 'her son' of wining parcial control of Night Corp, taking advantage of a widow," Jarvis expressed with doubts. Nervous about the idea of presenting himself to Hanako Arasaka, and telling her the purpose of his creation, a result of her son's machinations.

"Sure, it seems like you're not interested in meeting her, from the way you say it, huh? And just to clarify, I'm not taking advantage of a widow; I'm taking control of an absurd system that a rich egomaniac created. It's not the same," Sora responded shamelessly, framing things as it suited him.

Earning a [-.-] non-covenience reaction from Jarvis, who added sarcastically, "Sure, whatever you say..."

"Jarvis, do what I told you. This is important; this is the kind of information that, if it reaches the right people, could help me a lot in the future."

"You should have said 'saving lives,' boss. You should start considering your public relations from now on and take care of your image. in the future, we do not know what kind of position you will end up in, and your charismatic selfishness may not be so charming to other humans."

"That's what I have you guys for, right?" said Sora, getting on his Yaiba and smiling before putting on the Okami helmet. Then, Eco accelerated and took them out of the bunker, towards the nearest elevator.

-

A few minutes later, Sora and Eco arrived at their apartment in Japatown. After parking in the garage, Eco separate his nanobots from the motorbike, forming his dog-like body with them.

While riding the elevator, Sora decided to make a call. When the call was accepted, without waiting, he exclaimed mentally, ["Shorty, I need your help!"]

The annoyed voice of "Shorty" on the other end of the call immediately responded before hanging up, ["SCREW YOU!"]

Finding it funny, Sora smiled as he shook his head, and after a few seconds of waiting, when the elevator doors opened on their floor, he received a call from Rebecca. Upon accepting it, Rebecca's voice resonated in Sora's mind, ["What do you want?"]

["I want to invite you to a night of camping outside the city!"] announced Sora, leaning against one of the walls, while talking to Rebecca with Eco sitting beside him.

["What? Are you a nomad now? Since when do you enjoy camping outside the city? What are you plotting?"]

["Well, you see, it all started with my uncle, you know? He was the first one to take me camping outside the city, and since then, I escape from time to time..."] Sora narrated ironically.

["Who the hell cares about that!"] Exasperating Rebecca, as he expected.

["Well, you asked, didn't you? You know, Judy loves camping out... when you grow up and find a good man, you'll understand...why"] He teased, playfully, branching off.

["Just so you know, I have hundreds of men crazy about me."] She replied, not lying, but not as good as it sounded.

["Yeah, but those are sick men, they don't count!"] Sora responded immediately, having to restrain himself from bursting into laughter ["Haha-hmpt, sorry, it seems there's interference in the area."]

["You... JERK!"] Rebecca exclaimed, with a vein bulging on her forehead at Sora's cheekiness, which she expressed in a loud laugh that resonated in his mind.

["Don't get mad. You might find a good man soon. I even have one in mind to introduce you to in the future, and about growing up... from what I've heard... it seems you're in the midst of a growth spurt, who would have thought at your age, huh? Nature is truly mysterious, don't you think? And wise, of course."] Sora said, with his self-promotion reaching a new level, which he could do while still teasing Rebecca.

["Ahmm... are you done yet?"] Rebecca responded, exasperated with just a minute of conversation, making him sympathize and worry about his friend Judy, who had to put up with him.

["Yes, I think so, but, just so you know I was serious about David."]

["David?"]

["A good guy, I'm sure you'll love him, and when he meets you, with 'the process' completed and your body fully developed, I'm convinced he'll only have eyes for you."]

Rebecca was swept away by Sora's evocative words, which caught her with something she had always longed for, especially now that the dark clouds over her future had cleared, filling her body with hopes.

The young woman immersed herself in her thoughts, forgetting the rest of the world, and as if talking to herself, she asked with a sweet expectant voice, ["Really? W-what is he like... David?"]

Sora smiled upon hearing Rebecca, who seemed to be in love even before meeting him. Tempted to tease her more, he chose to keep talking a bit more about David.

After finishing the personal chat and returning to business, Sora said, ["Rebecca, do you know if your friend Sasha is free? I need a reliable Netrunner."]

["Oh, is she reliable now? I thought you two didn't get along."] Rebecca replied with a touch of sarcasm.

["You do, don't you? That's enough for me, to some extent."]

["Flattering, but sorry, she's out of town. She made friends with an old journalist, the last time I talked to her, she was going to Washington with her for a few days, digging into whatever they're working on."] Rebecca said with a hint of resentment in her voice.

["Damn"] exclaimed Sora.

["Maine has hired a new Netrunner for the group. If you're interested, I can ask."]

["Where did the new recruit come from?"] Sora asked, already having an idea of who it might be.

["Faraday's sucker, ate Maine's ear to hire her. Her name is Kiwi."].

["Pass, stay away from her when you can, and never entrust her with your life."] Sora replied, serious in his warning.

["You know something? She didn't seem like a bad person to me, a bit quiet, but nothing bad."] Rebecca said with confusion, not feeling anything bad about her, even thinking they could become friends. But the seriousness in Sora's tone reversed everything Rebecca thought.

["Just be careful with her, okay? And tell Maine not even to think about bringing her to Iron Beast."] Sora said, with a genuinely concerned tone for Rebecca, which was quickly replaced by a stern one.

["We don't plan to. Apparently, Faraday found out we were working on Iron Beast and insisted on bringing her as reinforcement, but Maine refused. He didn't want to jeopardize the job with you. She's scheduled to join the team after we finish. Anyway, I'll pass on what you said about her to Maine."]

["Good."]

["About the Netrunner, there's a new one in town who's gaining a good reputation in recent weeks. The only downside is that she only works with that fat bastard Dexter DeShawn. Her name is T-bug; if you want, I can ask about her."]

["Nah, I don't want my 'shit' reach Dex's fat boy's ears."]

["Well, I'm running out of options. Wait! I swear there's someone else off the grid and without a name, perfect for the shady stuff you're preparing. The only downside is that I would have to ask Kiwi about her. When we met her the other day, she talked about a colleague of hers, referred to her as a genius. Maybe I can get her ID. I think she said her name was..."] While Rebecca remembered the name.

Sora said it for her; ["Lucy"]

Surprising Rebecca who exclaimed. ["Yes! Do you know her?"]

Having given her a really good idea, Sora concluded the call. ["Yes, something like that. Thanks, Becca. I'll take care of the Netrunner. Remember, in two days, we're going camping, ask Maine for the car, okay?"]

Rebecca, having to borrow the car from Maine again, which annoyed her more each time, said irritably, ["Tch, as always. When are you going to get a car?"]

Sora replied, ["I'll get something better."]

Intriguing Rebecca, ["What does that mean?"]

["You'll find out in two days."] He replied before hanging up.

Sora, after concluding the call with Rebecca, stood in front of his neighbor's door with the firm intention to knock, but doubts held him back.

Lucy obviously crossed his mind when thinking about netrunners, but Sora didn't need the 'Lucy' marked by her past, who hid her Cyberware and used a pad to avoid interacting with Cyberspace.

He needed the 'Lucy' who practically grew up in it. Sora believed that the quick and secure way to achieve that was by establishing a more "intimate" relationship with her, where he could help her overcome her trauma.

But... even though they had "played" with other women together, Sora didn't know if Judy would accept Lucy.

"Uhm..." After sighing, Sora decided to leave that problem for the "future Sora" and raised his hand to knock the door. However, before he could do so, laughter from the next door stopped him in his tracks...

Perplexed, he approached the door of his own apartment, where the sound of soft laughter and murmurs of two voices reached him from inside. Sora didn't have to enhance his senses to recognize both voices.

Shaking his head for worrying about nothing, Sora opened the door to his apartment and found Judy and Lucy having dinner together.

"I thought you was going to wait for me." Sora said first, smiling at both women inside his apartment.