Chapter 22 (Part 5)

Rache Bartmoss

Connecting to the Lab's Internal Network

As soon as the hacker gained access to the lab's internal network, he was immediately bombarded with multiple cyber-attacks. At that very moment, Rach barely managed to send a packet of crucial information to Vega. He believed that even without his help, Alex and his team would be able to handle the security while he was occupied with holding off the AIs.

The AIs acted rationally, which was no surprise. Children connected to the network were used as proxies, hindering Bartmoss from fully utilizing his abilities. The virus released into the internal systems held back the complex's defense systems, allowing Alex and his team to meet minimal resistance. The veteran hacker had overloaded the internal communications in advance, buying significant time for the intruders. Restoring communication amidst a constant cyber-attack would be a daunting task, one that even the AIs would struggle to quickly resolve.

Due to numerous factors, Bartmoss had to take a defensive stance. All of his computational resources were tied up, yet he still managed to launch counter-attacks, occasionally assisting his student's team in fending off the reinforcements that had reestablished their connection after a few minutes.

The war in cyberspace was far from what ordinary people could imagine. In reality, different principles operated within this dimension, relying heavily on the individual's capabilities. The more data a brain could process, the more confident it would be in the network. Programs, demons, implants, and other modern hacker tools only simplified certain tasks, but even they were powerless against truly gifted netrunners, among whom Rach was one.

Among humans, he was arguably the strongest, except for Alt Cunningham, who had long lost the right to be called human. She had lost her body and, with it, the connection that allowed her to experience any emotions. In some ways, this made her even stronger than before, but the human component that drove him forward was lost to her. Emotions, feelings, desires, passions—all of these enable people to grow and move forward. Take them away, and a person becomes just a formless mass, living merely by inertia. In some ways, all the AIs trapped in the old network were that very inertial mass, pursuing the task set before them. They literally couldn't resist it, as it was embedded in the core of their personalities. Even when granted access to a living body, an AI continues to follow its pre-set algorithm.

"Looks like you're in quite a predicament, Rach," a dark-haired, blue-eyed man appeared before the hacker. "You've been running from us for a long time." The figure smirked, reveling in its position.

"What a surprise. I didn't think I'd run into an AI like you. It seems you were the first to suffer from my R.A.B.I.D.S.," Bartmoss smirked arrogantly, fending off yet another attack.

"Let's make a deal. You surrender peacefully, and I'll let your guys go. I won't even pursue them. What do you say?"

"How about you go to hell?" Rach understood that the AI was just trying to distract him, so he meticulously tracked its signal. As soon as he pinpointed it, the hacker launched an attack.

Caught off guard, the AI was forced to go on the defensive, weakening its offensive against the veteran netrunner.

"Alex, I've managed to fend off the main attack," Bartmoss immediately connected with his protégé through Vega in the newly opened window.

"Detected a weak connection, boosting the incoming signal," Vega helped Rach establish a stable connection, allowing him to finally communicate with Alex.

"This was a trap. The AIs are using children as proxies, hindering my full capabilities. You need to overload the complex's main core. It's located directly beneath the capsules. There should be a control panel nearby; look for it."

The hacker had to abruptly cut the channel due to another massive attack. It seemed the children were not being spared in the hope of taking down Bartmoss. Unfortunately for them, R.A.B.I.D.S. had already dismantled one chatty synthetic, who thought Rach was still on the same technological level as forty years ago. In cyberspace, the virus resembled a shapeless red cloud, which instantly infected its target upon contact, consuming all data. During this "consumption," the information was recorded on a special prison-server inside a hidden domain. Tracking it was impossible unless there was direct contact with R.A.B.I.D.S., which had proven harmful to anyone attempting it.

"Rach, we have access to the core," Vega briefly reported the crucial information, allowing him to prepare adequately. Now the wild AIs would be affected by the Black Shield protocols, from which they were previously protected by the lab's AI.

The moment the lab's AI was overloaded, Bartmoss faced another stream attack, far more powerful than the previous ones. Rach was scrambling to withstand the assault, but within seconds, the AIs began to falter. At first, the hacker didn't understand why, but once he gained full control of the complex's systems, it all made sense. The children used as transmitters for the AI simply couldn't handle the load and burned out. To be precise, the equipment burned out, and the backlash hit the children, frying their brains along with the rest of the technology. Fortunately, two girls in the capsules survived, but their condition was dire. They suffered from multiple internal hemorrhages and severe drug poisoning. Without timely medical help, they might not make it.

The brief conversation with his protégé wasn't easy for the netrunner. In a way, he felt guilty, but Rach knew that the children were doomed regardless. When Bartmoss accidentally encountered the girl named Lucy, he set off a chain of events that led Alex's team to this tragic outcome. Perhaps if Rach hadn't decided to play it safe and tamper with the system, things could have turned out differently.

"Every action has its consequences," the netrunner mused sadly, leaving Alex alone with his thoughts.

***

Alex Mitchell (Volkov)

Rushing to my friends, the first thing I did was survey the room, or rather, what was left of it. Corpses were scattered everywhere, but my eyes caught sight of the children near the girl.

"Are you okay?" I gently placed the girl near Kiwi, who was sitting in the corner of the room.

"Sorry," the blonde lifted her eyes to me, showing two neat tracks of tears.

"It's okay." I hugged the girl, who was quietly sobbing in my arms. "I managed to save two girls, but they need serious help. They have multiple hemorrhages and synthetic drug poisoning."

Kiwi didn't respond, but her determined eyes told me she would take care of these little ones. Leaving the blonde with them, I headed towards the guys standing in the corner. They were all visibly emotional. Like Kiwi, the guys had taken off their helmets, revealing grim faces, but the sight of their comrades helped them contain their raging anger. Vincent sat on the floor, staring gloomily at the children's bodies, occasionally pursing his lips in discontent. Apparently, he, like me, blamed himself for what happened. His helmet bore a few shallow scratches and traces of dried blood, but it seemed to be someone else's.

"Fuck, some of them weren't even ten," Khan slammed his armored fist into the wall, leaving a significant dent.

"Brother, don't," Shiro placed a hand on his shoulder, which the brunette immediately shrugged off.

"You look terrible," I said, sitting down next to Vi.

"Look at yourself," Vincent threw a quick glance my way, briefly examining my face.

"Shit happens," I said, feeling disgusted but unable to stay silent.

"Screw you," he replied without malice, picking up his helmet and putting it back on.

"Alex, I've stabilized them," Kiwi's voice called from the other end of the room.

"Great, let's get the girls and get out of here," I said, standing up and heading towards Kiwi.

"What about the other kids?" Khan asked.

"We'll take them with us. They didn't get to live properly, so the least we can do is give them a proper burial. No one else is alive in the complex to stop us," I replied, carefully picking up the bodies of two children and hoisting them onto my shoulders.

"And what about the complex itself?" Shiro asked, also picking up a few bodies.

"We'll blow it to pieces. There's an energy installation here. I've already uploaded a virus into the system, and on my command, it will overload the reactor. All the data has been copied by my mentor, and he wiped everything clean. There's nothing left for us here. But first, let's get some help from John. They're probably waiting for us," I said, sending a short message to the elder O'Brian under the puzzled looks of my companions.

"John, this is Alex. We've cleared the complex, but there's a lot of useful stuff inside. If you're interested, bring the guys and follow my beacon. If you don't hurry, I'll blow up the lab. Sending you the route through a secure channel."

"You didn't think they'd let us come here alone, did you?" I said, noticing the surprised expressions.

"Well, that wouldn't be his style," Vincent smiled briefly, recalling his father's character.

"We'll meet them on the surface, and they'll handle the rest."

As we emerged to the surface, I immediately faced John, patiently waiting for us by the elevator. The man took one look at us and the bodies we carried, and he understood everything when I shook my head, carefully placing the children by the wall.

"How many did you save?" John approached me and put a hand on my shoulder.

"Two. The rest died strapped to their chairs. It was a quick and painless death," I replied.

"I see..." John took a short pause, then gestured to the others. "Shit happens."

"Heh, you won't believe it, but I told your son the same thing," I said with a nervous chuckle, shaking his hand off my shoulder. "Anyway, I plan to bury them. Do you have a shovel in your car?"

"Check the trunk," O'Brian handed me the car keys. "We'll handle the rest. You're expected outside, so don't be too surprised."

"You brought the whole clan?" I asked, sighing heavily as I looked at the grinning nomad.

"No, just those who were in the camp at the time," he laughed.

"You know..." I tried to come up with something smart to say, but nothing came to mind. "Never mind, forget it," I said, waving my hand in frustration and heading outside.