Ghost in the City Cyberpunk Gamer SI

[Vetrom]

the building is on fire and it absolutely isn't your fault :V

The building on fire is an innocent mistake but the two buildings on either side burnt to ashes was an.... oopsie doodle?

 

[Guardian Box]

The building on fire is an innocent mistake but the two buildings on either side burnt to ashes was an.... oopsie doodle?

Let's be honest, that entire street was due to a demolition soon anyways. Probably.

 

[Seras]

(Since not everyone who hangs out here reads the SB thread, I wanted to cross post this.)

"Motoko! What do we do!? There's an entire Arasaka Kill Squad out there!"

"Yeah I see that. The one good thing about this is that the law of inverse Ninja's means I'm definitely going to kill them all..."

"What? Motoko, please stop being a spaz what do we do? We don't have long before they find us!"

"I got it! But Hiromi you can't ever tell anyone about this secret technique... it's too powerful to ever let anyone know about okay?"

"Wha... Really? That sounds amazing. I promise!" Hiromi offered with stars in her eyes.

As she should! I took a moment to quick swap all of my Programs on my Cyberdeck with a very special Program. Then I sighed and loosened myself up. I had to be perfectly ready for this.

"SURPRISE MOTHERFUCKERS!" I screamed as I kicked in the door instantly causing the Nightmare of Ninja to spaz out.

As I suspected! There were too many ninjas here so obviously me being a lone Ninja means my skills were superior!

Then I activated my secret forbidden Kinjutsu technique. Yes I know I just said it's a Forbidden technique Technique. The repetition is part of the technique!

My Cyberdeck Made a noise similar to a cow giving birth as my head felt like it exploded and suddenly everything went black.

When I startled awake Hiromi was looking down on me with a truly worried face.

"Is that pork? No wait don't answer that I already know." I muttered wincing as I could feel the burning in my brain.

"Motoko... What did you do? You kicked down the door screamed... And then you just passed out while standing up full on snoring, and every one of the Arasaka agents just kinda... Died. In a fire... It's nasty."

"Well you see Hiromi. I call it the Sleepy Awesome. I activate 6 iterations of my own personal Overheat Quick Hack. Which causes everyone around me to get hit with multiple Overheats at the same time. Due to Cyberpunk ninja magic, it usually causes the users Cyberware to explode in big fire. Ninjas hate fire Hiromi. It's their biggest weakness you see? They can't get you if you are on fire."

"None of that makes any sense... But why did you pass out?"

"Well doing that causes my own Cyberdeck to overheat. Do you have any idea how much Ram my Super Overheat uses? Whew! Anyway to protect my brain meat. My Cyberware floods my Cyberdeck with extra blood... It makes me pass out from low blood pressure, but let's be honest. The Kinjutsu Technique doesn't exactly leave threats on the field. So I get to nap a bit on the job! That's the reason it's forbidden you see? Wakako found out and she got super mad. Told me never to do it again."

"I don't... Motoko I don't think Wakako was angry that you took a nap, I think she was angry that you put yourself in a position where you can't defend yourself!"

"Nah. She told me if I got myself killed that was okay, but no way would she accept me napping while on her dime... Wakako is a dragon lady Hiromi."

Hiromi just nodded slowly.

(LOOK AT WHAT YOU MADE ME WRITE! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT Carrnage!(An SB user who mentioned the Sleepy Awesome.) I love the Sleepy awesome! You forced my hand!)

 

[Guardian Box]

So I was listening to Juroimoh Mutation and thinking of Yoko the Foxy Netrunner, and I've got this brainworm eating through my thinking meats.

Will Motoko be building her own server / net presence? Have her very own data fortress, or something like that? Perhaps her own hub, from which she could expand and connect her Tachikoma units to once that lazy cat finally decides to get off her scrawny ass and actually build them.

In other words, I'm kinda curious what gamer-empowered net shenanigans can she get up to on the net once she decides to build her presence there.

Oh, here's an idea: a data fortress at the edge of the Blackwall, so she can sent her TachiAIs to prowl the dark web in search of loot, glory, and glorious XP. No wait, she probably won't do that, because she's a big old softie. Won't stop her AI children diving into the dark web anyways to bring her gifts they've hunted like a bunch of overeager kittens and leaving them on hers proverbial internet doorstep anyways.

At least she'd finally understand how every other person feels when she suddenly brings them gifts like eddies, cyberware, entire gangs, etc. :V

 

[Seras]

I drove by the corporate owned building. Microtech had been one of the big NUSA corporations for decades. They were like the Microsoft of the Cyberpunk world.

They weren't quite as powerful now as they had been in their heyday, but they were still going strong.

Jackie's gig was simple on the outside. Wakako wanted the schedule for incoming shipments. She was probably just a go-between in this case, getting the info for someone who wanted it rather than something she would use herself.

But Microtech wouldn't just leave the data laying around, and Jackie wasn't exactly an infiltrator.

He hadn't gotten the gig done yet, so he either didn't have the skills to complete it, and was trying to hire someone to do it for him, or he was trying to come up with a plan to do it himself.

That was where I came in.

I was going to look around, get an idea of what defenses this place had, and hopefully be able to guide Jackie into getting the data.

I didn't want to just do it for him. One that would be insulting, I was very aware that I was still a kid to most people I interacted with and Jackie wanted to be an edgerunner. You don't jump into a profession like that without having an ego, and second…

Jackie needed to do this. If Wakako was ever going to trust him with future gigs, which would let him build a rep.

So I was just going to look around, figure out the weak points in the defenses, and pass along some intel. Maybe make him pay for it with a few eddies, just so everything was square.

Of course I was thinking that as I pulled into a small strip mall. A few food shops and things right across the street from the building.

But that was when I noticed none other than Jackie Welles himself sitting at a noodle bar, slurping down a bowl of ramen and staring at the building across the street.

Huh. I guess he was working on getting that intel afterall. I considered walking up to him, but I figured it would be best to let this one go.

Besides, I wasn't wearing my normal gear this time.

I didn't exactly want to mess with a full fledged Corporation in my usual.

So I was wearing a mix between the armored suits I had bought for my Chooms, and a set of Techgogs that I had picked up from V3L's loot. It was an old school piece of netrunning gear, but it covered the top of my face and would give me a little additional ID protection if someone actually saw me.

I would already be covered from recording devices, but people could still see my face, and if they could ID me that way, it didn't matter if the corp doesn't have a recording.

I slipped out of the Quadra in a quiet corner of the parking lot. And made it across the street without any problem. The corporation's building was set up in a private lot, this wasn't really an office or anything, it was a shipping hub. A warehouse with a small attached office for the corporation.

They had a much larger HQ in City Central.

The security here would be pretty good though. Warehouses were hot targets.

But that was just details to me.

I jumped the fence climbing onto some trash that was building up against the outside walls and I was in.

My eyes flashed as I scanned the area for security.

Cameras covered the corners of the building. Robotic guards wandered around, and human workers were moving around driving forklifts moving packages around.

I sent a quiet ping into the camera system, and as I expected, it slipped through the security without too much problems. This place wasn't big enough for a netrunner to manually run the security. The grounds were quiet and covered in loose trash and refuse that the warehouse had collected over the years.

It was obvious this place wasn't well taken care of.

But that just meant there were plenty of places for me to hide. I slipped into a stack of old pallets hiding within them while giving me a perfect sight of the camera on the corner of a building.

After I confirmed the lack of any direct attention in the network I started breaching. The Camera's security didn't last more than a few moments, and I was able to slip into the main network as well, as the cameras weren't properly partitioned.

I started looking through all the cameras. Outside the robot guards followed a static path, seemingly uncaring about the large gaps in the security.

They were more for intimidation than security I realized. They would definitely keep out the most common street thugs.

Then I looked inside and the warehouse was certainly not empty.

Unfortunately for me I was only sneaking around and planning to get some data, because I noticed quite a few preem pieces in the warehouse I would love to take home with me. A few of those servers, or computer systems would be really nice to have.

Instead I focused on the security. Just like outside there were robot guards, along with a few workers hauling around the large shipments. I noted down numbers, and positions, literally filling a digital map with where everything was for Jackie to use.

It wasn't even difficult, my Breaching skill had reached the point where stealthing into systems, even through a camera was doable with a bit of work.

I made a note of all the rooms I could see, and if I could figure out what was inside them.

I also noted the room that would have the shipment information. It was an office in the back of the warehouse that had a camera right outside it. Meaning it was one of the most secure locations in the entire warehouse.

Someone didn't want someone getting in there.

I marked it on the map disappointed that there wasn't a camera inside. Instead I altered my focus accessing the systems the camera was connected to, trying to see what I can find on the security systems.

Unfortunately the connection was protected, and unless I wanted to spend a lot of time out here, or make it obvious someone had hacked in, I would have to access the security directly.

With everything marked out, and the workers, and robot guards pinged, it was child's play to rise up out of the mess of pallets and move towards the warehouse.

With a bit of a fun trick I would just have the camera pan away from me as I approached a side door that the camera was supposed to be keeping an eye on. Letting me slip inside the door and close it just as the camera panned back around.
Making it seem completely natural despite it being entirely under my control.

With that I was inside, and movement through the warehouse was even easier. I stalked up the stairs through the empty break room and then down a catwalk towards the office. The camera there was controlled the same way. Panning away as I walked up under it, and then letting it pan to the way I had just come, giving me access to the office door.

It was locked, but that took only a few moments to work through and the door opened. I slipped inside and closed it behind me just as the camera panned back.

The office was what you would expect from a warehouse manager.

It was nicer than the rest of the building, and it was surprisingly well soundproofed, cutting down the noise of the warehouse. There was a small laptop set up and I slipped over, quickly slipping through the ICE with a few moments of work and I was in.

I found the data that Wakako wanted…

I made a copy, quietly slipping the data into a shard and putting it away. I wasn't going to just hand it over to Jackie, but if something bad happened, it was insurance.

Then I moved away to the actual security server.

Unlike the laptop it was set up in the corner of the room, and didn't have any monitors, or anything.

It was a Mircotech Security Server. Meant to be set up through a different system, Laptop, or direct access through neural cord, and then take care of the security concerns all by itself.

It was also shit if you wanted real security.

Corpo nonsense at its best.

I plugged in, quickly bypassed the password request that if failed would send out a ton of ICE, or even Black ICE to kill the hacker.

It took all of five minutes to breach the security and have full access to the Warehouses network. With a little smirk I even set up a backdoor. I rarely got to use the knowledge Wallbreaking gave me, but who knows I might need to access this system again in the future.

It was setting up the backdoor that made me realize something was off.

There was an intrusion in the system.

And it wasn't me.

I wasn't alone in the system.

I considered responding, but I wasn't supposed to be here either after all, and I doubted the intruder expected to have a netrunner come in from the other direction. So I simply stepped back, let the system's autonomous security fail at its job and watched mostly from what the system wasn't seeing, what the netrunner was doing.

They were accessing the security records. I watched the Servers memory usage go up a few blips as systems were accessed.

Could this be something Jackie set up? I know he doesn't have the skill himself, but he had known T-Bug. Or maybe he just knew another Netrunner?

Either way. It wasn't my problem…

As long as the runner didn't sound an alarm.

After the runner got the security records, they looked around. Poking at connection points, and it took me a while to realize they were trying to see if they could access the foreman's computer.

Unfortunately that system wasn't connected.

This had to be Jackie then… Right?

I was considering pulling out letting the runner finish their little dive when I saw it. A massive increase in server usage.

The runner noticed I was watching! If this was Jackie's netrunner, they might bail on the server if they thought security was on to them! The amount of Black ICE an admin could drop on the head of a discovered runner wasn't worth considering.

So I had to move fast.

I set up a few solid ICE walls that I knew would save me a few seconds in case they attacked, and then sent out a prompt through to the runner.

It was just a text log, although I did have to think of a good pseudonym in a rush.

Ghost: *Would appreciate, if you didn't set off an alarm.*

The log was quiet, no response given, but I could practically feel the frantic activity of the runner. As they double checked their defenses. The server spiking as Programs and Daemons activated to protect the runner.

But I didn't attack. Just waited.

Blank: *Who are you?*

Ghost: *Ghost.* I replied with a smirk the complete non answer would be doubly amusing.

Blank: *You are at the security server… What do you want?*

Ghost: *I want you to not set off any alarms. Noticed you wanted to access the Foreman's computer.* I took a moment to look over and take a picture of it, and added that into the chat.

I didn't get a response for a while, but I was patient.

Blank *You offering?*

Ghost: *Maybe. I know you aren't here against my own gig. But you could interfere, so let's make a deal.*

Blank: *I'm amiable to a deal.*

Ghost: *I don't like working with a Blank. That's requirement one.*

Blank: *And I'm supposed to believe you are Ghost?*

Ghost: *That's the name I picked.*

No response came for a bit before finally the message came through.

T-Bug: *What else.*

Oh I was right! If that was T-Bug it meant it was far more likely she really was working with Jackie.

Ghost: *Nice to meet you bug. If I'm right, just to confirm, You are working with Jackie Welles at the moment to retrieve the Microtech Shipment schedule for the next month.*

Once again it went quiet, She was still there, but I got the feeling she was probably thinking about ditching.

Ghost: *I am asking for confirmation. I often work with Wakako. I don't want to ruin his gig.* I added, hopefully the last bit would make me sound less threatening.

T-Bug: *I was hired by Welles to get security access, and find him a path to the foremans office.*

Ghost: *Then stand by for access.* I added stepping over to the foreman's laptop and quickly having it access the Security server, considering I had already breached both systems it didn't take more than a minute.

I walked back over to the server and plugged back in.

Ghost: *Once you have what you came for go ahead and get out quietly if you would. Please wish Jackie luck on his future work with Wakako. It will be nice to have another merc to tap for work.*

A few minutes later I noticed the T-Bug took her time accessing the laptop as if she was afraid it was a trap.

Once I was sure she was good I stood up and started making my way out of the warehouse.

I used the same trick on the cameras to simply move around the vision of the one outside the door, although just as I was about to walk completely away I noticed it.

T-Bug was snooping. I smirked as she took control of the camera and started quick panning it back at me.

But I already had the full layout of the warehouse. Despite being on the catwalk on the second floor I simply leapt over the edge. Disappearing far below the camera's line of sight before it could have spotted me.

Then I was gone. Sneaking out through the side doors, avoiding the cameras without touching them this time, and climbing up the pallets I had hidden under before and leaping over the edge of the barbed wire fence.

I rolled as I hit the ground stepping back up and wiping the dust off, before casually walking down the street. That had almost been bad. I hadn't expected T-Bug to be able to notice me snooping from the security server.

She was better than I had thought. Like really good. I would have to be more careful, but in the end I was satisfied.

Gig complete… Sorta. It just wasn't me that was going to complete it.

I did check in on Jackie as I walked to the car noticing that he was leaving the noodle joint, I smiled as he seemed like he was in a suddenly super good mood as he raced away.

Considering…

I smirked and jumped into the Quadra heading home. I would change into my normal outfit, and wait around, because I had a feeling Wakako would be sending me a message soon.

—--

I was on point.

An hour later as I was lazing around on the couch, I got a text from Wakako.

*Jackie Welles completed the gig. He is coming in for a meeting now.*

I grinned that Wakako actually did follow through with our deal. I jumped off the couch, rushed out the door, still fighting my boots as I hopped into the elevator.

Ignoring the look of my neighbor who had stepped into the elevator just before me as I fought my boots on my feet, and then rushed out the elevator as soon as the doors opened on the ground floor.

I only slowed when I hit Jig-jig street, and sauntered happily into Wakako's parlor.

The look she gave me told me she was in no mood for my nonsense and she pointed to a chair and I quickly sat in it.

"I've been given the report of what happened already. Mr. Welles hired a Netrunner he is acquainted with to get him into the building, only they didn't need to, as another netrunner had already infiltrated the building." Wakako started speaking suddenly and I kept my cool not letting myself show any sign of nervousness.

Wakako was a tiger after all. They could smell nervousness.

"So since you decided to get involved in the gig. Tell me why you think I should allow Mr. Welles into my employ. If he can't complete a gig on his own?"

I winced.

"First. It's rude that you immediately assume that someone with the coolest net handle of Ghost is me. Even if it was totally me." I offered, pointing upward with a chrome finger. "Second. Jackie realizing he wasn't going to be able to finish the gig on his own and getting help using his connections, is the exact kind of thing you want for a merc. If you just want someone who will rush in guns blazing almost guaranteeing they will end up dead on an important gig, then yeah. You don't want Jackie."

Wakako took a drag of her cigarette and nodded agreeing with my reasoning.

"Also I wasn't originally going to help out, but Jackie hired a seriously good netrunner. T-Bug knew her stuff and noticed I was there. So I had to get involved."

"Very well. I expected something like this when I gave you the information regardless. The gig is complete, and I have the information my client wanted." She offered, tapping out the ash casually into the ashtray.

"I'd like to work with him on some gigs. Either right away, or later." I mentioned, and this made Wakako react.

"I don't think he will fit your style very well."

"Not directly, but every infiltrator needs to be prepared for getting caught. Jackie's a good solo, and I could use him on some of my gigs just as backup. It would be nice to know that if I screw up, I won't be alone in the firefight for my life."

"If you wish to bring him along on any gigs you take, that is up to you. As long as the gig is completed, I don't care about your methods." She said but didn't say anything about me going along on Jackie's gigs.

I let it go, and noticed that Wakako seemed more than ready to ignore me, instead watching the small TV set she kept in the corner of the room.

I turned around in the seat to look and ended up actually falling into the pit of weekday afternoon TV.

 

[Guardian Box]

Good Lord but are you a tease.

Thankfully, the glorious reveal of Jackie's dumbfounded face will be finally happening next chapter.

There better be pictures taken of his idiot gonk expression <3

 

[Blasterbot]

I turned around in the seat to look and ended up actually falling into the pit of weekday afternoon TV.

kek. Now I am wondering what cyberpunk Telenovelas are like. and the game shows. and the Jerry Springer equivalents.

 

[xachariahxx]

Motoko seemed to keep her opinions about T-Bug out of her monologue, aside from her being good and that she (Motoko) should be careful. Is that because she doesn't have any strong opinion, or is it being held back for future reasons?

I still think that she used and would have betrayed V & Jackie since she recruited them into the Dexter Deshawn mess, and I think it was always the plan flatline the huscle at the end with how sketchy everything was (which she knew). The cutscene where she tried to kill V eventually had her cut from it, but all the rest of her part in the story stayed, so I think she just never got the chance in the final version.

It looks like Mokoto doesn't view T-Bug as KOS like she does for Deshawn, but it's hard to tell her opinion on her beyond that.

 

[Seras]

Motoko seemed to keep her opinions about T-Bug out of her monologue, aside from her being good and that she (Motoko) should be careful. Is that because she doesn't have any strong opinion, or is it being held back for future reasons?

I still think that she used and would have betrayed V & Jackie since she recruited them into the Dexter Deshawn mess, and I think it was always the plan flatline the huscle at the end with how sketchy everything was (which she knew). The cutscene where she tried to kill V eventually had her cut from it, but all the rest of her part in the story stayed, so I think she just never got the chance in the final version.

It looks like Mokoto doesn't view T-Bug as KOS like she does for Deshawn, but it's hard to tell her opinion on her beyond that.

Actually spot on! The fact T-Bug was originally set up to be the Netrunner that helps betray you is always in the back of my mind. Even if in the actual game she sacrifices her life to try and save Jackie and V. Motoko is always going to be a little wary of her for that reason.

 

[xachariahxx]

Actually spot on! The fact T-Bug was originally set up to be the Netrunner that helps betray you is always in the back of my mind. Even if in the actual game she sacrifices her life to try and save Jackie and V. Motoko is always going to be a little wary of her for that reason.

I'll need to replay it again, but every playthrough the heist just gets more suspicious.

Deshawn lets you meet with Evelyn Parker, despite it being highly unorthodox because that's how fixers get cut out of the loop. The most sensible reason is because he knows Evelyn Parker is going to be marked for death as soon as the gig goes off. He was the fixer for Pacifica before he was forced out, so he knows the Voodoo Boys, and the in-game dialog implies that he knows that he's poaching their gig. He knows what the Voodoo Boys will do in retaliation when the gig completes (and might have even tipped them off himself). Dexter is unconcerned that you'll cut a side-deal with Evelyn because he knows she'll be dead anyways.

But a Fixer who is known to burn their client never gets another client, which means he has no intention of anyone finding out. You were just a ranyon to him. If he lets you meet Evelyn, that means he was always planning on killing you (and her and Jackie), because otherwise you could tell on him. Notably he just gives into haggling on price almost immediately, because he's going to kill you. And he booked exactly one seat on a shuttle out of Night City, which means he had always planned ahead to leave alone after the gig.

The question is how connected T-Bug was in all this. Dexter doesn't have a fixed crew so she's the only constant, and she gets V & Jackie into it. T-Bug planned the operation with Dexter as he notes, and Dexter puts T-Bug on his side of the value equation, that he provided her as a netrunner. If you notify Dexter about Evelyn wanting to cut a side-deal, she reacts as if she's on Dex's side instead of yours. T-Bug is incredibly evasive on how long she's known Dex and says she's going to burn all her bridges after the job is done. Also, I don't really rate T-Bug sacrificing her life for V, since she dies in literally within 15 seconds of things going sideways, so I assume it's her also getting caught flat footed.

The TLDR is that I think in the final version of the game she was still a traitor. And even if not, she's still in Dexter's pocket the same way Kiwi was in Faraday's pocket, so if someone were to go after Dexter, she'd be on his side.

 

[Seras]

“No way Simon makes it this time. This is his third try.” I argue even gesturing with my hands at Wakako.

“He is scrappy, and he has a great desire. I think he will make it.” Wakako offered taking a drag as we argued about the show she had been watching.

Apparently Wakako was really into this weird mix of Price is Right, and Takashis Castle, gameshow.

Night City Televison was fucking weird.

One segment will have these people trying to win prizes in strange games, and the next segment would be them getting their ass beat by A borg dressed up like a Kabuki actor with a massive only slightly padded Kanabo.

I was pretty sure a few people had died even with the fuzzy Kanabo blunting the strikes.

Fucking wild ass mix of boring American, and unhinged Japanese TV show.

But it was both kinda interesting, and boring as fuck in equal measures. I just didn’t get future TV.

“Ah. He is here.” Wakako offered, glancing up and I noticed that she knew long before I could hear the sound of the parlor door opening.

Someone was keeping an eye on things for her. Sneaky Wakako.

I relaxed in my seat with a smirk as I waited for Jackie to enter.

I could hear him chatting with the receptionist Wakako hired, and then I realized the gonk was actually flirting with her.

Was Jackie flirting just his instinct when he was nervous? I’m pretty sure it was, although I could see Wakako wasn’t pleased.

But a few moments later he got shot down, and was told to enter the room, and I could barely suppress my grin, instead staying cool thanks to Cold Blood to keep myself with only a small smirk.

Jackie stepped in through the beaded curtain, obviously trying to hide how nervous he was, but Wakako and I could both tell as he rose to his full height. He opened his mouth to speak before stuttering to a stop as he noticed me sitting in the room as well.

Our eyes met, and I just kept smirking.

“Jackie Welles. You completed the gig I assigned, got me the information I desired.” Wakako said, suddenly cutting off our little moment. “The gig was difficult, meant to see if you have what it takes to work under me. I’ve decided to give you a chance.” She offered and I could see the energy rush into Jackie at the words.

“I… I won’t let you down Wakako, You can count on me.” He said, tearing his eyes off me, to focus on Wakako.

Smart move.

“Perhaps.” She said and then she started going into a spiel about what she would be expecting from him working under her.

It was interesting because she hadn’t done something like this for me. I guess my infiltration talents meant she didn’t feel the need…

Or I guess Wakako had just not expected much from me at the start, until I actually succeeded and made my skills evident.

I focused back on the conversation as she seemed to come to the end of her spiel.

“You will also be given some gigs to complete in the coming days. I will be assigning one of my agents to assist you during the gigs, and ensure you are as capable as I expect. She may also bring you onto her own gigs if she feels your skills will be useful. Motoko?”

“Thanks Wakako!” I said smiling, turning to Jackie and seeing the confusion on his face. Soaking in the look of utter incomprehension on his face, but also the desire not actually admit he had no idea what was going on.

Ah. That was the feeling of satisfaction of revenge from being underestimated alright.

“Jackie, nice to see you again. I’ll be expecting you to help me out from now on. I have high hopes for you.” I say with a grin and simply delighted in how Jackie’s confusion only grew.

“Ah… I look forward to it, Hermana?” He said, although his tone made it come out a question.

“Wakako anything for him today?” I asked, and she shook her head as I rose up out of the seat. “Great. Then I’ll get him out of your hair!” I chirped standing up and waving for Jackie to follow me, but just as I was about to leave the door I stuck my head back through the beads.

“Simon failed again. Told you. He hurt his ankle during the previous fall. No way he could make it.”

Wakako bit back a curse, smashing her cigarette into her ashtray, as she turned back to her show, turning up the volume so it could be heard again.


—--

“Hermana? What-?”

“You hungry? I’m hungry. There’s a noodle shop in the Cherry Blossom Market that I like, C’mon my treat. I’ll fill you in.” I told him with a smile as I happily sauntered down the dark streets of Jig-jig street knowing Jackie would follow.

Man messing with him had been so satisfying. Totally worth two grand…

Wait. Fuck. I had literally spent two grand to fuck with someone.

Okay new rule. That was dumb don’t do that anymore…

Satisfying though.

We walked out of Jig-jig street and down into Cherry Blossom the atmosphere was brighter, and less dangerous. In the end we settled into the Ramen bar and had put in our orders before I started.

“So I work for Wakako as one of her mercs, I’m an infiltrator. When I offered to help on your gig for Wakako, I wasn’t just messing around. I’m not just a kid wanting a taste of being a merc. I was actually really offering to help you.” I told him as he took a sip of the drink that was placed down in front of him. My own quickly joined it.

“Damn.” He muttered and I could see behind his eyes as he was repackaging both our previous interaction, and this one. “So Wakako trusts you a lot.”

“Ah well… I might have agreed to a pay cut on the next gig so I could be in the room when she met you.” I explained and he blinked at that, before chuckling, slowly at first, but then letting it grow into a belly laugh.

“I must have really pissed you off then!”

“No, no, I wasn’t angry, more amused than anything. Maybe I wanted to rub it in your face a little.” I offered holding up my fingers with just the tiniest gap between them.

“Well you definitely got me Hermana. I wasn’t expecting to see you in there. Thought I was losing it at first.” He said taking another drink and I couldn’t help but chuckle this time.

“Yeah it was great! So yeah let me break it down for you, cause I’m sure your head is all over the place. I asked Wakako to let me work with you on a few gigs. Mine or yours. Not just because I want to help you, but because I want you to help me. I’m not exactly a bruiser, and getting into a firefight is a pain in the ass. I would like to know I have backup in case it ever happens.”

“So you want to work together? Well, test it out to see if we work well together?”

“Exactly! It if doesn’t work out, you don't need to worry. Wakako will still have gigs for you. But if it works out, I can always use an extra gun on my gigs, So could be double the work. Interested?”

This time Jackie was quiet as he took another drink.

“Wakako wouldn’t use you if you don’t have the skill, but I’m picky about who I work with.” He offered and I almost snorted, because I remember the nomad origin in the game. Jackie you’ll team up with anyone for the eddies you gonk.

But I didn’t say that. Instead I shrugged.

“Well Wakako wants us partnered for the first few gigs. We can see how well we mesh, if everything works out, great. We both have someone to watch our backs. If you don’t like me, just say it, and I’ll delta. There are plenty of gonks with a gun, and in need of eddies.” I said and he nodded at that.

“Still a bit awkward about the idea is all. You’re so young.” He muttered and I nodded.

“And you’re so old!” I gasped in faux shock. Before smoothing out my expression. “Age has nothing to do with it. You’re a merc, you know that a kid can kill just as well as any merc.” I said looking off to the side just taking in the movement of the bar.

“I just don’t like it. Kids should be boosting cars, or getting in trouble, not…”

“Not risking their lives? I’m not a fan of that either Jackie. Which is why I would love to have a shooter that I can trust to watch my back.” He didn't seem to have a good reply to that, and a few moments later we were interrupted as the server came by.

The noodles arriving distracted us, making Jackie and I both happy as we dug in for a moment, but after his first bite Jackie seemed to come to a decision, he reached over and grabbed his beer.

“To potential partnerships.” He offered and I smiled as I grabbed my soda and tapped it to his own.

—--

I picked up the tab like I said I would, and after sharing numbers Jackie and I split up. We would meet up soon when Wakako had her first gig ready, and Jackie needed some time to process.

On the other hand that meant I had to figure out what I wanted to work on.

I ended up walking around the market for a bit browsing some of the little stalls, but not finding much that really interested me.

It wasn’t like there was a mercenary shop among the stalls.

I did stop over at the tech repair shop. The lady that I had bought my tool kit from was sitting out there like normal. We both had grown to an agreement, I would ignore her, and she would ignore me.

But that didn't mean her stock wasn’t useful. I browsed through her items, old tech junk, nothing that really interested me, but I did find some parts, and materials I wanted. Buying some feeder items for my Printer, I paid the eddies and headed home.

A nice jog back to the apartment felt nice, a return to those early days, and then I was there, on the couch feeding the metals and plastics I had bought into the printer, processing it into easy to use cubes, and pieces.

Then I pulled out my box of things I’m not allowed to play with in the apartment.

I still had plenty of my own grenades, but Jackie didn’t carry them from what I saw. If he was going to be my backup, or vice versa, I wanted to make sure he had the tools.

Plus it was good practice.

But I did follow the rules, I grabbed everything and hauled it to the car. I would work on it in the Netrunning basement.

That way Jun couldn’t yell at me.

—--

I stretched as I flopped into my Netrunning chair. I had spent the last few hours putting together an array of grenades, and then stored them all in my Quadra.

It would be a nice surprise for Jackie when we went on some gigs. A bit of extra firepower just in case.

I finished plugging myself into my netrunning chair and blinked, returning once more to the net.

I zipped over to the Dewdrop Inn server.

Yoko had told me last time after our practice that she would have something special for me.

So I was kinda excited. As soon as I entered I got a request to enter Yoko’s private room, and the japanese door clacked open in front of me letting me walk right inside.

“Yoko! How goes?”

“Motoko. I’m fine, thank you.” She said, sounding amused at my normal greeting despite the situation. Yoko was sitting on a throne in the middle of her private shrine lobby, and there was someone there with her.

The netrunner looked like me, with a blank avatar beside the face, and he seemed more interested in an array of neon windows that floated around him that he was tapping away and inspecting.

“Who’s your friend?”

“Walk3r, this is Motoko. Motoko this is Walk3r.” Yoko introduced us, but I noticed she was purposefully not telling me what was going on.

I quirked an eyebrow at the Kitsune and only got a smirk in return.

“What’s going on Yoko? You told me you had a surprise.”

“Ah. Indeed I do. Walk3r, is someone who owed me a favor, and I owed him a favor in turn.” She said and that was when I started feeling nervous.

“Okay? I’m guessing that has something to do with the server information he is browsing?” I asked, having read the neon window she was looking over, although reading them backwards wasn’t easy…

Okay I cheated. I had taken a picture… Or a screenshot? It was hard to explain, but then I just reversed the image.

I was inside a computer at the moment after all.

“Indeed it does!” He said, finally turning away from his screens to see me. “I pulled a corrupted server out of a black market auction a few months ago. Haven’t had time to clean it up yet, so I went to Yoko, and don’t you know it? She has a netrunner looking for training in everything, including deep dives. So you are going to be our guinea pig.”

I looked to Yoko with a very unimpressed look and she gave me a sultry giggle.

Stupid sexy Kitsune.

“Don’t be so put out Motoko. We have both already sent in Daemon to look over the server, and it’s clear of anything truly malignant. But the data is still locked behind a mess of overactive corrupted Daemons, and mashed together code. So you will go in, destroy the daemons while breaching into the information inside. This isn’t just good practice, it’s the truest test for netrunners. You want to be more than just a kid playing with scripts? This is what you need to learn.” She said and then pointed to her side, and a portal opened.

“Fine. But if I die, I’m gonna be so mad.” I told her pointing at my eyes and then to hers.

Yoko snorted at my words but nodded in agreement, and I slipped into the portal, which was just a connection to the physical server that Walk3r had set up.

Inside the world shifted. If the internet of Night City was a city in appearance, Then this was simply a mess. Odd shapes and artifacts hung in the air. A display of just how damaged this server was.

Unfortunately my attempt to gather my bearings was forced to be put aside, as the Daemons that Yoko had mentioned had noticed my intrusion.

Just like the server itself, they were damaged, disfigured creatures that charged at me, as they sent odd programs at me. I reacted, throwing up ICE and my barriers to still the assault, while launching a barrage of fire, to smash into the Daemons. The whole thing took on a truly eldritch cast as the server was so distorted the data wasn’t translating right.

But I ignored it, rapid firing my programs as fast as my Seacho MkII could handle.

The Daemons kept coming though. The only reason I wasn’t overrun is because their very nature had been damaged, many of the attacks they sent fizzled out against my ICE, or barriers without any further effect. The programs they used were too damaged to actually initialize, but that didn’t make them safe.

Twice a program was launched at me, and instead of being halted, it exploded, seemingly ripping the server apart into an even more convoluted space. Literally dragging space into a twisted shatterpoint.

The program they had used was probably running into some sort of memory leak, or loop that the server was forced to try and handle.

I focused on those Daemons first.

But I was being overrun, and I had to fall back on another skill besides Quick hacks.

Quick Hacks were unique abilities. Programming was magic, altering the fundamentals of the world.

Breach was movement. It was knowing how to move in the web, how to bypass the natural traps and pitfalls. The very nature of it being a digital space.

Higher levels of Breach meant you were close to being a digital entity yourself in a way.

So instead of staying on this level of the server, I jumped, breaching into a different section, the damaged ICE not able to stop me from basically teleporting through the server.

And since I was moving fast I built myself enough time to actually catch my breath and look around. The new section of the server looked different, obviously I was now in some sort of personal lobby that no longer existed, and had deteriorated. It looked like the floor of an office building, if the missing roof showing a broken sky, and everything distorted and broken was the norms.

In the distance I could see buildings that might have once looked like Night City melted like candles, or had broken into floating pieces, or stretched like taffy. The sky overhead, that I could see through the rest of what had once been part of a building above me, had a massive jagged gash running through it, showing a different time of day within the tear.

This space was unstable.

Also why did I feel like I had been transported to a zombie apocalypse world!?

I shook it off, I only had a few moments before the Daemons followed, enough time for my Seacho to cool down and let me batter them again.

It also gave me time for some setup. With a bit of adjustment I activated my Hell Flame program, loading it to have a much longer lasting activation period, and a quick alteration to its shape.

The Fire was not just my strongest offensive hack, but it would be doubly effective against the already deteriorated Daemons. Deleting data should put them down much faster.

Program loaded, and activated, and in my hand appeared a sword. A flaming longsword that I was thankful couldn’t harm me, because I grabbed it without hesitating.

The first Daemon that slipped into my new section of the server was a broken Imp. The Daemon should have been a ball of light, but wasn’t, instead it appeared as a distorted shape, telling just how damaged it was.

The digital sword in my hand lashed out and cut through it, seemingly burning it away, where it struck and slowly the Daemon flickered before popping into shards of light.

But that was only the first.

More Daemons started popping in, as they took longer to traverse the server. But the numbers were lower, instead of a single overwhelming horde waiting at the entrance, it took time for the damaged Daemon to find me, and they came in a trickle instead of an overwhelming tide.

I stuck mostly to using the sword to destroy the Daemon, and my barriers as a shield, I was forced to activate to block the long range attacks, although for the most part it wasn’t needed as I simply cut through the horde, moving fast.

If only moving in cyberspace was the same as moving in the real world, I wouldn’t be having any difficulties at all, the Daemons moved like… Robots. So it was only because I was forced to fight on the digital scape that I even had any trouble. After all despite me swinging my sword, what I was actually doing was hacking and damaging programs.

It just looked and felt like a physical attack.

Still it did feel nice to have a sword in my hand.

Again and again the Daemon came, and despite my skill with a sword since it didn’t translate over, I was struck. The first time it was a fire program sent out by an Imp that I hadn’t spotted, and I was forced to go fully defensive as I had to ICE and counter breach the Overheat Quickhack that had just struck me.

I winced as my netrunner chair gave me an update saying I was overheating quite badly.

Eventually I got it back under control, and continued on.

Another was a much bigger Thug Daemon, that surprised me with a corrupted attack I didn’t see coming. The program attacked my connection, giving me a sort of double vision, and a lag spike that left me groaning in pain as I fought the effects, killed the Thug and did my best to keep myself defended while I purged the virus that was attacking me.

But thanks to my breach skill, I did have the ability to regain my system, pushing out the assault.

I would be paying for it afterwards though. An eight hour nap had my name on it when this was over, because I was suddenly not feeling well, and if the state of my body was translating into the digital, that wasn’t a good sign.

I shook it off. I would recover after, so I focused on my battle slashing and breaking up corrupted Daemon after Daemon.

I swung and blasted until it was done.

Finally I was left standing in a hellscape. The scattered remnants of the Daemons data covered the floor around me, digital viscera and as I waited, but nothing else came.

It grew quiet, but I didn’t rush it. Waiting as I let my Seacho cool down from the strain of what I had just gone through.

Eventually I was sure nothing else was coming, I relaxed, and then because I was already here I started exploring.

I mean, I wasn’t feeling great, but my chair sent me back plenty of biodata so I knew I wasn’t dying.

The data within the server was a mess, scattered over multiple hubs and lobbies, but I was here to explore, to try and get what I could.

So I started gathering. Loading everything that was even semi legible, and clearing paths to the different data connections.

Most of the time that meant me having to destroy data ‘rubble’ that blocked my path, or even create a path when the section I was trying to traverse was literally just an infinite pit.

I was just lucky that the ‘traps’ that would have slowed me, or even attacked me were mostly digital detritus. I passed over a spike trap, or at least that was how my I saw it, but it had been a rather nasty section of Black ICE that would try to murder anyone foolish enough to fall into it.

The program was still there, hence why I could see it, but the activation subroutine was gone, hence why it was just a revealed piece of terrain I was able to walk around.

Honestly, walking through tunnels to reach different sections of the tunnel reminded me of a dungeon crawl.

I was a rogue-like protagonist now.

I giggled at the thought as I reached another room that would have data, the fact the room was sideways the tunnel I was using to reach it, twisted horrifically at the end, nearly disconnecting from the section of the server, telling about how badly the data had been damaged in this area of the server.

But I did notice that inside it wasn’t that badly damaged.

As I hopped into the lobby, gravity asserted itself and I landed on my feet actually looking at a rather normal room.

I blinked. Everything inside looked… Fine. Sure the connections to the room were fucked, but the data inside looked perfectly normal!

It looked like a high end smoking room. Big wingback chairs surrounded a fireplace, everything was dark wood, or at least meant to look like it, and the walls were covered in books.

I instantly registered the library as just that, a repository for data done in a visual style.

Nice.

I walked up to the shelves, the data wa still intact.

Nice. I poked it basically doing a check for anything nasty, but there wasn’t anything I could see, no traps. No ICE or anything.

So I pulled a book off the shelf, about to check the data when. The light in the room shifted.

I looked up just in time to see something hulking and massive, start to crawl out of the fireplace. Something I recognized. How could I not?

It was a Tolkien Balrog.

A fucking Balrog.

“Nope.” I muttered as I used up every drop of RAM in my Cyberdeck to ICE up the Daemon and then ran, attempting to get the fuck out of this server.

The library didn’t have a programmed trap, it just had a fucking Balrog sitting hidden in the digital flame waiting for someone unregistered to access the data.

Fuck. That was sneaky!

I leapt slipping onto the sideways twisted hallway that was the exit out of the room incredibly grateful that my breaching skill let me slipp into the twisted damaged connection port.

“YOKO! I need an exit!” I sent a message out as I leapt into the twisted hallway, but I could hear my ICE breaking as the Daemon gave zero fucks about my defenses, as it released a digital roar.

Fucker! I know that sound! That was Godzilla!

I ignored the Balrog using a fucking Godzilla scream.wav file as it chased after me. It’s body too big for the twisting hallway, but that didn’t seem to matter as it literally bashed its way through the distorted space ripping the server apart with its power. Probably permanently breaking the ability to access the smoking room.

Fuck that.

I was desperately trying to find a clear path to disconnect from the server.

The Daemons I had fought up until now were low level programs. That Balrog was exactly what it looked like, just a single glance told me the thing was a truly massive digital entity. Probably the closest thing to an AI without actually being one. A true fucking monster, and I was the dwarves in this instance. I had dug too deep.

Thankfully, while it was powerful, and more than capable of smashing the programs I threw over my shoulder at it, it wasn’t able to move as fast as I could.

The server architecture slowed it down, as despite being a digital entity, it didn’t know how to travel through this distorted hellscape.

Plus I was literally just backtracking, using paths and steps I had left behind me.

Slowly I gained more and more distance, its godzilla scream left far behind me as I reached the initial lobby.

“Yoko! Stop fucking around!” I yelled out, the two netrunners had obviously been watching me dive, and I was right. A few moments later a portal opened and I confirmed it was Yoko and Walk3r.

I jumped in, my sight blurred for a moment before spitting me out in Yoko’s Shrine.

“Fuck.” I cursed as I sort of caught my breath and didn’t at the same time. I could feel my heart pounding, but not.

Huh, Cold Blood was still effective while netrunning, but my disconnect from my body meant there was still some weird kick back.

My relief at not dying was basically ignored though.

“Well that’s a bust.” Walk3r said with a sigh, I looked up seeing the screen he was watching that displayed the Balrog going berserk in the digital space I had just left. Smashing and crushing everything.

“It was always a risk. You gained some data did you not?” Yoko offered simply.

“Yeah but not enough. Not… Not as much as I could have, that repository could have been…” He sighed, shaking his head.

“What?” I asked as I let my avatar flop onto the ground. It didn't feel like I was sitting, exactly, but I really wanted to just be close to the ground for a moment.

“The Balron you just found, destroyed the data as it passed through the server. You tripped a very powerful trap. You are lucky you escaped with your life.”

“Yeah, tell me about it. Balron? Stupid name… ” I grumbled, taking note of the name she used apparently they weren’t just calling it a Balrog? Was it a copyright issue? The idea seemed funny to me Hackers creating Daemons worried about the Tolkien estate. “So everything was deleted?”

“Yes, at least the room you were in, is no longer accessible, so it’s about the same.”

“Yeah he was smashing the already broken tunnel to the room. There could be another access point.” I pointed out, but only received a shaken head from W3lker.

“Unlikely. That was a secure storage space. No, that was the only path.”

“Can’t we build a new one to connect to it?”

Walk3r snorted. “Not a chance. The data was likely corrupted the moment, the pathway to it was fully broken. Even if I could get access again, it would be just as bad as the rest of the server now.”

“Sorry.” I offered, actually feeling heartfelt. It wasn’t my fault, exactly, no way for me to know about the massive Balrog hiding in the digital fireplace, but I was still the one there.

“It’s fine kid. The server was a mess and I doubted I would get anything out of it safely, which is why I agreed to this, Yoko gave me some good stuff to use the server as a training ground. The data would have just been a perk.” He offered and I nodded looking to Yoko who was still resting back on her throne.

“I learned a lot, but I feel like that wasn’t the norm when diving into a data server.”

“Oh no. The corruption of the data within made it a very unique experience… But it does resemble in a far safer version what diving into the deep net would be like. Considering I agreed to offer you as much mentorship as I could as a netrunner, I figured gaining such an experience would be worth it. Don’t you agree?”

“It was certainly… Unique. But I think I need to log. I’m pretty sure my brain was half fried when I took that Overheat.”

“Honestly I’m surprised you are still conscious. When the hack struck through your barriers, I expected to have to pull you out. V3L’s rig must be better at protecting its user than I expected. Or I should say your rig.” Yoko offered and I shrugged. I was pretty tough after all, so I wasn’t all that surprised, but I didn’t want to get into that with Yoko.

I waved her goodbye as I pulled myself out of the server back across the net to my lobby and I blinked with my real eyes.

Then I blinked again because my face was a mess.

Blood ran down my nose, and I think from my eyes as well. The fact my Kiroshi weren’t biological the only reason they were still working.

I was fucked up.

I thought about getting up and cleaning up, but I was in rough shape, so instead I decided to kick it down eight hours.

I went to sleep.

 

[Karmic Acumen]

I scent a Checkov's gun.

 

[Guardian Box]

Motoko should use her music talents and (re)create The Ballad of Jackie Welles

 

[Blasterbot]

Motoko needs a pet Balrog. sorry completely legally distinct Balron. which should be treated as if it were in fact a Balrog if ever encountered. Unfortunately Motoko is not on Fëanor's level and so needs to heed Gandolf's advice when it comes to balrogs.

 

[Seras]

I ended up having to go home after I woke up. While I did have a sink in the basement so I was able to clean the blood off my face, my netrunner suit needed an actual cleaning since some of my blood had caked on.

So I was throwing my clothes in the washer back at the apartment, and slumping onto the couch when I thought to check my stat page.

I had killed a lot of Daemons after all, and they did give XP.

I started looking through the update list with wider and wider eyes.

*250 XP Gained.*

*250 XP Gained.*

*250 XP Gained.*

*250 XP Gained.*

And on and on, the page of XP alerts just didn’t stop.

*Level up achieved!*

*One Stat Point Gained.*

*One Skill Point Gained.*

*250 XP Gained.*

*250 XP Gained.*

I had actually managed another level already!

I had killed enough 250XP Daemons to gain more than 11,000 XP!

That was… Well okay it was only 44 Daemons. That actually fit, that horde of Daemons I had slaughtered had been quite large.

Wow.

But that wasn’t even the end of my improvements!

I guess breaching through a corrupted system had given me a lot of practice, my intelligence had leveled!

*Intelligence Leveled up!*

Intelligence 9.

But even better!

Breach had leveled as well! Despite the intelligence level up just happening Breach had shot up as well! I guess navigating that ruined system had been a great new experience.

*Breach Protocol skill level up!*

Breach 9.

I now had a new highest stat. Cool had been my highest level stat for so long it was kind of weird to think it had fallen behind.

Yet that wasn’t even the end.

*Quick Hacks skill level up!*

Level 6!? Already! I mean, my previous levels with quick hacks had all been with ping, and in the real world, and this time not only was I using much more powerful programs, I was using them on the net. Both as offense and defense, against enemies doing the same.

I nodded, it made sense for it to level so fast, but it still surprised me.

The influx of knowledge and experience hadn't even been noticed. I had been so busy fighting against the Daemons. The fact I had suddenly improved had completely slipped past my awareness.

“I’m gonna be such an awesome hacker.” I whispered to myself unable to stop the jittery excitement flowing through me.

Sure it had been a mess. That server had nearly killed me, well I likely would have been okay with two other hackers watching my back, but I could have been hurt…

Okay more hurt.

But it was still totally worth it for this alone.

So many changes just with one dive. Heh. It really was like a game. Go into a dungeon and come out more powerful.

I loved dungeon delves. Maybe I could actually find a server that had that gimmick. I bet there were at least a few. There was no way fantasy archetypes died out.

I picked up my Programming laptop as I waited for my clothes.

I was feeling inspired. There had been a gain greater than just higher numbers. I had learned what it was like being in the net, what I could expect, what I would face, and what I would need.

It made me want a Daemon of my own.

Not just a Daemon I could use, because I had a few stored away in my system. Specifically the neat little Daemon that would interfere with optics of people I hacked for example. Cyber Ninja was still a really cool perk.

But I wanted to make a Daemon of my own. One just for me.

But first? I needed more levels.

Back to the grind.

—--

A few hours later mid work on trying to streamline Reboot Optics some more. The door opened and Jun slumped inside.

“Hey Jun. You okay?” I chirped as he seemed lethargic but he just waved a hand holding a XXL burrito at me as he headed to the fridge grabbing a drink and then slumping onto the couch as he started eating and drinking.

I ignored him for a bit, he looked tired, and I knew he would tell me what was wrong when he was ready.

“I was stuck dealing with a total disaster all day.” He finally told me and I nodded as I closed down another line. Looking at it, and deciding it was better than it had been.

“Sounds tough.”

“Some gonk decided to try to beat up a 6th. St. girl. The Girl was the kid sister of someone important. I was the bodyguard of Hitake, while he tried to calm things down. It took forever, and I had to keep an eye on things the whole time. It got tense a few times.” He said, sighing as he took a big bite of his disgusting burrito.

“Sounds like it all worked out in the end? No gunfights?”

“Not this time.” He muttered but he nodded and leaned back seemingly happy that it had all been okay in the end. “How was your day? You’ve been out and about the last few days.”

“I was netrunning.” I told him which caused a reaction as he jerked up and looked at me in surprise.

“Wait, really!?”

“Yeah? Why is that a shock? I’ve been doing netrunner stuff for a while! I even upgraded my Cyberdeck a little bit ago, remember?”

“Yeah but… knowing how to throw a quick hack, or a little programming- Err I mean being a programmer isn’t the same as netrunning.” He said having to backpedal on calling my skill with programming ‘little.’ Jun had been smart enough to notice my glare.

“Yeah well. I told you that I took over the netrunners basement and all the stuff to get at his equipment.”

“Yeah but I just… I guess I hadn’t really thought that you really would… Oka-san… She’d be so proud of you Motoko. She always wanted you to follow in her footsteps. Wow. I guess…” He went silent as he sort of stared off into space for a bit.

“Natasha Kusanagi, huh.” I spoke, unable to help myself. I didn’t think of my parents very often.

“Yeah. She was amazing, there wasn’t anything she couldn’t hack.” Jun said with a smile on his face and I nodded.

“Well I’ll be just as amazing!” I told him not sure what else to say. So instead I turned back to my laptop and got back to work. Jun eventually turned on the TV and settled in, as we just hung out together.

—--

The level up hit me by surprise.

*Programming skill level up!*

*1 Perk Point Gained.*

Programming 5!

“Eeee!” I squealed as the information hit me. The fact I had been fighting my Reboot Optics Quick Hack for so long only to suddenly gain something even better?

“Huh? What’s up Motoko?”

“Ah! I just had a breakthrough!” I lied to Jun but it was kinda true as well. The info dump as always gave me the chance to look over my previous code and scoff at how bad it was.

Even just a single level improvement was enough to make me realize all of my work up to that had been a waste.

Wait.

The thought struck me and I looked at my current stat screen with a realization.

1 Stat point.
6 Skill point.

I had everything I needed…

Why was I wasting my time grinding out low level programming when I could maximize it!?

I hesitated as the thought struck me. I liked grinding, and it was good for me, the grind forced me to produce something, to create. I mean sure I could probably rip apart everything I programmed up until now if I really upgraded that much, but it was useful to do it myself.

There were other stats, other skills as well…

Wouldn’t Ninjutsu be best to level up more instead?

Wouldn’t Reflex be a good choice to increase, as it makes me incredibly more deadly?

Tech? The stat and skills I had worked with the least? Wouldn’t they be best to bring up in line?

But….

I really didn’t want to fight against these programs anymore! I wanted to make amazing programs!

I stopped myself from putting all the points in.

I remember the info dump that had happened the last time I had done that. So instead I simply put a skill point into Programming.

Programming 6.

The rush was everything I had hoped for. Increasing a skill by one point was a massive increase. Getting another level up moments after?

Ahhh yissss.

But I wasn’t done. Once my mind processed the level up, I flicked another point in.

Programming 7.

I shivered having to use Cold Blood just to calm my excitement so Jun wouldn’t notice me freaking out.

It was amazing. Methodologies, improvements, secrets, tricks, and the experience of knowing when and how to use them flooded in.

I had been like a baby playing with a weapon, without the understanding of how to take off the sheath. Of the skill on how to turn a weapon into something truly deadly.

But I was starting to see it. That vague understanding of what programming could truly do. I was finally starting to glimpse it’s true potential.

Rache Bartmoss had with a bit of programming literally caused an apocalypse.

I was going to be just as good in the end.

I pushed another button.

Programming 8.

I exhaled, Programming was now at the same level as my Ninjutsu. The skill that had turned me from a streetkid with memory problems into a merc with a future.

Programming 8, might even be more powerful.

I understood how to make rudimentary AI.

I could create intelligence.

Oh I had some plans for that!

But I could still push it more.

I had three skill points left… Who says I shouldn’t use them? They were mine!

Programming 9.

So close.

I was so close. I could see it, that tiny bit more. I had seen a digital world before, but now? Now I knew what it was made of. How it was constructed. Like humanity learning about the atom, only I could alter atoms. I could program the world and change it.

I don’t know how long I sat there, as Jun watched TV staring at a laptop without seeing a word on it.

The amount of information was smaller, but the complexity was higher.

There was so much I could do now. So many problems I had stopped working on before would now be… Easy. Simple. Childs programming. No not even that, Good programming from an average person.

But I wasn’t average.

The gamer system made me capable of being a genius, a prodigy, a monster.

I was maxed out though.

Intelligence 9. Programming 9. I couldn’t go any higher.

My eye peeked over to the stat point.

I had been saving them for my arms, but that wasn’t too much of an issue anymore…

Right?

It was just… One point. I clicked it, before I could stop myself.

Intelligence 10.

And then… I pushed another button.

*Programming skill level up!*

*1 Perk Point Gained.*

*Human limit Achieved.*

Programming 10.

I winced, hissing a bit as I rubbed at my head.

Maybe taking five level ups in a short period hadn’t been the smartest thing.

My head throbbed, but it was the knowledge flowing in that made it all worth it.

I didn’t even have to think about it.

I could think back to my Reboot Optics quick hack, and remember bad code, bad choices, and ways to fix it.

Ways to improve it.

And yet.

I checked my stat page trying to figure out what human limit alert meant.

When I selected it, a small alert appeared.

*Human Limit Achieved. XP leveling has been locked. Stat or Skill points required for further advancement.*

I read the alert a few times. Trying to understand it, I had come so far.

And yet I wasn’t at the peak.

Level 10 wasn’t the max. I didn’t even know if there was a max, but since this was mimicking Cyberpunk 2077, then level 20 would be the max level… Right?

I was only halfway there.

I only had half the understanding and knowledge of programming that I could have?

For a moment I just felt like my brain was melting, because the idea that I could still get even better…

Being this skilled at something…

It almost scared me.

No wonder Bartmoss had been so feared. Had been so capable.

A monster. A true inhuman being.

That is what being level 20 must mean.

I stood shocking myself as I nearly fell as I felt woozy, something even Jun noticed as I stumbled over to the kitchen and grabbed a soda out of the fridge.

“Hey?” Jun was there behind me gently reaching out to grab me, which was weird, until I realized he was moving back and forth.

No. No it was I who was swaying on my feet.

“Motoko are you sick?”

“No. No I’m okay Jun just… I just had a surprise I guess.” I mumbled but I let myself fall into a hug. He obviously didn’t believe me, but the soda helped. The cold and sugar was just what I needed. A few moments later I pushed away from Jun and my legs held me.

“Motoko? Do we need to go to Vik’s”

“No I’m okay Jun really… I just… It’s all a bit much. Programming.” I muttered, “I think I’ll take a break for a while, let my brain cool down.”

“Yeah.” He grumbled but as much as I wanted to just think Jun guided me back to the couch and very firmly closed my laptop, which earned him a snort, but I was a good girl. I settled into the couch and flopped over onto the arm rest and instead of doing any further work, I just watched the stupid show Jun was watching.

God it was awful.

—--

I ended up falling asleep at some point. Which goes to show just how tired my brain must have been.

Okay Motoko you fucking gonk brain. No more leveling multiple skills back to back. Give it a few hours at least.

I was on the couch, but a blanket covered me and the TV was off leaving the room quiet which was rare.

I snuggled into the couch for a bit not wanting to get up just yet.

Jun must have put the blanket over me.

He was a good Onii-chan. I would have to do something nice for him like… Not wreck his sleep by cannonballing on him? Or something.

I’m not a good Imouto. I’ll work on it.

Eventually I started getting bored and actually rose up, untangling myself from the blankets but rather than open up my laptop like my brain was begging me to do, I went to the bathroom and took a shower.

The water flowing over me let me process what I had just done.

It wasn’t stupid. Other than rushing through the leveling. I couldn’t have known that leveling up to ten meant I stopped getting XP, and would have to level through stat and skill points.

Was it annoying?

Yes.

But it was fine. I knew it now. Besides…

Programming.

God it was almost terrifying what I could do now.

And I still had two perks.

I snorted. I had gone from Level 5, to ten in one sitting, no wonder my brain had felt like melting out my ears.

Although I did have to admit. It felt amazing. Learning something, no more than learning it, mastering it?

I shook my head spraying water around. I wouldn’t put myself through that again, but doing it once was neat.

Now I just had to decide.

What did I do now?

The system had told me I was at the human limit. What did that mean?

What did that say about me?

Was I now the greatest programmer of all time? But I could still level up. The stats and skills went past 10.

So what would programming 11 be?

20?

I shrugged. I guess I would find out when it happened. Until then, I really really wanted to fix my quick hacks.

But first I had perks to pick. No point in getting to work without them selected.

The first perk was an obvious choice.

Inspired Programmer: Inspiration strikes constantly. Never run out of steam while programming.

Instantly just thinking about my quick hacks brought tons of ideas on how to fix them. Truly I was inspired.

It felt great!

The second perk was harder. I went back through the list.

It took me a while to find something I felt was good enough to add in.

Honestly I picked it so I might finally be able to complete one of my big goals.

A.I. Whisperer: Daemons, Smart Programs, Virtual Intelligence, and true A.I. You don’t just create a mind. You create life.

I shivered as I picked the perk. Was it the right choice? I don’t know. There had been a few about creating better quick hacks in the list too. But my choice was made.

I dried off and got dressed in just my leotard as I settled onto the couch. Throwing the blanket Jun had grabbed for me over my shoulders as I brought the laptop into my lap.

Time to see what I could really do now.

 

[Guardian Box]

Ahh~ that's the stuff~

I was half-worried I wouldn't be getting my bi-weekly fix today.

 

[Seras]

Ahh~ that's the stuff~

I was half-worried I wouldn't be getting my bi-weekly fix today.

I slept in today on accident!

 

[The Whispering Monk]

You create life.

 

[Guardian Box]

I slept in today on accident!

What did you dream about that you felt was oh so much more important than granting us, your loyal fans, our promised Motokos?

 

[Seras]

What did you dream about that you felt was oh so much more important than granting us, your loyal fans, our promised Motokos?

I don't remember. I was just sleepy though. Haven't been feeling great this week.