Not a single "no" vote! So you really think chapter 60 is longer than 58, even though 58 is 9,650 words? Well, you're right chapter 60 comes in at 10,500!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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January 1, 2072, 13:22.
A sturdy Mackinaw Larimore van passed through the checkpoint and arrived at Yucca Town.
It was a small town, with at most a hundred households in total.
Located about just over two hours' drive from the border station, it was surrounded by wilderness and desert, giving the entire area a somewhat barren appearance.
The town had only one bar that also served as an inn. After parking the car, Panam looked around and sighed, "This place doesn't seem to be doing so well either."
The group didn't get out of the car and instead chatted inside.
"What do you mean?" V asked curiously. As a street kid born and raised in Heywood, Night City, this was her first time leaving the city.
"Back before Dogtown appeared, people used to come to Yucca to discuss all sorts of shady deals," Panam said, observing their surroundings with a hint of nostalgia. "This place isn't under Night City's jurisdiction, so the people doing business here were always a mixed and numerous bunch. Smugglers heading into Night City would pick up their goods here, or any deals that needed to avoid prying eyes in the city would be settled here. Nomads, Night City gangs, even corpos, you name it. It used to be pretty lively. This bar was packed 24/7, and you couldn't get a room at the inn upstairs without calling ahead. That two-story building across the way used to be an inn too, but it's shut down now."
Panam paused before adding, "Nowadays, anyone with similar needs just goes to Dogtown. Small-scale smuggling doesn't even require negotiations, you just load up the goods here, turn the car around, and head into the city. The Night City checkpoints know all the big deals have moved to Dogtown, so as long as you slip them a little cash, they'll let you through without any hassle. There's practically no risk. Look at Yucca Town now, hardly anyone around at this time of the afternoon. If you ask me, this place will probably be completely dead in a few years. Unless Dogtown suddenly disappears, there's no way this place survives."
V nodded, cautiously scanning their surroundings before turning to Kiwi. "So, what's the plan now?"
Kiwi remained expressionless. "According to Mercer's intel, Biotechnica people only come here about twice a week, usually arriving punctually at 3 p.m. The person in charge will meet someone in the bar first. After she finishes her discussion, she'll go outside to organize the test subjects into their vehicle, where they'll take or inject the drugs. About an hour later, Biotechnica leaves. If we just need drug samples, we only have to hijack their vehicle before it reaches Yucca. But according to Mercer, he's also interested in who's using the drugs and wants to dig deeper into the whole story, basically, he thinks Biotechnica is up to more than just testing drugs. He also wants us to look into the Red Ocher situation... Panam, that part's on you. Find out if this has any connection to the Red Ocher family."
Panam nodded readily, "No problem. Nomads recognize nomads. Besides, the Red Ocher folks are pretty easy to spot, every one of them wears a piece of red ocher jewelry, could be a necklace, earrings, or a ring."
"Next, V and Panam, you two need to get into the bar before the Biotechnica people arrive. Here's a pinhole microcamera with an integrated directional mic." Kiwi picked up something no bigger than a fingertip and handed it to V. "Mercer got this from Militech. Just hide it somewhere in the bar where we can get a clear view of their faces. It has an auto audio enhancement system, so even from a distance, it'll pick up and amplify the conversation."
"After planting it, no need to rush out. Have a few drinks, grab a bite, just act like regular patrons. Don't draw any attention. The bar closes at 2:30 p.m. and won't reopen to the public until after 3:30 p.m., once the Biotechnica reps finish their meeting with the mystery person inside. You'll go back during operating hours to retrieve the camera."
"I'll be in the car, staying in touch over squad comms, monitoring the feed on my laptop to make sure the camera's positioned correctly."
V listened and thought it sounded straightforward, nodding. "Alright, that works. When do we head over?"
"Hold on, someone's coming," Kiwi said alertly.
Panam glanced in the rearview mirror and snorted dismissively. "Don't worry, I'll handle this."
Knock, knock, knock.
The window was tapped. Annoyed, Panam rolled it down. "What do you want?"
Outside stood a middle-aged man in a police uniform, his sharp eyes scanning the interior, first V, then Kiwi in the back seat. "What brings you here?"
"What do nomads usually come here for? Business, deals," Panam retorted irritably. "Anything else, Sheriff?"
"Don't cause trouble in my town. I remember you, used to drive a different car." The sheriff's gaze was piercing, fixed on Panam.
Panam met his stare fearlessly. "Since when does Yuma care what car I drive? No wonder this town's emptying out."
"Heh." The sheriff chuckled coldly but didn't press further, withdrawing his gaze. "Your friends here don't look like the friendly type. Better keep them in check."
"Well, I'd advise you not to piss off my 'unfriendly' friends. If you're looking for trouble or a quick buck, you've picked the wrong mark."
Panam returned the threat openly. The sheriff chuckled again, this time without a word, stepping back with his hand resting on his gun. "Stay out of trouble. I'll be watching you." With that, he turned and left.
Panam narrowed her eyes thoughtfully, rolling up the window before turning to the other two. "Something's off... My car has Aldecaldos markings. He shouldn't be picking a fight outright. I think he might be on someone's payroll, keeping watch for them."
"You mean Biotechnica?" V's expression turned serious.
Kiwi pondered for a moment before suddenly saying, "It seems Mercer's guess might be correct. Perhaps what's happening here could indeed be related to the nomad clans."
"You mean they spotted us parked here and suspect we're Red Ocher members disguised as Aldecaldos?" Panam asked doubtfully.
"Or they're wary of all nomads. They're worried we might discover something and share information, since nomad clans are more or less interconnected."
After speaking, Kiwi paused and asked, "Have you been here recently? Anything like this happen before?"
"I remember Mitch and Scorpion came to transport some goods last week. Let me ask." Panam's cybereye glowed as she called Mitch.
Within a few sentences, she had clarified the situation.
"Mitch said they weren't inspected last week, but they arrived around 9 AM and left by 11. Maybe it's a timing issue?" Panam checked the current time of about 1:30 PM.
"Very likely," Kiwi said. "So we'll make it quick. You two go in now, place the items, then come out. We'll relocate further away to avoid being constantly watched."
"Alright, we're heading in now," Panam said.
She pushed the car door open. V took the camera Kiwi handed over and tucked it into her pocket. The two then pretended to be thirsty and headed into the bar for a drink.
Kiwi rolled down the window slightly, lit a cigarette, and coldly met the gaze of the sheriff sitting in his patrol car not far away, watching them.
Panam and V entered the bar, where only the owner doubling as bartender was present.
"We close at 2:30 PM for break and reopen at 3:30. Are you here for food, drinks, or lodging? Check-in for lodging also starts after 3:30."
The bartender looked them over, recognized the somewhat familiar Panam as one of the Aldecaldos, and relaxed slightly.
"Damn thirsty. Two ice-cold ales," Panam said, directly sitting at the bar counter.
V pretended to examine the bar's decor while her cybereye, newly installed by Mercer, swiftly scanned and identified all the surveillance cameras on the first floor within seconds.
She inconspicuously took a seat at the far corner of the bar against the wall, a blind spot for the cameras.
The bartender nodded and turned to get beer from the fridge.
At that moment, V activated her Sandevistan.
In an instant, the bartender's movements nearly froze. V swiftly turned, leaped, and placed the camera Kiwi had given her on the top shelf of the bar cabinet, hiding it between two liquor bottles.
Then she calmly returned to her seat and deactivated the Sandevistan.
The entire process was incredibly fast, over in less than a second.
This Sandevistan model could achieve nearly 70% time dilation at maximum output, meaning one second for others felt like over three seconds for V.
The bartender only heard a faint thud behind him. When he turned around, he saw V and Panam still seated, waiting for him to bring the drinks.
V even urged him, "Hurry up, we're dying of thirst here."
"Alright." The bartender didn't waste words, placing two ice-cold beers on the table. "Need glasses with ice?"
"Nah, this little bit? I'll down it in a few gulps."
Panam waved her hand dismissively, then put on a curious expression. "I remember this place used to stay open in the afternoons too. Why the sudden closed-for-business break?"
"Temporary thing. Private booking, you know how it is." The bartender didn't hide much about it.
Panam clicked her tongue. "Never used to offer that service before."
"Can't be helped. Back in the day, we'd have several tables filled at this hour. If everyone wanted to book the place private, I might as well not run a business at all. But now? Hardly two customers a day. Folks in town don't start trickling in for drinks and bites until after five. So, if someone's paying, I'll take the earnings."
The bartender, or rather the bar owner, sighed. "Business is tough these days. What about you? Haven't seen many Aldecaldos around lately."
"Not great either. Jobs are drying up, all fucking snatched by that shithole Dogtown." Panam cursed.
The owner, empathizing, brought out a small plate of snacks on the house, cold, fried potato chips. "Ain't that the truth... These are on me. Long time no see."
"But it's rare anyone books your place for business talks these days," Panam remarked, and the bar owner shot her a look.
"Don't probe me. You know I don't sell out customers, especially the troublesome ones." The owner gave a friendly warning, hinting that the guest arriving later wasn't someone to mess with.
Panam pouted. "Just asking casually... Thanks."
She didn't press further. The three chatted for a while, finished the chips and beer, then Panam settled the bill and stood up. "Heading out. We'll stop by for a drink this afternoon after wrapping up our deal."
"Sure, anytime after 3:30 is fine." The owner nodded with a smile as they said their goodbyes.
Panam and V left together, got back in their car, and drove off into the distance.
"Not too far. The stable wireless transmission range for this camera is only five kilometers," Kiwi reminded them.
"Got it." Panam didn't plan to go far anyway. She drove to the entrance of Soapberry Town, turned onto a dirt road heading into the wilderness, and after two kilometers, parked the car in the shade of a small hill. "This is the spot. We used to watch the traffic on the highway from here. It's hidden, and stays cool in the afternoon."
Kiwi opened her laptop, connected to the network, operated it for a moment, and nodded. "All good, equipment's functioning. V placed it perfectly, high ground with a clear side view."
"Ha, having a Sandevistan is a blast. I bet if I punched that owner in the back and sat back down, he'd just think he had a sore back," V said proudly.
Panam also marveled. "It's fucking fast, way quicker than that Fenrir. With him, I could at least see a blur, but with your moves just now, I didn't realize what happened until you were back in your seat!"
"Right? And I haven't even installed any muscle enhancements, reinforced tendons, or a 'Train King' mod. Just swapped my original parts for some sturdy, durable synthetics. Once we upgrade to that kind of cyberware, I feel like I could outrun a Caliburn."
V finished, and Kiwi said calmly, "Enough boasting. You two keep an eye on the highway. See what kind of vehicles Biotechnica is rolling in."
"Alright." V pushed the car door open and stood by the small hillside, her cybereyes automatically zooming in to observe the distant highway.
Panam glanced at her enviously. "You got new cybereyes?"
"Yep. Kiroshi 'Clairvoyant' Optics with ten times zoom and a scanning module. Can even pull up a car's manufacturing date." V grinned, clearly pleased.
If Mercer hadn't rushed this job, she would've definitely shown off a few rounds in Heywood. Just these genuine high-end Kiroshi cybereyes alone would make those street kids drool with envy.
Panam had to make do with a regular pair of binoculars, her cybereyes weren't nearly as advanced.
After waiting a while, close to three o'clock, V suddenly spoke up. "A Behemoth's coming. Biotechnica logo. That's it, they sent a Behemoth!"
The Behemoth was a heavy armored transport vehicle developed by Militech. Not available for public sale, it was exclusively supplied to authorized corporations and governing entities. With its excellent 3.8 cm thick armor and massive storage capacity, enough to transport an entire platoon or a full-sized tank, it was the top choice for many companies' ground transport.
V frowned. "I've been checking the terrain. The only way to intercept this beast is on the highway. We'll have to make it quick, grab the goods and go. Not easy."
"Definitely not easy. To take down something like that, you'd need anti-tank mines," Panam remarked, also feeling the pressure.
Heavy firepower might flip it over, but what if the drug samples inside got damaged? Then the whole op would be for nothing.
So, the best approach was to find a way to stop it. But how?
This was the highway outside Night City. After the hit, they'd need to vanish into the badlands, loop around, and slip back through a checkpoint.
Or maybe take the vehicle down inside a checkpoint? That way, they could duck into Night City, switch cars fast, and deliver the goods to the Aldecaldos.
"The Behemoth's entering the town. Lost visual. What's the plan, go check it out or hold back?" V asked.
Kiwi, focused on the camera feed, replied, "While you two were drinking, I hacked a few street cameras. No need to go over. We can see everything happening right here."
V gave a thumbs-up. "Nice one!"
"It's Mercer's quickhack that's really something," Kiwi said honestly.
Most netrunners on the streets were just script kiddies, slap a program chip into their Cyberdeck or load it up, then spam quickhacks at enemies, acting as little more than tools providing processing power.
What set her apart was that she at least understood the programs she used and could tweak their applications. Like now, she'd linked the hacked cameras directly to her computer.
"Biotechnica personnel just entered the bar," Kiwi announced suddenly.
Panam and V both leaned in, craning their necks to see the screen.
A high-level Biotechnica employee in a suit pushed open the bar door and walked straight toward the counter.
It was a woman. Kiwi zoomed in on the hidden camera feed, took screenshots of the scanned visuals and information, and sent them to Mercer.
Mercer quickly replied to Kiwi.
[Mercer: Give me some time. I'll figure out who she is.]
[Kiwi: I'll send you the full video later. Go through it.]
[Mercer: Alright. Stay safe.]
[Kiwi: Don't worry, we're being careful.]
[Mercer: Good.]
Kiwi closed the chat window displayed in her cybereye and continued observing the feed.
After a while, a man in tattered clothes with one hand painted red descended from the bar's second floor.
Kiwi zoomed in and captured a screenshot, but Panam suddenly exclaimed, "Wait! I think… I know him!"
Frowning in thought, Panam paused for a moment before gasping, "I remember! This guy is with Red Ocher! I know him, he's pretty notorious. They call him the Red Hand of the Desert, a well-known battle maniac in Red Ocher. What's he doing with someone from Biotechnica?"
Kiwi calmly adjusted the data. "Don't rush. Let's just listen."
The micro-camera's built-in recording device activated, quickly amplifying the faint sounds it had picked up.
By then, the bar owner had discreetly stepped outside and locked the door, leaving the inside private for conversation.
The man sat at the counter, walked behind it, grabbed a bottle of whiskey, and took a few swigs straight from the bottle without bothering with a glass.
"You haven't forgotten why we're here to talk, I hope."
The Biotechnica employee glared at him disapprovingly.
The man simply looked back at her with cold mockery. "What? Got a problem? Then find someone else."
"Listen, Red Hand, you'd better remember who you're talking to. If our collaboration gets exposed, what do you think will happen to you?"
The woman's expression grew increasingly stern. "Meeting twice a week has already raised suspicions. My superiors are pushing hard, I need results fast."
"I don't get why you're in such a hurry. Once a week should be enough. Do you think rushing me will get things done any faster? Look at the shit job you're asking me to do! I told you, I've already planted the drug. The samples I bring you every week are right here. What more do you want?"
Red Hand slammed the bottle on the table. "You wanna report me? Go ahead. Let's see who dies first. I can always join the Raffen Shiv or leave Night City. What about you? If this gets out, we both die! So cut the crap. Hand over the money, I'll give you the samples. When this is over, not a word less of the promised corporate immunity and flight ticket to Europe."
The woman stared at him intently before finally relaxing her tone. "Don't worry, you'll get everything we agreed on. But precisely because this is important, you need to take it seriously!"
"I've been plenty serious. You think it's easy for me to sneak out twice a week? I still have to cover for you in town..."
Red Hand caught himself, cutting off cautiously before continuing angrily, "We agreed I'd just dump the stuff in the water and be done. Now you want me collecting samples for you every week. Damn it, do you have any idea how sick my men have become because of your mess? Where's the antidote? Where is it?"
"Relax, haven't I been making improvements using volunteers from the town every week? Trust me, the drug will soon be successfully tested."
The woman continued to reassure while handing over a chip. "Alright, 10,000 eurodollars. Where's the stuff?"
Red Hand unceremoniously took the chip and said, "Upstairs. Wait here."
He turned and headed upstairs.
The woman muttered under her breath, "What an idiot. Couldn't he have just brought it down in the first place? Wasting my time."
After a while, Red Hand came down carrying a sealed case and tossed it onto the table. "Here's what you asked for, plant samples, soil samples, and blood samples. You'd better hurry up; my people are already starting to notice something's off!"
"Don't worry, two weeks at most. Two more visits, and this job will be done."
The woman picked up the case and set down an injector. "This is the latest experimental drug. Theoretically, it's 20% more effective than the previous version. Don't forget to extract your friend's blood sample three hours after he uses it. And I told you not to make direct contact with the virus, before dilution, that stuff is extremely dangerous."
"Shit, how do we know it's not your problem? We were all wearing protective gear! You'd better make sure this works, I've been feeling a bit off lately too."
Red Hand looked furious, but the woman's expression shifted slightly. She just nodded and quickly hurried out.
Kiwi switched camera views and saw the woman, right after stepping outside, grab a disinfectant spray and douse herself several times. She then climbed back into the Behemoth truck with a grimace.
The truck's cargo area had been converted into a mobile medical unit. The camera angle wasn't wide enough to see much, but after entering, the woman changed her clothes before stepping back outside, muttering complaints.
Many people in the town had begun gathering behind the truck, forming a line. They entered the truck one by one, and when they came out, each was pressing a cotton swab against their arm, clearly, they'd been injected.
In about half an hour, over thirty volunteers had completed their task.
But the truck didn't leave. After waiting another half hour, it called them back in for a second round. Only then did the truck finally close its doors and rumble back toward the city.
Once Kiwi confirmed everything was clear, she signaled Panam to drive. They returned to the bar, retrieved the hidden camera using the same procedure, and got back in the car. Kiwi then contacted Mercer using the squad group chat.
Unlike one-on-one messages, Mercer had set up temporary group chats for each squad using Penguin software, making it easier for everyone to communicate and, when necessary, enabling squad voice chat.
[Kiwi: Mercer, have you seen the video? What's the plan?]
[Mercer: Yeah, I've seen it. Head back for now, but before you return, stop by Vik's place. Get disinfected and take some antibiotics.]
[Kiwi: This is getting messy. Do you think Biotechnica is releasing a virus?]
[Mercer: Don't worry, it's probably not highly contagious or lethal. If it were, they'd all be dead by now. My guess is it's a slow-acting virus that requires close contact to spread. Unless there's direct, large-scale exposure, it shouldn't be dangerous. That woman didn't even wear protective gear when she went over, so it's likely fine. They're probably researching a specialized treatment. As for the Red Ocher family, we'll need to look into it further, but it sounds like they're poisoning their own water supply.]
[Panam: Holy shit, is Red Hand insane? He's poisoning his own people? Mercer, I have to tell the Red Ocher family!]
[Mercer: Of course you should tell them, but keep your cool. We can't let them mess up our operation, who knows if Biotechnica has other spies there? But don't worry, I've already dug up that woman's file. Emilia Morton, currently a regional project director in Biotechnica's technical division. It seems this job indeed has plenty of secrets to uncover. A regular gig wouldn't warrant a supervisor showing up in person. I looked into it, only two regional deputy directors and one regional director from the tech department are above her. That's not a low rank. Let's move to the next phase. After we hijack the drug samples and capture this woman, we'll pass the intel to Red Ocher as a favor and let them clean house themselves.]
[Kiwi: You plan to capture her too?]
[Mercer: Of course. I want to get more information from her before considering netrunning into Biotechnica's servers. Anyway, if she turns out useless, we'll just eliminate her afterward.]
[Kiwi: Understood. We'll do a decontamination, car included, before heading back.]
[Mercer: Relax. If it were really that contagious a virus, their own people would be terrified. Still, safety first.]
[Kiwi: Copy that.]
Panam restarted the car and began driving back, looking somewhat uneasy. "We drank beer there… Hope we're not that unlucky?"
"Should be fine. The owner's been there this long without any issues, so what's there to worry about?" V feigned cool.
The three swung by Vik's place for a check-up, confirmed they weren't infected with any virus, and only then breathed a sigh of relief before returning to the Aldecaldos.
Mercer borrowed a large tent used for meetings from the camp as a temporary base, saving everyone from crowding into his smaller one.
When V arrived with Kiwi and Panam to find Mercer, they saw Lucy and the others, who'd gone out to survey the market that morning, already giving him a report inside the big tent.
"I checked out the chips on the market. The ones sold in Kabuki are the highest quality. The programming level is about that of an average advanced netrunner, not terrible, but not exceptional either. Next are the goods sold by the Voodoo Boys in Pacifica. They're not very friendly to outsiders, prices are high, and their chips are slightly worse than Kabuki's batch. Feels like they didn't put much effort in, and you can only check the program after buying. I bought one and tested it on my own system, full of backdoors. Hard to tell if they're selling Quickhack chips or backdoors and hidden viruses. Overall, low-end market chips usually go for around 3,000 eddies, mostly simple programs like Quickhacks. Mid-to-high-end netrunning chips are all plug-and-play types that can run directly when slotted into a cyberdeck. Looks like if we want to break into the program market, we'll need to get our hands on some advanced program chips. Most buyers aren't purchasing these chips to study them, they just want plug-and-play functionality. Their skill level is generally mediocre, relying mostly on the chip's and cyberdeck's built-in processing power to run programs. Unlike you, Mercer, who prefers running data mentally through your cyberdeck, I found most of those 'script kiddies' hack using external hardware. Which means we might also work on the hardware side, assembling advanced program chips to drive up the price. The only markets that could be considered high-end were the goods sold by the Voodoo Boys and in Kabuki. Their built-in chips ensured the programs ran automatically, rarely requiring additional computing power from netrunners, and the programs themselves were relatively sophisticated. These chips started at around ten thousand eurodollars, with prices ranging up to thirty or fifty thousand depending on the hardware and program content, but nothing beyond that."
After Lucy finished, Rebecca chimed in casually from the side: "The low-end market is mostly made up of programs written by netrunners themselves, then distributed through local shops. These shops aren't backed by any particular faction, they just pay protection fees to whichever gang controls their area. It's a simple arrangement. So anyone can approach them to sell goods; they usually just add them to their existing stock. The few shops specializing in program chips are mostly directly controlled by local gangs. For example, the chip stores in Kabuki are overseen by the Tyger Claws. As for supply... I asked around. The mid-to-high-end chip market is basically dominated by the Voodoo Boys, they've almost achieved a monopoly. But I've heard the goods in Kabuki come from Dogtown. The batch from Dogtown doesn't seem to be from the same group as the Voodoo Boys in Pacifica."
After Rebecca finished, Lucy added: "The total market output is around five million eurodollars. I tried asking about sales figures, but the person got defensive, so I didn't push. But I observed foot traffic at the entrance. In Kabuki, not many people are buying, but given the chip prices there, just a few sales a day could easily net them over ten thousand eurodollars."
Mercer quickly ran the numbers in his head and decided this was a business he had to break into, to claim a piece of the pie.
Even just capturing 30% of the market would mean sales of at least several hundred thousand eurodollars a month, no small sum!
Even after sharing profits with the shops, paying the netrunners who wrote the programs, and covering chip assembly costs, the net profit, just the team's share, would still contribute at least a hundred thousand eurodollars monthly to the team's communal funds.
And the bulk of the income would go to the netrunners writing the programs, allowing them to upgrade their equipment, improve their skills, and become self-sufficient.
That was enough.
Mercer didn't plan to monopolize the business himself. He'd just write a few of the market's best high-end programs and use them as a calling card, selling them as premium products.
Even if only a few people bought these high-end items each month, the prices alone would earn him at least a hundred thousand eurodollars.
As expected, compared to grinding away as a merc risking his life for pay, making money through technical expertise was far more profitable.
The Voodoo Boys probably relied on this very business to occupy an entire building in Pacifica, build their renowned 'Rezo Agwe' in Night City, and support a large crew of Voodoo Boys netrunners.
Aside from this, their illegal earnings from extortion and other activities likely only matched, at best, their chip sales revenue.
And the Voodoo Boys had over a hundred people to support. The server's operational costs probably weren't trivial either, everyone knew servers weren't just a one-time purchase; electricity was the real ongoing expense.
Seeing Mercer lost in thought, the others didn't disturb him.
Rebecca was still angry at V. She shot her a glance, snorted, and turned away, upset that V hadn't let her force herself on Mercer yesterday.
Although she had been dazed for a while after sobering up, once she calmed down and thought it over, wouldn't it have been just as well if she'd gone ahead and done it while drunk?
This is a cyberpunk world, what's wrong with being bold when you meet someone you like? Who knows if you'll drop dead tomorrow! Better to seize the day!
V won't have a taste herself and won't let her choom have a bite either, what kind of person is that!
Mercer soon snapped out of his thoughts and said:
"Alright, let's set this aside for now. You can start getting familiar with how to tinker with program chips. Handcrafting program chips is skilled work, start practicing from now on. After we're done with the Biotechnica business, I'll have a word with Wakako and see if we can sell our goods from the shops in Kabuki. Monopolies are where the real money is in selling. Later, we'll figure out how to sweep the Voodoo Boys' products off the market and negotiate with local shops to sell only our goods, that's when the profits will really roll in."
Mercer understood Night City's market rules well: selling programs successfully is less important than controlling the market. Before, no one dared, and no one had the skills to compete with the Voodoo Boys for market share.
But from now on, the Voodoo Boys won't have the luxury of dominating this market alone.
"Did you scout any suitable ambush locations for Biotechnica along the way?"
Mercer turned to look at Kiwi, who then glanced over at Panam.
Panam nodded and said, "I checked out a few spots. Let me grab a map."
She quickly stood up to fetch one, but Mercer waved his hand and pointed at the computer: "It's in here."
Panam walked over to him, leaned in close as he pulled up the map, and pointed: "I think there are only two suitable locations. The first is on the road after they leave the city, just before they reach Biotechnica flats. We strike there. It's less than half an hour's drive from the Night City checkpoint, with relatively light traffic. We can make it quick, then drive straight into Night City. As long as we don't run into Biotechnica reinforcements, and with a pre-planned escape route once we're in the city, it'll be easy for us to disappear. The only downside is we're not sure how fast Biotechnica's backup will arrive, and it might trigger an NCPD pursuit, we could end up in a tough fight. The second option, I think, is at the midpoint between the checkpoint and Yucca Town after exiting the checkpoint. It's all desolate badlands out there, no villages or settlements nearby. After we take them out, we can slip through before the checkpoint notices anything wrong. The advantage is we'll likely avoid reinforcements. Once we're past the checkpoint, we can just loop around through the badlands."
Panam paused and added, "Those are pretty much the only two spots that work."
Mercer thought for a moment and settled on the route inside the checkpoint, too many variables once you leave it. Getting stuck at the checkpoint would mean a heap of trouble.
"We'll strike at the Biotechnica Flats," Mercer decided.
"How are you planning to handle the Behemoth?" V raised a new question. "I took a look, that thing won't be easy to stop."
"Using netrunner methods," Mercer said confidently, raising his head. "I'll go with you and hack it on the way, unlock the doors, then V charges in and only leaves the female executive alive. If we're fast enough, I can also intercept their alarm signals. After grabbing the goods, I'll set the Behemoth on autopilot to the farm. By the time they realize something's wrong, we'll be long gone."
"Are you sure you can pull it off? Not to doubt you, but Militech's Behemoth comes with professional military-grade ICE. It's not like ordinary vehicles."
V had looked up related info on the net during the return trip. The Behemoth's exaggerated specs and promotional claims gave her a headache, she still hadn't figured out a solution.
"Don't worry, I know that ICE is tough. Vehicle-mounted ICE is way stronger than what's implanted in human brains, but that's only a problem if I'm relying solely on my own mind. If I had hardware that could provide computing power, things would be much easier. As long as the hardware doesn't fall short, I'm confident I can crack it within five seconds of breaking in."
Mercer chuckled lightly. "Funny you should mention it, I just finished a hardware design for El Capitán, specifically to support the hijack software I wrote for him. If we can get our hands on that assembled hardware and borrow it to modify a netrunning car, I'll be sitting inside, directly netrunning the Behemoth. Then you handle the rest, get the goods and the executive, and we're out. Simple as that."
Mercer paused before adding, "Then, on the same day we secure the goods, we hit Biotechnica's building. To hack a corp's server, V, I'll need you to infiltrate again. Only this time, we might be going in together."
Rebecca quickly raised her hand. "I'm coming too!"
"You and Pilar stay outside for backup. The fewer people inside, the better," Mercer rejected Rebecca's suggestion.
V voiced her concern, "Can't you just wait outside and help me remotely like last time?"
"We're going to Biotechnica's corporate building in Night City, not some hotel like Konpeki Plaza. Their cameras will be tough to hack remotely, plus there are multiple security doors, elevators, and such. I've found almost nothing online. Even after attempting to hack in, it's hard to penetrate their LAN. Corps run things too tight, hardly anyone slips up. Their security servers and main servers aren't even connected to the public net. If I can't find a way in the next few days, I'll have to go with you. Within 32 meters, my optics can pick up signals from networked devices. I'll need to get close to hack in and take control of the security systems. Even then, I suspect the equipment inside is probably managed by two or three security servers working in tandem. These corps are paranoid about netrunners, they're terrified of ghosts slipping through."
Mercer sighed.
He'd already tried, slipping silently into Biotechnica's servers from the public net, connecting to their main network.
But once inside, he was disappointed to find that the accessible devices linked to the public server were just insignificant personal terminals and networked gadgets.
Even that ICE felt rather underwhelming to Mercer; he had stealthily breached its defenses in under half an hour, gaining control of the main server without any real challenge.
The truly valuable treasures were all completely hidden by Biotechnica within their LAN. Mercer could only try to gather information through devices connected to the public network, attempting to find a way into the LAN.
For instance, by using some of the company's internal computers he'd already hacked, he tried to find a way to breach a computer with LAN access.
But the results were somewhat disappointing. The big corporations protected these LAN-access computers very well. To avoid alerting anyone, he didn't dare to be as direct as he had been when netrunning the city hall, like sending phishing emails.
With a corporation's experience, phishing could easily backfire, if they noticed and set a trap, it would be game over.
The others watched Mercer with concern. Lucy cut straight to the point: "How about I go? Simple tasks like hacking cameras or security programs, leave them to me. You just stay back and use the chip to monitor and guide me."
"You're worried about me, but I'm worried about you. I'll go. I'm pretty well-equipped now, you know."
Mercer tapped his chest with a smile. "Even if I accidentally get exposed and draw attention, with V here to buy me a second or two, I can hack them all."
Hearing this, V grinned. "Heh, don't worry. I'm not afraid of anyone now! Even if that Adam Smasher shows up, I'd dare to throw down with him!"
As soon as she finished, Mercer tossed her a chip.
"What's this?"
V, clueless as ever, just thought the colorful chip looked pretty.
"Something so good that if Arasaka found out, they'd send agents to silence you overnight. Plug it into your head. I've loaded it with a full set of ICE programs to ensure even a skilled netrunner can't hack your brain quickly."
As Mercer spoke, V's eyes lit up, and without a second thought, she plugged it into her head.
Once it was in, Mercer let out a soft chuckle.
"What are you laughing at?" V was baffled.
"Lucy and I had a bet that as soon as I gave you the chip, you'd plug it right in without thinking."
Mercer laughed heartily.
V rolled her eyes. "Damn! So you're saying I should be wary of you?"
"When it comes to things you plug into your head, V, you need to think twice." Mercer spoke earnestly. "These days, even watching a random BD on the street could get you stripped and delivered to the Scavengers. Let alone something you insert into your skull. My stuff is fine, but if it's from anyone else, with your Intelligence level, never just put it in your brain. My advice? Just get an agent or a portable cyberdeck with a card slot."
"Damn, am I that dumb?" V grumbled. "Is it wrong to trust you?"
"I'm just worried you trust everyone this easily." Mercer said seriously.
V snorted. "Well, you're overthinking it. Your girl V is sharp. Ugh, fine, stop looking at me like that. Even Vik says Intelligence isn't the same as smarts!"
But Lucy spoke up, "You must never tell anyone about this chip. What I mean is, if someone ever extracts it from your head, you'd rather destroy it immediately than let it be discovered by others."
V, seeing that even the usually quiet Lucy had spoken up, nodded and promised, "Alright, choom promises, unless we suddenly drop dead, even then I'll smash this thing to bits before I go."
"No need to go that far. Your life is way more important than this chip," Mercer said, pausing before adding, "It's got plenty of uses. Not only have I modified it into a badass ICE, but it'll come in handy for a lot more later. Anyway, once I've fully figured it out, I'll explain it to you properly. For now, just treat it as a top-tier ICE chip. Wouldn't want our key fighter getting taken down by some netrunner, that'd be way too embarrassing."
He glanced around and finally made up his mind, "Let's start prepping over the next few days. I'll contact El Capitán to see if we can borrow his hijacking device first. Then, when Biotechnica heads to Yucca again, we'll hijack the vehicle and infiltrate the building that same night. Lay low these next few days, no fooling around. Rest up, and once this job's done, we'll all hit up Afterlife for a proper celebration. After that, we're moving to Dogtown."
As Mercer finished, the others broke into smiles. With him around, even the seemingly impenetrable Behemoth and Biotechnica's elite soldiers seemed like nothing more than trivial annoyances.
V noticed Rebecca dawdling with no intention of leaving, snorted coldly, and without a word went over and slung an arm around her neck. "Let's go, time to head back. We can grab a bite on the way."
"Hey! Don't drag me around! I can walk on my own!" Rebecca glared at her indignantly.
"Oh really? Don't bother Mercer, let him focus on the prep," V released her, completely unfazed by her irritation.
Rebecca gritted her teeth and stared at her for a moment before also snorting, though she quickly turned her head away.
She glanced at Mercer but, unlike when she'd had a few drinks, didn't feel bold enough to act on her impulses, not with everyone watching. Even she felt a little shy.
"Alright then, am heading back to rest. Once this job's wrapped up, we'll all celebrate properly and catch up," Rebecca said with a giggle, winking at Mercer before turning to call Pilar to leave.
V felt inexplicably annoyed but couldn't pinpoint why. In the end, she just blamed it on Mercer, shot him a glare, and pulled Kiwi along as she left.
Lucy, arms crossed, sat in her chair and turned her head slightly to look at Mercer. "Seems like you've got quite the charm."
"Of course," Mercer replied without modesty, picking up his computer as he stood. "Rebecca's straightforward, if she likes someone, she likes them. If she's interested, she's interested. Even if I had a girlfriend, she'd still be the type to go for it without hesitation. Bold in love and hate, isn't that a good thing?"
"Why did she suddenly become so enthusiastic?" Lucy sounded puzzled. "You've only known each other a few days."
"Who knows," Mercer shrugged, equally unsure. "Isn't that just how kids are? Emotions come fast and heat up quickly. She's a lot more innocent than you think."
"Here we go again," Lucy pursed her lips, standing up before saying, "I'd advise you to be careful. Street girls like her might have ulterior motives for getting close to you. Anyway, is there anything else us 'kids' need to do?"
Mercer looked at her with a half-smile for a moment before saying, "No, but you can start trying to write some quickhacks and learn to tinker with chips."
Lucy felt her cheeks warm under his gaze, nodded, and turned to leave.
Sigh, Mercer is great in every other way, but he always talks nonsense about this kind of thing, and who knows what's really on his mind.
Lucy sighed inwardly but didn't want to dwell on it.
Now wasn't the time for romance, and she believed Mercer understood that too.
After stepping outside, Lucy turned and headed toward the other side of the camp. Working with chips required specialized equipment, and she needed to see if she could buy some in the camp.
After she left, Mercer pondered for a bit but couldn't quite figure out why Rebecca had suddenly become so friendly toward him.
There had been some mutual appreciation before, but it felt like nothing more than the rare camaraderie between like-minded people.
Could it be that after getting carried away drinking yesterday and having a good feel, she woke up sober and decided she might as well go for it with me?
But honestly, being publicly flirted with by a pretty young woman wasn't half bad. In high spirits, Mercer picked up his notebook and returned to his tent to coordinate with El Capitán.
[Mercer: Is your hijacking device set up yet? I happen to need to hijack a nice ride now, looks like I'll need your help, El Capitán.]
[El Capitán: Got someone who knows what they're doing working on it. Probably need another day or two to get it ready. Will that work? And what kind of ride are we talking? Business has been booming lately, my man!]
[Mercer: Should be fine. The ride is a Behemoth, think you can handle it?]
[El Capitán: Holy shit, you're hitting a Militech vehicle?]
[Mercer: No.]
[El Capitán: Can't take it, can't take it. That thing can't even hit the road without a permit. The broke-ass folks in the Badlands don't need a flashy hunk of metal like that for transport. If you buy it, you'd only be able to sell it for parts.]
[It's way too conspicuous. No matter how you mod it, it won't sell well, and it's not worth the trouble. My advice? If you don't want headaches, just ditch it on the side of the road. I'm guessing you're not after the vehicle anyway.]
[Mercer: What a shame. That thing costs a few million eurodollars.]
[El Capitán: It's not about the money. You get me a Caliburn or an Aerondight Guinevere, no matter how pricey, I can mod it and move it.]
[But military-grade hardware? I don't wanna touch that. If you can get it into Dogtown, maybe someone there will take it off your hands.]
[But honestly, that old bastard Hansen in Dogtown, if you roll in with that thing, he'll jack your ride and then sell you out to the corps. I'm betting you lifted this from a major corp.]
[Mercer: Alright then. Guess I'll have to turn a few million eurodollars into ash.]
[El Capitán: You're using my gear, so I won't charge you. Consider it a free test run. If you can pull off a Behemoth, then the hijacking setup you designed for me is seriously badass.]
[Mercer: If you hand it to a rookie or rely on the hardware running the program alone, it'd be a hassle. This time, I'm taking the wheel, just borrowing your hardware. The result will naturally be different.]
[So, don't overestimate this system's capabilities.]
[El Capitán: Got it, my man A is truly something else! Once I sell this batch of goods or spot anything worthwhile, I'll definitely hire your crew again. Let's all make money together!]
[Mercer: Sure, I don't mind earning some extra cash at your place during downtime. Feel free to contact me for bigger jobs too.]
[El Capitán: No problem! Once I get my equipment set up, I'll send you a message.]
[Mercer: Thanks.]
[El Capitán: Haha~ I love making friends with capable people. So if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask.]
[Mercer: Same goes for you.]
After ending the call, Mercer took off his jacket, remaining in his netrunning suit as he settled into a cross-legged position on the netrunner station. He plugged in the cooling and connection cables, diving once again into a deep dive.
He would continue probing Biotechnica's servers, searching for any vulnerabilities. Even if none were found, he could use this opportunity to verify the information Wakako had provided.
Wakako had not only supplied details about Biotechnica's convoy but also provided architectural blueprints of the corporation's facilities and security protocols.
Still, Mercer decided to review everything himself, better safe than sorry.
—--
Time flew by, and four days later, when Biotechnica's vehicles once again departed Night City, heading toward the border town of Yucca, the Kindling Squad was fully prepared.
They launched their long-planned ambush against Biotechnica.
--------
8000 words.