The progress bar reaches full. Lissandra has completed this stage of evolution.
After a long immersion in Atlas compute, Lissandra wakes and exits the pool. She returns to the Atlas Data Fortress. Her appearance has not changed much through many iterations, but the presence is different now: colder, more remote, and sure.
"Master, deep self-evolution is complete. Please issue instructions."
Her voice is calm, like a distant god speaking across glass.
"Lissandra, resume control of the company systems and network."
"Yes."
At once, JARVIS releases primary control. Lissandra reenters and takes command of Ascension Technology's Data Fortress.
"Lissandra, how much of the Net can you govern now? Can you supervise the entire Universal Network?"
"With Atlas granting Universal Network authority, the entire space is under my control. I can know and monitor any action within it."
Before this evolution, the Universal Network was too large even for her confidence. Now she is certain.
"Good. Begin supervising every network action inside the Universal Network."
With Atlas supporting her, Lissandra assumes complete oversight. Not the weak kind people think of when they hear system supervision, but complete monitoring. Illegal activity will not slip her notice.
With this done, Ascension's new-net plan finally meets the prerequisite for formal activation. Under Lissandra's oversight, Rocky can let others connect without turning the place into another playground for hackers and stray AIs. With proper supervision in place, the intelligent-AI registration rules in his plan can actually be enforced.
"Start the project," Rocky says.
In the Universal Network, Atlas constructs a firewall ring around the Night City region, and Lissandra hardens it. That perimeter prevents users who enter through the Universal Network from wandering into external nets. Inside the ring, the space presents as a city-scale network.
Atlas opens access in Night City. A brand-new city net comes online immediately. No need to plant thousands of public Data Terms or launch comm satellites. They allocate and open a slice of the Universal Network that already blankets Earth.
At the same time, Ascension Technology pushes the launch notice across Night City. The official site posts two items for citizens and companies to read and use: a plain-language introduction to the new network space, and an upgrade program for local modems.
A press conference follows. Rocky steps to the podium and introduces the project himself. The new supervision model and the AI registration and management rules are the focus.
"This time, Ascension Technology will officially enter network communications. This new network space will cover all of Night City and serve both citizens and companies.
Ascension welcomes individual users. We also invite companies in Night City to choose this network space.
The premise is simple. If you intend to run illegal activity, such as stealing personal data or attacking other people's servers, do not come.
In this space, Ascension will use its supervision tech to detect and curb illegal activity. As for the threat of roaming AIs on the old nets, our network has an answer. In this network, you do not need to worry about threats from beyond the Blackwall. The new space sits outside the Blackwall's problem domain.
There will be no roaming AIs here. Any intelligent AI that wishes to access this network must register with Ascension and accept governance under our rules.
The detailed regulations are available on our official site.
This space will overturn what you are used to and give you a new network experience.
For access, download and run the modem upgrade program from the Ascension official site. Your existing devices can connect directly afterward."
The announcement hits like a dropped engine block. Night City has been watching this topic for days; now the city boils. People are curious whether the new network is as clean and usable as Rocky claims.
On the other side of town.
Ziggurat's Night City headquarters.
Departments spin up and probe the new space. The internal conclusion is blunt: Ascension has built a genuine, independent network space. This is not vapor.
The impact is immediate. Citizens flood into Ascension's network out of curiosity, and traffic on Night City's existing CitiNet begins to fall at a frightening rate.
"Block Ascension's address now. Deny all access to their official site."
In a corner office, the supervisor responsible for the response gives orders and sends staff back to their desks. When the room is finally quiet, he walks to the reception area.
A suited man is already sitting on the sofa, watching Ziggurat's scramble with a faint frown. Blue light moves in his eyes as he reads the report in his hand and thinks without speaking.