"Dear friends, do you see those black dots, big and small, on the highway over there? Those are the checkpoints leading towards Seattle.
But we don't have to wait in line like them.
Ha, do you see the drones over there? They clearly saw us, but those border station people didn't even dare to send a communication.
These dogs raised by Arasaka extort and take bribes at the border, but when they meet a tough opponent, they become deaf and blind.
But this is even better; they saw us flying towards NUSA-controlled territory and even served as witnesses for us."
Mercer's relaxed voice came from the in-car broadcast. The Little Hackers, who had been nervously yet longingly looking out the window, now felt as if they were on a vacation.
"Next, we will cross the hills to reach a wilderness. Cherish the bit of green you can still see now.
For the rest of the journey, we will most likely only see dilapidated roads, skies full of yellow sand, and perhaps countless 'Hadabo's."
"Very curious what 'Hadabo' is?
It's a nomad term, meaning 'sandstorm.'
I imagine many of you haven't experienced what a sandstorm is, but don't worry, once you actually see one, you won't like it.
And due to the remnants of war, when these sandstorms rage, the radioactive materials attached to the ground and in the air will also fly with the sand.
So sometimes the network signal will also become very bad, which means the sandstorm comes from a radioactive area, but don't worry about radiation, eating a little sand won't hurt anyone.
Due to multiple wars and climate change, there are fewer and fewer oases in NUSA now.
Especially near California, it's all Gobi Desert.
If you're unlucky and don't know which road is safest, you might even step on landmines buried during the Unification War.
But again, don't worry, your buddy has done too much in the server, not only getting maps but also connecting to Vancouver's city network to search for a lot of things."
Mercer spoke unhurriedly like a radio host, and the Little Hackers finally relaxed and started chattering.
But as they began to chat casually, Mercer fell silent.
Only Lucy quietly looked out the window. After a while, she secretly sent him a message via communication software.
[Remember the fastest novel site on the whole network 101kan.com]
[Lucy: Why are you doing this?]
[Mercer: What?]
[Lucy: You are clearly the one who works the hardest and is the most tired. We've done almost nothing, but why... are you still bothering to take care of our emotions now?]
[Mercer: This is how a mature big brother should be, understand?]
[Lucy: ...Actually, I've been hiding something from you, or rather, from everyone, Mercer. I... I'm not entirely sure, but if you take me with you, I might cause other troubles for you.]
[Mercer: Is it bigger trouble than me killing the project director and dozens of security personnel and agents, stealing Arasaka's top-secret Relic chip and the prototype cyberware from the lab?]
[Lucy: That's probably still not as big.]
[Mercer: In short, if you treat me as one of your own, I'll treat you as one of my own. That's how it is. However, your buddy is actually a little petty sometimes, you know.]
[Lucy: Hmm... I understand. I won't talk about anything related to Sailor Moon braindances anymore. I'm sorry.]
[Mercer: Ha! You annoying brat, don't let me catch you doing anything embarrassing.]
[Lucy: XD ~ But seriously, thank you, Mercer. If it weren't for you, I might really have died there.]
[Lucy: I'm very afraid of death, truly very afraid. Watching my companions die one by one in their chairs, I felt like I was going crazy.]
[Lucy: But I owe you a life, we all owe you a life, Mercer. I will repay it, definitely.]
[Mercer: Among our own, we don't talk like that. Only outsiders say 'you owe me a little, I owe you a little.'
If you really want to say that, wait until we go our separate ways. When that time comes, I won't be stingy when I need you to repay a favor; you won't be able to refuse.]
[Lucy: Are we all considered your own people?]
[Mercer: It depends on whether you want to follow me later.
However, even if we're not together, it's fine, as long as you don't stab me in the back.
We'll find another chance to talk properly later. Right now, I need to focus on driving and find the location of our good friends we're about to meet.]
[Lucy: Who?]
[Mercer: You don't think we can travel thousands of kilometers on two legs with just the supplies in a few individual survival packs, do you?
Of course, it's for someone to bring us a vehicle and fuel supplies. When I was connected to the server, I checked the map and found a place where I could get a car and supplies. Now I'm trying to connect to the network to confirm their location.
As for who it is... I'll tell you later, but I can say in advance that it will definitely be exciting. You'd better take this time to recall your shooting training.]
[Lucy: Okay, then you're busy... I don't seem to be able to help you with anything.]
[Mercer: Kids should act like kids. I'm not in a hurry to use child labor here.]
Lucy pursed her lips—Aren't you only fourteen? Or are you really a rogue AI or something... Never mind, even if he is a rogue AI, she still owes him a life.
Snapping back to reality, Lucy realized the car was already quiet, and the other three were staring at her intently.
"Done chatting? What did you talk about?" Leon asked with a sly smile.
"Nothing, just the plan for later, otherwise, I wouldn't feel at ease," Lucy said without changing her expression.
Rosie looked at her suspiciously, letting out a light hum: "I always feel like you and Mercer talked a lot behind my back... Aren't we good sisters?"
"Of course... I just didn't want to disturb your relaxation." Lucy didn't understand why she instinctively lied.
After a moment of silence, she whispered, "If there's a chance later... I'll tell you guys."
Everyone stopped asking questions and just fell silent, looking out the window, watching the constantly flying scenery, the clouds drifting by, and the clear blue sky.
Everyone had secrets, just as everyone could tell that Mercer had been acting strangely ever since that incident, but no one dared to ask, or rather, didn't want to ask.
This is what trust is: rather than probing everything about you, it's about trusting your unknown.
"Night City... I hope this journey will be as smooth as today."
Leon suddenly mumbled.
Daichi Tetsuya rolled his eyes: "Generally speaking, once you say something like that, don't expect the journey to be easy."
"Exactly! Haven't you watched Sailor Moon? The yellow Sailor Moon in it said something similar, and then she got captured by the villain!" Xing Zi also reprimanded him righteously.
Leon raised his hands in surrender: "My mistake, spare me."
Lucy didn't speak, just leaned by the window, quietly gazing in the direction where the Arasaka base used to be.
Looking in that direction, she could only see the line connecting the ground and the sky. The place that symbolized her nightmare seemed to have disappeared forever.
She slowly closed her eyes, and only peace remained in her heart.
Goodbye... No, never again!
Stupid Arasaka, go to hell!
..."This damn Arasaka AV design is truly idiotic."
Mercer looked at the car's fuel gauge, speechless.
They had only driven for four hours, and that was after filling up at the base. All in all, they had traveled less than 600 kilometers, and it was already almost out of fuel?
"What's the use of this kind of car besides driving around the city? They don't even use an armed AV or something for deliveries... Seriously."
Its only advantage was that it ignored the terrain and moved in a straight line, and it was almost at Mercer's estimated drop-off point.
Mercer hadn't turned on GPS, which meant he had been navigating mostly by comparing the online map he downloaded with their surroundings. Now, he could only estimate a rough location.
Fortunately, he hadn't taken the wrong path. Now, he had reached his destination, the shady side of a small hill—if one stood on the hilltop and looked into the distance, there was a somewhat dilapidated small town not far from the hill.
"Get ready, we're getting out of the car," he said over the in-car intercom.
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