"Yes!" A somewhat muffled voice came from his ear.
Out here in the Badlands, the external network signal wavered violently. In today's cyber world, no public network could connect the entire world anymore. Only city networks built by municipalities or corporate intranets existed.
On this continent, Netwatch and NUSA were trying to restore a new network to cover all of North America, but the task was daunting. Everyone feared another Old Net collapse, which could result in AI killing people through network cables. Companies like Pyramid Network also had stakes, complicating matters.
Here, in this godforsaken Badlands, connecting to the internet was mostly luck. Sometimes, you caught a public network; other times, only basic communication signals. Add to that the fact that only a year had passed since NUSA's unification war, and many public facilities destroyed during the war were still in ruins.
Mercer clumsily controlled the aerodyne's descent but managed to land it smoothly. After opening the door, he took a deep breath, inhaling the sharp scent of the Badlands: sand mixed with the stench of coyotes. Huh… this was the smell of freedom.
"Where are we?"
Rosie struggled to carry a cooler down to the ground while scanning the surroundings.
"The wilderness of Montana, near a deserted small town called Gravel Town. We'll get off here, find the car I reserved in town, then drive along the highway to Wyoming and Colorado. These states belong to the Free States Alliance, so no border crossings—just a straight drive. We'll avoid cities, resupply at small towns and Petrochem gas stations, stock up in Colorado, cross the Badlands to Utah, and eventually enter Nevada, heading straight into Northern California. Just follow the highway, and we'll reach Night City."
Mercer stretched. Four hours of autopilot had given him much-needed rest, and the pounding in his head had eased. The Relic Chip constantly emitted a subtle bio-current, massaging his brain gently—a surprisingly pleasant sensation. Arasaka really did know how to make flashy gadgets.
"You even reserved a car? Do we even have money for that?" Rosie asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Huh, need money? Haha. Anyway, let's move the stuff first; I'll explain later."
"Montana… this is NUSA territory, right?" Rosie continued. She wasn't familiar with the region—the Metal Wars, NUSA's unification war against the Free States, had taken place in 2069–2070, and civilians were sent to underground facilities during the conflict.
"Roughly, yes," Mercer replied, helping move the luggage while tossing the still-dizzy Secretary Inoue aside.
"The unification war's main purpose was for NUSA, backed by Militech, to reclaim the independent states. The Free States Alliance, with Arasaka's covert support, ultimately lost. But although they signed a 'Unification Treaty' with NUSA, each state retained autonomy. NUSA, deterred by Arasaka's Night City aircraft carrier, ended the war. Politicians shamelessly claimed victory, insisting they were still free. A NUSA citizen would say this is NUSA; locals would say, 'Screw NUSA, we're independent Montanans.'"
Rosie blinked, realizing, "So this is actually still under Arasaka's influence?"
"Not wrong to say. Arasaka's influence here surpasses Militech's, though they didn't intervene directly this time—only supplying weapons and equipment. Militech's power increased after the war, but Arasaka's shadow looms large."
Having moved all the luggage, Mercer called Daichi for assistance. "Come on, help me toss this guy into the cockpit."
Daichi Tetsuya walked over, grunted, and hoisted Secretary Inoue alone. Mercer merely helped support Inoue's legs as they stuffed him fully into the cockpit. Then Mercer extracted the data cable from Inoue's hand, tossed an empty Relic Chip cooler beside it, and connected to the car system. He flashed a program, changed the car's authentication to his own, and deleted previous usage records.
He set an autopilot program and linked his bio-monitor cybernetic eye to the car. Then, he installed a synaptic meltdown program: if Inoue's brainwaves showed any anomaly, indicating he'd woken up, the car system would fry his brain. Finally, an auto-delete program ensured no trace of Mercer could be found.
"Alright, our Secretary Inoue—an NUSA FIA agent—will drive into the heart of NUSA and Militech, dying in the car. If someone finds it in the Badlands, with his brain fried and contents missing, they can investigate it themselves. Maybe some nomads or Wraiths will strip the car first, further muddling the evidence."
Mercer watched as the aerodyne automatically ascended, throttle wide open, disappearing into the horizon.
"We're just a bunch of Little Hackers who escaped the chaos. Some might suspect us, but who would think a few hackers could crack server security, kill agents, steal an aerodyne, and escape without a trace?"
He wiped sweat from his brow and sat on a cooler containing his cybernetic eye. The power indicator showed it would last another week; a full charge would last half a month.
"Next step?"
Lucy, holding her Kenshin Pistol, climbed a small hill, lying prone to observe the distant town. "Step one in the Badlands? Secure a durable car and ample supplies. The goods are in town. This is a Wraith boss territory—they usually rob highway travelers, then fence the loot in town. The town looks empty from earlier, but we must remain cautious."
Mercer drew his custom pistol, practiced aiming, and disengaged the safety to chamber a round. Though basic shooting training came with his memories, this was his first real gun experience. He pressed the charging button; a faint sizzle sounded as tungsten-tipped bullets kicked up dust in the distance.
"Woah," he murmured, smiling. "Everyone check weapons and gear. I'll scout the town. Any intruders likely noticed the aerodyne behind the hill."
"So…" The kids tensed.
"Mmm-hmm. The strong prey on the weak—dog-eat-dog. That's classic in the Badlands of this cyber world!"
Mercer laughed, tucking two grenades into his lower back. "Be careful opening fire. You've all passed Arasaka Academy's training chip exams—don't lose points handling a few bandits."
"Let's link our internal network," Mercer added. "If we see enemies, mark them through cybernetic eyes."
Rosie raised her hand. "I brought my laptop. I'll see if I can find a network signal for the town."
"Good idea," Mercer said. "With me here, no hacker can take out our subnet."
"What if we encounter someone?" Leon asked nervously, lifting his rifle. He mimicked Lucy and scanned the town from the hill.
"Don't worry," Mercer replied calmly. "Every Wraith here? No mistakes—eliminate them."
The dilapidated town remained silent under Mercer's watch. After some time, Rosie's voice sounded from above.
"I haven't found any network signals—only fixed-device signals. The town is probably empty."
"Then let's sneak in. Be careful and spread out. Rosie, stay high and monitor my cybernetic eye. We'll return for you after getting the car."
"Understood! Be extremely careful!" Rosie warned.
Mercer raised his pistol with a single magazine, positioned himself at the hilltop, and leaped down the forty-degree slope, sprinting toward the town.
Lucy followed quickly, messaging him via their subnet:
[Lucy: What kind of stealth is this?!]
[Mercer: If you neutralize anyone who sees us, who says it's not stealth?!]
[Leon: Damn, damn, damn! Wait for me!]
They rushed down together, heading straight for the small town.
"Idiots!" Rosie's voice rang out as she widened her eyes, scanning from above with her cybernetic eye.
Just then, dust rose in the distance—convoy tracks!
"Quick! Conceal yourselves! Someone's coming!" Rosie warned.
"Understood," Mercer replied. "Ready. Once I confirm they're Wraiths… leave no one alive."
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