Chapter 93: Am I Worse Than That Cat?
"Is she from Arasaka?"
Tigress leaned forward in her chair, looking down at Shoko. Shoko was jacked in, her consciousness fully immersed in the Net, but that didn't mean she was disconnected from reality.
In fact, when Shoko dived into cyberspace, she felt less like a user and more like a god.
Her voice, ethereal and slightly amplified through the room's speakers, answered Tigress:
"Doesn't look like it. She's using a flagship portable deck from five years ago. It's a decent piece of kit—I actually have one in my room—but it's not Arasaka standard issue. Their agents wouldn't be caught dead with something that can't even interface with their secure corporate network."
"Her gear is average, consumer-grade. But her skills... they're good. She's not far, just a few klicks out. She bypassed our signal jammers. Wait... scratch that, Tigress. Her skills aren't just good. They're excellent."
Tigress blinked. On the massive main screen, a pixelated avatar had breached the wooden gates of Shoko's digital castle. It looked like a retro 8-bit game: a cute little cyber-sprite dodging black cannonballs, pixel arrows, and skull-faced monsters.
Shoko's voice took on a playful, excited tone. "This one's adaptable. I left a deliberate vulnerability, let her know I'd spotted her. Instead of backing off, she changed tactics instantly. Now she's launching a full-scale assault."
"Full assault? Perfect. Let's see what she's made of."
Tigress just blinked again. Right. Completely lost me.
As a soldier, she couldn't comprehend the netrunner's world.
But she knew one thing: netrunner battles were just as intense, if not more so, than firefights. One slip-up, and your brain gets fried.
In a gunfight, you might get lucky and survive a bullet. In a net battle? Losing usually meant dying online, your synapses burned to a crisp.
In an era where everyone had a neural link, netrunners were even more integrated. With plugins and implants wired directly into their brains, a localized failure could cascade, crashing the entire system—their mind.
That's why netrunners were so dangerous. Their attacks were invisible, instant, and deadly. They were literally risking their lives every time they logged on.
As she was thinking, the door hissed open.
Tigress turned to see Rhys, Maine, and the rest of the crew standing there.
Ah... Shoko opened it. Right. When she was jacked in, this fortress was her body. Every camera was an eye, every speaker a mouth.
"What's happening?" Rhys asked, stepping forward and glancing at the sleeping figure of Shoko in the chair.
"We have a netrunner intrusion. Nothing serious, don't worry," Tigress said casually.
She had total faith in Shoko. With Shoko's talent and the top-tier gear Michiko provided, unless a mega-corp's Chief Technical Officer showed up personally, Shoko wasn't losing.
"Did Arasaka agents find us?" Maine asked nervously from behind Rhys.
"No. Not Arasaka. Just one person," Shoko's voice answered, though her physical body remained motionless.
"And it's a pretty girl," Shoko continued. "At first glance, I thought I was seeing things. her style... it's remarkably similar to ours."
"Wait..." Rhys paused, a suspicion forming. "Is she... does she have black hair, a bob cut, maybe a little messy, with a cat-like smile?" He started gesturing vaguely around his own head.
Then he realized how stupid he looked. Shoko's eyes are closed, you gonk. She can't see you.
But Shoko replied immediately, a hint of amusement in her voice. "Heh. Exactly as you described. So, you know her?"
As she spoke, Shoko raised a finger slightly. The image on the main screen shifted.
It showed a desolate stretch of desert. Lying prone on the sand was a girl, head down, eyes closed, a data cable running from her wrist to a small laptop beside her.
Rhys stared at the figure on the screen, his eyes widening.
It really is Sasha...
"Holy shit, it's Sasha!"
"How did she find us? And why didn't she call first?!"
"Call? Did you forget? Michiko shut down all our comms. We're in a blackout," Dorio reminded them.
"Tigress, that's our teammate. She's looking for us."
Maine and Dorio quickly explained.
"Optical camo and a drone. Nice combo... she got that close without tripping the perimeter sensors," Shoko mused.
The room was noisy with chatter, but Rhys's eyes never left the figure lying in the sand.
"I'll go get her," Rhys said to Tigress.
Tigress hesitated, then shrugged. "Fine. Just you and me. The rest of you wait here."
Might as well. We've already collected half the damn city. One more stray won't hurt.
Maine and the others nodded, understanding the implication. They were hostages/guests. They weren't going anywhere.
"Don't rush. Take your time getting there. Let me play with her a little longer," Shoko said, her voice giggly. "She's really good. A wild talent, like Kiwi, but with way more guts. Even now, completely suppressed, she refuses to give up. She's still hunting for a vulnerability. It's rare to find a runner like this these days. I have to... tease her a bit."
"Take it easy. Don't bully the kids," Tigress sighed.
The Jaguars were veterans. The oldest, Naomi, was pushing sixty. Calling Maine's crew "kids" wasn't inaccurate, especially since Tigress herself was old enough to be Rebecca's mother.
Tigress led Rhys out. She missed the look Rebecca shot her back—a look that clearly said, 'You talk big, but you're doing the exact same thing!'
Ten minutes later.
The crew was glued to the screen, which was now split. One side showed Sasha in the desert, the other showed Shoko's pixelated game world.
Kiwi and Lucy were the most captivated. They had moved from standing behind Shoko to crouching right in front of the screen, watching the cyber-battle unfold.
"How many times has Sasha lost now?" Kiwi asked Lucy.
Lucy hesitated. "About twenty-seven..."
"No. Twenty-nine," Shoko corrected.
She yawned, stretching in her chair. "Boring now. They're here."
"Game over."
On the pixelated screen, the words GAME OVER!!! flashed in big block letters. The pixel castle shattered. The screen went black, then lit up again.
A chibi, pixel-art Shoko wearing a helmet appeared in the center, dancing and giving a double thumbs-down.
"!"
On the drone feed, Sasha sat up abruptly, furiously messing up her own hair in frustration.
But a moment later, she was on her feet, packing her gear and drawing her weapon. She started to run.
A massive disturbance was approaching. A military AV crested the dune, cutting off her escape.
"Heh, bet she's panicking now."
"No shit. My knees were shaking when I saw that thing."
"Look! Hatch is opening. It's Rhys!"
"I've never seen Sasha smile like that. It's not her usual... Whoa, are they hugging? And hey, will she give me a hug when she gets here?"
"Pilar, you're hopeless. Are you genuinely stupid or just pretending?"
"Wait... are they kissing?"
"AAAAHHH!"
"Stop it, Rebecca! Scream if you want, but stop pinching me!"
Lucy narrowed her beautiful eyes, watching the couple on the screen. She watched the girl stand on her tiptoes and plant a passionate kiss on Rhys's lips.
Not on the cheek. On the lips.
So... I'm the latecomer?
Kiwi, munching on snacks, noticed Lucy's expression. She hadn't joined in the crew's commentary. Although she'd become the queen of snark lately, she respected Sasha deeply. Sasha was a better netrunner than her. That Cyberpsychosis hack... Kiwi knew she'd probably never learn it. That required innate talent, not just gear.
But... what was with Lucy's face?
Seeing Lucy's jaw clench, almost grinding her teeth, Kiwi couldn't help but whisper, "You're not serious, are you? Are you for real?"
"What do you mean?" Lucy glanced at Kiwi, her voice cold.
"..." She was in a good mood at the training ground earlier. Why the sudden mood swing?
Kiwi was exasperated.
Yeah, Rhys was great. Nice guy, strong, reliable. But... wasn't Lucy supposed to be the ice queen? When they first met, Kiwi thought she might be asexual!
And now?
The vibe is getting weird...
Don't tell me you're a romance-brain?
Kiwi sighed. "Look, Lucy. She was here first. She knew Rhys way before I did, let alone you. And the whole crew knows about them."
"So?" Lucy countered. "What's your point?"
"I'm just saying... you're late to the party," Kiwi blinked.
"Heh. Late? Am I worse than that cat?" Lucy scoffed, turning and walking out of Shoko's room.
As a woman who would pickpocket the elderly and infirm on the metro without a second thought, who had threatened Rhys when they first met only to back down when she realized he was strong... Lucy had zero moral compunctions.
If she wanted something, she took it. Waiting around? Not her style.
If Rhys had absolutely no interest, she wouldn't chase him. But if there was even a spark... Lucy wouldn't let go.
As for Sasha... looking back, Sasha must have beaten her to the punch during that first Badlands gig.
But who can blame me?
Back then, Lucy hadn't even considered getting close to Rhys. As for how it developed into this...
Maybe it was finding a fellow BD enthusiast. Maybe it was him shielding her from the rocket blast. Maybe it was the promise he made her.
Whatever. She had plenty of reasons. No reason not to go for it.
Ten minutes later. Jaguar Base, Landing Pad.
Rhys stepped off the AV, his left arm held in a vice grip. He was walking towards the entrance with a goofy grin on his face.
Sasha was clinging to him like a koala, refusing to let go. She had zero shame about delivering herself to his doorstep.
But as they reached the entrance, Rhys stopped. Sasha narrowed her eyes.
Under the dreamlike, multicolored hair, a woman in a white jacket and black netrunner suit was leaning against the wall, smoking.
Seeing them, Lucy flicked the cigarette away.
"Lucy, why are you..." Rhys started to greet her, leading Sasha forward. But Sasha let go of his arm and stepped ahead of him, intercepting Lucy.
"Lucy. The new netrunner."
"I know. You joined the crew recently. I heard about you during the gig with Maine."
Sasha smiled—that signature, cute, innocent cat smile. She extended her hand.
"I'm Sasha. Sasha Yakovleva. Rhys's woman."
"..." Lucy's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly. She extended her hand.
Sasha kept smiling, beaming with friendly warmth. But deep in her eyes, a spark of triumph flashed.
Heh. See? My intro is way better!
She's 'the new netrunner.'
And me?
I'm Sasha. Rhys's woman!
Sasha's smile faltered for a microsecond. Her woman's intuition was screaming. Lucy's emotions were... subtle, but sharp.
Just like Rebecca when she looked at Rhys. But this enemy was way more dangerous than the gremlin.
Damn. Good thing I came back!
Otherwise, my base would have been overrun while I was gone!
The little kitten narrowed her eyes, plotting.
Behind them, Rhys's smile slowly faded, replaced by a look of growing dread.
The low pressure system generating between Lucy and Sasha was palpable. Even Rhys, who wasn't exactly sensitive to these things, could feel it.
Is this... what they call it?
Oh yeah.
Is this a Shuraba (carnage)?