After suiting up in the combat armor, Jackie thoroughly enjoyed himself at the firing range, unleashing a ten-minute barrage at full power before returning to the design workshop.
Hansen had been watching him closely the entire time. However, when Jackie removed his helmet, he appeared quite relaxed. He simply let out a long sigh, stretched his body, and then cheerfully removed the armor while chatting and laughing, showing no signs of abnormality whatsoever.
Afterward, under the pretext of checking the armor's condition, Hansen had the designers meticulously examine the armor's programs. He even had Jackie undergo a physical examination with Barghest's doctor.
But the results were clear: Jackie's physical condition was completely normal. Even his mental load was well within safe standards, and compared to Bennett's test results, Jackie's condition appeared even better.
This even made Bennett begin to doubt himself... was there really something wrong with his own abilities?
"If you're willing, I can personally step in and run another test for you right now," Mercer said. As soon as he finished speaking, Hansen's previously tense face suddenly broke into a smile.
He chuckled and explained that it was all a misunderstanding, then generously admitted, "It seems I was indeed overthinking things."
But then Hansen made a request: "So when can you continue optimizing the OS to reduce the mental load to a level that ordinary people can use?"
"That will likely take quite a long time," Mercer replied indifferently. "Arasaka has been researching this for years without any results. I'm just one person; it will probably take me at least a few years as well."
Hansen furrowed his brow.
Then Mercer suddenly changed his tone, sounding somewhat regretful as he said, "Though there is a shortcut, but since the Old Net collapsed, this method has become nearly impossible to implement now."
"Oh? Tell me more," Hansen raised an eyebrow.
"AI," Mercer gave the answer, then sighed. "You know, before Bartmoss destroyed the Old Net, there was an ocean exploration and mining company that developed an underwater-use armor. The armor inside used a combination of AI and human integration to provide convenience for the pilot. If we could capture a Rogue AI, we could use it to replace the human brain in bearing the computational load. After that, we could achieve an almost zero-burden piloting experience."
But then Mercer added regretfully, "It's just a shame..."
Hansen didn't actually know much about AI technology, but he humbly asked for clarification: "Aren't there still companies providing AI today? Where do their AIs come from?"
"Most of them come from captured Rogue AIs," Mercer explained. "They'll purchase a Rogue AI, modify it, and then use that Rogue AI to monitor its sub-AIs as they provide services for the company."
"What about self-developed AIs?" Hansen asked.
Mercer shook his head. "The path to self-developed AIs is almost strictly controlled. As for the core intelligence source code of AIs, it's unclear whether it's been deliberately locked away by someone or lost due to the Old Net being severed. Even major corporations like Arasaka seem to have abandoned true intelligent AIs by now, relying only on pseudo-intelligent systems that appear smart but are essentially just algorithms and databases stacked together.
High-level intelligent AIs like the 'Muramasa' AI that once independently developed weapons or the 'Lonestar' AI that enjoyed acting as a vigilante in the net have almost all been sealed behind the Blackwall.
I'm not entirely sure of the specific reasons, but I suspect the original source code for AI intelligence is now probably more critical than nuclear weapons. Even if it still exists, we shouldn't expect to obtain it on our own.
Almost all truly intelligent AIs seen on the market today are essentially Rogue AIs captured from the Old Net and then chromed. Humanity seems to have lost the ability to independently develop such genuine intelligent AIs from scratch."
Mercer himself has a theory; he believes that those who hold the core code for intelligent AIs are likely no longer human, but the AIs themselves.
Or, it's quite possible that this source code has been monopolized and protected by figures like Bartmoss.
Viewed this way, the core code contained within the death-wish Bartmoss gave him could truly be described as priceless.
The birth of the first truly intelligent AI in history was entirely a miraculous accident born from the collision of vast amounts of data. Replicating such a miracle is nearly impossible from a probability standpoint.
So, to put it simply, without the soul source code of an AI, humanity today has almost entirely lost the possibility of developing a new, truly intelligent AI.
The source code Mercer possesses isn't just simple consciousness code; most companies' AI consciousness code from the Old Net era still requires massive data and server computing power to develop its intelligence.
Yet, Mercer's core source code can form high intelligence even with minimal data feeding.
Mercer strongly suspects that what Bartmoss gave him might be soul source code related to the deeper secrets of AI intelligence, far more advanced than the consciousness code of the original intelligent AI.
When Hansen heard Mercer's words, he was slightly taken aback, then calmly asked, "If we had a Rogue AI, could it solve all our armor operation issues? Or just some of them?"
"As long as it's a truly intelligent AI, it can solve all armor operation problems. Moreover, our drone equipment could also see a significant boost in intelligence."
Mercer gave a firm reply: "A Rogue AI is like a mother entity. Once we obtain it, we can use it to continuously produce highly intelligent child AIs to handle tasks. Do you know Delamain? The unmanned taxi company in Night City."
"Delamain? I know of it," Hansen nodded.
"That's a classic example of operating with a Rogue AI and its child AIs. Essentially, all the autonomous driving is handled by Delamain's own child AIs working independently. If we can acquire and modify a Rogue AI similar to Delamain for deployment, we could equip every armor unit with AI assistance.
Then we wouldn't need to worry about neural load issues anymore. I'm confident I can develop an OS compatible with the AI."
Mercer spoke with full confidence, yet Hansen's eyes flickered with contemplation. He subtly scrutinized Mercer several times but couldn't detect any clues.
Could he really just be making casual remarks?
Hansen pondered internally, not making an immediate decision; he was aware of Militech's Cynosure project because its traces could be found throughout Dogtown's underground, from the stadium to Sapphire.
That thing occupied nearly half of Dogtown's subterranean space, and how could Hansen possibly be ignorant of it? But he clearly understood its dangers and importance to Militech. Unless absolutely necessary, he didn't want to completely lose Militech's patience.
Even now, Hansen was still considered a 'deserter' in the eyes of both NUSA and Militech. They were only cooperating with him out of necessity, and he knew exactly what situation he was facing.
Meanwhile, Mercer continued with some regret: "Unfortunately, capturing Rogue AIs now requires not only specialized equipment to safely cross the Blackwall and locate them, but most importantly, we need to bring the AIs back through the Blackwall.
My netrunning skills alone can't accomplish this; we'd need large-scale professional equipment and personnel coordination. Given Dogtown's economy, starting such a massive project from scratch...
Anyway, that's the situation. If you want to further reduce neural load, be prepared for massive capital investment and time. My people can manage for now; we don't have higher requirements in the short term facing Night City's combat intensity."
Mercer was clearly slacking off, yet Hansen could do nothing about it. In fact, given their previous strained relations, Hansen even had to somewhat appease Mercer now.
"Alright, I'll approve the laboratory you requested. Jago, make it happen quickly." After Hansen spoke, the refined Barghest official beside him nodded with a smile.
Mercer glanced at this Barghest member named Jago, thoughtful; this guy had joined Barghest around the same time as Mercer.
But in such a short period, he'd already managed to work directly under Hansen, proving his capability and temperament were certainly not ordinary.
Indeed, in the game, this Barghest member named Jago became one of only two candidates competing for the next leader of Dogtown after Hansen's death.
His only competitor was Hansen's confidant Bennett, who, as a core member of the six founders of Dogtown, could be considered both a Barghest founder and the combat force strongest after Hansen himself.
For a newcomer who only joined Dogtown in '72 to be able to challenge Bennett by '77 after Hansen's death showed this Jago was definitely someone worth watching closely.
Noticing Mercer's scrutiny, Jago gave him a friendly smile: "Director Mercer, don't be upset with Colonel Hansen. You should know that throughout all of Dogtown, the terms Colonel Hansen offered you are undoubtedly the best. He's just worried about his investment going down the drain; this is a critical period for Dogtown's development, and every penny must be spent wisely. He's under a lot of pressure, so please try to understand.
I used to work at Petrochem, where I've seen plenty of geniuses. That's precisely why I recognize Director Mercer's caliber; it's absolutely top-notch!"
After giving Mercer a thumbs-up, Jago chuckled amiably, "Colonel Hansen comes from a military background, so it's natural he might not fully grasp the challenges and costs of research. Director Mercer, please try to be more understanding of non-technical personnel's perspectives."
Having said that, Jago proactively smoothed things over, turning to Hansen, "Colonel Hansen, don't be upset with the director either. You have to understand; someone like Director Mercer, a prodigious talent who achieved fame at a young age..."
Under Jago's skillful mediation, the awkward and tense atmosphere between Mercer and Hansen gradually eased somewhat.
Hansen also felt that, based on the current situation, his accusations against Mercer might have been overly influenced by his wariness of him. Yet, he still felt somewhat conflicted; on one hand, he valued talent dearly, especially given Dogtown's scarcity of skilled individuals.
On the other hand, he couldn't shake the gut feeling that beneath Mercer's youthful appearance lurked an extremely dangerous monster. This intuition came from his own premonitions, which he never dismissed as mere illusions.
Once the tension had subsided, Mercer immediately laid out his conditions: "Colonel Hansen, since the armor currently has difficulty finding suitable candidates within the Barghest ranks, I hope that any equipment developed in the future will be prioritized for my people.
I'll optimize and improve compatibility as quickly as possible during their usage, and besides, you've cut off my raw material supply channels."
Hansen winced at the thought but, after a moment's consideration, replied, "If you can guarantee that all equipment development is completed within the workshop, I can agree to your condition.
However, you must also ensure that Barghest personnel are given priority access to your new creations.
Consider the equipment for your people as purchased outright from Barghest, but I'll only charge you for the raw materials. Any related upgrades and maintenance must also be conducted in the workshop. How does that sound?"
Mercer, however, looked displeased: "If my people grow stronger, doesn't that mean Barghest grows stronger too? Everyone knows I'm with Barghest now; why should I have to pay out of pocket to equip my own team? That's like taking out a loan to do my job!
How about this: I'll cover half the cost of the raw materials, but in that case, whenever Dogtown requires my people's assistance, you'll have to pay a commission fee according to standard procedure. Of course, I'll offer a discount on that too.
Consider my team semi-affiliated with Barghest."
But Hansen stood his ground: "Your people are neither officially registered with Barghest nor have they formally served and worked for the organization.
I can't show favoritism toward your team just because you're my director; wouldn't that encourage every officer to maintain private forces?
If it were your personal equipment, I could provide it free of charge. But there's no reason for Barghest to shoulder the cost of outfitting your people as well, is there?"
After speaking, Hansen glanced at Jackie and the others beside Mercer, saying in a low voice, "To be honest, allowing you to serve as the director of Barghest while also maintaining a private armed force is already me giving you a lot of leeway.
Many of the Barghest chooms feel that the preferential treatment I've given you has already broken the rules; you know, Barghest has always been strict with its regulations.
Mercer, both you and I know that most of the conflicts between us actually stem from the clash of interests between your personal group and Barghest...
I genuinely admire you; otherwise, I wouldn't have offered you such generous compensation and terms.
But I also hope you'll treat Barghest as your own career, rather than just focusing on taking money from me to support your small team."
After Hansen laid it all out, Mercer also decided to be frank: "It's not that I haven't considered deepening cooperation with Barghest, but I have to think about my people. Not everyone can adapt to Barghest's strict rules.
You know very well what life is like in the mercenary business; higher risks and higher rewards. We're used to freedom. If you ask me to bring them into Barghest as contract soldiers, even if they're willing, I'm not.
You've led troops before; you should understand how difficult this is for me."
Mercer wore a somewhat troubled expression, as if speaking from the heart: "Personally, I don't actually dislike working for others. For me, being able to focus on research without worries is a blessing.
But that's just how things are, Colonel Hansen. I have to take responsibility for my people. You can't pledge loyalty to two groups at once, right?
But I assure you, at least when it comes to completing your tasks, I've never slacked off. As for the goodwill Barghest has shown me, I've certainly felt it. At the very least, I believe I've been generous and friendly to the Barghest chooms.
If possible, I'd also like to have a better relationship with Colonel Hansen and a deeper connection with Barghest, but..."
Mercer turned to look at Jackie and the others, showing a somewhat regretful expression.
Hansen studied Mercer's expression, unable to tell whether the kid was being sincere or just putting on a front, so he decided to test the waters:
"How about this: I'll create a special unit for you within Barghest. You can have your people join Barghest as well, receiving base salaries and allowances.
But your people must identify as part of Barghest's Kindling Squad, and they'll also need to participate more actively in Barghest's development.
I know you don't like being managed or ordered around, so you'll still be the captain of the Kindling Squad, and you'll only report to me.
Normally, you'll just need to handle some of Barghest's troubles, and I'll compensate you according to the difficulty of the tasks..."
After speaking, Hansen observed Mercer's reaction.
Mercer, however, looked hesitant, as if somewhat tempted: "This... I'll need to discuss it with them."
"Fine, no problem," Hansen agreed decisively. "Let's do this: we'll start by putting the equipment development for your squad on the agenda.
If you agree, in the future, your squad will have priority access to the most advanced equipment and weapons developed by you for Barghest..."
—--
After a brief exchange, Mercer led the team away. V, who had been holding back for a long time, couldn't resist asking as soon as they got in the car: "So? Are you really planning to have us all join Barghest?"
"Yes," Mercer said thoughtfully. "If Hansen can truly deliver on the conditions he offered... this path might not be a bad one."
"What's the reasoning? You know that no matter how preem that bastard's conditions sound, I bet he'll only fulfill half of them in practice. He's clearly just trying to lure us in first," Rebecca grumbled discontentedly.
She genuinely disliked Hansen's perpetually stern and arrogantly preem demeanor all day; it made her want to punch him right in the face.
"To quickly build our reputation within Barghest and give us a legitimate pretext to formally take over Dogtown later," Mercer explained honestly. "In the short term, some constraints are unavoidable. As you've seen, Hansen's wariness of me is growing daily. Rather than being treated like an ungrateful wolf he can't tame, constantly guarded against and restricted, it's better to pretend to yield for now."
"My fear is that even if we lower our heads, they'll still keep suppressing you," Jackie sighed. "Having spent so much time in gang circles, I've come to understand that sometimes, if someone doesn't like you, no amount of effort will change that."
"But the current problem is, if we maintain our current situation, once Arasaka agents start moving against us..." Mercer frowned. "I'm worried Hansen will take advantage of our plight. He won't help us deal with Arasaka; in fact, if Arasaka shows up first..."
V pondered carefully but remained optimistic: "Then why not just join? The terms he offered aren't bad; mostly leaving us alone, except for wearing Barghest's ugly uniforms and maybe guarding their turf occasionally.
Nobody messes with Barghest lightly anyway, so what's the harm in just having our names attached? Didn't Hansen say our squad would still be under Mercer's command? Even if he has ulterior motives, he won't break the contract short-term.
And if he really has no shame left, being closer to him makes it easier for us to act, right?"
Mercer nodded, unusually in sync with V's opinion: "That's what I think too. We could also use Barghest's identity to deal with Arasaka agents. Besides... I have some ideas of my own."
After a moment's hesitation, Mercer confessed to the team: "There's a secret buried beneath Dogtown, a 'Cynosure' facility secretly built by Militech and the NUSA during the war.
Inside, they researched Blackwall AI and capturing Rogue AIs. I'm very interested in the designs of the cyberdecks and other tech in there, especially the NUSA's research on the Blackwall.
If we can master similar technology, I'm confident I could turn myself into a Net-Nuke. This might be our strongest trump card against Arasaka. We must find a way to seize it early."
Seeing the team's somewhat bewildered expressions, he stated bluntly: "If we can uncover how to wield Blackwall AI, I could even directly assault Arasaka's headquarters in Tokyo. I could potentially paralyze Arasaka's networks worldwide!
The Blackwall permeates the global network. Whoever controls the Blackwall can directly destroy today's cyber world once again. Even in the real world, the Blackwall program is an extremely aggressive offensive tool.
If I were to master it, I could even annihilate dozens of people in an instant... Yes, because when utilizing the Blackwall for attacks, the essence is not that I am launching the assault myself, but rather guiding the ever-present Blackwall in the network to strike the enemies."
Everyone finally understood just how terrifying the thing Mercer had mentioned really was.
Jackie gasped sharply: "You mean this thing is even worse than that... Bart... uh, Bart–"
"Bartmoss!" V proudly chimed in.
"Yeah, worse than the virus that Bartmoss unleashed? Something that could blow up the global net in an instant?" Jackie said incredulously. "Don't we all have city-based local networks now?"
"But every local network relies on the Blackwall isolating the Old Net to remain secure," Mercer calmly stated the fact. "Because Rogue AIs are everywhere. Without the Blackwall's protection, it's only a matter of time before any city's network gets infiltrated by Rogue AIs."
In reality, even with the Blackwall in place, city networks were probably already heavily infiltrated by Rogue AIs.
Everything in the cyber world depended on the net. Thinking you could isolate hacking attempts by simply setting up local networks? A pipe dream.
Especially after human technology stagnated due to the Old Net's collapse. While human progress halted, AIs actually grew stronger. Super AIs like Alt, who could freely traverse the Blackwall, could explore all the knowledge of the Old Net without restrictions.
Human technology regressed while AIs built upon past technological foundations to advance further; the gap between them wasn't just significant, it was massive.
And the Blackwall, which protected humanity's current network security... once it became a weapon Mercer could wield, its destructive potential was unimaginable.
Mercer had always restrained himself from touching such dangerous power, but the imminent crisis now forced him to prepare for the worst-case scenario.
Only with a nuclear weapon in hand could he stand firm. Why was Hansen in the game willing to kill the NUSA president just to capture Songbird?
Simply put, wasn't it because he coveted Songbird's ability to wield the Blackwall, a Net-Nuke more terrifying than any nuclear weapon?
And now, Mercer was preparing for the worst-case scenario; if Yorinobu's side failed, at the very least he could threaten Arasaka to leave his people alone before they zeroed him.
"Holy shit, so there's a Net-Nuke buried under Dogtown?" Jackie marveled. "Militech and NUSA have some nerve, just leaving that thing underground? Nobody's retrieving it?"
Mercer simply smiled without explaining further. The Blackwall was right there, but not everyone could use it. Even a super netrunner like Songbird, packed with Militech's top-tier netrunner cyberware, would suffer physical collapse from frequent Blackwall contact.
As for ordinary people? When attempting to utilize the Blackwall or even approach Rogue AIs, they'd usually be the first to get zeroed. Forget utilization; mere proximity meant flatlining.
In fact, the Cynosure facility had already drawn the attention of Rogue AIs or the Blackwall. Reactivating it would inevitably attract Rogue AI observation, and by then... Mercer wasn't sure whether he'd be opening Pandora's box.
But he couldn't just leave it alone either. If he didn't use it, Militech would eventually, and Hansen wouldn't sit idle while the facility remained unused.
Rather than waiting for death, it's better to strike first. More importantly, Hansen is still nominally in charge; even if the Cynosure facility blows up, Hansen will take the fall, and V can still make a quick escape.
"Hmm, so you're saying you plan to infiltrate Barghest regardless, make Hansen less wary of you while using them against Arasaka, and also find a way to research that underground network bomb?"
Rebecca summarized.
Mercer nodded in agreement. "Pretty much. And we can equip everyone with combat armor as soon as possible; if Arasaka decides to move against us, without combat armor to bridge the equipment gap, it would be too dangerous."
V sighed. "I don't really care either way... Let's go back and hold a meeting to discuss this."
—--
So when Mercer returned to base, he immediately convened a meeting with all members present.
In the end, everyone reached a consensus and made a decision; temporarily accept Hansen's invitation, take on a formal special designation within Barghest, and wait for the right opportunity.
Mercer proactively initiated a new round of negotiations with Hansen, mainly focusing on equipment. After considerable thought, Hansen finally relented.
He agreed to prioritize approval for Mercer to begin mass production of a series of Tank One model combat armor, provide funding for Mercer to further develop netrunner model combat armor, and build Mercer a new advanced chemical-medical laboratory.
In return, Mercer had to, first, while producing combat armor for Kindling Squad, simultaneously begin custom production of combat armor for Hansen and his inner circle.
Second, ensure Kindling Squad's operational availability, actively participate in various Barghest affairs including disciplining Dogtown's gangs, cross-managing smuggling operations, security matters, training activities, and more.
Hansen understood well the assimilating effect of a collective on an individual; to win someone's loyalty, you first need to place them within your collective.
Finally came Hansen's restrictions on Kindling Squad.
First, he revoked Kindling Squad's right to freely accept contracts. Instead, similar jobs had to be submitted to Hansen for approval before missions could be undertaken.
This didn't really matter, as Mercer had already decided not to let his people operate outside until they dealt with those watchful Arasaka agents, to avoid being targeted by that old fox Takemura.
The second point clearly delineated Mercer's personal authority. First, it confirmed Mercer's administrative level as Director, but without any direct command authority over Barghest forces.
He had no authority for any independent personnel appointments or transfers.
And because Barghest employed military management, they gave him a special honorary military rank that wasn't incorporated into Barghest's vertical command structure.
In other words, it was made clear that Mercer would only have prestige without real power.
Additionally, Hansen demanded that during any Kindling Squad operations, regardless of the mission, they must be accompanied by elite direct Barghest forces led by his trusted subordinate Bennett.
Any activities outside Dogtown required Hansen's approval.
Unauthorized contact with third parties for interests was strictly prohibited.
In essence, Barghest's stringent regulations were clearly stipulated in black and white through a contract signed with Mercer. Should Mercer breach the contract, Hansen would have the right to claim compensation; in other words, openly strip him of his assets.
While it appeared harsh, it merely formalized the previously unspoken rules into a written agreement.
Barghest operated on a contract-based system for all personnel, including officers and researchers. With the Kindling Squad signing the official contract, it meant that, at least nominally, they had officially joined Barghest.
After the contract was signed, Hansen finally relaxed some restrictions on Mercer. As long as Mercer was willing to report, he could independently use Barghest's smuggling channels to purchase any equipment or raw materials.
The controls on their transportation in and out of Dogtown were also restored to their original state, requiring only that they report the nature of the transported goods as per regulations.
For Mercer himself, life didn't change much afterward; he still spent most of his time conducting research in his base.
Meanwhile, he quickly smuggled a batch of pharmaceutical raw materials through Dogtown's channels and began using the machinery seized from Biotechnica to produce affordable medications for the Red Ocher and Aldecaldos.
Although there was only one drug synthesizer, the output was largely sufficient for the nomads, whose total number of patients barely reached a hundred.
Just as everything was proceeding step by step, the so-called 'award ceremony' that Hansen had prepared for Mercer was finally scheduled.
The ceremony was set for 7:00 PM on January 1, 2073, and the venue, naturally, was one of Dogtown's core locations; the Black Sapphire.
However, when the date arrived at December 31, 2072, Mercer found himself in an awkward dilemma due to an unexpected problem.
As the nominal guest of honor at the banquet, Mercer not only needed a stylish formal suit to attend but also, according to tradition...
He required a female companion to accompany him to the event.
And here lay the problem; this female companion... was not an easy choice to make!
-------------
4500words
I'm translating a new story: "Monster Hunter:The Wilderness Compass." I'll drop the link in the chapter comments for anyone who wants to check it out.