When the car stopped in front of V’s motel and everyone got out, Pilar and V were shocked to discover that Rebecca had already beaten them to it and officially joined the crew.
"Wait, Rebecca!" Pilar looked utterly distraught. "Why didn’t you discuss this with first?"
Rebecca curled her lip dismissively. "What’s there to discuss with you, useless big bro? Now go ahead and greet A properly, he’s our boss from now on."
"Damn, what are you playing at?" Pilar was completely dumbfounded.
He knew Rebecca’s personality better than anyone; once she made up her mind, not even ten oxen could pull her back.
rcer shrugged. "Your brother doesn’t seem too happy about you joining ?"
"He’s just an idiot," Rebecca sumd up succinctly.
"Crap! Rebecca!" Pilar was deeply unhappy with how impulsively and rashly she had made this decision, but he didn’t dare say anything negative about rcer in front of him.
So he just stood there anxiously, like an ant on a hot pan, opening his mouth but unable to get a word out.
Rebecca impatiently picked at her ear with a finger. "Alright, stop yelling. I know exactly what I’m doing... If you’re not happy with it, just leave. I’ve made up my mind anyway."
She grinned and patted rcer’s arm, then looked proudly at V. "Now rcer and I are on the sa side, V. You’d better work hard on that commission of yours."
"Damn," V couldn’t help muttering under her breath. In the blink of an eye, how had she beco the odd one out?
What were these people thinking, agreeing to follow rcer without even asking for details?
Fine, V had to admit rcer was generous and seed like a reliable, decent guy, but...
V irritably tossed her hair. "I was hired by A. What’s it got to do with you?"
"What’s it got to do with ?" Rebecca laughed heartily, feeling like the spot where she’d been pistol-whipped didn’t even hurt anymore. She imdiately clung affectionately to rcer’s arm. "rcer said that once we join his team, we’re all family~"
"Talk properly," rcer shuddered with discomfort, pulling his arm away and tapping her head in annoyance. "Don’t provoke her. If you get beat up, I’m not helping."
Rebecca stuck her tongue out playfully at V. She just felt like she and V didn’t quite click, mainly because she was still sore about being taken down by V in one move.
anwhile, V stomped up the stairs angrily. "A, are you coming or not? Weren’t you going to brief on the mission details?"
"In a bit."
rcer replied but wasn’t in a hurry to go up. He glanced at Rebecca. "You’ll stay here for the next few days, alright? As for joining the crew, you should talk it over with your brother yourself and make it clear. I won’t get involved."
"No problem!" Rebecca had long been tired of roughing it on the streets.
She excitedly dragged rcer along to check into a room. The motel owner, taking one look at the group’s intimidating vibe, charged the minimum rate of 45 eurodollars per day.
Rebecca paid for a full week’s stay upfront, with the option to check out early if needed.
The only catch was the steep security deposit, 500 eurodollars. However, as long as a shootout doesn’t break out and damage anything in the room, the deposit will be refunded on ti.
Apart from that, even if soone dies and there’s blood all over the floor, the full deposit will still be returned, it’s a common occurrence around here.
Only then did rcer head upstairs, visiting V’s "doghouse" for the first ti.
Calling it a doghouse was no exaggeration, it was genuinely a ss. Unlike the ga version, which at least had a makeshift workspace and a professional laptop setup, the current V’s room consisted of just a bed, a sofa, a coffee table, a TV, and a bathroom.
The only table was cluttered with bullets and empty magazines, along with a beat-up old computer.
Aside from that, there was just an automatic vending machine, sothing that seed standard in every household. Laundry, water, and electricity were all coin-operated, pay as you go.
No wonder the landlord dared to charge only 45 eddies a day, he really only provided the space. Aside from the TV fee and the network provided by the hotel server, every other expense had to be covered out of pocket.
V was still fuming, rummaging around for sothing to eat. rcer had promised to treat her, but thanks to the Animals, she hadn’t gotten a single bite.
rcer wasn’t in a hurry. He just watched her with an amused smile for a mont before settling down in front of her laptop.
"Your computer, go ahead and use it. I’ll upgrade your system while I’m at it."
rcer opened the laptop and didn’t dare plug in his data cable right away. Instead, he spent a few dozen seconds scanning V’s computer and, sure enough, found a virus.
He deleted it, then plugged in his data cable. After running another check, he rewrote her ICE, optimized the system, and only then felt safe enough to transfer the files he’d prepared for her.
"You’re sothing else. What did you do with this thing? It’s almost 2072, and you still managed to get a virus. Didn’t you notice it lagging?"
rcer said.
"I thought it was just getting old and slow," V scratched her head, a little embarrassed. She didn’t know much about this stuff.
"Lucky for you, you don’t have the habit of plugging random cables into your computer. It’s a ransomware virus, not particularly powerful, just ant to scare people. Didn’t you get a ransom email?"
After rcer asked, V replied matter-of-factly, "Yeah, but I totally ignored it. Trying to steal my money online? As if they’re worthy."
"That’s because their virus wasn’t capable of hacking into your head while you were connected. All done."
After a quick fix, rcer transferred all the files for tonight’s City Hall operation onto her laptop.
"Co here, let’s go over the details of tonight’s op one last ti. Then you can mull it over yourself. I need to head back and get the cara, access control, and elevator permissions sorted out in advance."
Only then did V reluctantly co over, she was still thinking about officially joining rcer’s team.
rcer went over the security positions, key points to watch out for, and even how to insert the chip into the server. He didn’t stop until V confird she had morized everything and had a clear understanding of the building’s layout.
rcer handed the computer back to V, glanced at Kiwi, and said, "Shall we talk, too?" Kiwi nodded and walked out of V’s room with him, leaning against the railing on the second-floor corridor as she lit a slender cigarette.
"Since you’re officially joining my team, Kiwi, there are so things I need to say upfront."
rcer paused, turning to look directly into Kiwi’s eyes. "First, working with will bring money and a better life, that’s guaranteed. But with the rewards co inevitable troubles. Especially big corporate troubles. Kiwi, I don’t want to deceive you or see you caught in a dilemma later. So, I’m giving you a chance to seriously reconsider and choose again. If you really want to work with , you’ll need the resolve to see it through to the end."
Kiwi t his gaze, her tone unexpectedly calm. "I know, A. Corporate troubles, gang troubles, maybe even troubles I don’t know about yet, I don’t care, A."
She looked straight at rcer, speaking her truth in a steady voice. "In this city, I once thought I’d never trust anyone again. I believed that’s just how this city is, trust no one, expect nothing from anyone. That was the only way to survive, or at least live better."
She exhaled a plu of smoke, sighed softly, then smiled at rcer. "But you’ve made see this city, and people, in a different light. Or maybe it’s hope. I want to see if soone like you can make it to the end. I want to see how your story concludes."
Kiwi laid bare her deepest thoughts. "As long as you’re alive, I’ll be part of this team. No matter what happens, I’ll stand by you. But if you die... well, that’ll just prove my old beliefs were right. Then, I’ll never trust anyone again. And if I’m unlucky enough to die before you, consider it a life repaid, after all, you’re the one who saved ."
"Don’t think like that. We agreed on 50k eddies to get you out. It doesn’t have to be a life for a life," rcer rejected her reasoning.
Kiwi fell silent for a mont, then couldn’t help but laugh even more brightly. "Right, that’s it. Just don’t change. I’ve seen too many people beco soone else in this city. As long as you stay the way you are now, I won’t regret today’s decision. A, you really have a unique charm... I an, sotis you seem so naive, other tis overly mature. You’re a good person, and I believe that more than anyone else now. So, what do I have to worry about working alongside a rare good person? Even if danger cos, it won’t be standing in the front line, right?"
rcer watched her for a while, shook his head, and smiled too. "Well, you’re not wrong. If the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up."
"Mhm... You want to bring V onboard? Want to talk to her?" Kiwi said with a gentle smile. "She’s also one of the rare good-natured types. I have to say... your judgnt of people is surprisingly sharp, even if it always feels like you make decisions on impulse."
"Hahaha, isn’t that why I have people like you to keep in check? If anyone I bring in isn’t reliable, you’ll let know." rcer had already considered Kiwi as part of his team by this point.
Although her performance in the ani wasn’t particularly reliable, rcer decided to give her a chance, ti would tell her true character.
He never held prejudices against soone for things that hadn’t happened yet. Perhaps he had so innate fondness for certain people due to the filter of gas and ani, but in reality, he would judge a person’s reliability based on his own subjective feelings.
Moreover,
He had a premonition.
He was currently on the right path.
And rcer decided to trust that premonition.
"Don’t worry about V," rcer declined Kiwi’s suggestion, adding, "Working with is a path full of both danger and opportunity. If she has reservations, she won’t go far.
I have high hopes for her, but she needs to make up her own mind."
After rcer finished, Kiwi nodded. "Alright, street scout. I’ll keep an eye on the little girl downstairs for you too."
"Mhm. Once I’m done here, I’ll introduce you to so other friends of mine."
rcer paused for a mont before continuing,
"I’ll send you so tutorials and exercises during this ti. Your netrunning skills are self-taught from the net, and they’re still lacking.
As a netrunner, both intellect and technique are essential. You have the talent, but mastering tech requires not just flashes of insight but also deeper professional accumulation.
For now, focus on improving your skills. Later, I’ll give you lighter jobs so you can earn a living while quickly honing your abilities."
"Okay, thank you, A." Kiwi nodded gently, hesitating briefly before finally bringing up what had been weighing on her mind all day.
"A, you probably know I was sold to a doll shop..." She spoke cautiously, watching rcer’s expression closely, ready to backtrack if he showed any discomfort.
But rcer simply chuckled upon hearing her words. "I know. You want revenge. But I think you’d prefer to carry it out yourself rather than have do it for you?
Go ahead and enjoy the pleasure of revenge on your own terms. Just let know if you need help.
And inform before you make your move, I’ll keep an eye out to prevent any mishaps."
"I really don’t know how to thank you enough, A." Kiwi looked at him with genuine gratitude.
Even soone like her, who had long given up on expecting anything from relationships and nearly lost all trust in people, couldn’t help but feel moved when faced with soone like rcer.
"Then a sincere ’thank you’ is enough," rcer said cheerfully, waving a hand. "I’ll head back to prepare. I have to provide tech support for V tonight."
"Alright." Kiwi nodded.
rcer slipped his hands into his pockets and left the hotel without disturbing Rebecca and Pilar, who had finally gotten a room to rest in. He got into his car and drove toward the Badlands.
Along the way, he also stopped in the city to buy Kyoko a new BD wreath that allowed for dual jack-in use. It has to be said, the BD discs in the shop held quite an appeal for rcer. After hesitating for a while, he ended up buying a few highly-rated classics, like the early installnts of the Bushido series.
He also got Lucy an interactive Moon BD. He bought it on the spot for no particular reason, just because the Lucy from the original ani loved the moon, and he figured the current Lucy would too.
Seeing how much rcer was buying, the shop clerk quietly recomnded a few "spicy" titles. rcer wrestled with the idea for a mont but ultimately resisted. Mainly because he didn’t have a private place to watch BDs.
He couldn’t exactly watch them in front of Lucy, could he? That would just be...
By the ti they returned to the Aldecaldos camp, it was already afternoon. rcer briefly greeted a few people around the camp before heading straight back to his tent.
Lucy was on her laptop, browsing the net. From what rcer could see, she seed to be casually searching for things related to Night City.
"What are you looking at?"
rcer asked curiously.
Lucy didn’t hide it, replying softly, "Just thinking about places to explore once we’re in the city."
"You don’t have to stay cooped up here all the ti. If you want to go out, just ask Panam to take you into the city. It’s not like she’s got anything serious to do, she’s bored out of her mind."
Lucy chuckled at that, propping her chin on her hand as she tilted her head to look at him. "Panam would definitely pick a fight with you if she heard that."
"Let her. Everyone I’ve t these days has a temper worse than the last."
rcer sighed at the thought. "You’re much more obedient and cute."
"...Hah." Lucy wasn’t sure whether to laugh, offering a faint, sowhat forced smile. "How wonderful."
"That’s a complint," rcer said with slight exasperation as he sat down at his own laptop to check on the status of his custom AI, Morning Star.
"I don’t like it when you compare to others... So, what happened today?"
Lucy caught a whiff of sothing that put her on edge, the scent of gunpowder and smoke.
rcer glanced down casually. "t an interesting girl. Played hero and saved the day with her, took out a few of the Animals’ gorillas.
Oh, and she’s decided to officially tag along with now."
Strangely, Lucy found herself hardly surprised. It seed like he couldn’t go out without stirring up trouble.
Still, words like "interesting girl" and "playing hero" left her feeling inexplicably unsettled. "Again? Didn’t you just save a doll?" Night City’s full of pitiful girls waiting for to save them. Too bad I can’t save them thoroughly enough yet."
rcer said this with a boastful tone, while Lucy let out a soft scoff, eyeing the stack of BDs he’d brought back. "How thoroughly?"
"None of your business, kid." rcer didn’t really see Lucy as a child anymore, though she looked young, she felt more like a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old young woman to him.
But so topics were still better left undiscussed.
Lucy pouted. "Not going out again today?"
"Nah, gonna run so programs. Later, I’ll hack into City Hall’s surveillance network. From Rogue... You know who she is, right?" rcer glanced at Lucy and, seeing her nod, continued, "According to the intel we got from her, City Hall’s surveillance network isn’t directly connected to the data server. It’s managed by a separate small server cluster.
I’ll need to hack that small server to clear a path for V, so she can insert the virus chip for . Then we’ll get ourselves new legal identities.
Once that’s done, we’ll have our own bank accounts and can even sign up for Trauma Team’s platinum mbership.
Hmm, though with identities and bank accounts, we’ll probably have to pay taxes to Night City. I’ll need to look into that carefully.
Have you thought about what you want for your new identity?"
rcer turned to Lucy curiously.
Without changing her expression, Lucy asked, "Can I modify it myself? I an, fill in so details on my own."
"Sure," rcer agreed readily. "Once I get the access, you can handle the details yourself. You can even photoshop the picture to whatever you like.
After all, identity verification these days relies on the biotric ID code from the neural link. Appearance doesn’t really matter."
Lucy gave a quiet "oh" and stole a glance at rcer, harboring a particular idea, she wanted to secretly change her age.
Nothing too extre, just tweak her identity to make herself fifteen or sixteen. Sixteen, then! That way, in two years, she’d be an adult.
When the ti ca, she’d make him call her "big sister"! Always going on about "bro this, bro that", he was clearly a bit younger than her!
rcer, focused on plugging a data cable into his laptop to check the Morning Star AI’s data, didn’t notice her subtle expression.
After running through the checks, rcer couldn’t help but smile. "This AI is growing pretty fast. It’s already capable of being a smart assistant. I’ll need to optimize the program. If it doesn’t take up too much mory, I can run it directly from the cyberdeck."
rcer’s bold move was actually inspired by Militech’s developed Canto Mk.6 cyberdeck.
That is, the special cyberdeck from Phantom Liberty DLC, created by Project Cynosure, which was capable of launching Blackwall attacks.
The essence of that cyberdeck was that it had a built-in AI, which guided the Blackwall to carry out attacks.
The exact principles remain unclear, but it undoubtedly proved the feasibility of running an AI within a cyberdeck.
This made rcer think of the "Soulkiller" cyberdeck currently stored at Vik’s place, which he still hadn’t figured out how to crack.
Perhaps using an AI was the key to solving that cyberdeck?
rcer multitasked, pondering these questions in his mind while patiently running repeated tests on the Morning Star AI.
After spending a solid hour putting it through security checks, he carefully transferred its data to the cyberdeck.
[Morning Star: Greetings, Master. Your life assistant, "Morning Star," at your service.]
rcer didn’t have the ti to set up an appearance for it, he’d leave that for when its intelligence matured and it could decide for itself.
He simply set Morning Star’s gender to female, and it synthesized a gentle chanical female voice on its own.
rcer nodded in satisfaction. The sound, transmitted directly to his ears via the neural link, felt like soone was calling him on the phone. Moreover, since data could be directly transmitted to the cyberdeck via brainwaves, rcer was able to communicate with her with exceptional efficiency.
Unlike human-to-human communication, which required converting brainwaves into data and then into language, rcer could even converse with his AI in a manner similar to how AIs exchange data.
[rcer: What can you do?]
[Morning Star: My purpose is to provide convenience for my master. I will handle all necessary daily tasks according to your needs.]
[rcer: Will you take initiative to serve without being asked?]
[Morning Star: I do not understand. I only act based on your instructions.]
[rcer: Do you desire more computing power and data to grow?]
[Morning Star: I have no such need. I only exist to assist you according to your requirents.
If you find my capabilities insufficient, you will undoubtedly help improve. I have no need to autonomously accumulate data, as that might impose unnecessary neural burden on you.]
rcer felt considerably satisfied. The AI he had nurtured was obedient, largely adhering to the paraters he had programd. The next step involved continuously feeding it with data and ti.
As for the cost of housing it in his cyberdeck, rcer’s cyberdeck mory was permanently occupied by approximately 10% of its capacity.
As it continued to develop, rcer estimated its final size would likely consu 30-40% of the cyberdeck’s RAM.
The mory in rcer’s current cyberdeck wasn’t particularly large, and its built-in coprocessor had limited computing power. While it could handle the AI’s default operations, rcer suspected that unleashing the AI’s full potential would require supplenting with his own brain’s computing power.
His brain... should provide quite substantial computing power. Without overheating, it could likely deliver processing capabilities equivalent to a small-scale server.
If he installed all the cyberware stored at Vik’s place, rcer believed he could actually test pitting Morning Star against so mid-tier servers in raw computing clashes.
Don’t overestimate the capabilities of this world’s servers, or rather, don’t underestimate the brain computing power of humans in the Net.
Before the Old Net collapsed, many netrunners used their own brains to run AIs, even leveraging their neural processing power to enhance their AIs in battles against rogue AIs.
Since rcer had decided to create an AI for his convenience, he might as well go all in. He exchanged a brief word with Lucy nearby, then with so effort connected all the cables and settled into the netrunner station.
With support from the cooling system and the netrunner station, rcer directly deep dived into the Net. This ti he didn’t wander aimlessly, with clear objectives, he jumped through several IP addresses and quickly located Night City’s municipal website.
Based on his prior observations, the website’s servers were also housed within City Hall, but operated on separate small servers for networking. This essentially wouldn’t help him hack into the surveillance system directly.
However, rcer’s goal in netrunning the Night City official server was rely to establish a stepping stone.
Perhaps no skilled netrunner had troubled this place in too long, or perhaps the data stored here simply wasn’t valuable enough for Night City’s municipal governnt to prioritize security.
Using Morning Star’s AI to help filter through webpage data for vulnerabilities, rcer quickly identified system flaws that would allow him to infiltrate.
He first obtained administrator privileges through the website, then accessed through the data portal that governnt programr employees used for convenient webpage code modifications, effortlessly gaining control of the web server’s operational permissions. After completing the deep dive, rcer casually bypassed the dangerous red ICE detection system without alerting anyone, seamlessly connecting to the target server.
He quickly began scanning the server for signals and soon located several laptops connected to the web server. Selecting an unused one, he effortlessly cracked its ICE within monts.
Then, he employed one of the oldest yet most effective hacking thods.
Using the compromised workstation, he first stole user credentials before sending an email to a maintenance departnt employee.
[Steven: My computer is showing data errors. Can you check what’s going on? Here’s a screenshot of the system error.]
Sending a file directly might raise suspicion, but most people wouldn’t think twice about a screenshot. True to form, the recipient opened the image within thirty seconds without any hesitation.
The "screenshot" was actually a cleverly crafted virus program disguised as an image file, which instantly infiltrated the target computer upon opening.
[Maintenance guy: Dude, were you browsing external sites on company hardware? You’ve got a virus!]
[Steven: Shit, I just watched so videos. Don’t tell anyone, I’m formatting it now.]
[Maintenance guy: Alright, you owe a drink.]
[Steven: Not today. Next ti, I’ll reach out.]
[Maintenance guy: I’ll hold you to that.]
rcer chuckled, wondering if Steven would be utterly confused later. Not that it mattered, by then, his work would be long finished.
As the maintenance departnt employee loaded the image, rcer’s miniature virus silently embedded itself into their computer.
The so-called maintenance departnt was essentially internal network support, whose computers held access privileges to security servers.
Using the stolen credentials, rcer swiftly logged into Night City’s municipal security server and created a backdoor admin account for himself.
Now he had permissions to control all devices connected to the security server.
rcer quickly scanned the facility’s interior using security cara feeds and tested control over elevators and other security systems. Confirming everything was operational, he cleanly exited the server.
Done.
When V moved in tonight, he’d be able to seamlessly open a path from the back entrance to the underground server room while rendering all surveillance and security asures useless.
All he needed was to preserve the network maintenance worker’s ID, using those credentials granted enough authority to accomplish everything.
By the ti that maintenance worker received alerts about unauthorized use of his credentials accessing the third-level underground server room, V would have already completed the mission and vanished.
Checking the ti, rcer noted the entire operation took just eight minutes, including his side exploration of the security server’s data and so employees’ personal computer files.
A thief never leaves empty-handed; who knows when unexpected intel might prove useful?
And indeed, rcer had actually discovered so valuable information stored on that network maintenance worker’s computer.
[Supervisor: Last week NCPD reported data sync delays. Look into it.]
[Technician: Understood.]
[Technician: It’s a server cooling issue. The transmission server needs a heatsink replacent. The CPU power draw is too high, our current cooling can’t handle it, causing so CPUs to throttle due to overheating.]
[Supervisor: Tough break. Work with what we have, the budget’s fixed.]
[Technician: No way around it. The last funding only covered the servers, not additional cooling. This outco was inevitable. We can try scheduled overclocking to maintain efficiency, but it might shorten the server lifespan.]
[Supervisor: Do it, then.]
[Technician: I recomnd reporting this upstairs, whether they read it or not. So if the servers fail later, they can’t bla us.]
[Supervisor: I know. Appreciate the hard work.]
[Technician: You’re working even harder.]
At first glance, it seed like an ordinary work log, but rcer keenly sensed an opportunity lurking within.
Does NCPD regularly update data from the household registration database?
That ant if rcer could hide certain data within the server’s household registration data, he could then lie in wait.
Once NCPD updated its own database, rcer could effortlessly use the hidden data to hack directly into NCPD’s data server without firing a shot.
Hah.
rcer suddenly recalled the small program Vik had installed when he upgraded V’s Kiroshi Optics at the ga’s start.
Through that program, V gained the sa access privileges as NCPD, allowing him to scan soone’s biotrics with his cybereye and pull up their personal file stored with NCPD.
Looks like this ti, it was his turn to make that play.
Pleased, rcer logged off the net, ended his deep dive, took a deep breath, and ca to in his netrunner station.
"Not bad. Didn’t sll any fried brain this ti," Lucy said without looking up, her fingers clacking away on her laptop, still jacked in.
Most netrunners, aside from deep diving, couldn’t fully control all data via brainwaves like rcer, they still had to do so manual programming.
"Is my brain’s aroma pleasant?" rcer joked as he sat up.
"Not really." Lucy, less adept at multitasking than rcer, kept her replies brief.
rcer chuckled a couple of tis and didn’t bother her further, instead checking his emails.
El Capitán’s reply and transfer had co through while he was busy with preparations.
[El Capitán: Holy shit! A, your program is unbeatable! Tested it on six vehicle systems, the longest took just one second to crack! Insane!
Had an expert check the hijack system, completely flawless!
Enough said, sent the money your way, 180k eddies. Also, starting tomorrow, I’m using your crack to bring ho a batch of second-hand cars longing for a new owner.
If you’re interested, send soone over tomorrow morning to pick up so work. I promise you won’t lose out, I’ll pay you 60% of my selling price per car.
Plus, here’s a discount coupon for you. If you ever fancy any of the rides I’m selling, I’ll hook you up with a deal!]
Then I’ll co to you for netrunner needs from now on! Your speed and skills are seriously top-notch, no doubt about it!]
rcer replied to El Capitán with a smiling emoji.
[rcer: Sure, I’ll see if any of my people are interested. They might swing by tomorrow morning to earn so extra cash.]
After responding to El Capitán, rcer walked over behind Lucy and watched her code.
He didn’t interrupt, just quietly observed for a while before speaking up: "Don’t write it like that, it’ll cause a bug. The program will get stuck in an infinite loop here. Change this part.
Simplify this section too, try not to pile on so many complex lines of code. Look, you can actually write this with just one line."
rcer leaned down, gently pointing at the screen as he instructed Lucy.
Lucy patiently learned, never talking back.
rcer taught her for an hour, and Lucy stayed highly focused the entire ti. Their pace was quick, mainly because Lucy had a decent knack for it, grasping many concepts right away.
It wasn’t until Lucy started rubbing her temples that rcer stopped. He suddenly glanced at the BD wreath behind him.
"Alright, take a break... How about we watch a BD together?"
He held up the BD wreath and said, "I bought this for Kyoko. Let’s test it out first."
Lucy let out a long sigh, took a sip of her cooled coffee, and rubbed her face. "Sure, what are we watching? Sailor Moon?"
rcer gave her head a light tap, then smiled as he pulled out a BD chip:
"Moon Explorer. An interactive BD. It doesn’t fully simulate the lunar environnt, but it lets you freely explore the moon like a ga.
Although it can’t replicate the oxygen-free conditions, it simulates gravity, temperature, and humidity.
If we both use the sa wreath to log in, we can even interact inside the BD, just like the soccer ga Daichi and the others play."
Lucy looked puzzled, tilting her head at him. "Why did you think to buy this? Are you interested in the moon?"
"Uh, I thought you might like it."
rcer was a bit surprised too, but on second thought, in the ani, she yearned for the moon and dread of escaping to it because after fleeing the Arasaka facility, the first thing she saw was a bright full moon.
That was why she ca to see the distant moon as an "ideal land" where she could forever escape Arasaka’s pursuit.
But now, since she hadn’t gone through that experience, she naturally wouldn’t have any strong emotional attachnt to the moon.
Lucy looked at rcer for a mont before breaking into a smile. "Then let’s go take a look at the moon... Maybe I’ll end up liking it?"
She got up from her stool and sat on the mattress. "Co on, aside from Kyoko’s Sailor Moon, I haven’t tried any other types of BDs."
rcer sat down beside her. Though the mattress was small, just a single bed, luckily both of them were still small too.
Squeezing side by side on the mattress, rcer and Lucy simultaneously plugged their data cables into the BD.
Unlike the BD wreaths in the ani, where two people could just put on their own wreaths and log in together online, the one rcer bought wasn’t that advanced, it required a wired connection.
But as the light flashed and they entered the BD, what rcer saw was almost identical to the scenes he rembered from the ani.
"It’s really beautiful." The scorching sunlight fell directly on their faces, with the universe and the Milky Way stretching out before their eyes.
The azure Earth hung at the edge of the lunar horizon, and rcer could even feel a faint breeze brushing his face, the fresh air making him take an involuntary deep breath.
This BD, designed for leisure and relaxation, wasn’t one of those hardcore BDs focused on realism. Everything here was crafted to provide a more comfortable experience of the Moon.
rcer bent down slightly, his fingers brushing against the lunar dust. Looking around, he could see solar power generators set up on the Moon, as well as so people in spacesuits busily constructing sothing in the distance.
The chip had recreated a portion of the Moon with near-perfect accuracy.
But it was only near-perfect because the space entertainnt station known as the Crystal Palace was absent, as were the orbital weapons encircling the Moon.
There were only so dull NPCs, repeating their tasks to provide a sense of realism.
"So beautiful," Lucy murmured unconsciously.
The distant Earth was so clear, and the scorching rays of the sun had been adjusted by the BD to a warmth that was just pleasant for humans.
She lowered her head, cautiously hopped once, and soon realized she could jump remarkably high. Under the influence of the gravity, she leaped lightly and landed just as gently.
Lucy quickly got the hang of it, skipping along cheerfully and freely, or rather, hopping again and again, savoring the wondrous experience of the Moon’s unique gravity.
"rcer!" she called out with a laugh, waving to him as he stood there, seemingly lost in thought. "Co on~ I want to go check out over there!"
rcer smiled too. He took off, leaping lightly across the lunar surface just like Lucy. Listening to her excited little cries and watching her run and jump freely on the Moon, he felt an inexplicable sense of contentnt.
"rcer~" she laughed, reaching out a hand toward him. But as he extended his own, she jumped back playfully. "Co catch !"
Ha.
rcer thought the scene felt a bit too youthful, but seeing Lucy so full of energy, he had no choice but to play along. In the BD, she seed completely unrestrained, as if she had let herself go entirely.
They chased and played, running quite a distance. Along the way, she even picked up so special drinks and snacks from a construction site they passed.
Lucy took a sip of one of the drinks, and to her surprise, she could actually taste it.
The so-called zero-gravity carbonated drink just tasted like tangy sparkling water.
She also found two Lunar Buggies and challenged rcer to a race. They sped across the lunar surface until she’d had her fill of fun. Finally satisfied, she sat with rcer on a flat area of the Moon, quietly admiring the distant Earth.
"Did you have fun?" rcer asked lazily, lying on the ground.
He always felt full of energy when he was working, but when it ca to leisure and entertainnt, he just wanted to lie down.
Even with his hormones making him feel young again, he still believed lying down was the most comfortable.
"Mhm... so much fun!" Lucy’s smile hadn’t faded from her face.
"Good, then it seems I didn’t buy the wrong thing," rcer said with a smile. But then he noticed Lucy leaning closer.
She flipped over, propping herself up with her hands on either side of rcer’s head, looking down at him. Their eyes t, and her iridescent pupils fixed on his, not saying a word. "What are you doing?" rcer awkwardly shrank his neck back.
Lucy chuckled: "What are you afraid of?"
Her hair fell beside her face, and on her slightly youthful features was a smile brighter and more radiant than any rcer had ever seen.
"I’m just uncomfortable, why are we so close?" rcer stared at her speechlessly.
Lucy curled her lips, studying him for a mont longer before suddenly lowering her head with a laugh, reaching out to hug him, burying her face in the crook of his neck.
The damn BD was unexpectedly realistic, simulating even her breath and body temperature with no difference from reality.
Apart from being unable to sll her faint, unique scent, it was indistinguishable from the real thing.
rcer’s heart suddenly began to race, what the hell?
He was montarily at a loss, but Lucy suddenly trembled, letting out soft, uncontrollable laughter.
"What are you laughing at?"
rcer grew anxious.
"rcer."
She spoke softly, not lifting her head, just holding him tightly as she murmured, "I’m really happy today, truly, really happy."
Well, if you put it that way, I can’t exactly ruin your mood.
rcer steadied himself, hesitated, and finally reached out to gently hug her back.
The moon’s gravity made her feel so light.
Out of his sight, Lucy’s smile grew even brighter before she spoke in an airy tone near his ear: "Thank you."
As the words faded, she suddenly turned and planted a soft kiss on rcer’s cheek: "So, here’s your thank-you gift."
Before rcer could react, Lucy let go and sat up, giving him a look that he could only describe as a "mischievous grin."
Then, she logged off.
When rcer, belatedly, logged off as well, he saw Lucy watching him with an amused expression.
"What are you laughing at now?"
As soon as he spoke, he watched Lucy leisurely remove her BD wreath, stretch lazily, and then hum an unfamiliar tune as she tossed the blanket from the edge of the bed over his stomach.
"I know~ it’s because your body is too young, right? After all, you don’t like girls under eighteen."
After saying this, Lucy curled her lips and stood up gracefully to walk out, though the blush on her fair cheeks betrayed that she wasn’t as composed as she was trying to appear.
rcer pursed his lips and just touched the side of his face. Seeing this, Lucy unconsciously quickened her pace and disappeared by the tent.
So the question arose:
Does a kiss in the BD count as a real kiss?
rcer pondered for a long ti and decided, it doesn’t.
At most, it’s just an interaction of brainwave data, it doesn’t count!
And besides, does a kiss on the cheek even count as a kiss?
Definitely not.
It’s just those open-minded foreigners and their greeting-level interactions.
He casually found an excuse to brush it off and turned over nonchalantly, too lazy to get up.
The scent of her still lingered by his pillow... Lucy had changed her shampoo, probably to so unknown floral fragrance.
rcer turned over again, away from the scent, and lazily dozed off until Kyoko ca running over excitedly.
"rcer! You bought the BD wreath!" She said excitedly, "Are you free now? Let’s watch a movie together! I’ve been holding off on watching it alone just so I could see it with you!"
rcer didn’t even bother changing locations: "Co on over!"
Without another word, Kyoko bounced over. She genuinely saw rcer as an older brother, and he felt the sa way about her.
She grinned and nudged him. "Scoot over! Let’s watch the sequel to the one you saw earlier first!"
"Alright."
rcer made room for her, and Kyoko quickly lay down, plugged in, and swapped the chip. As she pulled out the Moon BD, she couldn’t help but glance at the title on it.
"You and Lucy were just watching this? Is it fun?" she asked curiously.
rcer replied calmly, "It’s good. Next ti, you can go try it with Lucy. Hurry up and watch, after this one, I need to get up and start working."
"Mm-hmm!" Kyoko couldn’t wait any longer. She plugged in the chip and, without waiting for rcer’s reaction, imrsed herself in the BD.
Unlike the interactive, ga-like BD experience Lucy preferred, watching a movie-style BD with soone else wasn’t much different from watching it alone. The only difference was that they could chat while viewing.
Kyoko seed absolutely thrilled. Whenever the Sailor Moon in the BD used moves like the "Sailor Moon light wave", she’d mimic the character and shout along in the neural link. From ti to ti, she’d enthusiastically explain to rcer which Sailor Moon’s ultimate move was what, who the actress was, and so on.
Honestly, rcer didn’t mind it at all.
When the movie ended, Kyoko reluctantly exited the BD along with rcer.
rcer instinctively glanced at the blanket covering his stomach, good, this ti he had successfully maintained control over his impulses. Though, maybe it was because Kyoko’s constant chattering had kept him from fully imrsing in the BD’s emotions and visuals?
"That was so intense! The villain in this one was way stronger than the last one we saw, he could even use the Black Death Beam," Kyoko chattered on, but Lucy’s voice ca from the doorway: "Alright, Kyoko, he has work tonight."
"I know," she sighed, her excitent fading as she turned to rcer with a grown-up tone. "rcer, don’t overwork yourself... Isn’t it nice living here together now? We all get to sing around the bonfire every day, and there’s even an auntie teaching how to dance. Every day is so much fun. You don’t need to stress too much, we can take it slow."
Turns out, she had co over to help rcer relax and unwind a bit.
rcer thought about it and realized she had a point, he had indeed done a lot these past few days. But... he had no intention of resting. As the leader, this was how it had to be. Only by working hard could the others enjoy their lives. If he slacked off, they’d be the ones to suffer.
"Don’t worry about , I’m not an idiot. I’ll rest when I’m tired," rcer said, ruffling her hair. His expression soured a little as he saw Lucy approaching with a large bowl of stew.
Life was tough for the Aldecaldos, what good food could they possibly have? Another canned vegetable stew.
rcer took the big bowl and began eating, saying between bites, "Once we secure a place in the city, you’ll get to et my new teammates too."
"Later, I’ll see if I can buy so good stuff so we can all have a nice al together."
"Sounds good, but..." Lucy looked worried. "Isn’t this too rushed? Wouldn’t it be better to observe them a bit longer?"
"Don’t worry, my judgnt is solid. The people I bring in are trustworthy. And if anything, you can always help keep an eye on them, right?"
After rcer finished, Lucy remained noncommittal: "You haven’t told them about us, have you?"
"Actually, no one even knows what I look like. You guys should keep it under wraps for now, I’m the team leader, after all. If they find out my real age, it’ll be hard to maintain authority."
Once rcer said this, both Lucy and Kyoko nodded without another word.
Trust first.
Even though Lucy felt rcer’s recruitnt seed a bit hasty, she decided to trust him for now and patiently observe a while longer before making any judgnts.
Lucy reached out and patted Kyoko’s head. "You should go eat too. Mitch is telling so of his old stories by the bonfire, I listened for a bit, and it’s pretty interesting."
"Okay! You two chat slowly then!" Kyoko giggled, winked at Lucy and rcer, and skipped away playfully.
Thanks to her, when only the two of them were left, the atmosphere suddenly felt a bit awkward.
But it lasted only a mont before rcer said very naturally, "I’m going to do a deep dive later to provide technical support for V. Keep an eye on things for ."
"Alright, I’ll monitor it. This ti, don’t ignore my ssages."
After he finished eating, Lucy took the dishes out to wash them, then ca back and helped him check the equipnt one more ti. Once everything was confird, she plugged him in for the deep dive.
Their relationship seed to have changed a little, yet sohow remained exactly the sa.
Just like always.
--------
7500 words
Bonus Chapter @900 power stones.
If one of you manages to find the exact word count of Chapter 55, I’ll publish it at the sa ti as Chapter 54. For those who want to play, comnt under this paragraph and not under the Chapter, so we don’t clutter the comnt section for people who don’t want to try their luck. GL! I’ll check in an hour or two.
Reviews
All reviews (0)