[Johnny: It seems like most tough opponents have ntal issues... Why is this guy so cheerful?]
This issue indeed gives one pause, especially Johnny.
In the Cyberpunk world, strength ans a lot of prosthetic modifications, and only a madman would undergo extensive prosthetic enhancents. Either a madman installs a lot of prosthetics, or those who install them go mad.
Setting aside aliens like Optimus Pri, at least Jack looks very human... theoretically speaking, he is human.
Even Lille feels a bit sentintal: for him, individual strength is limited, but collective strength is truly overwhelming.
But in his original world, it’s not uncommon for key figures in strong collectives to be abnormal, and during the fiercest tis of war, one could say there were no normal people at all...
However, Jack seems very normal, even sunny. When he invited Lille to join the resistance, he clearly exuded goodwill, aligning his words with his intentions, which were:
If you have nowhere to go, you’re welco to join the frontier, beco part of our ho.
For both Johnny and Lille, in their respective worlds, showing goodwill mainly brought about bad results, but this behavior beca sothing that... would be ridiculed all of the ti.
It’s like the laughter of the wicked was too loud, overshadowing the sound of the good people’s goodwill, leaving behind only mockery, sarcasm, hostility, and backhanded comnts.
Among these people, so are purely evil, truly capable of cruel deeds, but most just want to bluff to make themselves seem more "in tune" with society.
Maybe this is the transformation brought on by the interstellar colonization era, facing the endless starry sky?
With these many thoughts, Lille shook Jack’s hand:
"...I... am not just a self-disciplined AI, maybe one day I’ll find where I belong."
"The frontier can always be a place for you to settle down, besides, you can even bring your ho here.
You helped the resistance, they will always be your friends."
[Johnny: ... They say those with the most miserable gains beco the most brutal, and people in war are even more ruthless. Are they really fighting a war here?]
[Lille: Absolutely true. We should stop making blind guesses.]
"You guys are really enthusiastic. Well then, what’s your next move? I’ll support you."
...
As ntioned earlier, Jack went to Tifon Star because the resistance detected a significant energy reaction on the planet. They needed to find out what it was, to prevent the other side from developing unknown weapon technologies.
Before Jack and his team arrived, the resistance had already sent a reconnaissance unit. It was when this unit had problems that the resistance commander decided to deploy a large number of soldiers there.
The pilot who arrived as a reconnaissance soldier two weeks earlier was nad Colonel Anderson.
"...Colonel Anderson has been out of contact for a long ti. We need to rush to the rendezvous point we agreed upon.
This mission was originally... supposed to be Captain Lastimos’ mission, but it’s now mine."
The Titan walked over the land, with Lille and Jack sitting on BT’s shoulders.
Tifon Star is a picturesque planet, unlike the flatlands surrounded by mountains in Latovia, its natural landscape includes more rugged and densely packed stone mountains.
Thick green plants clung to the rocks, streams trickled and hit the rocky walls, splashing water into the air.
Johnny had never seen such scenery?
[Johnny: Although the scenery here is free, it’s more enjoyable than those Black Superdreams.]
[Johnny: I heard our world used to be like this too, but I’ve never seen it.]
[Johnny: It feels like when I was young, just starting to accumulate knowledge and strength to face the world, the world already fell apart.]
[Johnny: I wanted to find sothing worth fighting for, but in the end, I realized it was all empty words, all fake...]
[Johnny: I even served in the army, for the GJ, but the results... weren’t great.]
Along the way, Lille talked with Jack about their mission and tactics, while Johnny lanted incessantly.
What struck him the most was Jack’s attitude and passion. As a remnant of a wasted generation from the early 21st-century Cyberpunk era, he was a deserter; he simply couldn’t comprehend why soone would be so passionate about joining the military.
After all, most of those he saw marching onto the battlefield in high spirits were monsters and freaks like Adam Hamr!
[Johnny: Ask him, doesn’t he fear? Doesn’t he fear that his efforts will end up benefiting another oppressive group, or that the people he kills will one day grab his collar at night, doesn’t he fear...]
Johnny couldn’t utter that last reason.
But Lille knew what he feared: the most direct fear.
The sound of gunfire whizzing through the air, death threats from all directions, days or even months or years of attrition warfare, with no freedom, always at the beck and call of orders, seeing no end day...
Johnny wished to be an uncompromising fighter, but in reality, he was a deserter.
Despite convincing himself with many reasons, his subconscious still felt deserters were despicable. He even knew he was deeply afraid of that feeling.
Lille also knew it was because he had seen too many who talked a good ga before being sent to the camps, only to die disgracefully in the toilet later.
Yet Lille also knew...people like Jack do exist.
But in the Cyberpunk world, it was rare for Johnny to et such people. Even if he t them, chances were, he’d see their tragic end and realize their death made no difference to the world.
After pondering for a while, he followed Johnny’s lead and asked:
"Cooper, do you fear the battlefield? Aren’t you afraid the resistance might one day beco sothing like IMC...?"
Jack visibly paused, a chuckle resonating from inside his helt:
"My dream is to beco a pilot, a genuine pilot, so I can protect my holand.
As for the resistance turning into the IMC..."
Jack shook his head, as if reminded of sothing embarrassing: "I’m not good at building houses, but after the war, I’d definitely go back, find a plot of land, build a decent house, and earmark a nice farm...
I’m not good at thinking about complex things, but I am the resistance, and I will build every brick of the frontier alongside my friends and family.
Why would you think I’d beco my enemy?"
[Johnny: Damn, that doesn’t answer anything.]
Johnny’s voice faded into the background, retreating back into his sector.
Perhaps it’s because he felt increasingly ashad of himself. After all, as a native of Night City, he excelled at cursing a certain group while becoming one of them, and then cursing himself as a jerk...
Jack was definitely not that kind of person, so he had no idea why Lille asked such questions.
Yet he noticed a small detail: "We’re comrades now, why not just call by my na?"
"...Well, I rember I have a friend nad Jack too, I just worried about mixing you up."
"A friend? Before, I always thought you were a pure AI, seems like your background is more complex than I imagined. What kind of person is he?"
"In so ways, quite like you."
Jack responded with a smile: "Then I must beco friends with him."
Boom.
BT ca to a halt.
"Jack, Lille, we are about to reach the rendezvous point with Colonel Anderson."
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