I drove by the corporate owned building. Microtech had been one of the big NUSA corporations for decades. They were like the Microsoft of the Cyberpunk world.
They werent quite as powerful now as they had been in their heyday, but they were still going strong.
Jackies gig was simple on the outside. Wakako wanted the schedule for incoming shipnts. She was probably just a go-between in this case, getting the info for soone who wanted it rather than sothing she would use herself.
But Microtech wouldnt just leave the data laying around, and Jackie wasnt exactly an infiltrator.
He hadnt gotten the gig done yet, so he either didnt have the skills to complete it, and was trying to hire soone to do it for him, or he was trying to co up with a plan to do it himself.
That was where I ca in.
I was going to look around, get an idea of what defenses this place had, and hopefully be able to guide Jackie into getting the data.
I didnt want to just do it for him. One that would be insulting, I was very aware that I was still a kid to most people I interacted with and Jackie wanted to be an edgerunner. You dont jump into a profession like that without having an ego, and second
Jackie needed to do this. If Wakako was ever going to trust him with future gigs, which would let him build a rep.
So I was just going to look around, figure out the weak points in the defenses, and pass along so intel. Maybe make him pay for it with a few eddies, just so everything was square.
Of course I was thinking that as I pulled into a small strip mall. A few food shops and things right across the street from the building.
But that was when I noticed none other than Jackie Welles himself sitting at a noodle bar, slurping down a bowl of ran and staring at the building across the street.
Huh. I guess he was working on getting that intel afterall. I considered walking up to him, but I figured it would be best to let this one go.
Besides, I wasnt wearing my normal gear this ti.
I didnt exactly want to ss with a full fledged Corporation in my usual.
So I was wearing a mix between the armored suits I had bought for my Chooms, and a set of Techgogs that I had picked up from V3Ls loot. It was an old school piece of netrunning gear, but it covered the top of my face and would give a little additional ID protection if soone actually saw .
I would already be covered from recording devices, but people could still see my face, and if they could ID that way, it didnt matter if the corp doesnt have a recording.
I slipped out of the Quadra in a quiet corner of the parking lot. And made it across the street without any problem. The corporation's building was set up in a private lot, this wasnt really an office or anything, it was a shipping hub. A warehouse with a small attached office for the corporation.
They had a much larger HQ in City Central.
The security here would be pretty good though. Warehouses were hot targets.
But that was just details to .
I jumped the fence climbing onto so trash that was building up against the outside walls and I was in.
My eyes flashed as I scanned the area for security.
Caras covered the corners of the building. Robotic guards wandered around, and human workers were moving around driving forklifts moving packages around.
I sent a quiet ping into the cara system, and as I expected, it slipped through the security without too much problems. This place wasnt big enough for a netrunner to manually run the security. The grounds were quiet and covered in loose trash and refuse that the warehouse had collected over the years.
It was obvious this place wasnt well taken care of.
But that just ant there were plenty of places for to hide. I slipped into a stack of old pallets hiding within them while giving a perfect sight of the cara on the corner of a building.
After I confird the lack of any direct attention in the network I started breaching. The Caras security didnt last more than a few monts, and I was able to slip into the main network as well, as the caras werent properly partitioned.
I started looking through all the caras. Outside the robot guards followed a static path, seemingly uncaring about the large gaps in the security.
They were more for intimidation than security I realized. They would definitely keep out the most common street thugs.
Then I looked inside and the warehouse was certainly not empty.
Unfortunately for I was only sneaking around and planning to get so data, because I noticed quite a few preem pieces in the warehouse I would love to take ho with . A few of those servers, or computer systems would be really nice to have.
Instead I focused on the security. Just like outside there were robot guards, along with a few workers hauling around the large shipnts. I noted down numbers, and positions, literally filling a digital map with where everything was for Jackie to use.
It wasnt even difficult, my Breaching skill had reached the point where stealthing into systems, even through a cara was doable with a bit of work.
I made a note of all the rooms I could see, and if I could figure out what was inside them.
I also noted the room that would have the shipnt information. It was an office in the back of the warehouse that had a cara right outside it. aning it was one of the most secure locations in the entire warehouse.
Soone didnt want soone getting in there.
I marked it on the map disappointed that there wasnt a cara inside. Instead I altered my focus accessing the systems the cara was connected to, trying to see what I can find on the security systems.
Unfortunately the connection was protected, and unless I wanted to spend a lot of ti out here, or make it obvious soone had hacked in, I would have to access the security directly.
With everything marked out, and the workers, and robot guards pinged, it was child's play to rise up out of the ss of pallets and move towards the warehouse.
With a bit of a fun trick I would just have the cara pan away from as I approached a side door that the cara was supposed to be keeping an eye on. Letting slip inside the door and close it just as the cara panned back around.
Making it seem completely natural despite it being entirely under my control.
With that I was inside, and movent through the warehouse was even easier. I stalked up the stairs through the empty break room and then down a catwalk towards the office. The cara there was controlled the sa way. Panning away as I walked up under it, and then letting it pan to the way I had just co, giving access to the office door.
It was locked, but that took only a few monts to work through and the door opened. I slipped inside and closed it behind just as the cara panned back.
The office was what you would expect from a warehouse manager.
It was nicer than the rest of the building, and it was surprisingly well soundproofed, cutting down the noise of the warehouse. There was a small laptop set up and I slipped over, quickly slipping through the ICE with a few monts of work and I was in.
I found the data that Wakako wanted
I made a copy, quietly slipping the data into a shard and putting it away. I wasnt going to just hand it over to Jackie, but if sothing bad happened, it was insurance.
Then I moved away to the actual security server.
Unlike the laptop it was set up in the corner of the room, and didnt have any monitors, or anything.
It was a Mircotech Security Server. ant to be set up through a different system, Laptop, or direct access through neural cord, and then take care of the security concerns all by itself.
It was also shit if you wanted real security.
Corpo nonsense at its best.
I plugged in, quickly bypassed the password request that if failed would send out a ton of ICE, or even Black ICE to kill the hacker.
It took all of five minutes to breach the security and have full access to the Warehouses network. With a little smirk I even set up a backdoor. I rarely got to use the knowledge Wallbreaking gave , but who knows I might need to access this system again in the future.
It was setting up the backdoor that made realize sothing was off.
There was an intrusion in the system.
And it wasnt .
I wasnt alone in the system.
I considered responding, but I wasnt supposed to be here either after all, and I doubted the intruder expected to have a netrunner co in from the other direction. So I simply stepped back, let the system's autonomous security fail at its job and watched mostly from what the system wasnt seeing, what the netrunner was doing.
They were accessing the security records. I watched the Servers mory usage go up a few blips as systems were accessed.
Could this be sothing Jackie set up? I know he doesnt have the skill himself, but he had known T-Bug. Or maybe he just knew another Netrunner?
Either way. It wasnt my problem
As long as the runner didnt sound an alarm.
After the runner got the security records, they looked around. Poking at connection points, and it took a while to realize they were trying to see if they could access the foreman's computer.
Unfortunately that system wasnt connected.
This had to be Jackie then Right?
I was considering pulling out letting the runner finish their little dive when I saw it. A massive increase in server usage.
The runner noticed I was watching! If this was Jackies netrunner, they might bail on the server if they thought security was on to them! The amount of Black ICE an admin could drop on the head of a discovered runner wasnt worth considering.
So I had to move fast.
I set up a few solid ICE walls that I knew would save a few seconds in case they attacked, and then sent out a prompt through to the runner.
It was just a text log, although I did have to think of a good pseudonym in a rush.
Ghost: *Would appreciate, if you didnt set off an alarm.*
The log was quiet, no response given, but I could practically feel the frantic activity of the runner. As they double checked their defenses. The server spiking as Programs and Daemons activated to protect the runner.
But I didnt attack. Just waited.
Blank: *Who are you?*
Ghost: *Ghost.* I replied with a smirk the complete non answer would be doubly amusing.
Blank: *You are at the security server What do you want?*
Ghost: *I want you to not set off any alarms. Noticed you wanted to access the Foreman's computer.* I took a mont to look over and take a picture of it, and added that into the chat.
I didnt get a response for a while, but I was patient.
Blank *You offering?*
Ghost: *Maybe. I know you arent here against my own gig. But you could interfere, so lets make a deal.*
Blank: *Im amiable to a deal.*
Ghost: *I dont like working with a Blank. Thats requirent one.*
Blank: *And Im supposed to believe you are Ghost?*
Ghost: *Thats the na I picked.*
No response ca for a bit before finally the ssage ca through.
T-Bug: *What else.*
Oh I was right! If that was T-Bug it ant it was far more likely she really was working with Jackie.
Ghost: *Nice to et you bug. If Im right, just to confirm, You are working with Jackie Welles at the mont to retrieve the Microtech Shipnt schedule for the next month.*
Once again it went quiet, She was still there, but I got the feeling she was probably thinking about ditching.
Ghost: *I am asking for confirmation. I often work with Wakako. I dont want to ruin his gig.* I added, hopefully the last bit would make sound less threatening.
T-Bug: *I was hired by Welles to get security access, and find him a path to the foremans office.*
Ghost: *Then stand by for access.* I added stepping over to the foreman's laptop and quickly having it access the Security server, considering I had already breached both systems it didnt take more than a minute.
I walked back over to the server and plugged back in.
Ghost: *Once you have what you ca for go ahead and get out quietly if you would. Please wish Jackie luck on his future work with Wakako. It will be nice to have another rc to tap for work.*
A few minutes later I noticed the T-Bug took her ti accessing the laptop as if she was afraid it was a trap.
Once I was sure she was good I stood up and started making my way out of the warehouse.
I used the sa trick on the caras to simply move around the vision of the one outside the door, although just as I was about to walk completely away I noticed it.
T-Bug was snooping. I smirked as she took control of the cara and started quick panning it back at .
But I already had the full layout of the warehouse. Despite being on the catwalk on the second floor I simply leapt over the edge. Disappearing far below the caras line of sight before it could have spotted .
Then I was gone. Sneaking out through the side doors, avoiding the caras without touching them this ti, and climbing up the pallets I had hidden under before and leaping over the edge of the barbed wire fence.
I rolled as I hit the ground stepping back up and wiping the dust off, before casually walking down the street. That had almost been bad. I hadnt expected T-Bug to be able to notice snooping from the security server.
She was better than I had thought. Like really good. I would have to be more careful, but in the end I was satisfied.
Gig complete Sorta. It just wasnt that was going to complete it.
I did check in on Jackie as I walked to the car noticing that he was leaving the noodle joint, I smiled as he seed like he was in a suddenly super good mood as he raced away.
Considering
I smirked and jumped into the Quadra heading ho. I would change into my normal outfit, and wait around, because I had a feeling Wakako would be sending a ssage soon.
--
I was on point.
An hour later as I was lazing around on the couch, I got a text from Wakako.
*Jackie Welles completed the gig. He is coming in for a eting now.*
I grinned that Wakako actually did follow through with our deal. I jumped off the couch, rushed out the door, still fighting my boots as I hopped into the elevator.
Ignoring the look of my neighbor who had stepped into the elevator just before as I fought my boots on my feet, and then rushed out the elevator as soon as the doors opened on the ground floor.
I only slowed when I hit Jig-jig street, and sauntered happily into Wakakos parlor.
The look she gave told she was in no mood for my nonsense and she pointed to a chair and I quickly sat in it.
Ive been given the report of what happened already. Mr. Welles hired a Netrunner he is acquainted with to get him into the building, only they didnt need to, as another netrunner had already infiltrated the building. Wakako started speaking suddenly and I kept my cool not letting myself show any sign of nervousness.
Wakako was a tiger after all. They could sll nervousness.
So since you decided to get involved in the gig. Tell why you think I should allow Mr. Welles into my employ. If he cant complete a gig on his own?
I winced.
First. Its rude that you imdiately assu that soone with the coolest net handle of Ghost is . Even if it was totally . I offered, pointing upward with a chro finger. Second. Jackie realizing he wasnt going to be able to finish the gig on his own and getting help using his connections, is the exact kind of thing you want for a rc. If you just want soone who will rush in guns blazing almost guaranteeing they will end up dead on an important gig, then yeah. You dont want Jackie.
Wakako took a drag of her cigarette and nodded agreeing with my reasoning.
Also I wasnt originally going to help out, but Jackie hired a seriously good netrunner. T-Bug knew her stuff and noticed I was there. So I had to get involved.
Very well. I expected sothing like this when I gave you the information regardless. The gig is complete, and I have the information my client wanted. She offered, tapping out the ash casually into the ashtray.
Id like to work with him on so gigs. Either right away, or later. I ntioned, and this made Wakako react.
I dont think he will fit your style very well.
Not directly, but every infiltrator needs to be prepared for getting caught. Jackies a good solo, and I could use him on so of my gigs just as backup. It would be nice to know that if I screw up, I wont be alone in the firefight for my life.
If you wish to bring him along on any gigs you take, that is up to you. As long as the gig is completed, I dont care about your thods. She said but didnt say anything about going along on Jackies gigs.
I let it go, and noticed that Wakako seed more than ready to ignore , instead watching the small TV set she kept in the corner of the room.
I turned around in the seat to look and ended up actually falling into the pit of weekday afternoon TV.
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