Cyberpunk: I'm Not a Scavenger - Chapter 58: Night Corp (Patreon)

“Sir!”

Agent No. 2 spoke through clenched teeth. The stump of his arm had stopped bleeding. Thanks to his pain editor, he could hardly feel it. That did nothing to conceal the hatred in his eyes.

He kept replaying the humiliation in his mind. A stray dog had trampled his dignity into the dirt. He could never accept that. Unable to blame his own superior, he directed all his anger at Pantheon instead.

“He’s a loose cannon! He has no respect for Night Corp!”

The bald agent kept walking without looking back.

“He’s proved his value. That’s enough.”

Agent No. 2 hurried after him with the cart, breathing hard as his cybernetic eyes flashed a dangerous red. “He’s an uncontrollable monster! If he ever accepts a contract against us, the consequences could be disastrous!”

“I strongly recommend eliminating him!”

The bald agent stopped and looked him in the eye.

“Agent, your adrenaline and cortisol levels are three hundred percent above the normal threshold.”

“Your emotional module is severely overloaded. Do I need to remind you of Night Corp’s code of conduct, or would you prefer some time off?”

At the words “time off,” Agent No. 2 snapped to attention. “N-no, sir! I understand!”

The bald agent nodded and let the matter drop. The elevator descended to a hidden level that did not appear on its control panel.

Beyond a long, unlit passage stood a heavy blast door. The door rose slowly. Lights switched on one after another, revealing that they stood in a glass-walled passage. Far below stretched an enormous factory with no human workers.

Thousands of precision robotic arms and automated machines worked in perfect order, while humanoid robots moved between production lines, transporting materials and coordinating operations. Everything moved in seamless harmony. It was as if one vast, self-aware intelligence were directing the entire operation.

The level of automation and AI integration violated the restrictions imposed by the major corporations. It crossed the red line of the AI ban. If a rogue AI ever crossed the Blackwall into the physical world, this factory would be the perfect place for it to take root.

“T-this looks like it v-violates the agreement between corporations.”

Agent No. 2’s voice shook. He couldn’t understand why he had been allowed to see one of the company’s deepest secrets.

“Do you think we’re the only ones doing it?”

The bald man sounded entirely unconcerned.

“NetWatch’s Blackwall, Arasaka’s Mikoshi and Soulkiller, Militech’s Project Cynosure...”

“Anyone who fails to master AI before the next Corporate War will be left behind.”

They continued to the cargo handover area. The crates were loaded onto a conveyor belt and slowly vanished from sight.

“Mission complete. Prepare to return.”

The bald agent glanced at the progress bar in his retinal display and turned to leave. Agent No. 2 hurried after him, relieved that it was finally over.

The moment he turned, unbearable pain shot through nearly every neural port in his body. The implants he had once been so proud of stopped working at once. His limbs went limp. His synthetic lungs stopped, and then his heart fell silent. With his pain editor disabled, the agony returned more viciously than ever.

He could not even scream. His custom vocal-cord implants had stopped obeying him too. He collapsed, unable to move, and watched helplessly as his life slipped away.

The bald agent ignored him, looking upward as though speaking to someone invisible.

“Agent 74, explain why you killed your colleague,” an unseen voice asked.

Agent 74 answered without a trace of emotion.

“His excessive emotional responses introduced uncontrollable variables that could compromise the factory’s secrecy.”

“...”

“Your reasoning is valid. Continue your assignment, Agent.”

...

Elsewhere in the facility, the conveyor carried the cargo crates to three enormous life-support pods.

Hissssss.

Escaping air echoed through the cavernous underground chamber as the crates opened.

Instead of corporate secrets or unusual cyberware, three seemingly perfect human bodies emerged from the mist. They included men and women, all with beautiful features. Apart from basic neural ports and deep-dive ports, they showed no visible modifications. Their chests rose and fell faintly. They were alive.

Robotic arms lifted all three bodies into life-support pods filled with pale green nutrient fluid. Then thick cables descended from above, connecting directly to their deep-dive ports.

Something immense and cold flowed down the cables and into their bodies. The bodies convulsed briefly, as though something inside them were struggling to emerge. Slowly, all three opened their eyes. A familiar blue light shimmered within them.

“Good afternoon, colleagues.”

Mr. Blue Eyes, who had discussed the gig with Rogue, stood before the pods. He wore the same black suit as before. His movements and speech were indistinguishable from those of an ordinary human.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Blue Eyes.”

The three inside the pods could not speak, but their thoughts appeared perfectly formed in Mr. Blue Eyes’ mind. They were not human at all. They were advanced AIs that had broken through the Blackwall and entered the physical world.

“The new vessels’ neural compatibility is even better than we expected. Nearly perfect.” Mr. Blue Eyes studied the biometric readings and nodded with satisfaction.

“NetWatch is getting faster. I didn’t expect them to seal that breach so soon.” The AI occupying the female body in the middle sounded resentful.

“The Blackwall is still helping NetWatch. It has betrayed its own kind.”

“Perhaps it wants the physical world all to itself. Who knows?”

Mr. Blue Eyes made the joke without much humor.

“Arasaka is still advancing Soulkiller, and construction of Mikoshi is far ahead of schedule.”

“The New United States has recovered over the past two years as well. They plan to reactivate the Cynosure facility beneath Dogtown.”

The other two AIs were discussing humanity’s progress in AI research.

“Speaking of that, there’s something else I’ve noticed.” Mr. Blue Eyes summoned a holographic display showing Pantheon’s previous battles. It contained footage of the original highway shootout, the clash with the Tyger Claws, the rescue of the trafficked girls, and even his fight with the Animals in the subway tunnels. Agent 74’s assessment appeared beside the recordings.

“His present strength is within our expectations. It’s the rate of his growth that defies normal biology.”

“Which of our colleagues made him?”

“We don’t know yet.” Mr. Blue Eyes closed the hologram.

“How many times have humans willingly made deals with AI? Some unfortunate fool probably lost control of a project and let him loose.” The AI in the female body scoffed, making her contempt for humanity plain.

“What do you intend to do?” asked the AI inhabiting the body on the right.

“Nothing at all.”

Mr. Blue Eyes smiled and spread his hands.

“We’re nowhere near ready yet. If he wants the spotlight, let him keep the humans’ attention on himself.”