Before anything else, there was the issue of actually accessing the DarkNet. For that, we needed netrunner gear. I had some ideas, and some parts printed from before I got distracted by other projects. I’d need more, though. For this kind of thing, anything less than the best wasn’t worth using.
According to Luna, it was the definitively most competitive net competition to ever exist. We’d be going against career runners, named mercenaries, corporate backed stooges, and everything in between. Only the best would give us an edge, and we’d need every edge we could get a hold of.
There was another aspect to it all, though. After discussing it in depth, we came to the decision to enter the competition as Nightshade and Moonfall, Luna’s online alias. There were a lot of reasons for it, but it boiled down to a simple one—almost everyone there was someone. Going in without a cover wasn’t a good idea. Since that was the case, why not go in with a good one?
Equipment was a must… so it was a good thing that the Raijin Exhibition was coming up rapidly. Two days till then, and then there’d be five days for preparations. I spent the two days finally finishing the robot bar tender, and worked on the superalloy to try to get more progress.
And progress I made. It was a bit of a messed up process using several jury-rigged machines, but I was finally getting the gravitic to meld into the titanium. Or, the titanium alloy. There were so many Aetherial and material bonding agents to get everything worked together that I lost track several times just trying to make one ingot. It wasn’t perfect, but progress was progress.
Before I was ready, the exhibition was upon us. Even before the day came, there was a certain tension in the streets. Usually, Raijin just held a small exhibition. This year, though, Aythryn City was host to the mega-corps full show of might for the entire world. It didn’t take a genius to figure that the decision was linked to increased pressure from Sentinel.
The biggest cause of the tension, though, was the return of Raijin’s Raiju, their flying destroyer that briefly called the city home when Sentinel brought their supercarrier Phalanx into the city’s harbor. This time, instead of being a watchful big brother, it had a certain festive atmosphere to it.
I watched the tassels and streamers billowing in the wind from the undercarriage of the Raiju. Flyer traffic constantly came and went from the flying behemoth. Tours started at just under 50,000 Rayn.
I was tempted to go up there just to steal some tech, but we were already in a bit of a time crunch. Not to mention that was a lot of money. Even after earning five mil from the Sentinel deal, I still counted every drop of Boswan Pula in my bank account.
“There you are, Shiro,” Saint called out from behind me, and moved up the window. “Thought the wind carried you away.”
My lips twisted into a scowl. I promise I weighed more than a piece of paper. Especially with my Crusade gear on. ”You been hanging out with Mira?”
”How could you tell?” His eyebrows arched up in surprise. Red neon flashed off a passing flyer, and illuminated half his face like we suddenly entered a noir film.
”I hate it when you do that…” How was it that the universe just seemed to work for him so well?
”I’ve got no idea what you’re talking about.” The way he said that—did he actually have no idea? Was he just blessed with perfect timing? Or… was this a Kinetic ability of some sort. I squinted at the man as if I could pry away his secrets. “Been teaching Mira the guitar a bit.”
Mira and this guy meeting up in private made me a bit… uneasy. ”Keeping your hands to yourself, right, boy?”
“Woah, didn’t realize she had two dads.” So Uncle Ezra got to him too… Saint threw up his hands in surrender. “Relax. Just had coffee a few times—“
“Just coffee. Right.” Like that was a thing. Nobody ever just got coffee—
“Zukes!” A new voice called out to me. Saint gave me the side eye, and walked away like he was just another bystander briefly stopping to chat.
See, the plan had originally been for him to get me in as a reporter’s assistant. Raijin took the security so much stricter than we expected, so that fell apart. Even just him getting in required extensive backdoors through connections with Inverse Media. Thankfully, when one door closed, a red and blue cruiser crashed through the wall.
”Hey, Hope.” I turned away, and leaned back against the window. Just behind me sat one of the many exhibition halls showcasing the best of Raijin—at least, the best that they were willing to show. “Still calling me that?”
”I think it's kind of endearing.” She shrugged, and nodded toward the retreating back of Saint. “Who was that?”
”Some idiot trying to figure out where the bathroom is.” Sorry Saint. “There’s signs, like, all over the place.”
“You see the aspirants?” Hope sighed, and leaned against the window alongside me. Her head dropped back against the refreshingly cool surface.
“Joshua took them to learn how to find pickpockets.” By showing them the proper ways to pick pockets. I didn’t say that, though. No point making Hope even more stressed.
This time around, we weren’t just out for patrol. The Blue Crusade, in their infinite wisdom, decided now was the time to give the aspirants some chances and look for new squires. Now, when the city was at its most hectic. It was purely by luck—and Luna’s hacking skills—that our squad was assigned to the Net exhibition. Us and ten aspirants hoping to catch Inquisitor Hope’s eye.
“Dev finally got out of my cruiser. I had to threaten him.” She brushed a lock of hair back, and cleaned up the sheer silver mask of the Crusade. “Think he went off to ‘guard’ the complimentary buffet table.”
We weren’t just anywhere, and not just anyone was allowed in here. This hall held Raijin’s best of when it came to tech. Security was just as strict. Likewise, it made it difficult to get through and snag stuff with Technical Expertise. It was doable, but required some… creative methods.
”C’mon.” Hope pushed off the window. “Gotta keep moving, or Joshua might find us.”
”You don’t like the aspirants that much?” I pushed off the wall and slipped into the crowd next to the tall woman. A bubble cleared out around us in part thanks to Hope’s mask, but also thanks to very low levels of Fear the Reaper.
”It’s not that I hate them. They’re just… weird?” She rubbed at the crook of her elbow. “I dunno. Everyone in our squad joined through alternative means, so it's a bit weird.”
Heh, right. None of us went through proper channels. It was kind of easy to forget with Dev and Hope since they fit in so well. Joshua—that guy stood out even worse than I did. Probably not the best idea to leave him with all the young, impressionable aspirants.
”Thanks for picking up.” Hope redirected us down a different route, and ducked her head to better blend into the crowd. “Was worried you’d ghost me.”
“I told you I wouldn’t back then.” Though I had been incredibly busy since. “Speaking of, got some new tech I’m working on. You want to try it out?”
”Will it explode on me, oh great CEO?” Hope asked.
”Not if you treat it right.” I paused, and turned back a few steps in front of a runner chair cordoned off from the walkways.
Hope kept walking for a few seconds, and then joined me at the edge of the rope blocking the way forward. “Something interest you?”
”Maybe.” I eyed the runner chair. It was supposedly the fastest and safest one Raijin ever produced—according to the banner next to it, at least. It had no less then fifteen fall back features.
”Ah, members of the Crusade.” The man showing off the chair smiled at the two of us, and shuffled over away from the crowd. He leaned closer, and dropped his voice to a much quieter tone. “What can I do for you?”
“We received a bomb threat earlier today…” I could feel Hope’s eyes searing into me, though I continued with my bold faced lie anyway. “Have you seen anything suspicious sir?
“A bomb threat?” A trace of alarm flashed past his corporate grin. “Uh, no officers. Haven’t seen anything. Inquisitor, maybe some of the security guys might know something?”
”Maybe.” Hope didn’t immediately call me out, and instead just crossed her arms. “Did something set you off, Squire Ichima?”
“That bundle there—“ I pointed off toward the runner chair. My voice grew slightly louder, and the nearby onlookers started to move around uncomfortably. “Doesn’t it look like the perfect spot to stash a bomb? And those wires. Doesn’t that look like it could, you know, boom?”
“It’s a netrunner chair! Of course there’d be wires!” The exhibitor glanced around, and dropped his voice even lower. “Surely we can work something out? You’re causing a panic.”
”I’m merely doing my due diligence, sir.” I took on an affronted tone, and slapped my hand to my chest. “We merely want to ensure the safety of those in attendance. Afterall, a bomb threat is a very serious thing.”
I side-eyed the crowd, and introduced a tap of Fear the Reaper. Panic immediately started to spread through them, and hushed voices broke into whispers. I gave it just enough to spread fear, but not enough that the rest of the security teams would get involved.
He twitched as whispered accusations started to flood toward him. “Of course it’s serious. There’s nothing like that up here, I assure you. I’ve been here the entire time.”
”Ah, makes sense… unless—did the terrorists pay you off?” My hand dropped down to my pistol, and tightened around it like I might pull at any second.
”They didn’t pay me.” Sweat started to drip down the exhibitor’s head.
“So you’re doing it for free?” Inquisitor Hope slid in with the wombo combo, and completely put him on the back foot. “Squire, it seems your instincts were right.”
“I didn’t do anything!” Panic surged across his face. This was the kind of thing that even all the corporate training in the world couldn’t prepare him for. He unlatched the rope cordoning off the exhibition. “Look, why don’t you just come up and check?! There’s no b—nothing like that here.”
“Hmmm… fine, if you insist.” I hid my smile, and valiantly approached the bomb. My glanced through it was quick, ‘course. Just a couple ‘accidental’ taps while I leaned down to check on stuff, and I had Raijin’s entire print stored safely in the back of my head. “It’s clear.”
”I told you! It’s probably just hooligans making empty threats.” The exhibitor patted his forehead with a handkerchief. “Now, if you’d please. I have a truly life-changing product to show off.”
“Sorry for the mix-up, sir.” With the prints fresh in my mind, I left him behind. Why didn’t I think of this before? When in the Crusade, do as the Crusaders do. Brute forcing my way forward with threats was truly the best way to do things.
”Was that really necessary, Shiro?” Hope asked once we got far away from the man.
“Of course!” I put on a valiant, and courageous facade. “I’m merely concerned for the protection of our great citizens. We can’t let anything happen, you know… actually, I think I heard a bomb threat over there, too!”
Hope followed my point toward a spider mech, and sighed. “You can’t be serious. We’re going to get thrown out.”
”Not if we actually find a bomb.” I snickered, and moved forward. I had my bag on, so of course I had enough explosives to send this place sky high. It was merely a matter of planting them.
— — —
AN: finally got my bed into my new apartment. Thought I was going to die carrying the pieces up three flights of stairs. I didn’t think I’d get this out anywhere near the normal time.