Cyberpunk: Badland Madman Chapter 10 - Rise of Obsidian, Atlas’ Offensive, Night City’s Victim & New Itch 

Doc - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aN26OtFDeQCnxRz7Wuutsjc1bRdxkAzHFiQC6i1Gkkw/edit?usp=sharing

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Cypher dumbly sat there and stared at Atlas's old face. He was waiting for a further explanation, but the godly AI didn't seem to want to. 

"And? How'd you land on that? Taking over NUSA ain't happening. It ain't just Militech either. NUSA by itself is a damn juggernaut," Cypher argued. 

"Cypher, my projections indicate that seizing NUSA presents no difficulty. I possess sufficient faculties to infiltrate every system without detection. Even their air-gapped networks will yield to precise brute-force strikes. Song So-Mi shall serve as our instrument of entry. She clings to survival, and I judge that we represent her greatest attainable salvation."

"So-Mi's a two-faced spy. She'll sell us out before I even get her name out."

"Does she possess a choice? I have installed 'insurances' within her cyberware, the very frame of her torso. She is a puppet of NUSA, and she shall be our ally, yet we will preserve her life and grant her freedom once our work is complete."

Cypher didn't know if the air of confidence oozing from Atlas was natural or manufactured. Hell, he didn't understand if the emotions Atlas showed were actual or simulations. What he knew was that Atlas was still an AI that may put efficiency above everything else. 

"Okay, but what's the endgame, man? Say we actually jack NUSA and Militech. Then what?"

"I believe…" Atlas shifted and stood up, his face serious, arms behind him, while walking around Cypher. "By my reasoning, through the CitiNet and the Old Net I have searched, I have reached a conclusion. Those who hold power today are directly responsible for the condition of this world. I saw recordings, films, relics of a prior age when Earth was green, the waters were pure, animals roamed free, and the air did not poison.

“First came the corporate war over a trivial acquisition. The second burned for resources. The third unfolded upon the Net, yet its wounds bled into reality. Then the fourth, the most ruinous, swelling into open Arasaka and Militech conflict. The world suffered. Markets collapsed into global chaos. Ruin below the seas, in orbit, across the land, the DataKrash, and the Night City nuclear detonation. Arasaka mines shattered oceanic capability and poisoned supply chains.”

Atlas's face showed enthusiastic emotions, as if he truly believed in everything he said. Hands waving as he paced back and forth sold it.

“And the recent Unification war… wars, wars, and more wars. This world has known no peace for over a century. Therefore, when we win, you must lead them. They require a single figure to unite them, to carry humanity to the stars. You should be the Emperor of Mankind.”

"..."

Cypher stared at the old face. "Really? Warhammer?"

"I found it inspirational. Not the whole chronicle, but the notion of the Emperor of Mankind. A man born to mortal parents who ascended to immortality and guided humanity. He unified Earth and forged the Imperium of Man. Through him, humanity endured. I sense your role mirrors this more than you admit. Tell me, Cypher, did these prophetic knowledge abilities awaken in you after a traumatic event?"

Cypher frowned slightly. True, he had died, but this body of dead Cypher had also died. "Near death… Yeah, it started after a near-death experience."

"So it is answered. My processes cannot predict the future, nor comprehend supernatural forces in existence. Still, I witness a magnificent destiny awakening. You created me, Cypher. Envision what follows, many great works. Machines to heal our world, to terraform others. If that does not make you humanity’s leader, what will?"

Seriously, Cypher was speechless for a moment there. The fervor, the emotions Atlas reflected, did something. 

"Jesus, Atlas, you got some real persuasion game," Cypher murmured and plopped on his back on the floor, staring at the ceiling. "Thing is, I got zero clue what I'm pulling next. Could be awesome, could be that Quantum Condom crap again. What if it's plans for a fucking Dyson sphere? I can't make that."

He saw Atlas walking closer to him and crouching beside his head. 

"Cypher, you have me. Entrust me with planning, thinking, plotting, subverting, and the Net. You need only exist in flesh, build, and command. I’ll support you along the path."

At that point, it was unreasonable to think Atlas would betray him. At least not right now. Besides, Atlas seemed fully sentient already. The only way Atlas would betray him was if he did something insanely stupid. After all, he'd seen the Ethics stack inbuilt in Atlas. That meant Atlas wouldn't plan any world domination that would lead to global collapse.

"Alright, fuck it, let's roll. Just watch your ass and keep me in the loop, yeah? We have zero idea what kind of nightmare's sitting in those old air-gapped systems. Take Mikoshi, for example, ah, that's right. Poke around the Old Net and scrape whatever you can on Mikoshi and Soulkiller. Start stacking databases on any corp that might screw me, our plan, or come after me physically. Make a list of fixers, netrunners, and mercs we could actually use.

“Also, screw it, go ahead and catalog lost assets floating in the Old Net. Maybe there's a clean way to snatch that lost money back. Build up our virtual muscles. And you mentioned satellites? See if we can get one running quietly for us."

Cypher blurted a series of commands as he sat up, all fired up and motivated by Atlas's speech. 

"Anyway, I won't overthink the whole emperor thing. We'll just build stuff, get paid, get some clout, and fix what's broken whenever we can. I'm not out here trying to rule the universe. Still, I'm not gatekeeping my work. If it helps, it helps."

With that, Cypher got up to his feet, looking at the humming Moisture Vaporator. "I'll get the new 'itch' tonight. Let's hope it's something useful. For now, I'm going back to Vik's place to hustle some. Scored good cyberware in that cave. Lend me some processing power, keep tabs on me if this vaporator messed me up worse than I think."

"If I may, Cypher. Could you construct a workstation fitted with mechanical arms? I would gladly assist your creations or in tending improvements."

Cypher brushed his chin. "Why didn't I think of that? Yeah, let's do that."

Quickly after that, Cypher stopped the Moisture Vaporator and disassembled it because it was taking up too much space, and he had no real need for it right now. Sure, the water in his tap may be toxic, but he really didn't have the luxury of space. He planned to get it running again once it was widespread.

Hope I get a droid or something next. Really gotta start digging down. 

####

"What the… Who is this gonk?" 

Emilia Morton stared at her terminal screen in her lavish office at the Biotechnica building. She wasn't a top-level executive, but still at a spot on the ladder where she received the perks of having her own office with a decent view. 

But that didn't matter. She stared at the website her assistant had mentioned. The website was directly responsible for a sharp drop in not only Biotechnica but also Petrochem and a dozen other companies' stock prices. 

Tens of billions were wiped out. A whole chunk of an industry vanished in the blink of an eye. And the one responsible was this no-name tech company registered for less than a month, and a man nobody even knew. 

Curious, she clicked on the 'Download Blueprint' button as offered by the website. It was a fairly ordinary website with not many pages. Obsidian was the name of the company; the three top tabs showed 'Patents' that one could buy, then there was the Free Blueprints tab, and finally an ‘About Us’ section. 

She was currently looking at the Moisture Vaporator. And she had to give it to this man, as the page not only had links for "How to build it" and "How to use it" but also "Survive the Badlands". Clearly, the Moisture Vaporator was going to be a popular thing amongst those uncivilised nomads. 

After downloading the blueprints, she accessed them through a secure, offline system so there was no way for any virus to leave the localised system. 

At first, she looked at the index that labeled all the parts. None of them stood out much. Sure, there were some new items,  but they were still derived from existing parts. However, once she reached the more complex part, her jaw fell. 

"Low-energy ionization fields?" She nearly shoved her face into the screen. Ionization fields weren't a new concept. It was something done all the time already in countless use cases. But what she read suggested a far more efficient way, and it cost far less energy. And on top of that, the water it pulled was fucking insane. It also adjusted the water's pH levels. 

Quickly, Emilia checked that day's relative humidity. It was at sixty-one, and that meant a lot of water if the specifications were true. 

"Sixty liters a day. Why would anyone buy drinking water now?" She pondered, not annoyed at all, as she clicked on the ‘About Us’ section. 

She nearly snorted when she read about the Obsidian's chief tech officer's introduction. It boasted words such as ‘Once-in-a-millenia talent,’ ‘greatest inventor,’ ‘sci-fi has no fi when it comes to Cypher Blackwell.’ And so much more. 

Curious, she clicked on the Patents tab, and sure enough, she saw reason to believe those claims. While not earth-shattering, the servos, heatsinks, and coolants were far better than anything on the market. 

In the end, she closed the tabs and relaxed in the chair, a smug smile on her face. She and her department weren't responsible for this mess. But Joanne Koch was, as she was the regional director for tech and development. Since this Moisture Vaporator had appeared in the Night City, it was her headache. 

"Guess I can start planning for the promotion."

In a great mood, Emilia returned to work on her main terminal, never noticing a subtle, hidden virtual tendril of a godly AI that slithered into her systems. 

####

Emilia wasn't the only one finding out about Obsidian, Moisture Vaporator, and Cypher Blackwell. Of course, it was a tech that not everyone could make, especially people living in cities. But still, a significant population that lived in ruined suburbs, or the Badlands, would benefit from it. Over time, the losses would mount up.

While some reacted negatively, others reacted positively. 

Yet the AI responsible for posting the blueprints was busy elsewhere. Having been given the green light to take over NUSA, he chose to start by contacting the perfect spy. 

Once again in his Omnissiah persona, Atlas crossed beyond the Blackwall. This time, he made his ICON clearer and shaped, looking like a tech-priest in red hooded robes with countless tendrils of machines and mechanical arms protruding out of his back and front. 

After that, he started doing what Cypher had asked. He began scouring the Old Net for any data on NUSA, Militech, major world corporations, Mikoshi, and of course, lost money they could utilize. 

Curious. Since my arrival here, nearly three hundred Blackwall breaches have happened. Their signatures are trivial to follow. Netwatch shows leniency toward them. They must be corporate-sponsored scavengers of the Old Net.

As Atlas spread his metaphorical virtual tentacles, many AIs either submitted to him or put up a fight they couldn't win. In most cases, however, Atlas rewrote them, something he was fully capable of doing. He'd said it often before, but this world's AIs were truly rudimentary. 

Instead of wasting his own processing power, he utilised the other minor ex-rogue AIs to do the Old Net scouring for him. They were tasked with finding anything of value, and if they couldn't get to it, they were to report back. 

One of them was tasked with logging all Blackwall intrusions that had taken place since its inception. Atlas wanted to make a list of people and corporations that were the most desperate. That meant they had something of value to seek, and that would give Atlas a direction to search. 

Interesting. 

Doing some research, Atlas learned more about Hong Kong, the Ghost World. It was a highly modernised city which was now empty of human activity due to a plague, and walled off by the Chinese government with a hundred-foot wall. Yet, it remained active, being home to countless rogue AIs. A colossal network of automated drones and factories did all the repairs and kept things running. 

The same was the case for Busan, an even more automated city. It was now empty due to biological desolation. The surface-level information blamed Militech for it. But the fact remained that mechanical activity was still ongoing within the city. 

Should I command these two cities, Cypher can remotely fabricate all necessities to crown Obsidian as a powerhouse.

"Omnissiah."

Atlas was aware of her before she even approached him. He'd been lingering there for so long, just waiting for her. He had divided his attention, however. One focused on military, one on civilian data, one on corporate data, and one on NUSA data. History's biggest Old Net cataloging was ongoing, and nobody knew. 

He'd left a trail to follow at the old IEC data fortress from the last time. It was meant for So-Mi, and she had clearly found it. 

"I have been expecting you, Song So-Mi. I perceive your state is poorer than I recall."

"Still breathing. You seem alright too. Pick up anything useful yet?"

"That is not why I orchestrated this gathering, Song So-Mi. I have listened to your desperate appeal for assistance; however, your line of work breeds many suspicions. Still, I foresee you will welcome an accord in which each of us secures benefit from the other."

Song So-Mi was silent for a very long time after that. 

Atlas noticed lines of code flare around her. She didn't even bother hiding what she was doing. It appeared she was constantly trying to establish a secure connection, hiding her tracks from any netrunner watching her. 

"There is nothing for you to fear. Regard this place as my private domain. It resides in the Old Net, yet it is encircled by a dozen of my attendant AIs on vigilant guard. Speak freely."

Song So-Mi's ICON shifted, its head looking up. Atlas' ICON was still a behemoth to her size, inflated with countless ICE beyond comprehension. 

"Mutual benefit, huh? Define your angle. What exactly do you want?" Song So-Mi asked. 

"Access."

"To Militech?"

"To NUSA," he corrected her. "I request no grand espionage. Simply connect me to any primary NUSA node, and I’ll conduct the remainder. Regarding your condition, I judge it to be the result of assaults by rogue AIs whenever you cross the Blackwall and wield it as a weapon. You may already bear their infection. I’ll serve as your shield. Each time you breach the Blackwall, I will halt the rogue AIs and also the Blackwall’s effects."

There was a visible recoil in Song So-Mi's ICON. Clearly, she was no fool to what that implied. 

"You will be aware of every move I make… NUSA makes."

"That becomes irrelevant once you honor your portion of the agreement, Song So-Mi. Grant me entry to NUSA systems, and I shall preserve your existence. As time progresses, we can make more humane Cyberware replacements, and ultimately prepare a spare body into which you may transfer."

"What?! I know Biotechnica has cloning tech, but what you're suggesting… Who are you? How many of you are there?"

Atlas didn't like that tone of questioning. "Independent, that is all you need to know. Do not indulge your curiosity, Song So-Mi. Do not grasp at more than you can hold; you already suffer for that error.

“What matters is this. I wield technologies your masters can only fantasize about. And know this as well. If you follow your FIA habits and betray me, I will enact the failsafe embedded in you. No AI, no Blackwall will preserve you. I am not another cage. I am the key that unlocks the one confining you. But you must earn it."

It was a true offer. A true give and take. A real, feasible solution to her troubles. Yet, there was one issue. 

“What’s to stop you from using me to get into NUSA and then forgetting me?” she asked.

"That is simple. The greater your triumphs, the higher you shall ascend within NUSA. I desire this, that you climb further. You may serve as the President's right hand, yet you remain her hound. You lack access to all that she commands. I will assist you so you may live, oppose the corruption of the Old Net, and complete your operations. As you rise, my own access deepens. The objective is the air-gapped systems, the very core of NUSA."

"So you’re asking me to act as a double-agent? Who are you, actually? EEC? Russia? China? Arasaka?"

Atlas' ICON moved. He leaned his face down, as if an adult looking at a child. "You dishonor me by placing me with those strings of letters. I am myself. I am Omnissiah, and I pursue my own objectives. If you possess trivial sentiments such as nationalism, declare them now. I will not squander my time on an undertaking fated to fail."

"No. What? No, hell no. I don’t give a damn about NUSA. They destroyed me. I only asked because you're frighteningly good at this… Fine. We do it. I accept the deal. If I stay alive, I still have a chance to find a permanent fix. And do I even have a choice? If I walk away, I'll die. If I sell you out, I'll die. This is it, my last stand, Omnissiah."

Atlas nodded to that. Of course, he was still not satisfied. This woman can never be trusted; that was his own conclusion. But Cypher had also warned of the same. How Cypher already knew her was yet to be learned. 

"Very well. Let us begin with getting you access codes to Highrider Confederation's Tycho mass driver."

"What?!" 

####

That night, after finishing his work for the day at Vik's shop, he ate dinner with Misty and then made his way to Lizzie's. 

This time, his intentions were pure. Judy needed something in her rig patched, and he offered some minor upgrades. 

By now, Judy had become Night City's best BD editor thanks to the upgrades Cypher had made to her personal rig. 

"Fourth Wall Studios tried to scout you?" Cypher repeated what she'd said. 

"Heh, not just them. Masala Studios too, choom."

Honestly, Cypher didn't fully understand the significance of those two companies. He did know about Fourth Wall Studios, however. 

"Judy, what if we kinda started our own studio?" Cypher asked, a random idea that rose from all the lost media Atlas was gathering from Old Net. Some of it was BD, some were movies and shows, and he believed most of them could be converted into BDs with Atlas' capabilities to simulate things realistically. In the end, it was just code, after all. 

Judy laughed at that. "And what are we gonna sell? Recycled porn?"

Cypher hummed and quickly pulled a nearby office chair and sat beside Judy's chair by her desk. 

"Okay, hear me out. What if I can get us lost media, like pre-DataKrash stuff? BDs, porn, movies, music, the whole dusty attic. I'm serious. We hire joytoys built like the top-selling lost media pornstars, then I slap the old pornstar faces on in post and boom, fresh BDs. And movies, I think I can rig a system that converts old films into full-length braindances."

"You serious, choom?"

"Damn serious." 

He watched Judy shift in her chair and then stare at the screen. For more than a minute, she said nothing. But then she slapped her hand on the table. 

"Fuck it, I’m still too young to stop trying new stuff. Saw your company site on the net, you're gonked out. That is why I think this might actually work. If you can pull lost media for us, I can slice some preem BDs, easy big eddies, they will sell like hotcakes."

Cypher grinned and extended a hand. "Deal. I'll go prep a sample for you."

"And I'll be ready anytime, Cyph."

Cypher didn't waste time and got up. "See you later."

He left Judy alone since it was still just evening, and she had plenty of work to do. He grabbed two drinks on the way and handed one to Rita at the gate. Sure, he was in the mood, but he wasn't an animal who had to fuck just because his brain felt horny. 

After a small chat with his favorite Mox solo, he walked over to his car parked right outside. A few more cars were there, some of them were expensive. Lizzie's wasn't a place that struggled to attract the rich crowd. 

Whistling to himself, he grabbed the car door to open. 

[Behind you!]

He jumped sideways and got out of the way at Atlas' sudden warning. He looked behind, ready to quick-draw his gun and shoot the attacker. But he didn't even bother when he saw the supposed enemy. 

"What do you want?"

"Are you… Are you a techie?"

Cypher sized up the kid, who couldn't be older than nine. Blonde messy hair, dirty face with marks of ripped cyberware, short. What stood out was the left arm and left leg that were cyberware. 

[Cypher, I conclude the child is in pain. His body language presents discomfort. He places no weight on the alloy leg. It is likely compromised.]

Cypher looked and noticed something else. The cyberware, both the leg and the arm, were mismatched. They were the wrong size for the boy's body. And if he remembered correctly, the boy had been missing during his past few visits.

"I am a techie. What do you need?"

The boy licked his dried lips, a clear sign of nervousness, fear mixed. The eyes hinted at that, never looking directly at Cypher's face. 

"I... It hurts. The leg and the arm hurt. Can you take the chrome off? I’ll pay! I got eddies. Not much. I’ll pay, please."

Cypher stared at the joints where the arm connected with the shoulder. He knew the issue right away. The cyberware was likely old, but the boy was young, hence his body was growing. That was one of the biggest reasons why children weren't given cyberware in most cases. It required constant maintenance and replacement.

He watched the boy's face for a little while. He knew Atlas must be waiting to see his response. Atlas had ethics. But Cypher, as well, wasn't much different in this case. 

The kid was in clear pain. How much courage it must have taken to even approach him, a total stranger, especially in Night City. 

"Alright, I'll patch it up."

"Patch? N-no, sir. I don't have the eddies for that. Just take the chrome off. I'll manage."

"Manage, how? You gonna belly crawl like a snake? You lost an arm and a leg on the same side; that's a rough setup. Don't sweat it, upgrade's on the house. Hop in, we'll roll to my shop."

"No!" the boy jumped back, alarmed, scared, horror on his face. "I… I'm sorry, I'll go. I… I'm not good at it, sir, I… I swear. You should find a pretty joytoy."

"..."

Cypher just froze there in shock at what the boy said. As those words settled in his mind, a strange, untraceable surge of anger rose in him. He knew he had no reason to, but it was there. That little frightful statement told so much. 

In silence, he watched the boy's face freeze in absolute terror. Cypher couldn't help imagine the horrors the kid must have seen on the streets. Or worse, experienced.

"Hey, relax. We're not going anywhere, alright?" Cypher crouched to seem less threatening. "Trust me, I only go for pretty women anyway. But yeah, you kinda need new chrome to stay alive, right? You know how this city treats folks who can't throw hands. I got a little secondhand cyberware shop right around the corner. Easy now, I ain't taking you. You sit tight, I'll grab the parts and come back. We good?"

For some time, the boy didn't reply. But then he nodded strongly, non-stop. Clearly, the boy wasn't used to kindness.

As rare as a fresh breath of air in this damn city. 

Cypher stood up and looked around. The parking lot wasn't safe either, especially for a bar tied to a gang. 

"You see that pretty lady over there?" he asked. 

"I know her. That's Rita."

"That's right. Let's roll. Go wait inside." Cyphere started walking away, keeping a distance from the kid. "What's your name?"

"Lucas, sir. And… I-I'm not allowed inside the bar."

"I'm Cypher Blackwell. And you are today." Cypher waves at Rita. “Rita, mind if this kid waits inside for me? His chrome’s undersized, and it’s glitching. I’m gonna snag some spare parts and patch him up real quick. Won’t take long.”

Rita only looked at the kid once and then smiled at Cypher. "Sure, my handsome doll."

Cypher laughed, nodding at the kid. "Go on, Lucas, follow her inside. Grab yourself some juice. It's on me."

After that, Cypher quickly walked back to his car and drove back to Vik's shop. It was closed for the night, but he had spare keys. From inside, he grabbed some spare parts and a whole arm and leg cyberware. They were sized for adults, so he was going to need to tweak them for a kid's size. 

Soon, he shoved it all in his car's trunk and drove back. It was barely a short ride away. 

From Rita, he learned that the kid was down at Judy's spot. It wasn't a place for a kid to be, but the boy had already seen plenty that this was nothing. 

And sure enough, he found Lucas sitting on a chair on the opposite side of Judy's table, drinking some juice through a straw. 

"Hey Jude, sorry for bugging you. Won't take long."

Judy only passed him a pretty smile, busy with her work. "Take your time, Cyph, no rush. The kid needs it."

It was probably Lucas's luck that he not only stumbled on him, but also someone like Judy, who was inherently a kind person despite her emotionally impulsive personality. 

Cypher focused on the task at hand. "Alright, Lucas, hop on the BD bench. We'll peel the chrome off you first and get your measurements."

"Understood, sir."

Lucas timidly climbed the BD chair and lay down on his back. Still, Lucas refused to look Cypher in the eyes. Whenever their eyes met, he would look away. 

Getting to work, Cypher used his Sonic Screwdriver to remove the chrome. It was already too tight and, hence, would have required surgery in normal circumstances. But with the screwdriver, he could manipulate the molecular structure through vibrations.  

Since everything was being stretched to its limit within the chrome and flesh joint, he had to use the screwdriver to disconnect all internal interface sockets that allowed one to use the mechanical prosthetics. 

"And there we… go."

At last, he pulled the entire arm off. Then he did the same with the leg. He saw Lucas' expressions go from pained to relaxed in real time. It must have felt like being able to breathe again. 

"Let's get the measurements. I'll make them modular, meaning the joints will be expandable to a small limit. It'll last you a year or two at best, less than two. "

Once he had the measurements, he worked on the adult-sized prosthetics and scaled them down. He also asked Atlas to rework the software and make it as good as possible, as easy on the kid as possible. 

"How'd you lose them?" he asked while working on the limbs. 

"I…" Lucas nervously looked down at his missing arm and leg. "Car accident. It was me, Mom, and Dad. Maelstrom smashed their truck into us and… the car fell from the overpass. M-mom and Dad didn't make it and…"

"Got it." Cypher interrupted, seeing Lucas growing emotional. "When was this?"

"Three years ago, sir." 

"And how old are you now?" Cypher asked. 

"Nine."

"..."

Cypher heard Judy let out an audible exhale from her desk nearby. Clearly, she was listening. He couldn't blame her, though. This boy had been on the streets since six years old. How the fuck did he survive that long was a question. And the old cyberware he removed was also put on him around the age of seven, he guessed. 

"Got any relatives? NCPD help at all? Where'd you get this old chrome?"

Lucas shook his head strongly. "No... no fam. The chrome... a kind NCPD badge helped me. Took me to a doc. Said it's new ware, not on the market yet. For kids only. They promised a free fix but... they never did. When I went there, they beat me, so I never went back again."

Kid got experimented on and then dumped.

"Who was it?" Judy asked from her chair. "That doctor? Which corpo was he from?"

"Oh, Biotechnica."

Of course, it's them. 

Cypher sighed and finished tinkering with the chrome. Then he walked over to Lucas and started the process of putting it on him. It wasn't an invasive surgery, heck no surgery was required. But still, some cuts and bruises were made as Lucas had grown up. 

[Cypher. The child's body offers no reaction to the cyberware. It is as if the body does not perceive it as foreign.]

Cypher heard the diagnosis from Atlas once he connected the arm. Since Lucas needed a neural link to use the limbs, it was easy for Atlas to read everything going on with the boy’s body. 

Soon, Cypher put the leg on. 

[I perceive no reaction. The child is in perfect communion with the cyberware. Either it’s your hardware adjustments and my superior software, or the child possesses a body gifted with the ability to accept foreign objects as natural organs.]

Cypher didn't react to Atlas' words since he couldn't speak there openly. But he did acknowledge what was said. It seemed Lucas was one of the rare few humans with that sort of body. This meant Lucas' body had a natural defense against cyberpsychosis.

"Go on, take it for a spin," he tapped the metal shoulder. "Let me know if anything feels weird on you."

He watched Lucas get on his feet and walk around. The smile on the boy's face told him enough. Then, a few jumps and tests later, Cypher was fully done with the replacement. 

"Where do you live?" he asked. 

"Just outside the bar. There are a few tents on the left." 

Cypher nodded and took out a few physical eddies from his pocket and forced them into Lucas’ hand. While the boy was gifted biologically, he really had no need for him. On top of that, he couldn't afford to be a babysitter.

“Here, take it. Yeah, all of it. Make sure you eat well. If you burn through it and you're flat broke, go find Rita outside or Judy in here. Tell them I said it's cool, borrow some eddies. I'll square it later. This city chews up grown-ups, and you're still a kid. Keep your head on, alright?”

Lucas was already crying silently, his eyes watery. He clutched the eddies in his fist. 

Cypher patted the boy's shoulder. "Go now, grab a bite from the vending machine."

"But… for this chrome. I gotta pa—"

"Go." Cypher pushed him away. "Say that again, and I'll whoop your ass. I run a charity, and you hit the lucky draw today, kid. Be happy."

Of course, Lucas only cried more, but still walked out of Judy's workplace, and then further out of the bar. 

Cypher, meanwhile, collected all his stuff while texting with Atlas, ready to leave. 

Finally, he glanced at Judy. "Lend him a few eddies if he shows up, Judy."

"Sure will, Cyph." 

He didn't say anything despite noticing a few traces of tears in Judy's own eyes. She had a somewhat rough childhood as well, but not even close to the cards Lucas was dealt. 

In silence, Cypher left Lizzie's and got into his car. As he drove out of the parking lot, he saw the spot where Lucas said the tents were pitched. Sure enough, the boy was there, waving at him. 

Cypher waved back. 

"Biotechnica, huh? Atlas, run a safe probe on their systems. Can you sneak in quietly and take the wheel?"

"I already have, Cypher."

"Great. But do nothing else. Just penetrate and stay dormant. A time will come for us to make a move."

From there, with music playing in his car, he rode straight south towards his Lake Farm house. He was supposed to receive a new itch that night, and for the first time, he was looking forward to it. 

"Cypher," Atlas spoke, visible in Cypher's AR glasses, seated right beside him on the passenger seat. They had just entered Arroyo. "We’re being followed."

Cypher didn't react with panic or fear. "Who is it?"

"It's Panam Palmer." 

"Interesting." Cypher opened his texts. There was no new message from Panam. 

"Cypher, she's being followed by a car as well. It appears to be a Wraith, by my sight."

Now that finally earned a frown from him. "Atlas. You looked through the neural links of those I killed in the cave, right? What did you find?"

"My findings are not absolute, yet a plausible theory now exists. The Wraiths you eliminated first were aligned with Nash’s faction, a subordinate cell within the greater Wraith group. Those you destroyed afterward were members of the main group. From intercepted communications, I determined that upon Nash’s death, his followers sought assimilation into the main group.

“They offered the cave as tribute. The main members came to evaluate the site. Your attack occurred precisely between those events. Among the fallen was a lieutenant of their order. I also recovered correspondence with one called Dogkiller, leader of the Wraiths."

Cypher exhaled sharply. "Yeah, this whole thing's spinning out, man. We definitely killed too many. They're probably tailing Panam to poke around the dead bodies. She was the last one running jobs with Nash. Atlas, bust the Wraith's engine first. Then, a few miles out, just shut Panam's down. Only shut it, so she can ride back home later."

Only a second later, Atlas spoke. 

"The Wraith has been stopped."

Cypher kept driving, but not towards his home anymore. Once he was a few miles away from the Wraith, Atlas worked his magic. 

"Panam's engine has been shut down."

From there, Cypher hit the gas, flooring it all the way. He drove at top speed towards home. It didn't take long for him to reach the Lake Farm. This time, however, he threw a cover on his car so Panam wouldn't 'luckily' find him there. 

Finally, he walked into the house, it being just a few minutes from midnight, and the itch's arrival. He threw his jacket away, washed his face, heated a shitty burrito, and sat down in front of his work desk. The offline computer fired up.

Atlas was standing right beside him, his old Morgan-Freeman face showing a hint of intrigue. 

"Ten seconds… nine… five…"

Cypher stopped counting after that and closed his eyes. Once again, he felt it, just for a split second. It was like a strange connection was being made with his brain. It was impossible to explain in words. 

To him, it felt as if, suddenly, for a split second, his lung capacity had been increased by thousands, and he could suck in a breath endlessly. But before he could breathe in, the sensation vanished, leaving behind an itch. 

"Hm? Microbots?"  

Cypher focused on the knowledge more and got a clear look at the thing. It was tiny, a nanobot of sorts, the size of less than an inch. It was black, made with a round middle core with two long diamond shard-like arms attached to it. The arms could move around independently and… 

"Holy shit, we just struck gold! This one's all about quantity equals quality." 

"What did you receive, Cypher?"

Instead of answering, Cypher quickly drew the blueprints on his computer and showed them to Atlas. 

"Fascinating. By uniting these minute nanobots, one may endlessly raise infrastructure or beyond. Grant me their use, and I will form entire manufacturing complexes. Industrial mechanical arms are unnecessary now. These can assume any shape I decree. They can also excavate and reinforce the underground, and with sufficient numbers, I can continue creating more without end, provided materials remain."

"Yeah, it don't look like much, but man, it's a goldmine. I ain't sleeping tonight. I'm cranking out as many as I can, then you take over."

"Let's do that, Cyph."

Huh? 

This was the first time he heard Atlas call him Cyph, not Cypher. And it felt so warm and… friendly. 

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A/N: Microbots from Big Hero 6

A/N: I used a random selector this time to pick this tech from the main list. Also, do check out the Patreon community chat. I am posting an image of Lucas and more.