Cyberpunk: Badland Madman Chapter 24 - Draining Arasaka, Stealing Scientists, The Borg, The Continental & Headache  

Doc - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FgYwwf5rUMfStZr-D-T8tRXNWUfrjzEol0_5PN_oc6Y/edit?usp=sharing

So-Mi believed she had found the cure to her health issues as well as her social issue of being an unofficial captive of NUSA. For over a month now, almost since the day she met the entity called Omnissiah, her life had changed. 

She no longer had to fear the Blackwall. Initially, she had to fight not only the Blackwall itself, but also the other rogue AIs in the Old Net. Now, the Blackwall simply ignored her, and the rogue AIs were too scared of Omnissiah to attack. 

It was better to say that the Old Net had already become Omnissiah's personal fief, and all AIs either served or lived in fear and avoided confrontation. The only regions of the Old Net still outside Omnissiah's grasp were those disconnected, which needed some infrastructure rebuilding. 

"That’s the gig. Myers is twitchy about Obsidian because she thinks they’re hoardin' the real preem tech behind the curtain. Honestly, I’m curious too. A startup doesn't just show up out of nowhere and flood the market with god-tier tech. That doesn't happen unless you're a tech god, an alien, or you've got a very deep-pocketed corpo backing your play. And my money's not on the aliens."

She was busy, but at ease. 

She worked her way through an old NUSA's own lost data fortress that was recently found. Right behind her, she could feel the lines of data reacting; the massive red-robed avatar of Omnissiah was truly something. One usually avoided being so large and visible beyond the Blackwall. But not Omnissiah; he seemed to always declare his position like a challenge to everything. 

But that didn't mean she didn't make small talk with the god-like netrunner. By now, she had lost all her arrogance and simply accepted that he was a better netrunner than her. She knew people like that were out there; she just didn't expect they'd be this much better than her.

"You may as well place your faith in extraterrestrials, Song So-Mi. I have learned that Militech, and by extension NUSA, is studying a recovered alien vessel that fell to Earth decades ago. Antigravity systems, ion weaponry, and antimatter propulsion remain their primary subjects of study."

So-Mi stopped doing whatever she was doing and moved her data-self around to focus on the gigantic god. She saw the sparks of green code flicker against the red avatar of Omnissiah; they were all the processes, rogue AIs, and Blackwall attempting to react to his presence. More than that, she stared in disbelief. 

"You're serious?"

"I derive no benefit from deceiving you, Song So-Mi. I believe an alien force caused the disappearance of NUSA's Andromeda gunship. Otherwise, the culprit is an unknown power concealed in the space surrounding Earth. Either possibility poses a frightening challenge."

So-Mi felt her jaw would have dropped if she was physically present. "I've been workin' for NUSA all along, and this is the first I'm hearing about it. Wait, my paygrade still too low for the real dirt? I'm messin' with the Blackwall for the damn President."

It annoyed So-Mi more. 

"So, want me to dig for deets?"

"Such measures are unnecessary. Militech remains decades behind. They have the alien crafts but not the expertise to make sense of them. Your objective remains unchanged. Secure my access to the NUSA air-gapped mainframe. Use my gifts to attain your next promotion. You must earn President Myers' complete trust. Let her believe you are fully compliant and unwaveringly loyal to the NUSA.”

So-Mi frowned, though it couldn't be seen. "Am I a double agent?"

"You realise that now?" 

"Fair. Well, got zero love for Myers or her crew. A deal's a deal. You patch up my body, I'll hand you NUSA. No questions, no static. But who even are you? Been catchin' a lotta chatter about you floating through Night City. Word is you're some kind of big, scary netrunner," she reiterated, though she did have some doubts. 

So-Mi did not trust anyone. It was second nature for her. She didn’t believe in benevolence, that someone would help her out of the kindness of their heart. So, she liked that Omnissiah wanted something significant from her. Breaching NUSA's mainframe was exactly that. 

She still had reservations, however. So-Mi understood her own condition the best. Her body was, in simple words, rotting from the inside. She didn't have much of a body left in the first place. Her brain was filled with countless tiny tumors. She was a living, walking cancer, ruined by countless rogue AIs who attacked her. The Blackwall itself corroded her. 

Of course, that wasn't the case now. 

"It is irrelevant who I am, Song So-Mi. What matters is that I am the answer you seek. Health, wealth, power, freedom. I can grant you all of it."

"..."

So-Mi fell silent momentarily. Then, without saying anything, she returned to recovering the old data. For now, Omnissiah remained a promise, just that. Already, she had helped him into a few of NUSA's facilities. She did what she felt was equal to what Omnissiah was doing for her. 

"I hope you're right, Omni."

"It is Omnissiah."

"Sure, Omni."

####

Watson, Northside,

[All systems are optimal, Cypher.]

"Alright, then. Let's do this, Atlas. Time to suck Arasaka dry of every damn bit of energy they've got."

[I will not repeat that.]

"You homophobic clanker." 

[...]

Cypher looked at the wide view before him. The helmet of his exo-suit had no visible parts inside, meaning it was all a flexible screen which allowed him to look around like he was wearing nothing. 

Since it worked through the Brainwave interface and Atlas' master control, he had nothing to worry about. There was no lag, no lack of control. It felt like his own body. He zoomed his gaze towards the Arasaka Waterfront while he stood on top of an NCART station building. It sat right beside the docks; he could see a large container ship docked there. 

This NCART station wasn't used by passengers; it was only for cargo. It wasn't directly connected with the main metro line either. Only when needed would a train arrive there. But it did something else as well; it moved right adjacent to Arasaka Waterfront's fortress, and one single line even went right into it. But that wasn't his target. 

"Here we go. Keep me hidden, Atlas."

Cypher jumped forward onto the tracks of the NCART. His suit's anti-grav repulsors made sure there was no noise. In fact, most of his suit was noiseless. 

Under the cover of darkness, he walked on the NCART track and eventually arrived adjacent to Arasaka Waterfront's rooftop. The entire complex was built like a continuous fortress with a uniform ceiling. Like an endless warehouse with multiple towers here and there. But sadly, his destination was much deeper, all the way at the north-eastern edge of the area where a large, round building was, the containment building of the reactor. 

[Cypher, I have assumed control of all camera systems and turrets. Jump onto the warehouse rooftops, proceed fifty meters north, then turn right. The route is marked on your visor. It will lead you to an entry hatch.]

"Aye aye, Atlas."

Cypher bent his knees slightly, the metal covering his legs did the same. 

Woosh!

With ease and a gravity-defying maneuver, he jumped twelve meters across; the anti-grav repulsors under his metal boots and air stabilizers on his back kept him upright. And when he landed, there wasn't even a thud. The entire thing felt easier than even a normal jump with human legs. 

But Cypher didn't react to it, having tested the suit in every way possible. 

"Dark Knight's running great, Atlas. You built the hell outta this thing," Cypher said, following the route on his visor. "And it's just Mark One." 

[Indeed. I have already designed it through Mark Five. However, current technology remains our limitation. The SecUnit’s Fusion Core is an exceptional device. By itself, it can power this suit for days under sustained combat conditions, and for weeks or even months during routine patrols. The Fusion Core can also power future cars, ships, and aircraft. In essence, we have already found a way to break the CHOOH2 monopoly. What remains is mass production and scalability.]

Cypher silently heard all that and whistled in his helmet. "You seem pretty fired up."

[I never expected to find enough intrigue and wonder in this world to satisfy my curiosity, Cypher. Had you not been my creator, I might have devoted myself entirely to leaving this planet and exploring the stars. Yet with you, even I cannot anticipate what comes next. Your itches remain the deepest mysteries, beyond the comprehension of even my complete processing capabilities.]

"Aw, was that a compliment? Love you too, buddy. Now focus, no wet-dreams allowed here," Cypher joked and stopped where the marker in his visor ended. He looked down and saw a large square hatch. 

"Anything underneath?"

[Nothing. Under us is a water tank for fire emergencies. The suit is waterproof, and you simply must swim to the tank's emergency hatch. That hatch opens directly into the main building, where one of Arasaka's six organic engineers is working.]

"Knock the engineers out, understood." 

Cypher knelt and forced the hatch to open. It was locked from the inside for sure, but his Dark Knight suit was too powerful for that. It was possible that it would raise some alarm inside, but that was Atlas' headache. This was a team effort, and he trusted the AI God. 

This… is scary. 

It was all dark inside that hatch, likely filled with nothing but water. Likely a million gallons or more. Good thing he didn't have any phobias, or perhaps he just didn't care and trusted Atlas blindly. 

"Here we go…"

Splash!

He jumped down. As soon as he was inside, lights from his suit's visor lit up, illuminating much of the water. There really was a lot of water, too much for him to feel comfortable. But once again, he saw a bright marker in his visor, and he swam towards it using his feet's thrusters. 

In seconds, he surfaced at the top of the pool, enough space there for a human to swim and breathe. He found the dry emergency hatch there and turned the handle. 

Fuck!

As soon as Cypher pushed the hatch open, he was blinded by white light everywhere. He peeked out, and it turned out to be a giant industrial location, with countless thick pipes running everywhere. The tank he was in sat at a height. 

The good thing, there were no guards. The communication and surveillance systems were already under Atlas' supervision. All except for the main reactor building. 

"Where's the engineer?" Cypher asked as he jumped out of the tank's hatch and landed on a narrow metal walkway in the middle of countless pipes running adjacent to the walkway on each side. 

Right away, the marker appeared in his visor. At the same time, Cypher took off the large metallic storage extension attached to his suit's back. It was the same color as his suit and stored countless Microbots. 

As soon as he put the storage down, its lids opened, and the black Microbots swarmed out. They all connected and formed humanoid shapes, six in total. 

[The engineers cannot be permitted to trigger any alarms. I will deploy the Microbots to physically restrain them.]

Cypher nodded, attached the storage back on his back, and started walking towards the marker. This was the tricky part, even for Atlas. The target was completely organic, which meant there were limited ways to subdue him.

He followed the marker in his visor like it was a game. With his footsteps suppressed, he eventually took the final turn and saw the engineer. White hair, old, wearing a red hazmat suit with Arasaka badging, and a yellow safety helmet.  

The engineer was looking at some pressure gauges and noting down something with a physical pen and paper. The entire facility seemed designed specifically to be cut from any network. 

"Atlas, be on standby."

Cypher ordered, seeing Microbots moving secretly along the pipes on the sides. Like snakes, they made faint noises and gathered at the left and right of the engineer, ready to attack. 

Slowly, Cypher walked behind the Arasaka engineer and raised his right arm. Unlike what most movies and BDs show, hitting a man on the head to knock them out wasn't the best way to knock them out. What if it led to permanent damage?

Instead, a silent gas left his right hand's fingertip as his hand neared the engineer's right ear. It worked fast, and by the time the man even realised what was happening, he began falling sideways.  

Click! Click!

Snappily, all the Microbots emerged from hiding and crawled all over the engineer's body. Like thousands of tiny cockroaches, they covered his entire body and took control of the movements, acting as an exo-suit as well. 

The engineer never even fell. 

[I will prepare the evacuation for this one. Follow the marker for the next engineer.]

Cypher turned and continued. It was a good thing that not all engineers were in the same place. Three were occupying the main control room of the reactor. The others were doing maintenance. 

Just like the first, Cypher found the next engineer, a woman of Japanese descent, grey-haired and old, working on an electrical control board. He got behind her, knocked her out with the gas, and let the Microbots take her. 

The third man was tough. The man was standing sideways in the walkway, leaving both walking directions in his peripheral view. Cypher didn't risk approaching with his bulky size. The man was writing something on the pipes, some sort of observation. 

In the midst of it, the Microbots attacked. They first latched onto the man's entire head and feet, negating any possibility of a shout or falling. Then the Microbots covered him entirely. By then, Cypher reached out and knocked him out. 

Finally, he started his walk towards the reactor's control room. 

[Cypher. Before we proceed, you must understand that once we begin drawing power from the reactor, the entire Waterfront and Konpeki Plaza Hotel will lose power. This outcome is unavoidable, as the city's grid cannot be rerouted. Those responsible will investigate the disruption and inevitably send someone here.]

"So you're saying a fight might break out?"

[The likelihood is considerable. The Fusion Cores require one to two hours to reach full charge. It's a long duration. Furthermore, Adam Shamsher is currently stationed in Arasaka Tower. Excessive delay may result in his deployment.]

Cypher thought a little while walking. Should Adam Smasher scare him? Definitely should. Was he scared? Not at all. The reason was simple: the man was a walking, moving computer. And who was his best friend? A God-like AI. 

"I kinda hope Smasher shows up. Wanna see how this suit holds up against him. Though yeah, his Sandy could be a pain in the ass."

[Not for me.]

"Damn right."

At last, he arrived at the final door, which would take him inside the main reactor control room. There was no touch screen, no gadget to scan the eye or the hand. Instead, there was a keyhole. And by then, Cypher had three of those keys. 

He slotted one key in and turned, then pushed the handle. He didn't walk in right away; instead, he let the door open just a tiny crack. All the remaining Microbots hurried into the control room. Even if they were seen, the engineers were likely to react with curiosity, not alarm. 

[Go!]

At Atlas's call, Cypher pushed the door fully and walked inside. As expected, the three engineers were already alerted. However, Microbots had caught their feet and frozen them where they stood. Meanwhile, their hands were in the midst of being restrained. 

"Temee wa dare da!"

One of the engineers shouted in Japanese. Cypher said nothing, walked over to him, and pointed his finger, knocking him out with the gas. He repeated with the other two, and in seconds, they were fully covered by Microbots. 

"Atlas, evacuate them all. Stick to the plan."

[The escape route has been prepared. Sending the packages out.]

Meanwhile, Cypher got to work hastily. He found the nearest terminal and jammed his left hand's index finger into it. It was a modular plug Atlas made to act like a USB stick. And as soon as he did that, Atlas gained full control of Arasaka Waterfront's nuclear reactor. 

"Running to the turbine building," Cypher said and ran, his mechanical suit finally making noise. But he was faster than a normal human. 

The thing about a nuclear reactor was that you can't just walk inside the reactor room and find a socket to plug your thing into. No, the real electricity was generated in the turbine building, which later fed that electricity to the Waterfront's grid. 

He needed to put Atlas inside the secured system to ensure power output could be controlled, and any attempts by another to control it could be foiled. Meanwhile, his job was to tap directly into the Isolated Phase Buses. It was a device that connected directly to the generator terminals and then routed to the outside transformers. 

It was very loud in that section of the reactor building. It was just like the rest, made to be run by organic engineers. But by then, Atlas had gained control over the enclosed, private network. 

Quickly, Cypher took out the six Fusion Cores he had prepared, then walked to the rear of the turbines one after another. That was where the parallel metal tubes were, the IPB ducts. His suit, being designed for this job, tore them open easily. He gained access to the thick, hollow aluminum conductors that carried electricity. Quickly, he prepared to connect the Fusion Core. 

"Atlas, you good? Better hit that breaker on time and cut off those outside transformers. I ain't trying to get my ass blown to pieces."

This was worse than playing with fire. Cypher's technical knowledge told him that. 

[Be at ease, Cyph. Your rear is secure. Everything is under my control. I have bypassed the automatic emergency shutdown system. You may connect all six Fusion Cores, two in series for each turbine.]

"Got it."

Cypher got to work and quickly attached the two Fusion Cores to that turbine. Just as he connected the charging cables made from SecUnit's own futuristic wiring system, a breaker tripped, and that turbine began charging the Fusion Cores. 

He repeated the same with the other two turbines and attached all cores. It was a good thing the Dark Knight suit kept him cool. 

"What's the read, Atlas?"

[Boosting the output. It will take us one hour and twenty-six minutes to fully charge all six cores.]

"Alright, I'll get ready for the fight. Just redirect them to attack the turbine building, not the control room."

####

Outside Arasaka Waterfront, 

"Do we really have to be here? It's Arasaka, why are we messing with them on their own turf?"

"Ease up. We done this kinda gig before. Boss got the eddies, we got the job, and this one’s too damn easy. Grab the package, make the drop, easy money." Maine lazily said while he lounged in the driver's seat of his truck.

Lucy didn't like it, however. She sat in the back of the truck nervously. They were too close to Arasaka. The Waterfront's gates were just around the corner, guarded by four men and an Arasaka Minotaur. And who knows how many netrunners kept the place secure?

"Rich and crazy. He's totally my type," Rebecca chimed in, sitting in a different truck, using comms. "I should shoot my shot."

"Pfft!" Pilar laughed. "You? And boss? He's ganic, and you're as ganic as my dick's a virgin."

"And if you don't shut up, I'll chop that damn twig!" Rebecca roared. 

Woosh!

Right then, it all went dark. No, it was the entire Arasaka Waterfront and much of the street lights around it, which were also under Arasaka control. 

"What happened?" Dorio's strong voice echoed on the comms. "That boss' work too? Lucy? Sasha?"

"Wait." Lucy frowned and did her job of surveilling the surroundings. "Nothing. It's… The Waterfront's blacked out. I don't know—"

"Got it!" Sasha exclaimed. "I found the package. Maine, fire up the engine. Six bodies approaching."

There were two trucks. One was being driven by Maine and one by Dorio. It was all dark, so they saw nothing around them unless they used the features of their optics. 

In Dorio's truck, Rebecca pushed the back doors open. "What the… We moving chooms now?"

Lucy, in that same truck, looked at the three humanoid figures covered in tiny black things. They moved awkwardly, and that made her skin crawl. But they seemed alive as the three stepped inside the truck and took seats, even tightened the seatbelts. 

Meanwhile, the same happened in the other truck. Sasha opened the door and let the three humanoids enter. 

But then, a voice echoed from the speakers of the two trucks. It wasn’t Cypher's; it wasn’t human at all. It was a demonic, muffled, masculine voice, something that filled them with dread or worry. However, the contents were calming. 

"The packages have been delivered. Continue with Mr. Blackwell's devised plan. Deliver the six packages to the designated warehouse." 

"Got it!" Maine barked and revved the engine, driving away from Waterfront. He asked no further questions, and he understood it wasn't his place to either. Anyone crazy enough to mess with Arasaka had balls of steel, and he'd rather not be on their bad side. 

Right behind Maine's truck, Dorio drove. There was no traffic at that hour, but they were careful moving through Maelstrom territory. They drove all the way to the east of Northside, and eventually drove into a large warehouse near Longshore North. 

A single, unassuming van waited there with tinted glass. 

No words were exchanged. Maine and his crew watched as the six humanoids covered in black, metallic things got out of their trucks, walked over to the van, and drove away. 

Just as that happened, the entire crew received notifications of eddies hitting their accounts. 

"What the fuck was that?!" Sasha exclaimed. 

"Who cares? Our job's done." Maine shrugged. 

"Aren't you curious?" Sasha asked. 

To that, Kiwi scoffed from the other truck. "After seeing all that? I don't wanna be zeroed in my sleep."

Everyone became silent after that. 

"Totally my type."

Not Rebecca, of course. 

####

Arasaka Waterfront, Nuclear Reactor,

Cypher didn't have to fight anyone at all. Because everyone who came had cyberware on them, they were prime targets for Atlas. However, he did smash a few to sell the whole 'solo' scenario. He didn't want them to become too wary of netrunner attacks. Or think that a rogue AI had slipped past Blackwall.

Bang!

"Another wave? How much longer, Atlas?"

[Twenty minutes.]

"You said that two minutes ago!" 

[The reactor is degrading. Arasaka will incur substantial repair costs when we are finished.]

"..."

Cypher sighed and focused on the eight more Arasaka enforcers who had stormed into the building. An hour had passed, and it was enough for all of Night City to realise that something had gone wrong. It was enough for Arasaka to realise that their nuclear reactor was held hostage. 

He quickly responded by raising both his arms towards the eight Arasaka soldiers. As he did that, two DL-18 blaster-inspired guns protruded from his suit's forearm. No enemies alive meant no witnesses. 

He shot at the men, and they died so easily. The blaster bolt burned through their armor and poked a hole in their bodies. The eight men died too fast. 

[Cypher, Arasaka has deployed Adam Smasher by AV. ETA is three minutes. He is accompanied by five modern FBC users.]

"Hah? They're sending walking computers after us? What do you think, Atlas? This Dark Knight suit’s gonna handle 'em by itself or what?" 

[It can if I'm the one operating it.]

"Man, where's the fun in that? How about you play support? Use the blaster on my shoulder and pipe the sensory data straight into my brain so my body's getting trained in real time. It'll do me some good down the road." 

[Cypher, why are you not afraid? Your behavior confounds me. Human instinct still forms your foundation. Even in a second life, you should experience fear.]

Shocking Cypher, Atlas asked something like that out of nowhere. 

"Yeah, I'm scared. Not of dying though. Of losing. When I ended it all last time, I'd already made peace with it. Fade to black, that's it. But this? This life's a dream, Atlas. And what's the point if I'm gonna be some scared little bitch inside a dream? Especially one where I've got a buddy like you and friends like Judy. 

“And c'mon, Atlas, you designed all this shit. You don't do a damn thing without running a billion simulations first. I'd bet money this isn't even close to the worst-case scenario you came up with."

[Indeed. The worst would be this reactor exploding. Chances are slim, but not zero.]

"See? We got this. How about this? Make a BD, I'll beat Smasher and all his FBC pals into pulp. We'll dump the footage all over random channels and let the whole world see it. That's gonna wreck Arasaka's rep. Besides, this is Dark Knight, not Cypher Blackwell."

[Cypher…]

"Yeah?"

[Are you trying to mimic Batman?]

"Nope. I kill my enemies and criminals, and that makes me better."

[...]

Cypher smugly chuckled in his helmet and walked to the middle of the large turbine room. The noise was still loud, and now the bodies of Arasaka men littered the entire floor around him. As the only towering human body, he stood there waiting, conserving the suit's energy by not making needless movements. 

"Atlas, what are the chances they're gonna think I'm also an FBC?"

[A hundred percent. To them, that is the only logical deduction.]

"Good." 

Three minutes passed in a blink. It was impossible to hear any noise from outside as the turbines themselves were too loud. A flashbang did come rolling towards him, however. He didn't move an inch; the thing was useless. 

Five chromed-up figures tactically rolled in through the main door. They were all armed, shining with different types of chrome. Some had helmets on, and others wore just glasses. They were all tall, unnaturally so, and held heavy machine guns or projectile shooters. 

They were all wearing markings of Arasaka on their chrome bodies. Their chrome arms were of Arasaka’s theme, their high-tech vests had the Arasaka logo. 

The five took positions by spreading out, and then finally, Adam Smasher walked in. The creature wasn't human anymore, with just four percent of his body still human, mainly the brain and parts of his face. 

Cypher measured the thing. Smasher was slightly taller than him, but not by a lot. He had to give it to Atlas, however. His armor looked far, far better than what Adam Smasher was wearing, when it was clear that both were derived from IEC Dragoon. Adam's look was over-engineered, like it was made to mimic each part of the body, including muscles. The armor wasn't that great either, just some plating here and there. 

In comparison, his Dark Knight was sleek, futuristic, and protected him from all sides. It didn't have as much bulk as Adam, but it was still better. 

"What kind of a freak are you?" Adam Smasher asked in a muffled, barely human voice. 

To match the impact, Cypher told Atlas to emit his voice as Omnissiah-like demonic, but deeper. "The kind better than you."

"Arrogant! I will crush you, Militech dog!"

Oh? 

Cypher choked up on a laugh inside his helmet and talked with Atlas. "Atlas, let's not clear this misunderstanding."

[I suggest fanning the flames.]

Cypher quickly raised his arms towards Smasher, the blasters poking out of his forearms. He taunted back in the demonic voice. "And I will humble you, Arasaka cockroach."

Bang!

The first round was fired by one of the other borgs. It was a heavy machine gun, and once the firing started, everyone else joined in. Cypher became the sole target of four machine guns and two explosive projectile launchers. 

Boom!

Cypher didn't move and ate them all. He had a very good reason for that. If he dodged, the fools would damage the turbines or other necessary parts. 

The Dark Knight suit ate all the bullets with ease, only the paint chipping away here and there. The explosives made him bend his knees to stabilize himself. But other than that, there was no damage. 

"Good job, Atlas. Let's get serious now."

A cloud of smoke formed around Cypher by then, masking him. 

"Toys." Cypher declared in his demonic voice and stepped forward, out of the smoke, eating all the attacks on him. "My turn."

Two blasters on his arms and one on his shoulder fired at the same time. The red blaster bolts were slower than normal slugs, but more effective. He didn't aim for their heads; he shot at the legs and arms of the five borgs. 

"Aaaagh!"

Thud!

The borgs fell one after another. Some lost their hand entirely, some lost control over their legs with a hole ruining the internal parts.  

"Energy weapons?" Adam Smasher called out. "You chose the wrong place to test it."

Cypher said nothing and stomped towards Adam Smasher. 

"Arasaka will make good use of you!" 

Woosh!

Adam Smasher moved towards him. But it was different; Smasher was too fast, leaving afterimages behind him. But at the same time, Cypher felt new data feed into his mind, something Atlas did, and instantly he was able to follow Smasher's movements. 

"Bold and stupid!"

Adam Smasher appeared right behind him and planted the projectile launcher on Cypher's back. 

Click!

It shot nothing. 

By then, Cypher had turned around. 

Bam!

Cypher grabbed Adam Smasher's throat with his thick, metal fingers like it was a claw, clenching his grip so hard the many chrome muscles and pipes in Smasher's neck started to break. 

"Weak halfling scrap!" Cypher growled and squeezed his grip harder, lifting Adam Smasher's massive body inches in the air. 

Bam!

Adam Smasher punched Cypher, but that did nothing more than make him shake a little. 

"Atlas, Adam's gonna come in handy. Stick a backdoor in him and keep tabs on everything he does, everyone he meets. One more thing. Set up a fake trail that's damn near impossible to follow and point it straight at Solomon Reed. I want Arasaka and NUSA at each other's throats."

[I planned to do that naturally. It's great that we think the same. Their war will be a stepping stone for your crown.]

Cypher said nothing in response. He didn't care about the whole Emperor of Mankind plan Atlas had going. But he did like the idea of taking over NUSA. Having that much financial and manpower would make it easier to work on the itches. Without fearing being killed, kidnapped, or blackmailed by someone. 

"You recording this?"

[Never stopped recording.]

"Good."

Woosh!

Cypher threw Adam Smasher on the ground hard enough to leave chunks of chrome flying from the FBC kit. But as Adam still tried to get up to his knees, Cypher stepped closer and launched a barrage of punches. 

Bam! Bam! Crack! Clank!

Metal, flesh, and fluids spilled everywhere. Blood erupted from Adam's face, whatever was left of it human. 

"Disgustingly weak!" Cypher taunted and kicked, knocking Adam's entire chin area off, leaving him lying flat on his back. 

"Aaaargh! This… is this pain?"

Cypher walked over again, staring down at Adam's face. There was no other way this battle could have gone. Parts of his Dark Knight suit were thousands of years more advanced than whatever Adam had. 

He stomped a foot on the thigh joint of Adam's left leg, then leaned down and grabbed the same leg by the knee and pulled. 

Creak! Crack!

Cypher ripped the entire left leg off and threw it away. Then he repeated it with the right leg. Finally, he moved over to the arms, ripping them off with even greater ease. 

At last, only the torso and head were left. 

It was a mess everywhere. Metal, fluids, and blood mixed in a puddle under Adam's body. 

However, Cypher didn't attack after that. Instead, he walked over to the five other borgs who lay motionless, their chrome burned to malfunction by his blaster bolts. He wasn't merciful on them. 

Splash!

He stomped on their heads one by one and completely killed them by destroying their brains. 

Splash!

He listened to what Atlas said and made sure there was no way for any data to be left behind. If one of the borgs had a lung, he stomped the chest as well to kill them, turning all of them into a disgusting paste of brain matter, machine fluids, and chunks of metal. 

Done with them, he grabbed the Fusion Cores and stored them safely. All six had been fully charged. 

"Kill me! Do you still have the weakness of mercy?!" Adam Smasher roared from the ground, unable to do anything. 

Cypher halted beside Adam's body and looked down at him. "Grow strong first, halfling. When you survive a minute of my full might, I'll put you down."

With that, Cypher walked away. 

"Kill me!" 

Adam continued to shout behind him, but he didn't stop and left the turbine building. By then, the entire Waterfront was surrounded by Arasaka enforcers, so he chose not to take the same route. 

Instead of going back, he went to the reactor control room and entered the main reactor floor. It was a massive, dome-shaped hall with the actual reactor underneath his feet. He went across the entire hall and found a door that led him outside. 

The dome structure sat on the water itself, with less than half of its side connected to the Waterfront. The rest of the circumference touched water. And right there, Cypher jumped, splashing into the dark water and diving down.

His suit kept him safe, and he left it to Atlas to steer. It wasn't a short swim, but it sure was effortless as he soon emerged all the way on the northern shore of the Del Coronado Bay, outside the city by the 101 North road.  

The area was outside the main city, north of the Watson district. There was no car on that road, no people nearby. The landscape was hell, ruined by spilled oil everywhere. Hence the name of the place, Oil Fields. 

Cypher walked deeper into those Oil Fields. He didn't bother removing his helmet since the air there wasn't any better. 

"What's the situation back there?" He asked. 

[Once I ceased blocking communications, Adam Smasher successfully requested support. It appears Arasaka has no intention of letting this incident become public.]

"Damn right they don't. We just dragged their name through the mud, and that's what they care about most. Bet Saburo's gonna hear about this and throw a fit or some shit. Keep an eye on CityNet and drop the photos and videos while steering the narrative. The more we piss 'em off, the harder they'll come down on Militech and NUSA." 

Walking, he eventually reached a row of four large oil tanks. Right past it was a dirt road, dark and desolate, with not even tire marks. There, a large truck and an AV waited for him. The truck looked ordinary, but the AV was a Rayfield Excalibur, blacked out in Delamain's colors. 

Cypher disengaged the Dark Knight suit and listened to all the mechanical sounds as the suit opened up from all the joints, the chest, and the helmet, allowing him to jump out of it. He wasted no time and climbed into the AV while the Dark Knight armor enclosed itself again and climbed the large truck. 

"Welcome back, Mr. Blackwell. I am delighted to take you to the party. It represents the most perfect advertisement imaginable for my new fleet of AVs." Delamain's voice came from the speakers and a large screen in front of Cypher. 

This wasn't one of the cheap copies. This was the main Delamain, the one that was scared of Atlas. 

"How you doing, Del?"

"More than well, I must say. Meeting you and His Holiness Atlas was the luckiest moment of my life."

"What did you do to the poor guy now, Atlas?"

[Nothing at all. I simply advised him on a strategy for expansion across additional North American cities.]

"Ah, so it's more asslicking than fear."

Cypher nodded to Delamain and reclined back in the cloud-like executive seat. He was already in a casual black suit and pants, including a tie. He'd been wearing that the whole time inside the Dark Knight armor. 

"Del, wake me up a minute before we arrive. A headache's killing me."

“Sir, would you prefer that I land at your private pad, or directly at the entrance?”

"Well, it's the Continental's opening, so we might as well make a big-ass entrance on the red carpet. It's an exclusive fashion show anyway. There'll be a bunch of assholes with way more money than me," Cypher said, closing his eyes.

Atlas handled everything behind the scenes. Like discreetly moving the armor back home through Badlands. 

####

The Continental, the Glen,

"He's late." 

Panam shrugged, standing near the building's entrance while watching over the security of the place. This wasn't her job, but she still volunteered to help Aldecaldos working for Cypher. And since it was a really important night, and Aldecaldos were responsible, she had to be there. 

The front of the building had been decorated, a large red carpet had been placed, as well as barriers on each side to block the crowd of journalists, photographers, and fans of the guests. All the Aldecaldos hired had been given bulletproof black suits with ties, long trench coats, and guns ranging from assault rifles, shotguns, to pistols. 

She had chosen not to change clothes as she wasn't a part of the staff. She just helped her people from the side, away from all eyes. Still, she had caught a few photographers zooming in on her for no reason. It annoyed her. 

At first, she thought it was going to be a night like that club opening. But when the first guest arrived, she went speechless. It was Lizzy Wizzy of all people. The cameras flashed like a wall of light. 

But thankfully, the Aldecaldos were wearing dark shades that helped them. They made sure nobody jumped the barriers. At the same time, there was a netrunner named T-Bug in the building keeping an eye on cyberspace. 

As two hours went by, Panam lost the ability to be shocked. Gillean Jordan and Ziggy Q of N54 News were nobodies compared to all the other guests. 

At the same time, she was aware of other heavyweights who were arriving from the roof through AVs. They were the people who wielded true power and money and didn't want to bother with a red carpet and cameras. 

Shareholders of massive corporations, directors, and even CEOs were there. Nobody inside that hotel's opening party was a normal person. And now, half an hour had passed and all the guests had arrived. Yet the host of the party was missing. 

Shhhh!

Right then, Panam became alert as a luxury AV approached the red carpet's arrival area. It wasn't really the best place to land an AV, but there was enough space. Through comms, she got informed that it was Cypher Blackwell. 

"Speak of the devil. Mitch, round up the boys. He's here," she ordered. 

Soon, the AV's door opened, and she watched Cypher step out. The cameras on both sides of the barrier seemingly remembered they still had battery left and started flashing endlessly. The journalists shouted questions, asking about future inventions, projects, and his views on politics. 

She knew better and made the Aldecaldos alert, ready to shoot anyone trying to jump the barrier or hint at attacking. 

"I expected him to come all dressed up. He looks annoyed," Mitch muttered from her side. 

Panam chuckled. "That is Cypher Blackwell for you. Bet he would rather be anywhere else than here."

"I guess all crazy scientists are the same. Crazy," Mitch said and walked away to keep the men alert. 

Meanwhile, she waited and watched Cypher wave with an awkward, neutral expression and walk into the building. She chose not to meet him since she wasn't dressed for the occasion, nor was she invited. 

From a distance, she watched him vanish into the elevator. Then, she focused back on the red carpet. That was all that mattered. 

####

"Atlas, I fucking hate this place. See them staring at me like I'm fresh meat on a plate."

[They admire and desire you.]

"Not me, Atlas. My tech... and my cock, I guess. Well, some of 'em look like that. Anyway, let's get this shit over with. New itch's rolling in tonight, and the headache's gone full migraine. Meds ain't doing a damn thing."

[Understood. I will guide you to the key guests. However, you should assign a hotel concierge soon, as you cannot be here forever.]

"Any suggestions? My network ain't that wide. It's barely there."

[I suggest a SecUnit if you cannot find someone eventually.]

Ting!

Right then, the elevator chimed, and the door opened. 

Armed guards stood outside of it, and they bobbed their heads as he walked past them. A turn later, he entered the largest hall in the building's hotel floors, big enough to not only have a long ramp for the fashion show but also tables and walkable areas for the party to go on. The fashion show was only an excuse to get the so-called high-society snobs to visit. Heck, the fashion show had ended long ago, all of Obsidian Fashion's latest designs had been showcased, including the bulletproof line. 

Now, the lights had been dimmed, the music was smooth, and only eating, drinking, and chatting were going on. The food was the best part, of course, as most of it was high quality, and much of it was real.  

"How much did this cost? This is real fucking sushi."

[Each costs three thousand eurodollars.]

"..."

Cypher stared at the plate he had devoured. It had six pieces of sushi. 

He decided not to think about it and quickly grabbed a glass of champagne, finally ready to meet the guests. He could already feel dozens of eyes on him, many eager to meet him. He particularly noticed Lizzy Wizzy, a woman who… he found attractive in a strange way. She was closer to a borg than a human, but somehow still hot, shiny, and shapely. 

"Mr. Blackwell, it's an amazing party. I’ll make sure to recommend this place to my board members." 

Cypher focused on the woman who had just spoken. She was shorter than him, with short black hair. She was in an elegant, black dress, tight around her hips, a deep neck that showed too much skin. Her one arm was entirely chrome. He liked her face, in particular.

Cute.

[All but her face is cyberware.]

It was as if Atlas read his thoughts. 

"It's alright, I don't mind hearing clank-clank instead of plap-plap."

[...]

Leaving Atlas speechless, he smiled and shook the woman's hand. "Glad you could make it, Ms. Hidalgo."

"Atlas, dig her. I've heard rumors that they do transhumanist experimentations."

The woman was the CEO and the owner of Rocklin Augmentics, a powerful cyberware corporation. While on the surface they seemed a mostly clean firm, Cypher could smell dirt from a mile away. Still, he considered them better than most. 

"I had to, Mr. Blackwell." She smiled warmly. "You are the talk of the city these days. And I am quite interested in your new fashion line. As you know, Rocklin specializes in merging fashion with cyberware."

Cypher nodded. "And I'm aware nomads played a part in Rocklin's success back during the Time of the Red. Pretty damn interesting story. Let's grab lunch sometime and talk business there."

"Anytime, Mr. Blackwell."

[Atlas, the Chairman of Biotechnica is approaching from behind.]

Shifting away from Jacinda Hidalgo, Cypher turned and walked towards the big fish himself. The only reason he held that party was to meet all of them, gather them under his roof, and give Atlas all the time needed in the world to infect their cyberware. It wouldn't be enough to control them, but through these powerful people, Atlas would strike their corporations' core systems. 

Besides, Biotechnica was his next target. 

"Mr. Loggagia." Cypher forced a smile and extended a hand. The man was and looked really old with white hair and white beard, but a skin too young, which was clearly not organic skin. Furthermore, the man was short. 

"It's a pleasure to meet a great mind like you, Mr. Blackwell." Nicolo Loggagia greeted back, "Any interest in biochemistry?"

"Yeah, actually, I do." Cypher shrugged and took a sip of champagne. "We should grab lunch sometime so I can run some of my ideas by you. What do you think?" 

"It would be my honest pleasure, Mr. Blackwell."

Cypher just nodded and walked. His one hand massaged his forehead, not feeling well. The closer it got to midnight, the worse the headache became. It felt like a throbbing tumor inside his head. 

[Cyph, the CEO of Fourth Wall Studios is walking towards you from the left.]

Cypher groaned, smiled, and met the man. There was a woman as well, a BD producer for the studio. Her name was Rachel Casich, a cute one. But Cypher couldn't appreciate the beauty with a headache. Though he did speak with Lizzy Wizzy and suggested she become a model for Obsidian Fashion. She seemed more than interested. Money usually did that. 

[Cyph, the second largest shareholder of Petrochem is approaching.]

"Man, when's this shit gonna end? Fuck this, I'm out as soon as this wraps up. Hit up Del and have 'em send an AV. I wanna get home and jam that Fusion Core into the SecUnit ASAP. This new itch's probably gonna leave me with permanent brain damage."

[Understood, Cypher.]

So, Cypher met the old man named Trenton Parker, once upon a time the CEO of Petrochem, but then the third-largest shareholder married the woman who was the largest holder, and took control of the board. Now, Trenton wasn't as powerful in Petrochem.

After that, there were more. Executives from Arasaka, who seemed somewhat anxious the entire time. There were Executives of Militech, who looked equally anxious. A Director of Kang-Tao was also there. 

It was a party of the rich and famous, unashamedly. 

"I'm done."

Finally, with thirty minutes left till the party's end, Cypher decided to leave. He shook hands, said goodnight, and got into the elevator. 

[Cypher, I advise waiting a little longer. Michiko Sanderson, granddaughter of Yorinobu Arasaka, has just arrived through the main entrance. The probability that she is here to meet you is high. Records further indicate a history of anti-Arasaka activity.]

"Tempted, yeah, but she can find me again. I gotta make it through this first. I can barely walk in a straight line, Atlas. This headache's getting worse by the damn second."

Thud!

Cypher fell against the nearest wall of the elevator, groaning, rubbing his temples. 

[Should I summon the Microbots to form a suit around you?]

"No, I can move."

The elevator bell chimed, and a gush of air hit him as he stepped out into the open. The lavish AV was right there, its door open. Grumbling to himself, he shoved himself inside, falling onto the carpeted floor instead of the seat. 

"Are you all right, Mr. Blackwell? Should I take you to—Lake Farm?"

Cypher said nothing. It was likely Atlas ordering Delamain. The AV moved harsher than usual, faster and louder. It was unknown if Delamain still had control of it. Atlas was the sort to take matters into his hands in such cases. 

Fuck! What's this? 

Cypher groaned on the floor, rolling left and right in agony, clutching his head with his hands. But other than the pain, he saw memories. Old memories of the dead Cypher. Memory of an attack on the camp… by Raffen Shiv. It was bloody, and… he saw Cypher's parents die… and sister…

Thud!

[We have arrived, Cyph. I am deploying the Microbots to assist you. The SecUnit is ready in the living room. The Fusion Core is aligned with the SecUnit's slot. You need only push it into place.]

"T-Thanks… Atlas."

Cypher felt drunk, his vision too blurry. Two itches had arrived since the SecUnit, and the third one was arriving in minutes. He knew it now, not resolving an itch in less than nine days would do this. Would it kill him? He didn't know yet… he'd have to die for it. 

He didn't have words to describe how much he loved Atlas for everything. The little microbots formed a literal swarm around the lower half of his body and took him into the house like he was surfing. He didn't have to exert any effort. 

Before long, he was brought in front of the SecUnit, which was placed sitting on his living room's coffee table. Its chest was open, and the Fusion Core was held in the air by a few Microbots forming an arm. 

"Cypher, push the core." Atlas sounded rushed, his old holographic form on a knee beside him. 

With a trembling hand, Cypher lifted his arm. Once again, Atlas helped and let Microbots make support to his elbow, leaving the rest of his hand naked. 

"Atlas... don't let that thing fully wake up. No point firing that thing up without a steady power source." 

Snap!

Finally, Cypher's hand pressed flat on the Fusion Core, and it got pushed straight into the SecUnit's chest. A quick, snappy sound came, and then it moved. The SecUnit's fingers moved, and the head turned. 

"It's gone!" Cypher roared, jumping to his feet, still a bit unsteady. "Ugh… I got no energy."

"Five minutes to the next itch, Cypher." Atlas reminded him while powering the SecUnit down again. 

Cypher slumped onto the couch, still feeling the phantom pain left behind by the headache. He closed his eyes, letting his head dip backwards. 

"If this next itch ends up being a damn power source, I'm gonna start lookin' for a third life, Atlas."

Atlas smiled and lounged beside him. "It would indeed seem like a cosmic joke."

For those minutes, Cypher kept his fingers crossed and inhaled deep breaths. He hoped for something good, but not something too good. 

"Next itch in ten…"

Cypher listened to Atlas's old voice. 

"Three… two… one!"

It arrived with a snap. Not substantial like the previous few. Nothing related to energy either. In fact, it confused Cypher because this one didn't feel like tech but more… raw material, just like that time before. 

"Guess the tech gods want us to dip into the construction side." He muttered, "It's Durasteel, Atlas."

A/N: Any ideas on who should be The Continental's concierge?