Ghost in the City

I stepped down into the bright light of the netrunner club, waving a hand at the woman that was seemingly just watching the door. She didn’t bother to look away from her file but I knew she had seen me regardless.

Walking inside I quickly found a booth and accessed the system, taking a look at the battle that was currently being shown. It wasn’t anything special, but I knew Ichi would enjoy it as I kept half an eye on that screen, so he could see it, while I opened up another part of the system.

A chat layer.

There was a main discussion, and then sub chats, for offers, and discussions. Many of them were battle requests, or sales, and purchases of things that were needed.

While I waited, I browsed through what was being sold, and what was being asked for.

Unfortunately it didn't seem like anyone really used this place for programming help. But I did see a few interesting offers on netrunning equipment.

*So who do you think is going to win?* Ichi asked me, and I looked over at the battle screen for a moment.

*Hard to say.* I admitted, although I did pay more attention to the battle since it was giving me plenty of ideas on how a normal netrunner battled.

It reminded me of why I was really here.

I started checking the battle request section, searching. I had just battled whoever I wanted last time, but I was here for a reason.

I found it.

A netrunner looking for a battle, that was a well known for using Daemons. Exactly what I wanted.

I smirked as I sent the request, and waited a bit before it was confirmed, Our battle would be three more down.

*I got a match.* I told the boys and settled in to wait.

St33lSister huh? This should be fun.

—--

An hour later I left the arena with a bit of a wince.

St33lSister had not been happy to deal with my sort of netrunner shenanigans.

I had gone into this battle for two things. One, some experience to level up even more, and two, a test to see how long I could remain completely out of sight against someone that was considered actually skilled.

I uh… Hadn’t kept in mind this was supposed to be a fun game, and what happens when gamers stop having fun.

St33l had spent the last two minutes cussing me out in broadcast over the entire arena before retiring.

Definitely going to have to offer an apology to the woman.

But on the other hand? I had killed a lot of Daemons. She had summoned a custom version of the hound daemons, and then backed them up with an array of IMPS and Soldier types.

She was a one woman army. Of course it wasn’t extremely efficient, she was obviously using the battle as a way to show off her daemons. Something I had only realized after I had spent thirty minutes tearing through her summons, and forcing her to keep resummoning them.

I had turned the Digital Jungle into a death trap for anything that walked inside, and St33lSister wasn’t happy about it.

I kinda was though.

With my HEAT bullet hack, I was taking out Daemons very quickly, with very little RAM usage. The real trick had been keeping out of sight as I continued to mulch her little army.

Two levels.

I had killed over a hundred Daemons, and gained two levels from this battle alone. When I exited the arena, I looked around for St33lSister, but didn’t see her unfortunately. I felt kind of bad, but at the same time it had been so incredibly profitable for me I couldn’t help but want to do it again.

*That was awesome.* I sent the boys reconnecting as I once more took a seat around the club. I noticed I had eyes on me, but no one had come to talk to me this time.

*That was kinda boring to me, but it was still cool.* Malcolm offered, trying not to offend.

*It was cool for the first bit, but eventually it was just kinda there. The other runner got pissed, what happened?*

*Well normally you aren’t really supposed to just kill the Daemons over and over like I was. I was sort of being weird.*

*Motoko weird? Never.* Malcolm responded back and I promised myself I would slap the back of his head when I left the server. I considered joining another session, and started looking through the network. There were a few that used Daemons, not nearly to the same extent though. But as I sent out a request for a match each of them denied me…

I think I might have over done it a bit.

—--

After realizing I wasn’t getting any more matches today, at least not without putting up some sort of anty to drag someone into it, I logged out.

The boys were happy to eat on my dime, but eventually we split up. I went back to the netrunner cave while they headed off doing whatever boy things they got up to when Hiromi and I weren’t around.

I wanted some peace and quiet to get my stats figured out.

Two level ups was a lot. More than enough to get something good.

But I had made a promise, one for adaptation, one for levels, now just to figure out what I should upgrade.

I was tempted to put another point into my ODA Neural link, but the first point had cleared up most of the constant issues.

Instead I dropped one into my Sandevistan.

Despite being such a high adaptation, I didn’t really have any day to day issues with the Sandy. It was just a chip after all, and I wasn’t using it constantly.

But turning it on was an issue, if not for my ability to heal so quickly, it might have been dangerous just to use it.

Dynalar Sandevistan Mk.2 *Adaptation Dynalar Sandevistan 1/4*

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

One point was added, and then I added the other stat point I had free into my Intelligence.

Intelligence 13 (14)

The only issue here, was that I was getting close to maxing out my available Cyberization. I would need some more chrome that enhanced my netrunning to be able to level it higher.

Which only opened me up for more adaptation costs and the spiral continues.

Either way. The points were gone, and I still had lots of skill points.

I dropped another point into programming. Programming 13. I couldn’t help but hiss as the knowledge flowed into me, it was so much the density of the information actually made me stop and take a moment.

There were structures, on structures. Tricks, and pathways. Digital understanding that could write code in a way a human mind couldn’t reach, and I was starting to touch on it.

The Tachikoma might be a solid seed for a mortal created AI, but what could it do, if I created it fully as a digital entity?

Could I ever understand the ocean better than a fish could? Could a human ever understand the digital sea, as well as an entity born into it?

But it was possible. I had taken another step closer to being able to do it.

Eventually I shook it off and stood up from the couch, pacing around a bit just to let the feeling of my brain filling up cool down. I walked to the fridge, opened it, ignored the many burritos and grabbed a soda, taking a drink of it, and letting the cold liquid ground me.

I was okay, that had just been a lot. I couldn’t believe how much more I was gaining in programming. I had thought myself a master when I hit programming 10, but now? I think I was only a master of one way of looking at the programs.

There was a whole other frontier to learn about.

Once my head stopped buzzing, I used a second skill point.

Breach Protocol 12. Technically I could level it again, my Intelligence was 13 now…

I hummed as the knowledge flowed into me. I would take a rest, get some food, do some other things and then put another point into the skill. I hadn’t leveled it up to max like I should have last time I really thought about my stats, and it was too important to not keep maxed out.

Satisfied by my improvements so far, I decided to get some other work done.

My 3D printer was set up, and I went to work, grinding out some more grenade cases for now. It wasn’t anything special, but it would keep me occupied, and help me level up while I let my brain cool down.

—---

I got a bunch of Crafting and Tech ability alerts, but no level ups when I was interrupted by a phone call.

*Hey Hiromi, what’s up?*

*I got it! The armor for Rebecca! I put in an order through the Arasaka channels, and finally got confirmation! Well… Technically Papa ordered it, but it’s in! I even got an ECM package, although this one is a Kang Tao version not the Militech system. Will that be okay?* She chattered away excitedly and I felt my own grin spreading at the news.

*Yes! FInally! I’ve been waiting forever! Yeah that should be fine! Okay! Meet me at the Netrunner cave. I have my equipment here. Have you called Rebecca yet?*

*Okay! No not yet.*

*Alright I’ll take care of it. You’re the best Hiromi!*

*Hehehe!*

We hung up and I made a call to Rebecca, it took a few rings before she finally picked up.

*Yo. What’s up Choom?*

*We got your armor in! I’ll need you so I can fit it to you.*

*Wait what? What armo-Oh shit. I thought you guys forgot!*

*Nope! It’s just taken a while to get in! Can you meet me?*

*Ah, my brother has the car right now. He’s the least known in Maine's crew, so they got him doing supply runs now.*

*Okay. How about I pick you up?*

*Yes. Sure! Definitely.*

I grinned at Rebecca’s excitement, and headed out. Hopefully I could make it back before Hiromi did.

—--

I arrived at Rebecca’s home parking out front and waiting just a bit before she came rushing out. Her jacket flaring out behind her, and instantly I noticed she wasn’t the exact same as before.

“New chrome?” I asked, and she grinned, flexing her arms for a minute, even if I couldn’t really see through her jacket.

“Got some quick change mounts!” She offered, as she pulled down her jackets sleeve and showed the seam along her upper arm.

Something that was familiar to me from her design in the future.

“Interested in different Cyberarms?” I asked, smiling despite already knowing the answer.

“Hell yeah choom! Gonna get some big beefy fuckers so I can properly control all the kick.” She said, holding her hands in front of her as if holding an HMG, and holding the recoil.

“Preem. You know what you want yet?”

“I have a few ideas. I got my eye on these older Militech Cyberarms. They’re absolute monsters. Pre Gorilla arm, but they do the same shit.” She went on and on, about the chrome she wanted as I started driving back to the netrunner cave.

It was hilarious that I knew exactly what she wanted, and what they would look like in the future.

It felt kinda nice as Rebecca and I chatted, about chrome and things we wanted in the future.

And not once did she bring up Sasha. I wasn’t sure if I wanted that conversation or not, but she avoided it.

Instead something more interesting came up.

“Fucking Pilar, that-Ugh! If he wasn’t my brother I’d blow both his knees off.”

“So he took the car without even running it by you?”

“He does this shit all the time! Any time he wants it he just takes it! Never bothers to let me know. It’s not like I didn't put eddies into that thing!” Rebecca grumbled, arms crossed as she leaned back in the seat, her feet rising up to barely rest against the dash.

Rebecca really was smole.

“Why not just get another car?” I asked, I mean. It wasn’t like it was hard?

“Rides cost eddies choom.” She replied back with a snort and then I opened my mouth and closed it and then when we came to a red light I stopped and looked at her.

“I got this car for free by murdering the previous owner. Hell we sold dozens of vehicles to Dakota. If you want a car Becca, we can just go get one. Like… It’s easy.” And then as my smile shifted into something wicked I leaned over. “The corp’s don’t want you to know this, but the cars in the badland are free.” I said, barely holding myself back from laughing. “I have a bunch of cars at home.”

I didn’t actually have cars at home, but a meme was a meme.

Rebecca blinked at me with those big red cybereyes, and then just burst into laughter. “What? That’s crazy choom, the Nomads get pissy about their rides, you know!”

“Not if you flatline them first, hard to get pissy when you’re dead… Well, yeah, they piss themselves when they die, but that’s neither here nor there.”

“Heh. Well if it was that easy I would totally do it.” She said, still giggling at my offer, which is when I decided right then and there, that it was in fact happening. As we drove to Straight Lane Apartments, I sent out a text to Hiromi and the boys letting them know the problem.

Pulling into a parking lot down the street, I guided Rebecca inside, all the while explaining to her what this place was, and telling her the story of how it became mine.

“Wait, your Choom bought the basement of this place?”

“Technically? I don’t know if she has the actual deed or anything, but I control the elevator access, and no one else can get in unless I want them to.”

Rebecca looked around in interest as we entered the apartment complex, and headed towards the elevator.

“I’d uh, appreciate, if you didn’t tell anyone about this place? The less people that know about it, the less I have to worry about someone trying to kill me while I’m netrunning.”

“Yeah, course. I won’t tell anyone. Promise.” Rebecca offered as the elevator doors closed and I smiled down at her in thanks.

Then the doors opened to a party.

“Motoko!” Hiromi cheered as Malcolm, and Ichi were already here as well. The three of them already half dug into cartons of food.

“Hi!” I greeted and hurried out of the elevator, heading straight for the case. I flipped it open, and started scanning checking out the Arasaka armor in the same style that we used. It didn’t take me long to go through it, checking it over and noting happily that everything was there.

In fact it was in the same condition our armor had been when we first got it, right out of the box.

“Satisfied?” Hiromi asked, and I nodded at that.

“Very! Okay Becca! Before you get comfy, come here, I need some measurements!” I called out, noticing that she had already taken a seat and was digging into the food the boys had brought.

The fact she looked like she fit into the picture only made it better! Steal the smole girl!

I grinned at the thought and then stood up holding the chest rig up. “Let’s see what I need to adjust past what it already comes with.”

—---

While everyone settled in to enjoy themselves, I went to work.

Rebecca really was small, and this armor was not made for someone her size in mind. Even the adjustable straps would have left the armor swallowing her.

Not exactly efficient. So I would need to cut it down heavily, and then re-adjust where the armor padding would cover.

But honestly, it wasn’t bad. I had a full scan of it from my Kiroshi, and a model of Rebecca, and I could easily use the Arasaka CAD software to compare the two, and make the digital adjustments.

I even got a Technical Attribute alert from making the changes!

Then I got to work cutting, between my 3d printer, and my own knowledge of crafting, I actually made the adjustments pretty quickly, under the interested eyes of my chooms I cut, and burned, reshaped the armor, re-used cut armor to alter the shape and in the end came out with a chest rig that when Rebecca put it on, it actually fit,

“I did alter the adjustment straps, so if you need you can mess with it a bit. Also, the arm sections are heavily adjustable, so when you get those new arms of yours they will still attach.” I offered to the girl with a wink as she was checking herself out as shifting left and right noticing the fit.

“Damn, this actually fits really good.” She whispered out surprised and I just laughed.

“Of course it does! I wouldn’t make something that didn’t fit you! I still need to work on the rest of it, but this piece is done… Mostly. The ECM hasn’t been added, or the lights needed to run it.” I explained ticking off points on my chrome fingers for what still needed to be done.

Rebecca just whistled, and the rest of the chooms smiled.

“Anyway! That can wait until after though!” I explained and my chooms all smiled like sharks as the plan we had been cooking up while I worked was brought forth.

Hiromi had called Dakota and Saul, Ichi and Malcolm, had kept Rebecca distracted, and I made her armor so it would fit.

All so that when I was done, the plot could happen.

“Huh?” Rebecca asked, looking around at everyone's smiles that were maybe a bit too shark-like.

“So Becca, you doing anything for the next… twelve hours?” I asked, and she blinked a bit in surprise at that length of time I requested.

“No?”

“Perfect.” I added, and then all my chooms rushed off. They would have to get their own stuff after all.

Time to go Raffen Shiv hunting.

Poor Rebecca just didn’t understand yet.

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