Ghost in the City: Early Chapter 134 (Patreon)

I sighed as I stretched my arms above my head, finally home. I still hadn’t really noticed any differences in weight or balance driving home, so I was very satisfied with Vik’s work.

That man deserved way more than the stack of eddies I had given him for his time and skill.

He deserved all the eddies!

“Hey, there you are!” Jun called out as I walked in the apartment. Jun was sitting on the couch, stupid ogre arms hanging over the top as he had obviously been staring blankly at whatever tv show he had been watching.

“Hey Jun-Nii!” I called out as I wandered over and flopped onto the couch beside him.

“Oh? What’s got you in such a good mood?” Jun asked, poking at me a little which I swiped away at him.

“I got some new chrome. Vik took great care of me.” I told him flexing my arms without going into detail.

Jun would know how long it would take to heal up from such an invasive surgery after all.

“Yeah?”

“Just Bone and Muscle Lace stuff.” I lied to him, before relaxing back and looking at the TV. “Anything good on?”

“Nothing you’d like.” He said laughing.

“Blegh.” I answered, sticking out my tongue. “I guess I’ll get back to work.”

“Work?”

“I’m trying to finish a new program, zappy zap.” I muttered, wiggling my fingers.

“I don’t even want to know.”

“It’s a Short Circuit hack!”

“Mhmm.” He agreed, but really he was just ignoring me.

“Well I know the first person I’m testing it on.” I muttered, and of course in response Jun reached over to grab me, and I kicked out and then we were wrestling, only now things were different!

Jun’s stupid ogre arm might be super strong, but now I could bring to bear all of the strength of my own chrome arms!

I reached out and grabbed his arm with both hands, and squeezed, actually forcing his arm to bend away from me.

“I’m strong!” I told him my face splitting into a big grin.

Which is when Jun huffed out a laugh and just jerked his arm forward.

I had about half a second to realize Jun was a fucking asshole before the movement flipped me entirely off of my butt and then off the couch, crashing into the floor with a loud thump.

“You are such a dick.”

“Can’t let you get too overconfident with those wet noodles you call arms.” He mocked, flexing his arms at me, as I just lay there on the floor for a minute stewing.

I was going to chrome up so much that I could throw him around, I decided. Right then and right there.

Was I going to chrome up because I wanted to be a Cyborg? Because I wanted to be strong enough to kill Scavs, or to go toe to toe with cyberpunks like Thomas?

No. I must defeat my brother.

I stood up and brushed myself off ignoring the mocking smile on Jun's face as I stalked away with all the dignity I had left to go find my laptop.

—---

I spent the rest of the night hammering away at Short Circuit.

Although I was making great progress. My version was already much smaller than the version I had originally picked up from Yoko. The problem was, I wasn’t really coming up with anything to make it special.

It would just be an efficient version of the hack, which wasn’t a bad thing, but if I was going to make something I wanted it to be more than just efficient.

Short Circuit at its most bare bones was a hack that attacked power systems for cyberware, convincing them they needed to do an emergency discharge to keep something from exploding.

That was actually why it was nonlethal. Sure an electronic jolt wasn’t exactly a pleasant experience, and it might knock you out, but it wouldn’t kill you.

The emergency discharge couldn’t release enough power to instantly stop someone's heart or anything.

But I wanted more than just that.

I wanted something that would make a netrunner do a double take when they saw it. Something that Sasha wouldn’t just blow off when I handed it to her. Something that might just save her life.

I had already added in the same multi hack functionality that I had developed for Reboot Optics, and Weapon Glitch.

This program would jump to anyone in the network and try to short them all. Of course it wouldn’t be as effective as someone with something like a Tetratronic Rippler Cyberdeck, which was designed to allow multi hack.

Anyone with some bare bones ICE would stop the jumping hacks cold, but not everyone had that.

Plus that was just a bonus. A basic design addition that barely added any RAM requirements to the hack.

I wanted this hack to be unique.

It had to do something that no other Short Circuit could do. I pulled away from the keyboard as I grumbled, flopping onto my bed and trying to figure it out.

I had considered trying to make it do more damage to Cyberware, but that was what Cyberware Malfunction was. That was a different hack entirely, meant to do something entirely different.

So what was Short Circuit meant to do?

Disable enemies for a short time.

I couldn’t really make it more disabling. The discharge function was surprisingly well protected against intrusion. I would have to make a variant against every cyberware I could come across… Which might explain why Cyberware Malfunction was a much more RAM intensive hack.

So… It was meant to disable someone. I couldn’t modify the base function, but what could I modify?

I went through the code of my own implants, searching through information in my own system.

When it struck me.

Each piece of cyberware had its own battery. Small bits of flash cyberware might have tiny batteries, but the bigger pieces?

So if each cyberware had their own battery…

That means each piece of chrome had its own discharge function.

Short Circuit normally caused everything to discharge. Which yeah I could see how that would be useful, but what if instead of one big burst, I made it last longer.

Each battery could be discharged in a sequence, starting with the biggest battery to still have that massive shock.

It would make the discharge last longer for sure.

I started fiddling with the code. I would have to make it larger, to fit in the discharge sequence in the hack, but it wouldn’t even need a full Daemon to control it since that information was already stored in everyone's agent. I mean, there was already a function in the agent that kept track of battery power of Cyberware.

That little program would be the first thing attacked and it would discharge each battery in a row.

I cackled evilly as I imagined some gonk with more chrome than brains stuck spazzing out on the ground as every piece of chrome he had electrocuted him one after another.

Heh, defeated by your own Mr. Studd.

Also, and more importantly! It would be exceptionally strong against drone and robots. They had multiple battery systems, and each one discharging would be a massive problem for a full mechanical body.

I hummed pleased as the inspiration hit and I felt my hands blurring across the keyboard as the code came together.

—--

I stayed hiding in my bedroom for the rest of the night, and late into the afternoon the next day before finally I finished bug checking the code, and I finalized it.

I flopped back, letting the laptop finish turning the code into a working hack and just considered what to do next.

First I had to meet Sasha.

Then… Profit?

I blinked at the joke and snorted. Yeah that sounded good. No, I thought as I rose up and stretched deciding to get changed and clean up before heading out.

What I needed was some XP.

I needed to kill a bunch of gonks so I could get more stat points for adaptation.

Decision made I hurried over out of the room to the bathroom to jump into a quick shower.

While I did that I made a few calls. Pretty amused that I could make a business call while shampooing my hair without a struggle.

Of course the very first call I made I got yelled at.

*Ah so you finally come crawling back to me? Do I even know a merc by this name? Certainly not one who has done any work for me recently…*

*Wakakooooooo!* I whined into the line, purposefully being as annoying as possible. Two could play at that game old lady!

“Ah, she hung up… Well played.” I muttered as I instantly called back again.

*As I was saying.* She continued without missing a beat.

*Wakako. I’ve been busy, not just with personal stuff, but with like crazy stuff in general. But I’m back on the merc grind. You need anything done, I’m free to handle it.*

*Perhaps, I will offer another olive branch to a difficult to work with mercenary…* She trailed off and I rolled my eyes.

*No discounts.*

*I don’t see any gigs I need for such an expensive merc then.* She shot back instantly.

*Heh! Does that mean I finally have a rep? Is it a good one? Do you fixers say good things about me?*

*I find this call less and less interesting by the moment.* She drawled out and I could tell she was having fun.

Even if she absolutely would hang up on me again if I didn’t do something.

*Alright I’ll stop. Seriously though, Wakako. What do you need doing? I’ve got a lot of time on my hands at the moment.*

*Perhaps, I have a few gigs that need skills such as yours. I’ll send you the details.  You are well enough? I was considering dropping you entirely due to worries about Cyberpsychosis.*

*Ah… Yeah I’m much better, but I wasn’t… Okay the whole Scav thing probably looked pretty bad and stuff, but I’m doing much better. I promise.*

*Good. I will send you some work, complete it and stop by when you are finished. I will decide if you are doing better myself.*

The desire to ask if she was that worried about me was on the tip of my tongue, but I know she wouldn’t want to hear it.

*You got-*

She hung up again. “Bitch!” I laughed as I finished my wash.

—--

I got the gig details and rolled my eyes as Wakako was definitely fucking with me again.

There was a guy that hadn’t paid Wakako after a gig. Which just as a baseline? That was fucking dumb.

So Wakako wanted to remind him that he was well within her reach.

So she sent me out, not to kill him. Not to kidnap him.

No. She wanted me to steal his car. A pretty nice Quadra Turbo-R. She sent me a picture and I sighed because it was covered in TC colors.

Fuck.

But I shrugged, stealing a car wasn’t a difficult gig, and if I could do it without anyone noticing, then I wouldn’t have to worry about anyone getting pissed at me for stealing from the TC.

So I drove over to where the gonk lived, and checked the parking garage. Driving through slowly confirmed his car wasn’t here.

Irritating. I drove out and instead headed to where Wakako’s information told me was his day job.

Unsurprisingly the gonk that owed Wakako was muscle for a local drug dealer. I drove past on the road once, and it wasn’t hard to see his car. What was irritating was the fact his car was surrounded by gonks.

Apparently the guy was involved in a party at the moment.

I drove past, finding a spot down the street well out of sight that I could park and step out. Adjusting my favorite jacket as I rose out of the car I considered what to do. I could just wait. Let the gonk drive home and then klep it then.

Or I could just klep it right out from under his nose.

I know which one I wanted.

To wait, because why make a gig that was meant to be annoying harder than it had to be?

On the other hand, I had other things I wanted to do today, and waiting around for this gonk to go home while he was in the middle of a TC block party didn’t sound super fun.

So I sighed and found an alleyway, giving me enough cover from most eyes that I could quickly take four hops jumping up onto AC units, or apartment balconies to end up on the roof of the block.

Hurrying across I made it to just above the party to scope it out.

It took me a moment to find a good shaded spot that still let me look over the party while keeping me hidden from any casual look, as I started getting an idea of the party.

Sure a couple people were hanging out around the cars, but no one was directly on the Turbo-R I was here to grab.

I tilted my head as I started hacking.

The car's security wasn’t bad, but we aren’t talking about Malcolms Caliburn. This was just a normal car's security and I broke in within a few moments. Once I was in, I tricked the security system into thinking I had the key and that was a big chunk of the gig done.

Now I just had to find my moment.

So I settled in, watching the movements of all the gonks. I just needed a moment where my target… Joji? Koji? I don’t even remember his name, it was in the data Wakako sent, but I had an eye on him now, and his name wasn’t important.

Ah.

He was distracted by a girl.

No one was sitting on the Turbo-R.

I found my landing zone, and Parkour guided me on a path.

I started the BD, then I leapt.

Off the building, my feet barely made a noise as I landed first on an AC unit, and then across an alleyway to hit the opposite brick wall and then used that to bounce back, and then again. Down the entire building bouncing across the ten foot alley until I landed in a quiet crouch on the other side of a pile of trash.

No one had seen me.

I moved crouched low and fast, until I passed the trash, then I stood up and sauntered as casually as I could through the crowd.

I might not have the colors, but I was still an asian girl. Just to fit in, I added a shake to my hips.

Sexy Motoko walk engage!

I slipped through the crowd with a little smirk on my face, and looked like I had something planned on my face. I wasn’t bothered.

Walking right past a girl making out with a guy on a Shion right next to the Turbo-R, I ignored them. The driver door opened, and I slipped in, the door shut, and after checking to make sure no one was behind me, I started it up and throttled quietly out of the spot onto the street, and then started driving off.

BD over.

Gig complete.

—---

Dropping off the Quadra Turbo-R into the garage Wakako wanted it placed in, I headed out and waited for my own Quadra Type-66 to catch up.

While I waited, it was time.

I called Sasha.

*Ringing*

*Ringing*

*Ringing*

*Heeh! What’s going on kiddy cat?* Sasha picked up with all the excitement and energy I was coming to expect from the woman.

*Sasha, I finished that Quick Hack I was telling you about. The Short Circuit one. Want to take a look?*

*Hmm, I don’t know Toko, it’s not really my style, you know?*

*Trust me, this one is good at disabling someone, especially someone chromed up for a much longer period of time than the off the shelf program. If someone with a bunch of chrome annoys you, you can hack them out, and leave them getting zapped on the floor for a good long while. It’s preem.*

The line was quiet for a moment and then all I heard was a burst of giggles.

*Okay, okay that does sound like something I want to try on Maine some day. I’m currently at the Turbo’s on Longshore, the one near the riverfront. We’re hosting a party right now. You should come!”

I blinked.

Wait. Turbo’s… That was where Maines crew always hosted their parties and stuff… But that was in Westbrook!? Are you telling me I lived like a block from where Maine’s crew had their parties!?

I was struck speechless for a long moment as the realization hit that I could have met Sasha and the crew so much easier!

*Toko you there?*

*Wha? Oh yeah. I was just surprised I used to live over there. I’ll head over. I can’t wait for you to see this hack Sasha, you’re going to love it.”

“Eeeeh! You’re making me blush kid! Heh! I’ve never had a little Kohai before! Eee! It’s so cute I totally get it now! C’mon hurry up! I need to show off my little programmer to everyone!”

“Wha… I’m not a Kohai.” I mumbled petulantly. But Sasha was ignoring me and all I could do was grumble and agree that I was on my way.

I mean… I guess I wasn’t at Sasha’s level with the netrunning stuff, I was definitely better at programming, but… I guess I was a Kohai. Fine!

I grumbled as my Quadra finally pulled up.

Sliding in I started driving, finally getting my update from Wakako.

*Wakako: I confirmed the vehicle was secured, and reached out to the target. Turns out he hadn’t noticed his car disappearing on him. I received quite the satisfaction in hearing his discomfort at that. Excellent work. I will have another gig for you soon. Payment and bonus has been sent.*

I blinked at the message, and checked the actual update, and whistled a little. She had given me a nice little bonus. Heh, I guess ghosting the car out from under his nose pleased Wakako.

Well. I guess it was a good thing I was going to a party. Time to celebrate another gig completed!