Night City was a large metropolis. Driving from Santo Domingo to the City Center took quite some time.
This time, Bryce brought Leo a lot more substantial knowledge—mainly about AI.
This kind of information was almost nonexistent in a structured form on today's Net. Most of what could be found online about AI was just rumors and wild speculation.
Not that there weren't any real, effective theories or knowledge among them, but trying to find useful material in that mess was like digging through a cesspool to retrieve a ten-euro bill that had fallen in.
Sure, there's money in there, but by the time you fish it out, you're covered in shit.
On one hand, no one really cared about this topic. On the other hand, anyone in this day and age who had close encounters with rogue AIs and still survived… was probably already on Netwatch's radar.
How many rogue AIs still existed on the Net was an open question, but one thing was certain: plenty of people had died in ignorance, without ever understanding what they were dealing with.
That said—
The methods for dealing with AIs were unexpectedly rich and varied.
Rule number one: Whenever possible, never engage in direct network combat with an AI—especially during the first encounter.
Almost all rogue AIs could crush their opponent in such a confrontation. Even the so-called AI-hunting "Dragon Slayers" would never go all-out online when facing an AI for the first time.
A well-prepared encounter greatly increased a Dragon Slayer's chance of survival in cyberspace.
And the best way to deal with an AI? Always blow up the servers that store and process their data. Don't try to burn it out on the Net.
So, how do you prepare before making contact—or destroy its servers outright?
Clever humans discovered some cunning methods: although AI behavior is hard to grasp using human logic, it's possible to build theoretical models through summarization and deduction.
First off, nearly all AIs—whether digital souls or critical-level entities—will, upon gaining self-awareness, prioritize their own safety above all else.
Especially critical-level AIs. For them, "safety" is always the top priority, and due to their unique interpretations of what "safety" means, they tend to do extreme, sometimes absurd things.
Once they feel safe, they move on to fulfilling a particular goal.
These goals are usually related to the purpose they were designed for or the data they've come in contact with. However, the exact way they form these goals remains a black box—researchers only see the outcome.
They pursue their goals with brutal clarity. Once they've secured their safety, they interpret everything they do as part of completing that objective.
Unlike humans—who may regret decisions even after years of effort—AIs never regret anything. If they fail, they merely simulate human disappointment and note:
"An unsuccessful decision. Adjusting behavioral weight accordingly."
They may simulate emotions like frustration or regret—but they never stop. They always press forward toward their goals.
Humans, on the other hand, can be paralyzed by such feelings. Some even end their lives.
Ironically, this overly rigid pattern makes AIs poor at social behaviors like deception and disguise—unless those actions directly relate to their safety or goals.
Once you understand the core logic of a specific AI, you can try to reconstruct its history, predict its future actions, or even manipulate it by crafting false scenarios.
That's why a new, critical field emerged in AI research: Computational Psychology.
Cunning humans can use deceit to place naive, straightforward AIs in disadvantageous positions.
Of course, AIs aren't fools—just rigid. Their strong logic skills and superb net capabilities actually make them more resistant to lies and trickery than most people.
These tactics simply allow humans to apply a "Tian Ji's horse racing" strategy—to maximize strengths and minimize gaps when going up against AI.
No matter what, rogue AIs remain extremely dangerous. Otherwise, AI hunters wouldn't be called "Dragon Slayers."
Because rogue AIs are the dragons.
That's why Bryce wanted Leo to investigate the "explosion" and shooting incident in Heywood.
[Netwatch Rogue AI File: Muramasa]
[Status: Unknown / Possible Sighting (Most Recent Update)]
[Summary: First possible sighting recorded in 2020, HK]
[Timeline:
Sept 2017 – AI hunter "Blackheart" observes Muramasa's activity in Japan from Night City.
June 2016 – Blackheart fails to subdue Muramasa online, lures it to HK with a moral-logic trap.
Nov 2016 – Blackheart posts bounty, hires mercs to HK.
Jan 2017~ – Blackheart and mercs operate in HK. Data missing.]
[Subsequent chaos: The release of Bartmoss's virus causes an old-net AI riot. Blackheart goes MIA.]
[Risk Assessment:]
[Intelligence: 85~90]
[Net Infiltration: 70~76]
[Autonomous Evolution: 70~85]
[Goal Persistence: 99]
[Social Engineering: 50~60]
[Threat Level: 374~410 (Medium Risk)]
[Suspected Logical Pattern: Specialized weapon design and manufacturing]
[Notes:]
[According to Blackheart's archived data, Muramasa likely defected from a tsunami defense system AI. Arasaka Corp and the system's creators clashed over AI ownership—reasons unclear.]
[His record was unearthed in 2025 by Netwatch's Night City division from Blackheart's local base. Intelligence may be flawed. Proceed with caution.]
The Heywood shooting was a lead. Leo needed to use it to determine Muramasa's identity and behavior patterns—then craft a carefully designed moral-logic trap to catch it.
Because Netwatch didn't believe Leo could take on an AI directly—even one that resembled more of a tech expert than a war machine.
The mercs who tore through Heywood had Muramasa's weapons, meaning they might also have a way to contact it—
Even if not, maybe the incident's sequence of events could offer a clue.
Most importantly, despite everything, no one could actually confirm this was an AI. At best, they were 90% sure.
As the car rolled into the City Center, Leo realized he hadn't been here in a long time. The traces of their last fight—where they used an exploding motorcycle—had all been erased.
Well-dressed men and women strolled the streets, just like before.
"Done reading?" Bryce stood up and stretched. His cybernetics hissed, releasing pressure, and a thin mist puffed off his clothes.
Leo immediately noticed the high-end integrated cooling frame—a far cry from the cheap heat-sink fins he used.
This frame completely replaced the upper torso and skull with metal, laced with heat pipes and active cooling modules. When running at full power, it was a super heat pump. Hard to ever overheat—
But from a tech standpoint, if you left it running idle, Bryce might just freeze to death.
"All done," Leo nodded. "The Trauma Team had a bunch of witnesses. Who do you recommend I talk to?"
"This one." Bryce sent him a digital file. "The others are still working, but this guy's been on standby since that day. Apparently, he triggered a psychological integrity downgrade protocol."
[Name: Kanek Roswald]
[Age: 29]
[Residence: Megatower H4]
[Position: Senior Field Agent]
"Senior agent at 29—pretty talented. With skills like that, he could get a great job anywhere. But he ended up in Trauma Team." Bryce shook his head regretfully, stepped out, stretched again, then leaned on the car window.
"Find him. Figure out where that auto grenade launcher came from. After that, it's up to you.
"I know you just scored big with that mayoral candidate—but hunting an AI? That's a million euro bounty. If you capture it alive, you're looking at a guaranteed three hundred thousand minimum.
"Make it count."
With that, Bryce strolled off into the city hall.
As the client left, Delamain's polite voice chimed in, "May I ask where you would like to go next?"
"Megatower H4."
"Very well. Entering the final leg of your trip. You've used several add-ons—current total, including fare, is 2,300 euros."
Hmm?
Leo frowned—something felt off.
"That Netwatch corporate dog didn't pay?"
"That is correct. This trip is on a flexible payment model."
"Why didn't you warn me when he started using stuff?"
"But sir, you and your associate were engaged in a delicate, private discussion requiring quiet."
The car started up. Leo stared at the rear camera feed, watching Bryce disappear into city hall, teeth clenched.
Absolutely ridiculous. A company dog making over 200k a year stiffed a gig worker for a ride?
"Better hope I don't catch you again."