"We're in position." As soon as they stepped into the room, V updated the other end of the comms. "These damn protocols... they're a real pain."
The whole way there had been nothing but security checks and check-in procedures, making it feel like they could be exposed at any moment.
"Next time, I'm bringing you instead, Jackie... Arthur's only good as a bodyguard... He hardly says a word." Leaning against the desk panel by the wall, V crossed her arms, grinning at Arthur as he walked in.
"Mhm! Jobs like this should be left to the pros." Arthur shrugged and set the box he was carrying on the table.
"Alright... you two... time to get serious." T-Bug's voice cut into the comms, breaking up the chatter. "Pop open the Flathead, then find the vent... Our spider's got a web to spin."
The netrunner's voice was brimming with energy as she gave instructions.
...
Now the job had entered its most critical stage.
"Vent found." V's voice came through before Arthur had even opened the box.
"Ugh..." Arthur shook his head helplessly, knowing she was doing it on purpose. He ignored the smirk on her face.
Following the instructions on the chip, Arthur slotted it into the port at the back of his neck.
"This thing still moves... Battery's... uh..."
From V's perspective, Arthur frowned, then looked over at her with resignation.
"It's not moving anymore. Maybe it ate something bad."
Hearing that, V threw up her hands. "Really... Why not just say it's tired and ready for a nap? Bug, what's the situation?"
Best leave this to the pro.
On the comms, T-Bug's tone didn't change, clearly not too concerned. "V, you handle it."
Arthur scratched his face instinctively. The result spared him some trouble, but the way it was said still rubbed him the wrong way.
T-Bug couldn't care less what Arthur thought. She continued, "Concept prototypes glitch out all the time. No big deal. Here's the plan: I'll plug you into the hotel's network. Use the cameras to manually map out a path for the little guy."
"If I'd known this would land on me, Arthur, I'd have just been your bodyguard instead." V sighed and held out her hand.
"Of course! I'm your personal bodyguard now." Arthur passed her the device, this time hiding his amusement.
"Let's see... what are our fellow guests up to? Damn it, making a beauty like me do this... Ugh!" V groaned dramatically.
At that, Rebecca—who had been uncharacteristically quiet on the comms—suddenly shouted, "Shut the fuck up, you plastic-faced whore!"
Everyone, even Arthur and Jackie, had the same thought at once.
"Jealous."
Well, it was just a height thing. Back when Lucy was around, she'd been the same way. Now it was just Rebecca's turn.
"Okay, I'm connected." V ignored the short radish completely. Her eyes glowed with data as she linked up with T-Bug.
Under her control, the Flathead's legs crawled like an insect. Its dark body twisted unnaturally, then faded into transparency.
"Good. Switch perspective. Work through the cameras one by one until you find their watchdog ICE." T-Bug's cold voice carried through, her professionalism hardly polite.
No one interrupted while the two worked. With their coordination, the Flathead crept closer to its target.
"Damn it... this door. The Flathead can't get it open." Through several rooms, V's vision reached the inside of the security office—only to find one more locked door between them and the black room.
"Scan it. If you find a CCTV port, I can tap into the cameras inside." T-Bug's urgency was now obvious.
"Fine, fine..." V muttered as the camera under her control shifted slightly, until her optics highlighted a small square port. "Found it!"
"Good. Send the Flathead." Before T-Bug even finished, V already had the Flathead jacked in.
The feedback was instant. After a flicker, V's vision shifted to the other side of the door.
Almost no light... only two high-grade netrunner pods glowed faintly blue, radiating a visible chill.
"Look at our sleeping beauty." V muttered, spotting only one netrunner. "What the hell? Konpeki Plaza's cybersecurity... and they only left one person?"
"One good netrunner is worth a dozen amateurs... Alright, Flathead's up next." T-Bug's voice trembled with suppressed excitement. She'd already decided: once this gig was over, she was retiring. She was done with this life on the edge.
"There!" V's delighted voice broke in. "A hidden vent! Hah! Only visible from the inside."
As she spoke, the Flathead scuttled forward, moving as if it were an extension of her own body.
...
"Phew! Finally done." V let out a long breath, watching the small robot perched eerily on the unconscious hacker. "Flathead stays here, right?"
"Right. It'll keep watch—and it's our node." Even T-Bug's voice eased as she laid out the next step. "That's it for now. Disconnect."
With the hardest part complete, the rest of the job was simple: slip into the Konpeki mainframe, then wait for the right moment to take a quiet stroll through Yorinobu's suite.
And of course, snag a few things along the way.
As V pulled back, her vision returned to normal. Across from her, Arthur was no longer sitting where he'd been.