In the base's living room, everyone was staring at Mercer with looks of utter disbelief.
V, however, was just blankly gazing at the bank balance displayed in her cybereye, letting out a soul-deep question: "So, we're all broke again now?"
Mercer simply replied with an air of nonchalance, "Well, I still have over a hundred thousand eddies left. I kept enough for next month's utilities and the Trauma Team membership fees; that money I won't touch."
"Do we have any business at our shop?" V felt like her head was still spinning.
Pilar also shifted uncomfortably, flexing his fingers: "We did distribute some of our program chips, but to capture the market, we shipped them first and planned to collect payment after they sold. So, no funds have come back yet."
"What about firearms and gear?" V pressed on.
"Uh, A said we should focus on R&D first, no rush to open for business..." Pilar glanced toward Mercer.
V clutched her head in despair: "We blew through over seven million eurodollars in just three days? Three days?"
"Money doesn't disappear; it just relocates to stay with us in a different form."
As soon as Mercer finished speaking, V shot him a fierce glare: "That was seven million! Seven million eddies!"
Before Mercer could respond, V took a deep breath and turned to Pilar: "How much do you have left? How much did you spend, and on what?"
Pilar looked up at the ceiling: "Well... aside from some equipment, materials, and tools... you know, Lizzie's has a membership event right now. VIP customers get 10,000 eddies bonus for every 50,000 topped up..."
"Rebecca?" V cut him off impatiently and turned to Rebecca.
Rebecca, her green hair still damp from a recent shower, was casually twirling a strand of her long locks while watching the seemingly collapsing V, barely suppressing a laugh. She answered offhandedly:
"Got a few thousand left. I upgraded with a Berserk OS, added ICE to my Frontal Cortex, and installed a Kerenzikov. Oh, and I bought a super sick ride from El Capitán."
"Lucy?" V looked at Lucy.
Lucy curled her lips into a smile and glanced at Mercer: "I already gave all my money to Mercer."
V turned to Mercer, who simply took a sip of his NiCola with a grin: "All spent."
V slapped her palm against her forehead in frustration.
"I have about sixty thousand eddies left," Kiwi volunteered. "Didn't buy much. Mainly because I owed A a lot from before, still gotta pay him back a fifty-thousand eddies 'ransom fee' for my freedom."
V covered her face in agony: "So, Mercer, how much more do you need?"
Mercer thought for a moment: "About three hundred thousand more. With another three hundred thousand, I'll have everything I want."
"..." Without a word, V first transferred all her remaining funds to him, then stared blankly at the mere ten thousand eddies left in her bank balance.
Kiwi and Rebecca did much the same, silently keeping only enough for living expenses and transferring the rest directly to Mercer.
Mercer finally sat down somewhat sheepishly, taking a sip of his iced NiCola. "Well, consider it a loan from everyone. I'll pay it back when I have the money."
Before he could finish, V cut him off angrily, "Don't make me mad!"
Mercer blinked and fell silent.
V huffed and sat back down. "I figure your own money has probably all gone into the base too. How could I call it a loan from you? Consider this part of my donation to the team."
"Mhmm, that's what I thought. Ah well~ if we run out of money, we'll just go make more! With Mercer's skills, I'm sure we'll earn another five million eurodollars in no time!" Rebecca said confidently, grinning at V. "It's just a bit of money, right? We can always make more after spending it!"
Mercer also spoke with conviction, "Everything I bought was essential. I didn't waste any money."
"Well said! I was just about to ask; you have to tell us exactly where all the money went!" V glared at him, still fuming.
"Okay, first, I spent over three hundred thousand eurodollars on a dozen or so second-hand drones of various sizes and brands," Mercer explained.
V stared at him. "Why did you buy so many drones?"
"You don't get it. Small, medium, and large drones from different companies aren't just different in size; many of their mechanical components are unique. I need to buy them, take them apart, and compare them to understand their structures. Once I figure it out, we can handcraft our own drones! Plus, after I finish studying them, I can modify and resell these drones or use them as part of the base's security. Can you really call that a waste of money?"
After saying this, Mercer emphasized, "You have to remember, this is Dogtown. You never know when some idiot might try to rob you. Our security needs to be strong enough. What if we're not home and only a few netrunners are left in the base? They need some security measures to buy time until help arrives."
V sighed. "Fine, that makes sense. What else?"
"I also bought a few second-hand security bots, cost about two hundred thousand eurodollars. Same reason as above," Mercer said.
V reluctantly nodded. "Alright, what else?"
"I spent around three hundred thousand eurodollars on guns; don't get worked up, this was for research too!" Mercer quickly added before V could protest. "From the cheapest disposable-printed handguns that go for a hundred eurodollars apiece to sniper rifles and heavy machine guns costing tens of thousands. I only bought one of each, all second-hand. Don't just look at the total cost; it's because I bought a lot! I got almost every representative weapon on the market. How else are Pilar and I supposed to research, modify, and develop weapons if we don't get our hands on them to study? If we don't start figuring out how to modify weapons now, when will our store officially open? When will we start making money?"
V clenched her fists tightly. "Fine, keep going."
"The three million for the server goes without saying, right? That's essential!" After Mercer said this, V just nodded silently, her eyes fixed unblinkingly on him.
"I also placed an order with El Capitán for two high-end modified vehicles. One is a netrunner van modified from a Villefort Columbus van. One is a modified high-powered armored vehicle based on the Chevillon Emperor 720, the same model used by NCPD patrol cars."
Mercer continued explaining, "The netrunner van is equipped with an onboard server, network signal amplifier, portable radar, high-output ICE, and other gear. The total cost of the vehicle is around 500,000 eurodollars."
"Don't you think we should get one? With so many netrunners in our crew, having a vehicle like this for missions would be a huge advantage. We used it to hack the Behemoth last time; you've seen it in action. It's really effective, right?"
V remained silent but nodded in agreement.
Mercer grew even more confident as he spoke: "The bulletproof modified Emperor 720 is meant to serve as a shared transport for the whole squad."
"After modifications, the trunk was hollowed out and the rear seats removed, allowing the Emperor 720 to carry at least six to eight people."
"It's also fitted with incredibly thick armor capable of withstanding small grenade launchers, an explosion-resistant chassis, blast-proof tires, an onboard ICE countermeasure system, and a concealed remote-controlled heavy machine gun."
"To boost speed, it's been upgraded with an ultra-high-power military-grade armored vehicle engine."
"A modified armored vehicle with a military engine like this only costs 480,000 eurodollars in total."
"Expensive? Not really!"
"On top of that, there's all sorts of miscellaneous gear; reinforced bulletproof vests, various grenades, landmines, single-shot rocket launchers, multi-barrel grenade launchers, ammunition..."
Noticing V's disapproving look, Mercer quickly added, "Of course, we need to prepare these things in advance. We can't just rush to the black market for heavy firepower when we need it, right? Better to have everything ready ahead of time!"
"Oh, and since we're moving so much sensitive cargo, I had to spend a little extra bribing the Barghest soldiers guarding the gate. That idiot gave me a one-day pass for just 10,000 eddies."
Mercer spread his hands. "See? Everything I spent money on was essential. Nothing wasted. Why are you staring at me like that, V?"
V opened her mouth but couldn't find a rebuttal. She just held her head and muttered, "But seven million eddies... that's enough for all of us to live comfortably for the rest of our lives!"
She turned to Mercer, lips pressed tightly together. "So what are you borrowing money for now?"
"A small nanolithography machine. It'll cost around 300,000 eddies. With it, we can homebrew chips and integrated circuits from scratch. It's pretty versatile; great for crafting our own hardware."
V looked pained. "Do you really have to buy it now? Haven't we already bought so much equipment and machinery?"
"We could skip it," Mercer explained, "but then we'd have to buy second-hand chips and modify them ourselves, or rely on pre-made template chips. If we want to create custom chips or integrated circuits, we'd be leaving it up to chance."
Pilar, unusually serious, chimed in: "V, I actually think Mercer's spending is justified."
"If he doesn't buy this stuff, I'd have to purchase all these weapons and gear myself to study. Think about it; where would I get that kind of money?"
"So I guarantee whatever he buys won't go to waste. For the next month, well, let's say at least two weeks, I'll make sure of it! I'll just hole up in the workshop and make sure I've got the basics of firearm assembly figured out."
Under Rebecca's approving gaze, Pilar continued, "With the boss's skills, earning another few million eurodollars won't take long, if you ask me. Besides, we can always sell this stuff later if we don't need it. We bought it secondhand; fix it up and resell it, might even turn a profit! He can focus on drones and bots, I'll handle weapons and gear. This isn't just for show; we'll be putting it to use this month!"
Pilar chuckled reassuringly, "Without this equipment, where would we tinker with weapons to sell? Starting early means we start earning early too."
Rebecca chimed in, backing Mercer, "And cyberware research and gear development aren't separate fields. I've heard my choom say lots of equipment has to be designed with compatible cyberware in mind from the start. Gear and cyberware often need to work with other devices too, so some expenses are just necessary."
"The servers are for all of us, and with that kind of computing power, even a newbie like me can deep dive safely. At least when it comes to using the nearly three million eurodollars team funds, I have no objections. The rest is Mercer's own money; he's willing to invest his personal savings into the team. I don't think we should complain."
Even Kiwi, who usually stayed quiet, voiced her support at this point.
Only V paused, suddenly uncomfortable, placing her hands on the table in front of her. "You all feel this way? But it's seven million eurodollars!" She realized then that she seemed to be the only one struggling to accept how suddenly broke they were.
"What? Feeling like you overreacted?" Rebecca said with a grin.
But V stayed silent, unusually not rising to argue, just lowering her head with a complicated expression.
Mercer smiled, reaching out to rest his hand on hers. "Hey, no one's blaming you."
V's eyes inexplicably reddened. She couldn't explain why, just turned away. "...It's not that I think you did anything wrong. I just feel..."
"I know." Mercer gave her hand a gentle squeeze before withdrawing his own, watching her with a warm smile. "I get what you're thinking, and honestly, everyone does. Think about it; a big family suddenly wins a huge lottery, and before the money's even warm, someone says it's all gone and needs to borrow from their siblings. Even if everyone knows they wouldn't waste it, they'd still feel anxious and want to know where it went. After all, it's no small sum."
"Stop, it's my..."
V started to stand, but Rebecca yanked her back down with surprising strength, gazing at her with rare gentleness. "V, no one thinks you're in the wrong. You're just thrown by how fast the money went; it doesn't match your idea of how money should work. We all get it. None of us have ever made this much before. Hell, a month ago, if someone offered Pilar ten thousand eurodollars, he'd have sold his own ass."
"And just like that, all that money was gone in the blink of an eye. You even had to dip into your own savings to support the family. I get it, I really do."
"But you have to think about it; how could Mercer not be anxious? Colonel Hansen in Dogtown might be secretly watching us right now!"
"Plus, we still have unfinished business with Biotechnica. Sooner or later, we'll probably have to throw down hard with those corpos."
"We also need to figure out a steady long-term income stream and upgrade our gear while we're at it."
"Not to mention, it's obvious to everyone that someone like Mercer must've gotten into serious trouble before running off to Night City. Who knows what kind of mess is still chasing him?"
"People like you and me; we're happy as long as we have enough to eat and drink, can drive fancy cars, and show off on the streets."
"But Mercer has to think further ahead, plan for bigger things."
Rebecca's gentle tone was something only Pilar was used to; everyone else was genuinely surprised.
Even V lost her edge, sitting quietly and listening intently.
"Besides, you had no idea what he spent the money on at first. Wasn't it normal to call a meeting in a panic to confirm?"
"If Pilar dared to knock on my door today and tell me he ran out of money asking to borrow some, I guarantee he'd get thrown out by my Guts."
When Rebecca finished, Pilar looked a little hurt. "Damn, why do you always use me as an example?"
"What, am I wrong?" Rebecca put her hands on her hips and glared at him disdainfully. "Look at him, then look at you. Mercer made so much money, but he wouldn't even drive a Caliburn; he sold it to buy equipment for the base. And what did you do? Top up your Lizzie's membership?"
"I almost wish Vik would perform surgery on you; maybe if he snipped something off, you'd finally act responsibly?"
Pursing his lips, Pilar muttered, "Of course he doesn't have to worry; he's got all those pretty girls eyeing him anyway."
"Huh?"
A chorus of cold, sharp glares instantly turned toward Pilar.
Pilar immediately zipped his lips with his fingers and quickly made his exit. "Ahem, since everything's cleared up, I've got things to do. I'm out!"
"Alright, since everything's been explained, and Mercer's clarified where the money went, and no one objects to lending him more for that nanolithography whatever... should we all just go back to sleep?"
Rebecca rose with a smile.
V pressed her lips together and said, "Okay, Mercer, I..."
She couldn't find the right words, but Mercer just grinned and patted her shoulder. "What's with that guilty look? Let's just say it's my fault. Next time I spend money, we'll have a proper meeting and discuss it, sound good?"
"Damn," she flushed, unable to form a proper response, and mumbled, "I just want you to know I'm not blaming you. It's just... the spending was so sudden."
"I know. Next time, we'll talk it over beforehand." Mercer laughed, ruffling her hair. Watching her cover her head without a word, he chuckled and left the living room.
Rebecca, on the other hand, wore a mischievous expression, looking her up and down before sighing regretfully, "I should've waited to comfort you; maybe then I could've seen you shed a few tears."
"Screw you! You'll never see me cry in your lifetime!" V huffed, but then, somewhat awkwardly, reached out and ruffled her hair. "Thanks."
"Damn it, I just washed my hair!" Rebecca glared at her indignantly.
V finally broke into a smile. "You actually look kinda cute with your hair all messy."
"Ha!" Rebecca rolled her eyes, flipped her the bird, and then bounced off cheerfully to catch up with Mercer. "Since we're all here, might as well chat for a bit before turning in for the night."
As Lucy passed by V, she gave her a gentle smile and said softly, "I think you did the right thing. Someone needs to keep him in check, otherwise he'll blow all his money like it's nothing. I've got your back."
"When did you give him all your money?" V suddenly felt a pang of guilt.
Lucy just smiled. "The day we got paid, I knew he'd run out sooner or later, so I kept an eye on him. The moment he frowned, I knew he was short. Don't follow my example, though. I'm basically dead weight for the team right now, and I can't even get cyberware installed. Mercer buys all my gear, so there's no point in me holding onto cash anyway."
V looked at Lucy and suddenly realized that, much like Rebecca, she seemed young but was far more mature than your average street punk.
Lucy didn't say more, just patted her shoulder gently. "Haven't you noticed? He actually listens to you. So... please keep an eye on him for me, just like you did today."
"Listens to me?" V hadn't gotten that impression at all.
"Yeah. If it were Pilar nagging him about where the money went, you think he'd drag everyone out for a meeting in the middle of the night? Surprisingly, he seems to care about what you think." Lucy chuckled. "He'll listen, as long as you're genuinely looking out for him."
V nodded thoughtfully.
Kiwi simply gave them a nod before retreating to her room, appearing as quiet and reserved as ever.
But Kiwi's inner thoughts were a stark contrast to her outward demeanor; a faint, unconscious smile lingered on her face.
If the team could stay like this... maybe being broke wasn't so bad after all.
Once the hallway fell silent again, with everyone seemingly retired to their rooms, a petite figure slipped stealthily out of her room and tiptoed up to Mercer's door.
When Mercer received the message and opened the door, he couldn't help but find Kyoko's furtive, 'sneaky' demeanor both amusing and curious. "What's up? You had to sneak over here just to talk to me?"
Kyoko hesitated for a long moment before taking a deep breath and saying, "Mercer, I want to officially join the team!"
"Why didn't you bring it up during the meeting?" Mercer smiled as he sat down on his bed, and Kyoko instinctively took a seat at his computer desk.
Mercer's room was sparsely furnished, with only a BD wreath tossed on the desk, his ever-present laptop, and a small fridge stocked with energy drinks, NiCola, and canned coffee.
"Want something to drink?" he offered first.
Kyoko shook her head, lowering her gaze somewhat timidly. "I'm afraid everyone thinks... I'm not very useful. There are so many netrunners in the team now, but honestly, you handle most of the work alone, Mercer; writing quickhacks and all. Truth be told, we really don't need this many people."
"At least Kiwi and Lucy can join you on field ops. I... I don't know what I can even do to help."
Kyoko let out a dejected sigh. "I thought about looking for work outside, but I'm worried about causing trouble for all of you."
Mercer reached over and ruffled her hair. "We're family; we don't keep score like that. You're still young; there's no rush to figure everything out right now. Isn't it enough that you have a roof over your head, food to eat, and some pocket money now and then?"
"But Mercer, I can't just live here freeloading," Kyoko insisted earnestly. "Every member of a family should contribute in their own way."
Mercer chuckled. "You and Lucy are exactly alike. You both think that just because you're netrunners, you have to match everything I do. Even when you take on simple tasks, you feel like you're taking advantage of me."
"Well, it's true! Anyone can assemble chips, and the quickhacks we painstakingly write can't hold a candle to what you batch-produce in an hour."
Kyoko sighed again.
"But V actually made a good point; everyone's energy is limited, mine included. For now, use programming as practice. Later, you can take over more of the tedious work from me."
Mercer continued, "Think about it; I have so much ahead: developing software, researching hardware, refining cyberware equipment... If you can help with boring tasks like program testing or gear trials, the real time-sinks, you'll already be a huge help."
His voice softened as he tapped her forehead gently. "I know you feel useless, like you're just here collecting dividends without pulling your weight. So take less, then. Pay yourself what you think your work is worth, and give the rest to me; I never say no to extra eddies. Take it step by step, and don't waste energy on worries. Turn that anxiety into motivation to improve."
Kyoko nodded obediently, pressing her lips together. "I understand."
She might have had more on her mind, but she knew pressing further would only burden Mercer.
"As for officially joining the team; we can call a meeting if you want, or I can just mention it at dinner tomorrow. No need for formality. Everyone already sees you as one of us, so don't worry."
After Mercer finished, Kyoko nodded and stood up. "Okay."
Seeing her still troubled expression, Mercer knew there was little more he could say; she needed time to process things on her own.
After watching Kyoko leave, Mercer headed to his room and collapsed into bed, squeezing in every minute of rest he could. In three hours at most, he'd be up again, back to the server room.
Right now, Mercer truly had no energy to spare for anyone's peace of mind.
In the coming days, he needed to focus not only on developing the ctOS but also on cracking Soulkiller as quickly as possible.
Only by decrypting Soulkiller could he proceed with consciousness transfer experiments using the Relic, once he managed to seize Biotechnica's cloning equipment.
Mercer had no intention of using Soulkiller to copy his personality and transfer a backup; to him, that was no different from a clone living on. Saburo Arasaka might have been fine with resurrection in that form, but Mercer absolutely did not want to live that way.
So what he needed wasn't a backup of his soul, nor a simple copy-and-paste of his consciousness data; he wanted a complete upload of his consciousness. The distinction was crucial.
Take Alt, for example; she had truly uploaded her consciousness, freeing it from her body, not merely copying it. Achieving that required a deep, intimate understanding of Soulkiller.
On top of that, Mercer had plenty of other work to do: further developing the Relic chip, studying the mountain of courses he'd swiped from Biotechnica, and designing new gear and cyberware.
Just thinking about the pile of tasks ahead made him sigh.
Fortunately, he never struggled with insomnia.
As soon as his head hit the pillow and he decided to rest, it was like his brain had a reset button. Press it, and he'd fall into a deep, heavy sleep until the appointed time.
What was sigh-worthy, though, was that even when Mercer wanted to slow down and reflect, jobs never waited.
Early the next morning, he received a job request he couldn't put off.
It came from none other than Mr. Hands, who'd probably been keeping a covert eye on him in Dogtown all along.
[Mr. Hands: A, good morning.]
[A: I'm guessing there's work.]
[Mr. Hands: Indeed. To be precise, there are a few jobs I need you to handle as soon as possible.]
Mercer sighed. Looked like he'd be working off some favors for Mr. Hands now. But that was fine; he'd just blown through his savings at home, and it was time to earn some cash for the chooms.
[A: Send them over. I'll wrap them up quickly.]
[Mr. Hands: Knew you were the straightforward type. Alright, the job details are on their way.]
Mercer opened his email and skimmed through.
The first job was simple enough. He quickly coded up a little tool similar to something Spider Murphy would use and dropped it straight into the squad's group chat, leaving it to the team to sort out.
[Mr. Hands' Dogtown Job: Heavy Hearts Club Network Upgrade]
[Objective: Mr. Hands' club has been hit multiple times by unknown netrunners with hacks and cyber-attacks, which has left him less than pleased. He wants a stronger ICE program installed, including a full security system update.]
[Reward: 50,000 eurodollars (This is off the books. Whoever's up for making the trip can take it. I can provide the new ICE program and security system; just go install it, and the money's yours.)]
Looking at the lines of text he'd pasted into the group chat, Mercer felt a little amused, almost like he'd turned into an NPC from a game.
Maybe I could start collecting various jobs and just post them like this; anyone in the crew who wanted to take one could just grab it from the tool and go?
Replies started popping up in the group chat almost immediately.
[Kiwi: I can handle it, but I'll need a bodyguard. Dogtown's a bit risky.]
[Rebecca: I'll do it! I'll do it!]
[V: Give it a rest, Rebecca. They'll probably stop you at the club door and not even let you in.]
[Rebecca: Fuck! Anyone who tries to stop me gets their head blown off!]
[Pilar: That's Mr. Hands' turf. Don't cause trouble for Mercer.]
[Rebecca: (bloodthirsty emoji) Fine! Then I'm not going! Someone else can handle it!]
[V: I'll do it! Should we head out now?]
[Kiwi: A?]
Mercer chuckled and directly pulled out the security system and ICE program he had previously developed for his own server, sending them straight to Kiwi.
Both programs were still in their initial versions; Mercer would be updating and iterating on them multiple times later, possibly even scrapping and rebuilding them entirely.
So there was no issue with handing them over to Mr. Hands; they would perform excellently. Even experts from the Voodoo Boys or NetWatch wouldn't easily break through the ICE he'd written.
As for the second job, Mercer glanced at it and decided to toss it into the group chat as well.
[Mr. Hands' Dogtown Job: Scavenger Overpopulation]
[Location: The abandoned building just a block from our place. Objective: Dogtown's chaos has bred Scavengers like cockroaches, making life miserable for the locals. We need to teach them a lesson, clean up the area, and show them the locals aren't to be messed with. Estimated 15–25 Scavengers in the hideout. Security details unknown. Reward: €150,000, plus all their equipment and gear. A's Note: I'm not stepping in for Scavenger-level trash. Form your own team and handle it. You're cleared to pick gear from the warehouse. Make it quick, and strip their base of anything valuable.]
This time, even Pilar chimed in, eager to join the action. Eventually, the group decided to go together, watching each other's backs to avoid any surprises.
The Scavenger den was only a street away from their base. Honestly, having such filth right on their doorstep was disgusting. Taking care of it early might just make the neighborhood a bit quieter.
While the eurodollars reward wasn't huge, Scavenger hideouts usually had plenty of harvested cyberware, surgical equipment, and other loot that could add up to a decent sum.
The last job, however, was trickier.
After reviewing it, Mercer concluded that this one would likely require his personal involvement.
[Mr. Hands: The Haitians' ambitions are growing. They're trying to rally all Haitian forces to drive NCPD out of Pacifica and turn it into their own backyard. On this, they oddly align with the Animals and Dogtown; everyone wants NCPD gone. But if the Voodoo Boys grow too powerful, that's bad news for everyone. Lately, they've been getting bolder online. The public networks across Pacifica and even Dogtown have become dangerously unstable. I need you to hit them hard in the net; teach them a lesson. They can't just lean on Rezo Agwe and recklessly attack netrunners, hack servers, and make it impossible for anyone to browse safely. I've discussed this with Slider from Dogtown. We've agreed it's time for a raid. They usually become active around seven or eight in the evening. I plan to start at seven sharp, having your people collaborate with the Voodoo Boys from Dogtown to ambush those netrunners from Pacifica's Voodoo Boys in Cyberspace. Once you're ready, contact Slider. As long as we can teach the Pacifica Voodoo Boys a lesson, this job is done. The reward is two hundred thousand eddies.]
Mercer looked over the job details, pondered for a while, and finally sent another message to Mr. Hands.
[A: I don't need the Dogtown Voodoo Boys involved. Give me their share of the payment, and I'll handle this job alone.]
[Mr. Hands: Are you sure? The Pacifica Voodoo Boys are backed by Rezo Agwe, and they never operate alone.]
[A: I'm sure. And I suggest you notify the Dogtown Voodoo Boys to avoid deep diving for the next few days. Starting today, I'll make those Haitians relive the nightmare of being driven from their homes by disaster. A few days of ruthless hunting should make the Voodoo Boys understand the meaning of staying in line. Besides, I'd like to introduce myself and let them know that from now on, this part of the Net belongs to me.]
[Mr. Hands: You're quite confident, A. Alright, it's settled then. The payment is five hundred thousand eurodollars. If I can confirm afterward that you've taken out any notable high-level netrunners, there will be additional bonuses.]
[A: I'll send you an authentication program. If any of your netrunners need to deep dive, make sure to activate it. I wouldn't want any accidental casualties.]
[Mr. Hands: If you're capable of that, I'd be willing to pay for your authentication program.]
[A: Sounds good; cyber protection fees, huh?]
[Mr. Hands: If you're truly that powerful, I'd gladly spend a little extra for some net security.]
[A: Seems like you're eager to get rid of those Voodoo Boys.]
[Mr. Hands: Who wants to work with a group that treats outsiders like dirt? If you ever decide to take them down and claim Pacifica for yourself, I'd be more than happy to lend a hand.]
[A: I imagine that day will come. I'll take the job. Notify your people and the Dogtown Voodoo Boys to lay low for the next few days. I'm getting started right away.]
[Mr. Hands: I'm looking forward to your performance.]
Mercer ended the call and looked up. In the server room, only Lucy was still waiting for him, clearly wanting to talk.
"Avoid deep diving for the next few days. I've got work to do."
Lucy nodded. "Alright, I saw the job you posted in the group chat. Mr. Hands has been saving up quite a few tasks for us."
"We get paid to solve problems. Might as well show him what we're made of." Mercer smiled and said, "Be careful when dealing with the Scavengers. Bring the heavy firepower; whatever you need."
"Yeah, don't worry." Lucy gave a faint smile. "I know you'll be watching over us in the Net."
"Good guess. So go all out. If anything goes wrong, I can get there quickly from here."
After offering some encouragement, Mercer sat directly at the netrunner station. "Help me plug in, all the connections."
Lucy stood up, walked behind him, and watched as he crossed his legs on the chair, opened the panel at the back of his head, and revealed multiple access ports.
With practiced ease, Lucy plugged in all the connection cables for him, softly reminding, "Rebecca and I need to scout out the Scavengers' situation first. I'll have Kyoko keep an eye on you; if anything goes wrong, she'll pull the plug."
"It won't be me who needs the plug pulled. Fine, if you're worried, let her watch."
Mercer spoke confidently, rolling his shoulders. "I'm going to crush the Voodoo Boys' arrogance online and test their Rezo Agwe server while I'm at it."
He glanced at the row of servers behind him and grinned. "Think we should give our server a badass name too?"
"Whatever makes you happy," Lucy replied, adding firmly, "Just don't make it too weird. I don't want to hear some strange name every time I log on."
Mercer smirked, thinking it over before saying, "Let's call it Orion. Back in the Old Net days, netrunners used the near-AI Orion anti-IC to hunt down AI spores. Now I'll use this massive server to hunt down those reckless idiots causing trouble."
"Don't make the server's icon too strange either," Lucy reminded him, knowing Mercer always had some odd ideas.
"Yeah, I'll think about it."
It only then occurred to Mercer; everyone gave their servers a cyber facade online, and he wasn't about to be outdone. What kind of icon would look intimidating, cool, and unique, perfectly suited for my server?
Got it!
As soon as an image popped into his mind, Mercer eagerly initiated the deep dive.
Time to show those Voodoo Boys punks how a real net god plays!
-------------
5600words.
Bonus chapter @1500 power stones