How To Live as a Cyberpunk Solver

4. commercial morality

Leonard groped the security guard’s ear. Every single memory chip was touched except for the poorest street vagrants. If you remove this, most of the faces of the people you saw today will be forgotten.

“Well, it’s because I’m a modern person.”

In the past, it was said that people memorized faces even without such an auxiliary memory device, but these days, people do not try to memorize faces unless they have seen them for a long time. It’s partly because my appearance keeps changing with implants, but even taking that into account, I was really lazy.

Well, a long time ago, people memorized dozens of phone numbers of family and friends, and even memorized social security numbers, bank account numbers, and the address of a restaurant they frequented, so there was nothing to say. The evolutionary theory was also true that the process of evolution also included degeneration.

Leonard took a moment to think about useless things and put the memory chip in. If you tweaked it a little and put it on the black market, you could get 200 credits.

“Is this the computer room, and is that the armory?”

What they prepared for three days was the structure and security of the Junk Town Detention Center, and the personal information of the public security agent who arrested Jim Taylor. The plan was perfect. Take control of the computer room, temporarily disable surveillance cameras, security doors, and automatic turrets, subdue the target that will come to return the weapon in 15 to 18 minutes, retrieve the memory chip, and then take over Jim Taylor to escape. However, the first thing to be transcribed in the operation was the operation plan.

First of all, the control of the computer room went smoothly. It was the heart of the building, so I paid attention to security, but to block the former Hexagon, a lock wrapped around a chain was more effective than a state-of-the-art electronic device. I took off the keypad and connected the phone jack to unlock it. Some of the surveillance cameras are still working, but it didn’t matter. The noise face is working, so what will be recorded will be a mysterious monster in a misty fog.

Hacking the system was also very easy. It was not Orange Penitentiary for notorious international criminals, it was Junktown Jail for the temporary holding of gangsters, scavengers, vagrants, and drunken rowdy. After removing the firewall with a bypass program, it was modified so that all systems in the building could be operated with a single mobile phone.

All that remains is for the public security agent with Jim Taylor’s memory chip to return from patrol. However, ‘what’s left’ has always been a problem.

“…why aren’t you coming?”

According to the preliminary investigation, he should have returned a long time ago, but there was no news about the absence for over 30 minutes. The staff didn’t change, and even if it did, someone had to come, but no one came. Time was running out. An office android could be caught cheating, a fainted public security agent could be woken up, and a prison worker detaining Jim Taylor could be suspicious of the situation.

“What the hell is going on?”

The reason soon became clear. Sigma delivered urgent news in a non-urgent voice.

– There was a shootout on 17-3 Street in Junk Town.

“now? Why?”

Shootings are said to happen once every three days, but it was terribly unlucky that it happened at this time, in this district, and under this circumstance.

“Damn it, I got it. Take people out first.”

Leonard prepared to leave the computer room. But it was a few minutes late. Noticing that the system was paralyzed, three public security agents approached right in front of me. He was putting his hand on the gun as if he was very cautious. Leonard checked the surveillance cameras and gnashed his teeth.

“Should I get them out of here?”

He grabbed the revolver in his shoulder holster and immediately released it. When gunshots rang out, all the detention staff would come rushing in.

‘All of them are Rycorp implants. then…’

You couldn’t shoot, but you didn’t have to. I got close to the door, took a deep breath, and unlocked it. The timing was great. A public security agent kicked open the door and entered the computer room. It seems that he is confident in his cyborg legs that he can easily break through an iron gate, but that was a bit excessive. I stumbled at the iron door that was open in vain. It became good food for Leonard, who was waiting in advance.

“I don’t know knock!”

He stabbed his elbow into his side and rotated his body to insert a fist into his face. It was a continuous hit that entered while the balance of the body was tilted backward, so it was like being slammed down on the floor. The first gun was knocked down without even pulling the trigger.

“intruder!”

The second and third police officers aimed their guns at me. It was a faster movement than a street gang as it was trained by the company. However, I couldn’t pull the trigger either.

“Lykoff implants are standard implants for the Federal Army. It’s a model I’m very familiar with.”

Both agents were hacked in about a second while the muzzle was raised. Literally, I couldn’t even lift a finger.

“What, what are you doing…!”

It’s not just the hardware that’s broken. I shut down the whole system to prevent communication with the brain chip. It was a slightly different down from the first one.

“Take a deep breath.”

“for a moment…!”

Even with Hexagon’s hacking module, it was not common to momentarily stop the two devices. It was a shame that he was a junk town police officer who neglected to update the security program, but he couldn’t help but be an elite agent at the head office. Anyway, the immediate crisis is over. After removing the memory chip under the ear, I threw it roughly into the computer room.

-Mr. Leonard, the street commotion has been quelled. Hurry up.

“Why did you shoot those damn bastards when they couldn’t even last?”

I really didn’t have time. When the personnel check begins, the agent Leonard knocked out will be discovered. Leonard ran to the waiting room where Jim Taylor was. Fortunately, most of the public security agents in the detention center are dispatched and no one notices even if they make a little fuss.

“Is this this, this is Jim Taylor?”

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Jim Taylor’s clerk looked suspiciously at Leonard as he hurriedly entered.

“Is that the takeover? Why are you so late?”

I knocked out three of your agents and came, I couldn’t say anything, so I made up words.

“Don’t you know there’s a fuss outside right now? I barely escaped because some madman was shooting at me.”

“Ah, that has just been resolved. They said they all were killed.”

“A kill?”

“They’re wormy bastards who don’t pay a penny in taxes, so what are they going to do by arresting them?”

It was a remark like a servant of a company. Leonard shook his hand and said.

“Good luck then. I can take this person. I don’t know what kind of madman will come out.”

“Well, the paperwork is fine. Please.”

The detention center staff turned over some forged papers and released Jim Taylor’s handcuffs. The madman who was worried about the madman was quietly sent away. It wasn’t until 21 minutes and 39 seconds after Leonard and Jim Taylor left Junk Town that I realized that.

@

Although he escaped safely from the detention center of a dangerous company, Leonard’s expression was not bright. It wasn’t because of the biological skin peeled off while hitting people, nor because of the lack of serotonin due to stress.

“Can’t you give me 100,000 credits?”

There was emotion in his voice. He stayed up all night for three days to investigate, risked his life, and ran through the scene.

“Your request failed, right?”

“You got the man named Jim Taylor out safely.”

“That’s a small part of the commission. If we were going to get someone out, like Mr. Leonard said, we hired a guarantor for 100 credits.”

“You said it couldn’t be done humanely?”

“So, humanely, I didn’t pay 1,000 credits.”

100,000 credits was reduced to 1%, not 10%. Leonard was quietly angry.

“Even if laws and ethics collapse, commercial morality must exist. Why do you think I reported you and didn’t take the bounty?”

“How many pennies is our bounty?”

“…There is that, but it is because of loyalty to the client and professionalism. But hit the back like this? Do you think I can’t?”

It’s a threat that you can report it to the public security even now, but the terrorist was not an idiot.

“It’s not a report, it’s an embroidery. You attacked Junk Tower.”

“…damn.”

I wasn’t tempted by the number of 100,000. This was the price paid for direct contracts without intermediaries. Soldier B of the Liberation Front tried hard to hide his triumphant smile.

“There are still opportunities. If you bring back Mr. Jim Taylor’s memory chip, I will give you 99,000 credits immediately.”

“Sounds crazy. The other side must be eagerly awaiting it, so you want me to go and die?”

“Then, our request ends here.”

When Soldier B got up, the other two also got up. Judging by the expression on his face, it seems that he has not given up and will hire another fixer. Leonard contemplated whether to capture it and hand it over to the corporation. However, I gave up on B’s next line.

“I was not lucky, but I was impressed by Mr. Leonard’s workmanship. We will see you again when the opportunity arises.”

“Do not come. don’t see I won’t be accepting requests from you anymore.”

Even so, it was clear that if I brought 100,000 credits, I would receive it quickly. Credit can do a lot of things. Leonard, of course, would claim it was moral.