How To Live as a Cyberpunk Solver

7. lie

It takes a lot of talent to be a troubleshooter, but especially the ability to find people.

Leonard Walker, the self-proclaimed best solver in A-044 City, also had a knack for finding people. I called Sigma, who was plugged into the charger and was bruised. The second-generation modded Android was concise in a different way from the broker.

-Mr. Leonard, your return home is delayed by 37 minutes and 44 seconds. Need help?

“The location of the latest navigation and surveillance cameras on 12th Street! Right Now!”

-Online access is required for this information. Would you like to approve?

“Three minutes! Is that enough?”

It was a dangerous act to upload illegally modified AI to the computer network. The story that an ego arises and hurts the owner and imitates the owner is an urban ghost story, but it was a real case that an accident caused by an information error and virus infection. Illegal androids were especially dangerous because they lacked the safeguards represented by the 3 laws of robots.

Leonard also usually uploads the necessary information himself, but he didn’t have time right now. A premonition that cannot be explained by science pricked my heart. It was one of the few genuine organs among Leonard’s organs, so he could be trusted.

‘No. 12-5 2nd floor pawn shop camera, No. 12-7 implant disposal site security camera, No. 12-9 public security robot monitoring camera…’

Leonard’s hexagonal pupils widened and contracted in seconds. He hacked every recording medium that came into view and downloaded it to his brain chip. As a result, dozens of images popped up in every corner of my field of vision. The time and place were different, so it seemed like I would get sick. Not only that, but I also had to worry about overload.

“…found.”

A moonshine store disguised as a private house, the camera caught Max entering alleys 12-8. It’s a short video of less than 2 seconds, but it was enough. Leonard cut off all useless connections and focused on the area around 12-8 Avenue. Arranging the videos in order of distance and time, Max’s movement was captured as if it were drawn on a map.

“Even if a kid runs, he’s still a kid.”

It caught up to the position a minute ago. The screen of the visual sensor gradually decreased, leaving only one. Leonard’s steps slowed a little. After confirming that everything was safe, it was time to think about the next thing.

‘7 thousand credits…’

It wasn’t a lot of money, but it wasn’t even a small amount to be coolly ignored. It was an amount I could live without worrying about for the next month or the month after that. As the broker said, I thought that I was a kid who would die anyway, and predicted the possibility of being released after the implant procedure. I thought it might be a good thing from Max’s point of view.

‘Whoa… It’s rotten.’

It is conscience, not intellect, that defines man.

If it was an unknown kid, he would have handed it over to the client without thinking. But Leonard knew the name Max. I knew he was cocky, I knew he ate a lot, and I knew his smiling face. Of course, that’s not logical. But what can I do, that it is the only ‘human’ left in the machine body…

“Damn it!”

Leonard’s steps quickened again. Something new was caught in the video floating on one side of the field of view. It was a gang of scavengers snooping around the alley where Max disappeared.

@

Leonard did not bother to visit or investigate unless the client requested a face-to-face meeting. This is because there are not one or two clients who hide their identities, and even if the request fee is taken away, it is the broker’s responsibility, not the solver’s concern. However, because I had experience and a sense, there were things I could know without investigating.

“Damn business people!”

The only ‘unreasonable’ clients who hired a fixer and sent a scavenger separately were the corporate guys. If you don’t have citizenship, you don’t treat people like people, so there was no manners.

-If you catch that, you’ll get 2,000 credits? really?

-yes. It’s a baby. Did you live in deception?

-2 thousand per person? Hey, aren’t you crazy?

– How do I know what those guys who drink the upper air think? Let’s see if the little liver becomes a delicacy.

There are five scavengers caught on camera. 2,000 per head is a total of 10,000 credits, but the broker skipped more than expected.

“Jake, let’s meet later.”

Later is later, and now he had to save Max. I kicked off the wall and ran from roof to roof. Because it was a back alley that was arbitrarily expanded and renovated, the level of parkour difficulty was considerable. From the 2nd floor, step on the 3rd, 4th, and 5th floor balconies to go up to the rooftop, use a clothesline to go down to the second floor on the opposite side, pass Jesus or Buddha, or a strange stone that religious people like in turn, and jump onto a truck right before it is scrapped. Passed through five blocks in a straight line. My heart was beating 3.3 times per second and my lungs were gasping for oxygen. The top-of-the-line implant body was worth the price, but it didn’t feel good.

“To run and run at this age…!”

Still, the results were great. He was caught on camera. Leonard raised his hand once toward the camera that had been monitoring him all along and saw the alley where Max and Scanvinger had disappeared.

information was lacking. I knew he was a scavenger by what he looked like and what he did, but I didn’t know his weapon, implant, affiliation, or criminal record. Pros minimize risk, so collect information first…

“I am not a cyborg! let go! Let go! Let go!”

“…Improvisation is also a quality of a professional.”

Leonard unbuttoned his shoulder holster and drew out his revolver. The cylinder was pulled aside to check the bullet. 45 caliber armor-piercing rounds were filled with 6 rounds. With the ball back and the muzzle hidden in his overcoat, he entered the alley.

I could feel the alley residents glancing through the windows. He was as smart as he was selfish, so he didn’t interfere or report it. rather it went well It was a headache when corporate public security intervened.

“This bastard! Can’t I just kill it and take it?”

“Put the gun away! Because the condition is to catch him safely!”

“Well, I guess. A classy person in the underground city will use it as a spare, but it can’t be contaminated.”

Leonard naturally intervened in the scavenger conversation. The scavenger, not familiar with the act of ‘interfering’, stopped what he was doing.

“What are you? Is it public security?”

“me? Are you a passing fixer?”

“Damn it! It was true that you hired a fixer!”

There seems to be a middleman over there as well. Except for the one who grabbed Max, they scattered left and right. It was a gang whose hands and feet matched quite well.

“We caught this first.”

“therefore?”

“So give up and go away.”

Leonard didn’t care about threats. He turned around slightly and spoke in a whisper.

“I think you misunderstood something, but I wasn’t commissioned to capture that kid.”

“Then what is it? Why are you meddling?”

“I was commissioned to protect that kid.”

That alone was the answer. The quick-witted scavenger quickly aimed his gun. It was a pretty good 9mm semi-auto pistol for a scavenger. However, Leonard, who had already aimed in the overcoat, was faster. Quaang-! Gunshots shook the alley.

A tungsten bullet, flying at 330 meters per second, pierced the scavenger’s titanium skull and stirred the contents. No matter how good the implant technology was, it could not replace the smashed brain, so death was certain.

“That son of a bitch! Kill-!”

Two of the remaining scavengers drew guns, and two drew iron pipes and knives. But again, Leonard was fast. I didn’t waste time talking to you for nothing. I already installed a hacking program on two people. One of them had something rather vicious.

“uh? uh huh what?”

He brought the gun to his temple and pulled the trigger. bang-! The head was cracked, and blood, brains, bone fragments, and metal fragments poured out. It was an absurd and sudden suicide.

“Suicide is the name of the program.”

It was a ‘suicide’ program that Leonard liked to use during his active career. Strictly speaking, it was murder, not arbitrarily, but the name was good because the dead could not testify.

clap- clap-

“Why is this! Why don’t you go out!”

The other man with the gun was also in trouble. Leonard pulled back the holey coat and said pathetically.

“You have to unlock the safety device for the bullet to come out.”

“Pooh, did you solve it?”

“Your body’s safeguards. Where did you get the bodyguard implants from?”

It was the ‘safety first implant’ used by the head of a suspicious company for his direct bodyguard. I was able to prevent the use of firearms by changing one setting. Leonard fired two shots from his revolver at the scavenger using the rare body. one foot in the chest. one shot to the head. bang-! Kwakwang-!

When the three most well-armed fell without a single resistance, the two with swords and clubs hesitantly pulled their butts out.

“Oh, shit…! What did we do wrong…!”

“If kidnapping children is not wrong, what is? Is it a volunteer activity?”

“You, what are you different? A fixer who sucks rich people’s buttholes…”

bang-!

A fourth bullet was fired. Whether intentionally or by accident, he pierced his airway and severed his cervical vertebrae. Although he avoided death instantly, he became difficult to talk about. After a while, it will be difficult to breathe.

There was only one scavenger alive now. To be precise, he was one who had lost his will to fight. When all his friends died, he threw down his iron pipe and fell to his knees.

“not me! I came without knowing anything! I just give credit, so I just don’t think…!”

bang-!

Leonard just pulled the trigger. With this, the five scavengers became the five scrap metal that were scavengers. It was an embarrassing result. Leonard said to Max, who sat down with a bewildered face.

“I don’t do murder in the first place.”

“…lie.”

“Really. Only do it when you really have no choice.”

Now was the time when it was unavoidable.

Leonard looked around at the lurking and spying alley residents. It was not uncommon for gangsters and scavengers to kill each other. Unpleasant feelings will outweigh fearful feelings.

“I still have one step left.”

“Yes?”

Leonard pointed the revolver at Max. The young face turned white.

“You said you didn’t come to catch me?”

“Your mind has changed.”

Doubt, disbelief, astonishment, and fear passed across his white face.

“After a good night’s sleep, it will be a different world.”

“Is that a lie too?”

Leonard was neither positive nor negative. I slowly pulled the trigger. The hammer flipped, the cylinder spun, and the last bullet fired. Quaang-!