Chapter 41
Chapter 41
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: How to Survive in Fusion Punk
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Lost City was a place where cybernetic tech had achieved dazzling growth.
Naturally, there were so many small data chip manufacturers and tech ventures that you could trip over them.
Actavis Company was one such firm.
Rather than developing their own new products, they focused on producing and distributing replicas of brand-name data chips whose patents had expired—generic chips, in other words. Just your run-of-the-mill manufacturer.
Recently, they'd based a generic chip called Mother Voice on another company's data chip Deep Sleep, which had a trauma-suppression function. It became something of a hit thanks to its option of having one of 1,094 middle-aged women's voices sing lullabies or read fairy tales. Or so the talk went.
For Jin, with his pure, untainted mind, it was a story that was hard to relate to.
He'd heard the catchphrase "One of these has to match your taste" a few times, but "One of these has to sound like your mom"... well...
So Jin just mentally reviewed the essential info.
First, Actavis Company was a data chip manufacturer.
Second, this was the place he'd found in the broker's mind.
Third, the company was in Zone 36.
He was smugly pleased with his neat three-point summary—a rare clean success—when...
"...Why do I have to go with them?"
He turned at the icy voice whispering in his ear. There was her profile, ball cap pulled low and mask on.
"I'll pass."
Kalifa shook her head at the woman, Eanna.
"This is a situation where I'm passing on unverified info. You say you're fine with it, but I'm not. Beyond personal pride, it could damage my reputation in the industry. Even if nothing goes wrong. Just showing negligence gives them plenty of ammo to bite back with."
"...Do I look like the type who'd go blabbing about this job?"
"Even if the principal keeps quiet, word gets out in this business."
She was a linker through and through, rattling off truth mixed with exaggeration in a calm tone. Eanna couldn't easily rebut, averting her eyes and falling silent—clearly pondering, anyone could see.
Then Kalifa drove the nail in.
"Are you gonna take responsibility for me?"
Whoa, responsibility.
Jin was impressed. Would that line, tugging at noblesse oblige, even work in this world?
Surprisingly, it did.
"Fine."
Eanna slowly nodded.
She side-eyed Jin and Eric.
"Just the two of you? I'll come along. But I won't tolerate half-assed bodyguard work."
"Of course. Think of us as invisible."
It stung to be called invisible to his face, but what could he do?
Framing it as soothing this picky lady, Jin shut his mouth.
Eric did the same, arms crossed, no reaction beyond occasionally scratching his hairy calf with his toes.
Meanwhile, Eanna stood.
Jin checked his terminal: 19:21. Curious how long a run would take, he fired up the nav app and started typing A...c...t...a...v...i...s...
"Follow me."
With that curt word, Eanna brushed past and opened the door, heading out.
Jin, eyes glued to his terminal, grumbled about her rush and hurried after, waving lightly to Kalifa and Poh's "Take care" before chasing his vanishing client out of the Anecdote.
Another commission had begun.
They say panic seals your lips.
This was exactly that.
...What the hell is this?
Jin blinked at the world beyond the transparent canopy called a cockpit cover.
A vast cloud plain stretched out below, tinged red with the dying sun.
An AI transport?
He hadn't imagined such a ride. For naive Jin, who'd been ready to fire up the Manticore and hit the highway, not freaking out would have been weirder.
Maybe he really wasn't a big shot.
The scale was off from the first button.
Different worlds, huh.
He glanced diagonally at Eanna, eyes closed, face blank.
Then a snoring rumble from behind made him snicker.
Helmet-head sleeping through this? Guess I'm the only one shocked.
Feeling like the country bumpkin, scratching his head, Jin decided to just roll with it.
Turning back to the canopy...
A low sigh escaped.
"Ah."
Below the parting clouds.
A city embracing true night.
Its chaotic twinkling lights looked like shattered stars illuminating deep darkness.
Thus.
The city, long ago robbed of its brilliant night sky, had become a new one itself. A fact he'd missed while struggling within it.
Galaxy of neon signs.
Loneliness seeping through the glamour.
An outsider to whom it all still felt alien.
The gulf in his heart that refused to narrow.
Suddenly, Jin's eyes wavered.
He whipped his head away, but too late.
The black wave exploiting his heart's chink had already soaked his ankles, silently rising.
"Haa— haa—"
His breath quickened on its own. He shut his eyes.
Trying to calmly count from 1 to 10...
"Calm down."
A steady voice.
Everything snapped back like a lie.
The black wave vanished without trace, revealing the transport's interior. And the woman's face now gripping his wrist.
Was this how it felt to face your lifesaver?
He wanted to bow in thanks, but his breath was too ragged. After steadying it, he mumbled.
"...Thanks... thank you... arigato... xiexie."
Shallow gratitude in four languages. Then, to Eanna still holding his wrist:
"Uh, sometimes I get like this..."
"No need to explain."
"Huh?"
"I said no need."
Eanna repeated, releasing his wrist.
She turned forward. Jin blinked awkwardly.
"...Right."
Wiping under his nose, he scanned for somewhere to look.
"Walter was like that too."
"Huh?"
Jin tilted his head, waiting.
But Eanna clammed up after that. Jin didn't pry, lowering his gaze.
No courage to look out the window yet.
So he consciously dredged up other thoughts.
Come on, brain cells. Panic now and it's chaos. Throw out any topic.
Dinner? Nah.
Breakfast tomorrow? Pass.
Lunch tomorrow? No.
Thankfully, before dinner tomorrow, a solid one hit: Why'd the quest EXP go up more?
It needed addressing anyway.
First time for this.
So Jin lapsed into uncharacteristic thought.
What changed? Just one line.
This boosted EXP nearly double... Hm.
Huh?
Jin's eyes widened. Staring at his client across:
Does this mean if things flow normally, Eanna's in mortal danger?
Most logical guess.
Previous quests were just "find Walter with client."
Not save Walter, not witness reunion, not cheer "Kiss! Kiss!"
Just find him.
Adding "protect client" hiked EXP?
Then after finding Walter, something threatens Eanna.
Or maybe...
Jin frowned.
The craft began slowly descending, rain pattering on its surface. Below the clouds, a mechanical voice from the transport:
Eanna turned.
"We'll hit the building airspace soon."
A hand tapped Jin's shoulder from behind. Eric.
"...Dude, typo."
Sighing at the lame display, Jin turned.
Slapped both cheeks hard, shook his head side to side with a quack-like shiver.
Get it together.
Focus on the job.
Protect Eanna first.
Smash the Rum Pump Pump bastards too.
That's it for now.
The transport now close to ground.
Beyond canopy: no more fallen night sky, but silent massive hologram billboards and flashing neons sweeping past.
Rain intensified to downpour. Visibility near zero in the storm, yet the AI transport pressed on flawlessly.
Wooong.
Engines tilting downward hummed.
Hovering 50 meters above a rooftop, powering down to descend slowly—then static crackle and radio:
"Landing prohibited! Repeat: Landing prohibited!"
"You've breached private property. If you continue forced landing—"
Cut off.
Eanna, now standing, had hit a button.
Ignoring the warning outright, she spoke.
"I'll go first. No need to land. I'll come back when it's done."
"Go? Where? We're still airborne?"
Jin asked, though half-disbelieving.
Until Eanna brushed past toward the rear ventral hatch.
"Hey, you—!"
"Open ventral hatch."
The floor beneath her unfurled like ribs to the outside—
Fierce wind and rain whipped in as Eanna free-fell.
"You're insane?!"
Jin yelled, dashing to the hatch.
Gripping an inner wall, he watched the scene below in slow motion.
Armed troops on the roof.
Guns of all sizes aimed at the transport.
Howling storm.
And.
Heat vaporizing it all.
──!
Pure white flames rippled out,
Instantly evaporating rain between transport and roof.
Even droplets on Jin's cheek.
Plop.
Sublime heat settled on the floor.
No screams.
Just ashes of someone, stained black by belated rain.
At center, Eanna flung her cap aside, peeled off her mask, turned to the transport, lips moving silently.
'Just stay there.'
Turning to enter the building, Jin let out a hollow laugh.
Her in danger?
No way.
Who's protecting who?
But it was done, no turning back. Waiting for luxury landing was pointless.
Jin yelled.
"For Rum Pump Pump!!"
Hurling himself at the hatch. His shrinking figure left question marks flooding Eric's visor, who'd stood still till then.