The Chrono Drive

"I can't keep making these for free."

I was no pushover, and I wasn't crazy enough to work for nothing, either. This was an immunosuppressant that reduced Chrome Syndrome progression by a full 20 percent. From Suzy's perspective, it was something she'd trade her entire fortune for.

"Obviously you'll pay. Don't worry about that."

Suzy's reply came sharp as a blade.

Still, I couldn't let the conversation end there. I needed to seize the initiative.

"Transfer full authority over the manufacturing lab to me. In return, I'll make immunosuppressants for you as long as I have the materials."

"You want us to hand over access to some nobody who isn't even in the gang? You're out of your mind."

It was the gang member who'd brewed the botched immunosuppressant.

"Boss! Does this even make sense?! We can't hand over this lab! Do you have any idea what I've built here since we came down to the Lower District?"

Suzy stayed silent, but thanks to Ghost Signal, her heart was an open book.

He has a point, though. That was oppa's rule, but still….

She began to waver. Fair enough—she probably figured that letting some outsider waltz in and out would erode her authority. But was this really the moment to be quibbling over that?

"Your hand tremor stopped, didn't it? Early-stage cyberpsychosis, wasn't it?"

"Watch your mouth."

Suzy snapped, apparently less than thrilled about having her cyberpsychosis symptoms brought up.

"Give me time, Boss, and I can replicate whatever the hell this guy made!"

Sensing his moment, the gang member jumped in.

"You? You can do that? You're serious? You, who could only ever brew the kind of junk the Upper District wouldn't spit on?"

The sparks flew straight at him.

"B-Boss! Wasn't it my drugs that kept you going?!"

"And now someone's shown up who can make something dozens of times better. Give me one reason I should still keep you around."

Suzy turned her gaze to me and went on.

"Fine. Jinwoo, was it?"

We'd never actually introduced ourselves. She must have remembered Lucia calling my name earlier.

"You'll get the lab access you want. We'll discuss the details upstairs."

"B-Boss!"

The gang member cried out as if he'd been wronged, but Suzy's eyes had gone ice cold.

"If you're that bitter, go brew something better ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠than Jinwoo's. Complain one more time, and I'll take your head."

At her warning, the man deflated and shut his mouth. Poor guy, but what could I say? Down here, competence was survival.

A lab of my own.

The equipment was shabby, but at this point, I'd take it.

"Follow me."

Suzy turned and climbed the stairs, and Lucia and I trailed after her.

Back in her office, Suzy sank deep into the sofa and let out a long sigh.

Scan.

Progression had dropped from 92 percent to 72. Meaning the danger of her turning cyberpsycho and lopping my head off was gone—for now.

She's safe… she's really safe. Who the hell is this guy?

Suzy's inner voice drifted up to me.

"As promised, the lab access is yours. I'll see you get credits, too. Doomdoom—register this guy with the master key."

"Boss, you serious? He's an outsider…"

"Does my order sound like a joke to you?"

"N-no, ma'am! Right away!"

Doomdoom flinched and shuffled over to me. He raised the device toward the base of my neck—then hesitated.

"The hell? You've got no socket? Pain in my ass. Fine, use this keycard instead. Lose it and you're dead."

All in all, things were looking good. I had a lab, and credits would follow.

But still.

"Suzy. One more condition."

"Name it."

"Your gang handles material procurement. I'll focus purely on production. And Lucia's protection fee—that's waived as of today."

At my words, Lucia's eyes went wide as she stared at me.

So even with Ghost Signal switched off, I could watch affection climb. Good to know.

"Fine. That much isn't hard. Your drugs will become the backbone of our firepower anyway."

"A wise decision."

"In exchange—don't get any funny ideas. If I find out you've been tampering with the meds…"

"That won't happen. All I want is to reach the Upper District."

At my answer, Suzy let out a short laugh.

"The Upper District. Big dreams. Well, with skills like yours, I suppose it's not impossible."

The deal was struck.

"I'd like to head back and get some rest today. We start in earnest tomorrow."

"Suit yourself. Doomdoom, see them out."

The moment we stepped out of the abandoned factory, Lucia, walking beside me, gave my arm a light punch.

"Pretty impressive, ahjussi."

"What is?"

"The protection fee thing!"

"You repay your debts, that's all. Who fed me and washed me when I was at rock bottom?"

"Hmph, so you do know you owe me. You should've smelled yourself the day we met! Good thing I took you in. Real good call."

Lucia hummed a little tune and strutted ahead. I lengthened my stride and drew up beside her.

"Back there, when Suzy drew her sword—you didn't move at all. What exactly was that?"

It genuinely baffled me. I'd never taken my eyes off her, and yet at some point her blade was already pressed to my nape. Had she teleported or something?

"That military-grade gear I mentioned before."

"Military-grade gear?"

Lucia answered breezily, eyes fixed ahead.

"Its proper name is the Armatech 'Falcon' Chrono Drive."

Chrono Drive? Chrono—wasn't that the Greek word for time?

"Don't tell me—when you activate a Chrono Drive, time slows down, or something like that?"

Lucia nodded at my question.

"Correct. Sharp as ever. Finding that thing in a junkyard is impressive on its own, and the fact that it's still in working condition is frankly miraculous."

"Time flowing slower. That's just… absurd."

Had technology really advanced that far? It truly defied belief. For someone like me, who'd once wrestled with molecules for a pharmaceutical company, engineering that chewed up the laws of physics was impossible to wrap my head around.

"What, jealous? Mr. Can't-Get-Chromed ahjussi."

Lucia fished out a cigarette, tucked it between her lips, and lit up.

"Twenty-six does not make me an ahjussi."

"If you say so. Whatever."

Lucia smirked, then turned to me with a suddenly earnest expression.

"I'd rather you never got chrome installed."

"Why?"

She exhaled a long plume of smoke before answering.

"Because people as decent as you are rare in this world. I want you to live a long, long time."

"Live long"—listen to her, getting all romantic.

"I might be the only person in this world without a Cyber Socket. That doesn't make me special. It makes me a dead end."

At my self-deprecating question, Lucia blew a puff of smoke straight into my face. Vanilla hung in the air.

"That's exactly why you're special."

She grinned and winked.

Affection went up again. Dependence too.

No penalties for rising numbers, so I didn't pay it much mind. But her last words kept circling back to me.

Special.

"Let's hurry, ahjussi. We've got a celebration party to throw tonight."

Lucia quickened her pace. The moment we stepped inside the shop, she yanked down the shutter at the entrance with a metallic clatter, pulled two cans of beer from the fridge, and tossed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠me one.

"Congratulations. You're one step closer to that dream of reaching the Upper District."

The cold can pressed against my palm. I cracked mine open and answered.

"You're coming with me."

"Pfft. I'm attached to this place."

We traded pointless banter and gulped down our beer. The sharp fizz burning down my throat felt like it was washing away the day's exhaustion.

"Haaahm—"

Lucia covered her mouth and yawned softly mid-sip. Drunk or not, it was still broad daylight, the sun hanging high in the sky.

Come to think of it.

I remembered the line that had appeared on Lucia's status window when I'd scanned her with Ghost Signal that morning.

"You tired?"

Lucia rubbed her eyes at my question.

"It's the night shifts, I think. Around this time of day I'm always wiped out. Well, that's just how everyone down here lives."

"Are you actually sleeping properly? The more I think about it, the more I think it's your sleep habits—your sleep quality is way too low."

"Excuse me? Are you analyzing me now?"

Lucia giggled, then added, more quietly,

"Come to think of it, my sleep got like this after I came down to the Lower District. You never know who might burst through the door, so maybe never sleeping deeply just became habit."

Her words struck a nerve somewhere deep in my chest. It was a condition I'd handled countless times at the pharmaceutical company: anxiety-driven sleep disorder.

I could make something for her.

The thought flashed through my mind. I set my empty can on the table.

"No more night clinics. I'll bring in the credits from now on."

Lucia blinked at me, then burst out laughing.

"Wow, look at you, Mr. Big Shot."

"I'm not joking."

I rose from my seat and headed for her workbench.

"Thanks for the party. I should return the favor, right?"

"Return what favor? We haven't even gotten started! Just drink your beer."

"Give me a minute."

I swept my eyes across the assorted drugs and unidentifiable solutions sprawled across the workbench.

The System offered its hint, but this time I didn't need it. The knowledge I'd studied to land a job at a pharmaceutical company was more ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠than enough.

The neural stabilizers and cheap painkillers Lucia regularly prescribed her patients. Combine those with a few nutritional compounds and I'd have something workable. With practiced hands, I blended the solutions and crafted the compound.

A cheerful chime rang out.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

A clear liquid in a small ampoule. I held it out to Lucia.

"What's this?"

"A sleep aid. No side effects, so trust me and drink up."

Lucia eyed the ampoule with suspicion—then popped it open and downed it in one gulp.

"Ugh—! Bitter! Tastes awful! This thing actually works, right?"

"You saw what I can do."

"That's true, but… is it the placebo effect, or am I suddenly sleepy…"

No sooner had the words left her mouth than Lucia's eyelids began to droop. She staggered toward the bed and collapsed onto it like a felled tree. Her murmuring faded, and soon only the soft rhythm of her breathing remained.

"Sleep well. Sleep is essential for us modern folk."

I pulled up the blanket that had slipped to the foot of the bed and drew it up over her shoulders.

Now it was my turn to prepare. Before heading to the Nemesis lab tomorrow, I needed to get my stats and perks squared away. Quietly, I took a seat in the chair and opened the System window.

Status.