Chapter 216

The morning at Exatech begins quite early.

It’s certain that the strictly managed schedule, which is monitored by the second, and the overly well-designed on-call dormitory contribute to this, but there is a larger reason at play.

It is, in fact, a miraculous sleep method developed through long-accumulated neuroscience technology and a means of employee management.

If Enema and Paradise merely promote a balanced biological rhythm, this insane company has applied a system that forces users to wake up at the right time through appropriate electrical stimulation while artificially creating a sense of refreshment, that’s all.

Thanks to this, it has become a peculiar feature of Exatech that employees wake up simultaneously in an almost military formation, depending on their rank and duties.

Based on this, there are rumors that being late is impossible unless a disaster happens on the way to work, likening it to a biological cog in a machine. No, digressions aside.

The Exatech independent research facility Ex-085 was operating normally today.

About two years ago, there was a rather unfortunate escape incident that caused quite a stir throughout the company, but… honestly, if the mega-corp facilities had no such history or ghost stories, wouldn’t that be the scarier narrative? At this time, people have grown somewhat numb to the past.

“…Huff, this feels really messed up.”

The head researcher working here, Mr. Gibson—a man who, limited to this facility, could count his superior on one hand—was anxiously pacing the room, which was not typical of him.

After all, his primary job is to propose developmental direction and vision with free thinking or innovative ideas rather than filling designated work hours by just sitting around.

Being able to lounge around to some extent in a personal space with such a liberated… somewhat indulgent posture was a kind of privilege.

However, Gibson’s anxiety had reached an extreme point, feeling almost tortured by that privilege; no matter how comfortable the seat is, it does no good if he feels uncomfortable.

“The vibe is really bad, bad vibe…!”

Thud… Thud.

Due to the lack of connected nerves in his prosthetic limb, Gibson has developed a bad habit of only feeling vibrations when he forcefully kicks corners of furniture or walls with his shoe.

Similarly, it was well known that he often got annoyed because it was physically impossible to close his eyes or blink normally.

His appearance—having entirely removed the eyeballs and orbital protrusions, and replaced the optic nervous system with parts resembling a pair of visor sunglasses, creating an ugly connection between skin and metal—was quite unusual among the varied shapes at Exatech.

When he turns off the screen, the clock goes dark, but… due to poor syncing with the cerebral implant, his human instinct to replicate the learned eyelid movement continues regardless of the passage of time.

It wasn’t for no reason that a project was scrapped after just a few hundred insider clinical trials. Damn it.

This is why one should be cautious about applying for ambiguous modification tests just because they’re free… Back then, he was just too young. If he had known it was an event to designate a grave plot instead of a no-collateral, no-interest loan, he wouldn’t have participated for fear of being cheated.

Setting aside the lingering regrets that occasionally pop up, what was gnawing at Gibson’s already frazzled nerves was a succinct message that had come through on a private line just a few days prior.

A sentence that ominously stated, “By chance, I’ve obtained the master key,” sent by none other than Leonar, who was notorious for his bluntness and lack of regard for others.

It was even more worrisome that things were still quiet for a few days and hadn’t descended into chaos.

Though Gibson had taken some precautions to ensure the situation didn’t spiral out of control, the fact that Leonar was not one to spout nonsense or exaggerate made him dread what grand revelation might justify calling it a master key.

Well, did Leonar perhaps find an old backup ID that had been created years ago? Even if the difficulty of sneaking into the facility was high, if used wisely, he could at least roam freely inside for a while.

Of course… even if just ten minutes had passed, the moment Leonar’s name was mentioned, the manager who had been panting with excitement would immediately storm out!

“……”

Before it gets too late, he should… No, no! He must not act hastily and ignite the fuse just because things have become challenging. Even a child wouldn’t overturn the game in that way. He must calm his mind and think realistically about what actions he can take….

Startled!

Just as he reached that thought, the body that had been precariously pacing suddenly froze.

Why? He might have seen it wrong, but the surface of the whiskey in the glass he had poured out for stress relief seemed to shake out of sync with the vibrations he had created.

…A simple illusion? Hmm, considering it’s been disrupted a moment ago…!!

*Thud—!! WHAM——!!!*

“Damn!?”

This time, even his dull senses could feel the entire building shaking.

The bright-colored lights flickered and turned dim red all at once, signaling a state of emergency.

Taking into account the warning message sent to all employees and the illuminated wall indicator, this meant that the facility was under attack.

Is that even possible? It’s not like there’s been a toxic leak or a personnel accident in the production line, and it’s not some clueless hacker tampering with the network but an actual physical attack? What is this, the 22nd century?

If someone is able to do that… Let’s clarify. If there’s a human capable of such an assault, they must certainly have the money, manpower, knowledge of the facility’s situation, and a definite reason to act with a belief that the odds are in their favor; it would have to be a madman. Gibson wondered how he should respond to this.

[ All operators and engineers are requested to focus on securing the facility from their designated positions. I repeat, all…. ]

Like a beast suddenly struck, realizing the situation and raising its fur,

Gibson began to steel himself according to the sirens and announcements ringing throughout the research facility, while at the same time, being someone with ties to the leadership lineup, he decided to check on the specific damage status.

He opened the internal network and viewed the real-time status board of the defense systems with higher authority. Analyzing the identity of the initial vibrations detected.

Did they plant explosives on the outer walls to penetrate? Or were they trying to destabilize the ground using vibration-wave generators?

Either option seemed unlikely, but that was already out the window by the time he had opted for a frontal assault… It’s essential to check where there is room for negotiation first.

“……Eh?”

However, the real-time dashboard was behaving oddly. Or perhaps the main radar and all associated detection devices had been knocked out in the initial attack. There’s no way the outer walls and the turrets placed at the periphery could be intact while the inner walls and research facility walls were wrecked.

Even if it was an orbital bomb, it should have been detected first, and even an outdated mortar would have been intercepted more than half the time—how were the automated air defense systems neutralized?

The answer was absurd.

One easy way to overcome a massive power disparity: take the biggest weapon your opponent has and use it against them. That way, the gap closes twice as fast.

– Cyber engineer! Architect! Program developer! Anyone with any professional connection to the security systems, keep your heads down and do not disconnect until you drop! Damn it, all external turrets have been hijacked! Do not stick your heads outside until we regain control! You will die! –

– …There’s definitely been a security breach with the defensive equipment. The detection data is essentially unreliable now. If you see anything moving with no identification codes, fire immediately. –

– Even excluding those who are out on field duty, there are over a hundred security technicians who should be here today, and yet the restoration progress is inexplicably slow. If you don’t want to be suspected of collusion, I recommend producing some results. –

“…This is really messed up.”

The communication had completely exploded, and the personnel were screaming.

The situation was already getting chaotic, and the thought of an impending investigation from headquarters was dizzying, but turning a blind eye to reality would not make it better.

“Did he really crack the encrypted random number pattern after claiming it was the master key? Even if he bribed staff to make it this chaotic, he would have had to have recruited at least half of them.”

Recovery was needed; the fuse, which had been a concern, was already burnt out.

Considering his unique position, Gibson reached a sense of mission that he had to restore things even in a way that left some dissatisfaction on one side.

Beep, beep…!

He quickly pulled out the relay device he had stashed between the gaps of his bed and held it up.

It was essential equipment for using a high-priced communication service that routed through an independent satellite, not through the facility’s radio network or base stations.

The notorious call delay? He could tolerate that for now. Understanding the situation and intentions on the other side was more urgent; with everything happening, what did little inconveniences matter?

“…Gibson? Was it really necessary to contact me right now? There’s nothing I can do if this becomes a point of contention later.”

“What I want to hear from the person intent on completely incinerating their former workplace is not this! What the hell are you doing!? You promised me you would proceed quietly!”

Hearing Leonar’s calm voice, which held no inflection, threw Gibson into a fit of fury.

Originally, he intended to confirm step by step if this was truly part of Leonar’s plan, and what kind of logic led him to act. But just based on his tone, the former was certain, and the latter… he was now too agitated to choose his words properly.

“Didn’t you just say you’d move the capsules soon? Then we need to retake control as soon as possible.”

“Even so, how can you burst through the door of the research facility like that? What does that make me for giving you that information!”

As the saying goes, “what’s meant to happen will happen.” Things unfolding as expected is nothing to get excited about, which made Gibson push back with irritation.

He had warned that time was short, but now it sounded like he was the one who incited this fight. He had merely intended to encourage a prompt conversation or negotiation.

“If you’re worried about the source of information, it’s been at least a week since you obtained it, so the orders must have reached the operational level by now. As a result, it will appear that I took action the moment I received it.”

“That’s… true! Damn it, anyway. What exactly is this master key? You didn’t team up with some shady organization, did you? You know it’ll become a political issue if external agents are involved, and the headquarters will step in….”

It was significant that he couldn’t conjure an immediate rebuttal. However, Gibson decided that discovering the source of the confidence behind Leonar’s choice of such a bold method was urgent and trailed off his last words.

The noise of the building continued without pause. The battlefield felt like a massive mass moving simultaneously, shaking the very ground.

For Gibson, the interval of silence between these communications felt uniquely long and dizzying.

Stabilizing equilibrium amidst chaos was extremely difficult.

However, if he could grasp all the weights at play, the narrative would entirely shift, and he was doing his best.

“What? Violence of numbers won’t be able to stop the genius’ appearance. And… if there’s more to say, let’s face each other and talk. I’m already inside.”

“…What?”

The moment he just barely confirmed that Leonar had truly made up his mind to clash, the call was cut off.

Had they already succeeded in infiltrating? If so, it was only a matter of time before the lies would be exposed… This damn couple’s titanic struggle would soon begin.

At this rate, Leonar would have a significant advantage.

Of course, achieving everything he wanted would not only be difficult but close to impossible… but there’s no doubt they would reach a conclusion where neither side stands to gain anything.

In that situation, with both of their guns trained on each other’s heads, what could Gibson, caught in the middle, possibly do?

“Damn….”

First, that term “genius,” felt like an unnecessary sentimental implication stuck in his mind. In his active years, Leonar was indeed a genius. With a frail body, he still produced astounding results and endured superhuman work intensity while also managing personal projects.

However, even so.

Even if he were a genius with expertise in the field of cybernetics, it doesn’t make sense that he alone tied the hands and feet of the engineers on this side. And Leonar’s baseline has always been himself. No matter how others scoffed at him as a genius, he had consistently laughed in disdain.

For such a remarkable person to suddenly change his perspective and refer to himself in the third person? It felt dubious. Something was amiss.

So what logical conclusion can we draw from here?

He must have hired a small but elite hacker team for backup. Filled with top-notch individuals, to be exact.

After having struggled in the underworld, it was surprising to see his mindset change so drastically… he realized he had made a mistake.

“…The so-called head researcher is despicable!”

One by one, he decided to cut off that support first.

If the favor of ignoring the extra pockets he was carrying would be repaid with enmity by a friend, then he resolved to work without hesitation to maintain balance in the scales, and so Gibson initiated contact.