Chapter 41

……Is everyone well? I am Anastasia Valentine, a Cyber Engineer belonging to the Combat Police Gate Security.

It feels strange to be asking such a question… Have you ever heard the saying that when it comes to building a career, time is always too short, but paradoxically, when you’re working, it seems like time just drags on?

I feel sorry for the countless individuals who surely desired this position—acquired through ruthless dealings with Paradise, who is nothing less than the head of this city representing Mega Cop.

However… I already want to go home… Yes.

…How long has it been since I started work to feel this way already?

“Ahsa…? Did your legs give out again?”

“……No.”

When Helena approached after seeing me slumped on the parked motorcycle, I quickly waved my hands and hung my helmet on the opposite side of the empty handle where hers was secured.

Ah… I feel dizzy. I miss the couch…

Even though I’ve only stepped into the employee parking lot, I already find it hard to breathe.

Thanks to the reckless gamble I took during the interview, it somehow worked out, and I ended up being assigned to the team with Helena and Anne, along with the promise of safety. Adjusting my lifestyle patterns to avoid being transported like a burden into an ugly future… successful.

…However, since I’m not going to switch to any corporate job based on the effort I put in here, this is rather troublesome. Moreover, my knowledge of combat police is… very limited.

Naturally, when playing Neo Haven, there was no way for a player to experience police work except for the disguise that was part of a quest.

…I don’t know. Since the team leader is Helena and my engineering mentor is Anne, I guess I’ll adapt somehow.

Feel the frightfulness of being a parachutist who hasn’t completed any training! You corporate pawns…!

“Remember, you absolutely must not call anyone by name inside, right?”

“Ah, I remember that… but I’ve never signed up for a secret society or the national intelligence agency…”

“……I don’t know what the national intelligence agency does, but just be careful.”

This was something I learned directly from Helena after passing the interview.

I thought it was only normal citizens who hid their jobs, but it turns out they have to conceal their identities even among themselves. Even the team leader said that only Anne and I know her true identity.

Even if we accidentally bump into each other on the way to or from work without disguises, it’s considered courtesy not to acknowledge each other.

Does that mean superiors and workgroups can’t distinguish each other either? But she said once they receive visors equipped with identification devices, they’ll naturally know.

…The mercenary industry seems desperate to create nicknames in order to be recognized, what a stark contrast?

Bang… Bang…

With hollow footsteps echoing, I headed towards the elevator situated across the spacious underground parking lot.

I thought it was a waste, uncharacteristic of a company obsessed with efficiency and cost management, but then remembered this was exactly the boundary between inside and outside the city. They’ve probably expanded here since land didn’t cost anything…

“…Oh?”

I arrived at the elevator, following Helena, who was leading the way so easily… but why were there various letters instead of numbers indicating the floors on the buttons inside?

Why is it set up this way when there are only five options, excluding open and close?

HQ… I know what that is, and B? Isn’t B the basement…? But it seems like we’re on floor P…

I recently saw hotels labeling the first floor as L for Lobby, but is labeling all the floors with abbreviations for security reasons?

Even though it’s clearly a public organization, seeing such meticulousness in trivial matters made me realize how primitive I am, and she sensed my surprise and explained shyly.

“Ah… When it was simply labeled with numbers, some members without authority didn’t know whether they were allowed to enter and tried to come in recklessly, so they replaced everything during a large renovation a few years back.”

“…There are really weird employee benefits out there.”

As I tried to dismiss this with a nonchalant attitude, thinking it was just eccentric corporate kindness, Helena continued her explanation.

“……No one wants unexpected permanent vacancies to occur, whether up top or down below… so, yes.”

“Permanent vacancy…? ………Ah?!”

…Seriously now! I wish they had been clearer about the fact that there are police officers who have been killed while exploring their workplaces. This is definitely not something to brush off with an awkward smile.

The elevator moved from floor P to floor B. During the short walk to the changing room after getting off on B, I got a brief explanation of what those mysterious buttons meant.

From the top down, HQ is the company’s command structure (Headquarters), B is Barracks Floor, M is Medical Floor, and P is simply the parking area.

“…Hmm? Then one floor is unaccounted for, right?”

“The lowest floor, HA, is a heavy armory only accessible when the gate is under attack, so Ahsa, be careful. …Well, now HQ and HA floors won’t have their elevators moving without permission, so it should be fine. Now, extend your hand.”

“Ugh…?!”

Police equipment was stacked neatly onto my outstretched arm.

Starting with military boots, then the uniform doubling as riot gear… a riot baton… a taser…? It seems that, at least because I’m a police officer, they understand the concept of incapacitation very correctly.

Clack…

“O….”

I finally received the long-awaited visor, which is symbolically the final piece of equipment.

…How did they match the sizes of the supplies? I briefly pondered, but then recalled that I had been dragged around by Helena to various stores…

…Let’s stop thinking about it. Just imagining it made me feel my stamina and mental strength draining in real-time.

With a satisfied expression somewhere, as if eagerly anticipating our monumental first shift together, Helena began to change her clothes, and I quickly averted my gaze. I thought I had gotten used to living together, but it was still too much stimulation for me.

I organized the clothes I had brought into the assigned locker and slipped in my limbs into the still somewhat stiff new supplies.

And then… right before I pushed my head in, I stared intently at the dark opening of the police helmet.

…In a system where individuals disappear during work hours, leaving only the collective behind, officially termed barracks floor.

I wonder if there will ever come a day when Helena and Anne acknowledge the heavy heart I’ve carried with this decision, nearly akin to re-enlisting…

– Day shift 3rd team, Cyber Engineer Anastasia Valentine. Timely arrival confirmed. –

I forcibly shook off the bitter memories that most Korean men carry and put on all my gear. The visor powered on with a dull voice, detecting my biological signals.

“…….”

And the first thing to appear upon booting was a work attendance notification… Absolutely ridiculous.

Looking into the mirror attached to the locker, the identifier ‘DS3-CE2’ was displayed inside the visor.

…Day Shift, Cyber Engineer… It’s nice and easy to understand.

When I turned my head to look at a fully armed Helena, ‘DS3-1’ appeared, and for the incoming other officers… was it ‘DS3-CE1’?

“Ah…! Your sibling! You really came…!!”

“…Hello, senior. I look forward to much guidance….”

“!! Of course, junior…! I’ll teach you everything step by step from the basics…!”

It was certainly a heartwarming scene, but the dark external appearance combined with Anne’s fluffy voice produced an outright surreal spectacle.

Knowing the contents inside, Helena simply stood by with her arms crossed, satisfied watching the harmonious reunion of her only best friend and her only sibling.

“Then first… let’s briefly go over the work rules….”

– A vehicle collision accident has occurred at Gate 3; all personnel from the early morning shift 3rd team and those waiting for the day shift 3rd team are to respond immediately. –

An urgent communication striking my ears without warning cut off the team leader’s words.

Not only did it disrupt the flow… no one would feel good if a situation that sounded tiring just to hear occurred.

“……I’ll have the engineer in charge of number 1 there kindly explain the work rules instead.”

Creak…!

Helena’s body shook and thundered, moving away from the changing room. Anne placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder and nodded.

…But didn’t the communication call out the entire waiting personnel from the 3rd team without specifically naming anyone…?

“Shouldn’t we also be going, senior…?”

“Huh? We’re in technical positions, so there won’t be calls for combat personnel or regular security work until a support request comes in, you know?”

…No way! Is a Cyber Engineer… an administrative soldier…?

“…Then who is the entity that makes that support request?”

“Command structure… or our 3rd team leader…? Ah! I’ll send you the related work rules right away.”

Goodness, the aura of an exceptionally rare sweet position is making my head spin.

Even in a neighborhood where the legal system has been turned upside down, this is utterly unforgivable… but with this, I figured it would be fine to invest all my free time into forthcoming threat assessments, and I opened the file sent from Anne.

[ Police Work Rule Article 1, Clause 1: Personal cyberware operation and network access using implants during work hours will result in disciplinary action. ]

“Ah.”

Those harsh corporate bastards.