39 Chapter 16 (Part 2)

Incoming message - "The best hacker in the universe"

"Militech has completed its preparations and begun to act. The base for the "Leviathan" project will be located in the small town of Laguna Bend. The corporation has decided to use its connections to negotiate with the city council and establish a new "reservoir" project. I believe the company has already prepared all the necessary structures and will soon begin to mass-evacuate the residents. The Leviathan base will be equipped with a new generation AI, more powerful than its predecessors. It's important not to rush now and wait for the right moment. I think the first tests will start in about 3-4 years. Until then, we can only wait."

"P.S. This message will self-destruct after you read it."

Having finished reading the letter sent by Bartmoss, I sighed heavily, opening the map of the previously mentioned town. Laguna Bend was already accounted for by the Night Corp, so it was only a matter of time before the last resident would leave this place. The population of Laguna Bend was small, about eight thousand people. The locals were quite friendly, so I feel sorry for them to some extent. Many had put down roots in that place and would likely not want to leave their home. Examining the satellite map, I can clearly see that a canal has already been dug and a dam built, which will supply the town with drinking water in the future. The project is indeed very important for the town, so it's no surprise that many turned a blind eye to the fact that the town will eventually be flooded.

"Well, there's nothing that can be done about it, so all that remains is to wait and watch"...

***

POV Bill Drake

Today, Bill was exceptionally pleased with himself. He had managed to advance the "Leviathan" project and reached an agreement with Night Corp, thus making a mutually beneficial deal. Militech acquired a location shielded from prying eyes, while Night received the necessary funds, which it would use to expand its influence in the city. An extremely advantageous proposal, no matter how you look at it. True, the corporation itself would have to handle the eviction of the residents and their resettlement into new homes, but these were just temporary difficulties.

Outgoing video call - Mark Wirth (Leviathan Project)

Call accepted - Establishing a secure connection

"I'm listening." Mark promptly answered the call, his weary gaze surveying his immediate superior.

"I have excellent news for you, Mark. Today, we finally managed to sign a profitable contract with our friends from the city council. I hope all your preparations are complete?"

"The preparations were completed a month ago. Vega has reached its peak power, and we are now waiting for your signal, Mr. Drake."

"In that case, we only need to resolve one small problem and start construction. How long will our nano-factory need to materialize the first working prototype?" Bill crossed one leg over the other, taking a sip of expensive synthetic alcohol.

"Vega's preliminary estimate is two and a half years, considering the current requirement for camouflage. The time could be significantly reduced if there wasn't a need to conduct our affairs in secret, but alas, we have to work with what we have." Mark spread his hands, looking at the simulation results in front of him.

"There's no need to rush in this matter. We don't want Arasaka to learn about our plans sooner than necessary. After all, the "emperor" of Japan is quite abrupt in his actions, and this could provoke an escalation undesirable to us."

"When should we expect the command?" The scientist raised an eyebrow quizzically, clasping his hands in front of him.

"Don't worry about that. I'll contact you, after which your team can proceed with the subsequent work. Until we speak again, Mr. Wirth... "

Call ended - connection terminated

***

Two months later

Just as Rache had predicted, the town of Laguna Bend was flooded. Some local residents fought until the very end to save their homes, but alas, the corporation's resources allowed them to manipulate the situation in such a way that the people were literally accused of urban terrorism. The reservoir was a necessary structure for the city, and public opinion quickly shifted from sympathy to disapproval, and in some cases, even outright hatred.

Fortunately, the people were eventually provided with financial compensation, as well as temporary housing until new homes could be found for them. With a little hint from me, John was able to make the most of the situation, securing a decent job for the clan, namely the transportation of the town residents' belongings. Each trip was well compensated, and besides that, there were people who left behind their small possessions, preferring to leave them to us. Of course, we did not refuse such a generous offer, thereby filling our warehouses with a large amount of various useful items.

We even managed to acquire several industrial exoskeletons, which were far from in their best condition. There were four in total, but only one was operational. I didn't have to struggle long to get permission to use them, and the next day, I began disassembling the broken skeletons, studying each part in detail.

In short, an exoskeleton is an external frame with actuating parts designed to redistribute the load it receives. It can also be used to restore lost functions, increase muscle strength, and extend the range of motion.

Such a device is essential for my future plans with armor, as I intend for it to be used not only by me. Although my body allows me to carry loads impossible for an ordinary person, others cannot boast the same. For example, at twelve years old, I can easily lift about half a ton without feeling much discomfort. Of course, I chose not to demonstrate the capabilities of my body to outsiders. Few in the camp are aware of this. People still can't get used to the fact that at twelve, I look all of sixteen.

The reason is quite simple: some might inadvertently reveal more than they should, which could certainly interest some high-ranking individuals. While I'm still a child, it's better not to showcase my abilities publicly. There will be far fewer questions directed at an adult, especially since there are also biological implants that work on the principle of symbiosis between humans and nanomachines. They are very expensive, and their distinguishing feature is the materials from which they are made.

Scientists have synthesized a metal that can work in harmony with the human body without any signs of rejection. Nanomachines are actively used in medicine, and, according to recent reports, they have begun to be developed in other areas as well. Currently, there is ongoing development of new industrial factories based on them, which are intended to act as more advanced 3D printers. The working principle is quite simple. A colony of machines is controlled by artificial intelligence, which will oversee the entire subsequent process. Such a device would undoubtedly be useful to me, but it's simply impossible to obtain in the near future...

Now, my daily activity has become tinkering with exoskeletons, which I have already managed to disassemble and reassemble, testing the operation of various parts of the construction. The broken skeletons had one common problem: the wear and tear of the servomotors, which were responsible for the movement of this technological marvel. The finished skeleton fully mimicked a human, it was worn on the back and, thanks to special fastenings, fit snugly to the wearer, aiding them in daily tasks. The battery was also located on the back and allowed for four hours of use without recharging, which was very impressive. The industrial version was not designed for combat and had a far less mobile structure compared to military versions.

Initially, I decided to modify some parts to increase mobility, allowing the skeleton to be used for running. Alas, the standard industrial exo only allowed for walking. I even had to use parts from other skeletons to apply them to the general cause. In the end, out of four exoskeletons, one was assembled that met the minimum of my current ideas. It was quite mobile, capable of sustaining light structural damage without loss of functionality, and significantly reduced weight, thanks to servomotors that mimicked the action of human muscles.

Recently, a second-class industrial assembler appeared in the camp, which we bought from Zetatech at a very low price. It was morally outdated and sold for half the price, which was very timely. Our first-class baby could strain its brains to create some part or another. Sometimes it was necessary to make a certain item in several stages, subsequently combining it into one large piece.

This was time-consuming and, frankly, inconvenient. The new toy could perform more delicate manipulations with matter, significantly reducing and simplifying the process of creating parts. The former worker was sold to another nomad clan with the proud name "Red Ochre." They engaged strictly in peaceful endeavors, mainly dealing with the delivery of various cargoes. It seems they even have some joint contract with BioTechnica in the works, the details of which are naturally unknown to us...

After the arrival of the new machine, work on the armor continued, and I finally began the process of creating a segmented breastplate, onto which movable armor plates and other electronics would be installed in the future. The frame turned out to be hefty, weighing approximately fifteen kilograms, but weight was of no concern to me; my primary requirement was for the frame to be resistant to external damage.

The armor was consuming quite a bit of my time, so I had to slow down the production pace a bit and focus on more important matters. It was not uncommon for Susan or Rick to kick me out of the workshop, as they said, to "get some fresh air" or spend time with other people. I could understand their concerns, as from the outside, I probably looked like an unstoppable nerdy teenager. Eventually, my time in the workshop decreased, which pleased my concerned older "relatives" but frustrated me. There was plenty of work in the camp, so to avoid suffering from idleness, I decided to take up something else.

I chose our medic, Mike Roosevelt, who became my future victim. I had long been interested in the local medicine, which had managed to advance very far. The man was, of course, surprised by my sudden enthusiasm at first, but after hearing my motives, agreed to work with me from time to time. As usual, the training began with studying information on special chips. I coped quite quickly and already passed all the introductory courses within a month.

Mike didn't seem surprised by such speed, apparently deciding not to focus too much on it. He turned out to be quite strict and demanding, so I had to approach the matter with all seriousness. Working independently, I was accustomed to being able to drop a task halfway through and return to it later. This led to my next problems, related to some laxity and unseriousness. I had to quickly rid myself of them in the most effective way, namely self-control. After a course of intensive psychotherapy, I was already able to engage in something so long and tedious without much trouble. Eventually, just two months later, I hardly noticed how I became more diligent in any task, which did not escape the notice of my new mentor.

Roosevelt taught me the basic principles of first aid and also taught me how to suture. After all, different situations can arise, and you might not always have medical gel on hand that can patch holes in your body.

Thanks to advanced virtual reality, finding practical experience wasn't necessary. Mike had chips with simulations of various medical operations installed on them. They were divided into stages, as well as difficulties and types. At the beginning, I was given the easiest operation, which took me no more than ten minutes. To move on to more complex levels, I first had to confirm my theoretical knowledge, which, all in all, was not much different from the training method used by Rache.

The old hacker approached teaching with the same thoroughness as my current mentor. Apparently, this is a factor of the so-called "old" school, where people who live their craft are accustomed to approaching the process with all the diligence inherent to them. Now, things were somewhat different, and humanity has become more reliant on machines and special chips that assist people in their work. Soon, this trend may lead to knowledge being directly loaded into the brain. Research in this field is already open and being conducted at all leading universities, and it's only a matter of time before they announce the first successes in this area.

 *****

Apologies for the delay in releasing chapters. Due to the move, there was simply no time for writing. Now, I'll gradually get back into the rhythm and release a chapter every two to three days.

Is anyone from Canada here?