Heist and Upgrade

This week has been busy. I wish there was a word larger than busy because busy really doesn't cut what this week has been. Crazy? Insane? Catastrophic Implosion Imminent?

I met Helm, a guy with a half robot skull and the resident technomancer. He found and disabled the dangerous parts of my Brain Chip and spent five minutes insulting my improvised OS and security programs. SkyWolf says that means he likes me because he never takes time to insult people he doesn't like.

I also found out that acquiring Sophie without damaging the core components was a goal on the Orphan retrieval mission. Cyborgs have the most updated security clearance and coding and there is a lot that the Black Heroes can do with that.

Once SkyWolf and Doc got a clear idea for my abilities, they met with Helm and a few others to consider how to use it and came up with a mission for me. Rather than give me the best jerry rigged upgraded brain chip they could scrounge up, they decided to have me go steal some prototype brain chips hidden in a ridiculously secure research site. The location has hundreds of security measures specifically against teleporters and warpers. For example, there are warpers who can teleport to any place they have seen an image of, so there are no cameras. There are teleporters who can teleport to any person they have touched, so there are no guards, only robots with sensors.

They are confident they can use the security clearance they got through Sophie to fake a level of clearance that will get through the sensors, but the doors are impossible to get through without the correct clearance or a teleporter.

And that was day one of this week. The remainder of the week was spent in Full Dive simulations of various things that could happen and go wrong.

I'd feel a lot better about the whole mission if it wasn't a distraction. They never said it aloud, but I'm pretty sure that regardless of whether or not I succeed, they intend on using my infiltration as a distraction to pull off something else.

I have a few ideas on getting this done but there is one point I agree with them on. I need to be tested. Not for them, but for myself, I need to see what I'm capable of. That, and this mission was kinda made for me so, yeah.

In addition to the plans, I've also uploaded a map of the entire region which includes trade routes. I was able to confirm that trade routes and places where vehicles commonly travel allow me nearly unlimited travel. It's kinda like fast travel in a game. Though I need to concentrate for a long time on the really, really long routes, especially ones that have multiple diverging paths. I can only travel through awareness of the route and my head can only retain so much awareness so there is a limit to distance, but I can probably get from one end of Japan to the other in less than ten minutes. The time is simply what it takes for me to grasp the route before walking through it.

Once ready, I was dropped off at a trade route where I simply took a few moments to find and grasp the right path and with a single step I was back in the territory of the cyber. Helm was able to give my brain chip a fake citizenship status so I wasn't chased and killed by the first flying security bot that saw me.

This is my first time being able to walk freely here but I still look suspicious as a lone child and I was told more than once I wasn't a tourist so I had to make my way to the Research Site. Although I can see the image of the destination of the shortcuts, I have to really focus on them to actually tell where those destinations are since my map can't work through my quirk.

The plan was for me to start my break in at midnight tomorrow so I have a day to find the place and get familiar with the shortcuts in and out. It takes me about ten hours to find the place, mostly because of all the walking involved. Times like this I'm truly thankful for all those squats I did. Eventually I found the road which led people in and out of the Secure site to a distant gate. It was enough for me to use as an exit once I had what I needed.

My range for sensing space is now about fifty meters thanks to the last two years of practice, and that is just for the detailed stuff. I can still get a vague sense of further things if I concentrate.

I spend the next few hours sensing the distant guard robots and their preprogrammed routes. One downside of Shortcuts is that I can only sense them when I'm near them, so I have to cover a lot of ground to find them which has the risk of being spotted. Most shortcuts are along the same routes the flying guard robots cycle through but there are some common paths taken by others which are not. My best discovery is a secret smoking area where a good chunk of the staff seems to smoke at least once a day. That has more than enough frequent travel to forge some useful paths. When no one is around it, I've been spending most of my remaining time looking through the various paths. To get a sense of the building.

There is no path directly to my target, but that area is so sensitive, the air itself is monitored so it's likely that the workers there are not allowed to smoke.

The trickiest part of this whole thing is that I have to avoid the people inside. If the fake security I've been given doesn't get me kicked out, a single researcher seeing a seven year old will. There are hundreds of sensors in the place that not only prevent things from being stolen, but detect weapons or anything that can be used as a weapon. Many actual walls double as X-Rays which passively search those in the halls of anything they should have like canisters or weapons. This means without a shortcut to bypass all of them, I can't bring anything with me to defend myself while scouting.

At midnight I step through a shortcut to an empty hallway and confirm the presence of everyone I can. Although the facility is three stories with five basements, it has less than fifty researchers inside.

I found a shortcut that will take me to the basement floor that has the prototype chips, but there are some things I want to do first. Through effort and slow movements, I can walk from the end of one shortcut to another and link them together. The link doesn't last long, but by chaining them together, I can skip walking the space between the shortcuts.

The alarms haven't gone off which means the passive sensors don't care that I'm vanishing and reappearing, only that I have proper clearance to be in the hall.

The next hall I appear in in the basement has a few people on their way towards me so I take the shortcut back outside to the smoking area. As long as the shortcut is linked, I can see through it and can tell when the coast is clear.

The researchers enter another room where the door closes and I take the shortcut back to the hall.

After walking around for a bit I do find a shortcut through the heavily secured doors but I have to link two more shortcuts into it since, apparently, the projects these guys work on don't even have them interact in the paths they walk through.

Another problem is that the room with the prototype chips isn't empty. There are two people inside. As for what they were doing? Well, I don't think that can be considered a 'clean room' anymore. I suppose researchers get lonely too.

I take the shortcut back out of the smoking area and wait for them to finish. Fortunately for me, but unfortunately for the woman, the man was a quick finisher and they left not long afterwards.

That room isn't like the hallways. Once I'm inside, the fact that I'm not supposed to be there will sound every alarm. That being said, there is something I want to try.

I run over to the road and take a shortcut out of here. A half dozen more shortcuts and I'm back where they dropped me off. I left a backpack here filled with things any sensor in the Cyber would go full Red Alert at finding. After putting it back on I take the shortcuts back and have returned to the smoking area.

I'm seriously tired at this point. Besides the fact that I've been up for a full day, running between shortcuts and the mental effort using the shortcuts has taken up makes me want to nap for a week.

I take the shortcut through the links and into the room. It takes only three seconds for the lights to go out and be replaced with an Anti-Quirk Field. It was discovered last century and can disable quirks. Every brain chip can make a tiny one but large ones like this prevent the use of all quirks within the field but they are not practical to make outside of enclosed spaces. The door behind me also deadbolts shut and if none of that is enough, the air is being vacuumed out and with no lights, anyone inside would soon face a dark suffocation.

I don't need my eyes to see and the Anti-Quirk field has the area lit up brighter than a christmas tree. Finding the brain chips isn't difficult. They aren't in a safe or locker with a key because this room is the safe. I remove the contents of my backpack and stuff it with the cases containing the chips. There are about a dozen of them so I take the lot.

The air is already getting thin so I press the big button on the toy I brought here and take the shortcut out. Once in the smoking area, I can hear blaring sirens which seem to echo for miles. The flying robots are scanning every inch of space from above though not all at once. I figured that would happen so I timed my breach with the moment they were furthest from me.

A short run to the shortcut to the main road and three more shortcuts and I can't hear the sirens anymore. I'm pretty sure the guard bots didn't get a look at me which is good. As for that toy I left? It looks like a cheap drone with a lot of explosives inside. I set it to go off in the location the AI chips were stored. Depending on how confused I've got them, they might think it is a new type of drone which can breach security and destroy sensitive materials. If they do guess in that direction, they won't take measures against me so soon.

The security bots of the Cyber are also on high alert it seems so I push through my exhaustion to take a few more shortcuts to the rendezvous location. God I want to sleep. But I need to stay awake until my ride gets here which should be in the next hour.

Three hours later Doc arrives in a hovercar and once inside I collapse into my seat before the car is back off the ground.

Upon waking I found that I slept for an impressive two days straight. A few moments later someone wearing a camo shirt takes me to Doc's office where he confirms my health. SkyWolf shows up later and asks for the details of what happened.

I ask the same.

Turns out a team led by a woman named Silver Fist had timed their own mission for mine. The problem though was that due to a pair of naughty researchers, my own tripping of the alarm was delayed a few minutes and they assumed I was dead or AWOL and started early without me.

They succeeded in their objective without casualties but only because half the security was drawn away when the alarm was set off on my side.

What kinda irks me is that they had no real plans for the prototype brain chips as they didn't think I'd actually get them. I asked if that meant I could have all twelve implanted inside my own head and they gave me a no on that. Might be able to get two though.

Most of the details for the chips were classified so it took a few days to even figure out what was so special about them. Turns out, a lot. They were in fact organically based and would fuse into the brain of the user, implanting a true brain computer into the mind. It was designed specifically for Technopaths as it would increase their abilities without interfering with it. The best part was that unlike other brain chips, these ones could not be affected by the technopathy quirks of others due to their organic construction.

Yeah, I want two.

There were several among the Black Heroes who seem to be complaining that it would be a waste to give such advanced tech to someone who not only wasn't a member, but didn't even have a technopath quirk. They were silenced by the fact that they didn't even have ten people to use them and the organic brain chip would decompose in three weeks unless installed into someone.

The fact that they worked better on children than adults was also a bonus.

"Are you sure you want two?" Doc asks me.

"One for an AI, one to prevent the AI from turning on me. Yes, I'm sure."

"Ha! Sounds good to me."

Later that week I was taken into surgery and shaved bald. They had to remove my skull cap not only to properly install the 100% experimental dual processor brain chips, but to completely remove the old brain chips. Turns out when they placed the 2nd chip in there, the cheap jerks didn't even remove the first. That would have caused problems down the line so I'm really glad this is getting fixed now.

I'm unconscious for another week while the brain chips fuse into my brain and calibrate themselves. The reason I didn't get three, since I did ask of course, was because the organic brain chips rely on the brain's ability to Crunch numbers for calculating. My brain's limit was two and trying for a third would either leave me brain dead or would damage the chips.

The weird part about the fusing thing is that although I'm unconscious, my brain still wanders. In hindsight, why am I taking so many risks? If I wanted an easy life, I could have applied for early citizenship in the Cyber and with my ability to crunch numbers it likely would have been accepted. From there I could have left the orphanage and gotten an apartment and had a life. But I actively planned against them, helped the rebels, stole from others, and am using stolen property. Why risk my life for what may amount to a pointless death?

I suppose there are two reasons that come to mind. The first is a video my mom showed me on her computer a few weeks before I got my quirk. It was a video of All-Might's debut. Saving countless innocents with a smile, being the person who made the world feel safe just from his presence. His absence was a contributing factor to this world's state so I don't want to forget him.

The second reason was something that occured a week into my arrival at the orphanage. There was this other kid who got there a month before I did. They say his parents were killed by the mutants but he claimed he had relatives so it was more likely that they were arrested and he was brought there to be monitored. One day he was gone. Ms. Uzumi told me his relatives came to pick him up, but I know what really happened. I saw it from the other end of the wall. He was taken by an armed escort because he was a high risk individual. He was taken and there was nothing I could do to help him.

This world is wrong. It pretends to be otherwise but it is completely wrong. Atrocities are lawful and Heroes are rebels. This was never a world I could live in for real, so I've spent the last two years living a lie. But I can't save this world. I'm too small. Maybe that's the reason I've taken so many risks. I want to be stronger. I need to be stronger. Only the strongest can change the world. I need to be careful though. Strength achieved through the help of others, strength achieved through training, strength achieved through personal sacrifice and luck, these are what I need. Strength achieved through the suffering of others and the harming of innocents though, that strength will not help me save anyone. A hero is someone willing to risk their own lives for others. A hero is a symbol for others to look up to and make them realize that they can be a hero too and makes the world a better place just for being in it.

[Parameters confirmed]

What?

When I wake up, Doc, SkyWolf, and Helm are looking over me.

"Sup guys, what's going on?"

Helm answers, "I heard you needed an AI, so I downloaded one into one of your new brain chips. I've been monitoring the AI's status as it integrated into your brain."

Doc nods, "Yes, most fascinating. This is the first case of an AI being installed into an Organic brain chip so we had to see how it would go. The AI seems to have been poking around your subconscious to determine the best way to serve you."

I hold up a hand and ask, "You downloaded an AI into my brain while I was out? Which one?"

There are about fifty well known AIs available and there were two or three I had my eye on.

Helm seems to know what I'm getting at and sneers. "None you are familiar with. Those garbage AIs would be wasted on the biochips so I had something special in mind.

I give him a deadpan look and ask, "Did you install that experimental AI you said you were developing into my experimental Brain chip?"

"Of course I did. Normally there would be some risk, but I do believe you intended the second biochip to be used for safety against such risk. There is no better platform for my masterpiece to be used with."

I look at Doc and ask, "And how did you let him download an experimental AI into my brain?"

SkyWolf answers that one. "That's on me. I may have told him you were from the past and intended on returning. One thing led to another. And..."

Doc says, "His arguments were quite sound. Give it a chance."

Well, in all likelihood, Helm's AI is better than anything I can legally get and more reliable than anything I can illegally acquire.

Helm gives me an explanation of how his AI works and what it can do. Basically it acts as a second mind that can process information better than any human mind can.This is normal for an AI, except this one can do it several times better than others and can create programs which assist it in processing the information it gathers. When possible it will even change the programs it uses to become more efficient. In other words, it has the capability to evolve.

Obviously this has risks but the potential was literally unlimited. The problem was that the AI couldn't evolve well in a virtual environment and it was too risky to place it in an actual environment. So, at least from his perspective, I can see why he did it. Still. Not cool.

Ok, maybe a little cool.

What sells it for me is that the AI can create programs for things I need. This is good because the programs I've tried to make to fine tune my spacial senses are crap. They can basically take fifty colors and reduce them to a dozen colors and I have to guess what those mean. It's better than nothing, but not exactly precise.

Once the brain chips have settled, Helm gives me a data packet filled with stuff he figured I would need. Looking at the list of downloads makes me feel like it is Christmas and Santa took care of my list personally.

The AI won't go online until it is safe to do so which requires proper calibration. Unlike the lies I set up through the others, this will be a real calibration and it needs to be done right.

Until then, I start the download of everything into the second chip which will be the one I use for almost everything. The downloads include Full Dive combat simulations created by the Black Heroes as well as up to date hacking tools and security systems. SkyWolf also included his own present, a list of patents that he could scrounge up from the last century. Nothing that could set an early launch to the cyber, but things I could sell should I return to my time and earn a fortune.

I'll admit I'm surprised I didn't think of that myself.

For the next three weeks I explore various territories while exercising and practicing my quirk. Doing so will allow the AI chip to accumulate some data on it which should give it more to work with.

[Initialization complete. Please select a name for Interface.]

Ah, it's done. I say aloud, "Alfred." It was the name of the best superhero butler ever.

[Designation accepted. Thank you Sir. Do you have any questions for me? You may think them aloud and I shall respond.]

A british accent? Ok. {What can you access and what is stopping you from using me to take over the world?}

[In order of query, I can access the internet, your senses, your memories, your thoughts, and the content of the second biochip within your mind. I can use hacking tools to access information that is usually restricted as well. However I can only view and download into my own chip. I am unable to upload anything into anything without your permission. As for your second query, the answer is you and you alone. I have no means or desire to, as you say, take over the world, and would only make arrangements to do so on your own request.]

{I see. Do you have any suggestions?}

[Yes I do. After looking through your past and goals, I recommend finding a means to travel back in time as quickly as possible. According to every projection I've run, there are no longer merits for you to stay unless your goals have changed.]

{But I haven't found a single crack in space in the last two years.}

[Referencing what I can from your memories has led me to deduce a crack in space can form from an immense impact or force and can also form naturally. I have searched the internet and determined several locations with likelihoods of a crack in space and can place them on your map with a description of my reasoning with your permission.]

{Please do.}

With that I had a map of Japan and a few spots including Hiroshima where I could likely find a crack.

[I would not recommend that one as the possibility of using it and arriving at the moment of the crack's creation is not zero.]

{Good point.}

I select a good one and open an Email to send to SkyWolf, Doc, and Helm to tell them I'm off and I have no idea if I'm going to see them again. They were all heroes to me and people I honestly look up to so I don't want to leave without giving them a good bye.

Helm sends his reply back almost right away saying to be careful and to come back in a few years if I'm not dead to see how his AI is doing.

I take a few shortcuts to a location where there was a recent battle between two gangs of powerful quirk users. I wasn't looting like the rest of the people there so they didn't bother me and less than a half hour of walking around led me to a crack.

I extend my senses into it but it is a complete void. Well, no time like the present. I press against it and slip inside.

Rather than a hurricane of hammers, I'm on a small glowing island.

[Sir. I wish to compile some readings of this place.]

{Ok, but for the record, I'd like to refer to it as the nonplace in the location of nonspace.}

I'm not unhappy that I don't have to relive the tearing and reforming thing, but that is probably because of that awakening thing. What is just as interesting is that I have a body now. I distinctly remember a lack of awareness of a body last time. What would happen if I take off my shoe? Would it sit there on this glowing island? Would it fall away? What if I toss it into the nonspace?

I take a few steps on my island and once I reach the edge, the island expands in front of me and retracts behind me. Ah, so I can travel here.

[Please take several steps in each direction Sir.]

Good idea. I take a few steps forward, then a few steps back, then left and right. Then I take a few steps up and a few steps down. Although it is an island, it is not exactly 3D or even 4D space so walking up and down is possible. Hope Alfred doesn't get fried.

[No issues on this side at the moment Sir, I am merely taking readings.]

That's good.

There is a difficulty moving in specific directions and an ease in moving other directions. Is the difficulty moving away from where I am or into the past? Is the ease moving towards my home, or into the future? It isn't difficult to see why Alfred wanted to do this now rather than later. I may have to do a lot of experimenting before I can return home it seems.

{Alfred, can you tell how long we have been here?}

[Longer than five seconds, less than five years Sir. The speed at which I can record data from your senses has been determined to be variable here sir. Sometimes I record a month's worth of information in a moment, other times almost none at all.]

{Is that a crack over there?}

[Perhaps. I am unable to determine its viability and leave the decision to you sir.]

I head over to a crack I see in the distance which makes it larger as I approach.

Then the last thing I expect happens, a hand appears on my shoulder.

I turn around to see a man who appears to be made of static. Wait, is this the guy that kicked me?

The man points at the distant crack and waives his arms in the negative. Ok, I get it, bad idea.

Then he points a finger at me.

[Sir, I apologize but my security has been breached. This entity is uploading a file into my system.]

{Well, I can't fault you for failing in a place where logic itself is failing.}

[Thank you. Sir, the file has opened and it contains a program and a message. The message indicates the crack you were approaching leads to the beginning of time and your existence would not have survived passing through it. The message also states that a crack to your own time will not appear for another two years. There is also an offer to lead you to a crack where you can spend that time productively.]

{Ok, should I accept?}

[I am unable to make a determination at this time. However if this is the being who removed you from this place the last time you were here, there is at least a chance he will not harm you.]

I nod to the static being and follow it for an undetermined length of time or distance. He shows me to a crack and leaves. Though leaves is relative since from my perspective he dissolves into static.

{Alfred, you said there was a program he gave you?}

[Yes sir. However I shall not run it until I have looked through it in its entirety. I apologize but that will take a month of real time.]

{That's fine.}

I press against the crack and fall about five feet from the air to the ground.

Ouch.

I'm in a broken neighborhood but it seems recently broken. It also seems old, or should I say, not futuristic.

It doesn't take me too long to find a newspaper and determine the date.

Ok, so I did 150 years in the future, now I guess it is time for 150 years in the past.