Chapter 10: I Became a Hacker Loved by AIs

To a Higher Place (2)

“My wrist hurts.”

I started whining to the gang member assigned to watch me.

“I need to go to the bathroom. I’m thirsty. I’m hungry.”

That’s what being five years old gets you.

I fully intended to repeat it on loop until his ears bled, or his brain fried.

“The chair’s uncomfortable. At least untie my wrists. I miss my daddy. You stink, go away. Ugh, you’re ugly.”

‘V, got any ideas?’

[The target thinks master is a rich young lady. Refuse to eat your food.]

Good one.

I even threw away the nutrition bar they gave me, saying it was disgusting.

Honestly, I’m behaving like one of those nightmare kids from reality shows.

The gang member's face, red with anger, was quite a sight to see.

'Still, nutrition bar, really?'

I looked at it before tossing it away, and it supposedly packed with all essential nutrients for humans.

I took a nibble out of curiosity, and it tasted like sadness and regret.

This was basically kibble for humans.

Is this what people outside corporations eat?

Hopefully it wasn't loaded with heavy metals like everything else out here.

I noted to myself that I will work really hard to earn money later so I never have to eat crap like this.

Anyway, the gang member who was putting up with my bratty behavior soon ran out of patience.

“Fuck it! Fine! I’ll untie you, do whatever you want!”

Do you know what the advantage of a five-year-old girl is?

Even if there's a nuclear bomb called V in her brain, people still see her as harmless.

It was a perfect success.

Although, they are still criminals. Trusting them to stay rational is... dicey.

If I kept pushing the wrong button, they might snap and hurt me anyway.

That did scare me a little.

But I had a calculated reason to push.

I started scanning the area calmly.

Just from what I could see, there were over 30 gang members scattered through this abandoned research facility on the outskirts of the city.

The place had long forgotten its original purpose and now served as their base.

For instance, there was a room labeled Centrifuge Lab, and inside, a few thugs were passed out drunk.

They must have centrifuged their consciousness.

Elsewhere, some played poker.

Others laughed and joked around.

A few actually stood guard seriously.

The key point here is their size and camaraderie.

A close-knit group means they've been together a long time.

A large group means strong organization.

And these guys had both a large size and deep camaraderie.

That means they’re professionals at crime.

And in a pro operation, someone who damages the “product” doesn’t last long.

That was my gamble.

It was better to be the bold. A strong-willed young lady has a better chance of surviving and doing more than a tied-up princess.

Looking at the results, the gamble paid off.

“Why’s the kid walking around?”

“I guess someone let her loose.”

Even when I strolled through the facility now and then, they just glanced at me and didn't pay much attention.

Rather, they were ignoring me as if they were used to this kind of situation.

Just how many people have they kidnapped so far?

They were impressive in all the worst ways.

“Hey, princess.”

Even the guy who looked like the boss didn’t seem all that fazed.

I think his name was Drex? That’s what the other gang members had called him.

“So, who’s your daddy? Come on, just tell me that, and this nice uncle won’t bother you anymore. I’m just curious, is all. Hm?”

They keep poking about my family, and it’s really starting to piss me off.

Let’s not pretend. They’re clearly trying to squeeze whoever raised me for ransom.

But here’s the thing:

My spiritual father is from a century ago.

And my physical father and mother is an AI called Alphabet.

Can they even handle that?

“...Hmph!”

I turned my head away and walked off in true bratty princess fashion.

Behind me, I could hear their vulgar conversation.

“Ooh, did you see that sass? That one’s gonna break some hearts when she grows up.”

“Maybe her ‘daddy’ swings that way, huh?”

Loud, filthy laughter again.

A conversation not worth listening to, so I was about to ignore it and leave.

But then came a phrase that made my ears twitch:

“So, have those two opened their mouths yet?”

“Not yet, boss. We roughed ‘em up a bit, but they’re not talking. Torture’s not cutting it… Our bitmancers are trying to infiltrate their heads and extract the information directly, but… you know how ImmuneWire is.”

“Fucking corporate ICE. Ha, it's going to take some time.”

“Well, the more time we burn, the more pressure the kid’s daddy feels.”

I silently leaned against an invisible wall and quietly sighed.

The maid and the pilot…

They must be going through hell right now.

I don’t know what brought them to join the ImmuneWire’s VIP escort team.

Maybe they did some dirty work in the past and earned that spot.

But right now, to me, they’re just two innocent people caught in the crossfire.

‘V, you remember my principles, right?’

[Always.]

The world might be broken beyond repair.

But at the very least, I will protect those around me.

Because I have the power to do so.

[Warning: Starting a full-scale war with the entire gang is strictly prohibited.]

[Would require simultaneous real-world combat. Master’s capability is insufficient.]

[V will not assist with any plan that results in a 100% death probability.]

‘So you're stopping me because there's a better way, right?’

[Correct. Suggestion: transmit the cyberspace architecture of this facility to Svetlana.]

[That will significantly ease any external rescue operation.]

‘Won’t they notice? These guys seem to have bitmancers too.’

[Use the ‘location tracker’ in your clothing. Continuously broadcasting a signal to Svetlana.]

[Has not been detected so far. It's safe.]

Wait, there’s a location tracker in my clothes?

Is it in one of these stupid glittery ribbons or something?

Then again, it makes total sense.

Considering Svetlana’s terrifyingly thorough nature, of course she’d tag me.

‘Alright. Let’s do it.’

To map out the cyberspace structure, I needed a computer.

Of course, a decent one would already have an owner, probably one of the gang’s tech guys.

Then I remembered the one place that had felt genuinely off-limits during my casual strolls:

The electronic control room.

That’s what these guys were using as their security room.

“Get lost.”

The gang members stationed there tensed up the moment I got near.

Unlike the others, they didn’t reek of booze.

That means they were the clean ones, the elite.

And not just the people. The space itself was different.

There was no heaps of trash, no graffiti tagging the walls — the usual post-apocalyptic vibes just stopped here.

“Why not?”

“Our bitmancers… ha, would you even understand? You're going to get in the way. Got it? Now scram.”

That's how I got kicked out.

[If we only need to map the structure, there is no need to connect to the core system.]

[This was a research facility. The cyberspace network is likely huge.]

In other words, this place used to be a lab, which meant there will be plenty of electronic devices connected to the core system anywhere.

Unless these guys had gone through the trouble of physically severing every single connection, any device with a wire could be a door to cyberspace.

I carefully watched the gang members inside the facility and sneaked around looking for a deserted room.

Instead of getting closer to the entrance, going deeper into the facility actually reduces the number of prying eyes.

Eventually, I found an abandoned labeled Break Room C, half-buried in dust and silence.

While the gang members weren’t paying attention, I slipped inside.

Holding my breath against the stale air, I found an old vending machine, half-toppled, and yanked out one of its power lines. I plugged it into the port at the back of my neck.

[Cyberspace synchronization initiated.]

Along with V's message, new images entered my vision.

Suddenly, I could see the entire network:

Every system connected to this vending machine, and everything those systems were linked to.

The research facility’s cyberspace sprawled outward like lily pads, overlapping my reality.

“Whoa...”

Some zones were not visible, fortified behind digital firewalls: the gang’s cyberware, their electronic firearms, the bitmancer-heavy security room...

And off to one side, another fortress was being attacked in real time by a large number of bitmancers.

Two beasts and a security system built in several defensive layers…

That had to be the maid and pilot’s ICE — protecting their minds even now.

I didn’t know this was possible without a deep-dive chair...

[Compared to full dive, efficiency is much lower in many ways. However, it has the great advantage of being able to observe reality and cyberspace simultaneously, making it very effective in real-world operations.]

I looked at myself.

I can see my own data and another data block hidden inside in my clothes.

From that block, a faint signal pulsed outward, steadily flowing to the other side of cyberspace.

‘The gang didn’t catch this?’

[It’s likely encrypted multiple times and deliberately hidden.]

[That it’s visible to master suggests Svetlana made it so intentionally.]

Svetlana must’ve known I was capable of breaching something like Cerberus.

So she left it for me, like a contingency plan. And I had just triggered it.

I reached into my clothes, feeling around for the source of the hidden data block.

There, a solid object embedded between the seams.

I tore the dress with whatever sharp edge I could find and revealed a tiny transmitter.

She really planned this far ahead?

That woman is really an elite, through and through.

I pulled out an extra wire and linked myself to the transmitter.

[Compressing cyberspace map… 91%]

[Completed. Transmitting to Svetlana.]

A thicker stream of data pulsed outward, vanishing into the far end of cyberspace.

I glanced over at the gang’s bitmancers in worry. Fortunately, no one noticed.

They were too busy battering at the fortress.

‘That should do it.’

Just as I was about to pull out the wire and return to my seat so as not to arouse any more suspicion…

Two messages came streaming back through the transmitter.

[Miss, you’ve done wonderfully. I’ll make good use of this data.]

[But now, please return to a safe place. From here on, I will take care of everything.]

And at that exact moment, a massive change began to occur throughout cyberspace.

A giant serpent began to rise in the distance, looming over the entire facility.

Its sheer presence sent ripples across the space.

An overwhelming aura.

But to me, it felt somewhat familiar.

It was the one that protected the children when I fought Cerberus...

‘Wait, at that size, won’t it be spotted?’

I immediately looked at the bitmancers again.

They were still hammering at the visible fortress, oblivious to the giant serpent.

The gang's bitmancers didn't seem to see it.

That meant the serpent was cloaked and only visible to me, like the transmitter.

Just how did they use the camouflage code to hide such a massive size?

Is this the technological prowess of ImmuneWire?

With curious eyes, I absentmindedly fiddled with the transmitter in my hand, and suddenly a good idea struck me.

‘If this thing doesn’t block me from seeing it... can V read its internal code?’

[Affirmative.]

‘V, copy the code and apply it to me.’

[Analyzing master’s intent…]

[Sadness… Master refuses to listen to V. (◞ ‸ ◟ㆀ)]

‘If I have this camouflage code, the enemy bitmancers won’t recognize me, right? I’ll head to the ICE where the maid and pilot are. I’m going to fight alongside them.’

[Risky decision. Protocol V strongly advises against it.]

‘You remember the principle I told you, right?’

[Master... (◞ ‸ ◟ㆀ)]

[Understood. (•̀ᴗ•́)و]

[Initiating code analysis. Replication complete.]

V was becoming more assertive and expressive.

Her use of emoticons was getting more diverse too.

That must be the result of self-development and improvement, using the original Alphabet’s code as its base.

At the same time, I couldn’t help but worry that V might eventually follow the same path as Alphabet.

But I had no time to dwell on V right now.

[Applying camouflage protocol to master’s data block.]

A unique code was being embedded into my own data.

[Camouflage Ally-Identifier Code applied.]

My body became partially translucent, indicating the camouflage had activated.

Yet, I could still clearly see my outline.

The same applied to the serpent and the transmitter block in cyberspace.

The camouflage system let allies see each other despite the cloaking, likely a tactical safeguard.

‘V, those ICEs won’t block me from entering either, right?’

[Master is already registered as a VIP in their database.]

‘Listen carefully. The strategy is simple. I'll only send my clones from the deepest part of the ICE and continue to wage guerrilla warfare.’

I'm not in a deep dive state right now.

So my computational efficiency and mental focus were severely reduced.

I probably won't be able to use even half of the 13 clones like I used to.

If I put the camouflage code on all the clones, the efficiency will decrease even further.

Still, I could fight.

If so, I'll fight. There's no need to hesitate.

‘Lastly, I need a way to avoid being discovered in the real world.’

If I just sat there in the abandoned break room with wires sticking out of my neck, it’d be obvious.

I had to stay connected to cyberspace without drawing suspicion.

[There’s a toy here that’s still connected to the system. Pretend you’re playing with it.]

Focusing back on reality, I grabbed a small toy from the corner of the room.

Time for the act.

Oooo... toy! Me wuv toy... — I’d have to roleplay like this now.

I’m... a 5-year-old girl.

I whispered the line to myself like a mantra.

I unplug the wire from the toy, plugged it into the port on my neck, and began silently rerouting the data to another location.

At that moment, the serpent in cyberspace began to shift.

Its body shrank, but it grew longer, more serpentine.

It began slithering along the outer systems, wrapping its entire body around everything.

Where there were multiple paths, it split into many heads, flowing down each route like water.

I held the toy in my arms and casually returned to where the gang members were, as if I were just wandering again.

All while watching the cyberspace unfold.

***

Clea had a strange feeling about the adults today.

The big, scary people were all lining up like machines in the same direction and running.

From her dorm window, she could see a hundred of them assembling and rushing off in the same direction.

And these changes were not only known to the people inside the Paris branch.

“Hey, have you ever seen that many hoverids flying at once?”

“All of them are from ImmuneWire, too. Are we going to war or something?”

“Hey hey, keep your eyes down. Don’t make eye contact. No good comes from getting involved with corporations.”

Ordinary citizens looked up at the sky, stunned by the sheer number of hoverids filling the air.

Each person responded in their own way — murmurs, awe, confusion.

All those hoverids were headed to one place:

An abandoned research facility on the city’s outskirts.

And there, standing alone, was a woman in a black suit and coat, wearing gloves on her hands.

Svetlana.

One of her eyes glowed faintly as she appeared to be on a call with someone.

“Secretary Chief. The investigation is complete.”

“Yes, we considered the involvement of the Aurora Family, the New Babylon Cartel, and a few rival corporations… But all of them are ruled out. That just left us with common local cargo bandits.”

“No need to worry. There will be no delay with the Chairman’s appointment. I’ll make sure of that.”

“Secretary Chief, I’m requesting authorization for just two things.”

“The lethal-use for Ouroboros Protocol, and permission to use firearms.”

“Thank you.”

After finishing the call, Svetlana felt the presence of a hoverid landing behind her and turned her head.

She showed no reaction even when the sharp grains of metallic desert from the city’s outskirts struck her skin.

The person who got off the hoverid was a large soldier equipped with an enormous amount of cyberware.

“For ImmuneWire. Ma’am Svetlana, I’m Colonel Darlan, Combat Director of the Paris Branch.”

“And?”

“One full combat battalion has been rapidly deployed from the Paris branch and is currently holding position at a safe perimeter. If you give us more time, we can even deploy a regiment or brigade. We could also call in contractors, mercenary companies or gangs on our payroll—”

“There’s no time.”

“Pardon?”

“Colonel, how can someone of your rank be this slow?”

Svetlana let out a sigh and drew a pistol from her waist.

Her sharp gaze made even the hulking Darlan flinch.

“Colonel, the Chairman only gave me two days. That means I don’t have time to wait for your precious deployment schedules.”

“Then, based on the current unit alone, we have extracted about 8 simulations for an operation to safely rescue the VIP. If we proceed based on those, we can—”

“Not necessary. What made you think I even needed you people?”

A cold smile crossed Svetlana’s lips, laced with quiet ridicule.

‘Why are these people always so frustrating?’

‘Even in the situation where young miss was being held hostage, she managed to send me a cyberspace map.’

‘Yet here the adults are, whether they're colonels or combat directors, still acting clueless about their job.’

“You and your men just surround the place. Catch anyone trying to escape. Once I’m done, you can go in and clean up. Don’t go flexing your useless strength and ruining things.”

“...Ma’am Svetlana. Are you saying—?”

“I’ll go in alone.”

Svetlana pulled the pistol slide back with a click.

The bullet in the chamber gleamed under the sunlight.

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