Chapter 5: The Gathering of Fugitives

Behind Lucy and Kyoko Nishimura, a tall youth with similarly sun-kissed skin also entered. Once the door closed, Moser lazily sat up and said, “Have a seat. I remember there are some instant tea bags under the coffee table. As for other drinks, I think they’ve all been finished.”

“Thank you,” Lucy replied with a slight nod, her bright eyes cautiously studying him.

Moser observed her just as carefully, though his intentions differed. Purely as a fan, he was examining the three-dimensional form of his two-dimensional wife.

Her iridescent short hair shimmered under the light, a complex blend of silver mingled with pink. Beneath her bright eyes lay faint red eyeshadow that resembled a permanent tattoo—typical cyberpunk style.

Next to her stood the youth Moser recalled as Tetsuya Daichi, his green mohawk and a metallic-painted chin prosthetic forming a ‘fashionable face’ that was simply...

All these precarious kids were surprisingly trendy.

Speaking of which, Moser suddenly thought of himself—more precisely, his current image—and found himself at a loss for words.

Now, in terms of appearance, he was unexpectedly similar to his pre-transmigration self, perhaps even a high-end version. His features had grown more defined, his skin better, and thanks to modifications, his eyes appeared larger and brighter.

But...

He had a red buzz cut, a black earring pierced on his left ear, and even the implant junction behind his ear was styled with a distinct red sakura petal—a hallmark of Arasaka.

Like a tattoo, his face bore clear neural circuit tattoos on both temples that glowed blue when connected to the network...

How to put it... after a while, it looked quite unique, giving Moser, who had never worn eccentric clothes in his life, an exhilarating thrill.

He had once proposed dyeing his hair red as a child, but nearly got beaten by his family that day, so he gave up.

“Leon will come by soon,” Lucy said after scrutinizing him enough. Then, after a pause, she added, “Kyoko said you have something to say?”

“Yeah, it seems the company’s project is about to change,” Moser replied.

The three before him immediately brightened. Kyoko excitedly blurted, “Really? So we finally don’t have to dig data from the Old Net anymore?”

“Yeah, probably.”

Before Kyoko's smile could fully bloom, Moser chuckled lightly and said, “Don’t worry about being caught by AI while mining on the Old Net. Our new project most likely involves direct interaction with AI.”

At that instant, even Lucy couldn’t hide her terrified expression.

Kyoko’s eyes reddened as if on the verge of tears. “Ah?”

Tetsuya, slightly taller than Moser, clenched his fists. “Moser, are you serious? Is the news confirmed?”

“Call me Moser. ‘Han-kun’ sounds less appealing than just ‘Han,’” he replied, then relaxed his tone.

“Not confirmed, just my guess based on the new director’s tone. Think about it: the previous project director bailed after the accident, but I was left untouched, barely interrogated. The new director greets me with a smile... The only plausible reason is related to my encounter with AI and what Kyoko witnessed.

“But before discussing that, let’s talk about your situation.”

Moser watched their expressions carefully and decided to reveal selectively.

Kyoko was innocent and cute, but in this world, that was no advantage. Moser needed reliable partners for the upcoming escape. Survival instincts could both help and hinder, so he had to be cautious about what to disclose lest they panic and ruin his plans.

For now, Moser estimated he had completed 60% of the escape preparations alone. These little hackers were only useful for pulling the trigger lines and lending some strength during the escape.

Hacking skills? To be honest, he felt a bit overconfident. Someone like Lucy, he could take on ten of her—well, three for sure.

After a moment of silence from Lucy, a prompt suddenly appeared before Moser.

【Lucy is sending you a file transfer. Accept?】

Moser didn’t immediately accept; instead, he manually activated his personal ICE, built a virtual drive with his network receiver, and routed the software into it.

If necessary, he could format the virtual drive, losing only the RAM allocated during its use.

Once the file was received, Moser’s eyes glowed faint gold as he watched the fast-flowing blue data and quickly understood the program’s purpose.

He said nothing, unplugging the data cable from his wrist.

“Wait a moment.”

Lucy nodded silently, watching him.

He sat by the computer, connected the data cable to upload a ‘Free Killer V0.1’ to scan the PC thoroughly.

Then, cautiously, he reexamined the laptop’s data himself, manually patched backdoors and vulnerabilities, and deleted some old junk programs he had left behind.

Those old programs were truly terrible—redundant code piled up like a mountain of waste, just like Arasaka’s software.

Thanks to his strange talent, he viewed data and programs almost like people—height, weight, and even the ‘flesh and bones’ of code were instantly recognizable.

This allowed him to clearly identify the core, the essential framework, and the malformed, unnecessary redundant code.

Then, he started his real work.

First, he deleted all the software Lucy had sent—not because it was unusable, but because rebuilding the core code from scratch would be more efficient than optimizing hers.

In just a minute and a half, Moser rubbed his temples, feeling a little tired, unplugged again, and sent the new program to the three.

【Lucy: This creature is... a penguin? Didn’t expect you to know about biology, too.】

Lucy’s voice echoed directly in his mind. It made sense—Antarctica in this world was home only to a lonely AI.

Many believed penguins were extinct; few knew about them.

Most people were too busy working, surviving, learning, and entertaining to care about meaningless things like supposedly extinct penguins.

As for why the icon was a penguin...

It was simply Moser’s dark humor or nostalgia—he was developing an encrypted communication software, and the penguin was his chosen emblem.

【Moser: Yep, you can set your avatar yourself. From now on, we can chat with voice, video, and file transfer.

I used pure random encryption. If any unauthorized signal appears, ICE will alert you, so you can cautiously pause to avoid eavesdropping.

We can create temporary chat groups. If abnormal signals appear in group chats, the culprit will be kicked out. So if you get kicked, check your device immediately.

The program has an auto-hide function, running under the original communication framework and lurking inside ICE’s external signal detection code.

The downside is that the program itself is small but requires more personal memory when running.】

【Kyoko Nishimura: Wow! There’s even UI design...】

【Tetsuya Daichi: The data is beautiful... unbelievable, your skills have improved so fast.】

【Moser: Just integrating existing knowledge... Anyway, Lucy, you can explain now.】

【Lucy: Wait, one more partner. I’ll bring him in.】

【Leon: Is this... the new version Lucy made?】

【Lucy: No, it’s Moser’s.】

【Leon: Damn, that’s awesome.】

【Lucy: Enough chatting. Briefly tell Moser the situation... Moser, what do you think of the company?】

【Moser: No special opinion. All companies are the same.】

【Lucy: And the current situation?】

【Moser: Just ask if I want to run. Of course, who the hell wants to stay and be a mining slave or expendable?

These idiots don’t even pay wages, fooled child laborers into selling themselves, and then force them to hand over their salaries to repay training loans. The loan won’t be paid off until they’re 22.

Working here? No way. I’d rather die than work again. So, tell me your plan.】

【Lucy: ...I always thought you were pretty cold.】

【Kyoko Nishimura: +1!】

【Tetsuya Daichi: Hmm...】

【Leon: Damn, wait a minute! I want to discuss things in my room!】

【Lucy: Anyway, yes, we don’t want to die here.

A few days ago it was Tony, last week Hanako, a month ago Kagekuma...

Deaths are accelerating. The wandering AIs have probably noticed a group of kids mining online at fixed times. They’ve started capturing people and even setting traps for data mining.

I don’t want to die, none of us do. So... we’ve decided to escape!

Moser, your strength is great, your talent far beyond ours. If you join us, I believe we can get out!】

【Moser: What’s your plan?】

【Lucy: We have the security staff list and rotation schedule, and secretly hacked employee info. We plan to make our break on Christmas.

On that day, many employees request leave—it seems the underground work is unbearable, and everyone wants to celebrate.

The situation outside should be chaotic too; many company staff will be off. So, we’ll escape then.

Originally, we planned to use the deep dive to the Old Net that day to launch a large-scale information attack through our connected servers.

But now... if the project changes... I don’t know.

If we really have to fight AI... will we even survive until Christmas?】

Lucy’s expression turned sorrowful—more accurately, fearful. Moser could easily see the fragile vulnerability she tried to hide.

Kyoko and Tetsuya showed similar looks: Kyoko was downcast and tearful, while Tetsuya sighed heavily, his expression deeply troubled.

【Moser: Don’t be afraid. You’re being treated like expendable resources—just habitual thinking. Catching AI directly requires very specialized equipment and much stronger servers. Our current prosthetics, devices, and facilities don’t support that.

Even if they prepare to catch AI, our role is at best bait.

What about other preparations? How long have you been planning? Is this all you’ve done?】

【Lucy: Leon and Tetsuya wrote a cracking program to unlock our prosthetic locks. I’ll send it to you.

But activating it will trigger alarms, so don’t try it directly. We tested with a simulated program: it can disable all prosthetic locks within ten seconds.】

That was more like it.

Moser thought for a moment, not mentioning he’d already made a better version earlier, and simply replied:

【Moser: I’ll optimize the program later, no rush. What about the escape routes, supply planning, disguise, destination, and preparations after arrival?】

The chat fell silent. The kids exchanged glances, speechless, until suddenly someone knocked on the door.

【Leon: Open up, it’s me.】

Moser’s mind flicked, unlocking the door. A thin boy with blue hair eagerly entered and sat at the table.

【Leon: Hey, Moser~ You used to be a silent type, but I never expected you to be this capable.】

【Leon: Uh, don’t bother asking them. They’re not thinking that far. They just don’t want to die, so escaping is the priority.

As long as we leave, it doesn’t matter where. Our plan is to let fate decide after escape.

Most of us only have hacker prosthetics, and at most a single molecular wire as a weapon. What use is that against Arasaka agents? Most haven’t fought, only basic combat training.】

【Tetsuya Daichi: Yeah, we haven’t thought much. Just escape, survive.

If we stay, everyone’s scared. The next deep dive might be their death. No one talks about dreams or the future.】

【Moser: That won’t do. Think about specific escape routes... Actually, I’ll handle it. I’ll come up with several options. When the time comes, you can choose your favorite.】

【Kyoko Nishimura: I trust you!!】

【Lucy: Good. Let’s all think about it... But Moser, be careful. If the project changes, you’ll be a prime target.】

【Moser: No problem. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.】

At that, Moser lost interest in talking more about escape plans. It seemed the detailed planning and execution were up to him.

So, he turned to what truly piqued his curiosity.

【Moser: Kyoko, what exactly did you see?】

【Kyoko Nishimura: ...An AI.】

【Kyoko Nishimura: Before you unplugged, I saw a strange AI—a huge male figure made of red data, no distinct features except very bright eyes.】

【Kyoko Nishimura: He stood right beside you. I saw your cyber form collapse!

But then it reassembled immediately. I don’t know what happened. It was like he killed you with a finger snap and then resurrected you!

And there wasn’t just one AI!】

【Kyoko Nishimura: There was also a massive red female AI behind him!

Those two were terrifying—gigantic humanoid AIs, practically monsters!】

【Kyoko Nishimura: Your cyber form seemed to change before you logged off, but I didn’t see clearly because... I was scared.

Before it noticed me, I crossed the black wall and logged off immediately. But I didn’t expect that after I logged off, you had already woken up.】

【Kyoko Nishimura: That’s all I saw.】

Seeing Kyoko’s faint fear, Moser just blinked at her and then smiled.

“Well, no matter what, we’re still alive...

As for why my cyber form collapsed—I’m not sure. Honestly, I’ve lost that memory.

“Since I’m still here, I’ll take things as they come.”

Moser stretched and closed the chat group.

He roughly understood that these kids were unreliable, driven only by fear of death, desperately trying to escape Arasaka.

Dreams and futures weren’t on their minds.

It wasn’t their fault. For 99% of people here, a company like Arasaka was like a god.

They might escape, but even if they did, they believed they’d be caught again.

Though unspoken, their mindset was to survive day by day, with no thought beyond that.

They just preferred dying by an Arasaka agent’s bullet over being silently devoured by AI in the Old Net.

“Well then, let’s have some tea,” Moser said lightly. “These next few days are a rare break—the first long holiday in years, I think.

Enjoy this rare leisure.

Leave the annoying troubles to me.”

“Hey? I just got here!” Leon’s eyes widened, eager to keep talking.

But looking at Moser, Lucy suddenly felt reassured.

If someone who was a top target of Arasaka could be so relaxed, maybe she didn’t need to be so scared after all.

Tetsuya scratched his head and suddenly remembered, saying, “I have a game console... got it recently, with the latest soccer game. Want to play?”

“No way! You’ve got one? Let’s play!” Leon’s eyes sparkled.

Tetsuya laughed cheerfully. “After repaying my loan, I had 300 euros left monthly. The company meal fee is only 200 euros, so I saved for months to buy a secondhand one, helped by an employee. It arrived yesterday.”

“Then... Lucy, Moser, want to see my Pokémon?” Kyoko’s eyes lit up. “I haven’t seen it in a long time!

Let’s take turns watching, or dump the data on the TV and watch like old movies!

I spent ages turning Pokémon data into a video!”

“Kyoko, you’ve watched that Pokémon over ten times already...” Leon teased.

“I never said it was for you, annoying,” Kyoko stuck out her tongue and made a face at Leon, then looked at Moser eagerly.

“Moser, you said you weren’t interested before... want to try this time?

It’s really good! When I first came here, I had to watch it almost every night to fall asleep!”

Lucy quietly sent Moser a message.

【Lucy: Look, this kid treasures that Pokémon. It was a birthday gift from a sympathetic employee.

Sharing it with you is her way of warming up to you—you should be able to tell.

She used to be a little scared of you.】

【Moser: Yeah, I know. Perfect timing—I haven’t tried Pokémon before.】

Moser smiled and nodded. “Alright, let me experience Pokémon alone once first. As compensation...”

He thought a moment, then got up and moved his pillow.

Underneath lay a reading chip.

His prosthetic eye scanned the title: *Neuromancer*.

“This is a novel from the 1960s. You can take it and scan it yourselves. It should help pass the time.”

Kyoko happily reached out and grabbed the chip, scanning and copying its contents.

Soon, the two sat with shining eyes, engrossed in reading.

Moser fiddled with the Pokémon headset, pondering the controls. After a while, he put it on.

With a flash of light, the next moment, he successfully entered the world of Pokémon.