Ch.126Work Record 020 – Cyberpunk Action Drama (2)

Shortly after, I was handed… something that could hardly be called clothing. Active camouflage suit, was it? It looked like my display helmet had been transformed into a full-body outfit.

Even when I pressed it lightly with my fingers, it showed no signs of damage. It seemed to have some protective capabilities. They didn’t stop me when I tapped it lightly with the back of my hand.

I changed into the active camouflage suit, wearing only the inner lining of the costume they gave me. After completely covering myself with the mask, I sent a light current through the neural circuit wiring.

The cameras automatically detected the surrounding environment and displayed what was behind me. Even standing in front of a mirror, not even the slightest silhouette was visible. Chance’s voice came through.

“This is how it felt when I saw Agent Arthur Murphy with my original body. Would you like to try moving?”

Even when I moved back and forth and side to side, there wasn’t even an afterimage. The camera performance was quite good. Must have cost a fortune.

The representative from Heroism & Hope, exuding a uniquely gloomy aura, came directly in front of me and spoke. They must be able to track my position.

“We’ve included a tracker for filming purposes, but you needn’t worry. The horror episodes will be filming criminals. Purchased criminals…”

“I’ve been hearing that term repeatedly. They must be real criminals. What do you mean by ‘purchased’?”

“Ah. Let me explain that term first… Of course. There were no lies in the contract. They’re all real criminals. Political dissidents. The megacorporations that arrested them didn’t want these criminals to become martyrs.”

It was something I used to do often. The method used when capturing android terrorist suspects fixated on their own ideologies, and the method used by New Magers Department Store.

“Then… you didn’t purchase them. Your company paid Heroism & Hope…”

“We supply them. Then we take simple measures before releasing them into Detroit.”

The representative, full of that gloomy energy, pulled a small device from his pocket. It was solid explosive. Shaped like a long stick with a receiver attached.

“This is for extras. We receive plenty of criminals anyway. However, this solid explosive is quite toxic. It destroys a person within about a month.”

Modern plastic explosives aren’t that toxic. They’re deliberately using outdated products. He began speaking as if he could see my transparent form.

“Extras need to be visible. Surprise attacks are cliché. You shouldn’t think about putting a few bullets in someone’s head for a promotion. The judgment belongs to the viewers.”

A hologram window appeared alongside him. It showed footage highlighting a police officer with a scar on the back of his head among DPD officers. A message indicated he had been promoted.

“This is also why Serena makes most of the arrests. After arrest, if they seem like they’ll help ratings, we replace the explosive with a safer one and bring them back with an ‘escape’ setting. Then they become regulars.”

Being a regular probably doesn’t change much. There are likely many regulars, and if they don’t stand out, they’ll simply be forgotten. He continued speaking emotionlessly and articulately.

“Once established as a regular character, you can command the extras. Since they’re all criminals, they’re quite happy just to be given a switch that can detonate the explosives in someone else’s head.”

So you pick the worst and throw them into Detroit. If they had properly arrested the Headhunter, he would have ended up here. The man spoke as if making a tasteless joke.

“You needn’t worry about moral issues. If their record doesn’t include crimes that have ruined someone’s life, viewers won’t find it satisfying enough.”

With that face and that atmosphere, how could I not believe him? People can separate themselves from violence on screen only when it’s something they’ve never experienced and when the victims have no connection to them.

No matter how much they forge backgrounds, people give off a certain aura… I decided to believe him for now. Just for now. I won’t fully trust until I see the site myself.

He displayed a shallow smile on his gloomy face. It was the expression of a craftsman proud of his work.

“So, do you still remember that these criminals were political dissidents? Probably not. Those criminals all become indistinguishable extras and regulars, lumped together.”

I understand why megacorporations dump criminals into Heroism & Hope. The moment they arrive, these dissidents lose their individuality. They’re classified only as extras or regulars, and must only think about standing out.

If they don’t choose that, the bomb in their neck will either activate, or fail to activate, leading to death either way. Not a prison, but a meat grinder. Whatever beast goes in, what comes out is all the same ground meat.

I reflect on my experience. I failed when I verbally insulted and hunted the Headhunter. I don’t know how to handle people trapped in their own logic. They knew that.

“Since you put it that way, I want to learn more. I want to know how to insult. How to drag down those who believe they’re great pioneers and bury them in the dirt.”

This is for the cult leader of Hallowood Creek. If I reverse the direction of my love for Eve, it would be as deep as my hatred for Hallowood Creek. The taste of whale meat would be sweet. I dream briefly. Only briefly.

The Heroism & Hope representative looked surprised, then looked at my face level and asked. His expression was unclear.

“That… would be better explained with examples on site. Are you really a mercenary new to this kind of work? Usually when people first hear this… they show disgust.”

“No one wants to see how sausage is made, but everyone eats the boiled sausage that comes out. Wouldn’t some people want to try making homemade sausage?”

He shivered momentarily. With a slightly fearful voice, he said:

“I can only tell your position, not see you, but I imagine you’re making an expression like Serena’s. Serena’s was ‘I’ll do anything to protect the city,’ but yours…”

I reach for the hologram projector on the table. After displaying Heroism & Hope’s spoiler prohibition emoticon, I removed the hood of the active camouflage suit.

“That’s irrelevant to the job. The clothes are generally fine. Just secure the sniper veil on the basic costume head. Since the concept seems to be wrapping the face in multiple layers.”

“I’ll take care of that. Oh, and about your first appearance in two days. It’s been leaked.”

I hadn’t expected sloppy work. I didn’t think Heroism & Hope would handle things carelessly either, so I just looked at him, and he continued.

“You’re not even surprised. Yes, it was leaked. The company sold a zero-day vulnerability to one of the extra hackers. It’s like deliberately dropping house keys in front of a burglar.”

“I guess Heroism & Hope’s security team’s information security department doesn’t have that much influence?”

“They all threatened to quit, but we told them to go ahead. The revenue from a spectacular and impressive entrance scene exceeds the cost of hiring new experienced staff.”

That information security department probably doesn’t want to easily give up their employee-citizenship in this world of megacorporations. The absence of rights meant the absence of protection.

I should be thankful I never worked in that company’s security team. I sighed and nodded.

“Well, even the most random bunch… wouldn’t think they could rob a megacorporation branch without a zero-day vulnerability they happened to buy on the black market. So what’s the plan?”

“Your character was supposed to arrive at the central press conference by helicopter, with journalists waiting in front. That journalist invitation list was hacked and filled with criminals.”

I receive the list. There were two regulars and seventeen extras. There was one vacant spot. I lightly tapped the vacant spot with my finger and said:

“So I won’t be appearing from the helicopter?”

“Correct. You’ll disguise yourself as one of the extras and enter with them. There will be many cameras. We’ll lock the doors, and weapons will be placed under the seats.”

After that screen, a seating arrangement appeared. My seat was right behind where the two regular criminals would sit. That must be a consideration. The gloomy man began whispering to me.

“We’ve filled the meat bags with what you might want. Look at seat B7. A woman who killed two Hallowood Creek escapees, nearly got arrested for murder, then became an escapee herself before being caught.”

“You seem to have done quite thorough background checks.”

“Even with our efforts, we could only find a handful of information. Besides knowing your girlfriend is a Hallowood Creek escapee, there wasn’t much useful information. Oh, and in seat A2, there’s a security team member who collaborated with terrorists.”

It wasn’t Francis, of course. The CCTV footage showed someone in a Panacea Meditech security uniform letting semi-mutant terrorists into the company.

I would have felt better if the terrorists weren’t armed with Belwether pistols and shotguns. I slowly scan the list. Each one is a criminal with solid evidence.

So they’re preparing a box of candy and telling me to eat what I want first. I wasn’t happy about it. Just that… the world would be better off without all of them. That’s all.

“No matter how heinous the people you prepare, I won’t enjoy it like a madman. I only enjoy this kind of work when settling personal grudges. Right now… it’s just a chore that needs to be done.”

He studied my face for a moment, then spoke. It was a bold proposal. I gave a bold answer.

“I might suggest a career change by the time this job is done. There are many psychopaths in this industry, but people with such self-control are rare even if you replace your eyes to look.”

“Then I should start thinking about how to politely decline. Anything else?”

“Ah, outside of broadcast hours, you’ll be staying in Heroism & Hope’s penthouse. It’s quite comfortable since only Serena and a few DPD regulars live there.”

A photo of a skyscraper appeared on the hologram screen, standing tall in the middle of Detroit, displaying ostentatious curves that made it look more like something from fiction than a real curtain wall.

The penthouse was spacious and nice. Isolated from the outside, with separate private rooms… I thought the monthly rent must be at least ten times the deposit I paid.

“And, we encourage you to go out without your costume outside broadcast hours. We can’t have no evidence that you stayed in Detroit for two weeks, can we?”

I was a mercenary with low enough recognition to disappear without burden. Thinking someone would recognize me would be a laughable delusion. Leaving evidence is important. I confirmed.

Anything else to ask? I was now a private mercenary. Mr. Enzo or Boss Yoon wouldn’t ask questions for me. I found what I hadn’t heard and asked:

“Ah, you told me how extras become regulars. Is surviving for a month all that regular criminals need to do?”

“No, that’s not it. Regular criminals earn the right to have their bombs removed and leave if they kill a DPD regular. Explicitly, that is.”

Explicitly. Meaning it’s not actually true. Since obvious measures would be taken, I waited briefly, and he nodded and continued.

“We have to maintain our supply conditions. We let the DPD side execute them, then an aftercare department employee lives outside for several months with the same body as that criminal, leaving evidence before returning. There’s a reason for every cliché.”

It’s a meat grinder with a conveyor belt showing footage of a meadow beyond. No, once there’s footage of a meadow, the conveyor belt becomes unnecessary. The livestock will walk toward the grinder themselves.

All the slaughterer needs to do is make an animal appear in the footage each time one falls into the grinder. It’s not a world where it’s easy to live after committing crimes.

“Then, what about the criminal who attacked Serena?”

The man, who had been exuding gloomy energy, brought his hands closer together somewhat defensively. He answered confidently, but his voice subtly trembled. A lie.

“He’s one of the regular criminals, and the DPD officer who was killed wasn’t a regular. He’s still in the city, and will likely be dealt with during your service.”

You can’t believe everything a client says. Especially when someone who usually speaks in metaphors with a gloomy and ominous aura suddenly speaks directly.

Serena nodded too, but she’s an android. A device that might not even be connected to Serena right now. I needed to figure out which part of his statement was a lie.

He hastily changed the subject. It felt like these would be the most intense two weeks I’ve experienced.

“Oh, and… on January 3rd, there’s a planned collaboration with T Entertainment for Ms. Polaris’s concert. You’ll be handling external security for the venue.”

I wasn’t particularly interested in the entertainment industry, but fortunately, reference images appeared on the hologram screen.

There was a woman who either had an artificial body with no implants attached, or was a pure human.

With bright blonde hair, large eyes, and bright sky-blue irises, a face perfectly sculpted to be universally appealing—likely the former. Soon her catchphrase appeared on the screen.

‘Your guiding star, Polaris, shining in a lost world in a lost age.’

The image seemed quite good. Judging by her years of experience, she must be well-protected by T Entertainment. Becoming a celebrity in the entertainment industry means living with 24-hour assassination threats.

If that’s the case, sending her to Heroism & Hope’s city becomes even more incomprehensible. I leisurely scanned her personal information and asked:

“There will obviously be terrorist threats, and something will obviously happen, yet T Entertainment seems to have made a bold choice.”

“Ms. Polaris herself wanted it. Officially, that is.”

He gave as much explanation as he could. Did H Entertainment accept a coup faction from their own company into their meat grinder? That’s all I could think of regarding underground deals in the entertainment industry.

Tomorrow will begin two busy weeks. Two chaotic weeks. I mustn’t be influenced by this frenzied entertainment industry. If I’m going to dive in, I need to do it strategically. I might need to grab a harpoon.