Ch.171025th Work Record – Win or Lose in Coin Tossing (4)

Leaving Arthur-2 in the hospital bed, today’s work was almost routine. The only difference was that we split into two teams.

One team consisted of President Yoon, Vola, Ms. Eve, and a new recruit, while the other had me, Mila, and another new recruit. Despite being just three people, subduing a robber who triggered an emergency call was simple.

The president seemed to be considering increasing our numbers. Vola led her team instead of President Yoon, and I led mine. He wanted to assess both our capabilities.

Of course, both teams succeeded flawlessly. The veteran augmented supremacist mercenary, with his sleek modifications, aggressively swept through the robbers who had stolen a medical transport vehicle.

My team took a quieter approach. While the new recruit from the entertainment industry distracted them with Mila’s cover, I used my ability to crawl along walls and ceilings to infiltrate and shoot them dead.

The new recruit from the entertainment industry willingly volunteered as bait, suggesting that Belwether’s city was better to live in than the entertainment industry’s city, making such risks acceptable.

Of course, in return for this self-sacrifice, the recruit received an increased life allowance. A mercenary’s salary is always decent, and showing self-sacrifice can earn you more regardless of age or experience.

After witnessing the pleasant sight of the company growing steadily and hearing President Yoon’s brief review back at the office… I was offered beer but didn’t drink it. I just ate some snacks and set aside two cans.

As everyone headed home, I met with Ms. Eve and Mila again. I could stay up all night until tomorrow morning, but they needed sleep to function properly. We had to move in the morning.

“You two should go home and get some rest. I’ll stay with Arthur-2 tonight. We may have talked like efficiency fanatics, but I’m not that obsessed with efficiency deep down.”

“What time are we moving, Arthur? If we go too late, we might miss the person who cultivated your second self. Wouldn’t it be better to use a day off and go in the evening after work hours?”

It was a reasonable point, but delaying until dawn today was already too much time wasted. We’d spent quite a while waiting for Arthur-2’s legs to recover.

If he was going to escape, he would have done so already, and by tomorrow evening, he might hire a mercenary company and have troops waiting. We needed to move quickly.

“I don’t want to give the cultivator more time to prepare. We’ll attack just before office hours… can you wake up at 5:30 AM? That’s only about four hours of sleep, even though we finished work early.”

Ms. Eve laughed softly and leaned against me. She rested her hand on my shoulder, pressing her body close, trying to make up for the time Arthur-2 had interrupted yesterday. Her voice was always pleasant to hear.

“Once we find the person who cultivated that child with Arthur-2, we can rest, right? You can take a proper nap then. Your bed was quite comfortable, Arthur. That should be fine, right?”

“I wouldn’t refuse at all. Then, I’ll contact you tomorrow at 5:30 AM.”

Perhaps next week, after I approach the cult and say my final goodbye, the meaning of sharing a bed might change somewhat. Am I looking forward to it? I couldn’t deny that.

Since we needed to move first thing in the morning, Ms. Eve decided to spend the night on the office sofa. I grabbed two cans of beer and a bag of synthetic snacks, then left the office with its night view. I headed to the hospital.

The darkness was thin. I felt as if even I was being tinted green and blue by the massive holographic advertisement from Farmers Co. Wasteland Restoration Research Institute, which dreamed of turning wastelands into lush mountains and forests. I escaped the light.

I passed an advertisement for “Gardener’s Choice” chamomile tea, supposedly a collaboration between Farmers Co. and Heroism & Hope Co. So they ended up using it for advertising after all. I never expected it wouldn’t be used.

The advertisement’s atmosphere was completely different from what I had imagined. The Gardener didn’t kill anyone. He simply brewed tea in his quiet garden, as if showing he had retired.

Compared to the blood-soaked Gardener series, it was like a healing video. I thought of it as Heroism & Hope Co.’s way of showing respect as I passed by.

I arrived at the hospital. The security guard only advised that “alcohol slows wound healing” without questioning or inspecting the contents of my plastic bag, and I headed to Arthur-2’s room.

Despite the late hour, the lights were on in the room. When I opened the door, she seemed to be trying to adapt to using the gun she had used in her original body. It’s terrible not being able to function as a complete person.

Seeing me enter, Arthur-2 immediately lowered her gun, and I tossed her one of the beers I’d brought. She caught it steadily despite her body, showed me that she had removed the regenerative therapy device from her ankle, and sat up.

She chuckled slightly at the cold beer in her hand. When she spoke, her manner of speech made it hard to feel she was a different person, but her laugh was completely different.

“If you can bring beer into a hospital, I guess you really did succeed, Arthur. Oh, I did some research while you were out… this apartment. He should be home at dawn, right?”

She got up as if ready to go immediately and bounced slightly in place to test her ankle. It seemed that both of us became impatient in situations like this.

“You know we can’t go right now, Arthur-2. The two people helping us are sleeping, and you should rest too if you want to move at maximum efficiency. Besides, your outfit is suspicious.”

She still only had the Half & Half Co. security team uniform with the patches removed. No, she also had the white gown-like garment she must have worn when she emerged from the cultivation tank.

Arthur-2 was confidently pointing to that outfit. It had sharp creases from being folded and tucked away when she changed into the security uniform, but otherwise it was perfect.

“That outfit might look suspicious to others, but it won’t seem that suspicious to the guy who cultivated me. Bait strategy. Can’t you see how it would work?”

“You’re thinking of doing what you did when you came out of the cultivation tank. Wearing those clothes you had on when you emerged, all dirty, and knocking on the door of the guy who cultivated you.”

“He’ll think I’ve come back. He won’t know who might be waiting beside the door… though if it’s a high-end apartment with drones for external verification instead of cameras?”

The person I work most comfortably with is indeed myself. She worries about the same things I would, yet comes up with ideas subtly different from what I would do. It was a comfortable feeling.

It must be the same for Arthur-2. Without any signal, we both turned our beer cans around and opened them with our thumbs. We gripped them again and took a big swig. The amount of breath we exhaled afterward was quite different.

We both put down the cans after just a couple of sips, though we could have finished them in one go. We didn’t discuss alcohol. If it was a MediTech artificial body, it would be resistant to alcohol just like all other toxins.

“I can’t show you here, but I have a jammer in my head. If I turn it on, he’ll have to come out and check with his own lens. Even with a wide lens, he won’t be able to see the neighboring unit.”

“Oh, really. I’m genuinely envious of those heavy-duty modifications. My body… I’ll probably have to replace it, and I can’t even imagine how much money it’ll cost to get new modifications too. Anyway, sounds good.”

She ate the synthetic snacks comfortably, but to my taste, there was a faint fishy bean flavor. It must have been well-regulated, but my sense of taste had become more sensitive.

We continued emptying our beer cans. I held the chubby can with one hand while she held hers with both. After taking another sip and sighing deeply, she asked:

“What if there are combat troops inside with the guy who cultivated me?”

“The jammer will disrupt their artificial eyes or at least disable their targeting assistance systems. That’s enough for me to subdue them on my own.”

The true value of my body was demonstrated indoors. I could always move faster than anyone else… and make decisions one step ahead. That gave me a two-move advantage in indoor combat.

“Acting like a veteran when you’ve only got three months more combat experience than me… Was I the type to show off? I do it well, but not without reason. I’ll trust you.”

Conversation between myself and I couldn’t be difficult. Although her mind was mine, Arthur-2’s body was an ordinary MediTech artificial body, and she quietly fell asleep while I kept watch in the hospital room until dawn.

Arthur-2 woke up at 5 AM as promised. She got up unsteadily, threw off her patient gown, and put on the stiff synthetic fiber gown she must have picked up right after emerging from the cultivation tank. It looked uncomfortable.

From the equipment bag I’d brought, I took out a holster strap and attached it around her waist under the gown so she could easily draw a weapon, then added a Belwether standard pistol to the holster. That would be enough for self-protection.

With her current body, it would be difficult to handle the recoil, so she’d need to drop to one knee immediately after drawing the gun to aim properly. The difference in eye level from what she remembered seemed to add to her discomfort.

Seeing her concern, I showed her “Small Misdeed.” She didn’t know why the gun was called that, but she did know it was a three-kilogram reinforced pistol.

I could handle it easily with one hand, which meant that even if her first shot missed, I could provide supporting fire with sufficient power and accuracy.

Though Arthur-2’s pride might have been slightly wounded, she didn’t mind. Some things simply couldn’t be helped.

Soon Ms. Eve and Mila arrived as well. Ms. Eve seemed a bit sleepy, but Mila was as fresh as ever. Having enough stamina to get by on little sleep and move around all day is always a good thing.

Arthur-2 climbed onto my bike, and Mila wrapped her arms around Ms. Eve’s waist as we headed toward the apartment complex Arthur-2 remembered. A concrete jungle unfolded before us.

Belwether doesn’t provide equal security services everywhere. That’s why housing is so densely packed in areas with good security services. Among these, there are always high-end residences.

We passed the apartment where the woman with a hobby of raising returned children had lived. Among the seemingly identical scenery, Arthur-2 recalled the landmarks she had memorized and identified the building.

Soon, among the luxury apartments, Arthur-2 pointed to one building. Instead of heading toward the main entrance, she went toward the windows, counted the floors thinking about how many she had descended, and pointed to one unit. It must be around unit 602.

From there, she slowly lowered her hand and pointed to another apartment on the opposite side. There was nothing particularly unusual about it, except for a strange pattern on one of the windows.

It was probably one of those anti-mutation patterns circulating online. It might block visual stimuli for certain mutations… but it was just a film that conspiracy theorists would put up.

“That’s the place. When I was coming down, I saw that anti-mutation film on that apartment and descended. After coming down two floors, it was directly in front of me, so it’s on the 6th floor, and the location is certain.”

As we tried to enter through the main entrance, a security drone with a security company logo approached us. After authenticating our freelancer licenses and stating we were on business, it let us pass.

Legitimate authority produces better results in most situations than most hackers’ skills. Only after the four of us entered the elevator did we draw our guns.

We reached the 6th floor. It was a well-decorated corridor, perfectly sealed from the outside to prevent smog from entering, wide enough for all four of us to walk side by side, and even featured holographic flower beds.

This was a high-end apartment with only four units per floor. I briefly tapped the side of my head as a signal to turn on the jammer, then lowered my HUD display and gave the signal. Wireless connections around us went dead.

After giving Arthur-2 hand signals, I hid at an angle where I wouldn’t be visible from the door. Arthur-2 moved her face a few times, forced herself to tear up to look upset, and knocked on the door.

I listened without reducing my hearing sensitivity. When Arthur-2 knocked again, I began to sense movement inside. Someone was rushing to the door. They seemed to have been sleeping.

And they were careless too. I could hear their heavy breathing as they approached the door. They didn’t even question why the drone wasn’t working, just peered through the lens.

“Ah, ah. You’re back! Wait, just a moment! I’ll open it for you!”

The tone was polite. Why? Did he not know he had cultivated a dead person? Either way, it worked out well. As the door slowly began to open, Arthur-2 grabbed it and yanked it wide open.

The homeowner tried to grab the door in surprise, but when I placed my hand on it and pulled, he couldn’t resist and was dragged out with the door. The homeowner was an unarmed man who appeared to be in his late twenties or early thirties.

He looked like a pure human on the surface, but despite his disheveled appearance, his eyes showed no sign of fatigue. High-end artificial eyes. Other than that… he didn’t even have a gun.

What kind of person was he? I covered his mouth to prevent him from screaming and dragged him into the apartment. Ms. Eve quietly closed the door and followed us in. She signaled that she would guard the door.

Leaving Mila and Ms. Eve at the door, my clone and I took the man to the living room. It was lavishly decorated. I noticed a certificate with the Panacea MediTech logo.

It wasn’t anything special. Just a Panacea MediTech style motivational tool, commending how many people this employee had helped find life again through cultivation during his five years of service.

His name was Jerome. Jerome Solverson. According to the year on the certificate, he had worked at Panacea MediTech for over 8 years. A rookie compared to Robin who had over 20 years of service, but still a veteran in his own right.

At least my guess that he was a MediTech employee was correct. I put my index finger to my lips to signal him to stay quiet, and he nodded desperately. I pulled back Arthur-2, who looked ready to growl at him, then removed my hand.

He quietly kept his mouth shut, nervously glancing at Arthur-2 who looked ready to pull the trigger of the gun she’d taken from her chest. I took the gun from her to reassure him a bit, then spoke:

“Recording start. You must have a ton of questions right now, Jerome. Of course, one answer will be enough. Now, listen carefully. My name is Arthur Murphy. You’ve probably heard that name before, haven’t you?”

Since I had the jammer on, I couldn’t transmit my freelancer license, but I took out the plastic card I used before I had a computational assist device and showed it to him.

His expression slowly began to distort. It wasn’t fear or confusion. If I had to describe it… it was a “we’re fucked” expression. In many ways.

He pulled back his body even though there was nowhere to run, curling up against the plush, high-end sofa. I sighed at his behavior, which seemed like he might have a panic attack, and said:

“Don’t try to run, Jerome. If you keep this up, I’ll have no choice but to give the gun back to Arthur-2 and let her handle the conversation.”

Using two versions of myself for a good cop/bad cop strategy was amusing, but I continued seriously:

“I’ve lived three or four months longer than Arthur-2. A lot has happened during that time, and now I’m trying to resolve this situation through conversation without firing a single bullet. What about the copy I call Arthur-2?”

I briefly glanced at Arthur-2. I blocked her leg as she lunged forward to kick Jerome. I picked her up completely and set her down behind me, shaking my head.

Being able to communicate intent with just a look is quite convenient. Arthur-2 wasn’t actually that unstable. She was just playing the bad cop role briefly to get Jerome to talk.

“She’s quite nasty, isn’t she? If you answer well, I can promise to keep Arthur-2 from touching you. If you try to keep quiet, I’ll give her back the gun. Understood?”

Jerome nodded urgently, and I reached out to his shoulder and patted it lightly. I recalled the interrogation section from the training manual I’d received from President Yoon.

I already knew that he had cloned me, and that he had probably done it by misappropriating Panacea MediTech’s technology. What I wanted to know was the reason and method. I shouldn’t ask directly what I wanted to know.

After formulating the necessary questions, I holstered Small Misdeed again and sat down in front of him. Jerome was still trembling, defensively hugging his legs. He was frightened but not wary.

“You know about the hostage situation that happened in an apartment near here because information leaked from Panacea MediTech, right, Jerome? The higher-ups believe that you, who stole the cultivator technology, also leaked customer information.”

It was a complete bluff. I didn’t know where the information had leaked from either. Jerome’s face turned completely pale at those words, and he began waving his hands, proclaiming his innocence.

“No, no, no, that’s really not true! I, I just stole one artificial body cultivator that’s now become a standard model, I never did anything crazy like leaking customer information! And I thought Arthur was dead…”

I clicked my tongue leisurely and shook my head. I calmed Jerome down. After inducing him to take a deep breath, I slowly increased the pressure. Now he would spill.

“Jerome, Jerome. Jerome. The identity of a deceased person or brain scan data isn’t sold at convenience stores. Who else would have leaked that information if not someone who frequents the black market enough to obtain such information?”

Now Jerome believed he was dealing with a Panacea MediTech freelancer who had come on orders from above, using Arthur-2 as a lead to climb up the evidence trail, not a mercenary looking for the reason why he had been cloned.

In an age where reality can be censored and truth can be manufactured, this becomes even easier when wireless connections are cut off by a jammer. Jerome dry-heaved once.

After barely composing himself, he buried his face in his hands, trembling, then looked up. Terrified, he began to confess the information I wanted.

“A-Arthur’s… t-that is, the deceased person’s identity and brain scan data, I bought them from Coco’s Play Store. I’ll give you my ID chip and access guide so you can check for yourself. Really, really…”

A familiar name. Coco’s Play Store. It seems they strictly prevented buying and selling people, but were fine with trading brain scan data. I asked him what I wanted to know, now that he was ready to confess.

“Alright, Jerome. I’ll check with Coco. But what’s important is… why you cloned me, a Belwether-certified freelancer, with that brain scan data. And put me in a body like that. Why?”

Jerome still believed that the suspicion against him hadn’t ended. He knelt down, clasped his hands together, and began to speak desperately, letting everything slip.

“It’s just a hobby… Really. When deceased people’s brain scan data is being sold, I buy it and put it into new bodies as a… h-hobby. Panacea MediTech is researching resurrection technology too, right…”

It was the dark side of Panacea MediTech. While creating rejuvenation technology to reverse life and death, no one really knew how many cultivated human bodies were being used up.

“But why… a body like that? If you had my brain scan data, you would have known what I looked like when I was alive. Why put it in a body that doesn’t resemble me at all?”

Jerome… seemed to be feeling intense embarrassment. With an expression like someone stripped naked in a public square, he covered his face and spoke. Or rather, he made excuses.

“No, well, if a deceased person comes back to life with their original face, it can cause administrative problems, and that would worsen the already bad relationship between Belwether and Panacea MediTech…”

“Jerome.”

“No, well, the truth is… Y-yes, well… Even with deceased scan data, most are from core security teams or guard teams, so cultivating them in bodies like that and bringing them back to life produces reactions that are enjoyable to watch…”

This time Arthur-2 genuinely tried to pick up a decorative bust from the living room, and I had to stop her before returning. I felt like I was getting a headache too. I asked again:

“So, you’re saying you just had a hobby of reviving deceased security team members in female bodies to watch their reactions? You only went to the black market to find brain scan copies?”

“Aaagh! Please lower your voice, please! No, well, bringing back someone who died in an unfortunate accident, even like this, is a good thing, isn’t it? While doing a good deed…”

“Jerome, please. Okay?”

“Y-yes, that’s right… I just put them in young female bodies and watched their reactions, then sent them out to enjoy their second life… I just enjoy the reactions… This won’t go in the report, will it…?”

I couldn’t tell if he was more worried about being purged from the company or having his preferences exposed in a report. I decided to stop bluffing here. I sighed.

“No, Jerome. I’m not employed by Panacea MediTech. I’m just here because my copy, who escaped from your house, found me and wanted to know what kind of bastard did this and for what twisted purpose.”

“What? Then, the leaked customer information…”

“When you live as a freelancer, you pick up a lot of things. Just hand over the Coco’s Play Store ID chip, and I won’t report the stolen cultivator to the company. You may have your preferences, but I need to deal with whoever leaked the scan copy.”

Incredibly, Jerome… was happy about my confession that it wasn’t a bluff. Probably because he wouldn’t have his preferences exposed or be purged from the company. I followed him to the cultivation room.

In a room filled with soundproofing materials, I received the Coco’s Play Store ID chip, ignoring Jerome’s chatter about how in an age where people can freely change bodies, his preferences were relatively mild.