Sitting in a dimly lit office , Lounging on a couch with his hands interlaced together , Sebastian stared up at the ceiling , Thumbs dancing across his interlaced hands .
" I've come to the conclusion that the people of this city have a severe lack of understanding ... of empathy m they're so stuck on their own paths that they are incapable of looking to their side and asking how that person is ... it's so ... self centred " The sounds of rolling thunder echoed outside of the therapists room , The ticking of a clock easily heard whilst the therapist himself leaned back into his own chair.
" That's human nature isn't it " Glenn crosiar , therapist since 2070. Though there were rumours about the man having less than reputable side activities , Dastardly enough for sebastian to personally intervene .
[ Link established ... beginning download ] Sebastian ignored the redkeys prompt, It already aware of what it was searching for whilst he himself simply stared up at ceiling of the unlit room .
" People strive for the best for themselves , Greed drives them forward , Pushes them to smother the competition to get the best results for themselves " Glenn replied evenly , gently removing his glasses and Rubbing his brow , Brown eyes turning to the window where he looked to the city beyond . Despite heavy rain pelting the windows making it an impossibility to see beyond , Glenn liked to stare out anyway , It was the act of it that gave him relief .
" But why " Sebastian rose , The room glowing ominously under Sebastian's optics , Staring at Glenn with a pinched expression " Why ... it serves no purpose but for finite minimum gain . Humanity stands to go so much further if they just.. "
[ Unable to find any incriminating evidence on personal cyberware - Suspected innocence - 73% - connecting to external sources for further verification]
' Well isn't this a pleasant surprise ' Sebastain sat up , Planting his feet on the ground , Regarding the therapist with a curious gaze , Lips thinned in thought.
" But I want to know ... what you think about it " Sebastian pressed , Spreading his arms over the back of the couch and crossing his legs " What do you think would make people unite "
" Well ... historically speaking ... humans have only really united in times of great adversity " Glenn spoke honestly and evenly , His face falling slightly as he thought deeper into the subject .
" wars designed to generate profit ... slavery. Mass corruption ... It's my personal belief that it's those that hold the most power that are keeping humanity back " Glenn replied honestly , yet he couldn't exactly say what compelled him to do so .
" I suppose ... that at the very least , We can agree on " Sebastian closed his eyes and took a deep breath in.
[ Glenn crosiar - Innocent - 98% ]
' So it was most likely a rival or other party attempting to run a smear campaign against Glenn either in an effort to get him to quit ... or someone to act on those beliefs ' Sebastian let out the breath he was holding , Rising from the chair as he adjusted the sleeves of his black dress shirt.
" I appreciate your honesty on this subject , It won't soon be forgotten ... " Sebastian regarded Glenn with an analytical gaze once more before turning to the rooms door " I suppose I'll be back next Friday "
" I'll book you in ... same time " Glenn rolled his chair across the carpeted floor towards his computer , looking at sebastian through his glasses .
" Yes ... that would be best " Sebastian bid Glenn well before stepping through the doorway , Analysing and recording the names on the other adjacent doors before heading down to the lobby and leaving the building altogether.
" He does pose a good point though " Sebastian had already long considered the option . It was afterall how his humanity had ascended to the stars . Through great adversity had his humanity been pushed in the tight direction , No wars , No corporate Greed for the most part . But that was a time ago . And this world was nothing like his own .
They weren't quite yet there for the environment to enter such a state as his had .
" Perhaps , Only through adversity can humanity persevere ... a thought for later "
...
" Benjamin ... come with me " Sebastian chewed on his lip as he passed through the observation room of NEW HOPE , RN02 looked at his creator but quickly turned his attention back to observing the on going operations of NEW HOPE .
" Tell me the latest company reports " Sebastian instructed, His arms folded behind his back whilst Benjamin hastily brought out his datapad , quickly finding what Sebastian was asking for.
" In regards to our funds , We have a surplus of one hundred and eighty seven million in spare funds with maintenance and upkeep counted for with a projections for a three hundred percent rise from investments in the next quarter " Benjamin sent said compiled data to sebastian to go over at a later date .
" Ah very good ... continue on " Sebastian listened , The duo turning a corner , the hallway they found themselves in leading to elevator to the decoy laboratory.
" In regards to our emergency services branch , We have successfully pulled forward from trauma teams performance rating , with a eighty percent plus approval rating from the general populous of night city , The only factor we have been unable to successfully outperform is the attendance to higher package holding members of trauma teams subscription service ... though with more and more successful operations I believe that number shall change " Benjamin showed a graph that all in all indicated that they were performing at a higher standard than trauma team in relations to the average citizen of night city , Whilst the higher echelons remained somewhat loyal to the quick responding trauma team .
" That is only natural ... those who trauma team places value in would afterall have no issues with their services ... that is fine by me ... what about our own staff " They stepped into the elevator to the lab , Assistant already sending them down without any imput .
" Our staff has risen from twenty four on sight personel to sixty overall NEW HOPE on sight specialists . We also have zero cases of pir robots going missing and minimal damages as of their latest updates . On sight staff not related to the field remain well within functional margins , Our doctors at our branch hospital and emergency rooms have been successfully performing within acceptable margins with automated members becoming more and more capable of functioning alongside our organic staff " Though not entirely comfortable with having robot doctors at first , Benjamin had to ultimately acquiesce to their viability as some models began to rival if not out perform a large majority of their hired staff , Though he still regarded their performance with a keen and critical eye , Though he did that for both parties regardless . If anything went wrong it would be on their heads .
" That is good news , Feel free to order as many vehicles and resources as you see necessary as our staff becomes more numbered ... " The doors to the elevator opened , The duo stepping out into the scanning room before the lab , Yet with assistant already knowing , bid them entry without necessary scanning as they marched into the main chamber of the laboratory .
" Send me the rest of the allocated data , I will comb over it later , But for now ... I have a more important matter to discuss with you " Sebastian tapped at the glass case that sat infront of him , Looking at his little genetic specimen that had been growing at an acceptable rate .
" Come here little one .. this lab is no longer suitable for you to live in " He opened the lid to the biome .
Benjamin stepped back , remembering the creature from the first time he had entered the laboratory , And its rather aggressive nature even after his later visits .
" Ah " Benjamin made to speak up, Yet chose to remain silent as the creature seemed to coo as Sebastian's hand , Its four arms rising to loop around Sebastian's arm before it used its impressive strength to scale his employers arm and quickly take a squat on Sebastian's shoulder .
The specimen had changed significantly over time . The gills it had first grown still remained , Yet they still visibly breathed air , Fluttering open and shut as it easily adjusted to the atmosphere around it .
The four eyes it had previously had on its face had multiplied to eight , Scattered around its cranium to produce 360 degree vision.
Now , It's previously bare form was shrouded in chitinous plating , guarding it's vital points as various Tendrils seemed to reach from its lower spine like tentacles , each one barbed with sharp spikes , Each one used for ultimate manoeuvrability.
" I'll be moving you downstairs " Sebastian gently stroked the bottom of its chin , Electrical currently sunning from his finger into the base of its jaw , Obviously enjoyable for the specimen as it preened under the touch " You'll have alot more room "
" Now " Sebastian turned back to Benjamin, The specimen mimicking its creator as it too stared unblinkingly at the director of NEW HOPE " Continuing on "
" With my lab now secure , and with our continued monitoring under the eyes of the the FIA and arasaka , I do believe it's due time we broke into the agricultural market " Sebastian stepped past the specimens previous enclosure , Moving towards the case of the genetic printer , It's display still entirely black , It's contents hidden from view apart from a hologram display .
" As I'm positive I remember correctly , nicholous showed you the genetic printer , an all rounder capable of printing out any generic template it is instructed to , From single cell organisms to a full fledged human baby , It can do it " Sebastian stopped infront of a display , Showing the origional genetic printer whilst also showing a second similar device .
" This second device however, Is what I want you to focus on , It is for all intents and purposes the same as the printer ... however it is locked to specifically print out flora and only flora " Sebastian touched the holographic display , enlarging the rotating model for Benjamin to see .
" Next week during the gathering of night city council... I want you to present this to them , Inform them of our intention to return the badlands to its previous splendour " Sebastian commanded , sending a copy of the hologram to Benjamin's datapad " You don't need to win them over , A majority vote is fine ... we will have the most important votes guaranteed , it's the smaller council members I want you to focus on ...and get their approval ... " Sebastian turned to the display of the origional genetic printer , The display case still a completely black , but he could detect the printer floating within , Still active and ready to consume anything that entered its field of influence .
" I'll have a operation crew ready with the functioning model prepared for immediate deployment when we have the green light ... " He was already having the flora model of the genetic printer being printed , though it would remain inaccessible until the time was right " Until the meeting ... prepare your speech, you'll need to get used to public appearances ... this won't be the only time I ask this of you "
Sebastian started to walk towards the interior chambers of the lab , Preparing to leave Benjamin to his duties while he himself transported the more important personal affects to the new lab.
" And what if they turn down the proposal " The question was innocent , Not out of any sort of criticism nor scepticism .
Sebastian , About to step through through the doorway to enter deeper into the lab , Paused momentarily . The genetic anomaly sat apon his shoulder stiffening slightly .
An uncomfortable feeling rose of Benjamin , As sebastian turned his head slightly to peer at him over his shoulder , Those cursed orange eyes alight ever so slightly .
" They won't... "
With those lone parting words , Sebastian turned back and continued deeper into the lab , Leaving Benjamin frozen in place at what he had said .
The finality of those two words sent shivers down his spine. Like it was an impossibility for it not to happen .
" Right " Banjamin let out a shaky breath , Hands gently being placed on the console before him as jitters ran through his body " I'll prepare my speech "
And so he made himself scarce .
....
NIGHT CITY 3 DAYS LATER - 1 AM - CITY BAY
....
The water was calm , Yet the atmosphere was not , A yatch floated easily along the surface of the flat waters of night city , Yet noise blared from within , two large speakers releasing a symphony easy on the ears .
" No he didn't " Stephany's Ryder laughed as she conversed with John McLean, Both members of militech amongst their peers.
The two sat at the back of the yacht , watching the rest of the party go on as they enjoyed the lively atmosphere aboard johns boat .
" Fucker really thought he could just me of my position " John chuckled , Bringing his glass to his lips , Smirking slightly as he drank from his glass , pinning the woman with a knowing glance .
" But " John lowered his glass , savouring his drink as he regarded Ryder again " He's been dealt with "
" That's good then " Stephany cringed yet didn't give any obvious response , Rather she simply moved over slightly as a waiting approached from the kitchen on the yacht , Bringing a tray of drinks to the owner of the boat.
" Ah thank you " John watched the waiter lower the tray , Placing johns drink before himself and stephany's infront of her .
" Now then " John turned his attention back to stephany " I'm glad you accepted my invite out , I was fully prepared to cancel ... " He gestured to the party " party if you hadn't have agreed to come out "
" Of course ... I had the time " Stephany smiled , Sinking Into the fabric of the couch " I'm glad I didn't turn it down , I might even regretted that "
" I think you would've too " John looked away from stephany and turned his gaze towards the party goers , A thoughtful look in his eye .
" it was nice ... you me and bruce... I miss those days ... back in the academy ... you know ... those days we would sneak out and gallivant around the city without the notice of the instructors " A deep resigned sigh escaped his lips , Hanging his head " I ... know i was abit of a prick when I found out you and Bruce were seeing eachother ... I don't think I ever apologised for that "
" We were young , out of our minds ...we took our chances , things work out and they don't... " Stephany shrugged " I do miss it though , the times we spent together .. they were nice , just us two ... I've always ... regretted the way things turned out ... you know after school I thought none of us would ever see eachother ... but when I saw you in the council on your first day ... I was reminded of it all "
" Ha ... Brucy boy didn't make the cut for the council , Not yet anyway " John leant back , regaining his previous composure ' Not that he'll ever make it '
" But ... I'm sure you know the real reason I invited you here ... I heard you and Bruce had a falling out ... I couldn't pass on the chance " John spoke up , Guiding the conversation as stephany took a tantive drink of the beverage the waiter gave her .
" I ... might have a sneaking suspicion " she shimmied closer , her eyes dancing over his body before she downed her drink in one go " That I do "
Her hands gently reached across the couch , Landing gently on his crotch , Her fingers gently stroking his member as she puckered his lips .
" You know Bruce... " John was hushed by her other finger coming to his lips .
" Bruce isn't here ... " She raised herself. bringing her lips to his own as she continued her ministrations with her hNd on his pants " He doesn't matter right now ... right now it's just you and me ... this was your idea ... wasn't it "
" It was " John reciprocated by pulling her over to him , Catching her lips to his own , Pulling her body flush against his own .
For several minutes they swapped spit , flush , grinding against eachother .
" Take me to your room " Stephany whispered , Curling her hand through his hair , Feeling his hard member pushing against his pants.
" Hm ... alright " He hooked his hand around her back , Pushing off of the couch as her legs wrapped arpund his back , John pushing them through the croud towards the private bedroom on the yacht .
Opening his bedroom , John closed the door behind them. Walking to his bed and dumping the girl on the bed.
Standing over her , John studied her with an intense gaze , her stray hair splayed beside her as she nervously fidgeted.
" Well ... " Stephany half smiled , And John responded , reach down and simply Tearing her dress from her body , A gasp escaping the woman on his bed as her nude body was assaulted by the cold air of the room they were in.
And for several moments they dove Into a scene of carnal desire , Years of pent up want and desire flowing out through one night of release .
Minute after minute, Through several positions they ended up with stephany riding John, His eyes mesmerised by her bouncing tits .
' Its ... about that time ' It came immediately, a surprised lurch of her body as mucus was launched from her lips , Her eyes widening In alarm amd surprise.
" What's ... " White foam exploded from her mouth right after the mucus , Frothing as she jumped off of John, Holding her mouth panic , Rising from the bed in the nude , her tits bouncing in the air , Her steps unsteady " What'd you ... "
John raised his head , Starfished on the bed , A knowing smirk on his face as he watched stephany's legs give out , slipping on her stiletto before finally collapsing to the bed , dead before she hit the ground .
" And that's what you get for you and Bruce trying to take me out ... stupid cunt " John chuckled , Taking a deep breath of air with a sense of solidarity.
It was there , In the nude in his bed that John spotted a sort of distortion , His alcoholic haze distorting his vision .
" well ... that is ... unfortunate, I had use for her " John suddenly sat upright at the unknown voice , Bleary eyes clearing up before he laid eyes on perhaps the worst person he could've woken up with to find in his room on his yacht.
Standing before him , Helmet , robes and all was Apollo, Standing over the floor where Stephany lay , Foam leaking from her mouth , dead eyes staring out ... unseeing.
"It was an accident I swear " John crawled against the floor away from Apollo, Spilling glasses and bottles as he crawled away .
" Oh I'm sure " The sarcastic response grated against his ears , causing him to wince as Apollo knelt down and placed a finger to her neck " I'm sure the toxic amount of thallium in her beverage had nothing to do with you "
" But that means " Apollo slowly rose once more , His gun and sword visible to John whom gulped , sweat running down his face as Apollo rounded and regarded him akin to the reaper itself " You will have to take her place "
" O...oh course " John readily accepted , Leaning forward , Hands slapping against the ground headless of the neck he was dirtying his hands with " Whatever she promised , whatever she was doing I can do it for you just please "
Behind his mask , Sebastian sneered seeing the pathetic pose John was in , Snot visibly running down his face , sweat perspiration on his forehead like a cracked addict, Eyes wide in terror.
" I know , You do pose some semblance of survival instinct ... " Apollo didn't offer any instruction instead he crossed his hands behind his back .
" What ...what is it you need me to do " John flinched , risking the danger of looking up into the glowing lenses of Apollo's helmet .
" Nothing ... it will be me doing it all " Apollo responded with a harsh bark .
[ Unauthorised breach detected , Deploying countermeasures ] John's ICE retaliated, only for his cyberware to start glitching not a second later after it attempted to retaliate against Apollo.
[ Error ... ero...f^^>#%@@] His interface shut down a moment later .
" What ... what are you " His nose started bleeding a moment later , with Apollo simply regarding John withal seemingly disinterested gaze " Doing "
" What I am doing is irrelevant to you , nor is understanding my goals of any benefit to you " Apollo looked down at stephany's body once again " A shame really ... But ... "
He turned away , Slowly making his way to the door to the room with the noise from the party outside growing louder and louder " I expect your discretion pertaining to my presence and my request "
" Of course " John bowed his head slightly , weary eyes watching Apollo reach for the door handle , Opening the door and stepping out I to the party in one fluid motion .
Rising from the ground. John rushed the doorway , Peering out only to see the party from outside going on , with Apollo seemingly Vanishing without any trace .
On the city centre dock , Several hundreds of metres away from where the yacht was anchored , Apollo simply looked towards the yacht that was a dot in the distance .
The glow of Apollo's eyes dimmed slightly as he turned away from the boat , Having down what he wished to achieve.
' Locate Eva cole ' Sebastian instructed , The red key breaking into the NCPD subnet and immediately attempting to find the woman's latest location.
[ Eva Cole located , Current location , Heywood silkyone street ] Without answering , Apollo rounded , sandevistan activating as his brain activity sky-rocketed.
Before his eyes , the waves of the water before the dock crawled to a complete stop , Halting entirely as he leant forward and tore across the ground .
A thunderclap escaped the dock as he vanished in a burst of pure speed , Shaking the ground as several loose crates were tossed away thanks to the shockwave of him Tearing through the sound barrier at his sudden increase in speed .
The water around the dock itself shuddered as the shockwave passed over its surface. And a passer-by cringed as he was nearly bowled over by the wave that passed over him.
" What the fuck was that " He cringed , his ears ringing , Leaning against the wall ignorant of the origin of the shockwave.
... NEW HOPE ...MAXTAC QUARTERS ...
" You know ... I've got a feeling that it's not just that psycho they're studying " Dani grumbled , for nearly a week , they had stayed in new hope . Sure they had all the amenities they desired but staying in the tower , Keenly aware they were being watched , was starting to wear on their faculties.
Rubbing her brow , Caitlyn attempted to ease the building headache , Her ears ringing slightly . For days now it had been building , slowly ... but surely . It started as the occasional flare of pair in the head , nothing but a passing slight pain that wad easily forgotten. Then it became a sort of building pressure , growing more and more intense with each passing day. Until now it was nearly a full blow migraine with only the reprieve of sleep .
" no shit " Caitlyn grumbled , Opening her bloodshot eyes to glare at dani , The rest of the team eyeing her worriedly. It was clear to them all that for some reason or another , She was deteriorating " Can we just ... keep calm please "
" Why dont you try and get some sleep " Nathaniel placed a gentle hand on her shoulder , The netrunner glancing over her shoulder with a slight glare " I'll bring a glass of water to you , Might make it easier alittle "
His genuine concern caused her flare of anger to calm ever so slightly , A deep breath escaping her flared Nostrils as she rose .
" Fine ... just ... I'll be in my room " She walked off , Nathaniel giving her a sympathetic glance as she rounded the corner and stormed to her room , The rest of the team hearing her door slide shut not a moment later .
" What do ya thinks got to her " Buck ate a large piece of synthetic steak grown and available for then to consume .
" I have no fucking idea .. but I know where to look ... " Of course he did , he wasn't a fucking idiot , He'd been around the bend more than once. Places like the one they were in , everyone had a suspicion on what was going on ... though nobody ever said anything.
" you guys stay here " Nathaniel grumbled under his breath , Moving from the central lounge towards a corridor that lead into the rest of new-hope ,a sealed door keeping them confined .
Coming up to the door , He knew it couldn't be opened from his side , And so he banged on the door with a closed fist .
" BENJAMIN .... OPEN THE DOOR WE NEED TO TALK " Banging on the door multiple times , Nathaniel growled , knowing he was being watched thanks to the camera in the corner of the corridor staring him down .
He knew he didn't need to keep banging. So he simply waited , and sure enough... after five minutes of waiting the door slid open with a soft hiss .
" Mister price what can I help you with " Benjamin himself walked into the corridor , the maxtac team lead spotted two of those fucked robots standing at attention just behind the corner , no doubt ready to neutralise him should he prove a threat.
" Whoevers running this little test of yours , I want to see them now " Nathaniel crossed his arms , Leaning his weight onto one leg as he walked at the doctor .
" I'm afraid I.... "
" Don't give me that same ol shtick , I know what you're doing ... take me there now " Nathaniel hissed , Glaring at Benjamin, Squaring his shoulders .
The good man he was , Benjamin sighed , shoulders Slumping as he grabbed his glasses , removed them and rubbed his brow .
" Alright ... come with me ... I'll... take you to the project lead " Placing his glasses back on his nose , Benjamin turned and walked through the doorway.
" Good ... "
...
Brought before an unmarked door , Nathaniel was about to speak up about being dragged around the tower without seemingly heading for where Benjamin had promised to take him .
Now , He was on guard , The whole way through the building he was Keenly aware that they had been followed closely by one of new hopes defensive robots .
Looking out of the corner of his eye , he attempted a scan on the robot again .
" Nothing again ' His lip twitched. Once more any scan he attempted registered nothing , as if the machine released no electronic signature to pick up.
" Just through there ... " The door opened of its own volition " now please ... be quick , there are things I must attend to "
" Fine ... "
Stepping into a chamber, Nathaniel's eyes widened as he observed a full wall of monitors displaying one thing and one thing only ... his team and the entirety of their living quarters .
" What can I do for you " RN02 didn't turn to face Nathaniel, Rather instead he was blatantly watching several feeds displaying the whole maxtac team going about their day .
" Whatever you're doing to Caitlyn needs to stop now. I know it's you ... fucks " He spat as he noticed RN02'S gaze was particularly fixed on a feed of Caitlyn attempting to sleep " That are doing this to her "
" You don't seem to understand Nathaniel price ... " RN02 turned to face the maxtac team lead entirely, Eyes unblinking , narrowed as they seemed to stare at him ... through him " What is a moment of pain compared to a life of serenity"
The hairs on the back of Nathaniel's neck stood straight on end as RN02 took a step forward , still not yet blinking , his face blank .
" Not just for her , but for all of you . You're all cyberpsychos, given new paint , your humanity restored . What's to stop you from doing it again , this time with new improved gear . What's to stop others from ... relapsing " An ethereal glow started to shine through RN02'S optics , those eyes moving out of sync as both eyes seemed to stare at different parts of Nathaniel.
" You can't fix a problem that hasn't occurred. There's no gain without sacrifice . You would ultimately deny both the long term well-being of her ... and humanity ... for your own peace of mind ... your selfishness is ... impressive " RnmN02 stopped several paces away from Nathaniel, whom was currently chewing his lips at RN02'S words .
" If this test needs to be done .... then run it on me " Nathaniel hung hid head, RN02 momentarily looking at him once more as if surprised " Leave my team out of it "
A long , suffocating beat of silence passed between the two of them as they stood in the observation chamber before finally ...
" You surprise me ... perhaps you're not as selfish as you think, yet again ... you might just be .... I'll make the arrangements ... you may return to your team " RN02 dismissed Nathaniel, Turning back to the stream where Caitlyn visibly relaxed as her leader watched the feed , her symptoms apparently immediately ceasing entirely " You're stay will of course be extended ... the test must be restarted ... good day ... mister price "
With RN02'S parting words , Nathaniel left the observation chamber, Cringing ... a flare of pain assaulting his senses as red hot heat ran through his skull .
" It'll be okay ... Caitlyn " This he could endure ... he would make sure of it .
....
The day had arrived, defensive formations of NCPD forces lined up infront of city hall . Civilians gathered both in protests and simple curiosity.
" Get back " Officer Don trivoti pushed an over eager man back into the crowd , As an AV passed over head. Landing itself down apon the fourth floor AV access pad , Civilians watching once more as another council member disembarked and entered the city hall .
" This is Gillean Jordan reporting in for N54 news " She stood infront of her camera man some paces away from the rest of the gathered crowd .
" As you can see behind me tensions appear to mounting as once more public access to city hall has been denied " Gillean gestured to the group behind her as several people were pushed back into the crowd.
" Not moments ago , NCPD commissioner ramos departed for the council chambers accompanied by deputy commissioner Claudia Feldman " Sure enough the Av that had been escorted the ncpd reps circled around the building , flying through the city towards the NCPD station.
" Today reports indicate that a special guest is rumoured to make an appearance at today's meeting ... the mysterious director of operations for the rising topic of NEW HOPE " Gillean paused as several should erupted from the crowd , drawing people's attention to the skies as a black and red AV tore through the skies towards the city hall .
" And there they are. The company that took the company by storm ... NEW HOPE ... what's this " The AV didn't head for the fourth floor access , Instead it rotated in the air , bay doors opening before finally settling down on the pavement infront of the council building.
Stepping down , Four armoured new hope members took guard infront of the lone man they were gaurding .
Stepping out of the AV , The usual anger of the crowd was silenced by a wave of pause , respect if not a sense of serenity cascaded over the crowd as many tried to see the man whom ran new hope .
And their prayers were answered , Instead of heading into city hall , Benjamin turned and walked towards the police blockade , The robot humanoid robots coming to stand on either side of him , 2 on each side .
" Get the drone closer " Gillean hissed , The drone hovering over the croud to give night city their first true look of Benjamin, The director of NEW HOPE .
Adjusting his glasses , Benjamin cleared his throat , a silence overtaking the croud .
" Greetings ... people of night city " Ben looked at the gathered crowd "I hope this morning has treated you well "
" I only have a moment to speak, NEW Hope. .. " Benjamin began pausing momentarily " I'm sure many have alot of questions about us ... but let me give you this "
" We have ... but one goal . New hope strives to protect the common people , to guide humanity through these trying times not through might ... nor power or fear . But through realising our potential. But that can ONLY happen from starting at the bottom , when our bottom line rises , so does our the greatest heights of our potential "
" I'll leave you with these parting words . Believe in us ... because we believe in you . New hope ... believes in all of you " He turned away , It wasn't his best speech for sure , it was his first afterall . Given enough tune , he wa sure he'd better sway the people .
Turning away to the city hall , Benjamin left the people to look amongst themselves , Small murmurs passing through the group as gillean returned to speaking as the N54 reporter .
...
Night city council had already gathered by the time he made his way to the chamber doors , A fierce gleam in his eye as he adjusted his glasses .
" Here goes "
...
Coming to stand before the council , Benjamin stood at the centre of the hall , Each and every member of night cities government staring him down.
Most with disinterest , Others with an analytical gaze , Most obviously didn't want to be there.
' Let's get this done '
" Now speaking , Benjamin sallow , Director of NEW HOPE " A spokes person announced , Allowing Benjamin clear his throat .
" Thank you "
John McLean sat in his designated seat , Looking around the chamber as Benjamin spoke with as much disinterest as the others.
" I remember , Long ago ... seeing stills of our great state , lush green plateaus riddled with flowers. Rainforests that one could lose themselves in not out if fear but wander . Rolling hills children could frolic on in delight ... " Benjamin spoke with passion before the city council , many reporters filming him to those interested in watching across night city.
" But every year that passes , that dream fades farther and farther into obscurity. Becoming nothing more than want , as the drought boils the badlands , weeds dying , and seeds that survive wither away , and with each passing year , It becomes worse ... it spread "
" Yes this speech is heart-warming I'm sure .. but why have you come here tonight , surely there is some matter of business related to why you are taking up this counsels time " John started , Adjusting himself in his seat to allow more blood flow.
Benjamin had to hold himself from retorting at the fat corpo who spoke up , No doubt one of the more disgusting members of the panel .
' Use it more as a not so friendly advisement that we ARE doing this ... and they would be best to comply if they wished to fill their pockets ' Benjamin remembered one of Sebastian's routes for making this dream reality . More often then not , If it was important enough , Sebastian would coach him on multiple avenues to go forward with to achieve their shared goals , much like their current situation.
And so with that thought , Benjamin adjusted his tie , The look on his face flashing into cold steel , A look he had practice in the mirror for many days after coming under Sebastian's employ .
' Greed speaks afterall '
" Yes ... as a matter of fact there is " Benjamin reached into his tux and pulled out his datapad , pressing a projection feature where a 3d hologram jumped up from the datapad , showing the genetic printer : Flora model .
" NEW HOPE has gone over several forms of analytical data pertaining to the areas and our analysis team had been ... less than enthusiastic about results from our predictive statistics . And so we have come up with this " Many on the panel leant forward to get a look at the cylinder shaped hologram.
" Okay ... and ... what is it " The same fat corpo from earlier grabbed his glasses , Looking down his nose at the hologram .
" This is a genetic compiler , sequencer and printer ... designed to print out various forms of flora , Really whatever flora we wish it to . It produces a genetically viable copy of what we want , no genetic deficiencies , No shortened lifespans and no mutations.
" We will call a specialist in this field " John rolled his eyes , For several more minutes a some woman spoke about the ecosystem system and how things were affected by the proposal , basically just spiel and nonsense .
" I believe you are misunderstanding. It won't affect one area , These dont plant one seed one after another , that would take months ... years even to accomplish ... no ... we are not so limited in our capabilities... one of these devices is capable of printing out in one go , Enough material to a seed the badlands, And fix them ... in three days"
An uproar erupted not a moment later , Yells from just within the city counsel .
" You're talking complete reversal of the ecosystem of the badlands "
" You speak as if there is one . There's no life out there , no things like snakes ... rats hell more often than not , not even cockroaches survive out there ... so I ask you again , what ecosystem do you see that we don't "
" NEW HOPE is giving four hours, With your approval , NEW HOPE will begin Deploying measures to begin the seeding of the badlands "
It was at this moment that John suddenly froze .
[ Breach detect..^!%###### ] For John, Everything went black , synapses firing momentarily before they were highjacked by a foreign force .
" Very good and noble goal " John suddenly sat up , Interlacing his fingers and leaning back into his chair as if he owned the world " You have my vote "
Not a moment later. The force vanished from John's body , Sagging momentarily as another person suddenly went through the same experience , this time across the chamber .
" You have Arasaka's vote, You may use our lands however under our guard until your seeding is complete " The spokes person for arasaka rose and bowed at the waist , Of which Benjamin nodded inturn , Unaware that the arasaka agent too was suddenly being highjacked.
" I thank you for your generosity ... "
" Night Corp also offers its support , We are of the believe that this is an all round NET positive for night city ... you have our backing and temporary access to our lands "
" I agree "
" As do I "
" You have my vote "
" Then it is a majority vote ... you have permission to go forward with your project, please coordinate with local enforcement to ensure a more stream lined process ... we look forward to seeing your progress "
A tickle in the back of Benjamin's head felt that something was wrong with the situation as the council agreed far easier than they should have , but he ultimately let it go and smiled instead .
He was unaware however , As many of the council members looked on fearfully not at Benjamin but something sitting beside him , only those that had recently interacted with it could they perceive.
Ssitting down in one of the pews , Leaning back with his hands interlaced , The mirage of a certain figure sat , His right leg crossed over the left , hands interlaced , robes and mask in place .
' Apollo ' nobody moved , yet those that could see gulped nervously as the figure sat amongst those allowed in , unnoticed by those around , invisible .
...
DAYS LATER
[ Draining complete , entry permitted ]
Stepping out of the elevator , sebastian was met with a steaming chamber , scalding hot water lining the walkway on both sides whilst the walkway itself visibly steamed .
[ Ambient temperature- 190° ]
Normally such an atmosphere would lead to the quick death of anyone present , Unless they were wearing specifically designed suits to walk through the silo , Sebastian paced it no mind , Instead he walled a brisk pace towards the only door on the far side of the silo .
Each footstep he took left visible marks in the ground , His footwear threatening to melt on the steaming surface .
" No worries " He continued to march without worry across the room before finally coming to a stop infront the large reinforced door.
The door itself was just a slate of reinforced steel , there was no opening mechanism , No scanner just a slab that appeared to he unable to move.
No , The only way into the lab was to connect directly to the datafortress within theab , Have your identity verified and only then would the door to the lab open to permit you entry .
[ open ] The red key commanded the lab , Immediately after , A blaring red flash illuminated the interior of the silo , With a hissing escaping the entrance to the lab .
Popping slightly , the slab moved away slightly before ultimately sliding to the right with a deep rumbling . Cold , Filtered air blasting from within to flutter Sebastian's hair slightly.
Meeting his gaze , The stark white futuristic interior of the labs opening hallway stood within . Standing at attention at his entry , six of NEW HOPE'S defence robots stood ready , Hulking in stature , ready to tear apart anyone not permitted within the labs confines .
" Very good " Sebastian inspected each unit closely , Keenly aware each one had been constructed recently with the spare materials available to the RAR .
' The RAR has done good work ' He released a satisfied hum , Instructing the bots to begin to patrol the lab on predetermined routes . They didn't verbally respond , Instead favouring to simply begin doing as instructed , their heavy forms flanking along the cold floors of the lab , Turning away and marching along the hallways of the lab.
Turning back to the lab entry , Sebastian gazed at the open doorway .
[ Close ]
Under his instruction , The steel slab lurched once more , grinding against its guiding rails before clicking in place , Several locking rails sliding into place behind the door to ensure it couldn't be breached.
[ Pressurising ] The air around Sebastian shifted violently as the labs atmosphere was changed artificially , with he himself nodding in satisfaction as he heard the silo outside beginning to rapidly refil with water.
' The RAR has really done an exemplary job '
: STORAGE :
Protected by biometric security , cyberware scans and in-depth brain scanning , the entrance to the storage room was perhaps the most secure room in the laboratory .
[ Please wait , vacuum seal disengaging ] The chamber itself was kept in the vacuum when someone without permission to enter wasn't present , no oxygen let alone particles in the air , the room was a complete void of matter similar to the vacuum of space itself.
Pumped full of breathable air , Sebastian waited for the chamber to open , The laboratory once more needing to go through pressurisation before the door could open.
Only when he was met with the affirmative to continue , did Sebastian bid the door to open .
[ Oxygen levels - 22.9 % - Status ... breathable ]
Entering the chamber , Sebastian didn't pay attention to the storage shelves , Rather his gaze zeroed in on the device sat squarely on the centre of the storage chamber.
The RAR sat frozen in the centre of the room , Where it had finished its final task , Now inert and unresponsive to outside stimuli .
" Exactly where it was instructed to cease function "
Raising his hand , The MR in his chest released a small burst before the RAR lurched suddenly in his direction , flying through the air before coming to a stop snugly in his open palm .
Sealing away the RAR in its storage case , its creator approached a storage shelf with several lones of slots empty .
Each slot had a screen beside them , Meant to show the details of the contents store within.
Said slots were uniquely shaped to fit the case in Sebastian's hand , Simply needing to be slid in where they would he locked in place until they were needed again.
Raising the case , Sebastian slid the security case into place , The slot it was in changing from red to green as the display next to the slot lit up .
[ Status : locked - Cooling - charging
Designation - RAR - ALPHA VERSION
Current nanite count : 1200000 - 12300 nanites currently in repair mode .
Imput user data to remove ]
Smiling to himself , Sebastian turned away from the display , satisfied that the storage shelf completed its job to a satisfactory degree.
...
' Interesting ' RN02 paused , he , as one of Sebastian's greatest creations , one of his most trust confidants . Knew his creator kept little to no secrets from him .
And so when he was leaving his father's new lab after relocating a piece of technology from the lab in the tower to the underground lab , Paused in curiosity at a junction in the tunnels .
" Curious " RN02 stopped , head turning to face a piece of the wall he had previously though to be just that , an unremarkable wall ... that's what the blueprints dictated.
Yet his optics could clearly see a door ... the door was , for all intents and purposes , As out of the way as it could be , easily looked over if not outright forgotten. No markings , just a door no more out of the ordinary than a maintenance closet .
Approaching the door , The machine pushed open the door with gentle ease , curiosity taking precedence over his usual functions , call it a drive , A feeling . RN02 didn't know what to call it but he followed the urge nine the less .
With a hiss , even compared to the chilled lab , A mist cascaded through the doorway , A room chilled thanks to various cooling systems within.
Entering the chamber, He was overwhelmed by an intense sense of wrongness. Freezing, attempting to comprehend the feeling , He was assaulted by whispers from behind.
He turned around , But nothing but the interior of the door to the room greeted him . Once more the whispers in the back of his head persisted , Like an itch that couldn't be reached. They were foeirgn. A language he hadn't ever heard nor had any right to comprehend.
Turning back to the room and looking around, He began hearing more and more murmuring. The feeling if a thousand distinct voices tugging at his mind in every directions at once now , overloading his senses . And just when he thought he couldn't take any more , Everything fell completely silent.
" H... hello"
An image suddenly flashed in his head , like millions of eyes staring at him from beyond the confines of mortal comprehension . Looking around again , His eyes narrowed on a distortion of space, One that vanished when he looked directly at it , but persisted in his peripheral vision when he didn't. A shape he couldn't describe , colours unknown. It existed in a form of incorporeal mass unknown to him . But one thing was certain , It was facing him , the voices in his mind slowly starting up again but this time with decreased intensity.
" Who ... what are you "
Numerous voices started up , but rather than becoming louder , They went back amd forth in his head , As though having a conversation in his cranium he wasn't privy to . After a few long seconds, They fell silent . Then attempted to speak to him.
"%°°}£<#<<"
" What , I don't understand "
The whispers picked up once more with renewed strength , The swirl of endless vocals assaulting his mind , Each moment more agonising than the last ,until finally . They cease . And he was left in silence but with a lone word .
" The end ... "
" The end of what " The voices resumed , But a sense of Newfoundland dreariness was easily picked up from the voices. Trying to talk to them further brokered no response , the only thing persisting being their constant whispers in the background , Yet they didn't respond .
Attempting to look at the entity once more , he found himself at the start of a migraine .
" Leave .." Came an unexpected response, and he found himself leaving the chamber, a prisoner behind his own eyes . Only when he stepped out of the room did the headache cease ... did the world return to its previous state .
And he collapsed in a fit of abject terror something he shouldn'thave been able to feel , something completely alien to a machine such as himself but it was there , an existential dread , And it never wanted to feel this again .
A pair of feet rushed to him , Looping under his arm and dragging him to his feet with laughable ease .
" Father " RN02 looked up to find his creator looking down at him worriedly , the door he had come out of standing behind him " What's in that room "
" Worry not about that my child " Sebastian began to pull RN02 away from the door " That is for me to worry about ... come ... let us fix you up "
....
1 day later
....
Night city , part way through a 24 hour lock down during the seeding. Issued by the corps that had been manipulated into sanctioning the seeding.
The city streets were bare. The city was silent , its heartbeat ... Paused. Families gathered in their homes , watching the broad casts as trucks were escorted through thr city towards the outskirts of the city.
... THE BADLANDS ..
Dakota stood back staring in bewilderment as the genetic printer was placed infront of her office .
Dragged out by the new hopes specialists as they unloaded several trucks , specialised units unloading several gyroscopic devices that were quickly planted into the ground , anchored.
" Please ... stand back " Dakota was pushed back by a rather strong masked unit. Several crews moving to beginning to power on the printers .
" Initiating start up procedure " Several barbs shot from within the core of the printers , Launching into the ground and burrowing deeply.
" Powering on" Immediately after the machines began to defy gravity , Their cores opening up and beginning to draw in the natter around them.
" What the fuck " Dakota stumbled back as the ground rumbled slightly.
Erupting , the ground around the printers was tucked into its core , A violent affair that caused many to step back as the matter around the anchors vanished , the anchors themselves Sinking further into the ground the more matter was eaten .
Drawing the matter around its core , the guards around intentionally blocked civilian view of tha machines. Just in time to hide the visible Tearing of matter . Magnetic waves tore into atoms , latching onto the very protons that curcled their structures ,pulling them away and feeding them to a new nucleus , new atomic structures forming .
Hidden from view , seeds began to form from the restructured matter , Hundreds , if not thousands of seeds being constructed in a near instant , circulating around the printer core a black miasma that thrummed under the pulse of the printer .
They settled for but a split second. Before finally , they lurched upwards under the directed flight path they were given by the magnetic waves influencing them.
Everyone around night city , From the badlands to the highest point of the city centre , Watched with bated breaths as a thick black cloud swept up and into the sky , Like a shifting wall .
" What the hell is this " Saul stood , Coming up to the sides of the other aldecaldos , Each on staring at the cloud of material that suddenly rose unexpectadly several indres metres away from their camp .
Their awe was short lived. As the cloud rose high enough to blanket the heavens , it lurched forward, and the earth shook something fierce as the cloud began to spread outwards.
Even in the distance, They could see sands being peppered and sprayed violently around as the cloud spread far and wide across the badlands , spreading in all directions.
" Get in side ... GET COVER " Saul suddenly yelled , Seeing no stop apparent diminishing of the spreading dome of material .
" NOW " Saul suddenly whirled, pushing his family to the side towards their vehicles .
It was violent , something terrible , Churning up chunks of earth , but sparing civilians as seeds fell with enough force to completely bury themselves at an appropriate depth for growth.amd from the city centre , someone stood watching.
" Man has always been puzzled about its true origin Its genesis ,Were we created by God, or a product of evolution , if we could somehow see yesterday and tomorrow at the same time , The origin and the end . If we could view the entire universe at one single moment , Then we might finally find answers , To the biggest questions of all , What is man , Where does he come from , What is it that drives him , And what ultimately is his purpose ... everything... is now " Sebastian looked over the tower of new hope to the gargantuan cloud of black seeds spreading far and wide over the horizon , Watching the seeds rise and spread, a small ... tickling smile came to hos face ... for he ... and he alone knew the answer .
CHAPTER COMPLETE
sorry guys , I've had a fair bit going on these couple weeks with housing and other important matters so I haven't had time to work on this chapter . Things should he picking up from here .
I hope you guys like this chapter, feel free to give a review, as always I love hearing from you guys , feel free to post a review or comment