am-books Chapter 352: Final preparations [2]
Chapter 352: Final preparations [2]
Chapter 352: Final preparations [2] It was a state-of-the-art smart 5-story mansion which the General monopolized completely for himself.
All Leon needed to get access inside the mansion was to scan his face. He walked into the General dressed in casual clothing and watching a movie in his sitting room, an action movie.
Leon paused in the middle of the sitting room and paid attention to the screen. Onscreen, two men were tearing through each other with brutal, almost mechanical intensity with gunfire, fists, and explosions.
The audio crackled, slightly degraded like it had been copied too many times across too many decades or maybe even centuries.
Ren Nora didn’t look away. "Careful," he said with a smile. "Back in the 21st century, this was vintage".
There was a brief pause as another explosion lit the sitting room, then Ren Nora finally answered. "Universal Soldier".
Ren Nora chuckled. "Not exactly, it’s about dead soldiers," the General said while smiling, lowering the volume a notch. "Well, technically dead. They take guys killed in war, rebuild them, wipe their memories, and turn them into perfect soldiers with no fear and no hesitation, just orders".
Leon froze. ’Eh?’
Onscreen, one of the men took a hit that should’ve dropped him. Well, it should’ve dropped a mundane human, but he didn’t stay down.
"Yeah," the General answered. "They call them ’Universal Soldiers’, a Government black project".
Ren Nora smiled. "It’s one of my favorite old movies, it kind of reminds me of our situation under the oppression of the Omnicore Federation before we developed the courage to fight for our freedom".
"Remembering who they were...," Leon mumbled. "And I’m guessing that’s bad right?"
"The other," he nodded toward the holoscreen as one character’s expression twisted into something unhinged. "Well, he leans into it and goes completely off the rails".
"Exactly," Ren Nora smiled. "Past versus programming, and identity versus control. It’s a pretty old concept now, but back then I’m guessing it was heavy stuff. I’m also thinking this was when the idea for Synths was first conceived".
"Uh, I think I’m going to be like Garfield now". He looked at Ren Nora. "Can I borrow this?"
Leon rolled his eyes. "Stop acting like you haven’t spied on my past with Primordial Hacking already the moment you saw me by your door".
"Well, I don’t need it". Leon finally walked towards the chair and sat down beside the General.
Ren Nora didn’t take his eyes off the holoscreen but his mouth moved.
"But I have to do this". Leon didn’t back down.
"The only advice that I’ll give you now is to be careful, watch your steps and also watch your back".
Ren Nora paused the movie and finally looked at him. "Well, if you must infiltrate Omnicore territory, I’ll give you a few gifts to help you".
Seeing the number of masks, Leon’s lips twitched. ’This ability of his... he already knows how many of us are in my team’.
"During those years of waiting for you, influenced by you, I dabbled into craftsmanship a bit in my free time. These are some of my best constructs". He smiled proudly.
"They’ll help to make your infiltration seamless and easy, they’ll also help to erase your traces in case you’re on the run in enemy territory".
"If you crush the token, the data stream will be released and though I can’t manifest out of that data, without interference, it’ll enable me to hop to your position through Ghost-in-the-Machine no matter your location in the world".
He pushed both gifts towards Leon.
DING!
[You have acquired C Rank Gifts: CH Masks & Data Token]
’These are my first C Rank items’. Leon thought.
The General smiled. "You’ve done more for me".
"I won’t," Leon said confidently, then he left the sitting room.
A few seconds later, the ChronoSystem lit up again.
~----~
...
~----~
Leon also smiled as he finally left and entered the Zerphyr-7 Stealth Reconnaissance UAV again.
At the same time, something else happened.
DING!
[You have received a new Mission...]
...