Chapter 221
Republic of Texas, from a farming family, and a professional race car driver.
[Kiwi]
An orphan, formerly a gigolo, now a seasoned cyber hacker.
Panam Palmer
Former Aldecaldo Tribe Nomads, now Free Mercenaries.
After the Frankfurt Incident, how could Vera possibly continue to ignore the Counter-Intelligence Department?
This was intelligence she ordered to be collected by people from the secret agent society founded by Kei Arasaka Arasaka.
Having cultivated the West Coast for over half a century, their information channels are, in some ways, more extensive and well-connected than New Arasaka Tower's, which only returned to Night City in 2069.
Some of the information was indeed something she hadn't paid attention to or hadn't fully understood in the past.
Vera browsed through it.
It's definitely Cyberpunk; very few people can form a normal family and have a complete childhood.
However, since V has started contacting Jackie, it means that Jenkins is going to take action against Abernathy.
She had to seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to lend a hand.
Stirring things up!
Whether Jenkins or Abernathy dies or both are irrelevant. What matters is that Arasaka is Arasaka. Jenkins has called on V, V has brought in Jackie, and Jackie has dragged Maine into it. Vera is thinking about whether she can set up a trap to get multiple benefits from this, lure out the Federal Intelligence Agency, give Miles a surprise attack, and take down the New America's ace agent infiltrating Night City — Solomon Reed.
That guy is really cautious and good at hiding; he never tries to fight her head-on. After Kurt Hansen failed so many times, Vera didn't think she would be able to catch him in this raid on Dogtown.
However, Maine had fought alongside Solomon Reed when he was a special forces soldier in New America...
This is a potential opportunity; whether it succeeds or fails, it would be a shame not to make use of it.
As she pondered this, Vera looked at the only name highlighted in bold by the Special Agents Association.
Lucy
—A suspected escapee from the Arasaka Networks Operations Equipment Department's "Deep Dive" training center for teenagers—
After comparison, the suspected missing person is: Kushinada Lucina.
Father: Kushinada Takeshi - [Paris Arasaka Tower Warsaw Branch]
Mother: Kushinada Kimel - [Polish Hacker Group 404 Squadron]
Should the target parents be notified?
[No.]
Sent.
After issuing the instruction, Vera, with an inscrutable expression, temporarily rejected the proposal.
Her family background was similar to mine, but how did she end up breaking with her parents and becoming a fugitive on the run?
Vera, assuming it was just the other person's personality and not knowing the whole story, was too lazy to investigate other people's childhood and family affairs.
Not long after, she finished her meal with Michiko at the reception center and then it was time to part ways.
Michiko returned to Los Angeles, Vera returned to her home in Westbrook.
"Don't forget the dinosaur you promised me. I want a miniature Tyrannosaurus Rex."
"Wow, you've really picked one."
After waving goodbye to Michiko, Vera finished the last bit of coconut milk as the orange light in her eyes faded.
With the outbreak of conflict in North America drawing ever closer, she needed to reinforce Westbrook's security measures once again.
The assembly of personal battle armor can now begin.
With ample funding and combat data support, the technology for the living Quinque armor lining the Ghoul side is mature, the energy shield and levitation system of CODEGEASS, and the third generation miniaturization of Tanaka's 'Cybernetic Kong' Project are complete. It is time to coordinate the installation of these technologies onto her custom Power Armor to increase her survivability.
Vera has never been stingy with resources and energy when it comes to protecting her own life.
Money is not a problem; if it's not replicable, it's not replicable. She's not interested in the theory of decisive weapons, but that doesn't stop her from creating decisive weapons for her own use.
In addition to the Jurassic Park Project, there are also old responsibilities such as overseeing the construction of the Arasaka Research Institute and secretly preparing for war. It seems that the days ahead will be filled with intense competition.
But it doesn't matter, she can handle it, there are always extraterrestrial 'people' providing her with emotional support and relaxation.
Vera picked up the specially made Arasaka Clover brooch that shimmered with fluorescent green light from the table, pinned it to her lapel, and got up to leave.
215
Chapter 215 Vera's Armor.
The next day.
Inside the bright underground experimental workshop, the roar of CNC machine tools, the rotation of bearings, the buzzing of automated robotic arms operating according to their set programs, and the soft hissing of end tools rubbing against each other during processing echoed in Vera's ears.
"The process of miniaturizing and integrating the Blaze Luminous into the [Warframe] system is indeed very challenging..."
Tap, tap.
Vera paused, tapping rhythmically on the matte control panel, then looked up. Her irises, shimmering with orange-red data streams, reflected the latest results of the miniaturization research on the third generation of the [Cybernetic Kong] robot.
It is a fully enclosed, close-fitting armor with multiple floating gun-like external plug-in modules on its back. It is over 2.2 meters tall.
Compared to what Araban currently offers, the most visually striking, domineering, and impressive security service—the first and second generation of the Cybernetic Tyrant —is equipped with the Cyber Tyrant. The third generation, created according to Vera's own requirements—disregarding cost, the driver's load limits, and the general human nerve capacity—undoubtedly abandons the original boxy, clumsy, and crude design style.
It shares a similar design concept with, yet is entirely different from, the military-grade Power Armor equipped by the Arasaka Power Armored Corps, which weighs several tons or even tens of tons.
It has a streamlined shape and sharp angles.
Light, agile, sharp, and powerful.
If the previous generation of 'King Kong' large external plug-in that the T Tyrants were equipped with was as rugged and ferocious as Adam Smasher, making it clear at a glance that it was a steel killing machine for conquering cities and seizing territories.
The custom-made item in front of Vera resembles the stereotypical image of Arasaka- style cyber assassin—cold, ruthless, and deadly, yet with a touch of restraint and elegance.
Of course, the lightness here is compared to the older models of the 'King Kong'.
What pleased Vera the most was undoubtedly the gravity field manipulation device and the Magnetic Generator; the hovercar-level vector thrusters were also retained.
But it's still only a half-finished product!
Vera's "life-saving card" is still far from being enough to cope with the Fifth Corporate War and the countless malicious attacks that will be launched after the relationship is completely broken.
"Energy."
Vera murmured softly.
She then looked at the UI visual interface projected onto her retina, which was the internal network email from the wasteland that followed [Kong Gamma].
Presenter: Shinichi Tanaka [Technology Development Department]
Report content: Project performance review.
Your Excellency, Director Vera:
This should be the first report I submit to you since entering 2077. On behalf of the Technical Development Department and all members of the 'Cybernetic Kong' Project Team, I would like to express my sincere gratitude for your continued support of the project...
... Getting back to the main point, after wishing you a happy new year, I will not disturb your precious time any longer.
You've probably heard about the performance and shortcomings of [Kong Gamma].
Despite the product's powerful performance, and thanks to your guidance and our company's breakthroughs in Materials Science, optics, electronics, and biochemistry, I have successfully led the further miniaturization of the [King Kong] and the Miniaturized Integration the CNC system. However, the biggest obstacle limiting the product's performance—energy consumption—remains unresolved.
I must inform you that this product has extremely poor sustained combat capability. Once disconnected from its power supply, relying solely on the onboard battery pack, the [Kong Gamma]'s multiple weapon systems will become mere shells, far from being capable of actual combat.
On the other hand, the production cost of this product is simply too high.
[Attachment 1 - Technological Challenges, Processes, and Production Costs]
This is inconsistent with your long-standing strategy of popularization, mass production, and low-cost pricing.
I'm sorry, Your Excellency, despite investing so much manpower, resources, and money, I am still unable to provide you with practical data on [Kong Gamma], or even a decent, complete product test report.
Because only a very small number of top-tier lone wolves who have undergone full-body cybernetic modifications, possess strong physical abilities, and have superhuman mental stability can withstand its operational load.
Note: Tests have shown that ordinary cyber mercenaries are simply unable to withstand the mental and personality disorders caused by the resonance between the hardware and various behavioral plugins, including software, implanted in their bodies after [Kong Gamma] is connected to the operating system.
Without exception, all practical tests caused the driver to experience Cyberpsychosis episode, nervous system collapse, intracranial brain cell inflammation, and personality dissolution within half a minute.
I have attached the project team's logs of multiple unmanned tests, data documents on live test drives by death row inmates, and comparative tests of the weapon module under two conditions: with external power supply and with power supplied only by the onboard battery pack, for your reference.
[Appendix 2 - Unmanned Trial]
[Attachment 3 - Live Test Drive]
Attachment 4 - Weapon Module
... In conclusion, I have no doubt that without the threat and sabotage from Militech and the hostile forces of Shinmei and its allies, the development of the 'Cybernetic Kong' Project would have been on the fast track under your leadership.
Given the potential currently demonstrated by [Kong Gamma], given time, as long as the issues of energy, the control system of the battle armor, and the miniaturized human protective engineering of the battle armor are resolved, its iteration will never stop.
Cyberpsychosis mass production machine.
This is the evaluation from the engineer who participated in the project, included in the live test drive appendix.
It's even more exaggerated than when the King Kong project was first launched.
"Is this already Tanaka's current limit?"
Ignoring the humble language and flattery at the end of Shinichi Tanaka's performance review, Vera naturally understood the subtle underlying message from Tanaka and his project team—
[Kong Gamma] is really too much to handle.
Let's refocus our efforts on developing either the [Kongo 2nd Generation Kai] or the orthodox third generation. A [Kongo] product like the large external implants and exoskeleton armor used by Adam Smasher and T-Tyrant would be just right—powerful, domineering, and Waaaagh! It perfectly matches Arasaka's refined taste.
Sure enough, even if they're no longer obsessed with weapons for decisive battles, the Japanese still have a penchant for imposing and powerful-looking designs...
Vera just smiled.
Actually, I'm the same way.
However, each problem should be analyzed in its own way.
Highly portable and form-fitting armor, emphasizing versatility and convenience, is not suitable for tall and imposing figures.
Although a height of over 2.2 meters is already quite tall, it's still better than running around in power armor weighing several tons, which almost completely violates the "Urban Convention on Excessive Firepower Limits." We can let go of those centaurs trampling on the edge of the line, EXO exoskeletons, and Adam Smasher's Hammer that exploit bugs, giving Arasaka some face by not pursuing it. But wearing power armor is going too far; it's provoking the convention's oversight court.
Speaking of power armor, Vera has other plans for her non-body-sized custom power armor and large-scale war mechs.
Didi.
[Vera: Understood. Request approved. Allow the 'Cybernetic Kong' Project team to temporarily suspend the development of the Gamma Warframe and restart the iteration project of upgrading the Cybertronian II to the third generation.]
Gamma, lowercase γ, is the third Greek letter. Gamma Warframe is the abbreviation for the armor development roadmap specifically designed to meet Vera's personal requirements.
With results already achieved, it's likely that Tanaka's existing resources have been completely exhausted, and further investment will probably not yield any progress in the short term.
Instead of forcing a waste of time and energy, it would be better to let Tanaka return to the comfort zone of the 'orthodox Kongo route' and take a break. Also, due to the external environment, the actual combat data of the second-generation [Cybernetic Tyrant] has been collected to a sufficient extent, and it is time to make some improvements.
[Received]
After giving her instructions on Tanaka's report, Vera once again turned her attention to the unpainted Gamma Warframe.
The three core challenges that Tanaka encountered during development were exactly as she had anticipated.
First, in terms of energy.
After all, she set the output energy level of the weapon module so high. Even though the nuclear energy utilization technology in 2077 was very advanced and the development trend was to cram miniature nuclear reactors into every airship, the Gamma Warframe was too small and too close-fitting, so the reactor simply couldn't fit inside.
Moreover, strictly speaking, the Gamma Warframe and the Cybernetic Kong are from the same lineage; it is an external implant, a prosthetic body, not Power Armor.
The latter is at least large enough to fit the Electro-Mechanical Core and Feedback Circuitry, and the weapon module also has a dedicated battery pack to maintain output.
The former... after the reduction of the [Electro-Mechanical Core] and [Feedback Circuitry], it can only be said that it is barely fit, and the continuity is not up to standard. It is impossible for the driver's implanted bioelectricity to bear it.
Second, on the software operating system.
As the name suggests, this is a system of resonance.
It is necessary to be able to process the commands of the armor users in a timely manner.