Chapter 51: Caught in a-
History of the Neuralink according to HoloPedia article
The Neuralink was first established in the sixth generation of Neuroframes within the late mid-24th century as a means to develop a new method of communications. The Neuralink was considered instrumental in the 4th Swarm, where it's advanced speed and ability to directly transfer thoughts using an advanced Neural Translator allowed for continuous dispersal of information despite the MALswarm's ability to interfere with wireless communication.
Due to the difficulty of transferring Warpcode due to it's natural destabilization when disconnected from an Adapter, specialized equipment known as a Neural Relay is required to be established, however this can be delegated to an advanced Data Delver for more covert usages of the Neuralink.
Commercial usage of the Neuralink was first available in seventh generation Neuroframes following the Fourth Swarm, and has since become an integral part of day-to-day life for many societies, particularly in the establishment of modern policing forces who use it in a similar way as it was used in the 4th Swarm. However, the use of Neural Relays has raised privacy concerns throughout the years, often being cited as a possible method of monitoring or hijacking people's thoughts. Despite this common belief, evidence has shown that it is incredibly difficulty to wiretap Neuralink calls due to the complexity of the encryption process between Sigils.
A common rebuttal to this claim is the use of the police having a separate Neural Relay systems with their own encryption channels, typically coordinated from their main offices with sub-relays located within the vehicles of every police vehicle, as well as the use of the police breaching local Neural Relay mainframes within buildings for their operations.
July 15th
Another day passed by with me doing nothing but offering my plethora of abilities to the service of Corporate spawn. This time, I was tracking down sneakers that had been lost during an aerospace transit. I didn’t have good memories of the Westbrook Airport, considering it had been one of the main culprits of my kidnapping to this place… but I was here on a job.
I found them in the washroom. I don’t know why it seemed like so many of my pivotal moments revolved around these places.
July 18th
“I told you.” I repeated to Dr. Faltest. “Gene Development has slowed down to a standstill, nothing getting above 14%.”
Gene Overview:-
* Electrical Neurogenesis [Cognition] 14%
* Compact Tissues [Alteration] 14%
* Mineral Assimilation [Integrity] 14%
* Bioelectrogenesis [Energy/Metabolism] 14%
* Electromagnetic Vision [Cognition] 14%
* Mutational Synergy [Alteration] 14%
“And Meta-Mutations?” She eyed me.
“One or two in each.” I scanned the list. “Increased mental resilience and stimulation; better innate muscle integrity and skin elasticity; higher metal deposits in bone-tissue; better electrocatalytic conversion and storage; increased Gene Development during inhibition.”
“Normally, a SIM Adapter can get to 20% at Tier 1 before they need additional genetic material… theoretically, they don’t even need it assuming they give their mutations enough time to naturally grwo.” Then her voice carried knives. “Assuming their dietary needs are met — and you have decades to wait.”
I was immediately defiant. “Decades, and-? Have you seen how many calories are in the meal plan you sent?!”
“Do you know how much you burn in a single burst of electricity?!” She rose equally. “Besides, what’s most important are your mineral supplements.”
“Yeah, but you said my body had three times the healthy amount?” A single blood test revealed that my iron levels were well above a normal Tier One SIM Adapter.
“I’ve done the tests, yes. It appears that your Mineral Assimilation Mutation is causing you to deposit any additional non-organic material in a way that strengthens your body. I would know if you let me take bone samples!” She tapped her scalpel.
“Hell no!”
…In the end, it turns out my bones were twice as hard as a normal human’s. Also, I paid for Iron-Grade Gene-stimulants. Hopefully, they would give me enough generic Mutational material to get my development jump started again, but until then it was presumed I would have to find comparable Tier 0 Mutagen and assimilate them into my body if I wanted any proper progress.
But one thing she said stuck to my mind like an annoying holographic ad in the sky. “Your Mutational Synergy… I may be wrong, but I’ll see if I can secure an Iron SIM later this month. Something with muscle enhancement, I believe you might have an interesting method of consumption.”
July 19th
“What the hell did you do?” Rorsche yelled at me as the offices were closing. “Why did I get an alert you’re getting… this case. Simon Jugosla?”
“Because I worked on it.” I firmly answered, my eyes planted on the screen in front of me.
“Bullshit. This is a personal case signed off by the Lieutenant, something like this is transferred to the Special Intelligence Operations. Not to our department, certainly not to a Third Investigator… did, did Anthony do this for you?” His rage was palpable, what I would have done to squish it.
“Maybe.” I side-eyed him. “Maybe I just digged into him myself, and sent some of my research to someone above you, someone who recognized what I could do.”
He scoffed. “You’re a fucking idiot. I digged into it myself, The Gourmet? You know who they’re backed by?”
“Doesn’t matter what criminal goons are securing their human trafficking networks-“
“Not criminals.” His gaze slammed into me like a hammer. “The corporations. The big five. Maybe even Neocore.”
My own sight reflected a thunderstorm brewing within them. “All the more reason to bring them down.”
His voice turned feral. “I can’t let you. You can bring down this entire squad by getting us involved with something like this.”
“Then I’ll do it alone! Like you’ve been making me do all this time!”
“Alone?! Jesus, you’re some self-entitled brat if you think-“
A newer voice grated between us both from behind the booths of our office space, Special Investigator Risa Wickett’s voice intruding on the conversation with an annoyed snarl. “Will both of you shut it! I can’t focus on my game with the both of you arguing like children! If the Lieutenant signed it off, she signed it off!”
Rorsche shut his mouth, his jaw seething as he turned away. “Bullshit, all of this. Watch yourself now, Ulrich. You pushed things too far.”
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As he left, I muttered to myself. “Eat shit, Rorsche.”
———
July 23rd
The last week had been hell, forget even being on the field. I might as well have been demoted considering all I’d seen by now was one digital review after another, apparently I was tasked with updating the various records based on the findings of the Analysts and the on field research of my fellow Investigators. It was boring as shit.
At least Indra was as much of a homebody as she was a field operator. I wasn’t completely alone.
“You always itching to act up? Seems like a moment in your seat is like an eternity in hell.” She raised her legs on my desk as she effortlessly maneuvered the seven screens in my view with one swipe, organizing the data elegantly.
“It’s never been my preferred approach. I hate being able to do nothing.” I tried something similar, but even with my advanced mental output over the past month, the breadth of data expected for me to crunch was wild.
“You aren’t doing nothing. All of this helps the others, you might as well be calling me useless, Jones.” She sighed, a hurtful glint wetting her eye.
“Shit, sorry. Just… annoyed. Not at you, not even at this really. Just Rorshce mostly.” I hoped this wouldn’t be a bad moment to say it. “I don’t think he likes me.”
“Please, he adores you.” Indra hummed. “The jobs he’s giving you? Would’ve killed for them at your stage. Besides, he has nothing but… praise for what you can do. You’re powerful, and he knows it.”
“Yeah but he’s…” I cut off the conversation, I liked Indra, but I didn’t entirely trust her with this. “I want something different. To do the work I expected this job would let me perform, back when I joined… Yvette and I made a promise to not let this city fuck us up, that even at our worst moments, we would fight for those that suffered from it’s underbellies.”
“A noble promise.” Indra’s eyebrows raised. “You and Yvette are real close, huh. Must be nice…”
A silence burrowed into her voice, Indra staring at me for a solemn moment that impended a question I knew I wouldn’t like. “You entered the cadet school with the same residence as her. Despite that, I found no record of you living with her until a week before your enrollment. No record of accommodation before that too, just… you mentioned you had rough times before. You were homeless?”
“Ran away from home.” I said curtly.
She tried not to sound accusing behind her mask. “I thought you had a good relationship with your dad?”
“It’s complicated.” I offered a warning glance to her, before I figured out that Rorsche probably already spilled my details to her. “I’m a Cradleborn who’s been between families, my second one was a pain in the ass. Me and Yvette both grew up in the same Cradle, meeting her while I was homeless was nothing but good luck. Though it changed my life. I owe everything to her.”
“I see.” She offered a gentler smile. “Thank you for the honesty.”
“It’s no problem, just an uncomfortable topic for me to get into.” I returned to the task at hand. Today was meant to be slow, but sometimes you had to take it slow.
———
July 25th
I stared down the Iron-colored spider curled up into a ball, Faltest looking at me impatiently as I contemplated. “So, do I drop my blood on this one too or just…”
“Eat it up, I’ve done some preparatory infusions to make it as… neutral and edible as possible. It’s entirely legal, don’t worry — SIM-eating is typically only reserved for those who can afford it, and handle it. So Silvers… but you’re Gold.” She chuckled, but her eyes were seriously burning holes through me and the Iron SIM.
“Okay…” I placed it into my mouth, my body instantly acting on instant as a flare of my Warp Energy coalesced around my mouth to subdue the Implant’s awakening. I chewed, and the taste wasn’t half bad. It was like a bland gummy with some resistance to the crunch.
That stomach ache though, that was hell. I toiled in her office as my alerts came one after another.
High-Density Mutagen detected in bloodstream…
Mutagen has been absorbed: Iron-Grade Muscle Reinforcement…
Mutation: Mutational Synergy is showing activity.
Mutation: Compact Tissues has developed a Meta-Mutation: Overall muscle strength is now innately higher, Mutation now partially acts as an Integrity Mutation. Development: 26%
“A big boost in Compact Tissues, now it’s both Alteration and Integrity… not seeing any other changes.” I said a few minutes after ingesting the SIM.
“Already?” She puzzled over me. “This should take hours? If not days!”
Mutation: Mutational Synergy has developed a Meta-Mutation: Reduced adversersal effects from Mutagenic Digestion. Development: 22%
In a soothing lull, my stomach pain lessened and my head began to clear. “Never mind. Mutational Synergy got a boost too.”
“Interesting.” Dr. Faltest hummed. “Let’s give you a week to adjust, monitor any additional growth of your Mutations. But you’ll need to pay for your next one, even at their cheapest… a good SIM is going to cost upwards of 7,500 Shardyne.”
Yeah… I would be needing that promotion. No way I was spending that much of my income a month just for a 5% boost to two Mutations.
July 28th
Diana
I was off-duty today, so a phone call from Yvette’s police sigil over her civilian one was odd, especially since I saw that it was a Neuralink call and not a vocal one.
I answered it up, her thoughts spilling into mine like an erratic waterfall. “H-h-hey girlie? I-I think somethi-ng’s up. You-r friend I-Indra said I’m o-n duty with her to-day but this isn’t lining-g up. The trans-fer was signed off by your boss-s, that bastard R-Rorsche, and-d they’re taking me on a pat-rol near-r Little Requiem.”
“H-huh?” I gulped, I’d just been busy watching a series released a week ago on Haiflix. “Wait, is Indra in the ca-r with you-u?”
“Yeah-h that’s right.” Yvette affirmed.
“I’ll talk to her-r, don’t worry, I won’t say-y a thing about the c-call.” I reassured her, before cutting off the call.
Then I scrolled over to send a voice call over to Indra. She picked up in seconds.
“Hey, Indra… heard my bestie is hanging out with my other bestie. How’re things going?” I tried to sound as cheerful as I could manage, but some unease in my throat might have slipped through.
“Oh, pretty boring honestly. Me and Yvette were just discussing normal police gossip.” Indra said matter-of-factly.
“Share some with me too… by the way, where are you guys patrolling? Maybe I’ll sneak you in some snacks?” I wanted to make it sound casual.
“Ah just Cliffword through Salinsburg Avenue, Rorsche assigned me on patrol with freedom to choose whichever group I wanted, so I hope you don’t mind if I steal your firend today?” Indra sounded relatively normal, but a weird discomfort pulled me deeper into my head.
Cliffword through Salinsburg… that was normal enough. It was close to Little Requiem but not so much that I would lose communications with them.
“Ah, well, I hope you two have fun.” I said with a dry throat.
“Sure thing. Is that all?” The sound of her vehicle drowned me out.
“Yeah… bye.” I clicked the call close, before any more of my nerves could get the better of me.
I don’t know why, but I could tell something was off, this wasn’t right. As much as I didn’t want to believe it, if anyone was going to follow out Rorsche’s orders, it would be Indra.
She owes him her life.
Bile chewed up my throat as I got into my own car, my hands clammy against the steering wheel. I didn’t even know where to go, then an idea got in my head. A pulse from my frame sent out a Neurolink call to Yvette.
“Y-yeah?” She sounded nervous.
“S-stay on call with me-e. If you disconnect for longer than ten-n minutes, I’ll try to find you. If worse comes to w-worst, tell Indra about my Implant or my dad and how I’ll come over th-ere. Work something out.” I said, my heart thumping away in my chest.
“Tell them abou-t you? You mean… you want me to te-ll them about you-r Gold?-“
Her thoughts froze as static pierced into my head, had she crossed over into the no-communication zone? I thought so for a moment, but then a voice spoke in my head. But it wasn’t Yvette’s.
Indra was speaking through our private Neuralink call. “A-a Gold?”