I ended up hanging out with Misty and Hiromi for a couple of hours. The three of us just all hanging out.

Misty sometimes looked a little embarrassed about hanging out with a couple of girls much younger than her, but in the end Hiromi and I were cool, and Misty relaxed and enjoyed sending out her big sister energy.

Hiromi definitely liked it. I guess being an only child meant you didn’t normally get to experience some things.

Afterwards I dropped Hiromi off at home. She still had school tomorrow, and I headed to my netrunner cave.

Pulling a fresh batch of hacks off my server when I got there, I spent a little bit installing all of my normal hacks so I was back in action. Yet even with all the hacks installed I still had a lot more space in my new deck.

I made a mental note that I should buy some new hacks and fill it out… In fact I should do that right now.

I jumped onto my netchair and started hooking myself up, before wincing at the smell.

I had sweat like a pig while overheating.

Grabbing a scrubby brush I found under the sink and a bucket I got to work. Cleaning out the pads and making the chair not smell like a locker room.

When I was done, bucket emptied I looked over the chair. It would take a bit to dry, which sort of stymied my plan… I sighed, and grabbed a roller chair, then another, and with a bit of work was able to plug myself in while laying across the roller chairs and leaving the pads on the netrunner chair to dry.

Then I closed my eyes and opened them in the net.

I sighed in relief at returning here. Walking over to the window I looked out over the digital cityscape for a while.

The streaming lights of digital information flowing through this world was as always an interesting sight.

So… Here I was. Back in the net again. With an upgraded Cyberdeck, hacks installed, but… Was I better than I was?

Sure my Cyberdeck was better, I would be able to send out far more hacks before overheating, but…

I had basically been killed if not for my fast healing.

Again.

I’ll admit I hadn’t really worked overly hard to improve my netrunning recently. I enjoyed casually playing around. Making eddies doing some grinds from time to time…

But I was kind of sick of nearly getting killed.

I looked at my stats.

Level 17

Body 8(16) Due to Cyberization, Maximum value has increased by 8.

-Athletics 7

-Street Brawler 8

-Annihilation 5

Reflex 8(14) Due to Cyberization, Maximum value has increased by 6.

-Blades 7

-Handguns 7

-Assault 8

-Driving 7

Intelligence 11 (14) Due to Cyberization, Maximum value has increased by 4.

-Breach Protocol 10

-Quick Hacks 9

-Programming 11

Cool 9

-Ninjutsu 9

-Cold Blood 8

-Rockerboy 9

Technical Ability 7 (11) Due to Cyberization, Maximum value has increased by 4.

-Crafting 6

-Engineering 6

0 Stat point.

6 Skill point.

Perks.

Ambidextrous Blades 2

Quickdraw Handguns 2

Gun Nut Assault 2

Parkour Athletics 2

Grappling Street Brawler 2

Drive By Driving 2

Cat-like Athletics 5

Cool Nerves Cold Blood 2

Danger Sense Ninjutsu 2

Wall Breaking Breach Protocol 2

Cyber Security Quick Hack 2

Recoil Reduction Annihilation 2

Cyber Ninja Ninjutsu 5

Fearless Chill Cold Blood 5

Improvised Weapons Street Brawler 5

Parry Blades 5

Robotics wizard Crafting 2

Drifting Driving 5

Rapid Reload Handguns 5

Design Wizard Engineering 2

Rifle Ace Assault 5

Ghost touch Breach 5

Perfect Musical Memory Rockerboy 2

Debug Programming 2

Siren Song Rockerboy 5

Hacking Wizard Quick Hacks 5

Inspired Programmer Programming 5

A.I. Whisperer Programming 10

Slam Fire Annihilation 5

Enduring Builds Crafting 5

Robotics Engineering Engineering 5

*Unselected* Breach 10

Cyberware:

Arasaka Corporation Cyberdeck ‘Shadow’ Mk.4 *Adaptation ‘Shadow’ Mk.4 0/0*

Kiroshi Mk1 *Adaptation Kiroshi Mk1 1/2*

Militech Condor *Adaptation Militech Condor 6/6*

The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Arasaka Smart Link System. *Adaptation Smart Link 0/0*

Arasaka Ex-Disk *Adaptation Ex-Disk 0/0*

Militech-Armalite Ballistic Guard *Adaptation Ballistic Guard 1/2*

Serano Air-Groove Ankles *Adaptation Serano Air 1/1*

MoorE Titanium Bones (Shoulders, back, and ribs. +Legs, Pelvis, and Ribs.) *Adaptation Titanium Bones 0/2*

Biotechnica Muscle and Bone Lace *Adaptation Muscle and Bone Lace 0/0*

Arasaka ODA Neural Link Mk3 *Adaptation ODA Mk.3 1/2*

Dynalar Sandevistan Mk.2 *Adaptation Dynalar Sandevistan 0/4*

I needed another 9 adaptation to cover my chrome. I had no idea if it was going over 10 ‘open’ adaptation had caused the issue, or if it was just my own issues coming to light…

At least my neck didn’t bother me anymore. I shook it off and focused on what was important.

Obviously the first thing I needed to deal with was my perk. Breach 10. That was gonna be a big upgrade. Not least because Breach was so integral to net running.

In the end, there was only one that still stuck out to me, at least only one that I could unlock without prerequisites.

Strong Breach: A door is only as strong as the wall. Damage code, break data make your own path.

It would allow me to break into nearly any system, only it would definitely alert anyone on the system something was wrong. Like taking a canon to the front door.

I picked it anyway.

I shivered as the knowledge flooded me. I had a new understanding about server architecture, how fragile it really was. How easy it would be with a virus, to delete just one bit of code and have all the defenses tumble down.

Every system had a weakness. Every system was just code iterative on top of older code, and older.

That would be useful for the future. With that done I focused on everything else.

Eleven was my highest stat. Before I had nearly got killed in the net that hadn’t bothered me. Now it did, but I also knew I still had stats that needed to catch up. I was close to bringing a lot of my stats and skills to ten.

I had been playing around a lot recently.

The fact was that playing around let me stay happy. Let me live a life that I wasn’t ashamed of so I wasn’t upset at the fact, but in order to continue to be able to play around, I needed strength.

I stepped back from the digital landscape.

“Spend some time improving.” I whispered a promise to myself.

Then I stepped out, and jumped to the Kabuki Roundabout.

The digital server welcomed me, and I walked up into the Dewdrop Inn. Rolling my eyes at the music that played loudly in my ears, I tweaked my connection, shutting it up to almost nothing, and moved on.

Where was Yoko? I wondered, looking, I didn’t see her, but I hadn’t exactly been hiding my connection request. A few moments later I saw her, stepping out from a door that led to nowhere. Or to her private space if she wanted. Our eyes met and I nodded to her, and she jerked her head to follow. Back through the shrine door.

I hurried to catch up and stepped through, transferred to that same shrine space I had seen before. “Your deck seems to be serving you well.” She offered and I nodded.

“Thank you.”

“It was nothing. I got something as the middleman, and paid a debt to you.” She waved off, her tails around her twitching as she shifted.

“It wasn’t nothing to me… It’s nice. To be on the net again, to have a Cyberdeck again. Feels like I just got an arm back.”

“Heh. It’s been so long since I’ve disconnected completely I don’t think I could properly contemplate it.” She agreed and I moved to settle beside her on the stone bench she was resting on, right inside her little shrine space.

“I was hoping to get some… Well information, but more advice than anything.” I said and she looked at me, her eyes twisting in rainbow colors.

“Oh?”

“I don’t want to nearly get killed like that again. I’ve spent enough time playing around. I need better weapons. I need information on how netrunners fight, both normally, and in the Combat Zone, and hacks that you’d suggest that I can rewrite for myself.”

“Well well. This is unexpected. But not unwelcome. I’ll give you all of it for a cheap price. I have a hack I am putting together I could use some debugging on. A new set of eyes to clean it up.”

I wanted to groan but nodded. “Deal.”

“Well then, Ghost in the Shell. Let’s get started. Let’s talk about your own performance.” She said and with a wave of her hand the space between the Torii gates shifted into a screen.

And I was there. Just my digital avatar, but it was the battle with Sasha.

I settled in despite not getting tired by standing, to watch. But as it went on… It wasn’t… Fun.

It was really not fun.

I watched it all the way through from the outsiders perspective. There was a lot I could have done differently, but mostly it was preparing things. I wasn’t set up to face Netrunners in that sort of battle.

But to my surprise Yoko didn’t share the same thoughts. “Explain your movement here.” She asked, and I looked as I saw myself run from the Balrog.

“I moved myself through breaching the server to a new position.”

“Yes, but why? Why run?”

“I don’t think I can take that thing.”

“Why? Because it is fearsome? Because you have no defenses? Why did you run?”

I blinked. “That Daemon would have beaten me.”

“You believe so?” She asked, and I was almost wondering if I was wrong, but no.

I was sure. My instincts and knowledge all knew that facing the Balrog was a bad idea.

“Yeah.”

“Hmm. You are correct. [HELL FLAME Anh. 2.132] Would not have beaten the Balron in any length of time.” She said and I blinked as her speech had shifted from her to a sort of digital statement of what the hack’s name was.

It was kinda silly, but okay sure, I wouldn’t want to remember the version for something either. But more interesting was that the Balrog was called a Balron? Okay sure.

“Yeah, the Balron had a defensive hack, the fire. The Hell Flame would have just eaten at that, leaving the Daemon plenty of time to do whatever it wanted.” I explained, the knowledge I had followed instinctively coming out.

“Indeed. You were able to notice that, that’s good. You have good eyes. But why Breach Jump? You could have likely outran the Balron normally. Your speed was greater than the daemon.”

I blinked, thinking back to what I had been thinking at the time.

“I think I just wanted to lead it around back to Sasha?”

“Hmm… Your first instinct was the Breach Jump?” She questioned, but it was quiet more to herself.

“I guess?”

“Breach Jumping is a skill. An advanced skill. You used it before, when I let you access the damaged server.” She reminded me. “But the use of it then, and the way you used it now are two very different things.” She muttered staring, but then she waved and shifted the screen again.

This time, to when I hacked into the server at the start.

“You breached the server quickly. Your opponents hadn’t even gotten ready to try and you were already in. Can you do this while defending yourself?”

“I don’t know, maybe? Depends on how much defenses I put up, and how much this new deck speeds me up.”

“Little to moderately depending.” She answered back.”With your skill likely little. The Seacho was already good at that.” She answered before shrugging again. “My suggestion to you, Motoko? Gaining knowledge of the net is the best thing you can do. Breach whatever server you are on first. Cracking the server means you crack the world itself. You can alter the battlefield, or at least see the battlefield for what it truly is if the defenses are too great.”

I nodded, taking that information in.

Slowly Yoko ran me through the battle, questioning different things I did, mostly to see what I thought about them, and offering her own advice after.

It was… Surprisingly useful.

In the end Yoko dumped a lot of data onto me, which took a moment to save it to my server…

Then I narrowed my eyes and glared at her, which she noticed and smiled happily.

“I was wondering if you would catch that.” She admitted shamelessly as I cut the Daemon she had sent through, to spy on me.

“Well it’s squished now.”

“Good. If you only ever listen to one thing from me, then listen to this Ghost in the Shell. Never trust any data you are given by anyone, even someone you trust. Check, double check, and then assume you missed something. Always.” She told me, and then suddenly I was forcefully moved outside the Shrine back at the entrance to the roundabout.

I nodded. Good advice.

I jumped back home. Time to get some work done.

—--

I had worked through the night debugging the program Yoko had needed work done on, and I wasn’t even going to point out to her that it wasn’t her work.

Whoever originally programmed it and then handed it to Yoko for a check over was in for a treat, because I had done a great job fixing all the problems it had.

The program was a virus meant to shut down power supply to an entire building for about five minutes including the back up power.

I wished them luck at whatever gig they were planning. It wasn’t my business.

That took up a while but now that it was the next day I was working on the programs that Yoko had given me.

She had sent me a few low level scop hacks. Stuff new runners would use, and I was going through one of them, an offensive hack that was designed to force a logout onto whoever it infested.

Basically against Daemons, it would delete them, as it caused their connection to whatever server they were on to be canceled, kicking them off which would lead to them just being deleted as data.

Netrunners would be harder to deal with, but it was basically the most basics of netrunner battle hacks.

Hack the runner, boot them from the server.

Of course against a runner it would be a fight to see who was the most skilled to get it to work. As any netrunner beyond a complete beginner would be able to try and cancel the forced boot.

I had already considered ways to mitigate it outright, a good Breach Jump would put me in a different section of the server, and so break the servers ability to try and force me out.

Once again Breach showed itself as an incredibly powerful skill while on the net.

Anyway, I was working on making it faster, more compact, and more likely to work when I decided it was probably a good idea to get some food and get away from the net.

Standing up and stretching I took a second to look at my Tachikoma. Its block Pyramid was finished, and it had moved on to exploring different things in my room. Picking things up and examining them. Its system was full of queries about what each object was. I might actually need to connect it to an encyclopedia soon.. Or maybe start adding the system to develop a personality?

The idea of a Tachikoma talking to me asking questions was pretty fucking cute.

I headed out throwing on my jacket and taking the elevator down to the garage. My neck was feeling better, but I still felt more tense than I liked.

The need for more adaptation points was on my mind as I slipped onto my bike and roared out of the garage.

I was thinking back to the Netrunner combat zone. But I felt awkward about it.

Maybe if Sasha hadn’t been so Sasha I would have asked her to show me it.

But that was rather burned at the moment. I don’t really feel like talking to her. I thought about a few other contacts I had, but none were someone I would really trust like that.

I sighed as I pulled up outside the Sakura market and found a spot to park before heading in for a meal.

I was on the stairs when I got a call from someone that I couldn’t just leave hanging.

Especially since she probably knew exactly where I was.

*Hi Wakako.*

*Stop in. Now, I have a job for you on a time limit.*

The call clicked off and I turned and bounded back up the stairs and across the street. Jig jig was the same as always and I jogged to Wakako’s parlor, but for once Wakako didn’t keep me waiting, she was actually standing outside, smoking a cigarette and making everyone extremely nervous with her glare.

“Say nothing. Take this. Complete the task, I will make it worth your while.” She said simply handing me a shard, and I nodded, slotting it.

Hmmm..

Oh. Well that explains the rush.

“I’m on it.” I said turning and jogging off.

I almost felt like whistling, because this was going to be fun.