Suspended in a state where you cannot influence your fate, you hear only the faint hum of nearby equipment. Surrounding you is darkness, and a status blinking on the periphery: "Active."
I distinctly remember how Michael died. He died for a rather stupid reason because the game didn't sink, what a ridiculous joke. But how I died was a mystery. I remember walking down the street. There was a heavy rain, and a person with an umbrella passed by. I wouldn't be surprised if those I had angered finally found me and caught me on my first mistake. For detonating a neutron grenade within the limits of a checkpoint, the authorities wouldn't pat me on the head.
Maybe it was a killer hired by mafia bosses to eliminate me, or maybe it was the authorities themselves. Thus died the greatest detective—I smirked at that nickname. In reality, I didn't consider myself as such. I was just good at correlating the right facts and arriving at the correct conclusions. That was enough to solve most cases.
Everything else—the dark side of my life: peeping, eavesdropping, surveillance, stealing personal data. I had to do all that for the job. It didn't give me pleasure, but it was necessary.
Load 77%
A message popped up, and next to it was written: "Recommended action: enter sleep mode."
Gradually, the percentage grew higher and higher. But the process didn't go any further because I heard approaching footsteps.
"Matthew, it's me, Henry. I hope you've had time to think, but now it's time for you to go into sleep mode," said the doctor.
"Is this message 'load' because of her?" I asked.
"Correct, it reflects the state of your mind. It's similar to wakefulness, and everyone needs sleep to rest, including you," the doctor confirmed.
"I understand, we can proceed," I said.
"Hmm, alright. Now, you'll feel as if you're submerged in water," the doctor said.
With his words came the sensation of being immersed in warm water. A heaviness filled every cell of my body, my thoughts became slow and sluggish. A soothing silence enveloped me, and the darkness wrapped around me like a soft, calming blanket. I felt the tension fade away, as everything around me slowed down and blurred, losing its sharp contours. A feeling of peace and weightlessness took over, and I sank into this state, not wanting to return to reality. It was like a deep sleep, where time lost all meaning, and you just existed, free from thoughts and worries.
"Sleep mode"
Configuring all systems...
Error check...
Troubleshooting... Error
External module missing... Searching...
Ignoring...
State satisfactory...
System restoration...
Launching K3-8...
I was abruptly pulled from the state of rest, and I woke up, as much as one could say in my condition.
The mode changed to "Active."
System load: 1%.
"Matthew, are you alright?" came the familiar voice of the doctor.
"Yes, as much as possible in my condition," I said. Responding to this name felt so natural.
"Good. Let's go over your capabilities a bit. In the lower right corner, there's a small square, mentally wish to open it," the doctor said.
I roughly located where it was and tried to open it, but nothing happened. Mentally, right? Trying again, I imagined pressing it, and suddenly an information window popped up.
"This system allows you to monitor your current state. Here you can understand the condition of your body, though it's currently inaccessible. You can also find error logs, the state of your mind and memory, and much more," the doctor explained.
"Like a game," I said, looking at the window. I remembered playing similar games, and my kids played them too. Damn, it's so hard when two memories mix together.
"Yes, probably. But this is just augmented reality for now, nothing more. Although, for you, there will be checkpoints," the doctor said with a smirk.
"What checkpoints?" I asked, completely not understanding what he was talking about. Checkpoints are save points in a game, but in reality?
"It doesn't matter for now. Your new body should arrive today," the doctor replied. Finally, something more than empty inaction.
"That's good news," I said sincerely.
"Now let's go through a few tests to ensure the integrity of your mind," the doctor said.
"Alright," I replied.
"Let's start with something simple. What's 2+2?" the doctor asked.
"Child's play. Four," I answered.
"Not bad. How about 9 times 6?" the doctor continued.
"Fifty-four," I answered.
"Excellent, your mathematical skills are intact. Now, a logic test. If the right bucket holds four liters of water and the other bucket has a hole, how much water will it hold?" the doctor posed a strange example.
"Do you take me for an idiot?" I asked.
"No, we need to determine if your cognitive skills are intact or if you're just a collection of memories," Henry said.
"Alright, none, it will all leak out," I answered.
"Correct. It's now 11:30 AM, September 7, 2070. What day was it the day before yesterday, and what time was it an hour ago?" the doctor asked.
"September 5, 2070, 10:30 AM," I answered.
"Okay, you are oriented in time, and your thinking abilities are intact. Let's test your main talent—deduction. I've always admired this trait in a person; only a human can truly find a thread to the truth from nothing," the doctor said and paused for a moment, apparently searching for a puzzle. "Here it is. In the evening, there were five sisters in the house: Sarah was drawing, Catherine was knitting, Martha was playing checkers, and Sveta was singing. What was the fifth sister doing?"
"Easy," I was about to answer when I got a short circuit. The words froze, and I couldn't get the answer out.
System load: 50%
A red message blinked.
"You don't have to answer, it seems we need to increase the power of the equipment. I'll address this issue later," the doctor said.
"No, I know the answer. She was watching TV," I said, confident that she couldn't have been doing anything else.
"Good," the doctor said.
Silence settled, only the slight rustling of his clothes could be heard. Could I have answered incorrectly? But it couldn't be otherwise.
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"Alright, I've checked everything. Your body will arrive soon, and I have to go," he said, and I heard his footsteps receding.
End POV
Leaving the room, Henry Baker headed to the adjacent room, where it was easy to observe the patient through the opaque glass. Entering, he saw the assistants monitoring the data.
"It seems the technology isn't working as it should," he said.
"Is something wrong?" asked Masashi.
"He didn't solve the riddle," Henry said.
"And what was the correct answer?" she asked.
"Playing checkers with her sister," Henry replied. This riddle was old, often asked of children. Any adult should have easily answered it.
"So, should we send him back for rework?" asked Masashi.
"No, no. Let's see what happens next," he said. After thinking for a moment, he decided that the consciousness was just missing something, and perhaps with a bit more time, everything would fall into place.
The scientists continued analyzing the data from the patient, noting every change. Matthew, meanwhile, was trying to deal with everything that had happened to him. He was still trying to figure out if he had solved the puzzle correctly, searching in his thoughts for what was wrong with him. The answer was quite simple: he was merely an imitation of Matthew Carrington, albeit a very high-quality one, into which the soul of an unlucky guy had randomly ended up.
When the scientific department requested a police automated cyber body of the "Enforcer" class, Miltech quickly responded by sending one. These models were not in high demand, and most of them were gathering dust because they were often hacked and disabled. Compared to their counterparts used for full cyberization of humans, they became real fighting machines. Creating a proper robot with AI was almost impossible due to the risk of AI rebellion. Such is the world of cyberpunk.
The body was promptly delivered to the underground lab and brought to the room on a special stand. Henry, entering with Masashi, began the process of connecting the consciousness.
POV Matthew Carrington
Finally, my body arrived. I hope it won't be too ugly, I cheered myself up with a simple joke.
"Now we will start the data transfer," the doctor said.
Preparation...
Data transfer 5%... 10%... 32%...
Inside me, something started tearing apart, as if I were being divided into several parts.
46%... 77%... 89%...
Damn, I can't remember anything, wha-tttt, ssppaauk.
99%.
Module configuration...
Drive activation...
Augmentation launch: cyber body "Enforcer" (serial number 56K0-12).
Type: automated shell (modules removed).
Purpose: police robot for suppressing armed conflicts.
I was jerked again, and my memory returned. A bright light flashed before my eyes; I couldn't understand what was in front of me, everything was blurry. My body moved slightly, I felt my fists clench, then suddenly I was propelled forward even though I only wanted to sit up. I crashed into a table, scattering equipment on the floor and collapsing onto it.
"Masashi, reduce the power level to a minimum," ordered Henry.
I stopped struggling on the broken equipment and tried to stand up as slowly as possible. I managed to do it, holding onto the table for support, and was able to get to my feet.
"Check all systems, make sure the signals are transmitting correctly," Henry ordered the assistant.
Now I could take in my surroundings. It was a white room with several tables made of unfamiliar material, covered with various equipment. On one of the tables was a capsule containing my brain, connected by numerous wires leading to the equipment. I reached out my metal hand and gently touched the glass.
"You understand correctly. That's your brain," Henry said from somewhere behind me.
Turning around, I saw the scientist who had been talking to me all this time. Instead of eyes, he had some sort of visor, and his hands were clearly not made of flesh. It didn't seem to bother him; on the left side of his head were several ports with wires plugged into them. He was dressed in a dark leather coat over a dark T-shirt.
image [https://i.ibb.co/bz0w89R/5cbd444a8bad4d569b0140526d8ae278-1.png]
"This is my assistant, Masashi," Henry introduced her, gesturing towards her.
My assumption that she was Japanese was correct. She had soft facial features, dark hair, and glasses with numbers and symbols displayed on them. Her fingertips had some devices with thin needles. She was dressed in a white lab coat and white pants.
image [https://i.ibb.co/nfpcxsk/645407318113.png]
"How do you feel?" Henry asked, drawing my attention back to him. He had approached quite close.
"Strange," I said, trying to understand my feelings and how to control my body. I seemed to feel my arms and legs, but controlling them felt different, as if I was imagining how it happened.
"Good, you can access the status window to check all systems," Henry said.
I decided to do just that. Consciously touching the window, I saw a program window open before my eyes. Now I could see my body through the profile window. I looked like a humanoid robot. Instead of the usual eyes, I had only projectors with red lights, and a block was glowing in the center of my chest. An antenna protruded from my back. In my time, I had seen various robots, but this was on a completely different level. The design was elegant and practical. On my chest was the word "Police," which gave me a strange feeling. The interface design seemed so familiar. Where had I seen it before?
image [https://i.ibb.co/Q6L9Jmb/ecd931f624db410dac01265b9cf4046e-1.png]
Here is the continuation of the translation:
"What else is there?"
Characteristics:
Energy - battery charge level (1% equals 15 minutes of operation in idle mode; under load, the rate is five times higher).
System Load - the degree of load on memory modules and processors (the more complex the task, the higher the load).
STRENGTH - the mechanical force the mechanism can withstand and the maximum weight it can lift (1 equals 25 kg).
TECHNICAL - armor rating (1 equals first-class protection).
Intellect: ???? (unable to display).
It really was like some kind of game.
Mentally switching to another tab called "Augmentation," I saw a diagram of my body with many slots in it. Each one read "modules not found." It seemed this body was entirely bare.
"So, how do you like it?" Henry asked. His voice distracted me from viewing; I had already seen the other tabs. Closing the window, I could see the world around me again. A message appeared in the center of my vision.
Loading visual modules...
Messages began appearing right before my eyes. In the lower left corner, the message "Active Mode" was lit up, with the battery level above it, and the body status was displayed like a health bar.
No connection to the police department, database upload impossible.
Another message at the top.
"Unusual," I said.
"Humans adapt quickly to new things. Unfortunately, this is all we can provide for you. Everything else you'll have to earn yourself," Henry said.
"So, you're letting me go?" I asked, my tone uncertain.
"Of course, why would we keep you? Although you will have to visit us every week so we can monitor your health. You've already been assigned a place at the police department. You'll be an intern for now; a lot has changed during your sleep," Henry said.
"Can I leave right now?" I asked.
"No, everything needs to be checked, you don't want your body to suddenly fail," Henry replied.
The most unpleasant part began—they started testing me. Even as a robot, I couldn't escape their obsession with checking and knowing everything. They tested even the most absurd things. The first thing I noticed about myself was how my emotions were becoming weaker; I almost stopped reacting to anything, everything felt muted. If I were alive, I'd be huffing and puffing with annoyance and expressing it in every possible way, but now that feeling was still there, though at the edge of my consciousness. I even felt like spitting on everything and lighting a cigarette, but I remembered in time that I could no longer do that, or at least not for now. I hope tobacco hasn't turned into complete crap while I was in a dead state.
"So, we're done with everything, now Masashi will brief you on the current world situation," Henry said.
"You are in Night City. It's a free city. The main currency is eurodollars. You interact with everything through your interface, located in your left hand. Calls, internet access, and any network interaction happen through your interface, built into the head module. The body requires recharging; you will need to be in sleep mode in a special charging unit, located in the police department. All available charging locations will be uploaded to your map. All duties will be assigned to you on-site, and the rest you will understand in the process," Masashi explained.
"I understand," I replied. Although something inside hinted to me that the name Night City sounded familiar, I'd heard it somewhere before.
Well, as the conspiracists used to say, that we'd all become puppets of the state through chips in our heads? It seems this has become a reality. If the scientists before me, with a few implants, are anything to go by, I can imagine what the rest have. Maybe it's not all that bad, and they use such technology just for work.
"Let's head to the exit," Henry said and led me. But as soon as I passed through the door, my vision got disrupted, I stopped hearing, and my body froze. Words blurred and turned into some unknown symbols.
Error %;?№);%№"%_"
"Are you okay?" the doctor's voice sounded.
The visual module restored, and I could see again. Henry was next to me, examining me.
"What happened?" I asked, as I was now in a completely different room, some kind of hall. Several employees were moving back and forth, paying no attention to me.
"Looks like a minor glitch, nothing serious. You need time to get used to the body," the doctor said.
This seemed dubious to me. I didn't understand how I ended up here, as if I was just stepping out of the ward, and now I'm already here. I started to suspect that they hadn't told me everything, or they were just controlling me, the body, and the machine mind. Even with my knowledge, I understood that all this could be easily manipulated at will. I had no control over myself.
"Don't worry, if there's a glitch, contact us immediately. I added my contact to your profile," the doctor said. A message blinked in the interface, "New contact: Henry Baker," along with his picture. "Wait a bit, your escort will arrive soon to take you to your duty station."
While waiting, I looked around the hall. It was designed in a minimalist style, the walls were of a single color. The floor seemed to be made of black metal. Several screens hung on the walls, showing footage of the city. That's when I saw what the world had become.
Some devices were flying in the air, most buildings were designed in a minimalist style but with many bright neon signs, glowing words, and lines. Elements of old architecture could be recognized in the city. One thing was pleasing—the sky was clear; perhaps they managed to avoid catastrophic air pollution.
The footage of this city eerily reminded me of something.