State Ukraine, Neutral Territories, Warehouse Complex of Vostok Corporation
Team Ghosts of the Future, August 15, 2049, 10:42 PM
Maksim climbed into the truck’s cab, letting the door close with a solid, heavy click. His eyes swept across the space. Alisa was in the front passenger seat, her head tilted back, eyes closed, with her expression distant and detached. In the back, Dasha was, as always, on the bed, legs crossed, entirely absorbed in her work.
To a stranger, she might have seemed at rest. But anyone who knew her well would recognize the truth: she was utterly still. Her open eyes were fixed on a single point, staring into nothing, as if her mind was worlds away. In her right hand, she loosely held a vape, its screen dark, the device powered down.
“Everything’s ready on my end. How about you, Dasha?” Max asked, certain she’d hear him, even in her trance-like state.
It took about thirty seconds for the “Sniper-Programmer” to emerge from Deep VR. She blinked several times, adjusting to her surroundings, before responding in clipped tones.
“I’m good… almost. Just a bit left. Yeah.”
“Tough job?”
“Not really tough, just a slog,” Vasilevskaya replied, shaking her head. “I called the clinic first — Nikola left me their contacts. Talked to their specialist on Cyber-Cores. The invasion’s only been going on for a few days, but this is already their eighth operation of this kind. Yeah… Crazy, huh?”
“Figures,” Maksim nodded. “By now, they’ve probably collected enough data to fine-tune almost any Cyber-Core OS. Am I right?”
“Yep.” Dasha slipped the vape’s mouthpiece between her lips, took a quick puff, and exhaled a stream of vapor toward the vent in the corner. Then, being mindful of Maksim, she stashed the device away.
“I’ve been tweaking configs,” she added. “The clinic already put together a big patch for the Watson core and its… uh… pirated versions. But it still needs fine-tuning. Especially in our case, I mean the OS I installed for Nikola’s core. Just needs a little extra work. Luckily, there’s a guide, and I consulted their AI about it, so… yeah. Another thirty minutes, tops.”
“Got it. I’ve picked out the vehicles we’ll be taking. Thought we’d hack them now, so we don’t waste time when Rzeszów’s team arrives.”
“Let me help,” Alisa offered unexpectedly. Her eyes fluttered open as she straightened in her seat. “At least we can open them and prep their connections to Moira without bothering Dasha. She can finish up her work while we’re at it.”
“Sounds good,” Maksim agreed. “WonderKid, crack a window and vape all you want while we’re out.”
“Yee-haw! Awesome… yeah! I’ll finish up and join you guys after.”
Maksim nodded, adjusted the strap on his rifle, and stepped out of the truck with Alisa close behind him.
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State Poland, Free Rzeszów, TACTA. August 16, 2049, 01:57 AM
They made it back to the hostel just before two in the morning. Handing off the mission to the Rzeszów team had gone smoothly, except for the moment when Dasha, completely drained, passed out from exhaustion halfway through hacking the control system of the last vehicle Maksim had chosen.
Instead of waking her, they let her stay asleep in the truck cab. Alisa, meanwhile, threw herself into some online project — Max noticed the spike in Moira’s activity and the surge in network traffic. She stayed in the cab and didn’t come out for the mission debrief, though her presence wasn’t really required.
The leader of the “Ghosts” shook hands with the squad captain, took a moment to appreciate the efficient, coordinated efforts of the cyborgs and engineers, and learned they’d earn about eighty thousand grants for the job. Not bad for a night’s work, he thought, as he activated the return program and set their convoy on course back to the city.
The caravan rolled onto the highway — one truck, three pickup trucks, five cargo-passenger vans, two decent business-class cars, and four standard sedans. Midway through the journey, Maksim couldn’t help but conclude either they were ridiculously lucky, or this was just how things were.
The traffic consisted largely of caravans and car carriers, mostly hauling heaps of low-value, worn-out vehicles. It was obvious that Rzeszów had already combed through nearby points of interest, picking them clean of anything truly valuable. Industrial-scale resources in the area had likely been stripped bare. The brilliance of the City’s POI auctions, and resource taxation system became glaringly apparent.
“Damn, Colonel — what a sly devil he is!” flashed through Max’s mind.
“I’m back. Did you miss me?” Alisa’s playful voice came from the seat beside him, her mischievous smile lighting up the dim cabin.
“Nope,” Maksim replied with a yawn, not even glancing at her. “Just tired… But hey, eighty thousand for a single evening’s work. Not too shabby, huh?”
“It’s a… respectable haul,” his sister said, her grin widening ever so slightly.
“Dasha’s still out cold. I think she’s down for the night. What were you up to?”
“Oh, nothing much,” Alisa replied with deliberate nonchalance, waving off the question. “Just figuring out where we could dig up a few extra grants.”
“Well, we might make a career out of hauling caravans…” Maksim snorted, motioning to the window where yet another line of yellow sedans passed by, their checkered decals faintly visible in the dark. “Looks like someone swiped an entire taxi fleet.”
The City’s walls came into view ahead. Entering was no hassle, as Maksim had already completed the workshop-provided paperwork at the start of their return trip. The pickup truck with the canopy, which they’d decided to keep, was scanned with a massive, futuristic-looking device at the checkpoint. The guards informed them that its registration details would be emailed to the team by the next day.
Regarding the vehicles they’d brought back for dismantling, the workshop assured them the appraisal would be done overnight. By morning, they’d receive a detailed report, certified by the Rzeszów Resource Committee, along with the payment transferred to their account.
Maksim also arranged to stop by the workshop the next morning to discuss tuning options for the pickups, but that could wait. It was already late, and the strain of the past few days demanded one thing: “Get some sleep!” There was no point juicing up on TACTA stimulants tonight. The day was over.
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August 16, 2049, 08:00 AM
“We’ll catch up on sleep in the afterlife, I guess…” Maksim muttered with a sigh, forcing his eyes open. “Time to get moving.”
Five minutes later, he wandered into the kitchen, where Alisa was already bustling at the stove, bright-eyed and cheerful as she worked on breakfast. The other hostel residents had clearly left for the day, but the fresh scent of coffee, bacon, and fried eggs lingered in the air — a clear sign that Rzeszów’s Free Crews wasted no time, squeezing every moment to level up.
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“Morning, sis.”
“Good morning!” Alisa beamed back at him, her good mood practically radiating across the room. “Sit down — I’ll have breakfast ready in no time.”
“I got a message from Nikola,” Maksim said as he settled at the table. “She’ll join the conference online in about ten minutes. The surgery’s done — no complications, all went well. But they won’t run the diagnostics or update her software for another two hours. She’s stuck in the recovery ward, no arms or legs for now. Her words, not mine: ‘Not the best situation, can’t even scratch my own butt. But hey, not my first rodeo.’ She’ll be online with us until they’re ready to continue.”
“Yes, I saw her message,” Alisa said with a nod. “I’ve already factored it into my plans.”
“Factored in? What plans?” Maksim wondered, the question barely forming before several things happened at once.
First, an incoming notification stole his attention — confirmation that the “Vostok” mission had been approved by the Committee. Their reward of 111,800 grants would be transferred shortly.
//SYSTEM: Module: Missions
Reconnaissance of the Vostok Global-Biochem Warehouse Complex
MISSION SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED!
Base reward:
* 50,000 grants for successfully completing the mission and providing a detailed inventory of the warehouse’s contents.
Bonuses:
* Risk Premium: 10,000 grants for engaging in high-risk combat operations.
* Data Quality Bonus: 12,300 grants for delivering high-quality data and gaining access to surveillance systems.
Additional rewards:
* 5,000 grants for maintaining control of the facility until handover.
* 15,000 grants for transporting the recovered Shaiszu corpse to the City.
* 19,500 grants for breaching secured servers, restoring corrupted data, and transmitting corporate documents to the City.
Other rewards:
* Reputation increase with Free City Rzeszów.
* Special commendation from the Council for demonstrated professionalism:
** Registration of two pickup trucks with a waiver on the tax levy.
He barely had time to savor the unexpected windfall — the payout was significantly higher than promised, plus both vehicles were registered tax-free — when a cheerful ding announced another message. The workshop had processed all ten vehicles, and their team account now showed an additional 98,950 grants!
A wide grin spread across Maksim’s face as he sprang to his feet and stretched with satisfaction.
“Well, ladies, looks like we’re living large!” he exclaimed, glancing at Alisa, Dasha — who had already joined them in the kitchen — and Nikola, who had just connected to the conference. “Did you know we’re now 210,750 grants richer? Tonight, we celebrate. Our first real earnings deserve a proper party!”
Overcome with excitement, he sent a playful kiss emoji to Nikola, pulled Alisa into a quick hug, and gave her a peck on the cheek before scooping up a startled, squealing Dasha, and spinning her around. Carefully setting the flushed girl back on her feet, he turned to his sister with a triumphant grin.
“Alright, let’s refresh our global shopping list. I’m not saying we should go all in on a full crafting station just yet, but we do need more combat drones, some serious body kits for the pickups, and proper TACTA weaponry. We’re not scraping by anymore. Feels like our ticket to the next league!”
Alisa smiled gently, lowering her gaze with a hint of shyness.
“In my opinion, big brother, we need to be very deliberate with how we spend the money,” she began thoughtfully. “I’ve been thinking we should invest in some additional equipment — things we’ll probably find essential very soon. Since, as you noted, we’re no longer scraping by. I’ll send you an updated shopping list in a couple of minutes. It’s still a draft; I’m confirming the costs on a few components. But you’ll see the overall picture and can approve it.”
Maksim raised an eyebrow, caught off guard. His sister suggesting extra spending? That was a first. She’d always been the cautious one, helping him manage their “robotics lovers’ club” finances, including their less-than-official ledgers. Her frugality often bordered on stinginess.
Maybe she was in a celebratory mood too, he thought, dismissing his lingering doubts. Still, better to nudge her back to reality, just in case.
“Well, I trust you — you’re the cautious one here. But let’s not go overboard. Don’t blow it all in one go — we’ll need to save for future missions and upgrades for Nikola’s connectors and limbs to hit ‘Berserker’ specs.”
“Don’t worry,” Alisa replied with her usual serene smile. “I’ve already factored in all our upcoming income and expenses. Everything will be perfectly calculated.”
Maksim froze, his gaze locking on his sister’s suspiciously wide grin. It was that very grin — the same one she’d flashed when she’d assured him their mission was “safe.” The very same mission that had introduced them to the ultra-lethal Shaiszu, which had left the Rzeszów Council torn between awe and terror. Awe at the chance to study fresh monster remains, and terror at the realization such creatures were lurking so close to their city.
He shook his head, trying to dispel the memory. What had Alisa said during their trip to Rzeszów? Something about rediscovering her identity — and warning him he might have to deal with her “teenage phase.” Right. A “teenage phase” for a being who was part human, part AI, and whose capabilities, thanks to TACTA’s modifications, likely far exceeded human norms. The thought left an uneasy knot in his stomach.
But then again, she’d promised to consult him on expenses. So, what could go wrong?
As if on cue, a melodic chime broke his thoughts. Alisa’s file had arrived — not just a shopping list, but a strategic plan.
Dasha immediately dove into the info, scanning it in mere seconds. Her hands shot up in excitement.
“Woohoo! I love this approach, yeah, absolutely! And hey, can I get an upgrade too? It’s not even that pricey — just 580,000 grants! For the cortical grid, sub-brain, accelerators — all critical hardware for System abilities. Oh, and maybe that module… the one for eating? Like Redhead’s? Well, no rush or anything… for now, yeah.”
Without waiting for a response, Vasilevskaya snatched her vape and vanished into a thick cloud of vapor.
“Although… the money…” came her voice, muffled by the haze. “Oh, right, it hit our account like forty minutes ago — I checked. Great picks, Alisa! Totally approve, yeah. But, um… where’d we get so much?”
Maksim frowned suspiciously and opened the document. His grin faltered, then broke entirely, sliding off his face as if his AR display had glitched. He shook his head, blinked hard, and opened his eyes again — though in virtual reality, he knew that wouldn’t help. Still, no change. Casting a wary glance at his sister, who was sweetly smiling like nothing was amiss, he reread the text.
“Alisa. What the hell is this?”
His confusion was understandable, given what he was looking at. Watching her boyfriend’s shocked expression — first through Alisa’s broadcasted perspective, then through Dasha’s feed — Nikola decided to check the file herself. A moment later, she switched to their team balance. Her green eyes went wide, even in the conference!
// SYSTEM. Module: “Adventures” (ALISA):
// Strategic Plan for Achieving Partner Tier 1 – “Legendary Partners”
// Phase 1: “Initial Stage.” Dates: August 16–21
* Non-Reducible Reserve for Quantum Core Purchases and Associated Costs (minimum 10 units): 2,000,000 grants
* Support for research operations or information acquisition – access required for the purchase or obtain AI accelerators (at least 70 units) and ProjectBoxes (at least 30 units): 300,000 grants.
* Rental of three crafting Forge-stations: 3 x 5,000 grants for 120 hours, totaling 15,000 grants.
* Purchases: blueprints, rare resources: 85,000 grants.
* Vehicle fleet upgrades: 200,000 grants.
** First truck: “Command Vehicle” modifications
** Second truck: Field hospital, storage, mobile factory (excluding forge-station purchases)
** Two pickup trucks: Assault equipment, weapons, combat systems
** A technical vehicle (off-road van)
* Energy system upgrades (a second Fusion Reactor, energy storage, and distribution systems): 300,000 grants.
* Purchase of TACTA weaponry (two squads, five fighters or androids each): 300,000 grants.
* Purchase of TACTA defensive systems (armor and tactical equipment): 500,000 grants.
* Cyborgization upgrade for Nikola (Path: Berserk Tier 10): 300,000 grants.
At this point in the document, the text flickered, and a new line appeared:
* Cyborgization upgrade for Daria (replacement of implants, Path: Seer Tier 10 plus CyberCore installation, plus some special modules): 600,000 grants.
* Androids (x5), blueprints and required rare materials for assembly at the Forge stations: 150,000 grants.
Miscellaneous expenses: 49,996 grants
Cake (x2): 4 grants
Total: 5,000,000 grants
Maksim followed Redhead’s lead and checked their team’s account balance. He rubbed his eyes. Then checked again.
Five. Freaking. Million. Grants.
And that wasn’t even counting the 266,116 grants he’d scraped together over the past days — a sum that had seemed massive for a rookie team… right up until some… very cunning young lady dropped five million on top of it like it was pocket change.
He sighed heavily. A “teenage phase,” right. For his sister — who also happened to be a world-class, ultra-powerful AI. Sure.
Maksim let out a long, slow exhale, trying to collect himself.
Then he drew in a deep breath, steadying his nerves.
Finally, he turned a sharp, unrelenting gaze on the platinum-haired blonde, who sat with her eyes conveniently lowered in an almost innocent show of humility.
“Alright, now you’re going to explain everything. And this time, you’re telling me the WHOLE truth.”