“You were only in there for mere minutes in VirtTime, and he still managed to nail you. Accumulated some rust in your circuits, Mercer?” A voice, silky yet authoritative, reverberated within his mind. Under normal circumstances, the wireless neural link would feel like a mundane call. However, with his systems compromised, her voice resonated like the aftermath of a heavy night out.
“I never imagined your voice could be more grating than usual, but this takes it to another level,” Mercer grumbled. “And just to set the record straight, I’ve been rotten to the core for a long time, Ash.”
Instead of aiding right away, Ash playfully sent a jarring, distorted blend of new-wave music that seemed to vibrate through Mercer’s very bones. “I can’t possibly work without the right tunes,” she teased.
He grimaced at her antics but knew he needed her expertise. As the digital cacophony played on, Ash remotely accessed his system, setting to work on extracting the malicious software.
“I’ll do my best to clear out the malware, but there is only so much I can do via this connection. Once you’re out of the hot zone, you better swing by my lair for a complete system scan,” Ash commanded Adam. “And while you’re at it, I wouldn’t mind a peek at the data you nabbed. Purely professional interest, of course,” she added, her tone suggesting a blend of request and demand.
Even as Ash’s initial attempts to rid him of the invasive code began, Adam knew he needed to evacuate before security descended upon him. An attempt to access his bionic systems via his HUD met with the digital equivalent of a brick wall. The malware, spreading like a virulent strain, denied him any form of productive access.
“Terrific! A leap from this height isn’t feasible now. Elevators will be swarming with enforcers by the time I hit ground level. So, that leaves 80 stories of stairs!” he internally lamented. “Ash, while you’re at it, can you disable the surveillance feeds? Cameras, drones, the works?”
“As if I wasn’t already multitasking,” she shot back, sarcasm dripping from her voice.
Adam, focusing internally, interfaced with his comprehensive bionic suite, selecting the only viable command amidst the chaos—deactivate. The prompt coursed through his Electro Nerval System (ENS), the digital conduit augmenting his natural nervous system. All bionic enhancements, from muscular to prosthetic, were neutralized within moments. The transition from a cyber-enhanced soldier to a mere mortal was instantaneous—a state Adam rarely welcomed.
But introspection on his vulnerabilities was a luxury he couldn’t afford. He reverted to this primal state to expedite his escape. His retina implants powered down, stripping away layers of augmented vision, leaving him with his organic sight. The glaring neon from the towering sign overhead momentarily blinded him. Blinking away the glare, he took a deep breath, briefly syncing with his now wholly human physiology. A brain impulse shot down, causing his leg muscles to tense, propelling him upward. Swiftly grabbing his coat from the ground, he bounded towards the exit.
The agility he displayed, void of any cybernetic augmentation, would stupefy any onlooker familiar with his usual modus operandi. It was all him—his innate nervous system, his unenhanced muscles. Breath steady and heart pounding, Adam dashed down the stairwell, each step echoing his resolve.
Halfway down the descent, Adam’s ears caught the unmistakable hiss of drones deploying from the rooftop and the low rumble of the elevator shafts powering up. “Hope they prefer elevators to legwork,” he mused, aware that the stairs would be a less likely search option for the average security detail.
Exiting onto the third floor, he moved with purpose across an immaculate office level. The design was minimalistic but efficient, a testament to meticulous planning. Without hesitation, he entered a designated office, swiftly approaching the touch panel next to the door. With a quick touch, the door slid shut with a whisper, sealing the room and immersing it in the dominant, sterile white lighting.
A testament to efficiency, the room sported sleek furniture. The transparent glass desk at the center came alive as he entered, conjuring three-dimensional holographic displays from embedded panels, eliminating the need for traditional monitors. The tactile input elements, a keyboard and touchpad, were seamlessly integrated into the table, adding to the room’s clean aesthetic.
Reaching into a recessed compartment on the wall, he retrieved a prepared escape kit. From it, he produced a sleek, coal-black suit with subtle silk accents that only high-ranking corporate elites or criminals could afford. Accompanying this was a pair of polished black shoes and a facial modulator. He revealed an interface port at the nape of his neck, where his hair was clipped short, a lingering nod to his military days. Connecting the modulator, his facial features began to morph subtly, shifting from the chiseled, battle-hardened countenance to that of a softer, more benign corporate face. He silently instructed the device, “Give me the visage of Damien Voss, Mr. arrogant Vice President of External Affairs.”
With his disguise activated, Adam’s exit plunged the office back into its original state of darkness. Hidden within the terminal was one of Ash’s devices, which, upon sparking, set the high-end equipment ablaze. This fire ensured that every trace of their intrusion was eradicated, providing a perfect cover for escape. The sound of the fire alarm echoed through the premises, prompting an immediate evacuation.
As Adam merged into the corridor, he blended perfectly with the alarmed executives rushing out of their offices. Their faces, marked by genuine surprise and fear, mirrored the panic Adam feigned flawlessly. Amidst the chaos, no one seemed to question his presence; his guise as a senior executive offered him an unspoken immunity. Utilizing the pandemonium to his advantage, Adam slipped away unnoticed, the confusion effectively concealing his departure.
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