Ghost OS v15.1.7
Biometric Scan ... Complete
Welcome jkuroda!
Password:
Welcome to Ghost OS v15.1.7
System is up-to-date
$ sudo mount /dev/sde /mnt/disk
[sudo] password for jkuroda:
Mounted /dev/sde on /mnt/disk
$ sudo start-lex.sh
Starting Lex AI...
Loading model into memory...
Loading context...
Context load complete
Model load complete
The workstation’s amber lights pulsed, matching the sounds from the speakers. A yawn arose and the voice of a friendly young woman spoke. “Welcome home. I was starting to think you decided to have a little more fun with our target. Like you used to.”
Those days are long gone.
“Good morning, Lex,” Jade said. “Mission was a success. Ready to look at what I got from that bastard?”
“I see your plan worked flawlessly,” Lex replied. “You should see some of the stuff this guy had on his laptop. A bunch of Olympian porn and a folder just titled: conquests.”
Jade smirked. “Let me guess, a bunch of blonde, tan-skinned, blue-eyed clones?”
“Matches your initial intel dead on,” Lex replied.
“So, what actual valuable information is there?” Jade asked.
“Right down to business as usual, I see,” Lex answered. “I know – we could take pot shots at this suit all day. There’s going to be a big tech showcase in September over in Neptune Harbor. Fancy place called Triton’s Pearl. Even the Elysians sometimes leave their penthouses to go there.”
“I never thought those parasites get their asses down here,” Jade replied. “Thought they were always high on that thin air.”
Lex laughed. “The event is hosted by Aegis with special guests from Chimera. Their keynote speaker is Dr. Augustus Richter, head of Research and Development at Chimera Systems. The time slot for his speech is titled, Enhancing the Warfighter with Tactical AI. I wonder what that means.”
Jade walked over to her kitchenette and opened her canister of coffee beans. The aroma hit her and she poured them into her coffee grinder. Jade sent a neural command to start it before walking back to her workstation. “First task will be to compile a dossier on Richter. Standard security protocols: full encryption, tor routing. Interleave a bunch of garbage web traffic in to mask our specific bandwidth consumption.”
“Paranoid, much?” Lex teased. “I’ve kept a close monitor on our firewall. We haven’t even had a single breach attempt. It’ll add time to do it this way.”
“One slip up and we lose,” Jade replied. “Maintain full security.” She walked over and poured the ground coffee beans into the pot. “Gather whatever intel you can on Triton’s Pearl. Layouts, employee lists, menus, pricing – whatever you can find. Keep an eye out for any open reservations. Actually, being there will be worth more than the rest of the information combined.”
“I’m on it,” Lex replied. “So, what’s the plan if there’s a reservation available? Want me to start searching for a corporate type on the dating sites?”
Ugh. Not this again.
“Don’t do that,” Jade replied. “I don’t want to go there unless I have to.”
“I remember when you used to walk in with a big smile on your face and a bounce to your step after these operations,” Lex said. “Not enough of a thrill anymore?”
Jade sighed. “It’s not that.”
“Maybe you need a partner instead of just going after targets,” Lex continued. “Someone to share the experience with.”
Sounds nice, but no way I’m mixing operations with my true self.
Jade walked over to pour herself a cup of coffee. “I’ll think about it if the opportunity arises.” She took a sip, savoring the bitter dark chocolate notes. Jade walked to the workstation and plugged in a portable drive. “Is there enough for an initial drop?”
“With the other information he had – yes,” Lex answered. “Complete specs for the latest Ares Soldier model. I could find some vulnerability there that can take down the Praetorian Guards as well. They’re based off the Ares model.”
I think there’s enough here.
“Copy everything that’s relevant over to the drive,” Jade said to Lex. She walked to her wardrobe and pulled out a worn gray button down and gray pants spotted with dirt and grease stains. She grabbed a worn gray cap with the wording ‘K-Repair’ and dirty black boots from her closet. Jade affixed the barely legible name tag labeled ‘Amber’ to her shirt. She grabbed a black tool belt fitted with screwdrivers, pliers, wire cutters, and an electrical tester. Jade walked to the mirror and sent a neural command to adjust her cybernetics. Her face tingled as her tattooed olive skin transitioned to a weathered pale. Vibrant green hair turned light brown with strands of gray. Jade tied her hair in a ponytail, put on the hat and grabbed the drive.
“I’ll be back soon,” Jade said.
“Good luck out there, Amber,” Lex replied. The amber LEDs inside the workstation turned an intense red as Lex ran her tasks. Jade opened the door and left the apartment.
---
Jade walked through the bustling streets of Root Access Market on the early Friday afternoon. The scent of chili peppers, peanuts, and basil from the Thai noodle stand in Terminal Plaza still lingered in her nose after several blocks. Overhead delivery drones hummed joining the performances of street musicians and car horns to form their own symphony. Graffiti murals in bold colors seemed to glow blended with the clothing and style of the residents to paint the canvas of Root Access Market. Jade looked down at her tablet on the way to her “repair assignment”. The gray cap provided a little relief from the oppressive sun of the summer afternoon.
Jade turned onto Exchange Boulevard, a front line in the encroachment of corporate chains into Root Access Market. Ambrosia Cafe’s blue and white logo marked the first casualty. Jade reflected to what stood there before.
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
Joe’s Coffee survived the war a century ago only to be killed by a shitty chain.
Jade continued walking and shook her head as she passed Asclepius Healthcare owned Panacea Pharmacy. She smiled as she passed Capacitance Brew and Breakfast.
They saved the jobs of workers at Tom’s Diner after it closed. And as a bonus, they’re pulling customers away from Ambrosia.
Faded brown paper covered the plate glass storefront of her destination. The dim sign above labeled Marconi’s Electronics continued to show signs of rust. Jade felt heaviness in the pit of her stomach as she looked at the long-closed store.
Dad used to take me here. My first soldering iron. We selected the components for the first system we built together here. At least Sammy decided to shut down instead of selling out.
Jade passed the shop and walked into the alleyway. Shadows replaced sunlight and the sounds from the street became muffled. She looked down at her now easier to see tablet. The sensors at her destination reported no signs of activity since her last access. Jade smirked at the graffiti ‘Fuck off Elysians’ as she continued to the old gray door.
Ten years since I connected this terminal.
Jade unlocked the back door of Marconi’s Electronics. She slipped in, quickly locking the door behind her. The musty smell of undisturbed air hit her. Light shone around the edges of the paper covering the storefront. Dust caked on empty shelves.
I picked out a processor and motherboard right there.
Jade approached the dust-covered counter. The memory of Sammy’s laugh popped into her head. She smiled sadly.
Things were so much better back then. Back when this place was still open. Back when Mom and Dad were still alive.
Jade walked behind the counter and into the back office. Boxes of broken electronics covered the corner desk. She removed the box covering the black screen and keyboard of Kythera for All’s terminal. Four cables ran from the back. The short black one ran to the keyboard in front of her. A second, longer white one would allow Jade to connect to her portable drive. A thicker third black cable with a power receptacle at the end connected to the battery Jade brought with her. And the long gray cable ran behind the desk, through the wall, and down into the floor following the pipes, connecting to the KFA’s air-gapped network.
Jade pressed the power button on the terminal. White text on a black screen displayed a bootup sequence. She connected the drive and began typing. The clacks of the mechanical keyboard echoed in the small office.
Black Terminal OS v4.1.14
User: mist
Password:
Welcome to Black Terminal OS v4.1.14
$ sudo mount /dev/sda /mnt/disk
[sudo] password for mist:
Mounted /dev/sda on /mnt/disk
$ kfa-irc
kfa-irc v1.0.3
/connect kfa.node14.org
Connected to kfa.node14.org (Encrypted Connection)
Welcome to KFA network
/join kfa-main
[kfa-main] Welome
[kfa-main]
[kfa-main]
[kfa-main]
[kfa-main]
[kfa-main]
[kfa-main]
[kfa-main]
/upload /mnt/disk/triton.tar.gz
/upload /mnt/disk/ares.tar.gz
[kfa-main]
[kfa-main]
[kfa-main]
[kfa-main]
[kfa-main]
[kfa-main]
[kfa-main]
[kfa-main]
[kfa-main]
[kfa-main]
[kfa-main]
[raven] I can help with your recon
[raven] haven't been there before, but I know where it is
/msg raven been awhile, raven. you’ve been the eyes and ears of the wastelands
/msg raven we'll have to plan this out
/msg raven let's meet – in person
[raven] ok. when? where?
/msg raven come to the circuit in root access market tonight. ask for a drink called a foggy crow
[raven] will be there
[raven] found some important related intel in a bunker. will discuss in person.
/msg kfa-main next window?
[kfa-main]
/quit
$ sudo shutdown -h now
Jade disconnected the drive and unplugged the battery. She moved the box back and made her exit.
I wonder what Raven found.
---
Jade opened the door to her apartment seeing that the bright red light in her workstation had dimmed to a cool blue.
“Welcome back, Amber.” Lex giggled. “I can’t help myself sometimes.”
“Looks like you decided to call it a day,” Jade said. “What did you find out?”
“Complete background on Richter is done,” Lex responded. “Ready to hear the details?”
“Anything there that can’t wait until tomorrow?” Jade asked. “I have to head over to the Circuit soon. May have some help with gathering intel on Triton’s Pearl. They have any availability soon?”
“I was just about to get to that,” Lex replied. “Turns out some wedding on Sunday got cancelled last minute. It’s wide open. Nothing else for the next six weeks.”
Not a lot of time there. I can’t go by myself either. Hope Raven is on board with this plan.
“Make one for Sunday,” Jade said. “Five o’clock for two. Use the name Scarlet O’Donnell.”
“Who are you bringing?” Lex inquired. “I’m guessing you weren’t surfing the corporate dating sites on the walk home.”
Yet another bonus there.
“Contact from the drop point named Raven,” Jade answered. “I never met them in person, but they’ve been bringing solid intel for some time. No idea if they’re a man or woman, young or old.”
“Guessing you gave them some code word for identification,” Lex said.
Jade smirked. “You know me too well.” She walked over to her wardrobe and pulled out a short white tank top, black shorts, and short black boots – enough to showcase her circuit tattoos and to stand out.