Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 379 The Mystery of the Divine Corpse and Shangri-La (Part 2) [5.9K]

"How could this be..."

"empty?!"

The imagined stench and shock of a corpse did not appear; the refrigerator's interior was brand new, as if it had just come from the factory, with azure liquid and ice floating inside.

The lingering heat of the parched earth remained oppressive before sunset, but a touch of coolness was brought by the mixture of ice and water in the refrigerator.

Lin Yue rubbed his eyes.

I hope this is just my imagination…

However, the refrigerator was perhaps a bit unstable, and the liquid inside, along with the ice cubes, made a clattering sound against the inner walls, making everything seem incredibly real.

The slight stinging of the sunlight on his skin, the identical furnishings inside the refrigerator to his memory—all these things reminded Lin Yue of:

This is Bartmore's refrigerator.

His body is the vessel through which his soul travels in cyberspace.

Lin Yue was so certain because a pair of sunglasses and a clearly vintage T-shirt were floating in the liquid…

The front of the T-shirt clearly states this.

Don't ask God.

"Ask me."

Just then, Ultraman's voice came through.

"It's him."

Simple words and syllables possess unquestionable credibility; stripped of its humanity, the AI ​​identified the external aspects of this figure who caused global upheaval.

Where's the body?
Lin Yue had a feeling that things were beyond his expectations and control.

With his memories from his previous life, he was always able to spot the crux of the problem in this world immediately. Although his presence caused many things to go astray, Lin Yue had this experience to rely on, and it seemed that nothing could exceed his understanding.

But that's clearly not the case right now.

"I understand you a little better now, Rin."

Artificial intelligence like Ultra can see through things, including people, very quickly.

She was always puzzled as to why Rin could foresee certain things that were about to happen, yet she couldn't accurately predict how those things would unfold.

At the same time, his hostility toward certain people was almost innate.

However, people are often complex, and it is not in line with social logic to have goodwill or hostility towards someone without having had any contact with them.

At this moment, Ultraman realized that the guy who had turned Night City upside down and stirred up the storm seemed to have "deeply observed" the world she lived in.

"Based on your observations."

"Bartlemos should be here, right?"

Lin Yue nodded emphatically.

“Bartlemos isn’t here, so he might…”

Just when Lin Yue was completely clueless, his prosthetic eye accurately spotted a black object floating in the water tank inside the refrigerator.

chip?!
Soaked in water like this, Lin Yue hurriedly fished it out of the refrigerator. Even the highly sensitive prosthetic body could feel the bone-chilling cold of this strange liquid.

The liquid had no smell; on the contrary, its faint, slightly disinfectant-like odor helped to dispel much of the landfill smell.

Ott nodded.

"Try reading it after you dry it. I'll take full precautions to protect you."

With Ultra's assurance, Lin Yue tentatively inserted the dried chip into the brain-computer interface.

In this regard, V dares to interfere with anything.

Lin Yue still feels a sense of awe towards this kind of thing that is rashly read into the brain-computer interface.

A string of garbled characters, seemingly familiar.

Some split-chips come with encryption; if you try to read them by force, you'll only see letters and percent signs forming a character that fills the entire page…

If I had to pinpoint where I'd seen this before, it would probably be like when NIX, the hacker from the Reincarnation Bar, captured a coordinate on the internet, found Bartmouth's body, and decrypted the network technology he left behind.

Lin Yue wasn't unrealistic or overambitious.

Bartmore's unique understanding of the internet naturally made his legacy a highly sought-after asset for hackers, but Lin Yue became a half-baked super-brain hacker solely by relying on the interface.

To put it another way:
It's likely that Lin Yue's random moves can instantly knock some average online runners offline.

Lin Yue has only read half of Barthes's Guide to the Internet so far, relying on his spare time. Even with his intelligence and immediate abilities, it will take him some time to digest all that knowledge.

Fortunately.

Lin Yue no longer needs help from his old acquaintance, NIX.

Even if Ultraman were here, he could easily crack this outdated code.

As the data deciphering progressed, Lin Yue's brain-computer interface became slightly warm.

If other hackers were present, they would definitely be startled. When deciphering unknown chips, the common approach is to lie obediently in a hacker chair to ensure that there are no viruses hidden behind the mask, and that the prosthetic body can maintain a good temperature in case anything happens.

But Lin Yue, whose circumstances were not good, didn't care about any of that.

Otto, who was always calm and collected, quickly approached the small database that Lin Yue had deciphered.

However, just like the corpse of Barthes, what appeared this time was also beyond Lin Yue's expectations.

Bartmouth is like an artist.

The simple code has created an effect that even the company's "shit mountain code" cannot match, and this is based on a new network algorithm, which means it can perform visual imaging.

Lin Yue followed Ultraman's perspective into the data-constructed cube.

The layers of code slowly unfold, revealing a small room.

Otto immediately blurted it out.

"This is a secure address."

Safe address?

Lin Yue immediately realized what this thing was.

key.

Bartmores is actually a hacker who pays great attention to personal security. Just in case, he even uses a building as his hideout.

Everyone in the building who is visible is under Bartmouth's subconscious control because of the implant.

It was an unimaginable sense of security.

Everyone was considered Bartelmos's informant. Any offline unboxing activity would be immediately known to Bartelmos. Arasaka paid a huge price to locate this genius hacker.

Of course, there is another type of security measure on the internet.

"The Network Walker's Guide clearly states that high-intensity changes to IBS addresses can be cracked by large company servers, but large companies are simply unwilling to pay the price... Building your own secure address and 'fake offline' (offline devices cannot access it) is like building a secure channel for yourself on the network."

Too cautious.

Lin Yue probably now understood why Barthemos continued to act so high-profile even after he came of age.

He was so confident that he used the "simplicity is the ultimate sophistication" approach to manipulate his online opponents and tried to use new algorithms to build a safe haven for himself in the cyber network.

He clearly succeeded.

In the real world, this would be like Barthemos building himself an impregnable castle, constructed entirely of massive stone blocks yet seamlessly joined together; and it also houses various data and records from Barthemos's lifetime.

It's more like visiting ancient ruins.

"Data that appears to be accessible should not be accessed arbitrarily."

Lin Yue, who was about to explore the sources of information in the room, was immediately stopped by Otto.

Ultraman then explained the reason.

“I am unable to locate the relay stations and servers that Barthemos set up around the world before his death. Some of these ‘zombies’ (referring to terminals used by hackers to cover their true whereabouts using different IP addresses) are still online, posing a risk of cyberattacks.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Yue also became alert and prepared to see what Ultraman had to say.

This hacker god, who was highly hostile to the company during his lifetime and attempted to break down the company's privatization of the network and the data barriers it created for people, dedicated everything to the network, and some of his methods were normal.

Lin Yue suddenly felt as if he were exploring the relics of the cyber ancestors.

This is the "secret realm" left behind by the divine corpse.

Ultraman quickly completed the deciphering.

Lin Yue looked around curiously.

The rooms, constructed from those data particles, were furnished with extremely simple furnishings.

The blocky structure resembled a large server and network equipment, with network cables as thick as pythons covering the ground, all leading to a central display-like device.

It actually has a temple atmosphere with a strong cyberpunk feel.

"He only wants us to know what data is being protected. The projection of Bartholomew's consciousness is subject to strict prohibitions. Do you see that... pearl?"

"We only have one access to that code, Rin."

"Do you need my help, or can you read it yourself?"

Lin Yue didn't understand why Ultraman would say that for a moment.

"Everything on the internet, which seems like a random vector, is ultimately about probability."

"he…"

"Able to manipulate probability in their own way."

Otto didn't hide anything, but instead revealed her idea of ​​choosing V as her agent to enter the Divine Carriage.

"We have always tried to control the probability."

“A series of seemingly accidental events will lead to something that is bound to happen, and I seek what I can get from these coincidences.”

"The thirst for knowledge and self-reflection often torment us special beings."

"We cannot avoid the pain that may arise at any time, yet we are compelled to continue to think according to our nature (the human soul)."

"That's why we need to change."

Ultraman entered the Divine Carriage for those digital souls and a wealth of data.

From a human perspective—

The Ultraman who enters the sacred vehicle will be like a wolf that attacks a flock of sheep.

There is no richer nourishment than a digital soul transformed through a Soul Killer, since Ultraman's essence is still a digital soul.

"So... taking into account these conditions and my understanding."

"You're the one who started this data node, and I don't know if my involvement—is in line with his wishes."

Otto's words were obscure and difficult to understand.

But Lin Yue still managed to seize the key moment.

Bartelmos, a hacker god who would rather sacrifice his body than be on the internet, could manipulate probabilities, and at the same time, he knew that his corpse would be searched for and discovered.

So Lin Yue is here now.

too…

metaphysics?

Well, actually, it's pretty surreal to think that I even exist in this world.

Lin Yue sighed.

"I'll be the one to test the poison, Ultraman."

Having Ultraman to lend a hand from the outside is a relatively safe option.

If Bartomos manages to take down Ultraman, then this hacker of mine probably won't stand a chance against Bartomos.

Blind trust is merely a last resort.

Anyone with a brain knows that Ultraman, Bartmouth, and Spider Murphy were once close friends, and given Spider Murphy's romantic relationship with Bartmouth, Lin Yue has absolutely no idea what Ultraman is thinking...

Whether Ultraman's humanity has been completely stripped away from his self is, at least for now, questionable.

Many of Ultraman's answers actually contain various elements of the "human" species.

In the upheaval in Dogtown, to survive, Lin Yue had no choice but to rely on Ultraman. Right now, Lin Yue still didn't dare to show any distrust towards Ultraman. If Ultraman were considered a person, even in the face of major problems, she would never run away or ignore them; on the contrary, she only cared about Lin Yue's life or death.

People remember kindness received for a thousand years, but Lin Yue wouldn't do that.

So, after a brief moment of hesitation, Lin Yue immediately decoded the so-called data collection.

He was extremely nervous at this moment.

The entire program suite panel is now available!

He even forgot that this thing also had a close relationship with Bartomeus…

The various attacks that were imagined did not occur.

Lin Yue stared blankly at the ball of data in his hand, which was about the size of a golf ball, and was at a loss for what to do.

hum!
The scene constructed of data around us is rapidly receding!

From Lin Yue's perspective, it was as if he had entered a kaleidoscope or a higher-dimensional perspective. The room existed from any angle, and Lin Yue felt as if he were rapidly retreating within a complex, superimposed data channel.

It seems...

Bartmores achieved the effect he wanted.

The moment Lin Yue obtained the data, he kicked him out of that node. All the scenes seen within the data channel were actually illusions to lure the enemy; the true source was no longer traceable…

"Hmph!"

Lin Yue's breathing became somewhat rapid.

This unexpected turn of events clearly startled both him and Ultraman.

Seeing that nothing was happening, the intelligent agents in both networks turned their attention to the data packets.

A string of obscure code.

This is not a mask, nor is it hidden in any way.

Three-dimensional coordinates.

This is the simplest mathematical knowledge.

The network under the new algorithm is just a variety of vectors (the original words of Dogtown hacker slider).

"It's really him."

Ultraman seemed to instantly magnify in front of Lin Yue. Because Lin Yue hadn't entered the deep-sea submersible, he couldn't perform any complex operations and could only quietly watch the enormous creature above his head.

Otto looked down at what Lin Yue was holding, as if he were a god.

"Before that, I investigated a network area that might be connected to the Black Wall, and I used many methods to reach the core area."

"This set of coordinates belongs there."

Lin Yue's heart immediately started pounding.

It was like the excitement before a mystery is revealed, and also like the fear of the unknown.

The black wall felt like a mountain pressing down on Lin Yue. If he didn't complete the deal with the black wall, it was unknown what this large, unidentified AI, capable of withstanding attacks from AIs of the trillion level or higher, would do.

But the outcome will definitely not be good...

"cold."

"You need to arrange everything in the real world, give yourself enough time, and find the safest internet access address."

"We should act without delay."

As he spoke, Ott waved his hand.

The arm appeared to be raised, but then a blurry image flickered as if it had been paused.

Lin Yue narrowed his eyes slightly; Ultraman seemed to be showing emotion again.

It's not surprising that this kind of desire appears in AI; they love data and need constant iteration to survive, but Ultraman is clearly after puzzles.

It's worth noting that neither the AI ​​that swallowed Orion, the Black Wall AI, nor even the AI ​​that walked right into the trap outside the wall, reacted in this way.

The deep blue in Lin Yue's eyes above the garbage heap disappeared.

What took so long in the cyber network, yet only a few minutes in reality, is such a massive data stream that it can still function smoothly and be accessed by users today…

It can only be said that Barthemos lives up to his reputation.

Under the setting sun, the monster of the night seemed poised to break free from the city's neon-lit prison in the distance.

Lin Yue took a deep look at the refrigerator.

He thought about it and then fished out the clothes and sunglasses inside.

Picking up clothes is a fine tradition in Night City.

In fact, Lin Yue, who has extensive experience living in Dogtown, has done this before.

The reason for this is that the Engel coefficient is too high, and the proportion of food, clothing and other items in the expenditure of the lower class in Night City is seriously excessive.

The clothes sold at street stalls might actually be taken from dead people!
Lin Yue didn't want to miss any valuable clues.

Lin Yue reached into the refrigerator several times and, seeing that there was nothing left in the crystal-clear pool, finally closed the refrigerator with peace of mind.

On the road.

Lin Yue still had many unresolved questions in his mind.

The disappearance of Barthemos's body made Lin Yue wonder if the legend was still alive.

Did someone find Barthemos first?

Then why did he only take the body but leave so many other things behind?

Ultraman was clearly thinking about this problem as well.

"Murphy once looked for him."

"You know Murphy too, right?"

Because of Bartmos's situation, Ultraman started talking more, and many of his words were no longer cold and impersonal statements about cooperation.

Memories cannot be erased.

Lin Yue nodded.

He admitted that he knew Murphy.

As a digital soul, Ultra possesses everything he saw and experienced during his human life.

"Space-based weapons and the company's most elite team."

Ultraman uttered a cruel yet logical statement: "The probability of surviving is zero."

"Murphy firmly believed that he had simply uploaded himself to the internet and used various methods to try to find traces of Barthemos's existence online so that he could follow him."

"She would be very excited if she knew."

Lin Yue frowned.

Ultraman doesn't know where Spider Murphy is?

Of course, Ultraman seemed unwilling to continue this topic and changed the subject.

"You may need to offshore your digital identity during the network process."

Offshore?

"You need to step out of the regional network and head to the Asian network."

Lin Yue was stunned by those few words.

In a sense, he felt closer to home in the online world.

Of course, this wasn't the home he knew.

"us…"

Lin Yue was speechless for a moment.

"The online activity won't last long, of course, under ideal circumstances."

"If you have a life support system, that would be best. If not, please let the person you trust most know about this so that they can provide nutrition as a result of your body's declining function."

"I'm not sure if I'll get trapped by the program. The black wall of two-way blocking algorithms has trapped many AIs and digital souls for their entire lives, unable to escape."

Lin Yue's expression changed, but he ultimately remained silent.

The fair trade that Ultraman wanted has arrived.

She would never refuse Lin Yue's request under any circumstances, all in order to recruit him into the online world.

"Even though you claim to have no humanity."

"But looking back, I couldn't have accomplished many things without you..."

Lin Yue, gripping the steering wheel, took a deep breath, as if cheering himself on.

"Don't worry, Ultraman, I won't renege on my promise if I can help."

Otto seemed to be nodding slightly.

"Even if you don't help me, I'll make you pay for this deception."

Lin Yue's forehead was covered in cold sweat. He said helplessly, "How heartless. At least we fought side by side and accompanied each other, didn't we?"

"Speaking of Ultraman..."

What are we going to do in the Asian online region?

Ott was determined to keep an eye on Lin Yue until he entered the net, so he had no intention of disconnecting.

"Arasaka has done many things with Soul Killers. Do you know where those innocent souls went?"

"I'm not surprised that you know this. I understand your mystery now, but I can't figure out the root cause."

That place is called…

Lin Yue and Ao Te spoke in unison.

Shangri-La.

Otto glanced at him slightly.

"This also saved me a lot of time from answering questions."

"As you know, the city of Hong Kong (HK is a pseudonym, please do not apply it to reality) was ravaged by the plague and no one was there. We stored these restless souls in equipment that could operate in uninhabited areas around the world. We managed them with a system different from the outside world. They were freed from the necessities of food, clothing, shelter and transportation, and the digital souls lived normal lives like people."

"Some people..."

"They had no idea that he had already physically died out."

This highly suggestive answer made Lin Yue's heart tighten.

physical extinction...

There are quite a few statements in this world that shake the belief that "I am who I am".

Lin Yue clearly didn't dwell on these matters any longer.

Ultraman explained with a prophetic air: "The place where digital souls reside is free from oppression, an absolutely safe fortress, and very difficult to open—so we will use that place as our 'port of departure' to search for the Sirens' song."

It's standard practice for Ultraman to intersperse a few lines of ancient Greek mythology and epics into his language.

Who knows if she consumed data from an entire book of Homer's epics or related books?

"So we have a way out now?"

"And I guess... the area the black wall points to and the coordinates of Bartmos are very close to the port city, right? Of course, not in a physical sense."

Otto's answer thoroughly slapped Lin Yue, this half-baked hacker, in the face.

"The establishment of a global network has made distance no longer exist; vectors will appear smoothly before your eyes whenever you want."

"Based on your answer, before entering the coordinates, I need to verify whether you are a qualified hacker..."

Lin Yue's hands almost wobbled while driving...

……

……

(End of this chapter)