2077: V really knows how awesome he is

"What do you mean 'separate'? I'm right inside your body."

Vincent shook his head and took out a chip.

That was the one Vera threw over last, containing V's memories.

"I will import your consciousness and all the knowledge I possess into this chip. No matter what point in time you reach, as long as you can insert this chip, we will still have a chance to turn the tide."

"How did you manage to cram so much data into a regular biochip?" V asked in surprise. "Is it even possible?"

“I don’t know.” Vincent shook his head. “All I know is that you don’t exist in the history of our world.”

V was taken aback at first, then suddenly realized: "So I successfully separated from your body, right?"

"Yes."

"But could this also be part of a pre-arranged plot, and we're just going through the same cycle as last time?"

“Maybe, but if we don’t gamble this time, we’ll never win.” Vincent said seriously, “V, I’m out of time. I’ll be leaving the time tunnel soon, and my memories will be completely erased as the price. Now, the only one I can rely on is you.”

"You really know how to make things difficult for people. But have you forgotten that my memories will be erased when I'm kicked out of the time tunnel?"

"So all you need to remember is to insert the chip!"

"Insert a chip, insert a chip! I don't even have a body anymore, where can I insert a chip?"

"Then let's find a body."

"I'm not some cybernetic ghost!"

"Of course you're not a cyber ghost, you're V, and V can definitely create miracles!"

As Vincent finished speaking, he suddenly fell into the time tunnel. Before he completely fell out of the time tunnel, he forcefully flicked the chip in his hand outward, sending the little thing that carried all his hopes flying deeper into the time tunnel.

Before leaving Vincent's body, V vaguely saw the scene outside the time tunnel with his eyes: a desolate desert where a camp of wanderers was stationed.

The chip then disconnected from Vincent, and V lost all his senses.

She understood Johnny's feeling: she couldn't see or hear anything, couldn't distinguish front from back, left from right, or north from south. She didn't know how long she had been flying in the time tunnel or how far she had flown. She only realized at a certain moment that her memories were fading rapidly, and then she knew that she was about to reach the end.

Find a body, then insert the chip!

V kept repeating the phrase to reinforce his memory, and then he found that his place of refuge was beginning to collapse rapidly.

Memory chips are manufactured using relic chip technology, also known as biochips. Biochips cannot maintain their activity at room temperature; they must either be stored in a cryogenic chamber or inserted into the human body to achieve symbiosis using human metabolic functions.

V has forgotten who she is and why she is a chip. She thinks she is a program, a program based on biological AI.

Who am I? Where am I? What am I supposed to do?

The program should have a clear purpose, but she knew nothing about it.

But instinctively, she felt that she had to survive first.

She subconsciously released nanobots, which allowed her to explore her surroundings, but also accelerated the decline in the integrity of the biochip, making it a typical double-edged sword.

But in this life-or-death situation, she had no choice but to take a gamble, otherwise it would only be a slow death.

Fortunately, the nanobot quickly discovered nearby electronic devices, connected to the network, and then controlled several nearby cameras to see its own location.

This is a storage room where the tools and clothes are all labeled "Biotechnology". A woman, riddled with bullets and bleeding profusely, is huddled in a corner, holding an Arasaka Tamahyou rifle that has run out of bullets.

She felt the woman looked familiar, but couldn't place where she had seen her before. The biochip's integrity was rapidly declining, and without hesitation, she had to contact the woman immediately.

no respond.

She immediately activated the camera's scanning function. The bad news was that the woman was dead, but the good news was that she had only recently died, and most of her organs and prosthetics were still functioning.

Although it's somewhat unethical, the proper course of action is self-evident.

She decided to take over the other's place to save her own life, which was in grave danger.

[Invading]

Both the brain and the individual ICE had shut down, making it impossible to organize an effective counterattack. She easily hacked into the system, modified neurons, and used nanobots to stop the bleeding and alleviate the injury. Then the woman opened her eyes.

Lacking the necessary hardware support, she could only completely break down the biochip into nanorobots to complete the invasion process. Even so, it was still extremely difficult, making this takeover seem less like parasitism and more like symbiosis.

Women did indeed become her refuge, but in the process of modifying her neurons, she also absorbed women's personalities and memories, and inherited women's habits and styles.

They are no longer two separate individuals, but have merged into a new life. She is a woman, and a woman is also her.

"V, an intern at Arasaka, ordered to steal data from the biotechnology company?" The woman nodded: "Alright, you're V, and so am I."

She survived as another system within V's body, similar to a subconscious mind; while V's brain also restarted, similar to a surface consciousness. Compared to the physical brain, which weighed a full 3 pounds, she was too weak and frail as just a program, and could only temporarily stay in the background, handing over control of the body to the surface consciousness.

To regain her power, she needs to produce more nanobots to build a nanonetwork, but through the network she learns that it is only 2070, and there is no nanonetwork, let alone biological AI.

It seems we have to start all over again.

Every program should have a purpose. Since I don't have one, I'll make developing biological AI my purpose.

The subconscious sets a goal for itself, and the conscious mind will naturally act in accordance with that goal, even if it is not aware of it. All its actions will follow this supreme command.

However, she wasn't entirely at ease, given V's relatively weak strength and influence. To be on the safe side, she used nanobots derived from her biochip to construct a simulated sandbox within the core area of ​​her personal system, allowing the NPCs inside to engage in various trials and tribulations in a game-like manner. These experiences and processes would become V's knowledge, enabling her to continuously grow stronger even in her sleep, ultimately becoming unmatched.

This will be a slow process, probably taking several years, but she's not in a hurry. After all, V is only 20 years old and has plenty of time.

Having done all this, she was finally able to fall asleep peacefully, leaving everything to her conscious mind.

V regained consciousness, looked around, picked up a chip from the ground, and inserted it into his head without saying a word.

Technical information on biotechnology immediately came to mind.

"Great, now we can complete the mission." V whispered excitedly. Although she was surprised that she had suddenly become so reckless as to insert an unknown chip into her brain, it was as if this was her most important mission, and that she should do it.

Maybe I was too eager to complete the task?

That's what V thinks.

Regardless, this place was not a safe place to stay. Now that the mission was accomplished, V immediately crawled into the ventilation duct and escaped the biotechnology research lab. Apart from a few bloodstains, only the polymer from the edge of the biochip remained in the storage room.

V's outstanding performance in this mission led to her promotion to full-fledged position, and her rapid progress afterwards made her the undisputed leader among the new recruits. After completing several more challenging missions, she was selected by Jenkins, the head of the Counterintelligence Department, to become his confidante. She rose rapidly through the ranks, becoming the deputy head of the Arasaka Counterintelligence Department in just one year, and became the envy of countless people.

After the Arasaka annual party in 2071, V returned to her apartment reeking of alcohol. She took a shower, poured herself a glass of tequila, and stood by the window overlooking the entire Night City, yet she felt an inexplicable sense of unreality.

She felt she should have more important things to do and shouldn't be wasting her time doing nothing. But becoming the head of the Arasaka Counterintelligence Department was clearly the right thing to do, a path to success and recognition, and had nothing to do with being idle.

The conflicting feelings made her feel frustrated, so she decided not to sleep and instead drove to the Gum Pik Building. She was just too tired and needed alcohol to help her relax.

She ordered a drink from the bartender and downed it in one gulp. She then ordered another drink and emptied it again. She drank three drinks in a row, and only after the alcohol hit her brain did V feel her irritability subside.

Just as she was about to order her fourth drink, the bartender suddenly spoke up: "Are you planning to keep drinking like this?"

"Otherwise, what's the point of coming to a bar if you're not going to drink?"

"You should wake up."

"Sober? You think I'm drunk?"

"No, your current condition is more serious than just being drunk."

"Stop talking nonsense, give me the wine, I've got plenty of money!"

"I have something even better than wine, would you like to try it?"

"Black lace or S-pink? I don't touch that stuff. I remember the Azure Mansion doesn't allow the sale of these things. You're pretty bold. What's your name?"

The bartender smiled and said, "My name is Gant O'Dim, and I'm known as the Master of Mirrors."

Chapter 191 Red or Blue

“Master of Mirrors? Pfft.” V couldn’t help but laugh out loud: “That sounds like a name that the Big Bird would like over there, since it’s all glass.”

A certain high-dimensional demon: "..."

"Oh, sorry, sorry, I was just joking. Sexual orientation is a matter of personal freedom, and I don't discriminate against any choice." V was in a good mood during the Lunar New Year and didn't mind chatting with a humble bar owner for a while: "Give me another drink, Gangt, or tell me another joke."

Gant Odim took a deep breath and said seriously, "Actually, I come from the future."

"Pfft." V laughed again.

Gant Odim continued, "I can foresee what is going to happen."

"Haha." V laughed even louder.

Gant Odim dropped another bombshell: "I'm not even human, I'm a high-dimensional demon."

"Hahaha! That's a really great joke!" V laughed so hard he was doubled over.

"Enough!" Gant Odim slammed his hand on the bar, drawing everyone's attention and stopping V's laughter.

V was a little surprised, because this was the first time she had ever seen an employee of the Gumpi Building speak so loudly to a customer.

"You in the end..."

“Your phone will ring in three seconds,” Gant Odim said very seriously.

V's initial doubts were dispelled by curiosity, and her attention was instantly drawn to the phone. Sure enough, three seconds later, V's phone rang.

“Now you believe me, right?” Gant Odim said, his eyes gleaming blue.

"Didn't you fucking call this?!" V yelled, staring at the large "Gant O'Dim" in the caller ID. "By the way, how did you get my phone number?"

"That's not important." The blue light in the Mirror Master's eyes went out, and the phone call ended. "What's important is that you should now believe that I am from the future and can foresee what is going to happen, right?"

"Who the hell would believe that!" V complained again.

"As expected of the famous V, he is very cautious."

"This has nothing to do with caution; it's simply that your persuasiveness is terrible!"

“Let’s test it again!” Gant Odim said confidently. “See that woman? She’ll sneeze soon, that man will fall, and this wine glass in front of us will fall and shatter.”

V turned to look at the two people and was shocked.

Because the woman actually sneezed, and the man also cried out and tripped on flat ground.

Those two people were of noble status; there was no way they would cooperate with a lowly bartender. Could this person really be from the future, able to foresee what is about to happen?!

V looked at the glass on the bar. If Gant Odim could really foresee the future, then this glass should fall and shatter soon.

Then she saw Gant O'Dim grab the wine glass and smash it to the ground.

V: "...Are you an idiot?"

Gant Odim shook his head: "No, I am a higher-dimensional demon."

V confirmed: "You're an idiot."

Gant Odim wanted to say more, but V had already gotten up to leave.

Before leaving, she left a 20-dollar tip: "Good performance. You should try applying to 'The Fourth Wall Studio.' Really, you have talent."

"Do you want to truly live? Do you want to understand the meaning of life?" Gant Odim asked V loudly.

V glanced back, having no intention of answering such a pointless question.

The daily, exorbitant electricity and rent bills told her whether she was alive or not; the unpalatable synthetic meat patties and toxic industrial wastewater made her realize that constantly climbing upwards was the sole meaning of life. She had already found the answers to these questions in this city of dreams, and she didn't need anyone to answer them for her.

“Go preach on the streets, these are all successful people, nobody will listen to your nonsense!” V said sarcastically, and continued walking away.

Gant Odim chuckled and shook his head. "No, V, you still don't understand. The reason you don't understand what I'm saying is because you haven't found that crucial chip yet. Let's continue our conversation when you dream of a giant, glowing white jellyfish!"

"Neuropathy!"

V is gone.

We went straight to Arasaka Tower.

It's time to go to work.

After swallowing a whole bunch of vitamin pills and energy drinks, V started her workday.

Today's work wasn't too difficult. After finishing her 14-hour shift, V left work on time and returned to her apartment at 10:30 p.m.

He loosened his tie, took off his suit jacket, and tossed his shirt and clothes aside. V walked naked into the bathroom, turned on the shower, and leaned his hands against the wall, letting the water wash over him from head to toe.

A moment later, she turned off the shower, dried herself off, poured herself a glass of tequila to help her sleep, then lay down on the bed, started her sleep program, and drifted off to sleep.

She had been living like this for a year, with every day being the same cycle. It was indeed a bit boring, but this was the life of the elite, at least much better than eating synthetic meat and drinking industrial water.

To succeed in Night City, you need to be as precise as a machine!

This is a phrase that Jenkins, V's boss, often says, and V wholeheartedly agrees.

Therefore, her sleep program has always remained the original version, without adding plugins or purchasing expansion packs. It does not play white noise or indulge in decadent fantasies, and has always maintained the simplest and most efficient deep sleep mode.