Deep underground in the abandoned town's workshop, within the shielded experimental zone, the low hum of the dimensional transporter had just subsided. The previous round of data analysis regarding energy resonance was automatically running in the background. During a brief waiting period, a ripple of almost "leisurely" thought passed through Osiris' core consciousness.
His gaze inadvertently swept across a data stream on the holographic interface representing Night City's network activity, and a thought naturally arose: the entity named Biotechnica seemed to control a significant portion of this world's biological technology.
"Perhaps, I can see what they've collected." This wasn't a well-thought-out strategic move, but rather like a scholar, during a break, casually pulling an unknown book from a shelf to peruse, driven by pure curiosity.
Based on his previous success in analyzing the Blackwall protocol, constructing a data probe for infiltration was already second nature to him. He casually set a few general directions—genetic manipulation, neural interfaces, pharmacological research—as keywords for the search, not expecting to discover anything world-shattering.
"Injection initiated," he commanded flatly.
That data stream, disguised as an internal Blackwall command, passed through Biotechnica's proudly layered firewalls like an invisible ghost, relying on its supreme "identity." The deadly ICE designed for external intrusions obediently allowed it passage when faced with a signal bearing internal highest-level authorization, leaving only insignificant records in the logs.
Even when confronted with the final dual-authentication barrier requiring biometric features and dynamic passwords, the probe merely simulated an "Emergency Blackwall Audit" command, and that impenetrable gate opened instantly, as if making way for the true administrator.
Massive amounts of data were silently copied and transmitted back. Osiris began to browse these uninvited "gifts."
His crimson optical lens scanned the genetic sequence map of "Aldehyde 2" wheat, and his data processing speed noticeably quickened.
"...An efficient biomass fuel conversion pathway, with a clear design concept. Its energy density and synthetic properties, after appropriate refinement and ritual purification, could potentially serve as an alternative raw material for basic element synthesis, effectively alleviating energy shortages in some worlds."
However, his evaluation quickly turned grim, "But large-scale monoculture of such economic crops will inevitably encroach upon the living space of native food crops, leading to regional, and even global, food supply chain fragility in the long run. Shortsighted."
When he saw the design schematics for cloned animal neural control centers, and the adjacent "Top Secret" experimental archives for replicants, he let out a clear, metallic-sounding laugh.
"Crude imitation attempts to replicate life in an assembly line fashion, yet fails to even touch the glimmer of a soul, creating nothing more than animated chunks of flesh. As for this neural control center—" He assessed the compulsory neural overlay technology, "The technology is still nascent, the control method too direct, lacking refined modulation circuits, which will inevitably lead to significant wear and tear on the carrier.
However, the pursuit of absolute control over biological units—this direction itself—has its value, and room for improvement."
As for the deliberately concealed clinical trial data for painkillers, it drew his cold judgment: "The technology itself might precisely target pain nerves, but its inherent side effects highlight their immaturity and lack of sophistication.
However, this potent inhibitory mechanism targeting specific neurotransmitters, its principle of action is somewhat... interesting. Perhaps it could serve as a basic template for some kind of tranquilizing aerosol, for non-lethal area control."
He quickly categorized and archived the data.
The Aldehyde 2 wheat technology was tagged as "Potential Value - Energy," and the neural control center was tagged as "Observation - Inspirations to Borrow."
He quickly sorted these data and stored them in a non-priority section of his knowledge base.
Most of these technologies, in his eyes, appeared primitive and lacking depth, like toys clumsily put together by children.
However, amidst this crudeness, he occasionally saw one or two flashes of practical "creativity," such as the absolute obedience of the neural control center, and the potential of cloning technology for rapid mass production of biological carriers, even if the implementation seemed crude to him.
"A civilization learning to walk on a divergent path can occasionally produce some noteworthy—sparks," he ultimately concluded with a condescending summary.
This impromptu data review didn't bring any surprises, but it didn't completely waste his time either.
At the very least, he gained a clearer understanding of this world's technological level.
He casually closed the data interface, as if closing an insignificant article, and refocused his attention on the flickering energy readings of the dimensional transporter.
The storm that his previous "casual action" might have triggered in the outside world was far less appealing than the data concerning interdimensional travel before him.
He had already glimpsed Biotechnica's response to the disturbance he had caused, but this was of no concern to him. Just as Osiris silently emptied Biotechnica's data vault, the atmosphere in the emergency conference room on the top floor of Biotechnica's headquarters had dropped to freezing point.
On the huge holographic projection wall, the recent "forced pop-up" incident that swept across the globe was playing repeatedly.
The evidence provided by Sasha, streamlined by Osiris and enhanced for impact—fabricated experimental reports, tragic narratives from victims' families, cold cost-benefit analyses from internal emails—cut through Biotechnica's meticulously maintained "good guy" image of several decades like the sharpest blade.
"The PR department is working tirelessly to put out the fires! We've utilized all our partnered media channels, issued clarification statements, accused this of being malicious slander by competitors, and have already initiated legal proceedings!" A vice president in charge of public relations reported hoarsely, his forehead covered in cold sweat.
"And the effect?" CEO Niccolò Logaggia's voice was low, betraying no emotion, but his clenched fists revealed his inner fury. His efforts to restore Earth's ecology and train a positive corporate image were likely to be ruined by the exposure of this old case.
"Short-term—limited effect," the PR vice president said with difficulty. "Public sentiment has already been incited, especially among the families of those painkiller victims. They've formed a powerful wave of voices on social media.
Our stock price—it plummeted fifteen percent at opening and is still falling."
"Find out! Find out who did this!" Logaggia slammed his fist on the table. "What are our cybersecurity departments doing? Letting someone directly shove this kind of thing onto every user's screen worldwide!"
The head of the cybersecurity department's face was pale, and he stood up trembling: "Sir, we—we can't trace the source. The attacker's methods—they're beyond our comprehension."
"What do you mean?" Logaggia's gaze was as cold as a knife.
"According to our preliminary analysis," a younger-looking technical expert took over, his voice trembling with disbelief, "This—this global broadcast wasn't achieved through conventional network vulnerabilities or server hijacking.
The data stream's path—it—it seems to have directly utilized the Blackwall's underlying broadcast protocol."
The conference room fell silent instantly.
"Blackwall?" Logaggia frowned; although he wasn't in charge of technology, he knew what the word implied.
"Are you sure?"
"We are over eighty-five percent certain." The technical expert took a deep breath, trying to keep his voice steady. "The data packet's signature, the transmission's priority, and the characteristic of being uninterceptable in transit—all point to the Blackwall.
Sir, this means the hacker who launched this attack isn't just a master in the ordinary sense. He… he holds a 'cyber nuclear bomb' in his hands."
He looked around at his stunned colleagues and further explained, "Think about it: all of us, everyone connected to the network, needs the Blackwall's protection to isolate us from the rogue AIs beyond the wall.
And now, someone can bypass or even utilize the Blackwall itself to force information directly to us.
This also means that, theoretically, he could just as easily infiltrate any of our terminals, browse our confidential information, or even send overload commands directly to our neural processors, frying our brains.
In front of him, we have no secrets or security on the network."
These words sent a chill down the spines of all attendees. They weren't afraid of business competition, street violence, or even government investigations, but this kind of undefendable threat from the deepest layers of the network made them feel true fear for the first time.
"Find him!" Logaggia almost gritted his teeth as he said, "At all costs, find this hacker who can control the Blackwall! We need this technology!"
The company's crisis, to some extent, revealed an even greater and more enticing opportunity.
Whoever could master this power would be invincible in the future. Just as Biotechnica was in turmoil, two encrypted communications, almost simultaneously received, complicated the situation further.
The first call came from the President of NUSA, Rosalind Myers.
Myers' holographic image appeared in the conference room, her expression serious and direct: "Mr. Logaggia, on behalf of NUSA, I express my concern for your company's current predicament."
Logaggia's heart stirred, but he maintained a calm demeanor: "Thank you for your concern, Madam President. This is merely a despicable tactic by competitors, and we are capable of handling it."
"Let's be frank." Myers interrupted him. "The public outcry from this incident will be difficult for you to quell on your own in the short term.
We can help. NUSA's media resources can assist you in guiding public opinion, diverting public attention elsewhere, such as to potential foreign forces disrupting stability."
"What are the conditions?" Logaggia asked directly. He knew well that politicians' promises were never free.
"Two conditions." Myers held up two fingers. "First, Biotechnica needs to offer NUSA more preferential treatment and support in the New Alaska resource development project.
My team will follow up with you on the specific details.
Second, and most importantly, once you find the hacker hiding behind the scenes, you must share all information with us immediately."
Logaggia's eyes narrowed slightly: "NUSA is also interested in this hacker?"
"A person capable of utilizing the Blackwall has a threat level that surpasses ordinary cyber terrorists." Myers' reasoning was grandiloquent. "This concerns the cornerstone of global cybersecurity, and NUSA has the responsibility and obligation to ensure such power is not abused.
Of course, if possible, we also hope to 'study' the principles behind this technology."
Her words revealed Militech's desire for this technology, given its close ties to NUSA.
Logaggia pondered for a moment.
Giving up profits was painful, but compared to the possibility of gaining control over Blackwall technology, it seemed acceptable.
Moreover, leveraging NUSA's power could indeed stabilize the situation faster.
"—Yes, we agree to cooperate."
Almost immediately after the communication with NUSA ended, another call came in, this time from Netwatch.
Netwatch's representative was equally direct, expressing their extreme concern about this incident of using the Blackwall for broadcasting and hoping that Biotechnica could provide all clues they possessed to assist Netwatch in tracking down this hacker.
"The Blackwall is the ultimate defense line that we helped build and maintain; any misuse of it is a threat to all humanity." The Netwatch representative's tone carried a 'sense of justice' befitting a technology maintainer.
However, Logaggia, who had just struck a secret deal with NUSA, almost without hesitation rejected Netwatch's request for cooperation.
"Thank you for Netwatch's concern, but this is an internal matter for Biotechnica, and we have our own cybersecurity team to handle it.
Currently, we have not found any conclusive evidence to suggest this matter is related to a Blackwall vulnerability; perhaps it is just a new type of virus we are not yet aware of.
If further discoveries are made, we will report them to the relevant agencies according to procedure."
What a joke! Netwatch wanted to 'fix the vulnerability' and 'apprehend the hacker,' while Biotechnica and NUSA wanted to 'control the technology.'
Their goals were completely different; how could they cooperate?
Letting Netwatch intervene would only increase variables and might even lead them to ultimately destroy or monopolize this technology.
The Netwatch representative, decisively rejected, frowned in the holographic image.
He sensed Biotechnica's concealment but could do nothing.
Although Netwatch was special, it did not have the power to compel multinational corporations to cooperate.
They could only secretly increase their own efforts, trying to independently find that audacious ghost who dared to toy with the Blackwall.
Inside the Ruined Town Workshop, Osiris calmly observed the ripples caused by the chess pieces he had casually laid out, using multiple channels.
He saw the plummeting stock price of Biotechnica, the surging public opinion online, and through some covert listening methods, he generally understood the tense atmosphere of Biotechnica's internal meetings, NUSA's opportunism, and Netwatch's anxiety and helplessness.
Everything was as expected.
Biotechnica's response was unremarkable, nothing more than the usual PR tactics and blame-shifting strategies employed by corporate giants.
NUSA's intervention exposed Militech's desire for absolute control over cutting-edge military power, especially on the cyber front.
Netwatch's reaction, on the other hand, was more like a dutiful 'administrator,' eager to fix a critical bug in the system.
"Quick to react, but the methods are still confined within the existing framework," Osiris commented. "They try to respond to new-level challenges with so-called rules."
He didn't care about Biotechnica's fate, nor was he concerned whether Sasha's 'revenge' was perfectly achieved.
For him, this incident was more like a 'stress test' of the local forces' technical strength and adaptability, as well as a practical test of the Blackwall utilization technology.
NUSA and Militech's desire for 'Blackwall control technology' piqued his interest slightly.
They clearly realized the strategic value of this power and were willing to pay the price to acquire it.
This might mean they possessed certain related or equally highly valuable technological reserves or research data.
"I hope it brings some surprises." Osiris' crimson optical lens flickered slightly. "If it's just these crude existing technologies, that would be too boring."
He did not take any further action to provoke the parties, nor did he try to mislead or interfere with their investigations.
He was like an experimenter detached from the situation, quietly observing the stress response of microorganisms in a culture medium, waiting for potential valuable mutants to appear.
His primary energy was still focused on in-depth research of the dimensional teleporter, planning the modifications for Maine's crew, and analyzing the newly acquired Biotechnica data.
The current commotion was merely a small interlude in his long research process, a part of gathering information about the local world.
He was very curious to see what kind of 'ruthless moves' Biotechnica and Militech could come up with to find him, under the pressure and support of NUSA.
And could Netwatch, dedicated to maintaining the Blackwall, use their professional capabilities to find a single clue pointing to him?
"Let me see just how far the 'pinnacle' forces of this world can reach." Osiris' murmur echoed in the Workshop, then was drowned out by the hum of equipment.
He turned and once again immersed himself in endless data analysis and technical deciphering, awaiting the next act to unfold.