Chapter 152

I reconnected my audio and visual link with Malcolm once I was sure it was over.

 

“Malcolm you there?”

 

*Motoko! You okay?*

 

“I’m fine Malcolm, just some unexpected defenses. I guess I should have known a gun shop wouldn’t ignore their net defenses as well. I’m moving in now.” Then I did just that, first stopping at the Turrets to examine what was left of their code.

 

I couldn’t find anything that would give them a defense against my stealth Daemons. Until I looked up and noticed there was actually a defensive system around their cubby. A few minutes of examining it and it made sense.

The turrets had their own barriers around them that turned off once they started attacking. It was actually brilliant, as they were protected right until they noticed someone. Sure with this knowledge I could probably make some adjustments and double check for such a thing in the future, but to see something new like this?

 

“Fascinating.”

 

*Motoko?*

“It’s nothing Malcolm, just some cool netrunner stuff. I’m heading in now.” I took a long moment to examine the door that led further inside and even sent a breach access into the door, just to make sure it wasn’t trapped. After confirming it was clean I opened the door and stepped through.

 

It was a room. Just a server room really. Files stored in digital file drawers that would be folders on normal computers.

 

I accessed the rooms functions after making sure there were no defenses in here, and did a search for grenade information.

 

A few minutes later I found the file I wanted. Blueprints to create an EMP grenade that the shop sold, at least it would be better than the junk I had messed around with so long ago. Better than just a battery overloading.

 

I looked around and did a few more quick searches, gathering up more details on other grenade types, and some data on silencers. Just in case I could learn something new.

 

Then I pulled out, making sure to cover my tracks, and running the hell away before whoever owned the shop figured out they had a digital break in.

 

——

 

“Blegh.” I groaned as I pulled free. I was mostly okay at this point, but my brain still felt hot from all the hacks I had pushed through my deck.

 

“You okay?”

“Yeah yeah. Just a headache.” I grumbled, as I pulled out a MaxDoc and huffed it down. Instantly the pain faded, and I unplugged from the netrunner chair and stretched as I wandered over to the small sink in the basement. A few seconds of washing my face, and pouring cold water over my neck I felt much much better.

 

“So that was kinda scary.” Malcolm offered and I nodded.

 

“Yeah I wasn’t expecting that sort of defense. I mean most shops I breach into don’t have much security. Then again I don’t think I’ve tried to hack a gun shop before.” It was usually food stands, or hotels.

 

“You handled it though?”

“Yeah. I could have just disconnected from the server as well. The system couldn’t lock me in.” I threw him a thumbs up. “But more importantly. You got the data upload right?”

“Yep! Right here!” He ran back to the laptop and flipped it around, showing the blueprint of an EMP grenade. “Looks complicated.”

“Eh. Mostly I just need to know how they make it. Once I know the parts they are using I can either copy it, or make adjustments to make it cheaper… Or stronger.” I answered. “But really. Malcolm. Thanks. I appreciate the backup.”

“Hey, no worries. Honestly. I’m glad I was here to help, especially if you are in the net doing stuff that crazy.”

“Yeah the net is certainly a world of its own.”

 

——

 

I treated Malcolm to lunch, and he ended up actually following me around to all the shops I had to hit to gather the parts for all the different grenades I was going to make.

 

Slamming all the bags onto the work bench in the basement, Malcolm was carrying bags as well, helping me save a trip all the way to the car park. He grunted as he dropped the bags, sighing and rubbing his arms.

 

“You really need all this?”

“Not really, but I want to make a few Laser Grenades because… That’s just cool.” I answered and Malcolm did sort of shrug and nod together at that.

 

“True.”

“And those things are kinda complicated. EMP stuff is pretty cheap, and that’s what I have here.”

 

“Preem. So are you going to make them now?”

“Yeah, I can do that. Want to watch?”

“Yeah.” He offered and I smiled as I ran over to the CAD program. First I needed to make my own design since I wasn’t using the weapon shop’s exact design for the grenades.

 

I pulled up the design of my frag grenade that I used to print the casings in the printer, and started making adjustments.

 

*100 Engineering XP Gained.*

 

I smiled at that as I almost instantly got the alert and slammed through it. The changes were only minor really, a few additional holes cut into the casing to fit the battery that would be the source of the EMP.

 

Finished with the file I uploaded it and sent it to the Printer, then grabbing an old casing I plopped it into the 3d Printer and in ten minutes cut out the sections I would need.

 

“Here Malcolm, something you can do to help. See all these Casings? When one is finished just put it into the machine to keep making more. I’m aiming for at least a dozen of these.” The boy looked over the printer and nodded instantly.

 

“That I can do.”

With that I set to work. Malcolm was a big help in running around to grab things for me, as I took the blueprints I had learned from the weapon shop, and made a few minor adjustments for my own style, and then slowly put together an EMP grenade. I was extremely careful when I finally placed the battery into the casing.

 

Almost nervous as I purposefully rolled my chair to the far side of the basement as far from the server and netrunning stuff as I could before finally sealing it all together.

 

*100 Crafting XP Gained.*

 

“Done?”

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

“Yeah. First one anyways… Want to go test it?”

“Hell yes!”

 

We left the rest of the stuff there as we hurried out of the basement.

 

—–

 

I couldn’t exactly throw it around in the middle of the street, and while I was confident in the range of the EMP effect only being a couple of feet, I didn’t exactly want to be wrong, so we once more drove mostly out of the city until we started seeing dirt lots and open spaces, then I just pulled into a dirt lot ignoring whoever owned it as Malcolm and I stepped out of the Quadra.

 

“Okay Malcolm? Want to do the honors?”

“Hell yeah… Just pop and throw?”

“Just like the frags yeah. Same timer and everything.”

 

He popped the clip holding the timer locked, twisted the timer and chucked the grenade sending it arcing away.

 

We waited for a few seconds once it bounced and then a few seconds more…

 

Then suddenly it burst into a visible wave of light and a spark of electricity and I even got a second of fuzz in my Kiroshi, although we were far enough it didn’t do anything more.

 

“Whoa.” Malcolm offered and I nodded smiling.

 

“That is NOVA!” I screamed into the air, arms upraised.

 

“Totally nova.”

 

Malcolm and I high fived and then we hurried back to the Quadra.

 

——

 

“I still think it was a good show.” Malcolm offered, he had decided to hang out with me despite the fact I was just working on making more and more grenades, and the distraction was actually kind of appreciated.

 

Except his taste in TV shows was as bad as my brothers.

 

“Watson Whore was literally one of the worst things I’ve ever seen. And I saw Bushido 5.”

“Bushido 5 is the best one!”

 

I looked away from the grenade I was fitting together to give him a look of disgust.

 

“They had a train top Kusanagi sword battle before the whole train exploded for no reason-”

“The minions Kusanagi landed under the train and it exploded!”

 

“Nothing explodes like that! It blew up the entire train!”

 

“I know it was so preem!”

“Then! If that wasn’t stupid enough the explosion launched the ‘hero’ into the air and he landed his Kusanagi into the bad guys AV.”