016: Database
“You saved my life, John. I’m truly grateful from the bottom of my heart.”
The doctor’s expression turned serious.
“Rather than empty promises, I prefer to give those who help me tangible rewards. I’ll give you two options…”
He slid a fund card across the metal table.
“When I left, I stashed some money at Nocturne. Buying the latest Ethanberg sports car won’t be a problem.”
“And the second option?”
“I’ve stockpiled a lot of prosthetics in the warehouse. To be honest, some are rare factory models. You can choose any two pieces you like.”
The doctor raised his hand in invitation.
John decisively chose the prosthetics—earning money was to increase his chances of survival, no need for unnecessary extravagance. Besides, he had felt increasingly drained on recent missions.
Lian snapped his fingers.
“A very wise choice. If you’re determined to make a name for yourself in Eden City, you have to arm yourself strongly enough.”
The doctor handed John a tablet.
Its built-in system connected to the warehouse, displaying a dazzling array of goods, complete with company codes and extension modules.
John’s eyes nearly glazed over.
He gave up on selecting and instead stated his needs: “I want to enhance my vision and upgrade this outdated company arm of mine.”
Dr. Lian nodded.
He injected himself with a serum to sober up and improve focus, then donned high-precision medical mechanical gloves. John would have to wait a moment to ensure optimal condition.
The familiar treatment chair, local anesthesia.
John felt the cold leather against his back, gripping an instrument that displayed pulsing data.
A hovering mechanical arm delivered a jet-black metal box.
The doctor was no fraud—the packaging was high-pressure liquid nitrogen, requiring an original factory authorization code to unlock.
This was indeed top-tier gear.
The doctor plugged a data cable into John’s neck.
From the ceiling, a robotic arm descended, and two massive monitors displayed John’s vital signs.
Currently, all indicators were normal, though slightly suboptimal.
The internal cybernetic modifications were fully visible; all systems were standard-issue from Ironbound Logistics—basic vision, basic kinetic, basic systems…
All cheap parts.
The company employee authorization had been deleted; the most expensive piece was an Atlanta virtual network operating chip.
This was John’s entire set of prosthetics.
“Heh, with this gear, you actually had the nerve to storm into Nocturne and take hostages? Bold as brass.”
“Not only that, but I saved your life.”
“Stop nagging, I remember. Switch to the new eyeball and run some tests—check for lag, frame drops, focus issues.”
John had recently been tinkering with monitors in the factory, so he was quite adept.
His vision instantly switched to the ocular prosthetic on the table, even showing himself lying on the surgical chair.
“All normal.”
“Parameters are fine. I’ll start the procedure.”
The doctor stood, steadying John’s head, temporarily blocking pain signals from the eye area.
John watched intently:
A thick arm approached his face.
Surrounding it was a circle of mechanical arms, surgical instruments poised like claws, sharp and chilling steel pressing around his nose. The scent of alcohol and disinfectant filled the air.
Then came a metal cone slightly narrower than the eye socket, its tip a high-tech eyeball.
Zooming in…
At a certain moment, his vision was stripped away.
The darkness was more unsettling than any night, without mottled light or vague shapes—a helplessness born from the complete removal of sight.
John’s other senses sharpened.
First came rapid breathing; irregular metallic pressure surrounded his cheeks, as if his eyelids were being pried open for a precise operation.
“Why so nervous? Didn’t you have surgery at Ironbound Logistics before?”
John’s visual system had been modified.
Ironbound Logistics wouldn’t let a nearsighted man drive, but they had only implanted the most basic modules.
“I… can’t remember.”
“Doesn’t matter. John, I replaced your broken vision system with high-end gear. This prosthetic eye from Messiah Corporation is designed for the most demanding users.”
“So the cameras won’t see me anymore?”
“Of course. It has the most advanced lens disruptor. Military cameras and hidden chips can’t capture your face. The big shots in Eden City all prefer this model.”
[New Prosthetic Detected.]
Vision suddenly returned, briefly focusing as a black light swept across.
[Prosthetic: Messiah Medusa V]
[Part: Visual System]
[Function: Built-in external lens disruptor, all-environment vision enhancement, ultra-high-speed scanning algorithm.]
The doctor waved his hand and explained:
“Try the scanner. I’ve downloaded two databases for you.”
John stared at Lian, concentrating.
The entire world was overlaid with a dark green filter, as if entering a data realm.
The doctor was highlighted, information expanding beside him.
[Name: Lian Randall]
[Affiliation: Neutral]
The scanning system had two main components.
First, scanning speed.
This depended on the prosthetic quality; more expensive ocular algorithms were more advanced and faster.
Second, databases.
These related to resources downloaded from the backend. After scanning, the eye would match and retrieve relevant information, then project it onto the retina.
“Huh?”
Suddenly, text popped up before John’s eyes.
[System updating, please wait…]
“Ah, damn it!”
Familiar waves of pain surged through his mind.
Black light flickered chaotically deep within his consciousness.
Static filled his vision as he convulsed in the surgical chair.
He had no idea how long he was out, but when awareness returned and the ringing in his ears faded, he heard the doctor calling.
“Hey, John, look at me. Are you alright?”
“I… I’m better now. Damn.”
John was drenched in sweat.
The surrounding monitors flashed red, several readings hovering near critical levels.
“Fuck, I swear I didn’t mean to harm you. Just hold on a moment, I’ll remove this thing right now!”
The doctor looked frustrated and anxious.
John stopped him and said nothing, as new information continued to flash before his eyes.
[System update complete. Calibrating new scanning module. Database download complete. Merging and uploading…]
“WTF?”
John’s eyes widened.
Eden City resident database, city company registry, product catalogues, special operations task force wanted files, CIA information archives, Messiah subsidiary employee database, Ethanberg subsidiary employee records…
Even the doctor sensed the problem.
“John, be honest. You’ve already developed cyber-psychosis symptoms, haven’t you?”
He sounded regretful.
“Is it serious?”
John turned to him, dazed.
[Scan: No subdermal protection, no high-risk prosthetics.]
[Wanted: Terrorist accomplice.]
[File: Grimmewood native, divorced, Eden City Independence War veteran dog tag YUT-0812, European Mason Medical Research Institute Phase IV graduate…]
“Heh.”
John’s lips twitched. “Hard to say. Probably pretty serious. Maybe even a bit too crazy.”
How to explain?
That black light nearly killed him, just to download a bunch of databases ordinary people never even touch.
Now, if he stared at the doctor a little longer, the information he received might be even more detailed than his own memories.
“Try Omega inhibitors. I have better versions that’ll make life more comfortable for you.”
“I have my own special medicine.”
John politely declined and lay back in the surgical chair, gathering his thoughts.
He used to see text prompts too.
What was the difference?
Black light was something unknown.
It automatically popped up prompts, directly in the depths of his consciousness and uncontrollable. Each use added a burden, until the body became overloaded, triggering weakness, tinnitus, abnormal temperature, and other symptoms.
The mechanical prosthetic eye was a technological product.
It was controllable and—so far—had no known side effects.
Now that the black light had finished downloading the databases, the information projected onto the retina was quite convenient and much more detailed.