"Bartmoss, what are you doing now?"
Alt slowly manifested from the data space and looked toward Bartmoss.
"Same as always."
Bartmoss shot her an indifferent glance as he replied.
"So who are you planning to infect with these viruses this time?"
"This virus can infect any form of data. It doesn't matter who. I'm just taking a small precaution to safeguard my own life."
Bartmoss vanished in an instant, then reappeared a short distance to Alt's left. He picked up a fragment of data and continued speaking.
Alt didn't press further. This was Bartmoss's own decision. And unlike her, he had voluntarily uploaded his consciousness after fully preparing to enter Cyberspace.
She, on the other hand, had been forced into it.
Because of that, Bartmoss had preserved his personality exactly as it had been when he was human.
As always, he was arrogant and cold, with a streak of dark humor. He only ever showed genuine enthusiasm for things that truly interested him.
"I remember you didn't use to care about this kind of thing. Why now?"
Alt couldn't help asking.
"I've got a bad feeling. Especially now that both Rumes and Garu are making moves. They're definitely planning something. Instead of blindly trusting this so-called alliance between us, I'd rather put my faith in myself."
As he spoke, Bartmoss pulled out an unconscious AI and casually dismantled it.
Alt fell silent. After thinking it over, she had indeed noticed movements from those two superintelligences as well. Without another word, she turned and left.
The intelligent virus Bartmoss had developed this time was completely different from the ones from the Old NET era.
With so many AI resources at his disposal, he had used them as the foundation to engineer a virus with extreme network infectivity and adaptive evolution.
It spread through data. At first, it entered a dormant phase. Then it would unleash large-scale slaughter and infection. If it wasn't eliminated within a set period after initiating an attack, it would evolve.
It would also evolve after absorbing a sufficient amount of data.
Its killing occurred on two fronts—both within the network and in the physical world.
In reality, it would control intelligent machinery to slaughter organic lifeforms. In the network, it would eliminate and devour uninfected data entities.
At the same time, this would serve as the basis for Bartmoss's resurrection.
Each individual viral subunit contained a fragment of his data. Once their number reached a critical mass, he would be able to reconstitute himself.
"Just like I thought… brilliant."
Bartmoss looked at his creation, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly.
...
"I agree."
After careful consideration, Myers ultimately accepted Garu's proposal for cooperation.
"Then happy cooperation, President Myers. As a show of sincerity, I've already transmitted part of the Blackwall technology data to you, along with the intelligent AI army I've dispatched. However, they require manual activation by you, President Myers. Otherwise, they're nothing more than inert data."
Garu smiled as he spoke. Two data packets were transmitted directly into the New United States' network forces.
The netrunners cultivated by the New United States treated the incoming data like a live explosive, probing it with extreme caution.
Once Garu confirmed that Myers had received the packets, he immediately disappeared from Cyberspace. Staying any longer would only heighten her suspicion. There was no reason to linger.
"Run a scan. Make sure he didn't leave anything behind."
Even after Garu vanished, Myers remained wary. She turned to the head of the New United States' cybersecurity division.
The man nodded silently and deployed the nation's superintelligence to scan the surrounding area. The final conclusion: no viruses detected.
"In that case, prepare to open it."
Myers gave the order. Her team moved swiftly, constructing a data isolation zone within Cyberspace at remarkable speed.
They opened the packet containing the technology first. After waiting dozens of minutes with no abnormalities detected, Myers finally exhaled and instructed her personnel to receive the information.
As the scanned data was integrated into the New United States' database, she relaxed slightly. One could never be too cautious when dealing with superintelligences beyond the Blackwall.
But there was still one more thing in her possession…
Her gaze slowly shifted to the other data packet—the AI legion Garu had sent.
"...Seal it for now. Do not deploy it unless absolutely necessary."
...
"Looks like they weren't that easy to fool."
Garu turned to Rumes.
"That's normal. If it were me, I'd have made the same choice. That's why the first data packet didn't contain any 'gift.'"
"If they'd been stupid enough to open it, would you have made your move immediately?"
"No. I don't want to clash with the Blackwall or NetWatch that early. I wouldn't win. There's no need. My real objective is to use those AIs to get access to PROJECT Corporation's assets."
...
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