Infinity, progressing from Arasaka

As they watched the armored airship carrying the target disappear into the horizon, a security agent grumbled to vent his frustration.

"We were the real bodyguards who escorted them the whole way, but those security guards got the bonus instead..."

They were at the lower levels and unaware of the other purpose behind monitoring Vera. They simply assumed, based on experience, that it was similar to the loyalty tests used for promotions to higher levels in the past.

Vera Adelheid has made it onto the list of higher-level promotions. Since she's heading to Central Africa, and this area is relatively weak for their Arasaka faction, it's natural for them to have her keep an eye on things.

"The target has begun its return journey."

At the other monitoring point, the special agent team leader, his face covered in dust and looking like a vagrant, was still engrossed in watching the dark red flower displayed on the terminal screen.

"Everything is normal, the target's behavior is normal, and according to footage taken by the informant, she seems to have found the flower she mentioned in her African trip plan..."

"Notify all groups that the mission is complete and to return to base."

...

Just as the security monitoring team, directly led by the Tokyo Arasaka headquarters, began to gather its members for withdrawal and send the operation report and live record back to headquarters, a hidden channel was operating within it, with several messages being exchanged.

The target, the 'Sun Ladder Flower' mentioned in the project, has been found.

[Recorded footage received, 9527. Our unit has deployed troops stationed in the Congo region. Can we continue our covert operations to obtain the Sun Ladder Flower, or seize the opportunity to sabotage and stall the convoy, coordinating from within and without to destroy or obtain the Sun Ladder Flower?]

[...No opportunity. The target mobilized the Arasaka Emergency Task Force from Lubumbashi immediately after discovering the Sun Stairway Flower, and they have since left.]

[...Remain silent. Upon returning to South Africa, search for Vera Adelheid Russell. Based on her personality, she will undoubtedly begin her research immediately. We need to obtain or destroy her research findings. Anything Arasaka intends to accomplish, we must thwart.]

...

time flies.

On the other side of the ocean, in the Arasaka Manor in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, in a room belonging to Arasaka Yoriyuki himself, locked up and concealed with various cutting-edge communication equipment and sophisticated anti-interference eavesdropping electronic devices.

"Baka! With such a good opportunity, why don't your men dare to make a move?!"

"Are you serious? He's an undercover agent, not a cybernetically modified madman. No one knows Vera Adelhead's personal strength better than our military technology! In Night City, how many elite agents and soldiers have died at her hands? Do you think a quick reaction soldier with a small submachine gun can outpace her reaction? That would only alert her. Even if we manage to get one plant and there are still some left, she can still complete her research."

"Then tell me, what should we do? She's already taken those damned flowers—those damned flowers that haven't gone extinct—back to South Africa and plunged headfirst into Arasaka's lab in Johannesburg. Her plan—a new 'rejuvenation drug' to revitalize human cells and organ tissues—is supposed to extend Saburo Arasaka's life once it's successful?"

"Oh, my friend, don't rush. Putting aside the success rate of her plan, wouldn't it be better to let her collect everything and study it first? Determine the location, mobilize the forces, and then take them all in one fell swoop... Whether it's seizing or destroying, with a reasonable friend like you to help us, we will definitely gain the upper hand."

"I hope so. You'd better get ready quickly."

Arakasaka Yoriyuki hung up the phone, took off the voice changer, and his face immediately darkened.

"The British and Americans are monstrous!"

How could he not hear the suspicion and distrust hidden in the other party's yin and yang?

But there was no way around it; Saburo had too much control over Arakawa.

He really is an emperor. He can win over the "hawks" by using the slogan of reviving Arasaka. Once his subordinates know that he is going to completely oppose Saburo and end Arasaka's monopoly on interests, his wings will crumble in an instant.

Therefore, he actually had to do this kind of thing—cooperating with military technology and betraying Arasaka's interests—personally.

Fortunately, the other party only guessed that he was a Japanese person from within Arasaka who was dissatisfied with Saburo's long-term rule. Probably no one would guess that he, Saburo's son, "Crown Prince" Yoriyuki, would be cooperating with Arasaka's old enemy in military technology, so deliberately undermining Arasaka's power.

After muttering a few curses, he turned his gaze back to the data panel screen in front of him, where a dark red flower appeared. "Sun Ladder Flower... You old bastard, you really did wait for me."

With another swipe, he stepped off the armored hovercraft, carrying a briefcase and pushing a sealed metal box into a deserted building. The image of a young woman with light blonde hair and a cheerful expression appeared.

"A bad feeling... I must stop her."

...

Johannesburg.

Biological Research Laboratory, Arasaka Industrial Park.

The room, filled with the intense smell of disinfectant, was ablaze with light. In the center was a reinforced glass chamber containing white mice, and Vera, wearing a white lab coat and full protective gear, was staring at it with great interest.

"Ha-"

Under her control, the robotic arm immobilized the chattering white mouse, and a thick, long needle was forcibly inserted, injecting the freshly produced progenitor virus.

After a long while, the forelimbs of the lying mouse twitched again, but, thud!

The white mouse slammed hard against the reinforced glass, seemingly oblivious to the pain, repeatedly and forcefully, until it was a bloody mess, its fur falling off rapidly as if it were a long-dead animal.

Vera sighed softly and leaned down to gently tap the reinforced glass in front of the white mouse.

"Hmm, Arasaka's first bio-engineered rat..."

------

P.S.: One more chapter.

Chapter 053 The Eve

“Haw—!”

Boom!dong dong!

The more it crashed, the more vigorous it became. The white mouse was already battered and torn, looking like a bloody rat. The glass chamber was splattered with blood. Through the shattered skull of the bio-rat, Vera's excellent eyesight could even see its pulsating brain, with gray-black nerves stained on it.

Wow.

Turning her gaze away, Vera moved her swivel chair to the control panel at the edge of the room and picked up the data panel.

Update the experiment log.

2075/6/6

Analysis of extracts from Sonnentreppe (Sun Steppe Flower)

Although most of the flowers found in the underground caves of the Central African tribal sites had withered and degenerated due to environmental degradation, I was fortunate enough to extract an RNA-form viral substance from the material of the few best-preserved and growing Sun Steps flowers.

Its characteristics are entirely new.

Just like these mice, all organisms injected with this viral substance exhibit similar characteristics: physical ulceration, loss of consciousness, extreme aggression, and... incredible vitality!

Perhaps this is why the old mining and transportation company inquired about and recorded from the local population that the ancient Kongo Bantu people consumed it and called it a powerful medicine that could save lives and even bring the dead back to life, the 'holy flower'.

Strong medicines naturally have side effects.

The systemic inflammation, necrosis of the skin and other outer tissues, massive fluid loss, acute sepsis, and shock observed in mice are highly correlated with the characteristics of an overreaction of the immune system.

If one can overcome the aftereffects, repairing aging cells, achieving beauty and health benefits, strengthening the immune system, alleviating cell aging, giving one vigorous vitality and physical strength, and even longevity are all foreseeable outcomes.

Therefore, from a biological perspective, it can be roughly guessed that its RNA virus characteristics should be able to promote the evolution of human DNA.

The enhancement may just be a side effect.

How to reduce its side effects and improve its stability and benefits through targeted cultivation will be the primary challenge for the future Solar Ladder project.

Just as I envisioned for the project, the Stairway to the Sun is a ladder for humanity to overcome its physical limitations and reach a bright future. The first step on this ladder, Progenitor, is what I named the Progenitor Virus.

beep.

Today's lab log is complete.

With the complete research data left by Dr. James Marcus and Dr. William Birkin of Umbrella, Vera quickly completed the basic research on the original virus of the cyberpunk world and its localization in terms of programming.

After all, the equipment and auxiliary instruments in the Arasaka Laboratory in 2075 were far superior to those of Umbrella when it was first established in the 1970s.

"Your mission is accomplished, little mouse."

With a whoosh, Vera slid the swivel chair again, glanced at the caged white mouse whose skull had been smashed, and then lightly touched the destruction switch on the outside of the glass experimental chamber.

Buzzing! High-voltage electric shock;

Raging fiercely! Intense heat!

Sizzle! A special chemical liquid washes and stirs the mixture.

Rumble! The special waste entrance of the experimental chamber opened, washing away the last traces left by the white mouse in the world.

Unless it's some kind of superstitious or unorthodox virus, no normal RNA virus can withstand this kind of disinfection treatment.

Having learned a lesson from Umbrella's poor handling of experimental waste, Vera nodded in satisfaction.

No virus can escape from my lab.

Well, after all, I need to fully demonstrate my rigor and reliability. It would be so embarrassing if my research on viruses turned into a biohazard crisis.

next.

With the soft hum of a small elevator, another white mouse was lifted into the sparkling clean experimental chamber.

In the cyberpunk world, mice are probably one of the few animals whose numbers are still abundant in various locations, and whose population has hardly decreased compared to before environmental degradation. This is because they live in specialized breeding rooms in experimental institutions, and as laboratory mice, they are very cheap.

Their genes are highly similar to human genes, about 90%, making them natural biological experimental consumables.

"Squeak, squeak."

A pair of clear, bright eyes blinked as they looked at the tall, blonde woman holding a data panel outside the experimental chamber.

[18th dosage experiment, adjustments made, injection volume further increased...]

Vera manipulates the thick, long needle, and I insert it!

"Ha-"

……

[Stability, Tolerance, Adaptability]

After marking these three key elements, Vera put down the data panel again and looked into the experimental chamber, where a mutated zombie rat was frantically attacking and devouring another white mouse.

[The exchange of bodily fluids and droplets resulting from scratches or bites by an infected individual has a very high probability of causing infection... This virus should not be able to be transmitted through the air, and more experimental evidence and observations are needed.]

This is a preliminary conclusion drawn from observing two mice placed in the same cage but only one of them was infected, and then separating them and using a low-light observation device to collect and identify the composition of the air inside the chamber.

Vera certainly knew, but she needed to demonstrate that she knew through experimental proof.

She checked the time.

22/49