If the essence of the Blackwall was destruction and the essence of the R.A.B.I.D.S. virus was corruption, then the complexity of the Blacklight virus far surpassed them both.
The name 'Blacklight virus' came from a game called Prototype, a powerful virus similar to a zombie virus.
In the game, this virus could infect humans and turn them into zombies, and could even further mutate them into various terrifying monsters.
But in the Net of today, the danger posed by this virus was far more terrifying than the Blacklight virus from the original game.
First, the Blacklight virus was extremely contagious.
This contagiousness stemmed from the automatic hacking system of the Skynet system Mercer had developed himself. As long as a target was infected with the Blacklight virus, they would automatically become a source of infection.
The Blacklight virus would hijack the target's neural link, automatically hack and seize control of any device capable of data transmission, and use the Blacklight virus to usurp its control permissions.
In other words, once someone was infected with the Blacklight virus, any target within their network contact range would automatically become a target for hacking.
If a camera was infected with the Blacklight virus, it would automatically scan and hack any target within its field of view.
If the target was connected to a server, Blacklight would also automatically hack the server, then use the server to provide computational support for all infected devices, and automatically hack all devices the server could access.
The entire process was fully automated, but it wasn't just a crude, mindless hack, because the Blacklight program itself possessed a collective AI consciousness.
Yes, just as the Blackwall had an AI controller, and even the R.A.B.I.D.S. virus developed self-awareness while rampaging through the Old Net.
Mercer believed that a virus with extremely strong infectious and destructive capabilities, even if it didn't have an AI core itself, was highly likely to accidentally give birth to its own AI core in the process of hacking devices that carried AIs.
Rather than wait for it to awaken an uncontrollable AI core on its own, Mercer preferred to provide it with a reliable, logically clear AI core with a well-defined core logic from the very beginning.
But this AI was different from Morning Star or the Blackwall. As mentioned before, what Mercer had designed for the Blacklight virus was a wondrous collective AI consciousness.
This technology came from Mercer's breakthroughs with the Soulkiller program, as well as the Super Deep Dive state he had developed, and his profound research and understanding of human consciousness code.
The idea was to have every Blacklight program come with a consciousness code framework, but without a Consciousness Data Core. When the Blacklight virus's Consciousness Data Core, its main AI body, was not present, the Blacklight programs would synchronize all memories and knowledge, operating automatically as non-intelligent AI programs.
But when the Blacklight virus wanted to take control, all the Blacklight programs could become its shell. It could freely place its consciousness core within any Blacklight program, making it its main body.
And all the targets it hacked would become small computational power providers. These devices would automatically network with each other and transmit data. While synchronizing consciousness code, they would also provide a continuous stream of computational support to the main Blacklight program.
Infect ten people, and that's the computational power of ten people. Infect a hundred, and that's the computational power of a hundred people.
Theoretically, when Blacklight infected the people and devices of an entire city, all the humans in that city would become biological servers, providing it with computational power, while the devices would become its data storage servers and minions.
All Blacklight programs would automatically exchange and synchronize data to ensure no special individuals emerged. If a mutated individual appeared, the collective consciousness would automatically overwrite its erroneous data, and might even physically destroy the 'dissident' that was different from itself.
The ability to do all of the above was due to the extremely strong and terrifying destructive power inherent in the Blacklight virus itself.
The aggressiveness of the Blacklight virus was mainly manifested in two aspects.
First, its control over all devices.
Unlike the Skynet system, which snuck in to steal data, the Blacklight virus's hacking of device control was predatory and permanent.
It didn't just infiltrate ICE; it rewrote the device's firewall. After invading a device, it would hack the virus directly into its built-in network or device protocols, such as the TCP/IP network protocol, or a widely used low-level system command.
As long as that protocol or command was still in use, the Blacklight virus could not be killed. It would relentlessly regenerate and automatically optimize its attack methods until it found a target vulnerability and achieved victory.
And once it controlled a device's ownership, ordinary devices would naturally become Blacklight's property.
What was even more terrifying was that Blacklight could even control human bodies. This was thanks to Mercer's research into the human nervous system. It would automatically hijack a person's neural link, seizing the authority for data transmission through the neural link.
This authority wasn't just for the data signals transmitted from the brain to the body, but also included the data signals transmitted back to the brain.
In other words, once infected with the Blacklight virus, your body would suddenly lose control because your neural link would send neural signals to your body that the Blacklight program wanted to send. All your cyberware would also become Blacklight's weapons.
Conversely, the cyberware on your body and your neural link would become the foundation for the Blacklight program's operation. On this basis, it would, in turn, transmit data to your brain, forcibly digitizing your consciousness code in the manner of Soulkiller.
It would digitize your brain bit by bit until it found your Consciousness Data Core and devoured it.
After devouring your data core, your memories, knowledge, emotions, and other consciousness code would become a meaningless pile of stored data. Blacklight could take it over or delete it as it pleased.
In other words, if a person was infected with the Blacklight virus, without any help, their body would be uncontrollable, unable to speak, and unable to move on their own.
They could only watch helplessly as their consciousness was transformed bit by bit, until Blacklight found their Consciousness Data Core and devoured it.
After that, even if the human was still alive in a biological sense, on a data level, they were already a dead person.
They could be understood as a low-level AI that merely contained a large amount of data, lacking true intelligence, and completely reduced to a 'device' that the Blacklight program could freely manipulate, as well as a 'biological server' that continuously provided it with computational power.
And yet, this was merely one of the milder forms of infection by the Blacklight virus.
In fact, the Blacklight virus had a second attack mode.
This attack mode was highly similar to the Blackwall; it would violently overload infected devices, destroying everything it could touch at a terrifying speed, overclocking them, overloading them, sending the same commands to all surrounding devices, and automatically sending out hacking programs.
A concrete manifestation of this could be understood as a person having dozens of quickhacks triggered in their head simultaneously. The continuous operation of these programs would destroy the brain or device processor providing the computational power.
The terrifying thing about this destructive hack was that if Blacklight infected a hundred devices or humans near you, it would be equivalent to a hundred devices and humans hacking you at the same time, without needing a large server to provide it with computational power.
Theoretically, Mercer could even send the Blacklight virus globally right now through the Skynet system, which was gathering information all over the world. Then, Mercer would possess the world's largest cluster of biological servers.
More than eighty percent of the devices and humans on Earth would become hosts for the Blacklight virus in an instant.
Then, all people and devices, under the duress of the Blacklight virus, would automatically spread the infection to the remaining twenty percent of humans and devices.
And given its intelligence and destructiveness, when faced with devices that couldn't be infected, it was highly likely to choose to physically destroy them...
For example, by automatically controlling a human to press a missile launch button, or controlling a large group of humans to launch a suicidal charge at a target, regardless of the cost... just like real zombies infected with a virus!
In fact, when he developed this virus, Mercer himself felt a bit dazed. His goal was to live in a peaceful world where he didn't have to live in constant fear.
But to achieve that, he had first developed a super virus capable of destroying the world...
—--
"Mercer?"
Rebecca looked at Mercer, who was lying on the sofa, lost in thought. He had taken a rare day off, yet he was lying there motionless like a gonk. She frowned, a little unhappy.
"Hey! It's a rare day off. Even if you don't want to go out, don't just space out!"
As she spoke, she bounced onto him, wrapped her arms around his neck, and shook his body with a grin. "You're not working today. How about we go out and have some fun?"
"Go out? Forget it... I just want to lie here for a while today."
Mercer put on a lazy expression, sprawled on the sofa, watching a boring TV program discussing the Night City flu.
The flu virus spread by Biotechnica had begun to break out explosively. Mercer's vaccine had officially been approved by the Night City FDA, but the number of units available for sale was still very small.
This was because the vast majority of Night City's citizens had not yet understood the potential harm this flu could cause, thanks to a bunch of professors and experts paid off by Biotechnica companies, who spouted nonsense on TV every day.
Some experts even publicly stated that Mercer's vaccine had little effect on the flu and was even harmful to the human body...
Well, Mercer could also pay experts to endorse him, but he wasn't in the mood. He would leave the matter of caring for the Night City public to his city council allies.
He was only responsible for providing a low-cost vaccine supply. How to sell it and expose Biotechnica was someone else's job.
Morning Star was keeping an eye on it; he didn't need to worry about it.
"You've been lying here all morning! I specifically took the day off to be with you!" Rebecca feigned a look of dissatisfaction.
Mercer turned his head to look at her, amused. "Specifically took the day off? You've barely worked a few days this month! And when you do go, you just slack off..."
"Damn it! You're using Morning Star to watch me again! You peeping tom!" Rebecca pretended to be scared, hugging her arms to her chest. But seeing Mercer's lack of cooperation, she puffed out her cheeks in annoyance and pounced on him, starting to roughhouse.
Just as Mercer was about to surrender and see what she wanted to play, which would also conveniently distract him from his worries and thoughts about the Blacklight virus, a message notification suddenly popped up before his eyes.
[Songbird: Lilith replied to me. She said that if we can't find the rogue AI, we still need to get some of the technical data from the Cynosure facility.]
[Mercer: She really doesn't give up. What does she really want?]
[Songbird: I'm guessing she might be interested in how Militech captures rogue AIs. There's nothing else of value in the Cynosure facility.]
Mercer pondered, not replying immediately.
Lilith wanted the technical data from the Militech Cynosure facility on capturing rogue AIs?
It wasn't impossible. After all, from the clues Mercer had seen, what Lilith was currently busy with was a 'Consciousness Sublimation Program' that could corrupt an AI's consciousness.
Her ultimate goal was likely to first create her own 'loyal subjects' by corrupting AIs, establishing an 'AI Realm' similar to the one Alt now controlled, which was populated by numerous engrams.
If she got her hands on Militech's technology for capturing rogue AIs, plus her unique consciousness corruption program...
But a subconscious part of Mercer's brain was telling him, something wasn't right.
Seeing the light flickering in his cyberoptics, Rebecca let go of him with a sigh, stopping their play. She looked at Mercer's pensive expression, sighed again, and moved to sit to the side.
Mercer just narrowed his eyes, frowning slightly, lost in deep thought.
After a long while, he sent a message to Songbird.
[Mercer: Is that all she wants? And what did she promise you?]
[Songbird: She'll provide me with a manned rocket at the Night City airport that can go to the moon. She promised to transfer me to an underground base on the moon, provide me with medical treatment, and let me escape NUSA's pursuit forever and gain my freedom.]
[Mercer: Tell her you don't have the ability to hack into Dogtown, that you need to negotiate terms with me, and ask for Lilith's opinion.]
[Songbird: One moment...]
[Songbird: She said okay, she'll allow me to negotiate terms with you.]
Mercer's brow furrowed tightly as he thought. After a while, he replied.
[Mercer: Give me some time. Just say you need some time to contact me and convince me.]
[Songbird: Okay... Mercer, I feel like something's not quite right.]
[Mercer: Wow, you actually noticed~ Not bad.]
[Songbird: Damn it, I just want to live freely! Mercer, you said you'd help me! I know you're not that kind of bastard! So don't screw me over, I'm begging you!]
[Mercer: Ha, Reed would probably cry if he heard you say that. You're the one who screws people over the most, but don't worry, I always keep my word. As long as you don't get any funny ideas and we help each other, I always keep my promises to my friends.]
[Songbird: I'll do whatever you say! To be honest, trusting you is much better than trusting an AI, isn't it? I just didn't have a choice before! Did you figure out what's wrong? What does Lilith really want?]
Mercer didn't reply. The less this woman knew, the more obedient she'd be. If she knew too much, she'd be prone to having her own stupid little ideas.
Compared to Evelyn, Songbird's only advantage was that she had a bit of a conscience and wasn't quite as stupid. But to say she was smart or a good person...
Reed, who took several bullets on the train because she screwed him over, would have something to say about that.
Mercer began to ponder Lilith's true intentions. Thinking it over and over, he still felt that risking sending Songbird to the moon just for the technical data on capturing rogue AIs in the Cynosure facility didn't fit an AI's way of thinking.
Having been an AI... no, an engram once, Mercer knew very well how AIs thought in that state.
By taking Songbird to the moon, Lilith would be risking exposing herself to Militech, NUSA, and even the powers on Earth.
Was it necessary for her to go up against NUSA for a bit of technical data?
Impossible. Then her target might be...
The answer suddenly flashed in Mercer's mind.
[Mercer: I've figured it out.]
[Songbird: What?]
[Mercer: Lilith's target was never the Cynosure facility. Her primary target was that rogue AI, hoping to protect her little secret. But unfortunately, someone else snatched the rogue AI, so she has to settle for her other main objective.]
[Songbird: So what is that objective? Please stop talking in riddles, I'm getting anxious!]
[Mercer: You.]
[Songbird: Me!?]
[Mercer: Or rather, Alt's Blackwall. She's interested in the Blackwall Protocol!]
[Songbird: ...]
[Songbird: You mean, what she wants is no different from NUSA? They both want to save me because I can use the Blackwall!?]
[Mercer: You're overestimating yourself a little. She's just interested in the Blackwall. You're just a knowledge storage tool. I'm guessing you must have come into contact with a lot of data related to the Blackwall within NUSA, haven't you?]
[Songbird: ...I do have a lot of data related to the Blackwall. That's what she's after? Damn it!]
Mercer thought, and finally, a bold idea flashed in his mind.
[Mercer: Agree to her terms, but you need to bring two bodyguards with you.]
[Songbird: You're planning to go with me!? To the moon? That's her territory! Once we're there, we'll have no choice!]
[Mercer: Have her send over the landing coordinates and everything. We'll find our own ride back.]
[Songbird: You're insane. How are we supposed to find a way to fly back once we're on the moon? We're going to the moon, not taking a plane on Earth! Mercer, don't be impulsive!]
[Mercer: You're afraid of dying, you think I'm not? I'm even bringing a friend with me. Even if I don't care about my life, my friend does! So, you just do as I say for now. I'll figure out a way!]
How to find a way to fly back?
Mercer steeled himself. In that huge Arasaka base, could he really not find a lifepod to return to Earth?
The plan was to sneak onto the moon using Lilith's Orbital Air craft, then head straight for the Arasaka base, wreak havoc, and find a rocket in the base to fly back!
The plan was so simple and crude it almost sounded like a joke.
But Mercer immediately stood up and patted the head of Rebecca, who was pouting beside him.
"I have to get busy."
"Go on!" Rebecca sighed, then leaned in and gave him a kiss. "Come back early. I'll make you something delicious tonight."
"Mm." Mercer smiled and kissed her lips, then immediately got up, preparing to deep dive.
He needed to start discussing the detailed plan with Morning Star.
The first thing to confirm was how to hijack a spacecraft on the moon to fly back. Mercer had made up his mind.
This time, he wasn't just going to deal with Saburo Arasaka.
He had another bold idea.
He was going to screw over that stupid AI, Lilith.