When the off-road vehicle returned to The Dump HQ, it attracted a lot of attention.
Maine, Dorio, Pilar, Kiwi, Sasha, and even Glenn, the cyberneticist who was lingering at the hideout with speculative intentions, all gathered around curiously.
Everyone wanted to see what secret was hidden in the refrigerator that Osiris valued so much, and that David had spent several days digging for in the garbage mountain.
Osiris' massive and imposing figure soon appeared at the workshop entrance, his crimson optical lenses scanning the refrigerator in the back of the off-road vehicle, flickering slightly.
"Bring it in," he commanded succinctly.
Maine and Falco stepped forward, once again working together to unload the refrigerator from the vehicle and carefully carry it into a more spacious area inside the workshop.
The others also surged in, surrounding the refrigerator and Osiris, the atmosphere filled with anticipation and curiosity.
Glenn even pushed his way to the front, his eyes fixed on the refrigerator, as if it contained a technical secret that could elevate him instantly.
David stood nervously at the very front, awaiting Osiris' inspection.
Osiris didn't immediately examine the refrigerator; instead, he first looked at David, his synthesized voice calmly stating: "Describe the search process."
David took a deep breath and reported as clearly as possible how he had found the integrated logistics company through document clues, how he had requested Lucy to hack in for information, how he had located the garbage truck driver, and finally, how he had pinpointed and dug out the refrigerator in the garbage mountain.
Osiris listened quietly, and at the end, he nodded slightly: "You utilized existing resources and information networks, without acting blindly.
Although inefficient, the strategy was correct. As a first independent mission, it is acceptable."
This was not an overly enthusiastic praise, but David still breathed a sigh of relief; at least the mission was accomplished.
Then, Osiris' attention returned to the refrigerator.
Several nimble mechanical tentacles extended from beneath his robe sleeves, beginning a comprehensive external scan of the refrigerator.
Several servo-skulls beside him also emitted various colored beams towards the refrigerator, meticulously examining every corner, especially the door seams and locking mechanisms.
"Structure intact, seal not severely damaged," Osiris murmured to himself as he scanned, as if recording data.
Once the scan was complete, the mechanical tentacles retracted.
Everyone's gaze was fixed on the refrigerator door, holding their breath.
Osiris extended his right hand, covered in dark red armor, and grasped the refrigerator door handle.
The cold metal felt like a toy in his hand.
Without hesitation, he pulled it open, and with a somewhat sluggish "creak" due to disrepair over the years, the refrigerator door swung open.
A cold, strange odor, a mix of an indescribable scent resembling preservatives and faintly burnt electronic components, wafted out from inside the refrigerator.
The interior of the refrigerator was not, as everyone had imagined, filled with mysterious objects or precious equipment.
On the contrary, it appeared quite empty.
The only object was a curled-up, lifeless human body.
It was a young-looking male with messy black hair and skin that appeared an unnatural grayish-white due to prolonged low-temperature preservation.
He wore an old-fashioned, but seemingly special, black jumpsuit, connected to some now-defunct cables and interfaces.
His body posture was somewhat contorted, as if he had experienced immense pain or struggled in his final moments.
Most striking were his hands, with slender fingers, held in a stiff posture as if operating a virtual keyboard.
"Uh… a corpse?" Pilar was the first to exclaim, his voice filled with disappointment, "What the hell? All that effort for this? Dozens, even hundreds, die every day in Night City; a netrunner dead in a refrigerator might be rarer, but it's nothing special, is it?"
Rebecca also frowned: "Exactly, I thought it was some treasure. boss, did this guy owe you money or something?"
Maine and Dorio exchanged glances, both seeing confusion in each other's eyes.
Dr. Glenn stretched his neck, trying to observe the corpse from a medical perspective, muttering: "Low-temperature preserved state… Judging by the muscle rigor and skin color, he's been dead for at least several years… Strange, no obvious external injuries…"
As everyone was discussing and greatly disappointed, Osiris' mechanical tentacles had already extended into the refrigerator, beginning a more detailed examination of the corpse.
The tentacles scanned the corpse's head, spine, and the cybernetic interface locations on its hands, moving with precision and efficiency, as if analyzing a complex mechanical construct.
A moment later, Osiris retracted his tentacles.
His crimson optical lenses swept over the bewildered crowd, and his steady synthesized voice spoke again, uttering a name that resonated like thunder for anyone familiar with the legends of cyberspace: "Although he's been dead for fifty years, the body is still well-preserved, not bad."
After examining the corpse, Osiris then looked at the others and said casually, "This is Rache Bartmos."
The workshop instantly fell into a dead silence.
"Bat… Bartmoss?" Kiwi was the first to exclaim in surprise, her voice trembling noticeably through her respirator, "The one… who caused the 'First Net Collapse'… the God of netrunners?"
Sasha covered her mouth, her eyes filled with disbelief: "Legend says he… didn't he disappear after releasing that virus capable of tearing apart the Old Net? His body… how could it be here?"
Lucy stood at the back of the crowd, her body trembling imperceptibly.
Bartmoss, this name, for any netrunner who had delved deep into the abyss of the network, represented the ultimate legend and taboo.
He personally ushered in the chaotic era of the Old Net, and to some extent, also led to the later establishment of the "Blackwall."
His technology and his madness were equally awe-inspiring.
Maine's expression also became incredibly solemn: "Bartmoss… the man who is said to have almost destroyed the entire early global network by himself? His body… was actually hidden in such a dilapidated refrigerator, thrown in a junkyard?"
Dr. Glenn's mouth hung open; as a cyberneticist, he might not have a deep understanding of the world of top netrunners, but he was aware of the significance of the name "Bartmoss."
This was not just the corpse of some nameless nobody on the street; this was a living legend—or rather, a dead legend.
Although David didn't know much about the details of netrunner history, keywords like "Bartmoss" and "First Net Collapse" were definitely mentioned in Arasaka Academy's cyber history courses.
He stared blankly at the seemingly ordinary corpse in the refrigerator, completely unable to connect it with the image of a digital age demon described in textbooks.
Was this seemingly even somewhat frail man the one who once plunged the entire world into electronic panic?
Osiris seemed somewhat satisfied with the shocking effect this name brought, and he continued in his steady tone: "That's right, Bartmoss. A pinnacle creation of the Old Net era, and one of its terminators."
His mechanical finger casually tapped the refrigerator's outer shell, emitting a dull sound: "The network interfaces he used and the data fragments that might remain in his brain—you can imagine their value.
This is a sample containing the ultimate programming logic of the Old Net era. Analyzing it will allow me to gain a deeper understanding of this world's fragile network structure."
His crimson optical lenses turned to David, who was still in shock: "What you brought back is not just a refrigerator. You brought back a fragment of an era, a legacy that could drive countless corporations and factions insane. Now, do you understand the true value of your mission?"
David nodded blankly, his heart pounding violently in his chest.
Only at this moment did he truly realize that the first seemingly absurd mission Osiris had given him involved such an astonishing secret.
Osiris said no more, manipulating his mechanical tentacles to steadily and efficiently remove Bartmoss' body from the refrigerator and place it on a nearby metal platform that had been prepared, emanating a cold chill.
Next, it was clear that an in-depth study and analysis of this legendary remains would begin.
The others in the workshop remained immersed in immense shock and various thoughts.
They looked at the slender corpse on the platform, as if seeing the ghost of an era, silently gazing at this chaotic and dangerous cyber world that he had helped shape.
David's apprenticeship officially began in a way far beyond his imagination.
And what kind of ripple effect would the reappearance of Bartmoss bring to Night City, and even the entire world? No one knew.