Deep within the wasteland workshop, indicator lights on the main console flickered rhythmically, announcing that the massive data acquired from the Arasaka Tower Mikoshi had been fully received and verified.
Osiris' imposing figure stood silently before the control console, his dark red dragon-scale power armor gleaming with a metallic luster in the dim light.
His crimson optical lenses steadily scanned the final confirmation messages of the data stream, incorporating all of Arasaka's corporate secrets, research data, and imprisoned digital souls from the Mikoshi into his knowledge base.
He was quite satisfied with the gains from this operation.
Although his thought patterns as an Adeptus Mechanicus Archmagos prevented him from displaying ordinary excitement, a sense of fulfillment after achieving an important goal did exist deep within his consciousness.
The acquisition and integration of knowledge had always been his most fundamental pursuit as an explorer.
At the same time, his preliminary research on Rache Bartmoss' remains also yielded conclusions.
The brain structure of this legendary netrunner was indeed extraordinary—the neddien density of the prefrontal cortex, the complexity of nerve fiber connections in the corpus callosum, the sulcal and gyral area of the cerebral cortex—all these key indicators far exceeded the level of ordinary humans in this world.
Bartmoss' genetic encoding endowed him with nearly perfect biological processing capabilities, allowing him to reach the theoretical limit in human potential assessment in this world.
Osiris' fingers tapped lightly on the control console, bringing up a detailed genetic analysis report.
According to the Adeptus Mechanicus' standardized procedures, such a precious sample should be fully gene-sequenced and backed up before being placed in a stasis field for permanent preservation, serving as a reference template for future development of bio-computational units, optimization of servo-skulls, or cogitator arrays.
If this genetic template could be successfully replicated, biological components with excellent data processing capabilities could be mass-produced, transforming this unique legacy into a valuable and sustainable resource.
However, Osiris' considerations were more profound.
He gazed at Bartmoss' body in the culture tank, realizing that the value of this body lay not only in the uniqueness of its genes but also in its potential as 'bait.'
While ensuring the integrity of the sample, he decided to first maintain the active state of this body to see if it could attract some of his 'old friends' who were still wandering deep within cyberspace.
This decision not only aligned with his researcher's thirst for knowledge but also reflected his pragmatic attitude towards maximizing resource utilization.
Between the tenets of the Adeptus Mechanicus and his personal desire for exploration, Osiris could always find the most efficient balance point.
However, Osiris' assessment of Bartmoss' value went far beyond the uniqueness of his physiological structure.
The legendary netrunner's state of consciousness in his final moments, his profound connection to the collapse of the Old Net, and the immortal legend he left in cyberspace all hinted at another possibility—this shell might attract a more vibrant 'legacy' still lingering in the data abyss.
Based on this judgment, Osiris did not rush to place Bartmoss' remains into stasis preservation.
After completing preliminary research, he had already activated a precise biological maintenance program, systematically repairing the body, which had been preserved for half a century, using technology that surpassed the medical standards of this era.
This was by no means a simple thawing and resuscitation.
Osiris integrated ancient knowledge and medical technology from Adeptus Mechanicus Bio-Sages to perform molecular-level repairs on Bartmoss' remains, which had suffered damage from prolonged cryopreservation and the erosion of time.
Cell membranes were restructured, muscle fibers were injected with specialized bioactive catalysts, and failing organs gradually regained basic functions with the assistance of nanomachines.
Most critically was the brain that once housed the consciousness of the 'God of netrunners.'
Osiris carefully avoided neural synapses that might contain data remnants, focusing on restoring its basic bioelectrical activity and the vitality of its support systems.
He even reconstructed part of the cardiovascular network and implanted a pacemaker unit powered by a miniature energy cell.
Now, the repaired Bartmoss was placed in a living culture tank filled with a pale blue nutrient solution.
His skin had regained its elasticity, his chest rose and fell rhythmically, driven by an artificial heart, and all vital signs steadily pulsed on the monitoring screen.
From a biological perspective, this body was in a carefully maintained 'living' state, although it was empty, with no signs of any conscious activity.
Osiris regarded this carefully repaired 'live bait' as a high-value bargaining chip.
It not only proved Osiris' ability to revitalize this legendary vessel but also sent a clear signal to any entities that might still be observing this individual.
After deploying the first 'live bait,' Osiris immediately began preparing the second lure.
He retrieved the Johnny Silverhand digital soul data packet obtained from the Mikoshi; this consciousness replica, full of anger and rebellious factors, was in his eyes the perfect tool for attracting specific targets.
Osiris adopted a very cautious approach.
To avoid unnecessary interference and risks, he did not activate Johnny Silverhand's full consciousness but instead carefully selected a most representative audio data segment from it.
This recording was filled with fierce curses against Arasaka, the corporate system, and all authority, mixed with characteristic rock music background noise and Silverhand's angry roars.
At the same time, he attached a concise explanation stating that this digital soul had been successfully extracted and was no longer under Arasaka's control.
With the preparations complete, Osiris began to execute his deployment plan.
The 'fish' he wanted to catch were in the cyberspace beyond the Blackwall, a remnant of the initial Net's collapse, so it was naturally impossible to send signals in a conventional way.
The Blackwall separated the remnants of the initial Net from the rebuilt local networks, and in addition to fending off attacks from AI roaming beyond the Blackwall, it also blocked signals sent from within.
Therefore, only netrunners or corporations powerful enough had the ability to carve a hole in the Blackwall, then send messages outwards, or salvage certain data from beyond the Blackwall.
However, for Osiris, he did not need to go through such trouble.
Through the Blackwall gateway, his entry and exit from the Blackwall were like child's play, not to mention that he could directly utilize the Blackwall, just like the last time he conducted a Blackwall broadcast, to once again mass-send messages through the Blackwall.
Only this time, he was sending to beyond the Blackwall, not within it.
He packaged the information of the two lures—real-time biological data and video records of Bartmoss' body in the culture tank, as well as Johnny Silverhand's iconic audio and status description—into a data packet, and then began cyclically sending this data packet through the Blackwall, as if broadcasting.
Invisible data pulses instantly crossed the physical and data boundaries through the Blackwall gateway, disappearing into that network frontier beyond human reach.
These two carefully prepared baits, like shockwaves cast into the deep sea, were destined to create ripples among specific 'listeners.'