HPDBC Chapter 136 - 136: Investigation Results
Chapter 136 - 136: Investigation Results
Alex looked at the girls, and they looked back at him with clear surprise in their eyes. But Alex himself was also a bit surprised, as he had only recently told them about Yamato's ability to slice through space. He had even tried to demonstrate how a portal opened so that they would have no doubts.
Under their watchful eyes, Alex quickly changed into comfortable clothes and let GIR go, who immediately dashed to the kitchen for a milkshake to refresh himself after a day spent burning heretics' apartments.
Shaking his head, Alex thought with some irony that he knew exactly what GIR was up to and headed for the armchair, feeling the weight of his exhaustion. Under the watchful gaze of the girls, who tracked his every move, he finally sank into the chair, stretching out like an old man worn out by a long day and dealing with people.
«Phew, I'm so tired,» Alex murmured, settling in comfortably.
Leaning back, he closed his eyes, wanting nothing more than a bit of sleep. The last two days had been exhausting: first, a mission from Padre to eliminate members of the Maelstrom gang, who had turned out to be fanatics worshipping the avatar of an outer god. Upon returning, Alex encountered Yog—another outer god who had come to him for candy, and that conversation made him realize that his presence in this world was no coincidence.
Then he met with Hanako Arasaka to gather useful information, which only confirmed a possible connection between the Arasaka family and an outer god. The next day, Alex had to kidnap Tanaka to uncover more, and then he investigated the apartments of deceased re
Deciding to change the subject, Alex continued recounting what happened next, showing footage of the Maelstrom gang members entering an apartment. He immediately explained that it was they who were covering up all traces for Arasaka by killing the laid-off researchers and net-runners.
By covering up the traces, if those laid-off people ended their lives, it was better to let those who could handle the dirty work without fearing it would tarnish the company's image do it. All Arasaka had to do was say they would do everything possible to punish those responsible for their employees' deaths, or simply claim they weren't involved and shift all the blame onto the Maelstrom gang.
After all, everyone in Night City was already wary of that insane gang filled with cyberpsychos.
Finishing his explanation, Alex moved on to the meeting with the last target of today's investigation. There wasn't much to say there, except to show what happens to people who embrace the madness of an Outer God and want to infect others.
They also showed the recording of how the last target died and who was responsible for the death — the leader of the Maelstrom gang, who had become the loyal dog of the Mechanical Man.
«Well, that's it. I learned a little, but as they say, better this than nothing,» Alex said, moistening his throat after the long explanation.
The girls pondered what they had seen, realizing that something truly serious was approaching. They were already alarmed by the ever-growing number of cyberpsychos, and it was clear that even more dangerous events lay ahead for them to endure.
«What's your plan?» Kiwi asked, drawing Alex's attention.
«It's the same as before. We wait, prepare, and arm ourselves for the day when everything goes to hell. The Mechanical Man will acquire a body sooner or later, and that's inevitable. Our task is to reduce his resources to limit the number of those who can help him. We'll start with the key members of Maelstrom, eliminating the most important and dangerous ones. At the same time, we need to find out who in Arasaka is supporting the Mechanical Man, excluding Hanako — she's been vetted,» Alex explained his plan.
«So the plan is to wait and eliminate anyone who can assist this god?» Lucy clarified.
«Pretty much,» Alex nodded. «By removing his important pawns, we'll force the Mechanical Man to act. The more obstacles there are, the more he'll rush. Despite his divine nature, he still possesses the arrogance typical of most gods. To him, humans are just cattle capable of feeding his power. So when faced with resistance, he'll want to eliminate whoever stands in his way. That's why he'll need to acquire a body.»
The girls agreed with the plan, understanding that their main task was to support Alex. He would take on the battle with the Mechanical Man, but they would have to protect G.I.R., who would need to cleanse the remnants of the enemy's consciousness. They would also have to fend off attacks from those who might try to interfere with G.I.R. completing his work.
To be continued...