OLD-WORLD EXTRA

Chapter 380: Poor Bastard

Chapter 380: Poor Bastard

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On their way to the tower, the cohort felt as if they were in another world.

There was not a single road or side of a building without any form of advertisement.

Most of them were about VPNs; their names were numerous but irrelevant as they served the

same purpose.

Even the traffic signs had advertisements.

They projected green arrows and bold letters on the ground with small pictures of corp products in the corner.

The place was disgustingly neon, almost frying their eyes, and the noise was loud too, every video display overlapping the other while cars zoomed past, competing on who had the loudest exhaust.

Their ears were met with people speaking in different dialects, a foreign concept for most of the cohort.

They might've looked like country boys if not for Emir and Lyra stealing the attention of all, keeping up their collective image with their threatening presence.

Especially Emir—not even here was he able to escape the fate of terrifying every random passerby.

It was only natural, he was a hulking man with building muscles that easily showed through his suit and eyes that exuded death.

Who wouldn't be intimated by that?

Lyra wouldn't.

She herself was pretty tall, slightly shorter than Emir, with a body that radiated strength even through the black dress that covered her from head to toe.

Their lovely sentient AI almost felt at home, as this environment was similar to where she was 'born.'

The rest slowly got accustomed to the sights and sounds as they continued their walk, getting deeper and deeper inside the web called Corp Plaza. Nearing their destination with each slow step.

***

Hello, I'm Gabriel Voisin, a mid-level engineer at Apex Dynamics.

A nobody working under an Exec.

'Hmm... a bit depressing, but that's fine, let's continue.'

I've always been fascinated by the potential of technology to transform our lives.

It was why I worked for this corporation.

They gave me the means to pursue my passion...

Or so I thought when I first started.

Now? Not so much.

My latest project?

Well, it was nothing important. The usual one-week do-over.

So that isn't what I'm writing this report for.

Today, I'm truly excited to share my side, but technically main and only true project, something I've poured years of passion and effort into:

The Gravbike 2.0!

Redesigning the Gravbike into a fully functional floating bike has been a challenging yet rewarding endeavor.

I'm almost done with the project, but I haven't even settled on a name, though it's shaping up to be something special, so do keep an eye on that.

It wouldn't be a lie to call me obsessed.

I've spent countless hours tweaking the design, testing prototypes, and refining the magnetic repulsion system.

The idea was simple: create a bike that could glide effortlessly above the ground, providing a smooth and quick mode of transportation.

The execution, however, was anything but simple.

In the early stages, I started by researching the principles of magnetic levitation.

I dove into scientific papers, the ones that I could find at least, dissecting every detail about magnetic repulsion and attraction, superconductors, and the various ways these concepts had been applied in other technologies.

My goal was to find a balance between efficiency and practicality.

A floating bike needed to be lightweight yet sturdy, powerful yet safe.

Once I had a theoretical foundation, I moved on to the design phase.

I sketched hundreds of iterations, experimenting with different shapes and materials. Then, after a lot of thought, I settled on a streamlined frame made of a carbon composite for its lightweight properties and durability.

The bike's frame had to house the magnetic repulsion system, which I knew would be the most challenging aspect.

The core of the system was a series of powerful electromagnets embedded in the bike's base. These magnets needed to generate a repulsive force strong enough to lift the bike and its rider off the ground, as well as the average weight of items they might carry.

I configured them in a hexagonal pattern, ensuring an even distribution of the magnetic field. Each magnet was controlled by an onboard computer that adjusted the power output in real- time, maintaining stability and height.

The power source was another hurdle.

Traditional batteries were too bulky and couldn't deliver the necessary power without

weighing the bike down, even though, compared to what we used to have, it was way lighter and smaller.

After several experiments, I developed, or rather incorporated, a tweaked, compact, high- capacity graphene-based battery.

It provided the required energy density while remaining light enough to integrate seamlessly into the bike's design.

Testing the prototypes was an arduous process.

The first few versions barely lifted off the ground, and when they did, they were unstable.

I spent many sleepless nights in the lab, recalibrating the electromagnets and fine-tuning the control algorithms.

Gradually, the bike began to respond better, hovering steadily a few inches above the ground. One of the critical breakthroughs came when I incorporated gyroscopic stabilization. Inspired by the technology used in modern drones hailing against our men on the frontlines, I added a gyroscope to the bike's onboard computer.

This device provided real-time feedback on the bike's orientation, allowing the computer to make micro-adjustments to the magnetic fields, keeping the bike balanced and stable.

As the prototypes improved, I began to focus on the user experience.

The bike needed to be intuitive to ride, so I designed a set of handlebars equipped with sensors that responded to the rider's touch. Subtle shifts in pressure and angle would adjust the bike's speed and direction, providing a smooth and responsive ride.

I got it set to two modes, like the Augmented Suits Velocity and Neural-Link counterparts; each mode was-

[Gabriel! Where are you? I need an update on the project right now!]

Just as I was immersed in the report, my supervisor's call came through, breaking my

concentration.

[Don't make me wait!]

His voice was a sharp reminder of the corporate world I was still tethered to.

And with that reminder came my ever rising anxiety.

[I-I'm on my way.]

I stammered, grabbing my terminal and umbrella while rushing out of my workspace.

Leaving the tower in under a minute, I could feel the weight of the corrosive rain pattering above me, almost as if it were my supervisor's expectations pressing down on me. That man was always there, hounding me for no other reason than to feel superior, even though not a day went by without him kissing our department head's feet.

I navigated the crowded streets, the neon advertisements blurring as I hurried past. The racket of city sounds was a distant hum, overshadowed by the pounding of my heart.

I was so focused on getting to my destination that I didn't even notice the rain intensifying, causing me to slip and hit the wall before falling face-first into the ground.

Passersby looked at me with condescending eyes, but I didn't even glance at them, quickly standing up and continuing to run.

My thoughts were racing as I replayed the details of my project and what I would say in the

update.

This would be my last update.

They could fire me later if they wanted; I didn't care.

I was planning to resign in any case, but I planned to do it after I put the final touches on my

Gravbike redesign, still needing the lab.

Whoosh!

But then suddenly...

'...No!'

Everything went dark.

One moment I was rushing through the bustling plaza, and the next I was engulfed by an overwhelming darkness, knocked out before I could even react.

The sights, sounds, and even the rain disappeared, leaving me in a state of utter confusion

and fear. Panic set in. My breath quickened, and my mind raced to make sense of the situation.

Was this some kind of attack? A sabotage? But why me? I'm a nobody!

I tried to move, but my limbs felt heavy and unresponsive, as if I were suspended in a dense,

invisible fog.

And then, as abruptly as it had vanished, the world returned.

I was lying on the cold, wet ground, the rain pounding mercilessly against me, somehow not

burning my skin...

No, that wasn't rain, but a bucket of water thrown at me from above.

The one responsible looked down on me, only his inky eyes visible, almost highlighted as if they had absorbed the surrounding light.

I blinked, trying to clear my vision, and everything changed.

The scene that unfolded before me was nothing short of a nightmare.

Bodies. Lifeless, twisted forms strewn across the plaza, their eyes wide open in eternal terror.

The once-bustling square was now a grim puppet show of death.

My heart sank as I realized that these were the people I had rushed past moments ago.

The same vibrant, bustling crowd now lay motionless, their lives snuffed out in what

appeared to be an instant.

I struggled to my feet, my mind reeling.

What had happened? How had I survived when so many hadn't?

As I stood there, drenched and shaking, a cold, metallic taste filled my mouth.

It was suffocating.

I looked down, about to use my hands to check the reason for such a 'flavor,' only to see them

covered in blood-whether it was mine or someone else's, I couldn't tell.

And then suddenly, my head snapped straight, by a force not of my own.

I saw him.

A figure standing amidst the carnage.

His presence exuded an aura of sheer menace.

Tall, with black holes for eyes, he surveyed the scene with a detached calmness.

His gaze moved from left to right until it eventually locked onto mine.

At that moment, I understood.

I had seen the devil...

And his shadow of death.