✖
帕蒙艰难地战斗着,只能防御,但A.J.和多利安一出现在视野他就激活了配置程序的进攻模式进入全VR。杂讯很强,但对他的对手也一样。或者是对手们,A.J.不太能分辨。
变形的黑色物质凭空出现,在纳什向前时攻击了他的通讯链。帕蒙似乎全神贯注地想把这团物质从纳什身上弄走,在它转向自己时全力抵抗。A.J.不知该如何帮忙。他甚至不知道那团物质是什么。
黑色物质甩出烟状触手,进攻时化作各种形状。尖锐的爪子抓挠着盾牌,将帕蒙护甲程序的代码变成一块块像素。长有尖牙的巨颚猛然合上,在虚拟世界里他的头只有几厘米。他回击,尖叉捅进黑暗之中。他感到手臂刺痛,黑色物质的代码用生物反馈反击。
A.J.和多利安只能全然无力地旁观。两人都不会矩阵战斗。
但A.J.并非无助。“多利安,拖着帕蒙走。有麻烦就喊。安静时光结束了。”A.J.一边跑向地道深处一边发出信息。
“纳什,雷恩,情况?”A.J.奔入黑暗的同时提问。他的热成像系统足够区分空气和墙,让他能够移动得更快。地面上雷恩和纳什走过的压力加热了尘土,留下了微弱和痕迹,这点也帮了忙。纳什的痕迹更新更好辨认,但雷恩轻盈的脚步还是留下了一点痕迹。随着他加快移动速度赶上没有回应的两人,地上脚印变得更加明亮。
但雷恩和纳什不是他的目标——他们能互相照顾、互相掩护。A.J.想找到到底是什么在和帕蒙战斗。除了自己沉重的呼吸声之外,A.J.还能听见前方有打斗声。拳头重击的声音,不是枪声。他不确定是会是什么情况。
剧透 - :
The sound was getting louder and closer quickly. A.J. could
see the prints turning a corner ahead, and the sound led him
to believe the fght was just around the corner. He slowed and
drew his pistol, making sure to change out the hollow-point
rounds for gel before he popped his head around the corner to
get a better view.
As his thermographic vision adjusted to the presence of
warm fgures, A.J. took a second to scan the room with the ghostly haze of heat trails in the air.
Two fgures were fghting in the
center of a small room with smooth walls, but he couldn’t identify
either of the fgures right away. There was more than two. Seated
against two of the walls were eight metahuman masses, all slightly warmer than they should be. A.J. could see hot strings, likely
wires, leading from their heads into the ceiling.
The strange heat patterns in the room weren’t changing, so
A.J. switched to low-light and activated the flashlight on his pistol
while bringing it to bear on the fghting fgures. He was surprised
to see it was Nash and Rain. The flashlight hit Rain directly in the
face, and his momentary blindness allowed Nash to land a crushing blow to the man’s temple. Rain went down hard.
“Holy ghost A.J., am I glad to see you,” Nash spoke in chopped
phrases as he planted his hands on his knees and huffed to catch
his breath.
声音很快愈发响、愈发近。A.J.能看见脚印在前方转了个弯,打斗声让他相信战斗就在转角处。他放慢脚步,拔出手枪,确定把达姆弹换成了凝胶弹后把脑袋探出墙角看清情况。
热成像视觉适应了有温度的人体后,A.J.花了一秒钟检查这个空气中弥漫着若有若无的热烟气的房间。
两个人正在一个有光滑墙面的小房间中央打斗,但他不能马上辨认出其中任何一个。不只两个人。靠着其中两面墙坐着的有八具人体,全都比正常温度稍高。A.J.能看见热线,看起来是缆线,从他们的头部连接到天花板。
房间里奇怪的热像没有改变,A.J.于是切换到低光模式,打开手枪上的手电筒,把光打向正在战斗的两人。他惊讶地发现那是纳什和雷恩。手电的光直接打在了雷恩的脸上,他暂时失去了视觉,让纳什有机会在他的太阳穴上重重一击。雷恩沉重地倒地。
“圣鬼在上,A.J.,我见到你真高兴。”纳什断断续续地说,一边把手撑在膝盖上喘着粗气。
“这里TM的在干什么?”A.J.边问边看着那八个人体,他现在看清是六个人类,一个兽人,还有一个精灵。
他们都装了数据接口,线一直连到天花板,每个人看起来都营养不良。A.J.盯着这些人看了一会,然后注意到他的AR视野中帕蒙和那团黑色物质的战斗还在进行。不同的是他现在位于黑色物质之后。
帕蒙看起来被打了几下。盾牌碎裂残损,帕蒙的身体上复盖了细小的黑色咬痕和砍伤的痕迹。A.J.只用了一秒钟就意识到坐在地板上的这群人就是控制那团黑色物质的家伙。
“他们在和帕蒙战斗。把他们敲晕,纳什。”A.J.说着举起了他的重型手枪。
“喂,等等。”纳什大叫着奔到接入中的八人组前面。“雷恩想这么做。我阻止他了。我觉得他们不是我们以为的东西。”
剧透 - :
A.J. considered his friend’s words. He could still see the battle
raging between Paimon and the blackness. It looked like it was
coming from them, but if Rain was infected, why would he try
to stop them? Unless it was the real Rain and not some infected
personality. The confusion was hurting his brain something ferce.
“Maybe we should cut the wires. Dump ’em without shooting them,” A.J. suggested. Nash looked at the wires for a brief
second like he was considering it. He shifted his stance a few
times as if pacing in place but kept himself between A.J. and
the group on the floor. “Maybe pull the plug on one. See what
happens,” A.J. added as he tried to convince Nash.
“Well, maybe. These guys don’t look healthy. That could kill
them,” Nash said.
A.J. saw Paimon take a hit that completely pixelated his
shield. Time was short. A.J. pushed forward but tucked the pistol
away as he moved. “I’m pulling one plug. If it helps Paimon, we’ll
pull the rest. If not, we’re in deep shit.”
A.J. wrapped his hand around the datacord and used the
thumb switch to release the latch on the datajack. As his arm
tensed to pull, A.J. felt cold metal pressed into the short hairs on
the back of his head. “Not so fast, boss,” Nash said from behind
him, “Ease off the cord. Nice and slow.”
A.J.考虑着这位朋友的话。他见到帕蒙和那团黑色物质还在激战。看起是从他们那边来的,但如果雷恩被感染了,他为什么要尝试阻止他们呢?除非那是真正的雷恩而不是被感染的人格。迷惑让A.J.脑袋生疼。
“或许我们应该断开这些连线。不打他们,只是让他们甩出来。”A.J.提议。纳什看了接线几秒种,似乎在考虑。他换了几次姿势,好像在原地踱步,但一直把自己隔在A.J.和地上那群人之间。“要么拔掉一个的线。看会发生什么。”A.J.加了一句,努力说服纳什。
“那样,或许吧。这些家伙看起来不健康。可能会杀了他们。”纳什说。
A.J.看见一次攻击完全击碎了帕蒙的盾牌。时间很短。A.J.推开纳什上前,但是移动时把手枪收了回去。“我要拔掉一根线。如果能帮到帕蒙,我们就把剩下的拔了。如果不能,我们有大麻烦了。”
A.J.用手握住数据线,按下拇指开关把数据接口的卡扣打开。他绷劲手臂打算拉的时候,A.J.感到冰冷的金属压在了他后脑的短发上。“别那么快,老板。”纳什在他身后说,“让手离开那根线。慢慢地,小心地。”
A.J.比较着他和纳什的速度。A.J.知道他更快,但只要有一点失误他的后脑勺就会挨一颗子弹。他松开拇指,纳什离开他的脑袋迅速退了几步。聪明的做法,机师现在离他有好几个手臂的距离。
“我不知道该拿你怎么办。我知道你很专业,你不会把私事扯进工作。但你能翻篇吗?你能让帕蒙离开吗?还有多利安?还有雷恩?他们都会来追我。他们会把这当成私事。但你,你没那么情绪化。这些金属让你冷漠无情。包括这份工作。你恨罗森伯格。为何,我不清楚。但我知道你恨她,但你还是尽全力拿到所有你能找到的——”
眨眼之间。字面意义上的。纳什说话时A.J.正在给他的语调和眨眼次数计时。这是种古怪的辨识技巧,他在他那些间谍生涯中的某处学到的,能有效看穿哪怕最好的纳米伪装。第二个优点则是计算一个人视觉察觉为零的时刻。行动的理想时机。
剧透 - :
By the time Nash was opening his eyes, A.J.’s Colt was
drawn, passing gut height, and had already fred one round
that was about to hit his turncoat friend in the shin. A.J. pulled
the trigger a second time at solar plexus level and a third at
where his smartlink system estimated Nash’s head would be
after frst the two impacts. A.J. was sliding to his right as he
fred, increasing the distance Nash would have to swing the
SMG he carried.
All three rounds made solid contact, silencing and stumbling the villain during his soliloquy, but it wasn’t enough to
put him down. The SMG roared to life as Nash swung it around
and past A.J..
Rounds pounded into A.J.’s gut and chest, but none of them
penetrated the plates woven into the ballistic fabric. But that
didn’t mean it didn’t hurt. The hits and his motion threw off A.J.’s
aim, and several shots sailed wide of Nash who was also now
moving to his right. Nash sprayed rounds that slammed into A.J.’s
body armor—front on purpose and back from ricochets.
A.J. was trying to conserve ammo, but he still popped off a
few more shots as he got into position. He had circled the room
and fnally had a good line on what he really wanted. He fired
repeatedly as he crossed the span of the room and then let himself slam into the wall to stop his movement. Nash continued to fre past him, and he didn’t realize what A.J. was up to until it was
too late. A.J. lined up the smartlink and fred two quick shots. The
rounds, thick gel-flled sacs, slammed into Nash’s right eye and
then his exposed temple. Nash tumbled to the ground, flopping
uncontrolled.
纳什眨眼睁开的时候,A.J.的柯尔特已经拔出,举到高过腹部,打出了一轮子弹,正要正中他假冒的朋友。A.J.第二次朝腹部神经丛扣动扳机,第三次朝他估计两次冲击后纳什头部的智能链系统会在的位置。A.J.一边开火一边向右侧滑动,增加纳什挥动SMG的距离。
三轮子弹都结结实实地命中了,让独白中的反派跌跌撞撞地闭上了嘴。但还不够撂倒他。SMG怒吼着动了起来,纳什挥着它指向A.J.。
好几发子弹打中了A.J.的腹部和胸部,但都没有穿透织进防弹织物里的防弹板。但这不代表不会痛。子弹还有他的移动让A.J.打偏了,几发子弹朝纳什远方飞去,而纳什现在也在朝右边移动。纳什喷射着子弹,子弹打进了A.J.的身体护甲——前面是有意的,后面是反弹。
A.J.在尽量节省子弹,但他还是在到达位置后射出了几发。他绕着房间移动,终于找到了他真正想要的射击视线。他一边连续开枪一边冲过房间中间,然后把自己撞在墙上止住自己的移动。纳什继续朝他开火,没意识到A.J.的真正意图,直到为时已晚。A.J.对齐智能链,迅速射出两发结实的凝胶胶囊弹,一枚打中纳什的右眼,一枚打中他裸露的太阳穴。纳什摔倒在地,止不住地打滚。
剧透 - :
A.J. paused a moment to take in the scene. The AR display of
the local Matrix showed a beaten and battered Paimon, but no
black mass. The victory was not Paimon’s to claim, though. It was
a combination of A.J.’s and Nash’s actions that led to the end of
the blackness. Nash’s initial blind spray had put rounds into fve
of the eight. Three of the wounds weren’t serious but one was a
gutshot—those killed slow—and the last was a clean shot through
the head of the ork. They were enough to slow the blackness,
but A.J. laying into the rest of them with nine gel rounds set the
Matrix monstrosity up for Paimon’s fnishing touches.
The moment over, A.J. set to work tidying things up before
Paimon and Dorian joined him or Rain woke up. He managed to
bind Nash and the surviving members of the jacked octet, along
with Rain just in case, before a bedraggled Paimon and exhausted
Dorian stumbled into the room.
Over the next few minutes he briefed Paimon and Dorian on
what had transpired before setting them to a few new tasks. He
had expected Paimon to be upset that the Matrix victory was
not his alone, but the hacker gave a hearty and genuine thanks.
Dorian eyed the octet (now only a sextet) with a vindictive glare.
He had offered to summon a spirit to do the deed if A.J. was
squeamish. That step somehow made Dorian okay with killing in
cold blood. If the spirit did it, it wasn’t him. A.J. had tried to argue
it once, but fnally gave up, fguring that whatever helped Dorian
sleep at night was okay. A.J. was not near as worried about what
he had to do with the six—it was what he’d have to do with Nash
and Rain that had him off-balance.
A.J.停顿了一刻,观察这里的情况。本地网域的AR视野显现出一个遍体鳞伤的帕蒙,但那团黑色物质不见了。然而胜利不属于帕蒙。正是A.J.和纳什的行动终结了这团黑色。纳什最初的盲目喷射打中了八个中的五个。其中三个伤势不太严重,但有一个被击中了腹部——缓慢的死亡——最后是干净利落的一枪穿过了兽人的脑袋。这些足以拖慢黑雾,但A.J.把九颗凝胶弹送给了剩下的,困住了矩阵怪物,让帕蒙发起最后一击。
观察结束。A.J.着手清理战场等帕蒙和多利安过来、雷恩清醒。他设法把纳什和剩下还活着的连线八人组绑了起来,雷恩单独绑住,以防万一。随后大汗淋漓的帕蒙和精疲力尽的多利安跌跌撞撞地进了房间。
之后几分钟他简要地告诉帕蒙和多利安发生了什么,然后给了他们一些新任务。他原本以为帕蒙会因为不能独享矩阵胜利而不快,但骇客给了他一个真诚而衷心的感谢。
多利安用仇恨的视线地盯着八人组(现在是六人组)。他提出如果 A.J.的精神太纤细他可以召唤精魂了解这些事。这种做法让多利安不介意冷血地杀人。如果是精魂干的,那就和他没关系。 A.J.曾经和他争论过一次,但最终放弃了。他觉得不管怎样,只要能让多利安在夜晚睡得安心就好。 A.J.不太担心那这六人怎么办——怎么处理纳什和雷恩才是让他焦虑的。
A.J.让队友从星界扫描本地区域,同时寻找可靠的矩阵连接。他们周围的星界无恙;他们正位于一个栋小办公楼的地下室,离教堂有半英里远。矩阵很烂,帕蒙说杂讯太强,没法真正骇任何东西。但能打电话,能发信息。侦察结束后,A.J.让帕蒙沿着那些数据线寻找,多利安掩护。他的眼神让他们没有多说,A.J.确定他们理解了只有自己下了指令或者自己尖声呼救时他们才能才返回。
剧透 - :
When they left, A.J. took a pair of stim patches from his kit and
held them in his hands. He looked down at the two of them, arms
trussed behind their backs and considered his plan. In the end he
slapped them both at the same time and took a step back.
“WhatthefuckI’llkillyou,youpieceofshit!” Rain blurted all rolled together and flailed in his bonds. It took a moment for him to fully realize what was going on before he calmed and glared at A.J.,
“Ghost, A.J., untie me. Nash’s gone batshit.”
Nash’s eyes were slowly coming around, and he shook his
head repeatedly as if confused. Then he started to mumble. It
was the same thing over and over, but eventually A.J. could make
it out, “I have control. I can move. I have control.”
“Easy. Both of you. Time for a chat,” A.J. stood back from them
and talked loud and clear.
“A.J.. It wasn’t me. I’m not me. I’m me now. But I wasn’t me
then. I swear,” Nash ranted. He looked over at Rain. “Rain, man,
I’m so sorry. I must be infected. It’s taking me over. I had to watch
while it did everything. It was horrible. Please. Just kill me.”
“Please do, A.J.,” Rain added coldly.
“Not so fast, slick,” A.J. said to Rain, “I’m not sure you’re all
there either. You got the signs, too.”
“Are you fucking serious?” Rain spat the words. “I’ve been
covering your ass for how many years. Don’t you don’t think I’d
tell ya if I was gettin’ squirrelly? Well, ain’t that a big ol’ fuck-you!”
“It’s not him A.J.. It’s me. I’m infected. Give me your gun. I’ll do
myself. Please. Let me end this. I can’t keep watching the horror
show from inside my own head,” Nash pleaded.
A.J. thought about it. He owed Nash the courtesy of letting
him do it. A.J. certainly didn’t want innocent blood on his hands,
especially the innocent blood of his own friend. There was nothing he could do if Nash was infected. After a few seconds, A.J.
pulled the big Colt 2066 out of his holster and laid it in his old
friend’s lap. He slipped a knife from his belt and cut the plastic tie
that bound Nash’s hands.
Rain scrambled away from the pair. “Are you fucking nuts A.J.?
That thing is full of shit. If you can’t see that, you’re fred as our
face. You must be fucking blind.”
“Don’t worry Rain. It’ll be over soon,” Nash said apologetically
as he grabbed the big pistol and pressed it to his chin.
A.J. turned away and Rain screamed, “A.J. look out!” But A.J.
didn’t move at all. He heard the dry click of the trigger pull, but
the Colt was empty.
When A.J. heard Nash trying to scramble to his feet, he spun
and planted his boot square in the chest that had once belonged
to his old friend. He popped his second Colt from the holster with
a shrug of his shoulder and leveled the big pistol at the head of
what once was Nash.
“Can I still be your face?” A.J. said while looking at Rain. Then
he pulled the trigger.
他们离开后,A.J.从工具包里拿出两片兴奋贴放在手上。他朝下看着两人,把手扣在他们的背上,思考着自己的计划。最后他双手同时拍在两人身上,后退一步。
“你TM的什么鬼我要杀了你你这狗娘养的!”被捆起来、骨头被反扣的雷恩脱口大骂。他花了一会才完全意识到发生了什么,然后才冷静下来,盯着A.J.,“鬼魂,A.J.,解开我。纳什发神经了。”
纳什的眼睛慢慢睁开,他摇了几下头,似乎有点迷糊。然后他开始嘟哝。同样的声音不断重复,最后A.J.终于听懂了。“我能控制。我能动。我能控制。”
“轻松点,你们两个都是。聊天的时间到了。”A.J.从他们身边站开,大声而清晰地说。
“A.J.。不是我。我不是我。我现在是我了。但刚才我不是我。我发誓。”纳什大声辩白着。他看向雷恩。“雷恩,老兄,我很抱歉。我一定是被感染了。它控制了我。它干一切事情的时候我只能看着。太可怕了。拜托。直接杀了我吧。”
“请吧,A.J.。”雷恩冷冷地加上。
“别那么快,滑头。”A.J.对雷恩说。“我也不确定你是不是正常。你也有迹象。”
“你TM是认真的?”雷恩喷出这句。“我给你们擦屁股有多少多年了。你不觉得我要是疯了会告诉你们?好啊,这可不是个天大的操你TM的?”
“不是他,A.J.,是我。我被感染了。给我你的枪。我自己来。拜托了,让我结束这些。我不能一直在我自己的脑子里看恐怖秀。”纳什乞求着。
A.J.想了想。他欠纳什自我了断的尊严。A.J.当然不想手上沾染无辜的鲜血,尤其是自己朋友的无辜鲜血。要是纳什被感染了,他什么也做不了。若干秒后,A.J.从枪套取出他的柯尔特2066,放到老朋友的腿上。他从皮带上抽出一把小刀划开绑住纳什双手的塑料带。
雷恩从两人身边爬开。“你TM脑子有病啊A.J.?这玩意全是狗屎。你要是看不出,你这个出面人就被解雇了。你是TM的瞎了。”
“别担心雷恩。很快就会结束的。”纳什抱歉地说,一边抓起重型手枪抵住自己的脸颊。
A.J.转身,雷恩尖叫道,“A.J.小心!”但A.J.一动不动。他听见干巴巴的扳机叩响,但柯尔特是空的。
A.J.听见纳什挣扎着想站起来,他猛然回转,将靴子踩在曾经是自己老朋友的人的胸口。他一抖肩从枪套里抽出另一把柯尔特,将重型手枪举到曾经是纳什的人的头部。
“我还是你们的出面人吗?”他看着雷恩问。然后扣下扳机。