Corpo Age-Chapter 261: Other Side of the Coin
I took the time to think things over before I accepted the supposed leader of the enemy force’s invitation for a chat. It gave me time to inspect the equipment of the people before me. They had managed to box us in quickly and could not be underestimated.
Their slim design hid much of the details of their equipment. I wasn’t able to find any exploitable weaknesses, but I did notice the different types of power armor they wore. Like with the force that had rescued me from Nova Tech’s clutches, these people employed several models of power armor. Each type specialized in a role, allowing their strengths to be more pronounced while being able to cover each other’s weaknesses.
It was a feat only achievable with a large team of technicians and researchers, who could constantly upgrade and refresh several different models consecutively. For that reason, our company only employed one general-use type of power armor so far.
Since they are open to diplomacy, I better make use of it then. A frontal fight with these guys isn’t worth it. I’m okay with giving up this hijacking mission and retreating.
Despite having caught us in their trap, they were surprisingly patient with us. Perhaps they had a hint about the trump card I held or they were confident the situation was under their control. Either way, the more time we brought, the more advantageous it was for us. Our reinforcements were coming.
Even if they had reinforcements themselves, they were definitely further away than ours. There were only so many hidden compartments they could hide in. It was exponentially more likely for their allies to be another fleet waiting nearby rather than lurking around the hull.
I took all these facts into account as I prepared for the upcoming talks.
“Mr. Vexel, it is an honor for you to invite me to speak with you despite the circumstances. What can I do for you?”
“Don’t worry, I am not here to coerce you into anything. Only barbarians do that. I wanted to speak with you regarding mutually beneficial matters.”
“Mutually beneficial matters? I fail to see anything that fits that bill. We’re not exactly on good terms currently,” I pointed out.
“That’s only so because of our current misunderstanding. A misunderstanding your patron seems determined to uphold. Tell me, Mr. Halls, are you satisfied with how our current society operates? From what I learned of you, I believe you share a dissatisfaction with the current order as well.”
I narrowed my eyes as I remembered the conversation I had with NPC regarding this Silas Vexel, who he was at war with.
Silas was a talented businessman. He had superior business acumen and the cunning to navigate through corporate intrigues. However, he was of the mind that only a select few should reign over the stupider majority.
“No matter how I feel about how runs are currently run, I don’t think I can agree with your approach of lording over everyone else. Humans aren’t sheep that need to be shepherded around.”
“Yes, I see that your patron has told you a few things about me, but not the full picture. At first, my plan may sound unethical and I admit that, but it isn’t formulated on a whim or because I am blinded by power. I’ve done thorough studies on how society forms and is managed. I’ve found a way to steer the ship known as humanity back on course before we run ourselves into the abyss any further.”
“You can sugarcoat or justify it all you want. At the end of the day, you still want to rule over everyone else and dictate their lives, right?”
“Open your eyes, Mr. Halls. Do you see how bad the current order is? I’ve climbed my way up the corporate ladder from the bottom, and you had a similar experience, so you should know as well. Allowing everyone to act freely is only enabling the strong to take more from the weak. The rich are getting richer, with their greed growing rather than being sated. ”
He paused to check if I was with him before shaking his head as he continued.
“Ethics should no longer be a concern when our race is on the brink of becoming nothing but animals in human skin. In fact, most people are almost indistinguishable from animals. It’s just that they have an extra layer to their animal instincts called culture. Their mind just go through an additional checklist, just the same as with their animal instincts. They are incapable of critical thinking. It’s why the few critical thinkers are able to manipulate them so easily with propaganda. Minimum wage is just another way to put slavery, except the owners don’t even have to care for their health. The only way to change this is if someone takes drastic action.”
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“If that is what you’re so worried about, then have you heard of my patron’s plans? It addresses the same issue as you, but without the overbearing dictatorship you propose.”
“AI? Ha! These fancy methods are a lot more susceptible than you think. Even if we manage to implement them perfectly, if we encounter a more advanced race—no, just coming across the right sort of genius could undermine such an inflexible system. There can be no room to game the system. Only real humans can ensure that.”
As much as I saw Silas’ point, it still appeared he just wanted to be the one in charge. I shook my head upon realizing that. He may have sounded righteous, but it was hard to believe he had no ulterior motives.
“Please, Mr. Halls. You must realize. The supporters on your side have hidden their greedy intentions behind this AI initiative of your patron’s. There’s no way they’ve become so united at the prospect of being ruled by others, whether it be me or an AI. They’re just putting on a front in order to stand up to my group. They know I’m right. My research on Eden proves it.” He turned his gaze to the figure in power armor across from me. “Send him the information regarding Project Eden.”
I quickly got a transfer request, which I carefully accepted in a sandbox my SAID set up. I carefully scanned it for any malicious software before perusing its contents.
It was the research data about Silas’ proposed management system, where he had the final say. He had tested it with a bunch of settlers and clones on a planet SocialCorp managed to terraform into habitable conditions.
Within the data listed all the improvements such a system had. It cut down on all the waste our society currently had and utilized the citizens more effectively so they could contribute toward society.
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At the same time, it also listed the preventative measures it took to prevent any disruptions. Troublemakers were harshly punished and dissidents were disposed of. It forced harmony among the test subjects, but its merits were hard to question. Overall showed promising results. It gave Silas enough confidence to try to implement it in the real world.
“I know about your powers,” Silas continued by dropping a bombshell of his own.
I knew it was a possibility considering NPC knew about it. It would be more strange if he was the only one that did. Many people must’ve studied the rise of the Gamer after he had made himself known by pulling off an eye-catching attack on the spaceport.
Those who were targeted by him must’ve spared no effort to figure out his origins and how to prevent others from replicating his feats.
I personally hadn’t met the Gamer, but from second-hand information, it was apparent he focused his upgrade points on personal combat capabilities. It should’ve been quite easy for the observant to notice his gradual gain in strength.
“Do not let your patron abuse them for the sake of the undeserving. If you truly care about the world and your loved ones, you should assist me in righting society. Only once it is back on track can we relinquish some control back to the masses.”
“Look. Can we agree to disagree? It’s obvious you seriously look down on the general public, and I don’t agree with that. There are numerous talented people I hired among them. They’re not the children that you think they are. They don’t need your guidance, but an effective system that can reward them for their efforts.”
“These idiots can’t be trusted to make any important decisions!” Silas screamed. “Just look at my Cloudpuff. A little marketing and telling them it’s cool is all it takes to make them addicted to our new product. They’re literally brainwashed to pay money for something bad for them.”
Is Cloudpuff bad for people? That’s a new one for me, but so is alcohol, so I can’t really say anything without knowing the details.
I allowed Silas to continue venting. Interrupting him could just make him emotional, prompting him to order his men to fight us to the death.
“They’re so stupid they prioritize mindless entertainment over their security. Trusting them with the future of our race is just sending us all to our doom. Instead of letting these clowns get increasingly complacent, we will show them how to be of use.”
After going off on a tangent some more, Silas finally calmed down and looked me straight in the eye. He sighed and shook his head, as if realizing his efforts had been in vain. I would not join him, which led to his next course of action.
“I understand. In that case, don’t say I hadn’t tried. If you insist on protecting these greedy sheep, then I’ll have to deal with you accordingly. Go ahead, Gunther.”
Almost immediately, the man facilitating the call turned off the projection and lunged at me. He was wearing the most advanced power armor among them, and the one I had to worry about the most.
I trusted Thorne to intercept him as I activated an old but improved function of our power armor.
The entire bridge we were in was filled with a silverish gas that shone as if it were filled with glitter. This smokescreen was part of the original features of the power armor, so I improved it as best I could. The knowledge involved was exactly where I excelled in: stealth technology and electrical engineering.
This new iteration not only blocked all sensors and communications of our enemies, it also acted as an effective EMP attack. Electronics that hadn’t been specially treated would fry if enough of this gas slipped in. Meanwhile, our own allies were immune to these debilitating effects.
This meant fighting in this smokescreen gave us a huge advantage. We could chip away at our opponents, staying unseen. If they take even the slightest damage, it could allow just enough particles into their systems to destroy them.
However, despite all these advantages, I didn’t press our luck. Instead of fighting the dozen strong force around us, we used the cover of the smoke to escape. We only lashed out to slow them down.
Now wasn’t the time to be fighting. That was only after our reinforcements came. Even then, I planned to keep the option of retreating well within reach.
