The design of the initial Microbots was extrely simple. Alone, a single Microbot wasn't much. The real play behind it was how quickly they could beco one; multiple Microbots connected with each other to form a strong structure.
However, by then, Cypher had enough understanding of tech and had enough pre-existing tech that he could upgrade it. He had better hardware, software, and of course, AI. The first Microbot he made was exactly as the Itch told him. Once that Itch was gone from his head, he fully upgraded that sa Microbot.
He used Arc Alloy and Arc Performance steel from the Leaper for the external structure. Having made Atlas and his Shell, he had the ability to make computer components so small that they could fit inside the Microbot. It was nothing special, just a simple control unit that allowed the Microbot to be aware of others around it and coordinate with them in the most optimal way.
The core tech of a Microbot was just its body, its control unit, a powercell, and its ability to charge from any electrical energy source. It didn't need a particular socket or port. Heck, multiple Microbots could charge each other as long as they were connected to each other, and then to a power source.
Still, to extend their battery life, he deconstructed the Advanced Arc Powercell, used his understanding of the power source of his Sonic Screwdriver, and created a new miniature battery. It was ordinary to look at, a small, round cell. The great thing about it was how much charge it could store. With it, a single Microbot could stay charged for at least five days on heavy use, and weeks on standby. In addition, he added EMP shielding to them, a highly necessary feature in that world.
Then ca the controller of those Microbots. A headgear shaped like a band one would place on their scalp. It was a fantastic thing, Cypher realised. Unlike the tech of Cyberpunk that interacted with a person's head and required a neural link installed, this Microbot controller could sohow interact with the brain without any secondary device.
It was just a headband with basic AI that converted brainwaves into instructions for the Microbots. It managed to shape them or make them perform the required tasks. However, Cypher realised there were many other ways to do that.
One could use a hand controller to do the sa. For soone with Neural Link installed, they could control the Microbots with it. Of course, that required connecting to CitiNet, sothing Cypher refused to do.
Instead, he decided to keep his Microbots on a local network controlled by Atlas, who managed it and protected it. All he needed to do was place an antenna on his rooftop to extend the range. But then he thought of sothing else.
The Microbots already had wireless capabilities. That was how they communicated with each other and perford tasks. All he needed to do was increase their transmission and receiver strength. That was enough to control the Microbots that would work in his ho.
As for any Microbots outside. He feared he really needed to install an antenna, and maybe get so of those dormant satellites up and running that Atlas had found.
While he took Atlas' help to rewrite the secondary, not-intelligent AI to control the Microbots so Atlas didn't need to constantly watch over them, Cypher busied himself with a new inspiration.
Using the design of the original headgear, he tried to see if it could also transmit data into soone's brain without needing a Neural Link.
"Atlas, look at this," Cypher asked when he finished working on his original Braindance Wreath. He tweaked it, keeping its transmission capabilities while adding the Microbot headgear controller's ability to read the mind. The thing was truly advanced for what it was. While most things were simple, its one ability to interact with the mind far exceeded anything out there.
"The device appears to have all installations completed correctly. Do you intend to try it? I would counsel against it. It cannot substitute a Braindance Wreath and Neural Link. A braindance communes with the mind, where touch, sll, pain, ideas, vision, and everything are reshaped. This wireless device is limited."
"Yeah, I know, Atlas. I'm not trying to stream BD on this thing. I can't stand BDs anymore anyway. I just wanna see if it can handle basic comms, you know, make calls, take calls, pull up maps in my head."
Atlas seed to quickly grasp what Cypher intended. "You seek to replace the need for those glasses to communicate with ?"
"Bingo! They're annoying as shit. I bet I can shrink this transmitter and receiver down, cut all the useless junk. Maybe an earring, nose ring, hairband, or just a chain on my neck. We gotta test it though. I'll wear it on my head, you're controlling the signal, and you ease data into my mind. Start with numbers, then words, then lines, then longer chunks, then your voice. After that, see if you can push images too. Just watch my brain, alright. If it gets sketchy, we'll stop."
"I will do that, Cyph. Whenever you're ready."
Cypher sat down on a chair, removed his glasses, and placed the BD Wreath on his head. He pressed the power button, and this ti those blinding lights didn't appear in front of his eyes. Instead, he couldn't even tell if the thing was turned on.
"Feeding you the simple data." Atlas' voice rang through the nearby actual loudspeaker.
Cypher closed his eyes and waited.
Hm? Feels as if… Soone's tickling inside my head, and I can't do shit about it.
"Sixty… Nine?" Cypher murmured what he perceived in his mind. "I seriously doubt what kind of trash you're accessing on the Old Net, Atlas."
"..."
"Sending you longer strings." Atlas completely ignored Cypher's words.
"Ah! Got it… 420… Get serious, fucker!"
"Sending you words, Cyph."
Cypher read them. They didn't flash in his mind like an image, but more as a thought, and an idea that scread at him to notice it. The first word was 'ga', then longer words 'connection', and then strings of words. Before long, Atlas was sending him entire paragraphs.
But it had to be in order, like reading a book. It couldn't be all pushed into his mind like a chunk. He wasn't able to understand that, and all the words were jumbled up. That ant there was a limitation to how data flowed in.
"Flashing you an image."
Cypher waited. This ti it took so ti as the data had to be uniform and one-directional.
"Ah!" Cypher exclaid. "Hold up… is that a nude of Jennifer Connelly? Damn, look at those. Where the hell did you even dig that up?"
"On the Old Net. Cypher, I must inquire. By what ans do you know of her? Records indicate she died in the year twenty twenty, prior to DataKrash. Beyond her na, the CitiNet holds nothing. Not even an image. I find myself curious how you know her well enough to recognize her."
"..."
Fucker laid a trap.
"Does it matter?" Cypher asked.
"It does not alter the outco. Yet I cannot cease my curiosity. Earlier, you displayed impossible insight regarding Song So-Mi, a woman who exists in absolute secrecy. My simulations converge on two possibilities. Either you belong to an exceedingly influential secret society, or your lifespan has surpassed seventy years."
"..."
Cypher silently thought about it. To tell Atlas everything or not. Telling would save him trouble in the future. But how do you tell soone that they are a fictional character? Or that Night City was a re source of entertainnt to him once.
Half-truths then?
He settled on that, for now. While he had no doubt that Atlas would remain loyal to him, he didn't know what kind of existential crisis Atlas would face if he revealed the Mind AI's origins, which were likely as fictional as Night City, the Sonic Screwdriver, and the Leaper. It was a pattern he had recognised.
"Wrong on both counts. I'm just an old soul reborn into right now, and yeah, I kept the whole mory package," Cypher revealed, keeping it true but also vague.
"Ah!" Cypher noticed another image appear in his head. This one had words written on it with a white background. It said, 'Makes sense. Acceptable for now'. Followed by another nude of Jennifer.
"..."
Can't ever lie to him, can I? Man's an AI God.
"I will transmit the audio now, Cypher."
Cypher prepared himself for so jokes again. But no, he instead got to hear classical music that people would play in elevators. He recognised the lody, but couldn't recall the na. He tried to focus on other things at the sa ti to see if it could really replace a Neural Link.
"I shall make it more complex next."
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Advance chapters on [PATREON] are in long-form format. I have 6 long chapters of this story on P@treon. That's equal to 24-26 Webnovel chapters.
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