Infiltrating Heliopolis
It was midday in ARC City, and the sun was at its highest point. Even though the city streets were a maze, the sun's rays still managed to peek through and reach the ground.
Standing before the entrance to Heliopolis Life Sciences Pharmaceutical, a weary Shu tilted his head back. The sunlight stung his eyes, forcing him to squint and raise a hand to shield them.
Through the glare, he made out the four neon characters bathed in the midday sun:
[Heliopolis Life Sciences Pharmaceutical]
The characters seemed to glow, radiating an almost overwhelming brilliance.
"No time for sunbathing…" Shu muttered, lowering his head and pushing open the glass doors.
_"Beep! Unauthorized entry! Warning! Please remain where you are!_" A piercing alarm blared the moment he stepped inside.
Shu looked down, noticing several red dots appearing on his body.
Damn it, Heliopolis, always so over the top!
He stared as humanoid robots, red targeting lasers fixed on him, came sprinting from the distance. For a moment, he froze.
Then he saw one of the robots draw a crackling stun baton.
Shu didn't hesitate. He turned and ran.
Not out of the building—Heliopolis only had one main entrance. He had to get in.
Which meant…
He had to deal with these security robots.
But he didn't want to waste his [hope] on them. So, he decided to test a theory.
Maybe they were as shortsighted as the robots in games?
He sprinted to a nearby corner, crouching and holding his breath, observing the first wave of pursuers.
They didn't hesitate, turning on a dime and heading straight for him.
Games lied!
A grimace twisted Shu's features. He had no choice but to run.
He tore across the vast lobby, pursued by a growing swarm of robots. Each one brandished a crackling stun baton, eager to bring it down on the "intruder."
Despite the relentless pursuit, Shu felt oddly… relaxed. It was a strange sort of freedom.
When was the last time he'd run like this?
Fleeing the Honkai Emperor with Kiana and the others in Shanghai City?
Leading the shelter survivors to safety?
Or even earlier, in Nagazora, making his way to the train station with Mei and Bronya?
Actually, the very first time was shortly after meeting Kiana, escaping from that convenience store…
He'd changed so much since then…
Back then, he hadn't thought about anything except running. Following Kiana.
And damn, Kiana, you're fast!
No, no, now's not the time for this!
Shu shook his head, clearing his thoughts.
Glancing back, he saw the pursuing robots were gaining on him.
They're persistent! He thought he was a fast runner...
Maybe that's why Heliopolis used these robots?
No, focus!
He smacked himself on the head, scanning the lobby. There were several doors, but they all required authentication. He'd have to stop, find an interface, and plug in the drive.
Stop…
He glanced back. It looked like every robot in the lobby was now chasing him.
No stopping!
He turned back, his eyes catching a flicker of red.
Huh? A robot that hadn't joined the chase?
He focused on the stationary red dot.
It wasn't a robot.
It was a security camera, mounted on the ceiling, tracking his every move.
Surveillance: Excellent.
Shu gritted his teeth. So, they were shortsighted. The real culprit was this evil, all-seeing eye!
I hate cheaters!
Having identified the likely source of the problem, he decided to test his theory.
As for collateral damage… well, the chaos caused by rampaging security robots would be far greater than the consequences of smashing a camera.
No one would hold him accountable in the apocalypse… as long as he didn't tell.
He grabbed a nearby vase and hurled it at the camera. The vase, probably worth a fortune, shattered against the lens. Water dripped from the camera, a small flower stuck to the corner. It continued to watch him impassively.
Tough little bugger.
Shu's eye twitched. He spun around, grabbed a robot that had gotten close, and swung it like a club, sending it flying towards the camera.
This used a bit of [hope]. Fortunately, based on last night's experience, he'd had Kiana prepare about 50 minor [wishes] for him this morning.
These minor reality bends didn't consume much [hope] and had been incredibly useful for scouting earlier.
Although Kiana had given him a strange look after spending half an hour prepping them.
I'm probably not getting a full meal when we get back to the train.
Unlike the expensive vase, the robot, worth considerably less than the vase's shards, was far more effective. It smashed into the camera, ripping it from its mount. Sparks flew from the severed wires. The camera flickered twice, then went dark.
Shu immediately checked the other robots.
Two of them paused, but most continued their relentless pursuit.
Wrong?
He frowned, running another half-circle around the lobby.
As he reached a secluded corner, the robots suddenly stopped, seemingly losing sight of him. They began to wander aimlessly.
A surveillance blind spot?
Shu paused, catching his breath. He finally had a chance to properly examine the lobby.
Sure enough, he spotted faint red glimmers in hidden corners.
There's more than one camera. Of course.
Heliopolis's security was deviously thorough. Hidden cameras in a wide-open lobby?
Something's not right.
He turned to the emergency evacuation map hanging in the center of the lobby, studying it carefully. He quickly identified two stairwells.
Neither was in a blind spot.
I'll have to smash those hidden cameras too…
He sighed, looking at the robots still searching blindly outside the blind spot.
Well, at least there are fewer cameras than robots.
Otherwise, he might as well just wade into the swarm and start smashing. It was practically one-to-one, a robot for every camera.
Without the cameras guiding them, the robots were finally as clueless as those in games.
Shu crept up behind one of the robots and twisted its head.
Huh?
It just… deactivated?
He poked the motionless robot, surprised. It was completely unresponsive. He turned it over, examining it, trying to understand how a robot could be designed to shut down from a simple head twist.
[Manufactured in Future City]
Future City makes defective products?
Regardless of the questionable design, the materials were sturdy. He grabbed the robot by the legs and swung it again, sending it crashing into another camera.
With the expanding blind spots, the robots became even more disoriented. Shu took advantage of the confusion, disabling a few more, clearing a path towards his target.
These robots are strangely… humanoid. The CPU was in the head, the power core in the chest.
No wonder twisting the head severed the connection. It was clearly designed like a human heart and brain! Why would Future City do that? To make them seem more relatable? To show off their lifelike engineering?
They're not even wearing skin.
Full of questions, Shu reached the main security door. Seeing it still powered, he marveled again at Heliopolis's self-sufficient energy system. But that wasn't even the most impressive part, according to Natasha.
He searched near the door, finally finding a port that matched the drive.
He plugged it in with a click. The lobby lights flashed red, and the piercing alarm blared again.
Here we go.
The sudden noise startled him. He held tight to the drive, glancing nervously around. Seeing no more robots approaching, he relaxed slightly.
The alarm cut off after ten seconds. The lights returned to normal, and the robots continued their aimless search.
If there was anyone in the control room, they might have been able to coordinate a proper search.
But it looks like no one's home.
Shu pulled out the drive and headed through the now-open security door.
Beyond lay a familiar corridor, leading to a set of double metal doors, already open.
No need to find another port.
He quickened his pace, reaching the doors. Beyond lay a stairway leading down to the basement level.
Rows of desks and computers filled the space. It looked more like an IT firm than a pharmaceutical company.
And there were more security robots patrolling.
Shu glanced up, making eye contact with a security camera on the ceiling.
"Sigh…" He grabbed a nearby fire extinguisher.
"Crash!"
The approaching robot froze.
Shu dusted off his hands, strolling casually through the newly created blind spot towards an elevator. There were no stairs leading further down. He had to use the elevator.
The doors opened. Shu peered inside cautiously before stepping in.
"The main database is on B3..." he muttered, looking at the buttons. "Wait… there are thirteen basement levels?! Did they hollow out the entire earth beneath this place?"
"Whatever. B3 it is…" He paused, rubbing his eyes and looking again.
"One, two, four… where's three?!"
He stepped back out of the elevator, his mind racing.
Natasha hadn't mentioned this.
Was B3 so important that the public elevators didn't go there?
It was possible. It was the main database…
Could he just smash through the floor and get to B3 that way?