Fraudlin finished his cigarette in no time. His only breakfast was a cup of instant coffee — all he could afford after a night at a casino. Instead of brushing his teeth, he rinsed his mouth with another bitter sip, then sprayed himself with cologne to mask the smell of sweat and questionable places. The young gambler, fired up on adrenaline, often neglected basic hygiene, but today there was another, far more serious reason: an informant had delivered alarming news. And he had to move fast.
His head felt like a dusty chest that had suddenly been thrown open. Fraudlin rushed out of the house the moment he realised something irreversible was about to happen. Nearly tripping over his own feet, he reached the comms point to send Spacelunch the coordinates through a secure channel. His thin fingers trembled as he dialled. The first call was declined. The second…
“Yeah?”
“Urgent! Cat is with you right now — and he’s in danger!”
“What are you talking about?!”
“Well, technically, he’s with another you. One of the Aerospace Corporation’s goons stole your smart-bracelet. They activated the portal and sent a double after your friend to eliminate him and frame you. I’m sending the location!”
The professor sprang to his feet, turned suddenly pale, and fainted. Strained nerves mixed with alcohol made a toxic blend. Now, only luck could change the course of what was coming.
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Fraudlin finished his cigarette in no time. His only breakfast was a cup of instant coffee — all he could afford after a night at a casino. Instead of brushing his teeth, he rinsed his mouth with another bitter sip, then sprayed himself with cologne to mask the smell of sweat and questionable places. The young gambler, fired up on adrenaline, often neglected basic hygiene, but today there was another, far more serious reason: an informant had delivered alarming news. And he had to move fast.
His head felt like a dusty chest that had suddenly been thrown open. Fraudlin rushed out of the house the moment he realised something irreversible was about to happen. Nearly tripping over his own feet, he reached the comms point to send Spacelunch the coordinates through a secure channel. His thin fingers trembled as he dialled. The first call was declined. The second…
“Yeah?”
“Urgent! Cat is with you right now — and he’s in danger!”
“What are you talking about?!”
“Well, technically, he’s with another you. One of the Aerospace Corporation’s goons stole your smart-bracelet. They activated the portal and sent a double after your friend to eliminate him and frame you. I’m sending the location!”
The professor sprang to his feet, turned suddenly pale, and fainted. Strained nerves mixed with alcohol made a toxic blend. Now, only luck could change the course of what was coming.
Somewhere in the mobile lab…
“As soon as the instructions have arrived, we will open the portal.”
“Uploading the memory… and done!”
Everything was going according to plan. Two figures in matte suits stood by the station where a smart bracelet was secured. Its flickering indicator showed that the synchronisation and data reading were in progress. The lines from the Protocol lit up on the holographic panel, along with Spacelunch’s face and the message: “Cloning completed successfully. Compatibility confirmed. Double awaiting command.” The professor’s copy looked more convincing than the original. The only thing left was to activate the teleport via a special procedure and send the double to Chinatown, for which the coordinates were preloaded.
For millennia, the best minds of the Aerospace Corporation had built their reputation on cutting-edge tech. But at what cost? The Cybernetics Department had long mastered the art of acquiring — by any means necessary — external breakthroughs and weaving them into their own algorithms. This wasn’t just about innovation anymore. It was a confrontation. And its final result would be a delicacy for any of the Minimal Antagonist’s protégés.
spclnch
Fraudlin finished his cigarette in no time. His only breakfast was a cup of instant coffee — all he could afford after a night at a casino. Instead of brushing his teeth, he rinsed his mouth with another bitter sip, then sprayed himself with cologne to mask the smell of sweat and questionable places. The young gambler, fired up on adrenaline, often neglected basic hygiene, but today there was another, far more serious reason: an informant had delivered alarming news. And he had to move fast.
His head felt like a dusty chest that had suddenly been thrown open. Fraudlin rushed out of the house the moment he realised something irreversible was about to happen. Nearly tripping over his own feet, he reached the comms point to send Spacelunch the coordinates through a secure channel. His thin fingers trembled as he dialled. The first call was declined. The second…
“Yeah?”
“Urgent! Cat is with you right now — and he’s in danger!”
“What are you talking about?!”
“Well, technically, he’s with another you. One of the Aerospace Corporation’s goons stole your smart-bracelet. They activated the portal and sent a double after your friend to eliminate him and frame you. I’m sending the location!”
The professor sprang to his feet, turned suddenly pale, and fainted. Strained nerves mixed with alcohol made a toxic blend. Now, only luck could change the course of what was coming.
