Sasha and Kiwi were the last to enter the workshop. Their moods were completely different yet carried a similar gravity.
Sasha's mood was the most complex and inexpressible.
She had once teetered on the brink of death, her body like a shattered doll, most of her bones fractured, her internal organs severely damaged.
It was Osiris, using technical means she couldn't comprehend, who forcibly pulled her back from the precipice of complete annihilation.
That emergency modification had replaced almost all her original components, except for her brain and some core nervous systems, allowing her to be reborn in an almost "inhuman" form.
Standing here now, facing a deeper level of "upgrade," her heart was a mix of gratitude towards her creator, apprehension about the unknown, and a hint of confusion about her own form of existence—was this body, almost entirely composed of metal and synthetic tissue, still considered "Sasha"?
Kiwi, on the other hand, was driven more by a technician's curiosity and a barely perceptible awe.
She had personally experienced Osiris' god-like terrifying power, capable of instantly paralyzing an entire corporate squad through the network.
That experience of having her consciousness forcibly taken over and her body used as a springboard completely overturned her understanding of "hacking technology."
She yearned to understand, to master this digital warfare technology that transcended Night City's scope of comprehension, though deep down, she still maintained a degree of vigilance towards this power and its origins.
Osiris' tall, dark-red figure stood by the workbench, his crimson optical lenses scanning the two, without any superfluous emotional expression or small talk.
"Your existing systems are inefficient and do not match the team's future combat needs," his flat, synthesized voice echoed in the workshop, as if stating an objective fact. "The modifications will focus on the head and nervous system, replacing the outdated network access ports and netrunner suites."
The surgical process was precise, efficient, and even, one might say, ruthless.
The original implants, belonging to the Cyberpunk World, were removed one by one, replaced by Adeptus Mechanicus standard electronic warfare prosthetics.
These newly implanted structures were more complex, highly integrated, with sharp, functional lines, exuding a pure, inhuman sense of efficiency.
The process of neural connection was accompanied by subtle energy fluctuations and data stream synchronization. Sasha and Kiwi could feel that something larger and colder was interfacing with their consciousnesses.
"Modifications complete," Osiris' voice pulled their consciousnesses back to reality. "Your original hacking equipment has been removed. The new system is a node unit built for electronic warfare requirements."
He began to explain the specific functions of this new system, his tone like someone reading a technical manual: "First, individual combat capability. In a solo state, either of you can actively deploy a powerful electronic warfare field with a radius of approximately one kilometer.
This field is not merely simple signal interference; it can release modulated, high-intensity electromagnetic pulses and a torrent of data junk code.
It is sufficient to instantly overload and burn out all 'insufficiently protected' civilian and some standard military-grade electronic equipment within its range.
This means that most unshielded prosthetics, communicators, drones, and vehicle control systems will be paralyzed the moment the field is deployed."
"Second, collaborative combat mode. When both of you are within effective connection distance and operating collaboratively, the system's power and range can be stacked and amplified.
The coverage of the electronic warfare field can be expanded to a maximum diameter of five kilometers.
At the same time, you can establish a relatively stable regional encrypted communication network, providing reliable command and intelligence links for our units in complex electromagnetic environments."
Osiris concluded: "In short, the core advantage of this system is that it targets all enemies reliant on precise electronic equipment and network connections.
In this world where most combat personnel are highly cybernetically enhanced, its effectiveness will be maximized."
Sasha slowly raised her hand. She tried to subtly manipulate her newly acquired power, and a few almost imperceptible, faint arcs of dangerous blue light instantly sparked at her fingertips. A faint ionized scent permeated the air.
She could "feel" the invisible electromagnetic signals in the surrounding space, which now seemed to have contours and colors, forming a new, information-based layer of perception.
She took a deep breath, suppressing the flicker of self-identity confusion in her heart, and focused on the sense of control brought by this new power.
Kiwi's reaction was more direct and focused.
Almost the moment the system activated, she became immersed in the vast ocean of data perception.
She could clearly "see" wireless data packets flowing through the air, "hear" the electromagnetic whispers emitted by distant workshop equipment in standby, and even vaguely perceive the identification signals from implants on Maine and others outside the Wasteland Town.
What Osiris had given her was no longer the skill of hiding in data shadows to find system backdoors, but the authority to crush enemies head-on, controlling the entire information battlefield with absolute power.
This leap in power level made her previously mastered hacking techniques seem like child's play.
For the first time, she truly realized that her decision to join this team was perhaps the most correct and most disruptive decision of her professional career.
When Sasha and Kiwi walked out of the workshop together, their external changes were not as obvious as those of the other team members, but their demeanor had undergone a subtle transformation.
Sasha became more serene, as if an invisible data stream quietly flowed in the depths of her eyes, carrying a clarity and detachment born from experiencing life, death, and reshaping.
Kiwi, on the other hand, shed some of her previous coldness and wariness, replaced by a focus and intensity for exploring unknown technological domains. Her gaze became sharper, as if it could penetrate material surfaces and directly perceive their inner electronic souls.
The two of them were no longer hackers in the traditional sense.
They were mobile electronic warfare fortresses, invisible information barriers, strategic-level units capable of reverting tech-dependent enemies to a primitive state in an instant.
In future battles, they would not need to pull a trigger directly; their very existence would be enough to carve out an absolute advantage in the dimension of information for the team, or, when Osiris needed it, transform into an all-encompassing electronic storm.
In fact, measured by the technological standards of the Cyberpunk World, the electronic warfare capabilities Sasha and Kiwi now possessed had reached a level akin to strategic deterrence.
Osiris' internal simulations showed that if the two of them, working together, unleashed their full power without regard for consequences, their superimposed and amplified electronic warfare field could cover the core area of Night City.
At that time, the nervous systems and prosthetics of most residents in the city—those citizens highly dependent on implants for basic physiological functions or social connections—would suffer devastating damage, equivalent to an indiscriminate electronic massacre targeting the entire city.
The city's infrastructure, communication networks, and transportation systems would also fall into complete paralysis.
This terrifying effect was not because the Adeptus Mechanicus' electronic warfare technology itself was designed for such large-scale, non-selective attacks, but rather stemmed from the Cyberpunk World's "unpreparedness" against it.
This world's tech tree is extremely biased towards digitalization and network interconnection. Whether it's human augmentation or social operation, it deeply relies on precise, yet generally unprotected, implants and devices that lack the ability to withstand high-intensity, specific electronic impacts.
In the Warhammer Universe, to cope with various harsh battlefield environments, important military equipment, vehicles, and even Space Marines' power armor are equipped with corresponding levels of protection and shielding measures.
However, Night City's general technological level, when facing the high-power electronic warfare of the Adeptus Mechanicus—designed for brutal galactic wars to paralyze automated combat machines, and disrupt enemy communications and sensors—its inherent fragility is exposed without a doubt.
Perhaps some top-tier Militech prototype equipment or Arasaka's core security systems could resist for a moment with special structures or independent networks, but under a tsunami-like assault of electronic junk code specifically targeting their underlying protocols and energy characteristics, such resistance is destined to be short-lived.