Chapter 2

Now you're all set!

What's this?

Everyone here in the Future Society is equipped with a device like this and an implant. They're also assigned a serial number. It's how things are run here.

Since you had neither of those when you arrived, the alarms started ringing and the machines came to chase you down.

I see! So with these, I should be safe.

For now, you should be fine.

So... Do you happen to know of a way to get me back to my own world?

Hold on. I'm looking into that right now.

I'm a hacker, so helping people who're outside the system is kind of what I do.

Huh? This is weird. I can't access the mainframe.

What does that mean? You can't send me home after all?

I've got an idea! How about I show you around? We can look for a place or a landmark that you remember seeing.

If we can find the place you arrived, we might also find a clue to help us send you back.

All right! No time like the present! Let's get searching.

This area is a slum district. Rich folks and the corporations that control the Network are all in the central district, surrounded by the towers.

I see...

Beep! Beep!

Intruder detected. Intruder detected.

Me?! Come on, I've even got the thingy attached!

That's not what set off the alarm. Something's not right.

There might be some kind of system error.

Intruder detected. Initializing assault program modules.

Whoah, whoah, whoah! These guys are coming in from everywhere!

Let's get away from here, for now.

Right!