Forsaken 2027 Read online

  Cain needed to clear the image of the breast and nipple, he banged his head in frustration against the doors of the elevator after they closed. How can I lust after her when I’m not a complete man? But if I were I’d ask her out for a date at least, wheelchair or not.

  He sat in silence wishing things were different, but then he would not be here. Cain exited the elevator and rolled past that floors reception saying hi to those he saw as he headed for his office. His name tag on the door proclaiming this his space. Mr Cain Thomas. Head of Global Security. Free wheeling from the door over to his desk Cain was thankful that it was adaptable in its height to lower itself to his wheelchair height.

  There was also a charging loop built into the floor, for charging the batteries on his chair, which provided a slight charge to his legs. Cain guided the wheelchair under his desk, hearing the magnetic charging point attach to the wheelchair. Frustrated from the incident in the foyer Cain soon lost himself as he worked through several emails and attached documents, the morning passed, engrossed through a flurry of work.

  As head of Global Security, he ensured the close protection teams protected the key company personnel and their home buildings around the world. His former role for the EC government gave him the skills in overseeing multiple teams of protection officers. In his two years at the firm, he’d lost one of his persons of interest when an incident happened in Paris.

  That person, Jason White, disappeared, not kidnapped, as they found no ransom note no calls or social media demands, nothing. Jason White, just disappeared leaving no traces for investigators to follow. All his bank accounts lay untouched until being closed by the police.

  That was nine months since that incident. Jason White, worked at the company for ten years, the same time company had existed. He was a key designer of the company’s new VRMMORPG, Forsaken. The game already in limited testing was beginning immersive beta testing tomorrow. From the company’s internal management news bulletin Square Projekt Quality Red would host around forty thousand beta players, all with type 2 PODs.

  It was like one of Sherlock Holmes’s cases, a case he could not put down, he clicked on the hidden desktop link opening the folder. Cain scrutinised the old details of Jason’s disappearance, hoping to find new clues. Along with the driver, and close protection guard, they found the backup team of four, including Marcey tied in the back of a stolen blue box van.

  The SUV’s and car’s trackers led the police and SPQR’s own rescue team, half an hour after they raised the alarm, to the road beside the Cluny La Sorbonne, entrance to the Paris Metro.

  Neural Link Activation

  None of the men nor Marcey remembered how they ended up in the blue box van. There was no trace of drugs, nor evidence of physical impairment, apart from tie wrap burns. Re-examining all the CCTV coverage that the police investigation provided and the company recordings from the car and the SUV. He again studied the recording as Jason, close protection guard and driver exited Jason’s house, getting into his car. He had seen the recording dozens of times, not for the first time he wondered why did the guard sit with Jason, rather than the front?

  The virtual recording continued to run, showing the car exiting the house grounds. The recording again showed exactly nothing, Cain reached out to stop it but heard a voice in his mind saying, eyes, check the eyes. Manipulating his fingers Cain zoomed in on Jason’s eyes, in the two seconds before the recording stopped Cain detected a reflection showing a person stood outside the car. That should be impossible, the car telemetry showed they were travelling at 35 kilometres an hour. I will have to re-examine this.

  Cain’s train of thoughts stopped as a new, for the first time, flashing light appeared in the bottom corner of his right field of vision, followed by a text to accept the message Y/N. Viewing the message, Cain saw the Y was flashing, prompting him to select the Y. Having used optical responsive devices on games Cain moved the pointer and selected the Y for yes.

  Once clicked a message popped up in his right eye from his new UI (User Interface), wow, this just looks like a gaming interface or an HUD (Heads Up Display). The technician told me I would get a UI once the neural link integrated enough to provide an optical overlay.

  Pausing the recording as he read the information on his UI, Well, the neural link and AI (Artificial Intelligence) seem to be working. The doctors and John said it would take maybe a few weeks as my brain and the link integrated. I know the technician said the AI would work once it reached ten percent integration. Cain, was comfortable using an eye cursor from his time spent VR gaming.

  Moving the cursor to the correct letters, he clicked the following. Y, yeah, keep the leg messages hidden. Y, yeah, access to the secure LAN, will make my communications easier. Not sure about the phone network, so a big fat N for that. Linking to my optics will make accessing messages easier, so a yes there. Leg assimilation, seriously WTF. I haven’t got a clue so maybe a no here.

  Before he moved his eye cursor over the N, there was a slight knock at his open door. He looked up noticing it swinging wide open as Toni walked in. Surprised, Cain blinked, clicking on Yes option. The messages disappeared as he blinked. With the morning’s work load then looking at the Jason White incident. Adding to that Cain’s excitement at his Neural Link and AI working, receiving messages for the first time befuddled his mind. Forgetting about the arranged meeting he asked,

  “Yes Toni, what can I do for you?” His mind then replayed the earlier dream. Here before him stood the hot nurse, he struggled to slam shut his mind on the dream, forcing it back for later viewing.

  “Mr, err… Cain, did you forget you said I could pop up to see you?” she asked. While taking his words as an invitation, she sat down in the chair at the side, across the desk from him. She asked about how she could access funding to have a neural link fitted, handing him a brochure about NLs.

  “If you look here Cain,” Toni pointed at the illustrations inside the brochure. “Each NL has a small EI core, which helps handle the data flow from a harness’s connector or a PODs interface. I hope you can see how having an NL will help me with my problems although I don’t like to talk about them much.” Toni said she wanted to take part in the beta testing of Forsaken.

  Toni told Cain she had heard playing either harness or immersive VRMMORPG could help veterans with their PTSD problems. Telling him she’d heard they would consider only those players with an NL for the beta test.

  Cain imagined his hands shaking his head to clear the nurse image, going over what he already knew about her situation. thinking on his feet he replied,

  “Yeah, sorry they have tied me up all morning, sorting out two new teams. If you can come back later before we close say at four o’clock, I’ll have information and good news for you. This isn’t a brush off, but someone above me thought it would be funny dropping their request on me for action beginning tomorrow,” he said.

  “On a normal protection detail we take a week sorting out the team and equipment, not the twelve hours they have given me.” Cain said. They spent ten minutes talking, with Toni telling him about last night and that she got home OK. Catching the hover bus two minutes after arriving at the transport hub. She didn’t see that person again either.

  Leaving Cain’s office, Toni made her way out for the rest of her lunch while thinking. He sure is fit even if he uses a wheelchair. Wonder if he’d go out with me? There sounds to be hope in his voice, perhaps he can find a source of funding. I’ve tried all over, there is no funding available for an ex-military, now simple security guard. Cain said he can help, I’d like to spend more time with him, he’s easy to talk to. More time outside of being his close protection officer.

  As Toni walked out of his office, Cain remembered once receiving a handwritten note from the technician, John. He went to the Holmes pub, waiting inside and had a pint which he left on the bar. The note said to use the disabled toilet at twenty-two minutes past seven o'clock; he followed those instructions. On entering the toilet, he felt the wall
s shake as what was an elevator began its descent to one of John’s many safe houses.

  They talked for over an hour, sipping a nice Earl Grey. John told him he had two things, gifts he called them. A new set of prosthetic legs, which had an EI fitted to help with nerve assimilation. The legs also came with a new wheelchair that had a built-in charging unit for the legs. John’s other gift was something he called an NL+A. John had built the first functional AI, miniaturising an adaptive core processor with hard-wired base algorithms.

  Once inserted as part of the neural link the AI would join with his brain stem, using parts of his brain to become the first functional AI. As Cain sipped his tea, he thought all he was waiting for, was the AI to reach ten percent integration before it would communicate with him.

  Charity Begins Here

  Something motivated Cain in trying to help Toni, not just because she fell into what he thought of being extraordinarily beautiful, she had an hourglass figure, with firm breasts. Her mind, attitude and humour, were more than her beauty they added to not detracted from his eagerness. Plus, her arse was a thing to behold, just like ‘Sir Mix A lot’ said I’m hooked, and I can’t stop staring. Cain knew from when he’d taken Toni out as his close support officer, when he visited protection teams and their team leaders while on assignments. Toni was serious and professional when on duty and funny and outgoing off duty.

  Shaking his head, he tried to get his mind out of the gutter. It was not the issue about her brother going missing, rather she was once Jason White’s girlfriend. He was sure there was a link there, but he would look into that later. During his lunch break, he checked all sources of funding, both legitimate like the companies charity scheme, he even checked on the black market.

  Damn, it’s not like a normal NL is that expensive at anywhere between fifty and eighty-five thousand. This cost reflects of all the testing a person, like yourself needs. Those companies manufacturing the NLs, worry about lawsuits if things go wrong.

  It was a though an LED went on in his head. I could use her last psych evaluation and fill in the missing answers with my own. His mind made up, Cain created Toni a user account at EuroBUPA, for them to provide and fit the latest NL. Filling in her information was easy, the only data he had to provide was about her sexuality. He chose option three from the four options, he’d talk to her about that when he told her. I hope she doesn’t mind I’ve chosen bi-sexual. Once complete, Cain decided he would pay using one of his old operative accounts, one with over two hundred and thirty-nine million in untraceable cleared funds.

  He was about to transfer money over when he had another idea. He cancelled the EuroBUPA operation; they didn’t get the confirmation email, before someone wiped the data. Using his own secure pad, piggybacked onto the company network, Cain switched screens and accessed the dark web. Using one of his old ghost operative access accounts Searching for and selecting a black bagging firm, one he’d used before, he had them create a fake military charity, with a checkable long back history. Cain decided he could use that same charity to purchase both an NL and medical operation.

  Perhaps I should get Toni an NL+A like mine with an attached AI? I’ll contact my friend John, know widely as the technician, he should be able to make another similar to the one he made for me. Unlike, a normal NL which only provides a way to let a person’s brain make near-instantaneous external connections. Such as connections with a VR harness or full immersion POD.

  Cain’s NL+A was rather special, John built it larger than the EI ones as it held a compact AI core. Once with the NL+A installed the AI moves and inserts itself onto the brain stem. This takes place straight after the surgery. The NL part still works the same as a connections point, but the AI gives me the benefits of full brain access and extra processing. I think she would enjoy having the same NL+A as I do although I will tell her about the advantages once she returns from having time off. And just think the technician had mine installed just to help with my new legs, not for VR gaming.

  Cain returned to work, finishing the organisation of the two protection teams. He was winding down for the day all his work was complete, he would log off from the network. His legs had been fine since the wheelchair charged by eleven o’clock, he’d relegated his wheelchair after lunch to the corner of the room. He hadn’t realised the legs were one hundred percent charged. If the wheelchair could think, will it think it’s in the naughty corner, maybe I’ll get it a pointy party hat, he laughed to himself at the poor joke?

  He received a message from the bagging company, saying they had completed his request. They would hand it over on payment of the agreed amount. Clever that they don’t put the price of one point two million in the message. Removing his pad from his bag, logging on via his old account he generated a payment for one point three million. Attaching a note saying thanks for the quick work, the extra is a bonus.

  Accessing the charity, he generated an email for Toni, telling her they had selected her to test out the new NL+A. Next, he paid over sixteen million into the charity, providing the funds for the work Toni needed carrying out. Going back to the dark web he contacted John, his technician to help the woman, telling him he would receive an email from the charity. Could John provide as soon as possible the NL+A like his for a great friend? Twenty seconds later John replied telling him he must like her, and he had one ready for Cain to use.

  Cain laughed as he raised all the required correspondence, emailing first his friend requesting an NL+A, then EuroBUPA paying for the operation. Twenty minutes later with all the responses, he sent a final email to Toni from the charity. It had her appointment date and bank credit for two weeks wages. Sitting back at his desk he relaxed from a job well done. Looking at his watch as it would be soon closing time for the hospitality team. At five minutes to four o’clock, Cain ordered coffee for two from hospitality services, along with a plate of pastries.

  Hospitality services were fast, three minutes, and he received his order. Ha, that was quick, I bet they are cursing me ordering so late in the day. Counting down on his watch before he stood and went to pour a drink when Toni burst in, not knocking this time with a huge smile lighting her face.

  “Mr Thomas, someone has offered me an NL from a military charity. I don’t know what you did, but thank you so much! Also, HR said I can have time off; they schedule my operation in two weeks’ time on a Monday.”

  “Would you like a coffee, come, sit, tell me all about it,” he replied, “and please when we are alone you know you can call me Cain.” She didn’t sit but went over to him and gave him a big hug.

  “OK, Cain that’s for the help you’ve given me last night and now,” she said. They sat for an hour chatting about her life, her missing brother and where she lives. Damn, she’s so hot, she’s articulate and funny plus she’s single. If only I dare ask her out, maybe she could become the nurse for real, without the scratching.

  Looking over the rim of her mug Toni was thinking about how good Cain looked. He looked fine in his wheelchair yet when he stands it’s as though he takes up more room. She liked that he was using the new robotic legs; they seemed much better for him than the previous ones. Drinks finished, Toni gave Cain another hug, with a chaste kiss, then released him. She said she would keep in touch after the operation before she returned to work.

  Chapter 3

  Missing Toni

  Two better than normal, above average weeks at work passed, all because of Toni. They met several times at work during lunch or after work. Cain got to know her, but never pushed about her brother or her relationship with Jason. He knew there was something fishy, how did a jerk like Jason go out with a woman like Toni. At the end of those two weeks, she reminded him she would be away, she would be back after having a neural link fitted. He knew Toni would not come back as the bionic woman, but an enhanced woman. That caused her to laugh and say what as the partner to your bionic man?

  Monday came early for both Cain and Toni. Cain was on a flight to Rome while Toni signed in at the h
ospital. Cain’s flight was boring and stress-free. For Toni the opposite was true, the administrators for EuroBUPA wanted to know more about the charity and her forms. It was not normal they told her, someone paid them for everything up front, strange said the hospital administrator, who came to her room only to see her. We even sent out an ancillary invoice this morning, when you arrived as we upgraded your room, they paid us within ten minutes of the invoice being sent, strange, terribly strange. Most companies delay payment as long as they can, none in my experience pay while the keyboard keys feel warm to the touch. Toni thought the administrator would have a breakdown if they sent another invoice which somebody paid straight away.

  One of the medical assistants came in asking for Toni’s digital signature. Looking up Toni noticed a glum look on such a youthful face. Enquiring what was wrong the assistant told Toni they could find no problems with her personality admissions form. Nobody until her, nobody ever gets those form filled in right the first time. Toni made a mental note to ask Cain about how he’d found the charity and thank him. She would take Cain out for a film and a meal then see what developed She wondered what type of films he liked and made a list while going into the operating theatre.

  Monday passed as Cain returned to London Heathrow airport while Toni was in the recovery ward at the hospital. Released from EuroBUPA Toni spent the week at home in isolation, relaxing watching old films and reading fantasy books. Cain though struggled at work. The work wasn’t as tricky it was just work, but he was missing having Toni dropping in for her little chats. Every night was his problem, it became worse for him. He kept having multiple erotic dreams, of having sex not only with Toni but several other women too. In some of his dreams, he was with Toni and a handful of other women.