Forsaken 2027 Page 5

  Cain's new spectral suit was the work of a genius, he was sure. It was like slipping into a chameleon’s skin, the suit changed colours and patterns to blend against any background. When he wore it with its hood covering his head, no CCTV nor vid-feed could see him, the suit was something only sci-fi writers dreamed and wrote of, practical invisibility here in two thousand and thirty-five.

  Dressed he moved to the workshop at the rear of the house. I don’t understand, I know I left loads of messages in trying to contact her. Maybe there is something wrong with her original phone, that she hasn’t received my gazillion voice messages, not that I was counting them. I also received no hand-written letter, I think someone is going through my mail. Moving the shelving on the side wall out of the way, by pressing a button it slid onto the floor. He opened the hidden door and walked into his old armoury.

  Mum would have a fit if she even suspected this load of equipment was here. She turned sort of militant peace corps after I lost my legs. I wonder how they are doing, they sure feel as they are a better, more permanent fit. Touching a scanning plate near the door, it bleeped then the force field protecting the room, and his weapons disappeared. He took hold of his trusted XM8c, holding it like it was a cherished child. Next came two Glocks, a briefcase full of ammo for both types of weapons. Standing on his tiptoes, they surprised Cain as he felt the flexibility of his robotic boosted prosthetic feet.

  As he lifted down from the top shelf, a larger briefcase-sized container holding several hoverfly cameras. Picking up from under a table he checked the load of mixed flash bangs and specialist thermal grenades. Fitting his battle harness over his armoured spectral suit before he pulled on his leather bikers jacket. Looking at his watch, he realised three minutes had passed, not bad, quicker than I thought.

  Ah, he mouthed as he picked up his workman tool belt just in case, he was overdoing it. He was ready to go. Picking up the large briefcase he got ready to make a few trips to the car. A sudden thought came to him as he returned from his first trip to the car.

  "Are you listening?" he said out loud when he was back in the armoury.

  {Yes.}

  "Are you the UI or the NL?”

  {Is a UI on your computer or an HUD in a VR game sentient? The UI is just a user interface where you interact with a program, running on a computer or games console. An HUD is a heads-up display used in a game by a program or in a VR game. So, No I am neither a UI, an HUD nor an NL. I am the AI. Cain, you do not need to speak out loud to me, just think what you want to say. I am making steady progress integrating within your brain. I couldn’t contact you or make independent actions before I reached ten percent integration.}

  Do you have a name, or do I call you AI?

  {You can call me Enoch, Cain. I think the name suits me. I’m dedicated and disciplined.}

  Well then, pleased to meet you Enoch. I have to help Toni, I suppose you will come too?

  {Everywhere you go Cain, I go too. Let us go rescue your first female} Enoch whispered so Cain could not hear.

  Chapter 4

  Moving out

  As he closed the vehicle doors, another message from Enoch using the UI popped up. Answering yes to both options, he started the vehicle and programmed the EI. As he sat observing the traffic, he shuffled in the seat and felt his new robotic legs tightening on his thighs. He scanned his UI interface controls, then found the option for the UI to show messages. Cain selected to option for someone to see messages without all the additional blurb at the top. The UI would show them only in a warning situation.

  {I would manage those messages if you asked. Programs respond well to my interactions,} said Enoch. As his vehicle sped towards Toni, Cain had the 3D map up of the area.

  {Someone has rung the phone Toni used and messaged it several times, our block still makes the phone secure}

  That’s good news, Cain replied to Enoch. Take us to West Central Street, approach from High Holborn onto Museum Street. Kill the lights before we make the turn from Museum Street. Enoch sent messages about where to park so they could direct the vehicle’s EI,

  {arrival time in sixteen minutes.} Enoch said.

  His instructions passed he opened the case with the tiny flybots. Cain turned on the control unit attached to the case, he counted seven active flybots. The screen flickered, a message popped up.

  That sounds a better option, as I can leave the vehicle and not be a sitting target, Cain thought as he said yes to Enoch while making a final check on his weapons. Cain released the catch on the central storage space in his vehicle, he took out a gift from a former, sadly departed friend, an adapted ex-forces knife. A knife which had an edge of 5 microns. The vehicle glided like an owl in flight as it pulled over, stopping in the shade of the only large tree, growing at the edge of the small memorial garden.

  Cain picked out four of the flybots, he set them on the roof of his vehicle. A small screen overlaid his eyes, taking up a third of his left field of vision.

  Cool, that gives me plenty of options, as he observed the flybots take off, controlled by Enoch. Cain asked Enoch where Toni was, while he opened the boot of his vehicle, taking out a length of thin climbing rope.

  {Toni’s building is second to your left, there is no easy access direct from here.}

  Equipped he started across the memorial garden, stopping at the plaque Cain read about the twenty six people who died near this spot in WWII. Bowing his head as saying a prayer before he carried on across the garden. Taking control of one flybot, he sent it to check the roof area above his position. Controlling the flybot, flying up to the roof and across the roof's expanse, seeing that all was clear he handed control of the flybot back to Enoch. Cain grabbed the rope out of his backpack, attaching a military grade light grapple to one end.

  Cain pressed the buttons, activating it, he threw the grapple up, aiming for the elevator shaft wall. The flybots’ sensors tracked its flight, projecting the image onto his UI. Cain waited as the grapple flew beyond the roof edge to the rising wall, before activating and attaching itself. Years of habit caused Cain to pull on the rope, checking its adhesion, satisfied he climbed half way up the wall, he paused his ascent.

  {What is wrong?} Asked Enoch.

  Nothing Enoch, but I’m becoming more aware, concerned even that my legs are performing way better than they should be. They are doing things that normal prosthetics can’t. Like when I stood on my tiptoes or how they no longer need charging or helping me climb this wall. Enoch how, why is this possible?

  {Yes they are, the answer is John. He made your legs to interact with an AI, me. The more I develop and grow the more realistic and useful the legs will become. They will, for example, give you boosts to your strength and agility, as together we repair the nerve damage. The more you use them, the sooner they will become a part of you.} Enoch replied.

  Cain nodded at Enoch’s response. Pulling on the rope Cain continued his climb, pushing on his legs his ascent easier and faster than should have been possible. On reaching the flat roof of the building next to Toni’s address, he continued to watch the other flybots as they completed their scans.

  Action Time

  A flashing thermal image came into view on Cains UI, two men were on the roof opposite, looking at Toni’s building with imaging sensors. Another flashing image replaced the first image, and showed three men entering the front door to the apartment complex. Damn, five operatives, what has Toni got herself mixed up in. I sort of understand a bag thief, but this seems overkill, as he had one flybot land near and behind the men opposite. Enoch activated the flybot as it listened to the men speak.

  "Do you bet they will have fun with her? I bet JW told them to have fun, I'm sure I would have told them to have fun. From the rumours in camp the bitch, she doesn’t put out that’s why he didn’t take her with him,"said one man.

  Hitting the man on the back of his head the other man said.

  "Are you such an idiot? If he even heard you even mention his name, he’d have you ski
nned alive. I’ve been with him longer, and he’s a cool, cold bastard, in this world or a VR game. Those three don’t work for him you idiot, someone hired them for this job. The one who tried stealing her bag the other week, he left a phone duplicator chip in her bag. That’s how we’ve blocked her phone and intercepted all her calls. I’ve listened to all the messages, most, well loads of them sent by some idiot back at her place of work. You should hear the idiot in the messages, treating that bitch as if she is something special. We finish this job tonight, that's why we're here, not over there. They have to kill her as planned as JW told us we take them out. But with no fun.”

  "OK, I get it no loose ends, that’s why we've to kill them as they leave the building,"replied the other man.

  "Oh shit!"Cain whispered under his breath, "Not going to let that happen mates. I will kill all five of you for threatening Toni. It's a shame I must be quick about it.”

  Enoch, could the flybots carry a small grenade over the road?

  The simple answer is NO, the maximum weight they can carry is four ounces, only one hundred grams. They have equipped the flybots with a strong neural toxin, derived from a mixture of the various Taipan snakes' venom. Each flybot carries half an ounce or twelve grams. Enough to kill a full grown African elephant, in under a minute. You need to remember that in using the flybot to apply the toxin, also destroys the flybot. Do you want to use auto or manual targeting?}

  Can you carry out the targeting? If you can please do that rather than letting the flybot software take the shot. Happy with his conversation with Enoch, Cain put on his old special forces night vision lens; he turned it on, selected automatic targeting.

  Cain pulled his combat knife from its special holder, using it he cut through the toughened glass and securing bolts like a hot knife through butter.

  OK, Enoch control the flybots, can you take out those two men opposite? Thanks.

  Lifting the skylight and checking below, he double checked this was Toni’s apartment complex, before committing himself to further action. Once sure, he dropped to the landing his robotic legs absorbing and cancelling out any noise from the drop. Enoch, sent one flybot in front of Cain to provide as Cain would call it, elephant support.

  Once on the ground, he unholstered the already suppressed Glock, the one with subsonic rounds. Quietening himself before he made his way down the stairs, listening all the time for the hitmen.

  This seems an excessive use of manpower to kill an old girlfriend of JW’s. JW that could be Jason White, or James Wilson or anyone with those initials. I'd bet it is Jason White though, he was a lead programmer, not some cloak and dagger secret agent. I must ask or get her to tell me.

  OK, her door is open, and no noise from the hallway or coming up the stairs. Cain let his mind slip into a dark godless place where he thought, let’s party. Cain drifted ghost like through the open door, closed it behind him, moving like he had cat's feet he headed in silence towards the thermal images.

  They were at the far wall, clustered around a closed door, looking like they were waiting to pounce. The men in Toni's apartment didn't look nor act semi-professional. They stood way too close to each other, blocking shooting lines, they were poor if they were professionals. As he stood in the deep shadow, Cain studied them for a few moments. Not one of them checked their six, not once. Cain moved like a wraith and took a better killing position, right on their six.

  The flybot had a clear view of the men when another thermal image came into his view. The image moved from a prone position as it stood, then made for the door. Cain listened as footsteps in his earpiece, crossed a carpeted room, he was not sure the men could.

  Cain asked Enoch to act and ring Toni. Enoch unblocked Toni's phone, sending a message to her, telling her to stay in her room, get down behind her bed until someone told her it is safe to leave. Toni texted back, OK. Cain could see through the three men, Toni’s thermal image kneel and disappeared from view.

  Enoch activated the watching flybot inside the room, he directed it at the lead hitman, as an AI he ignored the image as the target got closer. Cain watched within touching distance as the man slapped at his neck, A futile exercise for him, the other two don’t notice he’s dead, as he crumpled to the ground. Their poor positioning paid off for Cain, using his suppressed Glock, he placed two, close together near silent shots. All shots made a low sound, much like a TA sound from the word tap.

  Cain's shots killed both men. His use of subsonic low impact bullets worked. The first shot stayed within the man’s head. It bounced like a pebble in a tin can. Cain's second shot exited through an eye of the other man, spraying part of the eye, blood and brains over the bedroom door. The bullet marked the door before it fell to the carpet.

  On hearing three bodies hitting the floor, Toni called out,

  "Who’s there? Leave me alone. I’m armed."Cain turned off his night vision lens before he turned on the room lights, as he replied,

  "It’s OK Toni, it’s me Cain. Please stay there until I move the bodies."Cain said. Cain knelt beside the first man he shot to pick up his body, it surprised him how easy it was for his legs as he stood upright, loaded with the dead body. He picked up each one at a time, dropped them in a spare bedroom, closing the door on them when he had finished. Cain on Enoch's instructions checked each body as he dropped them in the bedroom. Cain recognised the last man he picked up, it was the would-be bag snatcher.

  Building Trust

  "OK, it’s clear now, come on out,"Cain said, "If you don't look at it, you can ignore the blood on the door."Toni was careful opening her door, she peered out seeing Cain standing in the centre of her room. Dressed in what she recognised to be spectral combat clothes, covered by a well used and loved leather jacket. She rushed over, throwing her arms around him before giving him a full kiss, hugging him. She felt the outline of two guns hidden under the leather jacket. Toni relaxed against Cain, knowing he would protect her. Cain’s mind didn’t respond, but his penis got a huge rush of blood, moving of its own accord, straining against his boxers. Toni released him as she talked.

  "Thank you, oh thank you,"she gasped. "I’ve been so worried, first not getting any phone calls in the two weeks since the operation. Second, problems with the harness after I tried to use it. Last, even my new phone played up. I wouldn't panic but I did, it was though I couldn't work anything out. I heard a voice say you would help. I appreciate you run security personnel at work, I prayed if that would be enough to help. Normally I am self reliant, not this weepy and weak.”

  Cain dismissed the message, he was more worried as Toni shook from the shock.

  "Come on sit down, I’ll make us a drink,"he said, leading her by the hand to an armchair. With Toni seated Cain walked into the small kitchen, he found what he needed after looking through some cupboards. He arranged everything on a tray once the kettle boiled he walked back into the front room. Toni was sobbing, he saw as he knelt, she was looking at the blood running down her bedroom door. Cain looked first at her bedroom door, damn, needs cleaning, then at Toni, she is looking a little shaken here.

  Cain passed Toni a drink of tea, he stood and searched the kitchen for cleaning implements. Getting what he needed and returning to the front room, Cain talked while working. Cain prayed the talk would keep Toni’s mind from dwelling on the mess, five minutes later the bedroom door was blood and brain free, the casings and bullet collected too. Cain rolled up the stained cloth along with the bucket, he placed them in the bedroom with the three bodies.

  "Why did you come for me, Cain? I’m no one to you, even though I work at the same firm as you. I’ve worked more than a few times with you, going out together when visiting protection team leaders have made their reports. We’ve also had a few lunches and coffees together, but why did you come for me?"Toni asked in an exasperated tone.

  That's an easy one to fix because I’ve fantasised about having lots of fantastic sex with you for the last two years, ever since I realised something hooked me on you. Better no
t say repeat that thought.

  "Because you came and asked for help with getting an NL, you were so excited after the charity paid for you. Then you phoned me up at nearly midnight, sounding distressed what did you think I would do, not care, not help? That’s why I came,"Cain replied. Nodding at Cain's reply Toni slowed her sobbing.

  "Why don’t you start at the beginning? Then I’ll have a good idea of how to help you,"Cain replied.

  "Well, I’ll try, but it’s a long story. Four years ago, my brother, Vince, he was a game coder for Square Projekt Quality Red and occasional gamer. Something changed, he became obsessed with the coding, to the extent he would refuse to answer my calls. Then out of the blue about two-and-a-half years ago he returned one of my virtual messages. He left the company, joining instead a group of pro gamers, called the JW Killers. He became focused and obsessed, like when he was coding, focused on their leader, Jason White.

  Vince became distant, sullen and moody the longer he was in the group. JW Killers were the first of the clans to complete all the challenges in Ascending Earth III. They each did interviews for the main gaming news vid-feeds, soon after they along with Vince vanished. The whole clan, all barring Jason White. I travelled to Vince’s apartment, it was empty. His bank accounts closed, any money in before they were closed, someone had donated it all to an overseas charity, in Israel.”

  Toni took another sip while Cain asked a few questions about Vince, like what he’d done before going full time with the JW Killers clan. Pleased with her responses he urged her to continue her tale.

  "I've no evidence but I know Jason was behind Vince and the other clan members disappearing. I changed my last name and bought a ready-made id, from the dark web which said I had been in the military. On the back of my new id, I easy got a job where Jason, and you work. Yeah before you say anything I irrationally dated Jason three times, only after he asked. Every time he tried to go further than heavy petting, after he’d been drinking, I always called a halt. Although in saying that the last time we went out, I didn't identify what I drank but I woke up with a splitting headache. I’m sure Jason did something as my thong was on back to front. Jason didn’t like me stopping him, but he wasn’t right somehow. He looked to be in his thirties, but I’m sure he was much older than that. His mannerisms were all wrong. With the last time we dated, and my thong on back to front was the push I needed, I ditched him. Not face to face, I was working, I didn’t see him, so I phoned him. He didn’t answer, I was so angry at him I left a virtual message for him.