21 Walk-Through (1/2)
2035
Trepidation travels up and down Sid's spine as he runs toward the camp. He can hear helicopter blades spinning and voices shouting. Suddenly, the voices that were calling out to him have quieted, and that makes him slow down and begin stalking toward the open field. The helicopter blades have stopped spinning. Each movement is slow and deliberate as he slides behind a tree and peeks around it.
Directly before him is an improvised parking lot of cars. Robert and Carla are nearest to him, hiding along the side of a car. Carla is clenching a grenade in one hand. Robert is reloading his weapon and wiping sweat off his forehead.
The encampment is in total disarray. It looks like a stampede of people trampled through many of the tents, but Sid can't see any bodies along the ground. Hopefully, everyone got away safely or minorly injured.
Choked sobbing can be heard, but Sid can't quite make out where it is coming from. He doesn't know why the shouting and the gunfire has stopped. Waiting here in the trees won't solve anything.
'Can I get an aerial view of the campsite?'
A satellite image of the area appears before Sid's eyes. Directly, North of him is an aircraft. He can see at least two figures, but with the contrasting colors shown on the figure to the right, there are probably three.
'Looks like a Savage and someone wearing bright yellow is in front of the helicopter, but who..'
The satellite image doesn't give much indication of who or what may be inside the large aircraft parked in the field.
'Actually, could you...'
ACTIVATING THERMAL IMAGING SURVEILLANCE
The heat signatures seep into the image gradually. He can now see what looks like a figure wrapped around another one. The yellow material seems to have cloaking technology against thermal imaging. The hostage appears as a black mass against the yellow-orange figure. To the right of the hostage and their attacker is another heat signature. The propeller must have been blocking the sight of the third Savage.
'So, there are three Savages and the hostage in front of the helicopter.'
The metal frame of the helicopter blocks the contents from being seen, but Sid can definitely pick out bits of color on the outer parts of the helicopter. It seems as if a few appendages are outside the craft, while the rest of them are inside. It's hard to tell how many people are actually within it.
'Can you locate Subject 002?'
Sid leans against the tree and waits several moments. It usually can scan things in less than a second to acquire the information to answer. It used to confuse him, but an almost immediate reply is now natural. This is an unusual amount of time to wait.
NEGATIVE.
SUBJECT 002 IS UNACCOUNTED FOR.
'Okay,' Sid thinks while pressing his head to the bark of the tree.
'Nothing to worry about. He's probably just.... found the perfect hiding spot.'
Sid takes a deep breath and thinks about what needs to be done.
'Activate Immersive mode.'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The sweat and dried blood on Sid's body vanishes. His clothing has changed from a worn long-sleeved shirt and cargo pants to a green jumpsuit, and he is cleaned of the previous outside environment. His dirty hat is gone.
”Let me see this area again in HD.”
A red triangular piece of glass appears in front of Sid's face, and he grabs it from the air. The red coloration fades into a black screen with red sides. Colored images of people can be seen from a bird's-eye view.
”What is Subject 002's last known location?”
Two green dots appear on the screen. Sid presses one of them. It is the hill where people watch the camp during guard duty. It appears a small fire is burning on the hill. No one can be seen trying to put it out. Sid taps the second dot with more force than needed.
The image speeds off to the right and stops to reveal a tent. There is no heat signature on the tent. Subject 002 is not there. Sid is vexed by the lack of information. He knew he should have tried his hand at electronics and made a few tracking devices.
”What's the status of the other Subjects?”
SUBJECT 003: OPTIMAL
SUBJECT 004: SATISFACTORY
SUBJECT 005: SATISFACTORY
SUBJECT 006: OPTIMAL
SUBJECT 007: SATISFACTORY
SUBJECT 008: OPTIMAL
SUBJECT 009: POOR
SUBJECT 010: POOR
SUBJECT 011: UNACCOUNTED FOR
SUBJECT NACRE: DISTRESSING PHYSICAL STATE
SYNTHETIC INTELLIGENCE DEVELOPER CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE EVACUATION MANEUVERS
”That's our cue. Can you search: Negotiation and Hostages?”
A couple white documents appear in the air. Sid grabs them both and starts walking to the fighting hall. Instead of the dark empty room coming alive with simulations, the room brightens to show a table, chair, generic black hat, a thin headset, and a bulletproof vest. When Sid snaps his fingers, the items on the table vanish and reappear on his person.
”Okay, take this slow. I want you to be a crouching tiger out there. All fierceness held under the skin. 40% worry, 60% confidence. You got me, Chief?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sid's body slowly crouches from behind the tree and moves out onto the chaotic site. Robert looks over the edge of the car to get a look at the hostages. While looking down at Carla, he feels himself being watched, and turns to the presence.
He raises his gun at his older brother's body and gasps softly. Carla turns with her fingers ready to pull on the grenade pin.
SUBJECT 005 AGITATED STATE IS PROMPTING AN IMPULSIVE----
Sid's body shifts and rolls smoothly into Carla. His hands grasp hers to keep them still.
”Action unneeded. Report the situation.”
Carla sighs with relief at seeing her leader.
”These fools are attacking the relief workers. I don't know why those idiots landed here while seeing the Savages running around chasing people. It distracted them so the civilians all got away to hide, but it opened them up for attack.”
Sid detects Subject 006 hurtling to their position holding the body of a child in his arms. He collapses behind the car and deposits the child into the teenagers' arms without ceremony.
”Hey!” Robert hisses at Dan.
”I'm surprised this kid has been so cooperative. Babysit her for a bit.”
The redhead giggles at Robert's face as he tucks away his weapon. Dan turns to their leader.
”Glad to see you're fine. The Savages came out from your location and tried to surround the refugees. Priya and Turner had to abandon their posts. I didn't catch sight of Nard or Ika.”
”Eli led the civilians east of here,” Carla pitches in.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Within Immersive Mode, Sid is sitting at the table with his clasped hands until his chin.
”Meeeh. So, point out SUBJECT'S 008 AND 009 for me,” Sid asks the Synthetic Intelligence Developer while rubbing the back of his thumb along his lips.
A holographic map in the air pulses green in two places. There are many large blotches of heat signatures stationary at the same location as the green markers.
”Subject 010?”
A purple marker lights up on the map.
”Zoom in.”
The image zooms in to reveal trees and a small fire. Sid bites his thumb and leans forward in his seat. He sets his hands down and climbs up onto the table to get a better look at the map.
”Zoom in. Is that a boot?”
He points at a black smudge in the photo. A tiny difference in the satellite imaging.
EVIDENTLY
”Tell Dan to—
~~~~~~~~~~
”Nard will need to be retrieved, Daniel.”