The cyborg Nozomi made it to her safe house in lower Manhattan. She opened her satchel and pulled out an object that resembled a full head of hair. As Nozomi pealed back the layers of hair and fleshy scalp, she found what she’d was looking for: a data core. She tapped her temple three times. An AR interface appeared. She scanned the data core with the AR interface built into her left eye and confirmed the data core was functional. She uploaded the data core’s metadata information via the stolen Wi-Fi connection that belonged to a neighboring apartment. The encryption slowed the data transfer, but she had time. She sensed Dr. Ash had been trying to reach her, but she was having too much fun extracting data cores. Soon she would have the treacherous Treeka’s and her sister’s information. Instead of a chirping noise, Nozomi’s cybernetic perception abilities and connection to Dr. Ash’s AI allowed her to detect when the doctor needed to speak.
I’d better call her back.
Nozomi accessed her communications menu and dialed Dr. Ash. She selected the audio-only option because she didn’t want Dr. Ash to see the bloody mess she had made with the data cores.
“Hello, dear, it’s about time you called me back,” Dr. Ash said.
“I trust your body is holding up okay?” Nozomi asked.
“Yes, quite well. Have you been able to locate Delta-51?”
“She’s no longer at the Edinburgh facility. Neither is anyone else,” Nozomi said, chuckling.
“Nozomi, what you have done?”
“Let’s just say no one from the Mason foundation will bother us any longer.”
“Nozomi, listen to me carefully. I want you to bring Delta-51 in, but you need to promise me you will not kill innocents.”
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“I didn’t kill innocents, I killed enemy combatants.”
“Promise me, no more killing.”
Nozomi thought for a moment.
“Alright, no more killing civilians, but if another gunslinger tries to take another shot, they will be sorry.”
A thought occurred to Nozomi. Do we need to bring Delta-51 in, or just her core?
“What happens if I’m unable to bring Delta-51’s body back?” she asked. “I mean, what if there is an accident, and she is injured or dying? What then?”
“In such dire circumstances, we would want to preserve her data core,” Dr. Ash replied. “But a word of caution: Delta-51 is unique. She has absorbed a powerful AI. If you learn it is still active, you need to consult me. Is that clear?”
“Yes, that is clear, Dr. Ash.”
Thank you for giving me a loophole Dr. Ash. If Delta-51 doesn’t come I’m stealing her core.
“I have a lead on Delta-51’s location,” Dr. Ash continued. “Her last known location is in New York, close to our meeting in Newport, which is in three days’ time. I need you to rendezvous with me before entering the Bromwick Hotel. That is Mr. Chen’s territory. With any luck, you will find Delta-51 by then.”
“I will find her.”
“She has a bond with a woman named Josephine Smith, who goes by Jet. I have sent Jet’s dossier, along with her known associates, to your neural AR interface.”
Nozomi reviewed the information. She saw a photo of Nigel.
Ooh, the boy is kind of cute. I bet I can seduce him. It will be fun trying.
“I will analyze and scout ahead for clues,” Nozomi said. “Treeka might be with them.”
“Treeka is to be returned unharmed. You have authorization to dispatch her sister and extract her data core,” Dr. Ash replied.
I will extract all of their memory cores, and no one will be the wiser. Dr. Ash made me a hunter, and that’s what I shall do.
“Affirmative, I’ll provide another update soon,” Nozomi said.
“There’s one more detail that needs to be attended to,” Dr. Ash said.
“What’s that?”
“The data core is fragile—you need to transport it in a specialized container. It looks like a gray plastic bag. The outside of the bag will have some markings that resemble a lightning bolt with a circle and slash through it. It’s very important the data core be transported in the proper container.”
“If the data core is damaged, is there anything you can do to repair it?”
“I do not possess the technology to do so. I’ve tried partnering with chip makers before. It didn’t end well.”
“I’ll be careful when extracting the core,” Nozomi said.
“Thank you, young one. We are all counting on you to bring all your sisters home.”