Written in 365 Parts: 45: Getting Connected

Drick walked to the back of the hover van, Boomer had been using this vehicle to track the events of the past few hours. The van was about as nondescript as Drick could have hoped for. A flat grey rental with the identity tags subtly altered, Boomer must have dropped it by a chop shop for a quick set of changes. There were hundreds of similar vans in this section of the city, used mostly by automated deliveries and robotic operated shipment services. Vans like this were often boosted for quick heists but Boomer wouldn’t have taken that chance, this would be rented and be returned leaving no strong trail.

The back doorway was swung open and the ramp dropped down to reveal a mostly empty interior. Boomer had made good sense to use their own shipping containers in the vehicle, less chance of potential evidence to clear up if one simply removed the whole of the insides. They had stowed one of the guards, the tri-limbed mouthy nuisance, in a soundproof box with a ventilator unit. They were drugged and incapacitated, they’d be offline for at least three hours. The other guard was sat upright against the wall with some carbon fibre cuffs on their wrists and a sound-suppressant headpiece fastened to their skull. Other than that they had been relieved of any weapons and the majority of their electronics devices..

Drick nodded at the helmeted figure of Boomer’s other operative and noted that they made sure to get a nod from Boomer before they put their weapon away and moved to the front of the van leaving Drick and Boomer alone with the security guard.

Drick loosened the sound suppressant headpiece and turned it to light passive. Drick and Boomer would be able to speak comfortably with the security guard but it should mask any devices such as a laser probe from listening in on them.

“How are you feeling?” asked Drick in a soft tone, “the cuffs are not too tight I hope.”

“You don’t really need them.” said the guard.

“I guess not, but after the events of the day I am feeling a little cautious.”

“I only have the two arms.”

Drick smiled and laughed a little, “yes that was a surprise. I must be getting soft in my old age to have missed that. I guess it has been a while since I needed to think in a combat mode and have gotten a little rusty. Never mind I will recover.”

“You should have died.”

“Should have, could have, but rarely would have, I’m that kind of person. Anyway, this is all just here and there talk. Let’s get down to business. You tell me everything that you know and I will make sure you are shipped off planet. I will also arrange for a suitable change of biological details, some papers and a small credit donation to your future career of never getting in my way again. How does that sound?”

“Like I don’t really have a choice.”

“Smart. That is essentially the case.”

“What about the other guard?”

“You let me worry about them. Don’t stress, I am not going to kill them. I will not need to. Your former employers are likely to have less of a fondness for them than I have so I would rather pass them back with my warmest regards.”

“They’ll torture and then eradicate, that’s what will come of them.”

“They made their choice, as did you. Deal with it. Now, my information. I want everything that you know about the events leading up the incident yesterday on the Yee On Kline district, the crash with the K-tag. I also want to know who ordered you to follow and attack me. The names of any officers or personnel who are involved, in fact the names of everyone you know and their position. I would like the code sequences used on doors and security consoles and I don’t care how complex they are and how often they change them. I want everything. I want it willingly.”

“I will give it to you willingly, but that’s going to take a while to tell you, and I am not sure where to start. How much time do we have?”

Drick smiled, “I notice you have the standard high-data neural transport interface for re-alignment of internal network systems and repair modules.”

“What?”

“You have an expensive data port so medics can plug in to your internal systems.”

“Yeah, everyone has something similar who has implants that are connected to the brain. You have one as well, I bet your big friend over there has theirs linked in to that impressive weapons harness they are lugging around.”

“I do have one, and they likely have theirs connected to the weapons, they like their weapons, they like to shoot things. So that’s all good. Then all I need you to do is to open your mind and think about all the things I ask you to think about. Try to be structured but it isn’t totally relevant if they are not in a coherent order. I will deal with the rest.”

Drick saw them pale, “wait, are you going to use a neural probe on me? Those are dangerous. I am not sure I even have the right software installed and the wetware interface I have is not going to be powerful enough.”

“Hush,” Drick smiled warmly, “it isn’t a cheap butcher’s probe or something your interrogation monkeys stick into anyone they get their greasy mittens on. I have a rather sophisticated unit in this case,” Drick pulled out the neuro-computer that Krennar had supplied as part of the shopping trip. “I also have a very experienced slicer on the other end of a long connection. All you need to do is focus and marshall your thoughts they will be able to gently tug them down the connection. I will even be acting as a buffer in between you and the rest of the hardware so whatever happens to you also happens to me. Got it?”

“Why do you need to be between?”

“Quite simple, as you noted,” Drick had opened up the ports on the side of the machine and slipped in a data transfer cable, they pushed the other end into the neural port behind their left ear. “Your internal hardware isn’t really suitable for this type of data transfer, whereas mine is. My whole consciousness is able to be digitally transferred at a considerable speed.”

“That’s because there ain’t much to move,” said Boomer in a husky voice through their helmet speakers.

Drick shot Boomer a dark look, “so I will initiate the transfer to the networks, meanwhile I will plug myself,” Drick took another cable and pushed it into a second port just below the first, “into you.” The other end of the cable was gently pushed into the port on the security guards neck. The guard’s access ports were at the base of their skull just above the collar line of their uniform.

Drick closed their eyes and made sure Rodero was already connected to the private network, they were. Then Drick initiated the link to the security guards internal hardware and turned the connection to live.