BRAHIM (Patreon)

Hi everyone, 

today something different. We are thinking about the extending of the Human Interface universe adding some extra fluff. What do you think about such initiative? 

If you want more stories, leave a comment or like the post.

++++++++++++

Brahim was dripping with pride.

He walked slowly through the encampment with a sway in his stride that, in his mind, granted him the grace of a mountain lion. He absorbed the appreciative glances and occasional nods of respect. Respect to which he was finally entitled. Respect, which was the only currency that this community truly valued. He had already seen the Council's massive flatcar, whose modified trailer doubled as a meeting house and command centre.

The prize was considerable. The eye-catching, state-of-the-art medical module hanging from his shoulder was but a symbol of the treasure he had stumbled across. The module was completely operational and full, which for the perpetually medically deprived nomadic communities often meant the difference between life and death. Especially for the kids. Or the perpetually asking for trouble young machos like Brahim. More than a few have already broken their necks racing through the desert, croaked from an infected knife wound, quite common in brawls, or keeled over snorting stuff of unknown origin....

Yeah, that kind of catch is nothing to sneeze at. 

In a fleeting glimpse, he saw the broad smile on Suzane's face, whom he had been trying, unsuccessfully, to put the moves on for a week. Maybe he'll finally get some action with her... wait, doesn't she have a sick little brother? His chances of having a nice end to this wonderful day had increased significantly....

And only a few days ago he was... in deep shit, as he would often tell himself. He seemingly wanted for nothing. The tribe cared for its youth as much as it could. But life constantly on the road did not coddle anyone. Dozens of trucks, campers and trailers, more than a hundred small-fries, a new place every few weeks...a grind and little prospect. For Brahim, this was not enough...

He deserved respect because he had come across a treasure but he wasn't going to tell anyone that it was complete coincidence. In fact, it was more of an accident. He was on a short patrol when his heavily worn-out Grinder, clocked something really hard when coming out of a corner. The force of the impact against the steering wheel stunned him a bit but this was nothing compared to the shock he experienced when he saw what he had hit.

He saw NOTHING. And at the end of that nothing, protruding upwards, absurdly suspended in the air, a triangular door. 

He had heard of such technology before. But it's one thing to hear and another entirely to see it in action.

The optical illusion was almost perfect, from a few metres the vehicle was virtually invisible. By touch, he recognised the shape of a sizable copter. He looked through the half-opened hatch but it must have been some kind of super-automated unit. The cockpit was small, clearly designed for an AI and only manually controlled in emergencies.  But the finishing details... it all screamed the subtle elegance of a corporate VIP limo. Immediately behind the empty pilot's seats was the hatch to, he guessed, the main section...It must have been an emergency hatch, with the main probably somewhere to the side or rear. No way a VIP would be squeezing between the pilots....

He looked but found no other entry, not even any welds. The vehicle had no windows in the cockpit, something that has been quite common in armoured vehicles since augmented reality interfaces became a thing....

He couldn't get inside...A moment's consideration sprinkled with a dash of tribal upbringing was enough for him to understand what he had to do.

He was already a hero. This hardware alone was worth millions, and for him it meant a sure seat on the Council, which you could pay your way into, after all. And who knows what was inside.... and what it was worth to the owner? He wouldn't figure it out on his own, and what was the point if it's the respect of others that counted.

Encrypting a short text message, he gave the location and one of the emergency passwords signifying opportunity/threat. He may have been young, but not naive. Someone had to be looking for IT, and rather intensely. He wouldn't risk radio or video transmission. He used a commercial network but only sent an encrypted text.... he had neither the experience or knowledge to conceal the time and number of the satellite he used....

He took the med module from the cockpit, the only thing he could remove without any demo work, turned the Grinder around and rushed to the encampment...

Elsewhere entirely, a powerful search algorithm was using emergency authorisation to access computing power. It was something extraordinary. Even for what was clearly an emergency situation. All that POWER. The corporation's entire global operations could be jeopardised by such a diversion of resources. The stripped-down investigative AI practically trembled with the digital equivalent of excitement. It started with ranges and fuel, then camera and radar images, a few minor break-ins into police networks, one larger one into a telecom corporation.... it was a slight risk but it paid off. A hundred other parameters. It didn't take much time to match the information, in fact it was even a little too easy. It wasted an entire second getting the report right, using heuristic software to search for relevant phrases in a language not commonly used. Details are important, the employer would appreciate this. It was a tribute on its part for being so willingly lavished with computing power....

The strike team was on its way within 30 seconds of receiving the report.

To be continued

++++++++++++

UNIT9