The Nature of Predators - Gress’ Cases (6/8) (Patreon)

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Memory Transcription Subject: Gress, Krev Hostage Negotiator

Date [standardized human time]: August 13, 2156

Shenala sent me a list of any botched procedures or complaints against the workplace, though Vael himself had a sterling reputation; it was evident he was good at what he did, and met his client’s needs. Most of the online reviews about his services were glowing. I’d reached out to his friends, asking them outright if he had any enemies. Approaching the Trombil to ask directly could lead whoever was controlling his arms to pull the trigger. Even if we did figure out who was keeping him hostage, the issue was that they could shoot him from afar once they suspected the cops were onto him.

What I knew, as I replayed the reptile’s words in my head—writing them down so time wouldn’t distort their meaning—was that his trinary message suggested he knew his attacker. Vael said that a vague “he” was making him do it. Perhaps we could communicate with him in trinary; that would be a major risk though, unless there was some subtle way to do it. It might suffice to use flashing lights into a mirror as a form of code…though I’d either need a Trombil to do it, or I’d need Shenala to give me the exact sequence of blinks for my message.

Vael’s attacker has the element of surprise. For all we know, he’s in the area, watching his claw-work in person; that, or he has cameras that’ll see the tactical unit show up. I hope Rameki listens to what I texted her about parking behind the office, and trying to look off-duty.

As I took the long route out back, still monitoring Vael through storefront cameras Shenala had given me access to, the Resket’s truck came careening into the alley. I supposed not blasting the “get out of my way, peasants” horn was subtle to her. Rameki’s large eyes were obviously watching me when I scurried into the command center; without acknowledging her scorn, I connected her screens to local security feeds as well. Every avian in the vehicle was indulging in kelai, a Jaslip stimulant that they used to stave off sleepiness—primarily if they needed to stay awake in hibernation season.

I needed to be alert despite the late hour, especially since this could go on throughout the entire night. I poured myself a cup; unlike the versions sold at the enclave, our drinks didn’t have snow slush added to them. While kelai wasn’t popular with most Krev, it was a staple within Avor’s police force for late night missions.

“Enjoy your terrorist juice, Gress,” Rameki chirped, guzzling down her own cup. “You woke us all up, and you have nothing to say about that?”

I heaved a sigh. “Do you think I like being called out at this hour? And also, if you think all Jaslips are terrorists, why would you trust a product they sold to you?”

“There’s not a large enough market for kelai to justify exposing themselves. They buy from the same suppliers—not that they care that much, but they’d be killing their own people.”

“Please. The Jaslips protest that we killed their people on Esquo; they’re not going to turn around and kill off their brothers themselves.”

“Why did you call me specifically here, Gress? You just argue with everything I say, and find some way to circumvent all of my plans.”

“I need you to disable Vael’s arms, without killing him. Think about it: it’s all electronic. I’m sure you know it’s a way to show the Trombil how vulnerable they’ve made themselves. Your people have been arguing to keep traditional soldiers for years, and now you finally have the clearance to make that point. It had to be you.”

“What about the hacker?”

“The arms don’t work without power. The hacker will be powerless; we’ll be taking away his toys.”

Rameki took a step toward me, trying to look menacing. “I can’t knock out entire city blocks of Tonvos. I’ll be called a terrorist at that point—it won’t just be drinking their sludge. It’d have to be a close-range pulse…and after the EMP flicker, the arms will reset within a few minutes.”

“That’s why I’m calling in one of Vael’s coworkers to remove the arm. I specifically searched out the guy who is the most efficient…the fastest at completing his procedures. He’s our best bet under pressure.”

“How do you know this coworker isn’t involved? For fuck’s sake, jealousy is a common motive, Gress!”

“He agreed to a memory scan to be ruled out as a suspect. He’s clean as an obor that’s been to the groomer.”

“Hmph. And where is he?”

I glanced at the tracking dot on the pod Shenala had sent to his home. “Cavic is on his way. [Ten minutes] out. Why don’t you spend that time looking for a way in?”

“And what are you going to be doing: scheming how to kick me to the curb as soon as I’ve outlived my use?”

“I…am going to be making contingency plans. In case your mission is botched, I need to know if Vael knows who did this to him.”

The Resket huffed at the suggestion that she’d fail at her task; I figured taking a swipe at her ego would get her to stop sulking. When eliminating threats was the sole route, she was adept at her job. Unlike some other avian commanders, she wasn’t rigidly stuck on a front-door approach either; her honor system went out the window when she thought the other party was dishonorable. The downside of that black-and-white view was that if someone was on the wrong side of that equation, she was too happy to put a bullet in their head and be done with it. I was pretty sure Rameki saw me as an obstacle holding her back.

Focus, Gress. We should use as few words as possible in the message to Vael, to limit the chance that the attacker notices. Unfortunately, that also means that our stressed-out captive might not notice it either. If it has to be repeated, we should space the reruns out.

Deciding that I should seek Shenala’s input on relaying a message, I dialed the Trombil Listener. There was nothing wrong with consulting someone with greater expertise; in my opinion, that was the wisest move I could make. I didn’t know what she looked like, and she wasn’t one to show her emotions, but I wondered if she was leery of cybernetics. After all, someone in her field knew that the Reskets had a point on how easily they could be breached. My surveillance contact took a few moments to pick up, likely busy with the search nets she was casting for a suspect. While it wasn’t my intent to distract, it’d save her a lot of time if we could get an outright answer.

“Hey, Shenala. I want to try to get in contact with Vael. If the hacker snaps and pulls the trigger before we get to him, what he knows goes with him,” I explained in a hurry. “Can you guide me in trinary messaging, if I position a mirror just right to flash light in his eyes?”

The Trombil’s voice became rich with disappointment. “There are so many flaws with that plan. For starters, Vael’s cybernetics are hacked; the only part we’re certain he has control over is his jaw. Cutting someone’s vision off is great if you want them to panic. Secondly, visual messages are ones the hacker can see. It’s an inherent risk.”

“So is waiting around, or hoping that Cavic can get his arm off. Even if we take the gun, the hacker can find other ways to make Vael hurt himself. Shit, our Trombil pal has 4 limbs to tap into, and we’ll only be able to maybe get one off before the electronics reset. The more pulses we use, the greater the risk of nerve damage—electric shocks carrying over.”

“I’m not saying don’t message him. A lot could go wrong either way, but I wouldn’t be a good Listener if I didn’t push to always take the path of least resistance. Use loud infrasound vibrations. Out of anyone’s hearing range, only detectable when Vael feels the sound bursts.”

“That’s a good idea, but how do we create that type of noise?”

“Your friend Rameki has a giant speaker, and an oscillator that changes frequencies to make a sonic weapon. Move it outside, connect your holopad to it, and I’ll do the rest.”

I drew a sharp breath. “You hacked my holopad, Shenala?”

“Please. I can get into just about anyone’s holopad at will. By the time you tote that speaker near the side wall, through the camera blind spots, I’ll be ready.”

Keeping the Trombil on the line, I borrowed two of Rameki’s underlings to help me cart the speaker. The Resket was so absorbed in microanalyzing the building’s blueprints for a way in that she didn’t notice our exit, and I was fine dodging her gripes about me ordering her people around. We were on the same team, even if she actively worked against my goals half the time. One officer hoisted the speaker onto his back, while the other and myself lifted from each side. Shenala tracked us, steering us around any cameras that might spy us; we moved slowly to ensure we didn’t step outside the lines. My arms were burning by the time we set it down, but I wouldn’t have dared to drop Rameki’s precious equipment. Ignoring my fatigue, I linked my holopad to the speaker.

There is the possibility Vael might not know who did this, but he was definitely contacted. That’ll give us something to go on—an idea where to look.

“Alright, it’s all set up for you. Keep an eye out for Vael’s reply on the camera feed; let us know what he says with those funky jaw movements,” I panted, keeling over to catch my breath.

The Trombil chuckled. “I sure will. Two steps ahead of you, Gress. What do you want me to ask Vael?”

“‘Who did this?’ Keep asking until he catches on.”

“Got it. Please hold.”

I barely contained my laughter as she played a basic jingle over the line; usually, waiting on phone services was with customer service, not the secret surveillance apparatus of the police. As promised, Shenala projected a low series of rumbles in a coded pattern; I could feel the booming sensation in my bones, in varying lengths to spell letters. The Resket soldiers returned to the command center, avoiding the cameras’ vision. I weighed whether to leave the speaker out in the open, before deciding it’d be a royal pain in the ass to carry away. Rameki could retrieve the speaker after it’d served its purpose. I high-tailed it back to the truck, surveying the monitors.

Vael’s mouth motions had changed, which caused my tail to perk up with optimism. The Trombil had gotten the message. Until this point, he hadn’t even known that anyone realized his predicament; now, he had the hope of knowing the police were here to help, and that he wouldn’t be written off as an “evident suicide.” That was a minor success on its own, giving him something to cling to in this sanity-draining situation. I felt renewed determination to get the cybernetics designer out of this, and bring the perpetrator to justice. My ears eagerly awaited Shenala’s translation of his response.

“He spelled out the name ‘Nolle.’ That’s a Trombil name, so that already narrowed the field—not too many here on Avor,” Shenala relayed. “Then, Vael signaled the word, ‘classmate.’ I’m cross-referencing students who attended alongside him for each year of schooling.”

I moved closer to Rameki, knowing she was about to have a proper target to chase down, her style. “Got it. Doesn’t tell us how he knows, but we have a name. Time to dig into the why.”

The Resket’s eyes gleamed. “We have a name?”

“We’re about to have this guy’s exact identity. You’ll have either his location, or at the least, every microscopic detail about who we’re looking for, any second now.”

“Found him. Nolle: went to first-phase school with Vael. No clear connection, but it’s definitely who our friend meant.” Shenala transferred Nolle’s government-issued ID onto the screen, complete with an image of a Trombil…without cybernetic mods. That was unusual. “As you might’ve noticed, Nolle has zero modifications. He doesn’t even have a translator implant or a holopad, so I can’t pinpoint his location.”

“A Trombil without cybernetics or even a digital footprint? Usually, they don’t get a choice; their parents ‘upgrade’ them quite young.”

“His parents don’t have mods either. Nolle’s family is part of the Evinite community. Even someone as cultured as you probably isn’t familiar with them, Gress, unless you’ve heard of their group as an oddity. It’s a small Trombil sect that swears off computers and any mechanical additions to their form.”

“Why? I was under the impression that Trombil society all but worshipped biotech and silicon.”

“The Evinites think that’s a problem. They see technology as poison: a temptation to be avoided, created by people who overstepped the natural order. That is someone who’d hate seeing a person as modded as Vael, and who installs that tech in others. It’s strange though…the Evinites are a peaceful group. Most of all, it doesn’t add up that Nolle would not just be using technology, but be a proficient hacker.”

I tilted my head. “Perhaps it’s a false accusation? Vael’s suspicions might be based in prejudice. He’d hardly be the first person to turn on a group he doesn’t understand…right, Rameki?”

“What?” the Resket squawked in an irritated voice.

“Never mind. I guess Nolle could’ve hired someone else to do it, or maybe he’s some radicalized figure that’s been raised to put a stop to ‘the Trombil’s wicked ways.’ We can’t rule him out, but I’d start by tracking him down and questioning him. Doesn’t seem solid enough to shoot on sight.”

“Unless he resists?”

“Obviously, Rameki. Don’t sound so hopeful.”

Shenala cleared her throat. “I’m going to poke around in what little information is recorded about Nolle, and try to narrow down his location. It won’t be so easy to find or contact him, so this’ll require my full attention. Good luck removing his arm, Gress. That’s a brand new sentence, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. That wouldn’t sound too great out of context.” 

“Sure wouldn’t. By the way, according to your tracker, it looks like Cavic is there. You should go as well. I’ll call you if I find anything useful.”

“Thanks, Shenala. I’ll talk to you later.”

With the holopad call ending, I hurried to intercept Cavic’s pod, which had stopped just outside our command center as intended. I herded the nervous-looking Trombil into the truck, and tried to think of a pep talk to give him. Any civilian would be freaked out to be herded into a situation with an aggressor flaunting a loaded gun, and it didn’t help that this one was weird. I had to find a way to calm his nerves, since I didn’t figure Rameki’s brand of “just do your job” speeches would be helpful. It was hardly that simple for Vael’s coworker, but the fact was, we needed him. His colleague’s life depended on him coming through. 

“Perfect timing. Rameki, you’re up. Now that everyone’s here, I think it’s time you explained whatever plan you hatched,” I sighed.

The Resket challenged me with a direct stare. “You’ll find this one a bit familiar, Gress. It’s similar to the plan you fucked up with the Ulchid mess. Drones and vents are a timeless, tried-and-true strategy.”

“This time, I’m actually on board with that. Just make sure everyone’s in position…and have a backup nonlethal ready, in case the arms reboot too fast.”

“If it comes to that, the time for nonlethal has passed. We can knock Vael out, but the arms are being controlled by something other than his brain. Multiple EMP pulses could fry him. Cavic needs to get the gun and remove the arm, period.”

I patted the Trombil on the shell, noticing him jump. “Cavic’s got this. I’ve heard he flies through this kind of procedure on the daily. It’s routine, other than the circumstances. He’s a real hero for stepping up.”

“Yeah,” Cavic stammered. “I’ll t-try my best. Oh shit, I think I’m gonna puke.”

It was my turn to cast a withering stare at Rameki, as she opened her beak to offer some skeptical remark about the cybernetic technician’s capabilities. We didn’t have a choice but to hope Cavic could keep his cool and come in clutch for us; there was no time to fetch another person, when Vael could be killed at any moment. Drones crept off on our monitors, giving an overhead view as they crept toward an opening. I coaxed the Trombil out of the truck with a supportive touch, and waited for Rameki to give the signal. I was going to do whatever I could to help the rescue mission, and to figure out if Nolle the Evinite had anything to do with this cyberattack in actuality.

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A/N - Part 6! Shenala helps Gress find a clever way to communicate with Vael, and they discover that our hostage blames Nolle, an Evinite, for his present hacked situation: despite the fact Nolle’s sect swears off technology and that he doesn’t even have a translator implant. Rameki also finally gets a chance to use the drones she wanted to use on the Ulchids, shutting off Vael’s arms with EMPs long enough for Cavic to take the gun-holding one off. Meanwhile, Gress’ Listener contact is scouting for any information on Nolle’s present whereabouts.

Do you think that Nolle is the culprit? If so, what would make him use technological means to go after Vael…and if not, why does our Trombil believe it’s him? Will Cavic be able to keep his cool long enough to remove Vael’s arm? 

As always, thank you for reading and supporting!