Nina folded her arms. “That doesn’t seem odd to you at all? A man who’s feeling ‘everything is awesome’ decides to rampage kill?”
“Mr. Estrada experienced a sudden change in personality to aggressive from highly stressed, but timid and passive. The Division 1 report mentioned the wife called him a ‘giant mouse.’ She said that he kept getting pushed around at work and refused to chase a promotion or a raise. If he wasn’t a stiff, they probably would’ve gotten Zero involved expecting a psionic attack.”
Nina sighed. “I was thinking the same thing.”
“However.” Doctor Charles held up one long finger. “I do have some new information.”
“Aside from the random flurry of data?”
“Yes. The confusing thing is that the chemical analysis doesn’t fit the symptoms of Harmony. However, this man’s behavior does match some reports from people who had been on a similar drug, Tao.”
“Tao’s the same stuff, just made on the street.”
Doctor Charles chuckled. “Well, as same as they can make it. We’re talking about people of questionable expertise using second, third, and sometimes even fourth-grade materials to simulate the effects of Placinil amplified. It’s as if someone’s combining autoshower soap and synthetic vodka hoping to make rocket fuel. However, these symptoms have been noted before in individuals who’ve taken Tao. Heightened sense of aggression, with a particular trigger response to authority figures.”
A light came on in Nina’s head. “Estrada seemed calm and normal at work, as though he hadn’t killed several people before arriving.”
“Quite possible for someone on any of these drugs. They have no ability to feel anything but calm and happy.”
“He’s called to a meeting with his boss, and winds up killing her. Division 1 had already figured him as the shooter from the apartment building, so they arrived within seconds of him killing his supervisor…”
“An authority figure. I suppose it may be possible this man was on Tao rather than Harmony, though the analysis of his blood sample doesn’t support that.”
Nina stared at the dead man’s face. “So you’re saying that there’s no medical explanation for it?”
Doctor Charles reached into empty air. “Terminal.” A window opened at his fingertip, and he brought up an image of bloody beige tissue flecked with dots. Text and gauges streamed past it in a separate box. He tapped a few of the controls, and the image zoomed in enough to expand the dots into metal spiders.
“Nanobots,” said Nina.
“Precisely. Mr. Estrada had a significant number of them in his system, and they do not match any known model on the market. We were able to find etching inside with a manufacturer’s logo: Nikkatsu Corporation.”
“I’ll need copies of the scan data from those nanobots.”
“Of course, lieutenant.” Doctor Charles switched screens, bringing up a 3D hologram of Estrada’s head. He ‘grasped’ it and peeled away layers until he exposed the brain stem, where he indicated a small bit of metal about a half-inch long and two millimeters wide. “We also found this. Its location and design suggests its creation in situ by nanobots.” He zoomed in and pointed out a near-microscopic metal wire running up the brain stem to an NIU. “Analysis of this module identified it as the source of the data burst. The device appears to contain a small radio transmitter we believe acts like traffic control for these nanobots, which is not in and of itself unusual. Many nanobot systems rely on such coordination from a command unit. What makes this one stand out is that it breaks the chicken/egg theory.”
Nina raised an eyebrow.
“The nanobots came first, and made the control node. Typically, say in the case of a CamNano component, the person will have the control module implanted and it will generate the nanobots, which subsequently perfuse their body. In this case, Mr. Estrada somehow obtained these nanobots, and they made a nest.”
She stifled the urge to shiver. While most of her body consisted of plastisteel and other synthetic components, her brain and spine remained hers. “I think the nanobots came in with the drug. We’ve seen that before. Some drugs and military boosters do things that aren’t chemically possible by combining the effect of nanobots with the dose.”
Doctor Charles rubbed his chin. “An interesting concept, and not beyond plausible.”
“Doctor, did you locate any other unusual structures in the body?”
“To be honest, we didn’t look all that thoroughly. The command node stood out because of its size.” He tapped a series of boxes in the right border, which flared green as his fingertip pierced the holographic plane. “I’ll go back in as soon as we’re done here, and let you know whatever I find.”
She pushed aside her growing worry to give him a genuine smile. “Thank you, doctor. I think that’s about it for now until you finish. I’ll leave you to it then. Appreciate the help.”
“It’s quite all right. This should take me only an hour or two. How should I reach you with the results?”
Nina transmitted her Division 9 PID to his NetMini. “That’s my official contact. If I’m unable to answer, you’ll connect with someone from Ops who can relay the data to me.”
“All right. Have a good day, lieutenant.”
“You too, Doc. Thanks.”
She glanced down at Estrada’s body. No… you’re not a spy. You’re a victim.
Nina pulled the door of her patrol craft down. It sealed with a soft pneumatic hiss. “Hardin.”
Five seconds later, the car’s terminal opened a vid call. Harold Hardin appeared in hologram, his head and shoulders floating above the center of the console. “Nina… Any luck at the RTC?”
“Some.” A thought opened a separate window in her head, from which she selected the files on the nanobots. Flicking her eyes toward Hardin launched the files from her NetMini to the car, and over a secure channel to her boss. “Turns out our stiff had a bunch of nanobots in him which the doctor didn’t recognize. They’re of no known type.” A magnified image appeared to Hardin’s left, resembling a robot crab with multi-tool arms instead of pincers. “I’m glad they’re not that big.” She chuckled. “Creepy as hell. But they’ve never seen them before. He did say they found a manufacturer’s logo inside… Nikkatsu Corporation.”
“Japanese.” Hardin tapped a finger on his chin. “I’ll send that on up the food chain. Due to diplomatic concerns, it would be better if you didn’t contact them directly unless you absolutely have to.”
“I hate politics, sir.”
Hardin laughed. “So does everyone… except politicians. So… nanobots?”
“Estrada was high on Harmony at the time of death, though his erratic behavior has been linked more to a similar chem, Tao. Based on the purity of the trace they found in his blood, the doctor is certain he hadn’t taken Tao.”
“Hmm.” Hardin looked off to the side for a moment. “Tao has been linked to quite a bit of violence, especially against police.”
“Authority figures, sir. I was up late reading case files from Division 1. The drug makes the user hostile to authority figures, but I don’t think it’s chemical in nature. They haven’t bothered to do any deep scans on any of those suspects. They find Tao in the bloodstream and write it off as ‘drug crazed.’ But I think there’s something more to it.”
“The nanobots.”
“Right.” Nina tapped the control sticks, itching to take off but unsure where to go. “I’m almost convinced Estrada isn’t ACC… but they’re involved somehow.”
“Understood. Let me know if you need anything.”
“Will do. Might as well see if his widow and co-workers can contribute anything.”
Hardin nodded and disconnected.
She brought up Valerie Cortez’s NetMini signal, which traced to a Kuroshi Pharmaceuticals corporate office. Hmm. That’s a coincidence and a half… but they don’t make Placinil. And they’re not based in Japan, despite the name. Nina pulled her patrol craft into the air and swung it around to
point in the direction of the Kuroshi office, a good forty-minute flight north, even at 600 mph.
“Well, it’s not like I wanted to do anything else today.” She frowned, hoping Elizaveta would tolerate spending more time with her ‘grandparents.’
he strong scent of garlic eventually overwhelmed Katya’s nervousness. She slipped into an intrigued-amused-predatory smile and ate a few forkfuls while testing Zack’s reaction to her giving off an ‘interested’ vibe. While using food as a reason not to talk, she opened a connection from her headware to her NetMini and poked the contact entry for Joey. Neither her pride, nor her distaste for him proved strong enough to dissuade her worry. Either possibility with Zack―cop or actual ACC agent (albeit a sloppy amateur)―had the potential to end in disaster for her. Suffering an interaction with Joey seemed trivial by comparison.
「All hail my Russian sex goddess,」 said Joey as soon as he appeared via virtual holo-panel. 「What do you need?」
「You assume I need something?」
「Of course.」 He flashed that shit-eating grin that always made her want to zap him in the back of the neck with her stunner implant. 「One, I owe you… probably a few favors. Two, you’ve never called me except when in the middle of doing something for me, and since you’re not in the middle of doing something for me right now…」
「Well. In this case, you are correct. I need a small favor.」 She smiled at Zack. “Have you been at Laughlin-Reed long?” A still of Zack’s face floated away from the man, compressed into a neat image file, and zipped into the virtual panel holding Joey. 「I need you to tell me who this man is. He is either a clever police officer or an idiot spy for the ACC.」
“Five months.” Zack sipped tea. “Five very long months. It gets boring fast when you’ve got to keep your head down. I’m sure you know what I mean.
Joey’s eyebrows lifted. 「You’re serious? ACC? You know they’ve got listeners that pick up on certain words, right?」
“Certain professions demand a degree of sacrifice. 「Dead serious.」 The digital representation of Katya’s face stared daggers at Joey while she kept an amused smile outside. 「I am sitting at a restaurant across the table from this man who has just claimed to be an infiltrator. Either he is so desperate to get me in bed that he has abandoned all sense of operational protocol, or he is a police officer trying to trick me.」
「Why would he be trying to trick you?」 Joey raised and lowered alternating eyebrows. The left half of his face tinted blue, reflected light from his terminal. 「Has someone been doing something naughty-naughty?」
“Indeed they do.” Zack leaned his elbow on the table, grinning at her. “This is the worst part. Pretending to be just another employee. Did they at least tell you what your objective is?”
Katya put another forkful of pasta, sausage, and broccoli in her mouth. 「I took a job from Alex. Nothing too over the top. I am basically a delivery bot with breasts. This man followed me out; I do not know how much he knows.」
「I didn’t think you had that much storage capacity down there.」 Joey chuckled. The tint on his skin changed with the contents of his screens.
Katya’s blush―due to actually having an uncomfortable passenger stuffed exactly where Joey joked about―manifested in the real world, though she managed to keep the VR copy of her staring death at him.
“Are you all right?” Zack reached across the small table and took her hand.
Katya held up a finger while chewing, swallowed, and gasped for air. “Yes. I’m not used to such strong garlic. It is good, but it caught me by surprise.”
“You seem like the type of woman who doesn’t appreciate being caught by surprise.”
More than you know. Her eyes narrowed a little before she managed to arrest the sinister stare begging to be unleashed. “I’m not fond of unexpected things.”
Joey seemed to be reading something off to the side for a few seconds. 「Where’d you find this guy? He’s not with the National Police Force.」
「I told you. He followed me out of Laughin-Reed International. He says he works for their network operations team as a defenseman. I thought I’d lost him, but he showed up here anyway.」 Her virtual face scowled at Joey.
「He’s a tech guy? Probably lifted your NetMini signal from the LRI building and pinged it after he lost you. It’s not legal, but it’s the sort of thing kiddies start doing as their first hack… finding people. Easy peasy. If it makes you feel better, you did lose him. Blame your ‘mini. Hmm. This guy… Zachary Martin. His file’s a pile of shit. Zack Martin didn’t exist eight months ago. How long’s he been at LRI?」
Katya’s virtual eyebrow climbed. 「That was fast. He said five months.
“So aside from following random women, what do you do for fun?” 「If he’s not a cop, he’s pretending to be an ACC spy to impress me. Either that or he really is one and the worst rookie I’ve ever seen.」
「Fast?」 Joey scoffed. 「That took me almost eleven seconds. I am the net god. Should’ve had him in six.
He held his hand up into frame, examining his fingernails. 「Go on, kiss the ring.
“It is better to avoid creating too much of a record,” said Zack. “I don’t go out much as there are cameras everywhere.”
「You don’t know the half of it, pal.」 Joey chuckled.
“However…” He traced his thumb back and forth across her hand. “I haven’t had much reason to yet. Do you enjoy your work, or are you only putting up with it in your attempt to pursue a degree?”
He is definitely ACC. “We all do what we have to do, don’t we?”
“Pity.” He chuckled.
“That you think I wish to better myself?” She stabbed a piece of broccoli rabe, wanting to kill it.
Zack shook his head. “No, you misunderstand me. It is a pity that a society with such a superior arrangement politically speaking has decided to adopt one of the worst attributes of its progenitors. The rampant sexism…” He exhaled, raising his arms in disbelief. “It’s disgraceful.”
「Kat, do you have a soma?」
「Yes, but it’s not on right now. They are not of much use on trained operatives. Why?」
「Good. Because that amount of bullshit would’ve blown it straight out.」 Joey laughed. 「If bullshit was a dick, even you would gag on this one. Did you whammy this guy with the pheromones or has your ass always been that magnetic?」
Her avatar smirked at him. 「You tell me. You are always staring at it as well.
“It is not only women who join the army to become citizens so they can attend school.”
「Okay, ya got me there, but I’m addicted to things that might kill me.」
Zack squinted a little. “Army? Interesting you didn’t refer to them by their proper title.”
“Theoretically, let us assume for the sake of argument that your opinion of my role here is correct. Someone in that line of work does not last long by advertising it, no? You might as well speak Russian or German to me.”
He grinned, leaning back a touch as he chuckled.
「Bingo, yelled Joey. Dear Katya, you are seated across the table from one Mr. Anders Becker. Got a facial recognition match from some ‘liberated’ data. Age twenty-three, born in Munich. His parents look to be relatively well off, and there’s a bunch of crosslinks to executives. I think he got his role with the OOI because of mommy and daddy.」
Katya’s eyes iced over as she spoke a hair over a whisper. “21 V yetom Vy neopytny. Vasha rabota ne ta kotoruyu lyudi dolzhen obsuzhdayut… Osobenno dly takovo trusa.”
Zack, rather Anders, regarded her for a few seconds, body tensing, eyes narrowing. “I’m sorry; I didn’t quite catch that.”
The waitress doll approached and collected empty plates. “How was everything? Can I get you anything else?”
“Excellent,” said Katya, smiling. “Cappuccino please.”
Anders waved the doll off.
「Look, Kat… I gotta send this in. Sorry, but Nine’s going to b
e all over that place.」
「It’s fine. I called it in, didn’t I? They can’t think I’m harboring any loyalty to Moscow-Berlin. This man will try to kill me if he realizes he’s exposed himself and I am not, what’s the idiom? ‘On the payroll.’」
Joey grinned. 「They don’t know you like I know you. I bet you wouldn’t lose any sleep over compromising him for your own goals… even if you were on the same side.」
You don’t know me at all. She kept her expression neutral. 「Yes, well, I’m not. You know that.」
「Yeah. Sit tight. They’ll be there soon.」
She squirmed, the stolen data inside her as conspicuous and unpleasant as a Gee-ball sphere crammed where it didn’t belong. As soon as the waitress left the area, she smiled at Anders. “You’re learning.”
He continued staring at her for a few seconds. “I’m not sure I understand.”
“Some of the things you said before aren’t the sorts of things said to someone you haven’t validated. It shows a lack of experience. I shouldn’t be surprised since you needed to trace my ‘mini after I lost you. Such lack of care almost makes me wonder if you obtained your position as a favor to your parents.”
Anders charm melted off. He seemed about ready to tantrum like a spoiled boy who wasn’t used to not having his way.
“Sorry.”
“For?” He flicked his thumb at the handle of his tea mug.
The doll dropped off one cappuccino and walked away.
“For being right. Your parents got you in the door with the Office of Operational Intelligence. You really are new at this aren’t you? I said that not knowing, but you gave away the answer with your facial expression.”
An uncomfortable silence settled over them. Outside, a flash of orange and yellow caught Katya’s eye where a gaudy van parked at a corner close to the bistro’s entrance.
Anders chuckled. He looked down at the table for a few seconds while trying to come up with a retort. His body language set her on edge. She figured him the type to respond to a woman getting the better of him with violence… and think it her fault. “I understand… Katya. My mistake, I thought you were still active.”
The Harmony Paradox (Virtual Immortality Book 2) Page 32
