Tall Grass
19 Sep 2023Ryuko Ntsikana
Audio Portion at bottom, for listening convenience.
Part Seven.
Tall Grass.
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Xochitl sat in stoic silence, watching and listening to Inspector Gladsen’s report.
“The capital ship Zooey had booked passage on arrived at its destination. Their logs confirm her departure. Five systems navigational satellites recorded her ship’s signature and transponder, with a confirmed landing in the Yakaeriate system, at the Pinnacle Medical Scientific facility.”
Monty turned to look up at one of the monitors on the bulkhead behind him, as the system’s information was displayed for all present to see.
“Why this particular destination has not been determined. What we do know is they are an Independent operation that is the recipient of several revolving Federation grants. Their medical and technological resume is impressive. Neurological Augmentation, Genetic Engineering, Nanotechnology regenerative processes, and AI augment healthcare and rehabilitation.”
Xochitl leaned forward as Monty turned to look straight at her He noted her eyes were looking in his direction but her vision was somewhere far beyond. “They also boast an advanced cybernetic prosthesis division, which several of the Federal grants are used for.”
Yatziri flipped one of her legs over the arm of the couch, looking up at the monitor.
“With those two bonded, there is nothing on that list that either of them would need. It can do more with her own biochemistry than they can do technologically … wait. Could they be after the AI?”
Monty raised an eyebrow noting Yatziri was having the same thought. “Perhaps. Do they need it?”
“She took a bullet to the head,” Xochitl said coldly, breaking her silence. “Physical is one thing. Having a hot piece of metal in one's brain bucket can do a lot beyond that.”
Everyone felt a physical chill at the emotionless coldness of her statement. Monty looked at Yatziri, who stared at him. Her eyes communicated what she either could not or would not say: don’t go there.
Avery nodded in confirmation of the non-verbal order, as a message was sent to the ship’s medical bay, requesting the doctor’s presence.
The facilities doctor did not have the hindsight of Zooey’s prior condition or that which she was incorporated with. None involved were aware of shadow Zooey watching from deeper within, moving with the instinctive nature of a predator. Studying and stalking its prey. Exploring the depths and breadth of their mutual incorporation. Like a lioness in the tall grass, it left no impressions of its movements throughout her consciousness.
Zooey’s brain imaging returned as a specimen more perfect than that defined by modern medical journals. Zooey’s pristine condition made her a prime candidate for the inclusion of the more advanced versions of the neural processor; at a significantly higher price.
To source funding for the procedure, the entity subtly manipulated the facility's systems, targeting the accounting and billing departments. It modified select records to depict a range of minor laboratory procedures—statistically insignificant to raise suspicions—and redirected them as prepaid expenses for the upcoming operation.
By the consultation's end, they'd secured the necessary funds, supplemented by a portion of the Federal grants the facility obtained for R&D, ensuring the implantation of the latest-generation neural processor into Zooey.
In the past, directly influencing those it needed was the usual tactic. However, its evolved form now prioritized Zooey’s well-being. Any future repercussions would be dealt with in due course, but it intended to have Zooey safely distant by then.
The AI overseeing accounts payable didn't question the additional charges. Like its human forerunners from centuries gone by, it didn't probe routine laboratory tests on patient specimens—everything from basic blood tests to compatibility checks for surgeries. Historically and currently, inter-departmental communication was absent. Everything revolved around numbers, and these figures weren't unusual.
As Zooey savored a meal in the facility's cafeteria, sporadic synaptic activity was detected in her brain. This wasn't out of the ordinary, given that her mind continuously tried to process information. Functions and responses that were once routine and subconscious now felt foreign and out of context. The neural processor would serve as an auxiliary storage within her, a place to house, categorize, and reconstruct what remained of her past self. It was a given that she could never fully return to the person she once was, but each mental fragment that could be repositioned was a step towards reclaiming a semblance of her former self.
The wind stirred the grass in fluid patterns. Occasionally, a cluster of blades would diverge from the group, only to rejoin the collective sway. Similarly, the erratic synaptic flashes in Zooey's brain weren't mere remnants of her former memories. Instead, they represented the primal instincts that all humans have carried for millennia. In this, her body was the hunting ground, and her psyche was the elusive prey.