Lures
17 Dec 2023Ryuko Ntsikana
Part Twenty-Eight
Lures
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Mia noticed Rex’s hesitation as Xochitl and the others who had arrived with her departed. There was no need to ask what was on his mind; she knew. The decision to neutralize all of it was not one made in the heat of the moment. Her mind had been engulfed by a flood of "what ifs." The exterior might appear cold and unfeeling, but her position demanded that she hide the tempest raging within.
Xochitl made no comment about Rex's delayed arrival at her quarters.
"The information has been sent," Avery stated as Xochitl reclined in her chair, briefly closing her eyes. The door to her quarters opened again, and Zarathustra, the head of the ship's security, entered with two steward androids carrying trays of refreshments and snacks for everyone.
Yatziri wasted no time in sampling a bit of everything, while Rex settled for a simple cup of coffee. Avery stood to the side of Xochitl's recliner, observing the gathering and waiting.
The lighting in the room shifted to a green hue as Monty's image appeared on the wall monitor.
"My symbiote has studied the information provided. I don't understand the full context of what it all means, but I have been asked to use my connections to locate Zooey since the beacon on my ship has been disabled. I have never known it to be upset, but I can sense a strong sensation of anxiety that it is attempting to hide from me."
"The last thing we need to do is act on our instinctive impulses," Xochitl stated flatly, her eyes still closed. "Locating her is a good first step, but under no circumstances should she be approached. We don't know her current state or what abilities she may or may not possess. I doubt your symbiote does either."
Monty shook his head.
"We do have a working theory of how your symbiote and its essence are communicating, using their respective hosts. At this time, none of us know how to sever a state of entanglement. The best we can do is temporarily disrupt it through a series of never-ending hyperspace jumps. This disruption would last only a few minutes until they re-synced. Even they, themselves, or whatever term you wish to use, can't sever their connection."
"What kind of security risk does this pose?" Zarathustra asked.
"This level of sharing isn't a form of communication like you or I are having. It isn't even telepathic. It's more of a disjointed, unorganized series of sensations and images that can be tailored to specifics given enough time," Avery explained, as Xochitl briefly opened one eye to look at her.
"Tailored to specifics?" Rex inquired, narrowing his eyes as he tried to understand.
"Yes, tailored through organic ocular suggestion, pheromones, and hypnosis. We can implant specific patterns into Inspector Gladsen's mind that the others will pick up on. If it is received and translated correctly by the essence, there is a chance we can lure it to a location of our choosing."
"The concept you propose is intriguing. This would require me to remove my presence from Monty's mind and act as the communicator," the entity stated through Monty.
"Then you know the question I'm going to ask next," Xochitl stated, her eyes opening briefly to glance at the ceiling.
"Yes, and the answer is unknown until we know more about what tore me from her in the first place."
Yatziri tilted her head. "Now you two, or three, or more, or whatever mental party line is going on here, are talking in riddles."
"The question is whether or not I can neutralize my essence once I am back inside of Zooey," the entity replied, as a smirk formed on Xochitl's face.
Yatziri shook her head. "Wait, wasn't she taken over by some weird evil thing inside of her psyche, which was ousted during some kind of coup by something else in her mind?"
Monty nodded. "The primal part of her psyche had taken control of her shattered mind, trapping the child-like persona that remained, holding it and the body hostage to prevent me from isolating it and protecting Zooey. Whatever it was, surprised us both, taking immediate control, trapping the two of us, absorbing the primal nature, and decompiling and compressing me, which it then transmitted."
Avery looked at the monitor. "I have pondered this extensively since your state was confirmed. You had healed the physical damage done to her brain, but you could not repair the damaged synapses. Whatever remained within, you could not have seen. The child was the primary influence until the primal nature took control. The only part that would have had more power would be the self."
"Even with all of our technological prowess, the human mind is something that still eludes the best and the brightest," Xochitl responded, her eyes shifting to the monitor. "Whatever it is that has taken control is unknown to us. That question needs to be answered. This is why finding her is critical, and avoiding direct contact even more so."
"And the part about brainwashing Monty," Yatziri said with a snicker, looking up at the monitor at him.
Monty shook his head. "Bait for the trap."
Rex remembered Xochitl's earlier comment before leaving the ship's medical facility, as he looked up at Monty. "Do you understand what can happen if we fail?"
"Then we both must be neutralized," the entity stated coldly, sending a shiver through Rex.