21 Walk-Through

2035

Trepidation travels up and down Sid's spine as he runs toward the camp. He can hear helicopter blades spinning and voices shouting. Suddenly, the voices that were calling out to him have quieted, and that makes him slow down and begin stalking toward the open field. The helicopter blades have stopped spinning. Each movement is slow and deliberate as he slides behind a tree and peeks around it.

Directly before him is an improvised parking lot of cars. Robert and Carla are nearest to him, hiding along the side of a car. Carla is clenching a grenade in one hand. Robert is reloading his weapon and wiping sweat off his forehead.

The encampment is in total disarray. It looks like a stampede of people trampled through many of the tents, but Sid can't see any bodies along the ground. Hopefully, everyone got away safely or minorly injured.

Choked sobbing can be heard, but Sid can't quite make out where it is coming from. He doesn't know why the shouting and the gunfire has stopped. Waiting here in the trees won't solve anything.

'Can I get an aerial view of the campsite?'

A satellite image of the area appears before Sid's eyes. Directly, North of him is an aircraft. He can see at least two figures, but with the contrasting colors shown on the figure to the right, there are probably three.

'Looks like a Savage and someone wearing bright yellow is in front of the helicopter, but who..'

The satellite image doesn't give much indication of who or what may be inside the large aircraft parked in the field.

'Actually, could you...'

ACTIVATING THERMAL IMAGING SURVEILLANCE

The heat signatures seep into the image gradually. He can now see what looks like a figure wrapped around another one. The yellow material seems to have cloaking technology against thermal imaging. The hostage appears as a black mass against the yellow-orange figure. To the right of the hostage and their attacker is another heat signature. The propeller must have been blocking the sight of the third Savage.

'So, there are three Savages and the hostage in front of the helicopter.'

The metal frame of the helicopter blocks the contents from being seen, but Sid can definitely pick out bits of color on the outer parts of the helicopter. It seems as if a few appendages are outside the craft, while the rest of them are inside. It's hard to tell how many people are actually within it.

'Can you locate Subject 002?'

Sid leans against the tree and waits several moments. It usually can scan things in less than a second to acquire the information to answer. It used to confuse him, but an almost immediate reply is now natural. This is an unusual amount of time to wait.

NEGATIVE.

SUBJECT 002 IS UNACCOUNTED FOR.

'Okay,' Sid thinks while pressing his head to the bark of the tree.

'Nothing to worry about. He's probably just.... found the perfect hiding spot.'

Sid takes a deep breath and thinks about what needs to be done.

'Activate Immersive mode.'

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The sweat and dried blood on Sid's body vanishes. His clothing has changed from a worn long-sleeved shirt and cargo pants to a green jumpsuit, and he is cleaned of the previous outside environment. His dirty hat is gone.

"Let me see this area again in HD."

A red triangular piece of glass appears in front of Sid's face, and he grabs it from the air. The red coloration fades into a black screen with red sides. Colored images of people can be seen from a bird's-eye view.

"What is Subject 002's last known location?"

Two green dots appear on the screen. Sid presses one of them. It is the hill where people watch the camp during guard duty. It appears a small fire is burning on the hill. No one can be seen trying to put it out. Sid taps the second dot with more force than needed.

The image speeds off to the right and stops to reveal a tent. There is no heat signature on the tent. Subject 002 is not there. Sid is vexed by the lack of information. He knew he should have tried his hand at electronics and made a few tracking devices.

"What's the status of the other Subjects?"

SUBJECT 003: OPTIMAL

SUBJECT 004: SATISFACTORY

SUBJECT 005: SATISFACTORY

SUBJECT 006: OPTIMAL

SUBJECT 007: SATISFACTORY

SUBJECT 008: OPTIMAL

SUBJECT 009: POOR

SUBJECT 010: POOR

SUBJECT 011: UNACCOUNTED FOR

SUBJECT NACRE: DISTRESSING PHYSICAL STATE

SYNTHETIC INTELLIGENCE DEVELOPER CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE EVACUATION MANEUVERS

"That's our cue. Can you search: Negotiation and Hostages?"

A couple white documents appear in the air. Sid grabs them both and starts walking to the fighting hall. Instead of the dark empty room coming alive with simulations, the room brightens to show a table, chair, generic black hat, a thin headset, and a bulletproof vest. When Sid snaps his fingers, the items on the table vanish and reappear on his person.

"Okay, take this slow. I want you to be a crouching tiger out there. All fierceness held under the skin. 40% worry, 60% confidence. You got me, Chief?"

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Sid's body slowly crouches from behind the tree and moves out onto the chaotic site. Robert looks over the edge of the car to get a look at the hostages. While looking down at Carla, he feels himself being watched, and turns to the presence.

He raises his gun at his older brother's body and gasps softly. Carla turns with her fingers ready to pull on the grenade pin.

SUBJECT 005 AGITATED STATE IS PROMPTING AN IMPULSIVE----

Sid's body shifts and rolls smoothly into Carla. His hands grasp hers to keep them still.

"Action unneeded. Report the situation."

Carla sighs with relief at seeing her leader.

"These fools are attacking the relief workers. I don't know why those idiots landed here while seeing the Savages running around chasing people. It distracted them so the civilians all got away to hide, but it opened them up for attack."

Sid detects Subject 006 hurtling to their position holding the body of a child in his arms. He collapses behind the car and deposits the child into the teenagers' arms without ceremony.

"Hey!" Robert hisses at Dan.

"I'm surprised this kid has been so cooperative. Babysit her for a bit."

The redhead giggles at Robert's face as he tucks away his weapon. Dan turns to their leader.

"Glad to see you're fine. The Savages came out from your location and tried to surround the refugees. Priya and Turner had to abandon their posts. I didn't catch sight of Nard or Ika."

"Eli led the civilians east of here," Carla pitches in.

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Within Immersive Mode, Sid is sitting at the table with his clasped hands until his chin.

"Meeeh. So, point out SUBJECT'S 008 AND 009 for me," Sid asks the Synthetic Intelligence Developer while rubbing the back of his thumb along his lips.

A holographic map in the air pulses green in two places. There are many large blotches of heat signatures stationary at the same location as the green markers.

"Subject 010?"

A purple marker lights up on the map.

"Zoom in."

The image zooms in to reveal trees and a small fire. Sid bites his thumb and leans forward in his seat. He sets his hands down and climbs up onto the table to get a better look at the map.

"Zoom in. Is that a boot?"

He points at a black smudge in the photo. A tiny difference in the satellite imaging.

EVIDENTLY

"Tell Dan to—

~~~~~~~~~~

"Nard will need to be retrieved, Daniel."

Dan is convincing Robert to keep the child safe when those words interrupt their discussion. Dan glares at Robert and turns to their leader. His gray-green eyes intently listen for what he'll be told.

"Where at? He and Ika split when all this started."

"It appears that he is still near the first guard post. The blast seems to have injured him. He would appreciate immediate evac."

"I hate it when you do that."

Sid lifts an eyebrow at Dan.

"Over and out." Dan moves out the direction he came from.

His large form bent in half, crouching so low, seems like a magic trick.

"Those thighs sure are working…" Carla mutters as she watches the bull of a man charge off out of sight into the tree line.

Robert's eyes widen, and he slides his hands onto the child's ears. Sid turns to the young woman and holds out a hand. She places a grenade into his palm and watches as Sid tosses it over his shoulder without looking.

"What about the relief workers?!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Ahahahaha, I love it when you do that! No eyes needed, folks. We've got satellites at our disposal."

Sid sits upon the table cross-legged.

"That will get their attention, but now that they are distracted what exactly should we do now? We can't charge in too quickly or he'll kill a hostage. Nacre is too important, and we don't know who is being held up front. Wait, do we?"

SUBJECT NACRE IS UNDERGOING PAIN AND DISTRESS

"Okay. Dumb question, so Nacre is probably the one being held up front. Like always…he never changes."

HELPFUL NEGOTIATION MANEUVERS UPLOADED

"Oh yeah. I forgot about those. Bring them up."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

STEP 1: MAKE THEM AWARE THAT YOU ARE ACKNOWLEDGING THEIR SIDE OF EVENTS

Sid's body stands and walks briskly into the sight of the aggressors.

"Sid wait…we don't know how many are out there," Carla hisses.

The teenager's hold on the child tightens.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Three Savages are seen standing in front of a helicopter. The helicopter holds a couple of people in slim hazmat suits that stop at the neck. They are wearing helmets that have wide lenses and a gas mask attached to it. The figure held captive by the Savage with a knife at his throat has no helmet on and his suit is torn. There is blood sprinkled along the front of the torn hazmat suit. Someone has died already. You can see it on the terrified man's face. He believes he is next.

"Trying to scare us with your little explosions won't work. We know your tactics, Goodie!"

"Stop right there!" the Savage holding a knife to Subject Nacre yells.

Sid pauses with his hands held high and fingers spread.

"What do you want?" Sid says these words slowly with his face clear of malice.

"What do we want?!" the male Savage to the left yells back.

The Savage at the right looks back at the helicopter.

"We needs ya stuff!" the female Savage yells back.

"Goodie, you know what we want. And we not gonna to talk about sharing or caring. This is ours now." The knife-wielding Savage wiggles the knife along the throat of the hostage as he says those words.

"These boxes and these peoples!"

"Back off!"

"You don't want us to stop you from taking these items and you want us to leave," Sid repeats back.

"Yes!"

STEP 2: TRY TO EMPATHIZE

"You don't want your leader back?"

"Leader back? Our leader is gone! Don't try to no tricks. We knows he missing, he dead. He wouldn't go quietly," the female Savage replies.

The other two Savages nod at those words.

"Gone and dust. We act on what we sees. We sees you trying to play us a fool. No leader needed to take what we needs. Once the leader is gone, anyone can strike up plans. This be the plan. You go, we stay," she proclaims.

"It's hard to move forward without a leader. Are you the leader?"

"What?" The Savages look at the back of the head of the knife-wielding Savage.

"I didn't say that," she disagrees.

"Your leader is gone, and you have plans that you want to complete. This is a plan you want to complete. So, you are the leader."

The knife-wielding Savage tightens his grip on the hostage and points the knife at the female.

"Who says you be leader? This is the Raco's plan. Raco is the leader. You need a new plan, to say you be leader!"

The other Savage pushes at the knife-wielding Savage back, "Pay attention. The Goodie sees you stray!"

STEP 3: MAKE SURE THEY SEE YOU ARE IN HARMONY WITH THEIR PLAN

The knife-wielding Savage glances at Sid and sees him standing stock-still at his position. He has not moved a step.

"You must be rushed and confused. How did the leadership change in a matter of minutes?"

The female Savage had taken a few steps back to distance herself from the knife, but at Sid's words, she takes a few steps forward. She waves an accusatory hand at the knife-wielding Savage.

"Raco die and you have quick plans. Why so quick? You said we no look for the leader. You said that!!"

"Raco said if he dies to leave him and move on. This be us moving it."

"Move on, huh?" Sid closes his mouth firmly after speaking those words.

"This is us standing still. You said we stay, they go."

"Did you plan this?" the Savage to the left yells at the hostage holder and shoves his shoulder.

The knife nicks the neck of the hostage and makes the shivering man whimper. The Savages can see Sid silently watch in their peripheral, and those behind him see he isn't reacting.

Blood fills his mouth. His eyes are wide as they absorb the conversation going on in front of him.

The female Savage shoves at the other side of the knife-wielding Savage, and that is when Sid rushes at them. The knife-wielding Savage moves to swipe at both of his former allies and frighten them back.

LOWER EXTREMITIES ENHANCED BY 50%

Before they can react to his form in their peripheral, he grabs the arm of the knife-wielder and spits into his eyes.

"Aagh!" The blood sprays into his face and blinds him.

His grip on the hostage disappears as he grabs at the arm holding his dominant hand up in the air. Blinking does not help clear the blood from his eyes, it makes it even worse. The other Savages step back at the sudden spray of blood from the man's mouth, but their instincts return at the next moment.

The female throws a haymaker at Sid but is intercepted.

Crack.

The Savage in Sid's grasp feels his arm break as he is swung into the female Savage. They crash into each other, but the male Savage has an open shot at Sid's side and back. He charges at Sid to tackle him to the ground, but Sid dodges. The Savage ducks under Sid's elbow and crashes into the other two Savages.

The hostage scrambles for the knife. Sid grabs it first, stands, and throws it. The female Savage catches the knife and grins as a bullet glides deep into her skull.
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