The Suspect

The holographic display in the Director’s office flickered to life, projecting a 3D model of the Pinnacle Complex and a meticulously reconstructed crime scene.

The Director paced slowly in front of the projection, her neural interface casting faint glimmers of blue light across her face. “ Two murders in two days.” She began. “Both in the same place. This case has become much bigger than we anticipated.” She stopped, turning sharply toward the agents. “Grade A Agent Vega will now lead this investigation.” She gestured toward a tall, imposing figure leaning against the far wall.

Vega pushed off the wall, her state-of-the-art combat suit glinting under the office lights. The glow of her ocular implants swept across the room, her expression cold and calculating. She gave CIX a brisk nod but remained silent.

“She’s been brought in from the capital on my orders,” the Director continued. “She’ll take point on the case, with Agent CIX as her second. The rest of you will maintain high alert and keep this strictly confidential. That’s all. Dismissed.”

CIX and Vega arrived at the Pinnacle Complex as dawn broke, the city’s light-capturing towers casting long, mirrored shadows across the titanium streets. The only sounds were the faint hum of drones patrolling overhead.

Inside, Vega crouched by the bloodstained floor, her implants scanning the scene. “Multiple stab wounds to the chest,” she said, her tone clinical. “Same as the first victim. But—this one’s missing their heart.”

CIX nodded, “Yeah, more violent. The AIBI is supposed to prevent things like this. It shouldn’t be possible unless…”

“…unless the killer isn’t connected to the Network,” Vega finished, standing abruptly. “We need to consider the possibility of an outsider. A rogue operative, maybe even someone from before integration.”

The integration of the AIBI chips was implemented over three decades ago as the ultimate solution to senseless killings. It wasn’t just a system; it was the foundation of a new society, one of peace. But some rumors were going on about a radical group of people that opposed using the AIBI, they called themselves the disconnected. CIX always thought it was an urban legend but now he was starting to keep an open mind.

Before he could respond, an alert flashed across both their neural displays.

Unauthorized access attempt detected.

The alert led them to the lower levels of the Pinnacle Complex, an area primarily reserved for automated systems and maintenance bots. The temperature dropped sharply, the hum of machinery reverberating through the narrow corridors.

“VI, activate enhanced motion tracking,” Vega ordered.

“Tracking active,” the AI confirmed, a faint overlay appearing in her vision. Small traces of heat signatures lingered near a ventilation hatch.

“There,” Vega said, already moving. She pulled a compact plasma cutter from her suit, slicing through the hatch in one fluid motion. Inside was a narrow tunnel, just wide enough for a human to crawl through. Fresh scuff marks lined the metal surface.

“Whoever they are, they are not gonna go far,” Vega said, motioning for CIX to follow.

The two agents navigated the maze-like tunnels, their suits adjusting to the cramped space. Ahead, a faint scrape of metal echoed.

“Left turn, thirty meters,” CIX whispered, isolating the sound.

They rounded the corner, catching sight of a shadowed figure scrambling toward an open maintenance hatch. Vega raised her plasma sidearm and fired a warning shot. The bolt seared past the suspect, illuminating the tunnel with a green light.

“Stop!” she shouted.

The figure moved with unnatural speed, leaping through the hatch and into the maintenance hub below.

“DAX, mark the target!” CIX commanded. CIX activated his suit’s thrusters without hesitation, propelling himself after them. He landed hard, rolling to his feet just in time to see the suspect sprinting toward an emergency exit. Vega intercepted from the flank, slamming into the figure with precision.

The suspect lashed out, their strength surprising. They twisted free from Vega’s grasp and bolted again. CIX surged forward, his suit amplifying his movements as he tackled the figure to the ground.

“Hold still!” CIX growled, pinning their arms. Vega secured the suspect with unbreakable restrictive binds.

Back at the precinct, the suspect sat restrained in a high-security interrogation room. The sterile white walls hummed faintly with the energy field surrounding the binds. Vega and CIX observed from behind one-way glass, reviewing the preliminary scan results.

“No AIBI chip detected,” Vega said, scrolling through the data.“ “And this suit…” She leaned closer to the projection. “It’s advanced. Possibly more advanced than ours.”

CIX crossed his arms, his brow furrowed. “That explains the speed. But who could manufacture something like this?”

“N-tech for one,” Vega said, her tone grim. “These murders and N-tech are connected. Maybe we can get answers out of him.”

Entering the room, Vega and CIX faced the restrained suspect. The hooded figure slowly lifted their head, revealing a scarred face and a mocking smile.

“Don’t you have questions?” the suspect taunted.

Vega leaned forward, her expression unreadable. “Of course. But first, coffee or water? It’s going to be a long night.”

The suspect chuckled darkly. “You think pleasantries will change anything? I’m saying fuck all.”

CIX stepped closer, his tone sharp. “Who are you working for? What’s your connection to N-Tech?”

The suspect leaned in, their voice barely a whisper. “I’m not working for anyone. But I will tell ya… this is just the beginning. You can't stop this.” Their smirk widened.“The system you protect is already falling apart. Just a matter of time now.”

CIX’s neural display buzzed with alerts, but he ignored them, locking eyes with the suspect. For the first time in years, he felt the quiet weight of uncertainty pressing down on him. This could very well be the start of a huge war.