Chapter 3:

_LOG3_

Synth;esthesia


_LOG3/Entry_1:_ 0600hrs

As the elevator slows to a stop. The man stands motionless staring at his thumbs as the blue cool light of the morning sun floods around him.

He folds his thumb and mutters:

"Crack. Thumb?"

A voice that's exactly behind him startles him, he crouches out of reflex. Nothing happens but the voice kept on going, then another voice accompanies it, the indistinct conversation is in a foreign language.

"Hebrew?", he asks himself

He turns slowly to be face to face with nothing. He can make out some shapes quite a ways away. His vision magnifies, focuses on the one speaking and a prompt bing sounds.

"800 meters huh?"

Whatever is happening, the Hebrew is changing to Urdu, to Japanese, to Aborigines.

"Damn it. Eh! Tch … there ya go" the man mutters as he tunes the settings in his heads-up display

"We have orders to stand ground…", the one in full tactical gear says.

"…no one in, no one out. Enough already!", the shortest of the group in heavy riot gear mockingly interrupts.

The man's display is tagging a freakish tall individual in engineering overalls with his back facing him, marking his limbs with a warning sign.

"What's that?", the man wonders.

The tall man turns his head slightly but not enough to make out any of his features and walks off as the other two were left hanging mid-conversation. The man follows the tall man's intimidating strides and wonders:

"'Gait unknown', 'Aug Serial Unlisted', 'facial rec failed', 'pheromone analysis… 97% North American BISON?!.. Oh, 'error'".

"Right. Talk. Car. Stay lo' –", he mumbles to himself.

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_LOG3/Entry_2:_ 0607hrs

The man is at the end of the sub-basement car park hunkering behind a wall. He wonders:

" 'Talk. Car.' 'You'll know.' How even… oh."

As he maneuvers stealthily towards the marker 'Car', the smell of gasoline and rubber zeros-in his senses. There's a steady breathing and an unblinking focus as he feels electrodes at his fingertips.

He's just across the 'Car' now waiting for the patrol at the other end to move a bit further away. He's admiring the 'Car', he follows the aerodynamic lines of its flexible Aero aluminium monocoque design, it's the kinda car that'll blend in at any Sunday highway jam unless you look at it thrice, then you'll know:

"6997cc V8.

Mid-engine for even weight distribution.

475lb/@4000RPM.

406bhp/ton."

The guards patrol their next designated area and the man makes a move. Before his fingertips touches the handle, the door opens automatically. He prepares an awkward smile for the monotone, single-word genius at the end of the call. He opens the door and there's no one in the single-seater rocket.

He slides in and the dashboard syncs with his HUD:

"Line secure".

"...," he waits awkwardly.

"Took you long enough".

"I had breakfast on the way, I'd buy something if you were—"

"Your memory's wiped," the voice interrupts him.

It carries on "Nothing before 0407 hrs today… oh, my… poor thing."

"I'd shit my guts out if I knew how to---", he is interrupted again.

"Your humour is set to default, lemme fix tha–", the voice is cut short now.

"Hey, you ain't changing a G.D thing. Why wiped? Why don't I just drive out and make a run from this hell hole and …" he pauses abruptly.

"You done?" The voice replies.

"I thought you were gonna interrup—", his face deadpan.

"I'm sure you'd like me to go into a soliloquy and explain eve —", the voice is interrupted.

" 'Mono'. 'Logue'. You're not even real", he remarks slyly.

"That hurts."

"Hm. That's rich."

"Listen, time. Security is packing heavy. Go back up, see Detective Lau. You met him —"

He only gets to gasp before the voice interrupts him again:

"AND your chemical compounds are in check. You won't have an episode. You'll get more out of him than me right now." The voice waits for an acknowledgement.

"Anything I should know bout him?", he asks.

"Been outside your door since news broke out. Wants to get to the bottom of things as much as you do. Happy hunting. "

He stares in his dash, scheming things and observing his surroundings for awhile.

_LOG3/Entry_3:_ 0614hrs -<FILE CORRUPT>

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_LOG3/END:_ 0614hrs

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