Chapter 4:

_LOG4_

Synth;esthesia


_LOG4/Entry_1:_ 0639hrs

"Alright, if only two of them get through 47% success but if all six … 18… 167% success… huh? ".

"What are you doing? How'd you eve—," the voice attempts to put some sense into the man.

"I'm packing heat too," he answers so sure of himself.

"These simulations aren't eve —"

"I've run the numbers. Let's g–--"

"You're high on–--"

"LET'S GO!!!!"

"...mething... utside—-", the voice barely coming through.

Five parked family cars start up autonomously and race to the exit of the sub-basement parking as he lines himself up in his silver Concord just by the elevator, 800 metres from the exit ramp. One of the minivans stalls and attempts to start it's engine again. 

"Oh, one down already? "

The smallest of the patrol guard assumes position at the top of the ramp and sets his riot shield in front of him and like a sumo wrestler hoists one of the incoming decoys out of the way.

It happens to each one of the decoys. The shockingly strong small man scans the wreckage and gives the 'all clear', but throws a bemusing look to someone just beyond the man's field of view.

The man is armed with an anti aircraft rifle prone on top of his 'Car' with all five targets locked on. He picks up what the little riot specialist was distracted with:

"Die you smelly shit.", says the unfamiliar voice.

The man shoots all five targets in a heartbeat, the decoys' fusion engines cause a huge explosion blowing a hole in the barricades' defenses. He gets off the 'Car' and the behemoth rifle disassembles itself into the 'Car's' body.

The sixth car, a lump of suburbia, finally approaches the ramp. The man picks up some movement making its way down the ramp to intercept the final decoy. It's the tagged target. His already huge build is now covered in an exoskeleton-suit of armor. The giant picks up the minivan and rips it to shreds — mangling its drivetrain, crumpling it's engine and all in a handful of seconds.

You can only see the giant waist down, considering the standard clearance of the exit. The man, doubtful now aborts his escape plan. He slowly walks away from the 'Car' and backs up to the elevator. The Giant slowly bends down revealing only half its face and it was enough for the man to realize his plan of escaping was a bad idea. No one will ever forget that giant's wide grin.

As the man shuts the gate to the elevator and it begins climbing, the giant starts crawling in the sub-basement and starts motioning his hand towards the man, teasing him to come with the giant. Its unnaturally arched eyebrows and lidless eyes are paired with the sinister smile of metallic teeth. A hyper exaggeration of an expression meant to strike hopelessness into whoever catches a glimpse of his face.

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_LOG4/Entry_2:_ 0644hrs

The awful stench starts to linger the higher up the elevator went. He touches the back of his neck to engage the breathing filter.

The elevator ride felt like forever. The man is expressionless. He distracts himself by observing the beautiful birdseye in the oak panels on the elevator walls. The sliding grill has no rust on it which explains the smooth action of opening and closing it. The light fittings, though artificial, are well-maintained and still uses tungsten.

It's as if this elevator is the only part of the building that has stood the test of time, it seems. Considering what's happened over the past two hours combined with the anxiety of the monsters outside that's keeping the man in here, the man feels contempt with the maddening phantoms inside the building.

The man ponders on a thought, the little twitches and subtle internal agreements with himself suggest it's regarding the philosophical importance of the elevator: It's a transitory limbo, it's both the first and last thing you use to leave and go… 'home'.

Its steady climb and gradual descent has its users probably never leaving without asking themselves some enlightening insight but forgot what it was as soon as they've reached their floor. Another nod, from the man this time a conclusive one. He takes a deep breath and sighs the words:

"Take it down to 40pc. then", he says as philosophically as a Muppet.

"You alright ?", the voice asks monotonously.

"Are we maintaining comms now?", the man says sternly.

"Oh, you're back?"

"You take it down to 40pc. too".

"..."

"It was a joke. I don't really know who I'm supposed to be to begin with, or what and probably why."

"It's probably for the best too. The detective is a good guy."

"Cause he knew I was coming back?"

"Best win is he takes you in custody, anyone's gonna get you is gonna be through him."

"That's what you meant by good."

"Happy hunting boss."

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_LOG4/Entry_3:_ 0649hrs

The elevator creeps upward enough to give the man a peek of the floor. 

"Maybe he is a winged thousand limbed God from a myth of an ancient tribe" the man mutters to himself. 

Alas, the malicious beast the man pictured isn't  there to greet him at the foyer, which was previously remembered as the corridor. It's a lot wider and welcoming, especially with the sun coming through an opening to another room at the end of the foyer.

Its walls and floors are decked with fine marble that shines enough not to blind you. The man exits the elevator and the click of his heel is like the clap of a performer on a proscenium stage.

"Detective…?", the man's voice bounces down the foyer.

The man senses movement approaching the ripped wall he went through not long ago. A caucasian man in a tan trench coat eloquently steps and slides out. A voice that doesn't match his face echoes back:

"Over here, sir.", says the detective.

The detective meets the man halfway and extends his hand for a handshake. The man obliges and meets in the middle to accept the gesture.

"Detective Lau? You're not even…", the man gets cut short.

"Yes, sir. You said my name right, thank you. My mother married my dad who was from Hong Kong — well, back when it was called that and took his name."

"I don't even know my name."

"That's why I'm here, sir. Let's take a ride on the elevator and I'll brief you along the way," said the detective as he led the way.

"This is where we first met."

"I truly apologize for startling you."

"I wasn't in the right mind it seemed."

"Looks like you've got things in order now. Thank heavens. First of all, I assume your memory is wiped clean?"

"Affirmative. "

"Alright, let's start with tracing things backwards. I figure you know how to use your augmentations," the detective says as he slides the elevator grill open to let the man go through.

"Not all of them. Up until then, I didn't even know any words or what I was. First thing, I thought was a line from Hamlet," says the man as he puts his hand on the lever.

"I'm more of a film guy. Your brain is still pretty much you despite the neural augmentations, maybe Hamlet was something of importance to you. Top floor, please." the detective says as he slides the elevator door close.

The man pushes the lever one place up indicating the top floor is just above them.

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_LOG4/Entry_4:_ 0656hrs

"With all your Augs, did you access the network and look up who you were?", asks the detective as he leans on the wall across the man.

"I don't know. When I first woke up journals and articles zipped into my head. Didn't know what to make of it.  I had this gut feeling I'm better off hearing it from someone else. With the tech I got in me I'd probably lose my mind stumbling about figuring what I am."

"Very wise. With the scene you caused outside moments ago, it seems you know what you're doing."

"The tactical software did most of that. It's doing all the thinking for me. The plan was supposed to work but my scanner didn't pick up what that freak could do."

"Ah, you met Big Daddy. Charming fellow. The old-you could probably take him down."

"The old me? Listen, the smell's getting stronger, detective. Does that mean we're getting closer to you telling me what's going on?"

"It's better you see it for yourself, sir. One more thing I can tell is you're possibly quite a dangerous man."

"How bout you just start from the beginning really  quickly, detective."

"Yes, sir. You were born in 2047 as A*N&D%A# R>I\N×," the detective notices the man acting strangely.

"My name is An—, I didn't catch that detective," the man says as he staggers for a moment.

"ΔŇĐΔ ŘƗŇ, sir. Are you al—," says the detective as he reaches out to support the man.

The man collapses in an instant like a bag of bricks.

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<NEURAL LINK DISCONNECTED>

_LOG4/END:_ 0659hrs

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