Truth & Code: The Future is Black and White
Cat and Mouse

Cat and Mouse

Block 7,932,922

“Hello?”

“Min, any update? What’s your plan to get me out of here?”

“Well, first of all, let me give you an update on Arman. He’s out of the hospital and was slightly confused about everything. By the way, he’s a total yīnjīng... Anyway, he asked questions, and I answered as vaguely as possible. He finally got access to SO-Land and EMC AI, and I heard some of the data he was retrieving. It gave a location of your last broadcast, and I presume that’s where he’s heading now. Where is that?”

“Right now, I’m at the Hong Kong node. It’s the shortest flight distance to travel west, so I came here and was waiting to hear from you and trying to figure out a plan. I’m at a loss as to how I will get that far west. It’s only going to be a matter of time before AI tracks me down. That location he’s going to is somewhere in the middle of nowhere, on a path to Ben Jianao. I course-corrected to feign travel there. After this call, it will be only a matter of time before they figure out I’m here, so I need a plan.”

“Sending now.”

Han looks at the console screen:

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

He understands precisely what Min has done. The critical piece of information that Han and Min have is that this code is not native to SO-Land. Without that information, it will take a while for SO-Land or EMC AI to figure out what is happening. Random, non-functioning code is already a part of Han Tech AI per SO-Land AI protocol. Another arbitrary string of data without the proper context will not make sense to either AI.

“Got it, understood.”

“Bye.”

“Bye.”

Han disables the AI on the console and runs the conversion program. “Brilliant,” He thinks.

The AAPD is fully charged, so Han decides he’s going to head west to the next node until he has to implement Min’s plan. Han walks to the drone and prepares for lift-off.

“AI, Haiphong.”

The drone lifts Han, and he heads to the next node. But he knows he’s on borrowed time and has got to get to the next node.

Block 7,932,944

“AI has concluded that you were assaulted at Han Tech by Han Tan. He is currently fleeing and is heading toward the Haiphong node. Your original coordinates were a false flag to divert your attention, and we have 99% confidence that Min Liu is assisting him in this endeavor.”

“Yes, Eleven.” Arman had already figured out that the coordinates were inaccurate, and AI was already directing him to the Hong Kong node. However, based on this new information, the AAPD was heading to Haiphong to intercept Han.

Eleven continues, “We are continuing to analyze data from Han Tech. Some encoded message was relayed to Han from Min while at the Hong Kong node. The original update they have been working on for the past several weeks is active on all of the Spider Works nodes. Each node is synchronizing the same data. We are not sure what this data is or where it originated, but it is a threat to SO-Land. We can not interrupt the synchronization because it is part of Spider Works. Further, there appears to be a coordination of data and energy usage between each node that SO-Land AI has not been able to breach. While it is perceived as a threat, our AI infrastructure operates as usual, albeit with high energy use contrary to SO-Land mandate.”

“You must intercept Han at all costs and use extreme prejudice in his elimination... There is silence in the drone cockpit.

Eleven begins again, “New data analysis reveals Han is near the city of Zhangjiang. We are re-routing you now by 16.3 degrees south. Your planned time of interception is within 5 minutes. All drone traffic in the area has been cleared or re-routed.”

“Clear. AI deploy containment drone! Plot intercept of Han Tech drone!” Arman’s heart rate increases as he plans the interception of Han.

“That ol’ son-of-a-bitch is going to suffer for what he did to me. So I’m goin’ to kick his ass.” He mumbles to himself.

Block 7,932,945

Han is making good time in clear skies as he follows the coastline of southern SO-Land and is lying down in the drone. sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ FɪndNovᴇl.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

“Alert, Alert!”

“Shit, what’s going on?” Han rouses from his rest.

“Land immediately. Comply, or the drone will be forced down.”

Han jolts up and starts looking around. He has no visual of any other drone in the sky and doesn’t see any threat.

Han quickly gathers his things and commands, “AI, drone down. Assess routes on foot with narrow alleys and tall buildings, execute.”

The drone descends immediately and lands near Lutang Cultural park. The hatch door is opening, but Han forces it open, jumps out, and begins running. Arman is approaching quickly from the rear with a containment drone on his right flank.

“AI, Arm, plot, and execute for effect!”

Within three milliseconds of the command, the containment drone fires a ballistic containment net toward Han. Han hears a pop from the device as the accelerant launches the net. He doesn’t know what has been deployed, but it’s a sound he is sure is not good. Without thinking, he darts to his left down a narrow alley. He figured high walls would be good at evading a drone. It was a wise choice for this reason as well. Turning into the alley, he hits his head against the stone wall, and a ringing begins in his left ear. The satchel around his shoulder has a delayed impact and pulls him back a little before he continues running down the alley.

“AI, down, down, down.”

Arman orders his drone down, seeing that the containment net failed.

“You mother-fucker can’t outrun me!” He yells with a gleeful smile.

The drone lands. Arman also forces the hatch door open and begins to pursue Han. He reaches into his shirt pocket and puts his glasses on. “Can’t hide from me now fucker.” He grunts.

Arman enters the alley where he saw last saw Han. Han’s got about thirty seconds on Arman at this point, but the narrow alleys instantly mute Arman’s enthusiasm.

“You’re one smart bastard; I’ll give you that.” But the glasses don’t help. Too many heat signatures are in the alleys and behind the walls to make them useful. So he takes them off as he’s running down the path. The quick descent in the drone and the sudden rise in his heart rate and blood pressure create a dull throb in the right temple region where Han had hit him before.

Suddenly, he sees Han cross the alley, meters from where he is. “No place to hide, shit-head.” Arman takes three large steps forward, then turns to his left and sees Han 5 meters in front of him. His satchel bounces from side wall to side wall as he runs.

“No use in running, you mother fucker. I’m going to get you and make you pay for what you’ve done to SO-Land and me.” Arman yells as he runs. His athleticism is on clear display. His breathing pattern doesn’t change as he yells at Han.

“Shit.” Han jolts to the right. Arman almost had him in his grasp. Han fears the satchel is slowing his progress and takes it off his shoulder so he can run faster. Just as he’s taking the satchel off his left shoulder and has the strap over his right shoulder, he can feel Arman’s hand grab his shirt collar from behind. He can hear the shirt beginning to rip and hear Arman’s heavy breathing over his left shoulder. In one fluid motion, he takes his right hand over his right shoulder with the satchel, twists to his left with all his strength, and slams Arman on the left side of the face.

Arman was so intent on grabbing his shirt that he didn’t see the satchel coming from his left. It hits him, and he is slammed against the brick wall on his right. His head turns ever so slightly so that he avoids hitting the temple region but hits the back surface of his right parietal bone and begins to slide and fall against the wall. He still has Han in his grasp. Han is pulled backward, but he manages to lunge forward. His shirt gives way and is partly ripped. They both fall to the ground.

Arman falls but manages to catch the fall with his right shoulder.

“Shit.” He screams as he manages to have a secondary hit on the ground to his right temple.

Han falls on his back. His feet are inches from Arman’s head. Reflexively he bends his left knee and, with a swift strike, hits Arman in the head and quickly rolls over with the satchel in his right hand and bolts down the alley.

Arman lay flat in the prone position groaning from the pain.

Han finds his way out of the maze of alleys into the open Lutang River Park. The sun is setting, so he’s got the shade of the trees to help conceal his movement. His torn clothing and disheveled appearance would be immediately noticeable by anyone and would arouse suspicion. He carefully walks into the thin strip of trees along the river and sees thick foliage along the river. He gets down on all fours, crawls in among the foliage, and collapses.

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