Shadow Dealers Lab

  Malcolm Witmore watched as his secret weapon rested in the cryopod. The boy formally known as Liam was hibernating while the nanites ran rampant through his system. Repairing damage from the battle at the truck stop. Malcolm mentally selected the make call option from his visor’s heads up display. It took a while but he was finally getting used to the neural interface on his visor and only had to think of an order or command and it would be done.

  That expedition that he had made all those years ago paid off in more ways than he could have imagined. But, that Mayan excursion was fraught with unexpected consequences. He would have no idea that the device, which resembled a remote control would have so much power over him. And up until now, one one else had been able to harness it. Perhaps he was too hasty in trying to force the issue with young Aiko. Like himself, she was too headstrong and was difficult to control Well, it was his experience that people could be control so long as they were getting what they wanted. And what did Aiko want? A loving home. It was a simple concept and Malcolm chided himself for not seeing it sooner. He would give her that and more and she would be his to control in due time.

  “It’s time to raise the bar,” Malcolm said, laughing.

  A tall man with blond hair entered the room, he was wearing a futuristic looking silver suit and reflective shades. Malcolm strained to remember his name, but it eluded him.

  You are getting up in the years old boy.

  “The subject is ready,” the newcomer said as he pointed to the open door.

  Stolen story; please report.

  “What is your identifier?” Malcolm asked.

  “I’m Operator 45.”

  “No, you’re given name.”

  “Liam.”

  Malcolm accessed the software interface that his visor provided and created a note to himself to catalog and perfect his visor’s control software. Soon he would be connected to the largest metropolitan network the world had ever seen. He would ask about the progress of that project at the next council meeting on Phantom Island. His mind was sharp, but he couldn’t possibly keep all that information in his human memory, but he was willing to try. Malcolm allowed himself to be led through a maze of hallways and antechambers until a boy around seventeen years old was sealed in a cryopod. He accessed the display next to the pod and pulled up the reconstruction progress report.

  Neural Net - Pass

  Human DNA Processor - Pass

  Expert Systems - Pass

  Deep Learning Systems - Pass

  Logic Processor - Warning (see exceptions)

  Empathy Receptors - Warning (see exceptions)

  Cybernetic Brain - Pass

  Reconstruction ninety-nine percent complete

  “That’s not reassuring. Why is his diagnostics showing those warnings? Will it affect his performance?”

  Operator 45 gave Malcolm a blank stare, tapped the side of his visor and after a few hand gestures provided an analysis.

  “The Empathy Receptors need a bit of fine tuning, right now his ability to empathize with others is severely diminished. The same is effecting his logic processor.”

  “So, will he able to carry out the mission?”

  “I’ve analyzed the mission parameters and it having those receptors suppressed may give us an advantage when comparing previously scrapped memories. It appears the boy had an deep affection for the target. I’m predicting a ninety-three percent success rate. Do you want to proceed with the mission?”

  “Affirmative,” Malcolm said.

  “He’ll be ready for your inspection within the hour.”

  Malcolm gave Operator 45 a nod before leaving the chamber.

  See you soon Aiko!