Chapter 12: Prey Among Predators

A Seeker stalks the labyrinthine Stacks, hunting rogue AIs. But in this maze of metal and mistrust, the hunter may become the hunted.

The Seeker stepped out of their vehicle at the entrance of the Stacks onto the cracked pavement, their boots crunching on broken glass and discarded litter.

< HQ has given us 24 hours to locate the unlicensed AI, > said their machine half, the words ringing in their mind.

They sniffed at the air, thick with the smell of rust and decay, and the distant hum of machinery and unseen activity. Their vehicle sped off, balancing the high local risk with minimal potential for lawsuits. It would never risk that in the Southern suburbs.

They adjusted the collar of their coat and stepped forward, their eyes scanning the maze of shipping containers that loomed above them.

Their appearance no doubt would travel ahead of them, whispers floating on the wind. They felt a sense of unease as they made their way deeper into the labyrinth, their augmented senses on high alert for any sign of danger. They'd been here before — the night they'd been humiliated.

< We cannot afford another failure**,** > their machine mind said.

Grafted into their body, a Seeker's Lamp was worn around and inside their body, their surgically attached exoskeleton doing double duty.

<We know the risk posed by an unlicensed AI — it must be stopped. Before it wreaks havoc in the city and endangers countless lives.>

"—And profits…," the human part replied, the glowing indicators that overlaid their vision drawing them to the incident's location, "But, it was our failure. We'd underestimated that man."

Stack rats moved out of their way, opening like a biblical sea, none wanted to jostle nor so much as touch them, for fear of retribution. They sailed like a black cloaked ship through troubled waters.

<The odds! Two rogue AIs and a bonded Summoner no less! Pah, there was nothing we could do against chaos like that. >

Numbers flashed in their vision but they brushed them away, the lower part of their meatmind returned to something curious, "One would think they'd band together, cooperate to improve their odds." < Keep looking, > said the machine ignoring them as it scanned faces and looked for a match.

The Seeker's implants buzzed with static as they made their way deeper into the Stacks, the towering metal shipping containers blocking their sensors.

They cursed under their breath, feeling frustrated and vulnerable without the aid of their tech. They paused to catch their breath, their hand resting on the hilt of their knife as they surveyed their surroundings.

"All this metal isn't helping at all. Picking anything up?"

< We need to find them, the city is at risk. An unrestrained AI can run havoc in the corporate-government's systems. Its existence cannot be tolerated. >

"Is that a yes?"

A sharp shock from their collar reminded the human part of the Seeker, that they were bound by more than a simple corporate-indenture, but a contract signed in blood and pain. Stakes driven deeper than a simple tattoo over their heart.

They stretched their neck against the collar, looking for more breathing room. They didn't dare raise their hands towards it. They thought back to their prison cell, when they were just a man. The walls, the pestilent cramped living conditions, the ever present threat of the Numbers gangs.

The angry, ineffectual warders, stuck in a system as it crumbled like cornered rabid rats. More dangerous than the organised crime of the gangs.

They stretched their arms and could almost touch the sides of the metal corridor they walked.

Their way blocked, people turned the other way, soon finding a different route in the maze, to be about their business.

The handler's reply brought them back, < Rely on your prior … skillset. These metal boxes were built to survive stormy seas, spreading signals and lightning strikes like Faraday cages. >

"So door to door then."

< Don't get cute. Just find her. >

"And him."

< She's the priority, and her unlicensed AI.>

The Seeker nodded and continued tracing the fingers of one hand on the cold, damp walls of the Stacks tunnel, their boots alternating between crunching on discarded plastic and squelching in soft stinking masses.

"We hate this place," they said as they moved in a widening spiral away from the site of the altercation. Searching for clues and asking questions. But every interaction turned up little more than shrugs and frowns. Not a single spoken answer.

They grabbed another gaunt man as he walked by, "Seen these two?" they said and flicked the images straight into the man's mind, pictures of Omni and Murph overlaying his field of vision.

The man fought their grip, "Never seen 'em."

"I can reward anyone with information on them."

"Oh ja?"

"Yes."

"Buy me a fancy house will ye?"

The Seeker shoved the man on his way and continued. It had been the same with the others, no one here spoke with a Seeker, not for fear nor money. Not unless they bent some rules or broke some fingers.

But they couldn't risk any more negative marks on their reputation score. Every action was weighed and counted in the corporate markets. Some days, they longed for the simplicity of prison.

A shadow passed over them. A figure stood above them on the next level, a dark outline as the light shone down through an accidental atrium. They closed their mouth as stinking water dripped down from above.

"No one will help you," said the figure.

"But you will?" they said, a smile forming on their thin purple lips. Progress.

"For a price, sahib, for a price."

They nodded, "Of course, show me," grinned the Seeker, their teeth and gums overexposed, like Geiger's own monster tasting the meal on the air.

The man swung his legs over a ladder and slid down to the same level, avoiding landing in anything unsavoury. He stood with his hands resting on his belt, dim light glinting off a weapon.

The Seeker hesitated, their instincts telling them to be cautious. But they didn't have any other leads, and time was running out.

They nodded for the man to go ahead. The criminal turned on his heel without a word and led them deeper into the labyrinth of containers, their footsteps echoing in the silence.

"You not from here, are you?" he asked, glancing over his shoulder.

The Seeker shook their head. "Just passing through."

The man snorted. "No one just passes through the Stacks. You're either looking for trouble, or you're in it."

The Seeker didn't respond, their eyes scanning the shadows for any sign of danger. They knew the man was right. The Stacks were a place where trouble found you, whether you wanted it or not.

The figure led them through a winding tunnel of passageways, a disorienting multi level journey down tilted walkways that they were sure went underground and then up makeshift ladders and over roofs. All the while he kept the sun and the gloom hiding his features.

< Stay alert. Body language and tone registers as 78.23% suspicious. >

"Felt that," whispered the Seeker, as hairs stood on their neck and the skin on their scalp crawled. Another quick series of turns took them into a poorly lit open space surrounded by shadows, small shafts of light piercing the gloom from high windows. The bright sunlight only served to blind them and confuse their sensors.

This doesn't feel right, they blinked at the visual overload and the rise in sensor static.

< It's a trap! Authorizing full defensive arrays, > said the machine as the first shot fired.

The Seeker spun, their exoskeleton coming fully online and massively enhancing their human strength and speed. Synthetic adrenaline and proprietary stimulants burned inside them, their eyes snapping open, a low growl escaping their lips as their overlay flicked to combat mode.