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016 “ “Just Follow the Treasure Map.”


“I’m sure you appreciate, Mister Masamune, that we don’t always choose our friends. Some are the consequences of our own ambitions, some are made for us and others, well others are simply a matter of necessity,” the stately woman told the chief of San Francisco’s Municipal Safety Department over the large computer screen. “The Grayson’s have been close acquaintances of my family for a very long time. And as you are well aware Mister Grayson himself has always been a great friend of the city on both the local and planetary scale. Now I know about some of his “ how should I put it? Radical ideas. But we still live in a free society even if Mister Grayson may not cherish this fact. So I’m afraid that unless you can provide solid evidence to backup your accusations I have to ask you to reign in your people.”

Masamune wanted to speak but the Lady Major did not give her the chance.

“I do not have the time to discuss this further, Mister Masamune. I asked you to create your special task force because of your reputation to get results and your experience with cyber-crime. These stims flooding our streets are a disgrace for this city and I require you to rid us from this scourge without making unfounded accusations,” she said and brushed some of her dark hair behind her ear. Her voice had a steely edge but she kept it perfectly even without ever becoming threatening or accusatory.

“I understand and I assure you I will deliver the results you expect.”

Her lips curved upwards ever so slightly. “I’m sure you will.”

The link was terminated and the screen faded into a transparent pane along with the other windows. The setting sun outside still provided enough light to illuminate the room, revealing the members of the Cyber Crime Division who had been previously hidden in the darkness.

Masamune turned to the scattered group.

“Well that’s a story if I ever heard one,” said Tank. “She admits that he’s a complete loon but won’t lift one finger to put him away.”

“What she correctly pointed out,” Slade shot back, “is that he has rights like every other citizen of the Federation. We cannot act without any proof. Federation rights are there for a ““

“Federation rights?” Tank asked with bewilderment. “Have you heard this guy’s so-called lectures? He wants nothing more than get rid of the Federation. He doesn’t even care for any of his “”

“That’s not the point.”

“The point is that this guy is singlehandedly ““

“Gentlemen,” Masamune’s surprisingly forceful voice abruptly ended the conversation. When he continued it was in his more characteristically soft tone again. “Mister Eldex, how is our new project coming along?”

Next to Masamune Eldex was the oldest member of the team. A computer and technology expert, the bald, purple skinned Benzite was in charge of implementing and advising on technology. He sat at one of the work stations, seemingly consumed by his work.

“It is in place,” he said simply

“What is?” Gavin asked, trying to peer over Eldex’s shoulder.

“Put it up on the big screen if you please.”

Eldex did just that and within seconds the room had darkened, the main window transformed into a display screen once again.

“Satellite surveillance?” asked Tank after he realized that he was looking at a high-angle view of 600 Montgomery Street on the large computer screen. “We already know that Black can elude the satellite.”

The image gave a decent view of the main entrance of The Pyramid building and the many people coming and going, seemingly completely unaware that they were being watched.

“Satellites depend on medium range sensors to provide us with visual information of the target area and they can be accessed by multiple users, if they are skilled enough to break their firewalls” explained Eldex. “This data is coming from an interceptor, a small device we developed back on Benzar about eighty years ago. It is so small it’s practically invisible to the naked eye. It floats in the air at about forty meters above ground level and can provide visual information on short range distances.”

“Why haven’t we used this before?” asked Gavin.

“Because we’re not supposed to have them,” Masamune replied.

“Pardon?”

“They violate Federation privacy laws as their main purpose is to spy on people without them knowing about it,” explained the Benzite. “We had to discontinue using them after we joined the Federation.”

“The important part is this: Black knows about the satellites and therefore is able to hack into them and prevent us from locating him. He does not know about the interceptors,” Masamune said, seemingly without the slightest moral scruple in regards to violating a Federation directive.

Jackson Slade didn’t look so happy. “If somebody finds out that we’re using these things we’re going to be in all sorts of ““

“There he is” Tank shouted and stepped closer to the screen, pointing at a black-clad man stepping out of the skyscraper. “Goddamnit I knew he was hiding in there.” He turned to look at his team leader with an accusing expression. “Let’s go get him already.”

“Wait,” said Masamune.

Tank couldn’t believe it. “We need to act now,” he insisted. “We cannot afford to let him slip through our fingers again.”

The old man nodded in agreement. “That’s exactly why we shouldn’t be too hasty. As long as he doesn’t know he’s followed we can establish exactly where he will go. He might even lead us to his base of operations.”

“We can link him to Grayson,” said Tank.

“Because he was in the same building? There are hundreds of offices in there, we have nothing.”

Tank glared at Slade but the latter shrugged it off, keeping his eyes focused on the screen instead.

Black had just gotten onto a jet black hover bike and quickly zipped away.

“No wonder he could move fast using that thing,” observed Gavin.

“Eldex can your interceptor stay with him?” Slade wanted to know.

The Benzite nodded and worked his controls. “We’re fine as long as does not exceed 350 kph and his journey won’t take him longer than five hours.”

“Well let’s see where he takes us then,” said Jackson Slade and watched the screen carefully.

The hover bike was reminiscent of speed bikes of old with powerful combustion engines. However the engine powering this machine was packing a lot more bang and the controls were much more precise, allowing the operator to zip past the slower and mostly automated traffic in the downtown area. Within a few minutes he had reached the New James Lick Skyway, which was suspended some thirty meters above ground and with its twelve lanes of traffic was easily the cities single largest express road.

“He’s heading for the Bay Bridge,” realized Tank. “He going to Oakland.”

True enough just moments after hitting the packed Skyway Black had steered his bike onto the bridge connecting San Francisco to the neighboring city.

Slade turned to Masamune. “We might get into jurisdiction problems if we try to take him down there.”

The chief didn’t seem concerned and continued to watch the screen.

Black was not going to Oakland after all. He shot down an off ramp halfway across the bridge in order to get onto a small island in the San Francisco Bay located directly between the two cities.

“He’s going to Treasure Island,” said Gavin.

The sun had since disappeared from the sky entirely and the city had been claimed by darkness. The bustling town was usually brightly lit during the night but Black had pulled into an abandoned part of the island were illumination was scarce.

The tiny interceptor was undeterred however, following the heat signatures and the bright red taillight of the hover bike. And then it stopped. Seemingly in the middle of nowhere, close to nothing which could have been of any interest.

“What’s he doing?” wondered Gavin and stepped closer to the screen. “Can we get a better angle?”

Eldex manipulated the controls and the interceptor moved in tighter. The shape of the rider was becoming more pronounced. He had stepped off his bike and seemed to survey his surroundings.

Then he drew what appeared to be a nasty looking Klingon disruptor pistol. Gavin recognized it instantly.

The young rookie suddenly froze in terror when he realized that the disruptor was pointed right at him. The super high resolution image made it look all too close for comfort.

Black fired and Gavin instinctively tried to get out of the way, backing into Tank standing behind him.

The screen went black.

“Impossible,” Eldex hissed. “He couldn’t have spotted the interceptor with the naked eye.”

“We need to move out now!” Tank insisted and was already heading for the door.

“Hold on.”

Tank froze and looked at the source of the voice. It had not been who he’d expected. Her voice had been so forceful that it had actually compelled him to stop. All eyes diverted to the Bobbie Case, sitting at her own computer station.

Slade looked at her with impatient eyes. “Well Miss Case, the clock’s ticking.”

She looked at the screen which was now displaying a map of the artificial island. She easily manipulated the information using the data port on her neck which was linked to the main computer.

“Treasure Island rang a bell with me so I looked over my findings from before when we tried to pin him down using the hacker’s signature I found on the satellite,” she explained. On the map Black’s last known position near the Bay Bridge was highlighted with a bright green dot. “Running a search for any terminals accessed in the last few days on Treasure Island I came up with one terminal that showed a very similar signature as the one left behind on the satellite.”

The map highlighted another point on the map, near the east shore of the island.

“That’s the old industrial district,” said Gavin.

Masamune allowed himself a small smile at Case’s findings. “Once again, good work,” he said and then looked at the team leader. “Go.”

Tank was already out the door when Slade acknowledged. “This time we’re going to take some backup,” he said. < Hot Rod, prep the SAFVe for immediate lift-off and pack heavy. We’re going to nab us a treasure. >


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