Written in 365 Parts: 88: The Single User

While waiting, the medic allowed the recently imprisoned to sit up. They were patient as their body was checked, and a spray restorative applied to the scuffed skin that had been under the restraints. Several other armoured figures entered the room. Like the medic their armour was lighter. It was still whole body, hiding their faces behind large, egg-shaped, hardened resin masks. But there were no displacement screens to present fuzzy outlines so they were more distinguishable by body type and outfit.

For the most part they were technicians who carried out a battery of different tests and examinations of the room before setting up a small command post area. Boxes unpacked into desks of battle computer displays. The system looked like it could override enemy networks and host secure communications which was most satisfactory to the recent prisoner.

After what felt like hours, but was in fact only minutes, the technical team were ready and made a signal to the officer at the side of the bed. They turned. “Sir, the team is ready for you to connect now. They will instigate a safe connection protocol and then they will shut down all external monitors and recording so that you have a single access authority.”

“Good, very good.” He almost leapt from the bed but the medic placed a gentle hand on his chest to restrain him. “You will all receive a special bonus for this. I promise you.”

“Sir,” the officer said, “they are ready.”

 â€œGood,” he smiled. “Connect me and then you can all leave.”

“Sir my orders were to stay with you until we were ready to move you.”

“You can leave. Put me on a monitor or something.”

“Sir. I will not disobey an order. But I can stand in the corner of the room inside the door frame if that helps?”

“It is acceptable.”

They waited as the personnel moved from the room leaving a single technician and the original soldier. A nod to the technician indicated readiness. They had connected so often it was an instinct these days and so they were surprised to feel some trepidation. That was quickly lost as the data stream picked up. They were surprised at the connection speed and the cleanliness of the military construct program. They had encountered similar programs in the past but none so fast. Maybe it was because the entire system was dedicated to them.

They connected to the remote node of their secure storage network and awaited the intense battery of identification procedures they would have to endure. They knew that the first task to complete once passing the security was to pull a copy of the whole database and then wipe this location. Even if Drick’s people were magicians they wouldn’t have found a way into this store. Not in the time they had. But time was a luxury and give a good team long enough and nothing was impossible. Better to move the whole store to a new location and leave them with nothing.