Chapter Four:

  The McClintock family gathered quietly inside Calli’s medical trailer. The air was thick with the lingering tension left by Marshall Thorne. Jase and Mateo were already out with John, handling the final, crucial negotiations and loading of the livestock, leaving Marsh, Calli, Lin, and the girl, Sarah, inside.

  Marsh paced once, his hands resting lightly on the hilt of his sidearm, partially concealed by his jacket. “We have to decide what to do next. Thorne and his cyber-buddy are waiting. If we refuse, they’ll use their jurisdiction to hold up the herd, or worse, try to take Sarah by force. We can’t have that fight here.”

  Calli, sitting beside Sarah’s cot, looked up at her husband. “He’s right. The Council of Nine has too much reach. But I won't sit by and let them mind-flay a child.”

  Lin, her expression concerned, knelt by the girl. “They promised to take the bad memories. Maybe… maybe they can help her, Ma. She hasn't slept properly since the rescue, she's having night terrors. She just keeps seeing it, whatever has happened to her.”

  Marsh pulled a small chair up to Sarah’s bedside. She was a tiny little thing of a girl. Long jet black hair, ghostly pale skin, and oddly colored eyes. Almost a golden orange color. Marsh would have suspected some kind of splicing but Calli stated there was no sign of genetic manipulation.

  “Sarah,” he said softly, using the kind of deep, patient voice he usually reserved for calming a spooked dinos. “We’re the McClintocks. We ride the Thundersaur brand. We’re going to take care of you until we can get you somewhere safe.”

  The girl just stared blankly at the man.

  “ But there are some men looking for the people who hurt you, and they want to talk to you. They say they can do it without making you hurt, and they can even take the fear away.”

  He explained the situation, simplifying the concept of the probe without condescension. Sarah, holding tightly to Lin's hand, listened. After a long minute, she simply nodded, her eyes wide but determined. She squeezed Lin's hand, silently agreeing to be seen by the investigator.

  Marsh looked at Calli and Lin. “Then we do it their way. But we do it under our control.”

  The next morning, the McClintocks prepared to move. Lin stayed with Sarah, keeping her calm. Jase, Mateo, and John departed to supervise the train loading—a massive undertaking that involved ensuring the Stegosaurs and Triceratops were properly segregated and secured for the long, jarring journey east.

  Marsh, Calli, Lin, and Sarah, along with two of the ranche’s riders, headed for the Marshall’s Office.

  Calli eyed the two men Marsh chose to bring, Chaz and Chad, both were imposing men; both had come from a less-than-reputable past, but they now rode for the Thundersaur brand and were amongst the ranch's most loyal and experienced riders. She noticed they all wore their concealed, light ceramic armor under their leather dusters as did Marsh. Mateo had designed that armor himself years ago. It offered great protection from almost all light and medium arms fire, and protection from bladed weapons and impacts, while being almost completely concealed under normal clothing.”I’m not sure if it’s up to whatever that investigator might have”, she thought to herself remembering Thorne’s warning.

  Calli walked beside Marsh, her jaw tight. “Light armor? And I can’t help but notice that the two hands you decided to bring are arguably your best fighters. You think we’re going to need to fight our way out? Surely not even an eastern cyber cop is bold enough to start a fight in a Marshalls office? ”

  Marsh gave a brief, sharp glance at his wife. “I think a man who turns himself into a cyber-monster has earned a bit of measured caution.

  He was clearly focused on the task at hand. Calli recognized the amped up nature of his posture and his voice. She had seen it many times before, when he thought he was walking into trouble.

  “And I think a man who brings his best fighters to a simple interview is expecting a fight and might just find one.” retorted Calli, concerned look on her face.” “Let’s just be careful we aren’t bucking against spurs that aren’t really there, alright?” She said as she grabbed his arm and forced him to pause. He visibly relaxed himself and nodded.

  They entered the Marshall’s office, an imposing but simple 5 story stone and concrete building that stood out amongst the common metal industrial structures that were everywhere surrounding the rail yard. Marshall Thorne stood beside a figure that immediately commanded the room.

  Ian 17 was terrifying. The nearly seven-foot-tall figure was a seamless, metallic approximation of a human male, tinted blueish, with his designation, "Ian 17," stamped in English and QR code on his chest. Only his perfectly formed face and one hand, a pale approximation of human flesh, betrayed his organic origins.

  The tension was suffocating. Marsh led the way as his two riders flanked him on both sides, Calli, Lin and Sarah behind them.

  “Marsh. Calli. I see you brought the entire security detail,” Thorne said, exasperated.

  Then Ian 17 spoke. His voice was a kindly, soft baritone, like an old professor reciting poetry, contrasting violently with his lethal frame. “Mr. McClintock. Dr. McClintock. Lin. It is an honor. And of course young Sarah, I am Ian 17. Please, come in. We are merely seeking clarity, not confrontation.” He held up his hands in a submissive gesture as he gave a slight bow.

  His unnerving charm momentarily put everyone off their game.

  Marshall Thorne, desperate to move things along and cut down on the growing spectacle, ushered the McClintocks toward a small, open conference room.

  Ian 17 walked beside Calli, his synthesized voice holding an unnerving casualness. “I personally find it quite amusing that you are here and so involved with this situation, Dr. McClintock.”

  Ian 17 paused, the faint, warm smile that played across his organic face only serving to make the creature more terrifying. “You and your son Mateo are actually part of the catalyst for this entire situation. Your presence now must be kismet.” He said with a small chuckle.

  Calli stopped abruptly, forcing Marsh to stop as well. “Excuse me?” Calli said demandingly.

  Marsh was forced to re-evaluate the investigator once again. “How do you calculate that, I’m afraid I don’t follow your math there, Ian?” Marsh said coolly.

  Ian 17 laughed—a full, genuine laugh that was utterly divorced from his metallic body. “Calculate, that’s funny, truly. And it's Ian 17, please. I am the seventeenth iteration of the investigator known as Ian, all taken from the same base organic material, but distinct in our own personage.”

  He continued, his tone shifting to academic explanation. “My ‘math,’ as you put it, is simple. It was Dr. McClintock's agricultural advancements, and Mateo McClintock's discoveries in synthetic crystal growth that eliminated the need for cheap, disposable workers to fill the intolerable and often unsafe jobs populated by those considered disposable to society.”

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  Calli was clearly upset by the investigator's words, her medical ethics offended.

  “You mean they eliminated the need for slaves,” Thorne said, also seemingly appalled by Ian 17’s statement, “or at the very least indentured servants.”

  Ian 17 put up a perfectly formed finger, his tone turning serious. “I feel compelled to state that the Council of Nine has never engaged in the use of slavery, and has established very specific laws on the treatment of workers at any and all societal levels.” His smile returned, cold and wide. “I’m sure we could have a long, interesting debate on the difference between forced labor and an otherwise useless section of society serving a necessary function, which I would truly enjoy. But that's not our purpose today, and I do apologize for clearly offending you, Dr. McClintock.That was not my intention, truly."

  He paused to let the words sink in. “I simply meant that your great advancements did serve to end decades-long practices of a possibly morally dubious nature, but it also created a vacuum where both employee and employer found themselves without work and possessing only the skills they had in their chosen trades. This vacuum is where the traffickers thrive.”

  The group stopped outside the door of the room, lost for words. Marsh finally broke the silence. “I have to admit, Ian 17, I’m surprised to hear someone such as yourself consider the concept of kismet. I would have thought you beyond such philosophical musings.”

  “Quite the contrary, Mr. McClintock,” Ian 17 replied, holding the door open. “When one moves further towards the path of singularity, one finds the philosophical concepts to be more pertinent than ever. In turn, I’m surprised that one such as yourself could correctly use a word with five syllables. Did the Doctor teach you that?”

  Marsh had to laugh out loud at the unexpected jab. Even the tightly wound Marshall Thorne smirked.

  Inside the room, Marsh gently placed Sarah in the cot. Lin carefully administered a low-dose sedative, confirmed and approved by Calli. Ian 17 nodded in thanks.

  “My method is simple,” Ian 17 explained, his soft voice chillingly precise. “I will be conducting a neurological memory transfer. The needle in this micro-disk is microscopic. It will read and translate memories directly to my own mind and to this remote display for your benefit.”

  He pressed the small disk to Sarah’s temple. The screen flickered to life. Calli and Thorne activated recording devices concealed in their arm bracers.

  Ian 17: “Sarah. Can you show us the nice men and women who saved you?”

  The screen immediately showed the recent past: First shown was John, approaching her slowly with his hands raised with an abnormally kind look on his face. Then Lin’s concerned but friendly face, Marsh’s determined silhouette standing in a doorway. Finally the comforting presence of Buddy the Brontosaurus, gently nudging her and looking for scritches.

  Ian 17: “Aww, I love Brontos. They like big puppies. That’s very good. Now, Sarah. Please show us the other men. The mean men.”

  The footage shifted violently. Brief, disturbing flashes of Colonel Franco’s abuses—verbal threats, and rough handling, passing in a horrifying blur. Sarah's face, still visible on the cot, flashed a fearful, pained expression.

  Ian 17: “Okay, Sarah, it's alright. You are perfectly safe. Those men are gone now; this is all in the past.”

  The screen shifted, showing Lin singing a soothing song to her as she petted Buddy's huge head, followed by the silhouette of the backs of two dino riders standing guard over the trailer. Sarah's face visibly calmed.

  Ian 17: “That's right, Sarah, the brave dino riders rescued you. Now let's go back further to the day the other captives were taken away by someone different than the mean men. They were probably also quite scary.”

  Nothing appeared on the screen. Sarah made an unsure expression. Ian 17 looked momentarily puzzled, a flicker of organic confusion on his face. “Perhaps you remember another big fight, before you were taken through the wilderness.”

  The memory accelerated into the chaos of the ambush. The display showed Franco and his men being ambushed by a completely new group. The new attackers were lean, fast, and wore black cloaks, with distinct, reptilian features on their skin. Their faces were partially covered, but clear scale markings and elongated pupils flashed on the screen, unmistakably the Sobek.

  The battle was brutal. The Sobek overwhelmed Franco’s crew. The memory focused on the desperate action of the Sobek, who were rushing groups of kidnapped Easterners into a great hole in the ground. The common tactic confirmed the nature of the cult, who were experts at subterranean travel, able to create and destroy tunnels quickly for surprise attacks.

  The footage ended with the remnants of Franco’s crew running, having grabbed Sarah in the fray at the last moment.

  The memory suddenly sped up to the point it was imperceptible, a dizzying streak of light and noise.

  Ian 17,” Interesting.”

  Ian 17 suddenly cut the transmission.

  Ian 17 pressed a button on his arm. Sarah’s body convulsed slightly on the cot, alarming everyone.

  “What was that?!” Lin cried, reaching for her patient.

  Ian 17 remained perfectly still. “It was merely a neurological reaction to the blocking of the most traumatic of the memories. The abuse, the battle, the kidnapping—all now inaccessible to her conscious memory. The procedural block is complete.”

  Lin’s temper flared. “You had no right! You should have at least let us discuss it first! How will that affect her recovery?”

  “You can’t just do that to someone Ian 17, It’s not right.” Calli said sternly.

  “Why?” Ian 17 responded, his voice full of cold curiosity. “Why is it better to leave people in pain? Why do organic beings choose to live in their own filth, their bad or traumatic memories, as opposed to cutting the rot and moving on? We have the technological cure for sorrow and pain, yet you resist it based on outdated, emotional dogma.” He shook his head in confusion.

  “We call it humanity, Investigator!” Calli countered, her voice shaking. “It’s how we learn and grow as people! You’ve treated her like a corrupted hard drive!”

  Ian 17 ignored them, turning his head. “My involvement here is done. The primary threat vector has been confirmed: the Sobek are utilizing human trafficking to feed their operations.”

  He turned to the McClintocks. “I will advise the Council of Nine that there is no further need for interdiction in this area. The fate of the girl is up to you, as it is no longer the concern of the Council.”

  With a small bow, Ian 17 left the room, his mission accomplished, leaving Marsh and his family with the full weight of the terrifying new geopolitical reality and a child who had been surgically relieved of her terror, but also of her memory.

  While Sarah recovered from her sedation, the group sat in silence for a moment, absorbing everything that had just happened. Marsh turned to Thorne and asked,” what is to be done with the girl?

  “Honestly I expected that Ian 17 would want to return her to the east as I assumed it would demand the return of a citizen of the Nine cities. I’m not sure what to do now. She’ll likely need to go to an orphanage” Thorne said as he turned and locked eyes with Calli, a knowing look on his face, as if he could read her mind.

  “We do have several of them throughout the Central Free Zone, not great places, but she will be cared for. The paperwork will take some time to process so she will need to stay here in one of the holding cells, all alone, till then,” added Thorne, with the hint of mock empathy in his voice as he looked back and forth between Calli and Marsh.

  “Marsh,” Calli said bluntly.

  He could see her mind was made and there would be no debate. He sighed,”All right. We’ll take it from here Marshall”. Marsh said, with only a little bit of indignation.

  Calli and Lin shared a look and smiled. Marsh turned slightly and made a rude hand jester at the grinning, self satisfied Marshall, which he promptly returned, also trying to be sly about it.

  “I saw that”, Calli said, rolling her eyes. “You two behave yourselves, and mind your manners in front of the child. She's starting to wake up.”

  Sarah sat up and spoke,”Did we do the probe, where's the robot man?”

  “He’s gone,no need to worry about him anymore. How do you feel, little one?” Calli said.

  “Everything seems hazy, but I feel less scared now, I don’t know why”, the little girl said looking around the room.”What happens now?”

  Lin put a hand on her shoulder, “Would you like to come home with us? You’d be a welcome addition to the ranch.”

  Sarah seemed to perk up slightly for the first time “Really,” she said, her tiny voice growing in volume for the first time since they met the girl, “Where is it?”.

  “Thundersaur Valley” Calli replied smiling, “It’ll be your new home.”