章 15: Deadly Encounter
The virtual intelligence, Selene accesses Shield Surveillance Network and revises all the footages from the time that I was at Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Selene narrows down several suspects amongst the crowd of people.
There are three suspects in total. A woman wearing a hood, covering her face and hiding her identity. A child, who is looking far too smart for her own good. And a man who has been wandering back and forth, bumping into me a few times.
It is probably the man because it always is.
I am stereotypically sexist that way.
Although I could just jump back in time, merging with my past-self and then wait for the perpetrator, I choose not to.
I don't want to have to relive any more moment of my life, especially for something so pointless.
Even without my wallet, I am not without a mean to pay for things.
The metallic ring with the distinctive insignia on my middle finger grants me and everyone within the inner circle access to virtually unlimited amount of cash. It is for emergency since the taxmen must be paid after all.
I just need to access an ATM to get some cash.
The waiter didn't like what I was doing a moment ago, checking myself for my wallet. Considering my age and how casual I dress, I can't really blame him.
He has already left and informs the manager.
"It looks like we have a troublemaker."
The manager – actually a mob boss – places a hand on my shoulder.
He cannot hide his actual identity from Shield.
Or more correctly, he cannot hide his identity from the virtual intelligence that is constantly watching everyone in America through the surveillance network. It is also called Shield.
Unlike Hydra, the actual person in charge of Shield isn't a person.
People makes mistakes. Machine does not.
The man exerts incredible pressure on my collar bone.
That is some grip he has there.
"If you don't have any money, don't come into my restaurant. This is not a charity. The next time I will not be so lenience."
He whispers to me, making sure I am the only one who heard in the crowded restaurant.
"Take him to the back and teach him a valuable lesson."
I am rather surprised at being manhandled by two huge men, whom I nicknamed Dumb and Dumber.
They take me to the back and teach me a valuable lesson or was it the other way around?
It happens so fast, right after I tell Selene to take over my body movements and reflexes.
I didn't want to show my rather supernatural abilities because I am trying to live like a normal person, looking after my daughter.
Plus, I don't really need to.
Selene beats the living shit out of them in the time it takes for me to say woah!
Have you ever seen the movie Upgrade, where the main character has an artificial intelligence talking in his head, capable of controlling his body and making him fight like an invincible master ninja?
It is just like that.
In close combat, only another artificial intelligence can win against another artificial intelligence. Good thing Selene is a virtual intelligence, who doesn't think outside of her programming.
Otherwise, I will have to fight her for the control of my mind and body one day.
I already have a contingency plan if that somehow happens.
There is a chance a virtual intelligence becomes an artificial intelligence, so I must plan for that.
I have a lot of plans and backup to those plans. There are also backups to backups of my plans.
Sounds convoluted. It is.
Anyway, Dumber screams the loudest as I personally use my augmented strength to break both of his arms in multiple places and maybe one of his legs. He has to be since Dumb has gotten his teeth knocks out a second ago.
Dumb is lying on ground slipping in and out of unconscious while bleeding from his mouth.
"Look. I know you two are just following orders, but even dogs need to know who they are biting. This is me being lenience like your boss wanted to show me. How ironic. Any who, if I see you two in Los Angeles again, I will break you and your family. As for your boss. Don't worry, he's already dead. He just doesn't know it yet."
I make my ultimatum before exiting the alleyway.
Since I didn't get to wash down my dinner with a nice cool champagne, I stop by a vending machine.
I choose a bottle of sprite from all the soft drink available. I press my ring against the small display that indicates the cost of the drink.
"Hail Hydra"
The message appears before the vending machine spit out the drink I wanted.
I empty the bottle to satisfy my thirst and annoyance before stopping at an ATM.
The same as before, the supercomputer disguised as the ring allows me fill my pockets with impunity.
The ring wirelessly hacks into any computer when it is close enough. It can do a lot more than that in the future as Hydra becomes more and more advance.
Hydra will always be more technologically advance than anyone or anything in the world.
This includes my other organizations.
"Selene, where is the first suspect?"
[Locating Suspect. Suspect Found.]
Selene navigates me towards the suspect.
I found her waiting outside a homeless shelter along with many others. The hood is no longer covering her face and hiding her identity.
With that, Selene immediately identifies her through the surveillance network.
[Halle Maria Berry, born August 18, 1966. Father, Jerome Jessy Berry – Incarcerated. Mother, Judith Ann – Deceased.]
Selene then summarises the history for me to digest. It appears that her father murder her mother in a fit of rage. He was sentenced to a lifetime in prison afterwards.
Halle spends most of her childhood in an orphanage before running away before she was 15.
She manages to find her way to Los Angeles, living day by day without any futures or plans. Due to her looks, some people has already approach her for one thing or another.
Mostly sex.
Like most people living in Hollywood, she has a dream to be a celebrity.
But it is just a dream.
[Operator. Repository data regarding Halle Maria Berry is out of sync.]
This is a problem. A lot of data I have taxingly gather from the future can no longer be used. In my real past, her father didn't kill her mother. She didn't become homeless.
While Halle did struggle to get notice due to being black, she didn't have to stoop so low.
And another thing, the bitch steals from me.
No one steals from me and gets away with it.
I head towards the shelter and stand before her.
"Hey! Back of the line asshole."
One of the homeless in the queue calls out.
I didn't even know there is a queue. Everyone is standing everywhere.
Halle notices me when that person calls me out. Her eyes widened as she recognised who I am.
She did steal my wallet after all. Whether she still has it or not isn't my concern. The act itself deserves some punishment.
And before I could say anything, I was seeing stars.
"Fuck! You bitch!"
Halle bolts after she sends my balls to hell.
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