"It wasn't my day."
A young man with black hair hanging low over his eyes in a workout shirt opens a door while he wipes his sweaty face with a towel.
"Everyone has bad days, Arin." A larger, older man is walking next to him.
"Yeah, well not me, Reybanski," Arin says.
Arin puts on a pair of goggles and takes aim at a target far away from the table he's leaning on. He fires off three rounds, and they all hit the same spot- the bull's-eye. "See Jet, you're fine."
"No, I'm not. And neither are you. What's bothering you, Reybanski?" They walk out of the range.
Reybanski sighs as he sits down at his desk in his office. "Sit down, Jet." He pushes a button, and the wall separates to become a plasma screen. It flicks on. There's a video of a heavily armored truck ramming into a wall, and exploding. Armed men pour out. The screen changes to become a man in camo clothing, looking quite tough, barking orders.
"These are security camera videos taken from the mainframe of the Artificial Intelligence Manufacturing Building in Zain, a city just southwest of here. Seems we have a terrorist problem."
Arin studies the screen carefully. The men walk around groups of terrified people in business clothes, most likely employees of the manufactory. "Oh great, just what we need. Hostages."
"Not only that," Reybanski responds, " this group is a well-known terrorist organization in Southern India, The Red Ghost.
"Wait a moment," Jet says. "If these guys are Red Ghost, then that ugly mug-" The man giving orders is shown again. "-Is Dos Suhad. Isn't he the one with the drug circle in India and other close parts in Asia?"
"That's right, Jet. Even worse, he kept his full force for this operation. He's also threatening to shut down all of the AI in North America if his demands aren't met."
"And they are-?"
"5000 million dollars, and the secret services to give safe passage back to India."
"Yeah, right. And I thought Rick Biadol was stupid…" Jet sarcastically answers. "So, let me get this straight: You want me to go in there, kick Suhad around a bit, and stop his army? What time?"
"Tomorrow."
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2201 hours, EST – July 09, 2134 – SecrIS Headquarters, Unknown location in Washington D.C.
Arin walks into his small office and sits at his desk. He cleans out his laser blaster as he hums an old rock tune.
Then, glass shatters outside his office in the secretary's room. He jumps up. Blaster at the ready, he throws open the door. The secretary is slumped over at her desk, a shattered vase lying among the torn flowers. He is stunned.
Arin shakes his head, and heads into the hallway. Movement comes from across the hall. He points his blaster and- another agent comes out. He drops the firearm. Arin nods to him, and they walk silently to Reybanski's office.
As the other agent walks in, a stray laser bolt strikes him. He crumples to the ground. Jet, using his intelligence training, uses a small mirror to see into the next room.
Dos Suhad himself is pointing a blaster at Reybanski's head. Arin does a SWAT turn into the room, and points his handblaster at Suhad. He takes Reybanski into a human shield position. "Just do it, Jet!" Reybanski yells.
"No, Xaix. I won't." Arin drops his arm.
The scene stops, and a slight hissing fills the room. Arin wakes up in a blank room, a blonde haired woman with glasses pushed up onto her nose unplugs him from the virtual training COM.
"That was quite hard, now wasn't it Jet?" She unstraps him. "Next time, just shoot him! You can't afford to let a man like that live!"
"Yeah, well, it isn't easy to disarm someone who's holding a blaster to my boss's head, Rose!" Arin yells expectantly as he stands up. She walks over to a table with many silvery gadgets on it.
"Come here, Arin," she says. "Reybanski wanted me to give these to you for your mission tomorrow."
"Oh goodie, more gadgets," Arin says sarcastically.
"Oh, will you just listen for once," she states, picking up a small COM earpiece set. "This is your new COM set, Arin. You need to wear this at all times. Now, we can keep it camouflaged in case you are discovered by any chance. The microscopic messenger has been inserted in your last mission, so now I'll just put in the receiver…" She tacks something onto his ear. "There. That should stay on there until you take a shower next."
"Great, another water-breakable earset. Now that means I have to wait until the day after tomorrow to take a shower…" Arin whines.
"Oh, do grow up… Then again, I do know how boys love their toys… Here." She tosses a heavy, large blaster into his unsuspecting hands. "This is your new Plasma Rifle: the AK – 11X. It has full sniper abilities, night and thermal vision targeting, and can fire bullets, plasma, and some new equipment."
"You're going to have me shooting explosive grenades out of a blaster?! What are you, nuts?!" Arin screams.
Doctor Rose laughs. "No, it won't explode until detonated by your trigger. You can also shoot high-propulsion non-lethal projectiles, smoke grenades, and even mines. Just don't shoot it in a closet like you did last time."
"Hey, I was gagged and bound in ropes. The explosion did open the door, though…"
The doctor sighs. "Yes, but you also destroyed everything on you. Including your earset. Now, for something I'm particularly proud of…" She holds up a small, black box. "Jet, this is your new lock pick."
"When did you figure that out?" he asks.
"Oh, do shut up, Arin. Anyway, this is guaranteed to open any lock on any door."
Arin smiles. "What about laser-lock doors?"
"Ah, the laser doors. I also remembered those this time." She pushes a small, white button, and a beam comes out of the front. "One ordinary and laser-lock door pick, at your service," she boasts.
"Are you done yet?" Arin half-heartedly asks, as he begins to walk out.
"Yes. But keep in contact the entire mission, Arin. We need to keep you on that COM at all times. Remember, AI practically rules the world these days."
Arin sticks his head in from the outside hall. "That coming from the Queen of Tech herself!"
"Oh, SHUT UP!" She throws a pen at him as he runs away, laughing.