Twists of Fate [Part 2]
Nov. 2nd, 2014 11:36 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
esp_dragonFandom: Noblesse
Summary: Nakida’s a hacker in the middle of a job to find some information. Except they’re not the only one breaking into the building that night - there’s a silver-haired guy walking around like cameras don’t exist. If he wants to get caught, it’s not their problem.
Huian’s on guard duty to protect the information they’re after. Usually it’s quiet - all she has to do is enter the system, keep an eye on the camera feeds and patrol around the clusters of data to make sure no-one gets to them.
Their pasts connect them, even if they don’t remember. And the past does tend to come back.
Rating: PG-13
Notes: Reincarnation fic! :D Written for nano! So expect some weirdness as I churn this out, haha.
Genre: General.
Word count: 2,909
Total word count: 5,002
Status: Work in progress
They dashed onto the floor, puffing down a corridor. It wouldn't be long until the guard caught up.
They were right, and they heard the stair door open with a minute squeak as they recovered their breath. It really had been a while since they'd done anything like a 'chase', their pace more leisurely now.
And they couldn't wait too long, not when their modifications to the feeds had probably already been found and were getting restarted. Not that that would help, but the guard would probably get restless without guidance.
Which also meant they had to time this just right.
The guard knew where they were, probably from her catching her breath, her footsteps no longer as slow, heading straight for their direction.
A little more... Nakida secured the hood around their head and dipped to their bag, pulling out their desired item and they twitched their lips as they got it. Then the removed their gloves and exhaled, awakening the cables in their wrists, drawing them out.
When the guard was a few steps away, Nakida dropped the item, the hoverboard sliding into its full size before it neared the ground and they jumped onto it, the hoverboard humming to life.
They only had a few more seconds until the guard was warned and they shoved off, zooming around the corner and they crouched down, gripping the edge with one of their cables. They jumped again, holding the hoverboard so they were both in the air, aiming for the guard.
Nakida caught sight of wide eyes before they crashed into the guard's arm, knocking the taser spinning into a wall. They crashed into the guard and Nakida snapped the cables out from where they were waiting from under the 'board, wrapping them around her.
As soon as the cables were securely around -it felt like a limb and torso- Nakida sent power charging through them, landing back on the ground and swerving back to see what was going on.
The guard was still, every muscle taut, and Nakida stopped charging. As soon as they did that the guard crumpled, and Nakida used their cables to keep them upright, lowering her to the ground.
Once the guard was down, Nakida drew back their cables and hopped off their 'board, approaching her from the side the guard wouldn't see. Who didn't move as they did anyway.
Nakida knelt down, pressing the back of their fingers to -they peered at the name plate- Huian's neck, checking her pulse. It was quick but strong and Nakida felt a prickle on their skin at the contact before it disappeared. Hm. Had they used too much power? Checking the wrist Nakida had bound... There was already a bruise developing. They really were out of practice. Something to keep in mind for next time.
That done, Nakida swept the area, making sure they hadn't left anything or dropped anything, secured their hood again and put on their gloves. Time to get out of there.
They picked up their 'board, not minimising it. The rest of the guards were probably about to burst down one of the doors, so they went through the stair doors, dropping the hoverboard and kicked off, using the banisters to careen around corners, their speed barely slowing with each turn.
* * *
Shit! There was movement and sounds around Huian but she couldn't move. She didn't care. She'd failed. The first time to prove herself in the job and she'd gotten knocked out in barely a few seconds.
That wasn't a face she recognised. Black hair, dark skin, with a wide jaw. Unless that attack had scrambled some of her brain, Huian was sure the person hovering over her wasn't one of the the guards, especially since she wasn't wearing a uniform.
"Ah, can you move?" The stranger looked away before Huian could answer and Fadia's face took up the rest of the space, her eyebrows at a worried slant that Huian had never seen before.
"Are you with us now?" Fadia asked, a hand on her shoulder.
Huian tried to nod (she always had been, just unable to respond) and the movement was jerky, her muscles still not under her full control. Shit.
"It's fine," Fadia continued, giving her a soothing smile. "Give it time."
It wasn't! She'd let the intruder get away! All the data was probably taken. Huian worked her mouth, trying to say something, but all she achieved was gaping like a fish. Which was how useful she'd been throughout this entire time.
Fadia patted her. "Abi hasn't seen anything amiss. Rest - the paramedics will be arriving soon."
The para – no. "I – d-" Why wouldn't her body listen to her? She didn't need them; she'd recover fast enough without their help. "No."
She got a blink in response. "Huian, you need to be checked over."
"I'll-" She huffed. Trying to stubborn her way to talk wasn't working. And she could feel the vibrations of footsteps getting closer. Damn.
"Huian, is it?" Fadia's and the other woman's face left, replaced by another new one. "Can you respond?"
She nodded, resigning herself to be checked over.
* * *
The streets were nice and quiet at this time of night, only a few cars whirring in the distance. Nakida breezed along on their 'board, taking a winding route through the backstreets, avoiding bright lights. They'd hacked into the police chatter while they'd moved, listening for a 'dark-skinned redhead' mention, but there wasn't one. Either no-one had seen them properly at the company, or it was only a matter of time until the call went out. Or maybe it wouldn't go out, because who would trust a security company that got broken into? They would lose sales that way.
And what better way to hide something than to place it in a building centred around security?
It would be better to buy a bottle of dye for their hair though, just in case. It was due for a change anyway. Maybe purple this time?
They'd missed out tonight, but that didn't mean the door was shut forever. So long as that ass didn't show up again. Hmm… They couldn't risk going in again, not if the same thing would happen.
In that case, they had to find the silver-haired guy and see what his plan was. If he'd gotten out, and he should have, unless he'd panicked. The guards would have been distracted by looking after Huian. And to find the silver-haired guy's plan, they needed to find out who the guy was and how to get in contact with him. Which was Nakida's daily living, so it shouldn't take too long.
From his initial reaction, Nakida had the feeling he would rather punch them in the face than tell them what he was going to do, but it wouldn't hurt to ask.
Especially since they'd be asking from behind a screen, hah.
* * *
"There were two," Huian repeated, holding the blanket over her shoulders. "The one I encountered didn't look anything like the guy on the feeds. Dark-skinned," she said, pursing her lips, trying to remember anything else, but there wasn't anything else. Just a blur, not enough for her to take in any more details apart from the colour of clothes.
"Maybe," Fadia mused, running a hand through her own hair.
"It had to be!" Huian burst out. What other explanation was there?
"The first one was an avatar to distract us on the upper levels while he worked away at the system."
Oh. Huian worked her mouth and then closed it with a click. That made sense.
"You seem to be in good health," the paramedic said, packing her instruments away and closing her kit. Finally. And Huian had told her she was fine. "But if your muscles start to ache, go to the hospital immediately."
"All right," Huian said, nodding. She'd spent enough energy arguing about her health and the faster she could get home the better.
"I can take you home," Joyce, the person who Nakida hadn't recognised earlier, offered. She'd introduced herself while Huian got poked and prodded. "To make sure you get home safely."
"I'll-" Huian huffed, screwing her eyes shut. All she wanted to do was go home, not have someone there.
"It's a good idea," Fadia said and she was using her soothing but 'that's an order' voice. For when someone wasn't listening to reason and it was something that everyone else could see was needed. Dammit.
"Fine," she said, her lips pursed and she clutched the blanket tighter or a second tighter, swallowing her pride. "I'll go."
Joyce gave her a relieved smile and Fadia nodded, stretching. "You don't need to come in tomorrow, so take the day off and make sure you rest, okay?"
"Yeah," Huian mumbled. More time to wallow in how much she'd failed. Great. It would have been better if she could have distracted herself with work, but there was no arguing with Fadia if it had something to do with someone's health.
"My car's downstairs," Joyce said and Huian got to her feet, ready to follow. Almost. The corridor brightened for a dangerous second, like the light was trying to swallow her up. She took a few breaths, the lightheadedness fading. Her legs could take her weight and didn't seem like they'd give under her thankfully.
"Sleep," Fadia said. "You've earned it."
The praise didn't feel as good this time, tempered with the bitter knowledge of failure.
* * *
Joyce's car wasn't automated, not having voice command, so Joyce was actually behind a wheel, steering it. The interior was different from what Huian was used to with not as much space in the middle, the seats not facing each other for easier communication.
Which didn't make Huian feel that much better, not when automated cars were far more reliable. She'd read accidents had dropped since automated cars came into production, since they could react far faster than humans ever could, and weren't capable of getting drunk or being affected by drugs. Hackers on the other hand...
Huian watched Joyce's confident movements, her hands knowing exactly where everything was without a second guess. Maybe being human-driven wasn't always a bad thing.
"What were you doing there anyway?" Huian asked, shifting her attention to outside the window, watching the city zip past. The music was boring and talking was better than silence, those last few seconds looping in her head.
"Are you asking because you're curious or because it's your job?" The thread of amusement was clear to hear and Huian shrugged one shoulder, rolling up a sleeve out of habit.
"Both." She sighed, fogging up the plastic in front of her face. There would be a couple people who came into the building after hours, sometimes because they'd forgotten something, but it was usually work related.
"I have to finish typing up a report, but I'd left the last pages in my desk," Joyce said with a chuckle. "I wouldn't have time to finish it in the morning, since it's for morning."
Huian blinked, glancing at her. "You found out now?" It was two in the morning. How had she left it until two in the morning to finish it?
"We work on multiple projects at once," Joyce said, answering her unsaid question. Probably read it on her face, and Huian turned her face away more, the blanket crinkling. "And everyone wants results all at once too. Especially since technology is constantly adapting so we have to keep updating it."
"Hm."
"But that means I still have a job so I don't mind. Much." Joyce peered at the gps on her dash and then indicated to go right, the signal clicking with a certain rhythm, like a hypnotising beat, trying to put Huian under its spell. "Nearly there..."
They were, the car turning into Huian's street. "It's that one," Huian said, pointing at her front door.
Joyce parked the car and Huian got out, throwing back a belated "Thanks" just before she closed the door. The ride seemed to have helped, Huian feeling steadier on her feet now.
Even in the time it took for Huian to get to her front door, Joyce was still there, waiting, waving as Huian opened the door. She waved back, watching Joyce leave and once she'd shut the door, she scowled, squeezing her eyes shut as she yanked the blanket off her shoulders and dumped it in the bin.
She wasn't going to sleep any time soon, that was for sure, so now she had to go find something to do to distract her brain from reminding her of all the events that had happened.
* * *
Huh. Nakida sat cross-legged on their bed, their screen sprawled around them in a semi-circle. The room smelled of dye, but their hair was the shade they wanted it to be. As is dried, they'd started their search on the silver-haired guy, expecting either having a lot of data or having to spend more time trying to dig it up on their target, but they'd gotten a lot of data.
A lot of it.
It wasn't as if the man hadn't tried to hide his tracks, but face recognition technology was a wonderful thing. He'd tried to hide his scar a few times, making it smaller or hiding it as best as he could, but it was still something that could be picked up on. His hair had gone through a few dye jobs in his time, and he'd used glasses at some point. Which wasn't helping Nakida's assessment that the guy was an older man than they were with a young body. Who wore glasses now? Most people got their eyes fixed or wore contacts if they needed it.
The problem was, the data on the guy went back more than a century.
Passports, drivers' licenses, bank details. There was everything a person needed to make their identity valid and have access to certain things, but they went back too far. Alias after alias after alias. All with the same face, the exact same stats attached (maybe a slight fluctuation in weight, but nothing big) and no wrinkles to be seen.
Nakida would have thought it had been a botched job, someone using stock photos, but it didn't feel right.
Not when there were other photos attached, jobs the guy had worked as, from metalworker to teacher to a multitude of other things in between. A number of the shots had been candid, and it could have been set up, the guy worming himself in to prove his previous jobs.
The guy seemed sad. Nakida knew body language and he held himself back from the other people in the photos, accepting their touch, but seemingly not reaching out himself.
Always single, never married. Sometimes he stayed in a job for several years, others only a few weeks. No extended family, apart from two dads on his emergency contact lists.
Some things were standard with someone on the run or hiding from something but there was still that niggling off feeling.
He could have gotten surgery to get rid of signs of aging, but he didn't move like it. A person could change their face, but their body under the surface had its limitations, even with modifications.
There was also the possibility of him coming from a series of clones. It wasn't impossible; Nakida had seen the results of that. For what reason?
Argh, they were digging for too much details again. They'd gotten what they wanted - the phone number had stayed the same for a while, lasting for about a decade before it was changed. No wonder the interface for his communicator seemed old - it was.
Nakida minimised the windows, leaning back on their bed and rang... What was his current name right now? Lee Kang-dae? They checked the latest name and nodded. Lee Kang-dae.
He picked up on the fourth ring, his lips already thin, the skin around his eyes tense like he was trying not to glare. At the sight of their avatar, he exhaled, a muscle in his jaw tensing. Behind him was a non-descript room, a blank wall with a light on.
"So you got out then," Nakida said with a wave, slipping into their cheery persona.
"Yeah." Kang-dae studied them for a second and then said, "I want to meet."
"Eeeh, how forward of you!" The waggled their fingers at him, grinning. It was never going to happen.
Kang-dae twitched at the tease, but didn't seem flustered.
"Sorry, but I'm pretty shy - that's why I'm calling you instead." With their free hand, Nakida started tracking where his communicator was broadcasting.
Kang-dae sighed, closing his eyes for a second. "Fine. Why'd you call?"
That...was calmer than Nakida had expected. Was he just grouchier when he was in the middle of a job?
"You're an interesting guy." They weren't lying, and Kang-dae opened his eyes again. "And I want to know if you're going back there so I'll know to go on a different day." Before or after, they weren't sure which one.
Kang-dae stilled. "Why did you go there anyway? What were you doing?"
Nakida tilted their head, drawing their eyebrows in, and that wasn't part of the act. "You know me-" He recognised their avatar and said their name. "-but you don't know what I do?"
_____________________
Okay, never mind, cables came back, haha. XD;;
Summary: Nakida’s a hacker in the middle of a job to find some information. Except they’re not the only one breaking into the building that night - there’s a silver-haired guy walking around like cameras don’t exist. If he wants to get caught, it’s not their problem.
Huian’s on guard duty to protect the information they’re after. Usually it’s quiet - all she has to do is enter the system, keep an eye on the camera feeds and patrol around the clusters of data to make sure no-one gets to them.
Their pasts connect them, even if they don’t remember. And the past does tend to come back.
Rating: PG-13
Notes: Reincarnation fic! :D Written for nano! So expect some weirdness as I churn this out, haha.
Genre: General.
Word count: 2,909
Total word count: 5,002
Status: Work in progress
They dashed onto the floor, puffing down a corridor. It wouldn't be long until the guard caught up.
They were right, and they heard the stair door open with a minute squeak as they recovered their breath. It really had been a while since they'd done anything like a 'chase', their pace more leisurely now.
And they couldn't wait too long, not when their modifications to the feeds had probably already been found and were getting restarted. Not that that would help, but the guard would probably get restless without guidance.
Which also meant they had to time this just right.
The guard knew where they were, probably from her catching her breath, her footsteps no longer as slow, heading straight for their direction.
A little more... Nakida secured the hood around their head and dipped to their bag, pulling out their desired item and they twitched their lips as they got it. Then the removed their gloves and exhaled, awakening the cables in their wrists, drawing them out.
When the guard was a few steps away, Nakida dropped the item, the hoverboard sliding into its full size before it neared the ground and they jumped onto it, the hoverboard humming to life.
They only had a few more seconds until the guard was warned and they shoved off, zooming around the corner and they crouched down, gripping the edge with one of their cables. They jumped again, holding the hoverboard so they were both in the air, aiming for the guard.
Nakida caught sight of wide eyes before they crashed into the guard's arm, knocking the taser spinning into a wall. They crashed into the guard and Nakida snapped the cables out from where they were waiting from under the 'board, wrapping them around her.
As soon as the cables were securely around -it felt like a limb and torso- Nakida sent power charging through them, landing back on the ground and swerving back to see what was going on.
The guard was still, every muscle taut, and Nakida stopped charging. As soon as they did that the guard crumpled, and Nakida used their cables to keep them upright, lowering her to the ground.
Once the guard was down, Nakida drew back their cables and hopped off their 'board, approaching her from the side the guard wouldn't see. Who didn't move as they did anyway.
Nakida knelt down, pressing the back of their fingers to -they peered at the name plate- Huian's neck, checking her pulse. It was quick but strong and Nakida felt a prickle on their skin at the contact before it disappeared. Hm. Had they used too much power? Checking the wrist Nakida had bound... There was already a bruise developing. They really were out of practice. Something to keep in mind for next time.
That done, Nakida swept the area, making sure they hadn't left anything or dropped anything, secured their hood again and put on their gloves. Time to get out of there.
They picked up their 'board, not minimising it. The rest of the guards were probably about to burst down one of the doors, so they went through the stair doors, dropping the hoverboard and kicked off, using the banisters to careen around corners, their speed barely slowing with each turn.
Shit! There was movement and sounds around Huian but she couldn't move. She didn't care. She'd failed. The first time to prove herself in the job and she'd gotten knocked out in barely a few seconds.
That wasn't a face she recognised. Black hair, dark skin, with a wide jaw. Unless that attack had scrambled some of her brain, Huian was sure the person hovering over her wasn't one of the the guards, especially since she wasn't wearing a uniform.
"Ah, can you move?" The stranger looked away before Huian could answer and Fadia's face took up the rest of the space, her eyebrows at a worried slant that Huian had never seen before.
"Are you with us now?" Fadia asked, a hand on her shoulder.
Huian tried to nod (she always had been, just unable to respond) and the movement was jerky, her muscles still not under her full control. Shit.
"It's fine," Fadia continued, giving her a soothing smile. "Give it time."
It wasn't! She'd let the intruder get away! All the data was probably taken. Huian worked her mouth, trying to say something, but all she achieved was gaping like a fish. Which was how useful she'd been throughout this entire time.
Fadia patted her. "Abi hasn't seen anything amiss. Rest - the paramedics will be arriving soon."
The para – no. "I – d-" Why wouldn't her body listen to her? She didn't need them; she'd recover fast enough without their help. "No."
She got a blink in response. "Huian, you need to be checked over."
"I'll-" She huffed. Trying to stubborn her way to talk wasn't working. And she could feel the vibrations of footsteps getting closer. Damn.
"Huian, is it?" Fadia's and the other woman's face left, replaced by another new one. "Can you respond?"
She nodded, resigning herself to be checked over.
The streets were nice and quiet at this time of night, only a few cars whirring in the distance. Nakida breezed along on their 'board, taking a winding route through the backstreets, avoiding bright lights. They'd hacked into the police chatter while they'd moved, listening for a 'dark-skinned redhead' mention, but there wasn't one. Either no-one had seen them properly at the company, or it was only a matter of time until the call went out. Or maybe it wouldn't go out, because who would trust a security company that got broken into? They would lose sales that way.
And what better way to hide something than to place it in a building centred around security?
It would be better to buy a bottle of dye for their hair though, just in case. It was due for a change anyway. Maybe purple this time?
They'd missed out tonight, but that didn't mean the door was shut forever. So long as that ass didn't show up again. Hmm… They couldn't risk going in again, not if the same thing would happen.
In that case, they had to find the silver-haired guy and see what his plan was. If he'd gotten out, and he should have, unless he'd panicked. The guards would have been distracted by looking after Huian. And to find the silver-haired guy's plan, they needed to find out who the guy was and how to get in contact with him. Which was Nakida's daily living, so it shouldn't take too long.
From his initial reaction, Nakida had the feeling he would rather punch them in the face than tell them what he was going to do, but it wouldn't hurt to ask.
Especially since they'd be asking from behind a screen, hah.
"There were two," Huian repeated, holding the blanket over her shoulders. "The one I encountered didn't look anything like the guy on the feeds. Dark-skinned," she said, pursing her lips, trying to remember anything else, but there wasn't anything else. Just a blur, not enough for her to take in any more details apart from the colour of clothes.
"Maybe," Fadia mused, running a hand through her own hair.
"It had to be!" Huian burst out. What other explanation was there?
"The first one was an avatar to distract us on the upper levels while he worked away at the system."
Oh. Huian worked her mouth and then closed it with a click. That made sense.
"You seem to be in good health," the paramedic said, packing her instruments away and closing her kit. Finally. And Huian had told her she was fine. "But if your muscles start to ache, go to the hospital immediately."
"All right," Huian said, nodding. She'd spent enough energy arguing about her health and the faster she could get home the better.
"I can take you home," Joyce, the person who Nakida hadn't recognised earlier, offered. She'd introduced herself while Huian got poked and prodded. "To make sure you get home safely."
"I'll-" Huian huffed, screwing her eyes shut. All she wanted to do was go home, not have someone there.
"It's a good idea," Fadia said and she was using her soothing but 'that's an order' voice. For when someone wasn't listening to reason and it was something that everyone else could see was needed. Dammit.
"Fine," she said, her lips pursed and she clutched the blanket tighter or a second tighter, swallowing her pride. "I'll go."
Joyce gave her a relieved smile and Fadia nodded, stretching. "You don't need to come in tomorrow, so take the day off and make sure you rest, okay?"
"Yeah," Huian mumbled. More time to wallow in how much she'd failed. Great. It would have been better if she could have distracted herself with work, but there was no arguing with Fadia if it had something to do with someone's health.
"My car's downstairs," Joyce said and Huian got to her feet, ready to follow. Almost. The corridor brightened for a dangerous second, like the light was trying to swallow her up. She took a few breaths, the lightheadedness fading. Her legs could take her weight and didn't seem like they'd give under her thankfully.
"Sleep," Fadia said. "You've earned it."
The praise didn't feel as good this time, tempered with the bitter knowledge of failure.
Joyce's car wasn't automated, not having voice command, so Joyce was actually behind a wheel, steering it. The interior was different from what Huian was used to with not as much space in the middle, the seats not facing each other for easier communication.
Which didn't make Huian feel that much better, not when automated cars were far more reliable. She'd read accidents had dropped since automated cars came into production, since they could react far faster than humans ever could, and weren't capable of getting drunk or being affected by drugs. Hackers on the other hand...
Huian watched Joyce's confident movements, her hands knowing exactly where everything was without a second guess. Maybe being human-driven wasn't always a bad thing.
"What were you doing there anyway?" Huian asked, shifting her attention to outside the window, watching the city zip past. The music was boring and talking was better than silence, those last few seconds looping in her head.
"Are you asking because you're curious or because it's your job?" The thread of amusement was clear to hear and Huian shrugged one shoulder, rolling up a sleeve out of habit.
"Both." She sighed, fogging up the plastic in front of her face. There would be a couple people who came into the building after hours, sometimes because they'd forgotten something, but it was usually work related.
"I have to finish typing up a report, but I'd left the last pages in my desk," Joyce said with a chuckle. "I wouldn't have time to finish it in the morning, since it's for morning."
Huian blinked, glancing at her. "You found out now?" It was two in the morning. How had she left it until two in the morning to finish it?
"We work on multiple projects at once," Joyce said, answering her unsaid question. Probably read it on her face, and Huian turned her face away more, the blanket crinkling. "And everyone wants results all at once too. Especially since technology is constantly adapting so we have to keep updating it."
"Hm."
"But that means I still have a job so I don't mind. Much." Joyce peered at the gps on her dash and then indicated to go right, the signal clicking with a certain rhythm, like a hypnotising beat, trying to put Huian under its spell. "Nearly there..."
They were, the car turning into Huian's street. "It's that one," Huian said, pointing at her front door.
Joyce parked the car and Huian got out, throwing back a belated "Thanks" just before she closed the door. The ride seemed to have helped, Huian feeling steadier on her feet now.
Even in the time it took for Huian to get to her front door, Joyce was still there, waiting, waving as Huian opened the door. She waved back, watching Joyce leave and once she'd shut the door, she scowled, squeezing her eyes shut as she yanked the blanket off her shoulders and dumped it in the bin.
She wasn't going to sleep any time soon, that was for sure, so now she had to go find something to do to distract her brain from reminding her of all the events that had happened.
Huh. Nakida sat cross-legged on their bed, their screen sprawled around them in a semi-circle. The room smelled of dye, but their hair was the shade they wanted it to be. As is dried, they'd started their search on the silver-haired guy, expecting either having a lot of data or having to spend more time trying to dig it up on their target, but they'd gotten a lot of data.
A lot of it.
It wasn't as if the man hadn't tried to hide his tracks, but face recognition technology was a wonderful thing. He'd tried to hide his scar a few times, making it smaller or hiding it as best as he could, but it was still something that could be picked up on. His hair had gone through a few dye jobs in his time, and he'd used glasses at some point. Which wasn't helping Nakida's assessment that the guy was an older man than they were with a young body. Who wore glasses now? Most people got their eyes fixed or wore contacts if they needed it.
The problem was, the data on the guy went back more than a century.
Passports, drivers' licenses, bank details. There was everything a person needed to make their identity valid and have access to certain things, but they went back too far. Alias after alias after alias. All with the same face, the exact same stats attached (maybe a slight fluctuation in weight, but nothing big) and no wrinkles to be seen.
Nakida would have thought it had been a botched job, someone using stock photos, but it didn't feel right.
Not when there were other photos attached, jobs the guy had worked as, from metalworker to teacher to a multitude of other things in between. A number of the shots had been candid, and it could have been set up, the guy worming himself in to prove his previous jobs.
The guy seemed sad. Nakida knew body language and he held himself back from the other people in the photos, accepting their touch, but seemingly not reaching out himself.
Always single, never married. Sometimes he stayed in a job for several years, others only a few weeks. No extended family, apart from two dads on his emergency contact lists.
Some things were standard with someone on the run or hiding from something but there was still that niggling off feeling.
He could have gotten surgery to get rid of signs of aging, but he didn't move like it. A person could change their face, but their body under the surface had its limitations, even with modifications.
There was also the possibility of him coming from a series of clones. It wasn't impossible; Nakida had seen the results of that. For what reason?
Argh, they were digging for too much details again. They'd gotten what they wanted - the phone number had stayed the same for a while, lasting for about a decade before it was changed. No wonder the interface for his communicator seemed old - it was.
Nakida minimised the windows, leaning back on their bed and rang... What was his current name right now? Lee Kang-dae? They checked the latest name and nodded. Lee Kang-dae.
He picked up on the fourth ring, his lips already thin, the skin around his eyes tense like he was trying not to glare. At the sight of their avatar, he exhaled, a muscle in his jaw tensing. Behind him was a non-descript room, a blank wall with a light on.
"So you got out then," Nakida said with a wave, slipping into their cheery persona.
"Yeah." Kang-dae studied them for a second and then said, "I want to meet."
"Eeeh, how forward of you!" The waggled their fingers at him, grinning. It was never going to happen.
Kang-dae twitched at the tease, but didn't seem flustered.
"Sorry, but I'm pretty shy - that's why I'm calling you instead." With their free hand, Nakida started tracking where his communicator was broadcasting.
Kang-dae sighed, closing his eyes for a second. "Fine. Why'd you call?"
That...was calmer than Nakida had expected. Was he just grouchier when he was in the middle of a job?
"You're an interesting guy." They weren't lying, and Kang-dae opened his eyes again. "And I want to know if you're going back there so I'll know to go on a different day." Before or after, they weren't sure which one.
Kang-dae stilled. "Why did you go there anyway? What were you doing?"
Nakida tilted their head, drawing their eyebrows in, and that wasn't part of the act. "You know me-" He recognised their avatar and said their name. "-but you don't know what I do?"
Okay, never mind, cables came back, haha. XD;;