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Chapter 2 - Chapter 2 The Message

Standing a little over 5.9 in height was a man in his early thirties, The man In question is Senior Detective Conner O'Brien. He's a burly man with a slightly pale complexion about him. If someone looked at his face, they would see his green eyes and shaved face with a kind smile, which gave them the feel of warmth. He wore a green shirt with a brown jacket open, his pants were brown, the same as his shoes.

Senior Detective Conner O'Brien was in a bad mood. The first thing he wasn't expecting was to be called out of his bed at 6 am. New Elise time.

"Why am I being called out on my vacation," thought O'Brien ." Just when I'm starting to like staying home, the captain owns me one," he continues inside his head.

Heading down the main street inside his hover car, the sight of a crowd of people could be seen. Taking his time, O'Brien Parked a few meters from the gathering of people who were situated a couple meters from the City Central Administration Building. Getting out of his car, O'Brien made his way through the crowd of onlookers. Once reaching, there were two officers obstructing anyone unauthorized from entering the crime scene, Upon reaching into his inner pocket, O'Brien revealed his badge.

Noticing the badge waving in their face, the two officers looked at him, and seeing that it was O'Brien, they allowed him through. Moving to an open plaza, O'Brien looked around he noticed his recently appointed partner Junior Detective Jess Barter wavering toward him. Jess was your standard no bull-shit type, she had blond hair which she kept short, and Her tanned skin and Violet eyes burned with a youthful intensity coupled with her lean figure gave you the feeling that she was someone not to mess with. She was sent to him about a month or two before he went on vacation to train without any prior warnings.

She wore a black T-shirt with a black leather jacket over it, she had blue jeans on with military-style combat boots. "Morning Conner, how was your vacation," inquired Jess in her ever-serious tone. "Too short for my taste, what do we have here?" replied O'Brien with a small smile on his face.

" Well, the victim's name is Damon Cuffer,

Thirty-eight years of age, worked at Mega Corp as a data miner for five years. He migrated from Terra to New Elis fifteen years ago with no relative to speak of or known associates." replied Jess while looking at her datapad for the info.

They both began to walk toward a blue tarp covering the body while O'Brien listened to Jess. Reaching the body, Jess removed the tarp, revealing Damon's severed head with a bullet hole that could be seen between his eyes. " Wow, what did he do to deserve this," said O'Brien with a tint of disgust in his voice. Ignoring his comments, Jess continues her report. "So far, we haven't found the rest of his body."

Going down to his knees, O'Brien started to inspect the head. " From the cut with dryer blood on his temple and the swollen eye, he must have fought with someone or something." respond O'Brien.

Continuing to look at the head and its surrounding area, O'Brien could see a small drawing of an Eagle glowing beneath the head. As he locked his eyes with the drawing, it disappeared as if nothing was there. Keeping that little bit of information to himself, he continued to speak, "Did we get any footage from the surrounding building?"

"That's the strange part. All the surveillance cameras show no one coming or going," answered Jess. " I'll have someone send what footage I got to the Forensics lab, see what they can find out," continues Jees.

Standing back up, O'Brien turned to Jess. " Any motives, any idea, any comments?" asked O'Brien with a voice of guidance.

" So far, no motives we know of, he had no enemies to speak of, and the only thing that comes loosely to mind is someone trying to say something like a message," replied Jess.

" Whatever it is, we need to close this case fast with a head in front of the CA building there is bound to be trouble," sighed O'Brien in a worried tone.

"The Chief said this case has to be solved and closed as soon as possible, Seeing that the Planetary Governer is visiting from the Capital City of Rega in a week or two," said Jess "Yep this is going to be one long morning," answered O'Brien in a weary voice.

Think about the drawing he saw. O'Brien knew it was only meant for him to see because it was linked to his neural link.

"Where should we start?"asked Jess as she eyed O'Brien's tired demeanor. Hearing Jess's voice brought O'Brien out of his thoughts. "The best place is his place of work, then his house," answers O'Brien.

From a bird's eye view, the sight of a forest of colossus Metalic Towers rising into the sky could be seen. Each building was owned by a company or corporation that filled in the space around The Financial District. The Financial District is where all the major economic decisions are made, which allows The Corporation to own a large amount of influence and power, and Mega Corp is one of the leading Cybernetics figures on the planet.

Senior Detective Conner O'Brien and Junior Detective Jess Barter stood outside the Mega Corp Building in the heart of the Financial District. The colossal metallic tower rose into the sky, representing a powerhouse of influence and control in the world of cybernetics.

As they gazed at the imposing structure, Jess turned to O'Brien. "What's the plan?" she inquired, her serious tone cutting through the ambient hum of the busy district. O'Brien, with a thoughtful expression, considered their next move. "Are you sure that we could get any good information from corporate officials?" Jess asked, her violet eyes fixed on his thoughtful demeanor.

"Sometimes, Jess, you find the most unexpected leads in the most unlikely places," O'Brien replied, a glimmer of determination in his eyes. "Let's start by talking to Damon Cuffer's colleagues and superiors at Mega Corp. They might know something that could point us in the right direction."

The pair entered the Mega Corp Building, passing through the sleek, futuristic lobby. As they approached the reception desk, O'Brien flashed his badge. "We're here to inquire about Damon Cuffer. He was a data miner here," he stated firmly. The receptionist, a composed woman in a sharp business suit, checked her computer. "Mr. Cuffer worked in the Data Analytics department on the 150th floor. You can take the elevator."Entering the elevator, the detectives ascended to the 150th floor.

The atmosphere shifted from the bustling lobby to a more controlled environment. They walked through rows of workstations, each occupied by individuals engrossed in their tasks. Approaching a corner office, O'Brien and Jess found the door ajar. A man in a tailored suit, presumably Damon Cuffer's supervisor, was reviewing documents on his desk. O'Brien knocked, and the man looked up." Ah Detectives, what can I help you with?" he inquired, his tone a mix of curiosity and sternness.

"We're investigating the death of Damon Cuffer," O'Brien explained. "We'd like to know if you noticed anything unusual or if he had any issues with colleagues."The supervisor sighed at the mention of Damon's name, "Damon was an excellent employee, diligent and focused. I can't think of any reason why someone would harm him. He never had any conflicts with his colleagues that I was aware of."Jess, ever observant, noticed a slight twitch in the supervisor's expression.

"Are you sure there's nothing else you can tell us? Anything, no matter how insignificant it may seem, could be crucial."The supervisor hesitated before finally admitting, "Well I didn't want to say anything, there were some rumors about him talking about his discontent about The Federation of Planets rule, and was looking for like-minded individuals to invite to a personal project of his. He was closemouthed about the details, but it didn't seem like anything that would get him in danger or even killed. " Looking at The Supervisor " Do you know anyone who joined his group? "asked O'Brien." No, we don't monitor our employees' interests. All we care about is as long the quota is met." Answer the supervisor in a calm voice.

"Exiting the supervisor's office, O'Brien and Jess discussed their next move. "Let's check Damon's apartment," O'Brien suggested. "We might find something there that could lead us to the motive behind his murder.

"Returning to the detective's hover car, they sped toward Damon Cuffer's apartment. Once they reached their destination, they both moved inside, where a humanoid robot in a uniform was atanding the front desk. "Morning, my name is Terrance. How can I be of assistance? "Ask the robot

"We are here on official business," said Jess, and they both showed their badges to the robot." Of course, detectives how may I be of assistance,"replied Terrance in a joyous voice

"We need access to Damon Cuffer's room," answered Jess. "Room 240" said the robot while passing the key card.

"This is it," said O'Brien while he and Jess Stood outside the room, as they entered the dimly lit living space, Jess began sifting through personal belongings while O'Brien examined the computer. Amidst the clutter, Jess discovered a hidden compartment in a drawer. Inside, she found schematics and notes detailing an advanced cybernetic enhancement project with a Stack of Documents underneath. "Conner, look at this. Damon was working on something big, something he didn't want anyone to know about. "

"O'Brien's eyes widened as he studied the documents which were full of designs and coordinates. "This could be the key to unraveling the mystery. Let's dig deeper into Damon's project and find out who might have wanted to silence him. "said O'Brien. Turning to Jess O'Brien began to speak, " Jess send this to headquarters we need to know where these coordinates led to.

The story unfolds more as they delve into the intricate web of secrets and Damon Cuffer's clandestine project, the detectives realize they are on the cusp of uncovering a conspiracy that reached far beyond the towering walls of the Financial District. The journey to solve the case became a race against time, with the looming visit of the Planetary Governor adding an extra layer of urgency to their pursuit of the truth.