MVUTO

chapter 105 - hiding in plain sight

The Auditor was informed something curious was happening in the new suburbs north of the city but not this bizarre reality! Keeping his findings under his hat until he had gathered tangible evidence would be excruciatingly arduous over the coming days. Who would believe a child's intervention was the reason the crime rate plummeted in an entire precinct?! What have the parent's been teaching the boy?! Or even to send him out unarmed to face weaponised criminals alone? No! No parent would do that to their child! If indeed it was a child cracking the whip on crime? A ping alerted the Auditor to an incoming email. 'that was quick! I would've thought he'd take some time to delete incriminating files at least.'

the Auditor checked the dates for alterations, but none were for that present day. 'hmm, so he has nothing to hide?'

There were more surprises in store for the Auditor. His phone vibrated to alert him to a text message from his partner on this mission. "capt is personally handling the report you want me to follow"

"Are they linked to this one?" the Auditor texted.

Officer Singh forwarded the question to the precinct's capt and received the reply that yes indeed the incident is linked to the POI.

As the Auditor typed up the beginnings of his daily report, a dreadful knot tightened in the pit of his stomach, bringing his activity to a dead stop, breathing heavily, sweat dripping from his brow, exhibiting discernible manifestations of fear. Considering the circumstances, his work was untypically progressing unobstructed by subversion or threats, as if anything and everything he uncovered was of zero consequence. Queerly, he felt not being threatened posed a tangible threat. 'am I going mad? What are my instincts trying to tell me?'

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Zuri waited until Mvuto bussed home with Carlton before she searched silently for details on officer Singh. Even while the police auditor checked access logs, if by coincidence at the same time as Zuri was accessing personnel files, her precise location and IP would be cloaked by redirecting the VP through another country. Ideally, with an adversarial government and similar standards in technology without the need for a VPN. As soon as Zuri had collected enough information and logged out, her footprints were automatically scrubbed from existence by baby.

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Prom night for the boys' college arrived, the happy trio of Brian, Juan and Mariana had their photo taken together and as pairs. Carlton escorted the shortest of the ninjas, who was asked to do so by Mvuto. Mvuto accompanied the taller one. Following the catered dinner, held in the covered sporting arena, the floor was cleared for the DJ and students to dance long into the night, while Mvuto educates his friends on the fundamentals of electro-swing.

Carlton was escorted home by his friends and date for the night. He awkwardly but politely requested if he could kiss her before they parted, quietly hoping his parents, especially his mum, were watching surreptitiously from behind a curtain, to tease them a little. Carlton puckered up to plant one on Dahlia's cheek. Surprisingly she turned to face him and brutally squished her lips into his, giving him the shock of his life and a good show for his parents. Then, with good cheer, they parted, heading to the last train into the city, returning to the building Mvuto had fashioned to house all of them.

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Still not completed, the décor was spare even in the foyer of the ground floor. Not expecting off the street customers for a while yet, it was missing a reception desk, and seating were just cushions on the knee-high window sills piled near a platform for an electric piano built into the frame of a genuine one. The clownish Mvuto had installed different instrumentals and would play a random instrument, a trombone, for example, to amuse others eating their snacks seated on the cushions. When that all grew old and cliched, Mvuto installed random vocalisations and played them instead to well-known tunes. Never fully imagining his own inspirational ideas, Mvuto was nonetheless damn good at mimicry and mockery.

Not entirely bare was the back wall with new flexible led 3D billboard screens freshly installed. Zuri had been in the process of upgrading the modules so baby could jump in and create its own avatar.

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After the commute from the Prom, Mvuto's team entered the building to be greeted by a plain sim who invited them to design an aesthetically pleasing avatar and wallpaper. Mvuto, meanwhile, patrolled the night in his usual costume that he had carried with him to the prom in a school bag, which he had left in his locker until the party was over.