HORIZON 1.1

Part-30

"Tell me, you got something," Maya hurried over to Shiva and Riya, who were engrossed in the console and screens in front of them.

Every screen in the police headquarters was being closely monitored. The control room was filled with techies and support teams, keeping an eye on every surveillance camera in the city in an attempt to locate the missing child. The search of abandoned buildings was the top priority for the police, as it was the only way to track down the kidnapper and the child. So far, the police had not made any progress.

"Captain, I was reading this book then." Shiva tried to show Maya the book he had brought from Oldman.

"A book," Maya said awkwardly, gesturing towards her team for a chair and some coffee. "No one uses books in the Zone. Books are ancient artifacts."

"This book is really interesting," added Riya.

"Captain, I know it may seem absurd. But this book was written in the early days of the Zone. Zone's mysteries and unsolved questions by Narayan." Shiva explained as he flipped through the pages.

"Will this help us find the child?" Maya inquired as she took a seat.

"During our raid on that abandoned rehabilitation facility, we discovered some unfamiliar surgical supplies. Captain, those were no ordinary tools. Those surgical instruments were used for the calibration of new children during the beginning of Zone," Shiva tried to clarify to Maya.

"This whole book situation isn't aiding us in any way," Maya responded. Her coffee was served. Taking a sip, she continued, "Any luck; we've been scanning the entire city for two days now." Maya called out to her team.

"Whoever took the child is doing this for a reason. No ransom demands have been made. They are experimenting on the child. It's possible that the kidnapper is trying to extract information or wants to destroy it," Shiva stated.

"Why do you think the kidnapper is after information?" Maya asked, her gaze still fixed on the screens in front of them.

"The child's mother is a member of the Resistance, which we are aware of. Resistance is a covert organization. There are rumours suggesting that the Resistance also exists beyond Zone in Horizon, with the objective of eliminating Zone whenever possible. Resistance believes that Zone is not a real world but rather a prison for humanity."

Maya appeared to be convinced by Shiva's statement. "So, you believe that the kidnapper will attempt to carry out this procedure, or whatever you want to call it, once again?" Maya asked as she stood up from her chair. "And now you will be able to track the kidnapper."

"Those surgical supplies that we already possess are ancient and difficult to acquire and cannot be replicated. The kidnapper is likely to adopt new techniques. And if he does, there'll be some wild fluctuations in energy."

"We can't physically check every apartment, but we can scan the entire city at once for any energy fluctuations," added Riya.

"Very well, let's begin," Maya exclaimed eagerly as she approached Riya. Her face was filled with optimism. "Shiva, please explain why you believe the kidnapper will act today."

"Because tomorrow is the day of calibration for this season. If it doesn't happen today, the child will officially be registered with Zone, making it possible for Paranormal to locate them," Shiva replied.

Macc entered and approached Bhoomi, who was bothering Riya, and questioned Shiva, "Hey, why is my daughter with you?"

"Your house is in the opposite direction. We don't have time to waste," Shiva replied.

"Riya, stay focused and keep your eyes fixed on the monitor. We cannot afford to miss any possibilities this time," Maya instructed when she noticed Riya and Bhoomi playing together.