by Jake Bible
“Nah, they fixed that two weeks ago, buddy,” B’urn said. “No way Agent Prime could be allowed to wander around without tech in him.”
“Ledora?” Sno called.
“Hello, Agent Prime,” Ledora responded in his ear. Sno smiled at the sound he’d taken for granted for so long. “How may I help you, Agent Prime?”
Sno began to speak then stopped.
“She’s secure,” Tana said. “She can’t be hacked anymore.”
“How do you know about that?” Sno asked.
“Veben Doab has been pretty honest with the GF interrogators,” B’urn said with a chuckle. “I think she scared a few of them during her debriefing. She told everyone about Ledora, about Pol Hammon, about the planned auction, Pol’s descent into madness, the murders, Captain Loch, everything.”
Sno looked at Tana.
“Everything,” Tana agreed with a nod.
“Pol let her live?” Sno asked, shocked.
“Pol Let everyone live,” B’urn said. “Or he let those still alive after transport live. There were quite a few deaths before their arrival, but you know that, right?”
“Yeah, I know that,” Sno said. “Ledora?”
“Yes, Agent Prime?”
“Steaks. Massive steaks. I need protein,” he said. “And a side salad for balance.”
“Oh, yes, gotta have balance,” B’urn said. He laughed and placed his order. Same with Tana.
When the food was placed on the dining table by a bot, which Sno watched closely until it left the room, the three sat down and Sno began to devour his meat. He’d eaten an entire steak before he came up for air and even looked at the salad bowl.
“What happened to everyone on the Mip?” Sno asked.
“They’ve all been returned home,” B’urn said.
“We probably shouldn’t talk in too much detail about this until Sno is debriefed,” Tana said.
“Give me the bullet points,” Sno said. “I didn’t expect anyone to live, myself included. Where did the M’illi’ped appear?”
“In orbit over GF headquarters,” B’urn said. “One moment not there, next moment there.”
“I don’t think fighter squadrons have ever been scrambled faster than when that ship showed up,” Tana said. “Not even during the War.”
“Once the GF realized the ship wasn’t a threat, they boarded and began processing the passengers,” B’urn said.
“The ship’s logs were wiped,” Tana added. “So all the GF has are the personal accounts of the passengers. There isn’t a single bit of surveillance data left.”
“There wasn’t any system left,” B’urn said. “Other than life support and basic maneuvering controls, that ship’s systems were reset and shutdown. Pol Hammon left the M’illi’ped as empty as it was when it first left dry dock after manufacture.”
“I knew he would do that,” Sno said. “He had no intention of sharing his tech with anyone.”
B’urn and Tana glanced at each other then away quickly.
“What?” Sno asked. “You said he wiped the ship clean.”
“We’ll leave this part of the discussion between you and Gerber,” Tana said. “We’re stepping into tricky waters here.”
“Bullet points only, buddy,” B’urn said. “Finish that steak and let’s get some drinks in ya. We have some great stories from the missions we were on while you were napping.”
“Fine,” Sno said. “I’ve waited eighty-odd days, I can wait a little longer before I find out what all happened while I was napping.”
When they finished eating, a cleaning bot appeared to take the dishes and Sno nearly jumped out of his seat, his hand going for his sidearm which he was not wearing.
“That’s new,” Tana said as she took him by the arm and led him to the couch. “Have a seat while B’urn gets us drinks.”
“Something happen between you and a bot?” B’urn asked as he poured two glasses of whiskey, handed them to Sno and Tana then returned for his own. He shook his head. “Never mind. Don’t answer that.”
“Let’s say that I may hire living beings when I get home,” Sno said as he sipped his whiskey. “I think I have had my fill of bots for a lifetime.”
“Your fill of bots? Buddy, your life is gonna be a twitchy ride if you’re gonna jump out of your skin each time you come across a bot,” B’urn said. “They’re kinda everywhere.”
“Speaking of, let me tell you what I’ve been dealing with,” Tana said. “You’ll get a kick out of this.”
Sno listened as first Tana then B’urn told him all about their missions while he was in the med pod. Sno nodded, laughed, smiled, feigned outrage, and commiserated in all the right places. It wasn’t long before Tana and B’urn were sharing glances again.
B’urn set his empty glass down and stood up.
“Well, you may have just woken up, buddy,” he said to Sno. “But some of us have been awake for close to twenty hours now. I’m gonna go get some sleep. Gotta head out in the morning on a new mission.”
“Oh?” Sno replied. “Anything fun?”
“Watch and wait duty,” B’urn said with a frown. “Group of diplomats meeting to discuss some trade thing that I can’t care less about. I’m there to make sure no one has brought their own spies. If I catch a snoop, I neutralize the snoop and keep the talks going.”
“Full neutralization?” Tana asked.
“I wish,” B’urn said and laughed. “That would make the job interesting. Goodnight. I’ll catch you when I get back.”
They said goodnight to B’urn then Sno and Tana were left alone.
“How about we hit the bed too,” Tana said. “Despite your med pod vacation, you look exhausted.”
“I am,” Sno said. “Gravity has that effect on a body that hasn’t been used to it for eighty days.”
Tana stood and offered her hand. Sno took it and stood up. They embraced, kissed then stood there with Tana’s cheek resting against Sno’s chest.
“I was able to see part of Veben’s report,” Tana said. “I’m sorry about the swift ship pilot. It sounded like you two bonded.”
“We did,” Sno said, kissing the top of Tana’s head. “And thank you.”
“Bed?” Tana asked.
“Yes, that would be great,” Sno said, letting her lead him to his bedroom. “But, um…”
“Don’t worry,” Tana said. “We’ll actually sleep. I’ve been up for twenty hours too, Sno. I’m beat. It’ll be nice to just be next to you. You had me worried.”
“Sorry,” Sno said as he stripped out of his clothes and threw the bed sheets back. He climbed in and sighed. “Oh, that feels good.”
“It does,” Tana said as she joined him, draping her arm across his chest and nuzzling into him. “Sno?”
“Hmmm?”
“What are you going to do about Veben?”
“I’m not going to do anything,” Sno replied. “Her fate is up to the GF.”
Tana didn’t respond. Sno lifted his head and looked at her.
“What?” he asked.
“Nothing,” Tana said. “It can wait. Gerber will fill you in, I’m sure. If he doesn’t, then Crush will tell you everything you need to know.”
“Tana…”
“Get some sleep, Sno,” Tana said. “You have a very big day tomorrow.”
Sno let the matter drop. In minutes, Tana was snoring gently against him. Sno remained awake for a good hour as memories of his mission came back to him. He struggled to shove the memory of Velly’s death from his mind, but unfortunately, that was the last image he saw before he drifted off into a difficult sleep.
36.
Sno awoke with a start as his mind registered the whirring noise of a cleaning bot entering his bedroom.
“Out!” he shouted as he slapped at his bedside table for a pistol. There was no pistol.
The cleaning bot was gone before Sno slid out from under a still sleeping Tana. He wasn’t surprised she didn’t wake up at his shout. When Tana was comfortable,
she could sleep through a solar storm. Sno brought up his chrono and saw he had a message from Crush ordering him to be present for his debriefing at 0900 on the dot. It was currently 0600.
Sno watched Tana sleep then got up and headed for the lavatory. He turned the steam on to full, enjoyed a long overdue piss then hopped in the shower after cleaning his teeth. Bits of dream swirled in his head, but the steam soon relaxed him enough that he let the uncomfortable images dissolve away.
“Hey,” Tana said as she stepped into the steam with him. “You hear from Crush or Gerber yet?”
“0900,” Sno said before giving her a kiss.
The kiss turned into more, much more, and Sno and Tana spent the next hour in the steam, at times frantically making love and at others simply being with each other. A chime sounded as they held each other, both completely sated, and Sno laughed.
“Yes, Ledora?”
“Sorry to interrupt, Agent Prime,” Ledora said, her voice coming over the speaker in the lavatory instead of Sno’s comm. “But an urgent call for Agent Stand has come through.”
“Duty calls,” Tana said as she pulled away from Sno. “Literally.”
She got out of the steam and wrapped herself in a large towel.
“Put the call through to my comm,” Tana said as she left the lavatory.
Sno stayed in the steam for a few minutes more then got out, dried off, and got dressed. When he stepped into the bedroom, the bed was made and there was no sign of Tana. She wasn’t in the living room or kitchen. A note was on his fridge.
“Lunch later?” it read.
Sno smiled at the note then got a large cup of caff and drank it down, hot and black.
He paced for a while until it was time for his meeting then left his quarters and made his way to Crush’s office.
Sno greeted those that greeted him, dodged questions he didn’t want to answer, ignored jabs at how it was his fault people lost the betting pool, returned a few jabs of his own then was at the doors to Crush’s office. He took a deep breath and entered.
“Go right in,” Crush’s assistant said as the door behind the reception desk opened wide. “They are expecting you.”
Sno walked into the office, stood at attention, and waited to be offered a seat.
“Sit down, Sno,” Crush said from behind his desk. Gerber was seated in a corner to Sno’s left. “Sit.”
Sno took the chair in front of Crush’s desk then looked back over his shoulder at General Gerber.
“I’m only hear to listen, Agent Prime,” Gerber said. “Pretend like I’m not in the room.”
“We both know that isn’t going to happen,” Crush said with some irritation. He swiped at a holo interface then leaned back in his seat and fixed all of his eyes on Sno. “This debriefing is being recorded, as you are aware. You are required to tell the whole truth and answer every question asked of you honestly and to the best of your knowledge. Are we understood, Agent Prime?”
“Understood,” Sno replied.
“Then let’s get this over with,” Crush said. “Start from the beginning.”
Sno started from the moment he walked into his estate house. He realized that was the true beginning of the mission for him when he found Veben cooking in his kitchen and then Pol Hammon waiting in his sitting room. By that time, a plan had been hatched, or was in the process of being hatched, between Veben and Pol, Sno was certain of that.
Then Sno proceeded to honestly and faithfully recall every moment from there on. He even admitted that he’d been manipulated into suggesting the luxury liner as a mode of transportation. He described his time on the Mip, even his time with Velly Tarcorf, and ended his report with the last thing he remembered.
“Have you ever seen the black hole in Mlo?” he asked Crush. “It is impressive.”
“I am sure it is,” Crush said. A couple of his eyes looked towards Gerber then back at Sno. “Is that all, Agent Prime?”
“It is,” Sno said. “As far as I can recollect. If I remember any other details, I will be sure to report them.”
“Appreciated,” Crush said. “General Gerber? Any questions for Agent Prime?”
“Not at the moment,” Gerber said.
“Then I will fill you in on what you have missed, Sno,” Crush said. “Or as much as I am authorized to fill you in on.”
Crush described the chaos of when the Mip appeared suddenly in the GF headquarters’ orbit. He described the ordeal of processing all of the guests and the GF’s surprise at finding the ship’s systems wiped clean. Then he glanced at Gerber again.
“Go ahead,” Gerber said.
“Despite everything, we are pleased to say that the mission was a success, Agent Prime,” Crush announced. “It was a galactic mess that will take months to sort out fully, but the primary objective was achieved.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t understand,” Sno said. He looked at Gerber then back at Crush. “The mission was to deliver Pol Hammon with his tech. I did neither of those.”
“We do not need Pol Hammon,” Gerber said. Sno turned to him. “The GS M’illi’ped was outfitted with his tech fully operational when it arrived. That is how it traveled from the Mlo System to GF headquarters. The tech is still being studied, but from all reports, we’ll be able to duplicate it without much difficulty. So, as Commander Crush said, despite the galactic mess that has been dropped in our laps, your mission was completed. Congratulations, Agent Prime.”
Sno sat there and let that sink in. His superiors were referring to all the death and misery that beings endured on the Mip as a “galactic mess.” There was no way Sno could fit his experience on that ship into such a handy label.
“Agent Prime? Are you not happy about this?” Crush asked.
“No, I am happy, Commander,” Sno replied. “But I am left with a question.”
“Only one?” Crush said and nodded his body. “What’s the question, Sno?”
“Veben Doab,” Sno said.
“That’s a name, not a question,” Gerber said.
“What is her fate?” Sno asked.
“Her fate?” Crush responded. “How should we know? That’s her responsibility.”
“Veben Doab has been released,” Gerber said. “She cooperated fully, which we verified by some rather invasive scans of her mind, so she has been released to live out her life any way she feels fit.”
“As long as she doesn’t pull any of this crap again,” Crush said. “She is to stay off the GF’s radar for the remainder of her days.”
“She’s free?” Sno asked, stunned. “She was complicit in a lot of what Pol Hammon accomplished.”
“The reality is a little more muddled than that, Sno,” Gerber said. “Technically, she was complicit in a plan to auction off Pol Hammon’s tech to the highest bidder. There is nothing illegal about that. The GF had a deal with Pol Hammon, not Veben Doab. Legally, she was helping an acquaintance sell private property.”
“She was complicit in more than that,” Sno said.
“A case could be made to support that, yes,” Gerber said. “But it was decided that she be set free due to her complete and unwavering honesty with us. Sometimes the GF knows when to back off, Sno.”
Sno started to speak, but Gerber held up a hand.
“A lesson you need to take from all of this,” Gerber continued. “Sometimes know when to back off, Agent Prime.”
“If you come across Ms. Doab again, then what you two discuss is up to you,” Crush said. “She is not allowed to tell her story to anyone without proper security clearance. You have such clearance, so I am sure if you two do converse, it will be more than open and honest.”
“That’s an understatement,” Sno said. He waited, but neither Crush nor Gerber said more. “So, is that it?”
“That is it,” Crush said. “I will most certainly have follow-up questions once I have a chance to go over your report, but for now, you are on indefinite leave.”
“I’m sorry?” Sno said. “Indefinite?”
> “Go home and rest, Sno,” Gerber said. “Not just physically, but psychologically and emotionally. You are no good to the SSD while these past events are still fresh in your mind.”
“I’ve been inactive for over eighty days, Commander,” Sno said, addressing Crush. “I think that’s enough leave.”
“I don’t,” Crush replied. “So go home. And this time, there won’t be a secret mission waiting for you.” Crush gave Gerber a look then returned his eyes to Sno. “Go. Home.”
“End of discussion,” Gerber said. “You are dismissed, Agent Prime.”
Sno didn’t argue. He bit back the words he wanted to say, stood up, saluted his superiors then left the office.
“Hey,” Sno said into his comm as he walked to the lift. “I’m going to have to skip lunch. Sorry.”
“Skip lunch? You off on a mission already?” Tana asked over the comm. “I didn’t expect Crush to put you right back in the field.”
“No, I’ve been sent home. Again,” Sno said. “This time for real. I’m on indefinite leave until Crush feels I’m fit to return to duty.”
“Oh,” Tana said. “So, you’re going back to Nab then.”
“Back to Nab,” Sno said. “Where I will probably sit by the lake in a perpetual drunken stupor. It should be nice.”
Sno paused.
“Care to join me?”
There was a sound of Tana taking in a sharp breath then she responded with, “Yes. But I have to handle some work first. It’s a short mission and even more boring than B’urn’s. Shouldn’t take me more than a week at the most. Can I come to Nab then? I actually have a good amount of leave banked and I’m sure I can cash it in. Crush won’t argue. Hells, I might tell him it is for Agent Prime’s speedy recovery. Then it’ll be work and I won’t have to spend my leave time.”
“Yes, I am sure Crush will go for that,” Sno said dryly. “However it works out, arrive when you can. I’ll be waiting.”
“By the lake in a drunken stupor,” Tana said.
“More than likely,” Sno said.
“Hey, Denman?”
Sno stopped before he got to the lift. “Yes?”
