Improvisational Theater.....

B'elanna

And so we silently left the TARDIS and took up positions out of sight from any security guards down below at what looked like, and was according to the sign nearby, Playtronics.

With a few suggestions from the Doctor, I am able to get my modified tricorder to eavesdrop on what passes for a communications network within that building below.

.....

Er....sorry, a bit of futuristic snobbery on my part. I sometimes could kick myself for looking down on 20th century technology. The principles I take for granted....the sciences and technology I was gifted with upon my creation when I was originally made to mimic on Star Trek engineer, B'elanna Torres, sometimes make me make stupid mistakes like that. The things I think that are obvious and...."no brainers" as Ragan once called it.....those facts and techniques haven't been freaking discovered yet, of course!

At least I've been able to control my tongue and stop myself from saying something inflamitory like that. The memories I have of things said of a non-existant youth...... Well, the journey continues. I still continue to grow and change...hopefully for the better.

Another facet to this snobbery problem is the fact that I have much to learn about things myself from those who are of lower technology. Heck, Sigin himself knows MORE about subspace than I ever learned (subspace being one of the realms mages from his world have seen and studied in great detail through scrying pools and such). And then there is the fact that until recently we high and mighty high tech folk of the Federation thought magic was just stuff of fantasy.....

And the mind techniques of being able to do higher mathematics without computers (which all mages need to be able to do to do REALLY advanced spells....which we got force fed from Sigin via Iquirer back when we had to save the Five Doctors)......

Now, having been reincarnated as an elf amongst other things has made me rethink many things...and re-evaluate much.....

So anyway, with that in mind, of course they (the people of the 20th century) haven't discovered the means to better secure their communication from idle eavesdroppers!

So it's easy enough to find the one telephone line that is highly scrambled. I'm sure that it's perfectly secure against 20th century!

But, still, when put to the test against later day technology of hundreds (or more in some cases in the case of examples of the Time Lords technology).....Cosmo would have been better off NOT having given himself away with the scrambled circuit. It stands out amongst the more mundane phone lines and clued us in almost immediately.

That alone was suspicious, but not conclusive.....

The FBI stakeout nearby (must be something about this hill being perfect for spying) that we ALMOST ran into was the clincher, however.

After a quick and silent mental conversation, B'elanna and the others were delighted to be able to sneak in near the FBI agents and see just why they were here.

So, without using magic, just skill, stealth, and elfin agility.....I and the other elves snuck up and listened in from the shadows. Having the uncanny knack of being able to hide quickly and effectively (all elves had the knack), we learned from stray comments that the FBI was monitoring for incriminating evidence against their target: one Carl Cosmo.

Long suspected at being a member of the Mob, Cosmo had never been able to be caught in a compromising situation.

"....and what really kills me is that the newer bugs we had planted in that SOBs office were caught in a sweep," one agent complained. "I'm sure something had happened last night that would have nailed him, but......"

"Yeah, yeah," said a tired senior lady agent, "But we stay and try with the parabolic until our superiors finally read about the white noise generators and get another....better idea on how to catch this creep!"

Very interesting....... Gilmuriel said to the other elves, mentally, Yet another deviation from the script.

A more realistic deviation, really, Elrondir said from the bushes, eyes shining.

He flicked a stray lock of coppery hair from his eyes in annoyance (unseen by the agents in front of him but obvious enough to elfin eyes) and continues.

I never could swallow the fact that somebody supposedly so high up in the Mob couldn't be suspected.....that the government agencies wouldn't have at least somebody keeping tabs on him! he finished. After all, the Mob arranged his early release. That should have aroused suspicion at the start with these "Feds" years ago!

Well, maybe or maybe not, I put in, But now that these agents confirmed what we had hoped for.....let's get back to the others and tell them about it!

Back inside the TARDIS....

Nyssa

"But what are we going to do now, with these....Feds.....watching?" I say in exasperation. "After all, this facility is being monitored. What do you plan on doing, now?"

The Doctor looks at Nyssa, then over at Inquirer, then back to the young stowaway who had wished to share in this little adventure.

1. "Well, how are you at improvisational acting?" the Time Lord asks, a twinkle in his eye that wouldn't be out of place in his Fourth incarnation (if he hadn't become immortal after a fashion).

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