The short and stocky gray haired Space Naval Officer pauses at the
door to the room inside the Command Headquarter's Spacestation. Wrinkles
around the eyes, along with weathered features more befitting of a sea
sailor of olde, tell a viewer that this is no paper-pusher. This is a man
who has seen combat, and looks ready to give any who rise up against him
yet another licking....or die trying!
Captain Justin Augustin squared his shoulders just before he passed
through the door. Thankfully, he had been able to avoid the charges of
falsifying his log reports. Allies and friends down in the Tech department
were more than willing to go up to bat for him.....even though the subject
matter of the logs looked like something from an acid trip.....a bad one!
Still, he smelled something in the air. The bootlickers were still out
to score brownie points with the suites back at the main office. The military
and the Company, Earth Mercantile, needed each other to survive.....but
neither liked the other very much. The Captain knew very well that there
was much more going on at this base when it came to his return from his
latest mission than business as usual. Hopefully, the Captain can get to
the other side of the chessboard.....and no longer be a pawn!
That aside, he needed to go to yet ANOTHER oversight meeting!
"Ah," smiles the grey suited man as Augustin enters. "On time, as usual."
The suite is a head taller than the Captain, but is suprisingly athletic
looking. Most Company employees seemed either overweight or rail thin!
This brown haired man took care of himself and seemed to have an air of
pride about that.
The captain frowns at seeing that he and this man are the only people
in this room. Seeing the frown, the suite smiles and explains.
"No captain," he smiles. "No more comities. That foolishness is at an
end. But you must admit.....your reports about a Mirror that apparently
has magic on it was a tad unusual. But where are my manners, the name's
John Smith." He holds out his hand. The Captain just looks at it, then
at at "Mr. Smith" skeptically.
"Really, that is my name." Smith says after a few seconds, reading the
Captain. "It's not an alias. Besides, this is hardly a Black Operation
set up by some low life punk trying to climb the Company ladder! My credentials,
if you need them."
The captain takes the card, runs it through his wristcomp, and whistles
at the results. Not only is this guy for real, he's VERY high up in the
Company: a Vice-President!
Handing back the card, the Captain shakes the man's hand respectfully.
Though he hates kiss-ups to the Company, it hardly pays to get a Vice mad
at you!
"I take it that you are the one who finally made the base officials
....see reason?" the Captain ventured as they sat.
"You mean make them stop that bullshit?" laughs John. "Frankly, I plead
guilty. I was getting tired of the usual politics to play out before I
approached you about going back to Mirror 1723."
"My ship go back just after engaging and defeating the damn Enemy ship,"
protests Augustin. "After weeks of stressful battles on the surface of
1723, raiding and scuttling the Enemy ship after they bugged out when THEY
started to drop dead from the bio-weapon that lizard cooked up....something
we only found out from salvaged computer records.....and FINALLY being
able to re-establish contact with Base..... My men need some R&R! They've
been out for a total of five years, and they need to unwind or they'll
go Space Happy, sir!"
Smith raises his eyebrows, and then nods in approval.
"I see that your reputation is well earned," Smith says finally. "You
do put your ship ahead of any personal gain......I like that.
"Since you say you can't go then who would you suggest?" Smith ventures.
"I know of several who I'd trust," the Captain says after a moments
thought. "And I think that somebody needs to go back soon. The AI's been
sending back some weird messages, even for it....even for the place it's
at."
****************************************************************
Let's see, Probe thinks as he looks down at the world below.
Several
Avatar are still functional......perhaps a closer looksee is in order.
Warning off wayward spacecraft and such, and taking potshots at any Enemy
'bot probes is fun, but......
-
 As previously lifeless
Golems jerk back to life and as Officer and Corporate Official discuss
plans.....Let's get back to the adventurers.
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