Amantus
Copyright© 2026 by QM
Chapter 23
“That’s minuscule,” the Lieutenant commented.
“Yet clearly moved,” Amantus countered.
“It could just be the ventilation.”
“Moving hardcopy in a stack and perfectly aligning them?”
“Bring up the security feed,” The Lieutenant requested. “Scan it for intrusions.”
“The feed is consistent throughout its length,” The perscomp announced.
“Check the timestamp, please,” Amantus requested.
There was a pause before the perscomp reported evidence of tampering: part of the visual feed had been looped back on itself.
“We’ll begin an investigation,” the Lieutenant promised.
“Good, I’ll be reporting this to my commanding officer,” Amantus replied before returning the Lieutenant’s salute.
“So, you suspect someone broke into your office and looked through the hard copies of the data files?” Trin asked after Amantus explained what he’d found.
“Yes, not sure why, though,” Amantus said, shrugging. “Even if it were just security checking on me due to my status, it would hardly be worth the effort to find out I was doing the job I was asked to.”
“I suspect it’s your proximity to the admin section and the higher-tier access to Fleet communications they have,” Trin mused. “I suspect your paranoia has them stumped ... for now.”
“It’s why I have a tendency to record any work I do,” Amantus admitted. “I’m automatically the one who won’t be believed.”
“True, your personnel file, although exemplary apart from one incident that, when read, was clearly not your fault, does have various annotations on recording your activities and is accessed regularly by Fleet security,” Trin informed Amantus.
“I suspected as much,” Amantus chuckled. “It must be riveting reading for some poor soul.”
“Probably just scan the last entry to see if there’s anything new,” Trin replied. “Though why you get this, and other involuntaries don’t, is odd.”
“I offended a Lendmenos,” Amantus explained. “The scrutiny likely comes from him via a member of his clan putting a monitor on me at all times when I was enlisted.”
“Ah, you must have really irritated the guy.”
“He thinks I deflowered his daughter,” Amantus replied.
“Did you?”
“No, I don’t think we’ve met,” Amantus said, shrugging.
“Bit petty, but no doubt it matters to him.”
“It is, and I doubt he’ll ever forgive me, even though I did not touch his daughter.
“Well, carry on and report any more anomalies,” Trin said, smiling.
“Yes, ma’am,” Amantus saluted.
Amantus was finally on a day off and, dressed in his more formal jumpsuit, had made his way to the civilian docks of the station to greet Trisa, who had sent him details of her arrival time. He had received no word from security on the break-in to his office, nor did he expect to hear from them, as he suspected the file on the matter to have been filed under ‘do not investigate’ and quietly dropped.
Trisa looked as lovely as ever, if dressed in the high fashion of Vreekoos, which made her look unusual to Amantus’s eyes, as all his memories of her on Vreekoos had her dressed to blend in, not show off.
“Be welcome, Hertrucha Trisa,” Amantus greeted her with a courtly kiss to her offered hand. “You look lovely.”
“Why, thank you, young Mant,” Trisa replied with a dazzling smile. “Please take me somewhere where we can enjoy some refreshments and enjoy each other’s company.”
“I take it that everything is well with you?”
“It is now,” Trisa replied. “I do hope you continued with your exercise regimen and that your stamina is at its peak.”
“Only time will tell,” Amantus chuckled, now aware that Trisa was warning him that they were being monitored.
“Indeed so, my young paramour.”
Fleet security had naturally flagged Amantus’s meeting with Trisa. They were concerned that they could uncover nothing of her identity other than a name and the noble rank of Hertrucha. Their database refused to provide any information, other than informing security that any personal information on nobility amongst the civilian population was classified and that a rank of High Admiral was required to request such information. As all the High Admirals were based on Vreekoos, this was a non-starter. However, it did not stop the monitoring of Trisa and Amantus, despite a notation in the database that monitoring of nobility not serving in Fleet was illegal and liable to get them court-martialled.
“Is she some sort of spy?” the head of the section asked after he’d been summoned.
“She’s met him before, once,” Commander Duqq replied. “A sexual tryst of some kind.”
“A long way to travel just to get an itch scratched,” the section head snorted.
“He does contact her occasionally when he’s on base,” Duqq replied. “Mostly generalities and suggestive flirting.”
“Nothing on his activities?”
“He mentions what he’s been doing, but nothing classified.”
“Damned if I know what’s so interesting about him or why we have orders to monitor him constantly when he’s on base,” the section head muttered, looking at Amantus’s security file, which was far more detailed than his Fleet personnel file, if listing nothing to cause concern.
“He is aware, we believe, that he knows he’s being monitored.”
“Yes, I saw the report on his office break-in,” the senior nodded. “He’s very observant and seems to forget nothing.
“They’ve reached a restaurant,” one of the monitors informed the senior officers. “We won’t be able to listen in there.”
“Why not?”
“She’s a noble; if we do so, she’ll likely be carrying a ... device that will alert her,” the monitor replied. “It will also identify the source of the intrusion into her privacy.”
“Very likely,” Huqq confirmed. “That’s not a path we want to go down.”
“Can we not get assets there to listen in?” the senior asked.
“They’d stand out like sore thumbs,” Huqq replied.
“They are no longer monitoring us,” Trisa said when the two were shown to a private booth in an exclusive restaurant.
Good,” Amantus nodded. “How do you know?”
“This,” Trisa indicated a jewelled bracelet. “It’s far more than it appears. If I’m being monitored, the jewels change colour, and it also tracks who is doing it.”
“Clever.”
“A standard device carried by nobles when travelling away from Vreekoos, and not something that just anyone can surmount,” Trisa said, smiling. “According to Hisuat Helia.”
“I’ll take mother’s word for it,” Amantus nodded. “Is she well?”
“She is,” Trisa said, smiling. “Her and the Patriarch’s investigations into Fleet corruption are going slowly and meticulously, and any number of interesting names and links have come to light.”
“So I was right to be worried?”
“You were.”
“Mother said you had some information for me?”
“I do; your perscomp is downloading it as we speak.”
“What is it?”
“A list of compromised parts supplied by companies working at odds with those fleets protecting our outer borders,” Trisa explained. “It’s the company names that are important.”
“I won’t ask how she came by them,” Amantus said, nodding. “I take it you wish me to get them to some of the people I know and allow them to deal with it?”
“Or simply be aware of it.”
“Yes, plus if it comes from me, it may well be believed,” Amantus replied as they were served a delicious meal.
“That’s what the Patriarch and Hisuat Helia hope.”
“Anything else?”
“Just keep in touch; your mother enjoys your calls,” Trisa said, smiling. “She worries about you.”
“It can be dangerous,” Amantus admitted.
“And you are being constantly monitored for what are essentially frivolous reasons,” Trisa replied. “Not something your mother can do anything about either.”
“It’s only intrusive when I’m on a base,” Amantus explained. “Mostly it’s annoying as I find things out of place from where I placed them.”
“I see,” Trisa nodded. “Please be careful and do not get involved in anything controversial.”
“Other than reporting what’s really happening out here?” Amantus chuckled.
“Insofar as you know.”
“True.”
“Still, that’s my mission complete,” Trisa added with a sultry smile. “Now, let us complete the cover story by entertaining me ... vigorously.”
“Yes, Trisa,” Amantus chuckled.
“She’s left the station,” the monitor informed the security station.
“Did we find out anything about her?” the supervisor asked.
“Only what’s publicly available,” the monitor replied. “Hertrucha Trisa, married, attendant to Hisuat Helia, the mother of Amantus.”
“His mother is checking up on him?”
“Seems likely, sir,” the monitor replied. “Probably after he contacted her after the incident on Gevase.”
“Oh,” the supervisor nodded. “Still a long way to come for a tryst.”
“If clan Aman is paying for it, I suspect Hertrucha Trisa is taking advantage of it, sir.”
“True, plus it’s not like her husband would ever learn about it out here.”
“Yes, sir.”
An exhausted Amantus finally made it back to his assigned quarters, feeling utterly satisfied yet drained. Before sleep overcame him, he downloaded the information from his mother onto a datatab. He then added it to the rest of his study materials, where it looked like one ordinary tab amongst many.
The following shift, Amantus reported to Trin, finding her occupied with a yard commander dealing with the prioritisation of the Sabre’s repair schedule, which was now behind schedule due to a lack of replacement parts. Also in the room was Commander Tukle, though he was dressed in civvies and not back to duty yet.
“Good to see you, Amantus,” Tukle said as the pair left the office temporarily. “You did well.”
“Thank you, sir,” Amantus said, smiling. “How long till you’re back on duty?”
“A day, though I’m actually here to have my captaincy confirmed.”
“The Sabre’s yours?”
“It is,” Tukle smiled proudly.
“Congratulations, sir.”
“Thank you. A shame about Dorce, though.”
“I was just starting to like him,” Amantus chuckled. “He was a good man and not nearly as inflexible as he was rumoured to be.”
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