Chapter 23: Meeze disappears

Meeze used his new suit integrated monofilament Vibro blade to cut through the air duct cover he had been hiding behind. “Notz zo baz, cutz be uzed whenz eazing stuffz.”

That he didn’t have any actual training using the suit became apparent, as he fell almost four meters from the created hole to the ground. His micro bristles that allowed him to slide over smooth surfaces up and down were, of course on the inside of his suit.

Luckily the suits system reacted automatically to dampen the fall. Still, the alien worm-like creature cursed quite angry and in an old language.

“This is your MAMA, you have not connected to the system correctly.”

“Whaaz? Whoze talkiz?”

“This is MAMA your suit AI.”

“Pffz, Meeze Mamaz laiz ze eggsz, manzy eggz.Nowz youze muz be quiez.”

He scurried across the floor and examined the wall closely. He found the hair-fine gap that revealed the secret door.

He extended the blade again and to his delight, the vibrating mono blade cut effortlessly into the metal of the wall. He soon had cut a hole big enough for him to pass through. The corridor behind was only about 20 meters deep and had no other door or exit. Yet the two men disappeared, Perhaps a holographic wall or a similar illusion.

Meeze knew about the Nexus points alright, but he did not know about the importance of that bare metal strip he just scurried over.

--””--

The old Saresii had left the Thauran worlds behind and returned to Pluribus. Officially he was a member of the somewhat obscure Workgroup Olympus, a small department of the Science Council. That he was also answering to the Tribunal was his deepest secret.

He had arrived just moments ago via Space Train and had taken the Transmatter Tunnel from Pluribus Station to Government Island on Pluribus.

He had chosen the TMT access point Pleiades Plaza and after leaving the black hexagon field he stepped on the marble-white surface of Pleiades Plaza.

Well-groomed trees, outdoor art sculptures, and grass-covered spots blended with water fountains, and meandering walkways. Sky tumblers and Scurry-furs delighted pedestrians of many different species. A hulky Botnaar fed a flock of Sky Tumblers with dry bread crumbs.

A Klack Sugar Water vendor served a gaggle of human and Klack kids.

He did not pay any attention to the group of Pluri-Teens racing each other wearing flight belts and performing impressive aerial stunts, more aimed at impressing the scantily clad females who tried their best of being unimpressed.

He did notice that an ancient Terran human fashion style had made a huge comeback. Humanoid females of many species displayed Terran summer dresses in virtually every shade, with fluttery short skirts.

While he was Saresii and appeared female at first glance, he did not share the necessary passion or emotions to participate in such fashion expressions.

He wore a traditional Saresii Catsuit, he was not the skintight version and over it, he wore a science corps coat.

He activated his name tag and sci corps logo, by brushing over the coats controls. The logo identified him as Faculty Deputy which was Academic Professor Level 1. His name tags now visible read: Lurega Donomensi.

Lurega left Shallow Blue 48 hours ago, the genetic lab hidden in the swamps of that Thauran fringe world had been destroyed by a matter eating bomb. He felt it was a terrible loss of assets and an entire batch of perfect project clones.

He also resented the ill adviced actions of the Necro King, that crazy skeleton jeopardized centuries of carefully concealed plans. He did not know what the deal was with that Olafson, but the Tribunal was very interested.

As he walked towards the Ivory Tower building at the other end of the plaza, he glanced momentarily towards the huge assembly sphere. While only the upper half of the sphere was above ground and over three kilometers from his point of view, it was an impressive sight.

It was also a physical statement of Union might.

Lurega stepped on a simple mono-directional slide belt to carry him towards his goal, the Ivory Tower. The headquarters of the Science Corps.

Every science known had a department there, and at its top was the hall of the Hive of Minds.

One of the many departments was the one he was part of. It was one of the smallest departments, not even really taken all serious by other departments. Virtually unknown to most Union Citizens.

While it was not kept a secret, it was not advertised.

The old Saresii was with the relative new department since its beginning and was its assistant director.

During the Transbiologica-5001 Conference on Phantas; Biologists, Bio Chemists, and Sociologists of the United Stars Science Council concluded, that there are beings or life forms that could not be classified in the classical sense of science at least as far as it was understood.

During that conference, it was also declared that such Entities and life forms existed in the fabric and physical makeup of the Mega-verse.

It was furthermore concluded that the scientific terms and its level of current understanding them were not discovered or understood and therefore insufficient science base exists to explain or define their existence in a satisfactory sense.

Furthermore the same conference also firmly rejected to accept such terms as Magic, Ghosts, Spirits, Gods or Demons but found a consensus that these terms could stand as synonyms and place holder concepts until factual science can explain, define and confirm it. In conclusion, the Science Council decided to create a Meta-Physics Work Group codenamed OLYMPUS to catalog and research Entities and their role, impact, and influence.

The Saresii had almost reached the Hardlight doors.

After entering an enormous building complex, he would take an Inter Building Transport. to the 45th floor.

The Work Group had a staff of only two-hundred permanent employees and four Administrators.

The official and public-facing part of his department, the workgroup organized annual conferences and issued a quarterly magazine.

Most of the staff were scholars and data miners cataloging myths, legends, science reports, and log nook entries concerning unexplainable encounters.

He noticed Kees Post, a Terran Human hurrying into the building. Kees was the host of Transgalactic Voices, an Upper 9000 GalNet Radio Program, the Workgroup maintained.

Mr.Post and the truly mysterious Mitchell R Doss were also members of the metaphysical field research team.

Both men disappeared in an IST capsule.

Lurega crossed the impressive lobby of the Ivory Tower. Gigantic field screens displayed live feeds from dozens of remote science corps outposts. Deep jungles, deserts, bizarre alien landscapes, fiery streams of lava, suns and deep space were just a selection.

A holographic list scrolled in mid-air spelling out the latest projects and achievements.

The lobby was busy like a Klack’s nest chamber after the hatching of new larvae. Union society put a great emphasis on science and here is where this collective effort culminated.

Before he reached the IST access, he was intercepted by a Blue. The blue-skinned, hairless dwarfen humanoid and member of a species that called the Andromeda galaxy home, identified him by name. “Director Donomensi, I am glad running into you right here.”

“You know me?”

“Not personally, but I would like to have a word with you and perhaps before you go up to your offices.”

At first, he wanted to object and know more, but then his eye fell on the little red thee pronged symbol the Blue wore as a pendant, the symbol of the Tribunal.

Without objection, he agreed and followed the man into one of the many meeting rooms available on this floor and had the system make it secure.

The Blue went straight to the subject.”It might not be a good idea to go to your office today, Mr.Donomensi. A Federal Police detective by the name of Phil Decker just went up there a few moments ago.”

“So?”

“He is an immortal, Mr. Donomensi. Not as famous as Admiral Stahl or the Old Highlander mind you, but his reputation as a detective and investigator is equal to that of the Eternal Warrior.”

“The ill-executed matter on Deep Blue?”

“I do not know what happened on Deep Blue. It concerns a document that you requested from the Coven.”

Donomensi started to feel uncomfortable.”I have simply suggested having my department examine that parchment. It appears it might be at the core of many very old legends and myths.”

“I know, but we don’t know how well you will be able to conceal the source of your interest. We are concerned that you may not be able to explain how you knew of its existence.”

The Old Saresii understood. “The Tribunal can not be exposed, how will it be done?”

“I am not here to terminate you, Mr.Donomensi. I am here to ask you to proceed to the Astrographic institute, obtain information about a place called Avondur and report all you find.

Send a message to your office that you are taking a few days vacation.”

“I will do that.”

--””--

The NAVINT officer was everything but friendly. Tyron had little exposure to the actual Union Navy. He did participate in a special crash course at the academy and was allowed to return to the Tigershark, by special orders and recommendation of the Admiral of the Navy.

Technically, the USS Tigershark and its crew were detached to NAVINT and thus under its jurisdiction. The NAVINT Officer was humanoid in shape and size. His skin color was a bright purple and there was no visible hair growth on any portion of its exposed skin, including his scalp. Thanks to the comprehensive database on Union member species he had incorporated into the memory storage of his ego center, Tyron was sure this was a Bloke. Blokes were a former Geneslave species just like the Homo Stellaris and the Saturnians. According to his memory data, Blokes were on the verge of extinction with less than 3000 individuals still identifying as Blokes.

This particular officer was a Lt.Commander and from what Tyron gathered he had been sent from the Union Naval Base Bleu planet and headquarters of the 118th fleet.

Tyron had only rudimentary info on the 118th. It was not your typical numbers fleet with full strength battle group clusters. It had more Corvettes and frigates than battleships and was primarily engaged in trade lane protection inside Union Thauran space.

Every Fleet base also had a NAVINT representation, depending on the fleets location and mission envelope ranging from large fully staffed departments to small offices with very few individuals. Tyron was convinced, Lt.Commander Nathan Smythers was the extent of the NAVINT personnel at Bleu Base.

After he had identified itself for the fifth time, the last by evoking a MATA HARI connection and verification. Still, the Lt.Commander with the bright purple skin seemed less than satisfied.”It is amazing, what constitutes a NAVINT officer in recent times.” The naval intelligence officer glanced at his PDD.”According to this, you are classified as Sentmac of Seenian origin. The rest of your personnel file is classified. Care to explain why?”

“With all due respect, Sir. What kind of illogical question is this? You claim to be an intelligence officer. If you have the necessary clearance, the answer is within my file. If you are not cleared, I am not able to answer. Why am I the subject of an interrogation? Should you not investigate the Swybar compound and the Kermac connection? There is no time to lose, Captain Olafson has been abducted.”

“Never mind that. I am here to investigate how you and that still incapacitated Ult managed to traverse the significant distance from Deep Blue to here?”

“The same way they abducted the Captain, Sir. Using technology that appears beyond even Seenian capabilities. Some sort of portable Trans-spatial threshold bars.”

“A wild story indeed, and this super alien tech in the hands of a little fringe sect? Where is that Kermac you mentioned?”

“I killed him after he used lethal force on me and threatened the chief. I acted impulsively, I should have kept him alive to be interrogated.”

“Impulsive behavior claimed by a ... thing?”

“I am restraining myself, Sir. I am at the verge of another impulsive action. The Captain!”

An older looking woman with snow-white hair entered the sparsely furnished office in the local federal police station, the Bloke NAVINT officer had chosen to question the strange Sentmac.

“Lt.Suit, I have great news. Your captain is safe and on her way back.”

Lt.Commander Smythers blustered in an angry tone. “I requested to be undisturbed while I interrogate this suspect. This is NAVINT business, not a Federal Police affair.”

“I am Admiral Lydaa, Commandant of NAVINT.”

The Bloke did change colors and the bright purple turned into a pale pink and said.”This is highly irregular, why would the Commandant herself participate? May I ask for credentials?”

“The abduction of a Union captain within Union space and while on a Union planet kicked lose a storm of unprecedented proportions. Your office received, like every single NAVINT asset an Alpha level alert. This alone should explain my involvement. I was already on my way when MATA HARI informed me that a NAVINT officer requested the repeated identification of Lt.Suit.”

She activated her MITI and the GalCom connection in the room linked to the computronic verified her identity and position.

She said to the visibly shrinking Bloke.”It seems NAVINT has similar problems as the regular Navy, career officers too comfortable and too long at the same posting. You, Mr. Smythers, will not have to return to Bleu base, an immediate transfer to Mosspit station will give you plenty of time to retake all the necessary classes to eventually become a Lt.Commander again.”

“Admiral, I protest.”

“You may do so and file a complaint. You volunteered to NAVINT and declared to understand all the consequences, you do know what will happen if an investigation determines that you collaborated with local noble houses to help with this affair.”

He nodded with a defeated expression.” I accept the posting at Mosspit station.”

The Admiral pointed to the door.”Now leave.”

The suit had tried to be patient, but he was at the edge.”Admiral, the Captain!”

She smiled at him.”The Eternal Warrior found her and she is on her way back. Her sudden disappearance did cause a lot of concern. Admiral McElligott himself alerted virtually every law enforcement agency. Abducting a commanding officer within Union space has never been attempted in all our history. As I said to that former Lt.Commander, this alone would be enough reason for my involvement, but like you, I care for this particular officer as much as you do.”

“Admiral Stahl found her?”

“Yes, Mr. Suit. I am not sure how he managed to find her, but he did. Now please tell me how did they manage to separate you from her and how did you end up here?”

Tyron told her in great detail and was able to supply the Admiral with visual and audio recordings, as well as with scanner data.