“We do, we do.”
And Adolph dropped out of the simulation.
King James thought for a moment, scowled, then dropped the channel.
The Autarch, seated on his throne, thought about the meeting he had just had for a long time. Finally he called his intelligence minister, Wilhelm Barron.
“Yes, Your Highness?”
“What do we know about the new-build warships Sintar has?”
“Nothing, sire. No one seems to know.”
“What about the Democracy of Planets? Do they know anything?”
“You know how they are, sire. If they do know, they’re not saying. That said, from the reactions we’ve gotten to inquiries, I seriously doubt they know, either.”
“Well, we are going to find out. Contact your people on Carolina and see what they can dig up.”
“In the embassy, sire?”
“Of course in the embassy, Barron! Don’t be an imbecile! Are they not the point of contact for our Sintaran network?”
“Yes, sire, but not everyone is in the embassy…”
“Very well, then. Choose whoever you prefer, but I want to get the network started on the problem of these Sintaran new-build picket ships. Use the DP to assist, if you like, but I want the plans as soon as we can get our hands on them.”
“Yes, sire.”
Ashton was busy with the morning paperwork – principally shift reports from the previous evening – and preparing to see if there was anything in the case list to pique his interest when Director Carter pinged him.
“Nick, you busy?”
“Just winding up the shift reports, Lee.”
“Could you look in on Channel 28 for me, please?”
“Sure thing.”
Ashton dropped into VR channel 28 and found several people already there and waiting. This included Carter, ICPD Colonel Maia Peterson, ICPD Inspector Stefan Gorski, and Imperial Guard General Brian Daggert, with Imperial Guard Captain David Mercer.
“Well, at least I recognize all the faces,” Ashton murmured, wry. Everyone laughed except for General Daggert, who thought for a moment, then suddenly brightened.
“Aha! The Medved case,” he said.
“Yes, sir,” Ashton said with a smile. “So, Lee, I’d ask what’s up, but with Mercer back here, it’s bound to be another espionage case. Right?”
“Right,” Carter confirmed, “and it looks like this one is a little more organized than the previous ones have been.”
“And more far-reaching,” Daggert agreed. “Which is why we have the people here that we do. It’s going to take some effort to keep things out of the hands of the people who want them but shouldn’t have them, and we’ll have to coordinate amongst ourselves.”
“I see,” Ashton said. “Am I late into the ball game, or have the rest of you already been briefed?”
“No,” Daggert said. “We were just waiting for everyone to gather. Captain Mercer, would you begin the presentation, please…?”
And So It Begins
Nikolai Ariti sighed as the clock on the wall neared quitting time. He began to put away his work, placing the virtual files in a special saferoom within the confines of the Department of Defense Designs building in Imperial Park; the physical files went into a safe-style filing cabinet in his office.
Except for the virtual files that he copied into a special, hidden room he’d set up in VR.
Then he gathered his jacket and headed for the front door.
After he’d gotten well out of sight of the Defense complex, Ariti loosened up a little. It was the exit from the building, after all, that was most dangerous.
Subtly double-checking to ensure he wasn’t followed – at least by anybody he didn’t want following – Ariti headed for the Laughing Cat Pub.
The pub was exceptionally busy that night, but that was what Ariti wanted. The black-haired man with the olive complexion, striking golden-brown eyes, and neatly-trimmed beard eased his way through the crowd to the bar; finding a seat empty, he took it and ordered a glass of whiskey, chilled, neat.
Then he sat and waited, sipping the whiskey as he casually and somewhat absently people-watched.
After about ten minutes, a shapely blonde woman sat down beside him. She nodded briefly, courteously, as she did so, but then ordered a margarita from the bartender and said nothing to Ariti.
Except in VR.
“Do you have it, Nik?” she asked, as she appeared in the private channel reserved for their communications.
“When have I not?” Ariti replied. “It’s in the usual place.”
“The saferoom?”
“Yes.”
“Push it to me.”
The VR depicted Ariti moving to a wall in the nondescript room, turning the dial on a combination lock that suddenly appeared, and opening a human-sized safe door. He stepped inside, picked up a thick file folder on a plain table – the only piece of furniture in the room – then returning, where he handed it to the woman.
“There,” he said. “I assume I get the usual fee?”
“I’ve just deposited it in the special account.”
“Good. Are we finally done with this nonsense? I’ve been doing this shit for you for a good two years, now.”
“Yes. That’s all we want...for now. Next time, we’ll look at how to make it easier for you.”
“As big a pain in the ass as it’s been, I’m not sure there’s going to be a next time.”
“We’ll see. Meanwhile, I’ll ask one more time – won’t you come home with me, Nik?” Her avatar grew seductive, moving close and sliding hands over his shoulders. “You’re a very handsome man, and amazingly well built… so sexy…”
Ariti’s avatar didn’t even react.
“Nah, Betty, sorry.” He shrugged. “I’ll just sit here and wait for my husband, like usual. He should get off shift in about an hour.”
Betty grew annoyed, flushing in anger.
“Your loss.”
“Yeah, yeah. You say that every time. You haven’t seen Charlie’s muscles.”
And with that, she dropped out of the VR channel.
When Betty Conrad had finished
