22. Getting ready

22. Getting ready


It didn't take long for the Itani intelligence service known as State Secret Intelligence, aka STASI to find the connection between the MRD and the UIT intelligence branch. How UIT had discovered the Omega project was anybody's guess but the secret was bound to be out sooner or later. Why they would choose to sabotage it was however anybody's guess. Torstein Slainthel, the case officer for UIT, had investigated the case and come up with nothing. The only ones that would gain from this was the Serco and so it was assumed that they were behind this in reality, making UIT take the blame for the attack. That did not mean that the Itani would just let this slide and a plan was slowly formulated that would get back at the UIT. And while they were at it, they would get back at the Serco as well.


###


Beating Beria's record had been easy even if Lebermac was slightly intoxicated while doing it. It was Roid Bumpers, not Roid Avoiders after all, just the kind of action that he excelled in naturally. Riddik had placed himself on the table and were following the action, a beer in hand while Lebermac set yet another new record.


"Pah, this gets boring."


Lebermac finished bumping the last roid into place and scored yet another unbelievable new high score while reaching for his bottle again. He half turned to Riddik.


"It really painsh you that she'sh gone doesn't it?"


Riddik tossed his can at the wall and buried the aluminium container three inches deep in the wall plastic.


"What the fuck do you care?"


Lebermac looked at his buddy and tried desperately to make the few remaining sober brain cells function long enough to deliver a coherent answer. He hiccupped and swallowed the tiny amount of Teh Killah that tried to make an attempt at freedom. He grimaced at the foul taste and lifted his bottle to wash it down before discovering that it was miserably empty.


"Rats. We arshe out offff drinksies."


Riddik shot him a glare that could tear paint off a ship fifteen metres distant before shaking his head slowly and grab a new beer he tossed to the Itani.


"Thanks mate. Owe youse one for shure. Tell youse what, why don't I tiptoe shilently and shtealthily into Sherco shpace and hear a little bitty about Keria? And youse can go do my drinking for me in the mean time?"


Riddik nodded slowly. 


"Yeah, I would appreciate that a lot. I just hate when she is not around, when I can't.... protect her!"


Lebermac tossed a new set of Sobr-Me-Up's and washed it down with a Lady's Ale. He got up and walked over to the hulking Serco and put an arm around his shoulder.


"Mate, you need to let her live a bit. You cannot protect her from everything you know? She knows where you are and that you will always be there. And that is enough."


Riddik looked at Lebermac with wonder before pushing him away.


"True words from a drunk man. Doesn't make it hurt any less my friend."


Riddik got up and left for the commercial area of Aeolus Trading Prefect, his head down and mood even lower.


###


Utia entered the restaurant with the same feeling in his stomach as he had had the first time he was out to fly a real fighter. The complete body tingling with an especially large tingling in his stomach that felt like he had a whole colony of army ants inside it. He only hoped that Yarina was as interested in going out with him as he was in going out with her. He looked from the left towards the right but his gaze never wandered past the bar. Seated on a high chair, dressed in a long golden dress that looked like liquid gold had been poured down her shoulders and solidified inches from the ground without leaving the slightest on her back, was Yarina, looking more beautiful than ever. She was focused on the holo screen behind the bar where a sitcom was mindlessly churning jokes out with metronomic precision and charm. She laughed at one of the one-liners and Utia stopped dead in his approach almost overcome with a desperate urge to conserve this moment forever. She became aware of a presence and looked slightly to his side before noticing him and rising from the stool.


"Utia; I was just watching "The Munktards" on the holo."


".."


"What, cat got your tongue?"


Utia realised that he had been able to say absolutely nothing in the presence of this beautiful woman and what was worse; he was standing with his mouth open. Checking fast that he had not embarrassed himself completely by drooling as well, he managed to regain control over his vocal cords and especially his language centre inside his brain.


"Yarina, you look absolutely astounding."


He was about to say something immensely clever when his mouth started working without brain guidance.


"Not that it is anything special for you. I mean you always look beautiful even when you are not wearing that dress. I mean when you are wearing other clothes, I haven't seen you without after all. Not that I want to naturally, don’t take me wrong or anything."


Yarina looked down to hide the smile before hearing the last sentence.


"Oh you don't, do you?"


"No, off course not."


"What a shame."


"..."


"Your mouth is open again Utia. Food?"


He managed to nod and allowed her to let him lead her to the table.


###


The order came in from central command that the following numbers had been killed in duty and were to be revived with the last available memory stored. The technician found the correct files and sent them to the central data storage for control. The procedures were pretty strict on this matter; before the new procedures they had actually revived someone who were alive. Now, when the data control centre had declared that a new body was to be revived, the old body was declared finally dead. He waited about five minutes before they came back with a correct mark on them. He cracked his fingers and started feeding the machine with data, requesting nine new full body clones and thirty-three de-icings. The de-icings weren't that bad, basically it was a stored body that just had to be jump-started with some memories and awareness. They would be up and running in a week or so. The full body clones would take at least a month to mature with the minds growing inside to assist the body in growing correctly. Oh well, at least with the war looking to heat up he was not going to be out of a job any time soon.


###

Keria entered the SCAR headquarter just as a new set of recruit pilots left through the door. They were in a hurry too by the looks of it never even stopping to let her enter as were customary among the Serco. She frowned at the lack of etiquette among the recruits but put it aside, she was after all here on rather important business. She walked up to the male receptionist, yet another new face, turned the charm on full speed and asked for a meeting with the CO.


“Sorry ma’am, that is not possible at this moment. The commander is not present.”


“Then one of the lieutenants please. It is rather urgent.”


“Not possible ma’am. I can leave a message. May I have your identification papers please?”


Keria beamed her avatar over complete with advanced status as a fighter ace of the Serco military. The young man merely frowned and looked at his screen. He pushed a series of buttons and looked up.


“Mrs. Willenium?”


She nodded.


“I have here on record that you were cleared for GESTEBO questioning, that you fled from that questioning and that you are married to the traitor of the Serco people Riddik Willenium. Please remain in place while I call the guards.”


“For what?”


“You will be moved to a secure facility where you will be questioned for the whereabouts of Riddik Willenium, a traitor to SCAR.”


“And who wants to do this, the Serco command or SCAR?”


“That is by a decision of the SCAR council ma’am.”


Keria smiled at the young man, who was still wet enough behind his ears to believe that was a good sign and relax.


“And is it the Serco command or SCAR that has decided that my darling husband is a traitor?”


The warning klaxons should be sounding by now inside the receptionist’s head but gullibly he went on.


“The Council of SCAR. He put his personal life before that of the guild. He is to be apprehended and punished as the traitor he is.”


Keria took something from her pocket and leaned in over the receptionist.


“Do me a favour kid. Take this to the council.”


The young man looked at her hand as she hammered the guild insignia into his palm burying the needles all the way through the flesh.


“That personal life he put in front of this miserable excuse for a guild was me. Tell the bastards I quit!”


Keria turned on her heel and walked out of the office, her head held high and her focus re-discovered. The screams from the office didn’t affect her at all.