OOCS, Into A Wider Galaxy, Part 663

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Cats, Cops and C4

“Hey, hey. That’s enough for now. We’re still in danger. We still have a job to do. Tears are for after the danger has passed. Okay?” Chenk says after a few minutes.

“Okay...”

“Good, now lets protect this place. Regardless of it’s history, it has innocent children in here and...” Chenk begins and Layla snorts. “What?”

“Teenagers innocent? I need to bring you in every now and then. Just hear the things they talk about.” Layla says as she starts drying her eyes.

“Oh please, talk is cheap. If it wasn’t then I would have murdered Drill Instructors dozens of times.” Chenk says.

“Right, right. Now. If Erin wants me dead, and the school destroyed. There are a few more places we need to look. Not all students take music, so there are some classes I occasionally assist in. Follow me.”

•-•-•Scene Change•-•-• (Training Band Storage, Classified Location, Undaunted Territory, Centris)•-•-•

“And clear. Damn.” The Officer says as he checks the final container. He presses on his earpiece to activate the microphone. “Nothing. All training bands are present and accounted for.”

“Did you check all of them all of them?”

“I did. The ones currently in use are fully tracked and registered, all bands not currently in use are here in storage. No sign of them being moved or replaced.”

“And our demolitions lessons?”

“Untouched.”

“Hmm. Damn. There goes the easy option.”

“How is an instant training device stolen an easy option?”

“Because if it’s not that, then it’s either someone mastering out skills in a tiny time frame, or a traitor. And one option is borderline untraceable, and the other...”

“Unfortunately inevitable. We’re recruiting like crazy. Someone untrustworthy is bound to slip in.” The man back in Intelligence says.

“We need to ping all our soldiers with demolitions training. Get their timelines, get them to check their gear. If someone is using our methods and technology to attack innocent people then the responsibility falls to us.”

“It does, if only to an extent. But it does fall to us.” The officer back in Intelligence agrees.

“Alright, shit. Start Vetting everyone. We can use this as a test of our own self scanning and reporting abilities. Either way. We need answers.”

•-•-•Scene Change•-•-• (Independent Study Hall ,Gallia West Public School, Level 84 Gallia Spire, Centris)•-•-•

“Hello children!” Layla says with a cheerful wave.

“Miss Stonefield?” The local teacher asks. “Oh... oh no that’s the bomb expert with you.”

“Yeah, sorry to say there’s a decent chance of there being danger here.”

“You mean the thing up there?” An Urthani student asks pointing up above where the teacher was sitting.

“What? What do you mean there’s something up there?”

“Uh hello? I came out of my cocoon a couple weeks ago with two more pairs of antenna than I thought I would and I can see forever with them. I just sort of figured it was something I couldn’t really see before.”

“Silka...” Layla says.

“What? I was told that I wasn’t supposed to shove my face into everything new I sensed so I left it alone! How is it my fault!?”

“It’s no one’s fault. Excuse me.” Chenk says slipping into the room and taking out his scanner. Sure enough there is a radio signal coming from the roof directly above the desk. “Hate doing this.”

He then floats up with the Axiom under his boots slowly rising him up. When he’s about a meter away he can sense the slight play of Axiom.

He enhances his hearing and then has to ignore the mutterings of the girls as he flicks the supports of the ceiling and can hear a tiny echo inside. There’s nothing in the panels but there is something just above it. He moves a panel a bit away to the side and looks in.

“Yep, and no traps either. Thankfully.”

He puts that panel back in place and shifts one directly under the bomb out of the way. “Two payloads? Shaped charges, going up and down? A blast-wave directly below to kill or cripple whoever is there and a dropping of the building on what remains, alive or dead.”

He can hear the teacher slowly inching away. “So long as you don’t do something insane like grabbing at me or hitting me for some reason it’s perfectly safe to run.”

She books it and there’s a chaotic few seconds as she and all the students clear away. Thankfully this bomb is very, very simple. Almost too simple. Unless...

“The ceiling here is a bit more reinforced than in other places. Is there something particular above us?”

“Chemical labs are directly above.” Layla calls over then there’s the sound of her clucking her tongue in thought. “You’re directly below a chemical store. I’m not sure of everything that’s in there, but it wouldn’t be good if it were to be mixed up, that’s for certain.”

“And it would delay any effort to actually effect rescue, repair or other such operations if it were to happen.” Chenk notes as he slowly eyes up the mechanism. “Detonation caps again. Shit. And with the two payloads we have four caps.”

He pulls out his wire cutters and examines the device again to make sure there is no sudden surprises and gingerly reaches in to clip the wires and then slowly lowers himself with two of the blast caps.

“Hang on, there are two more.” He says before floating back up and slowly reaching in to carefully cut out the caps. “These are detonation caps. They have a small payload of a more unstable explosive in them.”

“I still don’t understand why those are being used instead of the electrical caps we saw more of.” Layla says.

“Neither do I to be honest. I thought it was for trapped or particularly well hidden ones. But perhaps it’s for personal targets?” Chenk offers.

“Me and the principal... I suppose.”

“What? Layla, are you? This attack is targeted at you?”

“Maybe? Excuse me Silka, how long has that bomb been there?”

“Three and a half weeks. I’ve been in here for my free period since then to catch up on everything I missed being in the cocoon.” Silka replies.

“How old are you?” Chenk asks as he lowers himself carefully.

“Hunh? Fifteen.” Silka answers.

“Oh... hunh. I thought Urthani went through the whole... you know cocoon thing at a little younger than that.”

“Those ones are early. I was right on time.” Silka answers.

“My mistake then. Anyways, the bomb is mostly disabled, but I really don’t like these blast caps. So I’m going to get these into storage and then come back to remove the payloads. Now, what they’ve used is C4, it’s very stable. So even if you attack it, the bomb won’t go off. But the bomb itself is likely part of a network. If it’s damaged then it may give the crazy lady holding the detonator a signal and the ones I haven’t pull apart yet will go bang. So no one touch the bomb. It’s fangs are gone, but it’s still a problem.” Chenk explains as he carefully picks up the blast caps. “Now, I’ll be back in a minute. Maybe more if someone else has found another bomb. Excuse me.”

“How many are there?”

“More than zero, which is why you’re all staying in your seats. If not for the atmospheric attack on the district you’d be out of the building and far from the blast radius.” Chenk says. “But otherwise you’re all going to be sitting down, not setting anything off and letting me work. Horsing around, reckless defiance and more can get you killed. In more ways than one.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yes.” Chenk states sternly. “Layla, if they do something stupid give them a smack or something.”

•-•-•Scene Change•-•-• (Briefing Room Gamma 5, Undaunted Intelligence, Undaunted Territory, Centris)•-•-•

“I wasn’t expecting anything this fast.” He remarks and the Agurk woman who serves as a Private Stream Pilot shrugs as she hands the other investigator the thick folder.

“This is a preliminary list of people we’re looking into now. People that failed out of The Undaunted for one reason or another. I suggest you skip to the red tab.”

He does so and raises an eyebrow. “Two hundred and nineteen suspects? That’s not a small number.”

“Those are all the individuals that washed out or were thrown out AFTER receiving some degree of demolitions training.”

“So many?”

“We train multiple thousands of new students every day on Centris alone. Recruitment and training is still expanding at exponential rates.” She reminds him.

“Point. I don’t see that much. I’m on paperwork duty until the shrink clears me for the field again. That smuggling operation took a lot out of me.”

“Yes, I read your file. You got in too deep and had a hard time pulling out. Desk duty and patrols in nearby areas at most until full recovery. We have vacations for a reason. Even monsters like The Jamesons need to take breaks.”

“Hmm...” He notes as he flips through the profiles. “I’m seeing a lot of people who had far better than average ID’s. Things that passed the first few tests but a deeper dive caught.”

“We’ve updated our protocols to try and stop it. It’s been successful as far as we can tell.”

“I’m seeing nothing of Gallia Spire where the trouble is located.”

“No, but public and private transport is so fast that even if they lived on the other side of the planet it wouldn’t be too much of a complication.”

“True... but the profile of the bomb’s controller suggests she wouldn’t trust anyone she didn’t know.” He says and she shrugs.

“It could go either way. There are still many options on the table. There are clones with copied memories in the loop. So the treachery might not even be that. A woman having herself tranquilized after flunking out or being discharged and then waking up in another location, unaware she’s had a brain scan would be able to get our information out. Every single person we can’t account for, and indeed, even the people we can account for could all be the leak. They don’t need to say a thing for it either.”

“And that’s just with a retention band. A brain scan that is then broken down until only the demolition training remains could also transfer the knowledge in a nearly flawless form.”

“You would know.” She says and he nods.

“Yeah. I would.”

“... We opening the files on your mission. I know you got attached to some of the people involved...”

“I’m fine. The ones that weren’t... the ones that deserved out are out.”

She says nothing and he looks away.

“They’re safe.” She tries.

“I know.” He says. The subject is not up for discussion.

“So long as you know.” She says.

“I have to get off this investigation. Don’t I?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll file the paperwork and make myself available for another mission.” He replies.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t do that. Empty platitudes are the last thing I want.” He says as he closes the folder and hands it back to her. “Good luck.”

He then leaves the small office leading the enormous woman behind. She flips open the folder and looks through it. Then the door behind her opens and she glances back to see the blank face of Mister Heron. “Sir?”

“You made the correct choice Bernice.” Mister Heron states before placing a small data-chit onto the open folder. “Inside is a list of forms you will need to fill out for a future leadership roll. Provided you feel yourself ready for it.”

She regards the data-chit and then picks it up and hands it back with a shake of her head.

“With all due respect sir. I’m not ready yet.”

“Understood. Your insight speaks well of you.” Mister Heron states as the data-chit vanishes into his breast pocket. “I will be assigning a small team to this project. You are to bring them up to speed. It is paramount that we understand where the leaks are and prepared to plug them.”

“Sir... two questions.”

“Ask.”

“What if it’s not a leak, what if one of our own has had their knowledge stolen?”

“Then we find the thief and work to destroy all copies.”

“And if we are betrayed?”

“Mercy to the guilty is treason to the innocent.”

“So assassination.”

“If it is required. Your missions have been protective, investigative and at times preformative. You have killed in simulation. Are you prepared to take a life?”

“... It doesn’t matter if I’m ready. Only if I can do it. And I can. Taking a life is all too easy.”

“It’s not. But you will adjust.” Mister Heron states.

“I hope not.”

“So do we all. We have vetted out anyone with any desire for death for death’s sake.”

“Really?”

“Harold Jameson is the most bloodthirsty we have. And he enjoys combat, not murder. And I and others are pushing to slowly have him divested from Intelligence. His Battle Hunger will be better served elsewhere.”

“Does HE know that?”

“It was something he requested in his reports.”

“... He is a clone with copied memories from Herbert. How is he so different?”

“He has made an effort. But it does appear to be the question of the day. How is Layla so different from Erin, The Vish from Vishanyan? Harold from Herbert? DNA says the differences are trivial. Behaviour would struggle to be further apart.”

“Nature and nurture.” She notes.

“Indeed.” Mister Heron finishes. “Do you foresee further requirements in your equipment or team?”

“I will need to meet my team first sir.” Bernice notes before smirking. “And yes, I know you’re priming me to take a leadership roll. I am not blind.”

“It is why I offered the promotion. A steady hand at the controls is one of the most valuable traits in leadership. And if not for your excellent reflexes your nerves could be defined as deadened they are so steady.”

“Oh no, I feel plenty. I just don’t let it control me.”

“If you do not want the promotion, stop talking me into it.” Mister Heron chides her and she lets out a huff of amusement. “Your team will arrive in ten minutes. They will have their own copies of the data.”

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