FIc: Altered Trajectory (cont)

[jeriendhal]

Rufus braked as Drisden turned off the crowded thoroughfare and into a narrow and deserted side street, stopping in front of what looked like just another half-collapsed building. “Park your vehicle here,” he said, pulling off his cloak.

“I don’t think leaving it out in the open is such a good idea,” Rufus objected, stepping off the bike.

“Not to worry.” The tall galapagos tossed his cloak over the bike, pressing a tab at its collar. The cloak shimmered, then seemed to disappear, taking the bike with it. “Masking cloak,” he explained. Under the cloak he hadn’t been wearing much more than a kilt made of brass and leather and a utility belt.

“Smart precaution,” Hazel said.

They followed Drisden into the building’s ruins, as he pulled out a remote unit from a pocket of his belt. At the press of a button, a lock clicked back and he lifted up a piece of tiled flooring, leading down into the building’s basement. It was spartanly furnished, with not more than a cot, some metal shelves along the wall and a footlocker. However it was clean and lit brightly, and apparently undetectable by casual passersby. A viewer bolted to one wall even offered a view from the outside from some hidden camera in a remaining wall.

“We are safe here,” Drisden said. “The walls are scanner shielded.”

“Old smuggler’s hole?” Rufus asked.

“That is how it was explained to me. I am not very familiar with the terminology of criminals.”

Or how to avoid their suspicions. “How did you come to find it then? For that matter, how did you come to Bolt Hole? This isn’t exactly a friendly planet to make landfall, especially on your own.”

Drisden thought his answer over carefully. “You said your name was Ru Ofanius Brushtail. The same Brushtail who was involved in a certain incident on this world some months back?”

“The same,” he replied. “Well, one of the sames. As I said, I met your Wise Master the Varn Gene Mage. I also met the ferin boy he was so keen to recover. How are young Terinu and his friend Matthew doing by the way?”

“Well enough. More than that I am not able to say. I was chosen for this assignment precisely because I was not closely involved with the incident on this world. I know no more than has likely already been discovered by the GSA.”

“A very wise precaution. Which rather begs the question of what you doing here? The GSA government may be aware of the galapagos and the varn’s existence, but the general public isn’t yet. Aren’t you taking a risk exposing yourself here?”

Drisden nodded in agreement. “A risk, yes, but a calculated one. Administrator Gisko believes that it would be wise to gather as much information concerning the GSA as is possible before revealing ourselves publicly. Given this world’s lack of coherent governmental structure, it was thought that it would possible to send a galapados observer here without immediately attracting attention.” A look of regret crossed his face. “It would appear that I was unable to gather anything particularly useful however, before being discovered.”

“Your loss, our gain,” Rufus said. He sat on the edge of the cot. “I presume you have a means of reporting your findings to your superiors?”

“Indirectly. We have made arrangements through a third-party, who also expedited my arrival on this world.”

“Risky.”

“It was judged that less risk would be involved than exposing ourselves by landing a ship openly at the port.”

“Great. So we talk to them, they deliver a message back your Administrator, and we can come over and chat,” Hazel said. She paused, a frown crossing her face. “Hey, one thing about this doesn’t make any sense. Ru, didn’t our briefing mention that a human Marine lieutenant went over to the Dominion’s side?”

“Lt. Freeman, cousin to Commander Leeza Blake,” Rufus told her.

“I thought her rank was captain,” Drisden rumbled.

Rufus favored him with a grin. “Not anymore, thanks to her failure to retrieve Terinu. I fear she bears a grudge against those who opposed her and caused her demotion. Unfortunately, as I am the only one among that group still within her reach, she’s focused her attentions upon me. It’s made my life entirely too interesting at times.”

“That’s one way of putting it,” Hazel murmured.

TBC

Comments

[mjkj.livejournal.com]

Nice...

and nicely put, Rufus :)

I enjoyed the reading – looking for(ward to) more... ;)

mjkj