“Sounds like an immediate fail to me,” Vool stated. “I’ll contact Veli and get the wheels in motion.”
“Finally,” Harr said with a chuckle, “Dr. Piffer makes a joke. Good one, Dr. Piffer.”
“I wasn’t joking.”
“Aha, and yet another attempt at pulling the old leg, as it were. That dry humor of yours is something to behold.”
“You’re being obtuse, Harr.”
“Harr?” said DeKella with her eyebrows raised.
“Harr…harr…harr,” said Harr. “She only laughs in single syllables.”
“I wasn’t…”
“Dr. Baloo,” Harr said quickly, “why don’t you and the other two doctors start introducing yourselves around?” He leaned in close to Ridly. “And stick together.”
“Yes, right,” Ridly said. “That’s an excellent idea, Dr. Welder.”
Ridly pulled Vool and Jezden along, going from station to station. As they set about getting acquainted with the W.A.R.P.E.D. test team, Harr tried to make sure DeKella was kept relaxed about their presence.
“Don’t mind her,” he said with a casual wave. “She’s been this odd since the day I met her.”
“That’s okay. I get a lot of strange people in my group. Being smart often comes with its fair share of social quirks.”
“Indeed, it does.”
There was an awkward pause before DeKella said, “Is there anything else you may need from me before I get back to work? I have a lot on my plate, as you know.”
“No, nothing at all,” Harr said understandingly. “We’ve got a lot of work to do as well.”
“I hope it all goes smoothly, but please let me know if you spot anything out of place and we will address it immediately.”
“Absolutely, yes,” said Harr, not wanting the conversation to end but realizing it was inevitable. “It’s been really nice meeting you, Dr. DeKella. I mean, I think you’re great.” He slammed his eyes shut, disbelieving he’d just said that. “That is to say that I’ve read a lot about you and I think that you’re a pretty amazing person.” That wasn’t any better.
“How very kind of you to say, Dr. Welder,” she replied with a smile, putting her hand on his arm.
“Call me Don,” Harr replied without thought.
“Don?”
“Zep! I mean, Zep. Don is my, uh, middle name. Some people call me that, but, anyway, just call me Zep.”
“Okay, Zep it is,” she replied. “You can call me Rella.” She turned and began walking away, but stopped and turned back. “Zep, would you like to go to dinner with me tonight?”
“Uh…”
“It’ll be strictly professional,” she said as if catching herself. “I mean, if you don’t feel that we should…”
“Yes,” Harr replied, stopping her before she freaked out, “that would be nice.”
“Great. Uh, there’s a nice restaurant across from the hotel we’re setting you and your team up in. What say we meet there around seven?”
“Seven it is.”
Harr watched her walk down the corridor. Once she turned the corner, he took a deep breath and wished that they were meeting under different circumstances. Everything he was about to do was ultimately for the benefit of the Kallian people, including Dr. DeKella, but he had a feeling she wasn’t going to see it that way. He supposed that it was better she hated him and lived, than liked him and died.
When he turned to check on the rest of the crew, he found Vool had been standing directly behind him. It was all he could do not to jump.
“You’re not getting involved with that woman, are you?” she asked pointedly.
“Of course not. I’m simply playing my part in this charade just like the rest of you.”
“Somehow I doubt that.”
“Fortunately, what you think has little bearing on anything, Vool,” Harr said. “You were specifically ordered by Frexle to observe only.”
“And judge, Harr.”
“That’s another thing,” Harr said, ignoring her point about judging their actions, “get my name right in front of the Kallians. If we fail, it needs to be on us and not due to the mistake of a supposedly uber-intelligent Overseer.”
JUST A SAYING
Frexle couldn’t recall a project that had landed him in the Lord Overseer’s office more than this one. There had been one plan that had pitted two major continents on Rembar-19 against each other that Veli had seemed exceedingly interested in. The Rembar-19 incident had ended with a light show that all but split the planet in two. Amazingly, people had survived and, after many years of nomadic living, began making a comeback. Veli had expressed hope that they would again rise to the point of bringing him another glorious display of antics. During that project, Veli had summoned Frexle four times in five days, and Frexle had considered that extreme.
“They have to be on that damned planet by now,” Veli more spat than spoke. “Why hasn’t that infernal Vool reported anything yet?”
“Maybe she’s tied up, Lord Overseer,” Frexle replied.
Veli’s voice grew dark. “You think those Kallian bastards have somehow managed to take her captive?”
“Sorry, sir,” Frexle said, recalling that the Lord Overseer was not all that keen on sayings, “it’s just a saying.”
“My office is no place for that kind of speak, Frexle,” Veli growled. “We’ve had this discussion before. Speak straight or find yourself floating in space like a leaf on a river.”
Frexle had just begun to bow his head apologetically when the phone rang.
“Where in blazes have you been, Vool?” Veli said as the face of Vool showed up on the video display that sat on the wall. “We’ve been waiting hours to hear about your progress.”
“I was tied up,” she replied curtly.
“So they did capture you,” Veli said with a hiss.
“No,” she replied. “It’s just a saying.”
Veli groaned and slammed his desk. “Just tell me what is happening. The last I heard from you was when you were on that damned ship. I want details. Leave nothing to spare.”
“Okay,” Vool said resignedly. “First we landed on the planet and Harr started to hand out our badges. I ended up as a Dr. Piffer or something. Harr is Dr. Welder, Ridly is Baloo, and Jezden is Impotent.”
“Oh, that’s too bad,” Veli said. “Wouldn’t wish that on anyone.”
“Horrible,” Frexle agreed.
“Next we stepped off the ship and started walking through the park, and…”
“Vool,” Veli interrupted, “I don’t need that much information.”
“You said not to spare any details.”
“I was using a say…well, never mind. Just give me the pertinent data.”
Vool rolled her eyes. “Fine. We just got back from the lab. It seems that there’s a chance to stop this test from succeeding. All Harr and his crew have to do is block these things called Stewnathium Particles from getting to the main chamber. They do that and it’ll look like a flop.”
“Damn,” Veli said. “If Harr succeeds, there’ll be no killings.”
Frexle sat up and furrowed his brow. “That’s what we want, though, right, sir?”
“No, Frexle, that’s what the people want.” Veli did seem to enjoy speaking in italics when things got heated. “Or, at least, that’s what they think they want. But what do they know?”
“I still expect them to fail,” Vool said before Frexle could counter. “They’re not very bright.”
“Underestimation is a deadly game, Vool,” warned Veli, “even for an Overseer. Remember that they have survived this far.”
“Whatever.”
“We need to make sure that they don’t succeed.”
“You’re talking about the Kallians, sir?”
“Of course not, Frexle. I’m talking about this Platoon F of yours.”
“Sir?”
“Wait,” Veli said, clearly ignoring Frexle’s concerns, “I’ve got it. Vool, if we set this up right, t
he people will see that we tried to be kinder and gentler, but it just didn’t work out. They’ll see that we did what we could to avoid outright destruction. Sadly, this new crew that we—no, that Frexle brought to us—failed miserably.”
Frexle bolted from his chair, momentarily losing his senses. It wasn’t wise to move so quickly around the Lord Overseer. Every automated weapon in the room spun and focused in on Frexle so quickly that he thought certain he was a goner. He stayed perfectly still until Veli told the guns to stand down.
“Thank you, sir,” Frexle said with relief, “but to pin this on me without even giving them…”
“It was your idea, wasn’t it, Frexle?”
“Well, yes,” Frexle admitted. “But, sir, they can succeed.”
“Not if we stop them,” Veli replied sinisterly. “And the people will be none the wiser. They’ll only hear how we gave it our best shot. Oh, how we had such high hopes for this team of yours,” Veli said in a mocking voice. “Sadly, they just couldn’t deliver.”
“I’m stunned,” said Frexle, feeling stunned.
“At my genius? I can understand that.” He paused as Frexle let the ordeal sink in. “You’ll have to take the fall, Frexle. It’s what good leaders do, after all. But don’t you worry, I’ll make sure your death is quick.”
“I don’t believe this is happening,” Frexle said in a near whisper.
“Anyone else finding this conversation to be dull?” Vool piped in. “What do you want me to do?”
“Ah, yes,” Veli said, sounding rather chipper indeed. “I want you to place explosives in that room, Vool. The moment the Kallians press the button, I want you to activate those explosives.”
“That will only blow up the building,” Vool noted.
“Not if you use the proper kind of explosives, Vool,” Veli replied with dripping evil.
Vool smiled seductively. “Finally showing some balls, Veli.”
“I am?” There was a shuffling sound in the shadows.
“Just a saying,” Vool replied with a sigh.
“Oh, right.”
CHECKING WITH GEEZER
It had been a long day working at the lab, so Harr was pleased to have gotten over to the hotel that Dr. DeKella’s assistant had arranged for them. All four rooms were on the same floor, with Harr’s being a suite at the corner.
The life of an inspector was comfortable indeed, assuming this was the norm. Even on Harr’s best vacation, he’d never gotten digs this plush. Currently he was sitting in a large chair that was leaned back, allowing him to sink nicely into its burgundy leather embrace.
Jezden and Ridly were on the couch opposite him. He’d invited them over to his room so that they could compare notes without Vool being around. He’d also called Geezer in on the conversation and had him on speaker.
Ridly was busily running through her day of work. She had gotten into the spirit of things during the inspection, finding a number of issues that were all addressed by Dr. DeKella’s team. Had Harr not known better, he would have assumed that Ridly actually was an inspector. To be fair, she was programmed to have that way of thinking.
Jezden, however, mostly moped around, trying one-liners on every Kallian female he could find. None of them responded kindly. Looks or not, on Kallian a tail made the person. He was still rather depressed as he sat on the couch, gazing out the window.
“It’s actually a pretty interesting piece of technology, Geezer,” Harr was saying into his wristband. “I think you’d find it fascinating.”
“Can it do instantaneous travel, chief?”
“Well, no.”
“Time travel?”
“Not that I’m aware,” he answered, looking up at Ridly who shook her head to indicate the negative.
“So it’s old hat, big dog,” Geezer replied snootily.
“Compared to what we do, sure, but it’s the top of the line on this planet.”
“Sorry, honcho, but if it ain’t the latest, then it ain’t the greatest.”
“No offense, Geezer, but you’re not exactly the latest either.”
“Ouch,” Geezer replied. “How am I not supposed to take offense to that one, cap’n?”
“Sorry,” Harr said after a few seconds. “That was uncalled for. I guess I’m just…”
Jezden stood up and said, “He’s got the hots for DeKella” as he walked to the window. “Not my type, but on this planet it seems I’m nobody’s type, so more power to you.”
“What are you talking about?” Harr said in disbelief.
“Oh, I see how it is,” Geezer said. “The scientist lady’s got you all wrapped up, eh? Good for you, prime.”
Harr adjusted uncomfortably in his seat. There was no hiding the fact that Dr. DeKella was pleasant to look at, and she had a mind that was considered one of the greatest on this entire planet. Granted, that wasn’t saying much when compared to the minds of other, more advanced, planets, but here, she was up there. Plus, she was kind and somewhat geeky. He liked that in a woman.
“I’m interested in her in a strictly professional manner, I assure you,” he said carefully.
“Come on, Captain,” Jezden scoffed. “Own up, already. You’re talking to a player here.”
“You’re not a player on this planet, small tail,” Harr spat back.
“Ouch.”
“Damn.” He slapped himself on the forehead. “I did it again. I’m sorry, Ensign. I don’t know what’s gotten into me.”
“Love?” suggested Ridly.
“Oh please, don’t make me sick,” said Jezden.
“Lust, then?”
“What? No!” Harr grimaced at her. Then he sat back again and dropped his head. “Okay, possibly that, and a great deal of like, too. What can I say? She’s kinda hot.”
“Sir,” said Sandoo, who was obviously standing with Geezer in the Reluctant’s engineering room, “I appreciate your position there, but it’s my duty to remind you that your first duty is to the crew.”
“It’s always my first duty, Commander,” Harr replied before deciding to change the subject. “Enough about me. What have you found about Vool?”
“According to the tracking device we’ve got on her tail,” Sandoo answered, “she left her quarters about five minutes ago. She’s just entered the W.A.R.P.E.D. building.”
Harr shook his head. “Why didn’t you say something before?”
“Because,” Sandoo answered, “we were busily discussing your love life, sir.”
If only there were other actual humans around, he thought. No, that would probably be worse. At least the androids responded in a programmatic way. Real humans could be much more aggravating.
“Can you see what she’s seeing?” he asked.
“Yes, sir. We’re keeping close tabs on everything she does.”
“Make sure you do,” said Harr, taking a quick peek at the clock. “Damn, it’s almost seven already.” He pushed up out of the chair with a groan. It was extremely comfortable. “I have to run. Sandoo, Ridly and Jezden will work with you and Geezer to figure things out, should Vool do anything untoward.” He stopped at the door. “And believe me, she’s planning to do something untoward.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Hey, Bingo,” Geezer said, “one more thing before you leave.”
“Yes?”
“Make sure you wear protection.”
GOOD TIMES LEEKO'S
The walk across the street was much calmer at this time of night. Nobody called him names and the pushing and shoving had all but disappeared.
Good Times Leeko’s was the name of the restaurant. It was your standard-looking joint, though possibly on the higher-end of the financial scale, and that was only a guess since the clientele wore mostly suits. Harr felt a tad underdressed in comparison, but there wasn’t much he could do about that.
He approached the host, who held up a finger as he finished writing something down. “Done,” he said with a grunt before throwing the pen down. “Table for one?”
/> “Uh, no, I’m meeting someone.”
“Name?”
“Don Harr…erm, I mean, huh? What was that?”
“Your name, sir?” the host asked more loudly.
“Ah, right. Dr. Zep Welder.”
The host scanned the list and then nodded. “You’re meeting Dr. DeKella. This way, please.”
They walked a lazy path through the bustling restaurant. Laughter filled the room, as did many bottles of alcohol, which Harr knew to be the case because his HUD (Heads-Up Display) kept showing him the ingredients of everything. Sensory overload was an understatement. He forced himself to focus on ignoring the data until they finally arrived at the booth where Dr. DeKella was seated. Her glass was full of fermented grapes.
“Thank you,” he said to the host and then took the seat across from DeKella. “Hello, Doctor…sorry, Rella. I hope I’m not too late.”
“Not at all,” she replied with a smile that said this was not her first glass of wine. “I’ve been here for a little while, but I always show up far earlier than I need to. Trying to make up for my chronic lateness when in college, I suppose.” She took another sip. “Have you eaten here before?”
“No,” he said. “I’ve never even been to your planet…erm, play net…play network?” He groaned. “I’ve never been to your city.”
“You’re an odd one, Zep,” she said with a wan smile. “I like that in a man.”
“Thanks?”
She swirled her drink in the glass. “What city are you from?”
“Uh, well, let’s see,” he said. “How do I answer that?”
“Wait, wait, wait,” DeKella said with a start, setting her glass back on the table. “I’m terribly sorry. I forgot that you’re not allowed to provide those types of details. At least not while you’re engaged in the inspections.”
Platoon F: Quadology: Missions 6, 7, 8, and 9 (Platoon F eBook Bundle 2) Page 11