“Samantha, can you requisition one of the space station’s cameras to keep an eye on those locations. They have a cargo van flying in and out of the place, so track any activity. I think we can wait as long as tomorrow before going in on foot to scout our target.” said Kevin.
“Ok, Kevin, I’ll get the camera on it, and if I spot anything unexpected I’ll let you know,” said Samantha
“Kevin, you have a request from the Governor of Hassan for a comm conference. Should I put him through?” asked Samantha.
“I didn’t know you could pass voice communications between Omnia and my virtual home, Sam.”
“Yes, remember, I’m also actively accessing Fiona’s tablet and the High Jinx. Shall I put the Governor through?” she asked.
“Yes, go ahead.” said Kevin.
“The comm is live now,” said Samantha.
Kevin: Hello, this is Horatio Drake, how can I help you.
Governor Tamazi: Good, your secretary said you were busy, I hope you’ve been busy eliminating this threat the ranchers have been screaming about.
Kevin: As a matter of fact it’s been my top priority since I left the Guild Hall just a couple hours ago. My team is trying to determine where the target is based on going over every available record and incident to date. We’re applying every resource to delving into this problem. In fact, the Marshal’s warrant I received has been a great benefit, and it’s only because of your fore-thought sir, that my team managed to make as much headway as it has.
Kevin knew that he was spreading the bull shit on a little thick. He figured that in the end, that the Governor was going to take credit for any success he made anyway. To Kevin, all politicians, used car salesmen, and lawyers all came over as smelling of bullshit, so it didn’t hurt to through a bit more his way.
Governor Tamazi: That’s good, I’d hoped that and the financial incentive we offered would get the ball rolling. So what can you report, what progress have you made, I have people I need to calm down, and I need something to reassure them.
Kevin: Yes sir. My team (Samantha) has narrowed down the enemy, and we’re even now pinpointing their base. I hope that we can start scouting out the base by tonight and have this whole matter resolved within the 48 hours we were initially given.
Governor Tamazi: Good son, but push on as fast as you can. People are beginning to panic, some are even thinking about fleeing the planet over the rumors they hear. If you need any resources just call me, I’ve told my staff that your mission is to have priority access until this is resolved.
Kevin was impressed, maybe this man was actually trying to help rather than get in his way.
Kevin: Thank you, sir, I’ll let your staff know if there is anything I need, and keep you updated over the next couple days while I resolve the problem. There is only one thing I could think of that might be useful today, and that would be some sort of stealth vehicle I could use to insert my scouting team.
Governor Tamazi: Just a second, I don’t think we have anything like that on our planet. That sort of thing sounds like military grade gear, but I’ll ask my chief of staff, she keeps an eye on this kind of stuff.
For the next few minutes, there was a muffled conversation as if the Governor placed his hand over the mic.
Governor Tamazi: Sorry to disappoint you, but that’s not something I’ve access to. You might want to check with the militia, though, they always seem to have a few items of gear that they don’t bother to report to the government.
Kevin: Thanks for the advice, sir. Is there anything else I can do for you, sir? If not my team needs me back to help with finding our targets.
Governor Tamazi: Yes, yes, just one more thing, well two now that I think about it. Once this is over, I want you to come visit me in Government Hall, your a local hero after what you did to help those girls a couple months ago, and the public loves a hero. The other thing, don’t trust Colonel Dugald, the man is a snake, and he has some ties to criminals that make me suspicious of his loyalties. That’s all, so get the job done, and I’ll see you afterward.
With that, the connection terminated. The call seemed to end abruptly to Kevin, not giving him a chance to say yes or no to the Governor’s request for a visit. The Governor must have assumed that he would take his offer as more of a command than something he could politely refuse.
Kevin just shrugged, he could deal with the Governor later, when this was over, and then he could resign the honor of being a Marshal.
One more thing that bothered Kevin about that conversation was acting as both Kevin and Drake at the same time. In his mind, Drake was an aggressive and active part he played in Omnia, while Kevin liked to consider himself more of a thinking man. He worried just a bit if this might be the start of a multiple personality disorder, and wondered how actors deal with separating themselves from the part they play. Or were actors just insane, that might explain some of the things rumors credit them with.
Kevin shrugged it off and tried to get back on track. The first thought he had was to wonder if there might actually be some sort of stealth vehicles on the planet and if so did the militia have one he could use?
“Samantha, could you make anything out of that muffled conversation the Governor had with his chief of staff?” asked Kevin.
“I’m sorry Kevin, but I don’t own the rights to any audio filters that can make sense of it. Would you like me to check on the price of a software upgrade?” asked Samantha.
“Not yet, just store away the conversation for later analysis. We might need to revisit it at a later date,” said Kevin. “What do you think the chances are that the militia both have stealth vehicles and would be willing to share one with me. They must think I’m the Governor's stooge in this game anyway…”
“Never mind, it was just wishful thinking,” said Kevin.
“If you wish, Kevin, I could do a search of authorized military purchases over the last few years and see if anything turns up. This is data from the planetary Senate, so the militia wouldn’t even have to know I’m looking,” said Samantha.
Kevin considered for a moment if he wanted to bother. By the time anything was discovered this whole assignment might be over.
“Ok, Samantha, but it’s a low priority since I doubt the militia would just leave that type of information hiding in plain sight,” said Kevin.
“Now Sam, I was thinking before that we might wait until tomorrow before scouting out the target base, but after talking to the Governor, I decided to push that up, if possible. Can you think of anything else we might do to find the base?” asked Kevin, “I would prefer to go in on foot at night when my skills and scout armor will give me the most advantage.”
“One more thing to think about, distractions… After the last simulated mission, I realized that having a few preplanned distractions, just as I left the research complex would, have made my escape much more likely. So we need to either buy or build some distractions. One thought I had was something like a simple alarm clock radio. Do you think we could buy something like that?” asked Kevin.
“Yes, there are comm broadcast services that people like to listen too. Something like a political talk channel, or weather reporting service could be an excellent way to get someone looking the wrong way. But we might want to set up a trigger device, instead of a timer.” replied Samantha.
“Well, that would be a lot cheaper than spending thousands of credits on more explosives, so let's plan a shopping trip. In fact, while we wait for more information, now might be a good time to go shopping,” said Kevin.
“Sure Kevin, we’ll head back into Omnia for a little shopping after an early Dinner…” Samantha reminded him.
“Fine Sam, but please make it something simple.” requested Kevin. Samantha had a habit of laying out some very elegant and elaborate meals, and Kevin loved the variety and flavor of everything she made. But he felt like he was under pressure to make progress on his assignment. The Governor made it sound like people were panicking and starting to run
for the stars.
“Kevin, before you eat, you need to calm down and center yourself. You let the conversation you had with the Governor increase your level of stress too much. This assignment will have its own flow, and there is only so much we can do to make things happen faster. So, sit down and take a few breaths, a few minutes of meditation will do you some good.” Samantha said.
Samantha was the one in charge of taking care of him, Kevin knew she always had good reasons for her request, so he stopped for a few minutes and followed her advice.
Kevin felt more centered and relaxed after about five minutes, after ten minutes he felt as refreshed as if he’d taken a short nap.
“Thanks, Samantha, I needed that. I didn’t even notice how much my emotions were draining my energy,” said Kevin. “So dinner then, love?”
That night's dinner was gyros, which is a Greek pita and meat roll. This one had a creamy cucumber sauce that Kevin thought went really well with the meat, onions, and tomatoes.
After dinner, Kevin returned to the game room and reentered Omnia.
Chapter 13 - Bogdan’s Electronics
“Samantha, do you have any idea where we should shop for something like a small alarm clock?” asked Drake.
“You can choose, much like your world, there are small stores that specialize in electronics, large superstores with a lot of variety, or what has been your choice in the past, used goods stores. I wouldn’t suggest used goods stores though since the price difference for electronics isn’t high, and generally, it’s junk by the time it gets to a used goods store,” said Samantha.
When Samantha started listing his options, Drake immediately thought of a Radio Shack. That was the type of store he needed since they stocked not only clocks and radios, but tools and gear he could use to modify a radio.
“How about something like a Radio Shack Sam. They’re often a bit more expensive than some of the other places, but the have a wider selection of what I might need. Is there a place like that in Vastal?”
“Yes, a couple, it’s a city after all. But the one with the most selection is ‘Bogdan’s Electronics’.”
“Ok. lead the way, my lady. Should I take a tube capsule or request a cab… we can put this on our list of expenses for the ranchers right?”
“Yes, but with last Saturdays scouting mission, that six hundred credits is mostly spoken for. There is a tube terminal just a few hundred meters from the store. I think you should take a tube there, then a taxi back with your purchases.” replied Samantha.
Without further delay, Drake started running to the spaceport terminal. He was still feeling light from the difference in gravity, and the run felt like an easy jog.
Drake had put on his armor, weapons, and backpack before leaving the High Jinx. The only thing he didn’t have was his blaster carbine. Walking around in full armor and weapons did attract a bit more attention than Drake would have liked, but he wanted to have his gear with him. He had a feeling that action was just a short time away, which made wearing the gear a weighty comfort.
On entering Bogdan’s Electronics, he felt like a cosplay Star Wars Storm Trooper stopping in to buy a pack of batteries.
Drakes senses were assaulted on entering the electronic shop, there were sounds, flashing lights, holo-displays, and anything Drake ever imagined in the way of electronic gadgets. It really wasn’t too loud, but the techy geek inside of him wanted to look everywhere at once.
While his eyes were taking in the store, a voice beside him said, “Welcome to Bogdan’s Electronics, Hassan’s largest and best source for everything you need and want in electronics. Please leave your weapons at the service counter or wait for a sales agent to help you.”
The voice came from a female android, that was stationed at the door as a greeter.
Drake was curious about the Android, he wanted to see if it was just a recording or had some intelligence.
“I thought it was common to wear a weapon on this planet,” Drake said.
“Yes, sir.” It responded with a feminine voice, “but many of our customers find the presence of weapons disturbing, and we at Bogdan’s Electronics would like for all our customers to be as comfortable as possible while enjoying the Bogdan experience.”
The answer was still too canned for Drake to figure out if it was controlled by an A.I.
“Do you have a name, and are you an A.I.?” Drake asked it directly.
“Yes, my name is Vera, and I’m running an A.I.s replicant program. In a way you could say that I’m an extension of Vera, she programmed me to answer any of the common thousands of questions people ask when entering one of our stores. If a customer needs something not previously thought of, she’s quickly able to update my software to include the new answer. Did you have something you needed to know about Bogdan’s Electronics, sir?” Asked the replicant.
The Android looked nearly human but in a way it was the perfection of the skin and features that immediately gave it away to Drake as being artificial.
“Does Bogdan’s sell a line of Androids?” asked Drake.
“Yes, sir, Bogdan’s Electronics sells almost anything a customer might need in the way of electronic devices, including Androids.” Answered the Android.
Drake was thinking about Samantha, he’d once joked with her about buying a body for her to use.
“Where is the service desk and how do I know my weapons will be safe there?” Drake decided to move on, he had no interest in just waiting for a salesperson, who might just repeat what the Android was saying, anyway. He could live without the blaster for a few minutes while shopping.
“There are lockers at the service desk to protect your valuables. The service desk is to your left, near the front of the store, and thank you for choosing Bogdan’s for all your electronic needs.” Said the Androids replicant program, as she pointed in the direction of the customer service desk.
As Drake headed to the customer service desk that the Android had pointed out, he thought about giving the job of a greeter to something like an Android. It was one of the things he’d hated about fast food, having to put on a plastic smile and give the same rote answers to all the same questions. To him it made sense, if the smile and replies were fake and repetitive, just give the work to an Android. Maybe Walmart could buy android greeters in the near future.
There was a young female elf at the customer service desk, she looked like she was young enough to be in high school. Drake found elves to be a bit exotic, their eyes were just a tiny bit larger than normal, and their hair had a greater range of color. This young elf girl, for instance, had hair of dark purple.
As Drake approached, she said, “Hello, have you come to check in your weapons, sir?”
“Yes, the Android indicated that wearing them in the store was unwelcome, and she said that you have lockers?” asked Drake.
“Yes, sir.” The girl handed Drake a disk with the number 41 on it. “This key will open locker 41 there on the end. Don’t worry about anything you put in the locker, the keys are always quantumly re-randomized with each use, and only the manager has an override, so please don’t lose the key.”
“Sure, how about my knife, does that need to go in the locker too?” asked Drake.
“No, just any ranged weapon, sir” she replied.
Drake found the locker and stashed his helmet, backpack, heavy blaster and his new stun gun in it. There was a little circular area right next to the handle where he had to press the key to open the locker.
After stashing his gear in the locker, he started wandering around the store. It was a lot like walking around an Earth electronics store like Circuit City. There were home appliances like clothing refreshers, and cleaning bots. There was a section displaying the latest in home entertainment, with big holo-displays that really gave the entertainment flick they were playing life. Drake didn’t enter this area, it was sealed off by glass, but he imagined that the sound actually made you feel like you were in the 3d scene being displayed.
; Drake finally made it to an area where they sold smaller electronics like he was looking for, there were many designs of small radios and clocks to choose from. At the end of the aisle, there was a holo-display offering to custom build any electronics listed in the store's catalog. As Drake stopped to check this display out, a female Dwarf approached him, wearing the store colors and a tag with the name ‘Zrinka’ on it.
“Hello sir, My name is Zrinka, would you like to order something from our catalog? Our store fabber can build anything listed in the catalog and have it for you before your ready to leave.” She said.
This caught Drakes attention since he would soon have a fabber of his own. Did that mean it could make anything in this catalog too?
“What type of Fabber does the store have?” asked Drake.
The Dwarven lady beamed, “Good question, I happen to know that because I’m the store fabber technician. It’s been a slow day, so I’m filling in for Erebus, who is on a break. We have a Khorshid Heavy Industries Model 4 Class 2 Electronics Fabricator.” She seemed to take pride in both the fabricator and the fact that she worked with the machine.
“How is a Khorshid Heavy Industries Class 2 Electronics Fabricator different from a Hansiung Class 3 Auto Fabricator?” asked Drake.
The woman paused for a minute in thought.
“Well, our Electronics Fabricator is designed to quickly and efficiently produce almost any type of electronic items. A shop like ours can’t stock the millions of different kinds of items that are in our catalog, so instead we fabricate special orders on site, and only display on the shelf the most commonly purchased goods. Our fabricator is a large one that can produce larger devices than most and usually much faster than a generalize fabricator, but it’s not designed to make non-electronic devices. That doesn’t mean it can’t, it just takes much longer for it to make something it’s not designed for.” replied the technician.
“Thanks, I’m hoping to have a Hansiung Class 3 Auto Fabricator installed in my ship in a few weeks, and I still have a lot to learn.” said Drake.
Making the Grade (Omnia Online Series Book 2) Page 14