Beautiful, intelligent, not too tall. And, I hear she’s a favourite of yours as well, Jameson?”
Jameson pretended not to understand. “I don’t know what you’re talking about -”
“Ha, ha, ha,” tittered Sempre. “I’m sure you do, Captain. But that is by the by. No, the Code youth will be brought to Muhaze for his day in court.”
“But surely, given the circumstances, he can’t be tried for attempted -”
“Oh, he can, Jameson. And he will!”
“No! I must protest!”
“You will do nothing of the sort! There will be no more protesting around here!” blazed Sempre.
Jameson’s face was impassive.
“You seem to have forgotten your place in all of this, Captain. It is I who will tell you what to do.”
Jameson held his tongue, still fronting it out, yet inside he was fizzing.
“Well, Captain, if you are not going to cooperate, I will have to command you to bring the Argon back to Muhaze. Therefore, I am cancelling your mission, with immediate effect. I expect you and your crew back in Muhaze by 12:00 hrs tomorrow - with the Code and his mongrel. A small fleet of V-wings will meet you at the perimeter to escort you back to the airbase.”
“There’s no need, I am sure we can manage to -”
“There is every need, Jameson! Every need! And you will tell that dreadful Zip reporter, when you get here, that the Codes’ abuse of animal life is indeed fact - that you were sickened by what you saw on Baal-500. That is an order, Captain Jameson!”
Sempre flicked off his screen.
A few months of detention would soon sort Jameson out. He always came back for more, tail between his legs, desperate to fly starships again. The Code youth, however, that was a different story. Sempre needed to be careful. Things could get very difficult once The Zip got hold of this. They were a necessary evil if he was going to succeed with his plans, but he needed to keep those he trusted at his side, and those he didn't, in full view. He was confident he would be able to turn the situation to his advantage. He’d always been able to do that in the past…
Sempre pressed his inter-vox.
“Flugg, send a message to Jon-7. Give him the current details concerning the Argon. Tell him it’s business as usual on The Zip tonight.” Then he sat down at his desk and looked satisfied with himself.
Reaching down, he unlocked the bottom drawer of his desk and took out a file.
He opened it and removed a letter marked To David: On the unfortunate event of my ‘death’. It was the one he liked to look at, every now and again, when things got a tad troublesome. It read:
My dear David,
If you have opened this letter then I am now ‘dead’. Ah, well. It comes to everyone, in time. Well… almost everyone.
But now, to business… This letter is to inform all staff and employees of TAPCON that I have received conformation from the Interplanetary Federation of Systems, that you, David Sempre, are hereby named CEO from this moment forward.
Until my return, I am,
Air Marshal Christian Sashan FMSQ, TSAW, LMON.
Sempre put the letter back into the file and returned everything to the bottom drawer, locking it.
He smiled wickedly to himself.
It might be time to wake up the dead, he thought.
Chapter 6
18:35 - Saturday, July 28, 2187 (Weah Mansions, Muhaze, Tapi-36)
“So, there you have it, Mikita - it was just like I told you, I was cleaning up your things,” said Hanoi, standing in his living room, legs astride, like the alpha-male he was.
“Oh, Han. Stop it. Please. Look, we need to talk.”
Hanoi saw his moment and came over, putting his arms around her. “Exactly. We need to talk about how it’s going for you up at the Mu-U.”
Come on, Mikita! Do it. Tell him. “Well, this is the thing, Hanoi. It’s not a great time for me, just now. I’ve got a big essay due next Wednesday for Tamashito - a 12 o’clock deadline - and it’s got to be a good one. If I flunk it then that’s me out of
Jameson pretended not to understand. “I don’t know what you’re talking about -”
“Ha, ha, ha,” tittered Sempre. “I’m sure you do, Captain. But that is by the by. No, the Code youth will be brought to Muhaze for his day in court.”
“But surely, given the circumstances, he can’t be tried for attempted -”
“Oh, he can, Jameson. And he will!”
“No! I must protest!”
“You will do nothing of the sort! There will be no more protesting around here!” blazed Sempre.
Jameson’s face was impassive.
“You seem to have forgotten your place in all of this, Captain. It is I who will tell you what to do.”
Jameson held his tongue, still fronting it out, yet inside he was fizzing.
“Well, Captain, if you are not going to cooperate, I will have to command you to bring the Argon back to Muhaze. Therefore, I am cancelling your mission, with immediate effect. I expect you and your crew back in Muhaze by 12:00 hrs tomorrow - with the Code and his mongrel. A small fleet of V-wings will meet you at the perimeter to escort you back to the airbase.”
“There’s no need, I am sure we can manage to -”
“There is every need, Jameson! Every need! And you will tell that dreadful Zip reporter, when you get here, that the Codes’ abuse of animal life is indeed fact - that you were sickened by what you saw on Baal-500. That is an order, Captain Jameson!”
Sempre flicked off his screen.
A few months of detention would soon sort Jameson out. He always came back for more, tail between his legs, desperate to fly starships again. The Code youth, however, that was a different story. Sempre needed to be careful. Things could get very difficult once The Zip got hold of this. They were a necessary evil if he was going to succeed with his plans, but he needed to keep those he trusted at his side, and those he didn't, in full view. He was confident he would be able to turn the situation to his advantage. He’d always been able to do that in the past…
Sempre pressed his inter-vox.
“Flugg, send a message to Jon-7. Give him the current details concerning the Argon. Tell him it’s business as usual on The Zip tonight.” Then he sat down at his desk and looked satisfied with himself.
Reaching down, he unlocked the bottom drawer of his desk and took out a file.
He opened it and removed a letter marked To David: On the unfortunate event of my ‘death’. It was the one he liked to look at, every now and again, when things got a tad troublesome. It read:
My dear David,
If you have opened this letter then I am now ‘dead’. Ah, well. It comes to everyone, in time. Well… almost everyone.
But now, to business… This letter is to inform all staff and employees of TAPCON that I have received conformation from the Interplanetary Federation of Systems, that you, David Sempre, are hereby named CEO from this moment forward.
Until my return, I am,
Air Marshal Christian Sashan FMSQ, TSAW, LMON.
Sempre put the letter back into the file and returned everything to the bottom drawer, locking it.
He smiled wickedly to himself.
It might be time to wake up the dead, he thought.
Chapter 6
18:35 - Saturday, July 28, 2187 (Weah Mansions, Muhaze, Tapi-36)
“So, there you have it, Mikita - it was just like I told you, I was cleaning up your things,” said Hanoi, standing in his living room, legs astride, like the alpha-male he was.
“Oh, Han. Stop it. Please. Look, we need to talk.”
Hanoi saw his moment and came over, putting his arms around her. “Exactly. We need to talk about how it’s going for you up at the Mu-U.”
Come on, Mikita! Do it. Tell him. “Well, this is the thing, Hanoi. It’s not a great time for me, just now. I’ve got a big essay due next Wednesday for Tamashito - a 12 o’clock deadline - and it’s got to be a good one. If I flunk it then that’s me out of
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