Part V. ‘Officials’

 	Kei and Yuri was sitting at small table into half-empty restaurant
room. The surroundings was a cheap plastics, you can meet into any
place, be it UG, independent or even possibly aliens worlds. In fact it
was near same, as into one small bar near their quarters at the
academy... Memories, memories...
	Only change was music. They by surprise discovered, that here it was
live. And, although musicians preferred slow tempo, it was pleasant.
	It wasn’t their first visit here, and they had already made friends
with officiants. Kei without trouble get her cocoa and cream-cake, Yuri
flower tea and a ‘tongue’ - long, cracking cookie covered with sugar
powder.
	Slowly sipping drinks from cups, girls talked about their progress.
Better said, lack of it.
	“Well, care to tell me about the discoveries, cake-lady?” Yuri teased.
	Kei with visible pleasure took another bit of cream-cake.
	“Men prefer rounds, not bones, miss Slim” she said wisely. “There was
nothing strange. Same men, same talks. Same problems with taxes,
governments, concurrence. And same stories about pirates. Anything, you
can get into any of UG spaceports. And only three barfights into last
week...”
	“Yeah. And i three times need hack their systems to cover you. Not
counting that beaten driver.”
	“Don’t say, you don’t like do it,” Kei winked.
	“Its something, i will be not proud about.”
	“While you was in, found something interesant?”
	“Nothing real. A dozens of tax-slippers, few weak hackers. I even
caught one, and scared near to death. Punk thinked, its police. But the
databanks. Except being a bit old, they are same as into UG. Same with
contents.”
	There was long period of silence. Kei finished her cake and cocoa and
deeply sighted, looking at other cakes into display.
	“I think, its time, we admit, there is nothing more we can do under
cover...” Yuri suddenly said.
	“Yes?”
	“Key, are you listening to me?”
	“Sorry, get carried away. What you asked”
	“I said, we go out of cover.” 
	“Why?” Kei at last turned away from display and faced partner.
	“You himself said: ‘I have no idea!’ “
	Kei looked at Yuri, obviously into serious doubts.
	“Yes. But you said, they will get mad if found our real identities...”
	“Kei! Not from under our fake names. From this hiding from officials.”
	“A! But you also said, they may be involved...”
	“Then we will flush them out.”
	Kei start smile, imagining HOW she will flush some pirate boss.
	“Yes! At least some action! Stop nibbing your cookie and lets start!”
	Yuri too smiled.

	Zacharia Sindh, governor of the fourth planet of Trofar system, was
envied by many. His status into society, his influence, his wealth...
	At the moment, he was ready throw all that away, looking at plain
simple paper lying at his desk.
“Answering request of the mr. Mickainer, governor of the one of Trofar
worlds, we are sending our Trouble Consultants team 272-K to investigate
possible pirate activity into and near Trofar space. We are looking to
full Your cooperation into establishing the order and peace into the
region.
			Signed - Ayoob."
	Zacharia pulled out white kerchief and with shaking hands wiped out
sweat from his forehead. He was small man, with progressing baldness,
despite all the newest genetic stuff. 
	He again looked at the letter. One sentence, that meant the end of his
life... His current life, at least. He pressed intercom button.
	“Anita. Send to me Silvie. Now.” he said, trying to hide weakness into
voice.

	“And?” Silvia Mein asked, when she had let the single sheet of paper
land back on her boss desk. She was middle aged woman, not stunning
beauty, but pretty. She with weakly hidden disguise looked at Zacharia.
Unlike most, she had to deal with him day from day, and get to know the
worst sides of him. Now he was looking like rabbit caught into car
lights - completely frozen.
	“They are after my head...” Zacharia whined.
	Silvia wanted to call him a fool, but decided not. After all, he still
was her boss.
	“I doubt, they are after you,” she said slowly, choosing right words to
encourage him like a child.
	“But... but...”
	“Its said, they are after pirates. As on request, brothers Zunge again
crawled out from their hideout. They are making trouble at the outer
belt again, and I have decided to send one squadron to catch and wipe
them out once and for all. But now we will let the TC’s do that. We will
get safety, they their pirates, and all will be happy.”
	“You are sure?”
	Silvia relaxed, by kicking her boss mentally.
	“Im sure,” she said.
	She wasn't, but if Zacharia continued to whine, something will leak
out. That was inevitable.
	“O, thank you. But... Need I meet them?”
	“Since you get a letter, and they asked for meeting, you cant deny it.
If you try ignore them, it will look ... suspicious, you know. Of
course, you dont need meet them alone,” she quickly added.
	“When you are near, Silvia, I...”
	“Im sorry, but I dont think, I will attend your meeting. On the other
hand, the social realtions minister is sitting without any real job. Let
him work for his pay.”
	“Yes, yes! I will call him!”

	Returning to her office, Silvia started with calling in the guilty
personnel.
	Dozen men and women was standing and sitting around the conference
table, when she stepped out from her small cabinet and loked at them.
	“Okey, I want a explanations. Today I get informed, that top UG agents
are working on our planet.” 
	Quiet murmur.
	“They asked for a meeting with Sindh. They have arrived into last week,
or even earlier. I want to find out about them all. Where they stay,
whom they meet, what they eat. Even color of their underwear!”
	That called a few suppressed laughs.
	“Next time, if you missed them, will fall some heads.”
	Laughing stoped.
	“Also I want them under surveilance twenty six hours in a day. You will
be their shadows.”
	Silvia looked at each of them by once.
	“Mario. You will go over our databanks. I think, next request will be
permission to use them. You will clear all info about the few agents.
The list of the names I will give you after meeting. Also you will leave
only two three of our secret agents into UG. And do it so that nothing
can be restored or deciphered.”
	“The papers on them you will get when you will leave. I want first
reports be at my table tomorrow at 6.30. Free.”
	Into silence people one from one leaved room.
	The technician stand and walked tovard her. Silvia sighted and tossed
her hair back from face.
	“Mario. I wnat you meet with Janine and pick out the best looking
agents, we have. Clear their dossiers, and give me list.” she slowly
said.
	“Yes.” he nod and after short silence, leaved.
	Silvia remain standing at the end of table.

	Kei and Yuri passed the security guards post and start walk upstairs.
They was into one of newest buildings into city - a utilitary cube of
plasteel, plasbeton and plaglass. Indestructable monolith, that may even
hold against a small nuclear bomb.
	“Wonder, if we are going to meet most powerful man on the planet,
Yuri?” Kei asked.
	“Definitely not. Most powerful is only heads of security services,”
Yuri reply, looking around and taking in notice each little thing.
	They had meet reprezentatives yesterday. They had asked, and after
meeting with the governor, they will meet the security director too.

	There was two persons into cabinet.
	Man who was sitting behind the desk, dont leave impression of being
dangerous. He was small, thin, his head was showing signs of starting
baldness. Not the standart image of dread pirate. Only one thing that
was strange, was his eyes. They dont rest, they moved all the time,
looking at the girls, out of window, on the walls, floor, papers on
table, but never meeting Yuri’s gaze.
	Other man rise from the chair at the side of table to greet them.
	“Greetings. My name’s Leon Sincler. Alloow me to introduce - Zacharia
Sindh, governor of our world. We are happy to meet one of famous WWWA
teams on our planet...”
	Followed exchanges of meaningless pleasanties. The man was a diplomat,
Kei deducted. A talker, to keep them on the standart talk and keep other
man from telling too much... Not that he was trying...
	“I can only appraise so fast reply from the United Galactica and Worlds
Welfare Works Association, miss Keith and miss Ilona.”
	“Thanks,” Kei said abruptly, and earned a look and kick from Yuri.
	“Thank you, ser,” Yuri said softly. “United Galactica representatives
was pleased to fulfil request from one of our newest worlds, to show
their concern about the safety and welfare of its members.” Kei only
bowed head, keeping silent.
	“It is certainly a pleasant gesture, as we know too, that the prices of
WWWA isnt the cheap ones, as well as that their work always is the
perfect... with only a few exclusions...”
	<Here comes...> Yuri prepared for the worst, but the man was real
diplomat, and dont say the ‘D’ word.
	“We gladly accept your help in this matter, though I still am saying,
we are able to deal with the pirates with our own space fleet. The
situation isn’t such a critical. We have already destroyed six raiders
from original fleet of eight. We have also discovered and destroyed
their base on one of asteorids from outer belt.”
	“Drats, we’re too late!” escaped from Kei.
	“Im sorry,” Yuri smiled to soften the effect. “My partner was eager to
test the newest weapon system upgrade in real fight.”
	Kei had tact enough to blush. After another kick at ther ankle from
Yuri.
	Both men smiled.
	“Next time, we will leave some game for her to hunt,” Leon promised.
	Yuri can tell, that both men was worrying. And the smiles was
definitely forced. Trofarians was softly pushing them out. But why? If
the pirates was dealt with, why not simply cancel the request for help.
If not, then why now turn it down?
	“Then you have no objections for us to stay and look around for the two
last pirates?” Yuri asked.
	“Certainly not. Enjoy your stay. Of course, we will cover your everyday
expenses, including the hotel pay.”
	That was a sting. They knowed. Yuri sighted mentally, but that was
inevitable. She had hovever hoped hide it for longer.
	“In meantime, our security director Silvia Mein will give you all the
assistance, you will request.”
	Both men stand up. The audience was over. And Zacharia havent said a
word.

	“Unpleasant type,” Key said into low voice, following secretary to the
cabinet of the Trofar Security director. Secretary was small round
blonde, yet both girls had noticed that the roundness was from muscles,
not fat...
	"Agree. He was wery afraid. Wanted to throw us out, UG or not, but
cant."
	"We was under cover. So it can’t be our reputation?" Kei looked at
partner.
	"Maybe he looked through our cover..." Yuri sighted.

	***

	Okey, sorry for such a late delay, get some problems in RL.
AS always, latest stuff can be found at my homepage. See .sig file.

						Aivars
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       Aivars Liepa           Dept. of New Inform. Technologies
 Latvian Academic Library     mailto:aivars@www.acadlib.lv
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