Dark Energy Supernova - An Anthology of SF SD Shorts

Part 7 Debrief

Quinn slowly drew in a lungful of the fresh, clean air wafting in through the open window.  It was untainted by hydrocarbon exhaust, or airborne particulates; something she had never before experienced.

"Tastes different down here on Alpha, doesn't it," a quiet voice commented and she turned back towards it.

The military officer in her pearl gray uniform smiled from her position behind the office's only desk when Quinn's eyes fell onto her.

"The air, I mean," the pretty blond clarified at Quinn's quizzical look, her uniform as clean and tidy as the small office they were now in.

"Ah."  Quinn's answering smile was faint.  "Yes, the air."  She glanced around the small office for perhaps the twentieth time since arriving a few minutes' ago.  "Any idea when the minister,...?" she began to ask before being interrupted by Duncan stepping into the small office from an outer hallway.

"Hey, Q," the big man greeted her with a grin.  "Been waiting long?"

"Yeah, fifteen minutes or so because I got here early.  Something about being debriefed by the Chief Minister of Defense herself made me want to be sure to be on time.  Figures you'd show up late though, Dunk."

Duncan's grin broadened slightly before he flashed a wink at the officer at the desk, obviously a secretary of some sort despite the uniform.  He then took a smooth step towards the door leading into the minister's office and, before either the secretary or Quinn could object, he palmed it open and stepped inside.

A muscle in Quinn's jaw jumped with sudden tension at seeing her long time partner walk in on the Chief Minister of Defense, perhaps the most powerful person on Earth, without being announced.  Then she was quickly stepping after him, hoping she wasn't about to enter a maelstrom of dire expectations.

And so the diminutive inspector was pulled up short with surprise when she heard the minister greet Duncan in a very warm and personal tone.

"Well, well, Colonel Duncan."  The minister was a hard faced woman with steel gray hair and an immaculate dark blue business suit.  Yet there was no mistaking the warmth in her smile.

"It's been a very long time since you've stood in this office.  To accept a commendation for that affair on Phobos, I believe."  She stood and extended her hand, which Duncan took without hesitation.

"That sounds about right, minister,"  Duncan replied, giving the minister's hand a squeeze before letting go, "you gave me a medal and the Martians gave me the scars so I could properly remember it for the rest of my life!"

The minister laughed, a strangely pleasant sound in contrast to her hard features before she noticed Quinn and sobered.

"Ah, Inspector Quinn.  Good of you and Inspector Duncan to join me for this little debrief.  It's just a formality, to close the book on this thing."  She indicated that Quinn and Duncan take the two leather covered chairs sitting in front of her desk, which was hand-carved and polished mahogany.  The chairs, the simple yet elegant office and the amazing desk were all hallmarks of just how much power this woman had.

A wave of the minister's hand and a screen appeared out of a hidden slot, fuzzing over before clearing to show images of the warehouse.  Scattered everywhere were the white armored troopers that Duncan had managed to get to kill each other.  And the wraiths of light and motion which were the results of Vaughn's failed conversions, the camera following them as they drifted around the room.

"In the wake of our arrival on the scene, we've confiscated Minister Vaughn's equipment and the remains of his illegal simplicant soldiers."  The minister paused to smile at Duncan.  "Well done by the way, colonel.  Remembering the corrupted neural root codes like that?  Makes me wish we still had you under contract."

As Duncan smiled wryly, the minister went on.

"We've also began a quick purge of a number of key systems, both here at the Ministry of Defense and in the various law enforcement agencies and located several of Vaughn's so-called software operatives," the woman grimaced.  "If you two hadn't of alerted us, they would've wormed their way into our most secure databases in the next few days.  Then Vaughn would've had the upper hand and MetaEarth's government would quickly change.  And not for the better."

Another wave and the screen returned to its hiding spot, leaving the minister to turn fully towards Quinn and Duncan.

"Of course, officially none of this happened."  The minister's smile was wry.  "We wouldn't want to turn MetaEarth's government upside down engaging in a public witch hunt that may, or may not prove that InterOp and its master have culpability."  The smile broadened slightly.  "Unofficially, I'd like to extend a heartfelt thanks on behalf of my office and the ministry itself to you both.  Not only did your efforts stop Minister Vaughn and his scheme to create cyber-operatives directly, but you've also made my ministry aware of his activities."

The minister then leaned forward and speared them both with a hard look.

"Now I don't have to tell you, inspectors, that in doing so you've made a very powerful enemy.  We'll do what we can to keep InterOp away from you.  But I would advise continued vigilance; if Vaughn wants you out of the way, he won't stop until you are!"

Quinn was still frowning some time later as she and Duncan were walking through the lush gardens that decorated the front approach to the imposing granite block that marked the offices of the Ministry of Defense.

"Think Vaughn really will take another shot at us, colonel?" she asked, looking over at her partner.  Who immediately grimaced.

"First of all, I'm no colonel, Q.  Not any more.  That was a lifetime ago.  Second, absolutely.  He had us in the crosshairs and we got lucky.  I don't think he'll underestimate us again."

Quinn fell silent at that, letting her gaze drift upward.  And in doing so, caught sight of Beta Level in the distance and immediately got a pang of homesickness.  Everything seemed so different here, on Alpha, where things were bright and shiny.  Yet, it was easier to tell who were the bad guys back on the upper levels.  Here, the good guys and the bad guys looked exactly the same.

"C'mon, Dunk," she quietly urged.  "Let's get the hell off this sterile postage stamp and back to where we belong.  Where the bad guys actually shoot at you, instead of trying to stuff your soul into a computer system."

Duncan grinned.

"Roger that."  And together they headed towards the flight area where a law enforcement transport waited for them.  So ended yet another day at the bottom of Gravity's Well.