Mindshard (ON HOLD)

Suits

  “Well?”  The man in the suit from their briefing in Ops demanded, a frown on his etched features.  Behind him a whole squad of armored marines were waiting, weapons activated and ready.

  “I hate it when they’re waiting for you on the other side.”  Vaughn whispered from just behind the wiry scientist.

  “Well what?”  Finn countered, regaining his nerve enough to push past the government officer and into the corridor beyond.

  “I said we would be monitoring you with marines on standby if the situation got out of hand.”  The man hissed, obviously perturbed.  “Yet, almost as soon as you step into the waiting area, some sort of dampening field was dropped in place and we lost all contact with you.  I was about to send in Sergeant Ling here, with a squad to make sure you were all right.  And now you step out of there acting as if nothing out of the ordinary occurred.  I wouldn’t mind a bit of an explanation.”

  “Sorry.”  Finn smiled thinly.  “You know how it is; that’s on a need-to-know basis only, friend.  And you don’t need to know.”

  “W-what?”  The man stammered in shock, unable to believe his ears.  Was the scientist actually talking back to him??  He looked at Vaughn, expecting the career officer to begin explaining her partner’s strange turn.

     Only to find a wall, Vaughn’s face unreadable as she returned his glare with a blank stare of her own.

  “Colonel?”

  “Sorry, Mr. Krane.”  She replied.  “You gave us a limited amount of autonomy to act within this assignment.  But that was enough to make some decisions outside of your command structure that we feel will provide the greatest benefit to both parties in this situation.”  Then, a little louder: “Sergeant Ling, find my kit and bring it here immediately.  And get me a comm link to the surface.”

     Ling glanced at the stupefied Krane then, making up his own mind, snapped out a quick salute.

  “Aye, ma’am.”  He rasped through his external speaker.  “Kent, on your way.”

  “Aye, sir.”  Another marine barked before taking off at a jog down the corridor.

     Satisfied his order was being carried out, Ling then turned back to Vaughn.

  “And I have a comm link on my suit, ma’am, with access to all points within the Icarus system.”  Vaughn nodded with satisfaction of her own.

  “Excellent, sergeant.  Hand me your external.”  Ling immediately detached a device from his belt, a small, hand-held link into the built-in comm system in his power suit.

     That was enough to stir the government man, Krane from his reverie.

  “Wait a second, what are you doing, colonel?  Surely you’re not contacting your family on Prime.”

     Vaughn favored the tanned government rep with a hard look.

  “That’s exactly what I’m doing, Mr. Krane.”  She rasped.  “Events have moved quickly here but I can’t deny what responsibilities I still have at home, Marine Corps, Naval Arm, and orders notwithstanding.  If I did, I wouldn’t be much of an officer.  I have to put things in place before I can continue this mission.”

     Krane shook his head in confusion, not knowing what she and Finn were about to do.  Oddly enough considering that brought a small smile to the veteran marine officer’s lips.  A diehard government flunky like this man, however, wouldn’t let himself stay in the dark long.  But before Krane could say what was on his mind, she held up a quick hand to forestall him.