INTERVENTION (3 page)

  
Having no personal knowledge about this woman was of no concern to Rachmel, for I.P geeks were renowned throughout the service as back room boys who constantly immersed themselves into the bowels of one laboratory or another, often only emerging to prove that they were still alive.

  
“No questions.”

  
The image of the woman was replaced by a man who, again, sported the yellow insignia. This came as no surprise to Rachmel, for the I.P personnel invariably worked in pairs, whereby each one’s specialisation complemented the other.

  
“Leading Physics Officer Kamul, 29: married: length of service 9 years: specialist classification Micro-organic regeneration: family consists of wife, two children; one male, one female: mother. Kamul has accepted the conditions of this mission. Do you have questions concerning this officer?”

  
Rachmel studied the man for a few moments before replying. Although the man’s face was considered to be classically handsome with its deeply tanned skin and strong but finely chiselled bone structure, it was his eyes that demanded the observer’s attention.

  
When viewed from a slight angle the iris appeared to be of the palest green, but when seen directly the colouration seemed to have disappeared, leaving the iris clear which left the man with an unintentionally ominous stare. According to rumour Kamul had a somewhat chequered military history of minor misdemeanours, although these hadn’t seemed to have stood in the way of his promotion to Leading Officer.

  
Under normal circumstances, because of his sometimes impetuous nature, Kamul would not have been considered for this mission but his expertise in sub-nucleonic physics and regeneration was second to none. Rachmel decided that Miles would be best suited to keeping an eye on Leading Officer Kamul.

  
“No questions.”

  
The screen now showed a man wearing dark blue and green insignia; here was their pilot.

  
“Leading Pilot Officer Hidson, 42: married: length of service 23 years: family consists of wife, three children; two males, one female: mother and brother. Hidson has accepted the conditions of this mission. Do you have questions concerning this officer?”

  
This pilot was well known throughout the service as a good and reliable person to have with you when the nasty stuff hit the air cooling system: an outstanding pilot with a record second to none, he was also renowned for his personal combat prowess.

  
“No questions.”

  
Hidson was replaced by a woman who wore a dark red jump suit and who stared, blandly, directly at the screen.  Rachmel stiffened slightly and felt her eyelids involuntarily narrow, for she recognised the black insignia of the Bureau that matched perfectly the dark colouration of her bleak eyes; so here was the mysterious civilian who had arrived last at the meeting.

  
Universally referred to as ghosts, but never to them personally, they enjoyed the freedom of having no one they could call friend, not even other agents and they had to be totally self-reliant; for people, both military and civilian, would think twice before offering assistance to an Internal Administration Officer.

  
These people could wield more power than even the top brass in military H.Q and were not to be taken lightly. They had the authority to arrest, investigate and pronounce judgement and to execute with impunity; in short, they were a God–like power, answerable only to the Bureau itself, for they were the caretakers of the laws. For the good of your own career and mortality, you never wanted to have to meet an Internal Administrator and here was one on Rachmel’s mission.  

  
The voice of the Commander of Missions broke into her thoughts.

  
“Internal Administrator Andretta, 29: unmarried: length of service 10 years: family consists of one child female and mother. Andretta has accepted the conditions of this mission.” He paused for a moment before going on. “Do you have questions concerning this agent?”

  
Rachmel replied immediately, “Yes.”

  
Andretta disappeared from the screen and the Commander reappeared. He looked back at Rachmel from the screen, his eyes meeting hers and unwavering in their intensity as though he were trying to instil a silent message into her mind.
For your
own safety be very, very careful: think long and hard before you speak.

  
This was what he would like to have said to her but knew he could not. Instead, he followed protocol and went on, “Please be aware that questions on serving personnel shall be monitored.” This was as far as he dare go with a warning. 

  
The intimation was not lost on Rachmel but she was intrigued by the fact that a Ghost was to be part of the crew: there were only six of them so why the need for the inquisition/elimination squad? And what must the rest of her crew be wondering, knowing that they would be working alongside a legal assassin? What the hell would this do to morale?

  
“I have questions concerning this person.” 

  
After a moment’s silence the Commander went on. “Questions please.”

  
“All members of this crew have been chosen and vetted by Missions Intelligence, is this correct?”

  
“Yes.”

  
“Then why do Missions deem it necessary to have on board a Bureau intelligence agent?”

  
“I am not in possession of the information requested at this time.”

  
Rachmel nodded, understanding that because this was a conference interview she would probably receive her answer at the private orders interview immediately following this one, as would, hopefully, the rest of the crew.

  
“Does this agent possess specialisation certificates relevant to the success of this mission?”

  
“Yes, she holds space flight certification and she is a qualified Biohibernation engineer.”    

  
She didn’t feel comfortable about a Bureau assassin having control over something as crucial as the biohibernation units.

  
“But Miles is a qualified Biohiber engineer.” 

  
“It has been decided that because of the nature and uncertainty of some aspects of this mission, having two engineers on board would be prudent, leaving Miles free to observe the main drive systems.”

  
Rachmel realised that her question was not going to be answered until the private briefing.

  
“No further questions.”

  
As though collecting his thoughts the Commander looked down at his desk for a moment and then looked back to the screen.

  
“Thank you, Leading Officer, your private interview will begin shortly.”

  
The globe screen went blank and then disappeared back into the desk. Rachmel was puzzled, for everyone should now be receiving their personal orders.

  
Leaning back into the seat she waited: but not for long.

  
The doorcom broke the silence. “Entry is requested.”

  
“Who?” Asked Rachmel.

  
There was a pause; she knew that the doorcom was now asking her visitor for the customary hand I.D check, but the reply, when it came, stunned her.

  
“Internal Administrator Andretta requests permission to enter.”

  
The ghost, here? She was supposed to be awaiting her orders as they all were: what was going on? Was she here to arrest someone? Obviously, this was not going to be an ordinary run-of-the-mill mission and she needed some answers.

  
“Access granted.” 

   Rachmel
turned to face the door as it slid silently open: Andretta stepped through and waited for the door to close whisper-like behind her.

  
“Thank you Leading Officer” She offered.

  
The two regarded each other for only a few moments, but absorbed an astounding amount of information as only women can.

  
Rachmel gestured to the desk. “Please take a seat.” 

  
Andretta walked across the room and sat at the desk opposite to Rachmel, but not wishing to engage in false pleasantries Rachmel spoke first. “I must ask you to be brief; I am awaiting my personal orders, as you should be.”

  
Andretta’s thin smile did not reach her eyes. “Your personal orders are here.”

   Rachmel met the woman’s stare coolly in the hope that her confusion would not be apparent.                                                                            
                                                 

  
“This is highly irregular” she replied, “I take my orders directly from Missions Command and so far as I am aware the Internal Administration Bureau is not part of the Command Service: to all intent and purpose you are a civilian.”

  
Andretta nodded slowly and then spoke. “Accommodation central system please.”

  
The computer replied immediately. “Engaged.”

  
“Voice recognition procedure.”

  
“Input.” 

 
“Internal Administration: Andretta: code one nine four five.”

  
After a wait of three seconds which seemed a lot longer to Rachmel, the computer replied “Internal Administrator Andretta voice recognition verified: request please.”

  
“Leading Engineering Officer Rachmels’ quarters; communication closure until I re-request.”

  
The computer replied almost immediately. “Complied.”

  
To Rachmel, she said “Everything that is said here at this time is for your input only. I feel there are questions, please ask them now before I begin.” 

  
Rachmel thought for a moment and then asked “When someone has to die do you refer to them in your report as having been administrated?” 

  
Andretta didn’t even think about her reply, with gaze steady and unblinking she replied “Yes; however I have never personally administrated anyone in that respect … yet.”

  
After a few moments she went on, “In two days time we shall leave the space station for a rendezvous point that will take us exactly twenty-eight days to reach; this point is the entrance to a Wormhole into which the earlier unmanned probes entered and where we shall also be entering.

It is known t
hat alien species have used this device to enter our system: it is also known that these aliens have connections with some people on Earth: my task is to seek out these people and to learn all that I can about them.” There was silence as the two women regarded each other.

  
Finally, Rachmel asked “Are you seriously asking me to believe that beings from another World or Worlds have been utilising a worm hole to visit our little planet?”

  
“I am not asking you to believe anything Leading Officer; I am revealing information to you in relation to my presence on this mission.”

  
“So, are you suggesting that the reason you are here is because you believe there are people on this mission who could, in some way, be communicating with aliens?”

  
“Yes.”

  
“Then why haven’t you arrested them? They could jeopardise this whole project.”

  
Andretta leaned forward and rested her arms on the desk top.

  
“To date, they have not endangered anyone and they may be of benefit to us at some time in the future. I am not here to apprehend, merely to observe and record. This is all the information you will be given at this time concerning these people, for they are my responsibility alone. And now to your personal orders.

You are to
Command this mission: there is to be no contact with any possibly encountered alien species as this is an intelligence gathering operation only. Your second-in-command shall be Leading Physics Officer Duarte: your main pilot shall be Leading Pilot Officer Hidson and I shall be responsible for the Biohibernation units. All logistical information will be given to you by Mission Command once we are on board as is normal practice. The vessel that we shall be using is of the new Subluminal Surveillance class, therefore there are no armaments and this will be her maiden voyage.”

  
She regarded Rachmel for a moment and went on. “I feel you have questions.”

  Rachmel wasted no time. “It is customary for the mission Commander to be consulted as to who should be Second officer and I would not have chosen Duarte, for she has neither the relevant experience nor service tenure.”

  
Andretta clasped her hands together and rested them on the desk in front of her.