William Stryker had caught the scent of another piece for his collection. The telegraph he received that morning was the first of many to put a genuine smile on his face. His team would soon be complete, and just in time for their most important hunt of all. Stryker allowed himself one last small smile before pressing the intercom button:
"Surge, meet me at docking bay A-24. We have a package to pick up."
The reply came through with a slight crackle, doing nothing to hide the dryly sarcastic tone "Right, a package. Something else for your doll collection, no doubt."
Stryker felt the beginnings of a headache forming. Surge's sense of humor always left him feeling slightly unmanned. Annoyed, he pressed the intercom button again, retorting pointlessly "Just go to A-24. I'll meet you there."
Silence answered him, and he knew that Surge had left before even hearing his reply. But fortunately, his good mood could not be extinguished by the small matter of insubordination, and thus reassured, Stryker walked rapidly down the hall towards the docking bays. And as he walked, he tumbled the information he had on his two new pieces very carefully around in his mind, planning their initiation, use, and eventual destruction as delicately as a spider weaving its web.