Chap 2

"Normally, new recruits would get kitted up on their official first day, but since I have to drop off the video of the Turnball case to the tech guy anyway, you might as well get a head start." Explained Trouble Kelp as they made their way down to the Tech Labs.

"I totally agree" agreed Holly, more than eager to get her hands on the new weaponry. Rumour had it that the new neutrino was being released to the officers and Holly hoped to her ancestors that she might be one of the first to have one.

They strode confidently (or at least, confidently on Troubles part. Holly was acting more than anything else) through a pair of whooshing doors that whooshed closed behind them.

"It's like the doors announcing that they have done their job and are now closed" commented Holly, receiving a nod and smile from her companion.

The kind of nod and smile that makes you feel, oh, this big on the inside.

The room they had entered followed the same style as the doors. Everything had a kind of smugness and self importance that was a, for lack of a better word, contrast from the rest of the building, which didn't really have a personality, or if it did, it didn't show it off.

"Impressive isn't it" called a voice, hidden behind a giant screen "I designed the entire room myself you know. Took me ages to incorporate all of the bug sensing technology. Well, comparatively anyway." The voice was male, and had the same smugness that the room seemed to possess. "If anyone tries to sneak anything in hear that they shouldn't, I'll know about it" the voice continued.

"This is Foaly," introduced Trouble with just the hint of a sigh "the tech guy"

"Centaur actually" corrected the centaur coming into view but not looking up, "and you must be the new meat…" he consulted his screen "Holly Short." He did a double take, then finally looked at the new recruit "but you are a girl!" he exclaimed.

Holly rolled her eyes. Joy oh joy, another big headed male who thought that recon was no place for a girlie

"Yes" she said containing herself "we covered that earlier."

The centaur looked from Holly to Trouble, then back again, then suddenly started laughing. His laughter continued long after it had become inappropriate, and even after the giggles had subsided, he still, to put it nicely, grinned like a loon.

"It gets better" agreed Trouble, ignoring the questioning looks he was getting from the female and plucking his video card from his helmet. He plugged it in to the main screen, and fiddled with the controls until the shot of Julius shouting at Holly.

"Do you have anything else to say for yourself?" boomed the commander's voice over the loud speakers. The Holly on the screen looked directly into the camera and the Holly watching grinned deeply.

"Only this commander" she replied with what came off as more bravado than the new captain remembered having, and shot him three times with the paintball gun.

Trouble froze the screen of a full face shot of Commander Root. His eyes looked like they were going to burst out of their sockets, and his mouth was pulled into a cross between a shocked 'o', and a teeth baring snarl.

Needless to say it was rather funny.

Once more the centaur collapsed in laughter, and Holly, now realising that she wasn't the butt of the joke felt more inclined to join in this time.

Once the laughter had stopped once more, Foaly started piling Holly up with more gadgets than she could ever handle by herself.

"…this is a moon belt, makes everything easier to carry" he continued after a very long introduction to the machinery of LEPrecon "and finally, for your personal egotistical self-assuring purposes, the neutrino 1750, latest model of my own design naturally, this baby is top of the line, and guaranteed to win in any fire fight." He winked at the star struck elf "if handled correctly".

The group chatted for a little while longer about the comings and goings of the LEP, and general polite conversation that is called for in social situations and generally bored Holly out of her skull.

Eventually, Holly and Trouble made their excuses about having to leave, but just as they were about to exit through the whooshing doors, Faoly called them back.

"Just to say thanks for my new screen saver" he said, presenting her with a small black box on a chain "it's an access cube for my lab, as long as I am around, you don't need to wait for me to answer the door. But be careful with it, only Kelp, Wing Commander Vinyáya and now you have one, so don't go blabbing your mouth off."

"Wow, thanks Foaly" replied Holly, hooking it over her head

"And remember to send the files to the council, it has all the information we have about Turnball on it" reminded Trouble. Suddenly remembering the prime reason they had visited the Lab.

The doors whooshed closed behind the pair as they exited the room, and Foaly set about editing the video files of all unnecessary footage that Trouble had obtained.

He watched the clip of Holly shooting the Commander one more time, before sending the complete set off to the council.

At a later date, that section of video was to be sent anonymously to all of the computers within the LEPrecon department, and actually become the default screensaver loop for the entire LEP council.

It would be a small understatement to say that Julius Root was not amused.