Title: The Agency: Meeting of Souls 21/??
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing. That's about as plain as you could say it.
Chapter Twenty One
It was a wonderful experience not to be the focus of Gabriella's ire. Certainly it was much more entertaining to be the one watching from the sidelines as she cowered others. Provided her sarcasm or temper was not focused on him, he was more than happy to observe as others cringed before the torrent of verbal abuse she was so skilled at delivering. Even her silences could be eloquent and those flashing dark eyes could speak volumes in a single piercing glare.
She appeared to be utterly unimpressed by Tsuberov's peaceful environs as they had driven through the grounds and the short walk to the heart of the University complex also seemed to have failed to impress her. It was difficult to tell what the Prime was thinking, given she was a master at controlling her emotions, but Treize was fairly sure she was not overly impressed by anything she had thus far seen.
They had met Dean Hargraves in his office and Treize had gratefully slipped into the background, taking his entertainment in watching the interplay with carefully concealed amusement. He found it quite amusing the Dean obviously knew which of them to butter up, as following the initial greeting the man's attention had been focused on the stocky Prime. It was in no way an insult to Treize's station as either Prime or Duke, merely a survival instinct in a man who knew where the greater danger lay.
Tsuberov would be well and truly aware of her reputation.
"We at Tsuberov are quite proud of our students. They are expected to excel, Madame Gabriella. We train the future leaders of the world and they must be prepared for their future roles."
As if Gabriella did not already know that, Treize mused. The woman did her homework and had taken the time to research the University, reviewing details even as he had driven her to the complex. He noted her slight inclination of the head, an acknowledgement of the Dean's comments. Those dark eyes missed nothing as she looked about her, at the wood grained walls with massive bookcases, antique furniture and the centre piece, the enormous mahogany desk dominating the room.
"I thought it might serve us best to have something to eat before viewing the working session. Generally we do not favour disturbing students preparing for deep level work and Mr. Marquise is at this time in isolation in preparation for his work session."
"Acceptable."
Treize held his peace, aware Gabriella's assessment of the expenditure of wealth on frivolities such as this office was bordering on obscene. Personally he found the décor tasteful, if perhaps a trifle lavish, though given the clientele of the establishment it no doubt echoed the expectations of the parents of the students enrolled here.
Gabriella was notoriously hard to please, though she claimed herself to be a simple and easily pleased individual; a Gypsy who had started life in a traditional caravan troupe. How accurate that was Treize had no idea, as no one seemed to know exactly how old the Prime was, however there were days he could laugh himself silly at how complex this 'simple' woman could be. She had a heart of gold, the mouth of a fishwife and the protectiveness of a female tiger out to protect her young.
He wondered if the University would survive her.
At the present time he suspected the Master of Tsuberov to be rather low on Gabriella's personal radar. He had noted the glint in her dark eyes as she assessed him on their first meeting and recognized it as placing the man within the lowest echelons of her notice. Somewhere above the level of a cockroach, but below the level of her pet cat would be his estimation. It was not necessarily a bad thing.
Given her mood of the day it was probably the safest place for anyone to reside. Treize just hoped he himself could stay low on her list of priorities for the remainder of her stay. He had had enough of her attention for the day, so the Dean and Masters of Tsuberov were welcome to her temper.
Prior to their arrival Gabriella had studied the personnel records of every staff member at the complex who might in any way come into contact with their future Prime. He had learned with Gabriella nothing was left to chance. She reviewed and studied and reviewed once again, making her initial evaluations on each member of the staff and would wait for a personal meeting to complete her picture of them. There had been few on the staff lists that had aroused more from her than a dismissive snort.
"My car is this way." The Dean murmured, daring to lightly touch her elbow by way of guiding her toward the door of his office.
"Car? What is Gabriella to ride in a car for? Legs I am having and is not so far to walk I am thinking."
The Dean hesitated, shooting a quick glance at Treize who merely arched an eyebrow, unwilling to draw her attention. He was hardly surprised, having a fair idea she was intent on viewing as many aspects of the daily schedules of the student body as possible during her time here. No, it came as no surprise she would protest what would most likely be a short car ride to an expensive restaurant.
"I thought we would go to a restaurant I know, a particularly charming establishment with excellent cuisine."
The comment was dismissed with a swish of her wrist and jangle of jewellery.
"Gabriella is not in need of expensive food. You have cafeteria and cafeteria is adequate for student's meals, is it not? Balanced meals designed for those who work with Psi, yes? Then cafeteria is adequate for Gabriella's needs."
"The… cafeteria?" The Dean looked stunned, though after a moment Treize thought scandalized might be a more apt description. "Surely not. An esteemed guest such as yourself…"
"Gabriella is happy to eat food with students who will one day stand where Gabriella stands. Hopefully this will be lesson for others to learn and they will not be forgetting life does not revolve around fancy food and chronic indigestion."
Treize bit the inside of his cheek to resist smirking. Watching the Dean deal with her was, as he had thought it would be, highly amusing. Unseemly as it was the man's jaw actually did drop for all of two seconds, before he closed it with a sharp click of teeth on teeth, looking uncertain.
"Feeding your students you are, yes? Then feed Gabriella. Have no fear, telling you I will be if you need to sack your staff for incompetence. No Psi Gabriella is aware of performs to expectations with inadequate food. Young Psi's will not grow strong if fed well they are not."
Treize restrained his smile admirably as Gabriella swept past him, departing the office with her long hair streaming behind her. The Dean seemed incapable of speech or movement, staring at the open door as though mesmerized. Taking pity on the man Treize moved to the door, drawing attention to himself and glanced back.
"I find it is usually far better to humour her. Much less painful." He murmured.
"I… see."
"I hope the cafeteria is not due to close any time soon? Gabriella has been known to take her time over a meal… although considering the reason for our presence here this evening, I doubt tonight will be one of those occasions."
"How long will she be staying in the city?"
There was both caution and hope in the quiet question and Treize fought down the urge to snicker. Why did most people find themselves hanging on the answer to that question? After all, within minutes of Gabriella's arrival he was wondering how long it would be before she departed to bother one of the other Primes.
He met the man's eyes and could not quiet suppress a quiet sigh, shaking his head slightly. "I honestly don't know."
"Ah." The Dean seemed to deflate. "That is…"
"Gabriella is not appreciating this waiting thing while whispering behind her back you are!"
The Dean shivered and hastened from the room on the heels of the younger Prime who determined it best to move his own backside smartly out of the office. Though he could clearly detect amusement in her emotions he was, after all, attempting to remain low on the Gypsy's radar.
"My apologies, Prime Gabriella. The cafeteria is this way."
Treize could not blame the man for his trepidation. Normally the first thing Gabriella did upon meeting a person was instruct them to drop the formality and to use her name, which was Gabriella not Prime. That she had not instructed this man to use her name told Treize the man's standing was in serious doubt, a fact that would not have escaped the Dean.
The Tsuberov Institute turned out world class Psi's and the world leaders of the future and certainly the Dean of such an establishment would know of every high level Psi working within the Earth Sphere. To adequately prepare their students to join the elite workforce required the teaching and administration staff have extensive knowledge of the idiosyncrasies of each elite Psi, particularly the elite of the elite, the Primes. Hargraves would have to know nearly as much about Gabriella as she knew about him.
Her reputation would have preceded her and the news of her expected arrival would have caused quite a stir at the complex. Her imminent presence most likely had led to every Master who was not required to be present to make a hasty excuse and retreat from the Institute for the night; if the Masters could find a creditable reason for making themselves scarce.
The student body did not have that option.
/I have to trust her. Given how she handled my situation I must trust her with Zechs Marquise./ Treize reassured himself as he followed the pair through the administration block. /Gabriella does not make mistakes with young Psi's, as she so frequently takes the time to inform me. She made no mistake with me./
Her skirt; brightly coloured and down to her ankles in length, swished from side to side as she walked, a reassuring sway. Everything about Gabriella was unique, including her penchant for taking young males under her wing and providing them with a stable and infinitely better future than their families projected for them. At least, so it had been in his case. He must trust she would work the same miracle with the future expectations of their prospective Prime.
/I would dearly love to gain full access to his file and learn who his benefactor is. There is something off about this entire setup and it is not just the matter of a Stalker hunting one of these young men. One question I would like to see the Dean explain is why we, the Prime Empathic Telepaths, were not notified there was a Prime candidate in our field ready for integration. By rights we should have been notified of his potential years ago. Why has news of him been kept quiet?/
If anyone could get to the bottom of the matter it would be Gabriella. She would not rest until she dug out every facet of the cover up which had to be happening here. If not for the sudden death of their John Doe they would know nothing of a new Prime, not until it was too late to ensure the young man had a fair and reasonable contract.
It was even possible Marquise's contract might have been suppressed indefinitely and his benefactor might have succeeded in slipping the young man under the radar, assigning his contract as he saw fit. Tsuberov Institute, like any other establishment for the training and further education for the Psi active young of their society, knew the appropriate protocols to be followed on approaching graduation. The fact they had failed to follow these protocols meant something underhanded was in the works. The question was what?
/Who has the influence, financial and otherwise, to keep him and his talents so low key? Why would they want to? Tsuberov should be lauding the approaching successful graduation of a Prime talent, not hiding his presence. Underground connections might possibly explain the secrecy. He was found on the streets, so it is possible an enterprising Crime Lord might have taken note of him and wish to make use of his talents. Tsuberov turns out well trained individuals and some of their students have family backgrounds from the darker side of society./
He would have liked the opportunity to slip away from them and enter the Dean's office and seek out the unabridged student records. Unfortunately it was not to be considered, at least for now. The Primes were aware of the new talent and they would not be forgetting him. Nor would they permit one of their own to be exploited, hence Gabriella's presence.
In the past she had stood toe to toe with world leaders and cowed them into submission on the strength of her tongue alone. This case would be no exception to her prowess.
"Treize. Are you planning on joining us or are you to stand so all day? Is wood grained wall you stare at, not masterpiece of Rembrandt."
At least she had not resorted to calling him her Naughty Boy in front of the Dean. Heaven forbid she should get tetchy with him in front of witnesses.
He made an effort to place himself at her side and look to be interested in their conversation. Certainly he could now be included in their conversation, but he made no true effort to join in. Gabriella wanted his attentive presence, not his feedback at this stage. She merely required he be attentive to her needs, make note of the subject matter and not be seen to be acting in a manner unbecoming of their station.
Sometimes Gabriella could be a bigger snob than the worst of the nobility tended to be. It all depended, of course, on the company they kept.
The cafeteria was a huge affair, which caused him to shudder at the expectation of the noise level at meal time. It would be horrendous, he decided, thankful that at this late hour the room was almost empty. Within an hour the staff would close the area for cleaners to prepare it for the breakfast sitting and at this time only a few teachers were present. A few small groups of students were dotted about the room, attending late meals and quiet conversations. Some sat alone, an array of books and papers spread out around their dinners.
Gabriella looked about the room and with a soft grunt nudged the Dean to a corner table that would permit her to keep an attentive eye on the goings on in the room, while maintaining a low profile.
"This is adequate for Gabriella's needs." The dark eyes centred on the Dean and Treize did not imagine the glint there. "Come, we will get meals. This takes me back to my younger days."
Treize winced, well aware Gabriella's had been a public school education and it had been acquired only after she had been forcibly removed from her nomadic family by a government out to exploit her unique talents. Much of her attitude toward government departments and politics in general stemmed from her early days. She had not made a good start in the beginning of her career and she maintained the Gypsy personality that had seen her thumb her nose at authority from the time she could walk.
With the lift of an eyebrow at the scandalized Dean, aware of the attention of the others in the room, Treize followed Gabriella to acquire a meal, wondering what offerings would be left at this late hour. It was well past the set meal time at the Institute, but given the Psi work performed here there should always be something decent on offer at the cafeteria during its operating hours.
Gabriella perused the selection with interest, offering no comments, good or bad, before making her choice and stacking her tray. When Treize would have chosen something light he received a threatening glare and sighed as his tray was piled high by the older Prime. He knew better than to protest and glared down the Dean who had a suspicious tilt to his lips. The Dean, to the watching stares, served himself a light selection and followed both Primes to Gabriella's chosen table, settling down and ignoring the attention their presence was causing.
"Gabriella is pleased."
Treize almost fell off the chair. He had not expected Gabriella to comment on the food, but he supposed she was giving concessions where they were due. Certainly the selection she had heaped on his tray was of a higher quality than he had expected and he was rather enjoying the meal. The Dean inclined his head, looking pleased that at least something had appeared to please the woman.
The conversation was kept light and limited; Gabriella being one to enjoy her food and believed in the philosophy of more eating and less talk was good for digestion. Watching her Treize decided she was genuinely enjoying herself. At one point she leaned forward, her attention caught by a honey blonde haired young woman, obviously a student, with sparkling blue eyes. The girl was speaking with the Security Chief who had appeared in the doorway and catching her interest the Dean followed the direction of her gaze
He preened visibly, motioning to the pair. "Crown Princess Relena Peacecraft of Sanc. She is resident at Tsuberov for the next few years. We attract the trust of the world's foremost families to prepare their heirs for their future position."
Gabriella's dark eyes flashed and an intense look froze the Dean beneath her gaze. Treize was unsure of the reason for her interest in the young woman who could not have been a day older than eighteen. By the door the Princess Relena received a small respectful bow from Otto, who stepped aside so that she might depart and the Security Chief then made his way to fetch himself a meal.
Gabriella seemed to consider the encounter for a moment and flashed a piercing glance at the Dean, who seemed to draw in on himself in trepidation. Treize could not blame the man, not after noting the look in her eye.
/Hmm. Do I look like that when she turns those eyes on me? Not so good. I do hope I take it with a little more decorum than Hargraves is./
"The Princess has grown since last I saw her."
Two pudgy hands made a gesture before her ample bosom to demonstrate her meaning and Treize wondered if the Dean would topple from his seat, so scandalized did he look.
"Is a problem you are having with something?" Gabriella blinked innocently at the gaping Dean before abruptly changing the subject. "That man. Who is he?"
A fork indicated the Security Chief who was filling a plate with a steak and salad as they watched. Gabriella's eyes practically bored across the distance and Treize was not surprised when Otto looked about him, searching for the eyes he could feel on him. Gabriella ignored his scrutiny and returned to her meal, an eyebrow lifted quizzically at the Dean.
/Otto? I do believe it was Otto she was interested in and not the Princess. Interesting./ Treize was careful to keep his attention focused on desert, pulling the bowl toward him and discovering at his first bite it was blessedly tasty for a University cafeteria.
"Heinrich Otto, our Security Chief. He is in charge of the Universities security department. As you can imagine considering the families of the students here, it is a position of some responsibility. We pride ourselves on our student body and our ability to assure their parents they are safe from harm in our care."
/No longer a valid claim./ Treize mused. /Still, they are doing everything to assist us in determining the hunt has a successful conclusion./
"It is head hunting you do for this safety thing you claim. Gabriella is certain he was in Sanc Security. If I am not mistaken, and Gabriella is never mistaken, this one was of the King's Personal Guard."
The Dean blinked, clearly taken aback. "You… know Otto?"
Gabriella waved a hand airily. "Knowing of him I am. It is making it my business I do to know who works where Prime's work, even if it is not working directly together we do. Gabriella had the pleasure to be employed by the King of Sanc some years ago and had occasion I did to deal with his Personal Guard. I was knowing I knew that face."
"I… see." The Dean both looked and sounded wary.
/Well I don't. What the devil would Gabriella have been doing in Sanc?/
'Gabriella was minding her own business, Naughty Boy, which is what you should also be doing. Safer that way, it is.' The telepathic touch startled him and his eyes flew to the Gypsy who smirked at him, arched an eyebrow and returned her attention to her meal.
Suitably reminded of his place in the scheme of things Treize attended to his meal, though his gaze wandered across the tables unerringly to where Otto settled himself with his evening meal. The man checked his watch before beginning to eat and the action reminded Treize of the constraints of time. They were at Tsuberov this evening to observe their prospective Prime at a work session and evaluate for themselves his potential.
The session would be beginning soon and he could only wonder what Gabriella would make of Zechs Marquise… and what he would make of her.
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Agency Headquarters
Chang Wu Fei stretched slowly, bending himself back over the backrest of his seat, feeling the tight muscles pulling as he slowly stretched out the kinks. He wished the long day would end and he could retire to his home and rest. His ego had taken a severe bruising from that horrendous old woman, who had an incredible vocabulary of words designed to beat an ego into whimpering retreat.
Treize could keep his Gypsy Prime, lauding her and fearing her at the same time. If he never saw that woman again it would be too soon. The truly horrible thing was Sally thought she was marvellous. He could only pray his headstrong and very independent wife did not model herself on the evil onna. He would never survive living in his own home if Sally determined to emulate the domineering female.
He had enough trouble dealing with his wife as it was. She was not a traditionally raised woman and had her own strong views on everything from which side of the bathroom sink one's toothpaste belonged on when in use, to the current mistakes passed in the House of Representatives. He loved her dearly, but he feared for his sanity after seeing how she admired the Prime.
Spread before him on the desk were the latest notes and reports delivered to the Agency from Yuy's people. This was the detailed forensic examination on the suite in which their still unnamed body was found, prior to the demolition site it now resembled. After reading the synapses he had wished the original investigators had had the sense to request a Psi team before they trampled the scene. Had Treize been requested to scan the crime scene Wu Fei had little doubt he could have made much more of the scene had it been unsullied by the multiple presences of the forensic unit.
The discovery the crime scene had been wiped of psi emanations, in itself a unique ability, could have been used to determine information. The Prime talent could have made much of the scene had it been undisturbed since the event had taken place, detecting minute traces peculiar to the perpetrator and making it possible to add to their information. They may have missed vital evidence which would assist in identifying the Stalker.
He was still bothered about the instant assumption made by the investigators and the University Board of Governors itself, that Quatre Winner was the intended target. The more he read the reports the more uncertain he was Winner was involved. These reports included the Tsuberov Institutes initial report, before the affair had been officially handed over to the ESUN Security Agency.
Otto had submitted a detailed report on the discovery of the body and the events which had taken place subsequent to its discovery. A footnote in the report stated categorically there was no evidence to suggest Winner was the target. Having read both reports Chang had a new respect for Otto's abilities and agreed with him, there was not a single shred of evidence to confirm Winner as the sole victim to a potential crime.
It did not help the investigation that John Doe remained unidentified. Considering for three generations now it was law every baby born in the Earth Sphere was finger printed and DNA tested at birth, there should have been a match for him found in some data bank on Earth or in the colonies, but their finger print and DNA search had drawn a blank. That very conspicuous zero could mean only one thing. Some agency with a great deal of power, be it legitimately or illegally gained, had pulled the man's genetic records and removed them from the world and colony databases.
It opened up an entire new avenue of speculation.
/It suggests he is considerably more than was initially assumed. He could be either a government agent for a faction of the Council of Representatives, or he might even be involved in a crime syndicate. There are various large business concerns as well who have sufficient pull to break into the government records and remove all identifying traces of him. None of those options can be considered good./
The Medical Examiners report stated clearly the condition of the victim's body. He had been in prime physical condition and his health had been excellent before vital bones had been disintegrated to cram a human body into a space it normally would not have fitted into. There were no military service tattoos, no birth marks, scars and not even vaccination chips they might have traced. The neural net he had been fitted with was a high class affair, very expensive and all identifying serial numbers had not been erased; they had never existed on the device to be erased.
It left Chang with a nasty taste in his mouth as it could suggest only one thing. The man had been an agent for a concern as yet unidentified which was, on the scale of averages, almost certain to be government sanctioned.
/Someone was very careful to make it difficult to identify this man. Well, there are other means by which we might have some success. Not even a government agency can disguise where he grew up. To determine that will give us a starting point to pursue other avenues of identification./
The bones and tissues, particularly the teeth of an individual, recorded a great deal of information if you knew how to extract it. If you had the know how and a laboratory in which to do the work you could, with considerable accuracy, isolate the source of origin of an individual person in their formative years. DNA and enamel samples cut and ground from teeth could be analyzed to determine the unique regional signature given off in the chemicals that made up the food a body consumed. It was a method archaeologists had been using for years to determine the movements of ancient man and track the development of civilization and nomadic peoples.
The Agency, of course, had access to people who had the necessary skills and equipment to perform such a search.
Quickly and efficiently he authorized the tests be performed, aware he would have to wait a few days for the results, thankful it was not a wait of weeks as once it had been. The process was being refined constantly and he did not want to have this unknown body on his hands indefinitely.
"Are you ready to come home?"
He glanced up and smiled at his wife, folding her comfortably into the curve of his arm, relieved at the tone of her voice. Through the day and the previous evening Sally had made it plain to him she was less than pleased with his performance in the presence of Treize Kushrenada. He could only describe her reaction to that evil gypsy's tirade against his ancestry and all things associated with him as gloating. There was no disputing how much she had enjoyed his dressing down at the hands of the Prime and since his return from Tsuberov this evening a series of telling snipes had accompanied her every comment, until he had fled to his office to gain some peace and puzzle over the identity of John Doe.
It seemed now, finally, she had tired of rubbing his nose in his own mess and might be willing to forgive him.
"Almost. I have requested a round of tests to be carried out on John Doe to ascertain his region of origin. We need to narrow down our search area."
"Hmm, that will take a few days. Une has received confirmation Noin will be available to us, so that will also assist. She should arrive tomorrow, though I have no idea as yet on the exact time. I think Une was waiting for the confirmation of her travel arrangements when I looked in on her a few minutes ago. That woman needs to get a life beyond the Agency."
Wu Fei took the opportunity to nuzzle his nose into the hollow of Sally's throat, breathing in her unique scent and exulting in the absence of snide comments. It would be good to go home, he reflected, and perhaps begin to work on that baby they both wished.
"Perhaps now that peace has been made between her and Treize she may seek something other than old aggravations to keep her company."
Sally scowled, glaring down at the dark head, but enjoying his touch and the feel of his arms about her. "You are implying there might be something besides hostility between them? Something to suggest they might yet pair up? Give your homophobia a rest, will you Chang. Treize is a confirmed homosexual with no bisexual tendencies. Don't go looking for something that is not there."
Wu Fei, sighed, feeling her stiffen and the touch of temper in her tone. He was not going to have his planned evening ruined before he even made a start on it.
"I was not, Sally. I was merely hypothesizing that the trouble between the two of them may have had something to do with the Commander's lack of social outings… Perhaps her reaction to men is now wary, given the difficulties they had in the past."
"Her solitary tendency is far more likely to be the result of family pressure she has been taking for joining the Agency." Sally murmured. "I know they have been giving her grief for failing to attend to family commitments, namely the production of heirs for the family. She has as much flack to field over her career choice as Treize does. Honestly, I'm stuffed if I would want to be born into a noble family. They don't seem to have the freedom to choose what we lowly born creatures enjoy."
Chang snorted, pulling back from her with offended dignity. "I will have you know my ancestors ruled China! There is nothing low born about this particular creature."
Sally chuckled and leaned close to blow gently into his ear. "How about finishing up here so we can go and see about creating another temperamental being descended from the Emperors of China?"
Chang shivered delicately, all thoughts of Gabriella, John Doe and the Commander's nonexistent love life falling from his mind.
"We can at least take the time to practise. We must get this right."
Sally sighed but did not allow herself to become depressed at the recollection they needed to wait for the breeding laboratories, in the interests of avoiding potential difficulties with the next generation's psionic talent. She would have preferred natural conception, but she was only too aware of the dangers inherent in breeding for Psi talent.
He was right anyway, they could have fun practising, even if they must take precautions.
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
"There now. All done."
Duo chuckled softly, the sound not too far above the level of an amused purr as he caressed the cold metal beneath his finger tips. The device was smaller than the palm of his hand, trim, compact and designed to gain him what would surely be interesting information.
His return to the hotel had led him to the discovery he was to attend the evening meal downstairs yet again, a great nuisance in his view as he was intent on completing his latest toy. No amount of persuasion had swayed his supervisor so he had changed quickly into something deemed more presentable to the society patrons at the hotel and suffered through the meal.
The only good thing about it in his view was that the food was truly excellent. It almost made up for the inconvenience of delaying putting the finishing touches to his little friend. With the social niceties out of the way he had gratefully retired to his room to complete his project.
With the lightest of touches he swivelled the miniature camera, pleased there was no hesitation in the action and grinned at the thought of the places this little beauty could crawl through. He was expecting his room mates to return in a few hours and he hoped to have his tests completed before their arrival.
He would not show his new toy to Zechs, not initially at least. The tall blonde was on occasion a stick in the mud, disapproving of his more shady entertainments, but Quatre had proven to be a willing conspirator in the past. The Winner heir had taken to questionable entertainments with the hunger of the starving, his privileged upbringing not having exposed him to anything that resembled Duo's warped sense of humour and talent for getting into trouble; and equally adept talent at extricating himself from said trouble.
"There we go, all ready for your test run, my little friend. Let's see what you can do."
The laptop set on the coffee table was his control station and he set the little robot, which resembled nothing more than a slightly overgrown cockroach, on the floor and turned to the computer with a manic grin of expectation. He had no doubts his gizmo would work successfully as he never made stupid mistakes with machinery, even miniature devices as this one was.
The camera and the robot were remote controlled, he had full use over the six legs of the device and with his program he would have no difficulty negotiating any obstacle in the robots path. The camera would enable him to see exactly what the robot saw and he had used power cells and a signal wavelength powerful enough to mean he did not even need to be close to the robot to control it.
He was quite pleased with the robotic bug.
The beauty of the entire set up was that even if his robot was discovered and investigated, no one would be able to pin the manufacture of the device on him. They might suspect, but there would be no physical evidence to back up their theory.
He had been careful with the parts he had used and most of the pieces were too small for him to have handled with his hands, therefore there were no fingerprints to be traced back to him; if it ever came to that serious a situation, which it would not. He was too careful with what he used his toys for to take needless risks and he was not criminally inclined, though he could have made a fortune if he had been.
He chuckled as he directed the robot to crawl across the floor, using only the vision the computer screen showed him to direct the robot around the furnishings with no difficulty. The six legs moved efficiently and speedily and he was more than satisfied with the simple test. Next he tested the range by sending the bug into his dorm-mates rooms and noting the response never faltered. He would need to do a longer ranged test but for now this would serve his purpose.
"I should call you the Beast, but you are just too cute."
After a moments deliberation a wicked grin dawned and he was quick to position and climb a chair, giving himself sufficient reach to access the wall vent set just below ceiling height in the lounge. He spared a thought for the chair, deciding it must have cost a few thousand credits and wishing it was a little more suited to standing on, as he felt it shift beneath him, but it held his weight and he tackled unscrewing the vent.
He removed three of the four screws holding the cover in place and slipped the bug into the vent before popping the cover in place and replacing a screw, certain two would keep it square and no one, if he had unwelcome visitors, would notice his tampering. Returning to the laptop he settled down, rubbed his hands in expectation and directed the robot to trundle through the vent to the adjacent suite. Even the sensitive microphone he had built in could not detect a sound as the robot moved rapidly along.
"Looks like those non slip pads will silence you effectively and the servo's are just too small to generate much of a sound. Maybe I should call you the Ghost Roach? Now, lets see… where would be best to try first, hmm?"
He had been careful to make the device as silent as possible. The aim of the exercise was to hear what others were saying and see what was happening out of his immediate sight, not to give away his snooping.
/Snooping? Why do I feel like Otto is standing behind me with that disapproving frown of his? Ah, no, I don't snoop. I'm just… exercising a healthy curiosity. Yes, much better. The young are supposed to be curious and how will we learn anything if we don't listen at keyholes? Or air vents as the case may be./
He needed his robotic insect to be silent and small enough to escape notice, but powerful enough to give him good range and decent control. In this age of miniaturization the parts were readily available; all it required was someone with the savvy and the will to build one.
While the speed of the robot was satisfactory he would have liked a little more, but he could improve that in the next model. It did not take him more than a couple of minutes to negotiate the vent and position the camera at a gap in the vent screen of the next suite.
"I expected the Dean to attend dinner, didn't you, Cheryl?"
Duo grinned at the clarity of the voice of Charity Walker. Perfect reception, clear of interference and he congratulated himself on a job well done. He knew the range was not a problem as yet, but he would go a little further in the vent system shortly, as he had an idea of how much distance he wanted between himself and his target destination the next day.
Charity and Cheryl Simmons were telekinetic talents and daughters of politicians highly placed in the Council of Representatives. He was not out to discover state secrets, not that the girls were likely to know anything sensitive anyway, they were both notorious gossips and no one in their right mind would tell them anything they intended be kept secret. The sound on the bug was working well, but could he get a picture to go with the sound? Given the grill on the screen it would take some precise positioning to allow him more than a blurred image of a grid line.
"He had a prior engagement. A particularly important prior engagement."
"Oh? Do tell."
"I was in the hallway outside his office when the notification came through. I thought his secretary would burst a blood vessel she was so wound up. I tell you they have a cheek going on at us about uncouth language. You should have heard the Dean swear."
Duo's ears perked up as he listened in, chewing on the tip of his braid as he worked at positioning the bug to give himself some sort of view. He only hoped Otto's office had a vent with larger holes. He could hear sounds of movement but see only a blur at the present time.
/The Dean swears and was overheard by a student? My, my, what is the world coming to?/
"Dean Hargraves was swearing? Don't just nod at me, tell me what made our oh so proper Dean cuss."
"Cuss does not begin to describe the language." The girl snickered and Duo heard some rustling he could not identify. "What set a hornet's nest of activity off in the University this afternoon was news of the imminent arrival of the Prime T/E talents, Kushrenada and Gabriella."
"Primes? Two Primes were arriving at Tsuberov?" Charity sounded intrigued and Duo was sure he heard a book close. "What did Tsuberov do to receive that sort of distinction?"
/Yeah, looks like Kitty Kat was right./ Duo smirked. "What about… there? No, guess not. Damn, why do things have to be so unobtrusive in this place? A nice big chunky vent with lots of air holes; big ones is what is called for."
"I rather received the impression from his reaction that he did not think of it in exactly that light." Amusement laced the girl's voice. "I think he considered it a major disaster. He had Marquise to thank for the visit."
A moments silence and when Charity spoke Duo had no trouble hearing the confusion followed by exasperation in her voice.
"Marquise? Lord, what's he done now?"
Duo scowled as he gently tweaked the controls. He had a picture, finally, but it showed little more than a patch of fairly empty room. Still, it was a picture and there fore the device was operating. He could not help the tiny little holes in the air vents which did not lend themselves to spying. The test was, however, a success and he could move on to test the range.
"You did not hear that the T/E Prime Treize Kushrenada was at Tsuberov yesterday? Apparently he noticed Marquise and even asked to talk to him. Don't you think it an odd coincidence that one day we have a Prime on the premises and the next day we have two? And one of them the T/E Prime Gabriella, no less. I take it you have heard of her?"
"I think everybody has heard of her. If only from someone who has heard the latest whisper of who she has dressed down. She could not possibly be as bad as her reputation. Not even a Prime could get away with half the escapades that woman is supposed to have done."
"I don't know; I have never had the pleasure of meeting her. Kushrenada is handsome though, far better looking than I though he would be. My father knows some of the Kushrenada's and he said the Prime was something of a black sheep in the family."
"Luck to him. I hate the idea of having to conform. So what about Marquise would bring two Primes back to Tsuberov?"
"It seems the Prime Gabriella wanted to meet him too. I think it fairly safe to say the Dean was unhappy with them knowing about him."
"Well, you can't exactly say he is a shining example of Tsuberov training, can you? Some of the things I heard he tried to pull after he arrived here… He's very nice on the eyes though and it has to be a prestigious feather in the cap for Tsuberov to have trained a Prime talent and not just any talent. Telepathic Empaths are the rarest and the hardest to train."
"I know, and I would have surmised the Dean would be pleased to have attracted their attention."
/Not if something is fishy, Ladies./ Duo mused.
His fingers danced quickly over the keys, inputting commands to the robot and guiding it through the vent. He would need to reach at least the fourth suite along to be sure he had enough range to perform his mission the next day. Maybe the sixth would be better?
Quatre would be interested in knowing they were not the only ones to notice the Dean's reaction to the Prime's reacting to the abilities of one Zechs Marquise. He now had proof it was not just his or Quatre's overactive imagination.
" Okay, Roach. Your maiden run even turned up some information I found to be interesting. Let's see how far I can send you. I will need to be careful, I can't afford to lose you in the vents, I'd have hells own job retrieving you. I'd better remember how to get you back to this suite, too. Those vents are a maze. Another hour or so before the others return. Good. Plenty of time for a decent test run."
t.b.c.
Karina Robertson 2008
Authors Notes:
Treize Kushrenada : Level 10 Sending/Receiving Telepath + Receiving and Projecting Empath at Level 10. Prime rated. Agency Operative contracted term of 5 years with 2 years remaining. 25yrs of age Training facility: Psychic Institute Munich Division.
Gabriella : Romany descent. Level 10 Sending / Receiving Telepath + Level 10 Receiving and Projecting Empath. Prime Rated. Training facility rumored to be Government Laboratories of the Prussian Republic deposed in the year AC 45. Age: Unknown rumored to be approximately seventy four. Oldest of the Prime Telepathic Empaths.
Dean Alexander Hargraves: Dean at Tsuberov University and Parapsychic Institute. Neural Implant. Sending / Receiving Telepath Level 3
Heinrich Otto: Tsuberov University Security Chief. No Psionic talent. Staff Member at Tsuberov for five years. Fitted with a Neural shield implant against telepathic intrusion. Former employment, Sanc Imperial Guard. 35 years of age.