Chapter 5- Sitting Duck
Location- NEA Space Centre BetaPrime, Central Control systems area. Block 17. Present Day.
"Can you believe them? Hiring a new general off the cuff?"
"I know! We've got enough problems with Yamue and Onninetchi without another military hotshot bossing us around."
"If you don't like it," a young man said gently, "you could always leave. Nothing's stopping you."
The two other soldiers turned sharply. "No one asked you, Marlotte!" said the first.
"You're not honestly saying you like being treated like a slave all day?" said a nearby soldier, drumming away at a keypad.
Drake Marlotte shrugged and smiled a slightly crooked smile. "It's not all that bad… and besides, it could be worse. We could be doing maintenance. That would suck no end."
"He's right, you know," said a female. "Or you could all be secretaries. That's the worst."
Drake smiled. "Hey Nikki. Problems in paradise?"
She snorted. "What paradise? I'm stuck doing Hiwatari's dirty work all day! That brat's a nightmare!"
"'Could be worse," said the typing soldier, glaring as the two other soldiers walked off to continue with their duties. "You could be secretary to that new general…"
"Heck no!" Nikki squeaked. "I hear she's a nightmare. Cut up poor Abarov pretty bad, from what Hiwatari said this morning."
"She… attacked him?" Drake turned his gaze to Nikki, a little stunned.
"You bet! Pulled a switch blade on him and slashed his throat!"
"Jeez… what's gotten into Yamue?"
Nikki turned to the typing. "What do you mean, Yama?"
The man shrugged. "You know what I mean. He's hired and given full access to an nutcase!"
Drake smirked as he tapped away at the keypad. "She's not the only one with full access." Nikki leaned over his shoulder and grinned. "Recruits Motomura and Seito charged with maintenance duty for a month…"
"Oh you're so wicked, Drake!" Nikki hissed.
"Nicely done, soldier," said a cold voice. "Couldn't have done better myself. Drake turned to see a woman in military uniform, carrying a peaked cap. Her shaggily cut hair fell about her shoulder, covering half her face. Nikki stood up slowly.
"General Kittenne," she said politely, before hurrying off with her papers. Drake swallowed hard. The General sat down beside him and smiled. She was so young…
"So, you're a hacker?" she asked politely. Drake glanced around for support, but Yama and the rest of this workmates were hurriedly distracting themselves.
"Err… I… umm…" Drake faltered. "I guess…"
The General laughed a little. "Don't worry. I won't tell anyone. In fact, I was looking for someone just like you to help me with something."
"Me?"
"Yes," Maria said silkily. "You're perfect for the task. How would you like ot be promoted to my personal assistant?"
Drake swallowed hard again. "Me?" he managed to blurt again. Maria smiled.
"Of course, I'll make sure you get a rank promotion. How does Captain sound?" Yama spluttered a little as he took a sip of coffee.
"Captain? Me?"
"And of course the pay will be favourable. Do you have a family to support?"
Drake looked up into the odd whirling eyes and felt compelled to spill his soul. "My little sisters, my mother and my father who's in an asylum." The General nodded and got to her feet.
"Well then… Drake Marlotte," she peered at his name tag. "I'll make the pay extremely favourable." She looked deep into his face and smiled. "Do you accept?"
Drake swallowed hard. He didn't want to leave his post here, but something made his tongue say "Yes."
The General smiled. "Good then. Come with me." As they walked away, Drake looked behind him, but no one looked up at him. He wasn't in their league anymore.
****
AN- I apologise for time travel, OOCness, new characters, oddness and anything else I already apologised for in the AN at the beginning. Oh, and stupidly short chapters. My bad.
Location- NEA Space Centre BetaPrime, Central Control systems area. Block 17. Present Day.
"Can you believe them? Hiring a new general off the cuff?"
"I know! We've got enough problems with Yamue and Onninetchi without another military hotshot bossing us around."
"If you don't like it," a young man said gently, "you could always leave. Nothing's stopping you."
The two other soldiers turned sharply. "No one asked you, Marlotte!" said the first.
"You're not honestly saying you like being treated like a slave all day?" said a nearby soldier, drumming away at a keypad.
Drake Marlotte shrugged and smiled a slightly crooked smile. "It's not all that bad… and besides, it could be worse. We could be doing maintenance. That would suck no end."
"He's right, you know," said a female. "Or you could all be secretaries. That's the worst."
Drake smiled. "Hey Nikki. Problems in paradise?"
She snorted. "What paradise? I'm stuck doing Hiwatari's dirty work all day! That brat's a nightmare!"
"'Could be worse," said the typing soldier, glaring as the two other soldiers walked off to continue with their duties. "You could be secretary to that new general…"
"Heck no!" Nikki squeaked. "I hear she's a nightmare. Cut up poor Abarov pretty bad, from what Hiwatari said this morning."
"She… attacked him?" Drake turned his gaze to Nikki, a little stunned.
"You bet! Pulled a switch blade on him and slashed his throat!"
"Jeez… what's gotten into Yamue?"
Nikki turned to the typing. "What do you mean, Yama?"
The man shrugged. "You know what I mean. He's hired and given full access to an nutcase!"
Drake smirked as he tapped away at the keypad. "She's not the only one with full access." Nikki leaned over his shoulder and grinned. "Recruits Motomura and Seito charged with maintenance duty for a month…"
"Oh you're so wicked, Drake!" Nikki hissed.
"Nicely done, soldier," said a cold voice. "Couldn't have done better myself. Drake turned to see a woman in military uniform, carrying a peaked cap. Her shaggily cut hair fell about her shoulder, covering half her face. Nikki stood up slowly.
"General Kittenne," she said politely, before hurrying off with her papers. Drake swallowed hard. The General sat down beside him and smiled. She was so young…
"So, you're a hacker?" she asked politely. Drake glanced around for support, but Yama and the rest of this workmates were hurriedly distracting themselves.
"Err… I… umm…" Drake faltered. "I guess…"
The General laughed a little. "Don't worry. I won't tell anyone. In fact, I was looking for someone just like you to help me with something."
"Me?"
"Yes," Maria said silkily. "You're perfect for the task. How would you like ot be promoted to my personal assistant?"
Drake swallowed hard again. "Me?" he managed to blurt again. Maria smiled.
"Of course, I'll make sure you get a rank promotion. How does Captain sound?" Yama spluttered a little as he took a sip of coffee.
"Captain? Me?"
"And of course the pay will be favourable. Do you have a family to support?"
Drake looked up into the odd whirling eyes and felt compelled to spill his soul. "My little sisters, my mother and my father who's in an asylum." The General nodded and got to her feet.
"Well then… Drake Marlotte," she peered at his name tag. "I'll make the pay extremely favourable." She looked deep into his face and smiled. "Do you accept?"
Drake swallowed hard. He didn't want to leave his post here, but something made his tongue say "Yes."
The General smiled. "Good then. Come with me." As they walked away, Drake looked behind him, but no one looked up at him. He wasn't in their league anymore.
****
AN- I apologise for time travel, OOCness, new characters, oddness and anything else I already apologised for in the AN at the beginning. Oh, and stupidly short chapters. My bad.