Well…this is my 3rd chapter… I hope this one will satisfy all you readers. Review when you're finished!
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Chapter 3: Conspiracy
Only its rays overcame the warmth of Farfallas. Even with the many buildings of Heiphong, the sun's shine was extremely bright through the tall cracks in between them. Most of the people were gathering in the many shades, inside air-conditioned areas, or underneath the newly placed mist-fans on corners of streets that towered about 9 feet above the ground. Under such, along with a few others, was Aisha Clan-Clan. Now saturated uncomfortably by the mist, her pallid hair gently blew as she tried to unbraid it. The Ctarl cursed herself for wearing her uniform under such sizzling weather conditions. Finally, Aisha removed her golden ring, letting her hair flow all over the place.
"Where are they?" Aisha looked up at the gigantic digital clock atop one of the buildings. "Dammit. It's already five."
Just recently, the Ctarl Empire sent a notice to Aisha that stated she would have an opportunity to return back to the Ctarl solar system, possibly with her old status back as an admiral. All she had to do was to wait in front of the Heiphong Galactic Embassy for the royal plenipotentiary interrogators-a bunch of stuck up assholes was what Aisha thought them-to arrive.
"They should have left sometime last week," she sighed. The Ctarl leaned against the pole and looked up towards the fan, "Maybe this is some sign… A sign sent from the gods that I'm not returning home..." Aisha formed a fist, teeth gritting, "A GODDAMNED SIGN!!!"
This was something Aisha tried to avoid, but it had to be done. She had to go back to the Ctarl solar system, no matter how she felt about her shipmates aboard the Outlaw Star…
For three weeks, the Empire has been sending her via satellite Internet. She kept receiving the same message, 'Any information regarding the whereabouts of Hilda?' Everyday after she received one of them, in the morning or afternoon, Aisha had to use a public connection to respond, 'No.' But, the latest message actually offered something worthwhile, her position.
Regardless of the small glances from the bystanders, Aisha turned around and punched the pole; the fan emitted a horrible, screeching sound. "NO ONE GIVES A SHIT ABOUT ME!!!"
"Oh no…what happened?"
Aisha fixed her glaze where the voice came from, prepared to give a meaningless retort. Six people were huddled over an elderly woman who was holding what seemed to be a portable TV. One of the people, a man wearing a red and yellow Hawaiian shirt, fell out crying.
She approached them, her voice still on a callous level. "What's going on?"
The old woman started to get teary-eyed under her straw hat, "This…this is horrible!!! My only child…gone… Our home…our friends…" The woman turned solemnly to the pitiful, crying man.
"You would h-have b-b-been a nice husband for her too, Daniel." She feel to her knees, tears and wails started to originate from them both. The other four bystanders also got down to their knees, giving their best sympathies.
Aisha's anger retreated back within her, now replaced by pity. She placed her hand on the old lady's head. "I'm so sorry for you…please forgive my rudeness." Aisha winced, her…asking for forgiveness from…some terran…
Lowly animals…
The woman stared up at Aisha, eyes red and swollen. Her face curled up into a mask of hatred. She slapped the Ctarl's hand away from her.
"GET AWAY FROM ME…YOU…YOU MONSTER!!!"
Aisha backed away from the woman, confused at the woman's actions. "I'm sorry miss, I just-"
"YOU CTARLS!!! ALWAYS THINKING OF NO ONE BUT YOURSELF… JUST LIKE THAT ST. MILLSTONE INCIDENT, I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT YOU ARROGANT, MALICIOUS, AND IGNORANT PEOPLE DID THIS!!!"
Aisha clenched her bottom lip; an insult to her race…something that was placed on those teetering scales that compared her pride to everything the universe had to give. Right now, those scales weren't in favor to her pride.
A fury rose within her, white-hot fires surged right into her heart…her very soul. She wanted to kill the lady; the Ctarl-Ctarl weren't like that…she wasn't like that.
Aisha compressed her anger within her mind, trying not to make the lady's theory correct. With a sharp turn and teary eyes, the Ctarl went to find another area in which she could be cool from the heat and to be away from the lady and other racists.
Meanwhile, on Angel Links…
The communications room was the most uncomfortable area aboard the ship, and seeing as how the ventilation system to the room was shut down for maintenance, it was freezing from the coldness of the non-existent heat and partially of it being above 'cold storage'. This was bad news for Duuz. The saurian sat in front of the private connection console, folding his arms inside his brown wool coat.
The woman whom he contacted face appeared on the screen, clearly in an addled state. Duuz saluted.
"At ease. How've you been? These past few months have been a drag. No reports on pirate attacks or anything." The uniform-clad woman cricked her neck, "So…what's going on and why have you started wearing coats?"
Duuz pretended that he missed the last part. "Admiral Marshall, ma'am, I would like to start and investigation on Earth, namely America."
The black woman chuckled, her countless badges made a slight jingle. "Why?"
"I have two tapes here," he pulled out two worn cassette tapes out of his pocket, "whom claims state a clue in who might be the creator of the XGP15A-II. It was probably someone other than Gwen Kahn."
The admiral blinked, "Oh really… I haven't heard of that ship in ages. Go on, let me hear them."
From his other pocket, Duuz pulled out the tape recorder, "Ma'am, you wouldn't mind if I only played the second tape, the first one is unimportant."
"No I wouldn't."
He placed the cassette labeled '2' inside the recorder and pressed play, after a few seconds, a man's voice started to speak hurriedly.
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"Never in my life…I wouldn't really care to have a child, too much trouble and guilt. But, two years ago, my views changed. Seeing as how I've married the love of my life, Melissa…I am prepared to have one. As I sit here, staring at the emergency room door, I'm thinking about what to name this new child of ours. I really hope that it's a boy, I can't think of any girl names. But, it doesn't matter, if the Holy Lord bestows upon me a girl, I'll love her the same."
Footsteps could be heard, "Mr. Pa-"
"Just call me James," interrupted the man's voice. Excitedly, he said, "WHAT HAPPENED?!?! Did it go all right? Is Melissa hurt? How's the baby?"
The other voice (presumably a doctor) laughed joyfully. "Everything's all right. Your two girls are ok, one's crying and the other is muttering random musings."
"When you say 'two', you mean Melissa and…"
"Yep. In fact, your wife has already named the child. We told her to wait, but she claimed that her husband had now creativity whatsoever."
"Oh my god…I can't believe this... I'm actually a father!" The man laughed uncontrollably before he asked, "What did she name her?"
"Melfina, or Mel for short. I think the name's grand."
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Duuz stopped it, "The rest is nothing important, just a few conversations about how to make a living, changes, etcetera."
The admiral peered angrily at Duuz, "What does this have to do with the XGP? More so, why should I care that some family is having a child, a child is born every 8 seconds or so."
Aggravated at how oblivious his superior was, Duuz had to explain. "Ma'am, you do realize that no cassette tapes nor recorders have been made over a century now."
"Ah, I see," said the admiral. She rested her head on her fist. "Well, if you put it that way, can you tell me who that man was?"
"His name was James Gilliam Parkers, his age during the recording is unknown and has no more family to trace. It is also a theory that he lived somewhere in the United States of America, possibly along the New England coast."
"What was his occupation?"
"An official scientist for the government, which has disavowed anymore information in him. And as far as records go, he has none…not even a death certificate."
The admiral raised her eyebrows in surprise of this new mystery man. "What about his daughter, Melfina? Any info on her?"
"There isn't much, only a birth and death certificate was discovered. Apparently, she died at the age of two."
Marshall combed her hand through her braided hair; her voice took on an aggressive tone. "I'm not going to repeat myself…what does this have to do with the XGP?"
This would really stump her as much as it did me, thought Duuz. He answered, "The XGP's navigational unit is a android named Melfina."
"So what? There are a lot of people in the universe named 'Melfina'."
"Based on the description of the late Melfina, her birth certificate states that she had black hair and hazel eyes and, probably by coincidence, the android has those same traits."
"It is merely a coincidence."
"He was a bio-engineer. There is a chance that my hunch-" Duuz stopped himself, he shouldn't have mentioned that this was a hunch he had. Now, his step for getting authority to investigate might be denied.
Admiral Marshall smiled, "A hunch, huh? You expected me to believe some hunch about a simply family long forgotten and how they intertwine with the present problems?" She laughed at this, "But you do seem very determined to find out about whatever the hell you're talking about." She leaned forward, "You just tell me what you're hiding, and I'll see if this problem is important."
How she figured out Duuz was hiding something was beyond him. If he told her that he sent a group of mercenaries to kill the crew of the Outlaw Star…wait a second… Duuz remembered that she mentioned how boring it was without any action. If she knew that the Kei pirates were dismantled, a full investigation unit would cover practically every solar system.
Duuz smirked, if Admiral Marshall didn't know everything about the Leyline incident, the other higher-ups didn't either. He still had a chance…all he had to do was to twist the story into something believable.
"The XGP is the believed key to the Leyline-which doesn't exist I assure you, but…seeing as how it is one of the most technologic advanced ships in the universe for it's age, capturing it might be able to benefit our forces…strengthening them. Right now, as we speak, another outlaw ship is seeking reputation by trying to destroy it. If someone can figure out how the XGP was created, then maybe we can build an entire militia of XGPs. And, if there are no records, then we can simply download the ship's blueprint from the ship itself!"
Marshall's face was in deep thought for a moment. After a few seconds, she spoke up. "Duuz…that just may be a good idea. I recommend that you should investigate James for the records so that we won't have to get our hands dirty by trying to claim the XGP. Ok, you have convinced me…next week, you and a team will be sent to America, all expenses paid. You will have full authority to carry out any manner that will help out with the investigation. Finally, you must give a full, detailed summary of the investigation each week that you are stationed.
"This is probably the best news I have ever heard so far. If you can accomplish this, Duuz, then maybe you can become an Admiral yourself. Signing off."
"Goodbye, Ma'am." Duuz turned the communicator off. He started to laugh gleefully; his dream of becoming an Admiral was finally coming true. All he had to was to trick a ragtag bunch of outlaws to hunt down the Outlaw Star and his Admiral to give him investigation privileges… Now…all he had to do was to hope that the Hellraiser is destroyed.
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Nothing much to say but to leave a review, even if you come here by mistake.
Ansem Revived