Steve Austin did not enjoy investigating Tony Nelson. They didn't know each other well, but they were both astronauts. And even among astronauts, they were in a very elite club—two of only a dozen men who had walked on the moon.
Today was one of the worse parts of the investigation. Somehow, they smuggled Rudy Wells into NASA without arousing suspicion. Rudy was in Steve's quarters making adjustments to the bionic limbs. Such adjustments were necessary to maintain his cover for his next interview. Steve thought OSI was going to a lot of trouble to investigate an otherwise routine promotion.
Steve put on gloves, even though it was a warm Florida day, and hobbled over to the car that the Air Force had assigned to him. The new adjustments made it very painful to walk, and it showed on Steve's face.
After a long, painful drive, Steve found the mobile home he was looking for outside Orlando. Steve didn't need his bionic eye to spot the large Winnebago sporting the sign "Doc Bellows Mobile Clinic, Physician to the Astronauts."
Steve knocked and Amanda answered the door. "Steve! Please save me!"
Steve slowly walked in the mobile home, almost tripping on the steps.
"Colonel Austin!" Exclaimed Dr. Bellows, "It's a wonder you can walk! Those prostheses are incredible! May I examine them?"
Before Steve can say a word, Amanda shouted, "Alfred! Have you no tact?"
Dr. Bellows responded with, much to Steve's relief, "I'm sorry Colonel, sometimes the scientist in me gets very carried away. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."
Steve replied, "I understand, Doctor."
Amanda bellows left the two Air Force Colonels to talk.
Doctor Bellows had done some initial counseling with Steve after his crash, so he knew Austin had lost both legs, an arm, and an eye. When the OSI took Steve from NASA to rebuild him, Bellows was taken off the project. Rudy adjusted Steve's bionics so they would act like normal, but very good prostheses to prepare Steve with his reunion with Doctor Bellows.
Steve switched to another cover story that was almost the truth. It bothered him how much better he was getting at lying to former colleagues.
"Since the crash, I was able to stay on limited duty with the OSI. Its mainly desk work, but it keeps me in the Air Force." Steve started.
Dr. Bellows interrupted with, "And you're here to investigate Lieutenant Colonel Nelson."
Steve looked surprised. He didn't inform Bellows the purpose of his visit. Maybe the rumors Austin was hearing about Nelson back in the days of Apollo weren't as fantastic as they had seemed.
Dr. Bellows was an astute observer of body language. It was a necessity in his former profession as psychiatrist. And it often made it seem as if he could read minds.
Alfred continued, "You must have heard the rumors, and I assume you've met Colonel Nelson. In all honesty, Colonel, don't you find that something is just not right there."
"What do you think is 'not right'" asked Nelson.
Bellows knew better than to go into wild tales he knew were true. He didn't want to spend his retirement in a psych ward at a VA hospital. So the psychiatrist told a tale that would pique the interest of an OSI Agent.
Bellows responded cautiously, "I have seen boats, sports cars, and even aircraft in Nelson's possession, along with priceless artwork and antiques. Those are just some examples of items I have seen with Tony Nelson that no Air Force officer could afford, unless he was getting a major payday else were."
Steve, of course could see what Bellows was implying and he found it hard to believe, Tony Nelson on the take…or worse. It just seemed so impossible. However, as he knew, the best way to keep attention off of yourself is to do an outstanding job and get excellent job performance reviews. That's why you never hear of spies with sloppy job performance or poor attendance at work.