"We have already meet, in absence," Silvia Mein rise from her chair, greeting the girls. "Take the seats, please."
"Thank you. Yes, the meeting was good," Yuri reply politely. "Very well done."
"Yes. I hope, You also understand, that the week, You were on our planet on your own, we can feel only as a hit under belt, miss Ilona and miss Kate?" Silvia's voice was icy.
"Yes, and we are ready to apologise for it. But we couldn't exclude the possibility, that pirates were supported by some of Trofar government officials." Yuri replied into strong voice.
"And?"
"We still aren't sure, but we decided to take a risk."
Silvia smiled.
"'Don't climb after snake in bush. Beat the bush and wait for snake to climb out'. Old saying, I suppose you too know its meaning. How I can help you?"
Yuri leaned closer to her.
"Well, there is something you can do. My partner is an action woman. We have our own ship, but I think it will be better for her to spend some time on the one of the Trofar SelfDefence ships. Can it be arranged?"
"Yes."
"Good. Then, I himself tend to be more a tinker type, an idea generator. I will like to get access to Trofar databanks. All databanks," Yuri made an accent on the 'all' part of sentence. "And the last - we prefer, if you give us the private encrypted FTL data channel for the connections with the WWWA headquarters."
Silvia pressed intercom button and quietly said into it few phrases.
"Need You any help other that said?" she asked. "Housing? Expenses?"
"Thank you. We have already chosen good hotel. And all our bills are paid by the WWWA."
"As you wish..."
There was soft melodic ring from the doors.
"Ah. They are already arrived." Silvia smiled.
Into room come in two men.
"John Smitson, captain of "Independence". Also one of my agents. Mario Benvenutti, our best computer specialist. Meet our colleagues from the United Galactica: Ilona Magiani, computer specialist, Kate Sinclair, weapon master, combat specialist..."
"Glad to meet," man into white officer's uniform bowed his head. Mario only smiled and winked.
"Pleasant," Kei reply, momentarily much more alive and alert. She rise and stepped toward men, and captain shook her hand. She found his hand being strong, but gentle. Also he looked straight into her eyes. Detail, but pleasant.
Yuri by time had looking at the Benvenuti. He was a small men, with black eyes, black hair, and skin even more cream-golden that the Kei's. He was wearing small moustache and glasses.
Silvia looked at the scene, pleased. Her intelligence team had earned their pay, for this time. A day of observations, set-ups and tests had paid well. Must remember to mention that into the weekly dispatch…
"John and Mario will show you their work places. If you will have any other requests, You can contact my secretary any time. But now excuse me - I have a meeting, I need attend." she stood up.
Kei was oblivious. Her dream man was holding her hand, and he will be with her for a few weeks at least. They will work together, live together, and be she damned, it they will not sleep together too!
He can't be married already! Even if he is, I will get him! Kei thought by herself, unaware of her face beaming it to anyone who cared to read it.
It's a set-up Yuri's mind raced through the possibilities. No way she has such a good men standing on moment's notice. She was expecting my requests. The question is, what else she was expecting? However, he is a good-looking... And intelligent...
They were standing in the hallway, the meeting over.
"Part of our computer network are located into this same building. If you feel interested to take a look, miss Magiani?"
"Sure, Mario. Please, call me Ilona." Yuri caught him under elbow, following Kei's example. Kei had been hanging on captain's elbow even before the doors had closed behind them. "See you later, Kate."
"This way here..." Mario lead her down the hall.
Kei looked after disappearing partner.
"Give her a computer..." she sighted.
"Seems, we both have a similar distaste for the computers," John smiled. "May I call you Kate?"
"Yes, sure, Johnny!"
"If you don't mind, we may go and meet my crew," John said, they starting to walk into other direction. "'Independence' currently is on the maintenance run at the cosmodrom, and most of crew is out in city, but a good part will be at the 'Golden Lion'. Ready to go?"
"Sure!" Kei beamed her best smile. "It is a good bar?"
"The best for the sailors!"
Both laughed.
"No mind links?" Yuri turned at Mario.
"No, miss... Ilona."
"Shame... I usually work with it."
Mario looked uncertain.
"May I... ask... about it?"
"Yes?"
"How you get your mindlink input?"
Yuri smiled.
"It's one of standard upgrades into United Galactica. Except the neglectful minority who has the mental problems of accepting implants, all the children get their mind link sockets at the age thirteen, when there is no more changes into skull bone structure."
"I know, I have read about it, but I don't get to look at one closely... May I ask?"
Yuri tossed her hair away from her left ear, opening a small glittering socket. Mario's fingers slowly and carefully touched it.
"Isn't it strange - to have a piece of metal into Your head?"
"Maybe, but it had saved my life more that few times."
"And it really allows to work with the computers at the speed, they say it can?"
"Yes. Have you the standard connection cables? Any for the MS universal port will be good, though the shielded will be better."
Mario opened one of boxes, full with the various computer details. Yuri selected a cable.
"Now, into what computer I can log in?"
"Come to my workplace," Mario lead her to another room over the hall. Into it was a table with computers, three chairs, a cupboard and few placates... And then Yuri froze...
"The Buxom Babes" placate was on the wall over the computer.
"Wow!" Kei exclaimed, when John opened doors of the red and from looks extremely fast limo.
"Please on board, milady."
"How fast does it go?"
"Not as fast as 'Independence', but I think, on straight track it beats 300 miles per hour."
"You will take me on a test drive, promise?"
Ohmygod... Lucky Kei isn't here, she would tear him apart in seconds... I can't attack... Calm down, calm down... Its not You, its Yuri... You are Ilona... Ilona... Ilona...
"Ilona? You feel bad?" Mario asked.
"No. It all okay. All okay. This is your cabinet?"
"Yes. Small, but I newer ask for the better. This is as for me - all for my comfort and job." Mario turned away to turn on his workplace computer.
The little distraction was all she needed to get her mind into order. Mental check to do a search about the damned placate being still into production, and then quite a violent way of dealing with the parts guilty of involving. Preferably a few kilos of plasticate explosives set under their beds…
She noticed Mario watching her, and turned the pleasant memory off.
"Now, be it the standard mind-link cable, it may be already set up, but now I have yet to see if the connection is working," Yuri said smiling, while part of her brain was already hacking into Mario's computer system, and from it jumping deeper and deeper into the network, it was connected to.
It was her chance. Of course, her questions expected, they must have wiped out any compromising data, but something may still be left… If she gets to it before it's gone… And Mario's must have a high priority…
"Wait! You don't need the password?"
"Karl. John-Anna. Sigismund. One. Underscore. Two. Beta. Alex."
"You hacked my password?"
"Sorry, forget to warn - I'm carrying gigabytes of the software into my head, including the best hacker's stuff, I get hands of... Speaking of which… You too have quite a nice collection…" Yuri winced. Old friend was on her trail. Same sophisticated trapper, and this time she hadn't her desk to aid her.
"You are already into my data?" Mario was a bit pale.
"Don't worry, your hentai gallery will stay intact."
Mario had enough tact to blush.
"One of the beauties of the mind-link is the ability to work with the maximum speed, brain and machine are capable of, without any crude intermediates like muscles, keyboard or scanners…" Yuri continued chatting the old advertisment phrases, while most part of her mind was busy fighting the defences, algorithm was raising against the intruder. So far she was keeping upper hand, but multitasking took its toll. One misstep, and it will call general alarm…
"You had only to try it once, and you would never again believe into old ways of communication between human and computer…"
She had at last bested the defender, and got around it. But something was amiss. Something bad.
Yuri pulled most of her mind back into the room and only then understood.
"I'm sorry, Mario…" she whispered… *Tell blind about the light… what an idiot I am…*
The long sleak limo stopped at the quite extravagant building. Some snarling animal was raising its paw against those who dare to enter it.
"Golden lion", John pointed toward it.
"Then lets not loss more time," Kei vaulted over the side of car. They ran inside, on the way tossing keys to the bouncer.
Yuri had now logged into security network into traditional and quite legal way, but part of her mind was still hacking the secrets of the Trofarian security. She was doing triple multitasking. While part of her was busy sneaking out any unwiped parts on the storage capacities and occassionally having tackles with the guardians, other part of her was hacking the same defences again, and third explaining to Mario the holes and weaknesses of their defences.
Mario looked quite shaken seeing how fast and easy she broke into his network. He had offered to give her the official clearance, but she had counter-offered it with the proposal that he would take her out on so many lunches as she would hack the defensive measures into their network and keep being undetected. So far, he was owing her for two weeks, and toll was still rising. Mario was wearing deadly serious look on his face and quickly typing notes on his palmtop.
"Of course, in reality its quite impossible, that any hacker would get so far inside and gain access to a computer with such a high level of clearance," Yuri was speaking, "but better be safe."
"We have a good security."
"Good yes, but there also tend to be good infiltrators," Yuri answered, remembering the TC training school, she had attended. Any of her colleagues would got into this building. It was still a question, if they could get back out, but for herself she had already planned quite real get-away.
Suddenly there was flash of the red light.
"Attention! Security, intruder alert! Intruder alert!"
Yuri in shock checked, who could be detected. With a quiet relax, she discovered that by talking with Mario she had missed some checkers on her show-up intrusion. Ok, two weeks and a half of free lunch, not bad. But better get out. Leaving some traps for later acquiring, she pulled all probes out, and then disconnected.
Mario quickly pressed intercom and went on the heated discussion about the alarm. It didn't come down to the shock troops crashing through the doors, but it was quite close to that.
John stepped up on the bar chair and shouted over the noise of the room.
"'Independence' crew, to the bar! On the double, boys and girls!"
Kei looked, how about three dozens of men and women into private drifted toward them. They saluted to the captain, shook his hand, then looked at her.
"Okay. Here's our newest member. Gunner coordinator Kate Sinclair," John declared. "Order from the tops."
Kei could feel the stares turning hostile. She well could imagine what they were thinking - someone comes out from nothing and gets a good position on their ship. More, as the tops possibly had something other in their minds, she probably doesn't know the aft from stern.
"Hey, I know her!" some voice called. "She was the one that beat those unionians in the "Fishtank" at Monday!"
Voices burst out now. She was accepted.
Kei had to retell her story of fight, get a few comforting slaps and the confirmations, that as trofarian defence fleet crewmember no police would dare to arrest her as long as some of them would still be standing, the more just for breaking few unionian's noses. Time from time, new members joined them in place of leaving ones, and the story had to be retold, and the glasses raised again in toast for the best navy in Universe, for the Lady Fortune, for the best ship 'Independence' and it's best crew and best captain…