DISCLAIMER: Mass Effect video game is the property of its respective owners and the author has no financial gain from it. Original Characters and story concept are mine though. - Just adding it as I forgot to include it in Chapter 1.
A/N: Just a small reshuffle. I decided that posting Chapter 1 in its whole chunk is a bit too much, so it's now divided into two.
My beta is still the one and the only Redentor
Chapter 1, part 2
After sending a message Anneke asked me to follow her. She said that it will take some time for Payroll Department of Security Branch to prepare info for us, so we went for lunch. I didn't protest as I was getting hungry as well.
On the way I learned that her last name was Koeckritz. She was born and raised in Confederacy and worked in the Interactive Dislocation Department for four years now. She was also a psychologist, profiler and a certified law enforcement officer (last one was a surprise, but in hindsight not unexpected) who was personally managing one of the Consciousness Transfer teams. She was married to a man who worked as an independent contractor. It was a nice surprise to see that her cold persona was mostly used as an intimidation factor for newly woken agents. I actually found her rather pleasant to be around when she wasn't 'on the job'. Of course, it could be their way of keeping me satisfied and obedient, but to be completely honest I was slowly getting tired of being on the edge all the time. I've already been promised to be presented with the employment proposal by the accountants from Security Branch, so I decided I might as well enjoy the brief respite. I had no illusions that my previous discussion with Anneke Koeckritz was my last verbal battle.
As it turned out, only the two rooms and a corridor had been furnished in this 60's science-fiction style, while rest of the facility looked like any standard office, albeit a futuristic one. I suspect the retro-futuristic shtick of the waking room was another attempt at intimidation. I confess that it worked for me, as it kept me apprehensive throughout the whole conversation. I grudgingly admitted that Interactive Dislocation Dept. team was good at their job.
Rest of the facility was fairly small, but the activity in it was noticeable. Turns out that bureaucratic cock ups reached multiverse as well. Interactive Dislocation Department had couple of subdivisions. Consciousness Acquisition subdivision, for which Anneke Koeckritz worked, shared some of their offices with Forecasting and Analysis. It was understandable as both subdivisions were required to share their databases. But why on Earth would somebody place R&D in the same building, let alone the same floor? Anneke explained that it was a mistake made by someone during the planning phase that went completely under everyone's radar until it was too late to change the arrangements.
It was curious that I didn't see as many people as I expected for such grand undertaking. Anneke told me that with the technology that Confederacy had at their disposal they didn't require many people or much space here to run things efficiently. Or rather, as efficiently as government-funded agency was able to.
I actually asked Anneke why she was so forward with providing me all the information. I thought that Confederacy must have some sort of Official Secrets Act, especially concerning the department which deals with what amounts to kidnapping. She simply responded:
"Consciousness displacement is common knowledge in Confederacy. It doesn't shock us any more than pornography shocked you in the 21st century. It's simply accepted as a fact of life."
She looked at me with sharp eye.
"And it's not like there's anyone you can run to with all this information I gave you. You are a recruit for Security Branch. They might not be visible now, but they have their eyes on you all the same."
It was a chilling thought, but if this Security Branch was anything like government agencies back home then it did not surprise me. The quiet gentlemen in black suits tended to be lacking in the sense of humor department.
In the mess hall I was introduced to the rest of the Consciousness Acquisition team who brought me to (new) life. All of them wore those ridiculous gray coveralls, just like Anneke and I. There was Olaf Christiansen, neurologist who was also a brain-mapper for my new vessel. He was a redheaded and red bearded Scandinavian with an infectious smile and optimistic attitude. It was really hard to believe that it was himself who extracted consciousness from my original body. Next was Matthias Gillespie, a dark skinned guy responsible for resolving all technical issues and programming in the equipment. Unlike stereotypical IT geek he was tall and muscular. Finally, Nicolai Vassilevskiy – a geneticist from either Russia or multiverse equivalent of it. He was the man who grew my new vessel and sculpted it into something useful. He was in his 40's with balding head and unbelievable skill at multitasking. He was reading some article on his Interius tablet, while eating and partaking in the discussion. He occasionally switched to a chess game he played with someone online.
Speaking of tablets, I was curious why everyone used the same hardware and I decided to ask the IT specialist about it. I was told by smiling Gillespie that whole department was supplied with holo-tablets by Flatline Corp. and not soon after there was a huge corruption scandal with one of the managers responsible for supplying new equipment. Manager was fired from his position in the Department, but he was immediately recruited by Flatline as one of their sales directors. I decided that Confederacy was closer to home than I initially thought.
They were really a colorful bunch. You could see that all of them, including Anneke Koeckritz, were very intelligent people, especially when compared to some random guy like me. Of course, one of the reasons for that as I learned was because of genetic manipulation and special conditioning that each embryo had in utero. Cancer wasn't an issue. Myopia wasn't an issue. Diseases of affluence, like spinal problems, obesity, high-blood pressure or diabetes could easily be prevented or controlled. Their brains computed much faster than anyone from my universe. Their medicine was like magic to me. Even such vanity issues like male-pattern baldness were not a problem – Vassilevskiy was balding because he didn't care about it either way, not because there was no cure for that.
Inevitably, conversation went back to the main topic of interest, which apparently was yours truly. Vassilevskiy was teasing me mercilessly, but I was never one to back down and it wasn't easy to embarrass me.
"So Peter, during the genetic mapping phase we decided to make your penis larger." Nicolai delivered this ridiculous statement with completely straight face and deadpan voice. Gillespie and Christiansen laughed at that while Koeckritz rolled her eyes, but she was clearly amused too. All four of them looked at me. If they expected me to blush like a virgin they had another thing coming.
"If you believe that the larger size of my manhood is mission critical then I fully defer to you. You are the experts after all." I responded with a straight face. The effect was soon ruined, when I couldn't keep myself from smiling.
"So what exactly did you do to my body? I noticed I look different." I asked after they stopped laughing.
Nicolai answered with a serious nod.
"We have tweaked your genetic code a bit to prevent any problems you might have had otherwise in the future, like lung cancer for example. You've been smoking frequently for about three years and you never really quit it afterwards, so it was bound to cause problems in the long run. We grew you a set of healthy lungs and removed some 'extra baggage'"
He pointedly looked at my now-flat stomach and continued.
"We have restored your brain-matter to perfect levels, although it seems like the side-effect is the problem with painful data-transfers – we will fix it soon, don't worry. Also, you are physically twenty two years old and your heart is as good as new. It will be a long-term mission so we try to put in your body as much potential mileage, so to speak, as humanly possible."
Nicolai looked around the table and put his hands together.
"Of course this Temporary Vessel was only our first attempt and I'm sure we've made some other mistakes on the way, apart from the knowledge transfer issue. Its sole purpose is for you to familiarize yourself with your new capabilities. The real deal will be the Main Vessel prepared for your mission. In that one you will spend couple of years at least."
At the mention of another body transfer I felt nauseous. Mission that lasts couple of years didn't sound very pleasant either. Anneke noticed my dismayed expression and said.
"Don't worry, after signing the employment agreement you will have three-month training with Security Branch. It's very intensive and among other things they will prepare you mentally for your task."
I wasn't really convinced, but I needed to know more.
"So who are these Security Branch people?" I asked. "Are they like your military or police force?"
It was Gillespie that answered.
"I was with the Security Branch for some time – to pay off my graduate studies. They always needed some tech geeks to keep all their fancy computers running." He snorted and shook his head. "They are one of the departments of Ministry of Power Projection. They aren't strictly military, because they aren't part of Armed Forces, but their field agents have access to military grade weaponry. Using your Earth as a reference I would say they are a bastard child of CIA, Special Forces and Soviet NKVD."
I raised my eyebrows at that. If he mentions NKVD of all people…? Gillespie noticed my surprise and smiled, but he didn't look very happy.
"They aren't nice guys. That's why they heavily recruit their field agents through Interactive Dislocation Department. Plausible deniability, you know?"
Matthias shook his head.
"It was one of the reasons that I quit Security Branch. Even working as a tech geek you still have access to some really disturbing information. The pay was good and people were okay, but I just couldn't stomach it anymore. I didn't want to go back to private sector, but when there was an opening in IDD, I put my name forward for transfer." He looked at me seriously. "I really feel sorry for you, just so you know."
"Ohh thanks a bundle," I said, with a slight hint of sarcasm, "And you still brought me here, despite knowing what's going to happen." I replied with a raised eyebrow.
Christiansen snickered at that. Nothing seemed to bring this Swede down. Anneke Koeckritz looked slightly concerned about the topic, but she made no motion to stop Gillespie from talking.
"What do you expect me to say? That I only followed orders?" he said "At the end of the day it's a job and we have to pay the rent just like anyone else."
I nodded thoughtfully. I looked around the table. Gillespie looked serious. Christiansen was relaxed and he was playing with the food on the plate. Koeckritz watched the Swede with a scowling face, but he paid her no mind. Vassilevskiy looked at the chess board on his holo-tablet and contemplated his next move.
"I don't blame you personally." I said after a minute or so. "I work for a living too. Or at least I used to." I smiled, but it didn't reach my eyes. "I am unhappy with this mess, but pointing fingers and placing the blame won't get me anywhere."
I decided to change the topic to something slightly more productive than angst-fest. "So, is there anything you can tell me about working with Security Branch, Matthias?"
"I only have limited experience as you already know. Their back office looks like any other firm…"
"Firm?" I interrupted baffled.
"Sorry, I meant to say government agency. 'Firm' or 'mafia' is just the slang word for it that we used in the Branch. In fact, remember that. You can dazzle them with your knowledge of the argot." He and Christiansen chuckled at that. Vassilevskiy was still ignoring us and Anneke looked at me with barely hidden concern.
"To continue…" I said impatiently.
"Right. So they have IT support and accounting and all that boring stuff in the back offices. Things that aren't glamorous, but still necessary to keep the department running. They mostly employ civilian contractors to do their jobs. Then there is Internal Bureau. They deal with everything that happens on the Confederacy worlds and 'verses. Organizations too big for the local law enforcement to handle, inter-versal cartels, terrorists are dealt with by the Internal Bureau. They are the 'legal' part of the firm and I actually handled some of their databases. It wasn't anything damning or confidential, mind you. You, on the other hand, will be inducted into External Affairs Bureau. They are the shadier part of Security Branch and everything they do is top-secret and hush-hush. I haven't so much as glanced at their databases, but they still interviewed me for 2 hours when I was leaving the mafia."
"And what is their job?" I asked, dreading the answer. I've had sinking feeling in my gut since Gillespie's brief description of my future employers.
It was Vassilevskiy who answered my question. He looked up from his chess board and said.
"Covert insertion of field agents into universes, maintaining intelligence networks, off-the-books operations in universes non-aligned with Confederacy."
Jesus Christ, this was some Special Forces black ops outfit. It reminded me of CIA operatives who started wars in banana republics in the 1960's. And they wanted me in? I was wholly unsuitable for a job like that! Christiansen on the other hand looked surprised and intrigued. He shot me a quick look and asked Nicolai.
"And you know that how exactly?"
"I wasn't born a geneticist, Olaf. I used to work for External Affairs Bureau."
"But you just said that they only recruited clones like me from Interactive Dislocation Department, for the plausible deniability" I said skeptically.
"Don't be absurd. Of course there are people other than displaced field agents in the Bureau."
I smiled slightly at that.
"Well, here I was hoping that I will meet others like me and we can get together and complain about our terrible fate." I then looked Vassilevskiy in the eye and asked him seriously. "Are you sure we should be having this conversation now? All this info is bound to be confidential."
Nicolai smiled at us from his chess board.
"What conversation? We are just having lunch, that's all."
"Of course, Nicolai," I said sarcastically. "All we need is a banner above our heads saying 'Secret Meeting'."
I looked at Anneke and said.
"This is no coincidence that I'm being recruited into Security Branch and Vassilevskiy and Gillespie just so happened to work for them, am I right? You also have law enforcement background, so you know a thing or two about their procedures, I'm sure." I looked at smiling Swede and said. "I bet you're a commando or a super-ninja of some sort?"
"I like this guy." snickered Christiansen, neither confirming nor denying my suspicions. "Let's clone another one to keep us company when Dubois gets deployed. I'm speaking as an expert, of course."
From Vassilevskiy and Gillespie's descriptions it sounded like this Security Branch meant serious business. I suspect they wouldn't have recruited just anyone to create my new body and map my brain.
"By the way, which one of you 'experts' came up with a surname Dubois?" I asked. "I don't even look French." Well, to be honest I didn't look Polish either, but still.
It was Gillespie who answered.
"The names are actually randomly generated by a very simple program. Not to boast, but I wrote it myself." Matthias winked at me. "Besides, you could pass for a Frenchman. If it was dark and you wore a balaclava, that is."
"Why, you don't like this name? I'm sure we can change it to something different if it doesn't suit you." asked Anneke.
"Nah, don't bother" I waved away her concern. "What difference does it make – it's just a name. It's not like I'll meet anyone who knows me anyway."
My smile slipped away suddenly and mood at the table turned somber. I remembered my parents and my girlfriend and suddenly I wasn't hungry or chatty anymore. I got up and nodded at the team.
"Excuse me for a moment." I looked at Koeckritz and asked. "Is there a place where I could get some fresh air?"
She typed in some numbers on the holographic display of her tablet and suddenly I noticed a blue indicator stripe on the floor. The data package that I received during knowledge transfer confirmed it as Pathfinder app, which was integrated with my eye implants. I didn't know it then, but Pathfinder app would become one of the most useful tools in my arsenal. Still in a foul mood I didn't even get freaked by the strange new technology and simply followed the highlighted path all the way to a large terrace.
I've managed to keep my cool on the way there. I maneuvered between passing people, who didn't pay much attention to me. I suspect it was because I wore the same clothes like they did and I could easily be mistaken for one of the employees. I entered a large terrace and took a note of my surroundings. There was a couple of generic looking potted plants and a few steel benches for people to relax. The IDD facilities were far from general population for security reasons, but I saw in the distance a futuristic city of some sort, with tall glass skyscrapers and grand arcologies. Above my head there was unfamiliar sky with star constellations that I couldn't recognize. It wasn't much past lunchtime but stars and some gigantic planet were clearly visible. There were some flying vehicles crisscrossing the sky. They could have been airplanes, starships or bloody faeries for all I cared. Everything here looked so alien that I've never in my life felt lonelier and more out of place.
I could mask my feelings with conversations or laughter for a time, but I was stricken with a wave of sorrow. I've been putting on a brave face and talking back to the people who created me, but I knew I'd have my private meltdown sooner rather than later. And I knew it because I could only hold on for so long. I squatted behind one of the plants and hid my face in my hands. It was not a moment before I started shaking in despair. I couldn't control my weeping and I was shedding tears like I haven't done in years. I remembered my parents and my siblings. I remembered friends from my high-school, from university and from my workplace. I remembered Erica, the girl I loved so much. I would give anything in the world at that moment to see her red hair and her gentle, smiling, green eyes and to hold her in my arms for one second. If I could just for one moment talk to my parents and give a hug to my elderly grandmother, I would be in heaven. In the meantime my traitorous brain kept repeating.
'You will never see them again. You will never see them again.'
I felt horrible. There was no one to turn to, nobody that I could trust. I was apparently being recruited by some shady black operations and it terrified me to no end. How could they expect me to just roll over and go play their errand boy, when they took everything from me?
'No they haven't. You are just a clone with randomly generated surname. Your real self is probably having a blast right now, because it's a weekend back home. You're just an imitation of life – a pale shadow of the real thing.'
I sat down on the wooden floor of the terrace. Was it even a real wood? I didn't care.
'That's what you're good for – to be thrown away at a crazy mission in some random universe. Nobody would send a real human being to their death like that. But you? You're expendable, like a biodegradable shopping bag or a used battery. Even if you fail they could easily produce a dozen of your clones to do your job.'
I don't know for how long I sat there on the terrace. Nobody went there in the meantime – I suspect they had better things to do with their lives. I looked at the ridiculous skyline of a futuristic city and hated and despaired at my predicament. In a way my meltdown was cathartic – with every shed tear I felt the burden on my soul become lighter. By the time I picked myself from the floor I reined in my emotions. Sadness and hopelessness were gone, replaced by purpose and stern resolution.
It was true that I had no way of fighting the machine. One man against the whole of this huge, previously unknown Confederacy, those were ridiculous odds. Still, I did not want nor planned to be their loyal lapdog. If they wanted me to do their dirty work, we would do it on my terms. I will demand to be taught everything that could come in handy by their space NKVD, including every dirty trick up their sleeves. They will cough up money, people and equipment and if they don't like it then they are more than welcome to 'delete my consciousness'. It's going to be my way or no way. Had they thought about it, they would have modified my memories according to their needs. Well, their loss was my gain.
Coming back to the mess hall I felt really good and there was a determined vibe to my step. I still wasn't happy with my situation, but I was sure that if I threaded carefully I would be able to spin it in my favor. When I entered the mess hall again (compliments of the Pathfinder app) it was nearly empty. There were a few people on the far end, but they were engrossed in a quiet conversation and paid me no attention. At our table I've only noticed Anneke and Olaf and there was no sign of the other two specialists.
When I sat down at the table Olaf Christiansen said with a smile.
"So, did you enjoy our terrace? It's not much, but it's better than nothing."
"You have quite a view from there." I admitted.
"I think it's best if we go and meet Security Branch people now. I'm sure you are curious about the offer they put together for you." said Anneke catching my attention. Olaf was still smiling, but in her eyes I saw concern.
"Sure, let's go. Are you coming?" I asked Christiansen. He just patted me on the back, his smile never wavering.
"Nah, I'm sure your personal shrink will take care of all your business. Play nice kids!" he guffawed at his own joke and left the mess hall.
We followed him soon after, but took a different turn. We went back by the offices of the Consciousness Acquisition and Forecasting and Analysis departments. We entered one of the smaller rooms. There was a large table there with four office chairs and large window with the view of the city in the distance. I deduced that we had to be on the same side of the building as the large terrace where I've been previously. Two of the chairs in the room were already occupied by two men in black uniforms with silver trimmings which vaguely reminded me of the German World War 2 outfits. They even wore spit-polished jackboots and what I assumed were rank symbols on their collars. So the space NKVD dressed up like a bloody Gestapo – I wondered where they misplaced their leather trench coats and peaked caps. If I had any doubts about Gillespie's claims on External Affairs Bureau they were now gone. No agency in a democratic country would think of designing uniforms like those. But the outfits did their job – both of them looked very sharp, but also quite intimidating. Both gentlemen were broad-shouldered and most likely taller than me. They were also clean-shaven and had short-cropped hair, but that's where the similarities ended. One of them had olive-colored skin and dark eyes and he looked like a Latino football (soccer) player. Another one was blonde and had steel-gray eyes. Both of them looked up at us at the same time and the blonde guy without a single word indicated two unoccupied chairs for us to sit. As they had yet to introduce themselves I dubbed the darker guy Cristiano Ronaldo and the blonde, Draco Malfoy.
Malfoy was scanning the contents of his holo-tablet with serious expression and Ronaldo eyed me in the meantime. Anneke just sat down on the chair in a relaxed manner and I followed her example. I took a look around the room and noticed a large display on the wall. It was turned on and had some flag I didn't recognize in the background. Transferred data package quickly supplied me with information, that it was the flag of Multiverse Confederacy.
It was vertically divided in half with left side completely black with three silver stars and half of a cog in the same color. Right side had six horizontal stripes alternating between orange and white. Design was surprisingly similar to the flag of the U.S.A., but the data confirmed it was just a coincidence. Silver semi-cog on the black background symbolized technological development and supremacy. Three stars stood for the Unity, Order and Progress – three chief values of the state, where I immediately noted lack of Liberty. Apparently it was considered less vital than Order or so it seemed. Six stripes were a reminder of six original universes that joined together to form the Confederacy.
Draco Malfoy turned off the holographic display on his tablet and looked at me. When he spoke his voice was carefully neutral.
"Mr. Dubois, it has come to our attention that you were seeking further details, concerning your prospective employment with Security Branch."
Prospective? That was capital. He knew that there was never any choice for me but to work for them or risk being terminated.
"That is correct." I responded. "I had only a brief description of what does Security Branch and its External Affairs Bureau do, mister…"
"It's Major Sharpe." He explained curtly and pointed to his companion. "And this is Captain Galtieri".
So it turned out that Malfoy and Ronaldo had real names. Captain Galtieri looked at Anneke and said.
"Informing the prospective field agent about the workings of External Affairs Bureau goes beyond the standard welcoming procedure for an artificially created citizen." He also kept his voice neutral, but I noticed a hint of dissatisfaction.
Anneke looked him in the eye challengingly and responded with her 'game face' on, not even slightly intimidated by an officer who was at least head and half taller than her.
"As a psychologist and Mr. Dubois' handler in the induction process I decided that briefing him fully on his situation would be most beneficial to all of us. Keeping him in the dark would only make him more hostile and less cooperative."
Galtieri shook his head, still clearly dissatisfied. Well, it seemed like 'spooks and 'eggheads' had a bit of rivalry going on. That was seriously cliché, but it just might come in handy. I decided to remember this little tidbit for later time.
Sharpe just watched the whole exchange with indifferent expression. He nodded at Anneke and said.
"Of course, Dr. Koeckritz, we have full confidence in your expertise. You are Mr. Dubois' handler and in this case allowances have to be made, even if it means altering our standard procedure."
He turned to me and said.
"Mr. Dubois, as you have undoubtedly guessed by now, Captain Galtieri and I are External Affairs Bureau officers. We are here to give you brief information on our work and present you with full information on your employment benefits as per your request."
He pushed one of the tablets toward me. I was surprised to see it was not Interius make, but Security Branch would probably have access to more durable and secure equipment. I pressed the holographic button and was welcomed by a wall of text. I skimmed the information on Security Branch and External Affairs that I already knew, as well as Security Branch Code of Conduct which I will probably have to learn at later date.
The benefits were actually pretty standard for a government agency, but for me who worked in the private sector all my life they seemed very generous. There were food vouchers (on them alone I could dine in a restaurant every day), full health coverage, pass card for various gyms, swimming pools and entertainment venues. Although all of it seemed very good in on paper (holograph?), I doubted I will have much use for it in whatever universe they decide to dump me in. But as they say, it's the thought that counts, no? Besides, it's not like I won't be having any holidays.
I checked the proposed salary. They presented it in Confederacy Credits, but they included a convenient calculator that could convert it into more familiar Euros or Polish Zloty with one click. They also included prospective bonus payments for multiverse deployments, which were pretty much guaranteed in my case.
To say I was surprised was an understatement. If it were a Disney cartoon I would probably have dollar signs in my eyes by now. Salary they proposed was roughly ten times as much as I earned back home and deployment bonus easily climbed into our millions. It looked too good to be true, but I had it in writing. There was even a signature of their HR woman.
I looked at Sharpe suspiciously and asked.
"You know that I have no experience whatsoever in military or espionage. I have neither physical training nor education that would provide me with skills that I might need in this line of work. Yet still, you have brought me here at no small expense and offer me some ridiculous amounts of money for my work. Where is the catch?"
It was Galtieri who responded. His voice carried a slight tone of condescension. I couldn't say if he was seriously offended or he was playing me for a fool.
"There is no catch Mr. Dubois. We are effectively what you would call a post-scarcity society. Our technology and manufacturing capabilities are well beyond your Earth. Scope of our civilization is much larger than even greatest of the empires in your history. We can afford to spend money on you if it buys us your loyalty." The last sentence was spoken with utmost conviction of a man who knows he is in the right.
Anneke shook her head at Galtieri, while Sharpe shot him an amused look and added.
"What my rather zealous colleague is trying to say: we are loyal to Confederacy because it is our country. You on the other hand hold no such loyalty and for a very good reason – we kidnapped you from your time and place. Nevertheless, we need you and we know you're a reasonable person. We can make our work mutually beneficial both on financial and professional level."
"It all sounds very nice and patriotic – I'm impressed. Still, you didn't actually answer my question. You're offering an insane salary to a total rookie." I said skeptically.
He leaned toward me and looked me in the eye.
"Putting money issues aside, we can provide you with skills, resources and abilities that are literally light years beyond what you could achieve on your old Earth. Yes, we will ask you to do dangerous things at times, but you will find that working in External Affairs Bureau is very satisfying and not only on financial level. We can ruthless or brutal if situation calls for it – I will not deny that. But at the end of the day you will be working for the good guys and making the multiverse a safer place."
Later on I would say that I sold my soul for gold, because perks for working with Security Branch were just that good. But at that very moment when I listened to Major Sharpe speaking his undoubtedly well-rehearsed piece, I felt like I wanted to become part of something greater and joining Security Branch offered me the way. This decades old aspiration to heroism that was long buried beneath my 21st century cynicism and selfishness was awakened in me. There was a time when I contemplated joining the army or police force in my old life, but I never actually had the courage to make that step. And imagine that – I finally had an opportunity to do it and no real way out of this.
I smirked at that – these guys sure knew how to play me and Sharpe's charismatic approach didn't hurt either. They appealed to my ambition, my greed and my immense curiosity to find out what they had in store for me. That's how Bilbo Baggins must have felt when Gandalf sent him out on his adventure in 'The Hobbit'. I stood up and nodded at both men.
"Major Sharpe, Captain Galtieri. It would seem that you've got yourself a new recruit. I'm looking forward to working with both of you."
I shook hands with the officers.
Major Sharpe smiled slightly and said.
"Welcome to the firm, agent Dubois."
Ah-hah, they dropped the slang name for the first time. I really started to feel like one of the 'boys'. Still, I couldn't resist my last cheeky shot at them.
"So, when do I get one of these Gestapo outfits? I would look damn sharp in it."
Sharpe, Galtieri and Anneke all laughed at this.
END OF CHAPTER 1