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Chapter 16 the recruited fluffy

  [ 10.30 am ]

  "Sorry, I received an urgent message. Where was I? Ah...of course.Both the Hierarchy and Earth Force have evaluated your actions in this city, and to be frank, we're quite impressed with your adaptability. But before I continue, you should know that Earth Force fully supports the Hierarchy and tries to maintain a good working retionship with them. Officially speaking, of course."

  "But speaking off the record, you don't really trust them, do you?" You don't need to be a rocket scientist to read between the lines.

  "Be careful, Kaya, you are pying with fire and I don't want you to get burned. Be nice to them, you hear me?" He showed me his index finger to warn me.

  "Yes.....sir."

  "Good. But speaking off the record, you are absolutely correct. Now back to your situation. You have shown remarkable restraint as not to cause any diplomatic issues. Nobody would have bmed you if you had."

  "So far. You forgot to add 'so far'."

  "Ha ha ha...true. But still, you seem like the perfect person for what we have in mind for you.Just hear me out, it's not mandatory, so feel free to refuse. But I think that you will soon crave for some excitement in your life. Oh, and you are expected to discuss this only with special agent Lee or your contact in the Hierarchy, depending on what you've learned. Do not...I repeat...do not discuss the following with anyone else, are we clear?"

  "Yes, very. Sounds interesting."

  "Good, because it is. You are both human and Lantosian. Simply put, you're uniquely qualified as a more or less impartial third party. And more importantly, you've got the time for this gig."

  A gig? That sounds...mysterious and dangerous even."Yeah, that's painfully obvious, so....why do I have the feeling that I shouldn't refuse this gig?"

  "Because you really shouldn't. Something's going on and we want you to investigate things."

  "Umm.....yeah, that much is obvious. But what specifically do you want me to investigate?"

  "That, miss Kaya...is the one billion dolr question. We don't exactly know."He keeps staring into my eyes with a serious expression, waiting for a reply.

  "Sorry, but you really have to do better than that." My life is already at risk, I'm not looking for more trouble!

  "Interesting. Ben was spot on; you have a sharp mind....and tongue. But to answer your question, something's foul here in this city. The Lantosians know about it as well, but they too can't figure out what's going on. The abduction attempts....the unidentified drone which incapacitated our agents....the Lantosian shuttle crash itself. Just to name a few incidents.

  While we don't fully trust the Hierarchy, it is reasonable to assume that a third party is at work behind the scenes. These actors are crafty, insidious, and well organized while using technology that's apparently slightly beyond that of the Lantosians. Call it human intuition, but we expect that high ranking Lantosians are involved, whether they want to admit it or not. We humans simply don't have this level of technology, so it's extremely unlikely that we're involved. Also....this is our world, and we won't accept any other parties acting behind the scenes.

  At this moment we only know that they are up to something, but we have no clue what that could be. And since someone cloned you, and returned for another attempt at kidnapping, we can only assume that they are part of the same club. Point being, we have two of them in our custody, but it will take a while before their interrogation is officially completed. So, to speed up our investigation, I was hoping that you might be interested in some...revenge..as it were."

  "Go on, Colonel." My broad grin triggered a smile on his face, which confirmed that we were on the same page. "You can't stop there."

  "Very well. Another incident took pce recently. In a nutshell, both us and the Lantosians detected, independently from one another, radio signals directed at an empty space in the sky, but there's absolutely nothing of importance there.

  There are also signals from space directed at our oceans....but again..there's nothing there. We also detected signals here, in this city, but only for a split second. So whatever's going on...this pce is the only pce within reach to investigate. Something's wrong in this pce.

  I want you to ask questions....carefully....and find the answers we need. If this is allowed to continue much longer, our Treaty might be in jeopardy when people start pointing fingers. The Hierarchy is aware of our difficult cooperation tely, so don't expect much help from them. But still, you have their and our full cooperation and also the assurance from both sides to keep you safe."

  "Does that mean that I'll be in any additional danger?"

  The Colonel takes another deep breath. "Honestly...we don't know. But we do expect that people will continue to try getting their hands on you. The ones we arrested are still being interrogated. The only thing we have confirmed so far is that something about you is special...or at least different."

  "Yes, so I have been told." I rolled my eyes.

  He frowned, then replied "no, I'm not talking about your Taleena connection. Something else.But in any case both Earth Force and the Lantosians will keep you safe, as long as you keep talking about what's going on. We expect that the Lantosians will contact you and ask for the same cooperation as well, but we don't know who your contact will be. Should you feel that your contact has ulterior motives, check with us first.

  Can you do this, miss Kaya? Can you help your country....your world... to find out what's going on? And distinguish between who needs to know what? To covertly share important information with us?"

  "Yes, I believe that I can. Now allow me to ask a question. You have lots of smart and talented people working for you, so why don't you let people like...like Ben here take care of it? Surely they are trained for these things?" I pointed at Ben for a moment.

  "Of course we have people on this investigation as well, and so do the Lantosians. But to be blunt....we're not making any progress, nor are they. So we need a different approach, and that's you. You have a few Lantosian friends already, listen to them. You'd be surprised how much information they can reveal, just by casually chatting. Perhaps they noticed something or heard a rumor. Just be careful not to be too pushy, but you're smart enough to understand that.

  Also, don't forget to ask Fred. Point being, be creative and be careful not to reveal the investigation.

  And don't worry, I'd rather get 20 reports a day about suspicious but harmless activities, than miss a single high security risk. And again, only talk to Ben here, and your Lantosian contact. Nobody else, is that clear?"

  "Yes, crystal. Okay, count me in."

  "Good, I knew I could count on you. Ben, time for me to leave."

  Wow, I guess that's the end of this conversation.

  Nobody said a word while Ben drove us to the Colonel's destination. While exiting the car, he said "good to have you on board, miss Kaya. Show them what we humans can do."

  "Em....I'll do my best, Colonel."

  He nodded, put on his military hat and walked towards the building's entrance.

  Ben and I then left the quiet residential area and entered a more poputed district. Humans and aliens are walking all over the pce, making it seem at least as crowded as Times Square in New York during rush hour.

  "Downtown.....the pce where all the cool kids hang out." I said with anticipation in my voice. It's even more crowded than st time I saw the pce.

  "Yes, many of our alien guests are drawn to this area." Ben's voice was devoid of enthusiasm, merely stating a fact.

  There are shops and restaurants all over the pce, all brightly lit with neon colors. And some letters are proof of a non-Lantosian nguage.

  "Wow...this is so unreal! Like being in a video game. It's like we went forward in time...so futuristic and amazing! I have to visit this exciting pce!"

  Unfortunately Ben ignored my enthusiasm again and returned to our little chat with the Colonel. "Kaya, do you really think that you can handle the investigation?"

  "I think so? Sounds like a welcome diversion to me. But Ben, you were awfully quiet while he shamelessly recruited me. Or was I drafted?" I grinned, hoping for a smile on his face but got none.

  "Does it really matter? The way I see it, is that you now have a way to find out what happened to you. And Fred might be just the thing we need. Think of it as another means to keep yourself safe. Isn't that much better than only relying on others? I'll be there to help you, but it's up to you to ask the right questions. Just promise me to stay safe. Especially when sharing information with us. Don't get caught."

  "Yeah....I'll be careful. What kind of pce is this Downtown anyway?" I just have to know.

  "It's a pce where all races can have their own way of life for all to see. Human shops, Lantosian shops....and others."

  "Others? How many more are there even?" I mean, I already saw one during the lecture, but maybe Ben will tell me more.

  "Let's discuss that on another day. Don't go here without me or anyone else who can keep an eye on you. It started as an experiment to see how Earth would develop. Let's say it surpassed our wildest expectations. We even have our own crime unit here. Trust me...stay away from here, unless you have some backup."

  "Oh....a pity, but I understand. I'd love to see this pce at night."

  "Yes, it's impressive, especially at night with all those bright lights. But you first need to know all about the current technology, different races, rules and even the commonly used sng. Walking here without any of that is not....recommended. Are you ready?" He gnced at me while driving.

  "For what?"

  "Your parents are waiting for you to call them. I'll need at least 10 minutes before we arrive at your building, so take your time talking to them."

  "Really? That's great!"

  He smiled, then raised his index finger as a warning. "Don't say anything about this pce, or I'll have them arrested."

  "Yes, yes, I understand."

  He nodded and then pushed a button, after which I heard the familiar dialing sound on the car's stereo.

  "Good Morning, Henry Woods speaking." It's dad's voice!

  "Ah, good morning mister Woods. This is Special Agent Lee. I have your daughter with me in the car as agreed."

  I could hear an echo, so dad's phone is definitely also on speaker, meaning mom should be there as well.

  "DAD!"

  "CHRISTIE! Oh my god, honey, are you alright?"

  "Yeah, I'm safe...and the people here are nice so far."

  "Your voice....you sound different, Christie."

  "Yeah, I know, dad, but it's really me. It must be this phone, I dunno."

  "When can you return home?"

  Ben raised his hand, showing me to be careful. "She can't go home, mister Woods, as already discussed. She has witnessed a pne crash and saved four high ranking military officers. And now she's helping the government with cssified research."

  "Yes, you and your colleagues told me that already! But WHAT could she possibly be doing that nobody else can do? And why can't she return home after work like everybody else?" Dad said, but mom immediately asked her own question "Christie, are you really safe there?"

  "Mom! Oh my god, it's so good to finally hear your voice! Yeah, I'm safe. And dad, the work I'm doing is extremely important. It seems that I can really make a difference here and I want to help them. Sure, I really, really want to go home. There's nothing more I would want....but I can't. People need me, dad. And this isn't forever." Well, at least I hope this won't turn into a prison after all.

  "Is there anything I can do? Send you something?" Mom asked.

  "No, they're taking great care of me, mom. It's just that it freakin' sucks that I can't leave."

  "Well, at least I'm sure it really is you." Mom said with a chuckle, then followed by dad's voice "can we do a video call next time?"

  Ben shook his head, not wanting to interrupt."Em...no dad. Security is important here so that won't work."

  "Sir?" Ben interrupted. "She'll be able to call you any time, just wait a few more days. We'll also contact you soon and provide you with the address of a government owned PO box. If you want to send her something, you can send it there. Or if you prefer, call my staff and we'll pick it up. It's the least we can do in return for keeping your daughter from going home."

  "We'll definitely send her something!" Mom said, a bit too loud though, causing the car's speakers to make some static noise.

  "Thanks, mom, dad. It's really good to hear your voices, and I'm really sorry. There's no way I can leave now."

  "Alright, but promise to call us soon, okay? Make it a collect call if you need one. We want to speak to you for more than one minute." Dad said.

  "Sir, she'll get her own phone number here soon and then you can contact each other every day. Just know that your calls will be monitored at all times. And please, please don't ask what she's doing here for us, because the penalties are severe. You will get arrested."

  "Yes, you've made that quite clear already. Alright, honey. We'll be in touch."

  "Yes, mom, dad. Stay safe. Hugs from me.....hope to see you soon."

  Ben ended the call and looked at me for a moment, a dangerous thing to do since he was still driving. "Well done. I know it's difficult for both you and them, but this is the only way. At least for now."

  "Do you think I'll ever be able to leave this pce?"

  "Before I answer, do you want me to call you Christie when we're alone or Kaya?"

  "It's a bit te to ask that, but call me Kaya, or I'll start making mistakes. Now please answer my question."

  He nods a few times. "You've only been here for a few days...Kaya.... and look at what you have learned already. You are adapting well and you even called your parents. One day...I'm sure of it, one day you'll be home again. Perhaps only two more years, who knows?

  Or perhaps your parents will be allowed to see you at some point....I really don't know. Just have some faith in us. We're not going to give up on you. This is an extraordinary pce, and things never seem to go as we pn around here."

  "Alright...at least I can talk to them now."

  "That's the spirit. And you've made some friends here as well, or so I've heard."

  "You guys really see and hear everything don't you?"

  "That we do. Don't worry, we don't care about private matters."

  "Do the Lantosians also monitor everything like you do?"

  "We can only assume that they do, yes. Even if they said otherwise, we have to assume that they have sensors hidden everywhere. Hence why we meet in my car."

  "But won't they be able to hear us when we speak?"

  "Not in this car. So remember, if it's really important, like sharing very sensitive facts reting to the investigation or something...make sure to tell me and we'll go for a ride. It's not perfect, but it's the best we can do.

  This car is shielded with technology most humans aren't even aware of. And even our alien friends are subjected to the ws of physics. They don't have magic, only devices simir to or more advanced than our own. We were able to 'borrow' a few of those and found ways to jam their signals. But in the end it all boils down to trust."

  "Ah, and on that same topic...how do you know for sure that they didn't put a bug on me?"

  "As I said...test in technology. Trust me...we would know."

  "Okay...whatever. Security is your problem, not mine. I only have to investigate some radio signals which nobody knows about. And I'm working for both parties, so nobody can bme me."

  "Exactly. Should be quite a simple task for you."

  "Sure. A walk in the park."

  "Ha ha ha...never lose that humor....it's your humanity speaking, Kaya. Now let's get you back inside. I've heard from reliable sources that you attended the mandatory training for new arrivals?"

  "Of course you would know about that. And yes, it was kinda exciting to pretend to be an alien. But why even ask if you already know everything?"

  "Because we don't know everything. You'll see what I mean soon enough. It's all new to you, but I've been working here for over fifteen years."

  "Wow....I forgot. They nded on Earth decades ago."

  "Exactly. Now try to have fun and expect my furry counterparts to contact you soon about the investigation."

  "Your furry counterparts? Ha ha ha....I like it when you say that. Just don't tell them that."

  "I already have."

  "Really? What happened?"

  "They said that my head and face were furry as well. But that was many 'hairs' ago."

  "Ha ha ha....gd you have a sense of humor as well. I thought you were a cold, evil secret agent at first. Gd I was wrong."

  "Thanks for trusting me. Let's work together and find out what's going on."

  "Yup, it's not like I've got anything else to do."

  "Exactly, you're much too young for retirement." Ben parked the car in the parking area and then faced me. "Now it's my turn."

  "Huh?"

  "You asked for recycling parts for Fred, so now I ask something in return. It's nice if Fred can provide some information and such, but I need something in return sooner rather than ter.This is how the game works. Wait....what are they doing?"

  Two drones, looking like industrial robots completely in a yellow paint color, are walking around the parking area and are using their bright lights to search for something. They stop moving every ten or so feet and then thoroughly look around them.

  Both Ben and I instinctively hid from their lights and neither of us spoke until they left.

  "Well...that happened. What was that about? Is that normal, Ben?"

  "Hardly. They shouldn't even be here. Those are cargo drones. Anyway, I'll report this event, just in case. Where were we? Right, I was asking you for a favor in return."

  "Oh....okay."

  "Don't worry, it's nothing dangerous. We were promised one of those newer types of watches, but delivering them to us takes ages through the proper channels. So this request isn't even the least bit suspicious."

  "Aahhhh......I could maybe...yeah, Fred could perhaps build one for you. If...we have the parts."

  "You'll get those, but can you disable it from the network? We like to keep our location private. You know? For testing purposes?"

  "Sure, and no, I don't want to know why."

  "See? You are perfect for this. You have yourself a deal."

  "Ehehehe....it's great doing business with you."

  "Do you think that you can share that recycling technology of yours?"

  "Em...it might involve nanites and another Fred, so I suggest that we wait and see how this goes. I want to make sure that Fred's on our side first. If all goes well, I'll share everything I can get my hands on."

  "Of course."

  "Seriously, Ben. I don't even know why they need a drone repairer. It's so freakin' simple! It's child's py! Nobody even considered letting the AI handle it all."

  "No, I think it's good old human ingenuity. We obviously think out of the box."

  "Perhaps. Or we humans are simply better suited for Lantosian jobs than they are."

  "Ha ha ha, gd you're still human where it counts."

  "Yup..mostly at least hahaha...but god, I miss the coffee."

  "Yes, that's unfortunate. Anyway, gd we had this little chat. See you soon."

  I put my watch back on my left wrist and within seconds, I swear, someone was calling me already.

  Ben wanted to give me some privacy, but I gestured to him to stay.

  "Kaya, are you in danger?" It was Fred on an audio-only channel.

  "Oh, hi Fred. No, I'm perfectly fine. Just experimenting with some equipment. Sorry, I'll tell you next time, okay?"

  "Understood. Will you return? Anisa's obsolete drone was delivered to my alcove."

  "Sure, see you in a bit."

  "Yes, see you ter, Kaya." Fred ended the conversation.

  "Seems like our car was properly shielded." Ben said with a smirk, after hearing the call.

  "Yup, good to know. Ah! One more thing.........." I only wanted to ask him where I should send the watch, once Fred managed to build one.

  But he shook his head and then pointed at my watch, followed by another shake.

  "Oh...gotcha. See you....sometime...someday...somehow?"

  "Sure. See you around, sport." He gave me a thumbs up and then drove away.

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