ON:
Mathew Harringer may have been the CEO of Dexter Industries, but it was his wife, Veronica that was the principle shareholder and Chairman of the Board. It was a power she rarely used, but when she did, the company stood at attention. The news of Mathew’s disappearance had finally leaked to the public much to Marcus dismay. The news would not help matters if this was a criminal act.
With Veronica’s notice the doors of Dexter Industries were opened wide and he had complete access to anything he wanted. Sitting at Mathews desk in the huge office Marcus carefully surveyed the room. But there didn’t seem to be any detail hinting at the story behind Mathew’s leave of absence. Then Marcus began a careful review of Mathew’s computer files. The IT department was in a near state of panic, being forced to provide the security clearances to an outsider.
It took almost an hour and two cups of coffee to come across the first lead. With Dexter Industries sponsor ship of the upcoming Omega Cup there were the recent additions of dozens of files in relation to the games. Buried in the Services file was a folder with a simple numeric title. Marcus tried to open it and found its password protection not tied to any information the IT department had provided. Getting up and moving to another office he smiled at the executive.
“Sorry to bother, but may I see your terminal for a moment?”
The gentleman groused and stepped away, Marcus noting that there seemed to be an extreme lack of sympathy in the building for the missing CEO. Pulling up the Services file on this terminal Marcus found the suspect folder missing.
“Something wrong?” the man asked irritated at the interruption.
“Oh nothing. Thank you. Sorry for the bother.” Marcus nodded and returned to Mathews office.
Keying his com unit he waited for assistance. Presently a young mans voice came on .”Whats up man?”
“Sidney, old friend, old buddy. Old chum. How are you doing.?”
“Shit man, now what the hell?”
“Easy stuff Sid. Nothing illegal. I’ve even got permission slips and everything.”
“You swear man? I mean, I got shot at and broke my dam arm last time I helped you.”
“You don’t even have to get out of bed. I’ve got a password protected file I need to read and the IT department doesn’t have the info. Can you help me out here?”
“Shit man… you’re working that missing persons case aren’t you?”
“Afraid so.” Marcus could hear Sid rustling in the background, getting to his terminal.
“You at the terminal now?” Sid asked.
“Yep.” he answered as he set his com unit next to the computer.
“Hang on while I make the connection.” Sid worked at making a wireless hookup thru Marcus com unit. “Ok. I’m on. Give me minute.”
As Sid worked Marcus got up and looked out the office windows at the vast industrial complex. Hundreds of acres of buildings spread out below him. Thousands of places to hide. He heard Sid in a couple of minutes and returned to the desk.
“Here you go man.” Sid looked down the index of the protected file and whistled. “Holy Shit man.”
Marcus followed down the inventory. “Thanks Sid. I’ve got if from here.”
“Glad I’m here and you’re there, I’m off man.” the channel clicked off.
Marcus paged the Head of Security and in a few minutes he was joined by a very large and gruff looking man. Mr. Eisner was probably just turning 40 and out weighing Marcus by a hundred pounds with ease he looked at Marcus with contempt.
“Yes, Mr. Dinn. What can I do for you?”
“Building 567. You know what’s in there?”
“Mr. Dinn, there are over a thousand buildings in the complex, you cannot expect me to know the contents of each by memory.”
“Well then, you should find this interesting.” he said as he brushed past the man leading the way.
***
It took 20 minutes to wind their way thru the complex maze of buildings finally coming up to the front of a huge hanger like structure at the near back of the property. Climbing out of the hovercar they walked up stood in front of two huge bay door, a security pad on the right.
“Open it please.” Marcus pointed.
Eisner pressed his palm to the security pad and nothing happened.
“Something is wrong. We’ll have to have IT come down and check it out.”
“No we don’t” Marcus motioned for the man to step out of the way. Pulling a hand phaser from his coat pocket he blasted the control and the doors started to part.
“I’ll be sure to send you the bill for that.” Eisner said.
“Uh huh.” Marcus grunted as they walked into the hanger, Marcus being sure to keep Eisner in front of him.
Standing in the center of the hanger was a Federation Viper X shuttle craft, large enough to carry a few dozen occupants. It was surrounded by all seats that had been stripped out. Lining the walls dozens of unmarked crates. With his free hand Marcus pulled a tricorder out of his other pocket and began scanning.
“And you didn’t know you had a building containing enough Xroton B to kill a stadium full of people?”
Mr. Eisner squared his stance. “Oh not everyone Mr. Dinn. The Klingons would survive. Look carefully at the readings. It’s been altered.”
Marcus looked again at the readout. Eisner was correct, the chemical structure had been altered just a bit.
“It was Harringer’s Idea. Brilliant isn’t it? After you foiled our attack on the concert we realized that was our best chance to get them all at once. Then Harringer figured a way to turn the rest of the colony against them. Sponsor the Omega games and make a statement. ”
“So where is he?”
“He had an unfortunate change of heart. Tried to shut the project down. The Wall could not allow that.”
“The Wall. That’s what you call your group?”
“Branson is out of control. Letting anyone one into the colony! We can’t have that.”
Marcus started to take aim at the crates along the wall.
“Put it down.” a voice came from behind him. “Put it down or die right here, right now.”
Marcus lowered his weapon and turned. A guard was standing behind him with phaser rifle pointed at his chest.
“I really don’t want to kill you Mr. Dinn.” Eisner said as he walked up and took the hand phaser from him. “Not just yet anyway. I was really disappointed in you, you know? I thought you had set up that concert just for us. You see, I know about what those Klingons did to you.”
Marcus looked surprised for the first time.
Eisner continued. “Oh yea. That mission to Rigal 4 along the neutral zone. You lost how many men? Five? Or was it Seven?”
Marcus didn’t answer the question.
“And why? Because the Klingon High Council was providing the inside intelligence, except that one of them had their own agenda.”
“Your sources of information are surprising Mr. Eisner.”
“Your not the only person on this planet with connections Mr. Dinn. Or a history in the intelligence branch of Star Fleet.”
Eisner walked away to the other side of the hanger and keyed his com unit. There was brief conversation and then he came back up to Marcus, a second guard joining him.
“So Mr. Dinn. Seems your going to get your wish.”
“And that is?”
“I’m instructed to have you join Mr. Harringer”
The second guard came up and jabbed a hypospray into Marcus neck. As the room went black Marcus wondered. Instructions from whom?
**
Cleveland Powers slammed his fist onto his desk as he called up T’Ros
“You said you could keep him under control!” he screamed into the viewer.
T’Ros look shaken. “What are you screaming about Cleveland?”
“That fool of yours has put himself into the middle of my business.”
“What business is that Cleveland?”
The surly Antican growled and stammered. “That is not your concern. Now I’m afraid I’m going to have to kill him after all.”
“Don’t kill him Cleveland. You need him. Remember the long term goal.”
“T’Ros… I swear…..” Powers seemed to calm down a bit. “No promises!” and he cut the connection.
Looking up at his aid he ordered , “Arrange a meet with the WALL. It’s got be quick.”
Off:
Marcus Dinn
Owner of RICKS and Oz
Phoenix Colony
Phoenix Federation
Cleveland Powers
Phoenix Colony
Phoenix Federation
T’Ros
Phoenix Colony
Phoenix Federation
