The Time Free Zone. Gregory J. McKenzie

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СКАЧАТЬ relax. But even then the Investigator noticed the tense stance of a few males at the back. If anything these few seemed to become distressed. The Investigator was now even more ready to end this charade by returning to the galaxy class ship. Most of the planetary representatives were now smiling. Their chosen speaker said,

       "Water we have in great abundance. Guidance is mandatory to strangers lost in our zone."

       A clever answer like that only further aroused the Investigator's suspicions. But he was an expert in hiding his thoughts, so he said,

       "Thank you for the water. When I return to the ship I will have our navigator send down his directional queries."

       Having concluded the formal part of the negotiations, the Investigator was keen to get back safely to the galaxy class ship. He left the formal welcome area as soon as he could without risking alerting any hostile watchers. Before he left he secretly scanned the binary code numbers of everyone in the room.

      Arriving back on the ship the Investigator sought an immediate private meeting with the Captain. Not wasting any time he came straight to the matter of his suspicions about the planetary welcoming party. In a steady voice he said, "Captain there is something wrong on that planet. I will give a section's pay if the group I met turns out to be the real officials of that species. The ones I saw at the front of the delegation were too fit, too nasty to be mere officials. There were a few at the back of the delegation that did look like your classic planetary official. But they only stood there silently."

       Worried by this report the Captain asked,

       "What are your worst fears?"

       Shrugging his shoulders, the Investigator said cautiously,

       "I will know more when the ship's communication system access galaxy central databases. I took everyone's binary code readings. That should tell us something."

       Going over to his official digital assistant the Captain said,

       "I want those binary code search details sent to me as soon as they arrive. See to it as a priority one command."

       The digital assistant replied,

       "Yes Captain. I will get access with the communications assistant at once."

       After his digital assistant had hovered out of their cubicle, the Captain said,

       "Unofficially what do you think went on down there at that welcoming?"

       The Investigator replied,

       "I can't be certain of this but I think we were being tricked. Having been part of many such welcoming ceremonies, I know that it is normal for every species to exhibit some fear. No administration is completely honest. This far away from Galaxy Central scrutiny, some low level corruption is to be expected. That is why their portrayal of having nothing to hide rang so false."

       Nodding his head, the Captain began pacing the length of the cubicle. Just then his digital assistant hovered back into the cubicle. It awaited a command to download the acquired data. The Captain said,

       "Give the Investigator's official recorder full access to the data you just collected."

       Looking down at his recorder, the Investigator saw the 'Data Received' icon light up on his recorder. Opening up this stored new data gave the Investigator pause for thought. After a brief interval he said,

       "Well that confirms my suspicions. Only three of the individuals in that room are registered as officials of that planet. Surprisingly enough another three are NOT on the galaxy central database."

       "WHAT?" shouted the Captain. "But that's impossible. Every member of the galaxy regardless of the species has a binary code number assigned at birth. It cannot be erased or changed except by direct order from Galaxy Central High Command."

       Nodding his head, the Investigator said,

       "What you say is true, but there has long been a suspicion that criminals never notify anyone of an impending birth in their family. That means that three members of that welcoming party are from criminal parents."

       Having settled down under the clinical outline of a possible explanation, the Captain said,

       "Then you were right. There is something going on with that planet. But what it is I have no idea. Do you?"

       "Luckily you were very wise to send me in your place. I picked the lapses in welcoming protocol at once. That set my instincts to a higher level of alertness than they would normally be set for a mere beginning to negotiations. I suspect the Space Imps have seized control of this settlement. They must have hostages to make those three high officials not speak up in my presence."

       "Great galaxies, that is terrible news. How do we complete our mission now without harming innocent members of this planet?"

       The Investigator replied with a grin on his face,

       "There is a way. I have a plan. But it will require you to be deceitful and show duplicity. Right up your alley really....only joking.. but we will have to act with less than honest transparency to fool them"

       Snorting the Captain said,

       "As you said that is right up my alley. I am not joking. Now cut out throwing space dust in my eyes and outline your plan. It better be good or drinks are on you."

       After going over the intricate details of his plan three times, the Investigator started to see the beginning of a smile on the face of his friend. The Captain finally said,

       "If your plan works we will capture the Space Imps WITH their space ships. That would be good for my career especially if no 'unconnected individuals' are hurt in the crossfire. As for hurting the Space Imps, after seeing what they did to that last space station crew that tried to resist their boarding I could not care less about inflicting pain on such space scum."

       Relieved that he had finally got across the finer points of his risky plan, the Investigator said,

       "Okay I will go back to accept their water transfer gift. Whilst I am down there I will ask for directions to a distant solar system. I will be as far away as is believable, leaving them all in no doubt that we are moving on immediately the water is stored on our ship. The rest is up to you and your crew. Can you do it Captain?"

       Showing scorn on her features, the Captain replied,

       "Just you do your part of this. Leave tricky maneuvers to my crew. That is all you Investigators are СКАЧАТЬ