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"THE BRIAR PATCH" By Dinah Rating: PG Author’s note: I apologize for the long delay between chapters. Thank you for your reviews; I really appreciate it. I also want to thank the following people: Blacknblue and Rigil Kent for their invaluable assistance in figuring out the techie side of things; BnB again being a marvelous beta and saving me from taking some very wrong turns; and SavanaSahara, Asso, WarpGirl, and others who kept me writing when I was more than ready to quit.
CHAPTER 7: OSAMU TAMURA Osamu Tamura filled his small watering can and returned to the table which held his botanical treasures. There was something eminently satisfying about gardening: the feel of the soil beneath your fingers, the rich smell of fertile earth, the deep connection to nature which spanned the ages, creating a bridge of common experiences between revered ancestors and their descendants. How could one ever tire of the sheer joy that came from creating and sustaining new life? When he took up residence on the Warsaw for the first time almost five years ago, he’d asked the engineers to cut a door in the bulkhead between two cabins. The extra cabin now served as his office, while the bathroom was refitted as a greenhouse of sorts. With its indoor plant lighting and carefully controlled temperature and humidity, this small room was now home to over a dozen different species of plants. Pride of place, however, went to three carefully cultivated bonsai trees. His father had planted a Chinese elm, a ficus, and a brush cherry on the day of Osamu’s birth, sixty-two years ago. They symbolized a father’s wish for health, wealth and long life for his first-born child. On Osamu’s eighth birthday his father took him aside and began instructing him in the special skills required to care for his trees: the pruning, the replanting, the watering, the feeding. As the boy learned to shape the branches, bending them to his will, so, too, life was shaping the boy into a man. Quiet and reserved by nature, Osamu had spent much of his youth living in the shadow of his outgoing younger brother, Shoji. Cursed with a brilliant mind but a nondescript face and manner, he could stand in the center of the room and remain virtually unnoticed while his brother, standing off in a corner, effortlessly drew others to him in droves. Time and again Osamu’s teachers passed over him in favor of less deserving students. Girls ignored him. His coaches appeared to be oblivious to the boy seated alone and forgotten on the bench. Even people he’d known for years seemed to find it necessary to search their memories before greeting him. Finally, after fifteen years of prodding and heart-felt words of encouragement, his parents seemed to give up the fight. Osamu, they decided, would always be a non-entity while Shoji, the shining star in their lives, would do honor to their ancestors. Osamu was deeply hurt by the change in his parents’ attitude towards him, but he never allowed anyone to see his pain, especially Shoji, who still lovingly looked up to his smarter, less personable older brother. Determined to regain his stature in his parents’ eyes, Osamu promised himself that someday he would find a way to succeed. With that pledge foremost in his mind, he accepted an entry-level position in the cryptographic branch of the United Earth Space Probe Agency soon after his graduation from Kyushu University. He quickly discovered that he enjoyed the quiet, cerebral nature of his job, but it wasn’t long, before his supervisor, a cantankerous but very astute woman, took note of his ability to blend in. Her report set the wheels in motion and, before Osamu fully understood what was happening, he found himself in training to become a field agent. Slowly, with each small success, he began to realize that his ability to blend in was a tool to be used to his advantage, not the measure of who he was as a man. He developed an interest in martial arts, honing his skills and his self-confidence in equal measure. Before long he discovered that, when necessary, he was now able to command the attention of others. It was a heady feeling. Sadly, Shoji never lived long enough to fulfill his promise. In the winter of his twenty-sixth year he was killed in a skiing accident on Mount Yakebitai. Crushed by their grief, his parents turned to Osamu, and he gave them every ounce of his strength. Unfortunately, because of the classified nature of his work, he could tell his parents very little about his new-found success. He ended up falling back on his all-too-familiar role of dull, dutiful son. In doing so, his opportunity to win them over came and went and little changed. To this day, his parents still clung to the faded memory of their golden child, Shoji. They never understood that their black sheep of a son had become a very powerful man: Vice Admiral Osamu Tamura, Chief of Starfleet Intelligence. Setting his watering can aside, Tamura carefully plucked a dead blossom from a pink and white African violet, a plant which had always been one of his mother’s personal favorites. That reminded him, her birthday was next week. He must remember to call her. She hadn’t been well lately. Perhaps sometime soon he could find time in his busy schedule for a trip to Nagaoka. She would like that. The door chime sounded, bringing an end to his cherished time with his plants. After saying a few words of good-bye, he carefully closed the door behind him and walked over to his desk. When he was seated comfortably, he said, “Come.” The door slid open and Gannet Brooks entered. After taking several steps into the room, she turned to face his desk and stood at attention. Tamura motioned for her to stand at ease. “Did you bring Lieutenant Reed?” “Yes, sir. He’s waiting outside.” “Good.” “He wasn’t happy about being pulled away from his work.” “I would expect nothing less. It takes time to make a thorough search of Enterprise.” Tamura leaned forward slightly and folded his hands on the desk. “Every instinct tells me there is something they’ve overlooked.” “Something that will prove Commander Tucker is innocent?” “Not necessarily.” A brief look of dismay passed over Gannet’s face, but she quickly covered her lapse. “I was…just thinking of the potential damage to our warp program if the commander is found guilty.” “Determining one man’s guilt or innocence is the responsibility of the Judge Advocate General’s Corps. We must concern ourselves with the bigger picture. Our ultimate goal is now and always will be the security of Earth. Everything else must, of necessity, be a means to an end.” When he saw the corners of her lips turn up slightly, he added, “I know you’ve heard that before, but it bears repeating.” “Aye, sir.” “This spy ring must be destroyed quickly and completely. If Tucker is guilty, we cannot give his accomplices the time they need to reorganize.” “And what if he’s telling the truth? What if he isn’t involved?” “Then heaven help us.” Tamura pursed his lips as a flood of possibilities once again coursed through his mind. “If our enemies can gain access to Enterprise, the pride of Starfleet, and frame Commander Tucker, then who among us is safe? We know that the information which has been leaked so far has come from a number of classified sources. If Tucker isn’t the spy, then who is? How many people are involved? How deep does it go? Are the spies only acting out of loyalty to Vulcan or do they pose an even greater threat.” Taking a deep breath, he paused a moment to collect his thoughts. “If Tucker is being framed, we can only hope that his arrest will convince those responsible that they’ve accomplished their goal and the flow of information to Vulcan will stop, at least temporarily. It may buy us a little time to plug a few of the worst breaches in our security. But mark my works, before this is over we’re going to be forced to rebuild our entire security network from the ground up, and I’m afraid we’re going to be given very little time.” When he grew silent, Brooks stepped forward and placed a padd on his desk. “This just came in. Captain Jespersen thought you’d want to see it right away.” Quickly focusing his attention on the matter before him, Tamura pulled the padd closer and skimmed the contents. “Has this been confirmed?” “Yes.” The admiral’s face registered his disapproval. “I see Commander Kelby has disgraced himself once again: stabbed in a drunken brawl outside a bar.” “Evidently, his wounds weren’t life threatening, but the doctors want to keep him for a couple of days to be sure there are no complications.” “I want thorough background checks run on everyone who was involved in the fight.” “Starfleet Security has already started…” “I said thorough. My father taught me that if you want something done right, you should do it yourself. That’s sound advice.” “Yes, sir.” “It’s possible that this stabbing was an accident,” the admiral continued, a thoughtful frown creasing his brow, “but the timing is suspect. The growing power of the Peace Forever Movement is driving many members of Terra Prime underground. We know that Kelby talks too much when he’s drunk; it stands to reason that Paxton’s followers probably do, too. If we can put the knife in their hands, I think it will give us some leverage with Kelby. I want to see any information related to the fight as soon as it comes in.” “I’ll inform the communications officer.” “I also want guards on Kelby’s hospital room around the clock – our people, not Starfleet Security. No one gets in to see him without our approval; that includes the doctors and nurses.” “They won’t like that.” “It can’t be helped. Right now it’s our job to keep him alive. As soon as he’s released, I want him taken into protective custody and held incommunicado. Oh, and be sure that our people are instructed to treat him like a guest, not a prisoner. If we can convince him that Terra Prime was behind the attack on him and we’re only trying to protect him, I’m fairly certain he’ll tell us everything he knows. Do you have any questions?” “No, sir. I’ll see that your orders are transmitted to Earth right away. Is there anything else?” “On your way out, send in Lieutenant Reed.” “Aye, sir.” With their conversation at an end, Tamura took a second look at the information on the padd. Regardless of the outcome of their interrogation of Commander Kelby, it was obvious that he wouldn’t be returning to his job in research and development; he could no longer be trusted. His dismissal from Starfleet would no doubt be hard on him, serving only to provide additional fuel for his growing persecution complex, but this time he had no one to blame but himself. It was never pleasant when someone had to be used and then discarded like day-old garbage, but sometimes it was necessary. One must always stay focused on the ultimate goal. When Tamura looked up, Lieutenant Reed was standing at attention in the exact spot Gannet Brooks had just vacated. For one brief moment, the admiral felt an almost irresistible urge to peer over his desk to see if a large X had been placed on the grey tile floor without his knowledge. From the scowl on Reed’s face, it was apparent that he was far from pleased to have been summoned. That was unfortunate but of little consequence. “Is this your first visit to the Warsaw, Lieutenant?” “Yes, sir.” Seemingly against his will, Reed’s eyes flitted around the admiral’s office. “Frankly from the rumors I’ve heard over the years, I expected more.” “You of all people should know that things are seldom what they appear to be.” To the casual observer, the Warsaw appeared to be just another Sarajevo-class cruiser. She was, in fact, a home away from home for Starfleet Intelligence. Powered by the same warp 5 engine used on Enterprise and Columbia, the lack of twin nacelles limited Warsaw to a top speed of warp 3.9, but the extra gigajoules of power allowed her to carry almost the same weapons array as the NX-class ships, with more than enough left over to support Admiral Tamura’s pet research projects. “I’m needed back on Enterprise, sir. May I ask why I was summoned?” “Stand at ease.” While Reed complied, Tamura sat back in his chair and, placing his hands on his midsection, steepled his fingers. “You contacted Harris yesterday.” The admiral watched with interest as Reed’s eyes widened. “Why are you surprised? Surely you know that Harris works for me.” “Well, I…” “Let me guess. Harris gave you the impression that he was in complete control, didn’t he?” “Yes.” Tamura sighed. Some things never changed. “As a rule, I allow Harris to operate independently, but sometimes he forgets that there are limits. When that happens, I’m forced to shorten his leash. It’s tiresome, but necessary. The role he plays – overseeing those missions in which Starfleet must be able to claim deniability – is critical to the security of Earth, but he is not indispensable. If the day comes when he fails to remember that he is answerable to me and to the people of Earth, he knows that I will remove him.” “I see.” Reed still didn’t sound convinced. “What about Gannet Brooks? Did you send her to see Captain Archer?” “Of course.” “Why go to that trouble? The message could have been sent to the captain on a secure channel.” “I wanted Lieutenant Brooks to gauge Archer’s response and report back to me.” “You wanted to be sure he’d follow up.” “Yes. I also want to understand how his mind works…how he processes information.” Reed opened his mouth to say something, but wisely closed it again. “Now that we have that out of the way, I want to know what your search of Enterprise has uncovered.” Reed ran his tongue over his bottom lip. It was the only hint that there was something going on beneath his cool demeanor. “Meaning no disrespect, sir, but I haven’t had a chance to brief Captain Archer yet. I think it would be best if I reported to him first. He is my commanding officer.” “I am aware of your past problems with Archer. Harris’ handling of the Klingon plague situation was clumsy at best. It would have been preferable if your past activities with covert operations had not been revealed, but what’s done is done. If it will ease your mind, I promise to personally speak to Captain Archer if he takes exception to your visit here today. Will that suffice?” Reed hesitated and then gave his head a brisk nod. “Now the sooner you get on with it, the sooner you’ll be on your way. Tell me what you’ve discovered.” Hands clenched behind his back, Reed lifted his chin and reported: “You’ve seen the evidence against Commander Tucker?” “Yes.” “Then you know that Lieutenant Sato found a file buried in the server which automatically piggybacked intelligence information onto any messages Commander Tucker sent off ship from the terminal in his quarters.” Tamura nodded. “The classified information was routed to a remote site in the general vicinity of the L-langon Mountains.” “Now tell me what I don’t know.” “Once we discovered that Commander Kelby might be involved, we searched his quarters twice – tore the room apart actually. We finally discovered a carefully concealed false bottom inside the access panel located directly below the viewport. Inside were four data disks…” “…containing the stolen intelligence information?” “Yes. Commander Tucker’s fingerprints were on the disks.” “But not Kelby’s?” “No.” “Interesting.” Tamura slowly rubbed his left temple as he pondered this new revelation. “Kelby could have found the disks and hidden them away with the intention of using them against Tucker at some future time. Or the two of them could be in this together.” “Either way, you’re assuming Commander Tucker is guilty.” “His fingerprints are on the disks. That would seem to imply that he at least knew of their existence.” “Fingerprints can be transferred. I’ve done it before. Undoubtedly so have you. From the moment Commander Tucker returned from Columbia, Kelby resented him. He couldn’t best Trip, so he decided to ruin his career.” “If that’s the case, then why hide the disks? All Kelby had to do was plant them in a place he knew you’d search: engineering or Tucker’s quarters. No, I think your judgment may be clouded by the fact that you want to believe that Commander Tucker is innocent.” Bristling, Reed stuck his chin out defiantly. “If Trip says he’s not a spy then I believe him.” “You’re a fool if you do. Find the proof of his innocence. Then your faith in your friend will be justified.” “Given a little more time, that’s exactly what I intend to do. The fact still remains that those disks were found in Kelby’s room, not Trip’s. Kelby has known ties to Terra Prime and he hated Trip. He would…” Reed suddenly hesitated as though a thought had just occurred to him, and he clamped his mouth shut. He tried to keep his face expressionless, but it was too little too late. The cat was out of the bag. “Let’s have the rest of it,” Tamura sighed wearily. “There’s obviously more.” Reed stubbornly pressed his lips together. At first Tamura thought that he would have to press the point, but he soon began to see traces of resignation in Reed’s eyes and knew that the truth would be forthcoming. Apparently the lieutenant’s sense of duty still prevented him from telling an admiral to go to hell. That was for the best. Tamura’s plans for him did not include a charge of insubordination and wasted days spent sulking in the brig. Shifting his weight nervously, Reed broke eye contact with the admiral and focused his attention on a point above and beyond Tamura’s head. “One of the disks contained the preliminary plans for Deep Space One. It hasn’t been confirmed yet, but…” Reed swallowed hard, his jaw muscles tensed. “…there’s a possibility that a few of the details shown on those plans were added after Kelby transferred off Enterprise.” “After he left…” Tamura pursed his lips in thought. “That means that either Commander Tucker is guilty as charged or you have another agent on board, someone who was working with Kelby.” For once the admiral was almost sorry he wasn’t back on Earth. Kelby’s interrogation was undoubtedly going to prove very interesting. “I know it looks bad, but you have to believe me: Trip didn’t do this.” “Assuming for a moment that you’re right, do you have any idea who the other agent or agents might be? There could be more than one, you know.” “No.” Reed grimaced slightly. “That’s the problem. We’ve been so careful. I don’t see how it’s possible.” “You’re only thinking in terms of Terra Prime. Expand your focus.” Cocking his head to one side, Reed looked questioningly at the admiral. “I’m not sure I understand, sir. Are you saying that Terra Prime isn’t responsible for…” Tamura waved one hand impatiently. “Of course, Terra Prime is involved. But with or without Paxton those people have never been more than second-rate thugs. This plot to frame Tucker – if that is in fact what we’re dealing with here – is far too sophisticated for Terra Prime. There is something far bigger and far more dangerous at work here.” “Bigger than Terra Prime? But who…” “I don’t know. That’s why I sent for you. I need information. You haven’t given me much, but it’s better than nothing.” “Actually, sir…there is something else.” “Continue.” “During our search, we found another file buried in the computer. This one was designed strictly to monitor incoming and outgoing transmissions from Enterprise.” “That sounds more like the work of Terra Prime. Kelby again, no doubt.” “I don’t think so. Lieutenant Sato is sure that the file was Vulcan.” “Vulcan.” That got Tamura’s attention, and he sat forward, folding his hands on the desk in front of him. “Commander T’Pol, do you think? Trying to keep her people informed on what we were doing.” “That doesn’t sound like something the commander would do. To my knowledge, she’s never given Captain Archer any cause to doubt her loyalty.” Tamura was well aware of T’Pol’s background. He found it hard to believe that anyone trained by the Vulcan Ministry of Security could be considered trustworthy. She was certainly capable of planting the file in question to provide her people with a constant stream of intelligence information. Reed’s confidence in Enterprise’s first officer was admirable, but more than a little naďve. “If not T’Pol, then who? Captain V’Lin?” “It wasn’t V’Lin. He was never out of our sight. Besides, the file was planted long before the joint maneuvers.” “Then it has to be Soval. Commander Tucker undoubtedly gave him the run of the ship.” “Well…yes. The ambassador was free to come and go as he liked. And the timing is right.” “But?” “But I don’t believe Soval would do something like this.” Tamura was less than pleased. “Unless a steady stream of Vulcans has been trooping aboard Enterprise, our choices are becoming somewhat limited.” “Administrator V’Las and Chief Investigator Stel attended a meeting on Enterprise right after the embassy bombing.” “Did you allow them to roam about unattended, too?” Reed stiffened at the implication that he had been remiss in his duties. “I made sure the Administrator and his party were closely guarded from the moment they came on board. It couldn’t have been them.” “By process of elimination that means we must focus our attention on Commander T’Pol and Ambassador Soval. Do you agree, Lieutenant?” The muscles in Reed’s jaw clenched again. Obviously displeased, he gave the admiral a curt nod of the head. Tamura got to his feet and walked around his desk. “Come with me. I’ll walk you to the launch bay. There’s something I want to show you on the way.” Once they were out in the corridor, Reed seemed to relax a little. “I must admit that when Lieutenant Brooks told me that you wanted to see me, I was hoping to get a tour of Warsaw. So far it looks pretty much like every other Sarajevo-class cruiser.” “You’ve heard rumors?” “Quite a few, actually. I’ve heard it likened to everything from a sophisticated spy ship to a planet-hopping red herring designed to draw attention away from our real intelligence objectives to a present day Flying Dutchman aimlessly wandering through space.” Just before they reached the turbolift, Tamura stopped in front of a hatch labeled Cargo Bay 4. “That is most interesting.” He passed his hand over the right side of the door frame and a security panel appeared. After pressing his right palm against the scanner, he leaned over so that a beam could scan his retinas. He then entered a 12-digit code number. The randomly selected number had to be committed to memory each morning. Fortunately that didn’t pose a problem for Osamu; with training, his memory was sharper now than it had been when he was a young man. When the last digit was entered, the door slid open and he heard to soft gasp from Reed. Glancing to his left, he watched with interest as the lieutenant’s eyes lit up like a child’s on Christmas morning. “Is this more in line with what you hoped to see?” After Reed managed a whispered, “Yes,” the two men entered the state-of-the-art laboratory. The large cargo bay was interspersed with a dozen eight-foot stainless steel tables which could be moved around and bolted to the floor in an endless number of configurations. Off to the left, electricity crackled from an experiment presently being monitored by two intent crewmen. The smell of ozone permeated the air despite the best efforts of the ventilation system. At the far end of the room, an officer was working on a large section of a phase cannon, which was suspended from the ceiling by a block and tackle. Four other officers were scattered around the room, each at work on a different project. “This is one of three laboratories on Warsaw. Our scientists and engineers are constantly working on improvements to weapons, communications, surveillance equipment, etc., all far more advanced than anything Starfleet is currently pursuing. The research going on in this particular lab is all related to pet projects of mine. That’s why my office is located close by.” Tamura fixed Reed with a steely gaze. “Needless to say, everything you see here is top secret.” “Understood, sir. This is…incredible.” “I thought you’d like it.” Tamura motioned toward the center of the room. “Feel free to look around.” Smiling, Reed began to wander from table to table, all thoughts of Enterprise momentarily forgotten. He stopped and asked questions, peered over shoulders at data-filled padds, and showed a particular interest in the proposed modifications to the phase cannon. Realizing that time was running short, Tamura walked over to the young lieutenant and pointed off to the right. “There’s something over here I’d like you to see.” Without waiting for a response, he led the way to two four-foot-high poles embedded in a track on the deck. At present, the poles were set three and a half feet apart, but the distance between them could be adjusted, depending on the requirements for a specific experiment. As expected, Reed took one look at the poles and exclaimed, “You’re doing force field experiments. That’s something I’ve been tinkering with for quite some time now.” “I know. I’ve read your reports with great interest.” Tamura clapped his hand on the shoulder of the stocky, middle-aged officer who was standing next to a control panel just to the right of one of the poles. “This is Commander Dockerage. He’s working on a theory that force field technology can someday be used to protect our ships. Polarized hull plating may be adequate protection for our ships now, but it won’t be for long. Every alien power out there – friend or foe – has faster, better starships than we do. If we want to survive, we’re going to have to find ways to level the playing field.” Tamura stepped back to give Reed and Dockerage a chance to talk for a few minutes. Judging by the gleam in Reed’s eyes and the ease with which he chatted with the scientists and technicians, the lieutenant felt right at home. Maybe this wasn’t such a long shot after all. A quick check of the chronometer on the wall told Tamura that it was time to go. He motioned to Reed who gave a quick wave of acknowledgement and quickly brought his conversation with Commander Dockerage to an end. As the two men headed back toward the hatch Reed said, “Thank you for the tour of the lab, Admiral. I enjoyed it.” “I thought you might. But it wasn’t just hospitality on my part. I wanted to see if you’d fit in.” “Fit in?” Perplexed, Reed furrowed his brow. “Yes. I want you to come to work for me.” Reed’s head spun around, and he came to an abrupt halt. “Excuse me?” “You heard correctly. There’s important work to be done here and I think you can be of help.” As the two men left the laboratory and entered the turbolift, Reed clasped his hands together and nervously rubbed his knuckles with his right thumb. “But I’m already doing important work…on Enterprise.” “Enterprise is only one ship. The job I have in mind for you can benefit everyone in Starfleet, perhaps everyone on Earth.” Reed smiled tightly. “I must admit you’ve piqued my curiosity, sir. Just for the sake of argument, why don’t you tell me what you have in mind?” The turbolift doors opened and the admiral headed for the launch bay. He knew that Lieutenant Brooks would be there waiting for him. “As you know, we first became aware of the potential threat posed by the Romulans when one of their mines exploded, damaging your ship.” Grimacing, Reed replied, “That’s one event I’m not likely to forget.” “Our efforts to gather intelligence on the Romulans have so far met with little success. Because you have the first-hand experience we need as well as a background in covert operations, I want you to take over the Romulan Bureau and whip it into shape.” Tamura watched with interest as Reed’s mouth opened and closed several times before he finally managed to get out, “I’ve very flattered, sir, but surely there are others who are better suited for the job.” “Clean the wax out of your ears, Lieutenant. I just finished telling you that no one in or out of Starfleet has the unique qualifications which you possess. I’m giving you the opportunity to save lives. You want to help us defeat the Romulans, don’t you?” “Do you really think it will come to that? War, I mean?” “Yes. And if you’re honest with yourself, so do you. The Romulans want to control this quadrant, and they’re prepared to do whatever’s necessary to make that happen. If you want proof, you don’t have to look any farther than their treaty with the Andorians. Right now the Coalition is the only thing that’s preventing them from moving against us. But if this business with Tucker causes a permanent rift with the Vulcan Government, the Coalition is finished. Once we’re seen as vulnerable, the Romulans will attack. My guess is we’ll probably be in a shooting war before the year is out.” “And if we can hold the Coalition together?” “It will buy us a little more time.” Almond-shaped eyes looked appraisingly at Reed. “It will give you a chance to get things organized. We desperately need information. Right now the Romulans hold all the cards.” As soon as Tamura and Reed entered the launch bay, Lieutenant Brooks gave the admiral a quick wave and crawled into one of the shuttlepods. “I’d like some time to think this over, sir. It’s not a decision I can make without careful consideration.” “I’ll give you four days. By rights, I should make the deadline tomorrow, but I know there are other things weighing on your mind. Just remember that every day we delay, the Romulans are gaining ground on us.” “Understood. You’ll be hearing from me.” Tamura felt that that had gone about as well as could be expected. He had to trust that Reed would make the right decision for the safety and security of Earth. When Reed reached the shuttlepod, he pulled up to say good-bye to the admiral, but Tamura continued on past him and entered the shuttlepod. As soon as Reed was seated across from the admiral, Lieutenant Brooks received clearance and launched. In answer to Reed’s questioning look, Tamura said, “Ambassador Soval has requested a briefing before he returns to Earth. Apparently he wants as much information as possible about the problems we’re having with Terra Prime and the Peace Forever Movement. Admiral Gardner asked me to attend.” Tamura had tried his best to get out of the briefing, but Gardner had insisted. After years as an agent, moving from city to city, country to country, planet to planet, Tamura had reached a point where he hated to leave Warsaw for even brief periods of time. This was now his home. The only exception was the occasional visit to Nagaoka to visit his parents. “Lieutenant Brooks will drop you off at Enterprise and then continue on to our embassy. Do you have any questions, Mr. Reed?” “No, sir.” Reed hesitated. “Well…perhaps one.” “Yes?” Glancing uneasily in Brooks’ direction, Reed lowered his voice. “If I take the position, will I be returning to Earth?” “For the first few months, you’d be working from Warsaw. After that you’d be free to travel wherever the job takes you.” “Do you think I could give Commander Dockerage a hand with his force field experiments…in my free time, of course?” Leaning back against the bulkhead, Tamura was careful to keep his expression neutral. “I think that might be arranged.” To be continued... |
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