Chapter 23[Reality Check - Friday Feb. 12 2010, 1740 hours, somewhere in the SDF-1] "You have got to be kidding!" Thallin erupted, springing to his feet. "Iz... Christina would never do such a thing. Never!" "Never?" Meier looked up at him. "What about the bizarre mood-swings she has been experiencing of late?" "That's due to the..." Hausthar paused. "Yes?" "Worms. It's due to worms." Meier frowned. "Are you telling me that Christina Leeds' erratic behaviour is due to her having caught worms?" "Yes. Absolutely. You can quote me on that." "Oh I will, Lieutenant, I will. You can count on it." Meier picked up the photos and looked at them for a moment. "You can go now, Lieutenant. We know where to find you if we need you." He waited until Thallin had almost reached the door, then added "And Lieutenant? Don't leave town." "Funny." answered Thallin. "Real funny."
[Reality Check - Friday Feb. 12 2010, 2005 hours, Black Pegasus Club] Thallin sat back into the chair behind the bar and looked at a spot in the emptiness in front of him. <I don't believe it. I just can't believe that Izabelle would murder someone.> The memory of Kay Landers' clothing popped into his mind. <Then again, who knows what she'd do under pressure.> He reached over and grabbed a bottle at random, looked at it for a moment, then placed it back where he had found it. <Getting drunk won't help. I wonder where Izi is?>Looking at the small clock located under the bar, Thallin stood up and made his way to the set of stairs leading to the private sections of the club. slowly, his mind deep in thought, he worked his way up the stairs and into his room. The terminal on his desk was softly beeping in the darkness. "Damn. What now?" Thallin swore out loud before punching in the access code. The screen blinked once and then resolved into Izabelle Fate's face. "My name is Izabelle Fate. As per Tamara Sam'di's Last Will and Testament, I am to be her estate's executor. Part of her will stipulates a wake in her honour and also includes a list of guests. The following people are requested to be present at the wake to be held in Bay 5b tomorrow morning at 0900: Ballantyne, Phillips; Braywater, Thallin; Hemlock, Mortimer; Landers, Kay; Leau, Jack; Leeds, Vanessa; Marshal, David; Rasimus, Augustine; Tallon, Sarah; Thornely, Tricia; Winter, Alicia; Thank you for your time." The face disappeared from the screen, leaving Thallin in darkness again. <Why all of these people? And why me?>
[Reality Check - Saturday Feb. 13 2010, 0900 hours, SDF-1 Bay 5b] The bay was pretty much as Thallin remembered it - bare, grey and boring. Even filled with chairs, podium and casket it somehow manage to convey a feeling of emptiness that was whole-heartedly depressing. Thallin shifted uneasily in his chair, awaiting the start of the ceremonies. He looked around at the faces surrounding him, pausing only long enough to give Kay a nod. She looked at him in surprise, then turned towards the podium. <I wonder what I did to her this time.> thought Thallin. <Which reminds me - I'd better go and get the components from her locker once this is done.>Silence filled the bay as Izabelle stepped through the doorway and onto the podium. She looked at a set of notes in front of her, then spoke; "We are all gathered today to pay tribute to Supply Sergeant Tamara Sam'di. Some of us here present called her friend, to some she was a co-worker, to others she was a lover. Yet all here grieve her passing in their own way, be it private or public -" Thallin mentally tuned out Izabelle's voice and started thinking on the events of the previous days. Somehow, someone had known that Tamara would be in the hangar bay and at what time. Somehow, that person had managed to get their hands on a pistol which would raise alarm bells in the security section as soon as it was used. This, therefore, was clearly no accident. Meier was right - it had to have been a premeditated hit. But no matter how much he mulled things over, Thallin could not bring himself to believe Izabelle was responsible for Tamara's death. Up on the podium, Izabelle shifted position and grabbed the microphone, causing Thallin to break out of his reverie and listen once more. "...following Tamara's wishes." Izabelle took a deep breath and started singing. "Oh, the sun'll come out, Tamara - bet your..." Thallin groaned. <I don't believe this is happening. I must be caught in the middle of a nightmare.> "...Tamara, Tamara, we love you Tamara..." With the beginning of the chorus, the casket rolled out to the nearby airlock which closed and cycled, ejecting it into the blackness of space. The coffin moved slowly in an arc towards Mars for a few seconds, then caught fire as the Thermite charges took hold. "...aaaaaa-wayyyyy..." Izabelle sustained the last note until the last of the fragments from the casket burned into cinders.
[Reality Check - Saturday Feb. 13 2010, 1032 hours, Pilot Ready-Room] "Goddammit, open you rotten sod!" Thallin spat out between clenched teeth. Try as he might, the locker door would not open to his keycard. "You worked before, so why aren't you working now?" "Possibly because I had the lock changed." answered a voice behind him. Thallin turned around and found himself face-to-face with Kay Landers. "Tell me," she continued, holding up the supply bag in her hand, "is this what you are looking for?" Thallin could feel the sweat breaking out on his forehead. <oh boy.>
Forward to Chapter 24.
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