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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 5049006" data-attributes="member: 143">Session 13 (July 7, 2008)Chapter 42“Doctor Okwelume, I not get it,” Vasily said. Catalina sat across from the Russian on the big round table in the lounge, swinging her legs under it.  “It seems he was a patriot.”The door to the barracks corridor opened, and James stepped in.  Jane turned in her chair and waved to him.  “Hey doc, Catalina was just telling us the story.”Vasily nodded at James.  “’Bout time you get here.  Ha.”“Yeah, that’s one I’d like to hear,” James said, heading over to the counter to pour himself a cup of coffee from the ever-full canister.  “Buzz back yet?” he asked.“No,” Vasily said.  “And bosses not saying when he be back, either.”“Every transaction he made was in developments for his country,” Catalina went on.  “There was no personal gain involved.”“Those are the most dangerous ones,” James observed.“Still, he was a traitor,” Jane said.  “Nice job catching him.” “I both rock and roll,” Catalina said with a grin.  Vasily frowned, apparently unsettled.  After a moment, Catalina’s own smile faded.  “It was the matter of China that concerned me,” she said. “My country have many treaties with China,” Vasily said.  “Co-operation.  Finance, industry, technology… military.”“We are aware,” Catalina began, but she went silent as the outer door opened.  Doctor Wagner and Counselor Beauvais came into the room.  “Bonjour,” Joan said.Vasily nodded to the two of them.  “Hi,” James said. There was an awkward pause that lasted a few beats, then Joan said, “This is terrible, about Doctor Okwelume.”“He was… is… a brilliant man,” Doctor Wagner added.  “He left detailed notes, but his loss is a serious one to our research progress.”“How is he?” Catalina asked. “He’s sleeping,” Joan reported.  “Doctor White sedated him.  He’s being kept under watch in a locked room in the East wing.”Two more people came into the room from the outer corridor, Chief Hallorand and another man who looked diminutive next to the tall American.  He couldn’t have been more than a few inches over five feet tall, though he looked to be in good physical shape despite the steeply receding line of his hair.  He blinked as he took in the scene, his eyes widening slightly as he saw the piano. “Ah, our new arrival,” Joan said.  “Gamma team?” James asked. “No, he’s one of yours,” Hallorand said.  “This is Doctor Moshe Yahav.  Field science and engineering.”“Hello,” he managed.  “The more the merrier, I guess,” James said, putting down his cup and coming over to shake the newcomer’s hand.  “I’m Jim, Doctor Jim Allen.”The others all introduced themselves.  Once they’d gotten names straightened out, Hallorand said, “Right.  Would you mind giving him a tour?  I need to see to the base.”“I’ll take him,” Jane offered.  “I needed to talk to Musa and swing by the labs anyway.”  “I’ll go with you, Chief,” Joan said.  “I have some questions about the new security protocols.  She left with him and Doctor Wagner.“Well, that was easy,” James said, once the new recruit had followed Jane back through the outer door, the two chatting amiably.  “You want to go shoot some guns, Vas?” he asked.  The Russian grunted, tossing his own empty coffee cup into the trashcan at the end of the counter. “Oooh, how masculine,” Catalina said.  “Can I watch?”The firing range was occupied, as they could hear the noise of weapons fire even before they pulled back the sound-muffling curtain at the end of the corridor in the east wing that led to the area reserved for weapons practice.  They turned the corner to find Eleazar Perez and Jürgen Ritter standing behind the lower barrier that marked off the range.  The two Betas looked up as the three of them came into the room.  “I still don’t know why they give women guns,” Eleazar said. “Oh, I know why they do,” Catalina said, with a wicked grin. “To protect them from you,” Vasily said.  Eleazar laughed.  “A woman needs no protection from me.”  He loaded a fresh clip into his handgun.  “Hey, Russian, want to make a bet?”“What bet?”“Three shots at the far manny there.  Best score wins.”“See, now that’s why he doesn’t give guns to a girl,” Catalina said.  “They’d beat him.”Vasily paused at the rack where the various guns were laid out.  “I win, you set me up with the Brit over there,” Eleazar said.  “You win, I’ll set you up with Alyssa, from my team.”Vasily raised an eyebrow, and gave Cat a sidelong look.  “Not an equal bet,” she said.  “He’d need three dates with her.”Eleazar laughed.  “Well now, that would all depend on how well the first one went, eh?”“Oh, if ours went well, the stakes would treble,” Catalina returned. “I guess we may as well see how well targets work, huh,” Vasily said, taking down a Glock from the rack.  He checked the action efficiently, loading a clip of rounds. “That’s the spirit, señor,” Eleazar said.  Vasily came up to the barrier, but gestured for Eleazar to shoot first. The target dummies were set up to provide automated reports on impacts.  They had been fashioned into more or less humanoid shapes, although they lacked legs, and their faces were only vague oblongs within a metallic shell.  Eleazar fired, scoring three solid hits.  The results were indicated on a small LED screen above the weapons rack.  “All yours,” Eleazar said, stepping back.  Vasily took careful aim, and fired.  The first shot scored a glancing hit.  Catalina sighed, but his second and third shots were dead on, and the number indicated on the scoreboard was one point higher than Eleazar’s tally. “Heh, you beat me fair and square, chief,” Eleazar said.  “I’ll go tell Ally the good news.  Later, chief.”  Still chuckling, he turned and left.  “Pff, you could have shot to lose,” Catalina said, once he was gone.  “You owe me one date.”</blockquote>

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