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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 5100162" data-attributes="member: 143">Thanks, Neurotic!* * * * * Session 16 (August 4, 2008)Chapter 57Catalina was feeling more nearly human again as she sat with her teammates at a small table in the base kitchen.  Her back still twinged annoyingly, but at least she didn’t feel like she was going to fall on her face at any moment.  “So, what do you think of Drake’s new spy?”“She seemed nice enough,” Jane said. “You have idea already?” Vasily grunted.  “Not sure, but damned if I’m not going to find out.  Her personnel files are encrypted, of course, but we’ll see about that.  Wish we still had Buzz here.”“We’re supposed to have a drill tomorrow,” James said.  He looked annoyed at being taken away from his work in the lab.  “Team-building exercise or somesuch.”“Lovely,” Catalina said.  “Oh, how I missed this place.”  She shot a quick glance around before continuing.  “I heard you spoke to Okwelume.”Vasily nodded.  James’s expression darkened.  “I say let him go,” the doctor said.  “He won’t make any commitments not to pull the same stunt again.”“Well, what did you offer him?”“Offer him?” Vasily asked.  “What could we offer him?”“How about a little of what he wants, help for Africa?” Catalina returned. “I not even sure Garret can promise that,” Vasily said.  “We can’t honestly offer or promise him anything,” Jane pointed out, “and he wasn’t promising anything either.”“So did anyone talk to Garret about the possibility of an offer?” Catalina asked.  “I mean, what did you say to him?”The other three Alphas shared a look, and Catalina let out an exasperated breath.  “Do you know what would bring Okwelume over?  Any idea at all?”Vasily’s look matched her own.  “No.”“We offered him not to suffer the tender attentions of the CIA,” James said.  “Would you like to try talking to him?” Jane said.  “You seemed to get on better with him, and you were the one to find him out.”“He prepared to work on reactor even if we do give him to CIA after,” Vasily said. “Wonderful,” Catalina replied.  “Do what we ask, and we might be nice to you and not turn you over to the nasty people at Homeland Security.  That worked.”“That’s what he said,” James said.  “But we should expect him to do whatever he thinks best, including acting as a spy.  I don’t think it’s worth it.”“No promises he won’t sell out to the more unsavory nations,” Catalina said.  “Right,” James said. “And you offered no reason for loyalty other than not letting him get tortured?”“What you expect?” Vasily said.  “We got nothing else to offer.  Nothing.  We grunts with zero political pull.”“We need a starting point, th—”  She was cut off as their xPhones all buzzed at the same time, followed a second later by the base intercom.  “Alpha Team,” Garret’s voice said, “report to Briefing Room 1.”“naughty word,” Catalina said.  They met Cecilia Sharp on the way; the new agent fell in with them, questions obvious on her face, although she didn’t ask anything.  She was carrying a bulky bundle; she’d spent the morning being fitted for Personal Armor in one of Grace’s workshops.  Grace and Stan arrived just ahead of the Alphas; Doctor Wagner and Liaison Garret were already in the briefing room.  There was a live track upon the big screen. “We’re tracking another bogie coming down over northern Canada,” Wagner said, while the newcomers found their seats around the table.  “Too far for an intercept, at its original speed, but while we were monitoring, it looked like the alien had… engine trouble.”A lot of eyebrows went up around the table.  “That… new,” Vasily said. “They went down over Alberta, an area only lightly populated.  Hyperwave indicates floaters.”“Hopefully not too difficult a mission,” Stan said, with a quick glance at Cecilia.“Great, my favorite aliens,” James said. Vasily nodded.  “We can take floaters.”“Lasers have a chance,” Catalina said. “The weather is good, for once,” Wagner went on.  “No big snowstorms yet.”“At least we shouldn’t freeze our butts off,” James noted.Garret turned to Cecilia.  “I’m sorry we don’t have time for a more formal orientation,” he told the agent.  “But we learn on the job around here.  Alphas, get the agent here up to speed ASAP.  Ken’s prepping the Ranger.  You dust off in ten.”As the Alphas stood, Wagner told them, “Capture the ship intact, if possible.  Our new Elerium storage area is ready, we’d like to fill it up.”“We’ll talk about… the other matter, when you return,” Garret said.  Grace came out with them, as the team headed toward the barracks to gear up.  “Doctor Sandesh has the second HWP in the hangar bay,” the engineer said.  “This one should perform somewhat better than the last.”  She paused outside the entrance to the barracks.  “Teach them a lesson for France, Alpha,” she said, then hurried on her way.</blockquote>

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