An Unlikely Friend. part 1

Chapter 3: Isis B.

“That’s good news.” Isis pauses for a moment before she types a new note. “Okay if that is all, I would like you to inform the office of the secretary of foreign affairs that I need a copy of the itinerary for their visit for security review as soon as possible.”

“Yes ma’am, right away,” he says with a quick salute and scurries out of her office.

Isis shakes here head and continues with her work. Before she can finish a sentence a small window on her monitor with red letters pops up and beeps.

INCOMING CALL: Lt. Co. Phillips

Isis taps the accept button on the screen and an image of a male Erohsian officer pops up.

“Colonel, there is a situation that requires your attention. We got a hit on the DNA and retinal scanners two days ago in the outer districts of Sunta that match a class 2 human named Kabel Reikyn who has known activity with the terrorist group Catalyst,” Phillips says.

“Then standard triple S procedure applies Lieutenant Colonel, take two squads, scan, search, and secure the area. Why do you need me?” Are you helpless as well?

“Because Ma’am, I don’t have the authority to make sure we catch him.”

“What’s the importance?” Isis asks. “If we arrest one, there’ll be ten more in his place and as far as I know he’s not a high priority.”

“Well Ma’am, my squads used the standard protocol and with an impressive amount of difficulty they were able to track him to the area around New Lur before losing him again this morning. In the process they made several Aether scans that suggest he was in possession of multiple essences.”

“Really and out in the open like this?” Isis looks to the side and runs her thumb along the edge of her right ear. “Did they get a reading on their strength and cast?”

“There was an unusual amount of noise in the signal so there was no way to tell cast. Our extrapolation algorithm on average estimated the essences around a one on the Boltz scale. The stranger thing is, it was sporadically estimating values of four …”

“Four!? How did that slip by? Have the terrorists found a way to hide the signature?” Isis shakes here head. “Regardless, a class four essence would cause a lot of trouble if one of the terrorist members absorbs it…”

“I agree, Ma’am. That’s the last thing we need.”

Were these the ones stolen from research? I don’t remember any level four entities being held there though. Isis continues to play with her ear. “They must be transporting them and this may be our last chance to retrieve them before they’re absorbed or used. If we can locate him before night, we still may have a chance. Take four platoons of light infantry fully geared. Split them up into fireteams of three with one Aether detector for each team and search the area in and around New Lur. Have a levitraft ready with an equipped team of soldiers for me outside. I’ll see you within the hour at New Lur.”

“Yes ma’am.”

Isis exchanges salutes and ends the call. She finishes writing a couple messages and some notes and then grabs a white, ruler shaped object resting in a charging slot. With a little pressure the object snaps around her wrist and a large holographic screen pops up in font of her.

Good morning Colonel Belshiv.

Power Cell: 100% charged

She taps a virtual button on the holographic display and it disappears. On the way out, she swiftly grabs her hat and coat and turns down the light gray hallway with an evenly illuminated ceiling. After a couple of elevators, she arrives at a large main floor lobby where a series of guards and scanners monitor a stream of people coming and going from the building. A set of automatic doors opens at the exit and a rush of fresh air fills her lungs.