Incarna

31 - None So Blind

Special Ops HQ - Canberra

“Minister Barden, come in.” Jim watched the Special Minister of State take his time as he entered the Alladin’s cave of his Ministerial Portfolio. At least you listen, thought Jim as Barden stopped to watch two operatives consolidating a data field then put the resulting update onto the wall screen.

Barden turned to Jim and extended his hand, “impressive Captain Ploughwright, very impressive. Your reputation goes before you but doesn’t come up to the reality!” “Jim,” he said and nodded his acknowledgement. “Arban,” and Jim smiled, yep you’ll do mate! And they turned as one to take in the next updates on the wall screen.

“You wont have to worry about my dickhead of an associate anymore. The ah, Minister for Defence has passed this operation across to me and will follow my lead from now on!” Barden turned to Jim, ‘your work rescuing the so called Orange Man has given you a high profile and some weight to throw around.” He met Jim’s gaze, “this won’t last and there will be a backlash from those jealous of your success, politics being the power game played by those of poor integrity and unable to raise their minds above the gutter.”

Jim nodded, he was very aware of the growing resistance to his approach to this crisis. “you a have a substantial window of opportunity here, but it won’t last. So what can I do to get as much done as quickly as possible and secure your position in my department!”

Jim wasn’t sure he liked all what he heard but first things first. “We need data and good quality first hand data to work out whats going on here!” 

“Just in time boss, Kiev!” chimed in Sparky. “Arban, this way please and Jim led Barden into his office. “Is this that Boh …?”  “Bohdan Barabach, Kiev ABC office. We activated him to collect samples while he was working on the media coverage of the destruction of the russian armour.”

“Yes, I saw the report. That was a risk that has earned you some resistance.” Jim shrugged and brought up the video screen on his desktop.

“Bohdan.” “Jzim, und ah Minster Barden,” he caught himself before he said too much that Jim may not have wanted to go too far just yet! Jim watched Bohdan’s expression close over with the presence of the politician. Years of government cutbacks to the national broadcaster and to science and research in general had turned most journalists into a highly suspicious human subspecies.

“Any prelims Boh?” “Nuzzing ztructural! No zhards or piecez of unny zsing of a macrozcopic size! Plenty of duzt zamples und contaminated zoil but zo far nuzzing, any of my engineer friendz at ze univerzity can identify!” Bohdan turned as if listening to someone off camera. He nodded and turned back, “I have ze inizial analyzis of ze dust. Many exotik elementz but no traize of molecular ztructurrz. Iz very ztrange!”

Jim nodded while taking some notes, “what of the site itself any first hand impressions?”

“Many my friend! … und mosztly of inzanity. Yah ze vas deztruktion but ze bodies …” Bohdan looked away as if trying to control the memories. “I recorded everzing I zaw und I nevur want to zee zuch again Jzim. Zsey killed each uzzer und zem zelves Jim. Nevur have I zseen zuch carnage. It voz truly terrifying!” Bohdan looked away and Jim read the signs of having seen far too much for one man to cope with!

“Thanks Boh! Email the reports asap and your video, then you clear off and get home. Go and detox mate, trust me. Go and do some truly hard yakka somewhere for a week and burn that shit out of your soul! ... then take your family and disappear for two or three weeks. You can then come back to the office and do some first class follow up on the elements in that dust and what you and your mates at the uni can come up with!”

Boh leaned in toward the screen, “you ur ze great man Jim. It iz ze privilege verking vith zsu,” and he nodded and the screen went blank.

Barden watched Jim take a deep breath before he reached forward and closed the video window on the desktop screen. When Jim turned to him Barden nodded, “I hunted with my uncles as a kid and went out onto country when I came of age. Fended for myself, proved I could live off the land and all that stuff we Indigenes have to do to prove we can live in both cultures in Australia. I hated skinning and cleaning anything I’d killed.”

Jim didn’t say anything, this was Arden including him in part of his story making Jim part of his song. Arden looked up, “I’ve never killed or even physically fought with another man, I don’t think I ever could! So you blokes that have been there and seen the blood and pulled the trigger or pushed the button while watching your enemy …”

Jim nodded, “thank you Arden, that means a lot from a man that’s lived on country.” Jim turned away and looked out the explosive proof windows. “Face to face is nigh on impossible, and if you think about it you’re dead. Anybody that says anything else is a liar! You live off adrenalin and just react to whatever happens, thinking is death!”

He turned back to Arden, “through sights or on a screen is different. My tech operator, Spocky we call him, has killed more people than anyone in my entire platoon and all from behind his screen. He goes home and rock climbs and surfs and never turns on a computer! He reckons he will take a whole year off before he eases back into screen use once he demobs!”

Arden watched as Jim laid bare his soul to him. “Me, well, I know I’ve seen too much and this job here is just enough to keep me sane. I want to go back to where rescued Davies and find out what happened but I need to be with my family.

Arden smiled and nodded in agreement then said stern faced. “I agree and, I’m not permitting you to go back! This office has never run so well. I need you, here!”