Galen Thompson stood beside Paddy, Maria and the more senior of the two communications operatives inside Stuart's cramped office. They had been called in by their overseer who rarely used his office, except for private calls. Stuart preferred the space of the HJA observation deck where he could keep a better eye on what went on.
Galen bit his thumb and shifted his weight while he tried to guess the purpose of the meeting. Had his mother given the micro file to Laura O'Halloran after promising she wouldn't? Was Stuart about to call Penny Thompson and her offspring out as traitors? The others shrugged at each other while Galen remained tight-lipped.
The door opened and Stuart burst into the room, almost knocking into Paddy who had stuck himself behind the door. A quick arm up to his face saved him from damage.
'Shit, Paddy,' said Stuart. 'What are you doing behind there?'
Paddy pushed his back further into the corner. 'Sorry, boss. No room in here. What the feck's this about?'
'Just settle for a mo, I'll tell you in a minute.' Stuart squeezed past Maria, who had been allocated the postage-stamp space behind the desk. He dropped into his seat, if only to help free up some floor space.
'Alright,' he said, huffing out a breath once he'd settled into the chair. 'We're meeting in here because what I have to say is for your ears only. You are not to discuss it with that lot out there.' He jerked a thumb towards the observation deck, where five trainee rookies and the second comms guy were on duty. 'They are far too green to hear what I have to say.'
Galen fidgeted, sensing that his place should also be out there with the trainees; technically, he still was one. He couldn't get the ESC memos or his mother's business with the letters and micro file out of his head, or the worry that they were all linked.
Stuart shot him a look. 'Got something to say, Galen?'
'Should I even be in here? I mean, I'm not even a senior controller yet.'
'You are one of our top trainees. Stay where you are. Now what the hell was I saying before I was rudely interrupted? Oh yeah, I have some bad news from the ESC.' He leaned back in his chair, managing a thirty-degree tilt before the edge hit the wall.
The room fell silent, in particular Paddy.
The ESC only contacted the docking stations in the event of a security breach, or if cuts were on the way. ESC had the power to initiate any changes they wanted. Security matters were most feared, and from what Galen understood, the consequences could be dire.
Paddy had told him the grim story one lunchtime about a former colleague of his who'd been caught abusing his security-level clearance. Nothing too serious, Paddy had said. His colleague, obsessed with bettering his career, had broken into the personnel office to gain insider knowledge on his competition. While they hadn't physically caught him, the ESC had recorded an unusual amount of activity in Section Three. Within hours, security had arrived to escort him off the premises. Paddy never laid eyes on him again.
'As you know, we're expecting a passenger ship from Exilon 5. It's scheduled to arrive Sunday week. I've just been informed by ESC there has been a breach of security and there's a possible stowaway on board.'
Paddy frowned. 'I don't understand, Stuart. Why's this time any different from the two other incidents that occurred last year? It happens.'
'When people stowaway it's to leave Earth, not to return to it. ESC is taking this seriously. They're sending over military personnel to monitor activity before and after the ship arrives.'
'Who is this mystery stowaway?' said Maria.
'Some worker called Bob Harris,' said Stuart. The group shrugged. 'I know, I don't recognise the name, either, but apparently it means something to them.'
'Falsification of departure records again?' said Paddy.
'No, not this time. Someone used a stolen identity chip to gain access to the ship. Whoever's using it is of great importance to them.' Stuart glanced at the door and lowered his voice. 'You didn't hear this from me, but the order is coming directly from Charles Deighton.'
Paddy let out a low whistle while Galen's stomach coiled into a tight knot. He'd have to step up his search for the memos before the military arrived.
'So, the military are taking over next week,' said Maria. 'For how long?'
'As long as it takes for them to get what they want. It's going to get a little crowded in here. I need you all to be on your best behaviour. I don't want to give the ESC any reason to shut this place down. Are we clear?'
'Understood.'