Serendipity and the Major

"No, no, no...that is connected to the green pipe not the blue one!"

Elena Galewind looked down from her harness where she hung from the 'Seph's hull. She knew, of course, that the Captain was entirely wrong. The green pipe led to the sewage tank. The blue pipe led to the coolant system.

"Are you quite sure, Captain?"

Seren spread her arms, palms up and shook them."Well, yes! You just try it you'll see."

Elena turned back to the open cavity in the side of the hull, rolled her eyes, and connected the cable to the blue pipe regardless. It was then she heard the Captain's voice addressing someone out of sight.

"Can I help you there, friend?"

"Delegate Undercroft?"

"Aye that's me."

"I am Major Siamendes with the Special Investigations Unit. Alliance military. May I have a moment of your time?"

The captain eyed the Major up and down with a mild look of distaste. Uniforms. They were like a rag to a bull as far as the delegate was concerned. The major stood looking back, smiling pleasantly enough. That's how it always started, of course. Every time.

"Special investigations unit, eh? Alliance....." Seren paused, pursing her lips, "Bit out of your comfort zone out here, ain't ya?"

"I am used to travel" said the Major, "I am investigating a number of threats made against citizens of the UAP by a group known as the Jade Congregation."

Seren put her finger in the air, ready to make a point. "Aye, well...I did recommend to the Consulari you get involved sooner but there's some non-intervention policy or something. Anyways...", she said about to mean the opposite of what she was said, "...not my position to complain about the inadequacies of the Alliance...."

Non-plussed, the Major queried the comment with a questioning "Get involved?"

"Well, the late Ms. Moonkill was one of your lot...wasn't she?" Seren dabbed at her sand covered trousers and squinted at the Major in the bright sun, "Anyway, I'm sure you're probably aware that it wasn't just members of the UAP having trouble with this lot. Apparently the whole Dawla got an earful."

The Major confirmed that she  knew,"I was informed that you and other members of the Beit Dawla received threatening letters". She paused and then said "Shall we find a place to sit and chat?"

Seren twisted her mouth momentarily, side glancing at the Major.  "Sure, why not? Council chambers be okay?". A subtle reminder to the Major, were it needed, that she was dealing with an elected member of the government.

The Major smiled in a way the captain found disconcerting and said "That would be fine."

Seren nodded briskly, wiping her hands on a cloth from her pocket before shouting to her first officer "Yo Elena, I'm heading to the chambers. Be done by the time I get back".

Elena nodded that she'd understood the secret message she'd heard many times before. Be ready to take off at a moment's notice.

Al Raqis Council Chambers and Magistrate's Court

The Captain had a profound distrust of law enforcement and authority. It was something that ate at her during Dawla meetings. There wasn't a single person on that council that she trusted and she had the same misgivings about the Major walking alongside her. The same misgivings she had about Arnold Gustav. They were narrow-minded, focused on one particular brand of thinking, indoctrinated by that world view. She'd seen it here and at home. Home. There were skeletons in her closet that she couldn't risk being discovered and now this pesky major was here. She hoped her nerves didn't show. As they approached the Council Chambers, she realised they hadn't spoken for the entire journey and that the investigator had probably wondered about that. So she spoke, abruptly.

"Top floor, Major"
"Thank you."

They sailed through the doors that led to the Dawla, past the Consulari's expansive office and climbed two flights of stairs. The musty smell of cinnammon touched her senses again, that familiar smell of Araxes,  as they walked along the corridor to the dark end office with the plaque  - Delegate Serendipity Undercroft.

She motioned for the Major to sit down and sat in her own chair staring intensely at the Alliance officer. She steepled her fingers in front of her face and when she caught the Major's attention, smiled.

Seren leant forward, pushed a hidden button on the desk and a spring-loaded draw ejected upwards. She reached inside, rummaged and removed a crumpled sheet of spice paper.

"This turned up in my internal mail a few weeks back. I guess you'll want to see it."

"Yes please. It could be helpful", said the Major who took the document and scanned it intently. The captain noticed a flicker of a frown.

"When did you first hear of the Jade Revolution?"

Abrupt. To the point. The pleasantries were clearly over.

The captain leant back in her chair and gestured with her hands. "The first time was probably when I got that letter. Apparently they'd had some problems with the terminals down in the chambers but that was before my time in office."

"And when did this letter arrive?"

"Two or three weeks ago, heck it could have been a month. As you can imagine, I get a lot of mail"

"Of course, how did it arrive?"

Seren leant forward, gestured to the desk. "I found it here on this very desk. Normally the mail arrives electronically or a clerk from the basement brings it up from the post-room. I can't say how it got onto my desk."

"Have there further threats to your person or property?"

Seren sniffed dismissively "From these Jadist clowns? Not that I know of. But that's a busy landing bay. If I were being watched I couldn't say with any certainty that I'd know about it."

The Major looked on, clearly mulling over what was being said. "Have you arranged for increased security?"

Seren leant forward more, arching an eyebrow, face half turned. "I haven't. Do you think I should, Major? Is the risk that grave?"

"They warn they will watch your actions from afar....", the Major paused momentarily, "....but it is the reference to the crypt that would concern me. They have proven they can get into your offices...."

The Captain's mind suddenly raced but the Major continued "Were you making repairs to your ship when I arrived?".

Leaning back, she nonchantly explained "One of the coolant pipes got damaged. We're not sure how."

The Major nodded, "Standard repairs...or any signs of possible tampering?"

"Lots of junk gets pushed up in engine flow, it's par for the course." said Seren, noticing the Major was again intently looking at the letter.

"Did you know Jade?"

Ah, here we go, thought the Captain, trying to establish a link. Not guilty, Major.

"I bumped into her once or twice. I have to say I found her so be....someone I'd have liked to have known better. Why do you ask?"

"Your letter", the Major gestured, "..some of the other notes have contained personal references. This letter focused on your political platform. See?". She leant forward, indicating the passage. It read:

We have monitored your election pledges and find that you have failed totally in your attempts to fulfill your doe-eyed objectives.

"Aye", said the Captain, raising her hands in annoyance, "I noticed Major. Good grief."

"This is important", said the Major firmly, "Might I keep this letter. I would like to have the paper tested."

Seren nodded "Well sure, I certainly don't want it."

The Major continued her questioning. "You mentioned that you would have liked to have known Jade better. Why is that?"

"Oh, I see where this is going..."

"Oh?"

Leaning back in her chair, the Captain said with a certain degree of anger in her voice - "Yep. Sure. I liked Jade. She had some bright ideas and you know what? Yeah, I found I was surprisingly upset when she died....I've been quite vocal in my support for her views so...."

She caught herself mid-sentence, realising she might inadvertantly open herself up for suspicion. She glanced at the Major who looked on and nodded.

"She was a genuine soul." said the Major before looking again at the letter.

"If you wanna throw suspicion on anyone, Major, you might think about Mr. Gustav."

The Major continued on her line of inquiry. "First, the present threat..."

"Threat?"
"The Jade Revolution..." the Major paused and then said "Do you think Mr. Gustav is involved...in what happened to Jade?"

"I don't know about that.....He works for one of the biggest security firms on the planet, we already know he'd sell his granny for a profit. And hey...", she firmly placed a pointed finger on the desk, "he's the security guru around here and they're running rings around him...so what do you think?"

The Major twisted her mouth in thought. "Honestly....there are a number of people who would benefit from Jade's death."

Seren leant back in her chair, clasped her fingers together and said "I wouldn't know. I'm just a dumb, humble trader, Major."

Smiling, the major commented  "But with ideas of democracy and freedom...according to the Jade Revolution. Tell me about your political platform, Ms. Undercroft"

Seren sighed warily and prepared her mouth to speak. "I have lofty dreams of ending the wars that persistently cause harm to the people of this world. I'm advocating total transparency of the government and want to put the people before the factions who will stop at nothing to bleed this planet dry."

"Go on", the major urged.

The captain gestured widely with her arms. "Have you seen what's going on out there? The Magistrate basically sold the planet out to all and sundry. What right do the people of Botany Bay or the Federation or your precious Alliance have to sit on our government and decide our fate?"

The captain looked sternly at the major who had been listening intently. For a moment, Seren thought she'd heard someone shuffling around in the office next door.

"May I see your campaign literature, anything that details your election pledges?"

Seren looked at the major momentarily before nodding "Sure, I probably have it around here somewhere". As the captain rummaged around the innards of her desk, the Major had another question to ask.

"Do you follow the writings of any specific political scientist or philosopher?"

The captain paused and looked up, searching the major's face for a clue. Why that question?

"I was never much for politics, Major. Which is kinda funny since I ended up as a politician.". She rummaged a bit more and then made a point. "Of course, if you're hunting down certain political types....apparently that happened on Earth quite a bit back in the day....no comment."

The Major smiled back at the captain in a way no doubt meant to be pleasant but that Seren yet again found disconcerting. "I am hunting, Delegate Undercroft, but not for you."

Seren pulled several leaflets from a draw and wiped away the dust. She handed it over to the Major who said pleasantly "May I keep these?"

The captain laughed sarcastically. "Sure, I got a ton more sitting in the printers."

"Thank you", the Major said standing, "I will not take any more of your time. Thank you for your help."

Lifting her hands and almost shrugging, the captain replied "Any time, Major. I'm sure you know your own way out."

The Major smiled and left the office the way she came. For a moment, Seren sat there. Then she picked up her pen and threw it across the room. "Goddamn Alliance, sticking their oar in, too late as usual!".