Alpha One - Chris Burton [10]
She lay awake for some time thinking about Joely and what would come from her further investigations tomorrow, and about Steve and what a fool he was. She was questioning more and more why she chose Steve as a partner at the Fresher’s ball in year one of the Academy, when she could have anyone. Not Jake though. He was with Joanna at the Fresher’s Ball. Joanna graduated from the Academy last year and flew Rapiers in frequent battle exchanges with the Sentinels. She and Jake split up a year ago and he remained single ever since. Why do I spend so much time thinking about Jake when I should be thinking about Steve? Carla wondered.
The next morning, she took breakfast in her room, showered and made her way down to the Reception room for a Q&A session with New Portsmouth’s new Alpha Ambassador. The session was interesting and challenging as, although the Ambassador spoke English, his Titan dialect was strong and he was more difficult to decipher than many of the non-English conversations she had on this trip.
After refreshments and a further session in the Reception Room on key APF languages, Carla left the hotel at one p.m., thinking she had until five to progress her search further for her sister. She was missing out on two language seminars this afternoon, both of which could have been of some interest to her, had she not already achieved fluency in both languages. At AUSWAS, the previous day, Dr. Helen Smythers gave Carla an address in the eastern docks area of New Portsmouth where she might be able to find Nigel Winterburn. She took the Modular Transport Link to the dockland area of the city and then set out on foot to find the address. At 2.30 she reached her destination: an abandoned warehouse in the center of the dockland area, purported to house several small sea going vessels while under repair. Closer inspection revealed they hadn’t been moved or touched for years.
Carla entered immediately. On first inspection it looked like a normal warehouse, but she could see that it was everything but. The ‘sea going vessels’ were a holographic projection which gave the impression that the premises were used as a boat repair house. In reality, the building housed a multitude of offices—some occupied, some vacant—and in the center was a large hall which was recessed into the ground to a depth of two stories below the surface.
As she continued her observations, she realized she was being watched. She turned around slowly to find her sister Joely.
“I knew you’d find me!” said Joely excitedly.
Carla stared in disbelief and then, as if the pain of the last six years of uncertainty suddenly lifted, she walked forward and clasped her sister and they hugged. The two of them stood there for a moment, holding each other before Joely pulled away. “We have much to discuss,” she said, as the emotion suddenly drained from her voice.
“What is this place?” asked Carla.
“All in good time.” replied Joely.
Carla followed her sister down into the recessed hall. She could see that the hall was structured in the form of a small operations center.
“Welcome to the ‘Collective’,” said Joely.
“The what?” said Carla.
Joely continued, “That’s who we are. We are a group whose prime responsibility is the protection of the galaxy’s cultural diversity. Let’s meet some of the others and then you will begin to understand.”
Carla met several of hers sister’s colleagues, and was then introduced to Professor Nigel Winterburn briefly before he disappeared into a different room. She learned that the Collective was not just linked to AUSWAS. Like the hologram, this was a front. The work they did was critical to the survival of the galaxy. Exactly what was ‘critical to the galaxy’s survival’ was unclear, but Carla was impressed.