I actually did not want to participate in the next sci-fi writing contest by @art-universe to give others a chance too.
But so far only one stepped in. So I decided to keep on composing some story, for my and your fun. Enjoy reading it.
After Heather and Simon had returned to the office, Chief Thomson called the team in for a meeting. A screen in the meeting room would display the current video streams from the suite where the two scientists resided. Christine, a young lady with red hair, was advised to watch the stream on another screen before her instead of taking care of the meeting, which is why she wore some headphones. She had been asked to interfere with the meeting instantly if something irregular should happen.
Chief Thomson would lose no time.
"Roland, what do you think of the both so far? Did they speak the truth during the talks with Heather and Simon?"
Roland gave a detailed account of his observations.
"They seemed a little reserved at times, but I did not see something irregular."
"And Kyle?"
Kyle shook his head, he had nothing to report either.
"Heather, Simon? What do you think?"
"I may be biased but to me they seem reliable and authentic. I don't question what they said. But it's plenty of stuff. I'm a little tired. I might miss something.", Heather answered.
"That's my thoughts also, " Simon added. "We need to review everything now to get to a precise conclusion."
"Alright, you can start to check their material soon. Edwin and Sandra will help you with it. Can you give us a summary though?"
"They were mainly working with minerals from Lightsaber but lately did some research on minerals from Tartaros too. One piece was on Mrs. Privalova's bedside table. They had no objections to have it this near to their bodies even though obviously no record of the piece's physical properties exists. We showed them pictures from the bedroom at the beginning of the fire which had been taken by the CCTV that became active when the temperature in the room rised. The stone from Tartaros seemed to be missing on those photos." Heather paused and Simon continued.
"There was a substance spread over all the room like from a explosion. They said they could not guess what it was. According to them stones similar to the one on their bedside table had been reported safe for humans that's why they kept it there for about 3 months. They said nothing strange has happened in those three months."
"Where did they have the stone from and where did they keep it before bringing it to their flat?", Edwin asked.
"They bought it at the minerals market 4 months ago, they said. They intended to use it for research but decided the other way after keeping it in the lab for 3 weeks. They said, maybe the stone changed a bit or looked nicer. However, they had not found time to investigate this stone at all, being busy with the materials for some new glasses for the use in space ships."
"Did they give you a description of the merchant?"
Heather shook her head. Simon spoke again.
"They said he looked quite like an adult human but they do not remember clearly anymore. They paid the usual way so we might be able to follow the trace of their money. The stone was bought the 4th of August around 5pm. The booth was rather small and had no name on it."
"That's bad news, " Sandra commented. A shop without name was something they always warned of. How could the two trust this merchant? "We need CCTV records from that shop and any other information about it we can get."
"Exactly, " Chief Thomson replied. "If we can get them still." He turned to a man of his age who sat on the side and had remained silent. "Rob, can you take care of that?"The man nodded. He had lost his ability to speak in an accident when he was a young man and used his handheld's voice function as a replacement for his own voice since. When he had finished typing a male voice said "I want to take Christine with me."
"Sure. " Chief Thomson nodded. Christine was Rob's daughter, she had assisted him all her life. For two years now she was getting some training as an criminal investigator and it seemed she had inherited his intelligence and perseverance. Often she knew his thoughts before he spoke them out. The two together were unbeatable.
"But I want Daniel to help you also. There's plenty of work you have to do and I want results as fast as possible."
Rob nodded. Daniel, a young man of Christine's age, nodded too.
"Alright, " the Chief summed up, "that's what's going to be done: Rob, Christine and Daniel will get and check the CCTV records of the store and the financial records of the couple. Heather, Simon, Sandra and Edwin will get any available data on that Tartaros stone and also on everything that has been worked on in the lab within the last 4 months. If you need information from the scientists: get it but be discreet about the investigation's results. Claude, Rob and Kyle will take turns observing the CCTV from the suite and the hotel. Parker and Jameson will check the lab staff and the CCTV records from the lab. Nobody talks about our results to anyone who is not involved. We will meet again in 48 hours. Let's get to work."
One after the other the team left the room.
In another place not too far from the office another meeting was held the very moment. The group who met was just much smaller: an old man in a wheelchair, two young men of black skin and hair sitting beside him like a protection. Before the desk stood another trio: a woman and two men of middle age who seemed to have nothing in common.
"So the criminal investigators have been at the suite and the appartement also?", the old man asked. "Did they find the stone?"
"No", the man who stood right before the old man said. His fair hair stood into all directions and his clothes did not have the common standard for a men his age. He had turned to the dark side of the society years ago when he failed to get an employed as a scientist himself. Shading his real identity, he had managed to get an employment as a cleaner at the laboratory building, being responsible for the material and biology labs. Now he produced a dark but strangely shiny stone from his jacket.
The old man opened the container and the man with the fair hair gently placed the stone in it. Then the old man closed the container and sealed it.
"Good job, all of you," he addressed the trio. He handed each a small electronic card. A paycheck that could not be traced back to him or any other user.
"You know you are not permitted to contact me or each other again. For your own safety."
"Yes", the three replied.
Then they left the room.
George decided not to follow the advice. He had met Tamara the first time and felt like having sex with her. When they were at the back door of the building where the secret meeting had taken place, he grabbed her arm to hold her back till the blonde guy was out of sight. He wanted to kiss her but she slapped him. "Don't do that again", she said fiercely. You know what the old man said. We have to part here." Tamara had had no objections about sharing her information on her sister's work but that was it. She did not seek company. George was looking a t her when she walked off. He had just wanted the money first but meeting a pretty woman was not bad either. Now that chance was gone again. Being the latest ot the three. He finally walked off too.
Tamara was with her own thoughts when she strove towards the exit at the back of the building. She had hopened to get some hints on her sister's place to stay. Some knowledge what had happened, why she had dreamed of her sister enclosed by some danger.
Then that black-haired unshaved guy had packed her arm when she came out of the building and tried to keep her from leaving the place. She was too surprised to react else than by slapping him. She fekt a little sorry but also angry when she walked off, her thoughts being distracted for a moment. Then she remembered why she had been there and was feeling helpless and sorry. She decided to contact the criminal investigation hotline.
The blond man had meanwhile reached some kind of park - there were no real trees and flowers but synthetic copies who looked very much like real plants. Or so the authorities said. Actually, after 2 centuries, no human remembered terrestrial flora. Records of it in libraries were rarely available to scientists and not at all to the general public. Having been a biologist he of course was in the knew. After his non-acceptance in the lab as a scientist he had done some research on parasites himself. He made a halt at a tree, looked around carefully and produced a little flask and dripped a blueish liquid on the bark. He put the flask away and wanted to leave. But it was too late. He had been seen.
"Hey, you!" He turned around to see a park guard run his direction. "Halt!"
The blond started to run now himself, pushing away the walkers in his way. He exited the park and jumped into an aircab at the near stop. When the guard came to the stop the guy was gone. He looked at the leaving cab, took out his handheld device and typed in a few things. Then he returned to the tree.
Meanwhile, a group of walkers had clustered near the tree which made it easier for the guard to find it. The people made way for him and when he saw what they had seen he first mistrusted his eyes. The blueish liquid had gone and so had the bark at the very point. Something strange seemed to grow at the inside of the tree. What was going on here? The guard decided to evacuate this section of the park and to call for a crime scene investigation team.
The blond man arrived at the laboratory building just in time for his shift. He knew that any absence from work would lead to suspicion - something he must avoid in any case. He changed into the working suit, combed his hair a little and put the cap on. Then he took his cleaning wagon and went off the equipment room. Towards the material science lab.
Parker and Jameson were checking the CCTV records nd streams from the material science lab, Parker being responsible for the records and Jameson being responsible for the streams. They had fetched four material science students to have more eyes on the streams. The students did not know about the mission but they were advised to look for unknown people. The blond guy showed at the stream and the recorded video at the same time so that in each group two students told either Parker or Jameson they had seen this guy before. They kept on watching and thus observed the blond man when he took a stone from a box and put it into one of the containers. It was a stone that looked very similar to the description of the stone the scientists had had at their bedroom.
The team looked at the timestamp of the recorded video. It was almost 4 months old.
"So you say this guy is currently working as a cleaner in the labs? Do you know his name?" Parker asked.
"No." The students shook their heads.
"Thanks for your help. I must ask you to leave us alone now." Jameson added and lead the young people to the door.
Parker meanwhile followed the moves of the blond man while the latter walked down the floor. He watched him slipping into a room at the side when Jameson returned.
"Where did he go into?", Jameson asked.
"Well, the students might have told us."
"Maybe." Jameson said. "Let's call Chief Thomson. This is an important turn of events."
To be continued.
Thanks to @art-universe for hosting another sci-fi writing contest based on the @nextcolony game's background story.