A real coincidence
16 Feb 2022Thimeus
Who ever does not believe in coincidences, should now pay close attention.I thought of nothing bad, just wanted to deliver my cargo and, while my ship was being unloaded, treat myself to a drink in the pub near the hangar. I did just that, went to the bathroom in the meantime, and at the exact moment I opened the door back into the pub, a man pulled at it from the other side. Well, who wouldn't lose his balance then. He managed to hold on with his other hand, but let go of the folder he had held in it. Being a decent man, I acknowledged my complicity in the dilemma and helped him collect his papers. A few times my gaze lingered on the pieces of paper, but nothing was visible except for a jumble of letters.
Back at the bar, some thoughts came to me. A man who went to the toilet with notes on which no recognizable words were written. That could be actually only one of a secret service, which wanted to decode a text without which someone read along.
If someone thinks that this should have been the big coincidence, he is mistaken. The coincidence was that only a few minutes later a special report from Galnet was on TV, asking for help to break a code. So what do I do? Pay my bill and head back to my ship. The crew was still unloading my cargo, but I didn't care. My cockpit was soundproofed from the cargo hold. I called a buddy, no one special, but he told me that an acquaintance of his had once worked with the ACT.... at least that's what this acquaintance had claimed. So I told my buddy about my encounter with this guy and also about the Galnet message. I presented it as a joke that the ACT might be interested, which was the best way with my buddy to tell his acquaintance about it.
Now, whether my buddy had told his acquaintance about it or whether the acquaintance had told the ACT, I don't know. And even if he had, I have no idea if that had helped in getting rid of the Empress. But the fact is, such an encounter right before such a message is broadcast on TV... that can only be a coincidence.
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