Cold Calling pt.1
15 Aug 2024Miseri
Vadya turned the slim datachip over in her hand, it was blank and just the right size to fit into a Linkpad. That girl had passed her a slip of paper folded over onto itself, the datachip inside and on the paper a small note.
When I dont come back, call him.
She didnt know who "he" was but at this point it could be Salvation himself on the other end and she wouldn't be surprised.
The last time she had seen her employer had been weeks , no months ago. She had stopped in several weeks after her run in with the ACA followed by a full squad of soldiers in black, but they weren't chasing her this time. Anri had rushed her into the office of the carrier and pushed a dozen or more Datapads into her hands, and that note, and told her she needed her to keep everything running until she got back. She had tried to protest but all Anri did was put her finger to her lips and shake her head, Vadya remembered how her voice sounded as she whispered in her ear. Scared but also in control.
"Mon cheri, I need you to stay here now, for your own safety Ms Carver, please." the concern in her voice had been sincere, she had simply nodded and agreed.
Anri had given a performance of telling her a completely bullshit story and explanation that she knew Vadya also knew was bullshit, but she also knew what she was saying under the layers of subtext. dont follow
She was going to be going with these soldiers to a new job and it was one Vadya couldn't be a part of, if she wanted to stay alive.
When she was done Anri simply nodded and then hugged Vadya tightly ,she couldnt remember having hugged her before, she didnt hug like a trained killing machine.
"Give me six months" Anri had whispered to her before she released her
"Four ma'am" she had retorted "not a day more"
Now those four months had passed. She had called back to the carrier a few times, at first. Then they just stopped.
She stopped toying with the datachip and slipped it into the Link. A long series of numbers and letters filled the screen, a series of encryption passes and finally a single red line and it paused.
It was a holding signal. A few moments went by and then the comms line opened.
"AEGIS emergency direct line, I swear Seo if this is you calling at this hour im gonna be",
"Admiral Tanner" Vadya interrupted suddenly, she was wrong she could still be surprised
She could hear Tanner moving closer quickly, "Its former Admiral and who the hell is this, This is a secure AEGIS priority line its not just for social calls you know?"
"I'm hurt Tanner you dont recognize my voice, but then again they were already calling me Granny when you were still a fresh academy greenhorn. Its been a while Aden"
She could almost hear his face contorting as the recognition came to him " Carver, Vadya Carver, Well that is certainly not one I had on my bingo card tonight, its been a real long while, I heard you retired. What exactly are you doing calling my secure private line at this hour?"
"Well its about my employer , shes the one who gave me your gave me the comm link, and shes the one who has gone missing."
She heard a breathy sigh,
"Vadya I dont think I need to tell you its a warzone out there and we have people going missing all over, you want Wallglass not AEGIS. How did your boss give you access to this link, who are you working for?"
"Have you heard of Azimuth Biotech Logistics, Aden?"
There was no direct reply but she thought she heard him mutter something under his breath, " Hold on a minute, let me get a cup of coffee." in his voice was the resignation to the reality that this was not going to be a quick conversation.