"Cheryll J. Bartell,
Commander-in-Chief around here," she announced, standing rigidly with her
hands clasped behind her back.
While the introduction was actually a pleasantry he hadn't expected, it did
little to explain anything. Except for the fact that he expected the titanium
wall to open up into a transparent entrance, Jackie was still thoroughly
confused and even that little bit of knowledge confused him. How could he
possibly have known to expect the wall to become entrance? Jackie was
unbelievably out of sorts. Nothing was making any sense, yet everything seemed
eerily familiar, including the Zeltak so fascinated with his profile. And what
was with this Bombeese uniform? An other disguise? He could understand why she
had lost the dark makeup and yellow lenses but why was she pretending not to
know who he was? The only thing he was sure about was that he didn't like this
game, whatever it was.
Because they were unnecessarily polite, Jackie suspected he was intentionally
being lulled into a false sense of security, much like he had tried to do with
Johnny Gangster. But then, he had the advantage in that he saw it coming. `
"So you are our latest recruit? You know Felix, we're going to have
to be more careful about who we let transport aboard in the future." She
was talking to the Zeltak at her side. Felix's presence here was a curiosity
since Jackie was unaware that the Bombeese were in the practice of recruiting
Zeltaks into their ranks. But there was no time for him to unravel that puzzle
before she diverted her attention back toward him. "We don t know very much
about you. In fact, you haven't even bothered to tell us your name yet."
Jackie took this as his cue to introduce himself, which seemed silly. However,
as he looked at her more closely, he could tell, by. . . he wasn't sure what,
that this wasn't Cheryll after all. She called herself Cheryll and she could
have easily passed as Cheryll, maybe, under different circumstances but. . .
something was not right. Physically, she was about the same height and she
appeared to be in the same good shape as Cheryll. She had the same green eyes
but somehow they were different. They sparkled just the same but no matter how
sweetly she tried to smile he was sure he could not trust her.
He had never seen so many decorations on any B.C.L. uniform. Whoever she was,
she was definitely in charge around here. Meanwhile, he realized they were
waiting for his name.
"Jackie M. Spangle," he finally blurted out. Jackie never used his
middle name and he had no idea what compelled him to include the "M"
in his introduction. It must have had something to do with the formality of
being interrogated by the B.C.L., or more accurately the Commander-in-Chief of
the B.C.L.. He had briefly contemplated using an alias but so far he hadn't done
anything he was aware of that warranted such a lie. Besides, this was the B.C.L.
and they could find out who he was without any problem. Moreover, he doubted
that his lying to them would advance his cause in the long run. Even though he
wasn't at all sure what cause that might be.
"And what makes you want to join the ranks of the B.C.L.?"
Jackie despised the B.C.L. for their part in Marcea's termination and he didn't
see any way he could hide that fact. Besides he didn't really want to. And that
was only one in a long list of reasons to abhor the B.C.L.. However, he
suspected he was not in any position to argue. Desperate situations called for
desperate measures.
Swallowing hard he blurted out, "who wouldn't want to align themselves with
the most powerful conglomeration outside of the Interplanetary Union?" It
was a bold faced lie but it was exactly what she wanted to hear. He seemed to
have a knack for that sort of thing. Both that and saying exactly the wrong
thing at precisely the wrong interval. It had always struck him as an odd
combination.
"Of course, and I must confess we're not as ignorant as I pretend. We
already know quite a lot about you. You're a native of Kinderbly right? We ran
your bio from your thermogram while you were indisposed. We like to give each
new recruit the opportunity to come clean. It gives us a little insight into
character. We take every precaution to weed out the jokers from the serious
recruits. We don't recruit just anyone, you know. Only a select few are chosen.
Of course, we feel very fortunate to have piqued your interest; also a little
surprised but there's no need to get into all of that just now. Quite frankly,
it's not often we get someone of your caliber as a new recruit."
The more she spoke, the less she reminded him of Cheryll, although the
resemblance was uncanny. They were almost identical and yet the differences,
though subtle, were too numerous to count.
"There was some initial concern you had not arrived alone. Of course, we
only saw you. But just in case, we're on a tactical alert; that is until we can
rule out the possibility that anyone tagged along with you."
Of course, unbeknownst to Jackie, there was method to the Commander's madness.
If she was truly suspicious this Jackie had brought along an accomplice, as she
was sure he had, she would never have mentioned it. . .. so she did. It would
only be that much more difficult to uncover the trespasser if they believed she
was suspicious. But she was more than suspicious. She expected his accomplice was
not just any female, mind you, but her nemesis. Max had seen this Spangle with
her and some Zeltak in Bom Bing and they were up to no good. So, she
intentionally lied to him. But it was her privilege, after all she was Commander
of the B.C.L.. And, quite naturally, he believed her every word.
Jackie was having trouble following her but he was able to pick up a few key
details from the conversation. For instance, apparently, he had transported
here, which explained his disorientation. However, this imposter Cheryll was
eyeing his responses so carefully he tried not to register any sort of emotion.
He even went as far as to try not to even entertain any distinct thoughts
because she looked at him as though she could see what he was thinking; in light
of which, he wisely attempted not to think.
"Felix will give you a full tour after you've had a few intervals to
refresh yourself," she stated, signaling the Zeltak beside her, as he
nodded in agreement, conspicuously avoiding Jackie's gaze. Then she turned to
leave but continued instead, "you know, I've never had the stomach for
transporting but you, you didn't spill a drop. I commend you Mr. Spangle."
She was referring to the glass of wine Jackie had forgotten he was holding. At
this point he felt ridiculous holding it but she seemed to be buying the facade
that he was completely in his element. So far so good.
"I heard that transporting had improved greatly in the last few cycles but
I had no idea that it had advanced to the point that you could actually enjoy a
beverage without spillage."
Contrary to popular belief, not all Zeltaks look alike yet, there was
something strangely familiar about Felix. Jackie had seen him before and
recently, if he was not mistaken. But even more than the way he looked, his
voice was familiar, which was particularly peculiar, being that Jackie did not
often have occasion to eavesdrop, much less on the conversations of Zeltaks. In
truth, since Marcea had moved on, he was no longer in the habit of eavesdropping
on the conversations of others with any regularity.
"So what do you think of all this so far, Mr. Spangle," the Commander
demanded?
"To be honest with you, thinking is not something I am doing too well at
this point." He didn't know what else to say but it also happened to be the
truth and sticking as close to the truth as possible was as far as he had gotten
in developing his game plan. She went on about something and Jackie tried to
listen to her but there was so much to take in.
Apparently transporting had come a long way since Jackie's 62nd cycle. As he
remembered, it took lots of very visible equipment to transport, none of which
was present at Cackey's. But now that he thought about it, that would pretty
much explain his nausea and all the other strange sensations he had experienced.
"We all know transporting can be exhausting. It would've been much more
convenient if you had arrived earlier in the gap. Planning is everything .. . .
but enough of that. Felix, why don't we show Mr. Spangle some of our B.C.L.
hospitality. Felix will bring you some food and then after you have had
sufficient time to rest we can resume with the. . . . Let's just call them
formalities, shall we? We can discuss the finalities later."
As she left with Felix hot on her heels she rapidly fired off a set of
directions but she spoke as if preoccupied. As to with what, Jackie could only
imagine, which he chose not to do. He was pleased to be left alone.
Sitting back on the cot he was amazingly relaxed and confident considering the
situation he was in. He could only be on a B.C.L. cruiser. Probably that one he
had hear about orbiting Calpez. But as interesting as that was, he was
fascinated at how it was possible that they could be aware of his true identity
and yet still mistook him for some kind of new recruit of, what did she say? His
caliber? He was completely confounded as to what she was referring to by that.
Yet, amidst all this confusion, there was one thing he was certain of. He had no
desire to join the ranks of the B.C.L.. If anything, he strongly opposed
everything the Bombeese Co. Ltd. Stood for.
The idea that he had passed himself off as a potential recruit was laughable.
Anyone who knew him would know better than to think he might have anything to do
with the B.C.L. Still, he was here and doing just that. Should he be pleased
with the success of his deception, he wondered? If nothing else, he had to admit
there was a certain satisfaction in the revelation that the B.C.L.'s claims of
knowing and prosecuting all dissidents was fraudulent at best. Here, they had
knowingly and gladly transported a Zeelaneese sympathizer aboard their
supposedly secret headquarters and greeted him with a warm welcome.
That he had arrived by transport, though unexplainable, seemed undeniable. But
there was still the lingering question of why? Although, undoubtedly, it was
related in some way to the other Cheryll. She and the Commander could pass for
twins. For all he knew they were twins. And there was also his suspicion that
the real Cheryll was around here somewhere. But then that would explain
everything. Because he had no transport device and no access to one, he had to
have tagged along with someone else. And hadn't the Commander suggested as much?
Most likely suspect? Cheryll.
What was it with him? He was just having a relaxing meal at Cackey's, albeit
with some sort of Zealot terrorist. But she was a pleasant one. O.K., pleasant
in a strange sort of way. But at least she was pleasant to look at. Still, none
of that was the point. As he took the last sip of wine, he realized, while he
was only just now finishing the drink, his meal at Cackey's was long over. For
all practical purposes he was stuck aboard a B.C.L. cruiser, passing as a new
recruit with the prospect of formalities looming in the near future. What was he
supposed to do now?
Jackie lay his head back on the cot and closed his eyes. He needed to grasp the
bigger picture here, he told himself, as his mind wandered away from the
unpleasant possibilities involved with recruitment. He had heard rumors of a
Zeelaneese Resistance committed to driving the B.C.L. out of Calpez and Volsta.
Now, there was a cause Jackie could stand behind. Which started him thinking . .
. it seemed such a shame to waste this opportunity. But the idea of playing spy
for the Resistance seemed absurd. Still, he imagined that any information he
could gather while he was here would prove invaluable to the Zeelaneese
Resistance. That is, if they ever got organized enough to form a resistance.
But from what Jackie knew of the Zeelaneese, that was nothing more than wishful
thinking. And it was too bad too because if the idea of a Zeelaneese Resistance
led by a native from Kinderbly wasn't so ludicrous he might have already
organized one himself. He might even consider recruiting his new acquaintance to
direct all terrorist activities. But that was just fantasy. Like he knew
anything about how to organize a political resistance group. Sometimes his mind
just got away from him.
Felix startled Jackie when he returned, carrying a tray of food only, intervals
later. Felix was another subject all together. What was a Zeltak doing
serving in the ranks of the B.C.L.? Possibly he was also spying. But that would
mean there was already an organized resistance. The mere thought of which was
too good to be true. Zeltaks were strong, proud and intelligent but they weren't
extremely motivated. They had a kind of a go with the flow, don't rock the boat
attitude. Unless you made them mad. Now that was a horse of a different color.
Maybe . . .just maybe it had finally happened and enough Zeltak's were angry
enough to finally do something?
Jackie doubted it. Felix was probably not interested in politics. He had a
distant, almost vacant look in his eyes. More than likely, he was just trying to
get by, like most everybody else. But he didn't look like everybody else. There
was something distinctive about Felix that Jackie couldn't identify. He looked
so familiar that Jackie couldn't help but feel they knew each other. But it was
more than that. Jackie sensed that Felix knew more about him than the standard
information a bio has to offer. Possibly, they had once run across each other
but Jackie's memory refused to cooperate with him in recalling when or where.
Who knew?
Although Felix came inside he seemed to be waiting on something but Jackie
couldn't imagine what? Oddly, Jackie was unusually calm and not the least bit
apprehensive about what he had gotten himself into. In fact, he felt distinctly
indifferent to his circumstances and perfectly content to go along with this
charade to see where it might take him. It was an attitude he could only
attribute to all the terms spent surrounded by the Zeelaneese, who had perfected
it as an art form. Anyway, as far as he could tell, it appeared he had little
choice but to subscribe to that old adage, if you can't beat ‘em, join ‘em.
Had it not been for Felix standing at attention and waiting for . . . maybe he
was waiting for Jackie to acknowledge the food? Jackie almost laughed out loud
at the irony of the situation. He had inadvertently landed himself right in the
middle of what he had only yestergap vowed to walk away from forever. Marcea's
termination had occupied Jackie's every waking thought for so long now that he
had almost forgotten that the rest of the universe was going on without him. But
now, here he was in the perfect position to finally find out who had
extinguished her and why. Getting on the inside and fettering out the rats was
an angle he had never considered. Nevertheless, he had to admit, as angles went,
it held its appeal.
Felix was soon followed by two other soldiers, carrying a table and chair, at
which Jackie might sit down to eat the food Felix was holding. Jackie was
relieved to discover Felix was not waiting on him. He and Felix had become
engaged in a staring match that was wearing on his nerves. It seemed to Jackie
that Felix also recognized him from somewhere, although neither said anything to
that effect. And yet, despite this lack of communication, Jackie had the
strangest sensation Felix wanted to tell him something.
For an interval Jackie thought Felix and his buddies were going to stick around
while he ate. Talk about a prime opportunity for indigestion. He tried not to
appear over eager but the spread he had devoured at Cackey's had only stimulated
his appetite and the fare looked amazingly good. It was almost the end of the
gap, he'd only had the one meal and it wasn't a particularly good one at that.
Cackey's just didn't cut the mustard.
But to his pleasure the soldiers quickly made their exit as Jackie sat down at
the table. They had brought him a white soup of some sort with strangely shaped,
brightly colored objects floating in it. It looked edible enough, it smelled
delicious and he was hungry. Unfortunately, he couldn't help but associate it
with the carnage he was involved with earlier. Only spans before, he had been
standing in a Zeltak's blood, complete with the brightly colored kaleidoscope
which constituted their life force.
Shaking his head, as if to dispel the visual memory, he reminded himself he
wasn't responsible for that. In fact, he had tried to stop it. And in the end,
he could think of no good reason not to eat. It was only that he couldn't rule
out the possibility that they might want to poison him. But on the other hand,
he couldn't think of one good reason they might want to poison him either. But
then, this was the B.C.L. and if they wanted him extinguished it would only be a
matter of time before he was extinguished anyway. For all practical purposes, he
was at their mercy. And with that in mind he decided he had nothing to lose and
began to eat.
But right before he determined to gamble so haphazardly with his fate he had a
visitor, of sorts.