COMPETE: The Atlantis Grail (Book Two) - Preview

CHAPTER FIFTEEN (draft)

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Kassiopei and Logan talk for the next twenty minutes, while I breathe shallow and stand perfectly still, my body approaching muscle atrophy, while my senses take everything in. At some point, Gennio and Anu arrive in the office, but seeing the intensity in the room, they pause at the doors.

I silently motion for them to come in and sit down. And then all three of us perch on our usual seats near the walls.

"What's going on?" Gennio whispers to me, motioning with his head to the CP and Logan talking at the desk in moderately quiet voices. Now that I've stepped farther away, I can no longer hear them—at least not well enough to clearly tell what they're saying, so I begin to fidget in agony. Gennio must see my extraordinary level of agitation, and the unrest in my posture.

But I only shake my head negatively, continuing to stare at the two speakers, Cadet and Command Pilot, trying to catch snatches of words. It's like a bomb has exploded in my head. I no longer know what to think or feel or. . . .

Anu looks at them then back at me. "Must be really serious," he finally mumbles.

"Yes!" I whisper fiercely. "It is."

Finally another ten minutes later, it appears the conversation or interview is done.

"I am officially transferring you to my ship, Cadet Sangre," Aeson Kassiopei says loudly. "As of now, you report to me directly. Any problem with that?"

Logan nods. "No, I am honored."

"We will speak more on this later. For now, I'll make the arrangements for transfer." Aeson pulls up a mech arm with a monitor and console, then starts keying in something.

Logan watches the CP's movements.

"Your new assignment is ICS-2, Red Quadrant Cadet Deck One. The official commanding officer in charge is Pilot Xelio Vekahat, but he will be informed of the actual arrangement. If anyone asks, you report to him. This must be kept discreet."

"Understood."

Aeson observes him. "One more thing—how did you get that gun past the ship security, both here and on the flagship?"

Logan smiles. "I didn't. The gun was never unauthorized. I simply took it off one of your guards at the shuttle bay, after we were scanned. You might ask Gwen about the little incident near the exit doors with the dropped box of cosmetics—"

"Oh, no, you don't mean—" I exclaim, putting one hand to my mouth. "That box you carried for Consul Denu? That was on purpose?"

Logan glances at me briefly and grins. "Oh, yeah. Did you think it was an accident? All those rolling paints underfoot, four guards crawling around on the floor, bumping into me, their weapons holsters unattended. I could have stripped them of multiple weapons and probably their underpants too. My thanks to Consul Denu and his luggage for providing such an easy scenario."

Anu makes a snort and bites his lip, but there's a blissful stifled smile on his face. I think he's just been seriously impressed by Logan. Either that, or he just really, really has it in for Consul Denu, and Logan has made his day.

But Command Pilot Aeson Kassiopei is not smiling. "All right. I am sure I'll be hearing about it from the Consul himself at some point." He merely nods. "In that case, we're done here for now. Cadet Sangre, dismissed."

Logan stands up, and makes another salute. Aeson watches him with an unreadable expression. For a moment they look at each other.

Aeson Kassiopei finally glances in our direction.