Hi Guys, Well, this is something of a departure for me, I've been loving the Three Square Meals series Tefler has written. It has inspired me to write my own story based in his universe. So the start of a new series for me and the beginning of a new style of witting for me too.
I publish this with huge thanks to Tefler for allowing me to take these liberties, and thanks to my super editor, Gene, for helping me polish this.
I hope you like it, please vote and leave comments, I love feedback from my readers.
Stacey x
*****
"What do you have for us Faye?" John asked as he sat down in the ready room.
"This caught my attention," Faye said.
John lent forward to read the e mail, it was vague and evasive but mentioned information regarding the Nymphs.
"Yeah, interesting, but I'm not sure if it really anything at all," John said with a shrug.
"True, but there were a number of other issues with the message, that's what really brought it to my attention. I have so far tracked this one back through two dead drop servers. Single use, and pretty thoroughly reformatted before being restored to normal functions."
"Sounds like something Irillith would love," John said with a smile.
"Yes, and she did. Its quite a clever way of delivering messages, indicates whoever sent it has the intent to stay hidden, and the ability to do it, and that takes a big effort. Extrapolating from there I'd suggest that the entity responsible is black ops of some kind," Faye said.
"That moves it up a notch," John said.
"Would you like me to investigate further?" Faye asked.
"I think we'd be foolish not to, see if you can add some tracking to the reply though. See what we get from that," John said rising to leave the ready room.
***
"John, the reply was picked up and we have a bit more information on the Nymphs," Faye said as she watched John and Calara practice in the Dojo.
"Ok, what do we have this time?" John said as the both used soft white towels to clean up.
"I'm going out on a limb, but I think the source is good. And I'm surprised at how they beat my tracking program."
"They beat you?" John asked with a half-smile.
"Yes, the message was displayed on all screens in public library on New Eden for approximately 0.32 seconds, exactly one frame of surveillance camera footage. From there I am guessing they used the security cameras to view the message and somehow that data package was sent out."
"That is a lot of effort to view our reply," John said.
"Yeah, with no way to know if they were in the library or view remotely or had a special camera set up and with no electronic transfer I have no way of tracing the final destination," Faye said, "But we do have a reply and a request to meet. Oddly not too far from our current location."
"Well that is one thing, but you know how I feel about coincidences," John said, "But I guess we should see this through, I'll take Alyssia and Sakura."
***
Walking into the hotel lobby a few days later John and the girls looked round, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
*Ok lets keep our eyes open I'm still not 100% happy with this.* John thought
*We'll keep you safe, and then we get rewarded for being good girls?* Alyissa asked cheekily.
*Oh, you'll be getting special treatment, I promise,* John thought with a smile noticing Sakura blush a little.
John knocked on the door thinking to himself for the hundredth time they should have locked the whole building down and had the rest of the girls on standby.
*Relax, I'm not getting anything massive,* Alyissa thought, *It does feel a bit odd, but not harmful*
The door was opened by a stunning busty brunet in a skin tight pink tube dress and white high heel boots, a black leather collar with a leash ring was around her throat.
"Oh my god your hair is like, really good!" She squealed looking at Alyissa.
"Yeah, thanks," Alyissa said smiling at the girl's exuberance.
She looked at John and seemed to be thinking hard, her pretty face screwed up.
"Hey! Are you like, famous?" She finally said pointing at John.
"I've been on the news once or twice," John replied indulgently.
"Wow that's cool. Wow, Asian chicks are so hot too, this is awesome," She said twirling a strand of hair in her fingers.
"Ok," Sakura said uncertainly.
The girl stood there looking at them blankly for a moment.
"I think we're here to see someone?" John prompted.
"I'm someone!" She replied brightly "I'm Ginger, but I'm not ginger," she said giggling holding out her hand to shake. John shook her hand.
*Is this a joke?* John asked Alyissa.
*God knows.* Alyissa replied.
"That's great Ginger, do you have some information for us?" John asked.
"No, I don't think so, but I want to know how she gets her hair so perfect!" Ginger said continuing to shake Johns hand.
"Ginger, they are here to see me!" a mans vice yelled from deeper in the suite.
"Oh ok, ummm, come in," she said. Turning and walking into the rooms, she had a small tattoo of a turtle or something on her right shoulder.
In the lounge a well-dressed dark skinned Terran stood to great them. His shaven head and lager build giving him a commanding presence.
"Sorry about that, I ordered room service, that's probably what confused Ginger," he said buttoning the jacket of his suit.
"Oh, you're not room service?" Ginger asked John and the girls smiling brightly.
"No, we're not," John said.
"I wondered why someone in room service was on the news," Ginger said.
"Ginger, why don't you go and read a magazine, we have business to discuss," the man said.
"Ok, but I don't like reading," she said sulkily, but obediently she sat on a stool at the bar and picked up a magazine, opening it she put her finger on the line of text and her lips moved silently as she read the article.
"Nice to finally meet the Lion himself," the man said extending a hand.
"John will do, and you are?" John said shaking hand perfunctorily.
"It's Quip, but that's not important. Please sit," He said taking a seat on the couch.
John and Alyissa sat Sakura stood behind them watching.
"I'm honoured to meet two of the famed Lionesses, you look even prettier in real life," Quip said.
"We're more than just pretty faces," Sakura growled.
*Alyissa see what you can find out* John thought.
Alyissa pealed herself easily forward into the astral plain, she was surprised at the smell of fear as she entered. Looking at Quip she was amazed to see he had no real astral presence, he just had the faintest of outlines. Turning to the woman she could already hear the woman reading from the magazine, the words coming out slowly in single syllables till she managed to assemble them into actual words. Each word seemed to make the girl happy. Alyissa shook her head wondering if it was even worth the effort to go inside her mind. After a moment she approached Ginger for a closer look, the smell of fear pervaded, as did a desire to be free. Looking closely, she could see what appeared to be a string of rocks round her head. Alyissa laughed thinking that maybe she really did have rocks in her head. She laughed again as the woman worked out word was 'shampoo'. Alyissa wondered suddenly if the woman's brain had been deliberately damaged somehow.
*This is all wrong, she's a slave* Alyissa thought to John.
"Of course, you are, of course..." Quip began as John held up his hand to cut him off.
"I Have no idea what your fucking game is here, but one thing I am well known for is not tolerating slavery," John said coldly.
"Slaves? What..." Quip began.
"You have just run out of rope, we're all going back to the ship, I'll interrogate you there, and once I'm done, if your very good, I'll let you live, but I will free any and all slaves you own."
*Get ready* John warned the girls.
"You have this all wrong!" Quip said springing to his feet.
"I have nothing wrong, we're all going nice and quietly," John said unholstering his pistol.
"No!" Ginger yelled she grabbed what looked to be nothing more than an ornamental Samurai sword and flicked the scabbard off revelling a wickedly sharp blade. It took a moment to realise the vapid bimbo was gone and a fierce warrior had replaced her. Ginger swung the sword aiming towards John, she was nowhere near fast enough to beat Sakura, one of her twin swords struck in a lightning fast flash, she swung precisely severing the woman's forearm in one swift accurate cut. The severed limb fell to the floor, still clutching the sword. Blood sprayed from the stump as the woman's momentum carried her forward. Sukara stepped though finishing the move, expecting Ginger to fall on her knees. Ginger kept her feet, she stamped down on her own severed arm the bones crunching as they broke, the hand releasing its grip on the sword and she snatched it up, a swift back stroke made Sakura step back, Ginger kept kept moving forward towards John.
"Ginger, stop!" Quip yelled.
*Fuck, Stockholm syndrome! Try not to kill her!* Alyissa yelled to John and Sakura. John's pistol was almost pressed at Quips forehead as he stood watching in horror his arms raised in surrender.
Sakura's pistol barked once, she'd just heard Alyissa in time to shift her aim slightly from the woman's head, the heavy slug from the pistol tore through the woman's body below the ribs blasting a huge chunk from her side, she collapsed to her knees.
Looking up the woman snarled through bloody teeth at John as she pushed up from the floor.
"Not going with you!" She spat trying to stand.
Alyissa stepped forward and grasped Gingers psychically at the same time clamping down over the stump and applying pressure to stop the bleeding from the grievous wound to her side.
