Adrianna Ryston's heels clicked on the tiles of Federation headquarters. Being summoned to HQ could only been one thing? a crisis. When there was an android uprising, they got the Vanguard. When the deutronium reactors went critical, they called for scientists. But they only called for Omega Class Agents when the shit had seriously hit the fan.
The plasteel doors of the briefing room slid open as she walked through them. Brannigan Volk, Federation Commander in Chief, gazed up from his desk with his remaining eye and gave her a cool nod. Adrianna returned it. They had been together through many missions together, and neither of them had any need for useless pleasantries. Time was of the essence, and both of them knew it.
"What happened, Bran?" Adrianna cut to the chase.
"Trouble." The older man replied.
"Of course, if not I wouldn't be standing in front of you. What kind of trouble?"
"There's been a...situation at Sereotech Labs. Something that we can't go through the normal channels to resolve."
"Sereotech?" interrupted Adrianna. "The biosuit people?"
"Yes." replied Brannigan. "One and the same. Turns they have been experimenting with black tech, real top secret stuff. The creation of sexaroids? we both know they are illegal, and so does most of the populace? but where there is demand there will be supply, and Sereotech is trying to fill a hole in the marketplace."
"I can see that. But what's the problem here? They are in flagrant violation of Act 4, Charter 13. Just get the law enforcement people on them and shut them down."
"If only it were so simple." Brannigan lay back in his plush chair, massaging his tired brows. Adrianna had the distinct impression he did this pretty often. "Sereotech is in cahoots with several bigwigs...probably the same ones who ordered the sex droids from them. Their cover is perfect. We've sent in several agents before you with no results? they returned safely, which is a blessing, but they were unable to get anything concrete on them. Whoever is masterminding their operations is doing a real good job. We know they are doing it, but we can't prove anything."
Adrianna pondered the situation for a bit, and then asked the question she knew was on both of their minds. "What's a biosuit company doing creating sexaroids? Android manufacture doesn't have a whole lot in common with biosuit implanation."
"I know. The whole thing smells fishy. That's why I sent for you. You have a knack for these things, you know? get in there, get the scoop, then blow it all sky-high."
Adrianna smiled. That she did. The Styrian Incursion, in which she infiltrated the enemy base and after downloading the head computer's contents into a mini-disc, detonated impulse mines that she had carefully planted around the compound ahead of time. Then there was the Beta Quadrant Affair, in which she did much the same thing with the rogue mothership? except she used photon bombs that time. Get in, get the data, blow it up. That was how she worked.
"So something doesn't look good in Sereotech, and you send for me, because I'm good with sticky situations."
"That's about the size of it. Are you in?"
"Do you even have to ask?" replied Adrianna with a wolfish grin. "When do I start?"
--
Getting in didn't prove a problem. The Federation always provided good cover, and they didn't disappoint this time either. Instead of Adrianna Ryston, Omega-Class Agent, this time she was mild-mannered and meek-willed Sarah Venholm, a glasses-wearing medical student fresh out of college, looking to make her way in the world and SO GLAD of getting a job at the PRESTIGIOUS Sereotech Labs! Adrianna couldn't think of someone who was more dissimilar to whom she really was? which was good. That was good cover.
She spent the first week or so scoping out the place. Take it slow, case the joint down good? that was how she always worked. She got used to the terminals, where the supplies were loaded, who were the VIPs and most importantly? the schedule for the guards. It was all in the computers but she knew the importance of getting it all in your head. Computers could be hacked, and passwords could be changed. Best to keep it old-school if at all possible.
Two weeks in and she was ready to make her move. Saran Venholm was a good little lab rat who put in a hard day's work and then went home...but it was Adrianna Ryston that was going to sneak into the laboratory on a Friday went half the staff were away. She had timed it such that a delivery was going to be made on that day (which meant that half the guards would be there) and there would be a Super Rockets game as well, which meant that the other half would probably be glued to the vidscreens and not her. She couldn't have asked for a better time.
Suiting up in her agent gear, Adrianna used her laboratory keycard to get into the complex and made her way to her destination? the central terminal. Lab techs didn't have access to the data she wanted, so she would have to get as deep as possible. All she had found out from her two weeks here was that the Feds were right? there was some illegal research being done, but exactly what it was and how it was carried out...she would have to get the more sensitive data from the computers deeper in the building.
Everything went according to plan. Security was light, which allowed Adrianna to slip undetected past the laser arrays (which her stealth suit reflected) and locked doors (which her lab tech's keycard helped with) No guards, no security drones...easy.
