“Jack was pretty smart to arrange this get together on the fly.” Cali said as she and the other three women stopped walking near a practically deserted Tube car station.

“I don't know about smart. It is a good idea, though.” Evilin said. “Even if we don't have our normal equipment load out.”

“Don't worry, I've got you covered.” Nurse Deloris said and opened up the dufflebag her boyfriend Stephane had sent over after she had messaged him about Jack's idea for their 'girl's night out'. She handed a very surprised Cali a micro-drone package and a laser pistol, gave Evilin her preferred laser rifle, and Alyssa took a pair of laser pistols and 2 close combat weapons.

“How did you manage this?” Alyssa asked as she and her friends pulled on combat harnesses and loaded up on equipment.

“Stephane has only worked for System Security for a short time; but, he's proven himself very valuable.” Nurse Deloris said and put on her own harness and took several grenades and a combination laser rifle and canister launcher. “He could only get smoke for the launcher, though.”

“Damn.” Evilin said and put two smoke canisters into each of her retractable shoulder mounts. “A few frag rounds would have been nice.”

“I know.” Nurse Deloris said. “I might have been able to snag some from my own contacts if we had a bit more time for prep.”

“Let's not worry about that now.” Alyssa said. “Where are we meeting up with his crew?”

“Stephane said he'd send a maintenance Tube car for us when they were ready.” Nurse Deloris said.

They didn't have to wait long before the maintenance car showed up. The four of them climbed in and the car dropped into the Tube system and accelerated quickly. It's high priority status zoomed them through the light traffic and they arrived at their destination fairly quickly.

“Oh, wow.” Cali said as the car slid off the main Tube system and into the private loading area for sensitive cargo.

“They have an ER-7 Rail tank!” Evilin exclaimed.

“Actually, it's the ER-7B.” Alyssa said and shared the information with her temporary squad. “It has the anti-boarding load-out with an emphasis on personnel protection.”

“Oh, crap.” Evilin said. “Non-lethal rounds on any mission sucks so bad!”

“We'll have to make due.” Alyssa said and they piled out of the Tube car and walked over to the shipment convoy.

“Ladies.” Stephane said in his best seductive voice to greet them. “I'm so glad you came.”

“Damn, Deloris!” Evilin said and slapped her shoulder playfully. “You lucky bitch!”

Nurse Deloris rolled her eyes as Cali laughed and Alyssa smiled.

“I'd like you all to get inside so that no one seeing us leave will suspect that I have a few extra passengers along.” Stephane said.

“We understand.” Alyssa said. “Cali, Phalanx position and get ready to deploy on a moment's notice. Evilin, you're on point. Keep an eye out for anything advancing on the tracks towards us.”

“On it!' Evilin said and walked over to the lead car of the convoy that was right behind the rail tank. “I hope I get to shoot something!”

“I don't, but I know you will.” Stephane said. “Be ready.”

“I'm always ready.” Evilin said and climbed inside the car. Cali walked to the middle car and went inside, then they all heard drills boring through metal.

“What are they doing?” Stephane asked.

“Clearing lines of attack.” Alyssa said. “I'll take the rear car and monitor the sensor packages along the way and guard the back.” She looked at Nurse Deloris. “I suggest you stick with Cali. She can fight, but she's not the type that would choose that as a first option.”

“Gotcha.” Nurse Deloris said, and watched as Alyssa went to the rear car, then turned to her boyfriend. “I didn't think we would ever be going into battle together.”

“I never wanted us to.” Stephane said and kissed her. “Be safe, Mon Cherie.”

“You, too.” Nurse Deloris said and climbed into the center car and shut the door, then Stephane went to the gathering area for his crew.

“We're all packed up and secured.” Stephane said. “All crates and equipment are aboard.”

“It's about time.” The supervisor of the convoy said and checked the time on his HUD. “We're really close to missing our departure window.”

“I wouldn't mind that at all.” A woman said. “Damn them for sticking us with a goddamn graveyard shipment.”

“Ha ha!” A male cyborg near her laughed. “Are you afraid of the dark, little girl? Mwa-ha-ha!”

“You really need to work on your evil laugh.” She responded. “That was pathetic, even for you.”

Several of the crew laughed at that.

“Enough chatter.” The supervisor said. “Get into your assigned positions and keep a sharp eye out for anything suspicious.”

“I see something suspicious!” One of the guys said and pointed to the ER-7B tank. “We have a crappy tank!”

“It's not too bad to drive.” The guy next to him said.

“That's the problem. It has to be driven. It should be a C or even a B rated tank. We didn't even get a companion AI for this mission.”

“There weren't any Bs or Cs anywhere near close enough to add to the convoy this time.” The supervisor said.

“Somebody pass him a shovel.” A guy behind him said. “The pile of shit he's trying to move is getting bigger.”

“I said enough chatter.” The supervisor said. “Get going!”

The driver of the tank took two of Stephane's crew with him for support, while the rest of the 15 person crew dispersed over the three cars of the convoy and climbed on top to the safety rails and their assigned positions.

The supervisor went to the car Stephane was on and glared at him. “Make sure this cargo gets to where it's supposed to go, or it's your ass!”

“You're not blaming this mess on me, sir.” Stephane said and tapped his temple. “All reports and complaints against doing this have been filed with the System.” He said. “I bare no responsibility for this whatsoever, since it goes against every recommendation and protest I've given.”

The supervisor scowled at him. “It's still your responsibility to-”

“I know what my responsibilities are, sir.” Stephane said. “Now, if you'll kindly take your cowardly hide back to the safe zone, the real System Security personnel will handle this to the best of our ability.”

The supervisor made his hands into fists. “I'll have you written up for insubordination by the time you get back.”

“I've already filed it and taken the dock in pay, sir.” Stephane said and saw the surprise on the supervisor's face. “Unlike you, I don't shirk my duties or try to avoid the consequences of my decisions.”

The supervisior didn't say anything in response. He glared at Stephane for another moment, then walked away angrily.

“Damn, sir!” The woman behind Stephane that was assigned the right flank position said. “How big are your massive balls?”

“They're big enough for someone to choke on.” The guy assigned to the left flank said with a huge smile.

Stephane chuckled and hit the command microphone on his lapel. “We're moving out, so secure stations.”

Acknowledgements came back from everyone and Stephane moved back towards the front of the car.

The woman's hand reached out and touched his arm. “Sir, I...”

“What is it, lieutenant?”

“I have an unsigned form.” She whispered and dug it out of a pouch on her combat harness. Stephane took the form and looked at it. He folded it up properly and handed it back without letting the guy on the left flank see what was happening.

“If we get through this, come see me in my office.” Stephane said. She nodded and watched him go to his position at the front of the car and secured his safety line.

“Just once I'd like a woman to ask me to sign that form.” The guy on the left flank said, and she looked at him with wide eyes. “What? You think I can't hear you because you whispered?” He asked and smiled. “Ear mods, remember?”

She opened her mouth to say something, then she laughed.

The convoy moved out less than a minute later and started its arduous journey through it's very normal and regular route. Normally, that wasn't a problem. It was their current cargo that was the problem. They travelled for a long time, even in the high priority lane, and when they were about halfway to their designated drop off point, they found out how big of a problem the cargo actually was.

The ER-7B tank was far enough out in front of the convoy to scout, which meant that it was the first casualty as it ran over the booby-trap and exploded. Since the tank had been travelling at two hundred miles per hour, the triggering mechanism was quite a distance from the actual explosive. It had been timed perfectly, however. The tank, its driver, and two of Stephane's crew disintegrated in a ball of fire and shrapnel.

“Oh, shit!” Evilin said as she saw the destruction through her laser rifle sight. “ZULU!” She said over the general channel to warn everyone of the attack. Unfortunately, even with the warning, the convoy was travelling at two hundred miles per hour and no one could react before they hit the debris of the tank and the torn up track.

The first car of the convoy derailed immediately and started to dig into the dirt as it's weight carried it forward. The car started to slow down from the friction and Stephane and the four security guards on his car were thrown forward and were saved by their safety lines.

But, only for a moment.

The cargo car behind them slammed into the car they were on and drove it forward and deeper into the dirt. Stephane and his four crew members were flipped back up and over on their safety lines and were slammed into the safety rails their lines were attached to. The crewman at the back died because he had missed the rail and slammed into the cargo car that was currently ramming them.

The crew on that car was slammed forward like Stephane and his crew had been, then the third and last car hit the second car at full speed. The impact turned all three of the cargo cars sideways and dug into the dirt, then they started to flip over. All of the crew on the tops that were secured by safety lines were flung around like yo-yos on strings as the cars landed on their sides.

The sound of tearing and rending metal was loud in the huge tunnel and nearly all of it was now blocked off from the cargo cars. The Transport AI immediately shut down the electricity to that section of the Tube and diverted all traffic around the accident. It sent fire suppression drones to handle the several fires and surveying drones to assess the damage.

“Jesus Christ.” Alyssa said as she rubbed her head and sat up. She had been tossed around a bit, but was otherwise okay. “Report!” She said on the squad channel. “By the numbers!”

“Ugh.” Cali said. “What happened?”

“Three One is trapped in the first car.” Evilin said. “My leg is... well, it's pretty much crushed.”

“I'm okay.” Nurse Deloris said. “Cali broke my fall.”

“This is no time for jokes.” Alyssa said.

“It wasn't a joke. She literally caught me and took the impact for the both of us.” Nurse Deloris said. “She's got a slight concussion. Other than that, she's okay.”

“Okay, then.” Alyssa said and stood up. “Prepare for an attack.”

“Wait, what?” Nurse Deloris said. “Why would... oh, no! Stephane and the others!”

“Stay inside, Deloris!” Alyssa ordered, but there was no response. “Goddammit.” She said and went to the top hatch, which was now on the wall, and tried to open it. It jammed a little, which meant the whole cargo car was twisted slightly. She braced her arm and turned the mechanism the rest of the way, then kicked open the hatch. She peered out and was grateful that the top of the cargo car was facing the wall of the Tube.

Alyssa peered out when she heard metal banging, and she saw two of the System Security personnel had been between the end of the cargo car she was in and the wall. She looked down and saw the lower body of a man and was thankful that it wasn't the top part. She looked up and saw a man with a broken neck and a blank expression, then she moved to the crumpled end of the car and found an unconscious man on the end of his safety line.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

Alyssa unhooked him and carefully laid him down on the ground beside the car and out of sight, and discovered one of his arms was broken. It was cybernetic, so she bent it back into position and checked his breathing.

At least he's alive. Alyssa thought and looked around the damaged end of the cargo car. The second car was about forty feet away and was in much worse shape than the one she just left. Both ends were crumpled and she could see three bodies hanging from their safety lines. She tried to access the security sensors for the area and nothing appeared on her HUD. She shook her head and crouched down, then quickly crept over to the second car and waited for the banging to pause before she lightly knocked on the hatch.

“It's stuck!” Nurse Deloris nearly yelled.

Alyssa looked at the hatch and it was twisted in two directions. She took out a laser pistol and popped open the side casing, took a thin piece of metal out of one of her pouches and jammed it into the beam splitter, then bent the metal to the side to make it fit and snapped the casing back onto the pistol.

“Stand back.” Alyssa said and stepped back herself and took aim at the hinge of the hatch and pulled the trigger. Instead of the single shot the pistol normally discharged, a steady beam came out and she carefully cut along the back of the hinge. She grabbed the handle of the hatch and pulled, and it opened only slightly. She sighed and took aim at the edge of the hatch where it was jammed in two spots and cut there as well. The hatch popped off and she caught it before it clunked to the ground.

“They really can do that with a pistol?” Nurse Deloris asked as she crawled out the now opened hatch.

“Yes, but they only have two uses before the metal shiv melts and makes it useless.” Alyssa said and held up the gun. The barrel wasn't warped at all; but, thick smoke leaked out through the casing. She popped the charge cartridge out and looked at the readout. “Almost drained.” She said and slipped the cartridge into a spare pouch on her harness and tossed the gun away.

“What do we do now?” Cali asked and climbed out, then braced herself against the car when she couldn't quite stand up straight.

“I need to get Evilin, then we need to gather up whoever is still alive.” Alyssa said.

“Stephane!” Nurse Deloris exclaimed and ran towards the first car that was over one hundred feet away from where they stood.

“Dammit.” Alyssa said. “Cali, get up on top of this thing and deploy your drones. We're going to need them soon.” She said, then ran after Nurse Deloris.

Cali carefully climbed up onto the toppled cargo car and sat down. “I don't feel so good.” She said and activated her micro-drone package. They flew out of the container and spread out to give her as much cover as they could. She instructed them to go out to the extent of their range and to wait for further instructions.

“Stephane!” Nurse Deloris said as she found her boyfriend hanging by his safety line.

“D-Deloris?” Stephane mumbled and opened his eyes.

“Yes, I'm here!”

“N-no. Get away.” Stephane said. “They... they are coming.”

“Let them come.” A woman's voice said angrily. “I'm going to kill them for doing this to us.”

Alyssa arrived and climbed up to her. “Anything broken?”

The woman grabbed on as Alyssa unhooked her. “The chassis around my chest is dented.” She said. “I hit the safety rail when the car flipped over.”

“Can you still move?” Alyssa asked and climbed back down.

“I've probably got some organ damage, since one of my artificial lungs is crushed.” She said and pat her right side. “My heart and other lung are both at 100% capacity.”

“That's the official story for the record.” Alyssa said. “What are they really at?”

“My heart's down to 85% and the second lung is at 70%.”

“I should have had everyone inside.” Stephane berated himself.

Nurse Deloris had successfully freed him from the safety line and brought him to the ground, then checked him over and started patching him up with bandages. “He has major bruising on his chest, arms and thighs. He also has more contusions than I can count.”

“I took a load of shrapnel from the tank explosion.” Stephane said.

“You're only alive because your armor caught most of it.” Nurse Deloris said and leaned down to give him a kiss.

“There's no time for that.” Alyssa said. “We need to...”

“Multiple bogeys coming up from the rear.” Cali said over the squad channel. “I count five tube cars and one cargo car.”

“How much time, Ranger?” Alyssa asked.

“Five to seven minutes. They're going pretty slow.”

“They definitely don't have to rush after all this.” Stephane said and tried to sit up.

“Don't move.” Nurse Deloris said.

“You said that I'm only bruised.”

“...and cut up! You're bleeding in spots that I haven't found yet!” Nurse Deloris said.

“There's no time to worry about that.” Stephane said and sat up, then grunted and stood up. “Is anyone else alive?”

“One man that I tucked behind the third car. He's unconscious.” Alyssa said.

“So, it's just us then.” Stephane said.

“Just a minute.” Alyssa said and entered the top hatch of the first car and disappeared from sight. They heard the sound of laser fire, then Alyssa was back and had Evilin on her arm. She was missing her leg from mid-thigh down.

“All right, people.” Alyssa said. “This is the perfect reverse ambush situation.”

“I was thinking the same thing.” Stephane said. “Who should...”

“Evilin's going to need a hand getting up on the cargo car and I need my laser pistol replaced.”

“Scavenge what you can from the bodies and get ready.” Stephane said.

“Sir! You can't just...” The woman started to speak.

“There will be lots of time for recriminations later, lieutenant.” Stephane said. “Get going. Set up a dummy firing line in front of the second car.”

“Yes, sir.” The woman said. “Should... I use...”

“The spare uniforms will be fine.” Stephane said and he saw the relief on her face. “Now move it.”

They managed to get Evilin up onto the car and she found a great position to shoot from, and then they gathered up everything they could and set things up to provide a fantastic firefight to the enemy that was coming for them.

“Ranger, get back to the third car and retrieve that man.” Alyssa said and took up her position to do the most damage.

“On it.” Cali said and quickly ran over to the guy, picked him up unceremoniously and ran all the way over to their chosen retreat point.

“When are they... never mind.” Alyssa said as she saw the bright lights of the Tube Cars enter the darkened section where the crash was. “They're coming. Evilin, let them have it when they're within range.”

“Sure thing.” Evilin said. “Who would have thought I'd be wishing for that stupid anti-personnel tank.”

Alyssa laughed and then Evilin took a shot. One of the lights on the approaching Tube cars went out, then another and another. By the time the cars came to an emergency stop, Evilin had removed all the external lights and even picked off some of the startled assailants.

“Five seconds.” Evilin said, telling them how long it would take her to reload.

“Okay people. Get ready.” Stephane said. “I'm sure they...”

Several laser shots rang off the cargo cars as the enemy opened fire randomly.

“That's it, assholes.” Evilin said. “Show me where you are with your laser fire.” She started to pick them off one by one, and then the laser fire from them stopped.

“Cali, is the package ready?” Stephane asked.

“Ready and waiting.”

“Set it off and give Evilin more targets to shoot at, please.”

“With pleasure.” Cali said and used a micro-drone to remotely fire the smoke launcher they had set up in the dummy firing line. The canister arced through the air and bounced once, then twice, and exploded. They had replaced the smoke canister with laser chargers, and when the detonator went off, instead of spreading smoke, laser beams burst from the container in random directions. Screams rang out and Evilin used the brief illumination to pick off several more enemies before the glow faded.

“Cali? Give us a countdown for their approach.”

“Another minute... forty-five seconds... thirty seconds... fifteen... five...”

“Open fire!” Stephane yelled and the dummy firing line in front of the second cargo car opened fire. It worked spectacularly. Enemies dropped from having so many laser pistols and rifles firing at them. The light from the shots also gave Evilin more light to shoot with, so she used it to pick off even more enemies.

“They've got a laser cannon!” Cali exclaimed.

“No!” Stephane said. “Change of plans! Alyssa, get back here!”

“I can't. I'm already in position.” Alyssa whispered over the private channel. “If I move now, they'll cut me down in seconds.”

“Goddammit!” Stephane said. Jack's never going to forgive me if she dies.

“I can't see the trigger man.” Evilin said as the laser cannon powered up. “I don't know where they're aiming, but I can guess.”

“Brace for impact.” Stephane said and ducked back behind the third car. The laser cannon fired and hit the dummy firing line dead center and turned to the left. It cut through the hastily-made barricade and destroyed most of the laser weapons on that side. Their chargers exploded and took out the remaining weapons that the cannon hadn't hit directly.

“Five seconds for the cannon recharge.” Evilin said. “I still can't see anything.”

The laser cannon opened fire again and burned through the right side of the dummy firing line and destroyed the rest of the remotely fired weapons. Stephane tossed the remote to the ground and tried to think about what to do next.

Suddenly there was a bright red flare fired up into the air and stuck into the ceiling of the Tube, and it lit up a circle over 100 feet wide. All of the enemies looked up at it, and then both Alyssa and Evilin opened fire.

“It's too soon for that!” Stephane said and ran to the end of the cargo car and took aim as well, then started to cut the enemy down.

“We're being overwhelmed.” Alyssa whispered. “There's another laser cannon and a battering ram.”

“Dammit! Pull back!” Stephane said, then he saw Alyssa stand up in the middle of a group of enemies with her close combat weapons at the ready. Two very sharp swords slashed out at the men around her and she cut their legs and arms quicker than they could react to being cut, and she moved on. Evilin covered her as she cut a swath through the men towards the laser cannons. A laser blast hit her side and she jumped away from the impact.

“HA! I got her!” A man exclaimed and ran over to her. She shoved one of her swords up through his neck and turned it, then hopped up and used him as a shield. She grabbed his weapon and opened fire on the closest laser cannon.

“Someone stop her!” A man's voice rang out.

“You stop her! She's a demon!” Someone said and then there was running feet.

“Traitor!” Another man's voice said and he shot the fleeing man.

Evilin shot him in turn and Alyssa succeeded in damaging both of the laser cannon's control systems. She shoved the lifeless man's body towards his compatriots and stood there defiantly. She was covered in blood and was bathed in red light from the flare.

Alyssa took several deep breaths, and then the flare started to fade. She gave them a huge grin and crouched to charge them, then everything went pitch black. Several men yelled that they didn't want to die and flinched as they heard her loud footsteps, and then there was nothing. No sound, no movement that they could see, and no Alyssa killing them.

“What's going on?” Someone asked.

“I... I think she left.” Someone else said.

“What? She had us!” A man said.

“Shut up!” Another man said. “Get moving! We need that cargo! Go! Go!”

“You know she's going to be guarding it right?”

“That's what the guns are for, you idiot.” The man said. “Let's go.”

The enemy started their advance towards the toppled cargo cars, and Stephane wondered what he was going to do now.

“Retreat.” Alyssa said from beside him and he looked at her with wide eyes. “There's too many for us to handle.”

“But, you just...”

“I was hit in the side.” Alyssa said and Stephane looked down to see the burned through hole that entered her side, and no exit hole. “My guts are... pretty scrambled.” She said and collapsed.

“Alyssa!” Stephane pushed his rifle back on it's sling and grunted when he picked her up. “Damn, you're heavy.” He retreated to the middle car and waited for a moment, then used the cover they had set up to go to the last car.

“Oh, no!” Nurse Deloris said when she saw Alyssa's state.

Stephane handed her over to the woman who was the last person on his crew, so that Nurse Deloris could examine Alyssa. “Evilin, we're retreating!”

“What about the shipment?”

“They already killed most of my crew. I won't let them kill you, too.”

“But...”

“Alyssa ordered it.” Stephane said, and Evilin nodded and slid off of the cargo car and dropped to the ground on one leg. She caught her balance somehow and smiled at his shocked expression.

“Lend me your arm.” Evilin said. “Jumping is easy. Walking with only one leg is impossible.”

Cali picked up the unconscious man and they made their way down the Tube tunnel. “I can't believe we're letting them take the weapons after all of that.”

“Who said I was letting them take the weapons?” Stephane said and pulled a remote detonator out of a pouch on his combat harness.

“You sly dog!” Evilin said. “Deloris! Can I borrow him for an hour? Maybe two?”

“Only if you have the proper form.” Nurse Deloris said and kept working on Alyssa as they walked.

“I already used it, dammit.” Evilin laughed.

“Then you're out of luck.”

“Cali, what's the situation at the wreckage?” Stephane asked.

“They've already reached it and are trying to pry open the cargo doors.” Cali said.

“Then this is far enough.” Stephane said. “Everyone get down.”

They all hunkered down and huddled together, then Stephane hit the switch.

The explosives he had strategically placed on the crates detonated as one. The cargo cars were torn apart immediately and the shredded metal killed every man around them, then the plasma weapons detonated when their containment was breached and the rudimentary AIs thought they were being tampered with. The massive balls of plasma expanded and grew as they merged together and filled the Tube tunnel for hundreds of feet.

When the blast finally dissipated, all that was left was a massive spherical hole where the convoy and its assailants used to be.

*

“Why are you still keeping me?” Sandra asked from inside the interrogation room. “My father delivered our life savings!”

“You mean this?” A man asked and took out the data chip with the Points on it. “It was barely worth our time to shake him down if this was all he could get.” He said. “It almost cost this much to set up the apartment and to pay the men to wait for him there.”

“Wh-what?”

“Listen, honey.” The man said and tossed her the chip. “We need a lot more than this pittance to let someone like you go.”

Sandra stared at him with wide eyes for a moment. “S-someone like me?”

The man smiled. “No, we don't mean that.” He said. “I mean someone so gullible that they believe anything you tell them with absolutely no proof.”

“Hey! I'm not...” Sandra stopped talking when the door to the small room opened and a man she had been dating nearly every day stepped into the room. “S-Stewart?!?”

The man smiled and stepped aside, and another man that looked just like him stepped into the room as well. Sandra's mouth dropped open from shock when a third man stepped into the room. They arrayed themselves in front of her and smiled at her with identical smirks.

“Hello, Sweetheart.” They said in identical tones and inflections.

Sandra looked from one to the other and then to the other, took a sharp breath, then fainted.

“Ha, just as expected.” The man said and his communication pad beeped at him from his pocket. He took it out and read the short sentence it displayed. He frowned for a moment, crushed it in his fist, then threw the pieces of communication pad across the room.

“Bad news?” The three Stewarts said.

“Yes... and no.” The man said and took a deep breath. “At least no one has the weapons now.”

*

“I bet you're glad you didn't go along.” The higher-up said to the supervisor of Stephane's cargo shipment.

“More relieved than glad, sir.” The supervisor smiled.

“At least those SCRAPE idiots took the bait.” The higher-up said and watched the security footage on the vidwall in his office.

“Yes. We're following them back to their staging area, then we'll follow them back to their hideout.” The supervisor said.

“You weren't supposed to blow the weapons up.” The higher-up said. “There wasn't supposed to be extra crew on board, either.”

“I honestly didn't know about either thing, sir.” The supervisor said.

“Hm.” The higher-up turned off the vidwall and looked at the supervisor. “I suppose Stephane was right about you, then.”

“Wh-what?”

“Oh, don't worry. I won't have to deal with your incompetence for much longer.” The higher-up said and smiled.

“Excuse me?”

“Someone has to take the fall for this debacle, don't they?” The higher-up said and slid a folder across the desk. “He's kept extensive records of your antics and filed them, in triplicate no less, and it's right up to date. Including, of course, tonight's shipment.”

“But... you ordered...”

“There is no official record of that, is there?” The higher-up said and grinned. “You made sure of that with the plan to blame Stephane, didn't you?”

The supervisor opened his mouth, then closed it.

“Yes, blaming a dead man is quite easy, isn't it?” The higher-up chuckled and his office door opened. “Make it look like suicide, please.” He said to the two System Security personnel and pointed to the folder. “Leave that on his desk. It doesn't have to be open.”

“Yes, sir.” One of them said and picked up the folder as the other made the supervisor stand up. He didn't say a word as he was led from the office.

“Such a shame.” The higher-up said and turned on the vidwall to a view of the Cavern. “It's always difficult to find competent lackeys when they know you need scapegoats.”

His pocket beeped at him and he took out his communication pad and hit the button.

“Sir, we've successfully delivered the weapons to the designated location.” A man's voice said. “It's a pity we had to sacrifice nearly a third of them for the decoy.”

“It had to be believable when it exploded.” The higher-up said.

“I'm glad the man in charge on the convoy came up with the same solution, and we didn't have to use the fail-safe.”

“When he manages to reach one of the cross-stations, have a team ready to pick him up.” The higher-up said. “He'll have wounded with him, so take them directly to General Medic. Make sure they get the best care Points can buy.” He said and smiled. “He's going to be a good hero for the people to rally behind, isn't he?”

“It will be arranged, sir.” The voice said and the call ended.