?So HQ did know all along!“, the face of Elias said impatiently from the holographic projection.


    ?I was just informed myself and immediately contacted you.“, the contact officer answered, sitting in a small and dimly lit, but very modern office clearly designed not for comfort but for work and efficiency.


    ?Right“, Elias said, with a sliver of sarcasm in his voice, ?So it’s some kind of advanced hyperdrive prototype. And that’s all the best intelligence service of humanity has figured out?“


    ?You are well aware how difficult it is for a Dangorod-born agent to infiltrate a low-G planet like Dephyr. And an undercover mission to any alien civilization is an impossibility. All we have are the news and rumors our traders pick up.“


    ?Ah yes.“, Elias continued, his voice unchanged, ?The Dangorod trade fleet. The intelligence service’s navy. An agent every single one of them. I always wondered if there’s a connection between that and the fact that the intelligence service is the best-funded of the seven branches of our government.“


    The contact officer was taken slightly aback. ?I couldn’t …“


    ?Need to know, of course.“, Elias interrupted speaking over the officer, the edge in his voice becoming slightly more obvious. He knew that the other man had finished his sentence before he had even received it, but Elias had found that keeping a normal conversation as much as possible helped him maintain his sanity.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    The officer gave the projection an intense stare. ?Agent Thorne, have a few years among pirates affected your appreciation for the ways of your home world?“


    ?Not at all.“, Elias shot back immediately. ?I just believe that due to the infrequent contacts and the volatile situation, my need to know is more extensive than usual.“


    A short silence filled the room. No sounds from outside penetrated the walls, which were equipped with standard sound isolation to protect the secrets spoken inside.


    Finally, the officer spoke up again: ?I am sure that if you play a vital role in resolving the current situation to our satisfaction, you can put in a request for a field promotion that will be favorably evaluated.“


    ?Of course.“, Elias noted, straining to give his voice an entirely neutral tone.


    ?Until then, agent, we do want to get hold of that prototype. We have done some research and found a match. Yezzania Senglu, 43 standard years old, born and raised on Chroma IV. Still owns a small share in a trade company there, but can’t use it due to a bit of a criminal record. I’m sending you a file with the details. We can pull some strings and get that record cleaned up. That would allow her to visit her family, maybe reconnect with old friends that never left the planet. If required, you are authorized to to use that as a bargaining chip.“


    Elias Thorne confirmed the file transfer, then ended the conversation.


    His contact officer remained sitting in the office, lights dimmed. After a few moments of thought he took a tablet from the desk and entered into it: ?Mission note: Requesting psychological monitoring of agent Thorne regarding risk of compromised objectivity. Passive monitoring only. Do not withdraw him from mission without explicit authorization.“


    Then he took a deep breath and called up another connection. After just a few seconds, the display lit up green, showing only the insignia of the intelligence services instead of a face.


    ?Sir, you requested to get any updates on Binary Bloom directly and immediately. I just spoke to agent Thorne. I believe we have a problem.“