Excavation Mission Part 4 Witness Retrieval

Nahdi asked, "What is the name of this place?"

Linus brightened up, anxious to participate, "Isbjørn Forskningsstasjon. It means polar bear research station. Don’t look at me like that, I don’t come up with the names. Someone sponsors a site, they invest the money, they get to name it whatever they like."

"Whadya think that signal light is for, you think he’s signaling someone?"

"Wretched place. What do they do here?"

Salma interjected, "They are prospecting for Kironide. If it is true, one of only two natural sources of Kironide in the Geminga Sphere. Outside of the development labs of the New Magnitogorsk and Himmelsschmiede Deep Well Industrial Zone, it would be worth a fortune. It would be good news for everyone, I am told Platonius is problematic."

"What’s kironide?"

Linus fought the temptation to hold up his hand like it was a classroom, "I know, I know. Semistable transuranics are rare, and it makes low energy fission and fusion possible, also miniaturization of fission and fusion devices. Semistable transuranics is also useful for increasing the efficiency of antimatter production. Semistable transuranics also make ultra long lasting very high energy batteries, although they require a lot of shielding."

Linus looked around embarrassed, "What?! There was a briefing for the Przybylski mission. I paid attention. Sadly I didn’t make the cut, something about lacking identifiable skills. The Credentiocrasy once again smashes my dreams."

Salma looked at Linus sympathetically, "You’re not finding any traction anywhere? Why not apply to intern for the archaeology dig, you have excavation skill experience, tu n'es pas?"

Linus kicked at the ground, "The Kumari is tough. I still have to pass the oral examination. So many rules."

"Like what, for instance?"

Linus sighed, "I am not allowed to carry a whip. Imitating Indiana Jones in any way is strictly forbidden. Take that stupid hat off. 'For funsies, kicks and giggles' is not an acceptable synonym for ritual purposes. I am not allowed to use my trowel as a weapon. I am not allowed to recite Hamlet while holding up a skull, apparently it is part of a whole respecting remains protocol. I am not a general of some skeletal army. I am not allowed to try to raise the dead. I am not allowed to sing the 'Hi-Ho' song while using the mattock. If I am bit by any kind of arachnid, I am to go directly to the medical station, not wait to see if I transform into Spiderman. I am not 'king of the spoil heap', not do I rule over the mighty dirt clods. University funding is for equipment, not for alcoholic beverages. I am not allowed to kick someone into a pit or trench and yell 'This is Sparta!' I am not allowed to play the lava game in the trenches. If any jewelry is found, I am not allowed to call it 'precious' or horde it and caper about like Smegol. No artefact we find appoints me as the chosen one. I shall refrain from calling the excavation crew 'gold diggers' or 'grave robbers', even if that is technically true. I am not allowed to have flashbacks to wars I have never been in. I am not allowed to talk to the locals about any good places to bury a body. No virgin sacrifices. No blood sacrifices. No sacrifices in general. I am not allowed to act like a flamboyant fashion photographer while taking in situ pictures. There are several academically recognized tests to determine if something is a bone, licking it is not among them. I am not allowed to refer to spilled drinks as 'libation to the gods'. The GIS is not a wizard staff. I am not allowed to insist that any inscription is a curse or a spell. I shall not refer to my supervisors as my masters or myself and workmates as 'minions'. A PhD does not permit anyone to write prescriptions. Imbibing any illicit mind affecting substance is not considered legitimate experimental archaeology, even if I write down the result or film it. A rain filled trench or pit is not a swimming pool. I am not allowed to talk like a pirate."

"That is a lot of rules, sounds like you’re ready."

"Maybe, but she scares me. I think she made up some of those rules just for me. Try to sacrifice yourself and your best friends to one Eldritch Sothothic Horror, and you’re marked for life. I take my meds."

"There’s that. Regardless, they sound all like reasonable rules."

Nahdi interrupted, "That was almost sort of interesting like fun, but we’re here on a job. What’s the name of the target?"

Gallimaufry read from the order, "Person on Interest/Witness interview retrieval, nonlethal force. Nikomedes, he’s the head geologist on site. He served in the Imperial Navy as an engineer’s mate, honourably discharged. No priors or psych flags. Says something here about being called 'Blue Falcon', strange thing to put in his file. Only person on site according to this."

Salma asked, "Do they think he killed that girl?"

Gallimaufry read thru the notes, "Circumstantial, it is unsure whether he’s a person of interest or a possible material witness, possibly even targeted as a victim."

Nahdi interrupted, "Unless you’re questioning the legality of the order, it is not our place to litigate it. We take him in, and we don’t kill or do any permanent damage."

Salma, "He still has the right to resist."

Nahdi, "He’s not Arrakian."

Salma, "In the Tsovereign Commonwealth, it’s an inalienable right, it means it applies to everyone, not just Arrakians and Tauists."

Nahdi, "This is not Arrakis."

Salma, "This is a wretched planet in the Tsovereign Commonwealth, but the jurisdiction applies."

Gallimaufry in support of his sister, "We are sworn officers of the Tsovereign Commonwealth, and we are carrying out a legal order in the name of the Tsovereign Commonwealth, it does not matter where we are. We uphold the principles we swore an oath to. This is not the Imperium, we assume folks are people until they demonstrate otherwise. We didn’t have to take this job, we could have left it to the R.A.C., they would be here in another 8 hours. Nikomendes was not going anywhere."

Nahdi, "No, we don’t need help from outsiders, we can do this ourselves."

Linus, "….and what if he resists?"

Gallimaufry, "We respond with measured and reciprocal force, but in this case we are to take every reasonable action to bring him in without killing him or doing any permanent damage. We are to retreat if there becomes a conflict between that and officer safety."

Nahdi, "Whatever. Okay, everyone, recon positions, I see three places he could be holed up, unless he’s buried himself. Let’s check those first. Split up. Linus, with me. Breathers everyone, kironide possible on site. Warnings are that kironide can induce psychotic behavior and requires long painful weeks of poison and chelation therapy afterwards."

A bright flash of blue light strikes near the four agents.

Linus could be hear yelling as he is pushed at near double time running pace to the west of their position.

Nahdi called out to Linus, "Linus, jump, leap, use your grappling line. Then take cover. Strategic Maneuvers One and Two."

Nahdi called out, "Kironide induced psychokinetic effects, I read about these. Everyone down and take cover."

Gallimaufry, sadly in a puddle of muck, pointed to the three story tall double tower, "I think it came from there."

Nahdi replied, "Mic up, subvocal only, no more talking aloud."

Nahdi =^=So embarrassing, he got the jump on us like we’re rookies. It did at least save us some searching time. =^=

Then came another flash of light, creating solid walls in and around Nahdi.

Gallimaufry, =^=I can flash-bang him from here maybe, but I can’t see him, he had good cover. =^=

Then came another flash of light, creating smoke and lightning obscuring effects around Gallimaufry.

Salma was already several meters away before the blinding shot for Gall came. She moved south, then east towards the storage tower. Staying off comms and saying nothing along the way.

Taking off her boots, she quietly worked her way up the tower ladder.

Taking time with a security panel, she was able to locate Nikomendes on the security camera’s, looking out for targets. A large device led her to conclude it was a miniaturized tractor beam, not some kironide induced psychokinetic effects. Doesn’t mean he’s not psychotic.

Turing the 'corner' of the round tank, she was 10 meters away.

8 meters.

5 meters.

3 meters.

1 meter.

Taser.

Salma watched dispassionately, pretending to get no emotional satisfaction from his electricity induced convulsions. She did check her notes briefly to see if Nikomendes had any latent cardio or other condition that would make him susceptible to permanent effects from additional seconds of taser charge. All clear.

Salma switched off the tractoring device, and kicked it away. "I gotta get me one of those."

After she estimated he had worn himself out, Salma switched off the taser device and clamped on the restraints.

"Former Petty Officer Nikomedes Rulstavi, at the order of Yazira Tamaris Bagrationi of the Tsovereign Commonwealth of Mu Draconis, you are hereby detained to answer questions regarding a capital crime. You are not yet charged with a crime."

"Although you have not yet been charged with a crime, you have the right to independent legal counsel, reasonable access to medical practitioner, and a neutral sapient rights observer to be present during your questioning. If you do not hear or understand these rights, they will be repeated."

=^=All clear, target is restrained. His makeshift residence is here, someone else search and bag it up. Good opportunity for Linus to learn about chain of evidence vouchering. We’re going to need a clean pair of pants for the target. My bad, should have only given him 12 seconds.=^=