The Destiny of Zacarias Poncho

[Zapp]

A few months later

Zacarias was sitting behind a sturdy steel desk in a non-descript office off of Maltas main spaceport. He had a cylinder that was one foot in diameter and two feet in height; the middle half of the height was glass, while the half-foot above and below was opaque metal. Running criss-cross across the surface of the metal that was facing into the glass was a grid of lines. He had a plethora of tools spread out across the table, and had a screw driver in his hand, fiddling with a screw.

The door chimed, and he nearly jumped out of his chair. That damn thing sounded too much like the emergency power alarm that would alert him to a sudden build-up in the power grid, resulting in a very big explosion. Setting down the screw driver, he pressed a button on the right side of the desk that activated a monitor. Displayed was the scene directly outside the door. A man Alekzander Vasquez, a Capo in the Blue Lotus Syndicate stood outside, tapping a foot impatiently, mixed emotions playing across his face. He pressed the button next to the one that he had just used, which opened the door.

Alekzander, please, do come in, Zacarias said warmly, standing up and reaching over the desk to shake his hand.

Sir, I have some news that I think you should hear. He suddenly looked like hed rather be elsewhere, but leaned forward and whispered it out anyway.

The Grand Master just went missing from his house. Zacarias couldnt contain the gasp.

But thats not all. Just a week ago, he altered his will. If anything were to happen to him, youd be next in line to be the Grand Master.

Zacarias sat down hard, implications running through his head.

If he doesnt contact us in a week, Alekzander continued, stating the Syndicate code that Zacarias knew by heart, youd be named Grand Master.

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