Contamination

[Zayne Carrick]

Great, just great, thought Siegfried. Now the unauthorized personnel started to show up. Regular Army fighter first, but what's next? Coalition Typhoon? Corsair Legate? I'm certainly running out of time, maybe bombing the hell out of facility and blaming all on sudden volcanic eruption is not such a bad idea. But then goodbye Siegfried the Saviour of Tangier, welcome Siegfried, Whose Ass Was Saved by Volcano. Not an option... for now.

"Director, the travel logs of Dr. Engel"
"Good"
"You must've forgot something, where's order about his transfer to Tangier?"
"Here, Director, I was able to found two, one signed by you and one by Director Dresner"

For Odin's sake! Siegfried briefly checked the rest of the logs, apparently the last "real" assignment of Dr. Engel was survey of Omega-58 system! And that was 10 months ago. Apparently after that Engel abused period of transition in SOA leadership and just showed the most suited order, when people were asking questions. Maybe next unauthorized ship won't be a Legate, maybe it will be Rheinland Cruiser, bearing "Unknown" IFF.

"Director, we've detected gravitational anomaly in Melilla debris field. It may be just an asteroid collision or a capital ship might've entered the system."
You've got to be kiddin' me...
"ETA of capital ship in cruise to the heart of Mellila debris field?"
"20 hours, Director, but a fighter would do it in 6"
"Contact that unauthorized pilot"

"Flieger Lukas Riemann, the Red Hessian Army Spezialoperationabteilung needs your services, you're to scout Melilla Debris Field located in B/C 2/3 right now and report about any anomalies. Dismissed!"

Maybe that's all is indeed a hidden grand plan, but not to remove Siegfried Draay from power, yet to crush the Army from within? And what if I'm just playing along with initial plan of Dr. Engel, Wilde hivemind, Grand Nomad or whoever is in charge of those abominations? I need to do something unexpected, something unpredictable...

Ye, I might have an idea, but first I need to be sure.