Alicia was overworked, and being a communist meant no pay.
That was a bad combination, overworked and underpaid. In her line of work, following Citizen Katz around on his merry little adventures, taking orders and being the poor person that had to deal with the myriad of characters that flowed through the doors trying to get a few minutes of the Commissar’s time.
It was, however, becoming a zoo.
She stood up, pulling a pencil out of the bun her hair had been pulled back into she gestured to two marines.
“Come with me!”
The followed her into the main office, connected to the Trotsky’s CIC, where agaggle of impatient recruits had barged past her and were trying to get attention, while poor Luka dangled in the arms of a rather large, angry looking AI Warbot. And Lt. Commander Volkova was apparently trying to brain one of the new recruits.
Commissar Vicenta stood in the center of the room, Katz behind his table and the Commodore behind the desk.
Alicia blew her whistle loudly.
“Alexial Vargas, Ryan Henson,” she pointed. The Marines charged forward, grabbing both. “Take them back into the hall and tell them to wait until they are called.” She looked apologetically at Katz. “I am sorry sir, I don’t know how they got past me and in to see you without being called. Next time they’ll just get shot.”
Katz inclined his head as both Henson and Vargas were dragged out of the office and thrown roughly up against walls. Unfriendly assault rifles pressed against their foreheads to keep them in place.
Alicia walked back out to her desk, as Volkova was escorted out by the remaining Marines, leaving Luka to answer Commissar Katz’s questions.
She stuck her pencil back in her bun, “After Luka is done, it will be Antonio Briccant. Then it will be Evgeni Nabokov. Followed by Vargas and then Henson. Wait your turns, the Commissar will be all to happy to have his Warbot tear you limb from limb, but as you can see… the Bot currently has his hands full already…” She gestured to the still open door where the recruits could clearly see Luka dangling.
“Be patient!”
Katz’s voice was quiet, deadly, coming from inside the room, repeating his question.
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