The Camaleon Chronicals

[oZoneRanger]

Phillip DeLaFontain, stepped out of the office and walked down the hall to the elevators, surprised to only see old officer Fife at the control station.

"Where's Barney?" asked DeLaFontain in a demanding tone, glad that he didn't have to deal with the younger officer and his new found set of balls.

"LPI official business" the old man said flatly. "Any problems with that Mr.DeLaFontain?" the aging officer stood up and looked menacingly at DeLaFontain.

"Oh no, No...ah no problems Officer Fife, everything fine Sir, just fine." He wondered what the hell was going on with these two. "am I cleared to...ah ...go sir?" opting to bow to authority as a precaution.

"For now you are ..Sir, but we will be keeping an eye on you Sir." His demeanor almost menacing.

DeLaFontain walked into the waiting elevator and hit the button to the dock level. "To many strange things going on." He thought to himself, his mind wandering between Maria's knife which he had never seen, and vague memories of things he was unsure of.

As the doors closed, Officer Fife let out a burst of laughter. It had been fun to mess with DeLaFontains head. He hit his comm button. "Barney, he is on his way down, let Maria know."

On the other end on the radio signal, Officer Barney stood at the airlock door to Lady Luck. "Copy that." He stepped into the ship and gave the signal.

Hours before, Maria had sent one of the dock workers up to the control station, with a handful of credits and instructions for Barney. Barney then enlisted Officer Fife with the help of the only thing apart from pretty young girls that Fife was interested. Credits.

Fife agreed to help out with DeLaFontains surprise inauguration party, and let Barney head down to the Lady Luck to act as security at the airlock door.

As the elevator made its way down. Maria was organizing the drunken crowd on board the Lady Luck.
"Everybody hide...Now..you pendejos." Her commands obeyed to the letter, 100 plus people shuffled around in a drunken stupor hiding behind couches, plants, and in plain sight.

There were just not enough places to hide. "Aiiii.." Maria laughed at how comical, but necessary this new ploy had become. "Ok ok...at least everyone be quiet....shhhhhhh.... and someone turn the pinche lights out"

DeLaFontain exited the elevator, and made his way past the check points. The activity on the docks seemed unusually quiet. It seemed as if hardly anything was moving. He turned toward his ship expecting to see or hear the noises of a large party, instead he saw nothing but an empty airlock and only the typical noises of the stations cargo bay.

He moved toward the ship, and entered it himself for the first time expecting the worst, from the description the Steward had given him. He found only darkness, silence, and muffled voices he could not see. His mind suddenly racing with plots of someone trying to off him. At the moment he was about to turn around and run for his life, the lights came on.

"SURPRISE" yelled an entire ship full of happy drunken revelers. He froze, trying hard to understand what was going on.

People came up to him by ones and three's. Everyone wanting to shake is hand and pat him on the back. Before he knew it, he had a drink in his hand, and someone was even offering him some Synth weed.

Barney was there from out of nowhere. "Don't worry sir, its all arranged, I'll make sure no one steals anything sir." and headed out to the ships airlock to the docks.

He seemed to be passing from one group of people to the other.

"Oiii...butterball..Get that Venereal cured yet?" A large man with a limp gave him shivers, but he didn't know why. "Great party mate, anything the dock workers can ever do for you , your secretary or your ships, you just say the word. The dockworkers of Toronto have your ships top on our list." and gave him a slap on the back that almost knocked him over.

"Amazing inauguration Mr. DeLaFontain.." It was the chief of traffic control for the station, a man known for his ugly features and overwieght limbs, a pretty girl on each arm arranged by non other than Maria. "Your ships come in first from now on Sir."

The highest ranking officer of the LPI on station was then standing next to him. "Sir, we shall over look any laws being broken here tonight." he said with much slirr to his words, and passed him a rolled spliff of synth weed.

He was beginning to fall into the role, shaking hands with everyone, smiling, saying thank you, and feeling all at once, large in his own mind again.

After the initial shock, he walked around his ship, and decided that most everything was still in its proper place. It was after all a party, and everyone of importance on the station was there having and enjoying a good time. He could only be remembered from this in a good light.

"Mr. DelaFuente, isss so nice of you to come to your own suprised fiesta." Maria in all her greatness now before him.

He smiled. All past grievances now forgotten. It was a public relations success."Maria...have I told you, you are getting a raise?"

"Aiii boss...no...not yet...wait till you see de bill for dis party...then you can decide to give me a raise."
She would decide later whether to tell him of the visions she had while under the influence of the Mescalinita.

He laughed loud and hard. "Where is the Steward, was he in on this as well?"

"Oh the Steward.... he is... tied up down in the cargo hold." DeLaFontain looked at her and decided she must be kidding. She smiled that grin she had, the one that confused him so and said. "Now, Mr. Lafuente.. you go mingle, don't talk to much, just listen..everyone is good and primed, and there should be lots to learn here tonight." It was as if she were training a schoolboy for his first date.

Off in another cabin the shouts could be heard again.."3...2...1...DEADMAN HIGH" and laughter and cheering followed. DeLaFontain decided he would avoid that room for the moment. Just to be on the safe side.