Read Online All Fall Down by Astrotomato - Free Book Online Page B

It had thrown her a little. She wondered if she had been rude in correcting the Administrator when he’d called her “Commander”. But then, how else could he have known of her field promotion? She wasn’t sure what to make of his brief appearance. On other colonies her team was met by bureaucrats, dignitaries. On the rare occasion that the Colony’s most senior official met them it was for one of two reasons: profound relief that MI had finally arrived to help or extreme anger at MI’s meddling and interference. Daoud, on the other hand, was… What? Efficient? That was the word that came to mind. But how could you meet someone efficiently? An acknowledgement of their arrival and their importance, an acknowledgement that he was responsible for their presence there. And in the briefest possible time, with the bare minimum of words exchanged.
                Kate turned to the workstation. “Computer, access the database on my ship please. Authorisation Kate Feyder One One.” A small holo sphere folded into illuminated life above the work station, whilst the computer quietly voiced, “Access granted.”
                “Access biography files for Administrator Daoud.” A small icon appeared, showing a five centimetre high holo of Daoud, with arms folded and shaking his head. The computer added, “Access restricted. Top secret. Cadre-level clearance necessary.”
                Kate stared at the holo, “What?”
                Again, “Access restricted. Top secret. Cadre-level clearance necessary.”
                “Computer, explain access restrictions on Administrator Daoud’s biography.”
                “Administrators of classified colonies have classified biographies. Cadre-level clearance necessary.”
                “Well, I suppose that makes sense. Can you tell me anything about Administrator Daoud? Is there anything in the public domain? From the nets maybe? Research papers? School records?”
                “Access restricted. Top secret. Cadre-level clearance necessary.”
                “How can there be nothing in the public domain, or even MI domain? OK, let’s try his Ops Director. Access biography files for Sophie Argus, Operations Director, planet Fall.”
                “There are no records for Sophie Argus, Operations Director, planet Fall. Would you like to alter your search query?”
                “No. Do you have biographies for any of Fall’s key personnel that I can access?”
                “There are four biographies available: Doctor Masjid Currie, Research Director; Grace Adebuye, Mining Operations Director; Preecha Nam-Sing, Health Director; Michael Hseung, Agriculture, Environment and Water Director.”
                “Prepare audio-visual reports on them please. Lock work station.”
                The holo folded, leaving a dark purple fuzz on her retinas. For a few moments she breathed through her nose, her lips comforting each other as she thought over her tactics for the briefing session. Clearly she needed to understand who she was dealing with. But to access Daoud’s biography she’d need to contact the Hab, through Daoud’s restricted access channel. Which would give him access to the comms log. And Sophie Argus: why was there no profile? Was she classified? Maybe she was a fugitive, who’d accepted Fall as her prison, in return for work and anonymity. Such things happened from time to time. Still, given she had to investigate Daoud and the coded message, Kate thought it better to find out.
                With the holo’s afterglow still in her eyes, Kate picked up her datapad, and made her way to Daoud’s briefing room.
     
    Kate turned out of her quarters, and followed the corridor’s curve towards the elevators, passing automatons; small maintenance robots. Djembe and Win’s quarters showed as unoccupied when