The ELI Event B007R5LTNS

fellow trooper’s death. You do concur with that assessment, do you not?”
    Sazar numbly took in Lokus’s words. Lokus had just killed a man in cold blood, and was prepared to place the blame on Sazar’s head if he did not keep quiet about falsifying the logs. He had no choice. “Yes, sir,” he nodded.
    “Excellent. Trooper Sazar, you are hereby promoted to Squad Leader. Assemble a new squad immediately, with troopers of your choice. You will locate and apprehend the remaining scientists, and bring them to me—alive. Understood?”
    “Yes, Vice Governor.”
    Lokus took a single step closer; Sazar could feel the dark eyes burning into him. “Do not think for one moment, Squad Leader Sazar, that this promotion in any way absolves you of bungling your original mission. Think of it more as a reprieve. If you succeed in capturing the surviving dissenters and their relocator, I will consider letting you live. If you fail again, I guarantee that your death will make Valik’s look like a hangnail. Do I make myself clear?”
    “Yes, sir. Perfectly clear.”
    “Good,” sneered Lokus. “Now get out of my sight. And send someone in to clean up this mess.”
    “Yes, Vice Governor.” Sazar executed a shaky about-face and gratefully left the room, gingerly stepping over the bloody cylinder of gore and guts on his way out.

Six
    Lokus walked around his desk and slid back the phone panel. In the absence of intelligent, voice-response dialers, he was accustomed to making manual calls, but still found it irritating. He pressed the button marked “Ministry of Science.”
    Moments later the Western Region’s Science Minister’s face appeared as a floating hologram above Lokus’s desk. He turned away so his video unit could not transmit his image and identified himself verbally.
    “Ah, good afternoon, Vice Governor. How are you?” Minister Rasel asked through an insincere half-smile. He was an unctuous little man, incredibly brilliant and incredibly conceited. This combination of attributes manifested itself as a constant air of self-satisfaction, a patronizing show of superiority which he made no effort to disguise.
    Even though Rasel was technically Lokus’s subordinate, he was not without his own authority and powerful friends, his own little empire within the Ministry of Science. Lokus detested him, but as they were of like minds, they had on occasion become grudging allies against other power-hungry elements within the government.
    Lokus ignored the platitude. “What is the status of the equipment?”
    “Which equipment is that, Vice Governor?” the other man asked coolly.
    “You know which equipment, Rasel,” Lokus snapped. “What is its operational status?”
    “Ah, of course, Vice Governor. The temporal locator is fully functional. Of course, there are no authorized projects in progress at this time.”
    Lokus frowned; he did not need to be reminded of the technology’s restricted status.
    “However,” the Science Minister continued, “there are a few small… enhancements you might be interested in reviewing, should you find yourself in this area.”
    Lokus considered the tacit invitation. “Yes, I might do that. Plus, there is another matter I wish to speak to you about.”
    “And what might that be, Vice Governor?” Again, the irritating smile.
    “I prefer to discuss that in person. Do not leave the Ministry; I will arrive at your offices shortly.”
    “At your service, Vice Governor. Do have a pleasant…”
    Lokus punched the “Disconnect” button a bit harder than he had to. Rasel’s disembodied head disappeared in mid-sentence.
    On the short railcab ride to the Ministry of Science, Lokus considered how much of his plan he should reveal. It was not a question of whether to trust Rasel—of course not—it was whether Rasel could be more useful if he knew something of the situation. Lokus decided to disclose as little as possible, to Rasel or anyone else.
    The Science Minister met him just inside the huge double doors, smug as ever.
    “I wasn’t sure you’d recognize me,” Lokus said, mildly irritated that Rasel had failed to comment on his appearance, substantially different as it was from their last encounter.
    “You overestimate yourself, dear Lokus,” Rasel said easily. “Regardless of the countenance you wear, I could never mistake your… essence.” Gliding across the floor in a flowing tunic just a bit too elaborate for his position, he led Lokus directly to the