“You should look smart for work.” Alicia was inspecting Joe’s wardrobe. “Its all so grey.”
“No ways. That’s blue. That’s black”
“We’ll have to get you sorted out. But I guess this is OK. Now what about food?”
Alicia was certainly moving in. “Is this OK for your lunchbox?”
“Yeah, great.”
“Well….I’m not happy about you off on your own. I think…”
“It’s all right. I’m not a child and I work in a government secure office. We have armed guards. Sensors everywhere. Nothing can get in. Nothing.”
“OK” They kissed and finally, sadly, Joe tore himself away.
It was the tube east into the city, a change to one round the edge of the centre, then another that dropped him near his office. His mates were arriving at the same time. Walking across the big foyer, all polished marble and granite, under the Police guns
“Hey Joe. How was it?”
“Pretty good Haniff.” Joe queued up behind the others.
“Urgh.” Said Haniff.
“Your leg still playing up?”
“Yeah.”
“So get it sorted.” Said Joe as they slowly walked towards the turnstile.
“Its getting the time.”
“You need a new body, not just a new leg.” Said Mahongo joining the queue behind Joe.
“Yeah yeah.”
“Cape Maclear. Great place eh?” asked Mahongo.
“The Jumbo’s Danglers eh?” said Haniff before he went through the turnstile.
“Good crowd there?” asked Mahongo.
Joe nodded as he squeezed through, looked down the eye scope, put his hands on the print reader and blew down the DNA tube.
“You met a woman?” Said Mahongo as they came through the other end
“Good on yah. She any good at it?” asked Haniff.
“She got any sisters?” Said Mahongo.
“She’s great. Back at my place now. I don’t think she has sisters on Earth.”
“Moved in?” Haniff was surprised.
“Yeah.”
“You met a woman? You know her two days? And she moves in?” Mahongo was really surprised.
“Joe. I may need a new leg or a new body, but maybe you need a new brain.”
Joe didn’t tell anyone she was a United Planets Embassy Diplomat, sent by who knows what department to be his bodyguard. It sounded ridiculous. This was work. This was normal. This was supposed to be boring.
Joe’s desk was as he left it. Maybe dustier. There was still a half eaten biscuit stuck to his litter tube. “Yuck.” He sat at his keyboard, plugged in his skull port, and looked for his query on the falling wire at the beach.
It was classified “Secret.”
It was “Top Secret.”
Joe was only cleared for secret, not top secret. He switched it all off and went to see his boss a few desks away. They made the usual small talk about his holiday.
“Are you sure about this woman? She’s not just going to take your house or something?”
“Not you as well. I’ve had that all the way in this morning. Anyway… How can I make a top secret enquiry?”
“Top secret? Haven’t had one for years. Not this department. Different in the old days of course. Independence struggles. Top secret all the time. But I’ll find out. Is it urgent?”
“No I guess not.”
“After the meeting then. We’re all in Conference 3.”
“What about? These scrap dealers?”
“No. That’s out of
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