Rowdy Dead Productions

By David C. Daoust

Suzanne was in two places at once, one was the small holo-stage in the back of the room, which depicted the white lab her agents on the barracks ship had taken but moments before, and the other was the command center that oversaw all her operations throughout the Neo Vir’ees system. A command center, filled with intelligence officers, located on an Otomo Corp Star-cruiser, which was pretty much, her home of late.

Suzanne’s attention was pulled away from the actions of those aboard the Red Faction ship, as more and more agents began to report the appearances of Wraiths as they began to flood the system.

Suzanne had finally felt like they were getting ahead of the raiders. Dakota’s work on Dori 5, had given them the ability to read the Wraith’s location with technology. Previously all technology had been blind to their presence. Once Dakota locked down a way for scanners to locate the nanites, the same process was then able to be applied to tracking the Wraiths. This new ability to track them was the main reason for their victory on the outskirts of Dori 5. The main reason they were able to keep things under control, under wraps, which was paramount in Suzanne’s line of work.

Suzanne had hoped to handle the situation entirely different. After all, agents’ lives had been lost on Dori 5. Since they had managed to flush the power cells, if they could have just found a way to collect the nanites, without destroying them this time, they may have avoided another incident entirely.

Those plans changed once her agents found out Dakota’s plans to wipe out all the nanites in one genius blast.

In fact, Suzanne had almost dropped the plans for good, if it was not for Major Sims’ insistence that he could stop the doctor’s plans in their tracks. She’d allowed Sims to carry out his plan, while his success could put them back on track, his failure would make no difference. Except of course, it would be yet another black mark on his record. She almost felt bad for him; it was Dakota he was up against… she could be quite difficult.

Suzanne could not blame Dakota for her reaction. In truth, Suzanne never guessed that the nanites could have such a broad reach across the desert moon. They were primarily concerned with the townsfolk of Grady. Suzanne was surprised to learn there was a community of Rovers on Twin Crown.

Rover communities were popular in the past, while the moons were still uninhabitable, some people preferred to explore the new system, rather than wait on the City Stations. Once the moons became life sustaining worlds of their own, most of those old rovers were abandoned, mostly to build farms.

Even if Suzanne had known of the Rovers, she doubted she would have guessed that the nanites would spread so far from the major power cells of Grady.

As far as the Consortium’s say on the matter, they were acceptable losses.

Suzanne knew Dakota would not agree. Vehemently.

The other officers were suddenly abuzz, breaking Suzanne from her musings. Reports came in of the Wraiths losing power. Apparently, the closed solar gate was affecting them as well, more and more of the Wraiths were being reported as adrift… the glowing spheres that usually shadowed their every movement, were gone completely.

Suzanne gave the order to have them collected. Finally, if all went well, they would have a Wraith captured at last.

“Major Sims,” Suzanne spoke back into the holographic white lab, “Bring the good Doctor to our lab, it seems we’ll be requiring her services…”