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Stories from the Verse
A Dozen Verses
Chapter 77: Kondor 281
Table of Contents
Previous chapter: Slade 276
“Please have a seat, gentlemen.”
In his usual manner, C did not look up as he welcomed them to the office. He was shuffling papers on his desk--very old school, Kondor thought, and then realized that C actually was a verser, probably from a time when personal computers were not yet common. However, the spy handler had set down the papers and was now looking at him.
“You,” he began, “according to my notes have a background in advanced physics?”
“Yes, sir. I have an honorary degree from working on a project to develop artificial gravity and kinetic energy in a world very like this one in terms of its level of technology.”
He nodded. “You have some familiarity with nuclear fusion and superconductors?”
“Some. Mostly theoretical; I didn’t work directly with any of that myself.”
“And you?” C said, turning to Zeke, who responded with an embarrassed defensiveness.
“Me? Oh, no--I’m just a radio tech. I only recently learned anything about transistors.”
“Still, that could work. The data you gentlemen recovered on your last mission was Chinese research in those fields. It’s been sent to researchers at Imperial College. That’s perhaps incidental; it only matters in that it created a brief connection between us and that department, and through it we learned that a certain Doctor Philip Albert, a Fellow in the Physical Sciences, has been threatened by unknown persons to get him to divulge classified scientific research in the field. He won’t contact us openly because he fears for his life and that of his family, but I thought we could put you,” he said nodding toward Kondor, “into the program undercover. You wouldn’t have to fake too much knowledge in the field.”
“What about me?” Zeke asked.
“I think you could manage as a lab assistant--electrical wiring, electronic control circuits, that kind of thing. Probably set you up as a student. Since the college is here in London, you can live in your current address and commute. Zeke can use his motorbike; do you want a car, Joseph?”
Kondor paused a moment before answering. “I think I can justify using the bike in London traffic.”
“Very good, then. You’ll go as Doctor Ezekiel Smith, your American identity, because it includes your backgrounds in Physics and Medicine. You’ll need to carry your passport. And you,” C eyed Zeke uncertainly. “You’re going to be working with a lot of Academics. I think you’d better use your American identity as well--Walter Walters, isn’t it? Sounds a bit like a comic book name--”
Kondor interrupted. “It’s actually the names of a man I met in two different universes, put together. I thought it would be easy for me to remember.”
“I see. Well, we’ll get you backgrounded with credits from an American college, and enroll you as a student research assistant to Doctor Smith. Any questions?”
“Yeah,” Zeke said. “What do we wear?”
“Normal clothes?” C answered.
“Yeah, I’m not sure we have anything like that. We pretty much always wear our fatigues.”
C nodded. “I’ll get an appointment with a dresser to get you outfitted. Expect someone to call.”
“Sir,” Kondor said. C raised an eyebrow in response. “The vase, sir. It looks lovely in our apartment, but as things turned out it was stolen from the auction house and no one ever paid anything for it. I think it would be appropriate for the British Police to return it, claiming that it was seized by customs officials as part of a raid on a smuggling operation.”
“Very good,” C said. “I’ll have someone pick it up. Anything else? Fine. Dismissed.”
They left the office and returned home, Kondor thinking about what he would need to remember to play the part of a physics researcher once again.
As to the old stories that have long been here:
