Ffokes finally cleaned the   jelly off, finished that doughnut and got a plain sugar one  to take back the desk he used.

  He shook  his   head  after  taking a sip of coffee...Pretty sure  we'd know if we didn't have  enough Mags  before  we  jumped off..,,,  I;m a combat Guy..I'm in here because we all have to take turns... you are more suited for office  stuff...I  don't know if you can relate  to takign part of stuff like that, being part of the crew...at least? I shouldn't have to do this  next time something comes up.

 He Put  his head  said on, he  was getting angry again, before  finishing with...what about  I  come down there... with a squad  of troopers...and   by all the gods , I bet we fine some AP  50 cal  rounds...what?..Yeah..I thought so..I'm forwarding this  conversation to LT Morrow's   desk...you can expect a call...

 lookign at  Izzy  he  holds both hands out to the  computer...see!...some   gods be damned pencil neck..bet he wanted to try and drive up the  price.

Izzy had started to open her mouth to explain that; yes they would know if they had enough magazines before they jumped off but that what she had meant was it was still important for someone to actually order them, before deciding against it. It wasn't important and this wasn't the hill she was going to die on. Instead she would consider what he had said before going on to reply "I've done both...I've worked in offices; making coffee, filing papers, talking to suppliers and all that, I've also been out in the field; served with a squad of guys I came to really like, done foot patrol in hostile territory, boot camp, firefights so on so forth so it means I can see it from both sides and yeah I will be the first to admit that I'm more suited to desk work than door kicking" she replied, though to be fair it was kind of obvious considering her diminutive size. She would then watch as Folkes once again lost his temper whilst on the phone causing Izzy to sigh before asking "Are you really sure you don't want me to do that for a while...I happen to be fluent in Desk Jockey"

  FFokes  frowned once more..well.... that would be great. But  I don't  think  I'd do any good at sort out info like you are.. Me?. unless its  Labeld.. 'this is bad  guy stuff"...i  may  miss it and we lose  something important...we're not going to lose the war, because some  gets mad at me for getting mad at them... beth will take care of them..If che  can't , they'll Have Captain Morris handle them..and if  its gets bad? they'll send the SM  or LC to  have a chat, next time we're in town.

 I mean?  I'm not the only one?  Maria  doesn't like this  either, but she better  at it then me...I think some of the guy callers  just try to get her   to wire out so they can hear a hot  Latino 's voice  with all that neat accent.

The  door  Opened Scarlett came in , her  hair plastered down  from sweating  in head gear. she opened the   locker  , taking out a small box  labeled "substance  checks'

 Ffoke looked up...You done?

she   flipped her wet  hair   as she  shook her  head,..no?  seems  the LC  and SM sniffed out   some losers  again...one  chick beat  the LC  bad in the first lap?, but the mercs have to run 2  more..she freaked out...they were  going to give her  another H2  shot, to finish  the  punishment?.... I thought it was odd?  LC  doesn't let anyone cheat of    his survival things..... Captain Si  sent me down  for  some substance  kits... I'd  hate to be them if he finds out they were Juicing...

 dammit..I miss out on everything.. any one coming down?

 Scarlett  smiled  as she  put her head gear on   and  gave him a sad tilt of her  head.Sorry FFolksie, The LC  said  people could leave whoa ren't part of the Punishment..but even the Brass is  running again, I want to get up there so i can get in that second run.... don't think anyone...well...maybe a pilto or two, who are goign to skip out  on the   extra  runs..they're going to want to see how the Mercs  and Heimdall people take to the  extra  running..

 gotta go.... see you later... she gave   Izzy a  finger wave  and   ran out the doors...

"Oh I wasn't worried about you upsetting someone, I was just offering you an out because it looks like being on the comms is driving you crazy" Izzy said, having made the offer simply because it had seemed like the right thing to do "...also I can't really blame them, Maria does have a very nice accent" Izzy jokingly added with a bit of a smile before Scarlett came running in.

After explaining what was going on in the tunnels, and breaking the news that Folkes would be in the office for the duration, She would grab a couple of drugs testing kits and quickly head out the door, with Izzy cheerfully returning the wave before turning her attention back to the boxes of "intel" on her desk. If she thought it would help she would have gladly offered to cover for Folkes so he could join the run, but unfortunately she had neither the pull or good will to get the SM to agree to such an arrangement, not to mention the fact that Folkes would be hard pressed to gear up and get to the tunnels in time to join in.

It was as she was trawling through a veritable mountain of receipts, bills and appliance manuals that Izzy would suddenly strike gold when she found a document with the word HEIMDALL printed upon it "Shit...I think I've found something" she said as much to herself as Folkes as she pulled out the file and began to read it's contents to see what exactly she had found.

Pulling on a headset Izzy would play the attached audio file of what sounded like an intercepted comms call. After playing it a second time Izzy would swear in a mix of Chinese and Japanese before pulling off her headset and looking for her comms unit ”Well Folkes it looks like you’re going to get some excitement after all because it sounds like we may have a problem” she said as she sent Roy a message.

 FFolkes looked over  at the  Izzy's desk.well?  At least something is happening...

 Mann   came  In taking his helmet off    and  wiping it  with a  gun rag, before placing it in his Locker... as he  checked his  weapon  and    placed it in  the clip  of his Locker, he  chuckled...you missed it... That Gunny Hill?  Kicked  the baby Larg... The Mom ate him...

 wish i could send the  Mom Larg through the COM Links.... dammit..i miss  everything...

It was several minutes later when Roy strode in, still in full combat gear and sweaty from the run, but still apparently with plenty of fuel left in the tank if he had to keep going.  "Okay...what's the news?" he asked, heading straight for Izzy.  He was all business...dispassionate and analytical.

With the look of someone that feared she may be overreacting and wasting someone's time, Izzy would quickly get up out of her chair the moment Roy started walking towards her in a business like "Sergeant Major I...I found this file lurking in amongst a load of rubbish and well...it's probably best if you listen to it yourself" she said holding out her headset for him to use. Once he had the headset on she would hit play on the audio file she had found;

"Sent this along...don't have much time. Bastards are killing people all over the station again..one of our people got away...says she has a prize... word has it, she was lucky... the hunters got called to another location...so...this isn't a total loss..." [sounds of wet coughing and some gunfire]

"...we got Aldo in...going by the name Nic? he found 'his  kind of target'...." [more  wet laughter and coughing, there were some shouts and screams in the background]

"...look.. I gotta go?..I don't think I'll make it, unless they are  all Gung Ho on the boss?...if I get out of here... I  COMM you from Anzio, if that Bastard Bren, hasn't killed  all our assets... Watch for Oscar...I think they could turn him... Nic should be good, he says his mark is eating out of his hand.. Glory to Vicrock..."

"There's a list of names attached to the bottom of the file...it looks like all of the Heimdall transfer they originally came here along with a pair of pilots...um...Nic and the guy he arrived with" Izzy nervously spoke once the recording came to an end with her pointing out the list of names which now included several deceased entries "I'm sorry if I'm overreacting or anything but to me it sounds like we need to round up all those that transferred from the Heimdall, including this Oscar guy he was worried about" she said before nervously waiting to see if Roy shared her opinion.

<<<< from tunnels

 Beth, Shadow , Kat and everyone else carrying the COM and  surveillance gear entered.. Shadow   sliding the  containers into their  slots.

  Beth asked Shadow , you washing up?

  Naw?  just something  small to eat  and  drink..I'm takign Hanger Duty in a little over an Hour, I'll shower  after that, Just going to get more  sweated in armor  walking the Dec. Just a  quick stp to put  by  gear in the crash compartment, I'll leave my armor  by my fighter..the up to the rec dec.

 I do not have the  duty  time, so I am for  shower, then food...  Kat left  after securing the chairs

Roy's face was an impassive mask as he listened to the message, only a slight clenching of his jaw betraying any reaction to it.  He set the headset down as Izzy began her explanation...

When she finally wrapped up, he gave a hint of a sigh.  "It's not exactly news...but it confirms suspicions that we've had about most of the Heimdall personnel since they got here."  If his tone betrayed any emotion, it was resignation, and he spent a moment pondering before he added, "That does explain a lot about Nic, and why, despite his combat record, he never suited up for anything outside the cockpit."  A little annoyance, in that one...

A few more moments of thought.  "Type up that list...I want a copy for myself, Master Chief Mullins, and Sergeant Shoemaker.  One of the Heimdall transfers is in Medical, right now...I think we need to look for opportunities to get them alone, and then put the screws to them and see what kind of information we can get out of them..."  He thought for another moment, then asked, "Can you get any sort of ID on the voice in the message?  If he's heading to Anzio, it would be good to give Bren a heads-up, and let him clean up the stragglers on that end."

 Once  Shadow  secured  Beths  Crates, he   said,I;ll be on the  rec dec, and   then on  duty in the Hnager..COM  me if  anyone needs  me..

..I'll be there soon, Just have to Upload the  running film for  next time.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>shadow  Rec dec

With a quick nod of her head Izzy would send a copy of the names to Roy, Lyri and Shoey via their comms units along with a quick message saying that the people listed were under suspicion and needed keeping an eye on. As to the identity of the mystery voice Izzy would have to see what she could find out ”I’ll see what I can dig up, even if it is just who the comms unit belonged to…though it’s also possible that he’s dead” she pointed out, after all he hadn’t sounded particularly healthy in that message ”Also if you’re planning on interviewing them individually you’ll need a way to stop them from taking to one another, because if word gets out that we’re on to them…” Izzy wasn’t all too sure on what exactly would happen but she doubted it would be good.

Roy's grin was unpleasant.  "Depending on what we find out from the first one or two, we won't need to worry about them talking to each other..."  He left unspoken the threat that was implied in the words.  "And we have to consider the possibility that this is planted misinformation.  It's not at all likely, especially with what we learned of the Heimdall's former command staff...but it's possible."

He scowled slightly, then added, "Try running the recording through a voice-print filter, once you find a name...that should help us verify if it's a borrowed comm or not...if it's someone important enough to have spoken in public a few times, it might even give us a match for the ID."

He nodded, adding, "Good find, Izzy.  Carry on.  I've got a ready-made situation with one of the transfers, waiting to be exploited."

He turned to leave, using his comm as he moved to contact Stefi and have her keep Zia isolated.  He'd argue with her over just which methods to use once he got to Med-Tech.

---- from Rec Dec>>>>


Just as TI-JO was reaching the door to SEC, it opened and he almost ran in to SM Spencer. Oh. Excuse me SM. he blurted out as he narrowly avoided the senior enlisted.

He stepped to the side to let Roy through. When he was clear of the threshold, the Corporal made a realization, and acted on it. Actually, SM, if I may ask, I know it's a bit below your duties to know all the details of every single duty roster on board, but, I was wondering, is there anything I need to be doing while we're underway to this jump off? The question had inflections of someone trying to be useful.

”I did consider that, I mean it’s pretty dumb to name all of your agents on an unencrypted message…however we’ve kind of have to assume it’s legit until proved otherwise” Izzy replied, edging on the side of caution knowing that there was at least one officer on the ship that would just flush the lot of them into space without any form of investigation.

After being told that she’d done good she would smile as much in relief that she hadn’t messed up as in response to the praise ”Thank you SM” she replied before continuing to try and uncover the speaker’s identity using a variety of methods including Roy’s suggestion of using a voice recognition program, hoping she would find something of use.

Flex, to answer TI-JO, since I'm actually currently in Med Tech...

Roy paused at the question, the flicker of annoyance in his eyes gone in a fraction of a second as he mentally reset from addressing the possible existence of enemy agents on board to assuring a new crew member about duties.

He turned around.  "Well, corporal, we've made it standard practice to not assign new personnel to duty until we've had a chance to get a measure of them.  The events that played out in the Tunnel run illustrate why.  Lapses in judgment, physical shortcomings, inability to adapt to the Hermes' operational practices...we've had problems with all of them in the past, so I don't plug anyone into the roster until I'm at least mildly confident that they won't screw the pooch in some spectacular fashion."  If the colloquialism escaped TI-JO's comprehension, Roy didn't show any signs of slowing down to explain it.

"You'll start getting duty assignments tomorrow, and you'll be paired with an experienced crew member who can familiarize you with the section of the ship you're working in and how to handle the more common issues.  For now, you're on your own time...I'd suggest getting familiar with the ship's overall layout and how to get around.  Avoid restricted areas...should be easy enough, because there will be armed guards telling you to proceed no further...listen to them when they say that, because they have absolutely no humor about people wandering through their areas.  If you find any regular Security troopers walking patrol, ask questions...get to know the people you'll be working with."

And, mentally, he apparently shifted gears, as his brows started to knit slightly.  "Now, I have a potential situation I have to assess, so I'm sorry I can't answer more questions or offer advice.  Ffolkes and Sakura, there, may be able to provide more insights."

His scowl deepened as he turned and headed off.

End Flex

The Corporal realized immediately that he had made a mistake by stopping the SM. The scowl faded while he was addressing him, for which he was grateful. He nodded at the right times as Roy explained his policy.

The SM was clearly in a hurry, so he didn't restrain him further as he headed off.

He was and wasn't given an assignment. He had a task to keep him occupied. He headed to the lifts to get a picture of the maps on his vidBoard. Then he set about to "wander" the ship, especially to the key areas he would need to know how to get to.

---- to "around the ship" >>>

It would take her around an hour of delving through various messages and comms signals, most of which had been dumped into junk folders, before she would finally discover that the message had originated from Everest station and had been sent to a ship around about the time of the Delta Night on the station but other than that the information was a little sparse “Guess I’m contacting EverSEC” Izzy said as she wrote a message to Captain Messe requesting any information she may have on the message, who on Everest had sent it and to what ship it had gone to, with Izzy attaching all of the relevant data that Captain Messe would need.

the message was tagged received and Open about   1 minute  after being sent. A COM message popped up on Izzy's computer.

  Ziss is  CAptain  Messe. I have seen your   question . Durning  Delta Night, there was many who sought to escape the station...some  were civis who did not  want to  be  part of ze  body  count..Qui?  We  did  catch  3 EDT people who were..as they say..'2nd string?"...we   have not the arrogance  to think we  caught all?

 zere was  3 ships, in our orbit, that were...how you say...independent Mostly..zey  are the mercenaries?... ze flight plans had   zem go to Etna, and  Nivar?.. Zere is
 some chance, some one  smuggled  zemselves aboard..or ze  ships  smuggled  zem  away..As far
 as  ze COMs... we cannot  get  ze track..some of ze countermeasures, ze fleet uses during
 Delta Nights, also  hamper our  own COMs  and such...

 Zere was a   ship...it is.....ze  Honey Badger...it   had  went to Etna, before  ze fleet left here....Ze others  are 'Callo' went to Nivar, and  ze ship 'Buck's Promise' was sailing to  Ze Sol system?

  we have  no further  information from Zem?

It wasn’t the conclusive answer she’d hoped for but it was something at least ”ok, thanks for the intel, if you find anything else let me know” Izzy sent back before feeding the three ships into the system to see if any of them appeared elsewhere either within the mountains of Delta night intel or their database.

It was as her system was running a search that Izzy would take a moment to reply to Lizzy’s message ”Sounds good babe, I’ll try and meet you for lunch, the SM has me working on something which is proving to be harder than I’d like, so here’s hoping ” With the message sent she would turn her attention back to the task at hand.

   The  door Opened  Maria  and Mann entered...They had  some carry cartons,  placing a  6 inch  sub in front of Izzy and  FFolkes , along with a   cola, before sitting at a desk with thier own..

  FFolkes gave a nod of thanks  as he sipped the soda  before   unwrapping   his  sub, there was a COM call and he began to talk to , whomever  was  on the other   End..Mann and MAria   turned  and watched   as he  slammed into, whomever was on the other  end  and  sent them a Link to the supply ships...

 he was about to take a bite when he notices the two staring at him..what?

 You know...My friend, it  is  not  very nice   to  swear at some  one, who ....

Mann took a bite  of his sandwich   and tried to talk through it...someone who has  more Brass on thier Shoulders then you....

 FFolkes frowned,...we  are Hermes  SEC..right?  we should be  getting calls about SEC  stuff..not  supply chain and are there   any people looking for transfers? Transfers are made  at docks.... only people we get after that are requested...or? some one got  rid of them, and they end up here.

 You..mia  Amigo..need   some  downtime....

 easy for you to say..you got to go on the run...

 Mann  shook his head  as he was typing away,you know its not supposed to be fun..right...its a measuring stick...

 I Like it.... I ran the beach  the first day of shore leave...

 you..are Muy  , strange, Amigo...

FFolkes looked at her  sandwich from where he sat...you don't have lettuce on there...what is that..

 It is Astra Sundown...it had  4 kinds of hot peppers, with   some kind of Hot sauce  from Bura...and i added  chilie peppers ...

Mann shook his head,you should tke that off the papers , before it catches them on fire...

Izzy wasn’t sure how long she’d been glaring at the screen hoping to find some piece of actionable intel when the sandwich was placed in front of her ”oh…thank you” she replied in a surprised voice having not expected to be included in the sandwich run. As she unwrapped her sub, she would listen as Folkes received another call, with the the others teasing him over his reaction ”oh he’s been doing that all morning! I did offer to cover the comms for him but I guess he’s a masochist” Izzy joked with a bit of a giggle before giving Mara an approving look when she spoke about the contents of her sandwich ”Sounds good to me, then again I like spicy food” she said as she scrolled through another file looking for any reference to the ships Messe had mentioned. The one destined for the Sol system seemed a good bet but she was kind of worried that it was a little too obvious and would prove to be a red herring.

---->>>>>> From Rec Dec

 Sam walked into SEC and smiled at everyone, then said, " Hello everyone, any big breaking news as of yet today, besides the tunnel run of course." Sam giggled and took a seat at her computer and begin to sign in and add her codes.

   Mann pointed to Ffolkes.....yeah?  Ffokes is jealous  Maria  has a  better sounding Voice them him...

  This would  be  well know fact, Si? Maria  said.

 Ffokes looked at  Man as he ate his sandwich and shook his head.

 Sam giggled and replied," I think I have a better voice too, and yes; it is a well-known fact, Maria." Sam then began working on her pile of reports and files

 Sam then looked over at Izzy and said," How are you doing Izzy need any help with anything?"