Звездопад / Starfall: Глава 19

Chapter 19

Camrad_RIP 22.07.23 в 09:56

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Camrad_RIP 22.07.23 в 09:56

"The analysis of the flyer's navigation unit allowed us to reconstruct Baron Assaro's route on the day of his death." The well-pitched voice of the Captain of House Faron's own Intelligence easily broke through the hiss of the cooling sleeves and insistently tried to capture Alex's attention, trying his best to make his indifference not too conspicuous. Which required a noticeable amount of effort:

Camrad_RIP 24.07.23 в 13:12

// It's hard to feign interest in a conversation in his condition." - He felt fine. He didn't feel anything, thanks to the local painkillers, and that was a good thing. Otherwise, it would have been very painful and cold. He was wrapped up to his neck in gold thermo-insulating foil and looked more like a rocket being prepared for launch than a participant in a meeting. Here and there some gauges were blinking, medical technicians were fussing about, performing some procedures only they could understand, and hoses made of foil were pumping in refrigerant with a characteristic hissing sound.

Camrad_RIP 24.07.23 в 13:14

// No amount of acting would be enough." Especially since he was genuinely not interested in the investigation. A lot had happened, and he didn't care about Baron Assaro's death now.

Camrad_RIP 24.07.23 в 13:15

"At 17.37 standard time, Baron Assaro left his home in the fourth metropolitan district, telling the servants that he had a private meeting and not to expect him before 25-27 hours. According to a survey of the servants, this did not surprise them, as the Baron often left without informing them. Analysis of the route he chose indicates it was deliberately chosen in such a way as to make it as difficult as possible for orbital reconnaissance to observe him. And the Baron piloted it himself without entering the route into the droid unit's memory. Which, most likely, indicates that the route, despite its complexity, was familiar to him...."

Camrad_RIP 24.07.23 в 13:16

"The next injection in two hours, Your Lordship." The Chief of Medicine whispered, leaning over Alex as the others helped him out of the cooling sleeves. "So far, everything is well."

Camrad_RIP 24.07.23 в 13:18

"Thank you." Alex nodded quickly and turned to the stack-captain again:

Camrad_RIP 24.07.23 в 13:18

"So Baron Assaro had met with someone at least several times at the place of his future death?" He asked to maintain a semblance of participation.

Camrad_RIP 24.07.23 в 13:19

"The route could have been learned on some sort of virtual simulator." The captain hastily warned. "But you're probably right Your Lordship, and Baron Assaro has been to this tower before."

Camrad_RIP 24.07.23 в 13:20

// Regular contact? And most likely not from the House of Melato. Otherwise, why the secrecy? A meeting with another aristocrat could have been easier to hyphenate, perhaps. Some criminality?" - Alex thought lazily, kneading his hand, white from hypothermia.

Camrad_RIP 24.07.23 в 13:21

"Upon arrival, Baron Assaro's flyer flew around the tower, possibly inspecting it." The captain continued his report. "Then, came to a stop, hovering in front of the technical site. On the starboard side, the cockpit window was lowered, and the passenger, partially out, made some actions outside the flyer. He had an unidentified object in his hands. Presumably, a handheld scanner or blaster..."

Camrad_RIP 24.07.23 в 13:24

"And this, how did you find out from the navigation data?" Alex was sincerely surprised.

Camrad_RIP 24.07.23 в 13:24

"This model has a volume sensor in the cabin. For privacy reasons, it's pretty crude on purpose, but it's enough for the droid unit to realize, for example, that the pilot has turned away and take control at that moment. It's not about any image recognition, but it gives a good idea of how Baron Assaro moved in the cockpit and what kind of manipulations he was doing. It also suggests that the Baron was alone in the cabin at the time of the flight to the tower."

Camrad_RIP 24.07.23 в 13:26

"Not bad, not bad." Alex nodded, encouraging the captain to continue onward.

Camrad_RIP 24.07.23 в 13:26

"All manipulations took about a minute, after which the window was closed, and the object, presumably a scanner or blaster, remained on the passenger seat near the pilot. Then the flyer descended to the level below, where the landing pad is located, and the Baron left the car. This happened at exactly 17.80 standard time. It should be noted that the key was left by the Baron on the dashboard, which may indicate that the stop was not expected to last long. Eleven minutes later, the door of the flyer was opened again, and someone, with the general geometry of the figure significantly different from the Baron, partially got inside, leaning with his hands on the seat. We assume that this was the murderer or his accomplice. Having examined the interior, the unknown person took with him the object with which the Baron had previously made manipulations, after which the door was closed and the flyer was left alone until it was examined by the arriving municipal police."

Camrad_RIP 24.07.23 в 13:28

"Anything, apart from the differences in geometry, have we found out about the potential killer?"

Camrad_RIP 24.07.23 в 13:29

"Not much." The captain shook his head and turned his infoblock toward Alex so that he could see it better. On the screen was a bright orange, a very angular figure made up of irregular polygons, which could only be said to be bent over doing something with one hand.

Camrad_RIP 24.07.23 в 13:33

"All we can say with certainty is that unidentified is of slender build and possibly female." The captain commented.

Camrad_RIP 24.07.23 в 15:57

"And it can be argued that this is not a suicide." Alex summarized, raising his eyes to the ceiling thoughtfully. "Baron Assaro arrived for a meeting at a place he knew in advance, with persons he knew in advance. He specifically flew around the tower, but he didn't see anything that would make him suspicious. That is, he trusted those he met. Then he got out of the flyer and most likely went up to the technical platform where they were waiting for him. There was a fight or a beating, after which the baron was thrown down. Probably accidentally, during the fight. Then the killer or his accomplice came down and took something from the flyer the deceased flew in on. No traces of tissue particles were found on the site, on the baron, or in the flyer. It turns out that the killer or killers knew perfectly well what they were doing and prepared accordingly, so the version of accidental murder is unlikely. Am I forgetting something?" He turned his gaze back to the captain.

Camrad_RIP 24.07.23 в 16:00

"Nothing, Your Lordship." The man smiled warningly. "It's a very clear summation of what has been learned so far."

Camrad_RIP 24.07.23 в 16:01

"What about the search of the baron's house? His notes?"

Camrad_RIP 24.07.23 в 16:02

Мы продолжаем работать с прислугой, но в основном пусто. –Со вздохом признался капитан.- Кластер и дроиды – абсолютно чисты. Перед нами там успела побывать служба безопасности Дома Мелато, - к ним обратились, когда прислуга заволновалась, что барон слишком долго отсутствует.

Camrad_RIP 24.07.23 в 16:04

"That was to be expected." Alex wrinkled his nose. "Thanks anyway, Stack-Captain."

Camrad_RIP 24.07.23 в 16:05

"I wish I could just say thanks guys, but I just don't have time for you right now." Alex turned to the ceiling as the captain wished him a speedy recovery and left.

Camrad_RIP 24.07.23 в 16:06

"It's just their job, Your Lordship." Dudo shrugged, who had been silent the whole time, acting like a wall, which, thanks to his long navy training, he was doing just fine.

Camrad_RIP 24.07.23 в 16:07

"As if it's my job too." Your Lordship sighed, raising his eyes sorrowfully to the sky.

Camrad_RIP 24.07.23 в 16:08

House Intelligence had so far done the lion's share of the routine of the investigation and honestly tried to keep him in the loop, even trying, from time to time, to get valuable instructions - which resulted in a huge number of various reports and meetings.

Camrad_RIP 24.07.23 в 16:08

"I just can't help feeling like it's stealing time away from more important things," Alex admitted, staring at the ceiling. "Did those from the lab say anything concrete?" He asked hopefully, turning to Dudo again.

Camrad_RIP 24.07.23 в 16:10

"No." The man shook his head. "Only confirmed it's some 'designer' drug they've never met before."

Camrad_RIP 24.07.23 в 16:11

"Like the others." Alex drummed his fingers on the arm of the chair.

Camrad_RIP 24.07.23 в 16:11

They hired two bio-labs to figure out what substance Taer had been injected with. One from among the Cassard companies and one simply because it was described as "the best in the capital". And the results of their work were not at all encouraging.

Camrad_RIP 24.07.23 в 16:12

"I don't like where this is going." He shared his doubts. "They both think the stuff was specifically designed for the target. The problem is that they say it takes three or four decades to develop the structure, not just a lot of money. At least under commercial ordering conditions. And that's their preliminary minimum estimate. Taer just wasn't in the capital four decades ago! And even if the active agent just adapts to the target, that's still a decade."

Camrad_RIP 24.07.23 в 16:13

"Perhaps the process can be sped up if one possesses considerably more resources," Dudo suggested cautiously.

Camrad_RIP 24.07.23 в 16:14

"That's what I mean." Alex sighed. Half a million danarii just for a special drug. That's a lot for mercenaries. So non-Taer was telling the truth. It was SS again.

Camrad_RIP 24.07.23 в 16:16

"A group of renegades, too?" Assumed Dudo. He was one of the few who had seen the files from the Tallan uprising. "Like last time?"

Camrad_RIP 24.07.23 в 16:17

"Why would a group of renegades need Taer?" Alex's rhetorical question. "Or even me?"

Camrad_RIP 24.07.23 в 16:18

"But for Lord Quezoxu, your lordship, you seem to be of no use either." There was a perfectly reasonable objection.

Camrad_RIP 24.07.23 в 16:41

"Yeah." Alex hummed, he had an idea why Lord Quezox needed him, but he didn't want to talk about it. "Can't they stab without hypothermia?" He hastened to change the subject, kneading his forearm.

Camrad_RIP 24.07.23 в 16:24

The effects of the anesthetic wore off, and there was a nagging pain at the injection sites and more unpleasantly, a strong tingling sensation that gradually turned to burning. // "It's like frostbite. But essentially, it is."

Camrad_RIP 24.07.23 в 16:21

"That's a trifle, more cramps later." Dudo cheered me up.

Camrad_RIP 24.07.23 в 16:25

"I've been told," he sighed, "Hopefully, by then, the blockade will have been deployed, and it will be tolerable."

Camrad_RIP 24.07.23 в 16:26

"You know best, Your Lordship. But I don't think you're doing it right, Your Lordship." Once again, Dudo grumbled, looking at Alex disapprovingly.

Camrad_RIP 24.07.23 в 16:27

"Yeah, you know, I get tired of being wiped off the floor." "Lordship" snapped at him habitually. "Decided to make a change in my life."

Camrad_RIP 24.07.23 в 16:27

"That's it." Dudo nodded. "That's what I'm worried about, Your Lordship. The altered muscle structure will indeed make you stronger, but only physically."

Camrad_RIP 24.07.23 в 16:36

"You're one to talk," Alex snorted, glaring at Dudo defiantly. The fact that he was bursting with muscles, the envy of any bodybuilder, could not be hidden by any uniform.

Camrad_RIP 24.07.23 в 16:37

"It's just a requirement of the service, dictated mostly by the weight you carry." Calmly he brushed off the claim. "You, with all due respect, have no skill or experience as a fighter. And it turns out this power is just a dangerous illusion that can make you do stupid things you wouldn't otherwise do. For example, you might think you can take on Daim Diltar by yourself."

Camrad_RIP 24.07.23 в 16:39

Alex answered the head of his guard with a long look from the corner of his eye:

Camrad_RIP 24.07.23 в 13:35

"Look, I'm not gonna fight her. That's really stupid. But I want to be able to at least hold her off, if only for a little while..."

Camrad_RIP 24.07.23 в 16:39

"She's an adept." Dudo interrupted him with obvious irritation. "You can repeat the fate of that chair, or the shadows alone know what else she can do. Neither you nor anyone else should try to handle an adept in ..."

Camrad_RIP 24.07.23 в 16:40