Falling Stars Rising 11
Nikki expanded the viewer’s interface that hovered above the conference table and zoomed-in on a topographic schematic of the Unterzone coast, located just East of Eden.
“The signal disappears right there,” she said pointing at a red dot near the bay.
“Yea, coverage isn’t that great in that area,” said Anna. She waved her right hand and opened the code console.
Nikki smiled.
“What?” said Anna.
“It’s nothing.”
“You have that sheepish look. So come on and spill the moondust.”
“I just like how old-school you are.”
Anna stuck out her tongue. “Tried and true methods. No need to reinvent the wheel, right?” She reached forward and entered a few commands. “Maybe if we triangulate with marine sensors.” She wiggled her fingers, and the code glyphs materialized like neon ghosts above the table. “And… right there! Look at the trace. It's a bit faded but unmistakable. He swam deeper then disappeared. Maybe he got disoriented and drowned.”
Nikki shook her head. “Or perhaps he knew we were tracking him."
"But how?"
"They can be clever chaps sometimes.”
The door opened, and a young man in a smart suit walked into the conference room. He leaned on the table and said, “you girls look busy.”
“What are you doing here, Justin?” said Anna without taking her eyes off the map.
“Hi to you too, Miss Clayre. Elsa and I were wondering if you’re almost done with the viewer.”
Anna looked at Nikki, and they both shook their heads. “No, not yet. You’ll have to wait.”
“Well, Elsa and I thought that because you've been here for a couple of hours...”
Anna turned and fixed her gaze on him. “As I said, we’re not done, and this case is top priority. So you and Elsa will have to make alternate arrangements.”
Justin nodded with a frown on his face. “Very well. She’s not going to be very happy,” he said.
Nikki flashed a smile. “Then you better hurry and tell her.”
After he left, Nikki and Anna looked at each other and giggled.
“You’re so mean,” Nikki said.
“He’s a dork. All of them are. To think that they used to be the dominant sex.”
Nikki smiled and sighed. "Some of them can be clever: like this naughty boy here." She stared at the faint trace on the viewer.
Anna rotated the map along the vertical plane. “There isn't much out there. A few huts and burrows. The inhabitants aren't very welcoming either. Weirdos, mostly harmless."
“It’s possible he survived. I scratched him up real good, so I don’t think he made it very far. Let’s run a few simulations to model his trajectory.”
“Agh! That’s going to take a while,” said Anna. "I'm starving."
“We'll go grab lunch while it runs.”
“What about Justin?”
“Let him suffer a little.”
Anna smiled. “He will suffer a lot. Elsa can be such a bitch.”
They ran the simulation and exited the room through the back door.