02/18/2025 Snippet, PICKMAN’S MODELS.

Had to change some stuff around.

Another call to Turkel, which didn’t go as well as the first one. “I am very sorry, Commander Marsh, but it is the position of the Coalition that you should not interfere with that site.”

“Well, it’s been interfered with now,” Marsh pointed out. He politely ignored how Turkel didn’t say what her position was. “Or did you dig a hole in the regolith, and bury the contraband yourself?”

“We did not, Commander. The containers should have been sufficient. After all, there was officially no longer anything at the site worth retrieving. Why draw attention to it?”

“Right. Hiding something in plain sight. Classic — look, Rushan, I understand the Coalition didn’t want any of that filth around, but obviously somebody disagreed with you. We just can’t ignore that it’s been grabbed.”

“Really, Tobias?” Turkel almost looked human for a moment. “Why can’t we? Why can’t we just shrug it off. Whoever took the contraband hasn’t done anything with it. Soon it won’t matter, anyway. We’ll either be dead, or off this hellworld. I repeat: the Chinese Coalition does not consider this issue to be worth expending more resources on, and we will politely decline to assist you in any direct investigation of it.”

Tobias sighed. “I understand. But what do you think we should do?”

Ruslan looked at him — and broke the connection. He sighed again. “Yeah. That’s what I thought you’d say.”

Patreon!