SImp

I jerked around to see a Sergeant of the guard at the kitchen door, looking right at me. I'd be darned if that little mouse didn't start running up and down my spine again.

"Be a chum mate—one of my girls found her way into a pond," a huge smile broke across his previously stern demeanor. I couldn't help myself and laughed out loud, and he joined in, wiping the tears from his eyes. "She won't live this down for a while, that's for sure. All that Gunk on her is drying now, and she has the itches bad. I know that it is against policy, but be a pal and help her clean up—she's a mess," the Sergeant said, as he jerked this thumb back over his shoulder.

I hadn't noticed her, standing there behind him. She was a sight, blushing, pulling a handful of almost dry but still slimy green algae out from under her blouse. Her other hand was attempting to get to an itch between her shoulder blades. Her hair had green streaks that were starting to dry to a stiff board like texture. What was I to do? There was a fresher up the hall. I had passed it on my to the security room. With a chuckle, to disguise my voice, I said, "Sure, it's up the hall," and pointed.

The Sergeant smiled and slapped her on the back. "Serina, Hurry and get cleaned up I'll cover for you, for a few minutes." Then he turned and marched away.

I smiled, my arm sweeping in an expansive gesture, giving her free run of the place. She started peeling her uniform off while still outside, shaking the worst of the crud off. As Serina got close to bedrock, she hesitated. I began to blush. To hide it, I gathered up her uniform and shoved it into the Ultraclean.

Serina dropped a frilly bit of lace, dotted with large red hearts— that was definitely non-regulation—over my shoulder. Staring fixedly at the display on the Ultraclean, I told her "It's down the left-hand hall. I'll bring your uniform to you in Five minutes," as I pointed.

She started up the hall, and I could resist no longer, and I stared as she swayed away from me. She shot a glance over her shoulder and nodded her acknowledgment. Her stride seemed to dare anyone to laugh. Serina's sway could cause heart failure in any man, I know because my heart stopped until she finally disappeared into the fresher. Feeling that I couldn't handle another shock, I decided to take the direct approach….

"Imp, let's go home."

"My synthesis indicates that you should cover your tracks here first."

"Are you sure?" I said, like a spoiled child who doesn't want to clean up his room.

"There is only a twenty-eight-point-four-five-nine percent chance of being caught, based on my observation of recent movement inside this domicile."

"All right." I sighed. "Would you at least start the calculations to get me out of here?"

"Already done," Imp replied, ". . . Pretty isn't she."

I blushed again, snapping, "Serina's working for the wrong side! Besides I'm engaged already."

Slowly the vision of Diana, my fiancée brought to my mind by the thought of her, changed right before my eyes. My bride to be was a delicate blonde with sea green eyes. Her hair turned to a deep mahogany with that subtle red cast, her eyes a liquid brown, her nose somehow becoming pert and impudent, delicate would not describe Serina, full-bodied, healthy—not lush.

I shook my head to dispel the vision of Serina walking down the hall to the fresher. I could hear water running and tried to hold my imagination in check. There was something familiar about this woman if I could just put my finger on it. The Ultraclean beeped, and I removed the uniform, the dirt having been blasted off ultrasonically. Folding the uniform gave me something to keep my mind off what was happening just up the hall that is until the feel of sheer silk slipped sensuously between my fingers.

The water stopped, so I gathered up the bundle and knocked on the door. Serina opened it just far enough to reach the bundle. As she was reaching the door swung wide open. She blushed—a heavenly-pink—from the tips of her toes up. Now, this is not standard behavior nowadays. However, I wasn't paying attention; my ears were burning. She took the bundle and hugged it to her breast then spun about and kicked the door shut with her foot.

"Well!" Imp said, "She's kept her natural hair color."

"Oh? I hadn't noticed," I sputtered, righteously, while a vision of Serina in all her glory burned brightly in my mind.

I puttered around the kitchen waiting for her to get dressed and leave. Serina walked into the kitchen and flowing up tight against me— I could feel twin points of heat starting to blister my chest, my mind freezing in mid-thought, my heart trying to pound its way out of chest—grasping my shirt sleeves with both hands she pulled me even tighter against her.

She was looking me straight in the eye a wicked gleam in her eyes; her lips started to the part when the Sergeant just seemed to materialize in the doorway and spit out, "Specialist T'gerr!"

"Sir!" She said as she jumped away from me.

"Report, on the double."

"Yes, Sir!" She saluted, and they both left at a trot.

Heaving a huge sigh and trying to get my heart rate down to something like normal, I went into the freezer maybe this would cool down those two spots on my chest that were still burning. Mussing I thought about Serina T'gerr. She was the one that was going to kill the Emperor and my ardor cooled.

Well, there was nothing further for me here. The next step would be to get transferred to Caribbia, and that would be difficult, to say the least. Ambassador Harump was not known for dispensing favors.

Using my Medit, I'd already given the busboy an antidote to the sedative plus a hypnotic, while I was thinking. After the hypnotic took hold, I told him about meeting the communication specialist and the incident regarding Serina, trying to make it real to him.

Lady de Winters voice suddenly blared out over the intercom "A glass of lemon-aid, and a snifter of cognac, my study."

"Yes, Milady," I acknowledged. There wasn't time to finish waking the busboy so I just left him in a trance, hoping that no one would find him. I programmed the synth for lemon-aid and put the tall crystal glass filled with the slightly opaque yellow liquid into the instafreeze while I poured a generous splash of cognac in a crystal goblet and warmed it with my hands. Placing both on the silver tray and again draping the white cloth over my arm, I was ready to brave the dangers of the villa again. A quick look at the map in my head and I knew the way to Lady de Winter's study. Walking as fast as I could, and not spill, I rapidly made my way to the Lady de Winters study, I knocked on the door and then walked in, without waiting for acknowledgment from those within. Serina and the Lady de Winter were deep in a conversation and hardly even noticed me. The Lady de Winter was saying, "You and I will get along just fine, but please call me Cynthia."

"Cynthia . . ." Serina said as I handed her the lemon aid.

I left the room, but paused outside the heavily soundproofed door and insulated wall, indicating for amplified hearing. Slowly I began to hear Serina and the Lady de Winter word by word as Imp managed to filter out the extraneous noise.

". . . Crystal Cove, . . . Imperial Marines . . . strong self-interest."

Suddenly Imp got the proper filter and accompanied with his identifications I heard:

Serina: "This all sounds good, Cynthia. I know you can deliver on the riches end, but power?"

Cynthia: "The dear Duke is planning a coup—we will assassinate the Emperor, and all of his supporters in the Imperial Senate."

Serina: "Why not all of them."

Cynthia: "Because they are on my payroll. After our wedding the Duke die's—then I will be the leader of the known universe. Support me, and you could be adopted as the Princess heir apparent. You have access to the Duke. He has taken a fancy to you; I know the signs. When I give you the signal—kill him. I'm childless after I'm gone, the empire will be yours. You could easily kill him; you're better than he is—I saw you throw the fight this morning."

Serina: "I'll be an Imperial Princess? You've got yourself a partner, Cynthia!"

There was no question in my mind now, I had reached the top, and it was up to me to stop them and avenge my father at the same time. Serina was the most obvious target—the Duke and Lady de Winter were just too strongly guarded. I'd definitely have to get transferred to Caribbia somehow—but how?

I walked back to the kitchen in a daze; I don't even remember if I saw or talked to anyone, all that I could see was Serina's beautiful body being drawn-n-quartered as punishment for treason. Somehow I pulled myself together and finished instructing the busboy ending with, "one minute from now you will awake, you will remember all that I have said, as though it happened to you, you will not remember me. You will continue with your job, just as if this never happened."

"Imp, is that Port program still valid?"

"Hot and waitin'," he replied.

Watching with my augmented vision, for security devices and guards, I rapidly traversed the villa. At times I hid in empty rooms while waiting for someone to pass—once I had to backtrack to another hall and go the long way around a couple of gossiping maids. Even with augmented vision and amplified hearing, to help me avoid detection, my nerves were more frazzled the closer I came to the Port. I traversed the few remaining "kilometers'' of corridors, well it felt like it. Right around the corner was the Port complete with an attendant, resplendent in the Lady de Winters' livery. Imp caused the Com on the wall to emit an attention signal that the attendant attempted to answer. While his back was turned, I calmly, for someone whose clothes were wringing wet with sweat, walked around the corner and into the Port. Imp synchronized things so well that I stepped out of the Port and into Draco's embassy without missing a step. It was a clean getaway, and no one the wiser.