Litpage - Colonel Howell's headache or "I declare the meeting open."

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  │ Colonel Howell's Headache    
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      "I declare the meeting open" │  
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(C) Protein, 1998                        
                                          
Continued. Start at #10                
                                          
 They passed  a sign that read:
"Parking of employees' vehicles."
The colonel's skimmer fell short of some
six meters to the nearest facility. Im
turned out to be a combat vehicle "Apaxhyc-4" with half
new ammunition. “It would have exploded,” -
thought the colonel. The parking lot represented a
The battle is quite a picturesque spectacle. Here would-
lo everything: from the F117A "Stealth" bomber and
tank,bristling with Banshee missiles,
to a combat weapon studded with two-meter blades
chariots.                                
  At the entrance to the building behind a makeshift counter
who stood a person of Caucasian nationality
in a checkered cap and shouted invitingly:
"Kamu implanter? Kamu informer? Padha-
dy, ne stesnaisa!”                        
  He helpfully opened the door for those entering.
he was a huge brute in a doorman's cap.   
  “Apex, thanks,” the colonel told him. 
  “Glad then help,” answered the big guy.      
  The colonel and lieutenant found themselves in a
thorny hall with a sculptural composition in
center: laser squad fighter with bare hands
we tear open the mouth of the disgusting pri-
the shellfish clearly does not suffer from caries.      
  Howell walked up to the weapons drop-off window and
equipment and threw a flamethrower at him with
"Marsecom".  An indignant voice was heard from there
voice:                                    
  - Colonel, your armor is still registered -
vest "Turtle" and skimmer GCS Mednonogov.
 - You can pick up a bulletproof vest on the street if
you have nothing to strain the noodles in; a
I parked the skimmer in the parking lot, you
should have heard.                      
  The employee rushed to the window, and upon hearing him
muffled groan, Howell realized it was time
wash off. "Bureaucrats," he muttered and
he hurried to the lieutenant waiting for him at the elevator.
  Entering the elevator, theyheard a cry: “Wait-
take me!" He ran towards them, rattling his armor
and holding with his hand dangling from his belt
sword, hefty warrior.                    
  - What floor?  - the lieutenant asked him -
Nantes                                     
  - Ninth.                              
  The lieutenant pressed the button opposite which
There was an inscription: "Level 9".                
  - I’m scheduling a meeting on the case for... -
the colonel looked at his watch. They ok-
appeared broken and melted in places.
He looked at the lieutenant's watch and
chil: - two hours, - he hasn’t left it yet -
hopes to take a shower and change clothes.          
  When the lieutenant exited the elevator, half
the farrier said after him:                  
  - Throw the grenade only through the right
shoulder, Lieutenant. And never through the left.
  “Yes, sir,” he answered dumbfounded, but
The elevator doors have already closed.                
  After parting with the lieutenant, the colonel
I remembered that I never asked his name. 
                                          
                                          
  13:40                                   
                                          
                                          
  Jets of water hissed quietly, washing away soot and
dirt from Howell's tired body. Numerouswounds and abrasions are mercilessly pinched
whether.  On its side blurred an impressive size
ditch bruise.                                
  On outstretched arms so as not to get hit
water, the colonel held sheets of paper from
folders and viewed their contents. Suddenly
he cursed and rushed headlong out of the shower.
No, he was not worried about the fact that he
tal - they just suddenly turned off the hot
water.                                     
                                          
                                          
  14:10                                   
                                          
                                          
  Meeting  Security Council was held
in a small hall on the ninth floor. Howell
I was punctually ten minutes late. When
he entered, the hubbub stopped and everyone began
look expectantly at the colonel.      
  Howell looked around those present and about the
I defined them: “some kind of rabble.” Here
there were a couple of officers present, no older
a lieutenant he knew, a former knight
from the elevator, one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
(Howell never learned to tell them apart)
a gloomy hare in a kimono and a samurai fur
than, two sentris (or sentris and his rep-
licant?), some nondescript little guy in
once green, but long faded
more;  spherical droid and a dozen more
subjects in the same spirit. Apparently they were
all those who gave alarm signals, which
ry were kept in recorded form
in a folder.                                  
  Howell took his place at the head of the table and
got down to business.                         
  - As I understand it, the first signal came from
Mr. Spangler,” the colonel looked at
hall, wondering who it is - the knight, the short one
or maybe a hare?                    
  Mr. Spangler turned out to be a tall man
young man with glasses. He stood up, coughed
sighed and began hesitantly:                 
  - I am a representative of the company "Hunters for
Haunted Corporation." Yesterday we celebrated
made regular rounds of the city and commercial
in the region recorded an unusual
strong disturbance of the energy field.
This is indignation, - I became more and more inspired
he, - was clearly negative in nature and
could only be created very large,
or a large accumulation of small bodies, charging
women...                                    
  “In short and to the point,” interrupted him.
colonel. - What exactly is included in this case?
within the competence of the Security Service?        
  - We wanted to check what was going on there, -
Mr. Spangler spread his hands. - But us
they weren't allowed insidethey said we don't have
invitations.  Or maybe they were offended by that
broken shop window? And you, as a government
This organization can obtain a warrant and
find out the nature of the source. After all, hesitation
such forces mean very high con-
centering...                              
  - I understand. This may pose a safety risk
population size?                          
  - Of course! Source...                
  - Thank you.  That's all I wanted from you
hear. On the table in front of everyone is a card
that city. You can indicate a place on it
dislocation of the factor that poses a threat?  -
Howell was glad that he, too, could say
do something clever.                
  “Of course,” Spangler bent over the car-
and ran his nose along it for some time,
- But here you have some discrepancies. On
actually in this place,” he pointed at
map with your finger - the society club is located
amateur flower growers, and you have applied
some kind of reactor.  A here, - went to again
move finger, - on the shore, treatment and prophylaxis -
tic complex for war victims. And you have
docks for underwater...                     
  - Don't pay attention - it's secret
map,” Howell explained. - Forget everything
what you saw and focus on the matter.     
  - Ah-ah-ah, then it’s clear, - Spangler pop-
I adjusted my glasses and moved my nose along the map again
and finally picked up what was prepared for
him a pencil andput a cross.         
  - Here.                                
  - Fine. Now please pass it on
her to me. Don't peek! - shout-
The colonel pointed at the short man sitting next to him. 
  When the card was on his table,
He, without even looking, crushed it with a folder. 
  - Next... - he looked at the list,
lying in front of him.  - Don't make any noise! -
the armor of the restlessly tossing knight of the Greek
shallow with every movement. - Next...
Mr Blade.                             
  “I saw him!” yelled the one who jumped up from
a person in his place.  - I tell you: I
saw him!  It's him, it's definitely him! I him
I remember the vile face well!                
  - Calm down, Mr. Blade. Who is it about?
speech?                                     
  - Krux Bloodfinger - that’s him, he didn’t shoot enough
I'm his, bastard.                              
  Howell began to doubt from whom
protect society - from known fraud -
ka and terrorist Krux Bloodfinger or from
this maniac Blade. A Blade meanwhile
became more and more incensed.                    
 - He thinks he will hide from me behind
kicked them out with their backs! He thinks that I
you need permission to enter him and
shoot him! He thinks...             
  - I doubt he can last that long
think.  Do you remember exactly the place where the
is there Bloodfinger?- Of course! I followed him all the way
his vile lair, - Blade revealed
mouth to continue, but the colonel is on time
I stopped this attempt.                    
  - Well, put it on your map and
pass it on to me.                            
  Howell did the same with this map.
as with the previous one.  Blade opened again
mouth, but the colonel had no further intention
listen to his sophisticated threats.            
  - Lieutenant, place Mr. Blade on
during the operation in the isolation ward, - not enough yet -
lo, that some mentally unbalanced
Secret civilians interfered with his work. 
  The lieutenant, with visible pleasure, bro-
struggled to carry out the order. He seems to be too
did not feel sympathy for the peacekeepers-enthusiasts
Ziastas.                                  
  - You will regret this! I still believe
come on!  I'll shoot both Bloodfinger and... -
the lieutenant took him out of the hall, and it remained
unknown, who else was going to be shot
pour Blade. Another sound came from the corridor.
a weak “I’ll shoot you” and everything went quiet.         
  And then there was a soft knock. Howell
it took some time to
No: they're knocking on the window.  It's on the ninth
floor! The colonel went to the window and saw
external side stuck to glass
something sticky envelope. This something sticky
turned out to be a cobweb. The letter said: "I'm in a hurry
notify you that todayin the morning in the center
city I saw Doctor Octopus,
who has committed many daring acts in the past
dullness.  He's obviously thinking again
something terrible. I ask you to give him some
a lot of your time. I am attaching to the letter
card with the above indicated on it
place." And the signature: "Your friend and neighbor Che-
Trapper Spider."                              
  The colonel, after thinking a little, put
letter in a folder with other documents and
returned to my list.                 
  - Next is Maul.                     
                                          
          To be continued...          
                                          
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