1:2:7 Indexing (Part 2)

The database was beginning to load, one item at a time. The computer’s fans whirred as it switched from a near idle state to having to do something.
“Well then, let’s see if we can’t find anything interesting here.” Tolan rapped their fingertips against the table.
The first page of the directory finished loading. Fifty items on the page before them with nearly ten thousand pages for them to sift through. Destiny flicked through the first page. It was in reverse chronological order with the most recent downloads coming first.
“This could take a while.” Tolan sighed.
“It’ll be fine. Give us a minute.” Destiny held up her hand, forming her finger into a universal connector before inserting it into the computer. Her eyes flickered from the false human disguise she had been wearing to their natural, unnatural blue. The screen strobed, flitting through the thousands of entries, slowing but never stopping. At the end of the third page, she found what she was looking for. UPC052. She removed her finger. “There we go.” She looked for the nearest piece of paper that didn’t look too important and something to write with. She proceeded to jot down the file name and the date it entered the Serenity buffer. “Do you have a communication unit?”
“Not here…” Tolan patted themselves down before shaking their head. “Clones have them all.”
“It’ll be alright.” Someone unexpected spoke. “Magpie should be coming through any time now. Then we’ll be coming through. Don’t tell me I was here.” Lore smiled. “It’s confusing I know.” Lore looked around. “You might want to clear an area. At least for now.”
“Just a bit.” Destiny chuckled.
“Have either of you got a microphone and a way of recording a voice message?”
“I’ve got a Discdeck somewhere.” Tolan barged past Destiny and rifled through the drawer by her ankle. “There you go. Built in microphone, three hours of recording time and one clean disk.”
“Thanks. I’ll just be a minute.” Lore took themselves away to the clone’s room and began recording their message.
Destiny continued to scour through the database for anything else of use. She jotted down a few more files for her own personal use, pausing to note the Null Recognition Acts Tolan had told her about. “That could be useful.”
“Does this sort of thing happen usually?” Tolan tapped Destiny’s shoulder before gesturing towards the clone’s room.
“I’m not the best person to ask. I was worked on by three versions of the same person. Those people went on to create a clone of themselves which grew up to be the person in the other room.” Destiny sighed. “First time in the field properly though.”
“Right…” Tolan returned to twiddling their thumbs.
They weren’t much longer than they said they would be. “Here you go. Give this to Magpie when he comes through.” They looked to their Breacher. “In about a minute.” They gasped. “I better get off.” Lore nodded to them before vanishing in a flash of white.
“How bizarre.” Tolan smiled at Destiny.
“Definitely.” She looked to her wrist, creating a watch and waited.

Even though the door to the back room was closed, Magpie made his appearance known. He immediately ducked into his room; they could hear every step he took and every item he displaced.
“And he’s a trained sniper…” Destiny smirked. “Silent but deadly?”
“He… he… He isn’t my best work I’ll admit but he’ll get the job done and he’s more than reliable.” Tolan struggled for words.
“One of us should probably get his attention.” Destiny created a handful of straws. “Pull.” She thrust her hand onto Tolan’s.
They pulled and expected to keep having to pull but the straw ended abruptly. “Fine.” They sighed. “Magpie, is that you?” Tolan’s voice came from the back room.
“Yeah Doc. Got in trouble with Undulia’s people. I’m going to meet up with the others.” He replied.
The door to the back office crept open “Make sure Lore knows.” Destiny chimed in.
“Messaging them now.” Magpie removed his communicator and typed out a short note. He hit the send button, returned it to his armour then began to leave to the spare bikes at the hunting exit to meet up with the others.
“Oh, could you take these with you. I need you to download these files and hold on to this for Lore.” Destiny ran over and handed him a folded sheet of paper and a disk.
“Alright then.” He stashed them away in his breastplate. “In a bit.” And with a clunk of the closing door, he was gone.
“And now we wait.” Destiny sat back in her chair. She turned on her tablet and loaded a recent local magazine with a glamour shot of Celreagaire on its cover. The picture had, for some reason, hidden the oxygen farms. It was also thirty years out of date. “Hmm.” She got comfortable.
Not three minutes later, there was a beeping at the door.
“Surely that can’t be them.” Tolan rose from their seat and poked their nose through the back door.
Lore came through the door backwards, guiding Char and the shield into the clinic. “Tolan? Destiny? We could use a hand!” They waddled in reverse as they tried to avoid Tolan’s equipment.
Tolan emerged from their hiding spot. They hadn’t been able to see what it was Lore was carrying but now, they were more confused. “Just set it down on the chair for now… How and why do you have the Shield of the Chieftain?” They thought to themselves for a second. “And do I really want to know?”
“We stole it!” Lore sounded proud of themselves.
“From…”
“It was in Alex’s hidden store room.” Char sat the shield as best she could on the chair.
Lore nodded. “Who’d have thought that Alex was hiding not only enough weapons and communicators to supply a small militia but that thing too.” Lore pointed to the shield.
“The weapons I believe but that being there complicates things.” Tolan moved towards the shield and began inspecting it.
“Why?” Char stretched out her arms.
“Alex is one of the older Middlethem. They’ve always managed to keep their position despite not actually wanting to do their job. In the last seven years, they’ve only had three recorded trades with Sat’Mach.” Tolan started to look sheepish.
“You know them well then?” Char was beginning to sound accusatory.
“I’ve had dealings with them.” They paused. “The clones wouldn’t have survived without them.”
“You gave Alex the clones?” Lore’s eyes widened.
“Only to look after while I was under investigation. They had a reputation but they were also the only one who would talk to members of The Guild.” Tolan shrivelled.
“How did you pay them?” Lore crossed their fingers.
“Rel in hand. I paid them with some of the left over Rel from you. They asked for surplus equipment but I didn’t have access so they took my Rel instead.”
“And used it to fund their pro-human revolution. Alex is a plant.” Char scowled.
The room was left in stunned silence, broken only by Destiny’s appearance. “Hold on… You said you left a tenth of the clones with the Middlethem. Where’s the other one?”
“LPCU007 died just after the move. They barely made it to Alex’s store room but without me by their side twenty four seven, they passed.”
Another silence but it carried a different weight, an air of solemnity. Once again, broken by Destiny.
“Nice shield. You’ve just missed Magpie. He should have messaged.” She traced the grooved metal surface with her fingertips.
“He did. You find what we needed?” Lore shooed her away from the shield.
Destiny nodded. “Magpie is delivering the request now.”
“Brilliant. We should probably go join them.” Lore turned to leave.
“What about the shield?” Char blocked their path.
“I’m thinking about that.” Lore smiled. “Tolan. I’ll be back for it later. Could you keep it safe for the time being?”
“Of course.”
“Right then, Destiny, you’re with us.” Lore beckoned her to their side.
“If you turn left after you leave and follow the tunnel to its end, there should be a couple old snow bikes. They’ll get you to Serenity Point in no time.”
“Thank you Tolan.” Lore pushed the door ajar. “Keep yourself and Pip safe.” They nodded.
“We will.” Tolan waved them out.
It wasn’t too long before one of them returned however.

There was a blinding flash of light which reflected off of the shield and directly into Tolan’s eye.
“Hi.” Lore smiled. “Told you I’d be back.”
“Didn’t doubt it?” Tolan replied somewhat confused.
“I’ll just take that for a bit, thank you.” Lore tried to hoist the shield up by themselves but found their strength lacking.
“There you go.” Tolan pushed from the other side then ran around the front to ensure that it didn’t crush Lore.
“Thanks again.” They smiled. “I’d go pick up Pip from wherever they are right now and advise you to tell people to turn their radios on.” Lore winked.
“Why?”
“Now that would be telling but, little secret, if it works and it all goes to plan, it’s going to be fantastic.” And with that, and a second flash of white light, they were gone again, again.
Tolan looked around the room. Lore’s words had filled them with a sense of anxious hope. They reached down onto their desk and removed their spare key. They swiped it at their door and exited into the corridor. They swiped their card once more, checked the handle, and began their walk to Pip’s school. Lore’s words worried them, not just for themselves and Pip but for their clones. Scouting.