Madness!

Mike hadn't lied about the Champagne. It was good and Sophe knew how hard was to get hands to the real stuff. Every attempt to get some Champagne reminded an archaeological expedition and usually worse than "Curse of the Mummy" like, because you had to watch your back for scrappers, Volge, bandits, marodeurs...well practically for everyone who was able to move and pull the trigger.

Mike had his robust charm and certain way with words, which made Sophie subconsciously giggle and play with her ginger hair before she answered: "Actually...I was created by a programming genius to be his companion, but he gave me to Volodja after his successful Cupid play, consisting arranging the date for my "father" and girl at work, he secretly loved. They ended up being married to each other, but that's another story. Volodja has always been better at playing Cupid than being victim of him. For his sake I hope that he manages to change the situation now...

Since you asked then...We are good friends with Volodja, because we share interest about the world and knowledge and for a long time I was his only companion. And...well I am kind of cute female version of his mind. Light minded outside but serious inside, and since he needs tender care sometimes, because he tends to push himself too far, pushed by of his principles, I am the one who has to patch him up and bolster his landing. Although....part of his self sacrificing attitude has become part of me as well.

And those supposedly good looks of mine you are fascinated about...Volodja is man with a sense of beauty and he wanted the best for me, that perfectionist! But I do like that feature in him and myself...Maybe I am more open than he is, actually because I keep blabbering about myself....Sorry about that. I know that we, girls, like that someone is interested about us, but lot of guys do it because they want to get into our panties. I...I didn't meant to accuse you of womanising..." And Sophie's adorable doll like face turned first pink and then red and she switched the topic:

"Champagne is good and shows that you are man with a taste and those medals show that you have other abilities as well. Tell me a bit more about you because I am truly...intrigued by your unexpected but pleasant visit." And she giggled again, having another sip of Champagne to cover her blushing face. She really needed a flabellum or fan for that purpose. That would have been more ladylike. And first time she was actually glad that standard EGO unit got rid of her collection of fridge magnets.

"Champagne is good and shows that you are man with a taste and those medals show that you have other abilities as well. Tell me a bit more about you because I am truly...intrigued by your unexpected but pleasant visit." And Sophie giggled again, having another sip of Champagne to cover her blushing face.

Sarge grinned from one side of his mouth which accentuated the laugh lines around it as he replied, "As I said, I'm a conglomerate personality of what Captain Sandy Bell saw and heard about her squad sargeant, and her romantic notions about the man, not that she ever had any such romantic relationship with him, but she had this whole image of him as the white knight - typical of a young girl as to an older man who she likes and respects. I don't know if I'm even close to being like the real man, and never will since Sandy found out he died a civilian years ago so unfortunately I'll never meet him. I do know that he looked out for her well being and advised her when they were in the Pale Wars, much like I do for her now, and like him, I care about her in a big brother or favorite uncle kind of way."

Sarge looked seriously at Sophie with dark black eyes, saying, "Thats why I hope this love with Volodja works out for both their sakes! Sandy likes to play the rough gruff soldier girl, but she really is still the naive young girl just out of college wanting most to just get her surf board out and enjoy a good wave like she was before the Pale Wars. We all became what we had to in the trenches during the wars to do our duty and to survive, but that doesn't mean Sandy is really tough as nails as she likes to pretend she is. When Volodja left her for Belle, it hurt her worse that Kabule's sniper bullet or the implosion that made her a ghost. I never want to see her go through that again!"

He sipped his wine, then his good natured smile returned to his ruggedly good looking face, as he confessed, "In the nature of full disclosure, I guess I should tell you I'm married - or at least the man my personality is based on was at the time of the Pale Wars. Evidently very faithfully and happily married, according to Sandy's memories. All I have is this, which somehow makes me feel both happy and sad when I look at it."

Sarge took from the top pocket of his uniform and showed Sophie a worn and creased photograph of an attractive brunette woman holding a baby boy with another older boy clinging to her skirt in front of an outside clothline, the sheets and the woman's long hair blowing in an unseen wind, then said sadly, "I don't remember anything else about them but what you see in this picture, because Sandy never met them. Like the man my personality is based on, they evidently lived long lives, happily having more children and even more grandchildren. Idylic, although I have no memory of it, just feelings sometimes that I missed out on something, but that may be the truth of all EGO psyches, although frankly, you're the only other one I know."

Sarge then laughed good naturedly again, refilling their champagne glasses and clicking the lip of his against hers as he toasted, "To our star-crossed lovers outside, long may they be happy, and to the EGO psyches that protect and care for them!"

"I look forward to meeting them all. Then we are in agreement," Stated Sarge with a smile, "When our foolish lovers get stubborn or hurt or whatever and don't communicate, we will try hard together to keep the lines of communication open." His laughing dark eyes glanced sidewise at her as he added with a wry grin, "Of course, that means I may have to come over here quite often - just to make sure we are all communicating well!"

Sarge didn't add that he enjoyed Sophie's company, her sparkling conversation, the way she twirled her ginger hair, and the way she called him "Mike" with that charming accent of hers that he couldn't quite place. Sarge felt a gentleman would not say such things, and like the man his personality was based on, he was the consumate southern gentleman as well as the strong-but-silent type, which surprised him that he could talk so easily with her and actually looked forward to their future meetings of the mind.

Sarge enjoyed spending the time with Sophie, chatting and drinking the night away. It ended way too soon for him when the sun rose, and they both had to bid each other goodbye and go back to their duties as EGO psyches.

"...and that's how we ended up. Half naked on the University wall and there we slept until morning. What a sight it must have been," ended Wolfram von Eschen his story. "Oh that sweet and not so innocent youth."

Morning was close but they still weren't that tired as they thought they would be. Perhaps that little friendly competition about Lu's attention kept them up. Perhaps the cosiness of the cafe and excellent Brandy. Who knows, but finally they were asked to leave, because cafe personnel needed some time to clean up the place for the next day. But that didn't meant the end of the party. Arnim practically forced them to join him at his hotel room and brought out another bottle of alcohol.

Lu seemed to avoiding drinking. Instead of that she let her eyes to travel around around Arnim's room. She spotted a small rag doll - most unusual item an old boy could have in his apartment - curiosity raised it's head and made her ask why he keeps a toy. Is it a memorabilia because there isn't any explanation of having a rag doll in a fancy room as Arnim's was? No offence but he seems to be too all to play with dolls and so on...

Arnim Mueller-Stahl sighed before replying: "Yes, Miss K'Shaa. It is a memento and not from very civilised times. But if you want to hear another story then..."

...Town was a real mess after heavy bombardment. Here and there streets were covered with a blankets of smoke from burning houses and sweet smell of burning flesh gave away that sometimes residents didn't made out on time. And sometimes escaping didn't help. Bloody and splinter torn or brick beaten corpses on the ground told stories about desperate but useless efforts to take cover. Wind played with papers which once meant something but became a trash now when surviving people packed their things, ready to evacuate because soon their home will be invaded by hostile forces.

Everyone seemed to be as organised as they should be, but if one could take time to observe the rush, he or she could feel the scent of hidden panic among people, making them leave most important things behind and grab along useless junk, like pot plants and cuckoo clocks. Even military personnel was busy with leaving the town. Soldiers loaded supplies to trucks. Officers gave commands and cursed when work didn't went as fast as they hoped.

Among the organised chaos was a small group of soldiers, lead by young officer. They returned from another recognition task and looked for a staff to give a report, but seemed that their unit decided to take an early leave and they were left behind. Probably they just forgot existence of the scouts or didn't hoped that they will return.

"Gentlemen," said officer. "Any suggestion about our further actions?" He knew that meant breaking rules of subordination but practise proved that soldiers who are able to think by themselves are more effective in action. And they weren't mobilized regulars, but specialists - experienced scouts, willing to show initiative and make executive decisions by themselves. And officer knew how it will go now. First word is for the youngest and most inexperienced team members. Reason was simple - if he or some of older guys speaks first then rest of them just agrees with them and would not suggest anything. They could miss some really good idea if they acted otherwise. Older guys will tell their opinions later. Ditto.

After a quick pow how they knew they are going to leave the town and what will happen after that. But there is always a possibility that something unexpected will happen and this time wasn't an exception. A frightened woman run to them as begged:

"Mister officer, Sir. I...I have an orphanage to evacuate but town council haven't gave us any means of transportation although they HAVE to do it. Can you help us, please?!" She was almost crying because she could not do anything herself. Soldiers realised that children were too small to walk long distances and they had to decide what to do.

Actually there wasn't nothing to decide, because after a minute of whispering with his men, an officer told to the woman: "Can you lead us the way to the council house? We will see what we can do about your problem."

After a little walk in panic ridden streets they reached to their destination and spotted few trucks in front of the council house. People were busy loading furniture into them and mayor lead the work. "Hurry up!" he screamed. "I want those things loaded fast. Then we can leave this place."

"Excuse me," said an officer. "Little unexpected change in your plans. We need your trucks."

"Don't you know who I am!" screamed the mayor. "I lead this place and I decide who gets trucks and which purpose they get them."

"I don't give a damn about who you are. During the wartime every vehicle can and will be used for military purposes."

"I will complain to General Mayor...."

"You may do whatever you want as long these trucks are unloaded and given over to us."

"But I have important delivery to make..."

"Like your precious furniture, I see, and your personal belongings. I am not going to haggle with you. After five minutes I will see empty trucks or your dead bodies on the ground. Your choice!"

"You army pig! I will..."

"You just reduced time to four minutes," said officer coldly. "Gentlemen. You know how to proceed."

"Yes sir!" and soldiers took an aim to mayor and his henchmen, who were busy with saving their own skins. Clicking sound of removed safety's made them raise their hands.

"Let me remind you that whoever would save his life will lose it," said officer. "Matthew 16:25. But whoever loses his life for other's sake will find it. A little paraphrase. How it's going to be Mr. Mayor?"

"I...I will obey your ruthless order but I will inform your superiors abut your actions against civil government."

"Go ahead. But first you will help your men to unload the trucks. Move it!"

After that mayor became the most eager worker that day, carrying his personal items out from the truck, while soldiers changed mocking remarks about him and his clerks.

"Take those trucks to the orphanage,"officer ordered. "Corporal Mueller-Stahl will be in charge of evacuation of all children there."

"You mean that everything you did was for an orphanage?" asked the mayor.

"Of course. It's a shame to see you and your furniture in those truck while children have to walk."

"You will regret it...Tell me your name."

"Captain Uljanov. Can you memorize it or I have to write it down for you?"...

"...Of course we loaded children into trucks and that doll...one little girl gave it to me as a memento for saving her and her friends. I am not sure what happened to the mayor and we actually didn't gave a damn about the fate of that coward, who wanted to save himself and his property. Were were soldiers and acted the way our conscious told us. We didn't had any complications after that commandeering operation. So we can call it a happy end for most of us. Cheers!" And he rose his Brandy snifter.

"Is this going to be one of these...sell and run style trades?" asked Marcel politely. "Seems that some why we are not wanted around her. Such a shame. We were just trying to be useful, you know. Pourquoi ne pas essayer de motiver les gens afin qu'ils participent pour les bonnes raisons? I mean - Why not try to motivate people to get involved for the right reasons? But now we are chased away. Bitter as it is."

Then he switched to his business like tone and said: "Your car is right in the courtyard. Somehow I already figured that you order us to take our little plane out of here. Hopefully you fuelled it. If not then we can not take it with us. We are not going to push it all the way. Let us go, Lena, my love. We will leave after the deal is completed. After all - we have some business of our own to intend to. Like logistics. And do not blame us if somebody scratched some ugly words to the car door. We had nothing to do with it. Right Lena?"



"Joking," Marcel continued. "Your car is intact and I hope that same applies to our plane. No bugs, please. Lena and I like privacy." As soon as they leave the better. They gathered at least some information while they were here and could find a buyer. And if good doers do not let them leave. then they could sell everything they knew about Lady Christianna to the good doers. They will gain some profit in any case. Sometimes you can put an equation sign between genial and simple. 

"Okay," Said Belle Starr, "I have Chase's wounds treated best I can without an infirmary, so we need to get him there ASAP! No sign of Iri, and I'm pretty sure we know who took her and where, still Vo, Kaj, and Security Officer St. John, look around anyway in case we missed anything, for this is 99er territory and there is a remote possiblility they grabbed her as they once did Eren, but I doubt it! When y'all finish, take Chase's Orange Challenger and follow us home! Security Officer Henderson has the battery in Chase's car charged up to par now, so that shouldn't trouble you no how no way! Henderson will drive the Durango back to the fortress with Chase and me in the back, and I'll catch y'all there! Vo, you're in charge, but don't hesitate to holler if there is the least sign of trouble!"

Henderson opened the back door for Belle and she got into the Durango, sitting next to Chase as he lay unconscious on a stretcher. As the Durango started up and pulled away, she wore a smile of confidence she didn't feel as she waved slowly at the team mates she was leaving behind, although her sad blue eyes remained on Vo the whole time. She had wished they could all go together, but there may be clues at the kidnapping scene that could help them in the future, and Chase needed to get to a real doctor as soon as she could get him there.

Belle was grateful that there was a dark partition between the driver and the passengers in the back, for as soon as Vo and the others were out of sight, the smile vanished as Belle began to hyper-ventilate, her face turning red. That was the other reason Belle decided to accompany Chase back to Fortress Kshaa rather than run the kidnapping scene investigation herself, as she felt the panic attack coming on and she held it back for as long as she could. She also held the firm belief that if the base personnel saw her have a panic attack, it would undermine what little confidence they may still have in her after the Volge-out incidents.

Alfred was running the routine that Vo had used with her in their quarters, but without Vo's calming voice and presence, it wasn't working. Sweat broke out on her pale skin as she felt her heart beating so hard that she was sure it would burst out of her chest at any moment. This panic attack seemed far worse than the first, and although Belle tried to control her breathing, the more she failed at it the more her anxiety increased, and she felt that the next gasp for breath might be her last.