Ximeno: "…Detective Edmund?"
Edmund snapped back to reality. Standing before him across the table with the Lord Admiral's corpse atop it was Dr Ximeno, waving his scalpel. While his face was mostly obscured by the mask atop it, Edmund could see from his eyes that he was smiling at him.
Edmund: "Yes, what is it, Doctor?"
Ximeno: "I've completed my examination. Would you like to hear my findings?"
Edmund: "Certainly. If you will, Doctor."
Dr Ximeno gestured Edmund to draw closer to the corpse. As he did so, Edmund could smell the faint stench of death emanating from the body. Completely unaffected by this smell, if he could even sense it at all, Dr Ximeno pointed his scalpel towards the corpse's.
Ximeno: "The deceased's body is remarkably intact. No wounds to extremities, no signs of significant struggle and/or injury that could have resulted in death. Extensive cybernetic augmentation and high-grade neural implants that I've never seen before…I have a hunch that this is more of an assassination than a simple murder, Detective."
Edmund: "Doctor, your job is to tell me your findings. Leave it to the FID to do the suspicion. If I were you, I wouldn't want to involve myself any further than necessary. For your own good, of course."
Ximeno: "Well said. Now, if you would direct your attention here –"
A ragged oval slit in the flesh, the colour of rust, met Edmund's eyes.
Ximeno: "A wound. Relatively small but appears to have punctured the deceased's lungs. Appears to have contributed to the suffocation of the deceased and may have prevented him from getting medical attention in time, or alerting bystanders, if any. Not the main cause of death, however."
Edmund's line of sight followed Dr Ximeno's scalpel as he moved it away from the wound in the Lord Admiral's chest and to another slit at the neck.
Ximeno: "This is the main cause of death, Detective. Exsanguination."
Edmund: "– exsanguiwhat –"
Ximeno: "Fatal loss of blood, Detective. The deceased's carotids were severed by this wound. He bled to death."
"What kind of weapon could have caused this?"
Edmund saw the good doctor regard him and his question with quizzical eyes, as if he had asked something painfully obvious.
Ximeno: "A bladed weapon, perhaps? Surely you must be familiar enough with gunshot wounds to know that they don't look like this?"
Edmund: "Well, yes, but –"
Edmund suddenly remembered the black dagger that Merrion had picked up from Anant. Omar had helped to seal it inside an evidence bag at the scene and carry it for him after Merrion fell unconscious. Edmund rummaged through his vest pockets and retrieved the weapon.
Edmund: "– could this be a possible weapon?"
Dr Ximeno, arms outstretched across the corpse, collected the bag from Edmund and observed the weapon contained within with his keen eyes, inspecting its shape while rotating it back and forth.
Ximeno: "Hard to say without further analysis, Detective. It's certainly possible, the size of this blade perfectly fits the chest wound. Here you go."
Edmund retrieved the bag from Dr Ximeno and stashed it away back into his vest. Meanwhile, Dr Ximeno cleaned up the table and wheeled the Lord Admiral's body back to the cryocasket within which it had originally been resting.
Ximeno: "I will be returning the deceased to his container, Detective. Is there anything else you need me to do?"
Edmund: "Hmm...no, that should be all. Thanks for your help, Doctor."
---
After the body was cleaned up and stored away, Edmund sent an encrypted message to Zora informing her that the autopsy was completed. Not long after that, a message from Zora informing Edmund and Dr Ximeno to stand by and wait for authorized agents to collect the body arrived, with the cryptic line <
To her credit, these agents had arrived relatively quickly, identifying themselves with the very same insignia that Edmund had been using so far: the Ten-Winged Flame. All the agents were dressed in sharply pressed suits, and one amongst them had asked Edmund to present his communicator to her before scanning it with a handheld device. After this procedure was completed, Edmund found that he could no longer project the insignia from his communicator.
Edmund (thinking): Guess they're legit. My access to the Admiralty's seal has been revoked.
Edmund watched as the same agent who had scanned his device bowed deeply before him, before standing back up facing him directly.
Agent: "You've done well, Investigator. My master sends her regards. That is all."
Before Edmund could even comprehend the significance behind her statement of gratitude, the agents departed with the cryocasket in tow. Edmund merely watched as they left, leaving him and Dr Ximeno behind in the examination room.
---
That night, for the first time that day, Edmund had some time to properly relax.
The two-man quarters aboard the Doyle that Zora had reserved for Edmund and Merrion to use was small and cramped, with only enough space for a single bunk bed and a small cabinet, both of which were pressed up against the wall. On the opposite wall was a display integrated into the wall, positioned perfectly so that both occupants could see it.
Edmund lay in the bottom bunk, swiping through the news feed in his communicator. A notification popped up and Edmund promptly opened it. It was a video message from Jeyga, and all the preview showed was Jeyga's smiling face, flanked by his locks and occupying the entirety of the frame. Edmund quickly tapped the message, and a small bubble opened up in his communicator display. Slightly distorted audio started playing over his communicator's speakers, and Edmund made a mental note to go and get it repaired eventually.
Jeyga: "Hey there. Quick update from yours truly."
The image whirled around, and Edmund recognized it as the hospital room that Merrion was staying in, just as the image settled on Merrion. She was sitting up in the hospital bed, munching on a sandwich. Jeyga's voice came back over the audio from somewhere off-frame.
Jeyga: "Say hello, Merrion."
Merrion: "– nom, nom, nom – "
Jeyga: "…I'm sending this to Edmund, you know."
Merrion: "Mmgrph!"
Edmund chuckled slightly as Merrion, who appeared to be slightly flustered, quickly put down her sandwich and turned to face the camera, waving gently.
Merrion: "H – hi – hello."
Jeyga: "And as you can see, Ed, she's doing well. Come and visit again tomorrow once your business is settled. Anything you want to say, Merrion?"
Merrion shook her head vigorously, her hair swaying with each shake.
Jeyga: "Then, see you s–"
Edmund squinted slightly, shocked by the sudden freezing up of the little Jeyga and Merrion on his screen. He was sure the message still had a few seconds of footage remaining before suddenly pausing.
Edmund (thinking): Did I press something? Is my communicator finally dying?
Suddenly a new notification popped up.
<
Edmund (thinking): Unknown caller?
Edmund was no stranger to spam calls. Such calls came in infrequently, usually tied to numbers that looked innocuous enough that unsuspecting recipients would pick it up and waste a few seconds of their time. Almost by reflex, Edmund moved to decline the call, and a click sound emanated from his communicator as it recognized the gesture to decline –
Machine-Altered Voice: "Good evening, detective."
Edmund's eyes narrowed as he heard the machine-like voice. Even through this obvious vocal modulation, the timbre of this speaker's tones were clearly that of a woman. He was sure he had pressed the button to reject the call. So why –
Machine-Altered Voice: "Forgive me for this interruption of your downtime. My agent conveyed my gratitude earlier, but I wanted to talk to you directly."
The agent's words from earlier raced through Edmund's mind…
Edmund (thinking): My master sends her regards.
He didn't know what to feel regarding this unanticipated call. Should he feel annoyed? Or perhaps he should feel honored? After all –
Edmund: "Why would someone from the Admiralty waste their time talking to a grunt like me?"
Machine-Altered Voice: "I simply wished to thank you. For all the dirty work you had to do for us."
Edmund: "Dirty work, huh –"
Machine-Altered Voice: "Indeed. I have received the report from your superior. There is much yet to be done, but the information gleaned is already of much use."
Edmund: "Is that so? That's good, then."
Those words were completely sincere, but even a machine could sense the sarcasm and spite in Edmund's tone. If his face could be seen by the unknown caller, she would have seen him with his eyes rolled up in an expression of annoyance.
Machine-Altered Voice: "Is something the matter, Detective?"
Edmund: "Pardon my coarseness, Madam of the Admiralty, but I have some questions."
Machine-Altered Voice: "Interesting that you can discern that through this modulator. Those of General Investigations are a different breed. Go ahead and ask. I will answer what I can. You have earned that right from your stellar performance –"
Edmund: "Who are you?"
Machine-Altered Voice: " – I'm…afraid I cannot tell you anything…aside from the fact that it was by my authority that you were given this…assignment."
Edmund: "That's it? Not even a name?"
Machine-Altered Voice: "No. Surely that cannot be your only question?"
A question that Edmund had asked of Zora, back when he and Merrion were first assigned this special case, popped back into his mind along with Zora's reply.
Edmund (thinking): If you ever meet your client, feel free to ask them yourselves.
Edmund: "Why us?"
Machine-Altered Voice: "Who else but the Fleet Investigation Division – "
The misinterpretation of the unknown caller filled Edmund with a pricking sensation, which he realized was annoyance. His eyelid twitched at the unexpected response, and before he could realize it, he found himself on the verge of shouting, his fists clenched and nails digging into his palm.
Edmund: "NO! WHY – why did you select us, specifically?"
Machine-Altered Voice: "…"
Edmund: "Don't tell me you also can't answer that. Useless –"
Machine-Altered Voice: "…no, I can answer that. Forgive my silence, I was merely thinking over your question. The reason is simple; you were recommended.
Edmund: "Recommended? By whom?"
Machine-Altered Voice: "By a reliable source. They recommended you and your partner for the job. That's it."
Edmund: "Who's your source?"
Machine-Altered Voice: "You, of all people, should understand that I cannot tell you. Though, they were especially insistent that both of you were to be assigned to this."
Edmund: "Both? But…no…it couldn't be…"
Machine-Altered Voice: "Regardless of whom provided me with the recommendation, there can be no doubt that they had the utmost confidence in the competence of you and your partner. Do with that information as you will."
Edmund: "Tch. Alright, now what? Anything else that you, Madam of the Admiralty, wish to request of the General Investigators?"
A silence filled the room. Edmund adjusted his reclining posture on his bunk bed, and the creaking of the bedframe filled the room with a modicum of noise that was quickly dampened back into silence as he awaited his caller's reply. After a few more moments of silence, they responded.
Machine-Altered Voice: "This special assignment has been successfully completed, and I sincerely thank both you and your partner. I – no, we – may call upon you and your partner again in the future, should the need arise. Your unique combination of equipment and abilities has proven to be most intriguing, as well as your combined competency and tenacity."
A smirk spread across Edmund's lips upon hearing the interesting way his caller was praising him and Merrion.
Edmund (thinking): You're intriguing as well, but you don't need to know that. You keep your secrets, and I'll keep mine.
Edmund: "Looking forward to it then, Madam of the Admiralty."
With an unceremonious click, the call was terminated just as quickly as it had been received earlier. Feeling a wave of exhaustion descending over him, Edmund placed his communicator down beside him and lay down fully atop his mattress. Without even bothering to turn off the lights in the bunk, Edmund closed his eyes and quickly descended into a deep and fitful slumber, with the silence of the room blanketing his rest.
---
While his sleep had been deep and uninterrupted, Edmund still woke up at the usual timing of 0600 on the dot, in accordance with his set daily routine. It helped him maintain a semblance of control over his daily lifestyle and provided a central axis of consistency in his life. Now, clad in a plain grey shirt and a pair of trousers, Edmund sat in the Fleet Investigator HQ's canteen, sipping from a warm bowl of macaroni soup. While it was only 0630, the canteen was already bustling with the various overnight shift personnel and those who had personal quarters aboard the Doyle, much like Edmund's (and eventually, Merrion's) current living arrangements. Numerous long tables and benches were arranged throughout the canteen, and personnel holding trays filled with various meal items filtered through the canteen.
Various cliques had formed at each table, the fresh recruits, the regular maintenance personnel, the security teams, the technicians, and so on. As one of the high-rankers, identified by the marking on his security pass hanging around his neck, Edmund sat alone. It wouldn't be right for others to sit with him, and he didn't really have any friends in the department who could eat with him at this time. For starters, he had been living off-vessel, so none of the other personnel were used to seeing him in the canteen at this hour. Jeyga also lived off-vessel, and so did –
Zora: "Mind if I join you today?"
Edmund looked up, recognizing those husky tones. His eyes met Zora's, who was dressed in a slightly-less formal version of her usual suit. The blazer she would normally wear over her inner shirt was gone, and the top two buttons of the shirt were undone to increase her comfort. Edmund contemplated looking more closely but decided against it. The exhaustion in Zora's grey eyes was evident to him, and he looked back down to his soup.
Edmund: "If you don't mind sitting in silence, by all means."
Zora: "Ahh, thanks."
Zora placed down her tray of food with a loud thunk, which made Edmund jump slightly from the sudden noise.
Edmund: "It's too early to be so loud."
Zora: "It's too late for me to still be awake. I've barely slept since yesterday you know."
Edmund: "Paperwork really does that to you, huh?"
Zora: "If it were only just that. All the other investigations going on, and the evidence being examined by Forensics – "
Zora let out a loud sigh that echoed throughout the canteen. She was the highest-ranking personnel in here, and she knew it. That said, she certainly didn't act like it. Edmund looked around stealthily and caught several stink-eyes turned towards their direction by the other meal cliques.
Edmund: "Would it kill you to behave like an Inspector? You'll make me look bad by association."
Zora: "Yawwn, ah sorry. My bad Ed. What…was I saying – "
Edmund: "Forensics?"
Zora: "Yeah, so…Forensics got back to us about those thugs…that invaded your apartment. They're not from the 8th Sector, but from the 7th."
Edmund: "And?"
Zora: "And what? That's it. The 7th Sector's data…protection protocols are stricter than the 8th Sector's. We'd need to get a warrant…approved from within the 7th Sector, and that's going to take a while. I was writing up…the request last night, that's why I'm half dead right now."
Edmund: "So that's why. Thanks for all your hard work."
Zora: "Yup, and right now, I'm going…to slam back this soup, and go collapse in my office once I'm done. If anyone asks, just…delay them till I wake up."
Edmund: "I won't be in the office later."
Edmund watched as Zora narrowed her eyes, thinking hard before realizing why. She was definitely exhausted, sufficiently so to slow down her thinking.
Zora: "Oh yeah…Merrion. You're visiting her today."
Edmund: "Yeah. I couldn't accompany her yesterday, so Jeyga helped stand in for me."
Zora: "Alright then, I assume…you've already filed the leave forms?"
Edmund: "Jeyga should have done it already. Jump down his throat if they aren't."
Zora: "Then, enjoy your day off. Ah, well, I suppose you're…owed one after all, from the first day of the investigation."
Edmund laughed. He had completely forgotten about it as well. The events of the last few days had weighed on him so greatly that he'd forgotten about everything else that wasn't relevant. It had certainly felt to him like it had been much longer than just three days. Some ancient wise man had said that time flies when you're having fun, and in Edmund's case, time had slowed down to a crawl during this terrible, stressful period for him.
Edmund: "I'll be sure to enjoy it as best I can."
Zora: "Send my regards to Merrion. She did well."
Edmund stood up from the table, his empty bowl with dirty cutlery within grasped firmly in his gunmetal hands and turned to face Zora once again. His words, although spoken in a harsh tone, were accompanied by what was a rarity for him. Seeing that rare expression on his face, Zora mirrored it with her own tired smile.
Edmund: "Roger that, Inspector."
---
Jeyga: "…that bastard! Taking his own sweet time, I'm going to –"
Edmund: "– do what, exactly?"
The door to Merrion's ward slid open with a hiss. Jeyga, who had been angrily muttering those words to himself, came face to face with the target of his disgruntlement. Jeyga couldn't have known it, of course, but Edmund had been standing for a while outside the door, just thinking silently to himself. Several nurses who passed him by earlier had contemplated asking him if he required any assistance, but his stern countenance had dissuaded them from any action. Several disposable bags hung from his hands, swelled to the brim with their contents.
Jeyga: "What the hell, Ed! If you're already here, why not just come in?!"
Edmund jolted back slightly as Jeyga grabbed him by the wrist and yanked him into the ward before he stepped through the door.
Jeyga: "Damn, those are heavy! At least you're here, I've got to run! Message me if anything comes up! Bye!"
Edmund: "Wait! Th –"
Edmund didn't get to finish his expression of gratitude before Jeyga, running at full speed down the hospital corridor, barely dodged past a nurse pushing a cart in the opposite direction and disappeared around a corner. As the automatic door slid shut, Edmund turned to face towards the lone patient in the ward, who was comfortably asleep in her bed.
Step by quiet step, Edmund walked over to the empty armchair and sat down carefully in it, so as to not awaken Merrion. He watched quietly as her chest rose ever so slightly before sinking back down, in the characteristic slow rhythm of those who were deep in slumber.
Edmund (thinking): Rest well, kid. You did good. Take your time to recover.
Now that he had some time to think about it, Edmund did find that Merrion and Camelia bore some similarity to each other. The same green eyes, the same jet-black hair.
Edmund (thinking): Perhaps those are common traits from the 7th Sector? No…wait, was Camelia from the 7th Sector? She never did tell me which sector she was from… those thugs that broke into my apartment were also from the 7th Sector, is it just a coincidence…
As Merrion slept peacefully, Edmund entered a period of deep thought, only ending once the gentle sleeper arose from her beauty sleep some hours later.