Checking in with security took longer than Zen expected. His military ID was scrutinized three times before they finally let him through, while Amelia wasn't even glanced at. 'Guess having a bad reputation still beats having none,' Zen thought, shrugging off the delay.
Zen didn't mind the strict control; he quite liked, actually. It seems not everyone on this planet is as lax as the protection force here.
'I certainly hope the governor is a decent person in that regard.' The signs on his way to his office were certainly a good sign, guards posted strategically along the compound. At the entrance a specific guard's duty was to lead them from and to their destination, and multiple people were running around doing various tasks within the building.
The interior was nothing to scoff at either, the furniture matched the white walls with darker colors and the curtains and drapes complemented the scenery outside. Granted the scenery was just red rock and several buildings. But still.
They arrived in front of a big wooden double door which was beautifully decorated with what seemed like the struggles of initial colonization on the planet. Wood was extremely valuable and rare as only a few planets on the Cosmos had the atmosphere or space to grow trees.
The guard guiding them had not said a word but finally spoke as he knocked loudly on the door. "Governor, you have visitors!"... No response. The guard sighed and pushed open the door anyway letting Zen and Amelia inside.
The governor's office was massive with ample room for record storage, receiving guests and a grand window looking out at the colony stretched along its horizon. At least the window would be if it wasn't covered by a large piece of fabric catching the occasional golf ball.
At the center of this massive room stood the Governor, he was young. No more than 40, which was basically a newborn in the political field, he had short blonde hair styled to give him a slick look. He was also quite skinny and long standing around 1.90 meters tall, he wore some kind of VR headset on his head and with his golf club and balls was playing some kind of half VR golf game.
"What!? that should've gone right in! This game sucks" The governor had yet to notice the both of them and how could he, his VR headset covered both his eyes and ears.
The guard approached the governor and lifted one of the modules covering the governor's ears and repeated his message. "Governor. you. have. guest!"
the governor quickly recoiled and almost threw his entire headset on the ground, he looked at the guard in light surprise.
"Ard! You startled the shit out of me. What is it?"
The guard, apparently named Ard, sighed and signaled Zen and Amelia.
"Some folk from the protection force are here to see you, don't know what for."
The governor locked his gaze with Zen and Amelia staying silent for a while.
Then he finally spoke.
"So uhh Amelia… Are you going to introduce me to your boyfriend?"
Before Zen could clear up the misunderstanding, Amelia exaggeratedly clutched her stomach and made a face, as though physically ill. Zen blinked in shock—was she really gagging in front of the governor?
"Oh, so it's that bad, huh?" The governor laughed, "I'm just messing with you Mel, no need to dirty my carpet!" the governor was to Zen's dismay extremely lax. He might just be the reason everyone else is so lax on this planet.
The governor walked to his desk letting himself fall in his expensive chair and kicking his feet on the desk, he interlocked his hands on his stomach and looked at Zen with a wide smile on his face.
"Sooo. I'm Frank Thorten Governor of Orealis, nice to meet youuu…" The Governor's eyes darted towards Amelia.
"Amelia, what's the lad's name?"
"Dickhead," she mumbled from her spot on the couch
"Ahh I see! yes! Dickhead, nice to meet you!" The governor's smile only widened.
Zen was actively trying to calm himself down, "Sorry to disappoint, Governor, but my name is not Dickhead. It's Zen Jones, First Officer of the protection force and your new investigative officer."
"Hahaha I know son, I read your file. I knew you were coming before you ever set foot inside the cryo booth. I also know why you've been sent here, and I've been charged with monitoring you, hell even sending you back once the results were. And I quote: Satisfactory, is my responsibility" The governor's tone got more serious as he finished speaking.
A tense silence came over the governor's office, Amelia who had no clue what was happening was watching the scene unfold with an extremely vested interest. Her own personal drama show unfolding before her very eyes, seeing the governor turn serious was quite rare. Zen's demeanor was also much more intimidating than before, he was staring the governor down with an intensity rivaling the governor's very own.
Eventually the governor opened his mouth again. "But, relax. I like those stuck up assholes just as much as you. At least, I reckon after seeing your reaction to my grand reveal. And I don't really care for your actions, I can't send you back willy-nilly after only a year so bear with me for at least a couple. After that, Your choice." Falling back into his lax usual self the governor leaned back in his chair.
Zen was still distrustful of the situation, it could also very well be a test from higher up. Would he grab the easy ticket out and go back only for god knows what to happen to him, or stay and either play into their hands or be out of their hair forever.
"Why go to this trouble for your little test?" Zen broke the silence and a smile once again populated the governor's face.
"Do you know how long it has been since we've had an investigative officer on this planet?" The governor stood up and walked to the window dismantling the cloth he had hung up "Ten years. we've been deprived of so called justice for ten whole years, and not without reason mind you. Our last Investigative officer was extremely corrupt, if you'd have a couple hundred credits on you? you could steal. A couple thousand? You could loot and sabotage. A million? He'd even turn a blind eye to murder."
"When I caught wind, I knew reporting him would do nothing so I arranged different means. I declared a state of emergency and within it I promoted Ard, my head of security to the rank of senior investigative officer. Had him tried and punished and the punishment executed within the same week." The governor looked out the window wistfully, his smile growing once he remembered the pathetic man being dragged to some godforsaken penal colony, hopefully to be seen never again.
"However, Ard sucks at being an investigative officer let alone a senior one! So when I got the news that we got another investigative officer I dreaded a repeat, when much to my surprise your file came attached. An arrest record of 200% percent your last precincts average and the highest number of fellow officers arrested empire wide, let's just say that my surprise, was a pleasant one." The governor finished and turned around.
"In short, I'm your friend in this situation, and I hope You'll be mine."
Zen was silent
'If what he says is true, he could be an ally,' Zen thought, but he remained wary. Politicians were like actors, and Frank had the charm and ease of someone who could switch personas at will. 'Still, for now, it's better to play along and see where this goes.'
"I hope so too, we'll have to wait and see." Zen stepped forward and extended his hand.
The governor smiled widely and shook it enthusiastically. His demeanor seemed to take wild turns almost every other second, from his serious side to his lax one, maybe even more.
"Good! good… But anyway, why did you come here? I doubt you figured out that I'm responsible for your return within your first few days here?"
Zen sighed "It's like this…"
After a quick five minute recap of the morning's events from Zen, and a thirty minute one from Amelia who told it with so much passion she could very well have been an actress in a past life. The governor looked at Amelia like she was actually crazy, which, very well may be the case.
"So you annoyed him and got what you deserved?" The governor looked genuinely indifferent.
"Yes" "No" Zen and Amelia spoke simultaneously.
"I wasn't annoying him! merely stating what my eyes saw and slightly teasing him." Holding her fingers close to each other to illustrate her point.
"Zen was she annoying?" The governor asked Zen after hearing Amelia out.
"Very" His short answer was everything Frank needed.
"Amelia you're very annoying and a bit of restraint couldn't hurt,"
"B-but blackmail! is illegal, right?" Amelia desperately counteracted
"I'll allow it." Frank shrugged. "What I don't allow is someone going twice the speed limit in the atmosphere. You wouldn't happen to know anyone who would do something like this right Mel?"
Amelia's face remained an innocent mask "As clueless as you, Frank."
Zen had to admire her commitment to pretending, even if it was painfully obvious she was guilty.
"Governor, if this Ard guy had been the emergency investigative officer does he keep some sort of records that I could review. I'd guess he did his job well enough, but I'd still like to check." Zen was more curious if there were any cold cases, it was one of his hobbies to try and solve them as old as they may be.
"Yeah of course! Ard! Come here for a sec!" The doors opened and Ard walked in. Zen hadn't paid much attention to him in the beginning but Ard was actually quite well built, broad shoulders with bulging muscles. His black hair had been fashioned in a man bun to keep it from flopping everywhere and his uniform was absolutely spotless. Something Zen greatly appreciated.
"Show Zen here where you keep the records. Oh and Zen, call me Frank, please. Governor sounds so… professional." Zen nodded and followed Ard. Amelia stayed behind talking with Frank about this and that mostly spacecraft, turns out Frank is also quite the ship enthousiast.
Ard let Zen to a room on the lower floor with no windows, once inside it was a massive storage room for files and evidence. A real investigative officer's wet dream —ok maybe not for the average one but for Zen? He saw a way out of his boredom. And the best part all the files were physical paper versions, with of course digital backup.
He turned to Ard and addressed him directly for the first time since they met. "Ard could you get this transported to the base perhaps?"
Ard's response was short and direct "yeah, sure" his voice contained a tinge of disdain. He turned around and shouted some orders and soon men and women rushed in, packing everything up nicely and bringing it to a transport shuttle.
'guess Ard is having a shit day?' Zen thought turning to one of the people packing the evidence and took their attention for a moment, a girl in the same uniform as Ard came and stood in front of Zen.
"Hey sorry to keep you from your work but what's Ard's deal?"
'I've not done anything to receive his contempt, I think?'
"Oh, the Commander? He just has a high opinion of the governor so he doesn't trust you yet, knowing him it might take a while." The girl didn't linger and continued with her task.
Ard's terse response confirmed what Zen had suspected: The man didn't trust him yet. Zen hadn't given him a reason to be hostile, but neither had he given him one to be friendly. His loyalty to the governor also seemed to run deep. Earning Ard's respect would take time, but Zen had no doubt he'd be a valuable ally once won over.