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PAUSE
This section covers the early events in Undepoldus House.
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section.
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11/05/2093 Monday
Unwelcome News
The next day George transferred everything he had used in the
Reptile House to the new Undepoldus House. He then organised things
to suit the new layout. He now had a separate office and vidcom,
shower and sanitary facilities, and a kitchen. The layout of the
display area was similar to that used in the Reptile House but
everything was set up so that it could accommodate the increasing
size of Undepoldus.
The new stripway was the standard half metre width in a passage
one and a half metres wide. A wall had been built after the stripway
was tested as an extra security measure. Only those on the stripway
or in wheelchairs would be able to look into the display area.
The wall obscured the view otherwise and was built as a shield.
It was considered unlikely that anyone would try to shoot Undepoldus
with a field gun but the cost of the extra protection was low
so it was incorporated in the plan. The wall was built using the
same construction techniques used for the rest of the building.
Two diamond coated steel plates separated by shock absorbing material
formed the wall. The bricks on the outside made the wall look
normal.
The small elevator that carried the rocks up from the storage
area beneath had been built with expansion in mind. In its present
form it could deliver up to 20 kilos of rocks per day. Later it
would be enlarged to carry up to 500 kilos per day. The area around
the display was tiled in half metre square tiles. One of these
tiles were arranged as a trapdoor to provide access to the underground
store and to the transporter service tunnel. Another area of four
tiles was the surface of a lift for carrying materials or parts
to or from the store. Both the door and the lift were set to be
controlled by a voice command from George or Marita.
George wondered how he would cope with Undepoldus as he grew larger.
He had become used to carrying him to and from the Park. Soon
he would be too large to carry without attracting attention. Nobody
had noticed that his "collar" was Undepoldus so far.
The wide variety of dress styles seen in London seldom drew more
than a passing glance. George was grateful for the British way
of not staring at strangers. Now he was 1.3 metres long and 6
centimetres in diameter. If he kept growing at the present rate
he would be two metres long by the end of the month. George then
decided to try to arrange a basket for Undepoldus so that he could
be carried for a bit longer like a pet snake.
George was musing along these lines when the vidcom announced:
"Superintendent Abdullah wishes to see you. He is alone.
His identity has been confirmed."
"Admit him - Gee-Mac 207"
The door opened and the Superintendent came in.
"Good evening Mr. McFigg. It was good of you to see me without
notice."
"You are welcome sir. It is good to have someone to talk
to. It gets a bit lonely here after a time. I guess that you would
not have come to see me for a social call. Is there any way I
can help you?"
"No, Mr. McFigg. You cannot help me at present but my colleagues
and I can help you."
"Tell me more. I can't see how I need help at the moment."
"Mr. McFigg, I have come to tell you that you are being watched.
There is a small group of men who have been checking on your movements
between the Spacers Club and here. None of these people are known
to us as criminals and none of them are registered private investigators."
"Can you be sure that they are not Spacers who are secretly
guarding me."
"Yes. I tried to contact Admiral van Wijk to check. Her ADC
advised me to speak to Admiral Chang, the head of Spacer security.
Admiral Chang said that there were Spacers who acted as covert
guards occasionally but they were all female. He advised me to
speak to you directly and to tell no-one that I was coming to
see you. Your security system would be programmed to cover my
visit."
"How long have these men been watching me?"
"We first noticed them three days ago. We then checked the
video records and found that they have been tracking you for six
days. They are very discreet but it is clear that they are checking
your daily routine. You do not keep regular hours but you always
use the same route. I know that you always carry Undepoldus with
you. I must admit that it is not obvious, so these men may not
yet be aware that you wear him like a collar. However, they may
notice that your collar gets bigger every day."
"I must admit that I have not noticed anyone watching me.
In fact, I had the impression that everyone was studiously ignoring
me. What do you think I should do?"
"I think that Undepoldus will have to get used to staying
here on his own at night. This building is as secure as it could
be. He should be safe here but we have to consider your safety.
We have already had two kidnappings that did not apparently have
any direct connection with Undepoldus. You could be the next target.
Those who have been watching you may be planning to make use of
any opportunity to kidnap you. Ideally you should have a bodyguard
like Miss Adedeyo. Her talents have already proved to be more
than a match for a gang of kidnappers. However, I am sure that
the Spacers League prefers to keep her as a teacher at the Spacers
College."
"Do you think that I should use a floater between the Spacers
Club and here?"
"That would be one solution but it would not solve the problem.
We want to find out who these people are, what their motives are,
and if there is an organisation behind them. Those we arrested
two months ago claimed that they were not connected with any other
organisation. However, they did not have any sources of income
yet they were not short of money. Their bank accounts were relatively
new and were opened with untraceable cash. I think that the new
watchers have been recruited like the gang we arrested. I am sorry
to have to ask you to be the bait in a trap but we can protect
you more easily in future if we can identify the organisation
that seems to be out to get you."
"Have you discussed this with Admiral Chang?"
"Yes. He suggested that you should carry on as normal but
wear a fake Undepoldus collar. He said that he would ensure your
safety by methods that he would not divulge. He asked me to continue
with the observation patrol because Spacers are not permitted
to act as police officers. I told him that I had the authority
to make anyone a Special Constable and nationality would not be
a problem. This is a procedure that we use when police officers
from other countries come here to carry out a joint investigation
with us."
"I am sure that he would not have accepted that offer."
"You are right. He said:" 'Although that might be possible,
it is The Spacers League policy that no association with any law
enforcement agency will be acknowledged. However, all Spacers
have a duty to obey the laws of any country in which they are
resident and to do their best to uphold those laws. As you are
familiar with the way Lt. Cdr. Adedeyo has helped with certain
problems, you can take it that her actions were just within the
limits of tolerance.' I said that if all Spacers behaved like
her, the crime rate could be halved in a few months."
"I think that Boku Adedeyo set new tolerance limits. I am
sure that she only got away with the things she did because none
of those she captured made any complaint. How will you be able
to work in conjunction with my covert guards?"
"I was coming to that. I asked him how I could be sure that
my staff would not start to track the Spacers who would be your
covert bodyguards. He said that I would not know, but if one of
your bodyguards discovered that she was being followed, she would
identify herself to her follower with a password. He said "Marita"
would be used for the moment but it would change as soon as it
was used once."
"I know your people found it hard to follow Boku Adedeyo.
If my guards have been trained in her techniques, and there are
several of them, they would not be easy to find. They would probably
spot your people first."
"It could be a bit of a cat and mouse game because a lot
of my staff have been on the course that Miss Adedeyo organised
here. It has got to the stage where they have to be careful not
to try follow each other."
"I feel honoured that so much care is being taken to ensure
my safety. However, it is a shame that such precautions are needed."
"I sympathise with you. Most people can go about their lives
with only a very slight risk that they will suffer from any kind
of hostile action from a stranger. When it happens, it makes the
headlines. You, because of your profession, and because you care
for Undepoldus, have become a target for some strange cranks.
It is the responsibility of the police force in general to protect
citizens from harm. My colleagues and I are responsible for your
safety because you live in our district. In a few short weeks
we have seen that you Spacers have done a lot to help us deal
with crime. Every one in my division knows what you have done.
They want to treat Spacers as people who deserve special care.
My officers and I will continue to work as if we are your only
protectors. It is a part of the job we are paid to do, so you
need not feel as if you are under any obligation to us."
"Thank you for your kindness and consideration Superintendent.
I just hope that you are successful in dealing with these cranks
before they try to harm me. I am not that worried for myself but
it would be a disruption for Undepoldus if another Spacer had
to take my place. Now I have to think of a way of producing a
passable replica of Undepoldus."
"You need not worry about that Mr. McFigg, I have two with
me. Several were given to me so that my officers could familiarise
themselves with what he looks like. You can thank the Mayoress,
Mrs. Abubeka, for it. She had a lot made so that they could be
offered to visiting dignitaries as a souvenir of London. After
I saw one being given to the Burgermeister from Munich at a reception,
I asked her if the police could have one for training purposes.
She said that we could have as many as we wanted. She wished that
she had thought of the idea herself."
Superintendent Abdullah produced a small bag from his pocket.
George said. "It doesn't look as if it will be big enough."
"Wait and see." said the superintendent. "Mrs.
Abubeka is a very intelligent person. This has been made with
expansion in mind. Have you a source of water?"
"There is a tap in the kitchen."
The superintendent disappeared into the kitchen and returned shortly
afterwards with a full size replica of Undepoldus. He said. "This
contains a collection of chemicals that react with water. It is
made to bend like a snake like Undepoldus and it nearly matches
his weight."
George studied the replica closely. It was very well made. The
whiskers were formed of a rubbery translucent plastic and were
the right sort of length to match the body. The body was formed
from thin segments linked by elastic tubes. The segments were
just visible if one looked close enough but were quite unnoticeable
from a metre away. It would fool anyone who had never seen Undepoldus
as close as he had.
"This is remarkable. I am sure that Undepoldus will want
one of these to deputise for him. He must get bored being on display
all day although he never seems to mind it."
"If you carry the replica with you, you can always say that
you carry it to show anyone who asks you what Undepoldus looks
like. I will arrange that one of my plain clothes officers approaches
you when we know that you are being watched. It will be easy for
you to show the officer that this replica is what it is, so that
the watcher will get the message - you do not carry Undepoldus
with you."
"You seem to have thought of everything Superintendent. The
problem will then arise about leaving Undepoldus by himself. I
would prefer that he is not left alone."
"Well Mr. McFigg, you have the choice, do you leave him here
where he will be as safe as he can be, or do you risk having him
kidnapped, injured or even killed by carrying him around/"
"You leave me no choice superintendent, he will have to stay
here by himself because we cannot afford the risk of losing him."
"Now I have told you everything I can about the security
arrangements Mr. McFigg, the rest is up to you."
Thank you once again superintendent. I cannot say that I am looking
forward to the new situation but I will do my best to help you
in any way I can."
George turned to the processor. "Departure security check,
Gee Mac 207"
"There is no-one in the vicinity. Superintendent Abdullah
can leave unobserved."
"Goodbye for the moment Mr. McFigg. I will report any development
to you as soon as I can."
The door opened automatically as the superintendent approached
it and closed behind him as he went out.
George practised fitting the replica Undepoldus around his
shoulders. He found it hard to adjust it into position and realised
how carefully Undepoldus had parked himself on his collar. He
checked how he looked in the mirror and then turned to Undepoldus
who had taken up his usual place beside the processor.
"I am afraid that I will have to leave you to your own devices
now my friend. I hope that you won't be too lonely."
Undepoldus appeared to ignore him. He remained motionless when
George put his hand on the edge of the desk. George had the feeling
that Undepoldus had understood everything that had been said.
He addressed the processor.
"Prepare for close down. Maintain status for Undepoldus.
Open the door for my departure when ready. Gee Mac 207"
The door opened and lights in the display area were extinguished.
George took one more look at Undepoldus and left.
After the warning about being watched, George tried to see if
he could see any familiar faces as he stepped onto the Marylebone
Road strip. He consciously tried not to look to see if he was
being watched or followed. The change at Gower Street was equally
uneventful. There were plenty of empty seats and none of the other
passengers seemed to take the slightest interest in him as he
sat down.
He got up as the strip approached his turning and saw nobody looking
at him. He stepped off the strip and continued on foot, wondering
if at least one pair of eyes was watching over him if not more.
It all seemed a bit of an anticlimax. Everything seemed so ordinary.
He looked in the reflection of the Club's outer door as he went
in. There was nobody in the street behind him. All of his watchers,
including the official ones, had presumably taken the evening
off.
As he entered the Club everything seemed to be exactly as normal.
He acknowledged a few familiar faces as he went to his room. We
he got there he was surprised to find that Marita was waiting
for him. She said nothing as they went into the room together.
When the door had closed she said.
"George, I have just heard the terrible news. The Club is
at security grey for all civilians. Boku is coming back to organise
a team of guards for both of us. Sergeant Fisher came to see me
at the University this evening to tell me that both of us are
being watched by people unknown to the police."
"Superintendent Abdullah came to see me but he didn't say
anything about you being watched. he was almost more concerned
about Undepoldus. How do you like the one I have here?"
George handed Marita the replica.
"Heavens, I didn't realise that it wasn't our friend. It
looks so real. Is Undepoldus still at Regent's Park?
"Yes. He seemed quite unconcerned that I was leaving him
alone for the first time. You know, I can't make him out. Sometimes
he seems to be very intelligent and sometimes he seems to be almost
inanimate. Sometimes he seems to want to be with me and sometimes
he ignores me. He is a mystery wrapped up in whiskers."
"He is definitely an enigma. He is growing quite quickly
now but I am impatient to see what he will be like in a few month's
time. I wonder if we will ever be able to do anything with him.
Will we have to just keep him as a large curiosity that will be
more expensive to keep than a white elephant? Maybe he will get
fed up with staying at Regent's Park and start making the sort
of tunnels that collapsed when I was collecting rocks. Now I won't
be able to see him so often because he will be stuck at Regent's
Park all the time. I will miss him, particularly when we are together.
I liked having him in the room with us."
"We could arrange to stay the night at Regent's Park now
and again if you would like to. Undepoldus House is fitted with
all the latest devices. The cooker even has a floating spit and
a simulated barbecue. The visitors' lounge is furnished with large
comfortable sofas and every feature can be voice controlled. It
has everything except a levitating bed."
Marita laughed. "That is a pity, I got so many requests for
permission to use my room while I am away at the University that
I have arranged a processor to deal with them. My bed attracts
Spacers like flowers attract bees. It would be nice if we had
a few more like it. Would you like to join me after dinner to
check that it is still working OK?"
"Why did you ask, had you forgotten that you had a regular
appointment?"
"Not at all George, but I just wanted to try the chat-up
line. Anyway, my bed is not complete unless you are in it with
me."
"Well, why do you switch to such an old chat-up line Marita?
Every share partner I have says that."
"That isn't a chat-up line as far as I am concerned George.
I mean it. You are special."
"Well let us see if you are right when we have had dinner
and have relaxed for a bit. I am sure that both of us will have
to have a talk with the Commander."
"OK George. I'll see you in ten minutes."
PAUSE
The next section covers the changes
in George's personal affairs.
Viewers familiar with this subject may pass on to the following
section.
Please select PASS or CONTINUE.