30-03-2019, 06:49 PM
Helena sat at the head of a conference table. Generalissimo Ramirez sat on her left, and the other seven people seated at the table were some of her highest-level advisors.
She lit a cigarette, her first opportunity to have one since before the interview, and listened as they gave their reports.
Because a good portion of San Finzione's economy relied on La Familia de San Finzione's holdings, the CFO of La Famila's business concern spoke first, reporting that everything was a go for the launch of the new venture. She was followed by the Minister of the Treasury, who agreed that it would be a great boon to the economy and he predicted another surplus the following quarter.
Up next was the Minister of Agriculture, who assured her that the wineries were prepared for the bumper crop of gbangs predicted for harvest time. The Minister of Tourism said that letters for Cupid were starting to arrive in anticipation of the Festival in three months. She thanked them for their reports, then sent them out of the room, leaving only Ramirez, the Minister of Science, and the Minister of Intelligence. Intelligence spoke first.
"A box was delivered to the embassy in Hong Kong by a known Triad associate approximately 90 minutes ago. We put a tail on him immediately. The box was addressed to..." The man stopped and checked his phone. "The Snake That Hisses at Men's Tongues?"
Helena nodded with a smirk and lit another cigarette.
"Send that translator back to Berlitz for a refresher. I presume you had the box examined?"
"It was found to be safe. The contents, however, were a man's severed hand and a red envelope containing one hundred thousand Hong Kong Dollars. There was a note identifying the man as..." Helena cut him off.
"Raymond Chen?"
"Er, yes."
La Contessa turned to the Generalissimo.
"It appears the Elders have decided to save me an official visit." Ramirez nodded. She turned back to the Minister. "Approach the man, tell him to convey to the Elders that we accept their sincere apology, however, we could not possibly accept their other generous gift and return the money. When they insist, and send it back, pizza party for the embassy staff and their families and donate the rest to anti-human-trafficking charities." Helena straightened up. "Now, the other matter. What do you have on Springheel?"
The Minister of Intelligence cleared his throat and took a report from his briefcase and read from it.
"The email came from an anonymous host site; the address existed for less than an hour. Our best guess at a point of origin is a cybercafé in Copenhagen. The video file attached contained no viruses or trojans and no information as to its origins. We have people analyzing the video for any other possible information currently. You have watched it already?"
"A few times, the Generalissimo has seen it as well. And we have it loaded?" Helena asked, pressing a button that dimmed the lights and switched on the large monitor on the wall opposite her seat.
"Si, Contessa."
He sat and the four of them watched the video play on the monitor. When it was finished, Helena pressed the button again. A few seconds' silence passed before she turned to the Minster of Science.
"Can they really do that, Miguel? Is it possible?"
The Minister shook his head in disbelief.
"No, Contessa. I mean, si. I mean, the theories, at least the ones that I understand, are sound. But... how?"
"That's what I want you to find out. Does Springheel even exist? Could it exist? Gather your best people who CAN give me an answer and put them to work on it. Sequester them and provide anything they need. This is classified to the highest level. The four of us and the people you assign to it are the only ones who can know about this. When they have something, they're to report directly to me before anyone else; even you, Miguel." She turned back to the Minister of Intelligence. "The same goes for your people, Minister. I'll want everything they can tell me about this. No detail is too small."
Both men nodded. Contessa Helena de San Finzione stood. The other three men did so immediately as well.
"Now, if there isn't anything else, Gentlemen, I'm going to go look beautiful for an adoring public and try to put this out of my mind until we know more. Dismissed."
* * *
She lit a cigarette, her first opportunity to have one since before the interview, and listened as they gave their reports.
Because a good portion of San Finzione's economy relied on La Familia de San Finzione's holdings, the CFO of La Famila's business concern spoke first, reporting that everything was a go for the launch of the new venture. She was followed by the Minister of the Treasury, who agreed that it would be a great boon to the economy and he predicted another surplus the following quarter.
Up next was the Minister of Agriculture, who assured her that the wineries were prepared for the bumper crop of gbangs predicted for harvest time. The Minister of Tourism said that letters for Cupid were starting to arrive in anticipation of the Festival in three months. She thanked them for their reports, then sent them out of the room, leaving only Ramirez, the Minister of Science, and the Minister of Intelligence. Intelligence spoke first.
"A box was delivered to the embassy in Hong Kong by a known Triad associate approximately 90 minutes ago. We put a tail on him immediately. The box was addressed to..." The man stopped and checked his phone. "The Snake That Hisses at Men's Tongues?"
Helena nodded with a smirk and lit another cigarette.
"Send that translator back to Berlitz for a refresher. I presume you had the box examined?"
"It was found to be safe. The contents, however, were a man's severed hand and a red envelope containing one hundred thousand Hong Kong Dollars. There was a note identifying the man as..." Helena cut him off.
"Raymond Chen?"
"Er, yes."
La Contessa turned to the Generalissimo.
"It appears the Elders have decided to save me an official visit." Ramirez nodded. She turned back to the Minister. "Approach the man, tell him to convey to the Elders that we accept their sincere apology, however, we could not possibly accept their other generous gift and return the money. When they insist, and send it back, pizza party for the embassy staff and their families and donate the rest to anti-human-trafficking charities." Helena straightened up. "Now, the other matter. What do you have on Springheel?"
The Minister of Intelligence cleared his throat and took a report from his briefcase and read from it.
"The email came from an anonymous host site; the address existed for less than an hour. Our best guess at a point of origin is a cybercafé in Copenhagen. The video file attached contained no viruses or trojans and no information as to its origins. We have people analyzing the video for any other possible information currently. You have watched it already?"
"A few times, the Generalissimo has seen it as well. And we have it loaded?" Helena asked, pressing a button that dimmed the lights and switched on the large monitor on the wall opposite her seat.
"Si, Contessa."
He sat and the four of them watched the video play on the monitor. When it was finished, Helena pressed the button again. A few seconds' silence passed before she turned to the Minster of Science.
"Can they really do that, Miguel? Is it possible?"
The Minister shook his head in disbelief.
"No, Contessa. I mean, si. I mean, the theories, at least the ones that I understand, are sound. But... how?"
"That's what I want you to find out. Does Springheel even exist? Could it exist? Gather your best people who CAN give me an answer and put them to work on it. Sequester them and provide anything they need. This is classified to the highest level. The four of us and the people you assign to it are the only ones who can know about this. When they have something, they're to report directly to me before anyone else; even you, Miguel." She turned back to the Minister of Intelligence. "The same goes for your people, Minister. I'll want everything they can tell me about this. No detail is too small."
Both men nodded. Contessa Helena de San Finzione stood. The other three men did so immediately as well.
"Now, if there isn't anything else, Gentlemen, I'm going to go look beautiful for an adoring public and try to put this out of my mind until we know more. Dismissed."
* * *
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