Once a NewsFinder

Once a NewsFinder

     Of course, this never happened. The only thing that the Empire hates even more than NewsFinders are the people who take something that doesn’t belong to them. That isn’t what happened to me a few months ago when I pretended to be a NewsFinder to take a look at something that I wanted to take if I could have done it.

     We call them NewsFinders on Kallim. I think they are called Journalists around here. Whatever they are called, they are forbidden in this part of the universe. At least the NewsFinders aren’t unless the Empire approves it. And they don’t do that very often.

     This is one of these times the Empire wants NewsFinders there. At this time, I’m not sure why we have been invited there. But I do know it has something to do with a Planet Leader who is going to talk to them about a new conquest.

     That isn’t what I’m doing there, though. I’m going there to see something that I would like to take if I can do it. I know that I can’t. but that doesn’t mean that I can’t take a look at it.

##

     I’m not Gallanta Bavan right now. Since I can now appear to be anyone I want to be again, I have decided that it’s best if I look like another NewsFinder. So, I am now Juddac Valtik. And I am here too as a NewsFinder.

     When I take on the appearance of someone else, I also get all that they know and have done. So, being Jaddac isn’t going to be a problem. All I need to do is act like all the other NewsFinders here. And I will be okay.

     PouVal Tyma hasn’t arrived yet to give them his talk. But he will be there soon. All we can do is wait. And talk among us as to what is going to happen. I am staying in the background. Listening to what the others are saying. But I have asked a few questions myself.

     Only I’m not asking questions about PouVal. I want to know why there are so many Protectors there. Especially, since PouVal isn’t there yet. True, I already know the answer to this. But I want to know if I’m the only one here who isn’t supposed to be here.

##

     PouVal has started his talk with the other NewsFinders there. But I’m not among them. I am using the darkness in this house to take a look at what I’m there for. When I get to where I want to be, I stop. There is a Protector on both sides of a large entrance. And two right across from it.

     There are probably some inside the room where what I want to look at is at. This won’t be easy to do. But I never expected it to be. I step further into the darkness there. And take a palm size square disk from the right side of me. Then I tap the screen on it to make it grow to the size of my hand.

     I squint my eyes a little bit to get a better look at the small monitor in my hand. What I am looking at is the inside of the room I want to go into. And I’m right. There are four more Protectors at the entrance inside this room too. Another four protecting what I’m looking for. This will be harder than I expected it to be.

##

     While PouVal is talking to the other NewsFinders, I am on my way to looking at what I am here to see. I know that I can’t get in this room through the front entrance. At least not without making a lot of noise. If not worse than that.

     That’s why I’m in the vents next to this room. I can hear that PouVal is talking. But I can’t make out what he’s saying. Suddenly, I stop crawling through these vents. I’m right by the room that I want to be in. I am looking at what I am here to see through the small holes covering this vent.

     I also see that the four Protectors are still there. Not only this, but they don’t appear to be reacting the PouVal’s talk one way or another. They are just standing around one of the biggest SpaceGems that anyone has ever seen. Including me.

     The two Protectors on both sides of the entrance are acting the same way. And the two facing the entrance from the other side of this room are doing the same thing. I’m not going to be seeing this unless I do something that I don’t want to do to these Protectors.

##

     I’m not an Expert. But I’m Expert enough to take out these Protectors without killing them. And do it without anyone outside this room knowing about it. I’m about ready to start my attack when the alarms goes off and there is a red flashing light flashing all round this room.

     Have I done something to alert everyone that I’m here. I don’t think I have. But what else can it be. It has to be me. Suddenly, the Protectors there take off. Leaving this SpaceGems for me to look at. But I can’t do that right now. I need to know what is happening there. If it’s not me, then it must be something else.

     I start to crawl backward in that vent. Going very slowly as I’m doing it. Looking through each hole vent that I come across. So far, all I have seen is a lot of chaos and panicking. But it’s all heading in the same direction. They are heading toward PouVal.

     It doesn’t take me long to get to where what is going on there. And I can’t believe what I’m looking at. PouVal has been killed. At least it looks like that to me. As I get closer, I can see that is what has happened.

####

     What am I going to do? There is only two things that I can do right now. Stay where I’m at and hope that I’m not found. The other way is to find a way to rejoin everyone without being seen. I quickly decide it’s best if I rejoin the others.

     At first, I’m not sure how I’m going to do this. Then I notice some vent holes on the other side of the meeting room. I also notice almost everyone in there is near or around PouVal. This is my best chance to rejoin them without being seen.

     I start crawling through the vents until I get to the one, I’m going to use to rejoin what’s going on there. Once I get there, I look through the holes to see where everyone is at. When I see there isn’t anyone near me, I open the hole vent and rejoin everyone else.

     Just after I slide down this wall face forward, I am suddenly surrounded by six Protectors. “Why have you been in the vents?” One of the Protectors asks. “Never Mind. Because I already know why. You used them against PouVal.”

##

     “Why have you done it?” The same Protector who asked me about the vents a couple of hours ago is the one asking me questions now.

     “I don’t know what you are talking about. I’ve done nothing wrong.”

     The Protector smiles sheepishly. “Then why have you been in the vents? The same vent that has been used against PouVal. Where is the weapon you have used to do this?”

     “What weapon? The only weapon I have is my NewsFinder small monitor.”

     This Protector gets up and leans over the table to be almost face to face with me. “I don’t think we will ever find the weapon you used on PouVal. It silently disappeared after being used by you.”

     “That may be true about the weapon you are talking about. But I’m not the one who used it.”

     “Yes, you have. All I need to do is figure out how and why you have done this.”

     I don’t know what I’m going to do. But I need to do something. The only thing that I can think of to do is to tell them what I have been really doing here. And I don’t want to do that.

##

     What I need to do is find the real one who has done this to PouVal. That’s why I’m where it all has happened. I just needed to wait until everyone is gone from there. They are all still here because of what happened. But they aren’t in this meeting room anymore.

     After making sure there isn’t anyone else there, I head for where I hide my small NewsFinder monitor. I needed to appear to be a NewsFinder. So, I hide my monitor so I can get the talk when PouVal give it.

     Of course, I won’t know if I have been able to get who has done this to PouVal. But I need to start somewhere. And this is the best place to start looking for whoever has done it. Luckily, my monitor is where I have hidden it.

     I turn it on. And I can see it has been monitoring this room just before I left there to go after what I have come there to see. So, I move the moving images forward until it gets to what has happened. Then I move these images back to just before it happened. And who has done it.

##

     Now all I need to do is get this small monitor to the Protectors there. And they will know who has really done this to PouVal. But how can I do this without letting them know what I am doing there.

     All the other NewsFinders must have done the same thing as me. And I’m sure that the Protectors here have gone over what moving images they have taken. I’m also sure at least one of them have the image of who has done this. So, why have they come to me as the one who has done it.

     Maybe they know why I am really here. And they just want me to admit to it to clear myself of what has happened to PouVal. That will explain why they have come after me instead of who has really done it.

     Suddenly, I smile. I think that I know how to let the Protectors see my moving images too. All I need to do is let the Protectors who have been following me see me trying to hide it from them. Then I will know the reason why I they still think that I have done this.

##

     It has worked. The Protectors are watching my moving images. They are about to see who has really killed PouVal. It is one of the other NewsFinders. Using their NewsFinder small monitor to do it.

     While everyone else is being questioned by Protectors, the killer gets away. At least they have until now. With my help they have been finally found and taken away. Of course, I haven’t been around for the Protectors to find out what I’m really doing there.

     That doesn’t mean I have left there with all the other NewsFinders to tell everyone what has happened. Not only to PouVal, but what he has been telling them about his plans to take over their nearby planets.

     I’m still interested in taking a look at this SpaceGem. The Protectors are back protecting it. But it doesn’t stop me from seeing it. I do have a little trouble doing it. It’s not that big of a problem. All I need to do is take out the Protectors there. Once I do that, I get to finally see it. A few hours someone does take it. But of course, I’m not the one who has done it.

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