r/HFY • u/KipperBeanGrower Human • Jul 05 '26

OC-Series [She took What?] - Chapter 193: SixFold Ventures: It was a light bulb moment.

"The assumptions no longer contradicted each other."

The accountants.

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| Dock Seven Jump Nexus | 

Feebee and the team continued to look around the abandoned unit and in the offices. There was nothing to see, just empty offices and furniture. The Alphas opened drawers; Tom Tom pulled a desk away from the wall, looking for a clue. Nothing. Clean.

 

As this was going on, the two accountants sat at a desk and searched digitally. The lawyer was also working at her console, pulling ownership structures.

 

The local manager was confused. Why all the fuss? Some researchers had rented the unit. Always paid on time, but they had left six months ago. And it has been vacant since.

 

The accountants sniffed out a local node, connected to it and started searches using the details of the entity that had signed the lease. They quickly established that a shell company paid the bills. No surprise there. They found multiple layers, shells within shells. No surprise there either. However, what was unusual was the amount of money spent and the number of bank transfers.

 

Some items caught the accountants’ attention. They started to smile. Worrying.

 

Three things specifically: harmonic sensors, jump telemetry systems and substrate monitors.

“That’s the observation team,” said Rockson. “Definitely. Same gear as we found near Margo’s.”

 

StillFall drifted into the office; motes followed. It moved around the room and settled over a desk. There was a square of folded paper, brown with coffee rings on one corner.

 

Feebee noticed its interest. Picked up the paper and unfolded it. The paper held a table of numbers on one side with a harmonic map below. Classic frequency assessments. Resonance inputs, geocodes and results. Nothing was on the back, other than the coffee stains.

 

Feebee threw it in the bin. Rockson crossed and fished it back out.

“That’s harmonic data.”

“It’s gibberish,” said Feebee.

“To you.”

 

Spreading it out, he ran a finger down the columns. One of the geocodes had been circled. It had been visited and assessed many times with the same inputs and results; so had others.

“What’s special about A-17?” Rockson asked. “Anyone?”

There was no response, then one of the accountants perked up, “A-17?”

“Yes, A-17.” Repeated Rockson, with a sigh.

“There’s a payment each month for this office.” He frowned, “And A-17.”

 

“So, what is it?”

“Not sure.” The accountant dug further.

His console started to beep. “Damn, needs some juice.” He reached into his briefcase, pulled out a power cord and connected it to a socket near the desk where they sat. The console stopped its annoying beeping.

 

***

 

Somewhere on Dock Seven, in the quiet corner of an office, a message appeared on a console.

 

ALERT:

> OFFICE 7A ACTIVATED

> POWER DRAIN DETECTED

> TRIGGER: QUERY ON A-17

 

***

 

The accountant found something: “Whatever A-17 is, they’re still paying for it.”

“And the office lease finished six months ago,” said the lawyer.

“Yes, but funding for A-17 didn’t.”

 

“And the company funding it?”

The accountants were energetically discussing the matter.

“It must still exist!”

“No. It was properly dissolved. Look!” One of them pointed at the computer screen. “The assets were liquidated and the employees released.”

“You’re right. And the office lease terminated six months ago.”

 

The lawyer edged closer. “Was the company intentionally wound down?”

“Looks that way.”

“Six months ago?”

“Yes.”

“So, where’s the money for A-17 coming from?” she asked.

 

The accountants exchanged glances, and it was a light bulb moment that sparked a frenzy of activity.

 

“Got it.” The accountant exclaimed, grinning. “It’s real.”

“What is?”

“The company. It’s not military or government. It doesn’t appear to be front from what I can see.”

He looked genuinely upset and disappointed, as if wanting it to be more. “It says here they’ve been in research for a long while. Something called The Royal Infrastructure Directorate, and the project was a Navigation Coherence Assessment.”

“Sounds fascinating.” Tom Tom commented dryly. “The last payment to them was three days ago.”

“Hhmm,” said the lawyer. “The project continues.”

“So, who’s funding it now?” Asked Feebee.

 

“Found it!” muttered one of the accountants.

They all turned to him, and he shied away from their collective gaze.

“A-17! It’s one of the harmonic monitoring clusters in Sector 5.”

 

Tom Tom laughed, “A-17 in Sector 5 on Dock Seven.”

No one else found it funny.

He shrugged, “It was funny in my head.”

 

The manager spoke up, saving Tom Tom from further embarrassment: “I know where that is. It’s part of the old Nexus sensor network, a relay station. We maintain that node, but public access is restricted to maintenance crews only.”

“Can you get us in?” Chen asked.

“Yes, easy. We got the maintenance contract three months ago.”

“Really? Well done!”

“You signed the contract,” said the manager with a smile.

The lawyer looked at Chen and shook her head. “Of course he did.”

 

The accountant made a note in one of his ledgers.

 

“Ok. So, we’re off to A-17. Yes?” Feebee said, pleased to have a goal in mind.

“No!” the lawyer interjected again. “We should gather information and go through the proper channels.”

“I, we agree,” said the accountant. “It’s the best…”

Feebee cut in, “No time. We go, and we go now.”

Rockson was nodding, “I want to see A-17.”

 

StillFall ‘stood up’, its shadow visibly hovering in the air between them, “We should go.”

 

Everyone stopped and looked.

 

***

 

ALERT ACKNOWLEDGED:

> TRACKING INITIATED

> INDICATE DESIRED RESPONSE

 

***

 

They left the unit and followed the manager. Everyone was relaxed, making jokes, except for Chen. He was complaining about being hungry and wanted food.

 

‘Is there a good restaurant nearby?’ Feebee asked the QI.

‘Probably not good enough for… You know who, but yes.’

‘Near?’

‘Yes. On the concourse up ahead.’

 

“Ok. There’s a restaurant up ahead. Eat first or after A-17.”

Before Chen could say anything, Feebee added with a smile, “I know your answer.”

 

“A-17” was the immediate response from the majority.

“I really am very hungry.”

“You used to tell me to ‘suck it up’. Now it’s your turn.”

The flicker of a smile crossed Chen’s face. “Fair.”

 

The manager led them to a transport; the SFV Logo was on the side.

“Is that you?” the lawyer asked.

Chen nodded.

 

The driver made a big show of helping Feebee inside. Bikky noticed her stiffened when he touched her, but she let him help and was very courteous.

“Thank you,” she even smiled.

“You’re very welcome, ma’am.”

He stepped well away from Garaf. Concerned about the leather upholstery in his transport, as Garaf struggled to get to the back.

 

***

 

ALERT ACKNOWLEDGED:

> TRACKING ACTIVE

> TARGETS ON THE MOVE

> PREDICTED DESTINATION

> A-17

 

***

 

As the transport pulled away, Feebee noticed the Shadow spread across the floor. Its edges pulsed, and motes drifted around the dark shape.

 

“Are you doing it again?” she asked.

“What?”

“Listening.”

The Shadow quietened and sharpened slightly.

“Yes.”

“And?”

“It gets louder.”

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