Eden's Angels - Books 1-2

9. Interrogations

Meanwhile back on Domhan-Siol, Anotas Deithe agents Chelt and Dyer had been assigned to investigate Egan’s and Althea’s bizarre disappearance and return. On the agents’ third visit to the hospital another individual accompanied them. He was introduced only as Liam. At over two metres, he stood several centimetres taller than the Anotas agents. That effect was accentuated by the four centimetres of wavy grey hair piled thickly atop his head. In addition to intelligence, his amber eyes projected a gentle intensity. His presence made both agents decidedly uncomfortable. Liam took a seat in the corner and silently observed the interview.

The agents questioned Egan and Althea about their journey to the largest moon of the giant planet, Lume Morta. They’d been assigned to survey the moon as a likely source of terbium, a rare-earth metal required for all manner of solid-state and fuel cell devices. Extracting terbium from clays on Domhan-Siol required the use of highly toxic chemicals with serious environmental impacts; mining on a lifeless moon was far preferable.

The couple shared technical information about the interdimensional jump, but they understood sharing information about their first contact with the species they called Beag-Liath could be destabilizing, even perilous. They didn’t know whom to trust.

Sensing the deception of omission, the agents interviewed Egan and Althea separately on several occasions. They compared notes after each interview and found numerous inconsistencies. When confronted, the couple explained they simply didn’t have clear recollections about all that had happened.

Several days later Liam sat in on another interview. He noticed that after hydration and rest the couple looked exactly as they did in their file photos. Althea was a willowy beauty with a lithe gracefulness. Her long sorrel hair framed chiseled features and offset her teal-colored eyes. She was quite a striking head-turner. Egan was a more “average” appearing person – average height; average frame; average weight. It was the perpetual expression of amusement on his square-jawed face that set him apart. His eyes projected an engaging kindness and intellect. They were quite a charismatic couple. Liam was bewildered that they didn’t seem to have aged during their six-decade absence.

In a debriefing session after the first undecim Chelt and Dyer discussed the possible use of psychoactive drugs to compel more truthful responses. Though Liam showed no overt reaction to this proposal, his heart pounded, his stomach churned, and his mind raced for a response that would curb the more aggressive inclinations of the Anotas institutional culture.