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Earlier in the day at eight in the morning Tirana, who being the senior Aldebran agent based within the Sol system of planets, had met up with his two agents, Johor and Mariah Rigor, at his apartment.
"You two are getting the stolen unit off the planet, along with its computer program; you will be on board a starship that is leaving Earth very early tomorrow morning." Tirana ordered his two agents. The plan called for the three of them to journey out to the main space port of Earth in a mini bus to arrive in time to meet the midday space shuttle, but first Tirana had other things to attend to regarding his two agents.
"The two of you are getting off this planet as geologists, you are both about the same height and build as two people who I want you to impersonate, but your appearances will need altering just a little. We are lucky for I met the two of them when I was on Mars recently. The first port of call for the two of you will be the hairdressers, so that you will pass for them at a distance, then we will use some makeup so as to change your facial features to look even more like the two of them."
Leaving his two agents no time to think or to complain, Tirana took them down to a minibus that was parked away from his apartment in a small out of the way car park. They drove to a small hairdressers just as it opened, the place looked a little empty of furniture, as if it barely made a profit and only had a small local clientele, this meant that the two hairdressers who ran the place could attend to the two agents immediately. Mariah`s mousey hair was cut short and dyed blond, Johor`s hair was similarly altered so they looked more like brother and sister than spouses. While the Rigors were having their hair done, Tirana went to some of the local shops and purchased some things that would help the Rigors to become the new people they were to portray. When the Rigors were finished having their haircut and dyed, Tirana drove them out towards the spaceport, and on the way he told them a little more about the two people they would be impersonating.
"The two geologists are returning today from Mars where they had been for the last three years. They spent most of their time in the emptiness that is Mars looking for valuable mineral deposits; they only met a few people during their time on the planet. You should have no problem becoming these new personas, and I have printed out a short history of the two geologists for you to memorise."
Tirana turned off short of their destination to stop at an old deserted warehouse, here he got to work on Johor`s facial appearance, and Tirana was an expert at changing appearances. He used a vegetable glue to stick on a short beard that ran around Johor`s face in a kind of fringe, the glue was one that Tirana had used before and would permit Johor`s own beard to grow through it and add to the disguise. With Mariah, he applied makeup to enhance her natural beauty, so now she bore little resemblance to the psychotic killer of the early morning. He gave her what remained of his recent purchases so that she could continue with her new appearance while aboard the starship. Tirana then took a number of photographs of the two new geologists so that he would be able to exchange them for the photographs of the genuine geologists where needed, for Tirana never left things half done.
"I don`t like this beard, and when my own beard begins to grow it will be of a different colour." Johor complained.
"It is necessary only for the start of your trip, as soon as your fellow travellers have seen you in it you may shave it off, then should someone ask about your appearance your fellow travellers can say that although you came aboard with a beard it is now gone, ok." Tirana replied.
"Yes that sounds fine." Johor replied, sounding a little happier.
With these preparations completed, they continued their journey to the spaceport and finally arrived there with just minutes to spare, Tirana had not wanted to arrive any earlier as this might have attracted the attention of the local security, and caused them to take an unwelcome interest in them.
It was part of Tirana`s job to know many things. About important people, about who could be used, blackmailed or bought, about what was occurring around the planet. Today a new world colony ship was making ready to leave Earth orbit early the following morning, it was heading directly for the planet Persephone. This sort of fact, and also the knowledge of who would be joining the ship were essential to him, for he could never be sure when he too would have to pack up and run, so this time his recent visit to Mars had paid off in spades.
The midday shuttle from the Earth space station was already disgorging the passengers from the Mars flight; amongst them were two geologists, George Clayton and his wife Mary Clayton. They were transferring over to the colony ship bound for Persephone, and this roundabout route was the only way possible as the colony shuttle wasn`t due to stop off at the space station.
"Excuse me, but are you Mr and Mrs Clayton?" A man dressed in the light grey suit worn by the official`s from the Space Port stood before them.
"Yes, that`s us." George Clayton replied. George Clayton had an enquiring sort of smile on his face, wondering why the official had stopped them, for they were in a hurry to get to the shuttle that would take them up to the new world colony ship.
"I have been asked to meet you and speed you through to the Constellation, as your flight was delayed it was thought advisable. My name is Tirana by the way." Tirana appeared to have a permanent smile fixed to his face all the time he was speaking with the geologists.
Clayton was not altogether keen on this all-smiling oily character sent to meet them, but at least he would be able to speed them through to the colony ship.
"This way, we have a mini bus to take you both directly to the departure lounge for your flight, Oh! And don`t worry about your luggage; it is being collected by one of my colleagues."
Tirana then led them around a couple of corners to the mini bus that he had already mentioned, for some reason it had darkened windows.
"Sorry about the windows but our normal vehicle has broken down, so we had to use the one normally reserved for VIP`s." Tirana explained.
The Claytons got into the back seats of the bus and then made themselves comfortable, while Tirana got into the driver`s seat. Tirana then flicked a switch and a glass panel dropped down separating the driver`s seat from the rear part of the bus. Before the Claytons had had time to react to this strange action on Tirana part, gas poured into the rear of the bus and they died a painless death almost instantly. Tirana now drove the mini bus away from the Space Port, and after a short ten minute drive he left the main highway and turned down a dusty track to arrive at a remote quarry, unused now for a hundred years. Tirana got out of the driver`s seat and walked around to the side of the mini bus, opening the luggage compartment he took out a foldable motor cycle, which he now made ready for use. Tirana then opened up the doors to where the Claytons lay; the gas had already become harmless, being poisonous for only a short time. He quickly searched Greg Clayton`s body for his wallet and notebook. He then took their wedding rings off them, which when he looked were engraved with one another`s names, these and anything that would make their identification easier, he took with him for use by his two agents, the rest he left behind to be consumed by fire. It only took a second to set the timer on the incendiary device, and then after locking up the mini bus, he rode back towards the city and the spaceport. Once there he gave his agents the items that he had taken from the dead bodies of the Claytons, and then he returned to his apartment.
Here he then composed a message for transmission to Aldebra. I have the Syrillium Whisky, stop; Senor Johor is taking it, stop; he will be aboard the space yacht constellation for seven days, stop; due to unforeseen problems of an urgent nature please arrange for Persephone to meet him at journeys end. What this meant was that the Matter Transporter was now in their possession; it was being taken by Johor Rigor on the starship Constellation, send starship to the journeys end, planet Persephone, to rendezvous with their agents who because of unforeseen problems had to travel there as a matter of last resort. The message would only mean anything to someone who was suspicious of Aldebran
involvement in the destruction of the Laboratory, and knew how to decipher the message. He then walked around the corner and had the local Wells Fargo office send the message to Aldebra.
Earlier, back at the spaceport a new pair of Claytons entered into the departure lounge for the Constellation shuttle flight, where they found their luggage had been sent over already from the Mars shuttle. There was an hour`s delay in boarding the shuttle due to a minor problem with it; along with them was a group of Texans who were also late.
With his return to his apartment, Tirana now began to hack into the Church of the Universe`s computer, and to amend the records regarding the Claytons, so that the photographs of the Claytons matched the impostors. Tirana was used to thinking on his feet, but his plan for the two agents meant they were taking on the personas of two people who they knew precious little about, accept for what he had been able to download from the records kept by the Church. He also hacked into the starship`s computer and changed the photographs there so they now showed his two agents.