S2, 19 The Governor (FB) (December 4, 2015)

Corresponding text underneath each picture.

**3rd October 2095: Present Day**

Reporter: “And that’s it folks! Qoter has a new Governor!” the voice-over announced as the TV showed footage of the winning candidate and his close associates celebrating in a room somewhere else.

Reporter: “Judas Boan has been voted in with a landslide victory over his competitors…”

I was sat on the end of the bed in the room I was renting, TV remote in hand, watching the live news report as the results of the Governorial election were announced.

Reporter: “Boan received 53% of the votes, with Lumière receiving 23%, Raddilion 16% and Essex getting a mere 8%. Of course, this landslide comes on the back of the tragic death of Roland Shrump, who was, until his untimely demise, neck and neck with Boan in the polls.”

Reporter #2: “And of course, we send our sincere condolences to Roland’s family and friends at this hard time.” A second voice added in.

Reporter #1: “Quite.”

My comlink began bleeping from his belt and he un-clipped it before answering.

Mr. Grey: “Good morning, Chain.”

Tank: “Good morning.” I replied. I was still angry with The Brain for not telling me that he’d also hired Wolfhide to do the same job as me, and so my feelings for Mr. Grey weren’t exactly positive at the minute, either.

Mr. Grey: “I trust you are watching the news?”

Tank: “I am.”

Mr. Grey: “Good. Judas Boan is going to die.” He stated bluntly.

Tank: “What?” I asked with a shake of my head, confused.

Mr. Grey: “The Brain has heard whispers that somebody is going to try and kill Boan.”

Tank: “Why?”

Mr. Grey: “He does not know. But it is due to happen at his inauguration ceremony later this afternoon.”

Tank: “And you’re contacting me because…? Let me guess, you want me to stop it from happening?”

Mr. Grey: “Indeed. The Brain believes that Boan, while relatively inexperienced, will be a good Governor. He can’t be allowed to die.”

I couldn’t help but laugh out loud at the irony of the situation.

Tank: “Ironic. Only a few days ago I was killing off one candidate. Now I’m saving another.”

Mr. Grey: “Indeed.” He said again. “You will of course, have to get close to Boan to protect him, as we don’t know who, how, when or where any of this will happen. Do to so, a courier is on his way to you as we speak, with a fake security clearance badge. This will allow you to get as close to him as possible without sticking out like a sore thumb.”

Tank: “Okay…”

Mr. Grey: “The attack could come from anyone, anywhere at any time, Chain. You *must* be on guard. Constant vigilance. Understand?”

Tank: “Of course.”

Mr. Grey: “Good. We will of course be keeping an eye on the news, so either way, we will know what happens.”

**Several hours later…**

There were people everywhere. An enormous crowd had gathered outside of Town Hall, where newly elected Governor Boan was due to start his inauguration ceremony any time now. The crowd filled the square from edge to edge and spilled out onto the roads as well. Security and the police were trying to sort them all out, but there were just so many, it was pretty much impossible.

And they’d all come to celebrate Boan’s election. Friends, well-wishers, people who had voted for him. It seemed like half the city had turned out to greet him. As I stood there, looking out at them all, I couldn’t help but wonder just how this guy had gotten so popular.

I knew that he had been Governor Wilson’s deputy before the former had been killed by the Collective during the war, but other than that, I didn’t really know anything about him.

Dignitary: “Excuse me.” A man muttered, squeezing between myself and another man, bringing me back to the moment. I was stood, along with roughly a hundred other important people and security guards on the veranda that ran the length of the front of Town Hall. Boan was inside somewhere, going through some of the private parts of his ceremony, but he was due to emerge from the double doors just to my right any minute now.

I was continually scanning the crowd for any signs of anything suspicious, but there were just so many that it was a practically impossible task! There were copious amounts of security guards around and Imperial snipers posted on all the nearby rooftops, but still, I kept my eyes peeled. I wasn’t entirely sure why The Brain had asked me to be here as well, but I suppose one more pair could make the difference between life and death.

Just then, the huge, wooden, double doors beside me opened up and instantly the crowd went wild. Once they were opened fully, several more security guards emerged into the sunlight, closely followed by Judas himself, grinning from ear to ear. More security followed him out as he made his way to the front of the veranda, where a small podium, complete with microphones had been set up.

He waved to the crowd, still unable to stop himself from grinning. He threw his arms wide open and nodded his appreciation.

He’d been outside for a good minute already, but the crowd weren’t ready to settle down yet and were still as loud as they had been when the doors began to open.

It took several more minutes before Boan decided that enough was enough and started to try and speak.

Governor Boan: “Yes!” he started with and just that single word sent the crowd into a frenzy again. He laughed, loving every second of it, and as I watched him I started to understand why everybody liked him. There was just something about him that made you want to smile along with him.

Gov. Boan: “Yes!” he repeated, as, finally, the crowd started to settle down. “Thank you!” he shouted to them. "Thank you! We did it!” There was yet another surge in the crowd’s cheering and applause, but this time, it didn’t last as long.

Gov. Boan: “We did it.” He smiled. “Thank you so, so much! I stand here before you, humbled by the trust that you have placed in me and genuinely amazed at how many of you decided that I was the best man for the job of running this great planet. This great, amazing world that we call home.”

There was another round of applause from the eagerly awaiting crowd.

Gov. Boan: “So I thank you, for bestowing this position upon me, but we must also remind ourselves that we face tough times ahead. There is much to be done. The war through which we have just come has destroyed much of what we love. Homes, businesses…”

Governor Boan continued to speak to the crowd, but I didn’t listen. I was too busy scanning the crowd for threats. I moved through the standing dignitaries and special guests who crammed the veranda to stand by the balustrade that ran along the front.

I couldn’t see anything that looked suspicious, but that wasn’t to say that it wasn’t there.

All of those people. Those thousands of people. All gathered to wish the new Governor well and to congratulate him on his new position. All except one. One person, somewhere out there, was here to kill him.

And I had no idea who.

I stood no chance. No chance at all. If the killer was out there somewhere in the crowd, then realistically there was nothing I could do to stop them.

If they were out there in that crowd, they….

That was it! I nearly slapped myself for being so stupid!

I turned around and scanned the crowd of special guests.
There was no way that anybody out in that crowd would be able to assassinate Boan! There were far too many people in the way. People who would physically be in the way and would likely also trample to death anybody who tried to take out the man they all loved!

The Imperial marksmen on the roofs, in theory, could take out Boan if one of them so desired, however, they had all been handpicked for the job, so it was unlikely. The only other place that somebody could possible to and kill the Governor from was from the crowd gathered behind him. His specially selected guests. His dignitaries and his aides.

I slowly started walking towards Boan, keeping an eye on the dignitaries at all times. When I got to just a couple of meters from his podium, I stopped.

His speech was building up now. He was talking about what a great planet it was and how he planned on combatting some of the issues they were facing.

As he spoke, I racked my brains. Okay, think! If I was here to kill him, how would I do it? Knife? No, I’d have to get close and security would stop me before I got anywhere near. So, gun? It would have to be a small one. Concealed, somehow, maybe up a sleeve.

I looked at the dignitaries and took mental note of all the ones who could potentially be concealing a gun among their clothing.

Okay, so that’s how I’d do it. But when? Speeches have a natural flow to them. They start, they build to a crescendo and then they wrap up to a conclusion. Almost like a piece of music. Boan’s speech had just passed it’s crescendo, so there couldn’t be much longer left. If anybody was going to try anything, it would have to be soon. Otherwise they might miss their opportunity.

Unless…. Unless they knew exactly when to do it. Unless they’d seen Boan’s speech and knew precisely when the best time for them to act would be. But who would have had access to Boan’s speech?

Presumably his parents, but I highly doubted that they’d want to kill their own son, plus they were too far away at the other end of the veranda. Who else?

I thought through everybody who could possibly have seen the speech and then crossed that list with the people whom I’d already noted down as possibly being able to conceal weapons.

Three. There were three matches.

First, the Royal Mayor of Qoter. As head of the inauguration ceremony he would have proof-read Boan’s speech and his long robes could easily be concealing a weapon.

However, if he’d wanted to kill Boan, he could have done it any time in the day. And try as I might, I also couldn’t think of a reason that he might want to.

So, unlikely.

Second, the head of the Electoral Institute. As the man in overall charge of the voting system, he too had spent much of the day with Boan as he went through his ceremony and could quite possibly have had found a chance to take a peek at his speech. He was dressed in formal robes, beneath which could quite possibly have been concealed a small blaster of some kind. As for his motives, well… maybe he simply wanted one of the other parties to win?

Overall: Possibly.

And lastly, Boan’s secretary. She’d spent the entire day with him and would likely have also had access to his speech while he was working on it. She may even have helped him write parts of it and so would have an even greater knowledge of what was in it. Even though it was hot outside, she was wearing a big black cloak that could easily be hiding a gun.

As his secretary, she could easily be jealous of her boss and therefore want him dead.

Possibility: Likely.

All three were stood virtually directly behind Boan and so had a clear shot straight at him. I could hear his speech wrapping up now and my heart was pounding in my chest, the anticipation almost too much as I took another couple of steps towards him, while keeping close eye on my three suspects.

Gov. Boan: “…thank you once more for turning out to wish me well. I in turn wish you all well and I promise you that together, we can overcome the obstacles we face. The hurdles that life throws at us will be vaulted…”

Gov. Boan: “…The oceans of issues we must traverse will be swam.”

Gov. Boan: “…Together, we can do this. Together, we can rebuild what we have lost, bigger and better than ever before.”

Gov. Boan: “…As one, we will make it through.”

Gov. Boan: “…No matter what life throws at us, we, the great people of Qoter, will prevail.” He paused.

Gov. Boan: “Long live the people of Qoter. And long may I…”

THERE!

I dived at Boan, tackling him to the ground and not a split second too soon. The assassin’s laser struck the podium where Boan had been stood just moments before and the crowd burst into panic.

The public crowds screamed and I could hear the thunder of thousands of pairs of running feet. The dignitaries also began to scatter, but not before I’d seen Boan’s secretary use incredible flexibility to kick the head of the Electoral Institute, the man who had fired at Boan, in the face with her high heeled boot.

He collapsed, clutching his nose and several security guards leapt on him.

Tank: “Are you okay?” I asked the Governor as I crouched over him, still doing my best to shield him from any further harm.

Gov. Boan: “Yes…” he managed to say, a little shell-shocked. “Thank you!”

I looked back to the guards who now had the would-be assassin pinned to the ground in handcuffs and Boan’s secretary who was looking on in concern. A group of guards approached and I helped the Governor to his feet. He brushed himself off and replied to one of the guard’s queries as to his wellbeing by saying that he was alright.

Guard: “We’ll escort you to safety, sir.” Another informed him and they began to set off but Boan stopped them.

Gov. Boan: “You have my sincerest thanks.” He said, turning back to face me. “Please, tell me your name?”

Tank: “I’m Tank, sir.”

Gov. Boan: “Just Tank?”

Tank: “...It’s complicated.”

Gov. Boan: “Very well, Tank. Please, bring this to reception later this afternoon. I would very much like to have a full conversation with you.” he informed me and handed me a holo-card.

I nodded my acceptance and then the guards escorted him away to safety.

**Several hours later…**

Later that afternoon, I had informed Mr. Grey that I had been successful in saving the Governor and he had, for once, expressed his thanks, noting that he had seen everything unfold live on the TV, and now I stood in the doorway to the Governor’s office, high up in the Senate building. I had, as requested, shown the holo-card to reception and a guard had escorted me here.

Gov. Boan: “Tank! Come on in!” he beamed as he approached. For somebody who only a few hours ago had barely escaped death, he didn’t look the slightest bit phased.

He put his arm around my shoulder as though we were old friends and guided me into the office. It wasn’t particularly grand, in fact, it looked downright ordinary. Nowhere near nice enough for the man running the entire planet!

He must have seen me looking around because as we arrived at presumably his desk and he indicated to a comfy-looking sofa, he said,

Gov. Boan: “Forgive the office, but I feel much more at home here than I do in that enormous, fancy thing that Governor Wilson and his predecessors used.”

I nodded my understanding as I sat down.

Tank: “Fair enough.”

Gov. Boan: “Might I offer you a drink?” he asked, opening up a drinks cabinet.

Tank: “Why not?” I smiled politely in return and a few seconds later, he handed me a glass of something I assumed to be a type of wine.

He walked back around to the other side of his desk and sat in the high-backed chair there. Raising his glass, he said,

Gov. Boan: “To life. And second chances at it.”

I likewise raised my glass and couldn’t help but think of how relevant his toast had actually been to me.

Tank: “Cheers.”

I sipped at the wine and felt it’s warmth as it ran down my throat. Fruity and sweet, but not too much. It was nice. I’d not really had much experience with alcohol, but this certainly tasted good!

Gov. Boan: “I wanted to thank you, Tank. You saved my life earlier today. Without you there, I… well, I wouldn’t be here.” He indicated to the chair he was sat in.

Gov. Boan: “So, from the bottom of my heart, you have my absolute, sincerest thanks.”

I didn’t really know what to say, but I smiled in reply while I thought of the right words.

Tank: “It’s not all that often that I get to do some good. And it’s even less often that I get to hear those words spoken to me, so, I thank you in return. I’m just glad that I could be there to help.”

Gov. Boan: “Why so? Your lack of do-gooding, I mean.”
I *hmmph*ed.

Tank: “Well, let’s just say that I have to do whatever my employer tells me to do. And what he tells me to do, isn’t always something good.”

Gov. Boan: “Oh?”

Tank: “Forgive me, sir. I’d rather not discuss it.” I told him as politely as I could, not wanting to incriminate myself by talking about my past jobs further.

Gov. Boan: “So, who do you work for? Are you not security?”
At that, I couldn’t help but allow myself a smile.

Tank: “No, sir. No, I’m not security.”

Gov. Boan: “Oh, I see. Do you work for the department at all?”

Tank: “No, sir. In fact, I’m not really employed at all. I work for information, not money.”

Gov. Boan: “I’m not sure I understand.”

Tank: “I do jobs for my employer and in return he tells me the information I need to know.”

Gov. Boan: “Sounds rather like blackmail to me. But, if you’re happy, then I suppose it’s your choice.” He replied. He took another sip of his wine and relaxed into his chair. “How old are you, Tank?”

Tank: “I’m 20, sir.”

Gov. Boan: “Only 20?!” he replied incredulously. “Your work has aged you!” he informed me before continuing, “Although I expect I look no better. How old would you say I am?”

Tank: “30?” I guessed.

Gov. Boan: “Mmm, see. 25.” He chuckled sadly and I couldn’t helped but be surprised at how close we were in age, and yet how far apart we were in our lives.

Gov. Boan: “Oh, to be 5 years younger.” He smirked and once again, I got a glimpse at why people liked him so much. He was charismatic and charming, truth be told. A genuinely nice person.

There was a soft knock on the open door behind me and I glanced over my shoulder to see who it was.

Gov. Boan: “Hey Riley. Come on in.” he acknowledged rather informally with a smile and his secretary, minus the big cloak she’d been wearing earlier in the day, walked in. She had long brown hair and was dressed in a smart white blouse and a tight black skirt. Without the big black cloak covering her up, she looked a lot younger, probably somewhere around Boan’s own age and I found myself trying very hard not to stare!

Riley: “Here are the court orders.” She told the Governor, placing a datapad on his desk.

Gov. Boan: “Thanks.” He replied, spinning it around and giving it a quick visual scan. “I’ll read it properly later. Now, Tank, this is Riley, my amazing secretary. Riley, this is Tank, the man who saved my life.” He introduced us to each other.

Tank: “Hi.” I greeted, mentally kicking myself for not saying something slightly more interesting. However, now that I had a better look at the high-kicking lady, I couldn't help but feel that she looked vaguely familiar.

Riley: “Hi.” She replied with a smile, but matching my tone. She turned back to Judas. “I’ll go and draw up tomorrow’s schedule.”

Gov. Boan: “Okay, thank you.”

And with a last polite smile to me, Riley left.

Gov. Boan: “Now, Tank, if you’ll allow it, I would greatly like to give you some kind of reward. It’s up to you what. Pick anything. Name it and it’s yours.” He announced, taking me by surprise.

Mr. Grey never even says ‘Thank you’ let alone giving me a reward!

Tank: “I…. I don’t know what to say…” I said, honestly.

Gov. Boan: “Whatever you want, Tank. You can have it. Where are you living? Let me know your address so I can have your reward sent straight to your home.”

Tank: “I… uh, I don’t really have a home.”
The Governor frowned, so I elaborated.

Tank: “I move around from here to there. I spend most of the time sleeping in my ship.”

Gov. Boan: “How can you not have a home? Surely you must want to simply go home at the end of a long day and relax with your feet up?”

Tank: “Ha! Relax? What’s that?” I joked.

The Governor shook his head and grabbed a different datapad.

Gov. Boan: “Right, that settles it. I shall arrange an apartment for you. Somewhere here on Qoter.”

My mouth literally dropped open and I couldn’t think of anything to say.

Gov. Boan: “It’ll be state-of-the-art and have everything you need so that you can move in straight away.”

Tank: “I… I…. Th…. Thank you!” I stammered, at last managing to say something.

Gov. Boan: “No, it’s the least I can do. You saved my life, after all. I’ll make sure it’s ready as soon as possible. Hopefully by tomorrow, if we can find somewhere suitable.”

Tank: “I… I don’t know what to say.”

Gov. Boan: “Say nothing. You deserve it.”

Tank: “I.. I’m…. thank you!”

Gov. Boan: “You’re more than welcome.” He smiled honestly. “It’s the least I can do for the man who saved my life.”

**BONUS PICTURES**

The little set for the room Tank was renting.

The set for the Governor's speech at the front of Town Hall.

As my series is going to be jumping around though time, I will include a date on each episode and add it to the timeline at the end of each episode so that you can follow it.

TIMELINE