S3, 11 Alberto (FB) (August 13, 2016)

Corresponding text underneath each picture.

**4th August 2096: Present Day**

I scratched my beard as I sat at my living room table, examining a read-out on my laptop screen. I currently had a detached robot head plugged into it and was downloading what it had left in its system memories.

I was looking into the random robot attacks that had been on the increase for some time now, but had still got nothing. Since Judas had asked me to look into both those and the power cuts, I’d not really had much of a chance to and when I *had* done research, I’d come up with no answers.

But ever since my visit to Franklin Morales’ home and all of the information that he had troubled me with – about him potentially being my real father and the possibility that I had a half-brother and that, essentially, my entire life had been a lie, I had needed to keep busy to keep my mind off of all of that. It didn’t bear thinking about and to be perfectly honest, I was afraid of the truth. I didn’t *want* to know whether what that piece of scrim had told me was true or not.

Well… I did, but I was scared of the answer not being what I wanted to hear. So I had just been trying to avoid it altogether and had kept my mind on other things. Currently, these droid attacks were the focus of my attention.

After not much luck, the other night a thought had occurred to me as I lay in bed, as they so often did and so the next day I had gone to see Judas and had asked what had happened to all of the scrap robots that had attacked the senate building last month. He sent me down to storage and I retrieved a box of parts to examine.

So now here I sat, scanning the readout from the head I currently had plugged in.

There was nothing incriminating though. No designation, no manufacturer, no… anything really. Just a mission statement – “Attack the senate building.”

I rested my elbow on the table and put my chin in my hand as I continued visually scanning the data readout. It’s was quite frustrating really. The lack of information to go on.

I chuckled to myself at that thought. The story of my life!

But then as I found the mission statement’s point of origin, something twigged in my mind. The point of origin stated ‘Qoter’ and I suddenly remembered a very similar scene from back in February, when Eris and Jay had come to me asking for help with another droid’s head. That one had been almost the same as this; Made from scrap parts, had had its systems very carefully planned out so that very little information remained and had originated on Qoter.

I hadn’t spoken to any of them since I’d been informed of Eris’s kidnapping and Presh’ and Kiara’s deaths. I hadn’t actually heard if they’d discovered any more about their own mystery droid. I wondered if it had turned out to be a very early attack related to the current ones.

I pulled out my comlink and typed in Jay’s number. It rang for quite a while but there was no answer. I tried another couple of times until, finally, he picked up.

Jay: “Hey, Tank.” He greeted, sounding stressed.

Tank: “Hey!” I replied with a frown. “Everything okay?”

Jay: “Uh… hopefully! Just a bit busy right now!”

Tank: “Um, alright then?” I responded, confused. “Well, hey, remember that robot head you brought to me to examine a few months back?”

Jay: “Yeah, what about it?”

Tank: “Did you ever find out where it came from or why?”

Jay: “No. Sorry. We did have a lead, but Eris being kidnapped kind of put a pause to our search.”

Tank: “Ah yeah. Fair enough! But, what was your lead? Because robot attacks on Qoter are getting out of hand now and I think the ones that attacked you guys might have been an early example of the current, random attacks.”

Jay: “We had a location for where lots of junk robots had been seen. Not much to go on but it might be worth investigating.”

Tank: “Yeah, it’s a start.”

There was some shouting from Jay’s end – it sounded like Ceasar and Jay glanced over his shoulder.

Jay: “Okay, I gotta go. We’re moving on a location.” He informed me.

Tank: “Oh okay. Anything I can help with?”

Jay: “Sorry, Tank, Not this time. Anyway, I’ll get in touch when we’re back and we can go check out that location.”

Tank: “Yeah, okay. Sounds good.” I confirmed. Jay nodded and was about to end the link before I stopped him.

Tank: “Hey, Jay! Good luck.”

Jay nodded again and flashed me a heartfelt smile.

Jay: “Cheers, mate.”

And with that, he ended the link.

**6th August 2096: Present Day**

A couple of days passed with no news from Jay or the others, which just added to my growing list of concerns. However, Riley had just the thing to take my mind off of them; She’d finally arranged for me to meet her Father.

When I’d suggested it I had only been joking, but Riley had taken it to heart and so now, here we were, walking up her father’s front path.

He lived in Antillio, here on Qoter, which surprised me. If her family was this wealthy, why on Earth was she a secretary? I mean, she was the secretary to the man who ran the planet, but still!

I also thought about the fact that they had originally, of course, lived in New York, back when Riley and I were kids, so I wondered if he had moved here at the same time Riley had. Of course, Riley still didn’t know that I was really Frank Foster and so I knew that I was going to have to be very careful when meeting her father. I expected I had met him at some point as a child, but couldn’t remember him.

We reached the front door and I took a deep breath.

Riley: “Ready?” she smirked, taking hold of my hand.

Tank: “Yup. As I’ll ever be.” I confirmed nervously and Riley rung the bell.

Less than a minute later, the door opened and a man in his early fifties appeared. Well dressed and with greased back ginger hair, he had a stern looking face, however he smiled warmly at us both. He did indeed look familiar – more so than I had expected him to in fact, which was curious.

Alberto: “Riley!” he greeted and they hugged.

Riley: “Hey, Dad.” She replied as they broke apart.

Alberto: “And so you must be the famous Mr. Rockwell, am I right?” I smiled at me, offering out his hand.

Tank: “Yes sir.” I confirmed, taking it and we shook. His grip was very strong and I knew that he was already establishing his dominance – silently threatening me.

Alberto: “It’s a pleasure to meet you at last. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Tank: “Thank you, sir. Likewise.”

Alberto: “Well, let’s not stand on ceremony! Come in, come in!”

I followed Riley and her father inside and they guided me through to the living room. Riley didn’t live with her father but, obviously, she knew where she was going.

As I looked around the hallways and the living room, it was clear that her father had a good amount of money! But as I thought about it, I realised that I should have known this already, seems how they used to hang out with my parents and their elite friends!

Alberto: “Please!” he indicated to a comfy looking armchair and I sat. Riley smirked at her father separating us as she sat on a nearby sofa.

Alberto: “Can I get you a drink?”

Tank: “Please.” I replied graciously.

Riley: “Thank you.” She smiled at her father who wandered over to a drinks cabinet against one wall.

Alberto: “So then, Chain. Tell me about yourself. Where are you from? What do you do for a living?” he asked as he poured the drinks.

Tank: “There’s not that much to tell, I’m afraid!” I replied, attempting to sound modest. Of course, there wasn’t much that I *could* say! There was no way that I could tell them about who I really was and that I was broken out of jail by a man I’ve still never met and now spend most of my time doing his dirty work!

Alberto: “Come now. Where were you born? Do you have a job?” he quizzed, handing me my glass.

Tank: “Well, I was born in Boston, Massachusetts.” I told him, using the same lie I had told Riley. “Unfortunately, both my parents were killed in a car crash when I was 15.” That part of my story I took from truth and simply twisted – my Grandparents on my father’s side were killed in a car crash. “After that I survived on my own and then when the Shift happened, I moved to Qoter. I don’t have a full time job but I work odd jobs when I can.” I elaborated, telling a story that I had very carefully planned. Of course, Riley knew that I worked for The Brain, but I didn’t want to tell her father that, so instead, made it sound more vague.

Alberto: “I see.” He replied, sitting on the other end of the sofa to Riley. “So how did you two meet? If you’re just an ‘odd jobs man’, how can you afford to live in Regentis?”

Riley: “We first met when he saved Judas’ life.” She explained, and her father turned to look at her.

Alberto: “Ah, yes. I remember seeing that on the news.”

Riley: “Yeah. After that, he and Judas became good friends and so I’d see Tank every time he came to the office. Then we started meeting up outside of my work and… well… here we are.” She explained and flashed a smile at me.

Alberto: “I see. But that still begs the question of how you can afford to live in the capital?” he queried, looking back to me.

Tank: “Uh, Judas helped me out with that one. He gave me an apartment when he heard I was living in my ship.”

Alberto: “So, you were homeless?”

Tank: “I was. But haven’t been for a while now.”

Mr. Rise ‘hmmed’, concerned.

Alberto: “Because the Governor gave you a place to stay?”

Tank: “Yes sir.”

He tried to hide his feelings about my accepting charity from the Governor but failed, however, I decided not to pick him up on it, as I was already lying to him so much! Moving the conversation along, I decided to ask some questions of my own.

Tank: “So, what is it that you do, sir?”

Alberto: “Please, call me Alberto. No need to be so formal.” He smiled. “I run a financial company. Specialising in Business Relations.” He explained and I nodded in understanding.

Tank: “I see. My father was involved in finance too. He ran an Insurance company.” This part was true, but I saw no danger in telling it.

As I told Alberto this, it occurred to me that both he and my father had probably worked together at times. If they knew each other well then they may have been collaborators.

Suddenly, thinking about my parents, I realised why Alberto looked so familiar! He was in the ripped photograph! He was the one stood between my parents! The one person neither Uncle Barnaby nor Mr. West had been able to remember the name of!

Now that I knew he was one of ‘the regulars’, I was dying to ask him more about my parents, to find out what they were like and to see if he could remember anything about the people missing from the photo. Thanks to Adrian West, I knew the names of everybody *in* the picture, so I was now just searching for people in the missing section. The slime bag, Franklin Morales, had told me a guy named Christian Walker was there that day, but other than that I had nothing to go on.

I desperately wanted to ask Alberto if he knew anything about their deaths, or even if he knew anything about Zeth Stripe, the man who had killed them, but I couldn’t, not with Riley here. I couldn’t put her in danger. If she knew who I really was, I wouldn’t be able to protect her from the authorities coming after me. Secondly, she would never forgive me for lying to her!

So instead, I just sat in silence while Alberto spoke with his daughter. I wasn’t listening. My mind was too busy thinking about how many questions I would ask him if I could. It did of course mean that I had one less person to hunt down from the picture. I could tell Tracks to stop trying to find out who he was or where he lived!

I was annoyed that I had one less possible lead, but I still had Rosmarie Addison left to locate. She was the last person in the photograph whom I needed to speak to, to see if she knew anything at all about their murders or about Stripe.

I was suddenly snapped out of my daydream as the lights went out. It was only just before six pm, so it was still light outside, but the sun was around the other side of the house to this room’s window and so it was now rather gloomy. We all frowned and Alberto made his way over to the TV and tried to turn it on. – Nothing.

Tank: “Looks like the power’s gone out again.”

Alberto: “Indeed. It’s been happening more and more frequently.”

Tank: “Yeah. I still haven’t been able to find the cause though.”

Alberto frowned but before I could explain, Riley elaborated for me.

Riley: “Judas asked Tank to look into it for him. Tank has a habit of being able to find out information that others can’t.” she told him and then smirked at me.

Tank: “Well, when you put it like that…” I jokingly responded.

Alberto: “I see…”

But before he could continue, the lamp ‘ping’ed back on as power was restored.

Alberto: “How strange. Well, I suggest we go and have dinner before we have no power to cook with! I believe Zara said dinner would be ready at 6, so we’re just on time.”

Tank: “Zara?” I questioned, hearing the name for the first time.

Alberto: “The cook.” He replied. “This way.”

As it turned out, Zara was a great cook! We had some type of spicy fish dish, which apparently originated on Soateria, followed by a nice roast, although I wasn’t entirely sure what sort of meat it was. It certainly wasn’t from Earth though!

We were currently in a lull between courses and Riley was telling her farther all about what Judas had her working on presently.

Riley: “… but those won’t be ready for at least another two weeks. But the problem is, the Governor of Soateria needs them by next Wednesday, which is proving an issue.”

She carried on talking, telling us all about her work projects, but I couldn’t help noticing that her farther didn’t look the slightest bit interested. I remembered Riley saying that she didn’t get on all that well with her farther and that he was pushy and forced her to do things she didn’t want to. What those were, I didn’t know, but watching the two of them now, I couldn’t help but wonder if this was all a show from Riley. If she was just putting on a ‘happy’ act for me, to make it seem like they got on?

Riley: “The thing is, if the Ley’fs case falls through, then we won’t be able to get the…”

Alberto: “So, Tank, tell me, are you working on anything at the moment? You said you were an ‘odd jobs man’. Do you have anything lines up?” he interjected and I got rather annoyed that he’d simply cut across Riley while she’d been talking.

Tank: “Um, I have a few odds and ends, but nothing much to be honest.” I replied, trying to keep the annoyance at Alberto out of my voice.

Alberto: “I see.”

Just then, another man, wearing a suit and an earpiece entered the doorway. He had servants too?!

Man: “Sir.” He greeted and Alberto turned to face him. “There’s a call waiting for you, sir.”

Alberto: “Tell them I’m busy.”

Man: “It’s in your upstairs office, sir. You’ll want to take this one.”

Alberto sighed and stood up.

Alberto: “I do apologise. Work calls.” He flashed a smile at me. “It has been a pleasure to meet you at last, Mr. Rockwell. I do hope we’ll get to meet again.” He said, moving around the table and shaking my hand.

Tank: “Likewise.” I replied with a smile and a nod.

Alberto: “Please, feel free to stay as long as you like. I’m sure Cat can keep you company.” He said, nodding to Riley and I frowned. Cat? “Sweety, I’ll see you soon.” He said with half a smile and Riley sent one back, but again, the emotion didn’t reach her eyes.

Alberto and the servant left the room, just as Zara entered with our dessert.

Tank: “Cat?” I queried as a plate of gooey looking cake was placed in front of each of us. Riley quickly informed the chef that her farther wouldn’t be returning for his, before replying to me.

Riley: “Just a nickname he’s always given me. I used to take ballet as a child, and when I did my stretches, mum used to say I looked like a cat.”

Tank: “You never talk about your mum.” I noticed aloud and Riley suddenly took great interest in her cake.

I watched her silently for quite a few seconds as she toyed with her food. I didn’t want to push the subject, but I was curious. However, before I had the chance to say anything else, Riley spoke up, staring straight at her plate.

Riley: “She died when I was quite young.” She explained. “Cancer.”

Tank: “I’m sorry.”

Riley: “Dad raised me on his own after her passing, but I know it was hard on him. For as long as I can remember, he’s been absorbed by his work. Growing up, he was…. Distant. My Nanny practically brought me up. Dad just carted me along to his social events to show me off. His *perfect* daughter.” She opened up, still mushing up her cake with her fork absent-mindedly.

Tank: “I… I know how this will sound, but trust me, I know how you feel. I honestly do. Before they died, my parents went to a lot of social events too. They were… popular people.” I explained, picking what I said very carefully. “I always got dragged along so that there would be a talking point. I remember them being so boring. The events, that is – not my parents!” I added, jokingly, trying to lighten the mood.

Riley smirked slightly, involuntarily.

Riley: “I’m sorry.” She began. “Being all gloom and doom and bringing up the past. I forgot what you said earlier about your own parents. I’m so sorry.”

Tank: “Hey, it’s all good.” I smiled warmly, reassuring her. “Yeah, I miss them, but I’ve learned how to live my life without them. I adapted and I know that they would be proud of me.”

‘And I swear that I *will* find out why they were killed.’ I added silently to myself. ‘When I get my hands on Stripe, he will pay.’

As I thought that, I couldn’t help but also feel a surge of anger at Franklin Morales for putting the doubts into my mind as to whether or not he was my real dad. I knew that no matter the answer, the man I’d always believed to be my dad would be just that – my dad. There was no way that I would ever accept Morales as my father – whether he was, biologically or not.

In fact, the more I thought about it, I decided that I would look into DNA tests and prove, if only to myself, that Morales *wasn’t* my father. That he was lying.

He *had* to be lying…

Riley smiled and slipped a forkful of cake into her mouth without taking her eyes off of me.

Riley: “I’m sure they would.” She confirmed. “Mmm, this is really good!” she chirped, looking down at her plate. “Wow!”

I grinned, glad that she had cheered up and tried some of my own.

Tank: “Wow!” I concurred. “Yeah, it is!”

**Elsewhere…**

Darkblade’s Voice from Comlink: “…and that deal from the 10th of August seems like a pretty good place to start.”

Man: “Yes, I intended on following that one up. As well as the two from July ’78 and the joint Swiss deal from April ’85.”

Darkblade: “Good. Are those the only possibilities at the moment?”

Man: “I’m afraid so, but the joint Swiss deal will be easy to follow up on – the other party is actually one of my informants, so I will get them in for a… ‘chat’.

Darkblade: “What about Frank Foster’s datapad? The one from his time on Iapra. Have you had any luck unlocking it yet?”

Man: “No, not yet. I don’t know what he did to it, but the kid was good with technology. It’s locked well – some sort of encryption.”

Darkblade: “Break it.”

Man: “You think I’m not trying?”

Darkblade: “Try harder.” He threatened. “You have time, for now, but when I need – you’d better have the information ready. I want the Foster’s legacy hanging in tatters when I take down their son. Frank will have *nothing* left.

Alberto Rinse: “You have my word. Their family name will bring nothing but disgust. Their dirty little secrets – the truth about their wealth – it will all be on show for the galaxy to see.”

**BONUS PICTURES**

The front of Alberto's home.

An alternative image of Tank and Riley going inside.

A birds-eye view of the study set.

The set for the dining room with the grounds outside.

And, lastly, another look at the dining room.

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