The Mouse
By Jewels

The best word for the state the embassy was in was perhaps restrained chaos. Volunteers searched through corridors and rooms, looking for their quarry. Liam Kincaid finished directing a pair of Volunteers down a side corridor in time to answer his global as it started buzzing for his attention. "Kincaid."

"Sir," the Volunteer on the screen said, looking chagrined. "It isn't on levels two or three. We're moving up to four."

Liam nodded, thinking. "Leave some of your squad on two and three to catch it if the intruder backtracks."

"Yes, sir."

Liam closed the global and continued through the Embassy, escorted by a pair of Volunteers, who doubled checked everywhere he did. They weren't sure where the intruder might turn up.

He had just finished checking an office with his two assistant when the sound of footsteps coming down the corridor caused him to turn towards the doorway.

"Sir!" A slightly breathless Volunteer stuck his head around the entrance to the room. "We caught sight of the intruder, chased it down a corridor... sir..."

"What is it?" Liam demanded sharply.

The Volunteer swallowed convulsively. "Sir... it went into Da'an's chamber."

Liam took a deep breath. Oh he was going to have a hard time explaining this to Da'an... if Da'an found out...

Liam stepped down the corridor, past the Volunteers who were waiting in the doorway to apprehend their intruder if it got past Liam and tried to make a break for it. He headed inside and froze. "Da'an."

The Taelon regarded him with amusement. "Liam."

Liam just stood there for a moment, trying to think of something to say. Then Da'an took a few steps forward and pointedly looked at the large group of Volunteers standing just out of direct sight of someone sitting in the centre of the chamber and then turned the Liam. "Is there a problem?"

Liam blinked. Da'an was there. Ok, no problem. He just had to talk his way out of it. "Ah... Da'an... have you seen anything... unusual come in here?"

"Apart from frantic looking but fortunately unarmed Volunteers waiting in my doorway?" Da'an asked.

"I'll assume that was a rhetorical question." Liam muttered.

"Would it have anything to do with this?" Da'an enquired politely, extending his cupped hands. Nestled inside, the escaped laboratory mouse sat sanguinely cleaning its whiskers. Liam coughed self-consciously.

"Maybe."

The mouse finished its grooming, and took to nibbling on the cuff of Da'an's jumpsuit, either ignorant, or uncaring of the durability of the Taelon material.

"And you saw fit to draft an entire squad of Volunteers to search the embassy for it?" Da'an continued, tilting his head.

"They were off-duty." Liam said, slightly defensively. "When they heard that there was a mouse on the loose they... volunteered." He glanced aside. "We don't even know how it got into the Embassy."

"Considering its size and limited intelligence," commented Da'an, "I have to wonder how secure the Embassy's security is."

Liam took the hint. "I'll revise the security protocols."

Da'an nodded. "It may be wise."

Liam's global chirped, and he turned slightly away from Da'an as he answered it. Da'an dimly heard the person on the other end talking to Liam about security of some sort. He ignored it, taking the opportunity to give the mouse a little scratch on top of its head. It closed its eyes briefly, before returning to its nibbling.

"I'll be right there." Liam told him, closing the global, his gaze alternated between the door and the mouse, still deligently trying to chew Da'an's jumpsuit apart. Whether it was having any effect was hard to tell.

"I will take care of the rodent, Liam." Da'an assured him, and Liam, reluctantly, left the room, forcing his way past the Volunteers who were no milling around outside in the corridor rather aimlessly.

Da'am regarded the little mouse curiously. "I wonder what Zo'or would make of you." he mused.

If it had been Human, Da'an would have thought the emotion in the little mouse's eyes would have resembled dread.

-End