Chapter 4: Chapter 4: The Broke Enforcer

  Robert is not so smart with money. The bonus he got from the case was used to buy computer parts. The thing is that although he likes watching Tom and Jerry play around or laze around watching a documentary channel.

He could have improved the state of his apartment. Fill his fridge with food and drinks that’ll make him live well. But unfortunately he finds it disturbing. It’s like a missing part of him. His soul won’t have it if he didn’t have his personal computer.

He bought the casing first. It’s an odd casing with a three and half inch bay at the top next to the power button. Below are five and a quarter inch bays with the reset button next to it.

The City of Saint Lucius is one of the crossroads of the world. Products are circulating here and are always available. He didn’t have hopes at first, but he found a P2L97 slot 1 board with a 430tx shuttle chipset and a Pentium II 300MHz processor. He also bought 3 x 128-Pin 64MB dimms memory. And found a voodoo rush video card and a ESS1868F ISA sound card as bargain.

He also bought a CRT monitor and a speaker for his personal computer. The rest of the accessories he just procured from the headquarters. He placed the computer set into his bedroom to keep it away from unworthy eyes.

He has been browsing this world's internet.

But the year and era however made browsing the internet hell. The 56Kbps dial-up speed is doing more damage to his souls than whatever hell he saw in the sewer system below the city.

He might be broke and financially crippled for the next few weeks. But Robert had no regrets building it. Although it is smarter to wait out and get something newer later. He can excuse himself by telling himself that he’s still young.

He’s seven years younger here so he thought of using this line of thought to justify his purchase.

Most of the time he is researching indexed sites. The 95’ Operating System of his computer came with IDE’s pre-installed. Though he has to burn them into CD’s if he wants to use the programs he made to other computers.

Since the tools are available. He couldn’t help but create a read and write system that allows the program to enter the data in his excel spreadsheet without relying too much on his personal input. It was a read and write system that automated some of his work.

He used the SWING toolkit following an MVC pattern to create such this small system. Though it’s not fully automated since he still needs to fill up the forms generated by the system.

The SWING toolkit was the easiest to use since it had two-hundred fifty classes and eighty interfaces in its libraries. He did have to adjust to it being automated and the documentation not being overly simplified so that even dumbasses like him could understand how to make x and y work together. It’s the reason why in the last few days he was free to read up information and test out retro games made in this era.

One thing that he found interesting is that IRC networks were established earlier here in this world. He already found IRC networks established that he had indexed and bookmarked. The Commission itself seems fond of the IRC network and has been implementing the system on those who could access it to have secure lines.

Though they are not reliant on it since it’s early technology. Not to mention the people in the Commission are using instant messaging software that is publicly available more than they are using IRC. Not that he’d use it other than wanting to be extra careful. Most of the time he just texts Roger or Simone about their activities.

He feels odd using AIM in the Commission's office. The GUI hurts his eyes.

Roger, who went to Algeria, barely escaped with his life after armed guerillas started firing on the civilians in the hamlet he was visiting.. Many are dead after the attack. The massacre’s labeled to be political while Roger believes that it’s part of something else. He had no proof so he dropped his suspicions and returned to Saint Lucius City to make a full report of what had happened during his time in  that village in Algeria.

As for Simone Wyllt he held no interest in contacting Robert other than occasionally telling Robert that he is still in his apartment doing his own training. Robert honestly couldn't give a single shit what he was doing so he left him mostly alone. He wasn’t truly obligated to check on him unless the Wunderkind wants help.

The Lieutenant only said to check after him because he looks like a nosy guy who gets involved in some other people’s business and is obsess with practicing magic. He doubts that he’d be called by a guy like that unless he really is in a pickle. Besides, there isn't a contractually binding reason for him to watch the back of that Wunderkind. He shoots people and takes care of anomalies. He isn’t working for the Commission to take care of prodigies and wipe their asses for them.

Besides, prodigies like Simone are people that need to learn responsibility on their own.

Then again who is Robert to talk about responsibility when he just spent most of his salary and bonus to make such a purchase?

Is there any deeper reason for the Lieutenant to do that? Robert doubts that there is. He just probably wants someone to check on him. If anything he can praise the Lieutenant for his understanding of how these geniuses work and how it'd hurt their ego if you try to baby them.

Robert has been spending his time in his home watching documentaries and playing with his newly built computer. If anything, he is thankful that there isn’t always a bunch of psychopaths who are eager to sacrifice hundreds of people to do some fuckup ritual. The last few days have been enough for him to fully merge himself into being Robert Oswald.

His phone rang. He pull his flip phone out and reads the message:

“All Enforcers are to gather in headquarters for an urgent briefing.”

He stares at the text message. Sighs and quits playing quake. Turning his computer off. Bathing, dressing up, and arming himself with his pistols. Robert checks his apartment for one last time before heading downstairs and hailing a cab to take him to headquarters.

They gather in the conference room where most of the Enforcers have gathered. Robert stands on the side. The seats are taken. There’s about twenty-five enforcers in the conference room.

Lieutenant Richardson enters the room. He raises a hand to silence the Enforcers. He has a presence that commands them to shut up and listen.

“Most can’t come. That’s fine. We’ll share the details later to them. Got a problem. Remember the OTS members in Switzerland? Yeah, now they moved in and our host country is asking us to watch their movements.”

The projector shows a picture of the cult that has moved in. Robert has read about these guys and yet none of those pictures and documentaries made them look so dangerous.

The Order of the Solar Temple. The picture shows them armed to the teeth and wearing business suits wearing their templar symbolism proudly as necklaces. There is something eerie about them in this world. They are unlike the ones in his world where they were nothing more than delusional individuals who did murders and mass suicides.

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Robert takes the document handed to them. He takes a look at his printed copy.

“What you see right now is the structure of the Solar Temple. We’ve severely underestimated the Temple. Their structure is much more rigid and well-organized.”

The projector changes to a picture of a middle-aged man and what seemed to be an elderly man. The middle-aged man is holding the elderly man with respect.

The middle-aged man has a templar’s necklace around his neck.

“This is Michel Angelo and the Leader of the Cosa Nostra. It seems that recently Michel has made an allegiance with the Cosa Nostra and now is freely operating in the Old Country and has opened a route in Switzerland.”

Lt. Richardson taps the table.

“You may ask why we are involving ourselves with the underworld and many of you are familiar with the inner workings. We’ve made Pacts, concessions, and compromises all over the years. We will not involve ourselves with the business of the Mafia unless there is a need to involve ourselves.

“However these recent developments suggests that they are peddling slaves in the Trans-Saharan route are importing them in various channels. A British Consul currently stationed in the Italian Libyan Colony has informed us that there is a massive trade and we found that most of these slaves are being sold in bulk through containers and are transported secretly through the Strait of Gibraltar.”

The whole room turns to another page.

“We also suspect that there is a form of bribery within the Suez Canal, allowing these massive transits of slaves to enter the Mediterranean Sea. How they are able to do this. We still have no idea. However, we suspect that they are using other methods to draw the perception of people around them.”

The whole room became silent. Lt. Richardson looks everyone in the eye as if refocusing everything that they stand for. The purpose of the Commission and what they are fighting.

“We do not interfere with this trade. However, what we want to know is what they are doing to these slaves. How are they connected to what happened here in Saint Lucius?”

The projector shows a picture of the blessed and the scorned. Robert can identify the pictures because one of them has been taken by him personally.

The one in the pictures he took. The symbols on their bodies are similar to the pictures of the slaves being taken here. The marks, the curvature, and the lines are so similar that Robert wonders what’s the purpose of this.

Robert has seen these things all the time. He has disassociated himself with it. And yet there is this part of him that this shouldn’t be. Humans are not born evil. They can be wild and rude. But never truly so evil that they would do this to people who they recognize as humans as them.

It’s the environment and the people around them that turns even the kindest men into a fool who hates the color of others.

Lt. Richardson diverts the attention of the Enforcers to their problem. A connection is made because of the same markings that they found below the City of Saint Lucius.

“It is our duty to find these people. These monsters who have violated the Nonmagi Pact against the common people. I want every Enforcer here to find a clue. You will receive your assignments. We suspect that this is only happening in Europa and has not reached the other continents yet. We’d like to keep it that way. Further details shall be included in your copies. Dismiss. Enforcer Oswald, please remain.”

Robert unfolds his arms and is about to leave when the Lieutenant calls him. Robert approaches Lieutenant Richardson with slow steps.

“This is your copy. As much as I like to send you to Switzerland. I’m hoping to make use of your talents to find the people that have recently made their home in our city.”

“So they were only a minor group in the sewers?”

“I’m afraid so. They have managed to infest our city. Our Enforcers are spread thin and I’d like you to work personally in finding these people.”

“What are my orders?”

“Capture and Kill. Contact our informant around the area. You will be acquainted with William Wilson. He’s an Interpol Agent who has been tasked to cooperate with us in the matters of Occult.”

The Lieutenant hands over the documents. Robert checks the documents and frowns. He keeps it in his messenger bag.

“Mr. Oswald. This will be your first official task as a high-grade Enforcer. You have made a great impression upon us and the Commission. I hope that your competence upon handling this task remains the same way you handled the Cultists in the sewer system.”

Robert did not reply to that. He nods his head quietly and leaves the room while making a mental note of the first district that he has to meet this William Wilson

“Trade Plaza, huh.”

Robert opens his wallet outside of the headquarters.

Finding it empty and without a single cent.

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