The Tartarus incident by Greenleaf William

Author:Greenleaf, William
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-11-08T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Graywand's operations library was a small fourth-level room situated almost as an afterthought between the main recreation lounge and the officers’ mess. It had few visitors. The operations personnel who made use of its records did so via terminal access at their own posts. The library was sparsely furnished with a half dozen viewscreens arranged along one stark gray wall, a large file cabinet with indexed drawers built into the opposite, equally unadorned wall, and a cluttered woodtone desk behind which sat a gaunt, hard-eyed librarian who was not about to let the junior clerk from CommSec use one of her screens without the proper authorization.

“You’ll need Mr. Spick’s approval on the prescribed form before you can see the files,” she repeated curtly. “There are no exceptions.”

“I’m sure the information I want isn’t classified.”

“Everything is classified, young man,” she retorted. “The question is merely one of degree. If you were entitled to general library access, you would undoubtedly possess your own terminal and authorization codes. The fact that you have neither indicates to me that you are not entitled to general access.”

“I’m in CommSec. That gives me four-zero clearance.”

“Good. You should have no problem securing access authorization from Mr. Spick. If you’ll excuse me, I’m behind as it is.” She returned to her papers.

It had not occurred to Lars that he might have trouble getting into the library’s file on Sierra. The post was a well-established commercial enterprise; there was nothing secret about it. “I’m sorry to be a bother,” he persisted, “but you see, I—

“No,” she snapped, scribbling furiously, her head down.

Lars knew that Raymond Spick would never give his approval once he found out why Lars wanted the Sierra file. The CommSec Director had made quite clear his insistence that no department outside CommSec be brought into the picture.

“Ma’am?”

The librarian’s head snapped up. She slammed her pencil down and leaned back in her chair, glaring up at Lars. “You are persistent, Mr. Clemens. That is ordinarily a trait I admire. But you do not listen very well. I will try to speak clearly this time: Until Mr. Spick gives his permission, you will not be allowed to view the Sierra file, or any other file in my library. I cannot make myself more explicit than that.”

“I understand, ma’am. It was wrong of me to think you would overlook such an important regulation. If you have one of the authorization forms, I’ll take it to Mr. Spick now for his signature.”

“This is a library, not a supply room,” she informed him acidly. “I do not dispense authorization forms. Now, if you will excuse me.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Lars said apologetically. Then: “What form was that?”

“Twenty-nine sixty-six,” she spat out, reaching the end of her patience. ‘Wow, if you’ll—”

“Thank you, ma’am.”

Five minutes later Lars was in the eighth-level supply cubby.

“How’re you doin’, Lars?”

“Fine, Herman. Listen, I’m in a big hurry. Spick’s after my tail. You got some twenty-nine sixty-six in stock?”

Herman Griffin pursed his thick lips, searching through his mental catalog. Herman was manager of Graywand's office services department.

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