I opened the door to my office to find Director Swanson seated in the guest chair, facing the door, and us. Her carefully composed face took the appearance of Trixie in stride. She was silent as we entered, but once the door was closed behind us, she rose. "Pleasure to see you all this morning." Her eyes were on Trixie. "We haven't met. I am Director Swanson."
Trixie looked mildly confused, but focused on her showmanship. "A pleasure to meet you, but the pleasure is truly yours, to meet the Great and Powerful Trixie." A handful of sparkling glitter exploded upwards at the announcement, and I felt a little bad for the janitor that would have to clean it up.
I decided to try to disarm any misgivings, "Trixie came looking for Starlight. She's not here to make trouble, promise."
Starlight had a less forgiving expression, brow arched. "You don't look surprised to see her."
Swanson stepped aside and gestured for the chair as if Starlight or Trixie might want it. "I had hoped to bring Miss Frohein onboard directly, but that failure doesn't make her any less of a matter of interest."
Trixie accepted the seat, plopping herself down and holding out a hand towards me. Right. I dug out my phone and placed it in the waiting hand. She giggled with her loot and began tapping away, seemingly oblivious to the tension in the room.
The way Swanson had said that... "I'm being watched."
"That you are. Cleared or not, you are the one with the information. As a loyal American, we trust you'll share it with the proper authorities?"
Free information? Basically not a thing. "We have an agreement already in place. I haven't received my payment" Swanson wasn't nearly interesting or adorable enough to pay for information with her presence.
"I feared as much." She crossed her arms. "You do realize, witholding information is another potential concern..." She suddenly waved it away. "Let's not play the posture game. We're both professionals. Here." She gave an underhanded toss of a flash drive.
I caught it, but didn't move to do anything with it right away. Smart people didn't shove strange flash drives into their computer as a first instinct. "And this is?"
"A revised contract. You'll be coming aboard as an outside informant." Her eyes darted to Starlight and Trixie. "Ideally these two as well. It will come with a working visa, so you'll stop breaking the law and start being documented."
Starlight rolled a hand in the air as she set the other on her hip. "So we're still getting paid, right?"
"Of course," assured Swanson easily. "It would be a crime to assume you'll work for free." She leaned forward towards Starlight. "It would seem the method used to gain access to America works reliably." Her eyes darted to the occupied Trixie before returning to Starlight. "Does it work in reverse?"
She was implacable, though I couldn't fault her, not really. She was doing her job. Trixie proved to be the one with the answer, even if her face never left my phone. "That's an answer you'll get after we've reviewed that contract."
Starlight flashed a bright smile. "That's the truth of it. We're sorry for our unconventional methods. We're not trying to cause trouble."
Swanson wiggled a few fingers at me. "Kindly do so quickly. I have a project pending that I want you present for, today if we can swing it."
She sounded impatient, and I didn't like impatient government workers. It was a good part of my job to make sure that never happened. I slipped in the drive and there were two files awaiting review within. One for me, and one for non-nationals, AKA Starlight and Trixie. I got right to reviewing.
While I worked, Starlight looked Swanson over. "So... You're like a Royal Guard, right?"
Swanson gave a little restrained laugh at that. "I've never heard it put that way. I'd think the military fits that title better, if any. America doesn't have royalty. No kings in this land."
Trixie asked without looking up, "What about princesses?"
"None of those, either," agreed Swanson, sounding amused. "We are a republic."
Discussion flowed naturally to what a republic specifically meant, but I tuned into the contract. It seemed clear. It had clauses calling for secrecy, to no surprise in general. Non-disclosures everywhere.
One part jumped out at me. "What's this about 'recovery of foreign nationals'?"
Swanson aborted the conversation she was in. "To put it simply, you are not to attempt the removal of any foreign citizen in our care without our direct permission. There are due processes to be obeyed." Her eyes darted to Trixie. "So we'll follow the rules. If you determine a way to return them to their native country, we can then investigate ways to do that properly. Until then, they are not to be moved."
A vision of the foal that had been shared with me came to mind. Swanson didn't want us grabbing one of those little ponies and dashing off with them. That seemed... fair. "I trust that doesn't include Starlight and Trixie?"
"If they sign on, they'll be properly documented and not subject to these clauses, being legally present and permitted to move as they please. Did you see anything else you had questions about?"
Trixie set down my phone. "And if we don't agree?"
Swawnson let out a soft sigh. "I'm trying to avoid threats, but I can't think of a way to say this that won't come across as one. If you don't become part of the project, you become a subject of it instead. You are a foreign national, undocumented, with no reasonable way to deport you, with the ability to cause mass panic with your presence. We would have to secure you."
Her eyes moved to me. "And don't think we've forgotten your situation. You're in a delicate position, one that could change two worlds at once. That sounds dramatic, but you're the only direct point of contact the entire country has with a new foreign one. I feel I should point out that this is not a secret just I hold. Your file has been making the rounds internally."
There was absolutely no way that was a good thing. Even if I shook off Swanson, there would be others behind her. My life was basically over. Not in that dramatic death sort of way, but the life I knew was gone, replaced by another. Welcome to being an adult. I signed on with Swanson, or invited greater examination and possible reprisals from her and others. As part of the project, I would have a place in the machine, and would likely be left alone.
That was a lousy choice. While I grappled with it, Trixie had resumed playing a game. Starlight was chatting with Swanson. Listening to the two was fascinating, just from the tones of their voices. The two were verbally sparring for information, perhaps a little dominance? I couldn't be sure, but most of my attention was on making sure the contracts were as clean as I could hope for.
That reminded me of something. As I swept back and forth over the document, reading obsessively and checking and cross-checking, I asked, "What about Kevin?"
"I should think you know." She crossed her arms before they went to her sides. "He'll be your contact, presuming you're onboard."
Oh... That was priceless. "He's my superior?"
"In this project, yes. He has clearance, you do not. I trust this won't cause issues?"
Starlight got the humor of it as well and burst into the laughter I was having internally. "This will be good for him, or at least see if he can handle it without it going to his head." She clapped Swanson on the shoulder. "We'll be good for him."
Swanson gave a mildly forced-looking smile. "See that you do. He may have to make decisions you do not immediately agree with, but if you trust him, and us, please follow directions."
That didn't sound shady at all... Of course, it both was and was not. We were jumping into the deep end of red tape heaven, or hell. "How fast do you need this completed?"
"Now would be ideal. I've already secured permission to take you all off-site to where it starts."
No pressure. I waved Starlight and Trixie over, and soon our signatures graced all the proper lines. The files were printed out and emailed and that was that. We were government employees. A position considered enviable at one point, but that point had receded into the past.
Swanson looked genuinely pleased. "Welcome to the project. I'll get the paperwork mill running on getting your visas mailed to you, in the meanwhile..." She fished out two little booklets, handing one to either of them. "These are temporary passports, properly stamped. They are your identification and should be used as such any time you are requested to provide them."
Even Trixie found that odd. "Why do you have one for Trixie? She just got here."
"You're an interest," repeated Swanson. "Your arrival was already known." She flipped open one of the little books. It looked a bit bare as passports went. "Yours does not have a photo, we need to remedy that immediately, but other than that, it is legally valid."
Starlight crossed her arms. "So how long have you been spying on Linda?"
The room became quiet a moment. "As soon as the warrant went through," confessed Swanson. "It wasn't an ambiguous case."
I imagined it wasn't. Permission to spy on literal aliens? What court would say no? "That's enough about that." I pushed away from my desk and rose to my feet. "Let's get going."
Swanson nodded as she moved for the door. "First, that photograph, then, we introduce you to the project properly. Kevin will be there. He's already enjoying the tour."
Trixie passed my phone back to me as she joined the departing line. "Trixie has not had a job, not like this. She usually works for herself. This is a new experience, but she will rise to it in an Astounding way."
Starlight gave a brief little chuckle as we left. "Can't say I've had much experience either, but this isn't a normal kind of job."
The secretary gave a friendly wave as we went past. "Good luck," she almost sang out. I hoped she never became jaded.
As it turned, Trixie ate up modern photography technology. Once she understood what was going on, she worked that camera eagerly and was sad when the photographer insisted he had plenty of shots to work with. "But she was just getting started. You haven't captured half her amazing sides!"
Starlight ribbed her friend lightly. "All your sides are amazing sides."
"Trixie cannot argue this." She gave a helpless shrug. "It's a curse, but one she bears with dignity."