e-book - Rolf Witzsche

12
Chapter 1: Boris Mikheyev
love it. While eating his pie, he suddenly felt himself nudged from
behind.
"Hey, comrade Mikheyev," a voice said.
He turned.
"Alexei, the king of the games! What a surprise! But isn't
Kiev a bit out of your way? Aren't there more direct flights from
Minsk? You're going to the base, aren't you?"
Alexei nodded. "I'm here because my flight out of Minsk was
over-booked. I was in Moscow last week."
"In Moscow!"
"That's right! I was ordered to testify before the military
security commission. That's Chernyakov's department!"
"My God! Not before Chernyakov himself?"
Alexei nodded and smiled.
"You mean you actually met the man?"
"He was interested to find out how closely the 'incident' had
been kept secret. He never actually referred to it as an accident, or
as a practice-launch, just like the commissar. He had referred to it
as 'the incident.' Does that tell you anything?"
Boris shook his head.
"How long were you in Moscow?"
"My session had lasted for four days. I had come down with
an Air Force cargo plane. You know, the commissar was also kind
enough to give me four extra days for a visit home."
"Well, I'm certainly pleased to see you," Boris replied through
a mouthful of pie. "If I hadn't been on leave myself, I would have
missed playing games with you, or should I say, loosing games to
you? How is Naya?"
"Oh, Naya is fine, she was happy to see me."
"By the way, did you tell Chernyakov what we thought about
the new safety procedures. Did you tell them that they've got it all
wrong?"
Alexei nodded again and grinned; "I did, Boris."
"Well...?"
"No! Not here, Boris. It's too crowded to talk..."
Boris pointed to the half-eaten pie. "...Want some?"
Alexei declined. Still he helped himself to Boris' coffee.
"Oh You! ...Ah, never mind," he mumbled to himself while
Alexei burst out laughing.
"Mamushka, another coffee please for my friend," he shouted
across the half-filled room. The older waitress smiled and obliged
him.
"Did they like our idea?" Boris asked again.
"Yes, and No. That's all I can tell you here. I also met
Sasha there, the fellow who always beats me playing the FT13 game
over the Internet. I should have realized that he works for the se-