INTERVENTION by DENNIS MILLER

something you would like to tell me Commander?” 
       This completely threw Rachmel and she had to gather her wits quickly. “Perhaps it would be more appropriate for you to tell me something about myself, Agent Andretta.” 
       The Agent smiled and this time it seemed genuine. “Touché Commander; please forgive my old habits, but you didn’t come here to discuss sleep.” 
       Rachmel leaned forward onto the desk. “No, you’re quite right. We shall approach the wormhole in a little over two weeks time and I would feel more comfortable about the safety of this mission and my crew if I knew who these persons were that you have under surveillance. I would like to be sure that they are the first to go into Biohibernation status; after all, that is when we are at our most vulnerable, do you not agree?”
       “Yes, Commander, I do agree; however, my earlier response still holds true, in that I am the only one on board who is trained to do this kind of work and with due respect to everyone else on this mission they are trained for other specific tasks and would be noticed very quickly at any attempt of surveillance, yourself included.
    “ These people have been living amongst us for two hundred years and have become extremely adept at life as human chameleons; and there should be no cause for concern about the hibernation process; that is why I have been chosen for this mission.” 
       Rachmel knew she was right of course, but it still seemed ironic that someone who was so loathed by her crewmates was in fact here to protect those same people.  However, she still had the problem of Miles; she couldn’t afford to have her Leading Engineer going off the rails, or to find that he was one of the observed.
       “Very well” she said, “And now I’d like to ask you why my Leading engineer left your quarters in such a distressed state immediately before I arrived. I have known him for many years and he is not the kind of hot headed fool who would put his life and career at risk by coming in here and telling an Internal Administrator just what he thinks about her, so I must conclude that your conversation with him had something to do with your true purpose for being here.”
       The two women regarded each other unblinkingly for several seconds; Rachmel was debating whether or not to ask her right out, when Andretta spoke first. 
       “So, what is your question, Commander?” 
       Rachmel answered immediately, “Is Leading Engineer Miles one of your targets?” 
       Andretta gave one of her smiles that did not invite her eyes to take part. “I won’t tell you on the grounds that should you ask the same question about someone else you would discover who it is by process of elimination and that would put my mission and your mission in jeopardy: as for the Leading Engineers’ state of mind, I would suggest you speak with Leading Medical Officer Coles, she, after all, is the expert in that particular field.” 
       The ensuing silence told Rachmel that their conversation had reached its end; she got up to leave. Then Andretta spoke again.
       “Commander, I make no pretence of possessing medical nor psychiatric knowledge; but as you are no doubt aware, that because of the nature of my work I have learned to read people and to understand what makes them tick, as much as you, being an Engineer, understand propulsion units; in my view your Leading Engineer is not a danger to this mission or anyone on board. I know how difficult it is for people to have to endure the presence of an Agent even for a short time; they feel guilty even though they have done nothing wrong and don’t understand why they should feel that way.
    “ I believe the Leading Engineer will eventually become accustomed to my presence, as shall everyone, and will settle down; he just needs a little more time than the rest of the crew.
    “ As to the question of the target, you shall be made aware of the identity of this