Agent Hawkins thanked the Sergeant for his time and moved to open the box. His attention seemed entirely devoted removing the lid, until he suddenly spoke, still with that eerily calm demeanor he always seemed to have.
"I apologize for making you uncomfortable Lieutenant."
Lt. Jameson, startled by he sudden silence-breaking remark, immediately tried to look as un-startled as possible. Yet a couple of ruffled feathers were a dead giveaway. "I am not uncomfortable Agent Hawkins, I just feel less than happy with-"
"With a Black-glad G-man from a heretofore unheard department of government, coming along in the middle of the night and sticking his nose in police business, especially under such strange circumstances. I'm not ignorant of the world around me Lieutenant."
Jameson furrowed her brow at the G-man. It wasn't just that he interrupted her like that, but that he was so damn... accurate about it. Like he knew exactly what she was thinking.
The Agent continued. "I assure you, I'm not here with a shadowy ulterior motive." He carefully placed his fingers upon the lid of the box. "I merely wish to inspect this device, as it may be relevant to my investigations regarding the mysterious events occurring so recently." He fiddled witht he lid experimentally. "As a matter of fact, I never intended to "take" the device anywhere. I merely needed a few minutes to inspect it to my satisfaction right here."
He carefully laid lid down on the table. ". ...And here we are." Hawkins looked deeply at the inner workings of the machine, scrutinizing it with narrowed mask-eyes.
Jameson continued to stare at the strange as all hell man. What he said oddly eased some of her concern, but he still had such a strange air about him. As he inspected, he suddenly broke the silence yet again.
"Saying that my department was recently created may have been a bit of an exaggeration."
Jameson raised her eyebrow. "And what do you mean by that?"
Jameson shrugged lightly, still peering into the device. "It would perhaps be more accurate to say that it had recently been deemed relevant. The Paranormal Investigations department has existed for some years, since the nineteen sixties I believe. It was likely formed by some paranoid President or statesman who'd heard a few too many bumps in the night. As a sane person would expect, it had always been a bit of a joke. One of those purposeless little departments used to sink taxes into, gather desk, and deposit people who had no other possible use. I'm sure you've encountered one of those in your life." He paused to squint at a curious looking diode. "So when the Solor-event began, the department was unearthed and given new purpose." It was hard to tell, but a bemused expression seemed to form on his mask. "And a decent budget."
Jameson chuckled. "I'm guessing you were a recent addition?"
Hawkins seemed to pause for a moment, until he finally answered. "From a certain perspective... yes."
"Hmm... Interesting. Very advanced looking device for something that's supposed to be a prank, don't you think?"
Lt. Jameson looked down at the box filled with wires and odd silvery panels and had to agree. "You're right about that, but there weren't any explosives in it? What possible use did this thing have?"
Hawkins raised his head back up. "That I can't be sure of yet. But I feel confidant in saying that this device HAD a purpose. Now explain this if you'd please-" He indicated a cut wire on the side of the device. "Who exactly was the person to cut this?"
Jameson hunched down to look at the wire herself. "Reports say it was a young female student. I'm not sure if we got her name..."
Hawkins continued to look inside the box. "Rather odd for little girls to go around cutting wires on strange boxes, is it not?" That cut had been for too precise for an amateur. There were a good assortment of other wires on the box, but somehow she had been able to go right for the one that lead to a rather mysterious looking component, a silvery panel that, upon closer inspection, seemed to have a green "sheen", and texture that was oddly similar to wood grain.
Hawkins pulled himself away from the device and turned to face "I think that's all I can get from this myself. Would it be a problem if my partner took a look at it?"
Jameson frowned. He had a partner? "I'm not sure, it's irregular enough letting one Fed look at this. We'll have to arrange a more... agreeable time for someone else to come in."
Hawkins raised an ivory brow. "Why go to that trouble? She's right here." Hawkins pulled out an expensive looking red phone with white rubber protective padding.
Lt. Jameson stared Hawkins in shock. "You're partners a PHONE?!"
Hawkin looked down at the device. "What? No. She's a robot. It's just that she's able to move her A.I. around however it suits her. The phone is just an extra component that came with the transformation." Hawk flipped up the phone's top, and a bemused digitized female voice rang out from the speakers. "I'm a real package deal."
This was getting to be too much wierdness for Lt. Jameson. "Ok... I still don't think this is kosher. What exactly is she going to do?"
A glowing pink orb moved about on the phone's screen. "Just grab a peek with my camera Ma'am. I have good memory. I have a line with the proper channels if you need confirmation on the proper kosher-levels of the act." The A.I.'s voice was a mix between cold professionalism and snide-but-not-abrasive amusement.
Lt. Jameson considered the situation.
