Since my calls and online complaint forms about returning the massive monetary reward have gone unanswered, I went in person to the office of the ombudsman of the 24th Imperial Crusade. To be honest, I was also kind of looking forward to seeing tribunus colonel Vleckson again.
The receptionist told me "TC Vleckson is not in today, please come back another day."
“But I see him sitting right there,” I said, pointing at Vleckson.
I could see him sitting behind a stately desk somewhat further away. The office of the ombudsman has an open-office policy, with no barriers between the reception desk and the various workstations. In the State, some corporations do that to symbolize the so-called transparent nature of their business. In the Empire, of course, it symbolizes the fact that nothing can remain hidden from God, and even less can remain hidden from the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The receptionist improvised, “... That’s an optical illusion.”
I took a closer look at tribunus colonel Vleckson. He was looking straight ahead at the wall, in the general direction where Vard would be in the Mehatorian sky at this time of day. He was not really looking at anything in the room, his gaze was more that of a battered and bruised Northman of old, staring across a dark grey sea at some eternal storm brewing on the horizon.
“That’s not a holo”, I answered.
The receptionist then used the administrative-nuclear option. He told me that I have to file a request online by installing some application and register to make a login and then book an appointment using another calendar app to check for free dates, for which I also have to register and then link that calendar app with their own app. I might receive a confirmation mail at the end. Or not.
Instead, I just walked over to Vleckson, and greeted him from a distance, “Ave tribunus colonel! Long time no see, how are you?”
-to be continued-
