Commander Wallace sat at his desk, surrounded by stacks of documents. His brow furrowed in concentration as he reviewed each file meticulously. The task of vetting potential recruits for his team was proving to be more challenging than he had anticipated.
“Duncan Campbell,” Wallace called out, addressing his second-in-command who hovered nearby. “How goes the vetting?”
Campbell stepped forward, his expression thoughtful. “It’s a hard decision,” he admitted, glancing at the mountain of paperwork before them.
“If I may make a suggestion?” Wallace prompted, looking up from the documents.
Campbell smirked, a twinkle of mischief in his eyes. “I could use an old timer’s wisdom,” he teased, handing over a folder.
Wallace chuckled lightly as he accepted the folder. “Funny. Here, my top picks are a packaged deal. Let’s see.”
Opening the folder, Wallace scanned through the contents, nodding in approval as he read about Captain Basil Archer, a seasoned intelligence officer with a commendable background. “Impressive,” Wallace remarked, acknowledging Archer’s credentials.
“And Lieutenant Ulrich Knudsen,” Campbell continued, drawing Wallace’s attention to the next candidate. “Recruited by Archer himself, skilled in martial arts, and a sharpshooter. Oh, and he seems to have a peculiar trait—never ages.”
Wallace raised an eyebrow, intrigued by Knudsen’s unique attribute. “Never ages?” he echoed, absorbing the information with fascination.
Campbell nodded solemnly. “Indeed. He looked the same in 1864 when he fought with the Danes against the Prussians.”
As Wallace processed this revelation, Campbell moved on to the last candidate, Sergeant Hamish MacDonald, whose expertise lay in demolitions. “Solid choices,” Wallace remarked, giving a thoughtful nod of approval. “Thank you, Duncan.”
“My pleasure,” Campbell replied with a smile, already reaching for another folder. “Now, onto the next dossier. These are the files on those, shall we say, less human?”
Intrigued, Wallace accepted the second folder, his curiosity piqued by the mention of unconventional candidates. As he delved into the contents, he couldn’t help but wonder what surprises lay in store.
