[right][sub][i](Addressing: [@Tortoise])[/i][/sub][/right]

It seemed that whatever the ECU did, they did it with style. Or at least with a chaotic mixup that was apparently considered stylish on New Hollywood. Kelsie was standing at the entrance to the ECU section of the Meeting Place, trying to take in all those [i]things[/i] in front of her. Golden drapes. Red carpets. Fancy signs and letters hovering in the air. And of course, people dressed in the most ridiculous outfits. Even though she was invited, she felt like an intruder here. Regardless, she took a step inside and nearly had a heart attack, as a male figure [i]appeared[/i] in front of her out of thin air.

“Guardian Blackwood, welcome, you are expected. Please allow me to lead you to Oligarch Abadi’s office,” he told her. 

Kelsie realized she was instinctively reaching for her sidearm, or at least when the gun would be under normal circumstances. But these weren’t normal circumstances, so she was unarmed and alone. She forced herself to calm down, taking a closer look. The hologram was a middle-aged man that appeared to be balding, dressed in sort of a uniform that included a tailcoat, with a slightly disturbing smile on his face. “Ehm. Yes. Thank you.” 

He bowed and gestured her to follow, walking over one of the fancy red carpets. Kelsie stopped after a few seconds, looking around curiously. “Please follow me,” the hologram said in the same tone as before, but somehow sounding impatient now.

“Sure, sure. So, you are a hologram?”

The man stood up straight. “I am a holo-butler, part of the new diplomatic holosuite collection. I was programmed to serve the embassy employees and fulfill their and their guests’ wishes.”

“Interesting. Can I touch you?” Kelsie hesitated a bit but then decided that a computed program probably wouldn’t get offended.

“I was programmed to serve the embassy employees and fulfill their and their guests’ wishes,” he repeated.

Kelsie took it as a yes and slowly poked the man’s hand. It felt strange, like a hard surface, not at all soft and warm as you would expect from touching someone’s skin. Still, creating something solid with just projected light seemed almost like magic to her. She smiled, thinking she should have brought Julianna with her. Her new personal assistant would be thrilled about the technology. “Can you fight?” The soldier in her was always interested in the practical side of things. “Hurt someone?” Could that thing kill a trained soldier?

Butler frowned a bit. “I was programmed to…” he started again.

“To serve, yes I heard. But what if there was an intruder? An attack on Oligarch’s life?” Kelsie interrupted him.

The hologram was silent for a second. “I have no combat procedures. Please follow me.” He turned and started walking away, apparently considering the debate closed. So there were some combat procedures? Kelsie quickly followed, thinking about how those things could be incredibly useful in training.

“Oligarch Abadi,” she smiled at the woman, entering the spacious office. “Allow me to congratulate,” she said and really meant it, the memories of the day she got promoted to the Guardian running through her head. Finally, a reward for the years of hard work. “I am glad that we could meet again and that our governments seem to share a similar… attitude towards the Zetans.” Kelsie was just guessing, but given the fact that Abadi got promoted and not fired, the ECU probably agreed with what she said. “I think we can find more common ground in that matter. Also, I have to say that your holographic technology is just…,” she paused, looking for the right word, “... incredible.”