Eric Olafson, First Journeys (Vol 2)
Copyright© 2018 by Vanessa Ravencroft
Chapter 28: On the Bridge
“Your arm is as good as new, and those nasty burns on your back are all patched up in a few more minutes.” The CMO of the Shetland was obviously pleased. The Old Admiral, the Captain of the Shetland, and three Yokuta elders stood there waiting till the doctor was done. I didn’t like them watching me getting medical aid, but seeing the clouded face of the Admiral, I was certain this was the least of my worries. To me, most Yokuta looked alike, but I was certain this was the Speaker of the Elders.
He seemed impatient and said, “I am sorry, human cadet, for being here while you receive medical attention. I was simply curious about the marvels of your advanced medicine, and I wanted to talk to you as soon as possible.”
The doctor checked my back. “Sorry, gents, but the liquid metal burned deep holes in the young man’s back, and that takes a little more than just patching skin. There are nerve endings and a tendon to be fixed, so that will take a little longer. His ear is also still mending.”
Two of the Yokuta were fascinated by extreme close-ups of my wounds and tiny robots weaving tissue. The third one spread his ears. I analyzed the recordings of the earlier procedures, and I know it was you who saved my life and that this was no exercise, as so elegantly suggested. While I understand the reason why the psionic suggestion was made, it robbed me of the chance to thank you. Even though I am old, I do like to live and prefer not to be shot in the back. You prevented that, and I owe you my life!”
He glared at the Admiral. “Now I learn that Kermac agents tried to establish a secret base on our world before it became Union, so they would have a backdoor into Union communications. Three cadets on the search for Yokuta music stumbled upon their operation by chance. The Kermac, afraid their cover would be blown, neutralized the cadets, fully knowing that three missing cadets would cause a detailed search. To cut their losses. They wanted to detonate three Psi spore bombs. Making the entire world, including the present Union crews, susceptible to their psionic controls. One cadet single-handedly cleared the situation, and instead of celebrating him as a hero, I am told this cadet is facing an investigative hearing. All this will be addressed when we stand before your Assembly!”
Admiral McElligott slowly shook his head. “High Debraman and Chairman of the Yokuta. You are correct; we overstepped our boundaries when we suggested you to Psi. I apologize for that. Yes, the cadet has saved your life, and yes, the cadet who tried to kill you is a bigot and should not have been brought here.” They talked about me, with me present as if I was not there, but I kept quiet for now. The oldest officer of the Fleet continued. “Chairman, the main problem was the time frame for this meeting. You wanted a selection of young beings to talk during your freedom celebrations. It was my decision to select a bunch of first-week cadets, without any track record and barely any military education, but cadets and therefore military personnel they are!” Now he did look at me, but talked to the Chairman. “We must act upon our laws and procedures, and the young cadet will have an investigatory hearing. This is our way and our laws. Two cadets are dead, and we owe it to the parents and the families of these cadets that we have done all things to determine why and how they died and what could have been done to prevent it.”
“Then I demand that these hearings be held here right now before we leave for Pluribus! I have seen the security camera recordings and the report of your Marines. This Cadet has saved this world, many lives, and I might add yours too! The fact that he destroyed half the city’s mail was more than a fair trade-off! We won’t hold that against him.”
McElligott faced the CMO. “How long till we can move these procedures to a more suitable venue?”
“Sir, with all due respect, I am already violating patient rights by making his treatment a public spectacle. If we talk regulations here, not even you, Sir, can tell me what to do when it comes to patient treatment.” Then he said. “He is well enough to leave now, but I like to see him for a check-up and remove the Nanites.”
The wish of the Chairman was granted. The hearing was held right away. It was a three-officer panel. I wondered how many first-week cadets ever had a Flag mast hearing with the Old Man of the Navy in the first week. This wasn’t the start I thought I would have in my chosen profession. Even if I survived that hearing, it would certainly end up in my records. Not a very good thing for someone who wanted to become a Star ship captain.
Captain McKenzie, the Admiral, and a Klack Commander made up the hearing panel. Once again, I stood in the epicenter of events and didn’t like it one bit.
It was clear from the face of the female captain that she didn’t like to be here and that she didn’t like me. I had no idea what the Klack was thinking or feeling. Someone once told me that it would take years to understand the subtle ways the Klack used their feelers to express their emotions.
A field screen showed an obviously edited version of what had occurred, and it was the Klack who gave the narration.” What we see here are the events that took place earlier today at and below the Yokuta Nool Nort Space Port and the Nool Nort Main Courier and Mail service warehouse and distribution facilities. The Cadets were ordered to wait at the space port lobby for a Union ship to take them back to the Academy. There was a waiting time of approximately six hours. Three of them, Cadets Ninio Diobane, Potsema Pe, and Rodney Barack, asked for permission to explore the space port with the plan to shop for Yokuta music. They were told to be back within the hour.
The three cadets did not find any open shops but misinterpreted a sign for shop and train station, but it read mail receiving station and conveyor belt intake, which are similar words in the native language. They stumbled upon a Kermac Spy operation and were captured by them.
The Kermac, becoming aware of the possibility that Archilerb is going to be a Union world, planned to establish a secret intelligence post right there with access to mail and the space port. They planned to be established before this world would develop and Union security would make it more difficult to establish a major espionage base inside Union territory. They also realized there would be a major search for the missing cadets and opted to go to plan B and detonate three PSI spore bombs. These spores originated from the Piostla but have been developed and upgraded by the Kermac ever since. The basic effect of these spores is that they turn even shielded and those otherwise immune to telepathic suggestions into willing slaves. The spores are very hard to detect, especially once they are inside a body. In other words. If the Kermac succeeded in their scheme, you, the Yokuta, and even we now would be willing slaves and carry PSI spore-infected individuals at their command to other Union planets.”
The screen focused on the three metal cylinders and Union specialists with containment fields and special suits securing them. He continued: “Now after the hour had passed, Cadet Deadan, concerned about his friend Ninio, went to search for them. He did not ask for permission to leave, found the same sign, interpreted it wrongly the same way, and stepped into a trap. The Kermac needed time to set up their bombs, Deadan resisted the packing machine, and was killed by the Kermac by overloading his cerebral cortex with a kill pain command, a very nasty and evil way to go.
“Now Cadet Plemo wakes from his sleep and notices the other cadets had gone for a long time and wakes his friend Eric. Both cadets decide to leave without informing their superior officers of their intentions, and I want you to keep that point in mind for later.”
The visual recording was cut together from various security camera footage and showed different angles of the events that followed.
“As you can see, Cadet Olafson bashed and shot his way through killing and maiming Kermac and Yokuta under the Psionic influence of two or more Kermac agents, gambled with all our lives by trying to disarm weapons that he knew nothing about, and came too late to save Cadets Deadan or Barack. Now this is not how we want our future officers to act. The only decision he should have made was to wake the Instructors and tell them about the missing cadets, or at least ask them for permission to search for them. When he was certain there was trouble, after killing two Kermac with head shots. He should have returned with Cadet Plemo to deliver the report. While he saved the planet and perhaps half the Union, I recommend full court martial. Now, an experienced officer could have weighed every action against his orders, but I propose that he was just lucky and acted recklessly.”
That was it! My days in the Navy were over! Was I supposed to say something or defend my actions?”
The Captain, with her sinister staring look on her face, got up and said, “I don’t like Cadets. I don’t like snot-nosed want-to-be officers, and I am not too fond of fresh Ensigns right out of the academy. Granted, previous experience made me prejudiced. When Admiral McElligott asked me to sit in on this hearing, I was ready, just like my XO, N’Utrtrn, to break the stick over that cadet.”
She spread her arms. “But truth to be told, he saved my ship. He saved me from carrying that cursed Kermac seed into Union space, giving Kermac access to the most powerful ship and all its secrets that alone earned my eternal gratitude. Yes, rules are rules, but to be fair, he doesn’t know the rules yet.”
She addressed the Klack directly now. “I know you say not knowing the law you break doesn’t make you less guilty, and they do call you N’Uts for rules for a reason, old friend, but I am Captain for quite a while now, and I would not hesitate to offer him a post on our bridge when he is done with the Academy.”
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