Chapter 13: My name is Jason.
Dad gave me his copy of the family journal yesterday, because tomorrow we depart for the HoM system aboard the Seller.
It is the 8th trader warship built for Earth II. We have a mixed cargo of rare wood furnishings, medical supplies, refined ores, and literary works on real paper. Someone found a file of writings from earth's history. One young ladies family built the equipment to print a thousand copies of 200 authors. No one had ever seen what they call a real book until she published and brought out her first copies for sale. Eight years of work in secret paid off in less than six months. They even had limit the number of copies that off world traders could purchase. Her family made enough to have their own habitat built and they've moved their operations to it.
She will be aboard the ship as a junior trader and seems to like me. I am assuming that because she gave me a real book of poetry. I know it cost more than I'll make in a year as a junior observer.
The other thing is, suddenly, I was jumped ahead of many more qualified observers that had applied for positions aboard the Seller. When I told mom & dad all they said was to keep my feet firmly on the deck. I would have to insist and watch that all advancements that came my way were from merit, and not due to influence. I realized that influence was being used when I got my assigned quarters. They were more luxurious than the senior observers. It took almost 4 hours in the quartermasters office to get shuffled back to proper quarters. She'll find me in my small 2 room quarters when she decides to visit. I'll just meet her in the traders lounge until then.
We should arrive in the HoM system in a week. Yesterday she finally visited my quarters and then stomped out. Less than an hour later the senior observer called me to his office and informed me that he thought I was on the captains shit list until he received a reply to a message that the captain had sent to her family. All the reply was, he's probably grounded enough to be a challenge for you. Then he told me about a passenger aboard the ship that had puzzled him until he realized that all he did was observe her and me. He admitted sending a discrete inquiry to the observer council back on Earth II and their reply was, he didn't have a high enough clearance to inquire about that individual. As a friend of my father, he told me to watch my step. Then he informed me that this conversation never occurred and if I mentioned it he'd strip me of everything I could ever want.
I was no sooner back in my quarters than I was summoned to the captains office. When I reported, he asked the quartermaster if I was the one that'd complained about his assigned quarters. Then the quartermaster said yes, he dismissed him and then started in on me about not having any class and being ungrateful.
When he stopped, I simply informed him that the reason I got my original quarters changed was that they weren't suited to my position.
After a few seconds he informed me that he'd have someone find a job suitable to my assumed position and to get out.
I've been on shift for two hours now and I just got new assignment orders. I'm confined to the ship for the whole time we're in the HoM system and will be working as a cargo handler in the main hold.
I'd no sooner gotten off shift than a crewman came by and handed me new quarters assignment and it said I had to be moved before I reported to work next shift. I found the assigned quarters and they are a single room with minimum furnishings. Without help I managed to get moved in 3 hours and just barely got a meal in when I had to report to the cargo hold.
The mate in the cargo hold took one look at me and jumped down my throat about being late and not in proper work uniform. Now I know why the guys in the hold always look ragged in their work uniforms. My jumper tore in about a dozen places before the shift was up and then he jumped on me and told me to report to the quartermaster for some proper work uniforms before next shift.
Three work uniforms cost me almost 3 weeks pay.
My ID card won't work or allow me access to the upper class areas anymore.
I finally found the crew mess. I never realized that food could be so tasteless. At least the food is filling. Now I realize why I'd observed the crew carrying bottles of stuff in their pockets when they went to eat. This is a whole new world for me.
It almost seems that I've got a sign around my neck proclaiming me an outcast. When I walked into the crew recreation area I was shunned.
At least they can't take my training away from me. That is the only way I've managed to survive in the hold. I may not have the practiced skills, but at least I can copy the way the other guys move and lift things. Mainly I just get grunts when I ask a question, except for the cargo chief. He jumps down my throat every time I open my mouth.
The last several days have been unbearable. We've arrived. My shift starts in 5 hours. I've been rereading what's happened in the last week.
When I detach myself and look at it as an observer, the only conclusion I can come to is that someone is trying to make me miserable and bitter. If it is a test, I will be given the opportunity to do something illegal while here in the HoM system. Of course, I'm being watched even though I'm shunned.
We've been unloading for three days now. I've seen nothing illegal or out of line yet.
I was 5 hours into today's shift when I was told to move some wood furnishings to the hatch. I noticed that the crate had been opened and re-closed because the lid was on crooked. When I called the chief and told him I thought that the cargo in the crate was damaged because the lid was on crooked he made me unpack it and check every opening. When I found 2 books hidden in it he accused me of trying to steal them. I am now under confinement to quarters pending charges. I realize I was neatly set up. If I'd delivered the box to the hatch, I probably would have been given a big tip and then charged with smuggling and theft.
I was charged with attempted theft of high value cargo. They even searched my quarters and confiscated several personal items including the book that Janice gave me. The trial is this afternoon.
Well the trial went as I expected. My personal items were brought out as stolen items, until I produced the purchase orders that were on the ships computer. The only personal item I didn't buy was the book. When asked where I stole it from I asked to see it. It was the one she gave me because I'd folded down corners on several pages. When I handed it back, I asked the prosecutor to open it to the title page and read what was written there. Janice had scribbled, to a sweet guy, and initialed it. He seemed puzzled and then demanded why I'd defaced a valuable book by writing in it. Then I demanded that he call down Janice as a witness to verify that she'd written in the book when she gave it to me.
Even the lieutenant laughed and then said there was no way that a lowlife cargo handler like me could even get near a woman like her. Then loosing my temper I threw my ID at him and told him to check every move I'd made on the ship since departure from Earth II. He'd see I was more than a cargo handler and this frame up would be resolved here or back on Earth II where his actions would be reviewed.
I saw a puzzled look on his face when my activity history started a week ago and before that I wasn't even registered as existing on the ship, yet the purchases I'd made showed that I was aboard. He called the captain and I heard him say, we've got a stowaway or something worse aboard. The ships computer records have been tampered with.
Five minutes later the captain and several marines entered. He took one look at me and asked the lieutenant if I was the root of the problem. When he said yes sir, the captain walked over to his terminal and entered a code. I saw the lieutenants eyes go wide when the screen cleared. Then he whispered something to the captain and then asked me if I still wanted Miss Janice brought down as a witness on the book. When I said yes he told the master at arms to go get her.
Mad is a mild word compared to the way she acted as she was escorted into the trial room. She was informed that some of her valuable books had been stolen and they wanted her to id
entify one in particular. As she looked at the book, seeing page corners folded down, she exploded and demanded that whoever defaced her property be spaced. Then the lieutenant opened the book to the title page and she crumpled. Recovering she screamed where is he.
The lieutenant pointed over at me and said, he claims you gave him the book. Is that true?
I'd seen her glance around the room as she entered, but a week can make a difference especially when you are wearing work clothing. As she looked at me her mouth dropped open. I told daddy you needed to be taught a lesson, but I didn't think he could make you a criminal. How could you?
I replied, a very carefully constructed frame up put me here. I'm only guilty of loving you.
Then a passenger said captain if you call up the recordings from special camera 1 and 3, you'll see who planted the evidence. Camera one showed him unlocking and removing two books from the high value cargo area and with the help of the cargo chief they placed them in the furnishings box. The next scene was me coming back with a lift to get the box and then calling the cargo chief. When I unpacked the furnishings and found the books the chief called guards to take me away. Then he looked at the captain and said, the boy still hasn't learned his lesson. When privilege is offered, it should be accepted. I'll inform her father. He's yours again if you want him, if not I've got a position for him in our organization.
The captain looked at him, then me, then back at him and said, how soon can you get him off my ship?
He told me to follow him and we got off the ship and went into the Saturn habitat. An hour later all my gear was brought into the room I was waiting in and the young man said, check and repack everything. You have 15 minutes with your visitor and we will be leaving in 1 hour. Be ready.
I checked and repacked everything. I made my entries on the journal, then Janice came in and asked me if she'd ever see me again.
I told her I didn't even know where they were taking me, but I'd find some way to contact her. Everything is moving to fast, so just remember I love you.
Our first stop was another habitat, and as we descended the elevator from the hub I looked over the farmland and lakes that were on the interior hull. I was introduced to an old woman that looked me over and then said, he has some talent, but not anything they can use. Put him in militia basic training. It was similar to what I read about the training the my great ancestor Obadiah went through. At the end of two months we were given the day off and then someone threw a smoke bomb into the barracks and started firing a projectile weapon at us. I was hit in the arm as I went out through the window with what was left of the class. Out of the twenty that started there were only eight of us left. As we hit the swamp behind the barracks we caught one of the instructors. All he would say was we were in for it now. If we could make it off the station they wouldn't torture us, then he started laughing and we had to gag him. In the middle of the swamp we stopped and rested. As I treated my arm they all looked at me and said what do we do now. I was the oldest, so they selected me to be the leader.
After thinking a minute I told the story of my ancestor Obadiah. Then I said, that instructor we caught wasn't an accident. He gave us our instructions. We're to get off the station without being caught. Now what we have to to is secure clothing, shelter, papers, weapons, and transportation without killing anyone. I'll bet everyone we run into on this station is a member of the militia. From what I saw on the way in was that there are only 2 ways off the station, and that is the hubs. Only the elevators and aircraft can get to them. We have to figure some way to get to one of them in such a way that whoever we run into believes we belong there. The only other option is to fight our way in. Now they shouldn't expect us to infiltrate the training compound, so first we go back and collect any gear we can. Then we'll rendezvous 2 farms out from the south end hub elevator. Observe all the maintenance personnel you see and as well as the guards and patrols.
Two weeks later I had us wired into the habitat net system and we were watching a maintenance crew working on the north cap elevator. The three man crew had a guard with them. A supervisor checked with the guard every few hours, but ignored the workers. Three of the guys caught and secured the workers on their way to the elevator station. The switch from the skin out took five minutes. As they swiped their passes a guard came out of the woods and told them to hold the elevator. At least they kept their cool and allowed him aboard. He cleared the elevator to the hub and didn't even check their ID's. The last camera I could access was the one in the airlock and they passed through to the ship dock without being stopped. That left 5 of us.
In the woods by each elevator were guard barracks. We raided the one at the south cap that night. Only one guard was there and we got him before he could hit the alarm. Outfitted in proper uniforms we caught the guys coming in to get ready to go on shift. When we heard a 6th guy coming down the path we thought we were screwed, however he just ordered for us to hurry up. His shift was ready to get off and they had a party to attend. My boys started to follow him until I told them to line up for inspection. I sent one of them back in to get his cap and then we followed the corporal over to the elevator and swiped our ID's. He swiped his and then I told him if he wanted he could put the elevator on express. We'd hang on. We saved 10 minutes transit time since express didn't stop at the 4 intermediate stops, just at the bottom and top. I did manage to pry some extra information out of him about a VIP that was arriving. He'd heard about the old lady from another guard. The briefing card was on the airlock side so I relieve his two guards and put two of my boys in their slots. As we passed through the airlock I memorized his access code. Then I told him to get me the briefing card while I relieved his other two guards. They immediately entered the airlock as I watched the code he entered in the guard station computer. The same as he used in the airlock access. Glancing at the card I said, your boys already went down, since you're still on shift for another 6 minutes bring my boys in so I can brief them on the VIP. Then we can express the elevator back up. From the guard computer he told them to get in the airlock because I needed to brief them. As they exited on this side I took his hand and pressed his thumb on the airlock door lockout.
Immediately a red light started flashing and I told him to answer it. Over the intercom came a voice I recognized demanding what the malfunction was. I replied, outside the airlock is off the habitat right, or do I need to steal a spacecraft too. All he replied was, I hope you have the correct codes to pass Stephanie through, her ship just docked. Delay her and heads will roll.
I replied, I couldn't get the codes from the owner of my uniform, you'll find him and his guards tied up in the guard shack at the bottom of the elevator. Shall we talk about a vacation so I can see my girlfriend or shall I talk to this VIP Stephanie about it.
Talk to me about what, a feminine voice behind me said.
I called my detail to attention, then turned around to face a beautiful young woman that held herself like a queen. I beg a full pardon for my crew of trainees and will pass you through as soon as I can get the corporal to reactivate the airlock.
She cut her eyes to the right and said, Swanson, how many times have you been a trainee in the last year.
Three times commander, he replied.
Is this the out-lander that was conscripted.
Yes ma'am.
Swanson, Will he make a good officer?
He then said, I think he'll make a better NCO.
Then she looked at me and said, Jason, they told me you are good, now you will escort me to headquarters.
Awkwardly I put out my right arm palm down and she rested her hand on my arm and said follow my lead. With that she ordered the corporal to reactivate the airlock but hold it open until her crew was inside.
When we exited into the habitat there was a full crew of officers in dress uniforms on the landing. I followed her lead through the middle of the
m onto an airship and seated her in the front row. The officers scrambled to get seats and then we spiraled down to another military compound. She extended her hand and I helped her up and out and she led the way to a plane wooden building. Entering she told me to wait by the door and she walked down the hall into an office.
A few minutes later a captain came out and handed me orders. I was ordered to Earth II for ninety days leave with authorization to return to Saturn Farm 4. At the bottom of the first page was a handwritten note. It read, Serve humanity or serve yourself. If she is willing you can do both. As I finished reading the note he took it and said your transportation is waiting outside. Back at the barracks we all changed into civilian attire and headed our separate ways. I got a flier ride to the airlock and from there a launch to a large warship. As I entered the airlock and handed the guard my ID he told me that my escort would be a few minutes. I'd no sooner dropped my bag in my quarters than I was summoned to the officers mess. There I was informed by a ships officer that I should eat now because we'd be engaging Q drive in an hour. Arrival at Earth II would be in seven days. They would be back to pick me up in 75 days. Then he handed me a small stack of computer chips and told me that I could use them to code any transmission back to Farm 4. I thanked him and sat down to eat.
Seven days and three hours later I boarded a civilian launch down to Earth II. Glancing out of the rear port I saw the Saturn warship accelerating out of the system. Mom and Dad met me at the spaceport. All he said, that's a hell of a taxi you arrived on. As she hugged me a voice behind me said, a launch will be here at 1300 hours to take you to a meeting upstairs. No overnight needed. Mom wanted us to go home, but I told her we'd need to stay in the city because I had a meeting tomorrow. I'd be home in a few days. When we got to a hotel and had the room secured, I handed Mom half the chips and told her to put them in with my music chips when she got home. All the rest but one I handed to Dad and told him to put them in with his music collection, I'd get them later.
The meeting upstairs turned out to be on the habitat that Janice's family owned. The conference room was large and luxurious. The main table must have been 10 meters long. There were only two men sitting at it when I arrived and was seated. One introduced himself as Janice's father and the other just leaned back and listened. He told me that I was an ungrateful punk and didn't deserve to be anywhere near his daughter. That I would be given only one chance to redeem myself and this was it.
Then the other man finally spoke. He demanded to know where I'd been for the last 4 months after being taken off the Seller in the HoM system.
Looking him straight in the eye I lied, I told him that I'd held a few temporary jobs until I scrounged a ride back home on a Saturn warship headed this way. The accommodations weren't what I'd call great, but it didn't cost me a credit except for food.
Two men came into the room and grabbed me. I was searched and all my possessions were place on the table. He seemed particularly interested in the computer chips I had and took several over to a portable computer and started plugging them in. Janice's father said I had a poor taste in music until one chip blanked out his computer and caused it to reset. The only thing on the screen was the word password.
The stranger then shut down the computer and handed me the chip saying follow me. When we arrived at his office he told me to contact my supervisor because he wanted to talk to him.
I informed him that I was on vacation and didn't have any supervisor to report to. Then I was thrown in a cell. A few hours later Janice opened the door and sat down beside me on the bunk.
Her first words were, you're always getting in trouble. Daddy said I could see you one last time, but not to believe anything you said. Why?
I reminded her that I loved her, but that I had to go away. I could serve humanity or serve myself. Only if she really loved me could she see me again. I'd be leaving in 2 months and needed to know for sure before then.
She was crying as she slammed the door to my cell on the way out.
The next day her father and the stranger entered and sat down on chairs they brought. The stranger said, we have not mistreated you, so once you leave this station, you were never here. Then her father flat out told me that I'd broken his daughters heart and if I ever tried to make contact with her again he'd have me killed.
I smiled at him and informed him that I loved his daughter, but had things that had to be done. She would make the decision whether to see me again or not. Not even death could separate us if we both wanted to be together.
Then I was hustled to the space launch and returned to the spaceport.
For the next month I visited all my old friends and the out of the way tourist spots. One afternoon coming out of the ocean I noticed the beach was deserted except for 3 men. As I approached my beach gear they attacked. I took a few blows before my training took over. They were in no condition to answer questions so I just left them where they lay. As I entered my room, Janice jumped up and wanted to know why I hadn't called her. As I was telling her that her father warned me about contacting her she noticed the abrasions on my chest and blood in my nose.
Her eyes widened and she asked me if I'd been mugged or something.
Three guys had tried to stop or delay me from returning to my room. If they were hired by her father, he knew that she was here.
She kissed me and told me I'd see her again.
Nothing else happened for the remaining 8 days until I was picked up. A week to Saturn and then I was ordered to NCO school, followed by pilots training, more self-defense training, and finally to a school that was listed on the orders as spook school. After two years of training I was posted as a clerk to the SFGSS. My job brought me into contact with the clerks from all the human worlds. I made many friends. One day Janice walked in and sat down across the desk from me.
All she said was, you're escorting me to dinner tomorrow night, and you'll go see my tailor as soon as I leave. Then she went in to see the trade commissioner. Later when I returned to my desk there was a note and it simply said follow her lead.
The party was lavish and I was introduced to many high commissioners. Then I met my first alien, a Seal. After looking at me for a few seconds, he said I should be tested for talent. Janice later told me that I should go get tested, but tonight we'd be together on her ship.
Her ship was larger than most traders and she was the captain. I'm not sure what I expected, but I was debriefed by an expert and then briefed on what to expect from the Seals. Then Janice took me to the captains cabin. I was exhausted when I left the next morning.
Two days later I was summoned to the alien trade commissioner and then escorted to the Seal section where I was tested. They said I was suitable for a communicator, but I would need training from them to use it proficiently.
That evening I was invited to another party. When I got there I saw Janice in a huddle with several trader captains. Later she came over and informed me that if I was ready, she'd marry me after the party. When I looked puzzled she then informed me that I would take the Seal training, continue with my job here for now, and the SF station would be a regular stop for her ship. With a smile I accepted and we were married by a Saturn warship captain. On the way back to my quarters we were stopped and told that my quarters were bugged, but we were to enjoy ourselves just like young lovers.
Three weeks after I'd completed my Seal training and issued a communicator I was called in by the trade commissioner and told that I could no longer work in the trade section because first I was married to a trader and second I was corrupted by close contact with aliens. I was being transferred to the military liaison section and of course promoted.
I was at my new position less than a day when I realized that everything on my desk computer terminal was monitored. The hardest thing to get used to was the security just to get into my work area. I was constantly invited to par
ties held by the trade commissioner and then to other parties and conferences. My rusty observers training soon was polished to a high skill. I was commended on the reports because I observed some things that others missed.
On her fourth trip Janice had twins to introduced to me when she arrived. She sent her ship out with the executive officer commanding. We had a lovely year together until her father arrived.
His security man attempted to stop me in the corridor. After dislocating his shoulder I demanded to know why he was trying to prevent me from entering my quarters. He simply said Janice's father said he wasn't to be disturbed while visiting his daughter. Then I told him that these were my quarters and I was her husband, no one would stop me and live. He apologized and backed off. As I entered her father jumped up and told me that he'd never seen his daughter so happy. However he needed her to come home because her mother was sick and wanted to see the grandchildren. Since I knew it was 5 weeks travel time to Earth II, I made a call and told her to pack we'd leave in four hours. When her father insisted that he had his fastest ship, I told him that he should go ahead and send his ship home. A six marine escort arrived an hour later and we left as soon as she finished packing.
A week later we entered the launch and were shuttled over to their habitat. Her father was still sick from the Q drive, but the children were the still screaming for joy when we landed. We didn't even unpack, we went to see Janice's mother first thing. She didn't look as sick as she actually was. She only lasted another 9 days. A week after her funeral I called for pickup and was told to go on a trade mission with my family to the Gobbler home planet. When I told Janice, she started making arrangements plus ordered her trade ship renovated for the family and specialized cargo. I went as her husband and a member of the SF government on vacation. None of the alien species we'd made contact with could understand the need humans had for vacations. They were all like ants or bees. Work work work until they fell apart or got to old. Of course a real vacation would be much better than the working vacation I was taking. With three little children they figured I'd be able to penetrate deeper into their personal society easier that previous attempts. I ordered a new tourist camera from Earth II before we departed. That and my mind were the two tools I took.
We spent about 6 months on Gobbler and then returned to SFGSS. The pictures and reports I turned in doubled the knowledge we had about the Gobblers. The A104 finally was taking on real information about that alien species.
After 7 months back on SFGSS I was instructed to arrange a tour of all human planets to gather detailed data. Saturn figured I could use my contacts. Janice claimed we could not make a profit on such a tour, but I told her to try. The only alien planet we visited in the 15 year tour was Avian and my report on them filled in the reason they were in decline as a species.
We should be in the HoM system in another week, just in time for the twins graduation at the farm.
Janice has never seen earth. I've arranged for a complete tour. Our guide will be the Red Warrior Queen's daughter, Susan. She's taken up with one of the twins.
Well yesterday was my 70th birthday and I'm now officially retired. There are restrictions on my travel as with any high government employee. Janice has had the Seller modified again for our retirement. We're planning on visiting a few hundred of the human habitats in the next 30 years, should we live that long. I'm giving a copy of the family history journal to each of the twins. They are the only ones that seem interested in keeping it.
* * *
Chapter 14: My name is Brian and I'm married to Susan.
We have three girls and they are a hand full. Mom & Dad left three years ago on their retirement cruise and we get occasional updates.
Bill, my twin, has gone undercover on his latest assignment and now I have to be myself and him. Susan doesn't like some of the shenanigans that I have to pull to keep him in the news for his cover.
Ever since the observer council decided to make their FTL communications system open to all, the news media is galaxy wide. They made quite a splash 15 years ago and now they are the main source of news.
Mom & Dad are looking pretty good for a couple that's been married over 50 years. Susan talked to them on the FLTC last night and informed them that the last of her mothers curse finally moved out. The girls are all grown and two of them are married. Mom & Dad located a M-c-e-h type planet. They are setting up an industrial community that will support a retirement resort. She also wants to import animals for sports hunting. That covers three of the four continents for the present. Mom just can't stop figuring out ways to make money.
# # #
Scout Expedition Page 17