by T J Bryan
"What the ..." Abel's comment trailed off. "I thought those things were dangerous. Caused paralysis and spinal lesions."
Jerry smiled, "Yup. Hurt like hell for about 10 minutes. It was synching with our spines. Seems control of something this fast and powerful cannot rely upon leg or arm movements. The Armour intercepts the signals from the brain as they travel down the spine. Then the comp moves the legs, arms, even fingers as you dictate."
Wain was smiling as well, "You don't really need arms or legs in these contraptions. Just an intact brain and spine. Oh and some willingness to put up with a god awful pain when you first don the suit. Thought I was gonna die."
Renner interrupted Wain, "I have never felt better in my life. Look." She reached into a small compartment at her waist and dropped a small screw upon the deck. Then she reached down and picked the screw up, tossed it high into the air, and caught it between her thumb and forefinger. "And that," she said "without any physical hands or fingers. Not that I had any."
Abel was rarely at a loss for words, but at this moment he had nothing he could say.
Finally he asked, "Tell me how these suits , this armour, works?"
Jerry spoke first, "I don't know much about the full technical specifications at this time. Wain and I are going to have to learn as we go. But the vids on helmet screen have dozens of menu items from suit status to weapons selection and lots of stuff between. It's gonna take months to figure it all out. We're likely to make some mistakes and probably damage some stuff while we figure it out. But we will take care."
Abel wanted to ask the basic question about disabilities and the suits but could not think of how to form the question without denigrating Jerry and Wain's condition.
"I know what your thinking Admiral. I don't know how many Greayson Marines had lost arms or legs or fingers and such. I suspect that over time they must have had lots of injuries. But in our assessment all you need to be a Greayson Marine..." Wain paused a moment. "No. All you need to be a OCN Marine is an intact thinking brain, a spine, and the desire. Plus the ability to withstand a bit of pain."
Then Abel remembered Piets death. "Your father Wain, I..."
"I know Admiral. I spoke with Dr. Auber last night. We were expecting this. My father was a strange man but I loved him. And now he is gone." Wain was biting his lower lip.
"All right. You two are dismissed for now. But I want you to work on these suits. They could be life savers in our current crisis, not to mention their utility in the void. I don't think we need or can sustain a large marine force. The Commonwealth is too small, but we could well use a half dozen or so OCN Marines for ship protection and incidents like our recent chaos and confusion."
Jerry spoke, "Can we recruit a few folks to help us. To help figure out these suits and potentially join the OCN?"
"What do you think Helen?"
"Yes. Jerry submit a few names, perhaps two or three, and I will interview your candidates. Then we can decide how to go forward."
"Helen," Abel said, "It's best we keep this development, that is our functioning armour, to the confines of the ship. If we recruit a few folks to help Jerry and Wain it's best they stay aboard for the duration of the testing. Or at least a few weeks."
Jerry smiled and Wain reached out to hug her. An odd sight thought Abel. Two marines in full armour hugging like lovers, which Abel realized they had become.
Abel returned to the command con and then on to the main hatch. Ragnarök would be docking soon and he wanted to meet Silvi and the crew at the dock. Helen chose to accompany him.
...
Jamon System - Mining Dock One - Year 3245. October 4 ET: 22:50
Ragnarök slowly and cautiously pulled into the dock. As Abel watched out the plasticene window he was once again struck by the sheer beauty of such a magnificent killing machine. The arrow head shape, the fluted jector engines at her rear, and the forward torpedo tubes, combined with the anthracite colored armour formed a magnificent sight. And there on the main hatch cover he read the words OCN Ragnarök.
Moments later the hatch door opened and Abel saw Farn Mayers standing within the air lock motioning Abel and Helen in. Abel and Helen entered the airlock as Fran sealed the hatch. "The captain is on the bridge." Farn said and they soon reached the roundabout and climbed the ladder to the command con. Silvi was sitting in the captain's chair intently working on her inter-tab. She looked up. "So Abel you had a hot time in town last night." Silvi did not smile.
"Yes, it was pure chaos and madness. I would never have thought the citizens of the Commonwealth would behave as many did. It is however an indicator that our situation is approaching desperate."
"Why did Peters make that statement? About dividing the population into those who eat well and those who slowly starve."
"I can only speculate Silvi. Somehow in Piet's mind it made sense. And in a crazy way I guess it does. Some must live so that the others survive. The problem was that Piet's idea of who was productive was confined to bureaucrats, managers, and others who would never have any impact on resolving the crisis. Piet also had too great a faith in logic regardless of his questionable temperament. I suspect he actually thought that the citizens would agree and easily comply. However anyone with any understanding of the human condition could have predicted the riots and chaos that resulted. Once the fires and looting began he must have realized his error and tried to stop it."
"He did this on his own?"
"I don't see how. Piet would clearly have consulted others. Perhaps other Assembly members or even one or two on the Executive Committee. Knowing those members I am certain they would have rejected Piet's proposal. But someone pushed him forward. Someone knew exactly the reaction to his proposal. Someone wanted chaos."
"So it was a coup d'etat of some sort. A grab at government power?"
"Yes. But they did not count on the availability of the OCN crews to re-establish order. I think their plan was to let the rioting continue until the people became disgusted and exhausted. Then the coup plotters would step forward as the saviours of the Commonwealth and take over. At that point there would be little to no objection. The citizens would have seen what the breakdown of government produced. Coups are inevitably made to destroy democracy in the name of saving democracy."
"So the folks behind this must be prominent people we know. Like a lead bureaucrat or assembly member. Someone who understands government and lusts for unfettered power."
Abel thought a moment. "Yes, there are probably a hundred or two hundred folks who could fit that description. But to pull this off they needed help. Piet, the shooters, fire bombers, and others would be needed. Whoever did this is not alone."
Abel changed the subject. "I have a proposal for both of you," Abel nodded at Helen and Silvi. "I am thinking that perhaps we should recommission R71 and provide a crew. It is clear to me that in a month or so we will have sufficient crews to man the R71."
"I'm not sure we need her Able," commented Helen. "We have the Iceland and the Ragnarök. Clearly we can make it to Girots and if the Bountiful is unable to fly or worse, the Iceland can follow behind."
"True," responded Abel. "And I am grateful for both your efforts and equally confident that we can resolve our current crisis. However, I'm thinking about what caused this crisis, and when we have recovered and returned to our previous way of life, how we can prevent a reoccurrence? We are isolated here on the edge of the galactic arm, and with the descent of The Dark both we and Girots have lost all contact with systems we used to trade with hundreds of years ago. Even with a recovery we will be in a fragile state. Another ship failure, even of our own Iceland, could lead us right back here with famine and isolation."
Abel paused and then resumed, "My thinking is this, that in order to have some safety margin to our cold existence, and to increase our ability to withstand another disruption, we need more contact and commerce with our lost trading partners. Relying on Girots alone is foolish. Even Girots would benefit from the resumption of
some commerce with her old partners."
Helen thought a moment, "I see you point Abel, but The Dark is deep. Since no one has attempted to restore commerce in the last 200 years I have to assume that few if any of our ancient trading partners are still standing. Greayson is gone to genocide and Unity destroyed in senseless civil wars and slave rebellions. The Encyclopaedia Gallectica tells us even the independent systems could not sustain commerce or for that matter what we think of as civilization."
"True," Abel replied. "But we persevered. We have been cut off these two hundred years an yet we are civilized, educated, healthy, and still a democracy. Can't there be at least a few others who would benefit from the restoration of contact? Trade? Commerce?"
Silvi stood. "Your not thinking conquest are you?"
"Of course not. I am thinking a more robust commerce, even with a few systems, will add greatly to our food security and perhaps others need the trade goods we make here on Jamon. If you think about it Silvi we don't have the resources for conquest, or empire, or supremacy. We may have a few dozen warships, perhaps more, but a population of less than 50,000 cannot conquer the stars. That's impossible. Already our small OCN complement is negatively impacting the Commonwealth. We have swept up some of the brightest young people in the Habitat and disrupted their usual path to community productivity and economic contribution. If we took a thousand for OCN crew our community would be in real trouble."
"Good," replied Silvi. "Commerce with willing partners is one thing, but conquest or forcing unwelcome trade upon them is another."
"So what do you think?"
Helen responded. "You know our last update to the EG is now more than 150 years old. Who knows what has happened in The Dark. Some systems may have recovered by now. However, ancient Earth's dark ages, several of them, lasted far longer than 400 years, and one more than a thousand. We humans are resilient, but sometimes it takes forever for that resiliency to restore or rebuild civilization and knowledge."
"For all we know some systems may have descended deeper into The Dark. Without norms, or laws, or even morality, all kinds of terrors are unleashed." Silvi said.
Abel responded, "All the more reason to understand what lies beyond Girots. That wreckage out at the entrance from Dello should be a warning to us that there are very real dangers lying in The Dark."
Abel continued, "I'm not asking you to start making plans. I want your considered agreement before we even undertake any program. This whole idea may be far fetched, but I think not."
"We could have the crews by January," Helen said thoughtfully. "We would need to step up recruiting a bit but it's clear we still have a pool of untapped talent. Just look at those teen girls on the simulator at the gymnasium."
"Who?" asked Abel.
"Those girls you once mentioned to me. You know the Banshees. I occasionally check their simulator scores and to be frank if it were not for their age they would be crew today."
Abel laughed. "Helen, I had forgotten about the Banshees." After a moment he continued. "The major challenge of recommissioning R71 or perhaps 1044 as well is leadership. Both ships will need captains and frankly I have been too mired in politics, logistics, and now riot, to know or properly evaluate our people. But captaincy is critical to any effort."
Helen responded. "Put Emmitt on the R71, He is just as skilled as myself or Silvi."
Abel nodded, "I agree, but if R71 is recommissioned and we send her into The Dark I want her to have an escort. Probably the SAR 1044. For that matter if the Iceland sets forth to Girots I want her accompanied by a SAR as well."
"Makes sense," Silvi said.
"So we need to start looking for another captain for 1044, and at this moment I haven't a clue. I am just too removed from our folks."
"Give us some time Abel. Silvi and I need to think about this."
Chapter Thirty Two
Jamon System - Chairman's Office - Year 3245. October 20 ET: 09:30
"This list of ineligible candidates is simply too long Arne," said Abel in frustration. The Judicar showed no emotion at Abel's comment but Abel could see that Alos Dekker was upset. "Your excluding perhaps a third of our previously elected Assembly members. I can't support this exclusion without some evidence of their part in the conspiracy."
Alos interjected, "We don't need conclusive proof. I am sure that a few on the list, only a few, may have had no part in the coup, but we cannot take any chances. If there is even a hint of conspiracy about them then we must exclude them from the voting list."
Abel took a long look at Alos Dekker. Abel knew that any argument with Alos was doomed to failure. Alos always ran away from argument and then did as he pleased.
The Judicar interrupted the silence, "While Alos' list is, I agree, excessive, we cannot take any chances. We are the Guardian Council and our people have put their faith in our decisions and I think Alos exclusion list is a fair one at this time. In the next election in 16 months we can abandon any restrictive list."
Abel fought to retain a stone cold demeanour. No one had chosen the Guardian Council. It had been imposed on the people during the riots at the Judicar's insistence. And in Abel's mind the list was entirely unfair. If the list were to exist at all it should require proof of participation in the coup, not just speculation, or in Abel's worst assessment, political advantage.
Abel picked up the list and began to read the 38 names. "Here, why is Vicki Hastein on the list. I have known her since middle school."
Also responded, "Her brother was seen at the looting of Food Distribution Center One. That's more than enough reason."
"Her brother? Good lord Alos. Your excluding her because her brother, the one we all know is a hopeless drunk, was at the distribution center at the time of the riot? That's the only reason to exclude her? And here what about Alozo Ingolf. What possible reason do you have for excluding a retired police officer with an unblemished record?"
Alos replied, "When we called for auxiliaries and retired officers to assist in the suppression of the revolt, he failed to report. So he may well have been part of the conspiracy."
"Alos," Abel responded, "His wife had died the day before. How can you expect him to report for duty under the circumstances."
"I'm sorry Abel, but he failed to support the Commonwealth in its' time of need."
"So your excluding him because he didn't show up, rather than any hint of conspiracy."
"I think Alozo's actions or inactions speak for themselves."
Abel proceeded halfway down the list asking for reasons or even a hint of proof of conspiracy and found none.
Abel thought of an old saying, 'For somehow this is tyranny's disease, to trust no friends.'
Abel was about to demand that the list be destroyed and that without concrete proof of conspiracy to commit to the coup, no one should be excluded from standing for election. Abel intended to be forceful and if necessary to demand that the Guardian Council act a responsible manner or dissolve itself.
He was about to object when his inter-tab chimed. It was Dr. Freydis Auber with an urgent message to meet her at the hospital.
Abel looked at both the Judicar and Alos. "We are meeting again tomorrow to discuss this black list?"
The Judicar responded, "Yes we will meet at 10:30 tomorrow. I know Abel that you disapprove of some on this list and perhaps we can discuss removing a few names prior to the election."
Abel though to himself that he did not disapprove of a 'few' names, he disapproved of the entire list. In fact now he disapproved of the entire concept of the Guardian Council.
"I'm sorry but I must attend to another matter. Until 10:30 tomorrow when we can discuss this entire list concept. I won't pull my punches Arne and Alos, but this list cannot stand."
Abel stood and exited the deceased Chairman's Office and briskly walked to the hospital. A brisk walk was needed to assuage his growing hostility to the very idea of politicians and bureaucrats choosing those who could stand for election, and those who could not,
based only on conjecture, a whim, or political advantage.
Abel arrived at the hospital, entered the ER. Dr. Auber was not there, so he proceeded to her office on an upper floor. He knocked on her door and heard her call out "Enter."
Abel entered and saw Dr. Auber reviewing her inter-tab. She looked up but did not smile. "Abel," she said. "You were right about the autopsy. Piet was poisoned"
Abel sat in the cheap chair by her desk.
"You don't look surprised Abel?"
"No. Just saddened."
"We ran a full toxicology on Peters. It was parathion that induced seizures and lead to his death. He really was not going to last another day or two, but to poison a dying man is brutal and inhumane."
"What is parathion and how was it administered."
"Well you can find it in a few places. When our founders came to Jamon they came without a lot of critters, bugs, insects and such. But a few followed. Mostly mites and two kinds of spiders. Unfortunately the mites and spiders liked the Habitat so our chemists cooked up this poison to control the critters. If I remember correctly maintenance has a limited supply as do a few other groups."
"And how is it applied? In order to kill someone."
"It is usually in a fine powder. To kill Peters just a sprinkle a bit on one of the burned portions of his body would be more than enough to kill." Freydis paused. "Abel who would do such a thing. To murder a man who was going to die anyway. I can't imagine such a horrible act."
Abel did not immediately respond, but he now knew who it was who would commit such a horrible act, but proving it would be almost impossible. How could he bring charges against the murders, and the probably coup plotters, when justice was ruled by one of the plotters himself.
"Freydis, can you keep this quiet for a few days."
"I don't know Abel, I am required to report my suspicions to the Judicar so that he can initiate a full inquiry and possible prosecution."