Freedom

by Maureen Toonkel

  “Captain, I was calling to check in and inquire as to how things were going on your end,” said Andrews. “I also wanted to let you know that everything is running smoothly aboard the Gladiator. While I am still technically bedridden, I have set up a temporary command desk here in Sick Bay.”

  “Well, it sounds like you are feeling better. I am glad to hear that, but please do not overtax yourself. A relapse will be of no help to anyone. Diane Pearson can take the conn during the times you are resting. Consider that an order.”

  “Yes, sir,” responded Dave. “And you Captain, are you getting your much needed rest?”

  Josh laughed. “I am almost done here, and then I will take five. I was just about to begin questioning our prisoners. You won’t believe who my first subject will be. I just caught Gina Flax hiding in a supply closet in the Court House. She was shredding government records.”

  “Josh, did Marlana tell you what we learned about the Flax family?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Colonel Flax, his wife, and the two children are all Tradians.”

  “What?” Josh could not believe what Dave had just told him. “No, Dr. Berg did not mention this. Are you sure about it?”

  “Absolutely sure, sir.” Dave then related the incident of how, while Dr. Berg was examining the children she discovered they were Tradians. He went on to relay the chronological report that the Colonel had told including the story about the disappearance of the real Gina and Warren, the tale of how the young couple came to Brisula pretending to be the long ago missing children, and the recount of how Colonel Flax had come to love the Brisulans, whereas Gina still swore allegiance to her Tradian heritage.

  “Thank you, Dave. But why wasn’t I informed about this earlier?” said Josh with obvious annoyance in his voice. “This is getting to be a routine occurrence with my crew. Being kept up to date by my ranking officers, is not asking too much. In fact I shouldn’t have to ask, it is a mandatory practice.”

  “Captain, please don’t be angry with Marlana. She has been under a lot of undue stress. As senior officer, I should have been the one to keep you informed.”

  Josh heard himself rebuffing Dave Andrews and was surprised by his own reaction. He rarely showed such insensitivity to his crew. Dave was right, he was tired. I am also consumed with guilt over Keith’s death, and I can’t shake this overwhelming feeling of uneasiness. “Dave, I am sorry. I’m still in shock over the death of Keith Hampton and also Wayne Shasta. They were both senseless deaths; ones I feel totally responsible for. I didn’t mean to take out my frustration on you. Please accept my apology.”

  “No need to apologize, sir. I can fully understand where you are coming from. It’s—”

  “Hold on, Dave. I think I hear someone approaching.” Josh lowered the stat phone so he could hear better. He held his hand over his eyes to block out the glare. “Yes, its Dennis Pearson. We will be starting the interrogations. I will get back to you later. Don’t forget my order to take it easy. Stoner out.”

  “Captain, I am sorry I am late. Even with the map that Hampton designed it is confusing getting around these tunnels,”

  Josh chuckled. “Yes, tell me about it.” He pocketed his phone. “How are the divers doing?”

  “They were just getting ready to descend into the elevator shaft when I left. It took a while to unseal the adhesive bonding I had placed around the elevator doors in order to prevent any leakage from flowing into the higher levels. I had used a liquid compound that turns into steel instantly upon contact with a solid substance. So we had to blast through to form an opening for the divers. And I attached another sanitation bag to the door of the room housing the elevator. It will collect any escaping water. When the divers are done I can empty the bag back into the Headquarters. “

  “Splendid! I take it the divers will notify me as soon as they find Hampton.”

  “Yes, sir. Lieutenant Robinson will make contact. I left Ensign Rubin at the entry point, so he can be there in case of any emergency or if the divers need assistance. Shall I go and fetch a prisoner for questioning?”

  “Actually, I already have one detained. Come.” Josh opened the door leading into the punishment chamber.

  Lieutenant Robinson and Ensign Ahn adjusted their masks and double-checked to make sure their oxygen tanks were securely tightened. Then they grabbed hold of the elevator cables inside the open shaft and carefully lowered themselves down until landing on top of the elevator car. Looking down they could see that some water had collected at the bottom of the shaft and had seeped through the elevator door. They estimated it was about knee-deep. Shalonna Robinson sat down atop the elevator and swung her feet around, dropping them down the open trap door where the pipes were inserted. The piping was still somewhat inflated, so it was a tight fit, as she maneuvered her body to slide past the tubes and into the water. Kyung Ahn followed suit, struggling a bit to squeeze through the small opening. He drifted down and stood next to Shalonna. Using their shoulders they pried open the elevator doors and a rush of water began to fill the car.

  It was pitch-black. They reached for their flashlights and shined some light into the dark compound. For a few moments, they simply stared in amazement at the flooded underground Headquarters. Paper and various objects floated listlessly throughout the facility. The only audible sound was the methodic tapping of the water pump.

  “Let’s start by going around the perimeter,” said Lieutenant Robinson into the miniature wireless microphone attached to the inside of her mask. “Head to the left.”

  Ensign Ahn acknowledged her instructions by pointing down the hallway past the elevator. They swam into the area that housed the slave cages and carefully checked any concealed areas: the punishment room, the prison cell, a doorless cabinet stuffed with cattle prods and whips, and all the ceiling tiles. They didn’t find anything. Following along the wall they saw a glass door lying across the threshold of a doorway. It turned out to be the medical lab. The only bodies they found there were fake ones. The two divers continued their journey swimming past a row of desks and through another doorway. This one led them to a computer center. They examined that area and moved on to the living quarters. After an exhausting search of the huge housing area, they returned down the same hallway they had used to enter and continued left. They swam past more desks, a smaller elevator, and more cattle prods on a metal bookcase until ending up back at the larger elevator. Shalonna pointed to the center of the room and the two officers began repeatedly circling around the perimeter, forming smaller and smaller loops.

  “Oh my God! Shalonna, look here!” screamed Ensign Ahn.

  Shalonna followed the beam from Kyung’s flashlight. “Holy cow! I can’t believe what I’m seeing!” she exclaimed.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  June 28, 0300 Hours

  The interrogations were progressing rapidly, mostly because all the detainees were refusing to answer the majority of Captain Stoner’s questions. Neither Chieftain Monks nor General Platt would divulge any information on the intense interference by the Tradians into the Brisulan government, the destruction of legal documents, the bombs planted around the universe, or the purpose for the distribution of the poisoned apples. The same was true of Gina Flax, who remained aloof and disrespectful to Josh. Mrs. Flax had not previously met Dennis Pearson, so the Captain had his Lieutenant Commander try appealing to her sense of justice for her community, but that, too, was futile. She would not even acknowledge Pearson’s presence instead preferring to stare blankly at a shelf of whips mounted on the wall behind where the Captain and Dennis stood. Unbelievably, Captain Victor Torgenson and Lieutenant Selmo Danielli, both chose to remain silent despite the threat of court-martial for treason.

  Dennis escorted the last person, that the Captain was slated to question, into the Punishment Center. Thelma Childs appeared unnerved, as she eyed the huge leather torture chairs in the middle of the room.

  “Have a seat, Ms. Childs,” said the Captain. “An
d rest assured we are not torturing anyone here.” He gave her a weak smile and waited for her to make herself comfortable. “I have been informed that you were instrumental in the apprehension of Captain Torgenson,” he began.

  “Sir, I did not mean to be insubordinate to Captain Torgenson or to Lieutenant Danielli, but I felt that I needed to tell the truth and cooperate with Lieutenant Hampton,” uttered Thelma, obviously thinking she needed to explain herself.

  “Ensign, there is no need to defend your actions. Under the circumstances, you made the correct decision. Evidently Captain Torgenson is in the midst of some sort of mental breakdown. I applaud your ability to recognize that.” Josh paused for a moment and then continued. “What I need from you, is an accounting of everything you know about what exactly has been going on down here since the Gladiator left several weeks ago.”

  “I will tell you all that I know, sir.” Before beginning her tale, the Ensign swallowed the salvia that had built up in her mouth. “Soon after you left, there was a morning when Captain Torgenson was summoned over the PA system to report to the Medical Lab. When he returned later in the day, it was quite noticeable that his demeanor had changed. He was short-tempered, even more so than usual. He exhibited an uncaring and even hostile attitude toward the slaves and sometimes toward UGC. The Captain also began to develop a close relationship with the Tradians, making daily visits to their Headquarters. Those of us under his command continued to carry out his orders; some of us were more accepting than others. Wayne Shasta in particular bucked the Captain’s demands. Then one day, Captain Torgenson informed us that Wayne also was summoned to the Medical Lab. As soon as Wayne returned, I knew that he, too, had sustained an extreme personality change. The usual thoughtful and kind Lieutenant was now mean and unsympathetic. Wayne had become a faithful and loyal companion to the Captain.”

  “Do you know what happened to the Captain and Shasta in the medical lab?” asked Josh.

  “No, sir, neither one ever talked about it. I just assumed that they had been threatened and maybe tortured into compliance by Chieftain Monks and General Platt.”

  “What do you know about the poisoned apples?”

  “Captain Torgenson said that the Tradians meant to abolish the entire planet. Initially their presence was a well-guarded secret. Now that they were exposed, they needed to destroy all the evidence of how entwined they actually were in the affairs of the Brisulans, as well as how extensive their slave business had become. They also were worried that their ability to blow up installations around the universe would be discovered. The plan was to wipe out the Brisulan population along with the slaves; all of whom were the most damaging evidence against the Tradians. They devised a way to slowly poison everyone by injecting a toxin into apples, which became a mandatory morning snack. The official explanation would be that an unknown, untreatable disease had affected all the citizens and slaves. The other part of the plan was to shred all government documents that could be traced back to the Tradian Empire.”

  “Do you know how the toxin was obtained?”

  “Condensation was collected from the freezer units in the Food Service building. It was then mixed with water from the Lake and loaded into syringes.”

  “Ms. Childs, you have been extremely helpful. Is there anything else you can tell me?”

  “No, sir, except I would like to extend my condolences to you for your losses. It is a pity that the Gladiator has lost Wayne and Lieutenant Hampton.”

  “Thank you for your sentiment.”

  “May I ask a question?”

  “Certainly.”

  “What will become of Captain Torgenson and Lieutenant Danielli?”

  The Captain smiled as he answered her question. “That depends on their cooperation with UGC. If you have any influence over Danielli, I would recommend that you talk some sense into him. Right now he is refusing to cooperate.” Josh gave the Ensign a wink and noticed her blush. “By the way, I intend to file a report commending you for your compliance and assistance.” Josh gave her another smile. “Please report to Dr. Berg and assist her in any way in which she can use your help.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  Ensign Thelma Childs rose from the torture chair. She bounced out of the room with a lot more confidence in her steps than when she arrived.

  “Well,” said Dennis Pearson as soon as Childs was gone. “I guess that concludes the interviews.”

  “No,” responded Josh. “There is one more prisoner I need to talk with.”

  “Who?”

  “Paul Loring.”

  Josh Stoner tapped his fingers on the table. Then he stood up and circled slowly around the chamber. He wasn’t really seeing anything in the room. Rather his mind was picturing the divers swimming about the Headquarters. What is taking them so long? It shouldn’t be that hard to locate a dead body floating in the water.

  The stat phone was still lying open on the table. Suddenly it began buzzing and vibrating. It was at that instant that Dennis and Paul Loring entered the room.

  “Stoner, here,” said Josh into the phone. Squeaky static sounds emerged from the phone’s speaker.

  “Lieutenant Robinson, reporting in, sir.” Josh could barely hear her. “We found them, sir. They were—” The transmission ended abruptly.

  “Found them?” questioned Dennis.

  “Hampton and the slave he went to rescue,” answered Josh. He pressed several buttons on the stat phone. Nothing was working; the phone was dead. “Denny, try your phone. Call Greene and have him reconnect me with Robinson.”

  Dennis fiddled for a bit with his phone. “Sorry sir, I cannot make contact either.”

  “Head over to the Greenhouses and assist the divers. I will join you as soon as I am done here. And have Chase come in.”

  Neil Chase had remained outside in the hallway. Now he took a couple of steps into the room. The Captain motioned for him to come further in. “I need a witness while I interrogate Dr. Loring. Also, please record this with your stat phone so I have a backup.” Josh turned to the doctor. “Take a seat.”

  Paul positioned himself into one of the large leather chairs. Looking at Josh, he could see that the Captain was in a depleted condition. He had bags under his bloodshot eyes, a festering cut on his forehead, and a pale complexion.

  “Josh,” said Paul Loring. “I am very sorry to hear about Wayne Shasta and Keith Hampton.”

  “That’s odd coming from you,” replied Josh. “If I recall, you had pegged both of them as a possible candidate to be left behind on Brisula as a slave. Then by a flip of a coin, you chose Hampton. So why on Earth would you be sorry to hear about their deaths?”

  “That may be true, but I know how highly you thought of those two officers, especially Hampton, so I do feel bad for your sake.”

  “I don’t need any sympathy from you. It’s your fault they are dead.”

  “I wish I could take that all back.”

  “Well, you can’t,” shouted Josh. The contempt in his voice was quite apparent. I need to compose myself. This is not going to get me anywhere. Josh did compose himself and began the questioning. “Dr. Loring, did you know about the underground Tradian Headquarters?”

  “Yes.”

  “Were you aware of the computerized device being used to target and destroy UGC facilities?”

  “Yes.”

  “And were you also aware that the U.S.S. Gladiator was one of those targets?”

  “Yes, I did.”

  “And you never bothered to tell me?” Josh watched as Paul nodded. “How, if I may ask, did a bomb get planted on our ship?”

  Paul sat silent for several moments. Josh paced quietly back and forth in front of the doctor’s chair, waiting for Paul’s answer. Finally Paul looked up from the floor where his eyes had been focused.

  “I planted the bomb.”

  “You planted a bomb on the Gladiator. A ship where you work. Where I work and Amanda works.”

  “I was following orders,” Paul sighed.
“I was told that, if at all possible, I would get advanced notice if the Gladiator was scheduled for destruction, so I could arrange my leave. But there was a chance I could go down with the ship. I was prepared for that.” Josh stared at his former friend in utter disbelief. Paul continued. “You have to understand, Josh. Soldiers in the Tradian Galactic Army are sworn to absolute allegiance to their duties and the Empire. We are chosen to be soldiers at a very young age—sometimes, as in my case, by the age of five. Once designated as a future soldier we are placed on a strict regime of indoctrination into the ways of the Army. So I have literally been in the Army for practically my whole life. I knew no other way to live or think. That is until now.”

  “What does that mean? Until now?”

  “Josh, I have had a lot of time to think during the past few weeks. Being cooped up in Sick Bay and now in the Brig, has allowed me that opportunity. It is the first time in my life that I have not been in contact with the Tradian Army superiors and have not been compelled to follow their commands. I’ve been reevaluating my life, and I realize that I have been living a misguided existence. I have blindly obeyed orders and never questioned them. It is only now that I recognize how misplaced and ill-advised the beliefs of the Tradian Army are. I truly wish that I had come to this awaking sooner.” Paul locked eyes with the Captain. “Josh, you must believe me. I regret every misdeed I have committed in the name of the Tradian Army. But there are three things I will never regret: your friendship, my relationship with Amanda, and my time aboard the Gladiator.”

  As Captain Joshua Stoner listened to Paul Loring, his thoughts were all ajumble. He went from feeling compassion for Paul’s story, to anger at how he had betrayed their friendship and jeopardized the safety of the Gladiator. Is this a ploy to get me to feel sorry for him? Is he saying this so I will not have him arrested, and then he can secretly reconnect with his Army? Or should I believe his tale and have sympathy for the life he has led? Perhaps he was brainwashed into carrying out the plans of the Army. But does that excuse what he did? The doctor had stopped talking, and Josh realized he was waiting for the Captain’s response. Well, I am not ready to make a decision on whether or not to believe what he is pleading.