by PP Corcoran
The beeping of the desktop terminal got Bruce’s attention. Bruce’s brow creased as he noticed the call came from his chief civilian scientist, Doctor Ramesh. A touch of the controls accepted the call and the wrinkled face of Arjit Ramesh appeared. Before Bruce could say anything, Ramesh began talking.
“Sorry to bother you, Admiral but I’ve been going over the data of the power source you recorded on the planet’s surface from your shuttle and I would like your permission to go active on our ground-penetrating radar to get a proper look at the area the power source originated in.”
“I’m not sure if that’s a good idea, Doctor. Both sides here are on tenterhooks and if our active systems are mistaken for a fire and control radar then we could find ourselves in a shooting war pretty quickly.”
“Admiral. You see I must use our active systems if I am to prove or disprove my findings.”
Scientists. They’re almost as bad as politicians, thought Bruce irritably. Why can’t they just start at the beginning? “And what findings are those, Doctor?”
“Why, that the power readings are an exact match for those of the Rubicon Cave and there’s every chance that there may be another Saiph library buried on this planet.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The Committee Hearing
GENEVA – EARTH – SOL SYSTEM
The senate committee hearing rooms had been designed with one purpose in mind. That anyone facing the committee on their long, raised bench could not fail to be left in awe of the high and mighty who had demanded their presence.
General Keyton Joyce was suitably unimpressed. In his lifetime, he had faced down pirates who would’ve cut his throat without a second’s hesitation. It was only after his first appearance in front of the Armed Services Oversight Committee that he realized not all pirates belonged in space.
When Keyton had first assumed the post of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff he had, as he assumed at the time, an adequate experience in dealing with politicos whose only interest was what was best for them, but his first brush with Senator Katria Dikul, Chairman of the oversight committee, had introduced him to a new level of self-serving politician.
In the wake of the Geoffrey Rawson affair, Katria Dikul had somehow managed to maneuver herself into a position where she was able to take virtually complete control of the investigation even though it was being handled by the Justice Department and the FIB.
Dikul and her aides had ensured that she made appearances on every vid news program that had even the most tenuous link with the investigation. At any opportunity she expounded her own views on who was to blame for allowing Rawson to have been able to place his own supporters within the Defense Department. Supporters who had managed to conceal his criminal activities. All the while, Dikul was doing the same with her own people under the auspices of Senate Observers. These so-called observers questioned every action and decision made by staff until, one day, one of them made the mistake of questioning a decision made by the current Secretary of Defense, Olaf Helsett. The observer found himself unceremoniously ejected from the building by the marine guards, closely followed by every senate observer in the building.
Senator Dikul had been furious. Threats of special senate hearings and charges of interference with senate investigations were bandied about in the following days and it had taken direct intervention by President Coston herself on behalf of Olaf to curtail their interference in his running of defense.
That very public act of reminding Dikul of her place had made Rebecca Coston a life-long political enemy and, by association, anyone whom Dikul perceived as a possible ally to Rebecca. Keyton found himself in that group no matter how apolitical he tried to be.
The banging of a large wooden gavel by Dikul signaled the start of the hearing. This ancient form of commencing an important event was closely followed by the more modern sound of a neutral computerized voice saying “Secure” as the Master at Arms activated the anti-surveillance systems built into the room. Keyton let out a small snort as he reflected on how the expensive anti-surveillance systems were a complete waste of time. Anything said in this room could be revealed without a moment’s hesitation by any of the politicians if they thought it would get them a single gram of political capital.
The stentorian sound of Katria Dikul’s voice came to Keyton’s ears as, not for the first time, he wished he had remained as a line general and never accepted the promotion to the Joint Chiefs.
“Before we start in on the subject of today’s unscheduled meeting, I would beg the indulgence of the committee for a few moments. Senator Mackenzie wishes to make a short statement in relation to the committee’s findings on our ongoing inquiry into the handling of the debacle at 70 Ophiuchi.”
Keyton stiffened and fought to keep his expression neutral. There had been no mention when Keyton had been requested to appear before the committee that the subject of 70 Ophiuchi was on the agenda. Mackenzie was one of Dikul’s lackeys and Keyton was sure that anything that he had to say about the assault on 70 Ophiuchi already had Dikul’s seal of approval.
The overweight senator at the far right of the bench cleared his throat as he used a silk handkerchief to dab the beads of sweat from his high forehead.
“Thank you, Madam Chairman. Fellow committee members. Since our last meeting I have been working without end to establish the true facts surrounding Admiral Ricco and General Pak’s incompetent acts which led to the death of so many of our brave service men and women at 70 Ophiuchi…”
Keyton exploded out of his chair, ignoring the restraining hand of his JAG lawyer. “How dare you, Senator! Admiral Ricco and General Pak died doing their duty to the best of their abilities. No one here could have predicted that an enemy battle group would be in a position to ambush our ships as they emerged from fold space, and their ground troops using nuclear demolition charges to destroy their base while our marines were in the midst of their assault… you simply don’t expect an enemy to commit suicide.”
Mackenzie looked physically shaken by Keyton’s angry retort and was obviously struggling to form a reply when Dikul intervened. Her tone was soft and placating.
“Perhaps we could leave this particular subject to another day, Senator Mackenzie. The events may still be too recent and evocative for us to review subjectively.”
“Perhaps you have a point, Madam Chairman,” replied Mackenzie, tremulously dabbing once more at the sweat which had become a steady stream on his forehead.
Keyton regained his seat but his thoughts were still filled with the slanderous words of Mackenzie about two men whom he had known personally for years.
“Returning to today’s agenda, General. It is the committee’s understanding that naval and marine units have been involved in a joint operation with the Justice Department in relation to the procurement by the Empire of Alona of a number of gravity drives.”
Keyton took a moment to regain his calm before answering. “Central Command received a request for assistance from the Attorney General in the execution of a sealed federal warrant. The TDF Sorcerer and her marine contingent executed said warrant under the direction of a flag officer and officers from the Judge Advocate Generals’ office.”
“Would you be kind enough to share the specifics of the warrant with us, General?”
Before Keyton replied, the JAG major raised his PAD and used his finger to indicate something on the display. A small frown furrowed Keyton’s brow.
“On advice from my attorney, I respectfully decline to answer the chairman’s question. Further, I would advise the chairman that as the warrant was sealed she should take the matter up with the Justice Department.”
The silence following Keyton’s reply seemed to stretch on. Dikul held his eyes steadily but Keyton had a lifetime of practice waiting for the other man to blink first. The tension in the room was finally broken by the blustering, self-righteous voice of Senator Mackenzie.
“I order you to tell us the entire contents of that warrant, Joyce! Does
it extend to Seaton Anderson?”
The minute it was out of his mouth, Mackenzie knew he had made a huge mistake. His face paled and his head dropped. Dikul’s head swiveled toward Mackenzie like a raptor eyeing up its prey. Her eyes flashed with anger before turning to stone. When her gaze returned to Keyton, his face remained as immobile as before but she knew that Mackenzie’s outburst had opened a door that now could never be closed.
#
The roar of laughter that came from Olaf Helsett made the furniture in the Secretary of Defense’s office shake. The imposing bulk of the former admiral tipped his chair back and raised his glass in mock salute to Keyton Joyce. Keyton raised his glass in return before taking a sip of the ridiculously expensive whiskey.
“We’ve got the bitch!”
“Not yet, Mr. Secretary, but that slip by that tub of lard Mackenzie confirmed we have Seaton Anderson worried. I still find it hard to believe that a man with as much to lose as Anderson could be personally involved in the supply of the gravity drives to Alona.”
Keyton gave a nonchalant shrug. “But I can’t see who else would have the political pull to get Dikul to convene an emergency meeting of the oversight committee.”
Olaf allowed his seat to return to the vertical and fixed Keyton with a knowing look.
“If the AG can prove a link between Seaton, Dikul, and Mackenzie it will make Geoffrey Rawson look like an amateur. How is your favorite guard dog coming along with the Pathos yard manager?”
Keyton’s features became unreadable. “If you are referring to Admiral Wilson, then her small… eh… chat with the aforementioned Arnjad Harb seems to have provided the AG with enough evidence to go back to a federal judge and get snoop warrants for any and all premises and accounts owned or controlled by Zurich Lines and Anderson.”
Olaf’s lips pursed and he let out a low whistle. “Wow! The evidence must have been pretty damning if a judge was willing to grant those warrants. Wilson is to be congratulated. You can pass along my personal thanks for that, too.”
A sly smile appeared on Keyton’s face. “I’ll be sure to do that. The next round of flag promotions is due soon and I have it on good authority that the position of Deputy Director of the Office of Naval Intelligence is likely to require filling as its current incumbent is going to be tapped for a position on the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs staff…”
The room furniture took another battering as Olaf’s laugh reverberated around the room once more and his pointed finger centered on Keyton.
“You, General Joyce, are a true Machiavellian.”
“Everything I’ve learned has been taught to me by a true master, Mr. Secretary.”
“Ha! Groveling will get you far, Keyton. Rest assured, any promotion recommendation of Admiral Wilson will get the highest endorsement of this office.”
Olaf placed his empty glass down on his desk and he reverted back to the admiral he used to be. “Now. Back to the business at hand. How goes Radford’s operational planning?”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Origins
9 CETI – 66.5 LIGHT YEARS FROM EARTH
Gavin Glandinning was beginning to think that some scientists really didn’t know how to behave like adults. Just like the Tau Eridani system, the Persai surveillance platform had indicated that there was every chance of finding life in the 9 Ceti system, but it had failed to detect any artificial power sources. The star was a yellow orange main sequence dwarf star a little bigger and brighter than the Earth’s sun, but much younger. Somewhere around 600 million years old. The scientists would have expected to find any planet in the Goldilocks zone to have a violently volcanic, rocky crust constantly bombarded by large asteroids and comets but what they had found was a stable planet, slightly larger than Earth, with two moons orbiting it. It was these two moons that were the subject of the heated discussion that reminded Gavin more of a school playground argument than any evenly balanced scientific discussion. Gavin looked across the briefing room table at the slight figure of Ambassador Oslan. The Garundan returned his look with amused eyes. No help from that corner, thought Gavin. Instead his eyes sought out Force Leader Homla, SurvFlot Three’s second in command. By the look on her face, Homla had had about enough of the bickering scientists as well. Gavin gave her a slight nod and Homla took that as her cue to slap an open palm on the table, bringing all discussion to an instant halt.
“Enough! We have not convened this meeting to waste Admiral Glandinning’s time with your childish behavior. What is it you wish to show us?”
Faced by an irate seven-foot-tall Persai who reminded every human in the room of something from a cheap werewolf movie, the assembled scientists were suitably cowed into silence. Doctor Heather Reid was the exact opposite of the towering Persai. Being only five-foot-two in her stocking feet and slightly overweight, her black shoulder-length hair streaked with gray reminded all those who met her of their own grandmother. Her softly spoken Irish brogue had lulled many an unwary astrobiology student into believing that he could win an argument with her by simply being louder and brasher. But behind the gentle features was a mind as sharp as a scalpel and those same students had found themselves tied in knots as she tore their arguments to shreds and sent them packing.
Gavin considered himself lucky to have her as head of his science department but at times, and this was one of them, her willingness to allow others to exhaust their arguments and run out of steam before having her say didn’t quite run in tandem with his trained military sense of cutting through the crap and getting to the point. As the scientists retook their seats under Homla’s withering gaze, Heather tapped her PAD and the image of the fourth planet of the 9 Ceti system slowly rotated in the holo cube for all to see. The scattered white clouds floating serenely over the large blue oceans and the green continents had been the cause of the active discussions that the various scientists had been having for the last five minutes.
Heather cleared her throat softly, which had the desired effect of turning all eyes in the room on her. “Admiral. Ladies and gentlemen. Since we arrived in this system a week ago, we’ve been faced with nothing but contradictions. Where we expected to find a volcanically active planet, we have found one that, because of the gravitational forces exerted on it by its twin moons, should for all intents and purposes be teeming with life. Instead what we have in front of us is a world that apart from the very basic insect life required to pollinate the varied plant life, is completely devoid of an animal above the level of small rodents. The oceans are rich in minerals and algae but where are the larger life forms that we have found on every planet known to the Commonwealth?” A worry line creased Heather’s forehead. “Something does not add up here and neither I nor my team can explain it. As our survey of the planet continued we followed standard procedure and used ground-penetrating radar to show us any artificial structures that may have been hidden beneath the abundant foliage and this is what we found…”
In the holo cube, the image zoomed in to a point along the coastline of one of the larger continents. The image focused on a large inlet, which would have provided an ideal location for an artificial harbor and, if Gavin was reading the image correctly, that was exactly what the radar return showed.
“For those of you who are not used to interpreting these images, like my good self, I have been assured that what we are looking at is an artificial breakwater. Those regular shapes along the shoreline are docks with buildings spreading along the shore and extending back away from the shore for approximately a kilometer and a half. The computer has identified similar clusters of buildings spread across the whole planet. There is also evidence to suggest that there was a rudimentary road system linking major population centers on this particular continent but not on any of the others. However, there is no doubt that at a point in the recent past, there was a flourishing civilization on this planet. From the evidence, the archaeologists are willing to hazard a guess that it was about the same level as medieval Europe.”
Gavin
let his gaze drop to the floor as a sour taste filled his mouth. Oh God, not another one.
Homla asked the question that she knew everyone in the room wanted an answer to. “Doctor. Are there any signs of an orbital bombardment? Is this another world that the Others are responsible for killing?”
Heather shook her head. “There are no signs of bombardment. Samples returned by shuttles show that there is no sign of anything unusual in the radioactive levels of the atmosphere. Similarly, there are no indications of any natural catastrophe. If there had been major volcanic activity, the atmosphere would show concentrations of tephra, volcanic ash, but again there is nothing. If the planet had been subjected to an asteroid impact, again, there would be evidence, but there is nothing.”
Gavin tapped his finger on the table. “Well, if there is no evidence of a natural calamity and no sign of orbital bombardment, can you at least date the ruins and narrow down a window for whatever befell this world?”
“I’ll be honest with you, Admiral. Without more data I could speculate about what happened here until I was blue in the face but there is only one way that I could get the data that would give me a definite answer to what happened here.”
“And how would you do that, Doctor?”
Heather shrugged her shoulders. “Why, by going down there, of course.”