The Riss Proposal: Book II in the Riss Series (Volume 2)
Page 5
“Lieutenant Obrist, perhaps you should return to your station.”
“And if I don’t want to?”
“Are you refusing to perform the duties assigned you?”
“I’m refusing to work for a Riss whatever.”
“What do you think, Lonzo?” Obrist said, while holding his crotch.
“I’ll bet she fucks Plimson on a regular basis.”
“I’ll bet she’d love to fuck us,” Mette said, with his mouth open and tongue hanging out. There were several more outbursts during the shift.
I detected no amusement from Thalia. She and I knew we would win easily, but it wasn’t my way or Thalia’s to strike someone because of words. If it were, I would be in fights several times every week. Best just to report the incident and let the Captain handle the situation.
The next day I reported it to the XO. Later that afternoon, she called me into the conference room.
“Reese, I’ve talked to each lieutenant and reviewed the Bridge tapes. The lieutenants claim nothing happened and the tapes back them up. I don’t understand what’s going on. Would you like to explain?”
“Ma’am, I told you what happened. I can’t explain the tapes, but it should be obvious that I know the Bridge is taped and wouldn’t have brought the incident to your attention if it hadn’t occurred.”
“All four lieutenants told me the same thing. I don’t know what game you’re playing, but it won’t work on this ship. You’re dismissed, Reese.”
* * * *
The next night it was more of the same. It was a circus. I taped the night’s session on my SID as proof. However, when I went to review it the next day it had been erased and a file with them acting normally substituted.
“Terril, I need a huge favor.”
“Want me to come up to your cabin? I’ll be free in a few minutes.”
“Please, Terril.”
Five minutes later, she knocked at my door. She looked flushed like she’d run all the way.
“What’s the matter, Nadya?” she asked as soon as I closed the door.
“It’s against regulations and I’ll understand if you say no. I shouldn’t be asking and you should say you won’t. But, I’m desperate enough to shamelessly trade on our friendship.” I shoved her into my only chair and went on to explain what had been going on for the past several days. “Say you won’t help. I don’t want to get you into trouble. I’m sorry.”
“Calm down, Nadya. What do you want me to do? Kill them or just put them in the hospital?” She didn’t smile although she knew I wasn’t asking that.
“I want to stream the recording from my SID to yours while it’s happening. That way when they erase the data from my SID it won’t matter, since your SID will have a copy.”
“What’s illegal about that?”
“Sending data taken on the Bridge to someone is a court martial offense. I have to assume that receiving it also qualifies. Don’t do it. I can always resign if it gets too bad.” My mind was in chaos. I didn’t want to retire but I didn’t want Terril jailed for helping me. I had an easy way out—resign. She didn’t.
“Don’t be ridiculous. Of course I’ll help. You’re my friend, and they’re planning something really nasty.” Terril gave me a hug and Thalia produced a soothing sensation that relaxed me. I got out my SID and Terril handed me hers. It took me close to an hour to program the code to instantaneously transfer what my SID was recording to hers. Afterward, we tested it twice: once in my cabin and once after she had returned to the army area. It worked. Now to survive the upcoming confrontation with whatever the lieutenants had planned.
* * * *
“Betit, you’re a genius. I don’t know how you did it, but it was brilliant,” Mette said while patting Betit on the shoulder and beaming from ear to ear. Betit winked.
“Commander Kurou is a genius with the Leopard’s computer systems. We had a system problem the other day, and he had to examine the Bridge and SID logs. Someone had accidentally done something with someone’s SID, which caused the problem. It was minor, but I saw the passwords and how he modified the logs and their SID. Now that I have the codes, it was easy to delete the tapes of us hassling Reese and substitute the tapes from the earlier rotations.”
“I’m not ashamed to say I was scared…well worried when the XO called and interviewed us. I know you know what you were doing, but I couldn’t help but wonder if Kurou would look at the tapes and discover what you did,” Lonzo said. “It would have meant our asses.”
“I doubt it. I’ve heard that Captain Wuffraat briefed his staff on Reese before she arrived. He’s convinced she’s been given special privileges because of her contract. He said he wants her evaluated honestly so that Admiral Plimson will know the truth. Translation, do what you can to discredit her. And it’s working. Both Verdi and Belercor have invalidated her Riss equations. Anyway, the XO would be more than willing to take our word and wouldn’t make any effort to validate the tapes. I don’t think it would have mattered if she did. More than likely, Kurou would have dismissed the idea, since he wouldn’t believe we have the knowledge to manipulate the system.”
“What’s next, Obrist?” Betit asked. “Hassling’s been fun, but she hasn’t taken the bait.”
“She’s probably used to people hassling her. Normally all she would have to do is report us to the Captain and use her contract to make him take action against us,” Mette said.
“It’s not going to work with the Captain or Panella. They are being very careful to make sure they can show proof that she’s being getting evaluations she didn’t earn. We’re helping them screw her.” Obrist laughed. “We’ll keep up the pressure, hoping she’ll lose it and strike one of us. If she does, we can all gang up on her.”
“I hear she works out with the Scorpions and knows how they fight,” Lonzo said. “We could really get hurt.”
“She probably works out with them on her back. But it doesn’t matter if she does know some basic moves. If she bloodies our noses, it will look all the better when we’re called in front of the Captain. And the more she hurts us, the more damage we can cause her. Although our objective is to get her court marshaled and out of our face, I personally want to break bones and smash in that ugly face.”
* * * *
The next two nights the harassment got worse. It was obvious they were seeking a fight. And when it happened, the XO and the Captain weren’t going to investigate the incident. They were going to take the lieutenants’ word because that coincided with whatever they were planning.
I felt her amusement. Ironically, humans were in a hurry because individuals knew their life span was short—one hundred fifty years at best. The Riss on the other hand lived upward of four hundred years, and their memories were part of their offspring. I wondered if that was somewhat like having multiple brains in one body.
Thalia and I had no choice but to play out the game. It ended on the last day of the rotation.
“Well, bitch, you and that god damn Riss parasite are going to get what everyone on this ship secretly wants.”
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All four had left their seats. In a way, it was comical. I could’ve killed all four with ease.
Obrist grabbed me and punched me in the stomach. I almost laughed. Their perfect plan had flaws—I didn’t fight back, and it was being taped and couldn’t be erased. They hit me again and again, swearing obscenities, hoping to get me to react. They might have killed another person who couldn’t literally roll with the blows. Si’jin taught the art of nonresistance, which reduced the force significantly—like hitting a pillow rather than a wall. Finally, when I thought they would think me near death, I collapsed. After a few additional kicks, they stopped.
“Obrist, what now. She didn’t attack us. We’re going to get court marshaled,” Mette said. The other two nodded agreement. Obrist stood quiet for a few minutes. “We’re going to have to make it look like she did.” For the next several minutes, they took turns punching each other. When they finished, I had to admit that they had done a reasonably good job. One had a broken nose, all were bleeding, and their clothes torn. They called the XO, who called the Captain. I could imagine the story. “She went crazy and attacked us. She’s been acting funny all week. We barely managed to subdue her. The Riss was controlling her...”
I let the medics take me to the hospital ward, where I was examined and my injuries documented.
“Put It in the Rejuv unit. The Captain will want her fit for her court martial tomorrow,” someone, I assumed one of the doctors, said.
“No!” I said.
“I’m the doctor. You’ll do as I say. Orderlies put her in the Rejuv unit.”
“Read my ID. If you put me in the Rejuv unit, you will kill me. I guarantee Vice Admiral Zann will have you sentenced to the SAS penal colony for the rest of your life. My ID clearly prohibits you from performing any medical procedure without my personal permission.”
“She’s right,” a woman said from somewhere behind him. “It’s on her ID and you can’t pretend you didn’t notice a SAS directive. You may want to face an SAS inquiry, I don’t. I’ll verify that she told you not to perform the procedure.”
“Damn you and her. Let that monstrosity treat herself then.” He stomped away.
Chapter 6
The next morning, I stood in front of the Captain’s desk waiting for him to say something. The four lieutenants, the XO, Verdi, Belercor, and the unnamed doctor were in the room.
“Lieutenant Commander Reese, this inquiry is being taped in compliance with your contract with the SAS.” He nodded to the XO.
“Lieutenant Commander Reese, Commander Belercor has evaluated your Symath equations for Navigation and found they were of no value. She believes you stole Commander Uchida’s work because you can’t recreate them. And that you aren’t qualified in Navigational theory.” He stopped and looked to Belercor. “Is that a reasonable summary of your evaluation of Lieutenant Commander Reese?”
“Yes. I don’t understand her previous evaluations, because she has not demonstrated that same competence. I can only assume she used her contract and threat of an inquiry to intimidate her superiors.” Belercor gave me a very good imitation of an I’m sorry dear smile.
The XO nodded to Belercor and then turned back to me.
“Lieutenant Commander Reese, Commander Verdi evaluated your projectile theory and the associated equations. He found that projectiles used as dumb missiles rely totally on luck. The sensors on SAS missiles are far superior. Like Commander Belercor, he doesn’t understand your previous evaluations and has to conclude other factors were involved. In a real engagement with the enemy, your tactics would get everyone killed.” Her smile wasn’t friendly, closer to a sneer. She stopped and looked to Verdi. “Is that a reasonable summary of your evaluation of Lieutenant Commander Reese?”
Verdi nodded and even had the nerve to smile.
“And I talked with Commander Wang. She said your presence hasn’t contributed anything towards finding the raiders. In addition, when I asked about her previous evaluations of you, she said it had been her team’s efforts of which you were only a part. She gave me no indication that you had made a significant part in finding the raiders.” Panella’s forehead was furrowed as she glared down at me. “Do you have anything to say, Lieutenant Commander Reese?”
I relaxed with Thalia’s amusement flowing through me.
I agreed. There was nothing I could do or say. Unlike Gebauer, they had been careful in creating this case against me. And the lieutenants had been the icing on the poison cake.
“No. It no longer matters.”
“Does that mean that you agree with their evaluations?”
“No. Continue.” I knew how this would end. The fools of the SAS had won.
I couldn’t help a small laugh—not that it mattered.
“You think this is amusing, Reese?” The XO snarled. Her face twisted in anger.
“Yes, it reminds Thalia of the old frontier days in America on old earth. They had courts like this.”
“Reese when you’re in jail-”
“Enough, Commander Panella. There is another matter to be addressed,” Wuffraat interrupted. “Lieutenants Obrist, Betit, Mette, and JG Lonzo have accused you of an unprovoked attack on them. They say it has been building up all week, and the XO substantiates you reported a false accusation against them. We have reviewed the tapes for the last five days and found no evidence that they acted in anything but a professional manner. After your attack on them, Doctor Vivens reported you were in an aggressive and hostile mood when he tried to treat you.”
I laughed long and hard.
“See—she is unstable,” Obrist shouted.
“Lieutenant Commander Reese, I find there is reasonable cause for a court marshal for assaulting Lieutenants Obrist, Betit, Mette, and JG Lonzo. This tape will be forwarded to the Riss Project manager, Vice Admiral Youell. You will be confined to quarters until we return to Eden.”
“I’ll save you all the trouble. High-Riss Thalia has informed me that the Riss no longer wishes to partner with humans. Besides being inherently fools.” I held up hand to stop a reply. “First, I resign from the SAS military. If you can read, you will see that I can without repercussions. If you wish to press charges for this façade, I will be tried before an SAS constituted inquiry chaired by the Joint Chiefs of Staff a representative of the Riss nation. It will cost you your careers because I can prove the Lieutenants are liars and you have intentionally supported them for your own reasons. But at this point, I’m not interested in you or the SAS. You are uncivilized and not fit partners for the Riss. I will settle for being delivered to Saipha or transferred to a ship going to Saipha.” I turned and left the office without further comment and entered the Bridge with the XO following.
“Commander Karlson, please send the following message,” I said without preamble. Karlson looked up at me.
“Who do you think you’re giving orders to, Reese?” He looked from me to the XO. I ignored him and turned to Panella.
“To refuse is to ignore an SAS order stipulated in my contract. It’s your career, Panella.” I shrugged. She nodded to Karlson.
“To Vice Admiral Zann, Copy Admiral Plimson, Riss-humans Lieutenants Jan Jaelle, Eve Alena, Gerald Petar and Stela Elissa. Vice Admiral Zann, I have officially resigned, and with Snow on the mountain consent, I’m terminating the Riss Project. The hu
man race is not worth the abuse being heaped upon them through their human hosts. Captain Wuffraat has charged me with attacking four lieutenants. If he insists upon pressing those trumped-up charges, I would welcome an SAS inquiry into the matter. I believe he and his crew have deliberately conspired to sabotage the Riss Project. But since the project has been terminated, I will settle for transportation to Saipha. End of Message.” I turned back to the XO. She nodded.
“You are confined to your cabin. Meals will be brought to you. Good riddance to you and the Riss.” She pointed her finger at me. “If you leave the room, you will be arrested and jailed for the rest of this voyage.”
I turned and left. In my room, I lay down and cried. I had let down the Riss. I so wanted to help them...my sisters.
Chapter 7
The next two days were a living hell. I tried to do some research in the ship’s library, but someone had restricted all my access to the ship except to the four lieutenants. The few times I’d turned it on, they’d spewed a litany of abuse at me. I couldn’t call Terril or even call for medical assistance in an emergency. For the first day, they even activated my SID through the emergency override, which was restricted to Battle Stations and other ship emergencies. I decided not to disabled it, since all the traffic on my SID was being copied to Terril. She was my only hope.
I couldn’t sleep or even work on a plan for the Riss’ eventual exodus to the stars, because every time someone passed my door they banged on it and shouted an assortment of obscenities. Some even tried to force their way into the cabin.
Thalia was right. With the right system access, any door could be opened. Someone had done exactly that on the Tiger and thrown in a canister of poisonous gas that almost killed me. I removed the locking panel and spent an hour locating the two wires that activated the lock. With that mechanism disabled, the door would have to be blown off. At meal times, one of the lieutenants would come by with a tray of food and bang on the door.