by Chris Hechtl
“True,” Jethro replied nodding. “I see that part, sir. At least in theory.”
Monty smiled slightly. “No one tolerates a tyrant son. And in their own body?” He shook his head emphatically no.
“I see, sir.”
“But there are ways to get around the implants. Part of it is emotions, I won't go into details. But it is supposed to flag the user for a review. In Miller's case it did several times, but he got a wash. Again, I can't go into details on an open investigation.”
Jethro frowned and flicked his ears. He wondered about that. Bast shook her head on his HUD. She put an image of Miller up, with another person across from him and then painted red horns and an evil expression on each of them.
“I think I see, sir,” Jethro said slowly as he caught on. Whoever had interviewed Miller was a suspect; he or she may have glossed over the traitor's treason. And if they'd done it once, they could have done it with others.
“I'm not sure if that's in your favor or not. Perhaps you should be in intelligence,” the officer said.
Jethro's eyes widened. The officer chuckled as the panther shook his head vehemently no.
“Well, it's a thought,” Monty teased. “Good work. Keep your eyes open and your mouth shut. Remember what the old saying about loose lips sinking ships.”
“Aye aye, sir.”
<(>~^~<(>
Monty talked with the senior staff after his interview. “McClintock is recovering rapidly, but he's got a lot of questions.”
“I do too,” Commander Matilda said, shaking her head. “I don't blame him for wanting to know more about the enemy. That's standard procedure.”
That got the youngest member of their group to sit up straight in alarm. “You think he'll go rogue?” Lieutenant Lavot, the JAG officer asked carefully. Matilda glanced his way and then shook her head. He seemed to settle back in his chair. All eyes fell on the head of ONI, the Office of Naval Intelligence.
“Miller was obviously recruited recently; he hadn't popped a major flag before. His implants confirmed that much. He popped three flags in a week, which was why he was up for a review at the end of the month.” Monty grimaced. His people were all over the place, mostly dealing with the mess with the Governor as well as interviewing the Horathian prisoners or sifting through the mountains of intelligence they already had. He had dozens of half-trained analysts but not many good field people—at least not as good as Teague. Not people he trusted implicitly like her and Mike. The people he had sent off behind the lines like Briggs were an unknown. He hadn't heard back from anyone yet, and that bothered him. He shook himself slightly to get back on track. “Unfortunately, we didn't get much since he took a headshot.” He grimaced.
“I know. And it was a pain in the ass getting what little you did get; trust me,” Commander and Doctor Nara Thornby complained. “Miller had been shot in the back of the head. His head and brain tissue had more or less exploded all over the place. The exposure to vacuum hadn't helped.” She shook her head. At least a bot had been tasked with collecting the bits that had been sucked out of the station. Those that they could find.
“Thank you for that graphic image,” Matilda said, looking greenish. She grimaced.
Nara glanced her way then away. “Sorry.”
“We've traced his financials to a bar that Baker also frequented. We believe they were recruited there or used it as a drop,” the jag officer stated, tapping his index finger on the table to get their attention. “We got that much from Baker's implants.”
“Oh, darn. That's it?” Matilda asked in dismay. He nodded grimly. Baker's implants had suicided wiped anything he had in them as well as in his memory.
“You were hoping for more people in the net?” Monty asked mildly, eying the teacher and recruiter. “We're worried about starting a witch hunt here.” What he didn't say was that he didn't want to expose them all. Some might be embarrassing to the navy. Others might be more useful later. The files would serve as great extortion if necessary; a pry bar to get them moving in the direction he wanted.
“Nonsense. We need a good airing out if such as these were allowed to work unnoticed in the shadows,” the old woman said, waving a hand. “There has got to be more to it than that. Definitive answers, good evidence. Nail the bastards one and all. I want this behind us so we can move on with a clean slate and clean conscience.”
“I don't like it any more than you do. Suspicions hanging in the air,” Nara murmured. Horatio grimaced.
“I know. Unfortunately, it's never that simple though,” Monty said wryly. He looked at the Captain Logan nodded in grim agreement.
“Judging from his record though, we've compared it to Chelsi and Baker. Both were in with the group longer,” Monty said reluctantly.
“Gods in space it's like pulling teeth with you, you know that?” Matilda accused, eying the spook. He snorted and spread his hands apart.
“Why no flag?” Nara asked, ignoring their byplay.
“There was a flag in Chelsi's case but she was vouched for and could explain it off.” He looked at the doctor and spread his hands. “Baker’s problem was guilt, which was why the implants raised a flag, but my interview people filtered it out as SOP. The review process was streamlined and reset during the Xeno war to look for treason to the Xenos,” he explained. Nara frowned thoughtfully. “People move differently, think differently and … imagine if it flagged an admiral. Can you think of the investigation? What it would entail? And it would damage someone's career over something stupid or petty. Like say, nicking someone's favorite donut or lunch from a fridge.”
“True.” Nara winced, thinking of what had happened with Irons on Vesta Colony. Even the appearance of impropriety and his retreat had implications that were still haunting him. He'd dumped all the evidence he could and skeptical cynical people still thought the worst of him.
“So you're saying it would flag thousands?” Matilda asked.
Monty snorted. “Try millions if the filters are too low. Each would require an investigation.” She winced. “That would involve dozens of people on various levels and tie the courts up for years in some cases. It would destroy or stall careers. In peacetime that's not too bad. But flagging someone for sleeping with someone else? Or doing something off duty?” He asked looking to Lieutenant Lavot. The JAG officer nodded grimly in agreement.
“Oh, damn,” Matilda murmured.
“So, we can't tease out the little threads to point to one person and say there is our culprit. We also have to follow the UCMJ and at least pay lip service to the Constitution. So we can't just haul in everyone to test them on a weekly basis. Think of what that would do to our schedules and plans.”
It was Horatio's turn to wince.
“Yeah, it's not as easy as it seems in the movies,” Matilda sighed. “I see that now.” She nodded to Monty. “Thanks for destroying an old woman's dreams.”
“Investigations rarely are. I distrust one that is simple. That's usually a red flag right there,” Lieutenant Lavot said.
“So we obviously need to fix that? Reset the filters or something?” Matilda asked. “Lower the bar so to speak? Somewhere that won't swamp our people?”
“And do more interviews and security reviews more often.” Monty agreed with a nod. “But to change the filters that would mean changing the implant coding. And to do that we'd need an admiralty board.”
“Oh.” Eyes wide. “Oh!”
“What?”
“Bootstrap a board??”
“That's the reason for the admiral …”
“With John you never know unless you ask. He rarely does something for just one reason if he can help it,” Horatio said dryly. “I've found some flag officers tend to hit as many birds with one stone as they can. And they rarely explain. They want you to figure it out or assume you know what is going on. Well, most are like that. John tends to explain … if you ask.”
“Oh.”
<(>~^~<(>
Changes in the star system wer
e ricocheting all over the place. The new elections were held as the old government fell like dominos as the indictments continued to roll in. It seemed everyone was trying to save their own necks by pointing fingers and digging up the skeletons of those left in power or those already under a cloud. Many who tried to run for office withdrew their bid or went down in flames when they were put under a magnifying glass by the media or their opponents.
The earthquakes continued to rattle the political establishment to the core. Some semblance started to come from the chaos as Sim Salidin managed to take the lead in the election. In a rare show of support, his female opponent Desiree Rolex stood her campaign down after their last debate and accepted the junior role as Lieutenant Governor. The star system's denizens breathed a sigh of relief when the two were elected with nearly 90 percent of the adult population voting electronically.
Fraud was briefly considered by the media to string the drama out, but everyone knew a clear winner had emerged from the field. It was unknown though if the mahogany skinned male would be able to hold onto the capital building for long though. He had vowed to clean up the establishment and his work on lobbying to repeal the Neo-Alien tax prior to his rise to power had cemented his leadership with the fringe groups and general rank and file who had hated the tax. Anyone who supported it were compared to the Horathians. The tax was formally repealed by a universal vote during the same election.
The rapid changes in the star system only accelerated when the convoy arrived from Antigua with the star system's ansible. The transport ship carried ansibles for Gaston and Seti Alpha 4 as well. Captain Logan made a big show of escorting the ansible core to the station his people had built years before. Everyone waited with baited breath as Knox news and other media outlets broadcast the hookup live.
There were a few anxious moments when the core was bumped about, but they got it installed and Horatio smiled as Governor Saladin was allowed to throw the circuit.
“This is Governor Saladin of Pyrax to the galaxy listening in. We are here,” the governor said, smiling broadly.
“Welcome to the network Pyrax. Welcome Governor Saladin, congratulations on winning your election,” Governor Randall replied within moments. The Pyraxian Governor turned to look at the captain as more congratulations poured in from the other star systems on the network. He shook hands with Horatio. Both men grinned from ear to ear.
“You've done it!” Sim said, and waved a hand to the ansible as those near rushed forward to pass on their congratulations or heartily pat the men on the back.
“We have done it, sir. Here and elsewhere. But we're really just getting started,” Horatio replied with a polite nod of his head. “But we owe a lot of the credit to Fleet Admiral Irons,” he said.
“Ah yes, the admiral,” Sim said with a nod. His smile only wavered briefly. He knew better than to protest the old man's inclusion of the admiral in the momentous day.
The governor turned as someone started to read the news ticker out loud. A producer for Knox news immediately requested a link to the feed. Horatio grimaced but sent a signal through his implants to someone in the public affairs department to handle the request. They should have set it up ahead of time he thought. He made a note to have a chat with them later about the oversight. Details like that he shouldn't have to be bothered with.
“We'll get you sorted out. It'll be a while before we all catch up with everything that's been going on. From this getting here, it is obvious Admiral Irons has established himself in Antigua.”
“Will he return here?” Miss Rolex asked from his right side.
Horatio turned to her and shrugged, ever aware of the camera's on him. They could even broadcast the moment to other star systems eventually so he reminded himself to watch his tongue carefully. “I don't know, ma'am. Honestly, it is up to him. I hope he does, but I understand if he doesn't wish to come back here.”
“I see,” she murmured politely.
“Does this mean you'll be promoted to admiral, Captain?” a reporter asked, sticking a microphone near Horatio's mouth.
Horatio jerked back in surprise then barked a laugh. “I never expected to get past Yeoman to be honest. Being a Captain JG came as a surprise. I don't know what the future will bring. We'll have to wait and see, right? But I for one see good things. Very good things,” he said just as his implants pinged with an update. He frowned as his inbox began to fill with emails and updates from Antigua.
“If you'll excuse me folks, duty calls. Admiral Irons is sending us fresh orders through the ansible,” he said wryly. He smiled politely and managed to extract himself a few minutes later.
Once he was clear, he took the time to read the first email. He was surprised and a bit dismayed that John hadn't stuck around Antigua long. He'd gone through with his plan to go to his secret base. Lemnos …Why couldn't he had held off longer? Why now of all times? At least he'd done his best to keep his departure under wraps. Though he was fairly certain that wouldn't last long. Not with Miss O'Niell in Antigua.
“Damn it, John. Don't get lost or killed,” the captain murmured as he returned to the Annex. “Heaven help us all if you do.”
<(>~^~<(>
A month after the attack, Jethro had a physical done by Doctor Thornby. She did it quickly and professionally. She was also very thorough, running the usual scans, jacking into his implants, and even doing a hands-on physical. He was aware that Bast was watching her suspiciously the entire time, trailing behind the doctor and only opening access to his implants when he countersigned her right to access them. When she was finished, she gave him a clean bill of health.
“But you already knew that,” she said with a small smile.
He nodded. “Yes, ma'am.”
“Your hitchhiker I suppose,” the doctor replied dryly. He eyed her warily. “Oh I know. I don't know all the details, but I know enough. And I saw her watching me check your implants out.”
“I see, ma'am.”
Bast blinked in surprise on his HUD, then her long pointed ears went back. Apparently she hadn't been as hidden as she thought.
“Well, you passed the psych exam as well so you are fit for active duty. I suppose that is a relief.”
“Yes, ma'am,” Jethro said with some fervor. He was heartily sick of juggling paperwork. He'd also gotten dragged into Valenko's reforming of the Marine contingents in the star system, if only in interviewing and processing some of the washouts and rejects as well as their replacements. Most of the rejects had been shipped back to Agnosta for retraining and reassignment at a reduced grade elsewhere. He was fairly certain the majority who didn't get some sort of discharge would end up in some very shitty postings pretty soon.
There was something to be said about pushing people up the chain of command too far, too fast. Some just couldn't handle the load, some cracked. They struggled and largely failed. Then there were others who should have been able to handle it, but for one reason or another screwed it up anyways. Those were harder to ferret out. And he didn't have a lot of sympathy for them either.
She poked him in the shoulder with a stiff finger to get his attention. “Good. I'm one of the few officers cleared in the star system for your particular brand of body so quit getting it banged up. Read me?”
He eyed her mock serious expression and then flicked his ears to show he knew she was joking. “Yes, ma'am, I'll try not to,” he said dutifully.
“You do that. I've got a bit of work tied up into you, Jethro. I don't want to see it go to waste. And if things hold up maybe … well, we'll see,” she said shrugging.
“I wonder what that was about?” Jethro murmured after the doctor had departed. Bast just yawned on his HUD and then pretended to wash a paw. He picked up his uniform and finished getting dressed. “Whatever. Let's go get back to work then hit the bar scene.” Bast eyed him reproachfully but didn't object.
<(>~^~<(>
“We picked up chatter and an unauthorized access attempt on McClintock's whereabouts, sir,” Lieutena
nt Teague reported. “He's been frequenting a couple of bars. Knox news has also taken an interest in him. Most likely after talking with Miss O'Niell through the ansible.”
“Time to move him then,” Monty replied firmly. The lieutenant looked ready to object but stopped herself. After a moment she nodded. “Something to add Teague?”
“I'm not sure sir. I was wondering if the panther was deliberately setting himself out there as bait. Perhaps to see who would take an interest in his whereabouts or even make a try at him.”
“That smacks of overconfidence. I didn't authorize him to be put in play,” Monty said, eying her severely. She spread her hands apart in appeal. “But you said it may have been his idea. Did you ask him?”
“I haven't seen him, sir. You've had almost everyone dealing with the intel downloads from Antigua, sir,” she reminded him.
He grunted then cleared his throat. “Very well. Get the orders moving now. Move him.”
“Sir, Captain Valenko has wanted his services. He could be a major asset with the cleanup and retraining of the Marines in the star system.”
“I understand that. But the bear will have to make due. He's going to need to move. I'll have Decius cut the orders.”
“And therein is a problem, sir. Well, two actually,” Teague said, holding up two fingers. “One, he's not technically under Navy command. He reports to his own chain of command in Agnosta. Colonel Forth has to issue the order.” She curled a finger. “And two, he's been tapped by the Walker defense for some oddball reason. They've got him on the books as a hostile witness. So he's under orders from the judicial system to stay put and be accessible to both sides at all times. Despite the security risk it presents to him.”
“Someone's pretty perverse about that. They don't need him though, do they?”
Lieutenant Teague shook her head. “No, sir. Absolutely not. He can't' affect their case in anyway. His part only touched off the fall; he played no part in Walker's hijinks. The prosecution is certain they just want to destroy him if possible. They have been painting this big picture of a grand conspiracy to get Walker off the hook. It almost succeeded with that mayor from Vesta.”