by Neal Jones
( 2 )
Gabriel yawned as he walked out of his office. Delta shift was at their stations, and the commodore paused at the ops console to say goodnight to the officer of the watch, Commander Hiller.
"Sir, we received a communiqué from the listening post in the Ontaar sector. It's been four days since Apollo disappeared."
Gabriel frowned as he scrolled through the message on the compad screen. "Send the Dauntless to investigate."
"Aye, sir."
"Goodnight, commander."
"Goodnight, sir."
As Gabriel stepped into the PTL, his frown deepened and he wondered if he should be worried for Decev and her team. It had only been four days, and there were dozens of situations like this where teams had been gone for much longer and returned safe and sound. The exploration of the unknown was fraught with high risk, and one accepted that when one donned the uniform and swore the oath. But still, given the many things which had gone wrong since Gabriel and his crew had assumed command of this starbase, it was hard not to see the glass as half empty. The commodore already had a table whose surface was covered with half empty tumblers, but a part of him was unwilling to add Mariah's cup to the collection. Not yet.
And speaking of that collection, Gabriel reminded himself to allow that group of officers from the bar brawl a week and a half ago out of the brig. They could begin their two week rotation of scrubbing the central plasma conduits in main engineering. Garrett had informed the commodore that morning that there was a good buildup of residue as he had "forgotten" to assign a daily team to that task. And as for the Kroth situation, Saveck had still received no word from his contacts in the government, and Varis hadn't received any new information from her sources in FCI either. Gabriel wanted to believe that no news was good news, but as with the Apollo situation, he couldn't quite bring himself to accept that mantra.
At the last minute, the commodore altered the lift's course to take him to the promenade instead of his quarters. He was in the mood for some DrayH'M cuisine, and he had just put in three hours of overtime in order to get caught up on his paperwork. He deserved a reward.
( 3 )
The sanctuary of the Holy Church of God's Witness was on the third level of the promenade, and the Chrisarii woman walked toward its entrance with a confident gait and her head held high. Thanks to the insistence of Father Wallace, there was no security guards nearby, or inside the auditorium. Against Krael Zar's strong protests, Wallace had insisted that his church remain a haven of peace and serenity. Armed soldiers within and without would disrupt that, and besides, their fate was in the hands of God. If He desired them to remain safe, He would make it so. If it was His will that they become martyrs, then so be it. All things served the true creator of mankind.
The woman found it difficult not to sneer outwardly at such piousness and stupidity, but she managed to keep her expression calm and placid as she slipped inside the auditorium and marched up the central aisle. Father Wallace was in the midst of his sermon, and the many rows of pews were filled with civilian humans as well as uniformed EarthCorps officers who had just come off duty. There were murmured exclamations of surprise and outrage, and Wallace trailed off in the middle of a sentence as he watched the Chrisarii get closer to the altar in front of the pulpit.
The detonator shot smoothly from her sleeve into her palm, and she turned to face the congregation.
Her eyes closed.
She pressed the button.
The explosion of fire, flesh and bone radiated in all directions like a supernova.
( 4 )
As Gabriel stepped out of the PTL, he was nearly mowed down by a security squad. Other soldiers were herding the onlookers into small groups, clearing nearby sections, and close by, providing a soundtrack to the whole scene, was a chorus of screams, wails and babbled shouting. It took several minutes before Gabriel localized the source of the chaos. He had exited on the fourth level, and he stepped closer to the railing so he could peer down and across to the other side on the third level, where two squads of soldiers surrounded the entrance to the Church of God's Witness. Two cardon fields suddenly appeared, and a host of medical personnel spewed out of them. The soldiers stepped aside, and it was only then that the commodore got a glimpse of the tragedy which had occurred.
A few victims were able to walk on their own, but several had only been able to crawl as far as the entrance. Some were so badly burned that it was difficult to imagine them possessing enough strength to even crawl from the auditorium. Others were only slightly wounded, a few cuts and bruises, but there was a vacancy in their eyes, a sign of shellshock, as they numbly followed the doctors and nurses back through the cardon fields to the ER. Gabriel's commlink beeped and he tapped it without taking his gaze off the grisly scene below.
"Gabriel."
"Krael Zar. Sir, we have a situation on the promenade –"
"I know. I'm looking at it right now."
Zar was standing at the edge of the scene, guiding his men as they assisted the paramedics. He looked up and met Gabriel's gaze.
"I'm coming down," the commodore said.
"No. I'll come up to you."
Zar disappeared from view, and in less than a minute, he was next to Gabriel. "All the eyewitness accounts we've collected so far have said the same thing: this was the work of a suicide bomber. A Chrisarii woman. That's all I've got for you right now. It's going to take us all night to sort through this. I'll have an update for you first thing in the morning."
Gabriel nodded, his expression stoic. He still couldn't tear his eyes away from the carnage, and his appetite had vanished. In its place was a fresh fountain of fury that churned in his gut like acid. It was never going to end. The cycle would repeat itself again and again, each incident worse than the last, until someone finally succeeded in blowing up the whole damn station. It was Zar's fist against the handrail which finally forced Gabriel to look away, and he was stunned by the naked fury on his security chief's face.
"Gods damn him!" Zar seethed. "I warned him that this would happen, and he didn't believe me!"
"Has Father Wallace been found yet?"
Zar shook his head. "I've got to get back down there. Go home, commodore. Get some rest while you can."
Gabriel watched the DrayH'M return to the crime scene, and it was almost thirty minutes before he could take the krael's advice. But he got no sleep that night, and he was still in his uniform when Zar arrived in person to deliver his report. On the screen of the compad which he handed the commodore was displayed a personnel file.
"The bomber was Doctor Tehya Lom. She was among the first wave of officers who reported for duty three months ago. The next file is the initial CSI report. The blast origin was towards the front of the auditorium, close to the pulpit." He paused. "Father Wallace's remains were uncovered early this morning. All in all, there were sixty-seven fatalities and fifty-three casualties. I have a team going through Lom's quarters now. I'll have that report for you at the staff briefing."
"What else?"
"I've used my usual tactics at keeping the press at bay, but, obviously, this incident is much bigger than the Vorik murders. It's getting harder by the hour, and I would suggest holding a conference as soon as possible."
Gabriel nodded as he scrubbed a hand over his face, then tossed the pad onto his desk. "Tell the press that I'll issue a statement at oh-seven-hundred." He turned away, pacing to the viewport.
Zar watched the commodore for a moment before he replied. "Aye, sir."
( 5 )
Lieutenant Commander Garrett folded his hands on the table in front of him, taking some comfort in the fact that everyone else appeared to be having as difficult a time as he was in maintaining a calm, professional exterior. The Vorik murders were hard enough, but to have to deal with a tragedy like this so soon after the last one was almost unbearable. If the chief engineer was as much a believer in superstition as his human grandmother, he might accept that Exxar-One was cursed. From the
expressions on the faces of his fellow senior officers, they looked like they might believe the same notion, and Garrett was most disturbed by Commodore Gabriel's countenance.
Despite his best efforts to hide it, it was obvious that the station's commander had gotten no sleep last night. He had the look of a man who has been defeated in the third round, but refuses to admit it and keeps stepping into the ring again and again. The press conference had not gone well, according to Rosenberg, who had been present to give a medical update of the casualties. As usual, Gabriel had refused to answer questions, and some of the reporters began to bombard him with accusations that perhaps he was unfit to command Exxar-One. One of them shouted something about alcoholism, and, to Gabriel's credit, he didn't give them the satisfaction of a response. Looking at him now, Garrett felt nothing but sympathy.
The commodore had turned the staff meeting over to Zar, and the security chief was pointing to an image on the viewscreen.
"This is Doctor Tehya Lom. She's a follower of Onng Le'Roh."
There was a few murmured groans from those seated around the table, but Garrett was among the other half who were confused. He spoke up. "Onng Le'Roh?"
Saveck answered. "Like any other civilization, there is more than one major religion among the Chrisarii. While most of my people subscribe to the ideology of the Varashok and their prophet, Tor'Ahl, there are some who believe that there is only one true God, and that his name is Onng Le'Roh. He is the Creator, the giver of life and all things, and all other gods are false."
"Nicely put," Zar replied. "He's right. We found a recording on Lom's personal computer." He tapped a command into his compad, and a video began playing on the viewscreen.
"My name is Tehya Lom, and what I am about to do, I do for the glory of Onng Le'Roh." As she spoke, there was almost no inflection to her tone, and no expression in her face, save for her eyes. They burned with the kind of fervor and intensity that only religious zealots could produce. "I am his servant, I am his sword, I am his light. He is my creator, my savior, and my all. For the last several nights, my dreams have been...strange ...different...almost like visions. I have come to believe that the Almighty One has been trying to speak to me. After searching His holy word, I know now that I am the one who must carry out justice against the blasphemers who claim that their false god is true. It was their servant, Isaac Blacke, who struck down Ambassador Vorik, a follower of the Almighty One. Now I am tasked with delivering the sword of vengeance. I do this with all faithfulness and devotion. Please do not weep for me, but instead cry for those who do not yet believe, for their judgment is coming. There shall be no mercy for them in the Last Days, so says the Word of the Holy Lord. Amen."
The image froze and Zar shut off the viewscreen. "It gets worse. Before leaving her quarters, Lom uploaded her testimony to the public commnet. It was timed to begin playing at oh-six-hundred, and by the time we learned of it, it had been downloaded and viewed at least seven hundred times. We successfully pulled it, but it's still being circulated privately. It's likely that we won't be able to completely eradicate it."
"Vorik wasn't a follower of Onng Le'Roh," Saveck said, puzzled.
"I checked on that," Zar replied, "and I didn't find any evidence to support Lom's claim. I sent a copy of this testimony with my report to the Chrisarii Ministry of State, but I haven't yet received a reply. My guess is that she was just misinformed, or that the statement is another attempt to justify her actions."
"Or she knew it was a lie and that it would stir up more trouble," Varis suggested. Several nodded their agreement, including Zar.
"That's my theory as well," the security chief said.
"How did she get the materials to make her bomb?" This came from Lieutenant Enthler, the Chrisarii tactical officer who had taken Sikandra's place. "What did she use?"
Zar glanced at Rosenberg, and the doctor cleared his throat as he leaned forward. "Tehya Lom was my Chief of Staff. She oversaw the daily running and operations of the medical sector's main hospital. Her rank as well as her position on my senior staff gave her security clearance to all critical areas of the medical sector. She had access to several chemicals and medications, and there are numerous combinations which can produce a homemade bomb. Zar and I have put together a forensics team which is conducting a complete inventory of all medical and science labs as we speak."
For several moments, all of them waited for some input from Gabriel. But he was apparently lost in thought, staring at the tabletop, and Saveck cleared his throat.
"How long before we can expect a final report from you on this incident, krael?" the major asked.
"Give me three days."
"Done. For now, that appears to be all. Unless someone has something to add, you're dismissed."
Outside the wardroom, after the door closed, Rosenberg lingered while the others headed for a PTL. Doctor Lom had been ER chief for delta shift, and Garrett felt sorry for the CMO. He broke away from the others and joined Rosenberg.
"Is there anything I can do, doctor?"
Ben looked up, blinked, and shook his head. "No. It's just..."
"So senseless?"
"Yes. Yes, that's it. So utterly, fucking senseless. And the worst part of it is, Gabriel is almost to his breaking point - if not there already - and I'm afraid of what will happen if he goes over the edge."
Garrett nodded, not knowing what else to say.
The doctor's commlink beeped and he tapped it. "Rosenberg."
"Rayburne. I'm in the ICU ward. I've discovered something about one of the survivors that you need to see. Are you still with Commodore Gabriel and Major Saveck?"
"No. They're still in conference."
"Bring them with you. They'll want to see this too."
( 6 )
"This man is a Jha'Drok."
"What?" Gabriel cast another glance at the human male lying unconscious on the bed. Aside from the burn scars on his upper chest, neck and right arm, the disguise was flawless.
Rosenberg handed the commodore a compad. "The initial medical scans showed several anomalies in his blood stream which turned out to be DNA bio-probes. Further analysis of a blood sample confirmed it, and we're in the process of eradicating the probes, but it's slow going until we can completely heal his injuries. He was at the back of the auditorium, one of several victims who were furthest from the blast origin, and, barring any unexpected complications, he should be fully recovered in three days, possibly sooner."
"What are bio-probes?"
"Microscopic cells composed primarily of nano-technology."
"How long has he been aboard the station?" Saveck asked, turning to Krael Zar.
"His ID chip was scanned at DC-17 ten weeks ago. According to the readout, this man is Dalton Hanesworth, a computer software technician, employed by MicroTech Industries. I've already contacted MicroTech, and a preliminary search of their employee database turned up no one with that name. I should have detailed results by this afternoon."
"Anything else?" Gabriel asked. Both Rosenberg and Zar shook their heads. "As soon as possible, I want him in solitary confinement, and I'm going to be the one to question him. Until then, keep me updated with anything relevant."
"Understood," Zar said, speaking for himself and the doctor.
Gabriel was already walking to the exit, with Saveck close behind. Only when they were in a PTL, on their way to the command deck, did the commodore speak.
"It doesn't matter, does it?"
Saveck thought for a moment. "No. It probably doesn't."
Gabriel paced the narrow confines of the car as he spoke. "You and I could stand in front of the crew and talk until we're blue in the face, and none of it would matter. People will just keep killing each other until one side finally succeeds in putting all of us out of our misery."
"So what do we do?" Saveck wasn't merely placating his commanding officer. He was genuinely interested to hear Gabriel's answer.
"For the moment, I'm going to discuss this with Vari
s. After that, I honestly don't know."
The rest of the ride was shared in silence.
( 7 )
"Jha'Drok?"
Varis echoed the word with less surprise than Gabriel expected, as though she had been anticipating something like this. When Gabriel asked her if she had suspected a Jha'Drok spy among his crew, the Ralorian shook her head.
"No, commodore, but it does make sense, given the political controversy surrounding this place. The Emperium wanted their own set of eyes and ears here. Would you like some tanper? I received a bottle as a going away present, and I've never tried it."
"Uh, sure."
While Varis poured two tumblers, Gabriel settled himself into the easy chair, and Varis handed him his glass before perching herself on the end of the couch. The drink was sweet but with a tart aftertaste that came as a pleasant surprise to Gabriel.
"What did you call this?"
"Tanper. It's a Ralorian wine, but one that I've never quite developed a taste for. You're welcome to keep the bottle if you like."
Gabriel took another sip, then balanced the glass on the arm of the chair. "I'll be speaking with Admiral Hazen later this afternoon. Do you have any more information on the Jha'Drok which might shed some light on this new situation?"
Varis pursed her lips and glanced into her tumbler for a moment. She obviously knew something, and Gabriel felt a familiar stab of impatience which he quickly stifled. If this woman was going to be stationed here for awhile, she and the commodore were going to have to come to an understanding. There was no need for this theatrical pause. She was just doing it to remind the commodore that she was privy to "certain information" which was obviously above his pay grade. Gabriel made a mental note to ask Hazen about her when they were finished discussing the important matters.