by Ben Winston
Ian smiled at Luke. “Thanks! Now get back to work you tyrant!”
Luke’s smile was the last thing Ian saw as the image faded to nothing.
That night, Ian told the girls what was going to happen the next evening. They all agreed with Luke and Elias. It was time to tell the people. They also picked up on Ian’s nervousness, and teamed up to direct the energy in a more... interesting direction.
Three hours later, Ian went out to the living room. Since everyone else was asleep, he tried to be quiet. He asked the computer for a view of the lunar landscape outside the ship as he got a cold beer from the replicator. He sat and looked out across the silent desolation and up to the bright stars. Ian thought about everything that had happened since that night so few months ago.
What would be the worst that would happen if word did get out to the government? Well, he’d have to find room on the ship for all the people that wanted to stay. Help those that just wanted to run, to get away without trouble. The drones would have to reclaim the base then be retrieved. None of the governments could get to the ship in less than three months. Even if one of them could get up here, the shields, and cloaking generators would keep them looking and scratching their heads.
So, starting tomorrow, all the shuttles would need to be on stand-by just in case the worst case happened. Plan for the worst, and hope for the best. But if what all the people he trusted were correct in their beliefs, then other than a few folks, everything would be fine.
So why was he so worried? Because it was his job to worry, because if anyone got hurt, it would ultimately be his fault. Ian experienced a memory of Zeus's of Admiral Fornate at the Academy on Talos once telling him, (Zeus) that worry was a Commander’s main duty. If that was true, Ian thought to himself, then he has that aspect of command pretty much mastered.
If tomorrow evening went well, then the next day Ian would officially and legally take command of this great vessel. He wasn’t really worried about that, the Command Protocol already said it agreed with Oly’s assessment of him. However, he did feel some nervous anticipation of the event. Under normal circumstances, it would be a really big deal, with Admiral’s and council members attending, and fireworks, and fly-by’s and...
This time it would only be the present ship’s company, and anyone that wants to watch from the surface. Not much of a legacy of a once great, star-spanning federation.
It might not have been much of a legacy, but Ian intended to keep it alive, as much as he could, at least on his ship. He took a last long drink of his beer, took the empty bottle back to the replicator, and went back to bed.
Tomorrow might be a major step toward their eventual goals; the ship and crew his life, but right here, in this room, was his future.
Chapter Twenty-Three
As usually happens with events one is both anticipating and dreading; one’s perception of time becomes non-linear. For Ian, time either sped by at a crawl, or crawled by at the speed of light.
He tried to distract himself with reports on the plans for the lift-off, the Change of Command, or the new Moon Base, but nothing really seemed to work. Ian’s ladies could see he was distracted, but couldn’t tell if he was excited or worried.
Finally, the day was over, Ian and family had just sat down to dinner when Ian’s comm buzzed at him.
“Commander Williams,” Ian answered, and winked at Beth who was giving him a hairy eyeball. Now that they could pull it off, and they were all together for dinner, she didn’t like business discussed at the dinner table.
“Sorry to bother you Ian, but I thought you might like to know, a shuttle load of very wide-eyed people just left here. The message will be played in about a half hour,” Elias said.
Ian felt his heart-rate double. “Are they ready for it, Elias?”
“We really think so, Ian. That includes Janet, too. But, I guess we’ll know for certain in a half hour.”
“I guess we will. Is Janet returning on the shuttle?” Ian asked.
“No, she said she had someone she needed to meet, got back on the shuttle she came down on, and took off,” Elias replied. “Uh, I thought you knew.”
Ian shrugged. “She has a pretty free hand when it comes to recruiting. She knows, probably better than anyone, what would happen if she got caught.”
“Well, I’ll probably be really busy after the show’s over, so I’ll give you a call once the hubbub dies down, or tomorrow if it gets too late. You’re still on our clock up there?” Elias asked.
“Yep, it makes sense since we are all mostly from that time zone, at least for now, we’re still on Mountain Time. I suppose once we get more diverse, we’ll change to Greenwich Mean Time, though,” Ian replied.
“Well, I need to get busy mingling... the Barbeque is getting into full swing. You know, the Ensign you left down here is really good to have around. He mounted a huge big-screen TV under the shelter in the picnic area here. A good portion of the community will be right here when the show comes on. Luke was a damn good choice for the Administrator slash Mayor; the man is pure devious,” Elias replied. “With everyone in one spot, we can talk it out rationally, and if someone tries to start trouble, Luke and Lara, Ty, Andrea, Laura and I are right here to challenge them.”
“I need to go too, before Beth takes my dinner away from me. I think we all miss those Barbeques though. I’m pretty sure the whole ship’ll be watching the show as well. I know we will. Take care and good luck, Elias, to all of you.”
“Don’t sweat this, Ian. Absolute worst case, most of us move to the ship until the moon base is built, then we declare our independence from Earth. No one can touch us up there,” Elias said. Ian heard a woman’s voice say, “Excuse me, Elias, I don’t mean to be rude or nosy, but who are you speaking to?”
Elias chuckled. “Here we go, old son. You might want to fasten your seatbelts, we’re in for a bumpy ride. G’night.”
“G’night Elias,” Ian said as the link closed. He turned back to a clearly annoyed Beth.
“Beth my love, I’m afraid tonight was doomed by business from the start. We might all want to grab our plates and go sit in the lounge so we can watch the Luke and Elias show. It starts in a few minutes.”
Beth smiled at her very nervous husband and kissed his forehead. “I know sweetheart, but I gotta practice my ‘stern mother’ face. Come on, let’s go watch you on TV.”
“I think I’m just gonna have a beer, I don’t think I could eat if I had to right now,” Ian said.
Beth nodded and looked up at the ceiling. “Computer, put the alcohol back in the Commander’s beer for this evening.”
“Thank you, Doctor Williams,” a disembodied voice replied.
Ian nodded, “Thanks, Beth. Save me a seat; I’ll be right there.”
Ian took his plate back to the replicator and ordered a cold beer. When he got back to the lounge the show was just starting. The first thing Ian noticed was this wasn’t the message he recorded a few days ago.
Obviously, Luke and Elias borrowed someone from computer sciences to put this together. Where ever possible, the actual pictures or videos of events were used. The address Ian had recorded was being used as the narration to a very graphic and realistic record of the history of the Talosian people and of the great ship.
By the time the show was over, Ian, who actually remembered all those people and most of the events, was crying for their loss.
Cindy called the drone to help clean up after dinner, while the rest of the girls took Ian to their bedroom stripped him, and then wrapped him in a cocoon of warm, loving flesh. This time, Talena had joined them, and made sure she was the one Ian was holding since she was releasing her grief as well.
The following morning, Ian was scheduled to have breakfast with the ‘witnesses’ that Janet had sent to the ship, then they would be his guests at the Change of Command ceremony before getting back on the shuttle and going back to their regular lives. Ian would implant the prohibition against telling anyone not of the community or the ship’s cr
ew about what they were trying to accomplish here.
Ian really didn’t like to use his ability in such a way, since he believed that everyone should be free to make their own choices and decisions. However, when so many lives depended on keeping this somewhat secret, he was forced to agree with the necessity, but that didn’t mean he had to like it.
The group was full of questions and most seemed really excited about being a part of this undertaking. However, Ian figured at least two of them were faking their enthusiasm, and one was outwardly hostile and belligerent.
“’Commander’, I’d like to know what gives you the right to decide how all this is going to work? Who voted you into office?” The man asked. Ian recalled from the introductions that his name was Zebulon Gabriel. A message from Janet slid into his vision that told him this man was the biggest of the potential security risks, and Janet noted that she had tagged him as ‘iffy’ in her initial interview with the man.
“Simply put, Mr. Gabriel, no one did. I’m assuming command of this vessel because of genetics, and in case you missed it, we are not in the United States, nor are we in any country on the Earth, we are on the moon. On top of that, this is a military ship. However, it does not hold a commission in any of the Earth’s navies, nor will it ever. Legally speaking, it’s actually private property. My private property,” Ian explained carefully, trying not to lose his temper, nor offend anyone else at the table.
“What’s to stop him from calling in the government once we get back? Or, are you not letting us go back?” Mrs. Sally Winfield asked without fear.
Ian looked thoughtful for a moment as he gathered his thoughts. “Luke Belden asked me pretty much the same question when I showed him the underground facilities at Talos. What it boils down to is what are we trying to do here? We’re trying to help the people of the planet. All the people of the planet, not just the ones that happen to control the government of one country,” Ian added looking directly at Zebulon.
“How could we do that if we forced the people we need to accede to our wishes with the threat of violence? We couldn’t and still honor our oaths. If anyone wants to leave us now that the cat is out of the bag, I’ll drive them to the airport myself, and buy them the ticket. I believe that if I’m honest and upfront with the people, most of which I’m happy to call friend, then they won’t betray my trust, or the trust of the people that have come to call this ship, or the town on the planet, home,” Ian explained.
Looking nervously at Zebulon, an older gentleman named George Myers spoke. “That’s awfully trusting. I don’t mean to argue with you, Commander, but you’re basing our security on the expectation that someone will keep their word? That makes me very uncomfortable, sir.”
“Prior military?” Ian asked the man.
George nodded. “I was aboard the USS Stark in the Persian gulf in ’87. I’ve still got a few souvenirs from that. It ended a thirteen-year career.”
“You know anything about fighting the ship?” Ian asked.
“Yes sir, did a three-year stint as gunnery officer; the last year of that was on the Stark,” George replied.
“Would you be interested in doing it again, here?” Ian asked.
“I’m flattered, Sir. I would jump at the chance to work here, but don’t you think I’m a little old? Not to mention I come equipped with my own armor.”
Ian winked at him conspiratorially, then turned to address the group. “There is still a lot about all this you folks simply don’t know yet. However, there are some security issues that you won’t be learning about, but feel free to ask about anything else. If it’s something we can’t answer, then we’ll tell you. Now before we really go much further into the ship, I think we need to talk about relationships, and what Talosian law allows. On this ship, we are using Talosian law, not those of the United States or any other Terran authority.”
“What’s wrong with US Law?” Zebulon asked defensively.
“Absolutly nothing... If you’re a straight, white, male, Christian that actually believes they have the not only the right, but the duty to tell others how to live their lives. Like the founding fathers said: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.’ In the current United States, which has nothing to do with what those men had in mind, the more money you have the more equal you’ve been created,” Ian replied. This idiot really was irritating him.
“So what’s so much better about the laws of your dictatorship?” Zebulon asked, smirking.
“Well Zeb,” Ian said watching the man’s jaw clinch. “First of all, this isn’t a dictatorship, in so much as it is a military command which is pretty close to the same thing. However, that structure does not extend off this ship.
“But to answer your real question; one example would be that there are a good many multiple partner, as well as same sex, relationships here. As long as it doesn’t affect anyone else, no one has the right to dictate to others whom they can and can’t love.”
“Now that’s just wrong! The Bible clearly states...” Zebulon began, but Ian cut him off.
“Unless they’ve rewritten it, the Bible doesn’t clearly say anything. However, Secular dictates are not allowed to influence the creation, or interpretation of Common Law. Conversely, no one has the right to tell others who or what to worship. Churches have the same rights guaranteed them. No one can tell them what to believe or how to conduct themselves as long as those actions don’t unwillingly affect others.
“What that means is that, while no one has the right to say who others can love, a Church does have the right to refuse to perform a union that is against their beliefs. But if you tell me that I’m going to burn in hell for having three wives, and that they are also married to each other, I can level charges against you, and, if found guilty, you would spend the next sixty years trying to terraform Pluto by hand,” Ian said, interrupting the pontifical thumping of the Bible Zebulon was about to start.
“But... But...” Zebulon sputtered.
“But what, Zeb? One of the ideals of the founding fathers that has so blithely been ignored is the separation of Church and State. If you want your child to pray in school, send them to a religious school! How difficult is that to figure out? Should a prayer be said with the opening session of congress? Only if it’s the congress of cardinals. Church, any church, has no business in any aspect of civil government, period,” George said, instead of Ian this time.
Ian noticed that one of Janet’s folks was there to continue the tour for the group so Ian stood. “Folks, as much as I would love to continue this conversation, you have a tour to finish, and I have a ship to get ready for the Change of Command ceremony.” Ian looked right at Zeb. “I would also like to thank all of you for taking the time to come up here, and listen to our side of things. I’ll see you all again at the ceremony, and we can talk again, individually, at the reception afterwards. Your shuttle is scheduled to depart at twenty-one hundred tonight, with a twenty-four-thirty arrival back at Talos. Please, enjoy the rest of the day.”
To Ian’s surprise, Zebulon stood. “Mr. Williams, I think I can speak for everyone when I say thank you for having us. Though it didn’t seem as if you were actually giving some of us a choice at first, I’m actually glad your people insisted. It’s not every day one gets to walk through a Science Fiction novel. I think you know I don’t agree with what you’re doing here, but I do appreciate the opportunity to look around.” He started clapping and soon the entire group had joined him.
Ian smiled and bowed slightly to his guests. “Thank you, Mr. Gabriel. I do hope you enjoy the rest of the visit, as well as the ceremonies this afternoon, and evening. So, until this evening; good-day.”
They all made appreciative noises as a group of stewards on loan from Julie Laskar entered the room. Ian was still smiling when he left the room. He would do the implants on the three bad risks
this evening. His biggest worry was resisting the urge to make Zebulon Gabriel have a sudden fascination for other men. He mentally snorted; 'That asshole probably already has one!’
Chapter Twenty-Four
Ian tried not to run back to his ready room so he could call Elias to see how things are going. He didn’t want to admit, even to himself, how worried he was about the people on the planet. He didn’t notice Jenny trying hard not to giggle at him as he walked as fast as he could across the bridge.
When he got to his ready room, he asked to be connected to Luke, Elias or Ty at Talos. He was once again surprised to see all three men in Luke’s office.
“Okay, now this is getting scary. I can understand you guys knowing I’m going to call, but how’d you know when I’d call?” Ian asked, smiling at the three grinning men.
“Simple sir, we have a spy on the ship!” Ty joked.
“I take it no one told you that you have no privacy today? I must say, I about fell off my chair when you and George teamed up on Gabriel. That idiot has been a pain in the ass since he got here. He’s been leading the drive to get a church built. I’d be happy to oblige him, except that there are only three families that are interested. I’ll be happy to build one later, but right now we have more immediate needs,” Elias explained while Luke just nodded in agreement.
“Okay, I’ll get back to my lack of privacy in a minute, but for now, how did our people take the news?” Ian asked.
“Pretty much exactly the way we thought they would, except we way under-estimated the interest level,” Luke reported. “The parents of the kids that have been spending every day over at the arcades have rightly figured out those games are actually flight simulators. They cornered me first thing this morning to question me about it. I had to explain that you wouldn’t actually accept them as pilots until the age of sixteen. They were still a bit upset until I played some of the mission vids the simulators record. Once they saw how good their kids were, they calmed down and asked me to pass along a formal request for a couple more Flight Instructors. They also asked that the kids accepted as pilots be stationed here, if possible. I tried to explain the whole ‘take your family with you’ concept, but I don’t think it’s sunk in yet.”