by Black, Alan
Misha asked, "I'll bite, what problem?"
Krandiewsky said, "It’s the IFF from Heaven's Gate. We can't approach the tarmac, or even get within missile range without the appropriate codes. Once we send the appropriate code, the station locks us onto their command and brings us in on autopilot. So, since we don't have an operable communications system we were planning to sit out here until they noticed us and sent someone to investigate."
Misha nodded. "I figured as much. So we have to wait a bit longer to get off the Kiirkegaard. What are a few more hours after all the time we’ve already spent cooped up?"
Krandiewsky nodded. "Therein is the problem. Someone has already sent the appropriate codes. Since we are so short handed, we didn't have anyone on constant communications and navigation monitoring. It took us a while to notice we were not sitting still. We’re going to hit the tarmac in less than an hour."
"Singletary." The name almost blasted from her lips. "He’s planning to get off this ship and disappear onto the station before anyone on station knows what has happened on board."
Krandiewsky asked, "Singletary is your missing APE?"
Misha nodded, "A schemer and a scam artist." She looked around her. She noticed Sticks standing still in the corner. She pointed at him and said, "Sticks, get a move on and find Marshal Forrester. Do you know where he might be?"
Sticks nodded, "Yes, ma'am. He’s in sickbay with Chief Brown."
Misha looked startled, "I thought he’d been released from sickbay. Has he had a relapse?"
Sticks said, "Oh no, ma'am...I mean, sir. Chief Brown just went down with him to get his bandage changed and to talk with his wife."
Misha blurted, "Wife? What are you talking about? Whose wife?"
Sticks grinned. "Oh, I guess you haven't heard. It turns out that Med-Tech Staff Sergeant Jèsusa Rezzi is really Mrs. Gan Forrester and she really is a Marshal Service operative."
"Huh and double huh. Were you listening to our conversation?"
"Yes, sir, but only those parts about the communications problem. I didn't hear anything about your threatening the Colonel."
Misha smiled, "You had better find both Forrester and Rezzi. Brief them on what’s going down. Let them know their pigeon is getting ready to fly the coop and the hatch to the cage is open."
She turned back to the two men, "I hate to ask the obvious, but have you tried to piggyback a signal on the IFF?"
Krandiewsky nodded, "That was the first thing we tried. But, whoever has been setting up this jamming anticipated that and all we get is feedback."
"I suppose I can use my three squads to secure all hatchways until we can get a message to station security."
Britaine shook his head vigorously, "Two squads. You can't use Tackyhummer's squad. I still need them. In fact, I need for you to order his whole squad up here for guard duty. You may think this is the work of this Singletary, but I think there are still mutineers who’re going to try to take this spacecraft away from me. They could use the landing procedures confusion to overcome just a few guards."
Misha said, "I don't think that’s very likely, Colonel Britaine. They would have nothing to gain at this late date."
Britaine shot back, "I don't care what you think." He winced when he saw Misha's face cloud up, but he continued on, "I believe there’s still a possibility of attack. That is enough for me and for your precious contract. See, I looked it up too. Now, I insist."
Misha nodded, "That’s indeed your call, Colonel." She spoke across the room. "Second Takki-Homi, please make your squad at the ready." She turned back to the two officers. "Well, I can try to cover all the exits with two squads."
Britaine snorted, "You have to do more than try. I can't allow any of these mutinous bastards off my spacecraft. I want them all caught and punished."
"I agree anyone who gets off this vessel will probably duck into the station's population and be gone before station security knows we have a problem. But, all I have are two squads to work with."
"Won't work."
Krandiewsky nodded, "I hate to agree with the Colonel, but he’s right on this. There’s more than a half a dozen deck hatches in addition to the main hatchway. There’re also fifteen maintenance bay hatches, plus about a dozen specialized logistics ports, missile tubes and gun bays. That’s too many for two squads to cover."
Suddenly Britaine said, "We also tried to piggyback messages on the other signals."
Misha said, "What other signals?"
Britaine snorted and then looked furtively at Misha, "Sorry. There are other signals that automatically transmit. If they weren’t sent, they would alert Heaven's Gate to a potential problem and we wouldn’t be allowed to dock."
Misha waited, but the man didn't continue. Finally, she asked, "Well?"
Britaine snarled back, "You may threaten me all you like, but I am not here to instruct you in AMSF procedures."
Misha replied, "Fine by me." She turned to Krandiewsky, "Buzz, may I ask what signals we’re talking about?"
The major nodded. "Three basic signals are always transmitted from any returning spacecraft in addition to the IFF. The first is the data download from our stores and inventories. It’s a data dump into the station’s main supply chain for replenishment. The second is an automated download of any damage that tells the yard dogs to prepare for repairs. The third is an accounting download; payroll, invoice payment, that kind of stuff."
"Did we try a piggyback on any of them?" she asked.
Krandiewsky nodded. "We tried on all of them. The messages are being slammed back by a filter. It appears any message that mentions security, Marshal Service, mutiny and a whole load of other words isn’t getting through."
Misha thought for a moment and pulled out her glass-pack. Quickly, she typed up a message, dropped it in the reader and called it up on a display monitor. She called Krandiewsky over and said, "Take a look at this. This is a trick I learned recently from a couple of rookies named Kelly. We’ll just use open unencrypted messages instead of the special Kelly family codes. We need to try to get this message into the accounting data stream. It’s back-dated to before I ever arrived on Heaven's Gate, so it should generate a response. What do you think?"
Krandiewsky frowned in thought, "Looks like an invoice."
Misha nodded. "That's the point. It shouldn't look any different than any other accounting message traffic. We need to make sure it’s coded for immediate payment and forwarding."
He asked, "Do you think they’re going to react and do anything?"
Misha said, "I think so, but we need to get as many messages like this into the system as we can. Who do you know on the station?"
A short time later she left Krandiewsky and some of his intelligence staff as they slid their messages into the accounting data stream. She only had a few minutes to track down as many of her two squads as possible to cover as many of Kiirkegaard’s exits as she could.
Chapter Sixty-Two
Misha stood in the main hatchway foyer. The wide room had a dozen corridors and ladders converging onto its open space. She held a needler in each hand. Ottiamig stood next to her. He had a sunburner held at the ready. Misha had decided if she couldn't cover all the ways out of the Kiirkegaard, she would try to cover the most obvious exits. She was also not of a mind to let any APE stand guard alone; ordering everyone to pair up.
The only other occupant of the large room was Clancy. The intelligence sergeant held an oversized maintenance glass-pack to read the landing manual for hatch opening. Occasionally, she scanned through a few pages in either direction and then glanced up at the hatchway's console for confirmation. Britaine didn’t trust any of the maintenance crew near any hatches.
Misha felt, more than heard, the station's landing clamps grapple and lock onto the spacecraft’s stanchions. She saw a light turn green on Clancy's console and Misha felt a subtle change in airflow as the environmental systems switched over to station control. She saw another light turn green and heard a small
hum generating throughout the deck plates signaling they were off internal power and locked into the station systems. A third light turned green.
Two spacers raced around a corner and into the main foyer. Both men froze in their tracks when they came face to face with a brace of needlers and a sunburner.
Ottiamig cleared his throat loudly and gestured with the muzzle of his weapon, sending both men scurrying back the way they had come. Misha looked at Ottiamig without expression. He shrugged, "Sorry, Third. I was not in the mood to shoot more of our own people." Before she could agree with him, Takki-Homi, Trammler and Riffler burst into the room. Their weapons were held at the ready. Colonel Britaine followed. The bulk of Charlie Squad blanketed him like a cocoon. Gaineretti and Toxix brought up the rear. At a command from Second Takki-Homi, his squad fanned out and brought their weapons to bear on every entrance into the room.
Only when this was complete did Colonel Britaine speak. He pointed to Clancy, "You, on the hatch. Get it open!"
Clancy looked at Misha and grinned. Theatrically she pointed her index finger at the console and as if stabbing with a sword, she punched one button and the hatch began to cycle open.
Misha turned to face the opening hatch and was momentarily blinded by glaring white lights. A booming voice shouted, "Station security. Drop all weapons and keep your hands where we can see them." Misha dropped her needlers to the deck and held her arms out wide at shoulder height. She heard the clatter as Ottiamig and all of Charlie Squad followed suit. The voice boomed again, "Colonel Britaine and Third McPherson only, please step forward onto the tarmac. No one else move."
Misha moved forward without waiting for Britaine to respond. Before she reached the ramp, Britaine pushed past her. She heard the rattle of heavy weapons fire vibrating through the deck and froze. Britaine dropped to the ramp, covered his head and shouted, "It was the Code Black orders requiring me to report to the station. I wasn't running away. Don't shoot me."
Misha stepped over him and continued down the ramp. Once past the initial glare of lights, her eyes began to adjust. She could see station security covering the deck area in force. They had emptied the tarmac of all other personnel, except for one lone small figure standing off to the side.
An AMSF major stepped up to her and said, "Third McPherson?"
Misha nodded.
The major stepped past her and walked up to Britaine. Misha put the major out of her mind as she turned to the lone figure. It was Fifth-Level Commander IvanYetta Vaslov. The diminutive woman waved her over.
"Fist Vaslov, I don't know how to tell you how glad I am to see you."
Vaslov nodded, "Good to see you too, McPherson, even under whatever these circumstances are, and I hope you have a good explanation for all of this excitement."
Misha said, "Yes, sir. I hereby formally surrender myself and my entire command for arrest."
Vaslov shook her head grimly, "I thought something serious had gone wrong, but hold off on that ‘formal’ garbage until I know more."
Misha said, "Yes, sir: mutiny, murder, theft, insubordination, violation of contract, cowardice under fire." She looked back at Britaine still cowering on the Kiirkegaard's ramp and continued, "Well, maybe and maybe not. I recommend everyone on board be arrested and let the lawyers sort it out."
Vaslov grunted. "I hate to arrest our own people for a spacer’s squabble."
Misha shook her head sadly, "Not this time, Fist. There’s enough mud to be slung about for some of it to fall on everyone. We had APES supporting mutiny, others who did nothing and we have more than a few dead, killed by our own troopers.”
Vaslov spat on the deck and said, "Dammit, McPherson, we can’t afford this crap.
Misha nodded, “Yes, sir. I know that as commander, I’m held accountable for the actions of my command, all of them. I submit myself for arrest on charges of mutiny and for taking violent actions against the mutineers.”
Vaslov shook her head. “No, I said to hold off on that and I mean it. You’re damned either way if we go that route. When I say we can’t afford this crap, I mean we can’t afford to take more APES off the front lines of this war. It’s heating up and I have my orders. This is bad enough, but you’re the only APES unit to come back from Gagarin."
"What?!" Misha all but shouted.
Vaslov nodded looking far away. "We've had a couple of other spacecraft General Gurand sent back as special couriers under his Code Black orders. We've gotten images and reports from the snafu there, humans siding with Binders and all. The most painful thing is that we have reports that all the units with Fourth Ottiamig have either been captured or killed.” She held up a hand to stop Misha’s response. “Look, I don’t know everything that went on aboard that spacecraft and I’m sure I don’t want to know. I have more problems to resolve today than your screwed-up command. That’s for the lawyers to hash out if, and I mean a big if, we can’t cover up any APES involvement. We’re going to make this go away if we have to invest in a whitewash factory. You best glue your lips together until you talk to APES counsel, all of your involvement is APES business only, got me? And you’ll tell your people the same thing, all of your people. Feel free to toss any other lawyers out the nearest airlock, if that’s what it takes. Um… only airlocks when you are docked. I think most lawyers deserve a little extra time in vacuum, but let’s not put whipped cream on a shit pie, okay?"
Misha nodded in relief. She had been sure her career was doomed, but Vaslov just handed her a get out of jail free card, a pardon and a pass all rolled into one. By legal standards, she was guilty of supporting the mutiny and for taking active and deadly action against those same mutineers. She was even guilty for not doing anything about the mutiny as some of her command did nothing. She was guilty of allowing everything Singletary had done and at the same time guilty for not stopping him. She was also guilty of participating in Dawg Squad’s attack on Britaine in the flight office even though she had not even been in that part of the ship. Vaslov was right. It was a mess for lawyers to solve and best leave it for them to handle. However, if APES higher command wanted APES involvement to disappear, then she would do her best to make it go away like a morning mountain mist in the hot sun.
She asked, "I heard gunfire. Do you know what’s going on?"
Vaslov shook her head. She turned and called to a spacer second class. Brianna Morin trotted up with a big grin. The young girl hugged Misha and then said, "Oh, I guess they don't do much hugging in the APES, huh, Trey?"
Misha laughed as she blushed at the unexpected friendship, "Not in my experience. No. But, it is good to see you."
Fifth Vaslov asked, "Brianna, what is the word on the gunfire?
Brianna said, "Security comms said some people were trying to jump to the station from the Kiirkegaard through a logistics port. It sounds like it took some persuading to make them surrender. There wasn't any word on casualties on either side, so there probably wasn't much more than a few warning shots." She held a finger up as she listened to communications in her ear bud. She looked at the APES, “It was a small group of APES. Some guy named Singletary and a guy named Park both got shot, but it doesn’t sound serious since we are using non-lethal bullets. Ohhhh, Singletary took a stray hit in the crotch and might need an icepack for a few days. They were turned back into the ship and not allowed off.”
Misha laughed and with a shake of her head said, "Singletary? Well, at least I know where he is now.” She said to Vaslov, “Singletary is an APE who-”
“Shut it, Misha,” Vaslov interrupted. “Save it for your never-to-be-published memoirs.
Misha turned to the young spacer and said, “So, Brianna, it looks like your duty station isn't as dull now as you thought it was."
Vaslov said, with a slight smile, "Brianna and I have had a few busy moments lately."
Brianna said, "I got your invoice requesting urgent payment for the flute I bought. Since it was dated before I even bought the flute, I thought something was wrong. I tried to tell my c
ommander, but he said it was just a computer glitch, so I punched up APES command and Fifth Vaslov answered the call."
Vaslov nodded, "Brianna was hot and raising such a ruckus I took a few minutes to listen to her story. The whole thing sounded fishy, so we started making some calls. I couldn't get any reaction from station security until the wife of some major, a Buzz something or other, started raising all kinds of hell about getting an invoice from her husband for sexual favors. So, between the three of us, we finally got someone at station security to listen."
Misha smiled, "I didn't realize Buzz had that kind of sense of humor. Well, maybe not. Maybe he just knew what would send his wife over the edge."
Brianna nodded, "Whatever it was, it finally worked. We managed to get enough people to cover every possible exit."
Vaslov smiled at the girl, "Good job, too. It seems you have excellent instincts."
"Thanks," Brianna said. “Sorry, but I've got to get back to work. I'll talk to you both later, okay?"
Vaslov said, "I would like that, but it will probably be a while before Third McPherson can get away. She has a command to quietly reorganize, a lot of reports to bury, and from what I've seen so far, she’ll have more legal depositions to avoid than gnats on a buzzard's butt.
The two APES watched Brianna rush back to her duties.
Vaslov nodded, "That girl told me she was going to be an APE someday, just like you. With our losses in this AMSF fiasco, we may have to ramp up our enlistments, so she may switch quicker than normal. But in spite of that cheerful little girl, this is a bad day for APES."
Misha frowned, "Sorry for the mess, Fifth, I wish-”
Vaslov interrupted, "No more about that from you.” Before Misha could respond, she said, "Get all your people reorganized and informed about their non-involvement in any AMSF investigation. Explain that there is and will be no APES investigation. It is not our mess and we have no comments to make without our own lawyers present. Get your command formed up and prepare for deployment. Let me know ASAP what you need in replacements. I don't know if we’ll have to leave the 1392nd on the Kiirkegaard or move you to another spacecraft.”