Jon stepped off the cargolift completely exhausted. When Dr. elle’Kaari wasn’t testing him, Troop Leader Da’Saana had permanently assigned him to the laundry processing facility. This meant long, hard hours hauling heavy bales of dirty uniforms, which had done nothing to help his aching back. He was looking forwards to getting to his rack and having the chance to get off his feet and rest.
Corporal n’Darei stopped him halfway there.
“Fa‘Teela!” Her dislike of him was equal to Da’Saana’s, if not greater.
He snapped to attention. “Yes, ma’am?”
“What are the standard dimensions of the Athena’s central passageways?” she demanded.
Jon had been through enough surprise question and answer sessions during basic, that he didn’t wonder why he was being asked this question. Corporal n’Darei was simply his superior, and he had to answer her.
“Three point oh-five meters by three point oh-five meters, ma’am.”
“Where is bulkhead 115 located?” she inquired.
“Ma’am, bulkhead 115 is located aft of the hydroponics section. It houses a section of the main forward lifts and pumping equipment for the air recirculators” he responded.
“What is the fifth general order?”
“Ma’am, my fifth general order is to stay at my post until properly relieved, ma’am.”
They went on like this for a while, with Corporal n’Darei firing question after question at him. Finally, she stopped. “Alright,” she said, “good enough. Dismissed.”
Jon saluted her and continued on his way. His heart sank when he reached his rack and pulled the curtain aside. The storage drawers set under the bed were wide open. His clothing and personal effects were strewn across the mattress, and a cursory inspection revealed that at least two of his uniform shirts had been slashed with a knife.
The most painful discovery of all was the smallest item; his copy of the Revelation of Mari, was gone. Only a single torn page remained, resting on the decking.
Jon heard laughter behind him and turned around to see several Marines looking at him with leering grins. Then they walked away, and he suddenly realized why Corporal n’Darei had really stopped him in the corridor.
For a moment, he felt nothing but white-hot fury. It wasn’t the first time something like this had happened to him; on several occasions during Basic, his fellow recruits had also vandalized his possessions.
He knew that this was their way of sending him the message that he was not, and never would be, welcome, but the loss of his little book made this particular message hit home like the others hadn’t.
Jon sat down on the edge of his bed and tried to compose himself, not caring if anyone was still watching him or not. After taking a few, deep breaths, he prayed silently.
“Mother Mari,” he whispered, “Forgive these women for what they have done, and give me the strength to rise above my anger. Let me love my oppressors and in so doing, lead them away from their evil ways towards your light.” He made her holy sign and stood up, feeling a little better. Then he started in on the unhappy job of salvaging what he could.
USSNS Pallas Athena, In Space-Dock, Rixa Naval Base, Rixa, Belletrix System, Pantari Elant, United Sisterhood of Suns, 1043.02|09|02:21:63
While Skipper sat in her lap, purring with contentment, Lilith sipped her tea and went through the morning’s mail at the small desk in her quarters. She did so in a slow, and leisurely manner. Most of the holographic messages were fairly routine; a report from Engineering on the progress of the retrofitting on deck 12 for the Marine Engineers Detachment, a brief from security covering the last 10 hours and so on.
One communique was from Fleet Admiral ebed Cya however. She put down her tea and read it over carefully.
“Commander ben Jeni,” it began, “as you are aware, we have received several requests from Sisterhood News Network for an interview regarding the addition of a neoman to your ship’s compliment. After much consideration, we have decided to grant this, with certain limitations. Please contact me at my office today at your earliest convenience for a complete briefing.”
“Come on,” she said to her kaatze, “Get up. I have work to do.”
But I’m comfortable. Let them wait! he protested.
“Get up now!” she said, unceremoniously grabbing him from her lap and dumping him on the bed.
Well! Really! It’s not like it’s for anything important! he sputtered, but Lilith wasn’t listening. She had already opened her closet and was getting into her dress uniform as quickly as possible.
Three minutes later she was up in her office. “Com?” Lilith said. “Patch me through to Topaz Fleet Command, Fleet Admiral ebed Cya’s office.”
The insignia of the Topaz Fleet appeared in the holo field, and then the Admiral herself. Unconsciously, Lilith sat up a bit straighter in her chair.
“Commander?” Ebed Cya began “Good to see you again. How are things proceeding up in spacedock?”
“Quite well, ma’am,” Lilith replied. “Engineering assures me that the special modifications are nearly complete and that the Marine Engineers will be able to load their large equipment shortly. We will be shipping out as soon as they are done.”
“Not quickly enough, it seems,” Ebed Cya remarked. “As you might have gathered from my message, there has been some pressure brought to bear on my office to grant an interview about your neoman. I’m afraid we’ll have to go ahead with that before you leave for your mission.”
Lilith didn’t care for the idea that her newest crewmember was “her” neoman, but she didn’t contradict her superior. “What can I do to help?” she asked instead.
“I’ve made it clear to SNN,” the Admiral replied, “that we will not allow a direct interview with Fa‘Teela himself. They weren’t happy with this, but since it goes against naval regs concerning enlisted personnel and the press, they had to concede the point. We will, however, allow their correspondent to interview you.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I assume that he is adjusting to life aboard your ship without any complications? We want to make sure that this interview has a positive atmosphere.”
Lilith had heard a few rumors about the difficulties Fa‘Teela had encountered since coming aboard. And she’d certainly witnessed the way Da’Saana had treated him, but loose gossip and one poor interaction was not confirmation. Just the same, she suspected the worst, and decided that this was not something that her superior would want to hear right then.
“Yes, ma’am,” she said circumspectly. “To the best of my knowledge, he is adjusting as well as could be expected.”
“Yes. Of course he is,” the Admiral answered dryly. “Very well, Commander. The interview is scheduled for this afternoon, at 06:25 hours, in my office. Please make certain that we are in a position to present the best face possible.”
Ebed Cya cut the connection, and Lilith immediately contacted Saara sa’ Vika. If anyone knew what was really going on on the ship, it was her SAO Officer. She and her women had the confidence of every crewwoman aboard, and Lilith had used this to her advantage many times during her tenure as the Athena’s commander.
Their conversation about the neoman was brief, and enlightening. Things were definitely not going well for Fa’ Teela. Something would have to be done. Straightaway.
Her next call was to Col. Lislsdaater.
“Colonel?” she said when the officer appeared on the holoscreen, “I want to know how things are going with the neoman--and I want to know everything. Report with your subordinates to the main conference room in ten minutes, and if you would, bring his Troop Leader and her Corporal along with you. I’d like their input.”
***
After listening to the Colonel and her subordinates, Lilith’s mood had darkened considerably. To their credit, none of the officers attempted to minimize what had occurred, or to conceal it, but this did little to mollify her.
“Ladies,” she finally said, “To put it mildly, I am no
t pleased.”
The Colonel started to interrupt, but Lilith silenced her with her hand. “Please, all of you, listen to what I have to say. Many centuries ago, there was an effort to integrate women into the armed services. This was met with the same kind of resistance that we are seeing here, and worse. It did not prevent women from ultimately being integrated however, and it will not stop a similar event from happening now, regardless of your feelings, or mine.’
“While I share your discomfort with this situation, I do not want it to bring any embarrassment to the Navy, the Corps, or this ship. Therefore, I would appreciate it if you would accommodate me by taking steps to make sure that any and all forms of hazing stop. I would also like it if you reassigned Trooper fa’Teela to a detail that makes it appear, at least, that we are doing our best to work him into life aboard this ship.”
“Ma’am?” Lislsdaater asked, “May I speak?”
“You may.”
“Ma’am,” the Colonel said, “with all due respect, I do not think Trooper fa’Teela is mentally capable of duties that are any more complex than the ones he is currently assigned to.”
“Have you even tried to verify this, Colonel?” she countered. “Do you have any fitness reports from the ship’s doctor that would agree with your assessment? Have you even given him the opportunity to fail? I think not.”
The Colonel was unable to rebut this.
“I would like to hear that fa‘Teela has been reassigned before I go downside for my interview. Perhaps a posting in Ordnance Stores would be a more appropriate slot for him. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Yes, ma’am. Consider it done.”
***
The very instant that Lilith entered the Admiral’s office, and laid eyes on the SNN correspondent, she was on her guard. Although the newswoman smiled at her as she took her seat in front of the holo camera, Lilith knew that she was entering a potentially dangerous battlefield of insinuation and innuendo. Having the reputation of the Navy at stake didn’t help to calm her in the least.
After a polite introduction by the Admiral, the journalist began.
“I’m speaking with Commander Lilith ben Jeni, commander of the starship Pallas Athena. For those viewers who have not been following this story, the Athena was where the neoman, Jon fa’Teela, was assigned to serve after completing his training to become a Mobile Infantry Specialist. Trooper fa’Teela is the first neoman to serve in our armed forces on a combat ship since the inception of the Sisterhood, over 1,000 years ago. Tell me, Commander,” the newswoman inquired, “how has your crew adjusted to a neoman coming aboard their ship?”
Lilith replied carefully. “Trooper fa’Teela’s arrival did not affect my crew in any substantial way.”
“But Commander, Weren’t there a few crewwomen who found his presence startling, if not uncomfortable?” the newswoman asked.
“Not that I am aware of,” Lilith lied. “Aside from the standard notification that he had arrived for duty aboard the Athena along with a number of other replacement personnel, we’ve experienced nothing out of the ordinary.”
“But surely,” the newswoman insisted, “someone must have had an objection to his presence. We have some unconfirmed reports that Trooper fa’Teela was singled out by his fellow Marines and hazed.”
Lilith was grateful that she had been informed in advance about Fa’Teela’s poor treatment, so she was not surprised by the question in the least. Nor was she foolish enough to admit what she really knew.
Sometimes, a lie was necessary to defeat an enemy, she told herself.
“I am unaware of any hazing going on aboard my ship,” she said. “I assure you that any such incidents, had they occurred, would have been dealt with as a serious breach of military regulations.’
“With regards to Fa’Teela’s overall acceptance by the crew, I like to think that the women serving aboard the Athena represent a cosmopolitan cross-section of our society. In the past, we have dealt with non-human races that were far stranger than any neoman, and my crew seems to have handled those events well enough. I would even venture to add that he has proven to be considerably less of a challenge to their morale.”
Her interviewer was unconvinced. “So there have been no problems between him and the crew then?”
“Not to my knowledge,” Lilith responded casually. “Trooper fa’Teela is just another member of our Marine detachment.”
“Commander, can you tell us what his current duties are aboard the Athena?” the woman asked with a sly expression.
Lilith smiled back at her, glad that she had had him reassigned that morning. “He is currently serving in our Ordnance Stores, which as you might be aware, is a potentially sensitive posting aboard a starship.”
“Really?” the newswoman replied, clearly surprised at this news.
“Yes,” Lilith said. “He has the complete confidence of his superiors and I am sure that he will do well there.”
“I see,” the woman remarked, “Then you’re saying that the neoman has been integrated into the crew just as any woman would have been?”
“Well, there were certain adjustments that did have to be made,” Lilith admitted.
“And these were?”
“He did require special quarters and personal facilities, but nothing that was extraordinary, or that put my crew to any major inconvenience,” Lilith stated.
With these words, the last of the fire seemed to go out of the journalist’s eyes. “I see,” she said, clearly disappointed. “Well, thank you Commander for your time.”
So much for a scandal, Lilith thought.
***
That evening after she had ended her shift, Lilith retired to her quarters. She ordered herself a cup of tea and settled down in her favorite seat. This was an old rocking chair that Katrinn had gifted to her after a visit to Zommerlaand. Skipper, as usual, wasted no time in jumping up onto her lap, and making himself completely at home.
“Newsfeed,” Lilith commanded, petting the kaatze absently. The holocast appeared over the carpet of her stateroom. “Give me the latest interviews concerning the neoman,” she added. The interactive broadcast obediently served up an interview with Admiral ebed Cya, which Lilith knew had been recorded just before her own session with the SNN reporter.
“Next segment, please,” she requested, and her own part appeared. This time, the interactive Newsfeed did not attempt to ensnare her in another surprise interview, and the clip played out without interruption.
The predators have gone off in search of other game, she reflected. Good.
To her eye, she came off as polite and professional, but without giving up a single tidbit to satisfy the rapacious correspondent. She didn’t look too bad, either. As silly as it was, before the interview, she had privately been concerned that the grey in her otherwise jet-black hair might have made her seem old to the broadcast’s viewers. Instead, it lent her a certain air of distinction.
“Look, Skipper,” she said to the kaatze, “There’s Mommy on the holocast.” The animal looked up, saw her image hanging in the air, and did a double take.
How did you do that? he thought in amazement. As she started to explain the technology to him, he reached out with a paw and put it to her lips.
No, don’t bother trying to tell me, he thought. I’m sure that your understanding is quite limited and would only serve to confuse me. Then without further ado, he lowered his head and went to sleep.
“Rude fellow!” she laughed. When the interview concluded, she decided that she wanted to find out what else the universe was up to. “Other major stories,” she said.
Most of the segments that followed were about subjects she didn’t care about, but one managed to capture her interest. It was a show about the fabled Lost Colonies of Man. Lilith had always been fascinated by this myth and let it play.
“Every schoolgirl has heard the tales of the Lost Colonies,” the commentator began, “fabulous myths about a pre-plague group that broke off contact with Old Gai
a in the early days of interstellar space travel. Some of these stories tell of a society free from want, from war and from disease, far from Gaia’s most distant settlements. A separate, magical place promising technologies that are far beyond any we have today.’
“Of course, most of these tales are pure fancy, but recently Dr. Layrri t’ Sharalese of the University of Thermadon at Thenti, posited the theory that there might be some truth behind these myths.’
“Recently, ruins were uncovered on Phantasma 9-A, in the Sagana Territory, that some believe may be of Gaian origin. Dr. t’Sharalese has gone further than this by suggesting that this is proof of the existence of the lost colonies. While many in her field deride her as a sensationalist, Dr. t’Sharalese believes that the evidence for her claim, while not conclusive, does at least argue for further research.’
The professor herself appeared next. “Back on earth,” she said, “before the days of space travel, it was an article of faith that cities like Troy and the continent of Atlantis did not exist. But visionaries like Heinrich Schliemann and Toshiro Matsumoto proved these beliefs false. The evidence that we have uncovered at Phantasma 9-A is quite similar to the technology of the 23rd century, and in some cases identical. I think that if we continue our research there, we may be looking at another Troy being uncovered for the universe to marvel at.”
“And is there the possibility that some survivors of the lost colonies might still exist, somewhere outside the Sisterhood?” the interviewer asked.
“That’s impossible to say,” the professor said. “Naturally, I’d love to think that some fabulous civilization exists out there, waiting like Shangri-La to be discovered, but it would be reaching too far to suggest that such a thing was reality. Given our advanced technology, I would think that we would have detected them by now. But we can always dream, can’t we?”
Yes, indeed, Lilith thought. We can always do that.
CHAPTER 10
Sisterhood of Suns: Pallas Athena Page 35