Tarran paused to see if her comments shook anything from the enigmatic midshipman. However, nothing the captain had said was unexpected to Johanna, so had no impact on her mirror-smooth, external calm. Along with the rest of the class, she had watched in awe as the assessment team showed them all the cameras, microphones, and even biometric scanners that were laced throughout the transport station to record every word, image, and vital sign for later evaluation. The one thing they couldn’t know was her actual thoughts and motivations behind everything she had done. ‘Too bad they had timed off once the exercise was announced as being over. Maybe they could have caught Sanders and the other terrorist before they had killed all those people.’
With Johanna as unreadable as ever, Tarran edged onwards, “In the opening stages, you stayed behind to aid an apparently injured man in the lounge. He was one of our staged actors of course, and his injury was faked. The only danger was small fracture we punctured in the clearsteel viewport. That was not faked. As I said, there was real danger in these events.”
Johanna wasn’t surprised, and admitted as much, “I am aware, ma’am.”
Tarran chuckled briefly, having the sudden impression that she was playing some form of chess trying to draw the midshipman out. “You acted quickly, decisively, and bravely. Had this been an honest reaction, we would have commended you. But the biometric readings confirm that it was not in fact an honest reaction. No elevated blood pressures. No spike in neural activity. No increased adrenalin output. You were not surprised at all. When were you aware that the injury was fake?”
Johanna began with a steadying breath. She had nothing but her word. “My suspicions began quite early on, Ma’am. We had our permanent biometric monitoring implants put in during our jump to Proxima. They were connected to the transport station’s systems to be activated in the event of an emergency. Normal protocol is that this is only done when officially posted to a unit or when remaining aboard for more than 48 hours. Perhaps, if you had a very keen emergency supervisor, he might have conducted the alignment for any one or two travelers, but it was odd for nearly a hundred midshipmen scheduled to depart in under a day.”
“I have seen station commanders who have insisted on such measures before.”
Johanna didn’t argue, only clarifying, “Aye, Ma’am. Alone, it was only enough to peak my interest. But that wasn’t my only clue. I noticed both the injured technician and the medic who assisted him entering the wardroom. There was blood on his arm. He let his pre-prepared injury show prior to the event. At first, I thought the blood on his sleeve was carelessness or a lack of cleanliness. But as soon as the emergency commenced and they began to play their roles, the coincidences became too obvious. Once I knew they were faking, it called into question the whole emergency.”
The Captain hummed pensively. “And yet, you responded as if to a real medical concern and played as if you were risking your safety to save them. Why?”
This was it. Johanna had to put faith in that they would believe her capable of what she was about to claim. She tried to explain, “If I had acted out of the norm, I would have broken the scenario. If it was a test, then it had to be a massive test, meant to encompass the entire class. If I disturbed the test, then an incredible amount of effort would have been wasted. The Trip-E had already failed, Ma’am. The Navy needed to see this test succeed if it was to have faith in my generation of officers.”
She admitted, “I fully expected this conversation would follow, Ma’am. Even if the surveillance had not confirmed my advance knowledge, I would have admitted to it. I can only ask for your trust on that. I knew any acts of bravery or credit I earned would be nullified. I had no intention of presenting myself in a grander light.”
Captain Tarran reclined back in her chair, looking more satisfied than dubious. “I was hoping you would say that. For my part, I thought that this reasoning explained your actions quite well. Many of your assessors didn’t think a midshipman could think on that level. For most, I suspect they would be right. But considering your file shows a consistent ability to accept advanced levels of responsibility, it seems right in line.” She gestured for Johanna to continue, “So, you are saying that you kept up this charade and presented an honorable front for the sole purpose of continuing the evaluation for the sake of your classmates?”
“For them, yes. But also, out of respect for the effort in creating and running such a test. The Navy deserved an honest look at those who were going to serve on its ships.”
“And not for your own aggrandization?”
“No, Ma’am. If I may, I believe I acted honestly and in line with my normal character.”
Tarran smiled. “I would tend to agree. Your friends and fellow midshipmen accepted your conduct for as long as they did because you acted like they expected. If I were you, I would cherish that as a compliment from them.”
Johanna inclined her head, more than aware what that meant. “I do, Ma’am.”
Tarran went on, “Of course, now we come to the events outside of the CCR, near to the completion of the exercise. Why did you suddenly change the character you were presenting?”
The dryness in Johanna’s mouth threatened to stick the words in her mouth. ‘Keep control’, she reminded herself. ‘She believes you. She will believe this as well.’
Tarran did not give Johanna time to compose herself, knowing that the evaluators with less faith in her couldn’t be given any reason to believe her responses were overly formulated or coached. She pressed immediately, “Come now, Miz Summer. You asked me to believe that you maintained a brave face, one you claim to match your real character. Why did you choose to force a retreat from the CCR without attempting to save the station’s Command team?”
Johanna embraced the moment, deciding that if they couldn’t trust her now, they never would. “First, I do not believe we had figured out the correct way to save the trapped people inside. If the scenario allowed for it, I am positive another way had been designed, and we had missed the evidence. You mentioned that we had to face reasonable risks, but the unstable power relays and physical hazards blocking the path were too severe. In their bravery and desperation, my friends were going to risk their lives to get into the room.”
“And you stopped them.”
Johanna continued, finding it oddly cathartic to let someone into the workings of her mind. “Keeping to the scenario was one thing, Ma’am. If we had encountered an unexpected danger that risked our lives, then that was part of the exercise. But in this case, I had to make a choice. Letting them risk death to save people who were not actually in danger would have been irresponsible on my part.”
“You were in the bar when we punctured the clearsteel. That could have led to death.”
“Yes, Ma’am. But we were already in that room, and we didn’t try to help the injured people until after the breech was sealed. Not only that, but it wasn’t until that moment I recognized the exercise for what it was. My choices would have been different if I had the choice to enter a room with a similar breech or not.” Johanna added, “My solution avoided any risk to their lives, but proved their character. Their rebuke of me gave you an even better look at their character. Their anger toward me was real, meaning if not for me, they would have entered that room.”
“You deceived them quite effectively. We interviewed each of them, and they are each trying to deal with how well you concealed your intent.”
A brief quaver caught her first word, but Johanna fought it away. “I know. They are going to be angry with me for a while. I have hope that I will convince them that I did the right thing, eventually.” She trailed off, unsure of what to say.
Tarran helped her, “Based on what the others have said, I don’t think you will have to wait that long. It hurts for someone else to see something you didn’t, but they have a lot of faith in you. We are all our own harshest critics, Miz Summer. I think you should consider that your friends probably have more faith in you than you do.” She smiled gently. “
Then again, before you could consider any of this, Sanders tried to kill you, and gave you a lot more to think about.”
A flash of appreciation crossed Johanna’s feature. “Thank you, Ma’am. That’s right.”
Tarran reached up and scrubbed at her face, the first sign of less than purely professional reaction from her. “I hate to give any credit to a bastard like that, but you owe this Sanders one thing.”
Johanna’s eyebrow rose in question. Normally she was quick to connect things, but how she could possibly owe Sanders for anything was beyond her.
“He removes all doubt, Miz Summer. Even from those who hate puzzles, and who are not your biggest fans amidst the assessor staff, none of them can argue that you fought for your life and acted to save Lieutenant Cravette.” Tarran continued, “Don’t get me wrong. There are still elements we don’t fully understand. There were two power surges that don’t seem to make any sense, and your biometric implants which were not disabled were thrown into complete disarray. Don’t get me started on how you detonated a hydrogen explosion on the flight line. None or our engineers have any idea how you talked the computer into releasing even a tiny amount, much less enough to cause the distraction you reportedly used.”
She leaned forward, steepling her fingers on her desk. “But one thing was clear. The bravery you showed puts you beyond any doubt. No-one could possibly argue that what you did deserves our respect. And our thanks.”
She shook her head, “Even with evidence, it is still difficult to accept. You accepted remarkable responsibility for one so young. Very few would sacrifice the good opinions and friendships of others to maintain the fidelity of any test, even one as important as this.”
Johanna hung her head, the weight of those consequences heavy on her neck. “It wasn’t really a choice, Ma’am. There was more at stake here than their scores.”
Tarran invited her, “Explain.”
Johanna tried to find the right words for the intangible truth she just felt in her bones. “Their whole careers were at stake. The Trip-E was broken. The whole last half of our final year never really happened because of all the investigations. I’m sure there are many who believe we should never have been allowed to pass through the Gate. They probably thought we got off light, somehow.”
Remaining quiet, Tarran knew she was right. She’d heard the chatter around her own station. Some on the final test planning team had advocated making it even harder and riskier to offset the ‘gift’ these cadets had been given. It didn’t matter some of them had been nearly hurt on the Trip-E. Some hadn’t. Some hadn’t even been all that challenged. Sometimes, rumors and gut reactions overruled reason.
“If this final test had been subverted, it could never have been repeated. We would all have been treated like cheaters. Like we slipped around the system. Now, that won’t happen to anyone but me. It was a fair price that I sacrifice my own standing among them.”
Captain Tarran collapsed back against her seat, unable to look away from the glum young woman sitting across from her. She had to be an illusion. What kind of childhood could have produced such a person? She wished, not for the first time, that the cameras and microphones had been active in that hangar for the fight.
Aloud, Tarran offered, “I want to offer you a little advice, Miz Summer. Important advice. Friends are a precious commodity. I admire your dedication to the service, but when it comes down to it, what you will find important in the critical seconds of your life is the person next to you. Defending them even as they defend you. We put ourselves in harm’s way for the Alliance people, but we survive the danger because of each other. You would do well not to expend such friends too easily.”
Johanna knew the captain didn’t need her to agree. The advice felt like wisdom. But her thoughts were too jumbled to internalize the lesson right then. She simply could not see how it could have gone any other way. In the end, what was right and necessary had been more important than friendship.
Captain Tarran lingered a touch longer, letting Johanna chew on her words. Then, the philosophical pause blinked out of existence, and she was the assessor once more who had made her decision. “Well, then. Considering your version of the events, my recommendation to the assessment team will be that your actions were fully in the best traditions of the service, and you will continue into the fleet with your class. While your encounter with Sanders is being kept confidential, your future Commanding Officers will be given access to the files as record on how you respond to life-and-death emergencies since your evaluation results were discarded.”
She raised a warning finger, “While I will enter a note of commendation at how you looked beyond the surface and took such responsibility on your very young shoulders, that tendency will be watched. Very carefully.” Her mouth relaxed into a cautious smile. “Slowly, Miz Summer. The future will come for you all too soon. Encountering too much responsibility too quickly can break you and end a career before it begins. I have a feeling the Navy would be sorry to lose you.”
A nod was all Johanna could manage.
Captain Tarran’s smile grew a wry, knowing twist. She knew that expression, so common on junior officers who had just realized they had miraculously emerged unscathed from what might have been a disaster. “You are dismissed, Midshipman.”
Somehow, Johanna found her feet. Only recent years of military discipline and her tutors’ training before that kept her moving in the right direction. “Thank you, Ma’am.” A final bracing to attention, and she tucked her cap onto her head. A crisp salute once more. Then, she retreated for the door.
From behind her, Captain Tarran spoke, “Oh, and Miz Summer?”
Johanna turned about again, wondering what more there could be. “Yes, Ma’am?”
“As I said, these results and interviews are normally completely confidential except for your future Commanding Officers. However, if you are willing to waive that right, the results could be disclosed to a few discrete sources. I have a few names in mind who might benefit from hearing the truth of what happened. To see the proof of it first-hand.”
Johanna realized what she was saying. “Is that allowed?”
“Perhaps not. But you are not the only one willing to bend the rules when necessary. Like I said, all friends are important. Friends who are willing to save your life even after you disappoint them? They are pure gold. I think yours might be worth keeping. They might have faith in you, but if we can show them exactly what you were trying to do, and that you did it to save their careers, that could help.”
This time, Johanna didn’t quite manage to hold off the tears that filmed around the edge of her vision. Mercifully, they never grew beyond a shine which caught the artificial light of the room, a shine which she prayed was not noted by the senior officer. “Yes Ma’am. I would appreciate that. I would appreciate it very much.”
The captain nodded. “Very well. Carry on.”
Chapter 31
Tanner Mathem sat with his back kept ramrod straight, his hands clenched tightly together on the table top in front of him. Utter confusion and a hint of rising pain suffused him. “What?”
Louisa leaned over the briefing room’s table and placed a warm hand on top of Tanner’s own in sympathetic comfort. “I’m sorry to have to be the one to bring this to you. But I was the only one from the Academy still here, though I’m shipping out back to Sanctuary tomorrow. I received the FTL message early this morning. They know you were something of a protégé of hers. Her letter mentioned you by name.”
“Suicide? Adrienne…I mean, Commander Ryan committed suicide?”
Louisa’s smile was tender. She wanted to help, though she was uncertain what else she could do except break it to him gently. “Her note said that she thought she had failed the students she cherished the most. That her leadership couldn’t prevent the tragedies of the Trip-E disaster. She blamed herself.”
Tanner’s mouth hardened into a tight, white line. “She wouldn’t have said -” He cut himself off. Thinking be
tter of what he had been about to say, he started again, “That doesn’t sound like her.”
Louisa didn’t think twice about his hesitation, chalking it up to his grief. “It never does.” Her smile grew even more sincere, even more empathetic. “Everyone around always misses the signs, don’t we? We never think it could possibly happen, until it does.” She remembered Ryan. The Commander had been somewhat aloof to her. But then again, she had been a Commander. What’s more, Louisa knew she was in a dead-end career. Trinitian Commanders didn’t look out for those who were frozen at a junior rank for the rest of her life. Being ignored didn’t mean she hated the other woman enough to wish her dead. Especially like this.
Tanner grit his teeth, snapping at her, “Get out.”
Louisa scowled in soft rebuke. “I will give you that one for free, Midshipman. This is a dark day, especially for you. I know Commander Ryan left you a few things in her will. It won’t be easy. Open the message when you can. Whatever is in there, she would have wanted you to have it.”
Tanner’s eyes closed in pain. He thought better of his choice of words. “Can I be alone, Lieutenant? Please?”
Louisa patted his hands one last time. “Of course.” She rose. “The conference room is booked for the next three hours. Use it for as long as you like. If you need to talk to me or anyone – well, there is no shame in it. Ask for help if you need it.”
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