by Chris Hechtl
Meanwhile they received news of Shelby Logan's mission to Tau, and the various battles around Protodon. The news gave the crew renewed purpose to help forge a stronger link to the outer Federation and complete their mission.
Admiral Irons grew impatient with the Bekian Navy and felt he needed to act quickly. A supply mission from Pyrax came through. Instead of bringing their cargo in to Bek they dropped it off at the Harbor Station and also brought staff for the station and the ship. A change in orders was made for the convoy to send some of their convoy on to Nuevo to pick up recruits and drop off cargo there.
The supply mission also brought orders to promote Commodore Logan to the rank of rear admiral. Admiral Irons then ordered Horatio to bring special orders on Ilmarinen to Bek relieving Admiral Childress in order to get the star system back on track.
Unbeknownst to the crew on the station, danger lurked from within. They were attacked by a Xeno virus that had been embedded in one of the salvaged ship's computers. It struck without warning, killing dozens of people before they managed to cut power to the station and shut it down. The station was battered once more and would take months to be rebuilt.
Upon arrival, the newly-promoted admiral transmitted the orders and was promptly arrested …
Act I
Chapter 1
“This is Fleet Admiral John Henry Irons, President Pro Temp of the Federation,” a familiar gravid voice said. Captain Clayton stared again at the broadcast as the decontamination team finished checking his ship over. Since he'd had nothing better to do, he'd decided to replay the video that had started the entire mess.
“I come before you with grave misgivings over the situation in Bek and the deportment of some of the officers in charge there. Consequently, I have instructed Rear Admiral Logan to play this message upon his arrival in the star system. I now relieve Admiral Omar Childress of command.”
“I do this out of necessity since the admiral has refused to follow my orders and has placed Bek in a state of mutiny.”
“As I said, I do this out of necessity to protect the Federation, its civilian population, and the officers and enlisted serving in the Republic of Bek. Admiral Childress has refused to follow my lawful orders,” the admiral's image said sternly. “I do not make such decisions lightly. I regret this course of action but have been given no other alternative. Admiral Childress is to be relieved of his duty and placed under arrest pending an investigation. Orders to the next in the chain of command will follow through proper channels. This is Fleet Admiral John Henry Irons, President of the Federation, out.”
He turned his head to look at the marine at the hatch. The ape was not one of Ilmarinen's own but an intruder. An unwanted one he knew but was wise enough not to say so. He felt like he was the one under arrest. It bothered him. It bothered him even more to see the techs scanning his people and going over his ship. At least they were no longer in contamination suits he thought. They'd wrung his ship and crew through the ringer over the past six hours. It had been tense, but they'd finally concluded Ilmarinen wasn't a threat. That was the little good news he had available at the time.
Just the way they had arrested Rear Admiral Logan; his thoughts paused as a new thought occurred to him. Or should he call him commodore? The JAG, what was his name, Dauplin? Dauphlin? He'd insisted on calling him commodore.
He shook his head. He wasn't certain how to play it, and that bothered him. He didn't like being like that, unsure of what to do, what was safe. He wasn't certain of anything except to keep his head down, his mouth shut, and to follow along. It was the only way he could think of to survive the crap that was coming. Obviously, Childress had not been relieved. That boded ill for the future. Ill indeed.
But, for the moment, everything was going to be on Logan's head.
@
As Rear Admiral Horatio Logan laid in his rack and considered what little he could do, a line came up on his HUD. A window opened without his access, and he blinked in surprise. The surprise deepened into concern as he realized he was being interrogated by his own implant computer due to the confinement. He was curious initially, but then realized it was his security suite. That put things on a much darker tone he realized as his finger twitched the mouse over the line. Finally, he clicked on it. The interrogation came in the form of text questions. He knew his vital signs were being monitored to make certain he was telling the truth.
“Is this confinement due to an illegal action you took?”
“No.”
“You are in confinement in the brig. You have been arrested by a JAG, though you were addressed by rank improperly. Prisoner protocols are in effect. Are the Xenos involved?” the dumb A.I. inquired. “Accessing ship's data network. No sign of Xeno infection.”
“That's good to know. No, there is no Xeno activity. I executed a lawful order from the President of the Federation, Fleet Admiral John Henry Irons. Upon initial completion of the first set of my orders, I was immediately arrested. A state of mutiny is now in effect in the Bek Navy,” Horatio typed, flicking his fingers over the virtual keyboard. He saw the guard outside his cell glance his way but ignored the look.
“Accessing recent logged orders ….” It began to list them one at a time. A blinking curser waited between each line for a second. That was ominous; the dumb A.I. should be able to process such things in microseconds.
“Updated firmware package and promotion … confirmed. Note, special circumstances identified in regard to promotion via ansible.”
He grunted and started to reply, but the A.I. rolled on.
“Acknowledgment of receipt of orders from Admiral Irons confirmed.”
“Boarding Ilmarinen confirmed.”
“Arrival in the star system of Bek confirmed.”
“Ship transmission of IFF and broadcast recorded transmission from Admiral Irons relieving the current command administration … confirmed internally. Accessing ship's network.” Horatio's eyebrows rose at that. He was surprised that the A.I. could do so. He'd tried, but he'd been locked out. His brows knit as data flowed in an open window for a moment between his implants and Ilmarinen's computer network. “Ship's logs confirm transmission. Accessing communications files and arrest …. Confirmed.”
“So, you believe me when I say there is a state of mutiny in the star system?” Horatio asked carefully, raising an eyebrow to the bulkhead above as he tucked his right hand under his head.
“No. That is not the function of this unit's programming. No Xeno actions detected. Piracy is unknown. Status of sophont is unknown. Legal status unknown. Vital signs are consistent with the belief that the subject truthful. Further determinations are not a function of this system.”
“Welcome to the boat,” Horatio said dryly. “Glad you could join.”
“Checking arrest record … you were charged but have not been brought before a convening authority. The charges are irregular. Have you been read your rights?”
Horatio wondered if that question was a test. He searched his memory for the arrest and frowned thoughtfully. Finally, he shook his head slightly. “No. I was informed I am under arrest and then handcuffed. I was then escorted to the brig.”
“Accessing vital signs and log. Confirmed.”
“Accessing … what is your current plan of action?”
“I'd like to complete my mission orders as specified, but I have been denied that option. Currently I am in confinement awaiting interrogation. Most likely the mutineers will place me on trial or declare summary judgment against me.”
“Accessing … interrogation techniques vary. No physical interrogation has been initiated.”
“No. They'll start with a verbal one most likely. I believe they will stick to the UCMJ and use that against me as much as they can in a kangaroo court.”
“Response logged. Warning, if the interrogation becomes physical, suicide protocols will be triggered.”
“Frack,” Horatio muttered, closing his eyes briefly. “Let's hope it doesn't come to th
at.”
“Updating … new Rules of Engagement. You are authorized passive resistance only at this time. You are not authorized to begin physical resistance or an attempt to escape. The A.I. known as Mercury has been disabled. You may fight only to defend yourself. At all times, your implants will be recording. These recordings can be used in your defense should it be required.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“In answering a question, you may be evasive. If you choose to answer a question while under oath, you must tell the truth. You may remain silent upon questioning as long as it does not violate the UCMJ. Under oath, you will give full and complete testimony. Is this understood?”
He nodded.
“A verbal or text acknowledgment is required for the record.”
“Yes.”
“Are you going to help?”
“No.”
“Something I am not too surprised about. On my own,” he muttered, staring at the cell door and the guard beyond.
“Have fun talking to yourself?” the guard drawled.
“You have no idea,” Horatio replied as he looked away.
@
“So, you are saying you won't rewrite your report?” Commander Dauplin demanded, voice dripping with danger as he looked intently at the Neoorangutan.
“Hell no. I told you before, Commander, I was there. I made certain every I was dotted, every T crossed. I documented everything, and I do mean everything. I was the NCIS on the scene, and I stand by my conclusions,” Agent Shaffer stated.
“Then you are out.”
“Excuse me?” the orange ape demanded, green eyes bugging out in surprise.
“You heard me.”
“Out of what?”
“Out. As in, out of the ship, out of this investigation, and most likely out of a job. I'll speak to your director personally.”
“You can't do that, Commander. I'm not in your chain of command.”
“I won't have to. The brass wants this to happen. I'm not stupid enough to get in their way. You are. So, we'll bring another team on board to do it right. If that means your report gets thrown in the trash, so be it.”
“Fine, whatever. Do what you want. But leave me out of it,” the ape said, waving a long-fingered hand at the commander.
“I intend to.”
@
Many of the major news outlets treated the broadcast as a hoax until they got confirmation from the navy and the government. Both the navy and government had a clear no comment, so they were forced to fall back on their own sources. Since the broadcast had been made so openly, they had to treat it as real. The question was, was it actually from Irons or a hoax? The media outlets played up both sides.
But the news of Horatio's arrest slipped out as well, adding to the questions swirling around. At first, the news got to the backrooms via sources within the navy. When reporters tried to get official confirmation, their requests were ignored, which only fueled their curiosity. The arrest was too much to ignore for long many knew. Eventually one of their organizations would break to scoop the others. Many reporters argued and pleaded with their editors to be the one to break the news. The editors in turn passed the requests up the corporate chain. For the moment, they were ordered to just gather information.
Admiral Childress and his supporters did what they could to stem the tide before they went into damage control mode. Captain Prescott was off duty on leave, so the public affairs department was closed for comment, stymieing the media's attempts to get something there. While the first drops of inquiry began to fall, Admiral Draken and Childress Industries had to trade heavily to keep the break with the Federation and Horatio's arrest out of the news.
Some of the corporations were okay with censoring the news, if the price was right. Many of their sponsors were subsidiaries of industrial concerns, like major vehicle manufacturers. The threat of them pulling their ad funding was enough to make them think twice about not playing ball with the industrialists and the navy.
But they wanted more tech releases plus other forms of access that Admiral Childress's backers were frantic to prevent. Admiral Draken initially promised some concessions but that upset Admiral Childress and a few of their conservative backers. They refused, which threw the negotiations into chaos.
Admiral Draken realized he couldn't give the media corporations everything they wanted. He tried to negotiate a compromise but Omar's flat-out refusal had destroyed their faith in him.
However, the corporations couldn't control the indie media outlets and others, those who saw an opening to exploit and use to rise through the ranks. They saw the major media outlets remaining quiet about the story so they picked it up and ran with it. They were considered the fringe, but it was picked up by social media. Some were cynical and skeptical of the news, but inquiries began to grow. The social media sites tried to police the news, but the more you tried to keep something a secret the more people took an interest in it.
When a communications officer admitted overhearing the arrest order for Admiral Logan during a bathroom break at a mall while off duty, a fellow patron managed to get the admission on camera. That went viral on social media. Then it was joined by the military family's network who also confirmed something was going on.
Shamed into being shown that they were not doing their jobs, first one, and then other light media outlets let slip about the broadcast. They kept it as “alleged” in order to protect themselves from any prosecution, but the dam had burst.
Within an hour of the initial break, all of the major outlets had broken faith with the navy and Childress Industries and had gone on the attack. Captain Prescott's public affairs department was swamped within minutes by requests for information, clarification, and commentary.
@
Admiral Omar Childress read the report of the broadcasts and the media reports. He tucked his hands behind his back, incensed that it had come that far. “That disloyal son of a bitch. I'm going to break him,” he seethed.
“To be fair, Irons is a bit far out of your league,” Vice Admiral Sherman Draken, his chimera number 2 said mildly.
“Not him, Irons I can't touch, obviously. But his mouthpiece … I'm going to make an example of him. I should have broken him a while ago. He should have stayed gone,” the human growled.
There was a firestorm going on behind the scenes. His corporate supporters were trying to keep a lid on it, but it wasn't easy. He was aware that there were demands he step down. He wondered what Sherman thought of all of it and if the other man was sharpening a knife to stick in his back. Suddenly his shoulders itched. He couldn't help but turn around to face the other man as he took his seat.
He knew now he had his back up against the wall. There was no turning back from where they were. “My people are dealing with the broadcast. We're breaking it up with jammers, and ONI is landing on anyone who posts something online. They are scrubbing the files as soon as they hit the net,” he said.
“But the damage is already done,” Sherman said.
“So, what are you going to do?” Omar demanded.
Sherman cocked his head and then shrugged. “The orders weren't directed to me,” he said slowly, being evasive. “Not by name. I think, due to the vague nature of them and the cloud they are under since they were broadcast in the open, I … think the highly unusual method of handling them leads them to be suspect. Given that, I'll wait on proper orders from the Federation. I'll put in a written request for clarification,” he said dryly.
Omar held his gaze steadily for a long moment, then nodded slowly at the show of support. The relief he felt was intense, almost orgasmic. “Good to know,” he said gruffly.
“What about Admiral Logan? How do we deal with him? And how do we deal with the broadcast long term?”
“We kill two birds with one stone,” Admiral Childress said immediately. Admiral Draken cocked his head. The human admiral smiled. “You yourself pointed out that the means by which he transmitted the orders
were highly irregular and therefore suspect. So, we have no choice but to disregard them. I'll say so publicly of course, after people calm down a little. And as for the man who issued them, well, he's committed mutiny.” He turned to the diminutive JAG. “As far as I am concerned, throw the book at him. I want him in the brig. Preferably out an airlock.”
“Are you serious?” Admiral Draken demanded as he stared at Omar in shock. “Omar, it's one thing to have the man arrested …” He shook his head.
“I'm as serious as a heart attack,” his boss said flatly. “We don't take the orders head on. We say they are false and he's committing mutiny. We have no proof they actually came from Irons!” He flung his hands apart. “Just the authentication code and voice, both of which can be faked. It could all be one elaborate hoax! This Irons could be a trick, a hologram puppet for all we know!”
Admiral Shren frowned as Sherman looked at him. The JAG didn't commit either way. Finally, the chimera turned to Omar. “You really think it will fly?”
“I think stomping on him hard enough will make people think twice about getting out of line,” the admiral snarled. “Pass on a gag order to the court too.”
“In order for this to work as you want, it would have to be public. That could get very messy,” Admiral Draken warned. “Even worse than what we've got on our plate now.”
“What do you want me to do? Resign?” the admiral demanded. Admiral Draken just gave him a basilisk gaze. After a moment, he snorted. “Don't try that with me. I'm not going anywhere, and neither are you. We're in this, and we'll see it through.”
“See what through? Eventually Irons will …”
Admiral Childress made a brushing motion as if that concern hardly mattered. “I'll deal with that as it comes. For the moment, we're going to land on that bastard mouthpiece with both feet hard. To think he even got a promotion? Without facing a board? Bullshit.” the admiral said in disgust.