by Paul Phipps
Then with a chuckle Ansel said, “Actually I am going to pay a call on Captain Fuller and her husband. They applied yesterday through our website to join the Terran Space Navy. I liked what I saw in her during the brief time we had on the Epiphany.
If she and her husband are both acceptable then we will work out a timetable for them to join us. Not just the TSN but preferably here on the Companion. Since they live in Montana, it’s only 2100L there right now. That means I will be leaving in just a few minutes. It may take most of their night to get through all of the questions I have for them and vice-versa.
After that I am going to go to the Pentagon and make a call on Admiral Caparelli and Admiral Stevens who is in charge of Personnel for the Navy. I want to push ahead on using the Navy as our recruiter.”
“Very good Ansel, as the last few days have shown us. We are woefully understaffed. All of our AI’s are wonderfully competent and do a fantastic job. But they are all lacking in Human experience and the interactions that we do sometimes surprises them. We need more people here and out in the Solar System doing what needs to be done.” Admiral Webster said with approval evident in his voice.
And with that breakfast broke up and everyone went to work on their own projects.
Rollins, Montana 2145L, Sunday November 15, 2026
Ansel was outside of a modest two bedroom home north of Rollins Montana, Flathead Lake was only visible as a black expanse behind the house. There was very little sky glow in this part of the country, although it appeared that Rollins was trying to make up for that. Admiral and Captain Fuller were supposed to be home and although the hour was late, travel time between the time zones meant the need of taking advantage of mutually waking hours.
Comanche was in masking mode floating above the driveway. If she had attempted to land her rear section would have been extended well out into the street in front of the house.
“AHHH-OOGAH”, went the front door ‘chime’. ‘Figures,’ Ansel thought to himself, ‘a bloody Fog Horn for a door chime. Over sixty years in the Navy between the two of them. Just can’t get it out of their systems I guess.’
A set of security lights came on and nearly blinded Ansel for a moment. Then a voice came from the front door intercom.
“Don’t you think that it’s a bit late to be knocking on someone’s door?!” A man’s voice came through peevishly.
“Actually I do,” replied Ansel with equanimity, “but my body clock insists that it is only 0848 in the morning.”
“Who are you?” came the voice again with deep suspicion.
“Well, if this is the correct address, Admiral Fuller. Then I am Commander Ansel Webster of the Terran Space Navy.”
“Then I guess it’s the correct address, Old man Webber next door would have just shot you for disturbing the Sabbath.” Admiral Fuller declared as he opened the door to his home.
Ansel could see Captain Christine Fuller standing a few feet behind her husband with a Street Sweeper Shotgun in her hands. Ansel looked at her with a sense of unease and then turned to look out into the darkened neighborhood as he turned back around he said.
“I’m a bit surprised, Captain seeing you armed. This doesn’t look like a bad neighborhood at all.”
“Actually we are a bit surprised to see you at all. So I didn’t know who was at the door.” She replied to him.
“Well, you did put in an application to join the Terran Space Navy. Are you interested in talking about it now?” Ansel said soberly and then gave a big grin. “Or would you rather I came back during the daylight and made a flashy entrance to impress your neighbors?”
“No, now is much better. I don’t like flashy.” Admiral Fuller stated gravely. He then opened the door wide and waved Ansel in. As Ansel crossed the Threshold the Admiral looked out towards the street along his driveway and was surprised to see no vehicle of any kind.
“So how did you get here? A transporter beam?” He said with a smile.
“One of those would make all of this global gallivanting a bit easier to do. Unfortunately nobody has ever invented one of the darn things. At least not that we know of anyway.” Ansel said with a grin, “No, I came in my Scalp-Hunter, Comanche. She’s under stealth over your driveway.”
“Really?” The older Admiral said stepping outside to take a closer look. “Those are impressive stealth capabilities, I don’t see any wavering or rippling at all.”
“Were you involved in that sort of thing with the Navy?” Ansel asked politely.
“Sort of … I ran a spook shop for the Navy in parallel with the NSA.” The Admiral stated quietly. “We had reports going back for decades of mysterious flying vessels and lights etc. But the only similarities were of the size and general shape of them. And of course of a mysterious man who appeared all over the world traveling and mingling with the locals. He could always speak the local language and always managed to be gone when the local authorities showed up to ask him questions.”
“Yep, that sounds like Fleet Admiral Webster. He said he did a lot of traveling. For almost 30 years I believe he told me once.” Ansel said with a slight smile.
“Yes, I thought so too after seeing him on the TV last week with the President and of course Christine told me a lot of what she had seen on the Epiphany.” The admiral remarked as he led the way into a comfortable family room.
There were two computer workstations, a couch and a Large screen TV. He waved Ansel to take a seat in a comfortable chair next to a workstation. Then he and his wife sat on the couch together and faced Ansel directly.
Ansel in turn reached into a pocket of his Shipsuit and pulled out a truth verifier. He placed it down on a coffee table separating them from himself and said. “Captain Fuller has seen one of these before. This is a Truth Verifier.” He then began the standard speech over its use and its limitations.
“Now, the reason I am here is quite frankly that we are interested in Captain Fuller to join us. I liked what I saw of her for the brief time we had on the Epiphany.” Ansel stated
“Thank you for the compliment Commander.” She replied in turn. “I am quite fascinated by what I saw there too. Especially your Companion. How is she handling by the way?”
“At the moment I have her grounded at the Straits of Hormuz.” Ansel said with a grin. “But I am having fun with her anyway. It’s not very often that a single vessel can blockade an entire nation.”
“Ah, yes… Your blockade.” The Admiral said with a smile, “I must admit you totally surprised me as well as the rest of the world. Very smooth, very efficient. Just how long are you going to keep it up?”
“Possibly for several centuries. It all depends on factors that are currently out of our control. But I will say this, if ‘Shaitan’s Breath’ does get loose in the general IUR populace, we will have to use thermo-nuclear weapons to burn it down to bedrock. And then maintain the blockade shield for many, many centuries to come.” Ansel said with conviction in his voice.
“You are that afraid of it?” Christine Fuller asked incredulously.
“Oh yes, terrified actually.” Ansel said simply.
“Why”, Asked her husband.
“Because the religious fanatics that run that country want us all dead, and chaos to rule the world so that their prophecy has a chance of coming true. They want to release a bio-weapon that can kill everyone on this planet.
We, that is the non-Muslim population of the world are really not human in their eyes and deserve to be eradicated.”
“And if we were to convert to Islam?” Asked the Admiral quietly.
“It wouldn’t matter to them even then. They really don’t care about anyone other than themselves.”
“So take them out! Kill them all.” The Admiral said angrily.
“We could do that and easily.” Ansel told him, “But it would be outsider’s doing it and someone somewhere would whip up the masses once again using religion. No, the answer here is to force the people to recognize what the rest of us see. And have the
m do the deed.”
“You mean kill the mullahs?” Asked Captain Fuller.
“That’s one option, not the best though. The best option is for the Mullahs to be shunned. To basically be ignored until they die of natural causes.”
“So you have put them under siege then. And you will just wait them out?” The Admiral asked.
“Yes, exactly that. We have time on our side in this matter, we will just out-wait them.” Ansel stated. “Let’s get started on your TSN interview, OK?”
Admiral and Captain Fuller both nodded their heads for Ansel to continue.
I have lots of questions for you Admiral Fuller. I see in this application that you and Captain Fuller want to enlist as a team. I that correct?”
“Yes, it is. The option was there in the on-line form and we decided to try it. We also noted that there were no age restrictions, why?
“I’ll get to that in a few minutes Admiral. Since this is my first time at going through this sort of interview process as the interviewer I think we are both going to be learning things as we go along.” Ansel said with a self-deprecating tone and smile.
“Really, the first time?” Asked Captain Fuller.
“Well, yes… The experience you had on the Epiphany was actually the A.I.’s doing most of the interviewing, I was really on the sidelines there. This time it’s just the two of you and myself.”
“Interesting methodology you people use.” The Admiral mused.
“Yes it is, we are great ones for just tossing a person into the deep end of the pool and making them figure out how to get to the other side.” Ansel said with a grin.
“Very well then, let’s get on with it.” Admiral Fuller said sitting back into the couch.
Ansel then went into the basics of a TSN enlistment, the 500 years first enlistment period, the life extension treatments, the implants, promotions were based solely on merit and the approval to Officer grades was held by the AI’s and senior officers and the fact that voluntary exile was part and parcel of the package.
Both of the Fullers’ took most of the information in stoically. Once in a while their eyes popped out at some of the information that was revealed. Finally though, the initial disclosures were done and Ansel asked for a drink of water and waited for Captain Fuller to bring it to him.
“All of that stuff sounds wonderful and the few negatives you mention seem to be relatively minor in comparison. What do you think is the greatest of the negatives, Commander?” Captain Fuller asked as she brought back the requested glass of water.
“I believe that for most people it is going to be a combination of two things. Voluntary exile that will also be enforced by the AI’s of the TSN Fleet. And knowing that the loved ones they leave behind will one day be dead and they will still be alive.”
“Yes, I can see that side of it. Will members of the TSN be allowed to return home to Earth on Leave?” asked Admiral Fuller carefully.
“As the political attitude stands right now, No.” Ansel told him simply. “If it changes, then I would be willing to say ‘Yes, of course’. But right now? No.”
“What’s wrong with the Political Attitude?” Asked the Admiral.
Ansel looked at him and then told him. “Before I answer, that I need to ask you some questions. If the verifier gives me an indicator I don’t like, this interview is over and your application to join the TSN will be denied pending appeal if you so desire to go there.”
The Fuller’s sat up with more alertness despite the early hour of the morning. Then they looked at each other and Ansel could see a silent communication going on between them.
“Very well, ask them.” Admiral Fuller said for the two of them.
“What are you feelings about the ‘President-for-Life’?” Ansel started off.
“I didn’t like him from the beginning.” The Admiral started off, “And I eventually resigned my commission and retired under his administration because of his policies. Quite frankly, many of the people he made Admirals and Generals should have been thrown in jail instead of given power and responsibility.”
The verifier remained a clean blue color throughout the Admiral’s answer. Ansel then looked at the Captain and indicated that she was to answer now.
“I liked him, he said all of the right things for me when his election was on. And I was proud to serve under him, I would never have been made the Captain of the John Warner under the rules preceding him.” She said simply and truthfully, “But with that being said, after the Marie Celeste incident, I was useless to him and the rest of his sycophants. I retired rather than be forced into a position where Leavenworth was my only other option.
I was told that it would be better for all, especially myself, if I found a place in the boondocks and stayed there.”
Ansel continue to watch her and the Verifier stayed a clear blue color. He then said.
“How do you feel about him dying and the New Constitution forces taking over and bringing about the changes they fought for?”
“I have mixed feelings there. After seeing the chaos and destruction of the United States’ Economy and Infrastructure he and his people caused? Well, I wanted to see him put on trial and then hung properly in front of the Capitol building.” The Admiral stated “As far as the New Constitution goes? It needed to be done. The Federal Government became too powerful and too involved in the average citizen’s life.
It’s also good that we are no longer the World’s policeman. That attitude and the entitlements bankrupted us.”
“And you Captain Fuller?” Ansel Prodded.
“It’s strange that you ask that? But him dying? I cried when I heard it. He was a great man in many ways, but the evil that followed him overshadowed the greatness.”
“And the New Constitution?”
“Oh that’s an easy one. Yes, I am totally in favor of it. The Federal government needed to have a leash put on it. The bad part is that it’s going to take us a long, long time to rebuild our country back to its former greatness.”
The Verifier stayed blue throughout her answers. Ansel nodded his head slightly. He was about to ask another question when he held up his hand and said.
“Excuse me I have an incoming call.”
Comanche/Comm Mode: “Commander, the Aurora would like to speak with you.”
Commander Webster/Comm Mode: “The Aurora? Who is that?”
Comanche/Comm Mode: “The Aurora is a TSN heavy scout cruiser assigned to this geographic region of the Earth.
Commander Webster/Comm Mode: “Thank you Comanche, please connect me to the Aurora.”
Aurora/Comm Mode: “Good morning Commander Webster, my task is to use my scouts and IGD’s to keep an eye on things here in the Pacific Northwest and Western Canada. The location you are at has been under Homeland Security surveillance for approximately seven days now.”
Commander Webster/Comm Mode: “That’s close to the time that we picked Captain Fuller as a candidate for Captain of the Epiphany. Interesting …. Go on please.”
Aurora/Comm Mode: “About thirty minutes ago, the regional headquarters of the United States Homeland Security issued an alert and called in its two anti-terrorist strike groups assigned to them to return to headquarters.”
Commander Webster/Comm Mode: “I have a bad feeling about this… Their target is right here isn’t it?”
Aurora/Comm Mode: “Yes, Commander Webster, your location is the target and the orders that we have intercepted are ‘shoot to kill’, no prisoners are required.”
Commander Webster/Comm Mode: “How long before they get here?”
Aurora/Comm Mode: “They haven’t left yet but once they do they can be there in fifty minutes or so. It appears to my IGD’s that there will be approximately eight Osprey IV’s with a total of four carried vehicles and sixty men.”
Commander Webster/Comm Mode: “Well, that’s not so bad. We can be long gone before they arrive. However I want to give the Fuller’s here an idea of what we are dealing with. Do you have
Samurai Self Defense units?”
Aurora/Comm Mode: “No, but I can fabricate a few, maybe thirteen in the time we have available to us.”
Commander Webster/Comm Mode: “Go ahead and do that. Ariadne/Maude/Susannah!”
Ariadne/Comm Mode: “Yes, Ansel go ahead.”
Commander Webster/Comm Mode: “Please get the details from Aurora, the important thing is that Homeland Security is sending in Anti-Terrorist teams to my location in the attempt to kill all of us. I am going on the assumption that this group here is another Act-Now splinter cell or possibly a full-fledged member unit in command.”