Angry Ghosts (16 page)

Argo feels his windpipe closing, but he does not understand why. The sensation distracts him from his at-attention pose, and he sneaks a peek at his teammates. Thompson is taking it hard and well, but Maiella is coming apart. He nudges Thompson to get his attention then nods at Maiella. Thompson looks to his right and sees her shaking, knees about to buckle. He shuffles over an inch to rub elbows with her. She snaps back and straightens up.

In moments, the video ends, leaving a smothering silence. Even General O’Kai is affected, and he takes a deep breath before speaking.

“Major Gun Thompson, it is clear you and your teammates suffered some severe problems during your deployment, yet you kept your team alive and returned with more than any operator team has ever provided. We never dared to believe there were others of our kind still in existence. It gives us critical hope that others may exist as well. However, the facts…
are
…clear. It gives me
great
displeasure to invoke our one law: ‘Anyone who harms, or allows to be harmed, a fellow human is a threat and must leave the cadre.’ Do you have anything to add?”

Thompson looks at Gregor, broken in Sharon’s arms. She holds him as tight as she can, herself sobbing at reliving the deaths of close friends. Keller and Ortega are blank, pale,
distant. Only the counselor seems to have endured the experience, albeit with great sadness.

“Sir, no, sir!” Thompson answers.

O’Kai sighs again. “Then unless our new friends have anything to add, I will pass judgment.”

The counselor swivels in his chair to face Keller. He gently touches the captain’s arm with a questioning glance, and Keller straightens up out of his stupor. He looks into the counselor’s face and nods. Facing the general, the counselor leans forward.

“In fact, there is, General. If I may?”

“
Proceed, Counselor.”

The counselor thinks for a moment to make sure he has his case in order. When satisfied, he stands from his chair to address the council, careful to look all of them in the eye as he speaks.

“When we received the first broadcasts that humanity was under attack, we were afraid, unsure of what was happening. But when we
stopped
receiving those broadcasts, we understood humanity had been annihilated, and we were
terrified
. In the last thousand years, we had only ourselves to rely upon, and we kept ourselves alive by leaving most of our people cryogenically suspended, rotating only the thinnest crews to keep the ship together and on course. Those rotating crews were small and also intimate. From ordinary crewmen, they became families...”

The counselor notices many brows furrowing with lack of understanding.

“Family? Okay, I see you don’t know the term. A “family” is a close-knit group of people living together who depend on each other heavily for survival. One could call your cadre a family...”

The lights go on for the council members with several “ah’s!” and “yes, yes’s!” echoing their comprehension.

“When Thompson, Argo, and Maiella came aboard our ship and took some of our family from us, it hurt us deeply. Those people were precious to us, and many of us hated your operators for their deaths.

“The three people you see standing at attention before you were so aggressive, so swift in their assault, and so
lethal
that we were absolutely
phobic
of them, and we longed to be rid of them. We were convinced this new breed of human that had captured our entire vessel in
seconds
was going to end our lives, and everything we had done to survive was wasted. Not a good first impression…

“One fact, however, was incontrovertible: they
are
human. Yes, you all are taller, stronger, faster, maybe even smarter than we are; but you're human nonetheless. It meant we were not the last, and the burden of perpetuating our kind was no longer entirely on our shoulders. There were other humans who had survived, and no matter what new form it took, our species would endure. Like you said, General, it allowed us hope that perhaps
other
pockets of humanity exist; and it eased the urgency we felt to free ourselves of this possible threat. In all of the time we spent traveling the stars, nothing ever changed for us. Now very real change was happening, and though we didn’t know for certain if it would be for better or worse, we embraced it.

“During the long voyage here, we got to know Thompson, Argo, and Maiella well. What was immediately obvious was how ashamed they were over the deaths of our people. They were
consumed
by their guilt, even insisting they should be the ones to care for the bodies after the attack. They further explained how they had broken their only law and how it would mean their expulsion from the very family they lived to protect and provide for. We did not believe them at the time, though we can plainly see now that it’s true, and your commitment to protecting human life impresses us greatly. Specifically, it removes any concern we had over coming to harm at your hands.

“It does raise another concern, however, that there is no compassion in your family when a mistake is made. From the video you just showed, there was
no
way to identify the glowing silhouettes as human. They could have been
any
bipedal species, and there were no words audible above the weapons fire and explosions…”

The counselor pauses a moment to see how Gregor is doing, wondering if the lieutenant will resent how fervently he is pleading the operators’ case. Gregor’s sunken eyes look up at him; and though emotionally exhausted, he gives a slight nod, urging the counselor to continue.

“Once Thompson reached the bridge, we see Captain Keller’s hand plainly resolved, and we hear his voice. That is the first evidence we have that indicates the people in the video were human. And that is precisely where the attack
stopped
. Add to that, their life support had failed several times, and irregular neural patterns were detected. They may not have had perfect perception, yet they performed
precisely
as they were trained. How can they be condemned for perfect performance?”

O’Kai slumps slightly and reluctantly straightens.

“That is all true, Counselor, and it pleases me you would try to spare these operators their lives. But the fact remains our one law was broken. That law is the principle upon which
all
of our motives are built. If I do not enforce that law, I jeopardize all under my authority. Should I make exception for these three, no matter the circumstances, it suggests I may make exception in the future; and that may cause some to be less careful with the lives of those around them. No. For the good of all, I
must
carry out their judgment.”

The counselor thinks for a moment. “This is
your
zone of control. I understand you have the huge responsibility of looking after the entire cadre, and you must do what you feel is best…”

The general nods gratefully and op
ens his mouth to speak. The counselor pre-empts him.

“But aboard our ship,
General, that is
Captain Keller’s
zone of control. What happens aboard his ship is
his
responsibility, and we would not want to think you would force your will on those
outside
of cadre law. To do so would be unacceptable, and we could not remain under those conditions.”

O’Kai and his officers
widen their eyes in shock. The council members murmur uncomfortably among themselves, but O’Kai silences them with the palm of his hand. He stares hard into the counselor’s eyes, searching for any trace of insincerity or lack of conviction.

“You would seriously consider leaving, abandoning the possibility of a stronger, joined community?”

A lesser man would have long since withered under the general’s crushing gaze, but the counselor stands resolute.

“Not just consider, General. We would
do
it. The freedom of self-determination is fundamental to our existence. We could not have it any other way.”

O’Kai looks away in disgust, muttering, “The surpluses your lives must hav
e permitted you…” He looks at Thompson, Maiella, and Argo, knowing what he believes needs to be done with them. Reading their expressions, he recognizes their discomfort. He can plainly see the operators
agree
with their judgment.

For a moment, he considers telling them to make good on their threat and be gone, but he needs them. The generations of genetic inbreeding have only gotten worse, and despite the new technologies they’ve captured, there is nothing they have acquired which has helped them
stay ahead of their copious genetic defects. Fewer and fewer people are incubated that have even the
possibility
of entering the Operator Corps. This ship full of colonists represents all the DNA they need to permanently breed out the weakened genes and restore vigor to a terribly infirmed population. And having reviewed Argo’s inventory of the colony ship, he knows how desperately his people need functioning food and water processors—ones that require much less maintenance than their ancient, faltering amino-protein synthesizers.

He cannot afford to let the Colonists go, and as much as he dislikes it, the counselor is correct—a general of the cadre has no say in the happenings aboard Captain Keller’s ship. The corners of O’Kai’s mouth drop as he faces Keller.

“Well, Captain, what would you have done with them?”

Keller stands, a little off guard, and collects himself. “I would have them pardoned and readmitted into the cadre with full rank and privilege.”

“Do you understand you are inviting the possibility of future accidents?”

“I do,” Keller replies staunchly.

O’Kai squints with disparaging astonishment. “You would put your entire crew at risk to spare these three?”

“Yes, General. We would have it that way.”

O’Kai shakes his head at Keller, showing his doubt about this man’s leadership and ability to care for his people.

The general faces front and addresses the three on trial. “Major Gun Thompson, Lieutenant Brick Argo, Lieutenant Geek Maiella, this crime is expunged. Though I am pleased we will retain your skills and abilities, this sets a dangerous precedent. Let it be known, this exception
will
never
be repeated.” Turning to the colonist’s table, he continues.

“Captain Keller, I request you and your officers meet with us again in two hours. It is apparent we have different ways of doing things, and if we are to live together, we
must
have a common set of rules.

“Team Spectre, you are dismissed for twenty-four hours’ rest and regeneration. After which, you will report to Major Ralla for technical updating and reassignment. Tribunal adjourned!”

O’Kai, Shao-Lo, Munro, Chusan, and Ralla stand in unison, filing out in orderly fashion. Ralla lingers only to remove the accused’s restraints and follows the others out.

Sharon and Ortega stand to join Keller and the counselor. There is a lingering aftermath from witnessing the video after so many months—wounds that were healing have been torn open again. Fighting through the melancholy, Keller rests his hand on the counselor’s shoulder approvingly.

“Well done, Counselor.
Well
done.”

“Eloquent as always,” Sharon adds.

Gregor stands solemnly, still reeling from the experience, and makes his way toward the door. Keller calls after him.

“Gregor, where are you going?”

He stops and turns, looking not at his captain, but into the backs of Argo, Maiella, and Thompson.

“I can’t be here right now.” He turns without ceremony, resuming his path.

Keller lets him go and looks at the floor, understanding the man’s awful conflict.

“It’s a real victory,” Ortega remarks, t
rying to lighten the mood. “Proves they won’t try to dominate us.”

Kel
ler nods in agreement. “Yeah, seems that way.”

The counselor steps around the table, confused why Thompson, Argo, and Maiella are still standing in place. They have dr
opped their at-attention stance but have not moved, silently staring at the wall ahead of them.

“Thompson! Argo... Maiella? What’s wrong?”

“You placed our importance above the cadre,” Argo replies. “It's wrong.”

Keller walks around the table to stand in front of them. “Aren’t you glad you can stay?”

“We didn’t want to go,” Maiella explains, “but we felt it was necessary.”

“You lost seventeen,” Thompson states. “We lost nothing. Our personal loss must equal or exceed your own to make matters right again.”

Keller dismisses their guilt. “You three have carried your burden long enough, and you more than paid for it with your service aboard the
Europa
.”

“We don’t understand why you would set aside that loss without demanding the same of us,” Argo says.