A year of training went by fast enough, said Barret, with plenty of time in simulators readying himself for flight in Berann’s atmosphere, as well as fitness training, shooting, other combat skills. While they hoped the world would be empty of humans, the Chinese had had about 50 years to arrive and establish a base or two – that’s if they hadn’t already been there and hiding when the scout mission came. For the fleet, a year of standard deceleration and braking maneuvers amidst the outer planets, which for our ship did not pass completely without incident. An incident which involved me, and was decidedly strange.....
One day, I’d awoken midway through a sleep period to find my cabin almost dark, with just the soft glow of night lights and Eridani B, a shining ringed marble – sized object in a sea of stars in the wall.
“Hello, Commander Barret, sir” said the ship.
“Hi” I answered. “What’s up?”
“I have to ask you a few questions. Please answer truthfully.”
“’Kay. Shoot.” Ship asked me a ton of questions about how I was feeling about the mission ahead, if I was enjoying the training and felt ready…. And then it asked about my childhood, and what video games I’d played. If they had been violent. Of course they had, what other kind of game was there? I guess Ship mean violent ENOUGH. And then it started asking some really freaky questions…
”Sir, I was wondering, when you are in the bar with a bunch of white guys, why you never verbally disrespect your coloured comrades when the others do.”
“They’re my comrades, that’s why. I see no difference. And they’re fine soldiers, right?”
“But the others do.”
“I don’t give a damn what the others do.”
“I see……very interesting. Very. Sir, do you remember the Betelgeuse Solar Works invasion 90 years ago?”
“Sure I do. My first mission. Prison colony, siphoning power from the local supergiant. Big riot, lots to do to put it down. Took a group of marines in, did a bit of cluster-bombing too…. Rumor was the Chinese were behind it.”
“That’s right, Commander, your memory serves you well…..There were a few survivors, and you were asked to volunteer for interrogation duty, with the tapper (an old-tech microwave beam weapon, originally invented for crowd control… but very popular in interrogation when the victim can’t run away when their skin and eyes start to prickle. Called the tapper after that old Earth film Spinal Tap where the amps had dials going up to 11. The dials on the beam weapon had a maximum recommended non-lethal setting…. But they too went up further. Much further.) Most of our officers are only too happy to volunteer. But you said no. A drone present detected a certain lack of enthusiasm and a feeling of disquiet. Why was that, Commander Barret. sir?”
“It’s not my thing….really. I don’t shrink heads either, like some of the boys do, or wear necklaces of teeth… trophies and prisoners don’t concern me.”
“Why are you unlike the others, Commander Barret? Sir?”
“Why are you asking me this, Ship?”
There was silence, then suddenly I felt fuzzy, numb, warm and fell asleep.
The next day the whole ship had been alive with rumours. The senior political officer on the ship had committed suicide the night before. Shot himself. Very weird. But nothing further happened; just there was an intangible feeling on the ship that something had changed. The atmosphere was strange, we all felt somehow lighter, or something. Less stressed. We were still watched every minute of every day, as always was the case, and it was something we had grown up with, but it didn’t seem so important.
The months passed till, eventually, Eridani B had grown to fill the sky and Berann lay glowing greenly before us barely a weekend away.
I remember was sitting there in my cabin, thinking about the mission ahead and a visitor arrived - an Internal Security dude. I felt weak with fear… had I allowed myself to say something, think something out of line. I didn’t think so, but….
He told me to relax…and told me something that made my blood run cold. ‘Barret, 89 days ago during the third quarter sleep break I was called to SPO Tarner’s office. The Senior Political Officer informed me in person that we had a Deviant on board. He wanted me to arrest you, and take you down to the brig for…. questioning.’
I was aghast. What had I done????
‘You’re different Barret, and that’s not good. Suspicious. Sedition is everywhere. Maybe the Chinese had got to you…. Whatever. I don’t know what Tarner was thinking. Anyways, I’d picked up my shock-stick and was on my way to your cabin when Ship informed me that the order had been cancelled. I asked if SPO Turner had cancelled the order, and the ship just repeated ‘the order had been cancelled’. Returning to his room, I found the door locked. Tried to get through on the ‘com. Nothing. Then, very dimly through the door, I heard a shot. Five seconds later, Ship informed me, in its most gentle voice, that SPO Turner had killed himself…..’
We discussed this for a while…. And came to the conclusion that it was very very strange. We didn’t say it plainly, for we were both afraid, but we both suspected the ship might have had something to do with it.
Continued in next thread - ran out of characters...
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