The 13: Mission's End Book One

by M. M. Perry

  She quickly typed a search in the files.

  Jamil Family Port

  A listing came up. Naomi read over it quickly.

  Jamil Hale, First Communications Officer, Bridge.

  “Communications Officer? With Hale as a surname. I can’t decide if that’s a clever choice or a stupid one,” Alphea said, causing Naomi to jump.

  “It’s okay, Naomi. Remember, I don’t operate on the same wavelength as most of the ship. In a number of ways.”

  Alphea raised her arm so Naomi could see it clearly. Instead of a listing of her vitals, her readout was more like her workstation - covered in information she had recently requested.

  “You don’t have to conform?”

  “No. Much to the chagrin of the people who run this ship. I’m sure I’d be forced to if they thought they could get away with it. Command doesn’t enjoy the gennies running around unrestrained. We question too many things. The builders, they either knew exactly what they were doing when they included us in the incubation chambers, or they had a massive oversight. I can’t decide which theory I like better. This week I’m swinging toward precognition. It feels better this week. In fact, you should know, while you’re here, your own wristband transmits to the nearest receptor. Which is here, in my station. Which is under my control. Where, I have decided, conformity is a hindrance to our goal. So any stress you might have here is lost to the ether. Feel free to ‘unburden’ however you wish.”

  Alphea said “unburden” with such mockery, her meaning was impossible not to discern.

  “So you aren’t mad I took liberties?”

  Alphea laughed.

  “Naomi, I’m glad you’re inquisitive. I’ve worked with a number of crew from the Magellan. The inquisitive ones are always my favorites. The sticklers for the rules are less fun. Those who bully, like Marcus, are the worst. At least the sticklers think they’re doing what’s best. They just don’t know any better. The bullies, they’re people who’ve gone sour. And while I wouldn’t normally wish it on people, I find it funny the bullies have managed to avoid counseling. They must have exerted tremendous control while they rose in the ranks. Once they reach a certain height, it doesn’t seem to matter anymore. One of the first things they manage to do is rid themselves of conformity hindrances, so they’re allowed to continue to bully. I, and others, have advised they should be removed from their duties, that they do more harm than good but, as I said, those in charge are not fond of gennies or their advice.”

  “But if they don’t conform…” Naomi began.

  Alphea paused and looked away from Naomi. The engineer was picking up on more clues than Alphea thought she would. She didn’t relish lying to Naomi, but she couldn’t jeopardize the mission either. Telling Naomi the truth could have dire effects on her state of mind, and Naomi needed to be strong when she met the soldiers. Alphea turned back toward Naomi, deciding to lace some truth in with her deception, convincing herself that was better than nothing.

  “I choose my words carefully. We’re told how conformity works. I’m sure you see people like Marcus and make some connections. Not everything we’re told is true. How conformity works precisely is something I’ve been trying to crack into. But Command has been suspicious of gennies for some time. Most of us are kept out of that information.”

  “Most of you?” Naomi asked.

  “Yes. There are gennies who feel differently than I do, about nearly everything. They cooperate fully with Command. They’re the reason I haven’t been able to crack into that information yet. They strive against me. They know what I’m doing, but can’t yet prove it. It’s a race, you see. If I find it before they can prove it’s me looking, I win. Otherwise,” Alphea spread her hands out in resignation. “There are a few with me. And Command doesn’t know for sure which of us is working against them. They’re leaning into the idea that I’m the only one, but my fellow conspirators have been helping to divert attention from me. And Command has forgotten humility, so they think it’s only one fighting against them, and they don’t fear someone like you at all, because you’re just a second engineer. They’re mistaken, of course. The civilians on this ship only seem so small and insignificant because they’re looking from so high up. But when their support is gone, they’ll fall far. And it will be all those little people who did them in.”

  Naomi felt as if she’d been swept up into a vortex of events she had little control over. Alphea shook her head.

  “I’m sorry, I do go on. Everyone says it’s a fault of mine. Just remember this, whatever outcome your actions beget on the greater scheme of things, your job remains the same. You’re my eyes and ears. And I’ll make sure you’re safe. I’ve taken a number of measures to do so.”

  “I trust you, Alphea.”

  Alphea flinched at the words, but Naomi didn’t see it, her eyes back on her screen looking at Jamil’s picture. Alphea steeled her nerve. She knew the greater good was at stake, and she couldn’t become too attached to the engineer helping her.

  Alphea peered at the screen intently, focusing on the job at hand.

  “Now, how do you know this Jamil Hale? I assume you met him in your new unit.”

  “Yes. He’s one of my new unitmates in fact.”

  “He must have done something to pique your interest.”

  “Yes, I mean, he coughed.”

  “He coughed? Perhaps I should reassess my evaluation of you, Naomi.”

  Naomi blushed. She looked up to explain and saw a teasing look on Alphea’s face.

  “We were discussing the shuttle flight. Another friend asked if this was the first time this has been done, traveling between colony ships. And Jamil coughed. He was drinking. I think he was thinking about something else. It just seemed odd, the way he wouldn’t look at us when we were talking about the shuttle flight. And when I asked him what he did on the ship, he was cagey about it. Not obviously so, but enough for me to think on it. And why would a communications officer be cagey? But everything looks in order here, except, you say his last name is weird.”

  Alphea narrowed her eyes.

  “Hale is a famous spy from ancestral Earth. He’s credited with being the first spy for a nation called the United States of America. Though at the time, they were colonies, not states. Thirteen, like us.”

  “Yes, I remember that bit from Childhood Learning.”

  “It’s an interesting name to choose for a communications officer. Spies are, technically, masters of communication. However, most of the communications staff I know are given names like Lincoln, Mandela, Yousafzai—famous orators of our ancestors. I suspect there’s more to this.”

  “Well,” Naomi said, trying not to sound insulting, “they’d tell you, right? If you needed to know? I mean, if you asked Jamil, he’d have to tell you what he knows if it could help us. Even if they suspect you of trying to do something they don’t like, this mission still needs to be a success. Conformity means squat if we fail and fly right by Macha.”

  Alphea sat down on a stool beside Naomi. She stared at the image of Jamil on the screen. Then Alphea touched the screen to close his file.

  “Answer me this, Naomi, how do you control someone who was born to solve problems? Born to make connections. Born to be better than you in every way intellectually.”

  Naomi shrugged.

  “The computer can figure out a lot of things, but if I don’t give it any data, it can’t do much of anything.”

  “Precisely. Command keeps us in the dark. They feel it gives them strength. But they forget we are not just organic computers. We can intuit. It’s hard to keep a secret among so many people. Such things are statistically improbable. They do want the mission to succeed. But they think they can have both their secrets and success. As I said, they have gennies of their own in Command. They believe they’re correct in this assessment.”

  Alphea paused. She pursed her lips, thinking.

  “I believe in you, Naomi. I believe even if they don’t tell us everything, you’ll figure
out what needs to be done. My trust in that is solid.”

  Naomi fiddled with her wrist, her vitals steady.

  “You’ve given me something. It might not seem like much, but right at this moment, I don’t feel the pressure of conformity. If that’s what you stand for, then I stand with you, Alphea.”

  Again, Alphea felt a pang of guilt. She stood and became serious.

  “That settles that then. Now, the day after tomorrow you’ll be hurtling toward the Tereshkova where everything has become far too silent. And all you’ll have to back you up are these nine people.”

  Naomi nodded, understanding the stern words. She turned back toward her screen to study. Naomi couldn’t bear to look at Henry’s file yet. It felt like even his picture was watching her with a glare. The pilots wouldn’t likely go far from the shuttle, in case the team needed to leave quickly. She looked at the soldiers, as they were more likely to be the ones saving her skin if there was indeed something deadly wrong over on the Tereshkova.

  Naomi didn’t know too much about soldiers. They rarely left the belly of the ship, training in large swaths of obstacle courses with heavy weights on at all times. They bunked together, ate together and took leisure time together. They were apart from the rest of the ship. That alone worried Naomi. People in such isolation might not feel the need to protect another over their own. She heard that their comradery was stronger than anything else on the ship, though she doubted that was true if they also had to maintain conformity.

  She started with Eagle Eye. The soldier’s files were different from the civilian’s, listing their first name and their call sign. Eagle Eye was listed as Mike “Eagle Eye.” She scanned the file looking to see if they listed a last name for him, but couldn’t find any. She flipped through the other soldiers and found none of them had last names on file. It was an oddity, but she needed to focus on critical information so she put it aside as a curiosity best investigated at another time.

  Mike looked healthy and strong. He had many commendations for his ability in marksmanship. He rose to the rank of first marksman remarkably fast, much as Naomi had in engineering. His squad mates offered letters of praise to his leadership. Even as early as eighteen he had started being chosen in his teams to lead drills and mock campaigns. He was well-liked and had personally chosen the team that was going to the Tereshkova.

  She looked up Trigger next. An older woman with graying hair, Naomi was surprised she was still an active soldier. She knew it was a rigorous life and thought most of the older soldiers moved on to tactics. Carmen “Trigger” was another who was good with guns, only her skills were with short range pistols. Naomi could see immediately why she’d been chosen. The tight hallways of the ships would mean you’d want someone who trained for close quarters combat. It didn’t sit right with Naomi that they assumed they’d need such a crew.

  Who would they need to shoot? As far as she knew, the people on the Tereshkova were like them, a stable ship with high conformity. But maybe they feared a mutiny of some sort. Naomi couldn’t figure out how that would be possible. Before the communications blackout, the Tereshkova maintained a conformity level of eighty-three percent. The Magellan was holding at ninety-six, which meant the Tereshkova had almost as many safeguards against the population turning rogue. The Tereshkova would have a belly full of soldiers of their own to aid them. But, Naomi thought, perhaps that’s what was feared.

  A military coup. It wasn’t out of the realm of possibility. She and every other person on board the Magellan had heard rumors of the Drake. Before the Drake fell to the rumored coup and announced their intention to cease communications, they were second in line for the spoils of the fourteenth ship, with a conformity rating of almost ninety percent.

  “Alphea,” Naomi said, “what if it’s military?”

  Alphea turned to look at Naomi.

  “It’s a possibility. You’re thinking of the Drake, aren’t you?”

  Naomi nodded.

  “Not much is known about what happened to that ship. It was before my time. I do know they did things differently on the Drake than we’ve done. Or as the Tereshkova has done. They employed their military in Command. I have a feeling this contributed to the coup that happened there. But fear of military involvement is why we’re sending the soldiers with you.”

  Naomi nodded, satisfied. She dove back into the reports to consider Casings.

  Diego “Casings” was named for his penchant for keeping spent casings after successful missions. A solid trooper, he was praised for following orders and never giving up. He was often paired with Eagle Eye and they had gone through basic training together. His file wasn’t exemplary like Eagle Eye’s or Trigger’s, but Naomi figured he was chosen because of his loyalty.

  Gerard “Book” was her next file. Book was named because of his deep knowledge of warfare and tactics. He was a short, stocky man with reddish hair. He turned the tides on several mock battles simply by seeing the enemy’s tactics and countering them effectively. Of all of them, Book had the friendliest look on his face in his picture.

  Samuel “Kitch” was a large man, dark skinned like Alphea, named Kitch because everyone said he carried everything with him but the kitchen sink. Designated a second military engineer, Kitch was good at improvising new ways out of sticky situations. A number of squad leaders praised his ability to be a team player, and said they wished they could always include him on their squads during war games.

  Finally, Naomi opened the file on Sissy “Chef.” Piercing green eyes stared out at Naomi, much like her own. She had light blond hair that was cut short. Chef was named because of her ability to cook grenades. Her timing, it said in her file, was uncanny. An explosives expert, she was the one member of the squad that had more than a few demerits in her file. The term wildcard was used on more than one occasion. Naomi scanned the file and saw one glowing recommendation from none other than Eagle Eye. Chef, he wrote, can be tricky to keep in line. But once you’ve earned her respect, there was no better demolitions expert. Naomi hoped Mike had earned Chef’s respect.

  She put away the soldier’s files and glanced at First Engineer Henry’s file. It didn’t take long to see that he had been working under Marcus for quite some time. There was nothing glaring in the file to make her worry aside from the fact that it looked to be completely demerit free. She found it hard to believe that there was anyone on board who didn’t have a single work-related demerit. Either Marcus had scrubbed Henry’s file, or Henry was one of those sticklers Alphea had mentioned. Neither sounded great to Naomi.

  She closed the files and stood, stretching. Alphea noticed the noise and turned to Naomi.

  “Are you feeling more or less confident?”

  Naomi thought it over before answering.

  “The soldiers mostly seem tops. The one named Chef might be an issue. But that would be the squad leader’s problem, not mine. My problem is going to be Henry. I have a bad feeling he’s going to undermine any authority I have. He’s a first engineer. And Marcus’ man at that.”

  Alphea tapped her cheek with one long finger.

  “I’d give you a promotion, to solve that first issue, if I thought it would actually work. But I suspect it would cause you greater problems if I did. The only advice I can give is you need to assert yourself immediately. The military respond well to that. If they think there’s a question of authority, they’ll have trouble. They need structure, particularly when it comes to orders. Make sure from the very beginning you aren’t coy. Maintain your composure and it won’t matter what Henry says, the soldiers will fall in line behind you.”

  “I think I can handle that. What do we do tomorrow?” Naomi asked.

  “Tomorrow we’re back in the hangar. The soldiers need to go over some basics with you. You’ll be out there with live weapons. You need to learn where to stand and what they’ll say to you in certain situations. The way they talk to you may sound harsh, but their job is to keep you safe, not to make friends.”

  “I th
ink I can handle it,” Naomi said.

  “I think you can, too. I’m confident of it. But for now, enough worrying. Head back to your unit. Be with your friends.”

  “Thanks, Alphea.”

  Alphea watched Naomi go then turned back to her station. She stared at the numbers and letters racing across her screen. She had what she wanted, now she just needed to decode it.

  As Naomi approached Family she saw Jeremy jogging down the hall toward her. His eyes lit up when he spied her.

  “Hey, Mi! I heard they’re gonna run drills tomorrow in the bay. The chief says after the last time the soldiers were in there, he has no illusions much work will get done. We’re allowed to watch. I think he wants to see it, too. News about the Tereshkova is trickling out enough in the bay, you have people rooting for ya.”

  “I’m glad you’ll be there. Just be safe, you know? I won’t be in any real danger. Remember that.”

  “Yeah,” Jeremy said, faux saluting Naomi, “I can handle that.”

  “You’re in a good mood,” she said as they stepped through the door into Family.

  “Tomorrow is exciting, isn’t it? Oh, and Todd said he reserved a private leisure suite for us tomorrow night. Everything with Maria must have worked out. So yeah, I’m in a good mood.”

  He dropped his arm from around Naomi’s shoulder as they entered the common room. The kids were loud and excited, many of them talking about the drop the night before. Naomi and Jeremy noticed Brian and Jamil sitting at a table together and joined them.

  “This is a hell of a first dinner in Family. They had their own party last night here in the commons for the drop. It got out of control. I hear a food fight occurred,” Brian said.

  Jeremy and Naomi laughed. Brian turned more serious.

  “I’m sorry about this morning. Jamil told me I was an oaf. I didn’t realize you’d personally be on that shuttle, Naomi. I figured only soldiers or something would be going over there. I didn’t mean to imply it would fail to return safely,” Brian said, including them both in his apology.