Cryptikon Far Freedom Part 2

by Warren Merkey

only a few moments with their shiplink augments to access the nearest projection system. A blue curtain of light, deep with a third dimension, bloomed next to a plain bulkhead at the end of the bay. Heads turned in that direction as the light caught their attention.

  Jamie logged into the ship's public data storage and performed a simple search for the original name of her mother: Zakiya Muenda. An extensively tabbed folder of data appeared in her ocular terminal and was replicated in the wall-sized image volume. Jamie picked the tab in which she had, only minutes ago, found a still picture of her mother.

  An unsmiling woman sat for an official portrait wearing a uniform made famous by countless entertainment episodes glorifying Earth's early years of space exploration beyond the solar system. She was framed by data in an official format unlike that of the Union Navy. Her identifying data displayed at the top of the image: "Commander Zakiya Muenda, Linguist, Archaeologist, born 23-01-2400, Africa, Earth, Third Officer, DSF Frontier, Human Communities Medal of Service in the Cause of Civilization, Deep Space Medal of Highest Honor..."

  "Wait a minute! Wait a minute!" Wingren was shocked. The other female Navy officers were shocked. Even some of the Marines understood enough to wonder. "That's Admiral Demba! Where did that image originate? Was she also an actress - in a Deep Space episode?"

  Jamie shook her head. "That's real data from Deep Space Fleet records," she said. She opened another tab on the folder her search had first produced. She flipped through pages showing glimpses of material Zakiya Muenda had produced as an officer and research scientist on the Deep Space Fleet Frontier. The volume of work spanned decades.

  Jamie opened a third tab on the folder and found an index to more recorded images. She opened picture after picture, rapidly scanning them. Again, years of living and working were recorded in them. She stopped and backed up to an image that looked important to her curiosity. It was a group portrait of the crew of the Frontier, all eight of them. There was her mother in the center of the group, and standing next to... Aylis Mnro!

  "That's Mnro!" a Marine declared.

  "And Khalanov!" another said.

  Jamie hardly listened while the Navy officers and her Marines discussed the image. Her eyes had locked onto the tall officer standing on the other side of her mother, whose hand rested on her mother's shoulder. He looked very familiar, and she loved the look of him.

  "Where did all of this come from?" Wingren nearly screamed. "How can it be the real records of Deep Space Fleet?"

  Jamie tore her eyes away from the man in the picture. "I don't know. Captain Horss told me it was in the ship's database."

  "It will at least give them something to think about," Aguila said. "Wouldn't that be something? Mnro, Demba, Khalanov - members of Deep Space Fleet?"

  "Do you realize how old they must be?" one of the Navy officers asked.

  People started crowding into the hangar from the connecting ring corridors. The level of conversation rose to a roar in the crowd. Someone opened a vast partition at the far side of the bay so the crowd could expand into the adjoining cargo transfer bay. Several more image projectors turned on and showed the same data.

  "We got their attention," Wingren said. Then the Rhyan officer gathered with her Earthian friends for a few moments and turned back to Jamie. "Major, let me input some data we've collected."

  "Let me see it first, Wingren." Jamie watched the beginning of a presentation in her shiplink. It started with an old Rhyan war veteran displaying an image of a dark woman in a Navy commodore's uniform. Other images came from undisclosed sources. There were more than three dozen images, each of them unique, most of them of low quality. All of the images were resized and normalized to a standard illumination and carefully merged, resolving into a clear holographic portrait of a woman who looked exactly like Admiral Demba. None of the individual images were conclusive as to the identity of the person, but the composite image was startling in its clarity. Jamie felt a tingling of goose flesh, looking at the familiar face with the unfamiliar expression of lethal intent that her imagination seemed to apply. That woman had killed millions of Rhyan, drastically shortening the war, and no one yet knew how she did it.

  "Damn, Wingren!" Jamie exclaimed. "Is there more?"

  "This version is ten minutes in length. We have another version that documents our methods and sources."

  "Go ahead and show this one."

  Jamie watched the program again on the big holographic display, dividing her attention to see the reactions of the people who were prepared to leave the ship. While she did this, Wingren manipulated the display volume to reinstall the previous images below the documentary.

  "Ruby Reed," Jamie said to Wingren. "The name the Opera Master gave her. Find her and put her up there."

  She was not surprised the pale European singer closely resembled her African mother. The dates of birth and death fit neatly in the space between Zakiya Muenda and Commodore Keshona. When the documentary reached its dramatic conclusion of imaging, Wingren placed that portrait into the sequence.

  "What a person!" Aguila declared, his voice barely heard above the roar of conversation around them. "This will be a great mission!"

  A flow of people started toward Jamie and her contingent. Questions bombarded them. Jamie was reduced to simply shouting at them to stay on the ship. There was so much confusion she couldn't tell what effect they had, but by the time the dock warning sounded, Jamie could see empty spaces across the deck of the debarkation bay.

  Jamie ordered her Marines to take their assigned places to control the egress. The main portal cleared to show a cold white tunnel. There was some movement in the crowd toward the tunnel, but many more started to flow back from the portal. The crowd in the bay grew much thinner. The mechanical door at the other end of the tunnel rolled aside. The Marines moved a barrier aside at the portal. A few people made their way to the portal and walked down the tunnel. Many more people stood still, silently trying to make a decision, while others were discussing matters with those near them.

  As the bay emptied, those who remained formed a group that aimed itself at Jamie. When they approached, some of her Marines returned to her side, as if to protect her. She recognized Professor Sung, the cultural historian, among the crowd of the undecided. He became their spokesman.

  "That is a provocative series of images," Sung said, addressing Jamie. "Compelling, even though very improbable. What does it mean?"

  "It means, sir," Jamie responded, feeling much better than she had in years, "that this mission is not what any of us thought it was! It may also mean we have a good chance of surviving it!"

  "We are aware of the dismal history of adventures beyond the frontiers of the Union. Why is the Five Worlds not a good choice?"

  "I don't know how it was in your case but I suspect most of our civilian crew were forced by the Navy to participate in this voyage. Leaving the ship will probably not help you. The Navy will come after you."

  "And put us back on the ship?"

  "Only if they catch us! They could put you on another ship. The implication is that none of us were ever supposed to return to Union space. Captain Horss told me we were probably to become slaves somewhere beyond the Union boundary."

  "Then Demba is actually acting against the Navy," the historian said. "She knows it was never a legitimate exploration mission. She is in fact trying to steal the ship from the Navy. I would applaud but I know it's a doomed attempt. There is no good choice for us!"

  "I believe Demba and Aylis Mnro must have planned long ago to steal this ship," Jamie said. "Hopefully, that means they think they can get away with it. The fact that Demba gave you a choice to leave the ship means she doesn't intend to harm you. The fact that Captain Horss asked me to try to stop you from leaving sends the same message. Stay on the ship. Take your chances with someone like Demba, who may have the ability to keep us all safe."

  "I hope your logic is correct," Sung said. "Either choice means our lives will continue out of our control and m
ay end badly, but the Freedom will certainly be the more interesting choice. And the more friendly choice."

  The final group of civilians made a unanimous decision and departed for their quarters on the ship. Jamie was left standing with her Marines and the Navy officers, and she was still fascinated by the crew portrait of the Frontier.

  "What is it?" Lieutenant Wingren asked, noticing Jamie's interest.

  "Do you know who he is?" Jamie pointed to the tall officer next to her mother.

  "If it's authentic," the Rhyan officer replied with awe, "that would probably be Captain Alexandros Gerakis!"

  "That's what I thought," Jamie muttered to herself.

  2-14 Climbing a Mountain to Phuti

  Jamie was still talking with her Security contingent when Demba, Mnro, and Sammy appeared by transmat. Everyone snapped to attention and Jamie exchanged salutes with Demba - with her mother. Jamie could not easily slip into thinking of Admiral Demba as mother. Doctor Mnro hung back with Sammy as Demba stepped forward and put everyone at ease. Demba turned and glanced at the images still displayed in the debarkation bay.

  "How many left the ship, Major?" Demba inquired of her.

  "Two hundred five civilians, Admiral," Jamie answered.

  Jamie wanted to point at the Frontier crew and ask a certain question about Alexandros Gerakis but it didn't seem like the right time. Not too many