The crew are spread out on various chairs and towels along a long stretch of pristine yellow sand. At the edge of the sand, blue-white water softly laps up and down the beach. A few of the crew are also enjoying the water, most notably Choi, who is loudly splashing passers-by with a huge grin on her face. The water, like the sand, is specifically brought in from various planets and treated to make it perfectly safe and clean. The rich clear blue sky above is punctuated only by the Sun, part of the atmosphere projection program.
Nemmy walks slowly along the edge of the sand looking up towards the sky, and along the water to the horizon. It truly appeared to be a flawless representation of what Earth must have been like. Even down to the occasional cool breeze brushing through her hair. Her swimsuit was more revealing than she was used to, a simple green and blue outfit, but quite modest compared to some of the outfits other crew members were wearing. Symone is practically naked and is evidently loving the attention of her male colleagues, cavorting as she is atop a small sand dune. To underline the frivolity, Nemmy walks past a small pile of clothing. Whoops draw her attention, and she spots Lynsey and Angela frolicking far out in the water.
“Oh my” she laughs. She spots various crew members in pairs and trios walking about, lying on the sand, drinking from brightly coloured cups. She heads over to a nearby group of beach chairs with a large parasol covering three of the four chairs in shade. Ravaan is lying back on a flat chair, eyes closed, enjoying the sun. Amira and Santiago were under the shade, both scantily clad and both reading from little floating information orbs. Nemmy takes the remaining seat and stretches out. Almost instantly, an orb arrives at her chair.
“Tri-berry, please, and…Station News,” she says. Emily marches across their eye line wordlessly. Despite the perfect “weather” and the flowery bikini she is wearing, her face tells a different story.
“Another argument, no doubt,” Amira says, barely moving her head from her orb.
“Perhaps we should have stepped in to end their interaction,” Ravaan says. Amira strongly disagrees.
“No, let them figure things out themselves. As long as it doesn’t affect the rest of the crew, it’ll be fine. Anyway, Commander, we are here on holiday, let’s enjoy it” she says. Ravaan smiles wildly, stretching out on his chair.
“An order I can fully support” he jokes. Nemmy couldn’t agree more, sinking into the comfortable chair. It had been a stressful few weeks. She didn’t know about everyone else, but she truly wanted to put their recent troubles behind them. Another orb arrives at her chair, dispensing the drink that she eagerly chugs down. The chilled fruit drink offers delicious respite to the pressing heat. A soft ping pulls her attention away from distant crew members frolicking.
“Nemantha Le Beau, you have two messages waiting” a soothing voice emits from the orb. Intrigued, she puts aside her nearly empty glass.
“From who?” she asks.
“First message; Eliah Le Beau, marked as urgent, transmitted three hours, thirty-seven minutes ago. Second message; Marcus Williams, transmitted five hours and two minutes ago” was the response. Nemmy jolts up out of the chair.
“Your brother?” Amira asks. Nemmy nods. A real surprise. She hasn’t spoken to Eliah in months. The last she knew he was assigned to some secret project with their father. Or he likes to say it is secret; most likely it is some tedious admin centre. Like her, he has been “guided” by their parents into his career. Despite the irony, she is thankful for her mother’s choice, as she can’t imagine Eliah is doing anything as interesting as she has been doing in recent months. Marcus sending a message is also quite intriguing. She gulps down the rest of her drink and activates Eliah’s message. Her brother’s visage appears on the orb, a fuller and healthier double of their dad.
“Hello Nem, or should I say Captain Nem now? I was told you’re on the way to Sanctum; I’m on the way myself. We should catch up, as we have a few things to talk about. Really important things. I’ll be there just after you, details are attached. Come find me as soon as you can” Eliah says, and the message quickly closes. Nemmy notes the location on a projected map that follows the message. He seems to be in a positive mood, perhaps this urgent news is something good. As tempted as she is to see what Marcus wants, she puts it aside for now. One quick trip to the luxurious dressing area later, and a freshly showered and perfumed Nemmy strides out through the crowds that never seem to leave the station, looking for the high price bistro Eliah has chosen as a meeting place. She quickly locates it, a peculiar little place, high price and tucked away from the crowds. The doorway is covered with giant reddish leaves, playing up the forest theme of the bistro. She doesn’t spot anyone as she enters the door. Her optimism fades somewhat. The level is packed with people, but this bistro is empty. Except for-
“Captain Nem, you’re here, finally!”
She walks past the oversized rainbow plants lining the entrance area into the bistro proper. Amongst the rows of empty, pristine seating areas, Eliah lounges in a smart blue suit, motioning her over. She can’t help but smile as she comes in for a tight hug. She squeezes his muscular arms, drawing a mock flex from her brother.
“You’re bigger than last time I saw you, El. You even dress like an adult now, very smart” she jibes.
“Perks of the job. I don’t get a fancy ship or anything, just this fabulous suit” he grins, sitting down. Nemmy does the same, practically jumping into the chair. She’s excited. She hasn’t seen him in person for almost a year, but it seems even longer. She grabs his hands, shaking them with giddy amusement.
“It’s so good to see you. We should do this more often!” she enthuses.
“Settle down. Working so far apart, being star officers and such, we’re so busy now. Plus, last time, didn’t you cause an argument?” Eliah says, comically raising an eyebrow, and getting a slap on the hand in return.
“I did nothing of the sort! Mum and Dad just like to argue!” she laughs. Eliah lounges back in his chair, rolling his eyes.
“You’re a troublemaker, Nem. And that uniform makes you look chubby” he replies.
“I will fire you out of a missile tube!” she says between uproarious laughter. Eliah waves his fingers behind his ears as he chuckles away.
“I miss this. Anyway, the reason I called you out here…” he trails off as two blue-suited men arrive at their table. Nemmy snaps out of her chair, the joy of moments ago vanishing instantly. She hadn’t noticed Eliah had that exact uniform on until this moment.
“I don’t believe it! You’re a Ghoul?” she asks, jabbing a finger at the square-jawed, emotionless men standing on either side of Eliah. Her brother sighs loudly, shaking his head and smiling.
“Come on Nem, you know that’s not a nice nickname. We’re just doing our jobs, like you. But since I’ve got you here, I’ve been reading some reports and, not only have you interacted with an officer of a foreign power, but you’ve even left Imperial space to speak to this person. That’s a tad…suspicious, wouldn’t you say?” Eliah says, maintaining the same friendly smirk, although his words are laden with an unpleasant, even threatening tone. The two large, equally stone-faced men behind him scowl at her with obvious contempt.
“Eliah, it’s…what I, or we do isn’t anything you need to worry about” she eventually mumbles. Eliah’s smirk breaks out into a full smile, and he hands a datapad to one of the other SIOs.
“You’ve always got an answer, eh? Well, look, since we’re here, we’ll need to chat with some of your crew. I’m led to believe you suspect that there is also a Confed spy on your ship?” Eliah goes on. Nemmy chokes on her own breath. How does he know these things? Why now? Who would send her own brother here? The worst part is that he clearly agreed to come, knowing how her crew will respond. The SIOs know exactly how they are perceived by the military branches.
“Why did it have to be you? Why would you come here?” she asks sharply. Eliah nods t
o the other men, who depart.
“I’m on track for a promotion, you know. I’ve got this team, but Dad said that if I fulfil certain targets this year, I’ll get my own department. I’ll get to pick my own assignments. You know what that’s like, right? Why else would you be on a patrol ship instead of sitting in that office?” He says. Nemmy throws her arms up in annoyance.
“What? You think I picked this? I was ordered to take this command” she snaps. Eliah seems non-plussed.
“Well, you’ll understand then that sometimes you just need to deal with things. Inform your crew that we’ll be talking to them. Today” he replies calmly, getting out of his chair. “It’s good to see you” he then says, before leaving with a cheery wave. Nemmy sits alone in the bistro for a few moments, mulling over the situation, before pulling herself up.
“This place is cursed” she mutters to herself as she heads back to the Boomslang.
As she had fully expected, the confusion amongst the crew at being asked to reconvene on the ship was overwhelming. She had barely begun explaining the situation and that confusion quickly turned to visible annoyance and even anger in some cases. Even Ravaan’s face has clouded over, which concerns Nemmy greatly. Standing in front of the crew always seems to involve unwelcome news for her.
“So basically, we just need to co-operate as much as we can, and hopefully it will be over quickly,” she says, trying to deflect the increasingly familiar hostility in the shuttle bay.
“That is completely correct, co-operate and I’m sure you have nothing to fear!” Eliah’s voice booms suddenly, drawing the room’s attention as he and a flood of blue-clad SIOs enter the ship. Ignoring Nemmy’s frantic head shaking, he proudly marches in front of her, opening his arms to the assembled crew.
“I am Special Representative Eliah Le Beau, assigned SIO to this ship. I trust you will all give me the same respect and consideration you have given my sister” he says with an amused grin. His reaction is shared with the various SIOs spreading out amongst the crew. The murmuring of the crew has died down now, to a seething uncomfortable quiet. Nemmy is sure they are collectively blaming her for this situation. Glaring at her with that accustomed contempt. How could they not? Her own brother is here to spy on them.
“Now, I understand that you are all busy,” Eliah goes on, “so we have already downloaded your personal logs and comm records for examination. You’ll have been assigned a meeting place and time by now. If you know your location, please go there. If not, go to your quarters and wait. We’ll be done as soon as possible” he finishes. The SIOs begin to filter quickly out of the shuttle bay at his signal. The crew intermittently start drifting back to their quarters at the same time, random groups alternating between annoyed mumbling and loud articulate curses at the passing SIOs. Nemmy remains with Amira and Ravaan. The last person has barely left the shuttle bay before Ravaan erupts.
“This is a travesty! These people are an insult to our professionalism and our loyalty!” he rages. Even Amira is slightly taken aback by his anger. He turns his glare to Nemmy.
“Did you invite them here?” He demands.
“No, I didn’t!” she replies.
“They are led by your brother, Captain” Ravaan replies, not convinced.
“Ravaan, I swear, I did not do this. I didn’t even know Eliah was with them until today,” Nemmy protests. Her Strap beeps and she receives a readout of the files the SIOs have scanned. Pretty much everything, as she expected. A groan from Amira confirms that she and Ravaan have received the same news. Ravaan’s anger somehow doubles instantly.
“They have already started questioning the crew and raiding our personal effects. Captain, I understand that this is your brother, but this…is unconscionable to me. Every second those people violate our integrity is an offence to every single officer on this ship! We must discover who brought them here” he spits.
“It was me. I did it”. Amira quietly admits. For a moment there is nothing but shocked silence. Nemmy watches Ravaan carefully. His fists are clenched tight, and his entire body is trembling with rage.
“What! Major, this is astonishing! How dare you do this to us!” Ravaan screams, barging right into Amira’s face. Nemmy quickly leaps between them. Ravaan’s normal passivity is gone, replaced by frothing anger. Despite her shock, Nemmy notices that Amira doesn’t budge. If she is surprised or scared by Ravaan’s outburst, she isn’t showing it.
“I’m sorry” she mutters. Ravaan’s fury is momentarily halted.
“That is your response!?!” he eventually splutters out.
“I can’t stand the idea that there might be a Red on this ship, and there’s no other way to find out. They have powers even an Admiral wouldn’t have. I cannot have a Red spy on the ship, Ravaan” Amira replies.
“We have scoured the comm records, you and I both. If there is a spy, where are the messages? It was a ruse, Major” Ravaan says firmly. Nemmy hasn’t focussed too much on the search in truth, although it has floated around the back of her mind. She trusts Ravaan and Amira to be thorough, and it appears that they haven’t found anything. It’s possible that the Confed officer was lying. But he did know things outsiders shouldn’t know.
“Obviously we’ve missed something. I’m not taking any more chances on this, Commander. I don’t like Ghouls any more than you, but they can search where we can’t. If they don’t find anything, then I’ll believe there is no spy,” Amira retorts. Ravaan isn’t convinced.
“You are not thinking clearly. Our reputation as officers is damaged every second they infest our ship! Possible pay increases and promotions can be damaged by the mere association with the SIO because everyone knows what they do and why. You may not have professional aspirations Major, but I guarantee you many of the crew do wish to further their careers. Something that will be much harder with the taint of treason, would you not say?” he snaps back. The two have edged closer and closer during this argument. Ravaan is shaking with sustained anger, his face contorted and twisted almost beyond recognition. Amira is more exasperated than enraged, but she hasn’t backed down a single inch. Nemmy decides to cut things short.
“Look, it is what it is. We can’t do anything about it now, let’s just get through this. Go back to your quarters and wait it out” she says, trying to inject authority into proceedings, using her body to physically underline the message. Ravaan barges against Nemmy for a moment, his face still a disturbing sight. Several awkward seconds elapse before he stomps away. Amira quietly goes in the opposite direction. Nemmy barely has time to blow out a breath before her Strap beeps.
Marcus is looking for her. She has forgotten about that. It must be important if he was actively seeking her attention. He has sent a location to meet, somewhere thankfully quite far from the ship. She decides to take the chance to get away from the Ghouls for a moment.
The level she finds herself on is quite different to the ones she’s been on before. Sanctum has so many different zones; Nemmy can’t even name half of them, let alone visit. But the section Marcus has chosen is unique even for this station. Dark, sullen lighting circles run along the short walls of the room, slowly pulsating light around the area. Or more accurately, a long corridor with various protruding “tube” entrances to various places of salacious, off-colour entertainment. With the moody lighting, loud thumping music, and almost entirely non-human clientele, it is a rare sight for any Imperial officer. As she marches through the assembled bodies, she suddenly feels very aware of the green and white uniform drawing various stares. Keeping her head down, she bustles her way into the correct tube door, into an equally murky, smoke-filled dance room. The walls appear to shudder and move with the bouncing music, although Nemmy also smells a faint scent in the air. She can’t identify it, but the strange odour adds to the hazy atmosphere. Here, she finds some humans amongst the mostly Chiklid patrons, milling around the sunken circular floor. Lush looking private booths circle t
he dance floor, and a familiar face pops up from a nearby one.
“What’s a sexy human like you doing in an alien dance pit like this?” Marcus says. They maintain some decorum, sharing only a brief kiss on the cheek before sitting down. As she does, a shimmering effect surrounds the booth and the music instantly dies down to a reasonable level.
“This is some place you’ve picked! Everyone was staring at me on the way in here.” Nemmy jokes. Marcus laughs.
“They have good taste in women, I think,” he says with a cheeky smirk.
“I hope you have a reason for this meeting other than compliments. Although please feel free to continue with those” Nemmy says, returning his grin. He pulls out a datapad from under the table, glancing around to see if anyone is watching. He nods down to it, putting a finger to his lips. Nemmy understands the message, quickly hiding the datapad in her uniform.
“You might be aware that there are Presidential Elections going on across the Confederation. President Godin is currently projected to win comfortably. What you might not know is why she is so popular. I don’t know how true this is, you might be able to confirm, but a news broadcast revealed plans by the Imperium to potentially invade our space”
“What!?!” Nemmy erupts, instantly regretting the outburst as various nearby aliens turn to glance over. Marcus chuckles a little.
Unknown Earth Volume 2 Page 22
