by C. G. Mosley
Hightower laughed. “But comparable is still not the same, Roger,” he said.
Roger sighed and cleared his throat. “Only because I’m assuming the gravity on Kalo may be different from what we’re used to on Earth. That would obviously have an effect on it.”
Suddenly there was a knock on the door.
“Come in,” Hightower barked.
The door swung open and Colonel Madigan walked in. When he noticed Roger, he paused and looked back to the general. “Am I interrupting anything, Harry?”
“Of course not, Merrill, come in,” he replied, gesturing for him to take the other seat. “What have you got?”
“I’m afraid I’ve got some unfortunate news,” he said as he took a seat.
“Go on,” Hightower said.
“Well, it seems one of our men, and a member of Steiger’s crew got into a scuffle today while working on the Titan,” he said.
The general looked away disgusted while Roger shook his head.
“That’s just great,” Roger grumbled. “Was anyone hurt?”
The colonel nodded slowly and said, “Yeah, the Kaloian’s nose was bloodied.”
Hightower shook his head and rubbed at the stubble on his chin. “Well, if one of our men is going to be that stupid, at least he got the upper hand in doing so.”
Madigan looked at him and seemed momentarily confused. “No,” he said. “You don’t understand, Harry. Our guy suffered a spinal injury.”
The news made both Hightower and Roger sit up straight in their chairs. “What?” the general asked, and suddenly his mood darkened. “How did that happen?”
“Well,” the colonel said. “He was thrown against the wall inside the launching bay on board the Titan.”
Roger shook his head as if he were trying to wake from a dream. “How is that possible?” he asked. “All of the Kaloian’s appear frail and not nearly strong enough to inflict that kind of damage.”
“Well that’s the strangest part of all,” Madigan said, and he took a deep breath as he seemed to ponder his next words. Roger and Hightower eyed him anxiously. “First, I think it’s important to point out that there was only one witness, but it was another Kaloian that strictly refutes what our man is telling us happened.”
“And what is our man telling us happened?” Hightower asked.
“He says he was thrown against the wall, but he was never touched. He says the Kaloian seemed to somehow do it with his mind.”
Roger slowly slumped back into his chair and looked around to see the general staring at him intently.
“I told you,” he said. “Not human.”
Chapter 11
Since the altercation had taken place on the Lunar Colony, most of the investigation was performed there under the guidance of General Porter Buchanon. General Hightower did his best to stay out of it, but was ultimately pulled in by Buchanon. Two days after the incident, a teleconference was set up between Captain Steiger and Hightower.
“Good day, General Hightower,” Malcolm said cheerfully as his face appeared on the large conference room monitor.
“Good day to you as well,” Hightower replied. He was flanked at the table by Colonel Madigan and Roger Stellick. “I trust all is still on track with the Titan?”
Malcolm smiled and nodded. “It is, I’m happy to report we are ready to go. We will return to Saturn’s orbit with the Pinnacle this evening to get started on gateway.”
“Very good,” Hightower replied. He paused a moment and drummed his fingers on the table. “General Steiger, we need to discuss the incident that left one of our men with a severe spinal injury.”
Malcolm leaned back in his chair and looked over to his right. The camera that had been focused on him zoomed out slightly to reveal that General Porter Buchanon was seated next to him.
“Our investigation has been completed, Harry,” General Buchanon said. “From what we’ve gathered, our man initiated the fight…and I’m happy to report that the doctor treating him says he’ll make a full recovery.”
“Well that’s good to hear, Porter,” Hightower replied. “What exactly initiated it?”
Malcolm again looked to General Buchanon.
“We’re still trying to piece that part of it together. It seems that there were some derogatory things that were said about the Kaloian by our man. The witness to the incident said that the Kaloian tried to diffuse the situation peacefully but things escalated. A war of words began and moments later things got physical.”
“And it ended with our man getting the worst of it,” Hightower said, cutting him off.
General Buchanon nodded.
“General Hightower,” Malcolm said. “If I may, I want you to know that I’m taking the incident very seriously and there will be consequences for my crewman’s actions. General Buchanon has assured me that he is taking a similar stance with the injured Earthling.”
Hightower shot a disapproving glance over toward Buchanon.
“Our man has a spinal injury,” he said. “I think that he’s suffered the most from this altercation and his consequences should be minimal.”
General Buchanon shifted uneasily in his chair. “Harry, I assure you that he’ll be treated fairly and in accordance with S.A.M.A. regulations.”
Roger watched as the muscles in Hightower’s face tightened. He seemed to be choosing his next words carefully. He slowly turned his attention back to Malcolm.
“General Steiger, how do you respond to our man’s report that your Kaloian crewman lifted him through the air and slammed him against the wall?” he asked.
Malcolm’s eyes drifted downward and he slowly shook his head. His mouth became a straight line. When he looked back up, he said, “General Hightower, just ask me the question.”
Hightower crossed his arms but remained tightlipped. Roger noticed that the colonel’s body language was more of the same.
“Do your people have some sort of special ability?” Roger blurted out.
Hightower snapped his head around to look at him but refrained from speaking.
Malcolm eyed Roger and his expression softened. “Commander Stellick, I’ve read the statement from your injured crewman and I must say that I found it somewhat appalling that you all would even take it seriously. If you’re all suggesting that we have telekinesis…well, that just couldn’t be further from the truth.”
Roger took a deep breath through his nose and ran a hand over his balding head. “Captain Steiger, the man that was involved in this…scuffle. I’ve read his file. He’s a six-year S.A.M.A. veteran and has never been in any trouble of any kind. In fact, he is known to be a stickler for doing things by the book.”
“So, what are you suggesting?” Malcolm snapped. “Are you suggesting that I am lying?”
“No one is suggesting that,” General Hightower cut in. “We’re just trying to figure out why one of our cleanest men would make up something like that.”
Malcolm seemed to roll his eyes and turned his head slightly away from the camera, as if he were completely giving up on the conversation.
“Harry,” General Buchanon said. “For what it’s worth, I don’t think the Kaloians possess any sort of abilities that are any different from Earthlings.”
“We don’t,” Malcom said, still looking away from the camera.
There was a long awkward silence before Hightower finally said, “Alright then. Let’s move past this. Captain Steiger, you deal with your crewman and we’ll deal with ours.”
“There is nothing I’d love more than to move past this, general,” Malcolm said, sounding exasperated.
“Well let’s start by discussing the upcoming expedition,” Hightower replied, and his tone turned much warmer. “We have our crew ready and it sounds as if our ship is ready. Once the gate is constructed, we’ll be ready to move into the Ara Constellation to investigate the happenings in your world. Please understand that we’re going to observe only and will not be prepared to engage in any sort of war that your planet may
be involved in.”
“Yes, we’ve been through this and I understand,” Malcolm said. “Once you see what is going on, you’ll understand the need for planet Earth to get involved in this war. It’s only a matter of time before it reaches your own solar system.”
“The plan is for us to spend no more than forty-eight Earth hours,” Hightower added. “That should be enough time for us to gather all the intelligence needed for the leaders of Earth to make an educated decision.”
“Very well,” Malcolm said, and he sounded satisfied.
“Harry, I’m going to personally bring the SC Titan over to you along with some of the crewmen you and your team have selected from Earth. It’s also my understanding that there are a few pilots from the Mars colony we need to pick up along the way.”
“That’s correct,” Hightower replied. “The files on every individual that will be a part of this expedition have been sent to your online dossier. If you have any questions—and if you have any input you’d like to add, please don’t hesitate to reach out to myself, Colonel Madigan, or Commander Stellick. I want to personally thank you for your assistance in getting the SC Titan ready for interstellar travel.”
“It was a pleasure to do so,” General Buchanon replied. “See you tomorrow.”
Hightower saluted and immediately the feed was cut, and the screen went black.
“I don’t like this,” Colonel Madigan said curtly. He raked his fingers through his reddish-gray hair grabbed a cup of coffee that had been sitting in front of him on the table. He took a long gulp and then sat the cup down hard enough to cause some of the dark liquid to slosh out.
General Hightower took a drink from his own coffee cup. “Something seems off,” he said, seemingly agreeing with the colonel. “What do you think, Roger? Do you still trust Captain Steiger?”
Roger took a moment to replay the entire conversation through his head. Finally, he said, “I still believe him about his home world being in trouble if that’s what you mean.”
Colonel Madigan smirked and shook his head. “We’re not talking about that right now, Stellick,” he grumbled. “What about that business about the telekinesis?”
Rogers eyes widened as he thought about it. “I admit that it seems odd that a six-year veteran that’s been on the straight and narrow all that time would suddenly get into an altercation with an alien and then make up a story about getting thrown through the air without being touched.”
“So, who do you believe?” Hightower asked. “That is the question.”
“I think it’s important to note that General Buchanon doesn’t believe they have any sort of special abilities,” Roger said. “He’s been involved with working alongside them for many days now.”
General Hightower took another sip from his coffee and then put his cup down as hard as Madigan had done minutes earlier. “Stellick, I’m asking you what you believe.”
Roger sighed and slumped back in his chair. “I don’t know sir…I just don’t know.”
***
General Porter Buchanon and the new crew of the SC Titan were stunned and amazed at how flawlessly the ship had travelled from the moon to Mars. What had once been a year long voyage had miraculously turned into less than five minutes. It was an eerie feeling as the general stood on the bridge and watched in awe as the red planet quickly came into view ahead of them. Travelling at light speed had been something only possible in science fiction a month ago, and now…
“This is incredible,” Buchanon said as the Titan entered Mars’ orbit.
Lieutenant Hayden Carter walked up next to him to take in the breathtaking view. Carter had been chosen by Hightower to accompany Malcolm and the crew of the Pinnacle to the Lunar base. Hightower wanted someone close to him involved in the project…someone he could trust.
“It’s a shame you’re not able to go with us, sir,” Hayden said.
Buchanon looked around at the young lieutenant. The general was nearing retirement and up until this particular moment, he’d been looking forward to it. “I’ve got a lot of fishing to do,” he said, not letting on that there was a tinge of jealousy rising in him. “It’s up to men like you Lieutenant Carter. Your generation is going to take space travel to the next level and beyond. I’m excited for you.”
Once in orbit, the SC Titan’s engines were shut off and it glided around the planet like a giant space station. General Buchanon ordered Hayden to meet with every officer on the ship to go over all the telemetry gathered from the Titan’s maiden voyage. General Steiger’s engineers had provided a manual for them to reference and provided instructions on how to make adjustments so that their travels would remain as swift and as safe as possible.
General Buchanon boarded one of the ship’s two shuttles and piloted the small vessel himself toward the Mars colony’s receiving hangar. Once safely inside, he exited the vehicle and was greeted by the deck chief and the general on duty, Mark Stroth.
“Welcome, Porter,” General Stroth said.
Mark Stroth was the youngest of the colony generals at fifty-two years of age, but he looked even younger than that. His hair was thick and brown and there was hardly a wrinkle on his boyish face. He was a fitness buff, and his physique showed it.
“Thank you, Mark,” Buchanon said, shaking his hand. He then handed over a file folder. “I trust you’ve got these fine folks ready to depart within the hour?”
Stroth nodded. “They’re all in the mess hall getting a final meal here.” He glanced at his watch. “Wasn’t really expecting you for another half hour.”
“My apologies,” Buchanon replied. “We arrived a little sooner than I’d anticipated.”
Stroth looked toward the sky wistfully, beyond the dome. He seemed to be straining to see any hint of the SC Titan orbiting above. “So how did she fly?” he asked with boyish curiosity.
“Mark, I’m certain one day you’ll get your opportunity, and when you do, you better jump on it,” Buchanon said. “Our universe just got a whole lot smaller.”
General Stroth patted his older counterpart on the back and then led him away to the mess hall.
“Any input you can give me on these pilots I’m picking up?” Buchanon asked as they walked.
A smile appeared on Stroth’s face and he seemed to be trying his best to fight it. “Well, two of them, Howard Scofield, and Tobias Bancroft, are sharp as a tack. They’ve both got hundreds of hours in space and I’d put them up against any other Comet pilot in the entire S.A.M.A. fleet.”
“And the other three?” Buchanon asked, suddenly intrigued.
“Two of ‘em are good, but I wouldn’t call them elite,” Stroth continued. “At least not on the same level as Scofield and Bancroft.” Suddenly the younger general paused and Buchanon stopped with him. “And then there’s Merissa Voight,” he said, and he shook his head. “Her call sign is Banshee, and let me tell you, she earns it.”
“What do you mean?” Buchanon asked, his brow raised with interest.
“I mean she’s a hell of a pilot, but a handful to deal with. I’ve had to give her more non-judicial punishments than anyone on this base. She seems to have a real problem with authority. Truthfully, I’m surprised she was chosen for this expedition.”
“Commander Roger Stellick handpicked every pilot,” Buchanon said. “His choices must’ve been based on experience and ability. What kind of T.A.P. score did she get?” he asked as an afterthought.
Stroth chuckled. “Porter, you’ll never believe me.”
The two men began walking again. “Go ahead and try me,” Buchanon said.
Stroth responded by thumbing through the file until he found Merissa Voight’s information. He passed the document over to General Buchanon. “See for yourself.”
The older general scanned over the document until he finally found the line that revealed Voight’s Tactical Acceptance and Placement exam score. His jaw dropped.
“Well this explains why she was chosen,” he said, looking over at Stroth with surprise.<
br />
“Yeah, she’s smart as a whip. Out of a possible 350 points, she scored a 348. I don’t know if that’s a record or not, but I’m betting it is. She could’ve gone into any division she chose but seemed dead set on being a Comet pilot.”
“That’s incredible…hell, I thought I did great when I made a 299,” Buchanon said.
“296 here,” Stroth chimed in, raising his hand. “Banshee could easily be a captain herself one day if she’d just get her attitude in check.”
“I can’t wait to meet her,” General Buchanon said as they approached the double doors that led into the mess hall.
At that moment the doors swung open and a small woman charged through them, her nose bloodied. She’d had a buzzcut and there was little hair to speak of on her head but what was there was brown. General Buchanon estimated the woman was in her mid-twenties and stood at around five feet, three inches tall. Her pink lips were plump—though he couldn’t tell if they were swollen or naturally that way.
“Looks like you just got your chance, Porter,” Stroth said as he stopped and crossed his arms.
As soon as Banshee spotted the two generals in front of her, she immediately paused and snapped a salute. They responded in kind, and then Stroth said, “Everything alright Ms. Voight?”
She opened her mouth to speak, but before she got the chance to say anything the doors behind her again burst open and an angry man stormed out. Buchanon immediately recognized the rage in his eyes and then noticed that his lip was bleeding.
“You stupid tramp!” he screamed as he spat blood. “If you ever…”
His words trailed off as he caught sight of the two generals standing in front of her. He too snapped to attention.
“What the hell is going on here?” Stroth asked. His friendly demeanor had all but vanished.
Both of them remained tight-lipped. Buchanon resisted the urge to intervene as he didn’t want to disrespect General Stroth’s position over them.
Stroth stepped forward and looked Banshee in the eyes. “What’s going on Merissa?”
