"Oh, it does. Your incident is a prime example. I bet McElligott is personally chasing down leads and weeding out what he can. He is an Immortal but he is only one man and he can do only so much. Of course there is Internal Affairs and the Psi Corps, and they all try to weed out those organizations which are, by the way, highly illegal. If you want to join a fraternal organization, become associated with an official one. There are plenty, with all kinds of flavors and agendas and you get the approved list right from Navy HQ."
His voice became darker. "However, if you ever get caught in a secret one, no matter what agenda it may have, you will be sentenced to death, no second chance, no appeal. We need to focus our energies and our vigilance to the outside and protect the Union. That is our mission, anything that tries to prevent us from that from the inside must be dealt with, harsh and swift!"
"Why do you think it had something to do with the Worm? I was the victim of an Admiral’s vendetta."
Zezz swiveled around. "Eric, think about it. There is a retired Commander growing Califerm right under the noses of the Navy on a much-visited training planet. He was, I am sure of it, using Navy assets to transport and distribute his stuff."
"Yes I know, I just told you that, and he was a friend of Swybin."
"Eric, he would have never risked to expose his operation for a simple vendetta. Not for his friend Swybin or anyone. If the Navy isn't killing that Wilson guy then the Worm will, for losing such a profitable operation."
He raised his sharp-clawed finger. "Unless, of course, someone else paid so much that Wilson and Swybin were expendable."
"I don't understand. What would the Worm want from me? I mean, that entire affair ended in me getting whipped with an alien device in my head, ready to commit suicide."
Zezz folded all four of his arms. "Maybe you were just there at the wrong time and you simply presented a good target. It is conceivable that the entire affair was simply done as a diversion. Your story made a lot of noise in terms of Intel and clandestine operations. If the target or the reason is important enough, it sometimes makes sense to make a lot of noise at one end and thus attract all attention to that spot, then you have a much better chance of doing something very quietly somewhere else, while no one is looking in your direction. It's an old Intel trick, and to me, the whole affair tastes like clandestine and intelligence forces at work."
"Would not Stahl and McElligott know about such tricks?"
"Of course they do, and there are others almost equally smart and experienced as them – this is why we had so few successful enemy espionage missions. Those two know more about this than any one of us ever will."
He pointed at the weapons console. "That we have a hell of a Counter Intelligence Division is evident right here. Union managed to keep the secret of translocator cannons safe for over 500 years now. That's one hell of a record in Intelligence terms. Nothing is as fleeting as military secrets. Don't think of the Kermac, the Nul, or the Shiss as fools. Those are spacefaring civilizations with immense resources and they’ve tried everything for the last millenia to gain that secret!"
"Admiral McElligott did not mention anything like that to me!"
"It's simply a need-to- know basis. Security clearings are one thing, and need-to-know another. I just think he didn't tell you everything because it is simply too much information for a simple Midshipman, pardon me for pointing that out, but that is what you are, despite the fact that you know the Admiral of the Fleet, have a security clearance higher than most Senior officers and a chest full of medals."
"What do you think they are after? I mean the Worm."
"Hard to say. If the Worm is involved it is always about profit and if the Worm allows such an operation, risking great losses in assets and profits, then you can assume there is a big player behind it, someone able to reimburse the Worm with lots of credits and polonium. Maybe the Kermac, the Shiss or the Nul. It could even be one of the big Mega Corporations. When it comes to big risk games like this, it is usually information they are after. This is, of course, pure speculation on my behalf."
"How big do you think this Worm is, Sir? I mean how many of them are there?"
"Despite all the little cracks, this is a pretty solid organization. I doubt that there are many involved, and I bet my own tail that 99% of all Fleet officers are as honest and honorable as you and me, but at one trillion beings serving this Fleet even less than one percent is a very large number!"
I was thinking about what Zezz said. It must be a mammoth task even for AI computronics. How easy could a report of some wrongdoing slip past the attention of even the most diligent administration?
Zezz leaned back in the chair and said, "I see you are thinking, trying to comprehend it. I tried myself, Ensign. The average mind, Shiss or human, simply can't really understand the scope of it all. Yet Fleet Command does it and remarkably well, even with those flaws."
I nodded. "It is mind blowing to think about it. A simple item such as uniforms makes you wonder how many are made each day, how much research has to go into it to make them fit all member species, humanoid or not. That is only one item on a list of items that must be longer than a light year, not counting reports, transfer requests, R and D."
"Or think about the credits that are transferred each standard month at payday."
"Well if you look at it from that perspective, the Navy is even more fascinating than the vids show that focus just on fighting and such."
He glanced at the scanner and returned his attention back to me. "Well, all a person can do is keep their fangs clean, live by the book and be the best officer they can be."
"Did you ever run in one of these fraternities or the Worm, Sir?"
"I went to Intel school and served a dozen years as a spy on Shiss worlds. During that training I learned about the Worm, but I never ran into anyone claiming to be a member or noticed any activities firsthand. However, I did deal with a fraternity on my own ship a few years ago. Called themselves Skullbones and invented particularly complicated drinking games."
"What did you do with that fraternity on your ship?"
He gazed outside the window. "I executed the entire group, six officers and nine enlisted. The book leaves no room in that regard."
His voice had become quieter and I learned at that moment that Shiss had consciousness too. He sighed, very human-like. "I hope you never have to face such a decision in your career. Ordering an execution is totally different than fighting and killing in battle. It is hard to put into words, and a commanding officer must be ready to make that decision if the situation requires it or our laws demand it, but it isn't an easy one. At least it wasn't for me."
I did not want to tell him that I had more experience in that regard than I ever wanted.
He changed the subject. "Now, do eat something and while you’re there do get me a milkshake. A green one."
I returned a few moments later with a plastic bottle that bore the likeness of a Shiss, and alien lettering. He took the bottle, opened it by biting the entire top off, and poured it down his throat. His long thin tongue flickered across his lower jaw.
"What fruit is in that milk, Sir?" I asked.
He chuckled. "You are human, you do not want to know what's in that milk, trust me!" Then he tossed the bottle in the recycler and pointed at my ring. "I like the simple bold design of that fanged skull on your ring. Does it have a meaning?"
"I don't know really, friends of mine gave it to me and I liked it. It's not very big and I was told I could wear it."
"It looked familiar somehow, but then I can't recall where I have seen it before. Now go sleep, we’ve still got a long trip before us."
INTERLUDE: SIF
She had big dreams and great plans not so long ago, and then things happened. At first, it was like escaping prison. Leaving that backwater, male-infested Nilfeheim behind and going with Egill to Pluribus. Oh what a change! Oh what a world this was!
Her aunt turned out to run an escort service, earning quit
e a tidy sum each day from sending out girls and boys to keep well-paying customers company and providing more than companionship for an extra fee.
At first she really wanted to please Egill and study and do well in school, becoming the first female representative of Nilfeheim was a lofty goal and one she was so certain she would reach, but it didn't last. Egill became more and more involved in his new role. The old, grumpy hermit of Nilfeheim made friends with other representatives. His counsel was respected by many and he paid less attention to Sif's development than he should have! Her aunt, with whom she had always had such a great relationship via GalNet over all those years, turned out to have very little interest in her niece. So it came that Sif was more or less on her own, just as she liked it really. No one asked when she came or left. At first she did visit the University and did study political sciences. She liked the subject and began with the great praise of her teachers, but her interest soon turned to Gloria.
Gloria was born on Pluribus and knew everything about this world. Gloria knew always the latest fashion, the latest fad and where the coolest parties happened.
Kissing Gloria and fondling her in public raised no alarms or caused any stir, she could be as she always wanted to be and no one cared!
One evening Gloria scored entry passes for the hottest party in town. Mystery Child, the megastar herself, partied after a billion-fan crowd performance. Only the hottest and most important stars and the super rich were invited and she was one of them!
They danced and partied in a crystal bubble, floating above the city and then someone introduced her to God Dust! A tiny pinch and she suddenly had Psionic powers that opened her mind to a world of incredible awareness. She could hear others think, see their dreams and desires and float above it all! It was the most amazing experience of all. Nothing could describe it; it was a religious, a sexual and a mental super flash all at once. She orgasmed like never before, while experiencing every nerve impulse separately. Time seemed frozen and the ultimate sensation seemed to last forever.
Unfortunately, it did not! In her daze she was dragged somewhere else and she was sure she had been raped but she could only remember feelings and pain and sensations, whoever or whatever raped her didn't appear human – perhaps wasn't human or even real. When it was all over she found herself shivering and hungry in the low town levels where her aunt warned her girls never to go, no matter the fee.
She also had a burning hunger, a constant pain that burned out everything else. She needed more God Dust!
Only a few weeks ago she stole enough money from her aunt to buy a decent supply and it was good quality. She sold some of it!
Gloria, her best friend, sold her out! The police raided the hangout. She managed to escape, but with no real place to go. Her aunt would not welcome her and Egill had no choice but to turn her in, or worse, send her back to Nilfeheim. Back home there was no God Dust at all!
One of the dream messengers, the ones that sold the dust, told her about Mr. John who was interested in meeting her. Mr. John would have lots of God Dust, just for a little information.
When you needed God Dust caution and common sense had no place in your decisions so she went to the place. Mr. John was an average-looking human man wearing a gray suit. He asked her all kinds of questions about Egill and his friends and then he asked her about Eric of all things! She had almost forgotten about that fool but now someone wanted to know about him and offered her God Dust for that information! He even offered her a Bliss Patch and a trip to a free planet. A Bliss Patch was the ultimate desire of any Califerm addict. A little patch releasing fine doses of God Dust into your system, just enough to keep you happy and balanced and free of that all-consuming hunger; those patches lasted for a month but were virtually impossible to get.
In all this, curiosity did wake in her, and she asked the man why Eric was of so much interest. To her, Eric was a loser who decided to join the Auties. Auties was the term all sky kids and hip inners called the straight-laced losers and the authorities, in other words, those who followed the law.
The man did not answer her but she told him anyway. She told him all she knew, about Eric's family, about his stepmother, and Eric's secret. She laughed as she told it and at the same time, deep down, she felt sorry for betraying him, but that was a distant and short-lived feeling.
The man seemed disappointed and grunted, "There is nothing really new or useful. His transsexual desires are part of his record. I hoped for something else, something we didn't know, but you do well and when you call him he will come, so we can deal with him!"
Sif's eyes widened. "You want to kill him?"
"Your friend has made someone angry, and through you, we will get him away from the safe cocoon the Fleet provides for him. Yes, girl, you be the bait in the trap that kills that parade husband of yours." He laughed. "The best part is that you will do it willingly. We will even dispose of you, girl. You are useless then!" He giggled even more. "I am telling you all of this and you will do whatever I want. Oh, I love Califerm."
She cried, knowing full well he was right. She would do anything as long as he dangled the Califerm carrot before her nose.
He pushed a quarter patch across the table in the Meet-Someone Bistro. "Now follow me and we’ll get you off-planet, to a safe and secure place. I don't want you to get ideas, or talk to that Uncle Egill of yours."
INTERLUDE: SWYBAR
Swybin had not planned to leave that fast, it turned out that he lifted off with two Oghar technicians still aboard. The two had caused quite some damage and had fought to the last breath. Most notably it was them who blew up the Translocator Cannon and caused hull damage to his beautiful ship.
They had crossed Free Space and were now in a rental hangar above the main planet of the Karthanian conglomerate. Karthanians openly declared to be neutral and stayed out of the politics and quarrels of the Big Four, but everyone knew they didn't like the Union much.
His mysterious friend, who he thought was of the Worm, had changed his appearance and name once again and had arranged for this hangar. His associate no longer looked human but appeared to be Karthanian. Swybin no longer tried to figure out if this was indeed the real form or name or just another disguise and identity of his mysterious companion. Swybar had no illusions, the man was dangerous, very dangerous, and it seemed he had great resources and nearly limitless contacts. The man treated him respectfully and promised him that this would be a good place to sell some of the Union tech in return for favors and to recruit and train a decent crew. The Red Dragon was not really a one-man ship. It needed a crew and a base of operations and this hangar provided both, at least for now. His plans to go to Pluribus had changed, his now Karthanian companion told him that now the Psi Corps was out in force. Pluribus, for all its size and population density, would not be a safe place while the best Psi talents hunted for his specific Psionic signature and now, without the Kermac, their access to Psi tech was limited.
Karthanian engineers worked on the damaged hull and added plating and shapes to camouflage and change the unique shape of the Dragon. He didn't like Karthanians to look so closely over his ship. It was his last and only trump card. However, he did not have all that much choice, and so far his companion's counsel turned out to be all right.
Swybin glanced over to the usually silent companion. Karthanians had basic human elements: two legs and two arms attached to a torso in humanoid proportions. The average Karthanian grew to about 250cm and its arms reached almost to the floor. They had six fingers and two thumbs on each hand, making their hands perhaps even more nimble and more diverse than the human hand. They did grow a dense brown fur all over their bodies and most Karthanians shaped and shaved that dense hair into shapes. Terrans described Karthanians often as knuckle-dragging Neanderthals crossed with show poodles. Now Swybar had no idea what a Neanderthal was, but he had seen show poodles, a species of Terran canine animal, shaved and styled just like Karthanians.
It had to be another disguise! The
man was not as tall before and a human costume could not have hidden those long arms.
His mysterious partner noticed his stare and said, "Don't dwell too much on it, Admiral. Right now I am Karthanian, my name is Entbok and that is all." The personality-changing companion handed him a clunky-looking brown PDD. "The secret of survival out here is to know all those things you Union types don't know or don't want to know."
"And it is you outsiders who will always underestimate Union."
He, who now wanted to be called Entbok, snorted. "Believe me, I do not underestimate the Union. I made a detailed study of its every aspect."
"Aren't you an agent of the Worm and thus the Union? Probably went to school even, before deciding on the career of a crook?"
"On one hand you are quite brilliant Swybar, and then you are as blind and stupid as a Glondil before it leaves the nest. Who I work for is my business of course, but would you not think that all this is beyond the Worm? You have the potential to develop into a major thorn in the side of the Union. Ever since the Kermac decided not to go to Koken and reveal to me what he was searching, my employers decided to go with plan B. A plan that was in place ever since we rescued you, to use you to cause as much chaos and distraction as possible, and so far things have worked out fine. There is little to rattle the Union more than a pirate using one of their own fine ships filled to the top with their own brand of weaponry."
Swybar got up from the chair he was sitting in, taking the PDD, and grinned. "In that assessment, you are spot on. Whoever your employers are, they also need to know we are going to poke a very dangerous beast. The Union has assets you cannot imagine!" With these words, he left the command deck and retreated to his Captain's quarters.
Entbok, who was of course not a real Karthanian, looked after him until he was gone. "It is my job to find out just what these assets are and even the odds. You, Admiral, are just a pawn in a game. Expendable at any time." The being beneath the elaborate disguise sighed in the knowledge that, despite all his talents, so was he!
Eric Olafson Series Boxed Set: Books 1 - 7 Page 5
