The Clones of Mawcett

by DePrima, Thomas

  Once the almost two-kilometer-long ship had cleared the entrance, the construction workers returned to their task. The port entranceway and tunnel was now well marked with new navigation lighting, and the new doors were being mounted not to hide the location of the port, but rather to assist in its protection in the event of an attack by Raiders, or anyone else. Jenetta lingered for several minutes after the Prometheus disappeared from sight before resuming her duties. The departure of her ship left her sad for the rest of the day.

  The other ships of the original task force also began to leave in the days following, but there were never less than five battle-ready warships at the base at any one time, a standard procedure for the protection of all large bases. Named to honor the famous Space Command Admiral of the twenty-second century, the re-designation of Dixon Space Command Base from StratCom-4 to StratCom-3 meant that the base would soon become homeport for a number of warships that would aid in the defense of the base and conduct patrols within the surrounding deca-sector and the Frontier Zone.

  At the beginning of the twenty-third century, the Alliance had laid claim to a one-hundred parsec wide band around their existing territory, except where the space had already been claimed by another nation. Although part of the GA, the newly claimed area had been far too vast for proper enforcement of laws there, so that part of the GA became known as the Frontier Zone. In GA 'regulated' space, Space Command had complete search and seizure authority over all shipping as they sought to enforce the laws of the Alliance. In the GA's Frontier Zone, over three-hundred twenty-six light-years deep, Space Command wasn't able to do much more than answer distress calls and maintain a semblance of order because the space was just too vast, and SC's resources too limited. But with the greatly reduced Raider activity in GA 'reg' space, Space Command was stepping up patrols in the Frontier.

  The officers and crewmembers loaned to Jenetta had been as dismayed as she to see their ships leaving without them, but as newly arriving replacement personnel assumed their duties, the temporary duty personnel began leaving to rejoin their ships. Jenetta continued to believe that her tenure at Dixon would be short; owing such conviction to the Space Command regulation that StratCom-3 base commanders should hold the rank of Captain or above.

  Kanes had moved onto the base when the Prometheus left, and his staff moved onto the base when the Chiron prepared to leave for the Mars shipyard. Exhaustively interviewing every single captured Raider, even the cooks and cargo handlers, the Intelligence people kept the prisoners separated from the general prisoner population once their interview started, and then scheduled them for shipment out on the next available ship. By the end of three months, only the leaders, still being held in the detention center, remained in the station. Jenetta breathed a huge sigh of relief when the last prisoner housed outside the detention center was shipped out and the warehouse 'dormitories' were disassembled so the space could once again be used as warehouse space.

  Kanes came to say goodbye on the day he was leaving for Higgins with the last of the captured Raider leaders.

  "Good luck, Commander," Kanes said.

  "Thank you, sir. Have a safe trip back to Higgins."

  "Thank you. I want to tell you what a wonderful job you've done here. You've really turned this into a model base. Now that businesses are moving in and opening shops on the concourse, it'll really come to life."

  "Yes sir. Have you heard anything about my replacement? My permanent base personnel roster has swollen to over five hundred but I'm still in command."

  "That's probably because you're doing such an outstanding job. They usually don't rush to replace someone who's performing their task so well."

  "You're saying that if I mess up, I'll be replaced quickly?"

  "The speed of the replacement sometimes depends upon the degree of the problem. It's a double-edged sword though. Anything serious enough to warrant your rapid replacement would also be a barrier to further promotion and postings. I appreciate how anxious you are to be back aboard ship, but don't do anything hasty."

  Jenetta smiled. "I don't think that I'd do anything to jeopardize my career, but there must be some way to get out of here."

  "If you wish to transfer to my section, I could probably get you out of here more quickly."

  Jenetta smiled. "Thank you, sir. It's not that I'm ungrateful or unappreciative of the offer, but…"

  "But you still want to be in space aboard the Prometheus."

  "Yes sir. And if that's not possible, then any other ship, before a base or planetary assignment."

  Kanes grinned. "I understand, Jen. Perhaps one day you'll have your fill of hurtling through space FTL and decide to join my team. You've a brilliant mind, and I'd like to have you in my section, so I'll keep asking."

  "Yes sir. Thank you. Have a safe trip."

  "Thank you. And I hope that you get what you're looking for."

  "I had it, until a few months ago. I'll get back there again, sir."

  Jenetta walked to the port operations control center later to watch the transport ship leave. Kanes presence at Dixon had been Jenetta's last close link with Higgins.

  The transport ship wasn't just carrying the last of the Raider prisoners. Secreted in a hold was one of the small security ships that the Raiders used in their ports. Intended for delivery to Commander DeWitt of the Weapons Research section at Higgins, the small security vessels had the unique ability to drain all energy from other small ships, such as tugs and shuttles. When their weapon was fired at a ship, what appeared as a blue light to the occupants of the attacked vessel, rendered them temporarily unconscious. Years earlier, during lunch at Higgins SCB with Jenetta, Commander DeWitt had expressed a desire to examine one, so that she might determine how it accomplished its function. Knowledge of the weapon might enable them to better protect Space Command vessels, and it might also be added to Space Command's already impressive arsenal of weapons used in their war against the Raiders.

  * * *

  As the GSC destroyer San Francisco completed its mooring, Jenetta waited eagerly on the docking pier. The ship's second officer was her brother Richie, and it would be their first meeting since he had been on Earth for Jenetta's medal ceremony.

  Returning the salutes of crewmen as they disembarked on liberty, Jenetta scanned the faces of the departing crewmembers anxiously. Richie wasn't really that difficult to spot when he finally appeared. At almost six-foot three-inches, with bright blond hair, azure eyes, and the Nordic features found in all the Carver children, he stood out against the other crewmembers like an active volcano would stand out in a mountain range of snow-capped peaks. Upon reaching the end of the docking tunnel, he stepped up to Jenetta and saluted smartly. She returned his salute, smiled and then grabbed him, wrapping her arms around him as he hugged her in return.

  "Hi sis."

  "Hi Richie. It's great to see you. Welcome to Dixon Space Port."

  "Thanks. And congratulations, Jen. I can't believe that you're the Base Commander here."

  "It's just a job."

  "Just a job! Listen to you. This is the fastest growing Space Command base in the galaxy. I believe that when you become the Admiral of the Fleet, you'll say that it's just a job."

  "I don't want to be the Admiral of the Fleet either," Jenetta said. "He spends all his time flying a desk at Supreme HQ on Earth."

  "You've got the space bug worse than any of us. I swear you'd take a demotion back to Lieutenant Commander to be aboard a ship again, wouldn't you?"

  "In a heartbeat. I may have the impressive title of Base Commander, but I'm nothing but a bureaucrat now. I expected to be relieved after a few months but I've been here for six now, and still haven't heard a word about going back to the Prometheus. Come on, I'll give you the tour of the base. We can talk as we walk."

  As they began walking down one of the wide 'streets' between warehouses, Richie said, "You know, it's not really that much different being the Commander of a Base or being the second officer on a ship. Our da
ys are both filled with administrative details. The only difference is that a ship stops in different ports occasionally, while you get to meet all the ships that are stopping."

  "Oh, it's a lot different being on a ship," Jenetta said. "There's the possibility of running into a Raider, or encountering an unusual situation. Here, it's just the same dull routine day in and day out."

  "Don't worry, sis. I'm sure they haven't forgotten about Jenetta Carver back at headquarters. Maybe they just wanted to give you a rest after Mawcett, and the book that you wrote. It's fantastic by the way. You should hear Pop talk about you. I think he's forgetting he also has four sons. We're all a little jealous."

  "I'm sure that Dad hasn't forgotten you. You can't expect him to brag about you in front of you. And the book is just a compilation of the data that we found in the computer."

  "It's more than that. You breathed life into an ancient people. It headed the non-fiction best seller list for six months."

  "Eliza's responsible for much of it. She did all the editing and polishing."

  Richie smiled. "Isn't that like saying 'I did it with the help of me.'"

  "No, not exactly. We're separate people now, and each should receive personal recognition for their efforts and accomplishments. Have you spoken with Eliza?"

  "Of course, every week. She messages me with the same regularity as you. Mom and Dad hope the two of you will be able to come home for a visit soon."

  "That would be wonderful, but I keep hoping we'll learn what happened to Christa. I'd like to go home for a visit with both of them. I do wish the Galactic Alliance would finally decide to make them both citizens. There's very little else they can do."

  "The issue is a hot potato. They don't want to endorse anything that could even remotely be perceived as approving of the cloning process." Glancing over at Jenetta, he said, "Billy told me that he couldn't tell the difference between you two."

  "It was great that his ship happened to be the one that picked up Eliza on her way to Vinnia. They had a chance to spend some time together. Have you seen Jimmy or Andy?"

  "No, Jimmy's way over in section 8667-1674 and Andy's in 8667-2351. I sent Jimmy congratulations when he was promoted to Lt. Commander, and he indicated that it'll probably be a couple of years before he can get home again. We may not all get together for quite a while. I don't know if their ships will ever get this far out for a visit."

  "It doesn't matter. I'll get off this rock eventually and go see them."

  "You make it sound like a prison that you're trying to break out of."

  Jenetta silently berated herself. "I do, don't I? I'm sorry. I don't want to sound so despondent. It's just that you're the first person in months that I've been able to use as a release for my frustration. I won't say another word about it. How are things going for you? How's Marisa?"

  "Great. She wants to set the date for the wedding. The San Francisco is supposed to head to Mars for an overhaul of our temporal field generator after this patrol. I should be able to get two months off while it's in space dock. I hope you can make the wedding."

  "I'd love to, you know that, but I don't have any idea when I'll be able to get away from here. If I can't make it, cryogen a piece of the cake for me."

  "Of course."

  "How's everything else?"

  "Great. I love my job, my ship, and my future wife; not in that order. When we leave here we're going over to sector 8667-4869. That's confidential though."

  "I won't tell a soul. Be careful, Richie. There's still a bit of Raider activity over there."

  "I'm looking forward to meeting them. So far, only you and Dad have come up against the Raiders, and he only had one brief contact, while you always seem to be in the thick of battle. The rest of us want a crack at them now, before you get back to your ship and wipe them out."

  Jenetta laughed. "Wipe them out; as if that was possible. The Raider organization is like the Lernean Hydra of mythology that Hercules destroyed. Cut off one head of its nine and two more grow in its place. We need an Iolaos to hold a torch to the cut-off heads, to keep new ones from growing back out while the others are cut off by Hercules."

  Then it was Richie's turn to laugh. "It seems like you're our Iolaos."

  "Me?"

  "You certainly prevented Raider-One from growing again, and now you've done the same with Raider Three. By turning this former Raider base into a Space Command base, it can't grow out again. Can you do it six more times, and then also cut off the indestructible head that finally becomes vulnerable without the others?"

  Jenetta grinned. "If given the chance I'd sure love to try. Who's playing the part of Hercules and wielding the sword in this little drama?"

  "With Raider-One, you kind of filled that position. Space Command took care of it this time. We'll just have to see what happens next. Maybe one of the new Prometheus class battleships will cut off the next head."

  "New Prometheus class battleships?" Jenetta echoed.

  "Yeah. I heard they're supposed to be named Epimetheus, Hercules, and Atlas. Remember, it was Chiron and Hercules that saved Prometheus from the wrath of Zeus."

  "And Epimetheus was Prometheus' brother, while poor Atlas was doomed to carry the world upon his back. When are they supposed to be launched?"

  "I'm not sure, but it won't be for another year at the earliest, maybe two. Last I heard they had just started to apply the middle plating to the frameworks of the three ships. They started laying down the keels just after the Prometheus and Chiron were stolen by the Raiders. If you hadn't recovered those two ships, the Raiders might have become unstoppable."

  "I wouldn't want to face them in battle, that's for sure."

  Richie nodded, then said, "So far all we've done is walk and talk." Gesturing to the warehouses they were passing, he said, "Tell me what I'm seeing here."

  "Sorry. There's nothing special here. This is just the main cargo storage area. The warehouses that we used for the temporary prisons are a little further on. The levels below us are all used for military purposes, while the shopping concourse is on the next level up. Above that we have a floor of civilian office space and then floors of living quarters, both for civilians and Space Command."

  The tour lasted for two hours, and ended when they arrived at Jenetta's office.

  "I don't know what's so difficult about this job," Richie said. "You weren't paged once."

  "That's because I told my aide that I'd make him work a double shift tonight if I was disturbed," Jenetta said smiling. "Here, look at my calls from the time while I was with you." Jenetta turned the com's view screen so that Richie could see it.

  "Wow," was all he could say as the list scrolled on for several pages.

  "You should have seen it several months ago. It was three times that long every couple of hours. I've finally gotten things somewhat organized. I never realized there was so much to running a base. Like you, I thought that it would be like running a ship, but it's actually been ten times more work. Of course, I started off with no computer, no staff, and no procedures in place. My replacement won't have it nearly so tough."

  "You'll just have it running the way that it should be running when its time to walk away from it."

  "That's fine with me. I wouldn't want to leave a mess for someone else to clean up. Another month should see things about as stable as they're going to become. All the key positions are filled now and the personnel just have to learn their jobs."

  "How many people do you have here?"

  "Two-thousand three-hundred forty-two Space Command personnel, not counting visiting personnel like yourself and your crewmates, and almost four-hundred civilians. The base can house almost six-thousand military and two-thousand civilians, in our present configuration, so we're far from overcrowded."

  "Wow! That's more SC personnel than you'd find on a heavy cruiser. I have to hand it to you, Jen. Running a base with this many people has to be a chore."

  "I'm just glad that our numbers have shrunk so much."

/>   "Shrunk?"

  "Of course. We had almost three-thousand prisoners here when I became the Base Commander. Add in another thousand or so Marines, engineers and assorted temporary personnel, and our current size is much smaller."

  "Oh. Well, I can see your point. Three-thousand prisoners?"

  "Yes, didn't they release that to the press?"

  "I heard that five-thousand were killed and twenty-six ships were destroyed, but I don't remember hearing about any prisoners taken. I do remember that you wiped out more than eighteen-thousand in Raider-One."

  "Eighteen-thousand two-hundred thirty-one. Because of their losses at Vauzlee and Higgins, half of which came from this base, they were understaffed here by at least eight thousand."

  Richie shook his head a couple of times. "I can see where these losses would leave quite a hole in their organization."

  "It's knocked them back further than they've been in years. With the loss of two important bases, and so many ships and personnel, they can't operate openly any more, so it can almost be considered safe to travel in this part of the galaxy. We believe that they have just one more base operating in this immediate part of space."

  "You know where there's another base?"

  "Not precisely, but based on the attacks that have occurred, we think we know the territory that Raider Two spans. And part of it extends into sector 8667-4869. That's why I said you should be very careful on your next patrol."

  "Okay, sis, I'll be careful. Speaking of my ship, I have to be getting back. I haven't had any sleep since coming off duty and I'll need to get some rest before my watch tonight."