by Andrew Gates
The room erupted in noise. In just an instant the SAR became as chaotic as the yellow zone riots. People were pointing at one another, leaning forward, shouting and panicking. It was hard to believe everyone here was a distinguished high ranking military person of some sort. For a moment it was as if they were all children fighting during recess.
Suddenly President Bernard Ortega stood up. The room got quiet as he buttoned the buttons on the front of his suit. He stared at Sanja for a few seconds, then looked down at the table, then back up. He took a deep breath.
“How long?” he asked.
Sanja kept eye contact.
“It will take them a while to get their force organized. For all we know, they might have to build more submarines that can get this far down. I don’t have an easy answer for you, Mr. President, but my best guess… less than a month,” she answered.
The President turned to his commanders. The room remained quiet.
“How long will it take to be fully defense capable?” he asked.
Commander Grey shook his head.
“We’re still pulling resources. Most of the Navy resources are being used for riot control. Unless we can get further funding for automated-”
“I’ll talk to the Defense Committee and get us that funding,” the President added in. “They’ll pull through when they learn about this upcoming attack.”
“Is the FCP still operational?” asked a female voice, though Sanja could not tell who asked the question.
The President’s hand darted up in the air as if his life depended on it. Clearly he was trying to silence whoever asked the question, and for good reason. Sanja had never heard of the FCP and there were very few things she did not know. Odds were this FCP, whatever it was, was of the utmost secrecy. Looking around, she could see that many people looked just as confused by this question as she was. She doubted the majority of people in this room even knew about it.
The President ignored the question. He kept his eyes on Sanja for a few more moments and then slowly sat back down. All remained quiet as he sat still. Sanja did not know if she should speak next or wait until someone else said something. Then Jordan Grey opened his mouth.
“Well… thank you, Dr. Parnel. Is that the end of your report?” he asked.
Sanja reached for her holographic projector and powered it off.
“Uh, yes sir. That is the end of my findings. As I said before, my staff will help you if you have any more detailed questions,” she said as she gestured behind her (though she was not sure if her staff was even standing there). “Dr. Ahmet Bay is a physicist and Mr. Zoran Knocks has assisted me thoroughly throughout this last week. The two of them will be able to answer any questions you have.”
And with that said, dozens of hands went up at once.
Good thing I don’t have to be here for this one, she thought as she slowly pushed her way out of the room.
Guards joined her immediately as she exited through the large doors. She was no newcomer to armed escort, but before the attack, she saw guards as more of an intimidation tactic than anything.
Now they had become a necessity.
The fallout of this attack had shattered the Atlantic Federation’s hold on more than just the halls of the station. It had initiated a ripple effect; one that Sanja knew would likely lead to the station’s doom if unchecked. As dangerous as the incoming army was, disorder and chaos in the halls was just as likely to destroy them all. It was the silent enemy, the one that would take its time and destroy from within. For Sanja’s old poem had a second verse, one she could see playing out right before her eyes.
The diodes bright and humming loud
The air clean and light
But the children scream within the crowd
And mothers and fathers fight
Feet stampede upon a red floor
Strong with every pound
Remnants of the world they did adore
For the banner lies on the ground
Where is the world they all once knew?
It’s gone in every manner
As loyalty died and rebellion grew
So fell that crimson banner
Progress through obedience
That’s what the children say
And there shall come no second chance
Should we ever find this day
Sanja hated every moment in the OCAFCEO. She read the name etched on the wall as she sat in her uncomfortable black chair. The Office Complex of the Atlantic Federation Council of Elected Officials. Surely there’s a better name they could pick for this place.
The lighting was uncomfortably bright. She wondered if all the lights were pointed towards her intentionally as some sort of intimidation tactic. If there was one thing the EOs enjoyed doing, it was intimidating Sanja.
The contractor had never seen a hearing this sparsely populated. Without open access for the media, only a few staffers sat in the seats behind her, mixed with some military personnel. Even the EOs up front seemed like they had come out in a skeleton crew today. Only half the EO seats were filled. Horace Fielder, of course, sat right in the front, facing her down.
“- and without further ado, we can begin these proceedings,” he said. Sanja had not been paying any attention to his words up until this point. The fat old man was nothing but a moronic nuisance. After all that had happened in the last several days, she could not believe that Fielder would still go through with his bill. The idiocy of some people, she thought.
“The purpose of this hearing is to determine the effectiveness of Dr. Sanja Parnel’s ongoing investigation. We thank our witnesses for being here. As you are all aware, while this is all going on the record, this is a bit of an unconventional hearing. The information discussed during the hearing at this time is largely classified and therefore will not be published for public viewing. We understand these circumstances are a bit unusual, but given the circumstances, we have decided to hold this hearing in a much less formal format.”
Sanja glanced back to make sure Yuri was still there. Sure enough, he sat directly behind her, holding her purse in his hands. His presence comforted her. There were few people in the world as loyal.
“We have two witnesses here today. Dr. Parnel is in attendance, as well as another witness who I understand will be arriving shortly later. As you can imagine, he is having trouble getting to the OCAFCEO with the yellow zones the way they are.”
That sure was the truth. Sanja was lucky enough to have a Navy escort wherever she went. She could not imagine getting through the station without one right now. There was extreme disorder in the halls. Public access to the OCAFCEO had been denied for the first time Sanja could ever remember, and for good reason. The entrance had a mob outside its doors, ready to burst in at any moment. She wondered how this other witness was going to get in without an escort.
“I will begin with my opening remarks,” Fielder continued. “As you are all aware, I have been working on a bill to defund Dr. Parnel’s ongoing investigation, which has so far squandered taxpayer resources on hugely irrelevant details. Now doctor, I will open the floor up to you in a moment so feel free to clarify any of these details after my opening remarks.”
Sanja nodded, though she doubted he paid her any attention.
“Last Sunday Dr. Parnel ordered the closure of all commercial ‘green zone’ sectors, even those that consistently remained open 24 hours and including those that provided the only access to afterhours health services or medical prescriptions. Several high traffic transition ‘yellow zone’ sectors were closed as well, leading to significant unnecessary congestion. While she had the authority to conduct this action, granted to her by President Ortega, her justification for this significant closure was to apprehend the escaped murderer, Tracey Saljov, who to this day remains at large.”
Sanja nodded again, hoping her compliance would speed things up. She could not believe she had to sit through this, especially when there were more important things to be done.
“Dr. Parnel and I had a chance to sit down in a private meeting earlier last week to discuss her operation. During this meeting she gave me no indication that Tracey Saljov posed any threat to the station as a whole. In general, it would appear that Mr. Saljov seems to be an irrelevant player in Dr. Parnel’s investigation. This player, mind you, has not only inconvenienced the station by its closures, but has cost unnecessary taxpayer money, resources and time.”
Two more EOs slowly walked into the room from the backdoor. The expressions on their faces reminded Sanja of herself. It was as if they knew this was a waste of time too. Slowly they made their way to their seats.
“It is my hope that at the end of this hearing, the Committee will be able to reach a conclusion on the effectiveness of your investigation. Doctor, I will now open it up for your testimony and I look forward to your comments.”
About time, she thought.
“Thank you Chairman Fielder and distinguished members of the Defense Committee,” she said, getting her formalities out of the way for the record. She adjusted her seat and pulled the microphone close to her face. It was time to say what she came here to say. She pulled out her pod and started to read her prepared remarks.
“Chairman Fielder and members of the Committee, I understand the criticism that comes from my investigation. I understand you believe I have wasted time and resources in a game of one-upmanship with Mr. Saljov. And I can understand your frustration. The truth is of the matter is, Mr. Saljov was a hindrance to the investigation of the Cassidy X20 submarine disaster. He was unsupportive during questioning, he snooped into classified files and, as a result, I had the authority to put him away. The closing of several sectors at a time of day when many of these sectors would be closing anyway was an intentional decision on my part to help apprehend a violent criminal. This authority was granted to me by the President of the Atlantic Federation, Bernard Ortega, who had complete faith in my ability to complete this task.”
Sanja’s mouth felt dry. She stopped and searched for a glass of water. Unfortunately, it seemed there were none around. It’s like they’re trying to make this as uncomfortable as possible.
“Given the violent attack on this station exactly one week ago, the ongoing continuation of my investigation is now more imperative than ever,” she continued. “Since last Wednesday, my investigation has already uncovered numerous details about the attackers. Surely at such a tumultuous time in our Federation’s history, the continuation of my research should be maintained until this crisis is averted.”
She placed her pod away and looked back towards Fielder.
“Thank you, Dr. Parnel,” he responded, looking unimpressed.
Sanja turned around in her chair and faced Yuri.
“Water,” she said to him.
Without wasting a second, the large man stood up from the chair and walked out of the room.
“- and I will now give the floor to my colleague, Mrs. Julia Nazif,” Fielder continued, though Sanja only heard the last half of the sentence. She turned back towards the front as the next EO took the microphone.
“Thank you, Chairman,” said a woman wearing an ugly green color from top to bottom. “As you mentioned, the circumstances of this hearing are a bit unusual. Since this is a completely private hearing, we are in the unique position of being able to say our piece without worrying about the opinions of our constituency. And while we’ve all been very formal so far, I’m going to take advantage of this rare opportunity to be very candid.”
Sanja adjusted in her seat. This sounded like her type of adversary.
The woman looked down at her pod and looked back up again, as if she were checking her notes.
“Dr. Parnel, you mentioned that Mr. Saljov was a hindrance to your investigation. Can you please elaborate on that?”
“I can,” she replied. “Mr. Saljov has been uncooperative with us from the beginning. We brought him in for questioning when the incident first occurred. During that investigation, he was all but rude to us. Later we found him snooping in our files. That was when I decided it was best to bring him in indefinitely.”
“So apart from being unhelpful, he looked into your files. That’s what you’re saying?” the woman asked.
Sanja nodded.
“Yes.”
“Dr. Parnel, I see here that the ‘files’ in question was nothing more than a video feed from an old probe. Can you explain how exactly this hinders your investigation?”
“I can’t know anyone’s motivation,” Sanja answered. “Mr. Saljov is a self-proclaimed rebel. He quit the Navy prematurely as a way to agitate the government. It was possible he could use this information to hurt us or try to find more information, which-”
“Dr. Parnel, you can see how that’s not a very strong answer,” the woman interrupted.
Sanja was not used to being cut off like this. Part of her was annoyed. Part of her was impressed. Finally, an EO with a spine.
“As I was saying,” Sanja continued, “he is a rebel. Think about it this way. In theatrical terms, he is an unpredictable actor in a scene. To make sure the show goes on, I made the call to remove him from the scene altogether.”
“And how well has that proved? You lost Mr. Saljov. He’s gone. Since last Sunday, this man is still at large, now even less predictable than ever. And given the current circumstances, he picked a good time to be hiding from the Navy.”
“If you’re suggesting this attack was somehow timed to give Mr. Saljov cover-”
“No Dr. Parnel, that’s not what I’m saying and you know it. Don’t try to spin my words. There are no cameras here today and nobody in attendance apart from my esteemed colleagues and staff.”
She was right and Sanja knew it. This EO caught onto her plan and outmaneuvered her. The woman is bold, I’ll give her that. She was certainly proving to be a strong adversary so far.
“I also read here that you facilitated the location of a school field trip to be changed,” the woman continued, reading her notes. “Harrison Middle School. And it says here you gave orders to members of the Navy, instructing them to pressure parents to stop protesting against a new curriculum.” The woman looked up from her pod. She sighed and placed it down flat on the table. “Can you please explain how these actions are related to your investigation?”
“Yes ma’am, moving the field trip was a favor I performed in exchange for assistance. A certain teacher at this school wanted it changed so I helped her. In return she has been providing me with research. Her results have been helpful in the investigation thus far.”
“And which teacher would this be?” the woman asked.
“Her name is Iris Vitneskja. She is a professional in the area of surface era history. She wanted to show her students the agricultural sector so I helped get her what she wanted in exchange for her services. So far this has proved to be a good decision.”
Sanja felt good about her answer. This time the woman would not get her spotlight.
“And putting pressure on the parents?” she asked.
“That was a decision I made on my own. With the amount of research I asked of Ms. Vitneskja, it didn’t seem reasonable to have her deal with these protests at the same time. I needed her schedule to be free of any distractions,” Sanja clarified.
“So this teacher you brought on for research is not aware that you’ve been using the military to put pressure on the parents of her students?” the EO asked.
Sanja nodded.
“That would be correct.”
The woman threw her hands up in the air as if she were dealing with a child. Sanja almost smiled knowing she was frustrating this woman so much.
The EO must have seen Sanja’s pleasure. She leaned forward and stared her down.
“Is this a joke to you?” she asked.
Sanja simply shook her head.
“Of course not.”
The woman leaned back again and crossed her arms.
“Speaking candidly, I think you’re a power hungry
woman, Dr. Parnel. I think that’s what all this is about. You thrive on control like a drug. That explains why you feel so threatened by Mr. Saljov. He’s the one piece of your operation you can’t get to play along.”
Sanja was impressed. That sure was candid.
“He and this committee, it would seem,” Sanja replied.
She heard a few gasps from around the room. Sanja knew she had struck a nerve. See, I can be bold too.
It was quiet for a second. Then the door in the back of the room opened. Yuri walked in carrying a bottle of water. All eyes went to him for a moment. Sanja smiled as he walked over to her and placed it down on the table. Perfectly timed, she thought.
The questioner leaned back in her chair, sighed and turned to Fielder.
“Chairman Fielder, I yield the rest of my time. Dr. Parnel has given me all the information I need to hear,” she said, trying to sound intimidating.
Sanja simply opened her bottle of water and took a sip. The woman stared her down as she placed her pod neatly back down on the table.
“Very well,” Fielder continued, “now we will move on. I would like to open the floor up to Mr. James Kateb.”
Sanja actually knew who this EO was. James Kateb was one of the more well-known members of the Council of Elected Officials. He was popular among those eager to cut down on excessive spending. In other words, James Kateb was not particularly liked among members of the military.
Today he wore a white suit, a strange fashion choice for sure. The light color looked odd in contrast to his dark skin. Sanja wondered if he even bothered looking in the mirror this morning.
“Thank you, Chairman, and thank you Dr. Parnel for being here today,” Kateb started. “I have a few questions for you, doctor, but I would like to save some of my time for when our second witness arrives.”
Sanja had almost completely forgotten about the second witness. So far she had no idea who this person could be. She started to wonder if Fielder had some sort of trick up his sleeve.
