by Lewis Dually
“The CIA was in charge of this one.” Ray replied.
Sitting back in my chair I considered that for a moment. The CIA, who is now the PDA, escorted three Croiddan, one of whom was a specialist in infectious diseases and vaccination, and several containers loaded with something from Fort Knox to the Kuiper Belt in an operation that seemed to suggest a Trojan Horse play. And now the Croiddan are sending a vaccine against the Bird Flu to the Krueg, or at least we think they are. Most people know Fort Knox is a gold depository but what they don’t know is that there’s more than gold stored there. Vaccines against various diseases and viruses are also stored there. The Plague and smallpox to name a few.
“Holy Crap!” I blurted out. “The vaccine is a Trojan Horse!”
“Wait just a dang minute.” Merle growled. “You’re saying this bird flu vaccine ain’t a vaccine at all?”
“It might be the vaccine. In fact, I think it would have to be to get the Krueg to use it but I think it’s something else too. I couldn’t figure out why the Croiddan would give the vaccine to the Krueg. As soon as the Krueg get an immunity to the flu they’re going to invade and any deal they made with the Croiddan is out the window. Count on it. I couldn’t figure out why the Croiddan couldn’t see that. Now I understand. They’re giving the Krueg something more than a cure for the flu. If I’m right it’s something deadly that will eliminate the Krueg threat for good.”
“And the PDA is in on it!” Merle added.
“Exactly! And Admiral Albright!”
Merle looked up to the ceiling for a moment and then asked. “Are you sure you can trust the cripple? He’s with the PDA ain’t he?”
“If you had asked me that question three minutes ago I would have answered with a resounding yes, absolutely. Now…I don’t know. Secret organizations like the PDA not only keep secrets from outsiders, they keep them from themselves too. Everything is compartmentalized. The left hand doesn’t know what the right is doing. I think I can trust Dr. Shaw, but Shaw reports to a superior just as I do. Somebody up that chain of command knows the truth. The truth that, if I’m right, means the PDA and at least one Navy Admiral are actively engaged in genocide!”
Merle spit in his cup again and said. “Yes, but you’re talking about an Alien race who is apparently dead set on invading Earth and killing or enslaving its entire population. Is that genocide or self-defense?”
“I don’t know. Ray, do you remember the ID number or location of the station where you dropped the cargo and Croiddan?”
Ray squinted one eye and glanced up at the ceiling as he tried to recall the details of a twenty year old mission. Finally he said. “I can’t remember the ID numbers other than it was a three digit number. Back then they hadn’t got to the thousands yet. I do remember it was a brand new refueling station. It hadn’t even taken its first load of fuel. We had to refuel at another location before coming home. It was close to Babbitt Mining’s staging platform. We traveled in a counter rotation for about twenty hours to reach the Babbitt platform so it would have to be about fifty million miles or so. I do remember it being on the outside of Pluto’s orbit if that helps.”
“Could it have been KB684?” I asked.
Ray rubbed his chin and squinted one eye again. “You know that sounds about right. I can’t be sure about it but could be.”
I stood up and reached across the table to shake Ray’s hand. “Ray I appreciate the risk you’re taking with this. Rest assured I have no idea where I got this info. We’re going to go check this out and see what’s what. Something stinks around here and I don’t think it’s the mine ore. One more thing. I’d like to leave something in your care if you don’t mind.”
“Sure. Whatever you need.” Ray agreed.
After giving Ray my package we shook hands and I climbed back up the man ladder, closed the pressure hatch and made my way to the cockpit. The whole way up I was thinking about Dr. Shaw and Admiral Albright. Whose side was Shaw on? Does he know about the PDA Croiddan connection, the wooden horse, Admiral Albright and the planned genocide? Was I right about that in the first place? Maybe they weren’t planning genocide. And what if they were? Merle had a point. The Krueg were invaders and slavers for what we knew. A preemptive strike could be a viable option. But to kill off an entire race of people? I was of the old school line of thought that said God created the Heavens and the Earth, meaning He created all the other worlds in those Heavens and all the other species out there as well. Who were we to kill an entire race of people whom God created? But the one thing that just absolutely pissed me off was getting played by Albright!
“Did you find anything on KB684 yet?” I asked Walters as I slid down in the Copilot chair.
“Yes. I linked to the U E One mainframe and pulled the star charts for station locations. KB684 was commissioned in 2032 and built on the lunar depot. A few months before its completion it was sold to, get this, Quinto Logistics. They stopped work for two months and made some modifications to the design, then finished it and launched it on December 10th, 2033. The funny thing is over the last twenty plus years it has only received three loads of fuel and has never had a safety inspection.”
“Not even an operational readiness inspection before it went online?” I asked.
“Not even! In fact it never went online. It’s still listed as privately owned, not for hire.”
“Do some more digging on Quinto Logistics. I’m starting to think they are a front for the PDA. See what you can find but don’t let Shaw in on this.”
As soon as I said it I realized the position I was putting Walters in. She and Shaw were obviously in some sort of relationship and I was telling her not to trust him.
“Sir? She asked. “Do you have reason not to trust him?”
“Not him but someone up his chain of command. Your uncle just told me that he escorted Antwon and his brother out to the Kuiper Belt in 2033. He also said it was a top secret CIA mission! The PDA is basically the CIA with a new mandate and most of the same players so somebody in the PDA probably knows exactly what is going on here and we need to find out who.”
“What was the mission?”
“Operation Wooden Horse!”
“Crap! That don’t sound good.”
“No it don’t. One more thing. What do you know about Albrights Navy career?”
“Albright? Well not a lot Sir. I looked up his file once but there isn’t much in it. He was on loan to the CIA for a great deal of his career and his records are just pages and pages of redactions. Why?”
I hesitated before answering Walters’ question. I had just been blindsided by Albright’s involvement in the building conspiracy and found myself questioning Walters’ loyalties to her old boss. The more I thought about it the madder I got. Albright sent me on this mission, he assigned Walters to be my aide and he put Dr. Shaw on my ship. Who could I trust? Had he surrounded me with spies?
“Dang, dang, dang!” I blurted out.
“Sir?” Walters replied.
I looked at her for a long moment and then said. “Albright was the Captain of the Hernando in 2033!”
“Dang!” Walters replied.
“Yeah.”
CHAPTER 21: Plausible Deniability.
The eminent attack by the Krueg fleet had stirred up a flurry of activity around U E One. The second of the new frigates was in space dock being fitted with new guns and EMP shielding developed by our own experience with the Krueg. The Constellation was finally out of the ship write’s dock and was preparing for her space trials. The Crimson Moon was absent but I knew her upgrades had been completed the day previous and no doubt the newly minted skipper was shaking loose the bugs in some deep forgotten corner of the Belt. The Shasta was out ghosting the Krueg fleet and would be maintaining radio silence unless something note worth was witnessed. The Dawn Rising was still in space dock and as we came closer I could see most of the new foam EMP shielding was in place. I could also see six new gun turrets being mounted on all six sides of the ship. Each of
these turrets had five small-boar railguns mounted side by side. Engineer Owens had said a smaller projectile would penetrate the Krueg armor making small holes in the enemy ships. I guessed the new guns were designed to do just that and with thirty guns in total we could punch a lot of holes. How we would fire all three of them in quick succession was still to be seen. Our big guns could only fire once every two minutes. After each shot the massive firing capacitors took their sweet time to recharge. With the addition of three more guns the charging time would be enormous unless the boys in research had come up with something new. I also noticed an unusually large number of cargo ships and personnel carriers in close proximity to the station. The threat of an attack was keeping most of them close in and leaving the supply lanes to the belt nearly, if not totally, empty. Off to the west I could just make out the reflections of the Chinese station’s chromium alloy sheeting and a splattering of blinking navigation lights as they too pulled in their battle fleets to prepare for the coming fight.
I was about to have Walters start her docking procedure with the station when U E One approach control called out our number. “United Earth One control calling 1-7-8-S-2, do you copy, over”
“This is 1-7-8-S-2, go ahead United Earth One.” Walters responded.
“S-2, A-A is requesting you maintain position and have your C-O make contact on P-C, over.”
“Copy that United Earth One, 1-7-8-S-2 out!” Walters replied and then looked at me. “AA, PC?”
“Admiral Albright, Private Channel!” I replied.
“Oh. I should have got that!” She murmured.
I opened my coms unit and dialed star two for Albright’s pre-set number. On the third ring he picked up.
“I have a half dozen PDA guys here looking for a certain Texas business man. I have no idea where he may be but I wanted to let you know that they think he’s heading to the station in your custody. I don’t know what’s going on here and I’m not sure I want to know but I’ll be damned if I’m going to let the PDA have free rein on board a Navy ship! I can’t kick them off the station but without presidential or judicial orders they can’t come on board any Navy vessel so you dock directly to the Dawn Rising and I’ll come see you there.”
“Yes Sir.” I replied and Albright hung up.
“Well now that’s interesting.”
“What is?” Walters asked.
“The PDA is on the station waiting to take our prisoner.”
“That is interesting.”
“Albright wants us to dock with the Dawn Rising instead of the station. That way the PDA can’t intercept us as we transfer to Grandma.”
“Well I always wanted to dock with a ship in space dock.” Walters said as she pitched us upward toward the repair docks.
Docking with a ship that was already in space dock itself was strictly forbidden but when the chief potentate says go you go and wave at all the gawkers as you pass by. There wasn’t any need to circumvent the PDA but what the heck, I like to break the rules every now and then too. Walters brought us up and over the top of the repair docks. Then as the station rotated we eased back down and started a counter clockwise circle, slowing gradually until we matched our rotation to the station’s spin just as the butt end of the Dawn Rising came around. Then she eased us in, spun the shuttle 90 degrees on its long axes and snugged our belly right up to the tail end of the Dawn Rising’s aft docking hatch. The docking grapplers took hold and pulled us in.
“We have soft seal.” Walters called out.
That was the easy part. Now we had to transfer from the shuttle to the ship. The problem was our shuttle and its artificial gravity was positioned 90 degrees perpendicular to the Dawn Rising and its artificial gravity. We would be climbing down through the floor of the shuttle but emerging through the wall of the ship. More than one sailor had tossed their cookies during this maneuver. Of course I had made this exchange between ships numerous times and would have no problems. Walters had probably done it a couple times in her career also but Dr. Shaw, now that was going to be fun. I decided it was fun I didn’t really want to get involved with.
“Dr. Shaw, I’m going to have Hirsch send down two orderlies to help you transition over. You really need to be strapped to a litter before passing through the gravity junction.”
“Good idea!” Shaw responded. I was wondering how the heck you were going to get me through that thing. I’ve never done one of these before but I’ve heard stories about them. Going through one in a wheel chair don’t sound like my idea of fun.”
“Me neither. Sit tight and we’ll get you out.”
Then I turned toward the emergency exit hatch in the floor and squatted down in front of it. Leaning forward, I placed my hands on the floor on both sides of the hatch and kicked my legs forward to let them drop feet first through the floor. As they emerged on the other side of the floor, which was a wall on that side, I felt the gravity pull my legs forward, which was down on that side. Suddenly I was suspended between two worlds. I slid on down, bending forward at the waist and feeling my feet hit the floor on the other side. Then I simply stood up straight as my torso cleared the hatch and I was across. For just a split second I experienced an episode of vertigo while my head adjusted to the sudden change in direction.
“Welcome aboard Sir.”
Turning I saw Engineer Owens and Master Chief Logan waiting for us.
“Thanks. It’s good to be back. About face gentlemen.”
“Yes Sir!” Logan replied as the two of them turned their backs and we waited for Walters to make her entry through the hole in the wall.
“Thank you gentlemen. I’m clear.” She said as she straightened her skirt.
“You really should start wearing pants. Space is no place for a skirt.”
“I’m alright Sir. I wear shorts underneath for just such an occasion.”
“Now that’s a good idea. Cob, have Hirsch send a litter back and help him get Dr. Shaw through the hatch. Has Albright come aboard yet?”
“Not yet Sir.”
“Ok then. I’m going to the bridge. Let me know the second he steps foot on our gangway.”
“Yes Sir.”
Leaving the aft docking hatch I hightailed it to the bridge and found most of the ship to be a swarm of activity. Sailors and their tools were scattered everywhere and it seemed that every section of the ship was undergoing some degree of repair or upgrade. Ordinarily I would take a ship wide tour and check the progress and familiarize myself with all the new systems but right now I had bigger fish to fry.
“Get me a secure conference call to Captain Kind in San Francisco and Captain Scott on the Constellation in my ready room ASAP.” I ordered as I entered the bridge.
“Yes Sir.” Cadet Blain replied. She was sitting at the coms console and started operating the unit like an old pro. Chaffey was standing at the engineering console and saluted as he said.
“Welcome aboard Sir.”
“Thanks. I’ll take an update in a few minutes. Right now I need to make a private call. Take the ship to secure one and notify me when Admiral Albright requests entry.”
“Yes Sir. Is everything alright Sir?”
“No! Nothing is alright. Get that call through as fast as you can.”
“Yes Sir.” Chaffey and Blain answered in unison.
I locked the door to my ready room, sat down at my desk and pulled open the drawer where I had stowed my snuff can. Pulling out two of the little dark brown packets of snuff I pushed them into my right cheek and sighed. I needed that. Just then the coms viewer came to life and Sandra squinted at me through the screen.
“I saw that. That stuff is as bad as cigarettes. You really need to quit.”
“I know. I’m trying.”
The view screen split into two sections and Wayne Scott appeared to the right of Sandra.
“Hey Allen, Sandra. What’s up?” Scott asked.
“I’ve got myself into a jam and I need some help. It’s a long story so get comfortable and listen up
.”
After a twenty minute tirade and explanation of all the facts as I saw them, I signed off from our conversation and headed for the bridge with assurances from both Scott and Kind that they would be working all the angles their rank and notoriety could muster. I trusted both of them and was now placing my career and possibly my freedom in their hands. What was about to come next wasn’t going to be pretty and I had no idea how it would play out. What I knew for sure is when you accuse a sitting Line Admiral of war crimes and treason you better have lots of evidence and you better have friends in high places.
“Admiral Albright and party are requesting entry Sir.” Chaffey informed me as I came back on the bridge.
“And party? Ok, bring them in.”
As Chaffey ordered security to grant access to the Admiral I stepped over to the security console and watched the gangway monitor feed. Albright’s party was made up of him, Agents Booker and Larson and two others who were most likely PDA as well. So much for not letting them have free rein on a Navy ship.
“I’ll receive them in my ready room. Ensign Blain, you need to get yourself down to engineering for the time being. Don’t let the Admiral and his party see you. Understand?”
“Yes Sir.” Blain responded as she turned from her post and started to the bridge door. “I’ll take the ladder tubes down. No Admiral is going to be caught dead climbing up one of those.”
I had every intention of discussing Ensign Blain’s heritage with the Admiral before our conversation with Ray. Now with the revelation of Albright’s involvement with the Croiddan plot I figured it was safer for Blain if her presence and Croiddan blood went unreported for the time being.
“Chaffey, let’s talk in my ready room.”
Back in my office I turned to Chaffey. “I am going to accuse Albright of treason and participating in war crimes. Specifically planned genocide of an Alien race. I may be arrested. In fact I’ll probably be arrested. You are to do nothing to help me. I have friends with pull in high places and they know what’s going down. Let them take care of me. You need to get this ship ready for all-out war. Concentrate on that.”
