c. 2024 Rod Ice
All rights reserved
(8-24)
The Morningstar III had security protocols in place that were sophisticated and yet simplistic. They depended on the presence of an obedient and well-trained crew. No one considered the fact that an intruder from outside of their military ecosystem, one used to problem-solving with skills rooted in science and mathematics, could decode a plethora of measures incorporated into the vessel’s design.
Dr. Judson Baines was entertained by the thought of outwitting onboard computers used by the ship. He realized that a basic tool, such as his com-link, could function as a virtual point-of-entry. By using the device to strategically stream misinformation, he could divert attention from himself, and nefarious actions being taken. The result would be a hole in the surveillance grid. A blank spot in which he could hide.
Pondering the likely rage of authorities that awaited his return to their home base on Mars, he started to concoct a plan for surreptitiously entering the flight deck, for a Digger. He only needed a minute of invisibility to pilfer one of the shuttles for his own use. A tote made of synthetic canvas could carry all of his belongings. He figured that the downscale craft could be reprogrammed to make an exit launch, in another sixty seconds. Everything depended on his speed and stealthy movements through the lower corridors.
With the main crew on standby, during night hours designated by an artificial regulator, he dressed in a stolen engineering suit, and began to creep toward his target. They were in travel mode, nominally running on an autopilot program. Command officers that were in need of relaxation had assembled at a makeshift pub, created in a space that once housed dignitaries from the high council. Now, with the Space Force having become commonplace in their social order, such political accommodations were unnecessary.
The university professor tapped out an override code upon reaching a portal in the shuttle bay. Then, strode across the platform floor, boldly. Cameras and sensors stationed above were blind and deaf. He located a Digger that had been charged and inspected for immediate use. His chest heaved with a deep breath, before opening the access hatch.
At the control panel, he scanned a key from the display on his wireless cube. Then belted himself into place. The twin engines glowed and hummed with tapped energy from a receptacle in the tail, where Cloitanium was stored in a sealed chamber.
Baines vocalized his emotions for no one to hear.
“Goodbye Kelly, I wish we could’ve gotten to spend more time together. Goodbye Hornell, you grumpy bastard! Goodbye, Morningstar! Hello Planet Earth! Hello Ohio! Hello Evergreen Estates! Hello to the memory of T.C. Lincoln!”
When he engaged the drive program, everything suddenly went dark. A velocity indicator showed zero. His restraints popped open as if the tiny craft had landed.
Commander Block appeared outside, in front of the windshield.
“Nice try, Doctor! You’re a brilliant thief, maybe you should’ve chosen a different career path. I’ll bet you could have robbed a fortune in Martian elements. But, that’s over now. Please disembark. I want to talk about your intentions...”
From behind, Lt. Strafe stepped from the shadow of stacked shipping containers. She was in full-dress garb, as if greeting a member of the interplanetary alliance.
“Sorry, Juddy. I had to sell you out. Your electronic signature came up on my network. I’ll give you credit for staying cloaked. But that gap in the grid caused a negative sum to pop up. You should’ve covered it with something, like a screensaver on an ancient PC desktop...”
Her friend cursed and kicked a support runner under his console. His language turned seedy and harsh.
“GAWDAMM! ALL THIS BECAUSE I DIDN’T THINK TO COVER MY ASS?”
Block grinned and laughed with satisfaction. He relished the temporary moment of superiority.
“Look, I’m not here to stop your escape. I actually appreciate how you tried to cover your tracks. It’ll make things easier when you’ve finally departed.”
The rambunctious scientist was confused.
“Departed? Umm... you’re going to let me go?”
Strafe nodded her head, and smiled.
“I managed to convince the commander that seeing you get arrested wouldn’t be a good thing for either of us...”
Hornell Block clenched his fist, reflexively.
“I couldn’t care less about you going to the brig. But that would mean a full investigation of our procedures, here on the Morningstar. There should have been a search team sent to that blasted trailer park, before I let you go running around in the weeds. That was my first mistake. The second was to neglect securing any artifacts retrieved from that site. I let you take control. That might be viewed as an abdication of authority. Almost like leaving my post. I’ve worked for years to build a good reptation with the brass on Mars, and outer worlds. They don’t hand out my rank to just anyone. It’s not like getting cotton candy at the galactic fair!”
Dr. Baines snorted with amusement.
“SO THAT’S IT? YOU WANT TO SAVE YOUR OWN HIDE?”
The lieutenant flipped her ponytail back and forth.
“You’ve got good intentions, Juddy. But there’s an old saying about those, that they pave the road to damnation...”
Her superior officer continued that line of reasoning.
“One century removed from the Great Uprising isn’t really enough. We’re still too close to the conflagration, in historical terms. Maybe your research will edify the human race, eventually. I’m willing to give you benefit of the doubt. Right now though, the people who run our society have their laces tied too tightly. They couldn’t accept any revision about how we all became wards of the solar system. You want to clear your great-grandfather’s name. What I want is peace and continuity. Mankind is alive, but living in genie bottles on planets and moons where sentient beings never walked before. At least not the kind we would recognize. I want our grand experiment to continue. And I don’t want the human race to remember that it sprang from contentious apes, who battled each other for resources, with sticks and stones.”
Strafe pointed to the Digger and offered advice on how to survive in the rubble of Evergreen Estates. Her concern sounded genuine.
“You can use this shuttle as a base, until getting acclimated to the new environment. It’ll supply power and shelter. You’ll be camping in the woods, not quite so comfy as living on our ship. But I think it’ll work out well. Search and learn, and study what remains of the park. Figure out what actually caused the mass migration to Mars. Point a finger of blame at whoever deserves it...”
The professional scholar shrugged and rolled his eyes.
“Humanity is to blame, because of our nature as a species. When one side goes off the rails, sometimes, the other can overreact. That kept wars going on our old homeworld for thousands of years. Everybody claimed victimhood. But what really lit the fires was our inability to function as an intelligent form of life. We sank into a morass of bigotry, prejudice, and conflict. Even today, what keeps us from killing each other is a strict code of ethics. Everyone in the colonies knows that a little prick in our armor will let the artificial atmosphere escape. Everyone will die. So, we all live like canned sardines. Hermetically sealed in a world cut off from the outer limits.”
Commander Block saluted, and then turned toward the exit door.
“Good fortune to you, Doctor. I hope you find peace in your work. Maybe someday, we’ll see you again. I promise a check-in, if the fleet sends us back into this neighborhood! Meanwhile, I’ll take a few lumps for your supposed escape. I can handle that level of reprimand. Your genius qualities will give me cover. I’ll plead ignorance and go forward...”
Strafe broke their military code of conduct, and kissed her longtime friend on the mouth. The sweet taste of her lips made him flush with a mixture of arousal and regret.
“We will see you again, Juddy! I promise. You’ll always be in my heart, no matter how crazy I think you are!”
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