c. 2024 Rod Ice
All rights reserved
(8-24)
Commander Hornell Block sat at a conference table on the Morningstar III, with an expression of obvious fatigue on his face. He was dressed in the typical garb of a Space Force officer, looking both stylish and minimalist at the same time. The blue color of his uniform, with gold swatches over the left shoulder, indicated his position of importance on the ship.
Lt. Kelly Strafe was at his side. Her duties as a member of the crew were clear. She had been assigned to the vessel when it last launched from an orbital dock, which circled Mars in a giant loop. But after exploring their old homeworld, and the village of mobile homes known as Evergreen Estates, her perspective had changed. Now, she had first-hand knowledge of what life was like for those born and raised on Planet Earth, a century before.
“Permission to speak freely, sir?”
Block huffed a bit at her request. She was young and ambitious, and perky. He lusted a bit over her strong, striking appearance, which bordered on that of a Viking princess. Though such an emotion was something that he would never utter publicly.
“What’s on your mind? Continuing the surface exploration, perhaps?”
The ranked officer shook her head in disagreement.
“I see the chaotic weather conditions on our monitors. We made the right decision to return here, at least for now. But there’s something more important to consider. Have you spoken with Dr. Baines regarding his findings from our stay in the northeastern quadrant of what used to be called Ohio?”
The commander covered his eyes and winced as if in pain.
“He’s not one of us, Kelly. That man lives on a university stipend. He’s a glorified schoolteacher. They have their own priorities, I respect them, and him. But we differ in purpose...”
Strafe was puzzled by his comment.
“We’re all explorers at heart, isn’t that our core mission? To seek out new vistas and increase our understanding?”
Block smiled and nodded.
“Of course. It’s just like watching those old Star Trek episodes, from the 20th Century. They had that wanderlust written into every storyline...”
His subordinate flipped her ponytail defiantly.
“So then, we look for truth in the cosmos, right? Science is about learning, the course curriculum changes as we know more. Every day, we are students in the galactic classroom. Therefore, why shouldn’t we embrace a schoolteacher at work?”
The Morningstar III commander did not get her inference. He sighed and leaned forward on the conference table.
“What’s your point, Kelly? You’ve lost me...”
She looked directly into his eyes, and toughened her tone.
“Truth matters. Even uncomfortable truth. Those journals reveal that the uprising wasn’t universally supported by residents of Evergreen Estates. Townshend Lincoln and a few others tried to warn their neighbors about an impending crackdown. We’ve always been taught that extremists caused the calamity of that age. But his scribblings document something more complex. Interventions by state and federal authorities. Targeted imprisonment of suspects, without any legitimate charges or convictions. Rumors and innuendo spreading through their social networks. Chaos as some in the ranks began to desert their masters. He provides a different take on how the mass migration to Mars began.”
Block choked on his own breath. He could not believe her bold assessment.
“You are saying things that are seditious, Lieutenant Strafe! Be careful, be very careful. I caution you that associating yourself with that kind of misinformation could be viewed as treason for an officer in modern times...”
The young woman refused to let fear make her retreat.
“Dr. Baines has the journals in his possession. They are here onboard our vessel, but concealed in a safe place. I think that he suspected you might be afraid of him revealing his evidence!”
The ship commander hammered his fist on a corner of the tabletop. His patience had evaporated.
“JUDSON BAINES WILL BE PUT IN THE BRIG! DOES THAT SATISFY YOUR NEED TO SPEAK FREELY? TAKE CARE THAT YOU DON’T JOIN HIM ON THIS TUMBLE FROM GRACE!”
Strafe felt her mouth go completely dry. Her face burned with resentment.
“Is that a threat, Hornell?”
His eyes grew wide from her candid approach. He was not used to being addressed informally by anyone from their crew, face-to-face.
“Okay Kelly, that’s how you want it? We’ve been friends for years, professional friends. I respect how hard you worked to rise in this organization. It isn’t easy, not for anyone. Earther, or landed alien. We’ve been changed by moving out to the stars. Living on other worlds is a privilege, one I take seriously. Our survival depends on cooperation and shared sacrifice. Fighting each other, as our ancestors did on that big piece of stone, below, is out of the question. Mankind has evolved from that sort of foolish behavior. Don’t send us back into the dark ages...”
His lieutenant smirked a bit, and pouted her lips.
“Obedience, that’s it, right? Go along to get along. That’s the oldest saying in our military. March to your orders! Salute the ones in charge! I’ve always lived that way. From the time I was a little girl, watching my parents follow the Martian paradigm. They helped build New Cleveland into a shining metropolis that others around the solar system envy. But now, I’m telling you that our scientist companion is more than a stowaway. He’s had a chance to dig through the ruins of our birthplace. That’s something few of us will ever have. Or even want! His courage is remarkable, much more than yours or mine. If he publishes his findings in academic journals, some will question our loyalty. Maybe you can hide under layers of bureaucracy, but I won’t. I don’t aim to upset the red-planet empire, but I also can’t embrace lies and doublespeak. It’s not in me, I wasn’t raised that way. People can draw their own conclusions. If they place any blame on us, so be it! We were travelers through the cosmos, nothing more. Looking around for clues to our own existence as refugees on a foreign world!”
Block felt his jaw sag with disbelief. His subordinate stood up suddenly, and turned toward the conference room door.
“YOU HAVEN’T BEEN DISMISSED, LIEUTENANT! YOU HAVEN’T BEEN GIVEN PERMISSION TO LEAVE!”
Strafe put both hands on the table.
“Arrest me right now, or let me return to my quarters! What’ll it be, Hornell? Are you a stooge for the system? Or an adventurer? I know my place, I won’t stir the pot. But I’m going to stand by Dr. Baines, regardless of what develops from his final report. Maybe we learned something from this exercise. That human nature hasn’t changed all that much over the past 100 years. Those in charge still play political games. It comes with the territory. So much for thinking that we’ve grown up as a species. The truth is, we’re the same kind of high-functioning animals that made Planet Earth such a boisterous and frustrating homeworld for people like T.C. Lincoln and his crazy neighbors in the pines!”
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