BOOK III: Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

I woke in my dorm room, all by myself. The room looked deserted and that was not because no one  but me was here. A room that was occupied by seven beings showed signs of being lived in, even a place as neat and tidy as a military dorm room showed such signs. The bedding on all bunks was gone. The locker doors stood wide open and appeared exactly as we found them when we came here. It hit me instantly my friends where gone!

I got up. My back was bandaged, not derma regenerated. There was no pain at the moment, but a tight sensation as if my skin was stretched to the limits underneath the bandage.

My own sea bag was standing next to my locker, already packed. Except for a change of uniform laid out on a chair.

I held my head and whispered :”Narth?”

There was no answer and somehow I knew I was alone.

But I was in the dorm and my uniform was laid out. I was not on a transport to Brisbane.

What had changed?

I all felt like in a bad dream but I intended to end it once and for all and quit! I got dressed and made my way to the Commander’s office. I remembered the alien device I had in my head and the prospect that I was going to commit suicide was frightening. Narth was never with me I realized I just imagined  his voice and presence, but suicide was not on my agenda right now. I was angry and wanted to vent my emotions at someone and then I would quit the Navy. My dream turned out to be anything but what I expected.

Just as I left the Dorm section and turned to the IST (Inter Station transport ) to ride to the top, Lieutenant Aurellius came running in my direction.” Cadet Olafson. I was just looking for you. We need you in the Command center.”

“Sir, do you know what happened?”

“Commander Letsgo will fill you in, but now we must go to the Command Center.”

So I followed him, in my mind I already quit and did not treat him with the respect a superior officer expected. The Navy and its officers lost all credibility and respect in my eyes.

I had never been in the Command Center of the Installation. It was a circular room with large 2D screens and 3D projections. There where command consoles manned by various beings, all wearing Navy Uniforms.

Commander Letsgo got up from a central chair and walked over to me with an almost sheepish smile on his lips. “ Welcome in the land of the living Cadet Olafson! I am glad you are here.”

“I am not! I am here to tell you I am quitting. I was treated like a criminal and no one explained to me what I really have done to deserve all this. I was held captive, have been tortured, violated and whipped in public. I had it!”

His face became serious.” I know. I know what has been done to you and the device that had been placed in your mind has been removed. Narth is safe, alive and back on Narth world”

“That does not change anything. All those speeches about honor and dignity, how officers have to behave is all a lie! I wanted to be an officer all my life, but reality is far from what I expected, or from what you teach. I am just a hick from a backwater planet, and I sure have no idea what I am going to do with my future, but I won’t serve an organization that is rotten  as this one!”

I stopped, my eyes widened:” Narth is okay?”

Letsgo nodded with a smile. “Yes he is.”

Only now I noticed the GalNet holo- projection of an old man in Admirals Uniform standing next to Letsgo. I recognized the old man, everyone would have. It was the Admiral of the Fleet, the highest ranking officer and a member of the legendary group known as the Immortal 200. Admiral Mc Elligott.

He looked at me and even though it was only a Holo-projection, I suddenly felt my hair standing up, his eyes seemed normal and human enough but there was a unexplainable quality to them, it was as if he looked right through me, right down into my soul and nothing would remain hidden from this eon old eyes.

He spoke:” Cadet Olafson I am here to debrief you and explain to you what happened as I understand you have not been explained anything.”

I tried to bark something at the old Admiral, but I simply couldn’t. He was the Admiral of the Fleet, an Immortal, thousands of years old and if only half was true what they wrote about him in the history files he was one of the greatest heroes ever.” Sir, I am humbled and honored by your presence, but frankly no one had the courtesy to tell me anything and I am about to throw the towel. I tried my best, I really did and if that wasn’t enough all you had to do was to kick me out like the others.”

“Just shut up for a moment, Cadet Olafson. You want to be an officer of the Navy and you might even have what it takes, so don’t give up when difficulties arise.”

His projection sat down.”  I just received a communiqué from Narth Planet. The Narth considering leaving the United Stars Union. It is very serious if any Union member considers leaving and it never happened before in the history of our Union. But having the Narth leave would be especially bad. Only recently they abandoned their long policy of total isolation. So I would like you to talk to them”

“Why don’t you ask your hero Admiral Swybin? I am sure he can convince them to change their mind! Or perhaps Commodore Stone, now there is a especially talented man with impeccable sense of honor and justice. I fail to see what a convicted gangster like me could do!”

“ Admiral Swybin awaits his court martial as we speak, Mr. Olafson and it looks like he is going to be hanged for treason and a list of other offenses. Commodore Stone can no longer be questioned. An old friend of mine spaced him, without a space suit.”

Next to the Admiral appeared a holo screen and I saw another legendary hero, Admiral Stahl himself dragging Stone into an air lock.” You don’t deserve anything more. You soiled the uniform you wear so much that nothing can clean it, so you going to implode in it and you be only the first, I am going to hunt you all down, every one involved!”

The Airlock closed I could see Stones panic stricken eyes through the view port, then Stahl pressed the emergency release, the outer door opened and sudden decompression ripped Stone into the darkness of space!”

Elligott spoke:” You need to understand that the Navy is a very big organization, we have one 5 Trillon beings serving the Fleet in active positions and there are many more retired beings and so forth. We diligently enforce our rules, laws and traditions as good as possible. Don’t judge the entire Navy by a few bad apples. Admiral Swybin had a son. A Son he loved and a son who wanted to become an officer just like his father. This son failed the Academy Entrance Psych Tests, but Admiral Swybin bent a few rules and used his position to get his son admitted.

As you know first hand it did not work out. His son’s failure brought to daylight how he got into the academy in the first place and Admiral Swybin was indicted for falsifying records and miss use of rank privileges. Swybin had an old friend on Idyllic a retired Admiral who owed him a few favors and a plan of revenge was hatched. The Expedition everything was a set up and a trap and meant to kill you all and blame the accident on Commander Letsgo. They underestimated your resourcefulness and Wilkinson wanted to finish the job.

You do not become an admiral without making contacts and friends and  your rank does give you far ranging power. They placed an illegal Saresii Device in your head, not knowing you provided Narth with a vessel in a truly heroic act. We still don’t know much about the Narth but he somehow contacted Narth Prime and I was informed about the incident.

Wilson used his farm to make and distribute the most illegal drug in the Union, Califerm. Wilson used Navy assets to ship this highly illegal substance of planet.

Commander Letsgo was told that you where a Kermac spy and provided with evidence to that effect. He was unaware of the truth until only recently.

A Narth delegation was on Idyllic removed Narth from your unconscious body and they also removed the Saresii device.

Internal Affairs wants to keep the whole affair as quiet as possible because Wilkinson dealt with others off planet and we want to get them all.

“I can not undo what happened to you. I can not express how ashamed I am ,because ultimately it was my fault and responsibility, but I promise you justice. Those involved will be punished to the fullest extend of our laws.”

He looked me straight in the eyes and again I felt goose bumps on my back. I wanted to object and tell him that I didn’t trust him and that the Vid show could have been a computer show and nothing more, but when I looked into his eyes I trusted him. I knew everything he said was true and if everything failed he would remain a constant. If he had this effect even over a Holo I wondered how it would be to meet him in person.

He stood and paced a few steps back and forth.

“You managed to become friends with Cadet Narth. You gained insights and information into their culture no outsider ever had. This Narth informed me about the incident how you saved his life and he is advising the Narth Supreme.”

“I know very little abut the Narth, Sir but Yes I consider Narth my best friend.”

“Cadet, I understand your anger and believe me I understand your reasons why you want to quit. I can not say I would act any different if I where in your place.

” Son, we really need the Narth. Their membership is vital in more ways than I can explain to you at the moment.

Your friend Narth is standing right here in my office and he told me that their membership hinges on your decision.”

He sighed.” I know I am asking for a lot, but I ask you to reconsider. Don’t resign.”

“Would anyone cared what happened if I wasn’t friends with Narth? Would the Admiral of the Fleet himself talk to me if the same thing happened and I had no important friends?”

“Yes the same thing would have happened. You have more friends than you realize. Cadet Olia filed a report with JAG headquarters. Your friend Cadet OLia never told you but she too is the child  of an Admiral and she had her father raise heaven and hell to get to the truth. A Cadet named Limbur force marched across half the planet, broke in Wilkinson’s farm, single handedly incapacitated seven men and provided JAG with evidence of the Califerm operation. Each single act would have been noted by me and I would have talked to you with or without the Narth.”

His words filled me with sudden warmth and pride. My friends hadn’t forgotten me at all!

Elligott nodded.” You can indeed be proud of such friends.

“Alright I will not quit. I accept your word, Sir.”

Narth walked into the pick up sensor and appeared next to the Admiral.” You accept his word and so will I. The Narth will remain in the Union.”

Then Narth’s projection walked closer and put his projected hand on my shoulder.” I apologize for failing you when they caused you physical harm! You saved me form death and carried my Huhgavh. You are Narth and Narth is your home now and forever! No human ever carried the Huhgavh and lived. You know little of Narth and our ways but all Narth knows of you and you are one with us.”

“Where are you know? Where are the others?”

“I am at Arsenal III in the office of the Admiral here. I am going to continue my study and education of the Non Narth world. We will meet again, no distance can separate Huhgavh sharers. I know little what happened to the others. But they all completed the first year successfully and have returned to their respective homes for a vacation and after that they will resume being Cadets in year two of the journey.”

Admiral Elligott stepped closer as well and shook my hand. It was of course not his real hand but a form energy simulation.” Thank you cadet. Perhaps we meet again sometime. Now enjoy your vacation and I expect you back on Arsenal II in 16 weeks so you too continue your education.”

“Yes Sir.”