Chapter 12: I am Neon (SOTU)

=Chapter 12=

It happened to be another Vantax that received the urgent information from Office of Citizen Affairs regarding the dismissal of a certain Dr. George Hilburger currently assigned to the Stormrider Station on Shirrocco planet, as the second in command science lead.

The Vantax reading receiving the request was the appointed science counselor to the Assembly and was taken quite by surprise.

The Union was governed by the Assembly and the assembly governed by all Union citizen. There was hardly a more potent and important institution than the OOCA, as any Union citizen could bring problems and concerns before the OOCA.

With a population of many trillion beings, there usually was never just one citizen with the same idea, problem, motion or question. The OOCA collected and consolidated these requests and assigned work groups or the most appropriate government council.

The request of almost fifty citizens all assigned to a science station regarding the same subject and without any precedence caused the OOCA to reach out to the science council for an answer as soon as possible.

This was no simple matter because if the science council could not answer satisfactory, the matter would be taken up directly by the Assembly and discussed on the open floor. Seen and heard by trillions of citizen who then voted on a proposed outcome and thus made law. It was both the most complex and also the simplest way. Complex in its enormity and simple in its application. The Vantax was quite aware of the seriousness and asked to be connected to the mission coordinator of that region of Union space and he was connected almost right away.

“Good fifth hour to you.” The counselor begun greeting the apparently female Saresii that appeared before him. She had very long light pink hair parted in the middle and framing her flawless face, with large eyes and a pale complexion. Her equally flawless body, of course in terms of human opinion clad in a skin tight cat suit made of a dark blue velvet like material. She had the logo patch of the science corps on her right sleeve, the rank pin of Master PhD Third Degree on her collar and the name Larina Silir engraved on a silvery name pin on the left side of her well developed chest. Kakli Jenga, the science counselor currently on duty for the mighty Union assembly, that was always and around the clock in session was oblivious to human sex appeal, but he had spend much time among these mammal based sapiens to understand the significance of her attributes.

She thanked him and returned the formulaic greeting. “And a pleasant fifth hour to you. I gather the weather is nice as always on Pluribus. May I inquire about the reason you are contacting me?”

“Indeed the weather is perfect, weather control scheduled a shower for seventh hour I believe. I have no doubts the weather on Seneca planet is just as pleasant.” He tapped a symbol on his terminal display and continued.“I am calling on you regarding personnel decisions made on an outpost science station on relative recently surveyed gas planet named Shirrocco.” He tabbed the planet image and added.“It is a planet in the Aplarox system and in a thinly star populated section of space of the outer spur of the Sagittarius arm.”

She simultaneously called up the information on her terminal and it appeared her data was directly relayed onto her retina, as she did the characteristic blinking of someone flipping through several data screens.“Yes, that would be the Stormrider station on Shirrocco planet. It is indeed one of the seventy one projects in that region of space that falls under my supervision.” She focused her big blue eyes on the older Vantax, “I confess to be intrigued to be contacted by the active science counselor to the assembly regarding this station especially since you mentioned personnel decisions. I would have been less surprised if it was regarding the planet itself.”

“The reason is the complaint of a med tech second class named H’Thichi assigned to that station. What makes it unusual as the complaint is singed by all fifty one members of the stations support personnel and the assigned planetologist.” He flicked the summary of the complaint towards her image and she received it 6,733 light years away and a micro second or so later thanks to the marvelous instantaneous communication GalNet provided. She thanked him and consumed the digested version while he simply waited for her to be as much informed about it as he was.

It didn’t take her long. She obviously was also calling on other information while she did that, again obvious to the Vantax due to the eye movements and frequent blinking.

The Saresii once more gave him her undivided attention.“Yes, a personnel change request has been received regarding this a standard day ago. It was automatically processed by Seneca AI as the request bore the two required ID authorizations of two senior science corps members. Dr. Chimeer and one Dr. Bloch. The AI acted completely correctly under the personnel change guidelines set forth by the Standard Operations Policies of the Science Corps.”

The Vantax had never talked or met the Saresii woman before, but he knew she wasn’t finished with her answer and that there was more. This and his long years as a member of the science corps himself gave him the feeling that there was something wrong. The complaint of fifty one individuals was also a clear indication to that.

She had obviously called up more information and then said. “It is quite an unusual request due to a number of reasons and none of them seem quite legitimate.”

“Could you elaborate? I like to send Mr. H’Thichi some kind of preliminary response, it would not be good if he felt ignored and brings these collective concerns before the Assembly directly. We are only one year divider period away from Union Week when the public decides on our budget among other things.”

“This Dr. Bloch has not been on any expeditions, outpost or field research assignments for over sixty years and then she participated in only one for her first PhD. Granted according to her file she is a brilliant scholar, but apparently bases her research on the analytical dissemination of field work gathered by others.”

“Okay and that relates to this how?”

“She has not been an active member of the science corps almost as long and was not assigned to that station. As a matter of fact I can find no personnel requests regarding her at all. Yet she is on that station and co signed the request to make herself the second in command and ousting Dr. Hilburger, who had been assigned correctly. All is technically correct. She is still a member of the science corps and she has the academic rank to sign such a request, but it is ethically wrong and against all department practice to self promote.”

“I want that investigated. The science corps has always been impeccable and above approach. I like it to keep it that way.”

“You and me both. I will personally look into this and keep you informed.”