Chapter 36
Jim Vassilakos
While Captain Masa and I exited the elevator into some VIP parking area below the stadium, some distance above us in the green room behind the stage, Karneticky and Josefeen were introducing themselves to one another, the admiral distracted by her cleavage to the brink of leering. I felt a vague sense of nausea but wasn’t sure if it came from me or Josefeen. In any case, I needed to school my composure, as her idea of training me to be in two minds at once was at least in part to demonstrate her wiles on a superior officer, no doubt an object lesson for me on multiple levels.
«You got that right.»
Meanwhile, two guards approached Captain Masa and I, their assault rifles at the ready.
“Imperial Navy,” Masa said, whipping out some sort of ID.
“So what do you think of your new commanding officer?” the Admiral asked.
“Captain Plankwell? Hmm… now that’s an interesting question?” «Should I tell him the truth, or would you prefer I make something up?»
(Gus’s response, if any)
Conrad Rader
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "plankwell-pbem-s1" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to plankwell-pbem...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/plankwell-pbem-s1/CAO4nEqbV-PP6Lh3snj7XR1-j8cwX%3DZFeQSysfdiUoLR-odxMaw%40mail.gmail.com.
Jim Vassilakos
«The truth, of course. There’s enough innuendo floating around, and I’m curious what you and he will say about me.»
I kept my physical attention on Masa and the guards and tried to settle my telepathic link with Josefeen into the back of my mind, aware, but not on the main screen as it were. This being in two places at once felt very much like running a fighter squadron from the front. I could feel my reflexes coming into play as I sorted sensations and prioritized my attention. If I thought of the link as the squad feed, and my own eyes as my main screen, it might help, at least until the next new thing I had to learn in a hurry came along.
The guard scanned Masa’s ID with a device he had on his belt, and its little green light momentarily flashed.
“Your residency permit,” he said, handing the card back and then holding out his hand for mine.
“He’s visiting,” Masa said.
“Then your VAC.”
“Huh?” I had no idea what a VAC was or if I even had one.
“Visitor Authorization Card.”
“Do you want the truth, or is this just small talk?” Josefeen asked of the Admiral as I dug into a pocket and handed the guard my card. Nobody else was there to hear, except for the Canon, but he was too occupied with the contents of the liquor cabinet to comment. He finally opened it and brought out two glasses, glancing up at Josefeen. He sensed that something about her question was a bit off, but not being in the military, he couldn’t comprehend the full extent of it. Hence, it was only myself and the Admiral who raised our eyebrows in surprise, for lieutenants are not, with capital letters, they ARE NOT allowed to talk that way to admirals. If it ever happens, it only happens once, and then they get stuck into some unsavory and possibly hazardous duty, probably after being demoted. In short, her manner with him was skirting the line to where he could say something sharp if he wished and then follow through with an idle comment to me sometime later that he found her overly familiar. While there weren’t exactly regulations against that sort of thing, there was Navy tradition, and she was flouting it. Hence, probably due to whatever expression was on my face, the guard looked at me a bit longer than necessary, thinking me a bit odd, and then he scanned my card.
“Small talk? No,” the admiral said. “I despise small talk. Tell me the truth, of course.”
This time the scanner made an angry buzz, and instead of a green light, there were little numbers, 1252, flashing in red. He showed it to the other guard, who said simply, “He’s illegal.”
“Well, the truth is complicated,” she said. «Ooh. The Captain’s busted.»
“Stay here,” the first guard said to a face that was, no doubt, looking increasingly zoned out. Then he turned and walked off, still holding my card, while the other one remained facing Masa and I, his rifle still at the ready.
“Look,” Josefeen said, “let’s you and I make a deal, okay? I’ll tell you what I think about Gus, and then you tell me what you think about him. Is that fair? Or am I being too familiar with you, sir?” She showed him her best smile, one that was vaguely suggestive of good things to come.
And then something very strange happened. A stray thought flashed through his mind, something about how he was using me to rip off the fleet next door. Whatever the other details, it involved a lot of money changing hands. I couldn’t believe it, but there it was, like rust or a weed.
“Uh, no,” Karneticky said, folding his arms, not quite sure how to respond. “So the two of you are already on a first name basis?”
“Oh, yes,” Josefeen replied. “Although, when he gets angry, I can tell he thinks of me as Lt. Abbonette, but it’s sort of cute. He is, actually, better than most, I would say, at least insofar as he’s willing to learn.”
“Learn about the Jaqueline?”
“His new assignment,” she said, nodding. “In my experience, a willingness to learn is everything.”
“It takes a spirit of humility,” the Canon said, warming something up in the autoserve. Of course, he could have just asked it to mix the drink for him. It was a robotic bartender, after all. But instead he utilized it as one might play a musical instrument, deciding for himself exactly what needed to be done and in what precise order.
“You look like you’re having fun,” Josefeen said with a grin.
“I’m finally in my element, but don’t let me interrupt.”
“There must be some bureaucratic mistake,” Masa said after a long and awkward pause, but Guard #2 made no response.
“I guess the real question,” Josefeen said, turning back to the Admiral, “is, ‘How honest can I be with you?’ I mean, there’s a lot to say about Captain Plankwell. I could write volumes and still barely scratch the surface.”
“Oh?” Volumes? “I didn’t realize he was that deep.”
“Everyone,” the Canon said, “in their own way.”
“Is this conversation confidential?” she asked. “Can I be assured of absolute discretion?” She looked at them both.
“Most certainly.” No, of course not! Karneticky nodded emphatically, considering that she either had some wicked dirt on me or that this curvy lieutenant might actually be crazy. Either way, he was intrigued.
“What about you?” she asked the Canon.
“I’m not even listening,” he protested.
“You know what?” Josefeen smirked. “Let’s just forget this whole conversation. Why would I want to tell you all about that?”
“About what?” Karneticky asked.
“Hey, Your Holiness,” she said, turning toward the Canon. “Could I change my mind and trouble you for a drink?”
“No trouble at all. What would you like?” he asked, looking up from whatever he was concocting.
“Just make me one of what you’re having.”
“What I’m having will knock you on your tush,” he said.
“I assure you, I can handle it,” she said, rolling her eyes.
The first guard reappeared.
“All about what?” the admiral asked again.
“The thing to understand about Captain Plankwell,” Josefeen said, “about Gus, is that he’s… well, he’s… he’s just one of those types of people, y’know?”
“What type of person?”
“One of those types,” she said, squinting her eyes. “It’s hard to explain.”
“Are you thirsty?” the Canon asked, bringing over two tall shots of what looked like muddy water.
“That was awfully quick,” she said.
“Yes, I was quick, and this will taste awful,” the Canon replied, handing her one of the glasses. Warm to the touch, it was a double-shot cup but was only filled halfway, and whatever was inside emitted a pungent fragrance.
“It’s a holy sacrament, which I hope you will enjoy.”
“A Holy Sacrament?”
“The holiest of holies,” he said, “save for the great uniter, which gathers us here today.”
“He misused his Visitor Authorization,” the guard said while all this was going on.
“Misused? How?” Masa asked as the Canon raised his cup for a toast.
“Double entry,” the guard said.
“That’s hot,” Josefeen replied.
“Double entry?” Masa asked.
“It’s still warm," the Canon said, "but I assure you it won’t burn… much.”
The guard began to explain how this particular visitor authorization didn’t provide for multiple entries through different ports. I could have come down to the naval base and entered through either of the customs checkpoints along its outskirts, but because we went through customs at the starport, there was now some sort of problem.
(OOC: Do you want to try to explain how you went back to the ship and then returned or just wait to see what happens?)
Conrad Rader
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "plankwell-pbem-s1" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to plankwell-pbem...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/plankwell-pbem-s1/CAO4nEqaWT5eNSC4fW4dbDu-8RwFvWLaWfL-e8b0pt74jEhwQ4g%40mail.gmail.com.
Jim Vassilakos
(Sorry for the delay. Simultaneous scenes are more challenging than I anticipated.)
“Look,” Josefeen said, “let’s you and I make a deal, okay? I’ll tell you what I think about Gus, and then you tell me what you think about him. Is that fair? Or am I being too familiar with you, sir?” She flashed him her best smile, one that was vaguely suggestive of good things to come.
“Uh, no,” Karneticky said, folding his arms, not quite sure how to respond. And then something very strange happened. A stray thought flashed through his mind, something about how he was using me to rip off the fleet next door. Whatever the other details, it involved a lot of money changing hands. I couldn’t believe it, but there it was, like rust or a weed.
«Catch that, Lieutenant?»
«Yessir.»
“So the two of you are already on a first name basis?” the Admiral asked.
“Oh, yes,” Josefeen replied, nodding. “Although, when he gets agitated, he calls me Lt. Abbonette or just Lieutenant, but that’s to be expected. He is, actually, better than most, I would say, at least insofar as he’s willing to learn.”
“Learn about the Jaqueline?”
“His new assignment,” she said, nodding. “In my experience, a willingness to learn is everything.”
“It requires a spirit of humility,” the Canon said, warming something up in the autoserve. Of course, he could have just asked it to mix the drink for him. It was a robotic bartender, after all. But instead he utilized it as one might play a musical instrument, deciding for himself exactly what needed to be done and in what precise order.
“You look like you’re having fun,” Josefeen said with a grin.
“I’m finally in my element, but don’t let me interrupt.”
“There must be some bureaucratic mistake,” Masa said after a long and awkward pause, but Guard #2 made no response.
“I guess the real question,” Josefeen said, turning back to the Admiral, “is, ‘How honest can I be with you?’ I mean, there’s a lot to say about Captain Plankwell. I could write volumes1 and still barely scratch the surface.”
“Oh?” Volumes? “I didn’t realize he was that deep.” Though his pockets certainly are.
“Everyone,” the Canon said, “is deep in their own way.”
“Is this conversation confidential?” she asked. “Can I be assured of absolute discretion?”
“Most certainly.” Not! Karneticky nodded emphatically, considering that she either had some wicked dirt on me or that this curvy lieutenant might actually be crazy. Either way, he was intrigued.
“What about you?” she asked the Canon.
“I’m not even listening,” he protested, “and what little I do hear I soon forget, one of the benefits of old age.”
“You know what?” Josefeen smirked. “Let’s just forget this whole conversation. Why would I want to tell you all about that?”
“About what?” Karneticky asked.
“What are we talking about again?” the Canon asked.
“Your Holiness,” Josefeen said, “Could I change my mind and trouble you for a drink?”
“No trouble at all. What would you like?”
“Just make me one of whatever you’re having.”
“Are you quite sure? What I’m having will knock you on your tush.”
“I assure you, I can handle it,” she said, rolling her eyes. «I hope you don’t mind me getting buzzed, Captain.»
The first guard reappeared, the dour look of his face conveying there was some bad news.
“Plankwell is not under my command,” Admiral Karneticky said in a low voice, leaning in toward Josefeen. “But, if there’s some problem, I could convey a message to Admiral Vasilyev on behalf of an anonymous officer, if you would like.”
«I should tell him what a womanizer you are.» There was a chuckle in there somewhere, so I was pretty sure she was just teasing.
(Feel free to have Gus make a short retort, if you like, although it’s not necessary.)
“The thing to understand about Captain Plankwell,” Josefeen said, “about Gus, is that he’s… well, he’s… he’s just one of those types of guys, y’know?”
“What type?”
«Yes, what type?» I wanted to know.
“One of those types,” she said, squinting her eyes. “It’s hard to explain.”
(Gus can reply to this as well, if he wants to.)
“I hope you’re thirsty,” the Canon said, bringing over two tall shots of what looked like muddy water.
“That was quick,” Josefeen said, accepting a glass that was warm to the touch. Whatever was inside emitted a pungent fragrance. “What is this?”
“A holy sacrament.”
“A holy sacrament?”
“The holiest of holies,” he said, “save for the great uniter, which gathers us here today.”
“You misused your Visitor Authorization,” the guard said while all this was going on.
“He misused it? How?” Masa asked as the Canon raised his cup for a toast.
“Double entry,” the guard said.
“That’s hot,” Josefeen replied.
“Double entry?” Masa asked.
“It is a bit warm,” Forklinbrass said as the guard started explaining the details of different types of visitor authorizations and how I apparently had the wrong one because of something I did or didn’t say at my initial entry into Jewel. “Beware the bitterness,” the Canon added. “I did what I could to subdue it, but wisdom is often bitter.”
“Wisdom?” Josefeen raised her cup, wondering what was in it, but all she could get from his mind was determined trepidation, as if he was looking upon this drink as a sort of imperative, something to be feared almost as much as it was to be relished.
“To all we do not know,” the Canon said, “and cannot understand.” He put the rim of his glass to his lips, closed his eyes, tilted his head back, and drank it all down like a college student on summer break.
Josefeen put her glass to her lips as well but then said, “You must be trippin’ if you think I’m gonna drink this.”
The Admiral and Canon both stared, slack-jawed.
“Oh, I’m just playin’.” And then she drank it in one go, slamming it like a champ, and for a moment it was like bitter and sweet were having a war inside our mouths. It was all very disorienting and ultimately left the tongue feeling battered and abused, but observing the etiquette of alcohol, she swallowed it all down, whatever it was, wondering all the while if this were really such a good idea. The mixologist was a man of the cloth, after all. He wouldn’t poison her, would he?
“Bravo,” the Admiral said. “I’d have one as well, but I’m already wise enough, I think. In any case, hallucinogenic psychedelics aren’t really my thing.”
“Halluncinowhat?” Josefeen asked, suddenly worried.
(At this point, Gus might remember something Briggs told him back in Chapter 12, in case you want to look it up. Feel free to edit the following exchange. I’m just trying to clue-in the reader.)
«Oh, yeah. I forgot to mention, he’s from the Sodality of the Silver Chalice,» I telepathically voiced to Josefeen as the guard in front of Masa and I continued talking.
«Meaning?»
«They embrace the Doctrine of Kaleidoscopic Communion.»
«Kaleidowhat?»
«Briggs said they get high as a spiritual practice.»2
«Oh….» The bitterness still clung her taste buds, and then she felt a wave of nausea pass through her so strong it made us both queasy. «Wait. You mention this now?!» “Your Holiness, what in Cleon’s name was that?”
“What was what?”
“What I just drank,” she said as the room slowly began to spin.
“It’s hard to explain,” he replied as the walls began to undulate ever so slightly.
“You are a straight-up drug dealer,” she said. “How do you get away with this?”
“Religious exemption.” He smiled. “Now it’s time to pray. Let us be seated.”
He guided her gently to a pair of purple chairs, the green walls undulating a little bit less slightly with each step they took.
“You have a choice to make,” he said. “You can clear your mind in anticipation of the mysterious wisdom that will soon be flowing through it, or your can focus on an intention, preferably a good one, a wish or a dream, but it must not be selfish. You have been warned.”
Meanwhile, the guard kept talking to me, telling me all sorts of important stuff. “So you see, Captain, you’re going to have to fill out a DS-160 and a DS-158.”
“A what and a what?”
“A DS-160 and a DS-158. Like I said…”
“Admiral,” Canon Forklinbrass said, sitting down, “as our designated soberite, would you please bring us those two glasses on the bar.”
“I’m an admiral, not a waiter.”
“Please. Unless you want to see an old man fall and break his leg.”
“Oh, very well.”
“He has to fill out a form?” Masa asked.
“Two forms.”
“Send them to me, and my staff will fill out whatever paperwork you need.”
“No, that’s not how this works. The Captain has to fill them out himself, and we’ll need to detain him until the applications are approved.”
“Detain me?!” The guard suddenly had my full attention. “You’re going to detain me?”
«Busted!»
“You must calm the waters of your consciousness,” the Canon told her. He could see she was snickering about something. “Focus on breathing.”
“Can I wish for a get out a jail card?” Josefeen asked.
“For who?”
“None of your business.”
“Until Immigration and Visitation issues a corrected authorization card…” The guard began to re-explain how my particular visitor authorization didn’t provide for multiple entries through different ports. The upshot was that I could have flown down to the naval base and entered through either of the customs checkpoints along its outskirts, but because we went through customs at the starport, there was now some sort of problem. Basically, we violated some rule nobody told us about. Either that or one arm of their bureaucracy created a little snafu that only it had the ability to solve, and so I’d have to sit in detention until it got around to solving it, which could take…
“How long is this going to take?”
“However long it takes. Now please come with me.”
The bureaucracy of many planets tired me out sometimes, and to be honest, Naval bureaucracy was just as bad. I sometimes wondered if the reason the bureaucrats made things extra complicated and opaque was just so they could feel important. After all, if they couldn’t take the time to use a tracking system to update my status and whereabouts, well, I had little time for them as well. Of course, I understood at some level it was a security and control issue. I had seen evidence enough of that on this world already. But just who did they think was providing security for their entire planet?
“We’re officers of the Imperial Navy,” Masa stepped in between the guard and myself.
“Step to the side,” the guard told him, “or I’ll be forced to arrest you both.”
“Arrest us both? Who do you think is providing security for your entire planet?!”
«Whoa!» Josefeen’s voice echoed in my head.
“Get on your knees, hands in the air. Now!” That’s one.
“I want to speak with your supervisor!”
“Both of you on your knees!” That’s two. Why was he counting it in his head? It had to do with some rule on the use of force.
By this point they both had their rifles pointed at us.
“I understand you’re doing your job here, but can’t we resolve this?” I asked.
“Last time! Get on your knees, hands in the air! I’m not saying it again!” That’s three.
(What does Gus do?)
Conrad Rader
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "plankwell-pbem-s1" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to plankwell-pbem...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/plankwell-pbem-s1/CAO4nEqZQQRWEN-y7ngSkPNZLN-0gnkHC_Yt1%2B-PxM-g2oTk%2BgQ%40mail.gmail.com.
Conrad Rader
(Sorry for the delay. Simultaneous scenes are more challenging than I anticipated.)
“Look,” Josefeen said, “let’s you and I make a deal, okay? I’ll tell you what I think about Gus, and then you tell me what you think about him. Is that fair? Or am I being too familiar with you, sir?” She flashed him her best smile, one that was vaguely suggestive of good things to come.
“Uh, no,” Karneticky said, folding his arms, not quite sure how to respond. And then something very strange happened. A stray thought flashed through his mind, something about how he was using me to rip off the fleet next door. Whatever the other details, it involved a lot of money changing hands. I couldn’t believe it, but there it was, like rust or a weed.
«Catch that, Lieutenant?»
«Yessir.»
“So the two of you are already on a first name basis?” the Admiral asked.
“Oh, yes,” Josefeen replied, nodding. “Although, when he gets agitated, he calls me Lt. Abbonette or just Lieutenant, but that’s to be expected. He is, actually, better than most, I would say, at least insofar as he’s willing to learn.”
“Learn about the Jaqueline?”
“His new assignment,” she said, nodding. “In my experience, a willingness to learn is everything.”
“It requires a spirit of humility,” the Canon said, warming something up in the autoserve. Of course, he could have just asked it to mix the drink for him. It was a robotic bartender, after all. But instead he utilized it as one might play a musical instrument, deciding for himself exactly what needed to be done and in what precise order.
“You look like you’re having fun,” Josefeen said with a grin.
“I’m finally in my element, but don’t let me interrupt.”
“There must be some bureaucratic mistake,” Masa said after a long and awkward pause, but Guard #2 made no response.
“I guess the real question,” Josefeen said, turning back to the Admiral, “is, ‘How honest can I be with you?’ I mean, there’s a lot to say about Captain Plankwell. I could write volumes1 and still barely scratch the surface.”
“Oh?” Volumes? “I didn’t realize he was that deep.” Though his pockets certainly are.
“Everyone,” the Canon said, “is deep in their own way.”
“Is this conversation confidential?” she asked. “Can I be assured of absolute discretion?”
“Most certainly.” Not! Karneticky nodded emphatically, considering that she either had some wicked dirt on me or that this curvy lieutenant might actually be crazy. Either way, he was intrigued.
“What about you?” she asked the Canon.
“I’m not even listening,” he protested, “and what little I do hear I soon forget, one of the benefits of old age.”
“You know what?” Josefeen smirked. “Let’s just forget this whole conversation. Why would I want to tell you all about that?”
“About what?” Karneticky asked.
“What are we talking about again?” the Canon asked.
“Your Holiness,” Josefeen said, “Could I change my mind and trouble you for a drink?”
“No trouble at all. What would you like?”
“Just make me one of whatever you’re having.”
“Are you quite sure? What I’m having will knock you on your tush.”
“I assure you, I can handle it,” she said, rolling her eyes. «I hope you don’t mind me getting buzzed, Captain.»
The first guard reappeared, the dour look of his face conveying there was some bad news.
“Plankwell is not under my command,” Admiral Karneticky said in a low voice, leaning in toward Josefeen. “But, if there’s some problem, I could convey a message to Admiral Vasilyev on behalf of an anonymous officer, if you would like.”
«I should tell him what a womanizer you are.» There was a chuckle in there somewhere, so I was pretty sure she was just teasing.
(Feel free to have Gus make a short retort, if you like, although it’s not necessary.)
“The thing to understand about Captain Plankwell,” Josefeen said, “about Gus, is that he’s… well, he’s… he’s just one of those types of guys, y’know?”
“What type?”
«Yes, what type?» I wanted to know.
“One of those types,” she said, squinting her eyes. “It’s hard to explain.”
(Gus can reply to this as well, if he wants to.)
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "plankwell-pbem-s1" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to plankwell-pbem...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/plankwell-pbem-s1/CAO4nEqZQQRWEN-y7ngSkPNZLN-0gnkHC_Yt1%2B-PxM-g2oTk%2BgQ%40mail.gmail.com.
Jim Vassilakos
“We’re officers of the Imperial Navy,” Masa stepped in between the guard and myself.
“Step to the side,” the guard told him, “or I’ll be forced to arrest you both.”
“Arrest us both? Who do you think is providing security for your entire planet?!”
«Whoa!» Josefeen’s voice echoed in my head.
“Get on your knees, hands in the air. Now!” That’s one.
“I demand to speak with your supervisor!” Masa spat back.
“Both of you on your knees!” That’s two. Why was he counting it in his head? It had to do with some rule on the use of force.
By this point they both had their rifles pointed at us. This was escalating way too fast.
“I understand you’re doing your job here, but can’t we resolve this?” I asked. I tried to reach out telepathically to see what I could read in their minds, but that, of course, required I ignore the weird thoughts that were coming from Josefeen, like the couch in which she and the Canon were seated suddenly lifting off the floor like some gravcar and the green walls dissipating into a vast emerald field. Despite it all, however, she somehow kept her focus on what was real.
«Sir, do you see what you just did?»
«What?»
«You might not just be a telepath. You may be a manipulator.»
«A manipulator?»
“Last time! Get on your knees, hands in the air! I’m not saying it again!” That’s three. I somehow sensed they were now permitted to use force, including lethal force, whatever it would take to get us to comply.
I raised my hands to shoulder level, but I would not kneel.
“Plankwell to Jaqueline!” I yelled at my wristcom. “Marines to my position!”
Something hit me. It felt like a bolt of electricity sizzling through my entire body, and I crumpled.
“I will have your badges when this is done!” Masa’s yelled as he crumpled next to me.
Whoever these locals were, they’d soon be receiving a lesson in threatening the Navy. True, I might die in the process, but my marines would retrieve my body, and then there’d be hell to pay.
“Sir,” Josefeen said. “Are you okay, sir?”
“I’m fine,” Karneticky said.
“No, not you.”
“Well, I’m the only Sir here. By the way, I think you’re supposed to drink this,” he said, handing her a glass. It looked like vodka. At least, it was clear like vodka.
“Oh, hell no.”
“It’s water,” the Canon told her. “Swish it around before you swallow.”
“I’m not doing anything you tell me to do, you old, dried-up kook.” In Josefeen’s imagination, they were now up in the air, the couch floating over a green landscape of bushy trees and hilly pastures as far as the eye could see while little florescent clouds swirled hypnotically. Admiral Karneticky, meanwhile, hovered nearby, but he was not this same as before. He now had fangs, bat wings, and a long forked tail, and he seemed to be enjoying her confusion.
“What in the roots of Cleon’s hairy perineum did you give me?” she muttered.
I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you, the patterns in the clouds seemed to anwer in her own voice.
The Canon placed his hand gently over hers. “Though the ends seldom justify the means, and an eye for an eye is patently barbaric, the universe, amused by irony, has been known to take occasional liberties.”
Handcuffs clicked over my wrists.
“I want a Get Out of Jail card,” Josefeen said. “For a friend.”
“What friend is this?” Karneticky asked.
“The Captain.”
“Captain Plankwell? Is he in some sort of trouble?”
“Not as much as you’re going to be in.”
As they stared deeply into each other’s eyes, we both realized he’d seen the Canon on the prowl for new parishioners several times before, and so he knew how this game was played. The reason he permitted it, even on Navy personnel, was that he could learn all sorts of interesting tidbits if he asked the right question at the right moment, as a drugged mind was less guarded. But this answer of hers about himself being in trouble struck a nerve, and so Karneticky worried she might know something about what he’d done.
Momentarily in his mind’s eye, he was sitting down with two people, a bushy-bearded man in an IISS uniform and a young blonde dressed in business attire.
“I’m in trouble?”
Josefeen smiled at this bat-winged devil as kaleidoscopic rivers of color, flowing with the hues of iridescent hummingbirds and the phosphorescent glow of magical butterflies, pulsated though the ethereal vapors.
“How am I in trouble, Lieutenant?”
His words echoed in her head several times over, the moment flowing backwards and forwards like a winding river of meandering currents. Whatever the scam was, it had to do with the Exploration Pod. That’s why the IISS guy was in his thoughts.
“Don’t worry about Bim,” he’d said, smiling. “He’ll sign whatever we want, so long as he’s guaranteed to muster out with a Type-S.”
“But what about the chief engineer’s assessment?” the woman asked.
He shrugged. “We’ll overrule it.”
“You can do that?”
“So long as Plankwell doesn’t stick his nose into it,” the Admiral said. “But don’t worry. I’ll keep him busy.”
Kaz tried to warn me.
“Kaz,” Josefeen murmured, her reality becoming like a tapestry woven of symbol and metaphor, images of civilizations risen and fallen, glimpses of love and of loss, her entire life but a single thread in the grand design.
Kaz?” The Admiral asked. “You mean Kaz Remshaw?”
“After my performance at the Commerce Committee, they decided my services are no longer required,” Kaz’s voice ricocheted through my mind from somewhere up ahead.
The Admiral, no longer able to solicit any sort of response, retreated to the far side of the room and used his wristcom to reach out to someone in Naval Intelligence. Josefeen couldn’t hear what he said and would have been oblivious to it even were he shouting into her ear, but somehow, with our psionic link still established, I could sense he was asking about her. Who was she, and what was her connection to Kaz Remshaw?
The voice on the other end of the line told him Josefeen was an administrative aide assigned to the Jaqueline. I couldn’t tell if that was a lie or simply a misconception based on some cover identity Josefeen had created for herself. Whichever the case, the person Karneticky was talking to found no link between Josefeen and Kaz, except that they both attended my reception, which the Admiral already knew, however, they did discover that someone in Naval Intelligence had recently made database inquiries with respect to Kaz’s personal phone, and this turned up the call between Kaz and her Mom where they were discussing me. But, instead of assuming this was Josefeen’s doing, the Admiral assumed it was mine. Nonetheless, he couldn’t help but worry that she knew something.
“Get me every bit of video surveillance we have on Captain Plankwell as well as every bit we’ve got on this administrative aide of his.” His wristcom buzzed angrily with a priority call. What now? “I’ve got to go. Let me know when you’ve got it ready.” He hit a button, switching lines, and his eyes bugged out when someone told him what was happening down in VIP Parking.
Chapter 37
(I may add some sort of dream sequence to the beginning of this, but for now we’ll start with…)
The acrid smell of bleach filled my nostrils, and I reflexively blinked.
“Are you okay, sir?”
A marine with an INS Jaqueline patch on his shoulder leaned over me. He had some sort of scanner in one hand, and in the other was a small red tube of standard issue respiratory stimulant; i.e., smelling salts. Needless to say, my wrists and those of Captain Masa were longer cuffed, but as for the two guards who’d arrested us, they were now prone and cuffed to each other, hands to feet, which looked rather uncomfortable, not to mention kinky.
“Our perimeter is secure, Captain,” Force Commander Fa’Linto said from off to my left, “but the locals are starting to get rambunctious.” He was in full battle dress with a built-in FGMP.
“Come out with your hands up!” a loudspeaker blared somewhere off in the distance. “This is your last warning!”
“I don’t want to have to kill them all, sir, but if that’s your wish, just give the order.”
Conrad Rader
“We’re officers of the Imperial Navy,” Masa stepped in between the guard and myself.
“Step to the side,” the guard told him, “or I’ll be forced to arrest you both.”
“Arrest us both? Who do you think is providing security for your entire planet?!”
«Whoa!» Josefeen’s voice echoed in my head.
“Get on your knees, hands in the air. Now!” That’s one.
“I demand to speak with your supervisor!” Masa spat back.
“Both of you on your knees!” That’s two. Why was he counting it in his head? It had to do with some rule on the use of force.
By this point they both had their rifles pointed at us. This was escalating way too fast.
“I understand you’re doing your job here, but can’t we resolve this?” I asked. I tried to reach out telepathically to see what I could read in their minds, but that, of course, required I ignore the weird thoughts that were coming from Josefeen, like the couch in which she and the Canon were seated suddenly lifting off the floor like some gravcar and the green walls dissipating into a vast emerald field. Despite it all, however, she somehow kept her focus on what was real.
«Sir, do you see what you just did?»
«What?»
«You might not just be a telepath. You may be a manipulator.»
«A manipulator?»
“Last time! Get on your knees, hands in the air! I’m not saying it again!” That’s three. I somehow sensed they were now permitted to use force, including lethal force, whatever it would take to get us to comply.
I raised my hands to shoulder level, but I would not kneel.
“Plankwell to Jaqueline!” I yelled at my wristcom. “Marines to my position!”
Something hit me. It felt like a bolt of electricity sizzling through my entire body, and I crumpled.
“I will have your badges when this is done!” Masa’s yelled as he crumpled next to me.
Whoever these locals were, they’d soon be receiving a lesson in threatening the Navy. True, I might die in the process, but my marines would retrieve my body, and then there’d be hell to pay.
“Sir,” Josefeen said. “Are you okay, sir?”
“I’m fine,” Karneticky said.
“No, not you.”
“Well, I’m the only Sir here. By the way, I think you’re supposed to drink this,” he said, handing her a glass. It looked like vodka. At least, it was clear like vodka.
“Oh, hell no.”
“It’s water,” the Canon told her. “Swish it around before you swallow.”
“I’m not doing anything you tell me to do, you old, dried-up kook.” In Josefeen’s imagination, they [[we]] were now up in the air, the couch floating over a green landscape of bushy trees and hilly pastures as far as the eye could see while little florescent clouds swirled hypnotically. Admiral Karneticky, meanwhile, hovered nearby, but he was not this same as before. He now had fangs, bat wings, and a long forked tail, and he seemed to be enjoying her confusion.
“What in the roots of Cleon’s hairy perineum did you give me?” she muttered.
I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you, the patterns in the clouds seemed to anwer in her own voice.
The Canon placed his hand gently over hers. “Though the ends seldom justify the means, and an eye for an eye is patently barbaric, the universe, amused by irony, has been known to take occasional liberties.”
Handcuffs clicked over my wrists.
“I want a Get Out of Jail card,” Josefeen said. “For a friend.”
“What friend is this?” Karneticky asked.
“The Captain.”
“Captain Plankwell? Is he in some sort of trouble?”
“Not as much as you’re going to be in.”
As they stared deeply into each other’s eyes, we both realized he’d seen the Canon on the prowl for new parishioners several times before, and so he knew how this game was played. The reason he permitted it, even on Navy personnel, was that he could learn all sorts of interesting tidbits if he asked the right question at the right moment, as a drugged mind was less guarded. But this answer of hers about himself being in trouble struck a nerve, and so Karneticky worried she might know something about what he’d done.
Momentarily in his mind’s eye, he was sitting down with two people, a bushy-bearded man in an IISS uniform and a young blonde dressed in business attire.
“I’m in trouble?”
Josefeen smiled at this bat-winged devil as kaleidoscopic rivers of color, flowing with the hues of iridescent hummingbirds and the phosphorescent glow of magical butterflies, pulsated though the ethereal vapors.
“How am I in trouble, Lieutenant?”
His words echoed in her head several times over, the moment flowing backwards and forwards like a winding river of meandering currents. Whatever the scam was, it had to do with the Exploration Pod. That’s why the IISS guy was in his thoughts.
“Don’t worry about Bim,” he’d said, smiling. “He’ll sign whatever we want, so long as he’s guaranteed to muster out with a Type-S.”
“But what about the chief engineer’s assessment?” the woman asked.
He shrugged. “We’ll overrule it.”
“You can do that?”
“So long as Plankwell doesn’t stick his nose into it,” the Admiral said. “But don’t worry. I’ll keep him busy.”
Kaz tried to warn me.
“Kaz,” Josefeen murmured, her reality becoming like a tapestry woven of symbol and metaphor, images of civilizations risen and fallen, glimpses of love and of loss, her entire life but a single thread in the grand design.
Kaz?” The Admiral asked. “You mean Kaz Remshaw?”
“After my performance at the Commerce Committee, they decided my services are no longer required,” Kaz’s voice ricocheted through my mind from somewhere up ahead.
The Admiral, no longer able to solicit any sort of response, retreated to the far side of the room and used his wristcom to reach out to someone in Naval Intelligence. Josefeen couldn’t hear what he said and would have been oblivious to it even were he shouting into her ear, but somehow, with our psionic link still established, I could sense he was asking about her. Who was she, and what was her connection to Kaz Remshaw?
The voice on the other end of the line told him Josefeen was an administrative aide assigned to the Jaqueline. I couldn’t tell if that was a lie or simply a misconception based on some cover identity Josefeen had created for herself. Whichever the case, the person Karneticky was talking to found no link between Josefeen and Kaz, except that they both attended my reception, which the Admiral already knew, however, they did discover that someone in Naval Intelligence had recently made database inquiries with respect to Kaz’s personal phone, and this turned up the call between Kaz and her Mom where they were discussing me. But, instead of assuming this was Josefeen’s doing, the Admiral assumed it was mine. Nonetheless, he couldn’t help but worry that she knew something.
“Get me every bit of video surveillance we have on Captain Plankwell as well as every bit we’ve got on this administrative aide of his.” His wristcom buzzed angrily with a priority call. What now? “I’ve got to go. Let me know when you’ve got it ready.” He hit a button, switching lines, and his eyes bugged out when someone told him what was happening down in VIP Parking.
Chapter 37
(I may add some sort of dream sequence to the beginning of this, but for now we’ll start with…)
The acrid smell of bleach filled my nostrils, and I reflexively blinked.
“Are you okay, sir?”
A marine with an INS Jaqueline patch on his shoulder leaned over me. He had some sort of scanner in one hand, and in the other was a small red tube of standard issue respiratory stimulant; i.e., smelling salts. Needless to say, my wrists and those of Captain Masa were longer cuffed, but as for the two guards who’d arrested us, they were now prone and cuffed to each other, hands to feet, which looked rather uncomfortable, not to mention kinky.
“Our perimeter is secure, Captain,” Force Commander Fa’Linto said from off to my left, “but the locals are starting to get rambunctious.” He was in full battle dress with a built-in FGMP.
“Come out with your hands up!” a loudspeaker blared somewhere off in the distance. “This is your last warning!”
“I don’t want to have to kill them all, sir, but if that’s your wish, just give the order.”
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "plankwell-pbem-s1" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to plankwell-pbem...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/plankwell-pbem-s1/CAO4nEqaSCCTjxmESmuv%3DAvM8ARJ_QiG4Z5Z2s1MtNc8RDprVDQ%40mail.gmail.com.
Conrad Rader
Jim Vassilakos
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1boTQichj3shUc0XPvSQqNYZJYR4JKTfZ/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=113687616933633107445&rtpof=true&sd=true
PLEASE REMEMBER to change "EDITING" to "SUGGESTING" (near the upper right-hand corner) before doing any edits.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/plankwell-pbem-s1/CA%2BfGiEta%3DjLH6rZPRPnA3jM0DXgta4QSR9hmWyZc14cdg%2BAcNw%40mail.gmail.com.
Conrad Rader
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/plankwell-pbem-s1/CAO4nEqa1NUc46U5x_%2BL%3Dq4HSyqcT7FmDbZzd97hBLoiJosAFmA%40mail.gmail.com.
Timothy Collinson
I always love reading the completed chapters and seeing it flow.
On Wed, Nov 15, 2023 at 7:45 AM Conrad Rader <conrad...@gmail.com> wrote:OOC: I just want to say that I really like this twist in the story. I'm glad it was non-lethals, but still.
I think people on advanced Imperial worlds forget exactly how ruthless the Navy is in protecting itself, and acting as the hand of the Emperor. Nobles owe fealty, but the Navy is an extension of the Emperor's will. So yeah, don't mess with the Navy.
Conrad Rader
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "plankwell-pbem-s1" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to plankwell-pbem...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/plankwell-pbem-s1/CADbx42WCQDwMWAe5JxxrYVUksjOP__LVQBqcs-2pMGc2Ft7oiA%40mail.gmail.com.