Distant Reality Chapter Five
GRID Traveler Trinity: Distant Reality
Author: J Carrell Jones
Table of Content
Chapter 5
Betrayal is a very powerful and destructive weapon. Its use can do considerable damage to all those involved. But it’s most powerful when used in secrecy. The damage is everlasting.
Chapter 5
Sean sat still. His face was held in rigid contemplation. He wondered about Dr. Loggar and her findings. He wondered about Robin Spaarin. And he wondered about himself. Had he been wrong in finger pointing at Robin? After the trial he waited for her. He was a bit confused over the whole proceedings. It was amazing. Robin had disobeyed a direct order to fire on an unarmed jump ship. He and Robin had been junior officers on the Dreadnaught Hornet, a massive ship the size of a small asteroid. The Hornet had just moved into a suspected enemy position. Her Commander, Admiral Quail, ordered the entire area sprayed with missiles and artillery. Several hours later the Hornet moved deeper in. Robin had been on deck watch. It was three bells first Dogwatch. Sean was early – just making the rounds. He was next up. Sensors picked up the ship first. Communications picked up the mayday. The message said that an Ambassador and his staff had escaped enemy fire, but the ship was crippled badly. Life-support was failing. Robin called general alert and informed the Admiral. The Admiral said it was a trick and ordered her to destroy the ship. His orders were not subject to debate. Robin clicked off. She informed Sean that she was going to disobey the order. The Hornet had no reason to fire upon an unarmed crippled ship with important delegates onboard. Sean agreed, but since his watch was coming up the responsibility would fall on his shoulders. Change of duty was a funny thing within GRID Command. Robin received the order first, but since she openly disobeyed it, the responsibility to carry it out would fall on Sean’s shoulders. Instead, he also failed to obey those orders and further executed a plan of rescue, on his watch.
During the trial Admiral Quail had been relieved of space duty. He retired a month later. The Admiral had endangered the lives of civilians. He disregarded proper protocol and was irresponsible in the execution of his duties. Robin was seen as a hero. She received a slap on the wrist, a commendation and a promotion. Sean also received a commendation, but since the Admiral’s family had been deeply entrenched within GRID Command he was reassigned, suspended for a month. He did not inform the Admiral of the conspiracy, thus exacting a harsher punishment, later given command of the Johnson but denied promotion pending further investigation. Everyone was stunned. After the rescue, Sean had discovered evidence that the Admiral knew the Ambassador was in the area. Sean also discovered that the Ambassador had been pressuring the Admiral to retire years earlier for a debacle that jeopardized an entire system. The Admiral refused and threatened the Ambassador. All the evidence Sean uncovered had been tossed out and made classified. Robin’s defense team distanced themselves from his. There were rumors of secret meetings in the judge’s chamber.
After the trial and fallout, Robin informed Sean that she would be moving on. She thanked him for a great time but that was all it was. She had her eye on something bigger, something better. Her phallic symbol was advancement. For a long time Sean had been confused. He figured she would eventually come around to his way of thinking. He was firm in his convictions. He knew he was right. Robin would realize the mistake she had made when she dumped him. Sean waited. Counting off the days, counting off the weeks, then, in frustratingly painful realization, he counted off the months. The pain and frustration didn’t subside as a year went by, then another, and another. The memory just got easier to deal with. Only in his moments of lapse did the pain come back.
The Top Deck door opened, and Robin walked in.
Sean looked over and grudgingly got up. “All is well, Captain.” He reported.
Robin looked around. Several stares quickly shifted back to control stations. Maybe I’ll be accepted, someday. Robin thought. “Very well, number one.” She immediately regretted saying it. Sean had been Commander of the Johnson for years. The insult would sting for a while. Someday seemed like forever now.
Sean cringed, but he locked his gaze on Robin. ‘You bitch!’ was his only thought.
Robin ignored his discomfort and sat in the command chair. Sean was about to sit when Robin broke the silence. “Commander, Dr. Loggar requested that someone give her some guidance in understanding GRID traveling.” Robin paused, waiting to see if Sean would pick up on the hint. He didn’t, or wouldn’t show that he did. “Please assist her in whatever she needs.”
Sean gritted his teeth. He spoke is a slow and measured tone. “Am I relieved from standing duties?”
Robin reflected. “Yes, Commander Dawn may temporarily perform number one duties. I want you to personally see to her needs, she --”
“Begging the Captain’s pardon,” Sean started with that same slow measured tone, “but shouldn’t a protocol officer be assigned to her?”
“Any other guest, yes. For Dr. Loggar, no. You will assist her. I told her that you will be calling on her in about three hours.
Beside, this is a good excuse to find out why she asked for you specifically.”
Sean sat in the number one chair and thought about it. “Very well, Captain.”
Robin called over her shoulder, “Is the shuttle cleared?”
“Yes, ma’am” came a voice from behind.
“Mr. Kirkland, please give the Gallant’s captain my compliments.”
Kirkland typed on his keyboard and listened to his ear comm.
“Message sent, ma’am.”
“Thank you,” then, “Mr. Foster.”
“Ready, ma’am.”
“Good, you have the Doctor’s coordinates?”
Mr. Foster nodded.
“Your staff has been instructed on how we are to proceed?”
“Yes, ma’am.” The reply was curt and formal.
Robin punched the intercom button. “Now hear this, now hear this, prepare for long jumps. Prepare for long jumps. Trank will not be needed.” She pushed another button. “Dr. Loggar?”
After a few seconds pause, “Yes? Is that you Captain?”
“Yes, it is. Please make yourself very comfortable. Each jump is extremely bumpy and rough the first hour.”
“Thank you, Captain. I shall.”
“Since you’ve never experienced long jumps, I’ll leave a transmit only comm. to your room. If you get tired of listening, just ask the computer to disconnect.”
“Thanks again, Captain, I do appreciate it.”
Robin tapped out a few commands on the Command CRT. She turned her attention back to command. “Mr. Foster, please proceed.”
Foster punched in several sequences of keys. “Aye, aye, ma’am. Coordinates locked in, computer has ‘a confirm’ panel is green, condition is green.”
Sean typed out a command on his CRT. “Confirmed, ship status is green, condition is green. Ship is ready Captain.”
Robin said, “Mr. Foster, bring Johnson along path. Start when ready.”
“Aye, Aye, ma’am. Johnson is along path. Probe launch, three seconds. Stand-by.”
The Johnson’s main engines pulsed. The GRID ship banked away and headed off into the void. A small round object emerged from the hindquarter of the ship. It glowed with intense brightness not seen by mortal eyes. The hulking vessel pointing away from it would respond to the radiate energy it produced, energy creating a gravity wave strong enough for the vessel to surf its way into the under-folds of space and time. The Johnson’s engines pulsed brightly. The ship disappeared into the under-folds of the space-time continuum and transcended distances too incredible to comprehend, too far to measure with mortal life spans.