Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Wayne is feeling very tired. They have been asking him questions for what seemed like two days. First on the transfer station, and after a ride to the surface, here in a security police station.

“What’s your name?” The man in the black suit with a dirty tie asked. He was the third interrogator, the second here.

“I told you, John Smith.”

“How did you get to the transfer station?”

“In a space suit, like I told you.”

“What is your partner’s name?”

“John Doe, and I ain’t telling you shit until I see him.”

“How did you get into orbit?”

“On a rocket sled, it’s out there some where.”

“You didn’t climb out of the gravity well in a rocket sled, how did you get into orbit?”

“How is my friend? Is he ok?

“If you tell me his name, I will put in a call to check on him.”

“Oh go to hell.”

Wayne folds his hands onto the table, and puts his forehead down onto his hands.”

A moment later, two men enter the room, and flash a badge at his interrogator.

“We will take the prisoner.”

“You can have him. He won’t tell me anything.”

“That’s right, he didn’t tell you anything. Be sure your report says that.”

“Yes sir.”

Alex awoke slowly, the smell of sulfur in his nose. He blinked a few times, trying to get his eyes to adjust to the bright light. One look at the room confirmed what his nose had already told him, he was on shit-hole. The medical room was too large to be on a ship, or even on the transfer station.

Lifting his head a little, he saw two security police at either side of the door, one of the policemen picked up a phone on the wall and spoke into it. Within a minute, a doctor enters the room.

“You’re awake, very good.”

The doctor pulls out a pocket flash light, and shines it into Alex’s eyes.

“How long have I been out?”

“You were brought into the hospital last night, about twelve hours ago. What’s your name?”

“I’m not sure I should answer that.”

“Why not?”

“Top secret. You can call me John, John Doe.”

“What a surprise, The very name we have you entered as. How are you feeling John?”

“I have a headache.”

“Yes, I imagine you do. Hungry?”

“Starving, and I really need to take a piss.”

“I’ll have a nurse help you to the rest room.”

The doctor walks to the door and softly tells the guards something, too softly for Alex to hear.

Almost immediately a male nurse enters and helps Alex out of bed, and follows him to the rest room, pushing the IV pole with his hand.

Wayne awoke, and was disoriented for a moment, and then he remembered being brought to this tiny cell. Foods in easy open bags were on the tiny desk, next to the toilet. He got up from the cot, and walked to the sink to splash some water on his face. He wondered how long he had slept, and how long before they came for him. He decided he had better eat while he had the chance.

After a meal, and having the IV removed, Alex was feeling much better. That’s when a man in a dark suit entered the room.

“I am inspector Clustrom. I am here to ask you a few questions.”

“Nice to meet you inspector.”

“I understand you’re on a top secret mission, is that right?”

“I can’t talk to just anybody, it might have grave consequences.”

“Who can you talk to?”

“Governor Sather.”

“You mean former governor Sather?”

Alex flushed, knowing he had let out his first slip.

“Yeah, that’s what I meant.”

“And why is that?”

“He will put me in touch with the organization.”

“And what makes you think I’m not a part of that organization?”

“Maybe you are, but I don’t know that.”

The inspector pulls out his mini-comp, and starts reading what’s on the screen.

“What’s your name?”

“John Doe.”

“What’s your partner’s name?”

Alex had to think fast, and said “Look, I understand you have to ask me these questions. Pretend for a moment, and an official without a name walks in here and tells you to forget everything you have seen and heard, and to destroy all files pertaining to my being here. That’s who I need to talk to.”

The inspector puts his mini-comp away.

“Be careful what you wish for Mr. Doe. Have a good day.”

With that, the inspector leaves the room, Leaving Alex feeling hopeful.

 

“Mister Smith, are you ready to answer some questions?” A voice outside Wayne’s door asks.

“Do I have a choice?”

“No.”

The door opens, and three men wait for him. They lead him down the hall and into a small interrogation room.

“My name is Bruce Cuennen, you want some coffee?”

“Yes please.”

One of the other men leaves the room to get it.

“I’m not going to tell you anything until I see my buddy.”

 

Two men enter Alex’s room, wearing dark suits and glasses. They approach Alex, and order him to get out of bed.

Alex complies, and they hand cuff him, and then pull a hood over his head, and roughly lead him away.

“Where are you taking me?” Alex demands.

“Shut up. Say nothing.”

Alex walks as directed, and is lead to a waiting vehicle. As soon as they are aboard, the car pulls away.

“Okay, who are you?” Alex asks.

The men in the car do not answer.

“Fair enough.” Alex thinks.

Ten minutes or so later the car stops, and Alex is pulled out of the car, and led away. While not sure, Alex thinks they passed four different doorways. He is thrust into a chair, one without any padding. The hood is removed, and Alex blinks in the light. Tom Thrush smiles, as he cocks his arm and hits Alex on the side of the jaw with a wicked right hook.

“John Doe is it?”

Alex tries to answer, but just spits blood, his head spinning; Tom was supposed to have died in an explosion.

“Never thought you would see me again, did you!”

Tom swings again with his left hand, hitting Alex hard again.

“Let me introduce you boys to Lieutenant Alex Chissel, an officer in the Space Corps. The man who rooted out my team, and sent in the death squads.”

The two casually dressed men by the door chuckle. Alex scans the mostly bare room, white walls, one table, two chairs, one of which he is sitting in. Cameras in every corner of the room.

“Wait a minute,” Alex spits out.

“A minute, I have all day to beat the truth outta you. But first, I really ought to tape my knuckles. Joey, go get me some medical tape.”

The man to the right of the door opens it and exits the room.

“I will tell you the truth, without the beating.”

“Yeah, sure ya will. But I have to be sure, hence the beating.”

“First things first, I’m no longer in the space corps, I was drummed out after…”

“Just so you know; we checked your body for tracking devices before we brought you here. Your buddies on the Behemoth won’t be coming to rescue you.”

“Check the records, I have been a AMC employee for the last five years, working the roids.”

“Like the records can’t be tampered with? Do you know where you are?”

“No”

“Welcome to the D.N.E., that stands for does not exist, officially. Not in the records. You see what the records prove?”

The door opens, and the man at the door talks softly a moment before saying “Bruce wants to talk with you a minute.”

Tom exits the room, leaving Alex alone with the guard.

“What happened to the computer I had with me when I was EVA?”

 

In the hallway, Bruce says “Wayne says he won’t talk until he see’s Chissel. I tend to believe he won’t, after reading the police reports.”

“How do you know what his name is?” Tom asks.

“Found his records in the off world data base. He is a miner from the roids.”

“You’re shitting me.”

“What do you say to letting my boy see your’s a second?”

“Okay, sure. But only for a second.”

Tom re-enters the room, and the guard says “He’s asking about the computer.”

“That piece of shit he had strapped to his ass? The lab boys said that comp is older than anything used by the first colonist here.”

The other guard returns, and tosses Tom a roll of medical tape.

“Clean the blood off him. We have company coming.”

Two minutes pass, and then Wayne is escorted into the room.

“Hi Wayne,” Alex says, trying to give him a smile.

“Are you ok?” Wayne asks.

“Yeah, it’s ok to tell these guys everything.”

“Okay, you saw em, out you go.” Tom says, pushing Wayne back out the door.

The guard closes the door after all the others have left. Tom starts to tape his knuckles, with the help of one of his guards.

“Look, I am giving you jump technology!”

“With that old piece of shit computer?”

“Yes, it has unencrypted code on it. That code could have jumped the lucky dragon!”

Tom tests his right hand by punching his left hand.

“I found the lost scout ship. You know, the ten Dirt sent to explore, and one was lost?”

“Yeah, I’m listening.” Tom says with a sneer on his face.

“Wayne and I left it in space, so Space Corps wouldn’t know we found it.”

“Uh huh.”

“The jump coil is not encased. Your scientist’s can study it, intact!”

“Sure, all we need to do is go get it, hmmm?”

Tom tries out his left with a loud smack.

Wayne had noticed Alex’s split lip, and was glad Bruce had not resorted to such tactics.

“I’m not any good at this secret stuff. I’m just a pilot. I wasn’t sure if I could talk openly to you. Alex says it’s okay to talk, so what do you want to know?”

“How did you get into orbit?”

“Alex and I jumped into the system in the scout ship we found. The software on that old computer, the one we brought with us, made us take three jumps, each jump getting us closer. Alex said the software was pretty crude. We left the ship in a high solar orbit. I built a rocket sled; we rode that until the fuel ran out. Then we had to use our jet packs.”

Bruce works his jaw a few seconds.” You found a ship?”

“Yeah, remember your history lessons? Dirt sent out ten ships to explore the most likely star systems. One of them never returned. We found it in the roids. Alex found it really. We fixed it up; it was in rough shape, and out of fuel.”

“The computer you brought with you has jump software on it?”

“Yes. It’s pretty crude I guess.”

“The computer, or the software?”

“Both!” Wayne bellows out with a laugh.

Bruce leaves the room to call the computer lab on a phone in the hallway.

“Computer lab, Glenn here.”

“Have you powered up that computer, the one our guests brought with them?”

“No, we have been tracing the serial number. AMC records from the period state this computer was sold to the military. It was the very first optic logic system in mass production, and we…”

“Power it up. Tell me if it has any jump software installed.”

“Jump, as in space jump?”

“Yes! Treat that computer as if it were the finest crystal and worth a million credits.”

“Yes sir, we will get right on it.”

Bruce hangs up, and punches another number.

“I’m sorry to bother you councilman, but we may have a huge breakthrough here.”

Alex thought his ribs were broken, it hurt to breath. He had been reduced to answering with a grunted yes or no; he had no air for anything else. The door opened, and a group of men in expensive suits entered the room.

“You three, out.”

“Yes councilman Hamel,” a sweaty Tom Thrush says, as he makes his way out of the room.

“I’m sorry Mister Chissel, not a very warm welcome was it.”

Alex coughs, pain ripping around his chest.

“Is what you said about giving us jump technology true?”

“Yes.”

“I am going to give you the benefit of the doubt. However, should you be found to be lying, what you went through today will seem like a gentle massage. Do you understand?”

Alex closes his eyes, and nods yes.

“Get him some medical attention.”

Alex hears the men walk into the hall way.

“You don’t believe him do you?” Tom Thrush says.

“We have to proceed as if we do,” councilman Hamel says.

“It’s a plot, to get the D.N.E. to expose itself.”

“Perhaps it is. We shall proceed cautiously.”

“Don’t you see it’s the golden carrot? They know we want jump tech!”

“That will be enough, agent Thrush. Do not presume me to be an idiot. Compare notes with Bruce; see if their stories fall apart.”

Tom knew better than to continue to argue with Hamel, those who cross him end up dead. But he felt in his gut that Space Corps had set this trap.

“Yes sir and I will find the lies in their story.”

 

Councilman Hamel and his entourage enter the computer lab, and approach Glenn.

“What have we learned?” asks councilman Hamel.

“We have a very old computer, it is still operational. Getting a data dump has been difficult because all the media is obsolete. We looked up the specs and jury-rigged a serial cable to interface with our system. The software interface looked very simple, crude even, but the underlying code is very complex. It may be awhile before I understand it all.”

“Do you think it’s legit?”

“It could be; I don’t know for sure.

“Keep on it. Make it a top priority.”

Tom watched the video of Wayne’s interrogation until Bruce entered the office.

“I’ve seen some of your interview.” Tom says.

“What do you think?”

“I think it’s a bullshit trap.”

“The passive lie detector says Wayne believes what he is saying.”

“Lie detectors can be beaten. A good agent is trained to beat them.”

“Wayne has agreed to take a full polygraph.”

“What ever that’s worth, it proves nothing.”

“Then let’s sit down and compare notes, and see if we can tear apart their story.”

“I didn’t take notes.”

“Have the computer give you a transcript.”

The next day Bruce meets Alex, and escorts him to an interrogation room.

“I’ll be handling your debriefing from here on.”

“Tom’s hands hurt too much today?” Alex rasps out.

“The councilman wanted me to take over.”

“Okay, shoot.”

“As a former Space Corps officer, you have inside knowledge, are you willing to share what you know with us?”

“Yes”

“Do we have spies here on shit hole?”

“Not really my department, but when I was assigned to the Behemoth, I was told intel knew something was up, but they really had no idea what happened to the Lucky Dragon; so yes, I think you do have spies here.”

“If the intel was incomplete, how did you learn what happened?”

“Space Corps has a series of spy satellites. They are very small and hard to detect. As soon as the Behemoth jumped in we accessed them, and saw the whole incident.”

Bruce had to think a moment about the implication of satellites.

“Did the satellites see you arrive?”

“I put the scout outside the ring, but our EVA to the transfer station would have been recorded. I am hoping we were too small for anyone to care to check it out.”

“How many ships like the Behemoth does space corps have?”

Alex starts to laugh, then with a grimace moves his arm to his ribs.

“Just the one. Its kind of a test bed. Every weapon they have ever dreamed up was added and tested. Fighters, missiles, lasers of every kind, particle beams, guns, cannons you name it, it’s in there. Only the very successful systems are used in the rest of the fleet.”

“How many ships does space corps have?”

“Well, it’s been five years…or is it six since I was here with the Behemoth, so I don’t know what they have done since then, but at that time…”

“Of course he said we had spies here, but what did he give you really?” Tom argued “The best way to lie is to give some truth mixed in. In the end, did he give you any names? places to look? methods of contact? NO!”

“He’s a navigator, why would he know all that. He gave us the satellites.” Bruce argues back.

“And has anyone seen one of them? Even when we know where to look, NO!”

“He said they were in a very high orbit, and they are very small and hard to detect.”

“So now he has us hiding from invisible eyes.”

“I believe they are up there. It makes sense that they would be watching us.”

“He’s got you suckered in.”

The six councilmen enter the computer lab, and approach Glenn.

“What have you learned?” asks councilman Hamel.

“As near as I can tell, the code calculates amperage and timing through a series of coils, based on the distance value entered. The electrician I had take a look at it said it reminds him of three phase motor wiring, sort of.”

“Is it real? Does it work?”

“Maybe, no way to tell without trying it.”

“Thank you, this way gentlemen, we have chairs waiting behind the glass in the interrogation room.”

Alex and Wayne are brought into the interrogation room together; the first time they have seen each other in three days. Tom and Bruce are seated, their backs to the mirrored glass. Two men guard the door, Alex and Wayne forced to stand in the middle of the room.

“Agent Tom Thrush, give the council your opinion.”

Tom looks up from the papers in front of him, and glares at Alex. “I believe this is a trap set by Space Corps to flush out the DNE. They knew our upper leadership was not rounded up in the Lucky Dragon incident; and are on a fishing expedition to see who they can catch. I recommend we terminate these two forthwith.”

“Agent Bruce Cuennen, give the council your opinion.”

Bruce gets up, and walks out to Alex and Wayne.

“I believe these two men are telling the truth, and we will soon be on our way to fulfilling the DNE’s mission. If we fail to follow up on this jump technology, we may as well disband.”

“There you have it gentlemen; Two opposing opinions,” says councilman Hamel in the sound proof room behind the glass.

“Do we take the bait and the risk?”

“Chissel can’t prove much, and has no idea where he is. I say we take the chance; if space corps couldn’t find us the first time, they won’t find us now,”

says councilmen Jacobbs.

“Are we all agreed?” asks councilman Hamel

All six heads nod affirmative.

The microphone clicks back on.

“It is the council’s decision to proceed. Are you willing to bring us to the scout ship Mr. Chissel, and prove it can jump?”
“I am.”

“Then we will proceed immediately.

Tom jumps out of his seat and says “May I suggest that since Bruce Cuennen believes in these men, that he should be the one to put his neck on the line.”

Bruce shoots Tom an icy look.

“Let it be so.”

“And, may I recommend we hold Wayne planet-side until such a time as the jump tech is proven?” Tom says.

“Of course.”