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Authors: DENNIS MILLER
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they possibly gain? In the meantime, we have a little less than three weeks before we hit the wormhole, so I’m going to try to get as much information out of our ghost as I can. I’ll keep you up to date, but don’t let on you know anything to anybody.”
Next day, Duarte was sitting alone in the galley, idly picking her way through her tablet form of lunch. She was still debating the question of reporting Kamul’s break-in of Andretta’s accommodation to the Commander.
“Penny for them?”
She looked up, quickly, feeling a little guilty as though the person standing in front of her had read her thoughts: it was Commander Rachmel and her smile suggested that she had not read her thoughts.
“Mind if I join you?”
Duarte felt momentarily uncomfortable at being taken unawares, but decided this was a good opportunity to voice her concerns. “No, not at all, please do.”
Rachmel sat opposite and said “That was some deep concentration you had going on there; I was standing in front of you for at least two minutes before I disturbed you; anything you’d like to discuss?”
Uncertainly, Duarte said “Well, I was just wondering; you have flown many missions, with lots of different crews.”
Rachmel waited in case there was to be a question; when it was obvious that Duarte had only required verification to her statement, she replied “Yes, I’ve flown with a few crews.”
“In all your missions were you ever with a crew where any of them were acting a little…,” she paused and appeared to be struggling to find the right word, “…eccentric, or off centre?”
Rachmels mind leapt into overdrive; this was the second time that she had been asked almost the same question in as many days and by as many people. Leaning back in her seat she replied “I can’t really say I’ve noticed anything as strong as that, although I have seen some peoples’ moods change fairly dramatically, depending on the situation, but that is quite normal in our line of work; after all, we sometimes find ourselves in situations that no human being has ever faced before. Why do you ask?”
Duarte paused before she spoke, “Is there something I ought to know about this mission that was not included in my briefings?”
Rachmel met her second officers’ steady gaze, knowing that she was watching for the slightest expression that might give credence to her doubts.
“I understand your concern, as I too feel a little out of place. This is no ordinary milk run mission; it is a leap into the unknown; we are the first human beings ever to enter a wormhole and to, hopefully, observe an alien species; ours is a venture that has only existed in people’s imagination until now. And as if that were not enough we have an Internal Administrator on board; it’s no wonder everyone is feeling a little edgy. Believe me, once we are through the other side of the wormhole and we begin our observations we shall be too busy to worry about other peoples’ idiosyncrasies and by that time the Administrator will be recognised as just another member of the crew.”
“Yes, I understand that, but I just can’t help wondering why a civilian company would approach the Agency; why would they not use one of their own people?”
Rachmels’ alarm bells were beginning to jangle; Duarte was obviously more deeply disturbed by Andretta’s presence than anyone else; could her second officer be one of Andretta’s targets? After all, she was the one who had manoeuvred Duarte into her present position; why was that? She had already decided that Andretta must be confronted, but in the meantime she had to allay any fears that Duarte may have about being suspected.
Putting on her best confident smile she replied “Perhaps none of their people hold a pilot’s certificate, as do all Bureau agents, which is a minimum requirement for all crew operating on a Missions
Next day, Duarte was sitting alone in the galley, idly picking her way through her tablet form of lunch. She was still debating the question of reporting Kamul’s break-in of Andretta’s accommodation to the Commander.
“Penny for them?”
She looked up, quickly, feeling a little guilty as though the person standing in front of her had read her thoughts: it was Commander Rachmel and her smile suggested that she had not read her thoughts.
“Mind if I join you?”
Duarte felt momentarily uncomfortable at being taken unawares, but decided this was a good opportunity to voice her concerns. “No, not at all, please do.”
Rachmel sat opposite and said “That was some deep concentration you had going on there; I was standing in front of you for at least two minutes before I disturbed you; anything you’d like to discuss?”
Uncertainly, Duarte said “Well, I was just wondering; you have flown many missions, with lots of different crews.”
Rachmel waited in case there was to be a question; when it was obvious that Duarte had only required verification to her statement, she replied “Yes, I’ve flown with a few crews.”
“In all your missions were you ever with a crew where any of them were acting a little…,” she paused and appeared to be struggling to find the right word, “…eccentric, or off centre?”
Rachmels mind leapt into overdrive; this was the second time that she had been asked almost the same question in as many days and by as many people. Leaning back in her seat she replied “I can’t really say I’ve noticed anything as strong as that, although I have seen some peoples’ moods change fairly dramatically, depending on the situation, but that is quite normal in our line of work; after all, we sometimes find ourselves in situations that no human being has ever faced before. Why do you ask?”
Duarte paused before she spoke, “Is there something I ought to know about this mission that was not included in my briefings?”
Rachmel met her second officers’ steady gaze, knowing that she was watching for the slightest expression that might give credence to her doubts.
“I understand your concern, as I too feel a little out of place. This is no ordinary milk run mission; it is a leap into the unknown; we are the first human beings ever to enter a wormhole and to, hopefully, observe an alien species; ours is a venture that has only existed in people’s imagination until now. And as if that were not enough we have an Internal Administrator on board; it’s no wonder everyone is feeling a little edgy. Believe me, once we are through the other side of the wormhole and we begin our observations we shall be too busy to worry about other peoples’ idiosyncrasies and by that time the Administrator will be recognised as just another member of the crew.”
“Yes, I understand that, but I just can’t help wondering why a civilian company would approach the Agency; why would they not use one of their own people?”
Rachmels’ alarm bells were beginning to jangle; Duarte was obviously more deeply disturbed by Andretta’s presence than anyone else; could her second officer be one of Andretta’s targets? After all, she was the one who had manoeuvred Duarte into her present position; why was that? She had already decided that Andretta must be confronted, but in the meantime she had to allay any fears that Duarte may have about being suspected.
Putting on her best confident smile she replied “Perhaps none of their people hold a pilot’s certificate, as do all Bureau agents, which is a minimum requirement for all crew operating on a Missions
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