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Authors: Thomas DePrima
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for that purpose is well above the range of human hearing, the officer is never aware of the special locator signal.
On Space Command vessels, Space Marines provide all security duties. When the requested Marine arrived, Jenetta instructed him to escort the three women to her quarters and allow them entry. He would then station himself outside her door, a standard practice when non-military visitors were in secure areas of the ship. In this case the Marine would be within sight of the sentry at the Captain's door and the sentry posted at the entrance to the bridge corridor where the quarters of the senior officers are located. The three Nordakian women put their hand to their chest and bowed their heads to Jenetta before following the security man out into the corridor.
“Should I send some food to my quarters?” Jenetta asked of the minister.
“That would be appropriate. I would suggest a bowl of fresh fruit, if you have any aboard.”
“I'm sure that we do.” Jenetta activated her ring again and gave instructions to the officer's mess to send a bowl of fresh fruit to her quarters, enough for three female visitors.
Over the next few hours, Jenetta visited with each of the Nordakian delegation members, either singly or in a group, using Dakis with several who were not well versed in Amer, the defacto standard language in Galactic Alliance space, and acting as an interpreter in some cases between the Nordakians and the GA delegation members when the proper word wouldn't come. It was considered inappropriate to use mechanical translators at the diplomatic level, although they were commonly available and used on most other occasions. A mechanical device might be oblivious to certain language nuances which would be accurately conveyed by a live translator, and would definitely be unaware of subtle body language.
When the affair was winding down, Jenetta finally had a chance to speak privately with Gavin.
“Sir,” Jenetta said, her apprehension clearly noticeable in her voice, “the minister expects me to go down to the planet surface tonight and to stay in the royal palace until the ceremony. That's more than thirty days from now.”
“Yes, I know,” Gavin replied, as if it were common knowledge. “Space Command Headquarters has agreed to everything that Nordakia has requested. The Galactic Alliance Council desires to use this opportunity to help further cement our friendship with the ruling class of a member planet. They've given their blessings to everything that the Nordakians have requested.”
If Jenetta had been hoping that the Captain would intercede on her behalf, it was now clear that wouldn't happen. She would have to go down to the planet and stay in the palace.
The_Clones_of_Mawcett
Chapter Four
~ October 11th, 2269 ~
Following the incident in the underground complex on Mawcett, heretofore quiescent gauges in the chamber were roused to activity without further deed or action by the scientists. The wall-mounted instrument panels provided an ever expanding notification of inexplicable activity. Most dig site workers had from the start been restricted from entering the underground facility, and even the assistants weren't permitted down there except when one of the four doctors was carefully monitoring the gauges. Keewatin and his deputy dig supervisor, Vendian, took turns monitoring the gauges throughout the night.
“We must tell someone, Edward,” Doctor Barbara Huften said forcefully at dinner on this occasion. “We have no idea what's going on down there. It may be a countdown for some kind of doomsday weapon. As Dakshiku suggested, perhaps it's what killed the original inhabitants of this planet. We can't continue to keep this a secret. I get more nervous with each passing day. I can't even concentrate on my work anymore; I'm too frightened by what we might have unleashed.”
“Barbara,” Doctor Peterson responded calmly, “we've seen no evidence that this equipment poses any danger to us or anyone
On Space Command vessels, Space Marines provide all security duties. When the requested Marine arrived, Jenetta instructed him to escort the three women to her quarters and allow them entry. He would then station himself outside her door, a standard practice when non-military visitors were in secure areas of the ship. In this case the Marine would be within sight of the sentry at the Captain's door and the sentry posted at the entrance to the bridge corridor where the quarters of the senior officers are located. The three Nordakian women put their hand to their chest and bowed their heads to Jenetta before following the security man out into the corridor.
“Should I send some food to my quarters?” Jenetta asked of the minister.
“That would be appropriate. I would suggest a bowl of fresh fruit, if you have any aboard.”
“I'm sure that we do.” Jenetta activated her ring again and gave instructions to the officer's mess to send a bowl of fresh fruit to her quarters, enough for three female visitors.
Over the next few hours, Jenetta visited with each of the Nordakian delegation members, either singly or in a group, using Dakis with several who were not well versed in Amer, the defacto standard language in Galactic Alliance space, and acting as an interpreter in some cases between the Nordakians and the GA delegation members when the proper word wouldn't come. It was considered inappropriate to use mechanical translators at the diplomatic level, although they were commonly available and used on most other occasions. A mechanical device might be oblivious to certain language nuances which would be accurately conveyed by a live translator, and would definitely be unaware of subtle body language.
When the affair was winding down, Jenetta finally had a chance to speak privately with Gavin.
“Sir,” Jenetta said, her apprehension clearly noticeable in her voice, “the minister expects me to go down to the planet surface tonight and to stay in the royal palace until the ceremony. That's more than thirty days from now.”
“Yes, I know,” Gavin replied, as if it were common knowledge. “Space Command Headquarters has agreed to everything that Nordakia has requested. The Galactic Alliance Council desires to use this opportunity to help further cement our friendship with the ruling class of a member planet. They've given their blessings to everything that the Nordakians have requested.”
If Jenetta had been hoping that the Captain would intercede on her behalf, it was now clear that wouldn't happen. She would have to go down to the planet and stay in the palace.
The_Clones_of_Mawcett
Chapter Four
~ October 11th, 2269 ~
Following the incident in the underground complex on Mawcett, heretofore quiescent gauges in the chamber were roused to activity without further deed or action by the scientists. The wall-mounted instrument panels provided an ever expanding notification of inexplicable activity. Most dig site workers had from the start been restricted from entering the underground facility, and even the assistants weren't permitted down there except when one of the four doctors was carefully monitoring the gauges. Keewatin and his deputy dig supervisor, Vendian, took turns monitoring the gauges throughout the night.
“We must tell someone, Edward,” Doctor Barbara Huften said forcefully at dinner on this occasion. “We have no idea what's going on down there. It may be a countdown for some kind of doomsday weapon. As Dakshiku suggested, perhaps it's what killed the original inhabitants of this planet. We can't continue to keep this a secret. I get more nervous with each passing day. I can't even concentrate on my work anymore; I'm too frightened by what we might have unleashed.”
“Barbara,” Doctor Peterson responded calmly, “we've seen no evidence that this equipment poses any danger to us or anyone
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