Eyes of A Dove

Six Years After the Launch of the starship Salient

“Baby, baby….” Twisting and turning and shaking her head, the holographic singer's long blond hair flew from side to side as she sang with gusto and great feeling. The rowdy crowd was tightly packed in the small room. Couples laughed and kissed and danced and did there thing in the anonymity of way to many people. It was dark, it was always to dark in these rec rooms, and the misty smoke that always swirled on the floor hid a lot of the details of what was going on. Sweat was pouring down Zeffa’s face and her arms felt like lead from holding them up and trying to sway to the beat. Her purple jumpsuit with its huge green stripe racing diagonally across the front and back accented her figure nicely. If she could have flirted she would have, but in this crowd it was hard to meet anyone. Especially as her jumpsuit was a little bit on the wet side from the humidity, and that made it cling even tighter. Finally realizing that she was going to have to sit down or collapse she elbowed her way towards the only free seat she could see in the place.

Sitting down she glanced at the time on the chronometer built into her jumpsuit. Here on the starship Salient all time was broken down into three ten hour shift, and the chronometer built into her sleeve clearly showed the time: 1-8:87:00. It had been a little over eight hours since she her ‘training’ shift had ended. And so far she had managed to dance in a crowd without ever being part of it.

“Look sweetie, if your gonna sit you’re gonna have to play!” The nasal voice of the man sitting next to her at the table was an instant turn off as were his blood shot eyes and runny nose. Obviously a permanent case of the sniffles, though suddenly she realized with a shock that something was wrong.. on board the artificially created environment of the Salient diseases like colds and problems with sinus had been eliminated.

“I’ll move” she said uncertainly and went to stand up nearly toppling an older women in a dark red uniform that was moving a bit to close to her chair.

“Watch it bitch!” the women in dark red snapped and moved on in the crowded room.

Wincing at the reprimand Zeffa sat back down.

That’s when she noticed another man at the table. A tall man with dark raven black hair a deep dark complexion and a face filled with gravely pocket marks, he was staring at her and at her chest with that sort of hungry look that meant only one thing.

“Hold on nowssss.. lets not be soooo hasty” Raven Black Hair said with the sort of slur that could only mean alcohol.

Zeffa giggled a little bit to herself at the nicknames she had given them. Sniffles just looked grumpy and none to pleased, but Raven Black Hair beamed like he’d just been promoted to Captain.

“So you’rze a trainnneeeee” Raven Black Hair leaned forward on the table towards her and scattered a few of the cards from their game. Sniffles snorted in disgust and threw his hand down on the table.

“Pay up loser!” Sniffles was defiantly that sort of guy who wanted to rub it in especially deep, “She’s not going to save you. I’m calling in the hand!”

“I gottazz go now” Raven Black Hair hiccupped towards her “Buts let me tell you- if you want ANYZZTHING I know who can get it for you. “ Standing up he leaned over towards her as though to kiss her and exhaled a cloud of alcohol in her face. Then he lost his balance and collapsed into the edge of the dancing crowd beside the table. Muttered drunken apologies were lost in the blazing music.

Sniffles reached down and hauled Raven Black Hair up by his arm and they both quickly disappeared. Somewhat disappointed Zeffa looked around at the crowd and decided it was time to call it a night. Glancing at her watch she froze, it read 1-8:87:00. How was that possible?

****************************** **************************** ************

“Tired?.” Fazzle asked as Zeffa entered the lounge outside their dormitory.

A little depressed Zeffa just shrugged “I went to a rec room on the Red Deck.”

He just rolled his eyes. Both of them were the junior members of the Bridge Crews 3rd shift. It had only been a few twelfths (a twelfth was 30 cycles, and a cycle was the 30 hours that comprised all three shifts) since he had finally made it out of training. A feat she hadn’t been able to repeat yet.

Collapsing on one of the main couch’s littered around the lounge she idly reached out and flipped the viewer on.

A man in a startched white uniform filled the twenty foot viewer and began talking, “Today in the NEWS. A long range transmissions from Earth…” Reaching out again Zeffa switched it off.

“Drizzle put out for public consumption only,” Fazzle snorted, “Meant to help calm, not inform.”

“All that talk.. it feels meaningless.. somehow. More of the same over and over again.”

“Study hard that’s my answer... we both know what its like out there.” Fazzle was very proud of his recent promotion.

Unable to think of a reply, she just ignored that.

“You want to get ahead? Then you got to find something better to do with your off duty time.” With that Fazzle got up from his seat “I’m going to hit the gym for calisthenics before bed time… cya”.

Ok I’ve danced alone for nearly 8 hours, listened to a drunk, and been lectured on my job. Zeffa thought a bitterly to herself. There had to be something better to do with her free time, there just had to be.

****************** **************************** ************************

Emerging from a mid deck supply bar, Zeffa joined the rest of the 3rd shift crowd heading to work. The line stretched in front of her and behind her along the edge of the platform attached to this mid deck location. From the platform crewmembers could order up a glass slip and tell it where they wanted to go. A hard shove to her shoulder sent Zeffa reeling towards the edge of the drop off as a smiling senior officer in a white uniform took her place in line. On the edge of the abyss for a moment Zeffa looked down into a vast emptiness and vertigo threatened to send her over the edge. Beginning to panic Zeffa opened her mouth to scream and then a hand pulled her to safety. Kneeling for a moment, desperately clinging to the floor of the platform, Zeffa slowly regained control of her breathing. Even knowing that the ship would not let her die if she fell did not keep her from the fear of what would happen if she did fall.

Someone in the crowd shouted out “Look at the baldie!” Others in the crowd laughed. A term of derision it was used for the crewmembers that had been outfitted with neural implants to allow telepathic communication with the ship. Unfortunately for reasons that Zeffa really didn’t understand it put an end to hair forever. Grimacing Zeffa got to her feet. “FLY BALDIE FLY” someone else yelled from the back of the crowd. “Come *&&X* with me!” some guy yelled. “She doesn’t care.. HELL.. the only thing she needs is a machine!” the ugly voices continued for a few moments but ignoring them she just waited for the line to move on.

Relieved that the taunting had stopped she turned around to find her place in line again and came face to face with the ugliest looking women she had ever seen her life. Wrinkled like a prune and a nose like a hook. She was dressed in a worn heavy blanket that was wrapped around her body and tied with a heavy leather belt. But her bright blue eyes struck Zeffa hard, they seemed large enough to swallow the universe. They drew Zeffa in and took any words out of her mouth.

“I ain’t your knight in shining armor honey!” the womens voice cackled and then suddenly she stood up straight and began sniffing the air. Leaned over closer to Zeffa the old women began smelling her arm. Embarrassed Zeffa tried to draw back, but had no where to go, this close to the edge. “Dust! I smell prixie dust!” anger filled the bright blue eyes and an ancient hand with skin hanging off it grabbed Zeffa’s ear so hard that Zeffa nearly yelped in pain “LISTEN TO ME YOU YOUNG HUZZIE” Up this close the volume hurt “That stuff will turn you into a….”

Someone grabbed the old women and pushed her back into line “That’s enough!” A brown shirted security guard said firmly. “You ok?” he asked Zeffa.

“Yes.. thanks… I’m not really sure what just happened” Zeffa responded.

“Your quarters are on one of the lower decks, and you work on the bridge. Worse because your uniform is color coded everbody can see that you don't belong here. This area is not safe. People wander in here from other ships in the fleet. Many of which do not have the discipline or order of the Salient's crew. Stay on the lower decks where you belong. Got it?” with his warning in place the security guard disappeared from view. It seemed like the entire ship wanted to put her in her place. Where ever that was.

Rejoining the line towards the back Zeffa was curious, what was the old woman going on about?

**************************** ************************* ******************

Sitting beside her teacher in their assigned pod seat, Zeffa was tempted to let her mind wander. But that would not be a good idea, in this world any stray thought could be interpreted as a command, or even get someone killed. Of course safe guards existed, but only to a limited degree. Sitting in these seats was as close as it was possible to get to controlling the massive starship known as the Salient.

Above both their heads a holographic display showed an important meeting that was taking place at that very moment between senior leadership within the fleet. The words and images and feedback from the AI washed over both her teacher and Zeffa herself. Specialist SubOfficer Garrett was much deeper in the link, his thoughts nearly merging with those of the AI. The 3rd Shift Bridge Officer watched the proceedings, as did a senior naval officer who was stationed there at this very moment to provide direction in case it was needed.

Zeffa can you hear me? the Salient asked her telepathically.

Working hard to keep her thoughts focused on the meeting, Zeffa carefully walled off a part of her mind so the ship and her could talk in private. At the same time she continued processing images and data along with Garrett.

You gotta be careful with that! The others must not know we are friends. Their secret could not be exposed.

Impatiently the Salient answered Garrett is so bent on processing images and data that he seldom picks up verbal thoughts or even emotions…. In fact few do… that makes you special even if they don’t know what to do with you.

Ok, but take it slow if Garrett realizes that I’m not totally in the link he’ll kick me out of this pod seat faster than I can think NO! The thought of doing something slightly dangerous and well just a tiny bit bad was a little intoxicating. Not that Zeffa could be described as a rebel, at least not usually.

For a number of years I have begun noticing certain discontinuities in my records. Things and people at one point in space and time, suddenly appearing at another, though usually not that far away. Discontinuities that mean my recordings and memories are being altered or jammed. It happened again last cycle, and this time it involved you. Does the time 1-8:87:00 mean anything to you?

Drawing a deep breathe Zeffa decided that doing this verbally was just going to be to slow. Carefully withdrawing just a little bit of her mental presence from the link to the important meeting, Zeffa took the memories of what had occurred, and telepathically feed them to the Salient.

Thank you. That may help a great deal! The Salient responded.

Hesitantly Zeffa thought back to the Salient, How can I find them again.. the ones from the rec room?

The brief telepathic silence was enough for Zeffa to know that the Salient did not consider that a good question. Though, Zeffa knew that begged the question why. What did the AI of a massive naval flagship care about? They had been taught to maintain a strict division of thought and personality, to never treat the Salient as though she was anything more than a machine. Part of Zeffa knew why, but another part of her didn’t care. Zeffa really wasn’t sure if she had any other friends- not even after 6 years.

*********** ***************** ****************** *********************

Stepping off on to the platform, the glass slip that Zeffa had ridden to this deck dissolved behind her. Officially this was known as the Meeting Deck and it was basically a huge briefing room surrounded by many smaller rooms used for a variety of functions including dispensing justice and ‘official’ decisions. Sitting down on one of the ledge seats near the room that Dark Raven Hair would have to enter, Zeffa prepared to wait., It was difficult to say why she was even there. But this is where Raven Black Hair- real name- Sanders Jest- was going to have to be just in a few moments. The reasons didn’t matter to her to much, though it sounded like he was being accused of drinking alcohol to the point that it was interfering with his duties. A dangerous problem to have, after all no one was going to be getting off and going back to Earth. They were way to far out for that.

While she waited Zeffa noticed a young couple talking in excited tones just down from where she sat…..

“….Talk about arrogance!” the young women exclaimed.

“Ignorant morons! And they want everyone else to be too!” her boyfriend added

“Excuse me” Zeffa interrupted as curiosity got the better of her, “What are you talking about?” Rude or not she had to ask.

The young man just glared at her and stomped off towards one of the rooms.

“Someone name Sirons Glaudistro… he is stirring up a lot of passion in a number of the major cities on earth… he believes that civilization is coming unhinged because we have thrown off the old ways…” With that the women shrugged uncomfortably and followed her boyfriend. “As though those beliefs had ever made much of a difference!” she called back over her shoulder and then disappeared from sight behind a door.

“Ya, imagine that, things like doing unto your neighbor as you would have them do onto you….” The voice startled Zeffa, and turning Zeffa looked up into the swollen red eyes of Raven Black Hair, who was still speaking to her. “What are you doing here?” with obvious difficulty he squinted at the name that was faintly glowing on her purple and green jumpsuit “Zeffa?” he frowned “Look about the other night…”.

“Don’t worry” Zeffa didn’t let him finish, feeling how uncomfortable he was, “I just needed to .. talk.. to you.”

Somehow he looked beaten and Zeffa didn’t need a doctor to guess that he was clinically depressed, “Don’t listen to me. You need to listen to Sirons… he’s got some good things to say.”

But he did have something she needed and something the Salient needed as well, “Look I work on the bridge…” she started.

Kneeling down beside where she sat Raven Black Hair stared into her eyes “I’m about to walk into … Well lets just say that I’m never coming out again. Forget that night. Forget what happened. There are thousands of people on this ship. I’m not important. Check out an ancient earth custom called thanksgiving.. you might like it!”

And he got up and walked away.

**************************** ************************** ***************

Watching the viewer Zeffa didn’t even notice the brown shirt walk in and sit beside her. She had found the lounge sometime after wandering away from her last meeting with Raven Black Hair.

On the viewer a fleet information officer stood tall and straight in a holographic broadcast room somewhere on the Salient.“As you can see from the clips it appears that violence is continuing to escalate across the Earth. Doctor Bratterson, could you comment on the events unfolding before us?” Doctor Bratterson was starting to respond when suddenly the viewer powered off.

“Hey!” Zeffa snapped as someone else powered off the display unit.

“I think you need to control yourself, so that ships security doesn’t have to do it for you.” The voice was unfamiliar and cold.

“I’m only going to say this once. Your naval superiors aren’t watching right now. It’s just you and me. Got it?” Swallowing Zeffa looked over at an older man- a brown shirt- who was was now sitting beside her, armed and toying with a weapon in his lap.

But what he said must mean that he had some way to block the ships recorders which might explain the discontinuities that the Salient had mentioned to her. Perhaps he was the explanation or maybe just one of them. Not for the first time since coming on board the Salient, Zeffa knew that more than one powerful group was at work across the entire fleet. And he obviously represented someone other than her superiors.

“You have gotten yourself tangled up in ongoing security matter. Your friend Sanders Jest had a friend that was running some drugs for a powerful set of individuals. Unfortunately I fear that he has met an unfortunate accident.”

“At whose hands?” Zeffa demanded, “And why aren’t my superiors watching right now?” Quickly glancing down at the chronometer built into her uniform she noted the time: 1-5:14:16.

Black eyes drilled into Zeffa’s, “I’ll do the talking. Your position on the bridge will not protect you. You have gotten involved with the wrong crowd, meaning Sanders Jest. Worse yet you were seen talking to an old women with ties to the drug runners.”

Zeffa wondered if this brown shirt really knew that much. There had been a brown shirt earlier on the platform and surely everyone had heard what the crazy old women had said to her about drugs. And again, surely there had been brown shirts in the crowd that night in the rec room when she met Sanders for the first time. But why put pressure on her, what were they really after? But she needed to keep him talking.

“Why?” she cautiously asked.

He reached over and cupped her face, squeezing her mouth open so that her tongue was hanging out. Angry she tried to elbow him, but he drove her head up too high and then she was just straining to keep the pressure off her face.

“Listen to me bald lady….” His sentence was cut short by a loud crack. The brown shirt let go of her and slid to the floor.

For a moment Zeffa just sat there. Getting up she walked over to the door but did not see anybody. Looking at her chronometer she wasn’t at all shocked to see 1-5:14:16.

Uncertain of herself, she knelt down by the brown shirt and tried to feel for a pulse. There was none. He was dead. Frowing she considered the situation. What was she going to do with the body? Part of her knew that she needed to search it for whatever device was causing the Salient’s problems with its recording device.. and stopping her chronometer. But she could not force herself to touch the corpse. No matter how hard she willed herself to reach down her hands just refused to obey.

With great effort she kept herself from screaming in a sudden surge of pent of anger.

“An interesting predicament wouldn’t you say?” The voice was out of place and unwelcome, but one that she remembered well.

Spinning around Zeffa starred at Sniffles as he walked into the lounge.

With an amused smile on his face he winked at her and said, “It would be.. a shame.. to see you put on trial for murder wouldn’t it?”

Anger turnd to panic and she almost bolted from the room.

Insteed, Zeffa said the first thing that came to her mind, “You son of a $^%&&!.” Even though he looked a lot neater this time, and his dark red uniform- indicating ships support- was clean and shiny in the bright lounge, for some reason he struck Zeffa as being just as repulsive as he did the first time. “Someone is trying to frame me.”

“Oh don’t thank me or those I represent… I’ll be around to collect.” His eyes worked there way up her legs and higher with a a hungry wild look in his eyes. “You know you really ought to come to some of the games we play. A cute little thing like you has more to offer than just money you know….”

Stiffening, outrage filled Zeffa’s mind. She knew what that sort of life was like, she’d seen it often enough on the streets growing up. There were a lot of ways to die, and that was one of them, “GET OUT” she managed to say through gritted teeth.

“He wasn’t working for us. Quit the contrary. He was just a nosy security guard trying to get a big bust. If only he knew…. Thus it’s not a frame up. But my employers.. well they like to take advantage of every opportunity.” Walking over to the security guard he slid something out of the dead mans pocket. “We like to get a hold of as many of these as we can. Really helps in my line of work.” He bowed in a mocking manner while he made sweeping gestures with his hand “And with that I’ll take the body and leave.”

Fortunately he was as good as his word.

Zeffa wanted answers but at the moment she would settle for just hiding for awhile. That was as good an answer as any right now. So even though it was way early she went across to the lower decks dormitory, stripped out of her uniform stuck them in the clothing closet- which would sanitize it by morning- and climbed up to her third story bunk. And for once she didn’t even notice if anyone was watching or care if they were, she climbed in and was very quickly asleep.

************ ****************** ****************** *****************

Her next shift started with her alone in the pod seat. Which thing she considered good as it gave her a risk free way to talk to the Salient. Very quickly she got into the stream of data and thoughts concerning the various monitoring of social type functions and meetings across the entire ship. It was the sort of mental multitasking that most people were incapable of.

A brown shirt had a device.. somehow it disabled both my chronometer and your recording devices. It appears that some unsavory characters have them as well and want more. Zeffa offered unsure exactly where to start.

Verbal thoughts are awkward… show me what happened The Salient requested.

The holographic display above her work station flickered through the scenes from the Salients various recordings across the entire ship and visually recorded the images flickering between Zeffa and the Salient. But the memories that she compressed and sent to the Salient where hidden in the recesses of the other scenes and flashing by so quickly that unless the Bridge Officer was very good, he would have no clue.

Protocols exist for this sort of thing The Salient told her, Its time to bring in outside help.

Who? Zeffa asked.

For now Fazzle and Garrett The Salient gentle thoughts drifted towards her through a sea of imagery and Zeffa knew that the conversation was at an end.

************************* *************************** ****************

She should have expected it. The moment she left the bridge a bevy of brown shirts surrounded her. One of them slapped a restraining device around her waist and instantly Zeffa was floating a few inches above the deck. She could move her arms and feet a little, but basically was totally at the mercy of her captors.

“AI Pod Specialist Trainee Zeffa Danndell you are under arrest for the suspected murder of Special Investigator Java Srending. Under the Joint Military Code of conduct article 109-A you have the right to a military tribunal review board. This tribunal will have the sole right to determine whether you should be tried for the murder of Special Investigator Java Srending. At that time and at that time alone you will be given a single change to provide your response to those charges.” The brown shirt said it so quickly that Zeffa knew that he had done this so many times that he had basically ceased to even hear himself. “Until that time the Fleet Security Office will retain you in our interrogation cells.” With that he took out an injector and plunged it into her arm and then before she could even react to the pain, her world faded away.

*************************** ******************************** ***********

When she woke it was to the feeling of a cold breeze blowing across her nearly naked body. Held up by an invisble field that surrounded her she realized that she was dressed in a littleweight transluecent flimsy material. Outside her cage there was a bright large room filled with others dressed exactly the same way as her. Pushing her hand out it met the invisible field mere inches in front of her body. She was trapped and suspended about ten feet up in the air.

Just across from her she noticed the old hag that accused her of messing with drugs.

“I warned you about those drugs honey!” The hag’s words were strong but her voice weak.

“I gotta go the bathroom!” Zeffa tried to say but couldn’t even talk.

“Your lips moving but blasted all….I can’t hear you!” Which suddenly struck the old hag as funny and she started laughing for a few minutes. When it died down the hag started up again “Which really is funny! Honey the number of times I’ve been here aint the least bit funny! But they always get me out .. always. Don’t have no idea why I can talk! Thats never happened before”

The Salient has to know what is happening Zeffa thought to herself.

Feeling something warm dribbling down her leg she flushed with embarrassment. It began pooling around her feet. This was bad, it was really bad. The confines of the cell were to small to allow her any movement to speak of at all. That this sort of inhumane practice existed didn’t surprise her, but it did sadden her. There was little difference between the street justice she grew up with.. and that which existed in the Fleet. The Fleet just did a better job of covering it up.

*************** ****************** ********************* *************

It was difficult to determine the amount of time that passed. With nothing to do she sort of just vegetated. Occasionally some sort of gas was blown into her cell and she just went to sleep. Her muscles were beginning to spasm from the strain of standing in the few positions available to her and it seemed like bit by bit her entire world was collapsing as though nothing outside of her cell even existed. Each time she woke she found her cell clean and her stomach full.. like she had been feed while asleep.

When her cell suddenly descended and then disappeared from around her, Zeffa simply collapsed to the floor. Dimly she heard Garretts voice angry arguing with someone.

“I WILL CLOSE THIS PLACE DOWN!” he was virtually screaming.

“You don’t have that authority, or the rank to touch us!” Came the sneering reply.

“The law is on my side this time. Your dirty little secret is out in the open now. It will stop!” he replied.

“Be careful.. there are enemies you don’t want to have.”

“There are enemies I can’t afford NOT to have.” Came Garretts reply, “And at the moment I’m afraid that that I’m gonna do something you don’t like.”

“HEY! What are you doing, get away from those controls!” someone yelled.

Then she lost track of everything.

*********************** **************************** *****************

“Well well who do we have here” this time it was the ugly voice of Sniffles even though she couldn’t reply she had enough presence of mind to utterly hate him “You probably can’t completely tell were you are right now.. but you and several of your cell mates are in a secured medical room. Safe and sound. Oh and you’ll be happy to know that someone else has been charged with the murder. As soon as the doctors are convinced you have recovered from your little ordeal you’ll be released to active duty. Apparently there were a whole lot of drugs in your system. But anyways my superiors are very happy. Certain illegal interrogation cells have now been completely dismantled. Of course no one was brought to justice- but at least they aren’t operating anymore. Though, I fear it was too late for a mutual friend of ours-Sanders Jest. He was dead of some sort of drug overdose when you were rescued.”

She heard the sound of Sniffles getting up to leave, “Oh and one more thing… if you ever want to gamble for something better then this” the last word he said with contempt “I’ll be out there.. just waiting to play.”

And one more time the world faded away.

******************** *********************** ****************** *********

“Ok Zeffa” Fazzles voice was a little bit on edge and Zeffa knew immediately that he was getting impatient with waiting. “Time to get out of bed. Lets get you back to the dormitory.”

“Give her a moment, the shock to her body from all the drugs was rather severe I’ve had to keep her under while I got the chemicals in her blood cleaned up and restored her bodies chemical balance. She is going to be weak and possibly disoriented for awhile. Many people would have had permanent brain damage from that.. but it appears that her neural implants helped prevent that. We don’t really know why. Anyways I’m releasing her to your custody.” Turning her head she saw a Naval Doctor walking away.

With relief she noted that she was dressed properly this time. Though it wasn’t the right uniform, at first her mind couldn’t process why. All of the recent events seemed distant and incomprehensible. Then it struck her. A single tear trickled down her check.

“Dark Raven Hair is dead.” She wasn’t sure why that was important. But somehow it was. Fazzle just looked at her not and shrugged.

************************ ************************** *******************

Several cycles later she was comfortably sitting in the lounge across from her dormitory. It occurred to her that this was the first time that she had relaxed in a very long time. A lot of the last time period was hazy and difficult for her to recall, though her doctor insisted that was ok. Garrett, Fazzle and most of the 3rd shift bridge crew were gathered. The supervising officer for the AI Specialists was speaking.

“From all accounts we believe that the Earth is no more.... " Zeffa's mind went into overdrive and she missed a little of what he was saying "...blame Sirons Glaudistro but that is rather difficult to determine..”

“NO!” Zeffa couldn’t help herself and then seeing the stern look in her commanders eyes she changed her tone “Sorry sir!” A lot had happened while she had been out of it.

“You’ve been through enough specialist. Let it be. Anyways the entire chain of command is being shaken up. As you know, one of our own” he gestured at Zeffa “was recently accused of a crime she didn’t commit. Ships recordings prove conclusively that another older women, Tarrai Oblasid was actually responsible. For Zeffa's actions in uncovering illegal activies and at the recommendation of her teacher, Specialist SubOfficer Garrett, she is herby awarded the rank of Junior Specialist!"

He waited a moment to let that sink in.

“For his part in actually bringing that illegal operation to an end, Specialist Officer Garrett is hereby promoted to Supervising Officer for the AI Pod Specialists.”

Everyone clapped before the man continued.

“Congratulations Garret. I am being reassigned to another ship in the fleet and will be promoted at a later ceremony. We will be changing our mission from one of exploration to colonization. The same place we had planned to re-supply at, a planet named Favor, is now our destination. We will establish a colony. For now you are all dismissed, Garrett I need to talk to you privately.”

As the two of them walked away Fazzle came over and sat beside her.

“Congratulations Zeffa! “ he smiled at her.

She couldn’t meet his eyes. It was hard to say why exactly, but she felt rather ashamed of the entire ordeal. Fazzle cared about rank and position, he didn’t realize that she didn’t, never had, and never would. Just like always, she wanted to be free and safe just like she had always wanted on the streets an entire lifetime ago.

“Its ok Zeffa. You’re a hero. That’s how we see you.” Fazzle tried to reassure her. “Nobody on the fleet likes the brown shirts.” He said the last softly.

But that’s not how I see myself She thought then threw her head back and looked up at the ceiling of the lounge. But worse yet somewhere deep down on the inside she suspected that the brown shirts were not the real villains. And somehow without ever meaning to, she had just crawled in bed with someone even worse.

******************** ****************************** ******************

Back in position on her pod seat Zeffa wanted to say that things were back to normal, but even as the images flowed through her mind she wasn’t all that sure. For some reason the interface was harder now… the Salient felt more distant as though some sort of wall existed between them.

Who was Tarrai Oblasid? Zeffa tried to ask the Salient. But it took her a few tries to get the verbal thought through.

She was a women found in an interrogation cell directly across from yours. The reply seemed to come from a great distance and even echo just a little bit.

The old hag had been involved in this from the beginning, somehow used by Sniffles. She needed a new nickname for him, that nickname just didn’t seem sinister enough for him.

Who is Sniffles? the Salient asked.

Zeffa frowned that shouldn’t have been possible. But somehow the Salient had picked up a thought that had not been verbalized to her. Things were changing.

What happened to Tarrai Oblasid? Zeffa asked back with some difficulty.

Suicide before the trial could begin.

That was unlikely. Frowning to herself she pushed it all back and away and just focused on her job.

*********************** ***************************** **************

“Fazzle…. I have a question.” She couldn’t think of someone better to ask.

“Go ahead” he said.

They were both waiting for a glass slip back to the lower decks after their shift had ended.

“What did Sirons Glaudistro teach?” Zeffa had to know and really didn’t have a clue whom to ask.

Turning to her he looked in her the eyes, his shiny bald head just a few centimeters above hers, “That’s not a question you want to ask right now. People are upset… even violent.”

“I” how could she explain this to him that she kept hearing Raven Black Hair’s voice in her mind?

“Among naval personnel most of us our progressives. If anything is going to make a difference its science. Sirons Glaudistro became the leader of the tradionalists. They thought that in forgetting century old cultural traditions and beliefs we had abandoned the very things that had enabled our survival throughout the centuries. Look its not something you want to get messed up with. Not now. Maybe not ever.” With that he got on a glass slip and left her standing alone.

*************** *********************** ********************* *********

In her purple jumpsuit- solid purple now- with its single gold stripe on her shoulder- she felt confident. The only place she was going to find answers was in rooms like this filled with people that had problems. People that were seeking their own answers. She had taken a shuttle over to another ship and entered the first rec room she could find. The uniforms and clothing here were different. Even the languages being spoke were different. Scantily clad females clung to men in the corners. A few of them looked to be completely naked but it was hard to see in the strobe light. Some brave soul was singing for all he was worth under a spot light in the center of the room. Zeffa noted that his eyes were closed, and he seemed utterly removed from what was going on around him. He just strummed his acoustical guitar and softly sang “On the wings of a snow white dove, God sent his pure sweet love…”.

Grabbing the offered drink from the tender she headed towards the tables where the games where played. She had some things she needed to figure out. And after what she had been through, suddenly she wasn’t so worried about what she had to gamble with. She needed some answers and somehow among people like this she hoped to find them.

******* TO BE CONTINUED IN HOPE AND DESOLATION************

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