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"Captain, there's an admiral out there!"
"They wouldn't send less, would they?" Gerswin cleared his throat. "I'll speak to
him. Put him on the main screen. That way everyone in the base can see. Make
sure you catch a cube of it. We might find it helpful . . . later."
The image on the central screen in front of Gerswin flickered blue once, then
focused on an officer with iron gray hair, a man wearing the drab gray of ship
battle dress, distinguished only by the silver stars and joining bar on his collars.
"Welcome, Admiral," offered the senior commander, his vagueness deliberate
since he hadn't the faintest idea which of the Empire's several dozen admirals he
was addressing.
"I appreciate the courtesy," returned the I.S.S. functionary, "and would
appreciate the opportunity to speak with Senior Commander Gerswin."
"Speaking."
"So you're Gerswin ... I could believe that." The admiral stiffened his already
stiff bearing and lifted a single 'sheet ofpermafax into view. "Senior Commander
Gerswin, by virtue of the authority vested in me by His Imperial Majesty, I hereby
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r r
relieve you of your command. That command is temporarily transferred to the
authority of Battle Group Delta Seven, pending outcome of the forthcoming
Board of Inquiry proceedings.
"You are requested to make yourself available for interview, and for possible
trial under the articles of the Service. Pending the outcome of the inquiry, Senior
Commander Beloit will be acting as Commandant, I.S.S. Reclamation Base, Old
Earth."
Gerswin raised his hand. "One question. Admiral. Or two. Who are you? And
with what have I been charged, if anything?"
The chill in the admiral's eyes was clear, even through the screen transmission.
"Senior Commander, right now, you are charged with nothing. Any possible
charges will await the outcome of all phases of the investigation of the irregular
transfer of two cohorts of Imperial arc-dozers from the Marine Engineering
Command to the Reclamation Base, Old Earth. Under the Emperor's orders, I am
conducting phase one of the inquiry."
Gerswin, while remaining at attention, smiled slightly. "You have yet to identify
either yourself or the orders under which you are operating. Without such
verification, I am not empowered to surrender my command, even in the face of
the superior force which you have mustered."
Gerswin heard several hisses of indrawn breath around the Operations center.
Even Lerwin had taken a step away from him at the last statement.
"Please be so kind. Senior Commander, as to activate your authentication
system."
Gerswin nodded twice at the technician across the center. Three half-hearted
jabs later, the panel blinked amber twice and settled into the green.
"Authentication on."
The admiral placed his own verifax sheet into a similar device, and waited, still
ramrod stiff in the screen.
"Admiral Ferrin," whispered Lerwin, out of range of the screen focused on
Gerswin.
The authenticator blinked green twice.
"Apparently your orders are genuine," admitted the senior commander. "What
would you like me to do. Admiral Ferrin?"
"A shuttle will be arriving with the first members of the investigation team.
They will interview every I.S.S. member in your command with two exceptions. I
will interview you and your executive officer, Commander Lerwin, after all other
interviews are complete.
"Senior Commander Beloit will also be arriving to take temporary command. I
would appreciate it if you would remain in the general vicinity of the main base
while the investigation is being conducted."
"Yes, ser. Will that be all?"
"For now. Senior Commander Gerswin. For now."
"Yes, sir."
The admiral nodded briskly, and the screen blanked.
"They're out to get you. Captain."
"Blasting inquiry!"
"Why so harsh?"
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r r
"They'll try him and never let him go."
"How many bodies do they want?"
"All of us?"
"All of us."
Gerswin stood silent until the comments died away. Waited until all those who
had seen the Imperial transmission had gathered around him.
"Think," he began quietly. "Do they really want to admit to the Empire, to the
whole Galaxy, that their old battered and tattered home planet had to steal dozers
to reclaim itself? Do they really want to create that kind of image? Do they want
to make a martyr out of me or anyone else?"
He shook his head, as if to emphasize his points.
"They can't do anything about the dozers. But they'll come down like tacheads
on anyone who is defiant, insubordinate, or whom they find guilty of any easily
documented transgression.
"Be polite. Be helpful. Tell the truth, always the truth, but volunteer nothing. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]