Chapter 5 Debriefing
A shower and a clean uniform had done little to improve Jaspers mood. There was no trace of the hooded man they'd nicknamed the Monk or his miserable band of rebels as they came in over the valley, that unbeknown to them had witnessed their escape hours before. Dawn was breaking as they approached the smouldering remains of the dummy refinery that sat atop the research facility. The vicious gale and snow storm of the night before had subsided leaving a thick pall of smoke hanging over it that the sun struggled to penetrate. At least they'd gone to work on bigging up the destruction of the hospital and pinning it on the 'terrorists'.
He'd already seen Commander Anderson's summary of events and now surveying the wreckage he found it hard to comprehend how such a small force could inflict such massive damage without sustaining a single loss. Against not one, but two companies of Malstrom's supposedly elite forces. He had already calculated how he could turn the situation to his advantage when Henderson, the suit who represented Malstrom's stakeholders, came calling via his holographic avatar for an explanation. Commander Anderson would of course have to be sacrificed for failing in his command. A new and more ruthless military regime would have to be implemented. One that was more flexible, not weighted down by protocol's and bureaucratic command structures. One that rewarded loyalty to the core values of the Malstrom liturgy and those who used their initiative in implementing it with ruthless efficiency. One that concentrated even more resources in his ruthless power-hungry hands.
His mood lightened as he stepped off the shuttle flanked by Wilkes and Alice, the acrid scent of death and destruction filling his nostrils as it seeped through his air filtration unit. He took a deep breath. He could of course have adjusted the filter to block it out, but instead he inhaled it, let it seep into every pore of his body, bathing himself in the visceral after smell of battle. He'd spent too much time of late directing lesser mortals to do his bidding it was time to take a more hands on approach.
Unlike the other two, who wore standard issue lightweight envirosuits to insulate them from the extreme sub-zero climate, Jasper was resplendent in his full, polished, jet black command armour. Image was everything and he exuded a cold, black, merciless power as he picked his way through the twisted wreckage and neat rows of body bags to confront Commander Anderson. It was the dawn of a new day, full of new opportunities, at least for some.
He stood before one of the few structures still standing. The main block, on the far side of the loading yard, where the battle had raged the night before. The heavily reinforced building, which protected the lift shaft leading to the underground research facility, was intact apart from some superficial damage. It was here that Commander Anderson had set up his temporary base of operations to organise the clean-up. The doors were damaged and a force field had been erected to secure the facility and provide a stable working environment inside. Pushing the two guards roughly aside he gestured to Wilkes and Alice to remain outside and stepped through the force field. His armour treating the barrier with the same contempt he'd shown the guards.
Anderson flanked by two heavily armed bodyguards was busy giving orders to his remaining officers from the make shift command and control centre they'd established. Several power and data cables ran across the floor. They'd been jacked into a service panel on the main lift shaft allowing them to draw power and other services from the Angel-1 research facility below. Catching sight of the brooding shadow looming over the table before him Anderson looked up and gestured to his bodyguards.
“At ease.”
Jasper surveyed him without speaking. He was a typical career officer, grey haired, middle-aged and totally nondescript, someone who'd risen through the ranks by being loyal to the company and taking no risks. He despised careerists, they worked by the numbers got promotions based on time served and accrued loyalty bonuses, irrespective of and sometimes in spite of their performance in the field. It was high time Malstrom in matters military, despite dominating a large part of human space, grew a pair and rewarded those who got the job done.
“I've read your report.” he tossed the tablet he'd been carrying across the table in disgust. “And frankly you’re not fit to command a latrine.”
Anderson drew himself up to his full height and starred him in the face. He had the haggard look of man who hadn’t slept and was running on stims, yet his eyes burned with a defiant pride. “At least I wasn't born in one. I'm a loyal servant of the Malstrom liturgy, not a traitor and turncoat.”
A thin dangerous smile crossed Jaspers lips, his hand resting lightly on his pistol. The bodyguards behind Anderson tensed ready for action while everyone else stopped to observe the stand-off between the two men. “You know what they say old man, pride comes before a fall.”
Suddenly white bolts of energy whizzed and hissed across the table. A holoemitter and near-by computer terminal exploding in a shower of sparks as they were caught by a stay shot. It was all over in seconds and Anderson was left standing alone his bodyguards lying in a crumpled lifeless heap behind him. Before anyone else could react there was a second burst of fire and Jasper turned to see Alice gun in hand standing over the bodies of the guards in the doorway. He smiled at Alice and nodded, before turning back to Anderson.
“Anyone else want to play the hero?”
Anderson gestured to his people to stand down. “Easy people we're here to serve Malstrom not do the rebels work for them.”
He snorted in derision. “A fine job you've made of it too, you're finished Anderson, as of now your relieved of command, all the rights and privileges of rank revoked.” he transmitted a deactivation code to Anderson's combat suit deactivating both it and his weapon. “Now get out of here.” he pointed his gun towards the door.
“But that's murder.” cried a young lieutenant, leaping between them. “He’ll never survive out there without protection.”
“Well that is the general idea. Still given your concern, perhaps you'd care to join him? After all Malstrom is big on rewarding loyally.”
“Stand aside Tracy” said Anderson quietly. “There’s no need to throw your career or your life away just yet”
“Yes sir.” the young woman clasped his hand firmly and shook it. “It’s been an honour serving with you, good luck sir.”
“I'm touched, but I do so hate long good-byes, now unless anyone else is volunteering for target practice let’s get this over with.”
Anderson turned to the remaining officers and saluted, apart from Tracy no one saluted back, and without saying another word walked silently into the cold, white world, outside.
Jasper gestured to Wilkes and Alice to join him as he picked the tablet back up off the table. “Patch me in to their comm system so everyone can hear me.”
Wilkes activated his subdermal implant, the thin filaments radiating out from it glistening unnaturally under his skin, and nodded.
“Your commanding officer has been relieved of duty. As a punishment for your failure to uphold the liturgy of Malstrom all the units that served under him are henceforth liquidated. You will be stripped of the accrued privileges of rank and service and re-enlist as privates in the regular infantry, effective immediately.” he paused briefly to allow the words to sink in then shouted the liturgy. “No mercy or compassion for the weak, only the spoils of victory for the strong, as it was meant to be.”
He looked around him to see who didn't join in the rather muted return shout. Tracy's cold lips remained firmly shut. He focused his cybernetic eye on her looking for a reaction, his scar twitching uncomfortably as she returned his stare without flinching. He laughed softly, it was a cold, humourless laugh. “If anyone has a problem with this you welcome to sign up for indentured servitude and 'earn' your passage off planet.” he focused his attention on Tracy. “I'm sure we can find a use for 'you'.”
She turned away in disgust.
He tossed the tablet to Wilkes and gestured to him to take over and set about issuing them with details of their new a
ssignments. He'd gone to great pains to split up the established chain of command, to ensure they were separated and isolated from any support it could have given them.
Wilkes busied himself marshalling them into groups and assigning them to the drop-ships, already inbound with their replacements. That would, on the return journey, take them to their new units to begin basic training again. He almost pitied them. What Jasper hadn't told them was they were being reassigned as 'expendables'. The lowest value infantry units that got assigned all the dirty, dangerous jobs. He doubted that any of them would last more than 12 months.
Alice meanwhile had busied herself with establishing a link to the research facility below, ensuring that it was still functional and to what extend it had been compromised. “Sir, diagnostics show that during combat someone jacked into an engineering terminal, that hadn't been secured, and attempted to access the main data core.”
“Can you identify who was responsible?”
“Negative, topside data and access logs were destroyed when the reactor went up.” her hands moved swiftly across the computer terminals screen as she scrolled through the records and sifted the data. “However I can confirm that attempts were made to access several encrypted files, Angel-1 research logs and a file codenamed ‘Guardian’. The link was terminated as soon as they accessed the Guardian file, but they may have got a partial download of some research logs. I've advised the facility and they're recoding their encryption algorithms and security keys.”
“Good, tell them I'm going to pay them a visit.”
Alice shook her head. ”They're saying nobody topside has sufficient security clearance to enter. Not even you.”
Jasper growled and slammed his fist on the table. “Tell them I run this damn planet and I go where I please!”
Alice paused before acknowledging the reply. “They say you may 'run this damn planet' but you don't have jurisdiction over this facility. They answer directly to Malstrom's stakeholders and no one else.”
Before Jasper could respond Wilkes relayed another message. “Henderson's asking for a direct comm link with you sir, on the gold channel.”
Jasper activated the miniaturised holoprojector in the right forearm of his suit and held his arm out in front of him. Turning on privacy mode as he did so, enveloping himself in a hazy force field that cut him off from rest the world, preventing anyone from hearing or seeing what transpired. He was greeted by a small three-dimensional avatar standing on top of his forearm. Henderson's avatar was as always projected as the image of a balding middle age man in the pinstriped, charcoal grey, collarless business suit considered the height of fashion in Malstrom's board rooms. Having never met the man in person he had no idea what he actually looked like, nor for that matter did he care, so long as he and the 'stakeholders' he represented rewarded him with the money and power he craved.
“Ah, Jasper we need to have a little chat, my stakeholders are getting anxious.”
“Your stakeholders are always anxious. Perhaps if they let me get on with doing my job they’d have less to be anxious about, instead of hiding things on my planet.” he snapped back.
“Temper, temper, its Malstrom’s planet, we, I, could replace you like that.” chided Henderson clicking his fingers. ”But if you want in, really want all the way in, I’ve been authorised to make an offer.”
“All the way into what?”
“To what we’ve really been doing here the last two years. We’ll talk more once you’re inside Angel-1. I’m updating you key crystal now to give you clearance, assuming you’re interested?”
“If it involves money or power, I’m always interested.”
“Ah Jasper, I knew you we’re the right man for the job. Straight to the point. No hidden agendas. You know what matters, what you want, and how to take it. If only Malstrom we’re more like you.”
Jasper laughed. “I’ll take money and power over flattery any day.”
“Oh, Jasper I’m offering you far more than you can imagine, but once you step through that door there’s no turning back.” the transmission ended.
He turned to Wilkes and Alice. “Take over topside, it seems I do have jurisdiction here after all.” He pressed the key crystal built into the palm of his right glove against the control panel and activated the lift. As he stepped in he whispered quietly to himself. “I wasn’t planning to…”
As the door closed behind him Wilkes turned to Alice. “I wouldn’t get to comfortable you’re just his new pet, for now, he’ll soon tire of you like all the others.”
“What’s the matter freak, afraid of a little competition?” she replied prodding his subdermal implant. “At least I don’t need implants to get his attention.”