When I point blank asked Dr. Spencer about his motivation for pushing Jaki into her revelations he admitted that showing-up Helmer was a plus but insisted (truthfully, I think) that the main reason was because it was interesting and we needed to know.
The only part of their story that didn’t fit was when I asked them how they’d arranged for the blogcast. Captain Kamiko, Captain Hiromi, and Dr. Spencer all denied point-blank that they even knew about it until it was already done.
I dismissed the Captains but asked Dr. Spencer to stay for a moment…
“Dr. Spencer that was a gutsy move you made today. Had you thought it through or were you just being reckless?” I asked.
“I’m not totally sure how to answer that Major. I didn’t pre-plan the conversation but I could sense the opening to push for answers as clearly as I can see the pictures on your wall. It just seemed self-evident that there was little down-side; if Jaki got all bent out of shape everyone could write me off as just a history professor. It’s not like I’m on the diplomatic team or HQ staff.”
After thinking about it for a couple of seconds I exhaled heavily and said, “Well, off the record I’m telling you good job—someone needed to push those bastards off the fence so we could start making some real progress but you need to know that you’re now on everyone’s radar. You’re no longer ‘just a history professor’ so you’re going to have to watch yourself. I’m not going to tell you to stay away from Jaki, she seems to have an affinity for you, but there may be others that do want to isolate you. Keep your nose clean and don’t give them an excuse.”
Later that night I found ‘Iron Jaw’ devouring a truly rare steak in an almost empty Officer’s Mess. After grabbing a hamburger for myself I sat down across from him.
After a few bites I started, “Another great day of serving our country...”
“Yes it is,” he sallied.
“I don’t really know any Air Force officers,” I ventured.
“I do,” he said. “And almost all of them are fine men and women that I’d be proud to serve with.”
“I also don’t really know anything about Memphis’ background,” I quipped.
“Well…” Mike drawled. “I’ve heard tell that a certain Eugene Memphis has spent a lot of time at the pentagon. Seems like every time he gets a field command he ends up right back in brass alley.”
We both knew that the good commanders tended to go from field command to field command.
“Sounds like our friend has a patron. Has he ever had a combat command?” I asked.
“Nope.”
Needless to say, this wasn’t a comforting conversation.
“Word is,” Mike continued, “that in his last field command he held a live fire exercise and got several of his airmen killed.”
I stared at Mike. “And just how would you know this?”
“Did I ever tell you,” Mike said as he looked away, “that my kid sister married a man that lost his brother in the Air Force?”
After a moment of thought I said, “It must have taken someone that was pretty fed-up with the diplomats to air that blogcast.”
Mike grunted and said, “Yeah and they must have been hanging around the security offices at just the right moment. It’s kind of crazy how things work out sometimes.”
Dr. Spencer wasn’t the only member of Blue Squad making headway. The very next day Dr. Toni Andretti (Dr. Mom) uncovered a bombshell with her interview. Probably every scientist on the base… probably everybody on the base watched the recording of her interview at least once.
While it caused great excitement for the entire team, Captain Hiromi suggested I talk to Dr. Andretti. Though she was putting up a great front her squad leader didn’t think she was nearly as enthused. I caught up with her in the hallway just outside of the medical section…
“Dr. Andretti, can I have a moment?” I asked.
“Major, how many times have I asked you to call me Toni or Dr. Mom if you prefer. There are far too many titles running around this base for anyone to be impressed. Oh, and don’t worry, I’ll keep on addressing you as Major—I know how important that is to you military types,” she said with a big sincere smile.
If this woman had ever offended anyone in her life I’d be shocked.
I leaned up against the hallway wall and started again, “Ah, Toni I just wanted to check in with you. You did a great thing yesterday but a little birdie is telling me that you’re not quite as satisfied as might be expected.”
“Oh, I’m just fine. We’re all doing such important work here and I’m sure all of us will have some disappointments along the way.”
“But that’s just it,” I said. “You made a great breakthrough and uncovered a major piece to our evolutionary puzzle—how can that be disappointing?”
“Major, I’ll be fine. You know my specialty is genetics. I guess I just had my hopes up that the Noridians could take me to the cutting edge of gene manipulation and genetic engineering. The knowledge they have in these areas must be incredible. Of course it’s a little disappointing to find out that the subject is taboo for them. They consciously won’t educate us in this area until our civilization is more advanced.”
Yeah this was out of my area of expertise but I felt like I should have realized this. “I’m sorry Toni; I didn’t stop to think about it that way. Surely there’s a lot of valuable work you can focus on isn’t there?”
“Of course,” she said smiling brightly. “The Noridians have been eager to supply us with their own personal genetic samples and have promised us unlimited samples from plants and animals once we reach their world. Evolutionary Biology isn’t my passion but it falls well within my expertise—and there’s going to be a lot of history that needs to be rewritten before all is said and done.
“Major, please don’t worry about me. You have far more important things to worry about than this. As you said, I have a tremendous amount of work and discovery ahead of me and who knows; if I identify a new genus maybe I can name it after you!”
I’d started the conversation by trying to make sure she was ok and she ended it by making sure I was reassured. What a remarkable woman.
Chapter 10
Summary
Noridian Interview Blogcast #2243
Security Classification: Ultra Secret Black Diamond
Access Authorization: Broken Star Personnel Only
Operational Priority: Level 1
In Attendance:
For the Noridian’s: Denyet
For Earth Team: Dr. Toni Andretti—Genetic Engineering, Biochemistry
Subject Tags:
Chextigan
Evolutionary Interference
Origin
Genetics
Great Flood
Ancient Astronauts
Summary:
There is another planet (or group of aliens?) that had contact with Earth. They are called Chextigans and spent considerable time here about 200,000 years ago. Although they did not establish a true colony, they did establish a base of operations that was manned until just a few thousand years ago. Their primary purpose is unclear but a consequence of their outpost colonization was genetic manipulation of the genus Homo erectus.
This timeline roughly merges with the appearance of Homo sapiens—it is very possible that what we call modern man is a result of genetic engineering.
The Noridians have explained that involuntary genetic engineering on a pre-sentient or sentient species violates the mores (laws, superstitions, taboos) of greater galactic society and that any genetic engineering of a pre-spaceflight species is by definition ‘involuntary.’