For example: a geologist couldn’t quit thinking about the fact that all the elevators only had two buttons. That was significant he explained because we knew there were at least three floors (the ‘garage’ level we’d entered on, the level we were currently on, and the level right below us where our equipment was stored) and presumably the Noridians had some levels of their own. We could go back and forth between the garage and here—that was it.
Another scientist was perplexed at the design of the ship. Had anyone else noticed, she wondered, that there were exactly the right amount of living quarters for our team? That the ship was sectioned off and labeled exactly to our hierarchy of HQ, Platoons, and squads?
Others were concerned with the ship’s interior lighting (you couldn’t tell where it was coming from) and the seamless construction of the walls, floor, furniture, and view screens (even though the sofas had a different color and texture from the floors there were no seams). Like the view screens, the ‘glass’ walls of the conference rooms had no frame—one section was a pleasant beige wall and the next was perfectly clear, even if they felt the same.
It didn’t take Julie long to realize that what was missing was leadership. She eventually found the neatly labeled door to General Nesbit’s quarters and surprisingly the door opened but no one was there.
When she arrived at Colonel Memphis’ quarters the door didn’t immediately open and Julie was just trying to find a button or bell. When it did open it revealed Dr. Derrick Helmer with one arm held high against the wall and the other on his hip.
From an overly relaxed pose he said, “Well, hello.
“Did you know,” he continued, “that the doors turn transparent from the inside when someone is waiting outside? You looked pretty cute when you were trying to find a way to get in.”
Ignoring the comment Julie said, “I’m looking for General Nesbit. Is he here?”
“Nope, just Memphis.”
She pushed past Helmer and walked into the quarters. Colonel Memphis was in the sunken living area, leaning forward from his seat on the edge of the sofa, focused on the view screen that was displaying something technical. A couple of now empty food trays were on the ‘coffee table’ in front of him.
Julie actually had to address him twice before he realized she was there.
“Colonel Memphis, where is General Nesbit?” she asked.
“He went with one of the Noridians when we first came on board and I haven’t seen him since,” he responded. “Why?”
“Because we need some leadership right now.” Julie went on to explain that people needed to be focused and given something to do; that this was a big change and that they needed to feel confident.
“It sounds like your scientists need a babysitter,” Memphis dismissively said to Helmer.
“Actually Eugene, I think Dr. Schein is right. Why don’t we call the group together and give them a pep talk.”
Colonel Memphis shrugged his shoulders and said, “Sure.” He then immediately returned his attention to the screen.
You could tell, Julie thought to herself, which platoon leaders had been paying attention to their people by the way they entered the HQ Hub. They’d had to send runners out with orders to gather everyone together in 15 minutes. Major Reagan had arrived first with most of 3rd Platoon in tow. The marine major that had the Diplomatic Platoon came next with at least half of his team and the other two platoons kind of wondered in on their own.
Except for the wide walkway around the edge that bordered the doors and hallways, the main floors of the hubs were sunken a step down. There was a simple but elegant rail that ran around the inside of the walkway at about waist height, except where it broke to allow people to step down to the main floor.
Julie had waited against the rail opposite Memphis’ door as everyone assembled. After about 20 minutes Memphis and Helmer walked out of the room and over to the railing beside Julie. She hadn’t realized it but the raised walkway and railing made a perfect speaking position.
Colonel Memphis started, “I want to thank everyone for taking time away from your busy schedule to be here.” When no one laughed he continued, “I know that most of you don’t have the self-discipline that the military demands but we have a mission to perform and you people had better get you act together.
“A fellow scientist of yours, Dr. Schein, has asked to speak to you so if it’s not a rousing speech blame her.” With that, he turned and walked back into his room.
A stunned Julie tried to protest to Nesbit’s retreating back but Helmer stepped in clearly intending to take over—except someone in a loud calm voice overrode him… “Hey, she’s the psychiatrist; let her tell us what’s happening!”
Other voices joined the clamor, so Julie looked over the crowd and spoke her mind.
“I’m not ashamed to say that I’m scared,” she started. “It’s ok if you are too. Our governments have placed a tremendous amount of responsibility on our shoulders and that means we’re all under a tremendous amount of pressure.
“I know,” she continued in a somewhat shaky voice, “that this isn’t easy. I understand that it would be easy to get overwhelmed or to feel that our whole culture is insignificant. That’s a terrible feeling but I know better and so do you. We may not be as advanced as anyone we’ll meet but we’ve made it this far and we’ll keep going. I don’t always know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing but our whole history is full of stubborn people that didn’t give up. It’s part of who and what we are.
“A history professor friend of mind educated me a while back on what culture shock is. I could intellectually understand what he was talking about but I didn’t really get it until tonight. I believe this is what we’re all experiencing and I’m asking each of you to rise above it. I believe that we’ll be ok and that our people will have a great future - and you need to believe that too. So here’s what I’m asking of you… do whatever you need to do tonight; hold hands, pray, talk out your fears with each other but come morning we are the professional representatives of our race.
“No exceptions, no excuses. We will finish our mission and represent ourselves in a way that God Himself would respect… thank you.”
“Well, it was a pretty short speech,” Mark said.
The three of them were back in Mark’s room and Julie was still feeling buoyed by Hiromi’s ‘thumbs up’ from a few minutes before.
“Yes,” Anzio replied. “But it held gravity.”
“You mean gravitas,” said Mark as he stood up and gave a theatrical stretch.
“And I would agree with that,” he continued. “Except I think the timbre and tone could have been… oof”
Julie was personally pleased to discover that from a lotus position in the left chair of Mark’s sunken living area she could perfectly connect her foot with his buttocks as he stood there proselytizing.
What was even more impressive was that in the few milliseconds it took for him to look around, she was already back in that same lotus position, doing a great job of stifling a grin and looking innocent.
“Ah, then again, it may have been just right,” he finished.
It was the end to a long and incredibly strange day. Julie wasn’t sure what tomorrow held but for now she was sure that she was where she belonged and in a very weird sort of way felt like she was home.
She left Mark’s shipboard apartment immediately after Anzio, strolled through a deserted Squad Hub, and found her apartment and bed while smiling with the knowledge that it was Mark’s voice from the crowd that had called for her to speak.