Chapter 1 ADMIRAL

 

My name is Clay Spear. I am a twenty three year old Star Ship Captain who was away on a one year mission and has just returned.

A lot is happening since our so-called return from the stellar mission.

I am reliving my last day of the fiasco that was a trip to Alpha Proxima, a red dwarf star and our nearest neighbor.

I am remembering how the Admiral came aboard and witnessed my marriage to his daughter and First Officer, Mandy.

I am remembering how as we exited the ship, we were astonished to realize that we spent the entire year inside a building in the middle of Omni Fleet Headquarters.

The real tragedy is how interstellar travel is much like the frigates of old. The discipline is brutal. So brutal that people are executed for crimes they would normally only spend time in jail for. There is no room aboard a starship for prison cells.

I am telling you that I was a Starship Captain because I am an Admiral now. I attacked my boss who is lying on the ground at my feet. Now I might not even be an Omni Fleet Officer.

The Campus Police are handcuffing me and I am being dragged away by two Omni Fleet Security Police Officers. As I look back at Mandy, she is in tears.

Why did I knock out the man who gave me his daughter, a promotion to Admiral and command of Omni Fleet?

It keeps playing out in my mind, repeatedly. What would I have done differently?

I remember one of the men looked back behind us and shouted, “We spent a year in a goddamned building in the middle of Omni Fleet Academy!”

I am thinking of the people who died, not just died, but died at my hand, and for what?

I spun around to face the Admiral.

I shouted, “What the hell was all that? Why did a third of my crew end up dead when we were right in there?”

The Admiral said, “Welcome to the new world of business, son. They used to cherish the workers.

“They had a paternal relationship and the company was considered a family. The Chief Executive Officer would feel an obligation to provide work for them.

“The CEO was proud to put something back into the community.

“Then the financial people got involved and the workers became things, not people. Folks lost their jobs, usually just before Christmas when they needed to buy toys for the kids.

“The financial people took over the banks and stole the people’s homes during hard times and put the huddling masses and their children out into the street. People are just maggots. Who cares?

“So a third of your crew is dead. So what? It will save us another layoff in December. We have a lot of money invested here. We have an obligation to our stockholders.

“We need to know what will happen out there on our first mission to that red dwarf star, Alpha Proxima when we launch next year.”

That is when I lost it.

The Admiral never saw it coming. I cold-cocked him so hard he lost three teeth.

What would I have done differently?

The Campus Police slam the door. I am sitting alone in the back of the patty-wagon and they begin to drive away.

I say softly to myself, “Nothing. I would do not one damned thing different.”

Prison is a new experience for me. It has only been one day, but I am not sure I care for the orange jump suit and my pretty boy face is making me real popular with the residents here.

My combat training from the academy along with my feisty attitude is keeping me in control of my life here. Did I mention the lousy food?

A guard comes by my cage and says, “You have a visitor. You have ten minutes.”

I refer to my cell as a cage. When you are on the outside living a normal life, it is a cell. When you see it from the inside, being treated like a thing, or an animal, it is a cage.

The Prison Guards prefer to be addressed as Corrections Officers. They demand respect while they treat me like common trash.

Two beefy prison guards escort me to my isolation booth, where I can speak with my visitor over an intercom.

Through the bulletproof glass, I can see Mandy. She is frantic. Her eyes are red from crying.

“Mandy, I love you. What is going to become of us? Is your dad alright?” I ask.

She says, “He’s fine. The dentist replaced his missing teeth with permanent implants. You can’t even see the difference.”

Holding my head in my hands, I lament, “I had it all. I had the golden ring in my hand and then I had to blow it.”

She wipes away a tear saying, “I do love you, Clay. I have no idea what dad is going to do with you. Whatever it is, I’m your wife and I’ll stand by you.”

There are three legal systems. One is civil, one is criminal, and the third is the corporate legal system.

The 57th President of the United States, Ogden Osama, gave the corporate world the power to each form their own judicial system in order to deal with crimes within or against the corporation.

It removes most of the cost of the American legal system from the government budget and places it in the hands of the corporations.

ID Theft, embezzlement, assault, pilferage, and any civil or criminal act committed on corporate property, no matter how small is tried in a corporate tribunal.

The constitution does not apply. You are not entitled to your own Attorney. A corporate Attorney paid by the company will be appointed to defend you.

Each company has their own set of laws. Each company has their own sentencing structure.

Omni Fleet has no maximum penalty clause. Any crime can be deemed a capital offense and you can be executed at the digression of the tribunal.

There is no appeal. Appeals are not financially efficient. Appeals just place an unfair burden on the stockholders.

Execution is the result almost ninety percent of the time, because it is cheaper to delete someone than it is to feed, clothe and house him or her.

Senior Staff laugh and call the Omni Fleet legal system “the meat grinder”. I am not laughing today.

Trials come swiftly to reduce the cost of housing the accused who are awaiting trial. Your Attorney has only three days to prepare your defense.

My trial is tomorrow.

The Attorney’s secretary left me a message saying the Attorney has already prepared my plea along with my defense. The note says he or she will meet me at the tribunal. I do not know who my Attorney is.

Today is my trial and I am feeling rather alone. The Prison Guards deliver me into the hands of the Court Officers, who shackle me in preparation to appear in the courtroom.

I am fitted with a gag-mask. It covers the mouth and electronically stifles any sounds coming from it. I can breathe and I can shout if I want to, but the sound does not exit the mask.

My Defense Attorney appears and is looking somewhat grim. I could have mistaken him for the executioner. He does not even look my way.

There are two bangs of the gavel and everyone rises. I am pulled bodily to my feet.

The Judge enters and it’s, “No!” I scream, “No, no, no! Oh please, no!”

The mask makes no sound.

The Admiral is wearing a black robe and takes his seat on the bench.

There are two bangs of the gavel and everyone sits. I am slammed bodily into my seat.

He looks at me sternly and asks, “Has the defendant issued a plea?”

My Attorney says, “He has, your Justice. He pleads guilty and throws himself on the mercy of the court. We plead no contest.”

I try to stand, but the guards hold me down. I try to remove the gag-mask, but the shackles restrict my arm movements.

The Admiral smiles and says, “Clay Stone, I am dismissing the charges against you because you’re the only person I have ever known who had the kahunas to stand up to me. I admire that quality of courage in a man.”

The guards remove my shackles and gag-mask. I can speak, but now I am speechless.

The Admiral says, “It’s a shame you couldn’t have used the temporary insanity defense. It would have worked, you know. We disallowed this defense because the mission you were on is company confidential. Company security trumps personal defense even when it is a capital crime.

“I advise you not to speak about the reasons for your actions. You are a free man. It’s best to leave it that way.”

We clear the courtroom and I see Mandy is in the audience. She throws her arms around me and gives me a loving kiss.

Admiral Avery joins us and puts his hand on my shoulder.

He says, “Let me take the two of you out for a spaghetti dinner. I would invite you for a nice rib eye, but my teeth are still sore.”

In a way, The Admiral is the last person I want to see right now, but he is the injured party here.

If he can forgive me for knocking him out cold in front of everyone, I guess I can forgive him for putting me through the hell of the arrest and trial.

While enjoying a terrific meal, the Admiral says, “I have been struggling with your promotion.

“Do I bust you back to Starship Captain? Do I leave you as an Admiral? What do you think, Clay?”

I say, “It would depend on the ramifications of the two scenarios.”

The Admiral says, “Very perceptive of you.

“If I bust you back to a Starship Captain, you and Mandy will both be Starship Captains. You cannot both command the same starship. I will never have a grandson.

“On the other hand, if I leave you as an Admiral, you two can work out some way to stay together. What would you do, Clay?”

I ponder the question and say, “I would ask myself what justice would dictate in this situation.”

Mandy reaches over and puts her hand on mine while looking at her dad with a pleading expression.

The Admiral says, “You have a lot to learn as an Omni Fleet Commander, son.

“I don’t give a rat’s ass about justice. I want a grandson and I have the power to have what I want.

“If you’re going to command this organization, you had better shed some of those scruples. If you don’t, you won’t be a commander; you will be a martyr for justice.”

The check comes and the Admiral lays down the cash, stands up, and looks sternly at me.

He says, “Get your butt back to your quarters and change into your Admiral’s uniform.

“Meet me at the pressroom. I am going to announce your new post. I am stepping down.

The two of you had better get busy. You owe me a grandson.”

Mandy is beaming. She reaches over and tousles my hair.

I’m suddenly a bit overwhelmed by my new position.

I say, “Am I ready to assume the responsibility for the company’s success? Do I have the knowledge and experience the position demands?”

The Admiral’s face takes on a wry expression. He is visibly annoyed.

He says, “What makes you think that the people at the top are any smarter or better than you are? They are just schmucks who got a break and have the balls to take charge.

“You need to adopt the realization that it doesn’t matter how much knowledge or experience you have.

“You put the right people in the right jobs and stay the hell out of their way.

“They make you look good, or bad. It is all in the way you choose the players.

“They are like cogs in a wheel. If one of the cogs does not work well, you take it out and replace it with a better cog.

“This company is like a ship. It goes wherever you point it. Be a man and stop philosophizing about the crap you learned in school.

“You are above all that petty moral crap now. That stuff is there to mold the minds of the followers. It makes them better at serving you.

“Take charge. Damn it!”

The Admiral picks up his hat and walks briskly from the room.

Mandy looks over at me with stars in her eyes saying, “Isn’t he wonderful?”

I kiss her hand and say, “Let’s go home.”

The press party is a blast.

I am feeling oddly out of place at a party where I am the guest of honor and everyone is wearing a tuxedo except me. I am looking rather conspicuous in my Admiral’s dress uniform.

This is the kind of party where there is no bravado. There is no wild dancing. There is no air of celebration.

There is just the stuffy atmosphere in which you should quietly hobnob with the other guests, but quietly, so as not to disturb the others.

The place stinks of an erudite persona in which the crowd immerses themselves.

If I were not dressed to look as conspicuous as a Christmas tree at a Hanukkah celebration, I would have ducked out the back way a long time ago.

Mandy is great. She is running interference for me as best she can. When someone heads in my direction, she intercepts him or her and strikes up a conversation.

The evening does finally end and I am none the worse for wear.

We get home and flop down on the dual sofa reclining chairs. We press the power buttons to elevate our feet and the chairs partially recline us.

As we sink into the soft leather, we look at each other and smile.

“I love you Mandy,” I say.

“I love you too honey,” she says back.

That is all I remember until I wake up the next morning with the sun streaming in the living room windows.

I am still in the recliner and Mandy has covered me with a blanket. Underneath the uniform and the blanket, I am sweating profusely.

I am running late this morning. It bothers me to be late for my first day in my new position. I am a big believer in setting the proper example.

Upon arrival at my new office, my secretary, Holly, greets me. She is one of those women who wear their hair in a tight bun, and she looks as though it fits her personality to a tee.

She says, “Sir, you had a briefing scheduled this morning at 9 AM. I have rescheduled it for this afternoon at 2 PM. Can I get you a cup of coffee?”

I wave her off and sit down behind my desk. As I look around, I can see that this place fits Admiral Avery like a glove. It has all the charm of a reading room.

The walls look like mahogany. The furniture designed to withstand a full-blown siege makes the room look almost gothic. If I did not know better I would swear the curtains are made of leather.

The office reeks of the Admiral’s intransigence.

I get Holly on the intercom, “Holly, I need to redo this place. Get me an interior decorator and a crew of people. I want this place to be warm and inviting. It should fit me like a comfortable suit, not a strait jacket.”

She says, “Yes sir.”

I say, “And Holly, set up an hour with Mandy for this afternoon at 4 PM after the briefing.”

She asks, “Mandy?”

I respond, “Captain Mandy Avery, my wife. Oh, I guess you didn’t know I am married, or to who.”

She says, “Yes sir. 4 PM.”

The office is not the only unbearably stuffy thing around here. The Admiral’s personality is oozing out of everything and everyone.

I get on the intercom and shout, “Holly! I need a moment with you right now.”

She enters the office in a sprint and stands ridged in front of my desk.

She says, “Yes sir?”

I smile at her and ease back in my seat.

I say, “Pull up a chair and relax. I have started on the office décors, but there are other changes we’re going to make around here.

“First of all, put down that damned pencil and pad. We’re going to loosen up and adopt a friendlier environment.”

She starts to look a bit ill at ease. Her eyes get wider and her face turns beet red.

“Not that friendly. I am not coming on to you. It is like a morgue in here. All anyone ever says is, yes sir, no sir, right away sir. My name is Clay. You are my executive assistant.

“I would expect you to address me in a less formal manner. How are we going to function if you are afraid to speak?

If I am wrong, I expect you to tell me I am mistaken. If I have something out of place, I expect you to tell me, even if it’s to say, Clay, you’ve got something hanging out of your nose.”

She laughs an uneasy laugh.

I say, “Now we’re getting somewhere. A pleasant good morning is nice.

“A few words about our weekend or other interests would be good.

“I want my office to be a pleasant place where I can work in a low stress environment. Let’s give it a try.”

Holly says, “OK Clay.”

She gives me a warm smile and returns to her desk.

Chapter 2 ACADEMY

It is 2 PM and the department heads are gathering for my Briefing. I have the agenda in front of me. They call it a briefing, but I think it is more of an orientation.

When the meeting starts and the stuff shirts are phrasing things in a manner so as not to offend me, I stop the meeting cold.

I say, “Hold it right there! Stop everything and listen up. This is how organizations fail.

“First of all, you’re not on trial for your jobs. I’m not looking to judge, measure, or otherwise put you to task here. This is not an inquisition.”

The department heads look at me with a blank face. They look unsure of how to respond to my outburst.

I continue on, “We’re going to fix a few things around here and it’s going to start with the staff.

“If you have any skeletons in your closet, put them on the table and let’s fix the damn things.

“We’re a team here. Loosen your ties and relax.

“Talk plain and stop couching your words. You can put perfume on crap, but it is still crap. Just tell me what you are trying to say and stop trying to minimize the impact.”

There is a sound in the room, sort of like air escaping from a gasbag. Everyone shrinks about two inches in their seats. I am seeing smiles and a look of relief on most of the faces.

The head of manufacturing speaks, “We’re having a hard time getting the yields up on most of the mass produced items needed for the next Star Mission.

“My department is looking pretty bad and I think it is because we are having trouble getting the best people. Our salary ranges are way below par.”

The Director of Finance says, “We are on a budget here. We allocate funds to the various departments based on guidelines handed down from the Board of Directors.

The Director of Human Resources says, “We have periodic layoffs,

Impressum

Verlag: BookRix GmbH & Co. KG

Texte: Robert Stetson
Bildmaterialien: Robert Stetson
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 20.12.2013
ISBN: 978-3-7309-7056-0

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