SWNOVELS Chapter 16
ABOARD THE WAR-CLASS LINER GRAVITY’S PULL; NEAR-ERTH REGIONAL SPACE…
Doctor Urla Franks had gotten the call from her old friend, Admiral Reshma Shan, about voluntarily helping out with the interrogation of the Hausanite disciple Mary Brushwell.After the admiral had explained the situation of the detainment of Brushwell, and the University student’s connection to Respect Hausa and his movement of abducting the Visitors’ Seeds, Dr. Franks jumped at the opportunity!For she was one of those Governance citizens that was apprehensive about the arrival of the Visitors.She saw the aiding of Brushwell’s interrogation as a chance for her to help fight against the aliens that had swept across the Sol system and abducted over a hundred-thousand humans!
In their communique, Admiral Shan was not shy to admit that she thought of Dr. Franks because of her reputation throughout the Physical Universities’ solar system-wide network of intellectuals…Shan figured, the educated disciple of Respect Hausa, that came from the University of the physical properties of the universe, would find it a lot easier to talk with Dr. Franks than with her—an admiral, yes.But one of those practical people that did well at following orders and came up with some good ideas on her own from time to time…
The guard held up an index finger by the reinforced door’s identifier.The single paneled door swooshed opened and the guard let the medium-height Mary Brushwell walk into the interrogation room.The door shut after Mary had cleared it.At the center of the decent-sized room were Reshma Shan and Dr. Franks.They sat next to each other at the sundry table; opposite of the empty chair that Brushwell would eventually sit.
“Hi, Ms. Brushwell,” Shan started with a smile and an info devise in front of her, “I’m Admiral Reshma Shan of the Sol Governance military headquarters on Pacificalis Island.”She gestured to Franks, next to her.“This is Dr.—“
“Urla Franks,” the young woman said; her voice sauntering, “chief scientist of the energy conversion ratio of the Dark Matter Department…Erth-side.”
Dr. Franks and Admiral Shan shared glances.Brushwell continued.“I attended a couple of your lectures on Mars, Dr. Franks.”
That caused the scientist to finally smile.“Well, I hope you learned something…Mars is turning into one of the destination spots for the application of dark matter energies!”
“Yeah, it was one of my earlier course.But I ended up specializing in Modern Terraforming.”Brushwell shrugged her small shoulders.“I figured, with those new programs that the Tellmondonians were offering students on Mars to help terraform some of their asteroids…why not?”
“Is that how you met Respect Hausa,” Dr. Franks asked; poignant, yet soft enough as a conversation-piece.
Even Mary’s laugh was young—almost like a little girl’s giggle, in the ears of the older women.She pointed at the scientist as she nodded.“You’re good, Dr. Franks…maybe you should be the cop here?”
The admiral and the scientist shared a genuine laugh.
“Ms. Brushwell,” Shan came back in; voice accommodating, “I’m sure you understand the situation the whole solar system is in right now…As I understand it, you have a close relationship with Respect Hausa?”
The student was already nodding. “Yes…”
“Ok,” Admiral Shan continued, “the way I see it, Ms. Brushwell, you have the opportunity to utilize your unique position in all of this, so people all around the solar system can get our family and friends back.”
“I’m sorry, Admiral, but I think you have the wrong person in your interrogation chamber for that,” Mary stated; direct but not terse.
The two older women shared concerned looks.
“Oh, no,” Brushwell clarified, “I don’t want to give you the wrong impression—“
“And what would that be, Ms. Brushwell,” Admiral Shan said with a hint of anger.
“Well, that you and the Governance would think I would not be cooperative with you, in regards to our blessed Visitors’ Seedlings!”
Admiral Shan was a bit agnostic on the Visitors’ arrival to Sol.But Dr. Franks, the scientist, had even less patience with the Hausanite disciples’ deification of the aliens!Dr. Franks had to catch herself before she came across as condescending to Brushwell.She glanced at the admiral for permission.“Ms. Brushwell…what did you mean when you said we were interrogating the wrong person?”
Before answering, Brushwell sighed.“I know that Respect Hausa has a bit of an eccentric personality.I suppose it doesn’t help when people see me with him out in public—especially the non-Tellmondonians from Erth, where there are still a lot of conservative people.I sometimes think because of those cultural differences, a lot of Erthens, in particular, are so biased against him...”
Admiral Shan and Dr. Franks glanced at each other; each with arched brows.
“Ms. Brushwell,” Admiral Shan said, struggling to remain diplomatic, “I’m sorry, but we don’t understand what you are getting at!”
“Hausa…”the student was slowly shaking her head, “he was not abducting the Visitors’ Seedlings.He was protecting them from the Respects of the Advisory Board!He was only trying to hide the Visitors’ Seeds!”
Just then, Admiral Shan remembered when she had arrested the Respect on Pacificalis Island, in one of the Island’s spaceport divisions…just before she detained him, Respect Hausa had said something about how his fellow Respects and their scientists had committed a blasphemy against Tell’ ethics with that one Seed!
Dr. Franks and Mary Brushwell both noticed how the admiral froze!Franks gave her friend an askance look.
“I have to admit,” Admiral Shan said slowly, “Respect Hausa did say something about that…but…”Admiral Shan began to get a sick, sinking feeling in her stomach.Was the Governance raiding the wrong group of people throughout the whole solar system?“I thought the Respect was just trying to justify stealing the Seed from the Advisory Board!”
Brushwell gave the admiral a hardened look.“Like I said…biased against him!”
“Now wait a minute,” Dr. Franks came back in; more defensive, “it’s not like your fellow disciples and your boyfriend worked with Admiral Shan and the other officers of the Governance!From what I’ve heard in the media and prime sources, they simply would shut up; sing songs devoted to the Visitors…anything but answer the authorities!”
“That’s because my brothers and my sisters felt it was our calling to protect the blessed Seedlings,” Mary shot back.“I told you already:Respect Hausa gave his explanation to Admiral Shan; she had already made a judgement against him, and now, the blessed Seedlings have lost their protectors!And our blessed Visitors may be losing patience with Humanity!”
Admiral Shan snapped out of her dread of realizing the possibility of a very large injustice she may have been responsible for.“Ms. Brushwell…what do you mean, the Visitors may be losing patience with Humanity?”
Right in front of Admiral Shan and Dr. Franks, the University student seemed to have shrunk into a little girl…she fidgeted with her fingers as she looked at them.“Respect Hausa senses it…he told us, during some of our gatherings on Asteropia’s asteroids…he warned us, after some of the Tellmondonian scientists had discovered some tiny, metallic Seeds out in the Kuiper belt region several months ago...Respect Hausa had warned the Tellmondonian Board to leave the Seeds where they were!But…”
Mary had started to endlessly shake her head.
“Oh, my god,” Dr. Franks said with a very low, and worried voice.She said, nor did, anything else, except stared into a corner of the chamber.
Admiral Shan retrieved her communications device and called up her comms section of Gravity’s Pull.“Sentient; Communications Center, this is Admiral Shan…I’m going to need a top emergency meeting with the prime governor and the Governance Council.”