The Impossible Future: Complete set by Frank Kennedy (mini ebook reader .txt) 📕

how he would be remembered. Hero? Traitor? Or more likely, fool. Perhaps they all were. Like him, they voluntarily entered the viper’s nest armed with little more than hope. Not that a blast rifle would do them any good other than to expedite death.

Since their arrest, they took turns demanding to see Grandover. They frequently told officers to pass along their one-word message: Artemis. Some in the escort did tap their amps from time to time, but if anything was said, it was too low for Sam to hear. Ezekiel whispered to her once, saying he had no idea whether his off-duty contact forwarded the Artemis evidence into the chain of command.

They arrived at the cell block. The man leading the contingent, who introduced himself as Maj. Brynn Donahue, ordered the group to halt. Sam thought Donahue looked like every generic, oversized peacekeeper. The very sort her parents aspired for her to become. Now, she found such ambitions repugnant.

“You will each be assigned a cell,” he said. “Per protocol, you will be stripped of all clothing. Your amps have been nullified, of course, and you will be permitted no contact, no food, no water, for a minimum assimilation period of twelve hours. At that time, we will begin the interrogation process. If you are convicted as traitors, the Supreme Admiral will render military judgment. He will be swift but fair. Any questions?”

They responded, but their anger, their protests, their terror became a cacophonous soup of nonsense. Maj. Donahue silenced them by removing a laser pistol from his holster pouch and firing it into the ceiling, which absorbed the energy blast without damage.

“Until assignments are complete, you will wait in a holding chamber.” He motioned to a lieutenant, who pixelated a door to their right flank. “This will be a good location to say your good-byes, as you are not likely to interact after we have placed you into cells.”

“This is illegal,” Ezekiel said.

“An abomination,” Lucinda followed.

“We represent powerful families,” Malcolm added.

None of their protests mattered, as they followed each other inside. A square table, perhaps for interrogation, was surrounded by a dozen swivels. The room was dark, but for low night-lights cascading from the corners.

“Please,” the major said. “Have a seat.” He told the other soldiers to remain outside. They did as instructed, while Donahue moved to the front of the room and tapped a code into a newly-unveiled holocube. He threw it open into a full window.

“The vid will outline the procedures you will undergo and the legality of them. Protest all you want, but you have no leverage.”

He retreated to the door, which shut, and stood guard.

The window threw a splash of light over them, but it wasn’t what was promised. Instead, an imposing woman with red hair sat at a desk, lording over these twelve insurgent Chancellors. Sam recognized her at once. They all did.

Rear Admiral Angela Poussard crossed her hands as she spoke.

“Thank you, Maj. Donahue. Well done.”

Sam dared to hope.

“Ladies and gentlemen, my apologies for the theatrics,” she began. “However, you refused orders to retreat and were deemed, by the Supreme Admiral, to pose a clear and present danger to the Admiralty. I will come directly to my point. I am in possession of your evidence regarding the Artemis Refinery Explosion.

“Admiral Grandover’s role does not surprise those of us who are career military. All of us have made morally ambiguous choices to accelerate our careers and benefit our descendancies. It is a tradition centuries’ long. In this case, however, the benefits extended far beyond the individual and his bloodline. I can only assume you have not distributed this evidence to the public streams because the implications would be devastating. Hundreds of descendancies have benefitted, both on Earth and on the Carriers. These families would become targets, and an unofficial civil war of rival assassinations would become a catastrophe enveloping the entire Chancellory.

“I cannot allow that to happen. I also refuse to commit mutiny. You want me to relieve the Supreme Admiral of his command, which he achieved lawfully upon the resignation of Stephan Tolliver. He is attempting to stabilize Earth at a time when we are trying to wrap a noose around terrorists who threaten the whole of the Collectorate. This strategy has been embraced by most of Earth’s population. The Admiralty must not be seen as indecisive.

“I am sorry. I know you staked your livelihoods on this gamble, and I am not unsympathetic. Grandover’s day will come. But I cannot act upon this evidence alone. I ensured Maj. Donahue brought you here so you could know that you were at least heard. Again, this simply is not enough. I will do what I can for you in the judicial process to come.”

“No,” Lucinda said. She pounded the table as she stood. “I refuse to believe you are a coward, Angela Poussard. I knew your Aunt Magdalene years ago, and she was as tough an old whip as I’ve ever seen. She had principles, which is more than I can say for most Chancellors I know.”

Poussard interrupted. “Ms. Blanche, please. I’ve said all I intend. If you had presented this evidence sooner, perhaps …”

“We only received it this night,” Ezekiel said. “This evidence is the reason why Grandover ordered the Guard to Earth. Celia Marsche has been blackmailing him all along.”

Sam thought she saw Poussard’s brow flinch.

“Celia Marsche? What evidence do you have?”

Ezekiel turned to Sam. “Tell her.”

Sam steeled her spine and rose. “Admiral, I was there when the evidence arrived. It came to David Ellstrom, the Chief of Staff to Finnegan Moss. It was sent to him by Finnegan, who has been working as an agent inside Celia’s consortium for some time.”

“Interesting story, Ms. Pynn. In the consortium, you say? He would have to be quite far inside to find evidence this damning.”

Sam hated speaking