A Spaceman

Chapter 14--Ground Control to Major Card

"All right, I want two things when he calls," I say, leaning back in the chair, in a room full of hostage negotiators, analysts, and a few top brass for good measure, "One, nobody starts writing on tablets and holding it up telling me what to say. I know what to say to this man to keep him on the line. Okay? Trust me, I can keep him talking. Two, don't get mad when I ignore the advice you give me because the thing is if I start saying what's scripted, he'll hang up and say he'll call when I'm alone. Got it?"

"You must cooperate with---," one of the top brass begins. General such and such I haven't slept properly in days I don't remember.

"Let her do as she says. She knows him," Commander Hawking says, flatly.

"We don't even know if he'll—"

"He'll call," I say, exactly as my earpiece buzzes on the table. It's on speaker, I tap to answer it.

"Hi, Titus, you sleep well?" I ask, calmly, leaning on the table.

"Good Morning, Major Tom. No, thank you for asking, not very, three instead of four hours. You've been up all night I see, good girl for telling off those hostage negotiators. They do know I've read their textbooks?" he asks, his usual fluid cold voice glittering through the black speaker in the middle of the white table. Everyone at the table looks shocked and upset.

"You only got access to our cameras this morning? Shame Titus," I say, with a small smile. If he'd had access since last night, he'd know Tess was alive and he would be chastising me, flaunting it. He wasn't. Therefore he doesn't know. Good.

"Yes, took me awhile to get the rotating algorithm that's what I did instead of sleeping last night by the way----what happened last night that you think I would be talking about if I'd had access to the cameras since last night but you know I don't since I haven't mentioned it by now?" he asks, quickly, his words becoming disjointed as he realizes the truth.

"You're not the only one who can play games, Titus," I say, leaning back in the chair, "You know, I'm enjoying this. Now I know what it's like to be you."

One of the analysts holds up '"Lt. Starr" on a tablet.

"Silly boy didn't hear your speech?" he says.

"Yeah, no apparently they're slow learners since it's not like you can't see them," I say.

"I know, and to answer his question, later, my guards are bringing him out, I like talking to Major Tom, because I love her," Titus says, "And right now, I have to get something out of her."

"Something he wants to know but doesn't get to know," I say. I can't let him guess the truth, but I have to let him think he's found out the truth.

"I want to know, what have you bad Space Forces been doing?" Titus asks.

"Nothing to do with us," I say.

"You want me to know," he says.

"You will anyway," I say. That's probably true. "But I'm not telling you, you're the clever one."

"Tell me. I can probably access the cameras to roll back," he says.

"Not if Commander Hawking deletes the tape which she's doing right now and anyway, wouldn't that be cheating? When you're so very smart and can figure these things out all one your own," I ask. Commander Hawking nods. She knows what I don't want him knowing. She gets up to go and delete the files.

"It's to do with you, isn't it?" he asks, "Something you've done."

"Would you care and would we be having this discussion if it had something to do with somebody else?" I ask. I can't help it. He would care if it were Tess so it's still true but his mind won't go there because he's got her down as dead, being Titus IS fun. Only this is being Titus against Titus. There must be some evil in me.