Starship Armstrong - Season 3

Part 56 - Coincidence and Misunderstanding (XIII)

The entire Terran delegation filed into the bridge. For once this was a location that was designed to hold this number of people and everyone was able to assert a small bubble of personal space. It tasted all the sweeter for them having been so recently denied it.

"Ensign Guildenstern, please bring us around so that we can get both Terras in view at once," said the Captain. "Ensign Marceaux, give me the local view off the ship's bow on the main screen, magnification seven."

* * *

"The Armstrong's moving," reported Takahashi.

"What?" asked Commander Gibson, crammed in the back of the shuttle with a dozen others. "Are they moving away?"

"No they're coming in closer," said Takahashi. "Looks like they're coming to get us. I'm adjusting course to meet them."

* * *

The main screen showed the image of the star Sun and the unusual orbit of two planets both called Terra. It was about as irrefutable as evidence got.

"Well that could be easily faked," said President Gibson. "That's just images on a big screen, my people can do that. We do it all the time for fun. Our children watch similar diversions while they eat candy. And what they watch looks a lot better than that."

"You're on a starship," said the Captain.

"I accept that," said President Gibson, "that much I've seen with my own eyes."

"This is the view from the bow of the starship," the Captain continued, as though she was talking to a small child.

"That much is debatable," said the President. "All we know for sure is that one single television program has shown an image that is consistent with anti-Terran propaganda. I thought we were finished with that nonsense? Didn't you say you wanted to start over?"

"I don't remember ever saying anything like that," said the Captain.

"Well one of your associates did. Commander Mitzner." said the President.

"Well regardless of what she told you the fact remains that there are two Terras in your star system. That's why you were never able to find your supposed enemy's hiding place. They're literally on another planet. It's really important that you understand this because there's no point in discussing anything else until you do."

"I see," said President Gibson, "and who told you all this, I wonder? Have you ever considered, Captain, that perhaps you're the one who is wrong? That you're being played the fool by a fifth column that is very much a real and present danger on my planet and your ancestral homeland?"

"Nobody told me anything," said the Captain. "Except for my operations officer after he read the output from our scanners."

"And who does he work for?" asked the President.

Marceaux crouched down in his seat.

"He doesn't work for anyone," said the Captain.

"That's the most suspicious thing I've ever heard!" announced the President. He turned around and stared at the main screen.

The Captain slumped down into her command throne and breathed a sigh of exasperation. The console on her arm rest chirped. She looked down and saw a message.

VOSTOK DOCKING

She stood straight up again.

"You know what you might all like to have a look at? The engine room. Commander Mitzner, why don't you show the Terrans the engine room."

"I-" began the President.

"Fantastic!" said the Captain. "I'll see you when you get back in a few hours."

She immediately headed for the lift and was gone before anyone could properly object.

Mitzner looked around at the angry Terrans and confused remnants of the bridge crew.

"We'll have to wait a minute for the lift to come back," she said.

* * *

The Captain came jogging into the shuttle bay a few minutes after the Vostok unloaded. It wasn't supposed to be here for hours what were they doing here so early?

The Captain came to a skidding halt. Everyone was already waiting for her. This second Terran delegation seemed a lot taller and more combat hardened than the first. She immediately pegged them as soldiers.

Littlecrow didn't care at this point. If a gaggle of soldiers armed with an arsenal of obsolete weapons made the man feel safe she could tolerate it.

"President Gibson," she said, quickly catching her breath, "welcome to the Armstrong."

"And you are most welcome for the honor of having me on the Armstrong," replied President Gibson.

"Would you like to come with me to the bridge? There's a view of your local star system that I think you'll find enlightening."

Deja vu.

"That's ridiculous," said Gibson. "What would a starship need with a bridge?"

"She's referring to the ship's command center. The strange terminology is a quirk of Martian language," replied a different Gibson.

"Ah yes," said the first Gibson, "I understand completely. All is clear to me now."

It wasn't.