Both shuttles safely nestled back in the Bay and the proper bridge were were back at their station. The final preparations to engage the relativity drive were being made.
"Captain, we're being hailed," said Marceaux.
"On screen," said the Captain, with a small sigh.
What appeared was a scrambled mess of encryption.
"We still don't have your encryption keys," said the Captain.
The scrambled mess appeared to be saying something but it was impossible to guess what.
"I can't hear anything you're saying," said the Captain. "You need to disengage encryption."
After another minute or so of jumbled garbage the image finally resolved into a person. It was a young man who was dressed in a very plain workers uniform.
"Attention enemies of the revolution!" announced the young man. "You will immediately leave this system or be destroyed."
The Captain narrowed her eyes. There wasn't anything these idiots could do to so much as scratch the Armstrong.
"We're already on our way out," said the Captain. "Would you mind explaining what we've done to become 'enemies of the revolution'?"
"Open collaboration with the old, oppressive regime!" snapped the young man, and the transmission cut out.
"We should have just given this place a week this might have sorted itself out," lamented the Captain. "Ensign Marceaux, set a course for the next flagged system."
* * *
President Gibson sat rotting in a cell. It didn't matter which one. All that mattered was that he was the wrong one. He was on the wrong Terra. On the real Terra he was President-For-Life, the feared and beloved ruler of the species. However on this Terra, on this Hellish false Terra, he was just another man.
In the absence of a central authority, both authoritarian regimes quickly fell.
* * *
Agent Blue and Agent Green had lost contact with home base more than a week ago. They were forced to fend for themselves. As time went on it was becoming more and more difficult to forage for supplies without being noticed. They were also beginning to smell which was having a deleterious effect on their stealth capabilities.
Agent Green made a note of this.
Coincidence and Misunderstanding: End
YOU ARE READING
Starship Armstrong - Season 3
Science FictionThe continuing journeys of the FSS Armstrong as it explores the periphery of the galaxy on a mission of peace in search of lost human civilizations. This is the third Season of an ongoing series. It is recommended to begin with Season 1.
