Genesis Code, (Book 1, Genesis Series)

Chapter 39

Galen Thompson watched his overseer pace the full length of the observation deck. A dozen military personnel had arrived, and the operation was in full swing to apprehend the stowaway on-board the ship. While everybody waited for the ship to arrive, the military used their free time to inspect Stuart's operational hub. Their presence meant Galen could no longer search for the ESC memos.

All this muscle for just one stowaway? It all felt a bit dramatic.

A nervous looking Stuart shadowed the military around the room. From the moment of their arrival, his overseer had been acting strange. Then without warning, Stuart stormed out of the room.

Enough was enough. Galen needed to know what was up with him. He followed Stuart to the end of a corridor to see him jamming his communication device in his ear. Galen hung back out of sight and waited.

'Jenny, pick up. It's Stuart,' he whispered. 'Shit. I've made a huge mistake. Remember that clean sheet I keep bragging about? Well, I may have changed a few dates and numbers. Yeah, two people got fired over it, but the ESC never questioned the discrepancies at the time.' Stuart paced. 'If you're there, please pick up. I know you're in the skies now but I need to speak to you. I don't know what to do. The military are here and they're combing through everything. They're going to find something and I'll get canned for this. What should I do? Should I come clean?' Stuart waited a few seconds, then punched the wall. 'Shit.'

Galen froze as Stuart rounded the corner and walked straight into him. 'Galen. What the hell are you doing out here?'

'I... was coming to get you. The passenger ship is almost in range. You need to get in there.'

Stuart levelled a glare at him. 'What did you hear?'

'Nothing. I swear. I just arrived.' His voice shook.

'Look, it was nothing. A lack of judgement...' Stuart narrowed his eyes. 'I've seen you checking the monitors. What were you looking for?'

Galen said nothing.

'I know all about the ESC's interest in my station. Turns out I'm the only station to maintain a clean sheet this year.' Stuart gripped Galen's shoulder too tight. 'We've been working together for a while now. I'd like to think we're friends. Are we friends? I had planned to promote you early. I hope you won't do anything to ruin that.'

Galen shook his head.

'Glad to hear it.' He pushed Galen ahead of him. 'Come on, the sooner these assholes are gone, the better for both of us.'

They returned to the observation deck where Stuart resumed his shadowing of the military.

As the ship edged closer to the docking station, the military's focus shifted away from Stuart's business to its arrival, much to his overseer's relief. Once the ship had passed the outlying planets in the solar system, the military personnel moved and acted as one. With the ship's arrival just an hour away, the communications operative ordered the docked spacecrafts to rendezvous with the ship at predetermined coordinates. The pilot came into range and connected with the docking station through the satellites that orbited the planets.

Galen stood out of the way as some military attempted to interfere with controllers checking for debris in the ship's path. The two heads of the military group—one a sergeant with cropped hair, and the other a corporal—stood over the communications operative while he tried to speak to the pilot. Stuart stepped up his presence with the pair.

'Ask him if there were any disturbances on board,' the sergeant said to the operative.

The operative checked and replied. 'No, there hasn't been anything reported, sir.'