The Girl in the Tank: Galactic Consortium, Season 1

Episode Two: A Shaky Start: Chapter One

Big ships, really big ships, had separate quarters and offices for the Captain and other high level officers. A ship the size of the Corelean did not. Her sleeping quarters attached directly to her work place. It was convenient. The orbital hopper she had captained for many years was too small to have an officer's anything. She simply sat in main drive room with the pilots. The Corelean's set up had struck her as familiar, comfortable. Now she was wishing she was on an even bigger ship, to hold at least some of her officers more at bay.

Bankim was a broad man, dressed in a red shirt with gold trim. He snapped a precise salute while regarding her from under his bushy eyebrows. "Ma'am," he said.

"I'm prone to waking with my hair a mess," Shana said, "but this morning I would swear I found a boot print there."

"Ma'am?" Bankim said. His confusion sounded genuine.

He is too literal a soul. "You went over my head," she snapped.

He stiffened. "After our conversation yesterday..." he began.

"You did not get the reply you wanted. So you contacted command yourself."

"Yes, Ma'am," he said. "My duty as chief of security demands that I do everything in my power to protect this ship and the personnel onboard it."

"Well, you will be disappointed to know that the answer has not changed. Command spoke to Kavinda..."

"Kavinda?" Bankim spluttered. "What does that old..."

In the corner of the room, Kavinda gave a polite cough. Bankim spun around and looked at him. "Why did they talk you? This is a military issue."

"What you are suggesting would be a serious breach in the quarantine, I'm afraid. There is no way I can countenance such an action."

"I specified the men were to be volunteers, only. I am sure there are men onboard the base ship that would agree. And we are out of the radiation now. The small amount coming off these earthsiders themselves, can't be that much, can it?"

"The risk is there," Kavinda said, "even now. To bring more people onboard..."

"Not to mention that crew space, heck just plain space, is pretty tight as it is," Shana said. "Where would I put a bigger security crew, even if I could bring them onboard. And why? What problems have we had?"

"None, yet," Bankim said, "but when it comes, it will be too late. We've brought on board over three hundred of these, these..."

"Barbarians?" Kavinda finished.

"You've seen the news as have I," Bankim responded. "The atrocities that go on down there, daily."

"Are not being done by these three hundred, surely," Shana replied.

"In Africa, Middle East, China, many places," Bankim insisted.

"They don't come from those places," Kavinda said. "And there are many places on the planet where people live together in peace much of the time."

"America! That's is where they are from. The same people who were in Syria."

"Yes, but only a tiny fraction of those men were involved, or even knew about, those atrocities," Kavinda replied, "why else did we let them go?"

"Still, they are military. And we've seen them fight, simian on simian. Can we really trust them?"

"In ancient times," Kavinda said, "wars between simians, humans on humans, Hanuman against hanuman, this was common. Then we learned better."

"They haven't."

"Their technology, their culture, it's no more advanced than the most ancient records we have. But this philosophical discussion doesn't matter. I don't believe these men and women pose us a threat. They are sick with radiation poisoning. We have rescued them. What possible reason would they turn on us?" Kavinda said.

"I trust them because they are military," Shana said, putting a hand on Bankim's shoulder. "Their command tells them to do as we ask. They will not break discipline."

"They are sick now, but when they start to get well? Will their discipline hold?"

"If it does not, we can discuss more security then. The radiation will be less and maybe the answer will be different. For now, the issue is done. Understood?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Good, I've sent word to their captain, asked him to join me for breakfast. We will see what sort of manner of men we've brought on board. Okay?"

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