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*Rise of the Warspite*
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[QUOTE]Originally posted by HappyTarget: [QB] Here's the next chapter. Its kinda shorter, but ending it elsewhere would have been wrong. Chapter 23 will be longer as a result. Hope you like it. CHAPTER 22 [Sickbay, GSN Warspite, Grayson Orbit] Viola frowned sternly at her irritated patient. "I don't care how healthy you feel Sir, you aren't leaving this room until I am satisfied you are as well as you say. You have been through a very traumatic event, and there may be complications that are not immediately apparent." When she noticed he was about to start up again, she snapped in a voice that left no room for compromise, "SIT DOWN!" Thad closed his mouth with an audible click and sank back down to the examination bed. Taz bleek of laughter at Thad from beside him on the bed was a welcome change from the distressed keening or stony silence that had possessed him while his person was unconscious. "Some help you are, taking her side in this!" Thad shot back at his companion. Although he couldn't speak any, Taz understood much more Standard English than many gave him credit for. When he had heard the reasoning behind Viola's insistence that Thad stay in sickbay for more tests, he had been as unrelenting as she that Thad remain. Thad took a deep, cleansing breath. "Look, I have been out of the loop for three whole days. Lord knows what has happened to the Battle Group during that time. I need to get back as soon as possible, there is just to much to do before we have to go out system." "And as I said before, the sooner you let me get started, the sooner you can leave. Your bi*ching about it is only going to make your stay just that much longer." There was a few seconds when she thought that he would continue to demand his release, but then Thad sighed and settled into a more comfortable position on the bed with a resigned nod. [Rear Admiral Bruce Cole's Quarters, GSN Warspite, Two Hours Later] Thad stood before Admiral Cole ramrod straight in a spotless uniform. It had taken another hour before Viola was satisfied enough to let him leave sickbay. The glow of having pulled through his ordeal had worn off by then, and the walk back to his quarters to clean up had been one of the longest in his life. Thad hadn't considered the consequences of his pasts revelation would have on his crew. He had been curious at first to gauge their reactions, so he had activated his enhanced hearing to discreetly hear what might be said behind his back. As the old saying goes, curiosity killed the cat. Although they were as respectful as the regs required to his face, he couldn't help but over hear their comments when they thought he was out of earshot. Many of the comments were truly hurtful. And that was the reason that Admiral Cole had asked for him to report to his office. Thad was going to be relieved. He was sure of it. "At ease Captain." Thad changed from attention to parade ground rest, his face a stone mask, showing none of his building tension. The only sign of it was the twitching end of his treecats tail. "I need to know why you lied on your entrance papers to the academy and to the Star Kingdom itself. Why did you think you needed to hide it? There is no discrimination for genetically modified people under the Star Kingdom's law." "Sir, it's not that I wouldn't say, it's that I could not. What happened to me was a direct result of the programming Manpower put in as a failsafe in case I ever escaped their control. If I ever tried to explain my true past, or had it come out some other way, all of their programming in my head would be wiped out. I am still not sure how I managed to circumvent their directives. God knows there were countless times I wanted to tell someone, anyone about my secret, but I COULD NOT DO IT!" Admiral Cole stared at his pained expression intently, then leaned back in his chair and nodded. "I believe you Captain. Now for my second question. Given room for exaggeration, did you do those things the holovids and news services have accused you of?" Thad's response was to look down at the floor in shame and utter a quick, one-word response. "Yes." Thad had had a few minutes to look over the stories the news feeds were showing about him and his past. Although many of them were outright lies, quite a few of them were very close to the truth. And the truth in this case was not very pretty. If he had been a celebrity before, he was now known across the entire Alliance at least. And not for the things people could be proud to be known for. "I am glad you were so candid. If you had said anything else, I would have known you were lying. ONI has given me a report on their investigation into the wild stories surfacing about you. There is a lot of corroborating evidence to many of them. That said, many of them were done to very bad people who were trying to do horrible things to you. Under the circumstances I feel that you were justified in the actions you took." Then a smile played across Admiral Cole's face. "And fortunately for you the Star Kingdom's Admiralty, High Admiral Matthews, and even Benjamin IX and Queen Elizabeth themselves agree with me." Thad's eyes went wide. If both Queen Elizabeth of the Star Kingdom of Manticore and Protector Benjamin of Grayson approved of his actions, he just might make it through this media circus after all. "You mean I am not being relieved of command?" Thad asked excitedly. "Of course not. Despite your checkered past, you have performed in exemplary fashion while in both the Manticoran and Grayson uniforms. I am not saying that it is going to be a cakewalk. The crew of the Warspite, heck the entire quadrant, has been shocked by what has come out about your past. There are bound to be some that hate you for what you are." Memories about Old Earth's final war were gradually fading from the collective forebrain of the species, but some prejudices over genetically modified humans remained. This despite the fact that it had happened thousands of years ago. "I know sir, but I'll just have to do my best to over come their fears." "Good, now on to the Battle Group. Despite your absence, preparations have continued as well as can be expected. It is a good thing you will have your hands full getting back up to speed, as it will give you an excuse to stay on the Warspite and avoid the three-ring media circus on the planet." Little did the Admiral know that the newsies would soon have bigger fish to fry. The Admiral's com chimed and he pressed the acceptance stud. "Admiral, Captain, I'm sorry to interrupt but you need to hear this. It's from command and is going out in the clear in an all ships broadcast." The watch communications officer's face was drawn tight. The ranking officer in the Grayson Navy, High Admiral Wesley Matthews' face came up on the wall's com screen. He looked horrible, his face drained of color. Though his voice had a peculiar huskiness, it was as strong as ever when it came from the speakers. "Men and women of the Grayson, it is my sad and unfortunate duty to be the bearer of terrible news. Steadholder Lady Dame Honor Stephanie Harrington's ship is overdue and presumed lost." The all ships broadcast was not just transmitted to specific people. Every com in the system picked it up, and from there it was sent to every intership com screen. As if knowing the reaction his statement would have, High Admiral Matthews stopped speaking and stared at the pickup. For seconds nothing happened, a shock this great needed time to penetrate the disbelief. Then an anguished cry rose from nearly every man and woman who had heard the High Admiral's announcement. It was the cry a wolf pack howls when it looses its leader. [/QB][/QUOTE]
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