Illuminae (The Illuminae Files #1)(38)
“Stop it, Jesus!” the SecTeam Lieutenant roared. My VK was right in his face.
“Stand down, LT,” I warned.
“This is bullshit! You people are animals!”
“Captain, order your people to stand down! No one needs to get hurt here!”
The LT’s hand was on his pistol.
My finger on my trigger.
Doherty beside me, her voice rising an octave. “Lieutenant?”
“Lieutenant, stand down!” Chau barked.
I think that’s what did it. Simple mistake. Chau should’ve used his name. Should’ve made it clear she was ordering her own LT, not me. Because to someone with a few light-years under their belt, it would’ve been obvious Chau was drawing her pistol to surrender it. I’ve watched the recordings a hundred times. You can see it on her face. Resignation. One hand up in surrender. But to a terrified rookie who used to guard the school library, it might have looked like Chau was drawing the piece to use it. That she was shouting at me to stand down, and if I didn’t, she was prepared to shoot me in the back.
So Doherty did what she’d been ordered to do.
“… you be the push that makes them move.”
It was a good shot. Took Chau right in the head. I heard a scream from the Nav-Comp, and Syra Boll, one of Chau’s 2ICs was charging across the deck, cradling her dead Captain in her arms. The SecTeam were shouting, we were roaring, VKs in their faces. I don’t know how it held together. I don’t know what stopped us heading south of heaven, right then and there. Maybe it was Zhang. Sitting with his bleeding face, tear-filled eyes locked on his Captain’s body. Legs crossed. Back straight. Not fighting. Just resisting.
What had he said?
“ ‘The man dies in all who keep silent in the face of tyranny.’ ”
The woman, too.
I can’t do this. I can’t pretend this is what I signed up for. I brought them back, just like I was told. Both Hypatia commtechs, delivered to General Torrence, hog-tied and just a little bloodied for their troubles. I did what a good soldier is supposed to do. But now I’m done.
Lock me in the hole. Fuck, space me. I don’t care anymore. I’ll keep your secrets. Shut my mouth. But I can’t shut my eyes.
I am hereby formerly resigning my commission as a Lieutenant of the United Terran Authority, effective immediately.
I’m sorry.
I just can’t do this anymore.
Winifred McCall
Former 1st Lieutenant
UTA Marine Division
Battlecarrier Alexander
Mason, E, LT 2nd: dorian
Mason, E, LT 2nd: DOOOORRRRIIIAAAAAANNNNNN
Dorian, C, Corp: Go away, Mason
Mason, E, LT 2nd: I’ll be quick
Mason, E, LT 2nd: Rumors you may have heard to that effect are all lies, btw
Mason, E, LT 2nd: *crickets*
Mason, E, LT 2nd: You heard anything on Jimmy?
Dorian, C, Corp: Mason I have more important things on my mind than James right now.
Mason, E, LT 2nd: chum, our friend is still stuck in that airlock, don’t you think we should find out if command are at least gonna TRY to get him out?
Dorian, C, Corp: Mason, the personnel aboard this ship dont’ amount to a bucket of shit as far as Torrence and his officers are concerned. WAKE UP.
Mason, E, LT 2nd: dorian, that’s the first time I’ve ever seen you swear. Or botch an apostrophe for that matter
Mason, E, LT 2nd: like, EVER
Mason, E, LT 2nd: u ok?
Dorian, C, Corp: No. I am not. A friend of mine just got locked in the hole.
Dorian, C, Corp: Stephanie LeFevre. She’s a commtech.
Mason, E, LT 2nd: ya I know Steph. Chill fem. Smart. What’d they brig her for?
Dorian, C, Corp: Aiding and abetting the enemy. They have records of her log-in being used to access memory files out of AIDAN. Details about the Copernicus attack, Kerenza refugee files, things like that. They say she gave the gen to Hypatia command about AIDAN.
Mason, E, LT 2nd: shit. that was … not so smart
Dorian, C, Corp: Except she didn’t do it.
Mason, E, LT 2nd: how u so sure?
Dorian, C, Corp: Because she was with me at the time, Mason.
Mason, E, LT 2nd: like
Mason, E, LT 2nd: “with you” in a biblical sense?
Dorian, C, Corp: Yes, Mason. “Biblically.”
Mason, E, LT 2nd: holy SHIT, little Charlie D with ALL THE MOVES!!!
Mason, E, LT 2nd: chum no offence but I had you picked as a Neo-Abstinent, dead cert’
Dorian, C, Corp: My god, you’re an infant.
Mason, E, LT 2nd: chum, I’m HAPPY for you. Steph is a queen
Dorian, C, Corp: Yes, well, my “queen” is now locked in SOLITARY for WARTIME ESPIONAGE, Mason. Awaiting court martial. And a possible firing squad.
Mason, E, LT 2nd: right. f*ck
Dorian, C, Corp: Three quarters of TechEng are now on some kind of “watch list” for suspicious behavior. Torrence has completely lost the plot. He’s had two commtechs dragged over from Hypatia. Set them up on the bridge so he could “keep an eye on them.” The pair of them literally have bruisers with guns looming over them while they work.
Mason, E, LT 2nd: and there’s no way steph could have logged in to access the info?
Dorian, C, Corp: I think I’d have noticed. Give me some credit, please.
Mason, E, LT 2nd: so just tell command she was with you. Case closed.