A NORMAL DAY AT WORK

(Part 3)

Bruce Sommer

Commander Heather R. Scott read through Ensign Edwards' file regarding Project Dilithium. She was glad that she had written the program which made it possible for her to scan all the computer activity relating to the situation at hand. This way, in addition to finding out how certain personnel did their jobs, she was able to update herself on the individual projects.

As she scanned the nearby planets available, she saw the bad luck that had assailed Edwards through his comments as they appeared on the screen. But as she read the last entry, she knew that he had discovered a possible planet. Then the screen blanked out, and she was faced with Edwards' final screen display.

SEE LIBRARY COMPUTER FILE ARBOS-II-37B (SECURITY CODE 04-BLACK)

It puzzled her that no further progress had been made, since over an hour and a half had passed since this last entry. She hoped he had not fallen asleep on the job. But since this was the last entry on his terminal, and he had not forwarded any information, she decided to check the Science Department Security Section.

Punching the intercom button, she requested, "Science Security Section, please."

"One second, Commander Scott," the Communications Officer on duty replied. "There seems to be no answer. Would you like a specific person?"

"Yes, if you could get hold of Ensign Edwards for me. But isn't there supposed to be someone from Security down there?"

"Let me check for you," the reply came. "One more second... that would be Ensign Jacobs. Funny, he doesn't seem to be at his post. Would you still like to get hold of Ensign Edwards?"

"No, that's okay. I'll find him myself. But you had better get hold of the Chief Security Officer and see why his men are goldbricking." Heather punched off the intercom and sat down in her terminal chair to think. Something was definitely wrong, but she didn't want to sound an alert since that would warn any possible intruders. Too much security, even on a covert action, might not be wise based on a hunch. Since in addition to being Chief Science Officer, she was also the Executive Officer, she decided she had the authority - as long as the Commanding Officer was asleep - to follow up the hunch she had on her own. The Chief Security Officer should be able to handle his end once he was contacted by the Communications Officer. She took her Type I phaser, hidden in her bookshelf next to her bed, and stepped out of her quarters.

* * *

"Why in the hell would "Citizens for Decency in the Federation" want to destroy all life on Arbos-II?" Christopher Edwards asked. "What would that solve? I mean mass murder of that many people will not go unnoticed."

"Well, first of all," O'Halloran stated. "They don't seem to like the prospect of a planet in existence where anything goes. They claim it undermines the moral fabric of the UFP. You know the arguments. Interracial sex producing offspring that isn't purely Homo Sapien. Boy, were they pissed when Starfleet accepted Spock as Captain of the USS Enterprise. They figured it was bad enough that he was in Starfleet.

"Then you have the aspects of prostitution, gambling, drug use, and pornography all being legal on Arbos-II. It doesn't matter to them that all those activities are widely accepted on one planet or another. It's all those moral evils in one place that gets them angry.

"But I think what really gets them upset is that, because there is no government on Arbos-II, there is no possibility of them changing the status quo through the use of a Republic, Democratic, or Dictatorial form of government. The populace of Arbos-II not distinguishing any difference between those forms of government, I can see why they deny the right of the institution of government to exist.

"But it really isn't up to me to question the right or wrong of their moralities or actions. I'll be satisfied as long as I get paid. Come to think of it, what makes mass murder wrong? Isn't there only a law against it because a majority of the population find it distasteful? Who is to say whether any violent act is right or wrong, all actions being relative to each other?

"As far as killing that many people, you know what they say 'Accidents - and natural disasters - do happen'. Did I tell you I'm quite good at making murder look like a simple accidental death? Ask the Klingons, they're one of my many satisfied customers."

"I can see that you don't expect me to live after you're done, with all that you've told me. Or are you just planning on wiping out my memory of the whole situation." Edwards could feel beads of sweat trickling from his brow as he pondered what the madman in front of him had said.

_"I don't think I'll have to worry about you for awhile. As you can see, I've disabled the intercom, and it doesn't seem you can escape from the tritanium tape holding you to the wall." O'Halloran chuckled as he returned to his computer terminal and resumed typing.

"SO WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?" Edwards screamed across the room, trying to pull away from the tape. Exhausted, he fell back against the wall.

"Right now, I don't want anything from you, except for you to forget what has happened." the olive-skinned Terran hissed, facing him down sternly from across the room. "But that should be easy enough."

"Let me guess," Edwards spat. "Drugs? Or are you a Vulcan in disguise?"

"Novus ordo seclorum," O'Halloran quoted grinning.

Edwards' mind then snapped, bright flashes of light appearing behind his tightly closed eyes, as the blackness of unconsciousness once again overwhelmed him.

"Drugs are too visible in the bloodstream - not to mention unpredictable," the stranger said to the limp form on Ensign Edwards. He removed the circuit tape binding his body, carrying him to a terminal chair. "But I do wish I were a Vulcan. It would be very handy for business."

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