The Stars Came Back (13 page)

Lag: (
Cheerfully) Excellent!

Kat: Ummm… what?… sir?

Lag: Could you find something in these to justify just about anything?

Kat: (
Cautiously) Well… yeeeeesssss, likely there’s something somewhere that could in theory support anything short of multi-system genocide if you torture definitions and phrases hard enough.

Lag: And is there anything in there that prohibits action?

Kat: (Disgusted) Narrowly read, it’s a straightjacket that makes us ask permission in triplicate to
breathe
.

Lag: So, anything we do that works out, we could justif
y?

Kat: (
Slowly, cautiously) Yeeeeesssssss?

Lag: And if we screw up, we could get hung out to dry as disobeying orders?

Kat nods slowly, starting to see where it’s going.

Lag: (
Grinning) So, let’s not screw things up, and see what we can do!

Kat looks at
Lag in surprise.

Kat: So, this is…?

Lag: Let’s get started. Section 23 says we need to cut our core budget by 20%. That’s about the same as the maintenance section, I believe. Go find Chief Stenson, tell him he and his section are fired, and send him in here.

Kat looks appalled.

Kat: (Faltering) You want…
me
… to fire…?

Lag: (
Cheerfully) Yes. He should be out training some guys on the J-6’s.

Kat: (
Flatly) Fired.

Lag: Absolutely.

Kat stares at Lag in disbelief. Then, she sets her face in an angry scowl, stands, salutes, about faces, and strides out. Lag smiles, and returns to examining the e-reader.

DISSOLVE TO

Later, same office

Lag still sits at his desk, reading. The door opens, and Chief
Henery Stenson strides in, smiling, with a confused looking Kat right behind him. He’s late 40s, short cropped graying hair, mustache, trim and muscular, wearing stained and well-worn cammies with rolled-up sleeves, and tool belt.

Stenson: Fired again, eh?

Lag: (Briskly) Indeed. What’s the local talent like?

Stenson: What, no vacation?

Lag shakes his head. Stenson shrugs and flops into the chair in front of Lag.

Stenson: Eh, not bad. Local companies are a mixed lot, some good individuals, not many that could pass age, physical, or background, as recruits, though.

Kat: I thought he was fired?

Lag: (
Ignoring Kat) How’s your section?

Stenson: So-so. Usual mix. Only a handful of stand
-outs.

Lag: (
To Kat) How long to establish a local corporation?

Kat: (
Even more confused) Start a corp?

Lag looks at her and patiently waits for her to answer the question. Stenson grins like he knows what’s going on, and is enjoying Kat’s momentary confusion.

Kat: … Uh, well… an hour or so to find a location, if requirements aren’t too demanding, and another hour to fill out the forms and file. Pretty simple here, I think, depending on the type. But what does that have to do with-

Lag: Section 30 says we
, quote “support and utilize local companies where possible,” unquote. Please work with Mr. Stenson to identify a suitable nearby location for “Stenson’s Heavy Equipment Repair Company”, file the necessary forms for it and an associated apprenticeship program, transfer employment for the dozen or so platoon members he wants to keep, expedite the background checks for any locals he wants to hire and train, and select “Stenson’s HERC” as the local contractor of choice for needed support services for our unit, as stipulated in section 118. I’m sure that when we leave, we’ll also be able to achieve our recruitment goal of 15% laid out in Section 55, too, because we can take them with us. Oh, and while you are looking at real estate, see if you can locate a suitable place for housing an infantry company of recruit trainees; Section 103 says to assist with other units in the area, and I know the 46th have some training problems the First Sergeant can help with, while we take care of some other items.

Kat realizes what’s happening and glares at Lag for a moment for the trick he played, then smiles.

Kat: Ah. I see. OK, sir, be happy to.

Stenson stands
, turns, and walks toward the door with Kat.

Stenson: (
Teasing) You didn’t think he’d
really
let me go, did you?

FADE TO BLACK

Noncoms

FADE IN

EXT - DAY - In the cab of a light truck

View in through the side window. Two soldiers in full combat armor (helmets off) drive down the dusty road leading to pad D9.
CPL Kaminski, a huge, powerfully built Viking-looking guy drives while eating a brown food-ration bar. SGT Kaushik, a trim light-skinned East Indian, is in the passenger seat.

CPL
Kaminski: (Defensively) She said “recon and secure the building.”

SGT Kaushik: When the
Colonel or Top tells you that, yeah, you need armor, air cover, and a hot line to the artillery battery. When the Lawfare Officer tells you, you
gotta
be smart enough to know she means look it over and get a lease with option to buy. All this gear (indicates the armor) is useless to check out a building. Contrary to common myth, not
all
soldiering problems are solved with massive firepower, explosives, hacking, or any of your other creative solutions.

CPL
Kaminski grunts assent and looks at the food bar, throws it down on the dash in disgust.

SGT Kaushik: Not likely to get better soon. Top says keep a low profile in town, and there are not a lot of HQ services out here yet. Get used to it.

They drive a bit further, approaching the building on the outskirts of the spaceport.

Kaminski: That’s gotta be it. What’s that
across the street?

Kaushik: It’s a ship
, Corporal.

Kaminski: (
Sarcastically) Well, no shit, Sarg. I
mean
, what
kind
of ship?

Kaushik: (Very studiously, after taking a long look) Old.

They pull up next to the large hanger/warehouse, number 1701, and look at it.

Kaminski: Seems in decent shape. Doesn’t look big enough.

Kaushik: Drive around it, let’s see all sides.

Shift camera view to beside the building, aiming toward the end of the
Tajemnica
with the lowered ramp.

Kaminski takes off around the corner of the building in a cloud of dust, with both of them looking at the building, a basic industrial beige metal box with a 8m roof, some large doors, and a few windows. About ten seconds later, a van-type vehicle pulls up, the back doors open, and out jump a half dozen rough looking gents in coveralls, and from the front steps the mean-looking Seeless. They head for the ramp. About ten seconds later, CPL Kaminski pulls back into view and parks just behind and to the side of the van.

Kaushik: Someone’s home, looks like.

Kaminski: Think Chief Stenson’d like to know about the ship parked across the street?

Kaushik: Oh yeah. He
loves
classic ships. Let’s drop in, say “Hi.”

They hop out of their vehicle, check and sling their rifles, and head for the ramp. They walk around the corner to the ramp and look in to see Helton on the cargo bay deck just above the ramp, Seymore’s thugs in a loose semicircle around him.

Seeless: So, if you want anything done, you go through
us
, right? No more calls to anyone else that can’t do the job. Capiche?

Kaminski:
Ahem.
Don’t mean to interrupt any local issues, but who owns the ship?

Seeless: (
Angry and mean) Who’s askin’?

Kaushik: (
Polite but firm) We are.

Seeless: Not your business.

Kaminski: Yes, it is. We’ll be using the building across the street. We wanted to find out who’s blocking our spectacular view of the… view.

Seeless: (
Sneering) We’ll talk to you when we are finished with him.

Kaushik: Like I said, I just want to know about the ship. Then we’ll be on our way.

Helton: I’m the owner, and they-

Seeless: SHUDDAP!

Helton: Oh, I’m wishin’ Harbin was here.

Kaminski: (
Sharply) WHO did you say?

Seeless: SHUT
IT!

Helton: Harbin
Reel? Ninety-five kilos of lethal bad-assery?

Seeless: I SAID SHUT! IT!

Kaushik: How do
you
know him?

Helton: S
aw some action together.

Seeless looks like he’s about to have an aneurysm from being ignored. The enforcers are looking alternately confused, uncertain, angry, and mean. This is
not
a situation they are used to.

The CPL and SGT exchange a glance, and simultaneously, rapidly, and with practiced grace unsling their rifles and
chamber a round, going to low ready while spreading out a bit and gaining some distance.

Kaushik: PLEASE DISEMBARK IMMEDIATELY! ANY LEGITIMATE LEGAL DISPUTES WILL BE DEALT WITH IN THE PRESENCE OF UNIFORMED LAW ENFORCEMENT AND WITH PROPER PAPERWORK PRESENTED FRONT AND CENTER! FAILURE TO COMPLY WILL BE MESSY! MOVE IT!

The hired muscle moves awkwardly, not used to confronting rifles carried by professionals in armor. Seeless moves a bit more slowly, used to being the one who is scary and in charge.

Seeless: You haven’t heard the last of this,
Mr. Rich Guy. Not by a long shot.

Helton: I wouldn’t be talking about long shots when someone has a rifle on you. It works out badly sometimes.

Seeless: I’ve got friends in
high places
!

Kaminski: (
Dangerously) We
are
the friends in low places. Now MOVE IT!

The three of them watch the thugs head for their vehicle.

Helton regards the two armored soldiers on his doorstep. They look at him after the last of Seymore’s men depart and the van roars away. The soldiers relax a bit.

Helton: Thanks for some
very
timely support.

Kaminski: No problem. Top would’a killed us if he knew we let someone he served with get hurt and didn’t do anything.

Helton: I didn’t say we
served
together, I just said I was in some action with him.

Kaushik: (
Curious) But he’s been in uniform since forever, so how…?

FADE TO BLACK

Possibilities

F
ADE IN

EXT - DAY -
Cab of a light truck

Chief Stenson is driving
, wearing coveralls. Lag is in the passenger seat in camo uniform.

Stenson:
They said I
had
to check the thing out. And that you
had
to meet the owner. They were kind of mysterious about it. But then, it’s not the first thing about Kaminski that is a little murky…

Lag: (
Mock serious) Are you implying one of our noncoms might have a less than pristine past?

Stenson: Guess it depends on how much of the official story you believe.

They both chuckle a bit.

Lag: It’s good to get out of the office anyway. It’s always useful to eyeball things in person when something unusual comes up. There it is. Big enough?

Stenson: Depends. Right now, we’re light on everything, so it should work. That ship; looks like an old Meridian transport, all right.

Lag: Emphasis on
old
.

Stenson: So much the better. Having an old hulk for training right across the street would be
great
. No worries about grounding it when some wanna-be private does something craptacular.

CUT TO

View of the side of the ship as
Lag and Stenson pull off the road near the side door. They hop out, do a quick touch check to make sure sidearms and clothes are in place, then walk up the stairs and in the hatchway.

CUT TO

View from inside the cargo bay looking down the side entrance passageway, as they walk through the
hatches headed inside. Lag stops, hold his hand to his ear, then glances at his forearm-mounted computer screen. He looks at Stenson with a quizzical look. Stenson looks back, and holds his ear and nods.