Free Synchronicity War Part 1, The by Dietmar Wehr

still
at the Space Force Academy. If he had been allowed to leave, he would likely
have gone on a long solitary trip into a wilderness somewhere and camped out
for a week or more. But the prospect of spending his time off on Space Force
business didn’t really bother him. Unlike the normal exploration missions,
which at least had the potential for discovering something interesting, the
anti-piracy/anti-smuggling patrols were excruciatingly boring. Now that
Humanity was in a serious and, to Shiloh’s mind, desperate situation, being a
Space Force Commander was suddenly a whole lot more interesting.
     
    The staff car dropped him at HQ right on time. An aide
showed him to the large room that was set up for committee sessions. Shiloh
took a seat near the front. A few minutes later, Admiral Howard showed up with
his staff in tow. Howard nodded to Shiloh and proceeded to give his staff some
last minutes instructions. With that done, he brought a stack of file folders
to the table in front of the raised dais where the committee members would sit.
After organizing his materials, Howard turned around and leaned close to
Shiloh.
     
    “Glad to see you’re here on time, Commander. Let me brief
you on how this is going to work. The Committee will show up in 15 to 20
minutes or so. They’ll take turns saying a few well-chosen but completely
meaningless words. You have to remember that they are elected politicians. Then
they’ll ask me to give them a verbal report to supplement the written report
that I sent them late last night, and which they haven’t read yet. After that,
they’ll ask me questions. The question period can go for as long as they wish.
The shortest question period I’ve ever experienced was half an hour. The
longest was a whole day and half of the next. Given the nature of what they’re
likely to ask me about, I wouldn’t be surprised if we’re at it all day except
for the occasional break. I’ll need you to be available during the question
period in case I need to check with you about a fact or get your insight on a
question that I’ve been asked. I’m going to ask you to stay in here while I
give my report so that you can understand the context in which the resulting
questions are being asked. If you absolutely have to leave for some reason OR
if you feel that I need to know something that can’t wait until a break, ask
one of my staff to place a note on the table where I’ll see it. That way I
won’t look silly when I turn around to ask you a question and you’re not there.
If you and I need to discuss something, keep your voice down so that only I can
hear you. Got all that?”
     
    “Yes Sir.”
     
    “Any questions, Commander?”
     
    “No Sir.”
     
    “Excellent. Now, let me give you a piece of advice. This
will be your first and, if you’re lucky, only Oversight Committee hearing. I’ve
gone through a few in my time. I’m used to them now. My advice is don’t get
flustered. Keep your cool, and you’ll get through this okay.”
     
    “I’ll keep that in mind, Admiral.”
     
    Howard nodded and turned away.
     
    The committee room gradually filled with people who were
either Committee Members’ staff or Space Force personnel. The Committee Members
themselves began to trickle in at just about the time the Admiral had
predicted. The session started half an hour later and proceeded exactly as the
Admiral had described. When the self-serving opening statements were finished,
the Committee Chair invited Howard to give his opening remarks.
     
    “Thank you, Mr. Chair. Members of the Committee, as you
undoubtedly know by now, the Space Force has lost some of its Brothers and
Sisters. The crews of Exploration Frigates 319, 301 and 299 have apparently
been the victims of an unprovoked attack by multiple armed starships that
belong to an unknown alien race. We strongly suspect that the 233, which went
missing last month, was also attacked, and it is now presumed destroyed. The report
I have