Free The Firestorm Conspiracy by Cheryl Angst Page A

something. If he had information to report, he would.
    Nate stabbed his communications panel and swore as he bruised his fingertip. “Bob, I’m doing some critical research. I do not want to be disturbed for any reason short of a national disaster. Am I making myself clear?”
    “Yes, sir. No interruptions under any circumstances.”
    “Good.” He toggled off the panel and began scanning the latest packet from the Firestorm . He skimmed the entries of the captain and executive officer, looking for references to John, the mission, or anything that could be construed as suspicious. Finding nothing, he opened the diplomatic officer’s logs, prepared to skim the contents as well, but his eye caught John’s name and he began to read in earnest.
    Professor John Thompson remains a mystery. As part of my duties as the senior diplomat on board, I have made myself available to address his needs. He has been invited to several social functions, but he seems to prefer to remain in his cabin .
    Nate snorted.
    I took it upon myself to become familiar with his work, and he has, somewhat reluctantly, been willing to discuss the avians over a quick meal in the mess. I am left wondering how someone so shy and awkward could be the best choice for this mission.
    Nate wondered again if sending John had been a good idea. If he couldn’t cope with an uneventful space flight, how might he react to a potentially dangerous meeting with an avian agent?
    While Captain Forbes has not shared the specific details of the purpose of the mission among the crew, and Professor Thompson is unwilling to discuss anything beyond generalities, I believe I understand why we’re taking him into avian space. I’ve been hearing rumors that we should not trust the avians. At such a critical point in the peace talks, I can only imagine the damage such gossip might do.
    Nate scanned the remainder of Lt. Santiago’s logs, searching for further references to the rumors. The person responsible for spreading dissent might be the conspirator Nate needed to find. As if to deliberately thwart his efforts, Lt. Santiago failed to identify the source of the gossip. He needed an excuse to send her a message.

Chapter 16
    The talk at the captain’s table revolved around crossing into avian territory the next day. Some of the officers wanted to uphold the tradition of initiating all the crew who had never crossed the line before. Cheng was one of the idea’s strongest proponents.
    John sat alone at a table in the corner and tried to ignore the conversations taking place around him.
    “The UESF has traditions,” Cheng exclaimed while hoisting his glass, “and we need to honor them.”
    A chorus of “Hear, hear,” greeted his words.
    “The UESF used to prohibit officers from fraternizing with fellow crewmembers,” Santiago replied. “Do you want to bring back that tradition too?”
    “That policy was just plain cruel.” Cheng pouted, raising a bout of laughter from the nearby tables. “This tradition serves a purpose.”
    “Tradition,” Targersson chimed in.
    “And what purpose does stripping your fellow crewmembers down to their undergarments and covering them in corn syrup and goose feathers serve?” asked Santiago.
    “Bonding,” Cheng shouted.
    “Camaraderie,” added Targersson.
    “For you or them?”
    “For us.” Cheng and Targersson laughed as they raised their glasses and toasted each other.
    John grimaced in disgust. He wanted to escape the talk, disappointed that such feelings still existed in the UESF, but decided to watch what Forbes would do.
    “You two are hopeless.”
    “Come on, Santiago. We’re just trying to have some fun,” replied Cheng.
    “Mass public humiliation isn’t my idea of fun.”
    “Perhaps if you dated--”
    “My personal life has nothing to do with this conversation.” Flushed with more than the wine, Santiago set her fork down. “I just don’t understand the point.”
    “The point is to let loose a little and