Side Story: After-Action

[Uso]

Chapter 1: After-Action

High orbit around Azathoth,
MAG Amicus Curiae,
CIC,

While the exterior of the nearly kilometer long Amicus Curiae had been scorched and burned along much of one side of its armored wedge, the interior of the ship was still a stark white. The incredibly thick armor had spared the interior of the ship from damage. In the CIC there were two cybernetic crew members at the display table in the center of the room along with a single rather unhappy looking Aos Si. The displays along the side of the room were showing different angles of the various weapon-turrets along the side of the ship, along with the status of the repairs.

“We have a workstation ready for you here,” The Aos Si said, her arms crossed over her chest, her face bearing that look of slight disdain that seemed common among her kind… or perhaps was common among those that had once belonged to the American Union’s forces here on Hawking. This Aos Si was Somnya Srilin, former captain of The Edward Deming and now one of the many POWs from the New Years Revolution who’s status with both the AU and the Assembly was quite unclear. Her cybernetic lower arm was tapping on the edge of one of the seats by the display table, a rather conventional keyboard and mouse having already been provided which stood in stark contrast to some of the rather custom equipment that had been put in place for interfacing with the other more cybernetic crew members. On closer inspection it would appear that the other crew member’s equipment could be set to light up in various interesting patterns… but one could also assume that Somnya had put a stop to that. “The low frequency transmitter has already been configured to relay text to your ground team. I will advise you that the Amicus Curiae will not be able to assist with further actions today.”

“Thanks, Captain.” Geiben nodded. He was visibly more relaxed on the bridge here, in contrast to his nervous nature when Wazu was discussing the ground operations on the Edward Deming. “What’s the status of the fleet right now?”

“The Amicus Curiae and our escorts have been rendered Inop by the Daqin. Drones and Missiles are already in low orbit or are taking a fuel-efficient return path, and all the Daqin have left are small attack craft. The only thing keeping us from destroying them is that they have hidden inside of Azathoth. More reinforcements are on the way from Rotislav but it will be another 30-40 hours before they arrive.” Somnya stated clearly and confidently. “What is the status of your ground-team?”

“They’re on the ground now. APC’s are moving them into position. I’m keeping track of their status right now as we speak.” Geiben nodded.

“I did not expect Wazu to assign you to communications duty. Surely he still feels your talents are best put to use leading from the front?” Somnya pried, covering her questions in the rather professional guise of being strictly business.

“No, captain.” Geiben furrowed his eyebrows. “Wazu believed, I believed, that my skills were better applied in orbit, rather than on the ground. I didn’t think I would be effective in that theatre, and Wazu agreed with me.”

“A lack of confidence then?” Somnya asked, “I would have expected Wazu to give you a briefing on how he feels about the situation in detail.”

“Less a lack of confidence, and more that I have subordinates who have the skill sets required more than I do for this particular operation.” Geiben shrugged. “Wazu didn’t brief me, but I have a general idea of the situation. Looks like we’re in a predicament, Captain.”

“Elaborate.” Somnya stated, her demand coming off as an implied request for more.

“Well…” Geiben’s tone came off as inquisitive as he pondered the Aos Si’s motives. “There’s still AU loyalists in the system dotted across multiple stations that could prove to be headaches down the line. The Daqinren have taken the opportunity to strike into Hawking, as they are here on Azathoth. And there are whispers, doubts even among those who did vote for succession, of if the Hawking system can really obtain independence.”

“The young government does not lack for enemies.” Somnya said outloud, displaying the same sense of caution as Geiben as she considered his motives, “The American Union has the largest and most powerful military force in the Human Sphere. Early victories are not enough to win a war. The people of the Union are unlikely to tire of a war this far from home either. Though I suppose Wazu has shared with you some secret plan to win the war?”

“There’s been diplomatic outreaches.” Geiben replied, somewhat unwillingly. “The Soyuz is guaranteeing our independence, but I don’t feel great about allying with them. Meanwhile, the GDW flat out denied any cooperation with us. The HFR is still up in the air. There are other underhanded ways to get the people of AU to grow tired of the war, but I’d rather not hear about them.”

“Unhappy with how the sausage is made?” Somnya asked, “I got the impression you were eager to join the revolution.”

“I underestimated the willingness of the AU and its people to lose a whole fleet and keep on fighting.” Geiben admitted. “I don’t know whether I should respect that or loathe it. Regardless, I’ll leave to black ops to people who can stomach it.”

“If all you care about is winning, then you should be betting on the AU.” Somnya replied, not exactly happy with her statement, but not exactly unhappy either. There was a palpable amount of ‘it is what it is’ in her voice, “So why are you here?”

“On the Amicus Curiae?” Geiben paused and looked away from Somnya. He was clearly holding back something. “Well, I wanted to know the status of the fleet…” He dragged on. “Alright, fine.” He looked at the other cybernetic crew members, looked back at Somnya. “Can we speak in private?”

“May we have the room?” Somnya asked.

The cybernetic crew members from the assembly didn’t seem to respond at first. The robe-wearing techno-wizzard sitting at one console would look up and across the table at his spherical High-Cyborg co-worker. The two of them wordlessly having to figure out what ‘May we have the room’ means and just how they were supposed to respond to someone who was ‘higher rank’. The both of them responded with a “Yes Sir!” before getting up from their stations and walking (and rolling) out of the room toward the adjacent work-areas.

Somnya remained as stoic as ever as she waited for the door to close. “Adjust privacy settings to OpSec-1” She said, the display on the table acknowledging her request.

“You may continue Geiben.”

Geiben sighed. “I’d be lying if I wasn’t doubting our chances to come out of this alive, Captain, and now I feel sorry that I dragged you into this.”

“If I thought you had any hand in this, I might be cross with you.” Somnya said, “You aren’t a revolutionary. I gather that neither of us had a real choice in this.”

Geiben gave Somnya an inquisitive look.

The contempt started to return in her face just a little bit, “Just a few minutes after New Years The Assembly’s soldiers were arresting me and my people.” She said, Geiben should know after all… he led that mission, “And you ended up as ‘the captain now’ if I remember correctly.” She looked at Geiben to see if there was a spark of understanding but it seemed he still needed more. “I was under house arrest with a slap-drone watching me for weeks, and I was inexplicably kept instead of being sent back to the American Union. This makes me look incredibly suspect within the American Union and I should assume my Career is over. It is likely they will think I was a collaborator when I return. I am only here because I have been offered the chance to fight the Daqin. It wasn’t much of a choice.”

Somnya would shift her weight to her other leg, still focused right on Geiben.

“I assume you were not given much of a choice either.” Somnya added.

“I… don’t know.” Geiben pondered out loud, cringing at his stunt when he took over the Edward Deming. “I think after the incident with the Wide Folk I could’ve gone back to AU space and settled as a civilian. I guess I wanted payback from the Daqin as well. House arrest wasn’t exactly kind to my psyche either. I want to say I didn’t have a choice in the matter in front of the human community, when I’m either on trial or when I’m representing the new Hawking state, but in all honesty, I think I did have a choice. Whether or not it is the right one remains to be seen.”

“Living as a disgraced former-soldier or restoring your career albeit through the Assembly hardly seems like a choice. You should come to terms with knowing you’re doing what you need to in order to survive.” Somnya stated.

“I suppose.” Geiben nodded, again unwillingly. “There is… one other matter, another wrench in the gears.” He spoke up with hesitation. “... How does one reconcile with dating a terrorist?”

 

[Uso]

“One doesn’t.” Somnya said, “You seem to have already made the decision. I would suggest you find a more suitable partner.”

Geiben seemed somewhat surprised by the straightforward answer. “I suppose you’re correct.”

“And you are not satisfied with that answer,” Somnya added, “... If this is the best partner you can attract, then it seems the choice has been made for you. Get comfortable with doing what you need to do.”

Geiben raised an eyebrow. “It seems you have this strong notion that we lack our own choices, Captain.”

“We are caught up in something much larger than ourselves. Much of the universe is beyond our control, and it is hardly a choice when there is only one clear path to take. If we all had our way I would still be on my homeworld fighting the Daqin.” Somnya stated, “...But that would only lead to my death. So I am here.”

“Beyond our control…” Geiben mumbled. “Captain, does your kind believe in gods? As in, omnipotent beings who string us along and set our fates?”

“Many did, and if they are real then they are uncaring or cruel.” She replied, “Ethereal creatures don’t control this war or the AU. The Politicians and the Assembly do.”

“I hope they aren’t what you say,” Geiben mused. “Given all the different species we’re encountering, I highly doubt humans are the only ones with advanced tech, as seen with whoever built this moon. I hope whoever’s out there is more capable than us, that they’re better people.”

“Don’t whine. It is unbecoming of a captain.” Somnya replied firmly, “You seem unsuited to your current role. If I were in charge of you I would be finding you a different assignment. Perhaps one where fewer decisions are required. Mr. Wazu seems to give his people too much freedom.”

Geiben furrowed his eyebrows. “With all due respect, Captain, I asked for this private conversation to take in our current situation as normal people, if you don’t want me to “whine” anymore, I’ll gladly put my officer cap back on.”

“Then as a person, I will tell you that your cracks are showing.” Somnya replied, shifting her weight about as she tried to figure out how to respond. Personal interactions were much easier when the hierarchy of rank was imposed and Geiben’s request to keep things unprofessional had pushed her out of her element.

“You’re not stressed out by the current situation?” Geiben asked innocently. “I wonder if it’s an Aos Si thing…”

“I wouldn’t know,” Somnya said, “If it helps, focus on the work ahead of you. If you’re making progress toward your goal then you don’t have time to dwell on thoughts of what if.”

“Were it so easy.” Geiben shook his head. “You know--- nevermind.”

“You will be surprised what you can do when it comes down to it.” Somnya said, still contemplating how to approach this line of questioning while still ‘in uniform’. She had to wonder if such a thing even mattered anymore...“If you want to help the others here, you need to sort yourself out first. If there is nothing else, I would prefer to resume in a more professional manner.”

“... Thank you.” Geiben nodded. It was apparent that he didn’t get the answer he wanted, but he said nothing more.

 

[Uso]

Chapter 2: A second Opinion

A few days later,
Planet Hawking,
Low Orbit,
MAG Edward Deming,
CIC

This CIC was arranged just like the one onboard the Amicus Curiae, display table in the center, displays surrounding it, workstations positioned around the center table. The chief difference was the crew itself.

The Echoni 444 looked to be asleep, leaning back in a chair with her feet propped up on the center table. The woman still clad in her tight fitting bodysuit, a combat vest being worn over it that was designed to hold useful utility items like grenades and magazines… though the magazine pouches were currently occupied by candy-bars.

Not too far away was Wazu, dressed in more appropriate civilian attire, shirt and slacks that seemed more at home in an office than a warzone. The man was hunched over a display table in the center of the room, one hand supporting his head, the other navigating a massive pile of information presented as both virtual displays and physical datapads in front of him.

Geiben walked in in his usual military jumpsuit. “Heram,” he nodded.

“Go ahead and take a seat,” Wazu said, getting up and clearing the display by the wall just to help refocus.

“So first we need to establish what your role is here, how you fit in, and what I think your next step should be.” Wazu said… pausing for a moment as he looked at the screen that didn’t have any sort of visuals on it to show. “Right now you are this ship’s captain. Your role is to manage the crew and their day to day operations as well as keep them all on mission. Your role is a little less clear, the social interaction with the crew feels a bit off for reasons I am not sure that I should get into yet. I have been trying to think of a good way to frame this.”

Wazu then tried to lay out a few of his ideas for framing, “I was thinking of using a chess analogy but the player vs piece analogy just feels insulting. Similarly the ‘parts of a car’ analogy also feels a bit disposable. I think the one I am landing on is more the five man band analogy which puts you in the role of Lancer. Uh… that one I should probably explain more, which requires going back a bit to your role on the ship. You did get catapulted up to a leadership role very quickly, perhaps before you were really ready. You have also done a commendable job adapting to the role.”

He thought that this may have established the basis for the next conversation, “Where I would like to see you go next is to further develop as a leader. Though you are in charge of the ship there is a certain amount of self-direction required to be a valuable member of this group. That also sounds a bit harsh which isn’t the intent. The problem might also not be lack of self direction as it is a lack of identity.” Wazu frowned, “That ALSO sounds terrible. Lets forget that and try a different explanation. Algorithms would target you as a type of person who is still figuring out what they are about which makes them very open to suggestion. You are still forming your ideas about morality and self which also has your personality profile skewing more towards authoritarianism but not so much so that we place you in the same bracket as someone like Somnya who scores much lower on influenceability as she has already internalized some core ideas about authority, hierarchy, and the role of the individual in society.”

There was some more thinking going on now, Wazu certainly felt more in his element talking about Geiben as if he was a collection of datapoints. This mindset streamlined things. His vision would briefly look over at 444 to see if she was paying attention and she was… just sorta laying there with her eyes closed. Perhaps Wazu would need to speak with her after this as well? “So that leaves us at where you are going in the future. Typically this is where someone with your profile starts to diverge. The high-performing new-comer who rapidly ascends inevitably wants to go their own way. Perhaps you think you can do better than us and see us in an adversarial light or perhaps you just want your own thing. I’ve tried a few approaches to try and manage this and honestly none of them have ever really worked before. I would understand if you would like to leave but what I would like to see is you getting closer with the leadership here, working more closely with people like Doris and I, and generally seeing you become a self-directing member of the assembly who is proposing and executing their own projects. Then again, I also understand that you might not see the Assembly as ‘your people’ even if you do have quite a bit in common with us. I would speculate that this has a lot to do with the inertia of your own customs and ideas that you might not have fully challenged yet.”

There was one more pause now, as Wazu got ready for the disclaimer, “Of course, I don’t think I am an expert on interpersonal stuff. I think that rather than trying to use a leadership figure to try and bring you into alignment you would more appreciate me transparently laying out my findings and thoughts on the matter.”

Geiben was quietly listening with his arms crossed the entire way. After Wazu finished, Geiben continued to stay silent for half a minute, then spoke up. “If you think I’m going anywhere, you’d be mistaken. By one Aos Si’s words…” Geiben scoffed, “I don’t have a choice in the matter. I’ll be the Edward Deming’s captain, and the fleshy face of this whole rebellion if need be. Was that your concern? That I wanted to leave or something?” He shook his head. “I do have doubts, wondering if this was all the right thing to do, but it is what it is now. On my own volition, I also did choose.” He gave an awkward chuckle. “Now both of us aren’t making much sense.”

“Truth can get buried in layers of abstraction,” Wazu replied, trying to get right to the point, “From my past experience this is usually the point where things start falling apart… at least on an interpersonal level. Enid’s loss is certainly felt. You seem to have developed a bit of a rapport with Somnya but she is also less available. It makes me think your lack of connection with the rest of the crew might be related to your doubts behind what we are doing.”

“You are trying to make this personal.” Geiben expressed with some frustration. He then started replying defensively. “I already talked to Dr. Knowledgebot, and you know I trust Stein’s competence. Enid leaving without a word hurt, but that’s a me problem, I’ll get over it sooner than later. My relationship with Somnya is purely professional at this point; she’s just another point of view to me.”

“This is personal for me. The Assembly is the first place I’ve been that I really feel like I’ve belonged. This isn’t just a job for me and I’m trying to take a genuine interest in my team above and beyond what is expected.” He explained, trying to figure out how to reframe the situation. “You are a valuable member of the team, but providing assistance to you has to be more than me just offering some unspecified help. This whole process is part of figuring out what you need from me.”

"Therapy, for starters." Geiben only half joked. "Moral dilemmas of participating in a rebellion aside, I'm not sure you actually can solve some of my personal problems. Well, just one." He tapped his foot a bit nervously.

“The only way to find out is to share information,” Wazu offered.

"Uhmm…" Geiben stuttered. "You know Cleo, right? I think you had a history with her mother, Chloe?"

 

[Uso]

“Yes.” Wazu stated, frowning, “A brief history.”

"Well, that makes two of us." Geiben nodded in condolences. "I slept with the daughter."

“I see.” Wazu said, nodding, understanding that he needed to choose his next words carefully. “And what exactly is the problem you’re experiencing?”

"Problem is that I actually kind of like her, beyond the sex." Geiben squirmed. "And she wants to meet a second and third time. Surely you know her history, her career?".”

“Vaugely. She hasn’t done anything illegal to people under the Jurisdiction of The Magnetic Assembly or the Hawking Government as far as I’m aware. I don’t think she pop’d on the criminal list exchange we had with the Souyz either. That means you have to decide if whatever she has done is a deal-breaker for you. Or do I misunderstand the problem?” Wazu asked.

"I'm wondering if this is going to affect my job enough that it's a bad idea continuing relations." Geiben replied.

“Of course it is a bad idea,” Wazu said, eyes lighting up a bit. He didn’t need to think about this one too much. It seemed that he knew right away what to say that would be helpful… or at least what he would have needed to hear years ago if he had been in the same position. “But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it. If she does cross the line you can always make the decision to cut ties then. At worst, this is a valuable learning experience. At best, maybe you find someone you want to be around.”

"You seem awfully nonchalant, even excited that I might be dating a terrorist." Geiben noted. "Aren't you afraid she might blow up the ship or something through me?"

“If you were able to blow up the ship like that then the failure would be with our counter-intelligence and security systems.” Wazu stated, “Just associating with someone doesn’t make you what they are… at least not right away. I think more exposure to more types of people is a good thing. I also think the dangers to your career are perhaps not as great as you might think. We aren’t going to fire you just because you make an interesting dating choice. If there Cleo does make moves that The Magnetic Assembly can not tolerate then you’ll be notified and can decide what you’re going to do from that point on.”

"I suppose that's reassuring." Geiben nodded. He passed, then asked. "You had a fling with her mother. Anything you can tell me of either of them?"

“Regardless of what you might think of them, these are people that keep showing up. They demand your attention one way or another,” Wazu replied.

“I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. Do you want me to entertain Cleo or ignore her?” Geiben raised an eyebrow.

“I’m not ordering you to do anything, but if you want my opinion on what you should do… take Cleo out again, see if that relationship is worth continuing.” Wazu said, “It might not work out, you might want to re-evaluate after you’ve spent some more time with her, but ending things seems pre-mature now.” Wazu thought about it a bit before adding, “Or are you feeling that gut feeling that tells you this is a bad idea? I know it is unscientific… but your gut instincts are usually pretty good. Sometimes they are seeing things based on what you know and are unclouded by preconceptions.”

“My gut feelings want me to sleep with her again, which is why I don’t trust them right now.” Geiben shook his head.

“If the relationship is based on sex, then be sure you are both ok with that.” Wazu said, considering for a moment before adding, “And uh, don’t make any decisions when you’re thinking about getting laid. That will lead to poor outcomes. Consider visiting a sex worker prior to making any big decisions.”

“Yeah…” Geiben looked down. “Yeah, that makes sense.”

“UUUUUgggghh… Do you always just do what people tell you? This is why you bag-people had to make us.” 444 said, picking her feet up off the table so she could rock forward in her chair, practically catapulting herself up to standing so she could lean over the table, slamming her hands down on the table first before realizing she needed one of those hands to point at Wazu, “You need to just tell him to do things already and stop trying to get him to think of things himself.” She’d then look over at Geiben and give him a point, “And why do you care about this one bag-person so much anyways? There are plenty of bag-people and they are basically all just as boring as one another.”

“You wouldn’t understand.” Geiben explained. “We bag-people have these things called emotions where it pushes us to do both really cool and stupid things even when they don’t make any sense.” His tone was neutral, not condescending despite the language used.

“Then why ask what you’re supposed to do if you’re just gonna listen to your emotions?” 444 asked, “Sounds like you already know what you want to do you’re just waiting for someone to tell you that you can do it.”

“That…” Geiben admitted reluctantly, “That’s not a wrong way to put it. Alright.” He looked at Wazu. “Anything else you wanted to talk to me about?”

“It would appear she has cut through the confusion,” Wazu said, now focused on the Echoni as if he was trying to figure out how her blunt linguistic tools were used, “We’ve got more problems to handle later, but the Deming is going to rotate out to shore leave for a bit first. Go have some fun.”

“Thank you.” Geiben stood up and shook his friend’s hand.