recover your sister?”
I explained about the need to check the list of pirate ships doing business with Chip Off the Old Block, especially the one that handled EMPTY HAND chips.
“Yes, I have access to that list,” he agreed. “It is considered part of Publicity, because no other department wants to touch the touchy matter of Navy trade with pirate vessels. We do keep track, but we don't advertise it, because then the question might arise why we don't stamp out that trade.”
“Why don't we?” I asked.
“That is an excellent question, to which I can proffer no adequate answer. Do you wish to stamp out piracy?”
“Yes!” I said fervently.
Abruptly he stood up, and I saw just how tall he was. “Private First Class Hubris, I have a temporary detail for you. Come with me.” This interview occurred before I was promoted to corporal; it is difficult to maintain a perfectly chronological narration when separate threads come together.
I realized that he did not feel free to talk frankly with me here in the office. “Yes, sir.”
We walked out into the hall system that linked the various offices, and on to the officers' recreation section. “Do you play pool?” Lieutenant Repro asked.
“Yes, sir. Not well.” I had learned all the available games; it was necessary for proper integration into the system.
“I will show you how to play well.”
“Yes, sir. Am I permitted to play in the officer's room?”
“You are if I say so.” He brought me to a pool table, and we took cues. “The monitors are unable to pick up sounds well in this vicinity,” he murmured as he racked the balls. “Just keep your voice low and don't gesture expressively or react overtly.”
“Yes, sir.” I wasn't certain whether he was paranoid about being spied on, or whether there was justice to it. I can read much of a person's nature, but human nature is largely subjective. Probably there was both paranoia and justice.
“You hate all pirates because of what some did to your family?” he asked, not looking at me as he made his shot.
“Yes. I swore an oath to extirpate piracy from the system.”
“But first you must recover your sister from the pirates.”
“Yes.”
“Suppose you discover that certain powers in the Jupiter hierarchy don't want the pirates extirpated?”
“I will find a way.” I realized that he did have some notion why the Navy traded with pirates.
“First you must place yourself in a position to take direct action against the pirates. Then you must have an organization that is capable of doing the job.”
“I will find a way, sir.”
“I have amused myself by formulating in my mind the elements and personnel of a unit that would be capable of doing any job required of it, despite the opposition of the hierarchy. This unit could be turned to the extirpation of pirates.”
“An imaginary unit, sir?”
“Part of my ambition is to make this unit become real.”
“But the Navy would not let you assume such a command, sir,” I said, perhaps undiplomatically.
“True. I can not assemble it myself. But an officer with the right credentials could.”
“Who is that, sir?”
“That officer does not exist at present. I confess this is a weakness in my scheme.”
“Then how—?”
“It will be necessary to bring him into existence.”
I was silent, not following his logic.
“But first things first,” he said abruptly. “The pirate trade with military bases is tolerated because there is graft. Therefore, any direct action against the pirates must be organized in secret. Once we locate the ship on which your sister is hostage, it will be necessary to provoke a conflict with that ship, so that it may be captured without affront to the powers that do not wish to disturb pirate ships.”
“You can plan such a mission, sir?” This was obviously the right man to talk to!
“I? No. For that we require a good S-2 officer, for the necessary intelligence, and a strategist for the actual
I explained about the need to check the list of pirate ships doing business with Chip Off the Old Block, especially the one that handled EMPTY HAND chips.
“Yes, I have access to that list,” he agreed. “It is considered part of Publicity, because no other department wants to touch the touchy matter of Navy trade with pirate vessels. We do keep track, but we don't advertise it, because then the question might arise why we don't stamp out that trade.”
“Why don't we?” I asked.
“That is an excellent question, to which I can proffer no adequate answer. Do you wish to stamp out piracy?”
“Yes!” I said fervently.
Abruptly he stood up, and I saw just how tall he was. “Private First Class Hubris, I have a temporary detail for you. Come with me.” This interview occurred before I was promoted to corporal; it is difficult to maintain a perfectly chronological narration when separate threads come together.
I realized that he did not feel free to talk frankly with me here in the office. “Yes, sir.”
We walked out into the hall system that linked the various offices, and on to the officers' recreation section. “Do you play pool?” Lieutenant Repro asked.
“Yes, sir. Not well.” I had learned all the available games; it was necessary for proper integration into the system.
“I will show you how to play well.”
“Yes, sir. Am I permitted to play in the officer's room?”
“You are if I say so.” He brought me to a pool table, and we took cues. “The monitors are unable to pick up sounds well in this vicinity,” he murmured as he racked the balls. “Just keep your voice low and don't gesture expressively or react overtly.”
“Yes, sir.” I wasn't certain whether he was paranoid about being spied on, or whether there was justice to it. I can read much of a person's nature, but human nature is largely subjective. Probably there was both paranoia and justice.
“You hate all pirates because of what some did to your family?” he asked, not looking at me as he made his shot.
“Yes. I swore an oath to extirpate piracy from the system.”
“But first you must recover your sister from the pirates.”
“Yes.”
“Suppose you discover that certain powers in the Jupiter hierarchy don't want the pirates extirpated?”
“I will find a way.” I realized that he did have some notion why the Navy traded with pirates.
“First you must place yourself in a position to take direct action against the pirates. Then you must have an organization that is capable of doing the job.”
“I will find a way, sir.”
“I have amused myself by formulating in my mind the elements and personnel of a unit that would be capable of doing any job required of it, despite the opposition of the hierarchy. This unit could be turned to the extirpation of pirates.”
“An imaginary unit, sir?”
“Part of my ambition is to make this unit become real.”
“But the Navy would not let you assume such a command, sir,” I said, perhaps undiplomatically.
“True. I can not assemble it myself. But an officer with the right credentials could.”
“Who is that, sir?”
“That officer does not exist at present. I confess this is a weakness in my scheme.”
“Then how—?”
“It will be necessary to bring him into existence.”
I was silent, not following his logic.
“But first things first,” he said abruptly. “The pirate trade with military bases is tolerated because there is graft. Therefore, any direct action against the pirates must be organized in secret. Once we locate the ship on which your sister is hostage, it will be necessary to provoke a conflict with that ship, so that it may be captured without affront to the powers that do not wish to disturb pirate ships.”
“You can plan such a mission, sir?” This was obviously the right man to talk to!
“I? No. For that we require a good S-2 officer, for the necessary intelligence, and a strategist for the actual
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