Peggy Sue (The T'aafhal Inheritance) by Doug Hoffman Page A

to the guard standing outside the stall.
    “Hell no, Sergeant,” came the embarrassed reply. She threw the used napkin in the toilet, then carefully implanted the comm pip into the fresh one.
    After putting the new napkin to its intended use, the Gunny emerged from the stall and washed her hands in front of the waiting guard. Thank God there are some lines even a Marine guard won’t cross, she thought, at least not a male Marine Guard. Of course, the people from the ship might not be looking for them, and even if they were, the range of the little comm pip could not be much. At least they were still being kept together in a remote location—that would make an extraction easier. 
    Who would be doing the extracting was another matter. Lt. Curtis, JT, the Chief and a couple of crewmen was a pretty skimpy force to be sending against one of the largest Marine bases in the United States. Not my problem, the Gunny said to herself, my job is to keep the rest of the squad together and ready to go if a rescue comes. No, make that when the rescue comes. And if I ever meet that light colonel again I will shave his balls with a rusty razor and pour rubbing alcohol on them.  
    Beneath Parker’s Station, Australian Outback
    “Sir, I’m quite concerned about Yuki,” said Lt. Curtis over the video link from the ship. “We know he arrived at the Tokyo airport, but he never showed up at the University. And a bunch of Japanese politicians just made an announcement denouncing our warning about the hostile aliens. More troubling, they insisted that Yuki and the two Russian cosmonauts actually died on board the ISS.”
    “Hmm, first the Marines go missing and now Dr. Saito,” the Captain pondered. “I’m getting a very uneasy feeling about this operation, Lieutenant.”
    “Yes, Sir,” Gretchen replied. “Have we received any positive feedback from those we sent the information package to?”
    “That’s not just a no, it’s a hell no,” said TK Parker, rolling into the room to join the Captain. “Turn on the TV, the head bureaucrat from the UN is on talking about our warning.”
    Quickly bringing up Fox News in a window on the screen, they caught the end of the Secretary General’s speech: “…so after reviewing the ‘evidence’ sent to the security council and various governments around the world, we can only conclude that this is some form of colossal fraud being perpetrated by unscrupulous and perhaps unstable individuals. This Captain Sutton and his crew are obviously backed by men of obscene wealth, who are using the threat of hostile extraterrestrials as a way to subjugate the peoples of the world…”
    “What the hell is he saying?” Jack asked incredulously.
    The Secretary General continued: “…that these international fugitives have created advanced technology is undeniable. The UN calls for this knowledge to be immediately shared with all member nations. Because all nations are not in a position to take advantage of this technology, I am further calling on the wealthy nations of the world to pay for spreading this knowledge to lesser developed countries, constructing plants and establishing laboratories at their expense. All nations must pay their fair share.”
    At that point the news announcer broke in and said, “Well, there you have it. The UN Secretary General has labeled the claims by Captain Jack Sutton and the crew of the spaceship Peggy Sue a scam. He has called for the ship to be turned over to the UN and for free distribution of any advanced technology it contains to underdeveloped nations at the expense of the wealthy ones. This in contrast with the statement by the U.S. Secretary of State earlier, that the ship and all of its technology belongs to the United States, since it was built in the state of Texas. More on this developing story later, now for the latest on the car chase in L.A…”
    “Turn that damned thing off,” TK groused. “I’ve heard enough simpering jackasses for one day.