Republic world of Krigertenkere

Run'Auga'Sen stares at the message in his feed in disbelief. 85573 had filed a Command transfer notification form to Republic Scout Command. This was a disaster! In forty seven years, six months, and seven days as the Secretary to the Director of Assignments (RPC) Run'Auga'Sen had never failed to fit a RPC graduate into a position. He had even offered two suitable positions to 85573 to give the illusion of choice, exactly as the regulations prescribed for RPC graduates with partial or fragile behavioral conditioning.

Run'Auga'Sen forces himself to sit still and focus solely on his breathing. Exhale the panic. Inhale for a four count. Hold for a four count. Exhale for a four count. Hold for a four count. Repeat. And again. And again until the mind is clear.

Run'Auga'Sen lets his eyes refocus on his communicator screen. He takes out a pen and a scrap of paper to make some notes that will never be entered into any archive. 85573 had transferred to the Republic Scout Command. There was nothing Run'Auga'Sen could do about that fact, so it was something that he must take into account. RPC graduate regulations still forbade 85573 from commanding any Republic citizen, so the chances of other citizens coming to question the standard behavioral conditions was low. Run'Auga'Sen made a note to ensure that 85573 was placed into a position that would minimize that risk even further. It would not be hard to do. A quick communicator message to the right RSC secretary would ensure that the proper paperwork was filed.

Run'Auga'Sen Tapped the pen on his desk in thought. Republic Scout Command often ran low- to medium- risk missions. Was it worthwhile arranging for 85573 to be assigned to them on a regular basis in the hope that he would perish in the line of duty? Run'Auga'Sen decides to file that thought away for future consideration and writes a new headed on the scrap of paper: why?

Why had 85573 opted for the RSC? Had he planned for it? Been exposed to it before entering RPC Stormavsirkel? Run'Auga'Sen pulled up 85573's records again and started with the personal history section. Family: A single parent (non-biological), Given name Are'Akre'Sen, employed by and in service to the Republic Scout Command. Run'Auga'Sen nods in comprehension and scribbles the words 'exposure: family connection – mother' onto his paper. There was the why: a child following in their parent's footsteps. This was something that the standard behavioral conditioning was supposed to erase but the evidence was already there that 85573's conditioning was less than total. It was conceivable that a childhood fixation may have survived.

Run'Auga'Sen reads further into 85573's file. Commendation for exemplary conduct during the Hangfire Incident, further notation for saving the life of 85562. Stellar navigation and stellar pilot licenses, both obtained while at RPC Stormavsirkel. Both of which were easily upgradeable to interstellar licenses with a practical exam. Run'Auga'Sen checked and found that 85573 had indeed filed the paperwork for interstellar pilot and navigation licenses. Run'Auga'Sen checked 85573's scores on the theoretical examinations and found that 85573 would have likely passed a practical exam has RPC Stormavsirkel administered one. Run'Auga'Sen felt that the RSC would administer that test soon enough.

He also noted that this meant that 85573 had likely planned for a transfer into RSC service during his time at RPC Stormavsirkel. Run'Auga'Sen leans back in his chair, flips the paper over, and starts sketching out notes. 85573 had successfully prepared for service with the RSC. Moreover 85573 had been accepted into the RSC without being invited to apply for a position. Run'Auga'Sen nods in acceptance of these facts. With the right words on the right phone call he could still ensure that 85573 was placed in a position where his incomplete conditioning would prove no threat to the Republic. In doing so Run'Auga'Sen would also save his carer and his reputation for excellence in placing RPC Stormavsirkel graduates where they would be both useful and of no threat to the Republic.

Flakka'Hluti'Sen, Secretary to the Director of Personnel Assignments (RSC), eyes the message in his communicator feed with confusion. 85573 was not the name of a person, much less the name of a Citizen of the Republic. Opening the message to read further she checks the sender and rolls here eyes. Run'Auga'Sen always tracked his graduates by their ID numbers instead of anything sensible like a name or their actual citizen ID number. Flakka'Hluti'Sen purses her lips as she dug further into the message, translating from bureaucratic secretary speak into actual Republic standard in her head as she went. Her eyes widen then narrow in suspicion. Flakka'Hluti'Sen indulges in her habit of speaking aloud as she searches the new recruits files for this '85573'.

“So you want me to dead-end a fresh recruit just because they didn't take your job offer and may or may not have failed one test? Oh, that test. Sounds like exactly the kind of person who belongs in the RSC, out in the back end of nowhere where they can do no harm to the Republic.”

Flakka'Hluti'Sen finds '85573's recruitment paperwork and nods in satisfaction as she reads it over. The graveyard shift recruiter had already steered '85573' into the perfect role of second wave scout, so no 'adjustments' needed to be made there. Interstellar navigation and piloting licenses were par for the course for RSC scouts so that would be handled in the routine orientation cycle. Flakka'Hluti'Sen dug for a name to put with the number.

“Eight five five seven three... where are you... ah! There you are. Sinn'Are'Sen? Why does that name sound familiar... No matter. Let's see, where should you wind up after your orientation is complete? The Steinhull ruins still needs investigating, so that should keep you busy long enough to keep out of my hair. Which ship to give you? Needs to be one of the second-wave ships... Computer, generate list of RSC owned second wave scout ships awaiting personnel assignment. Confirm instructions.”

“Generating list of: second wave scout ships, owned by Republic Scout command, without crew assigned. Estimated time to completion is twenty seconds... List complete.”

“Computer, specify which ship on that list is the oldest.”

“Oldest ship on the previously specified list is hull RSC-2W-0057.”

“Computer, specify status of RSC-2W-0057.”

“RSC-2W-0057 is listed for disposal due to age and wear. At present it has been stripped of engines and hyperpulse communications suite. Deconstruction is ongoing.”

Flakka'Hluti'Sen rolls here eyes at the utterly literal nature of her personal AI assistant.

“Computer, specify which ship on that list is the oldest ship still in service or in serviceable condition. Additional: specify why the ships in question do not have crew assigned.”

“Oldest ship in service on the previously specified list is hull RSC-2W-0124. Crew not assigned due to routine crew rotation. Oldest ship in serviceable condition on the previously specified list is hull RSC-2W-0063. No crew assigned due to cryotube system malfunction.”

“Computer, specify nature of cryotube malfunction on hull RSC-2W-0063.”

“Cryotube system aboard RSC-2W-0063 was listed as non-operational due to malfunctioning dreamshaper module.”

“Computer, cross-reference RSC regulations regarding current status of hull RSC-2W-0063 and deployment.”

“Requesting clarification of previous request.”

“Per RSC regulations, could RSC-2W-0063 be assigned a crew and mission in its current state. If so, what kind of mission or missions are permissible under RSC regulations.”

“Processing... Processing... Answers: Yes, hull RSC-2W-0063 is available for limited deployment under the following restrictions: Crew must not exceed one Republic Citizen, Mission must not require warpjump of longer then five days. All mission types that do not conflict with the above restrictions are permissible under RSC regulations.”

“Computer, how long would it take for RSC-2W-0063 to deploy from Krigertenkere to Stenhull under it's own power? And how much of that would be as a warpjump?”

“Transit time for hull RSC-2W-0063 along previously specified course is thirty days, of which four point six two days would be spent in warpjump.”

Flakka'Hluti'Sen nods in thought, a plan coming together in her head. Sinn'Are'Sen could be assigned to RSC-2W-0063 and the Steinhull ruins expedition and safely forgotten about.

“Computer, designate recruit Sinn'Are'Sen for assignment to RSC-2W-0063 after orientation cycle at Krigertenkere. Arrange for RSC-2W-0063 to be moved to Krigertenkere as-is if it is not already at Krigertenkere station.

“Recruit Sinn'Are'Sen assigned to hull RSC-2W-0063 pending recruit Sinn'Are'Sen completing standard RSC orientation cycle. Hull RSC-2W-0063 already assigned to Krigertenkere station awaiting berth for repairs. Query: should slated repairs to hull RSC-2W-0063 be canceled?”

“No, just defer them until completion of next mission.”

“Requesting specification as to 'next mission'.”

“Computer, defer non-essential repairs to RSC-2W-0063 until assigned crew completes investigation of the Steinhull ruins.”

Sinn'Are'Sen hears the chirp of an incoming message and checks his communicator. Role and post assignments pending completion of current orientation assignment. A Second wave scout exactly as he had requested. Sinn shrugs that off as having the right qualifications for the right job. After a moment's reflection he mentally adds 'and the right restrictions' to that list and feels a warm glow of contentment at bending the bureaucratic systems of the Republic to his will.

Had Sinn'Are'Sen known about the depth of experience and behavioral conditioning incumbent in the echelons of the Republic's bureaucracies he would not feel nearly as content or confident. Just between Run'Auga'Sen and Flakka'Hluti'Sen there was nearly eighty seven years of experience in dealing with all sorts of situations. The Republic's standard behavioral conditioning took care of the 'deviants' and 'corrupters' but could not handle things like misplaced or intentionally misfiled paperwork used for political advantage. Even Are'Aken'Sen knew that it was the secretaries, not the department heads, who actually ran the Commands of the Republic. Control of information to the ones who had to approve all of the paperwork, combined with endless waves of paperwork to approve, meant that many things were approved without ever being read.

Sinn'Are'Sen had played right into the hands of both the RPC and RSC without even knowing it. Fortunately for him, they were content to place a 'potential troublemaker' into a dead-end assignment in the back end of nowhere important.

Unfortunately neither the RPC or RSC had bothered to check where Sinn'Are'Sen had been found, or questioned where he had been born, before picking the Steinhull ruins as the place to store their troublemaker. If they had, then the mention of a location by the name of Ovaettr in both files would have raised enough flags to get Sinn'Are'Sen assigned to another location.