Stories of the Confederated Star Systems Read Online Free PDF Page A

attention as he turned away.
    Captain Reordan looked at Master Chief McCormack and whispered, “Teasing him isn’t the best idea, Krys.”
    Master Chief McCormack whispered back, “You’re the thinker, I’m the stinker.” Then in a stronger voice, “After you, Captain.” They both moved toward the buffet table and joined the queue.
    * * *
    The podium was centered at the top of the capitol steps with a horseshoe of security personnel six deep below it. Back in the shadows of the portico could be seen perhaps a hundred more, and behind them stood three platoons of CSS Marines in full battle dress.
    Reporters from several hundred different news agencies with bases on every planet in the Confederacy were sitting in the chairs that had been arranged on the flat surface of the car park—for their own protection, of course. Couldn’t have them on the steps. Someone might stumble and get hurt.
    To the sides, in significantly better seats under awnings, sat the seven hundred members of the Confederate Congress. They were divided into the House of Representatives to the left and House of Lords to the right.
    Captain Reordan looked out at the throng and muttered, “They look like vultures waiting for something to die.”
    “Hopefully not us,” Master Chief McCormack muttered back.
    Lady Leslie walked up just then and said, “Stay in the back until you are called. Then I want both of you to come forward with Krystal half a step behind your left shoulder, Erica. I want that,” she stabbed a finger at the top ribbon on Master Chief McCormack’s chest, “to be clearly visible. You were wise to bring her, Erica. There are already questions about the kind of crew we’re manning the Wells with.”
    Both Captain Reordan and Master Chief McCormack snapped to attention and said, “Yes, Ma’am.”
    Lady Leslie turned away and walked over to a knot of Presidential Security personnel and shoved her way to the center. Most of them looked down at the sharp elbows and immediately stepped aside. There was a brief glimpse of several men in Navy and Marine uniforms, and one tall man in an immaculate suit.
    The whole group moved forward and then spread out to allow their most important member to the front.
    * * *
    Confederate President Eric David Roberts stepped up to the podium and looked out at the sea of faces and hid his feelings. Bunch of buzzards waiting for some sign of weakness. He shuffled a handful of papers that were waiting for him, then spoke.
    “Ladies and gentlemen, lords and ladies, representatives of the Confederacy, it is my pleasant duty today to announce an astounding development. Slightly under a year ago a CSS Navy ship that was thought long lost reappeared in space to the north of the ecliptic. That ship, the CSS Edward White , was lost three hundred years ago with all hands. The most significant part of that is that they had no idea they were lost. As far as the White and her crew knew, they had been attempting to make a hyper-transit to a point three hundred light-years from Earth and had failed. Only about nine subjective hours had passed for them, but they had traveled three hundred years into the future—three hundred years that delivered them to our here and now.”
    The president paused and allowed the reporters to react for a moment. The reporters were already shouting questions, demanding explanations, and for the most part behaving like spoiled children. The president allowed them to get it out of their systems for a moment, then continued. “The crew of the White were as amazed as any of us. Especially the Admiralty. The CSS Roger B. Chaffee was sent to bring them in, and the crews mixed freely. Unfortunately, that meant that we could not allow the White to attempt another jump as it risked contaminating the timeline.” He paused again and allowed the shock of his statement to wear off for a moment. “The crew has been retired, and may consider this announcement as a release from their secrecy oath.