May 1st, 2263. 08:15 CNS Fargo – Marine Ready Room

John was finishing his initial report on the attack on the base. The CNS Fargo was en route back to the Vigilant. A cruiser, the name of which John didn’t catch, came to relieve them of their duties at the base they had just captured.

In the cargo hold, the base’s primary server had been reassembled. Techs have already copied the data and added it to the broken database they had already. It was hard to not feel good about the success, but John worried secretly about how difficult this mission would be from here on out.

Jerad then walked into the office and interrupted John’s introspective thoughts, “Sir, Commander Murphy was very specific with her orders. We are not to interrogate any of the prisoners.”

John looked up from his screen and at his warrant officer, “Request, not order. Despite being a commander, she is technically outside of our chain of command. And we’ve received no such orders from our commanding officers not to do an interrogation.”

“Lieutenant, I do not disagree with that logic. However, I am not one that wants to actively piss off NI.”

“Fair enough. You’d only be doing that to a lone and ineffective agent though. Is Harold in the interview room?”

“He is, sir,” Jerad looked very uncomfortable, “Sir, I want my notation made in the official record that I suggested against this course of action.”

“Fine,” John locked the terminal and stood up, “If I don’t interview him, we’ll never get anything useful from him or anyone else.”

Jerad shrugged despite his feelings. He followed John out of the room and down the hallway to the ship’s brig. Once there he entered the viewing room. Inside was the ship’s JAG liaison and the first officer.

“He knows he can’t offer anything to the suspect. Nor can he do anything to them,” the JAG officer asked.

“I didn’t talk about what he planned on doing,” Jerad said.

“Oh, for fucks sake,” Lieutenant Christina Newton said, “We need to…”

Their screen showed John walking into the interview room and sitting down in front of a man from the Mercantilist Union.

“Good morning,” John said.

“Look, level with me. What’s going to happen with the scientists?” Harold asked.

John shrugged, “I’m honestly not sure. If I had to guess, at a minimum a lengthy prison sentence would be handed out. I can’t imagine the scientists in that room I caught you in will get anything less than a life sentence if they're lucky. The ones that didn’t actively participate in kidnapping or genetic study on a live human, might have a future. The ones that were involved in that secret room though. I’d airlock them right now if I could.”

“Secret room?” Harold looked very confused.

“On the southwest corner of the facility. There was a hidden door.”

Harold shook his head, “No, no there wasn’t.”

John tapped a couple of buttons on his data slate and displayed the lab’s schematic on the screen, “See, right there.”

“Fucking hell,” Harold got pale very quickly, “Look, you want anything you got it. But I need a deal.”

“I can’t offer you a deal. But you have my word that I will talk with those in charge of those things.”

“I don’t think you get it. I can’t go back there. If the Intelligence Bureau doesn’t get me Norman’s goons will. I need safe harbor here.”

“Why the change of heart? You didn’t seem to want anyone to talk?”

Harold looked like he was going to vomit, “I heard what the scientists were talking about. That was not what I signed up to do. Hell, I didn’t even know that shit was happening. Yesterday…”

“Before you say anything else, you need to know that I do not care for liars. There will be no deal for you if you lie. Lies of omission are included in this.”

“I had been in that lab, but there weren’t any human remains there before. I took shelter in that lab when the explosions happened outside. I was horrified at what I saw.”

“And yet you tried to keep the scientists from talking,” John said in a monotone voice, “I was there.”

Harold’s eyes bulged for a moment before he sighed, “That was a normal reaction I suppose. I was former intelligence, but I was washed out of the bureau. Ended up in Norman’s organization because I needed the money.”

John nodded, “What do you know of his organization?”

“Officially we are a weapons and technology R&D house.”

“Unofficially?” John said unimpressed with the answer.

“Look, I’ve heard things, but I hadn’t seen anything until I was in that lab bay. All my work that I’d done up to that point was legitimately on technology upgrades. Better plasma cannons, shields. That kind of thing. I was there to monitor the base and ensure data was sent back to our main facility, I had nothing to do with the comings and goings of the base.”

“What were some of the rumors you had heard,” John looked up briefly from his data slate at Harold.

“Well, I thought it was all bullshit, but now. Wow. Uhm yeah. I heard the organization gave the Army a full battalion of cloned shock troops. They were used to put down some uprisings on the frontier and attacked a couple of pirate strongholds,” Harold’s eyes got wide as if he had put the pieces together, “Holy shit, this genetic shit is the actual focus of this isn’t it? That’s not good, is it?”

“No, it isn’t. Both the Alliance and Confederacy would set aside their differences and together they’d annihilate your nation for a eugenics program.”

“Dr. Norman doesn’t have the full backing of the government. That much I do know. Over the past four years, he’s lost a significant amount of support.”

“How much has he lost?” John hid his genuine curiosity.

“Three interior ministers want to shut down his operations entirely. Two more are thought to be close to agreeing with that train of thought. The other three that support him should be presumed that support will not be taken away, irrespective of what he may or may not do.”

“Interesting,” John said as he tapped on his data slate, “How many other labs are you aware of?”

“Three others. One was in the process of being decommissioned…”

John interrupted him, “You mean hastily leaving the planet?”

Harold shrugged and nodded, “This isn’t a military operation. It’s civilian. They don’t have the attention to detail that you guys do. The civvies focus is on whatever research they are doing to the dismissal or casual ignorance of everything else.”

A knock on the mirror could be heard in the room.

“Sit tight,” John grinned as he stood up.

John walked over to the wall and put his hand on a scanner in the wall. A door then appeared as it sunk into the attached room and slid to the side allowing him entry. John stepped into the room and saw everyone’s eyes looking at him.

When the door closed the JAG officer spoke up, “He’s lying about his involvement.”

John nodded, “I’m aware. Was he lying about the ministers’ support?”

“Not according to our scans.”

“Fantastic. That is utterly fantastic,” John said to himself.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Lieutenant Newton spoke up, “Lieutenant, I’m aware you’re doing this interview as a technicality. You’ve got thirty more minutes before we wrap up. Titan has already requested they handle all of the interviews. General Mizrahi has agreed to NI’s request, which means this is your first and only interview.”

John grinned, “That means I own this asshole. He’s not a clean suspect anymore.”

“I don’t follow,” Lieutenant Newton had a very confused look on her face.

“He’s been dirtied by an outside agency or individual. Typically, that agency then handles all future interviews but forwards that information to NI. Since I’m an individual in this case, and not tied to an intelligence department, that means I will be consulted during any future interviews they have with him.”

“And Titan will know we know certain things. Which means this interview will force their hand to hide nothing,” the JAG officer grinned.

“Titan has never been the issue. The quality of work they’ve done has been acceptable. Onboard the Vigilant? Not that’s another story altogether,” John’s lack of filter spoke for him.

“Try to get more information about the other sites,” the JAG officer said.

John nodded and went back into the room.

“Apologies Harold. What systems were the other bases in?”

Harold shook his head, “The one being decommissioned was in the Beta Pegasus system. I only know that because one of the scientists talked about it. Gamma something or another may have been another.”

“The labs don’t work with one another?”

Harold shook his head again, “My understanding is that each one is given a task and they focus all their efforts on it.”

“Are the tasks the same?” John looked very confused.

“There’s some overlap but most have their own things to accomplish.”

“What about this entanglement with the Livingston Institute?”

“Paper only. I doubt anyone from the institute actually knew who or what we were doing,” Harold shrugged, “Makes it look like we have official certification and most of the rural colonies don’t fact-check things.”

“You forged the documents indicating you were part of them?”

“I didn’t but…” Harold let that drift off, “Actually I’m not sure who would’ve done that. Probably the acquisition team.”

John looked up at Harold, “How much do you know about the acquisition process?”

“Well, we find a relatively new colony with a low population. Ideally with a habitable environment outside and mountain or significant hill ranges within four hours of the colony. Prefabricated labs are purchased under one of several dozen LLCs and sham corporations. Freight is the same,” Harold paused but then raised up his finger, “But it’s all paid for. Who’s actually paying for it leads nowhere.”

“Because the money’s already been moved and cleaned. Well, that confirms that,” John said as he looked at the mirror.

“I presume you are aware of why the testing is done in Confederate and Alliance space?”

“Norman would get disappeared if he tried that in Merc territory. Easier for his backers to turn a blind eye to his activities if they aren’t done in our space. And he’s not ordering what research be done, he funds them and reaps the benefit of it.”

“Except he’s doing eugenics work. Very touchy here but the Alliance? They will go ape if they find out he’s doing shit there.”

“I suspect he’s aware of what the limits are there and plans accordingly. And obviously why it’s being done here than in the Alliance territories? There seems to be much more rot in your society that enables all of this to happen,” Harold said smugly.

“I wouldn’t be the one to criticize rot my friend,” John said with the look of a predator.

John and Harold continued to talk well past the supposed time limit that he was told. Some of the information Harold said confirmed their previous findings. There was however a substantial number of things that weren’t verified. And at least three things that John knew were lies.

17:15 CNS Fargo – Officer’s Lounge

John was sitting in a chair sipping on a blue sports drink. He was looking through the display port at slip space. That horror-filled room, well both of the labs he was in technically qualified for that, but the latter just solidified in his mind that were he given a chance to kill Dr. Norman he would. And more than likely he’d burn whatever data he has acquired through the experiments.

“The price is too high,” John said quietly to himself.

Commander Elly Benjamin then sat down next to him, “Good evening, Lieutenant. I see you’ve ignored my request for a one-on-one.”

John looked up, “Commander, I have the utmost respect for your profession. Hell, my wife is working to be one of your kind too. But I don’t need to talk about what I saw to anyone. Or for that matter anything I’ve ever seen.”

“Too bad. Your opinion of whether or not a conversation is necessary is immaterial. I’m doing an onsite meeting.”

“Alright, doc, what do you want to talk about?” John said dismissively.

“How did you feel when you were near those people?”

“Angry. Very angry.”

“You lashed out at the man you interviewed today.”

“I ensured his compliance and the others. Lashing out would involve me doing something unexpected and random. Such as killing a scientist when I was trying to get them to answer a question. I knew exactly what I was doing and how much force I could apply on the subject to ensure he was hurt but not killed or maimed.”

“Breaking a rib doesn’t count as maiming?”

John shook his head, “No, cutting a finger or hand off or removing a chunk of flesh would all constitute maiming. A broken rib is a pittance in comparison. Besides, if I were allowed to do so; I’d have executed every last one of them.”

Dr. Benjamin looked at him curiously, “What stopped you from doing that?”

“Orders and avoiding a court martial.”

“Not doing the ethical thing?”

“From a moral standpoint, I believe I would be greatly supported in ending such evil. Ethically I’d be on thin ice but I’m sure I could defend my position adequately.”

“That’s a very interesting viewpoint…”

John interrupted the psychologist, “Do you actually think any of them are going to get trials?”

“I… uh…” Dr. Benjamin was caught off guard.

“Doctor, let me clue you into the dank and dark world that is the Milky Way. Humanity has grown exceptionally well at being cruel to itself. People like me are necessary for this universe to right some of the wrongs we, humanity as a general collective, commit.”

“I don’t follow.”

“Doctor, I have an eidetic memory. I will always remember the strands of grey hair on your head and where they are. I’ll remember how you have a distinctive wrinkle on your forehead and under your right eye. I remember everything that I’ve ever done, seen, read, or experienced. Everything. Including those things that would cause good people like you to go crazy. Sometimes a different kind of evil is necessary for the fight against evil.”

“Are you implying that you are evil?”

“No, but I’m more than willing to do what is necessary to be done.”

“And you believe that is acceptable?”

“That depends,” John said coldly as he took a sip of his drink.

“On what?” Dr. Benjamin looked at John cautiously.

“On whether or not damning part of one’s soul is acceptable to accomplish the mission. Tell me, doctor, if you could shoot Adolf Hitler when he was a young boy would you do it?”

“Of course not. Children are innocent. Was he taught or raised…”

“I would. I don’t want to kill children or bystanders. That’s not my style at all. But if that’s the only way to end this particular evil then I will gladly do so.”

“You’d gladly kill innocent people?”

“To end this mission? That is an acceptable consequence. As vile and crude as that may sound, I would.”

“No innocents…”

John cut off the Doctor again, “Doctor, the evil we are fighting injected a person with some sort of serum that triggered new bone growth. The new bones sliced their way through the chest cavity and eventually tore through the skin. This person ultimately bled to death due to the number of lacerations to his internal muscles and skin. I can’t imagine the kind of pain they were in before they finally gave out.”

He paused to take a drink, “Yeah, I’m fully committed to doing anything to end him. I didn’t kill those scientists not only because it didn’t make sense to do so but because we needed intel from them. Being removed from this operation while there is still so much work to be done would be the mistake of a lifetime.”

Dr. Benjamin looked at John in abject horror.

“You may think I’m a monster. That’s alright. The Navy, and the Confederacy for that matter, needs people like me. I’ll never end up in the history book, but I’m the one that helps ensure our foundation is protected from evil. And should evil creep in elsewhere, they know I am here willing to do anything, and everything, to eliminate it.”

“You’d be willing to throw away your humanity to successfully end this mission?” Dr. Benjamin said in horror, “Do you think your fit to even wear that uniform?”

“Doctor, you’re presuming I still have any of that left. Naval Intelligence sent me out on a mission when I was fifteen, which resulted in me killing eight people. Pretty sure I came home without much of my humanity,” John took another drink, “I am both fit to wear this uniform and uniquely suited for this mission because of my talents.”

“Are you trying to tell me you weren’t affected by what you saw?”

John shook his head, “Was I traumatized by it? No. I found even more motivation to end this organization.”

“Even if you would have to go rogue in order to accomplish that?”

John turned to look out the display port, “I’d prefer it not come to that.”

“But if it did?”

John shrugged, “What’ll happen, will happen.”

Dr. Benjamin stood up and looked down at John, “You shouldn’t be cleared for active duty. Not with that attitude.”

“But yet you will clear because despite my roguish tendencies you are unable to find anything actually defective with me. I’m in complete control of my emotions and adept at performing my tasks.”

She turned and took two steps towards the door but paused to look back at him, “You say you were in complete control of your emotions. The report says you committed fratricide of sorts and pushed a shuttle off the landing pad into a crevice below. Is that control?”

“I’ll tell you what doc, when you see clones of yourself let me know how you feel. The last time I saw that I had a bunch of them try and kill me. As for the shuttle?” John grinned, “I need to make sure the contents were incinerated.”

“Speaking off the record I think this control you talk about is slim to non-existent. I hope for your sake that when that boundary disappears that our comrades aren’t laid low by you.”

“I’m not some mindless berserker doctor, but I appreciate the concern nonetheless.”

Dr. Benjamin then left the room without countering John’s last statement. She shook her head. Her orders were to ensure that the Marine troops stay in tip-top shape. Those very same marines saw literal horrors in that facility. Some were coping better than others; all were determined to see it through.

None more so than John. To a disturbing level even. She had no doubt that the mission would end with the Doctor dead at some point. It was an open question whether or not John would do it alone and in violation of God knows how many treaties or laws.

She was also certain that the young lieutenant was far more damaged mentally than he let on. That he was hanging on by strings and willpower. There were great concerns over his snapping and losing control.

Little did she know that John was in control. It was a different kind of control though. The horrors that John and the others saw were but the first in what would likely be a long list of crimes against humanity. To John, this was but one more, of many, reasons that they must succeed at ending this madman.