Sol-Date: 2215-51-62

We've had some deaths on board. The captain ordered an emergency docking at one of our most advanced medical space-docks orbiting the star Foma'i; a red dwarf, with a few uninhabitable planets nearby that are rich in resources. If you haven't seen Religence, it is definitely a sight to see if you're looking for somewhere to visit. If I were at this station under any other pretense I would be happy.

The onboard medical staff found a way for early detection of what they're now saying is a virus infection. They still have no way of slowing it down or killing it. The captain ordered a full decontamination and screening of crew members as we unboarded. He does not want the virus spreading into the dock. We had to strip down naked and step into a small room, almost like a closet. A robotic arm extended and pricked you in the bicep to take a blood sample. After, we were blasted by some sort of air for a few seconds. If I had to guess it would be to kill any of the virus that is on our skin. It took three days to get through everybody on board. After we exited the room, they told us to turn either left or right. They didn't tell the men which was which, only which direction to go. I ended up being clean. I turned right. Others weren't so lucky.

As I was checking the news, I saw a video of the senate declaring martial law on Kyou and several military units to contain the outbreak. Kyou was a madhouse. The capital city we visited had all but fallen. The planetary defense was doing all they could to contain what was left of the city, but the things people became were smart. Smart enough to take a fallen soldier's rifle and fire back. The video also said something about the government considering fire-bombing the city. Fucking tragic. There's a lot of art and history in that city.

I put in a request for military leave, but it was denied. Shortly after, the captain requested that I meet him at the space corps' embassy on station. I had no choice but to oblige.

I entered and he didn't even wait for me to sit after I had closed the door.

"I have a job for you to do," he said, gesturing to a chair. I did not sit, and neither did I stand at attention. He walked over to a decanter and poured some brown liquor into two glasses and offered one to me. I took it. "You're going to the senate."

"Captain," I said. He held up a hand to stop me.

"I know," he said. "Nobody likes politics except those that pursue the career." He sipped his drink.

"You're goddamned right. Nothing but lies and corruption. What do you want me to do there?"

"Just a simple explanation of what you had found. Your experiences before and after Kyou. The more I think about it the more I'm convinced something was in our ship before we docked." He finished the drink. I followed suit, and he poured us another glass.

"That can be done with a holo-vid." I said. "What's the real reason you want me to go to the senate?"

He sighed. "Part of why I want you to go is to be away from this situation. So that you can be with your wife before the shit really hits the fan."

I was about to offer a retort, but stopped myself. I thought for a long moment. "With all due respect, sir, go fuck yourself." The captain seemed surprised. I rarely spoke out of turn like this. At least to his face. His surprise turned to confusion, but not anger. "You would give me the opportunity to spend time with my wife," I explained. "What about the thousands of other wives that are waiting for their husbands, some of which may never come home because of this virus?" His confusion turned to what seemed like shame. "I will not be offered a respite simply because I had requested some military leave - which was more just a formality anyway since there is nothing to maintain while we are in decon - and my relationship with you so I say again, with the utmost respect, go fuck yourself." I finished my drink and set the glass down on an end table. It may have been more like a slam.

The captain smiled and bowed his head. "Thank you," he said.

This surprised me. "What?" I asked.

He looked up at me. "Thank you. You've shown me a tremendous amount of respect just now, voicing your opinion about the matter."

"Was this a test?" I hated being screwed with, and he knew it.

"Of a sort. I knew that a holovid would suffice for the senate. I knew that you would be on leave regardless of if I approved it or not, the difference being that you would either be confined to the station or you would be able to leave. And you are right, there is nothing to maintain while the ship is being decontaminated." He took a small drink of his liqour and set his glass on the desk. "How long have you served in the corps?" He walked around to the drawer of his desk and opened it.

"This is my twenty-sixth year, sir." I was confused at the question. The captain was throwing me for loops I had not thought I'd encounter with this meeting. I thought it best to stay at least a little formal after telling him to fuck off.

"Twenty six years. And how many of them at chief?"

"Eight," I said. "I don't understand. What are you getting at?"

In a rather stern, but quiet tone, he called me to attention. I obliged. He was my senior officer after all. He opened a small jewelry-like box and produced two silver stars. He slowly and methodically unpinned his rank of captain and repinned a rank of Admiral onto his collar.

"Congratulations, sir," I said.

"Thank you," he replied. He pulled out a second box and walked around the desk to stand in front of me. "As my first act as Admiral of the C-Class Vega ship, The Adelade, I hereby promote you, Horus Makan, to rank of Lieutenant, and am ordering you to accept your new rank."

There was nothing I could do. I have refused promotion in the past. The politics of officers is a different animal from the enlisted ranks. He unpinned my CPO rank and pinned on the silver bar that signified lieutenants. I saluted my new Admiral, and he returned it.

"You will be my personal advisor. The voicing of opinion you just showed me confirmed what I needed to know. But know the limitations of such opinions when we are in front of the crew. I do not wish to be undermined. Understood?"

"Understood."

"At ease." He poured us each another drink and handed my glass back to me. "To what is to come, whether it be for good or for ill." We raised our glasses in toast and downed the liquid. "If you have no other questions, you are dismissed. Report to your new office after the weekend. I look forward to working with you, Lieutenant."

"And I, you, Admiral."

I left and shut the door behind me. I almost fell down.

I'm shocked.