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While at least at some level the UDC and potentially the legislature knew about Pollard’s security clearance—and might possibly know he’d somehow retained system access— if Pollard himself weren’t under higher orders.
God, he should never have held his information source secret from Porey. Never.
“I suggest you use the cha
“Yes, sir, I do understand.” No temper. “I am thirty-eight unapparent years of age, sir, and older than that as you count time. I was in command of this base during the last hearings, I was lately the director of perso
He had their attention. At least.
“How?”
“Operations records showed a hangup in an attitude control. This plastic washer turned up to block the free operation of the yoke. In a null-# facility, you may know, maintenance has to be extremely careful to log and list and check every part, down to the smallest screws and washers, that they take into the facility. These are experienced null-g workers. We don’t know by those records how long this little part has been there—whether it was there from the time the pod was assembled and it by total accident floated over a course of years undetected into the absolutely most critical position it could take in the control system—or whether it was placed there recently.”
“Sabotage, in other words.”
“We view it as more than suspicious. Paul Dekker was assigned to that pod.”
“So we’ve heard.”
“How much have you heard?”
“Maybe you’d damn well better tell us what there is to hear. We hear Dekker was assigned there and pulled at the last minute. Again. Why? How?”
“By my order, as chief of perso
“With what motive?”
“I doubt it was personal. We’ve two employees of Lendler Corp under surveillance. We don’t know all their contacts, yet. But they had access on both occasions.”
Frowns. “Can you prove anything?”
“We’re developing a case. But you see the problem we’ve been working against.”
“Your security is supposed to be on top of things. People come and go where they like here, is that the way it works?”
“People with security clearances, yes, sir—in this case clearances granted by the UDC, interviewing people on Earth, where we have no screening apparatus. We’re reviewing the systems, and the clearances, but there are 11338 civilians on B Dock, hired by the UDC and overseen by various offices. We’re naturally giving Lendler Corp a higher priority in our review, but that doesn’t mean information can’t go out of here through another route.”
“Meanwhile Dekker is unavailable.”
“He is unavailable.”
“And you have no proof of this sabotage.”
“Their access. Dekker’s testimony. The washer. Circumstantial evidence placing them in the area.”
“You know what that’s worth.”
“A good reason not to let out what we know or make charges we can’t substantiate. We’re gathering evidence.”
“Meanwhile these purported saboteurs arc at work on this station.”
“Yes, sir. Of necessity, they are.”
“And Paul Dekker’s out there on that carrier. —Is he in any way involved in the upcoming test?”
“Certainly he’ll be in observation and advisement. All crews have that assignment during a run. Whether he’ll be assigned the run or not—that’s dependent on evaluations.”
“He can’t be the one to take the controls. That name can’t be prominent in this program. —Have you no comprehension?”
“Senator, political decisions in crew choice caused the last disaster to this program. And I can’t believe I’m hearing this all over again.”
“I can’t believe what I’m hearing from the junior command officer on this base. I can’t believe your persistence in putting this man into the glare of publicity. Let me make it clear to you, lieutenant, careers are going down in flames if there’s a second disaster. We’ve backed you, we’ve delivered votes in the JLC, we’ve patched together the coalition that gives you what you asked for and damn you, you serve us up Dekker for a witness to sabotage and Dekker for the representative of your program, and leak to the press, while you’re ‘developing a case’ you daren’t bring to court. Are you aware what’s happening on Earth? Are you aware of the fire-bombing at the EC headquarters? Are you aware of the bill pending in committee?”
“The extradition bill? Yes, I’m aware of it. And both acts of sabotage were aimed at him—by people who didn’t even know him. This is no personal grudge on the part of the saboteurs, senator, it’s politically motivated murder, the same as the substitution that killed his crew was politically motivated, by people who may not have known where their orders came from. Now we have another coalition, as I understand it, part of which is working for this bill, but somebody else clearly doesn’t want him in court—somebody in a position to obtain security clearances wants him dead, and if we break the Lendler case into the open right now, it’s going to be a string that reels more and more information into the spotlight—it’s as explosive as the Dekker case and for identical reasons. That’s why we haven’t expelled these individuals. We know where they are. We suspect who they work for.”
Temper. Saito had warned him. He got it under control. He faced the senators and the busily note-taking aides with a cold stare, and saw anger and consternation on both senatorial faces.
“I also want to know,” he said, “how this exact information about Dekker’s being pulled from the sim got to the Joint Committee. Was it out of Stockholm?”
Silence for a moment. The other senator said, harshly, “Through the media, lieutenant. Not the way we prefer our briefings.”
“Haven’t you the power to find out those sources?”
“No. We haven’t. There are laws.”
“To cover illegal activity? I find that incredible.”
“We want to know who made this decision to test. Is mere a test? Or is this whole maneuver a cover for this Dekker person?”
“There assuredly will be a test.”
“With Dekker’s crew?”
“Possibly.”
“Let me tell you what this looks like to us. It looks like a do or the proposition, a harebrained go-for-broke damned stupid risk, on your senior captain’s perception that the Fleet’s losing prestige in Europe and your facility here is shut down! We can’t get you another ship to wreck, lieutenant, we can’t continue our support in the face of this stupid risk of lives and equipment!”