"You are relieved of command of the Common Transport Response Vessel 740," the man said.
Matches couldn't see him, of course, but she knew a lot about him. His name was Mark Landsford and he was a program supervisor at Central.
Matches was truly blind here. Cutter could not help her in this room, so far from the 740. She had to rely on her wits, her training, and the other senses she'd been working on improving.
"Actually, Mr. Landsford," Matches said. "You don't have the authority to relieve me of command."
"You are wrong," Landsford said. "I am acting on behalf of Central Core."
"Is this true, Mr. Markowitz?" Matches asked, turning to face the other man in the room. It must have been somewhat unnerving for section lead Phillip Markowitz. Both he and Landsford knew she was blind, and Markowitz had not announced himself. Matches could hear him shift in his seat and knew he must be there if Landsford was assuming Central Core authority.
Markowitz stuttered a bit, but Landsford spoke instead.
"You lost a humanitarian support cargo on Gwill Novis," he said.
"It was destroyed by enemy activity," Matches responded.
"You did not adequately defend the cargo against the activity," Landsford said.
"The video recording of the encounter argues otherwise," Matches said, "as the review committee concluded."
"There's a video recording?" Markowitz asked.
"You could not have adequately defended the cargo," Landsford said, "regardless of whatever trickery you might have managed with the video."
"Trickery?" Matches asked. "Would you describe to me how I would accomplish such..."
"You could not have adequately defended the cargo," Landsford said, shouting now, "because you are blind."
"The video evidence and review committee argue otherwise," Matches said.
"You didn't tell me of any video evidence," Markowitz said.
"I will not argue this with you," Landsford said. "You are blind. The idea that you can adequately command a common transport response vessel, or any other vessel, is ludicrous."
"I would like to see this video evidence," Markowitz said.
Matches heard Landsford's chair swivel. He must be facing Markowitz.
"I can't believe you're buying this!" Landsford said. "I didn't think you would be as easily duped as the review committee!"
"You said the review committee voted for removal," Markowitz said. "Have you been lying to me?"
"I can't believe this!" Landsford shouted. "OK! Here! How many fingers am I holding up? Tell me and you can keep your command!"
"Mr. Landsford!" Markowitz said.
Matches could feel a slight breeze on her face. He was waving his hand in front of her, the jerk.
"If you want me to count them, Mr. Landsford," Matches said. "You should stop waving them in front of my face."
That shocked him. He held the hand still.
It is one hand, Matches thought, so it's zero through five. If it's zero, she wouldn't have been able to feel the breeze so clearly. Furthermore, a "trick" answer like zero would look bad in front of Markowitz and the cameras. (There had to be cameras recording this.)
Five fingers and one fingers were unlikely because they would look bad waving in front of her face, either like he was trying to squash something in my face or wagging a finger at me.
That left two, three, or four. Landsford was upset, so this was a snap decision. This was a chance. Matches liked taking chances.
"Three," she said.
A half hour later, Cutter asked her, "How did it go?"
"Not bad," she said. "Are we ready for take-off?"
Matches was truly blind here. Cutter could not help her in this room, so far from the 740. She had to rely on her wits, her training, and the other senses she'd been working on improving.
"Actually, Mr. Landsford," Matches said. "You don't have the authority to relieve me of command."
"You are wrong," Landsford said. "I am acting on behalf of Central Core."
"Is this true, Mr. Markowitz?" Matches asked, turning to face the other man in the room. It must have been somewhat unnerving for section lead Phillip Markowitz. Both he and Landsford knew she was blind, and Markowitz had not announced himself. Matches could hear him shift in his seat and knew he must be there if Landsford was assuming Central Core authority.
Markowitz stuttered a bit, but Landsford spoke instead.
"You lost a humanitarian support cargo on Gwill Novis," he said.
"It was destroyed by enemy activity," Matches responded.
"You did not adequately defend the cargo against the activity," Landsford said.
"The video recording of the encounter argues otherwise," Matches said, "as the review committee concluded."
"There's a video recording?" Markowitz asked.
"You could not have adequately defended the cargo," Landsford said, "regardless of whatever trickery you might have managed with the video."
"Trickery?" Matches asked. "Would you describe to me how I would accomplish such..."
"You could not have adequately defended the cargo," Landsford said, shouting now, "because you are blind."
"The video evidence and review committee argue otherwise," Matches said.
"You didn't tell me of any video evidence," Markowitz said.
"I will not argue this with you," Landsford said. "You are blind. The idea that you can adequately command a common transport response vessel, or any other vessel, is ludicrous."
"I would like to see this video evidence," Markowitz said.
Matches heard Landsford's chair swivel. He must be facing Markowitz.
"I can't believe you're buying this!" Landsford said. "I didn't think you would be as easily duped as the review committee!"
"You said the review committee voted for removal," Markowitz said. "Have you been lying to me?"
"I can't believe this!" Landsford shouted. "OK! Here! How many fingers am I holding up? Tell me and you can keep your command!"
"Mr. Landsford!" Markowitz said.
Matches could feel a slight breeze on her face. He was waving his hand in front of her, the jerk.
"If you want me to count them, Mr. Landsford," Matches said. "You should stop waving them in front of my face."
That shocked him. He held the hand still.
It is one hand, Matches thought, so it's zero through five. If it's zero, she wouldn't have been able to feel the breeze so clearly. Furthermore, a "trick" answer like zero would look bad in front of Markowitz and the cameras. (There had to be cameras recording this.)
Five fingers and one fingers were unlikely because they would look bad waving in front of her face, either like he was trying to squash something in my face or wagging a finger at me.
That left two, three, or four. Landsford was upset, so this was a snap decision. This was a chance. Matches liked taking chances.
"Three," she said.
A half hour later, Cutter asked her, "How did it go?"
"Not bad," she said. "Are we ready for take-off?"
This work by Timothy H. Ruppel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
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