Emerald Repatriation Society: Interview (Pt21)
04 Feb 2024Vasil Vasilescu
(<--Pt20)“Is that him,” Asked Sgt Lydko?
I looked at the video feed of the small, harshly lit holding cell where Emerald Dawn security had placed Jack Vaughn. He was laying on a wall-mounted plastic bench with an arm over his face to block out the overbearing light. His black suit made him look like a splotch of ink against the pristine white wall and bench. “Yes, that’s him.”
“If you want to press charges, we’ll have to contact system law enforcement and hand the matter over to them within 24 hours.”
“I’d like to talk to him first and then decide.”
“Roger that.” Sgt Lydko tapped the badge on his red and gold security uniform. “Johnson, prep cell one for interview.” On screen, the cell lights dimmed and the bench folded into the wall, dumping Vaughn onto the floor. “If you’ll follow me, Mr Vasilescu, I’ll take you to him.”
Along the way, Lydko reminded me, “We can only hold him for 24 hours. What if he is still here in 12 hours when we jump?”
“Then he comes along for the ride. Even if we release him after twenty-four hours, where is he going to go? We’ll be on mission by then.”
“Understood,” said the sergeant. He had all of Vaughn’s press information. He knew Vaughn, an independent GalNet reporter, came to the Emerald Dawn on the press shuttle and that Vaughn would have no way off the ship once it was on mission.
Once outside the cell, Lydko tapped his badge. “Cell One. Interview final prep and unlock.”
The lights in the cell shut off, then like lighting, illuminated the dark cell in random, violent flashes for a few seconds before returning to normal. As we entered, Vaughn was shielding his eyes as they adjusted to the light and trying to make out who was entering the cell. Sergeant Lydko pushed Vaughn to stand with his face to the wall and hands at the back of his head. He indicated to me the opposite wall where a bench folded out into position. Once I sat, Lydko turned Vaugh to face me.
“Sergeant, could I speak with Mr. Vaughn alone. And please, a seat for him as well.”
Lydko looked to the cell’s camera and gave it a slight nod. A bench near Vaughn folded into place. “If you need me, I’ll be right outside the door,” said Lydko, and left.
Vaughn, his pupils still adjusting, slowly groped for the bench and sat down. “That was unnecessary," said Vaughn, rubbing his eyes. "I am not a damn neo marlinist terrorist. And this assault charge is bogus. You know that bump in the lift was unintentional.”
I shrugged. “It depends on how you look at it. What one person sees as an accidental bump, another might see as assault, and yet another might see as an attempt to get unauthorized access to the command deck.” I glanced to the camera.
Vaughn nodded slow, his vision, and a realization, coming into focus. “You want something from me.”
“We both want the same thing. Answers. So, I propose a trade. We take turns asking questions. The other answers them honestly. We can choose at any time to not answer a question but once we do, our conversation is over.”
“Then what?”
“Good question. If I am satisfied with your answers, you leave, and no one ever has to know we had this conversation. Otherwise, Imperial security collects you on charges of attempted forcible entry onto the command deck. My turn to ask a question. Who told you the Abdicare against my sister, Elena, was because she leaked info about ERS involvement in Hixkaramu?”
“You know it would be unethical to reveal my sources. And you also know I can only be held for 24 hours before you have to turn me over to system authorities or you have to let me go. Either way, sometime in the next twenty-two hours I am walking out of this cell. So, why should I answer any questions?”
“Because in twelve hours the ship will be in a place where there is no system authority, and because my sister, Octavia, knows you were one of the first to publish false reports of ERS funding a war.” The part about Octavia was false, but I decided to gamble that Vaughn did not know that. Once I saw a flash of worry in his face when he realized the implications of what I said, I knew the gamble worked. “Unlike her, I think you are being used and that you could point me toward the source of the false leak. So, I’ll ask again, who told you the Abdicare was because Elena leaked information?”
To his credit, Vaughn held firm. He just shook his head.
“Then I suppose we are done.” I stood and called out to Sgt. Lydko that I was ready to leave. My bench folded quietly back into the wall. Before stepping out. I said to Vaughn, “I’ve been told that Stefan did not try to prevent you being detained. He’ll be back on Emerald within the hour.”
I left it at that, hoping it would cause Vaughn to wonder if Stefan was setting him up to disappear once the ship left for its mission. Systems recovering from Thargoid attacks lacked personnel and material resources. Enforcing the law was rarely their top priority. Most often, they let it fall on individual ship security detachments to maintain law and order. In 12 hours, Vaughn would be at the mercy of the ERS.
I stopped in the door, looked back. The cell lights were growing more intense, made brighter by the white walls, floor and ceiling. “As for what you asked me in the hangar, no, I do not think the Abdicare was justified. If it was up to me, it would never have happened.” I told myself I said this to start establishing trust in order to get info out of Vaughn, but at my core, I knew it was a confession that my inaction led Elena to the verge of slavery.
And isn’t that reporters like Vaughn want, confessions?
(Part 22-->)