Classified: Top Confusion
03 Jan 2016Tristan Pacheco
Well, this isn't as comfortable as the usual kind of place I like to stay the night in, but I guess the situation kind of demands it. 
I'm in a top secret testing facility in what I thought was a backwater Federal system not too far from Sol. I've passed this system, PLX 695, hundreds if not thousands of times without even highlighting it in the galaxy map. It's permit only, because there's a less-than-top-secret orbital weapons testing facility above the planet I'm on right now, which is called Secular 1...which is weird, because the star is...never mind. Either way, somehow FSS Black (who I didn't even know existed) found out about me attempting to snoop about Dahan Gateway to learn about the UAE's. So, contrary to what I thought a clandestine operations unit would do, they...promoted me...from E-7 straight to O-1. Apparently they'd been planning to do so already, but the opportunity presented itself, so here I am. Despite the promotion, there wasn't much of a celebration. Literally, the exchange went like this: I (alone, my squadron was not allowed to join me) was told to come to the system shortly after the permit magically appeared in my nav computer, and immediately upon landing, armed guards escorted me through a concrete tunnel to what I assume was the main office. Upon my arrival, my CO, (who again, is now a Rear Admiral (lower half)), a full-fledged four star Admiral, and two Captains were standing around a desk. Naturally, I snapped to attention...
"Chief Petty Officer Pacheco?" The Admiral asked, without giving me permission to be at ease.
"Yes, ma'am?"
"Your illegal operations within Dahan Gateway did not go unnoticed. However, considering your new security clearance, and additionally your complete lack of special operations training, as well as your inability to see anything you shouldn't have, we're going to give you a pass this time. That does not mean, however, that you're going to continue. We have plans in the works for what your squadron will be involved with, but it will have nothing to do with alien artifacts. Your mission will be revealed in time, but for now, we're going to keep you here, in order to familiarize you with your new terms of operation," Whatever the hell that means, "And don't worry, your squadron has been briefed"
"Yes, sir! Thank you, sir!"
"And by the way, you're now Ensign Pacheco. Congratulations," He said a non-celebratory nature. Then he waved his hands at the security and we walked down a thousand corridors. I met with a guy who insists that his name is just Needle, a mononym. He also says not to call him sir, despite wearing a Federal Air Force Colonel's insignia, albeit on a very, very, very old fashioned bomber jacket. He told me about FSS Black, some kind of special intelligence service for the normal FSS. Then he and some woman who never told me her name, though dressed equally strangely, took me to where I am now, and told me to get ready for a very special day tomorrow. So here I am, sitting on a bunk that has to be made of plastic, in a bunker that looks like it was built 7000 years ago, no more certain what the hell is going on than I was an hour ago. I don't even know what damn time it is. There are no windows, no clocks, and my wrist computer doesn't have a signal. But hey, at least I'm an officer now!